Two Titanic, Sinking Ships of India – Bihar and Odisha

Asoka The Great attacked on that powerful & trade hub state Kalinga, where Kharavela from Mahameghavahana dyanasty was ruling  in 261 BC. The cruel king of Maurya dynasty fought a deadly fight near Daya river, almost 1.5 lakhs people killed in that and finally Asoka won but lost his cruelness. He became Buddhists saint and started spreading Buddhism with Karuvaki. Kharavela was great warrior and was responsible for propagation of Jainism in Indian sub-continent.

Pic. via The Hindu

Recalling the powerful, glorious and historical past of both states, make us proud and very delightful. Bihar and Odisha both separated from Bengal in 1^st April 1936, recognized as two different states. At present GDP of Bihar is around $59.4 billion, Odisha is around $46 billion.  If we look for the distributions of their economy, in Bihar – 22% agriculture, 5% Industry and 73% service whereas in Odisha – 15.4% agriculture, 33.34% industry and 51% services. Population of both states are 9.3 crore and 4.3 crore respectively. Growth rate of both states is not so smooth. 

Growth rates of both states are given below :

FY                                Bihar                   Odisha

2007-08                      7.6%                      10.95%

2008-09                      14.5%                    7.75%

2009-10                      10.5%                    4.55%

2010-11                      14.7%                    7.50%

2011-12                      13.1%                    4.94%

2012-13                      15.05%                  9.40%

2013-14                      8.82%                    5.60%

2014-15                      9.92%                    8.78%

Bihar is expecting 10% growth, Odisha is eyeing with 8.1% and India as a whole on 7.5% - 8.5% in 2015-16.  As on today India has achieved 7.3%, for the first time, GDP has crossed the magic mark of $ 2.06 trillion.

These figures may be looking somehow fruitful in India but in Bihar and Odisha, it is red-triggered. We will go on ground reality, we will find that 90% households of Bihar still lives in rural areas, in Odisha, it is around 87% out of that 0.03% households has no shelter in Bihar, 0.06% in Odisha. Around 59% households of Bihar are casual labors, 65% households has no land, 18% households are engaged in agricultural works. Same hand in Odisha, 70.5% households are casual labors, 54% households has no land, 23% households are engaged in agricultural works.

Pic. via Timesofindia.com

Coming to income in Bihar, around  70% households earn less than Rs 5000 in a month whereas condition of Odisha is furious, it is around 87.88%. Around 54,199 houses of Odisha are fully dependent on alms, provided by govt. Around 4% female households are either widow or divorced in Odisha, who has no care taker.

SC/ST people are most neglected one in society and are maximum sufferer of any kind of developments, due to their indigenous claims over dependency on land and forest but such dependency never taken in accounts except few onetime payment of some financial supports. From British rule, we are following the principle of “Eminent Domain” which means any unclaimed land or land without patta is govt property and hence SC/ST people are maximum sufferers because they never owns any lands due to their Khanabadosh nature.

Pic. via TheHindu

SC people are around 3.33 crores households in India, 29 lakhs households in Bihar and 15 lakhs households in Odisha. SC are around 2 crores households in India, 3 lakhs households in Bihar and around 20 lakhs households in Odisha. 23% households of tribal and 16% households of SC in Odisha earns less than Rs 5000 same hand in Bihar it is 1% households of tribal and 14% households of SC earns less than Rs 5000. Not only that only 1% household of tribal in Bihar are engaged in agriculture in Bihar, rest 15% households are manual labors and others are engaged in different different works. Only 1% households of SC are engaged in agriculture, 14% are manual labors and rest in small small jobs. In Odisha, around 2.36% tribal households and 2% SC households are engaged in agricultural works, 13% tribal households and 13% SC households people are working as manual labors and rest in small jobs. 0.54% SC households and 0.48% tribal households are engaged in govt jobs in Odisha.

Pic. via IndianExpress

Conditions of women are also very worse in Odisha and Bihar. Around 50% women are illiterate. Around 1.7 lakhs women households in Odisha are engaged in agricultural works, 6 lakhs households as manual labors, 1% households in various small works and heads their houses. In Bihar, 2.5 lakhs women households are engaged in agriculture, 12 lakhs households as manual labors and 0.5% households in various small jobs to serve their households. Around 50000 women households in Odisha are engaged as domestic servant and around 24 thousand households are fully dependent on begging/alms.

Odisha has 25% India’s iron reserves, 10% steel productions, top producer of aluminum, owning 7381 MW of power plants, coal reserves, bauxite reserves, Manganese reserves etc are available with lots of other resources but still Odisha is poorest in India. Bihar carries 58% population below 25 years, wide range of human resources, plenty of fertile lands, still industrial revolution in Bihar is awaited.

Lack of political willingness, extreme poverty, illiteracy, corruption and lack of vision of future roadmaps and policies are few major problems of Bihar and Odisha. In Bihar, leaders are engaged in caste and vote bank politics, whereas, in Odisha, leaders are engaged in freebie-politics.

Pic, via NewIndianExpress

Major reasons of Titanic tragedy was :

Warnings ignored: Before journey of Titanic, several warnings were issued about iceberg but crew had ignored all.

Binoculars were locked: Binoculars of Titanic were locked up by crew members, hence they fail to see iceberg from marginal distance.

Less life Boats: Titanic had very less life boats.

Steering error: Major reason of Titanic drawing was steering error. It was told to push the tiller right to make the ship head left, but in wrong communication it reached to down label to push the ship turn right.

High speed: Over confident screw of Titanic was running ship at high speed of 22 nots (41kmph), just few less than maximum speed 24 knots (44kmph). Low grade iron rivets were used in manufacturing of Titanic.

Same way, Odisha and Bihar are running on instant profit making paths, ignoring all warnings and inputs. Poor governance and high corruption has made lots of things miserable. Freebie, unemployment, political interests and lack of capacity building are few reasons, which are carrying both states on the path of self destructions. In Bihar, wrong political moves has destroyed all arithmetic calculations. Corruptions, Kidnapping and crimes are rising heads. 

Reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki and several news channels
and Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 released by govt of India.