Even if You are not born in Bihar or Your grandpa has left the state of bihar some 40 years back and you have never ever known which town in bihar your ancestoral home was once upon a time, but still you are a bihari by all means. You can't be a Bengali or Asames, Andhraite or any other "li,es or ite", even though your family has been contributing to society or the state where you are currently residing for past 40 years as much as any "li,es or ite" may or more than any of those so called "li, es or ite". You always have to mention that once upon a time your roots are from bihar and you are a bihari, not the "li, es or ite" of that state. Ahhh to much of melodrama right, but this is what I am or have to say when some one ask me where you belong to. And there is no harm in admiting and no regret to accept the fact that I am a bihari and I said this to each and everyone, who has asked me with my head full of pride. But mind you this confession will bring you some well practiced adjective and features to your profile, that so called civilized society of that particular state or the person asking, has attributed to a bihari. But whats wrong with it? I say no harm... Then why this waste of resource of space and energy for this word called "bihari".
I wanted to write about this being Bihari for a long time but my perception and view about being labeled as Bihari has changed dramaticaly since I have come to Delhi. What was my strong belief of being Bihari, what it meantto the rest of India, has been attacked and belief has been jolted by what this Delhi/NCR people think of Bihari.
I will write or bifurcate my content in two parts a) being Bihari in eastern India and b)being bihari in North
India (Delhi/Ncr)
Part -A
If you live in bengal the special adjective for bihari is "Merdua [and NRB (non reliable biharies)]"- It means someone who don't have manner,s illiterate, rowdy and, raunchy, you have the freedom to ornate this word with any adjective in that sense whcih exemplify a ugly thoughtless, mannerless creature. Ohhh too nasty... But the best part is that every bihari who, whom I know, lives in bengal takes it as an compliment to their status. They have a complete different meaning for that word "Merdua". For us, the bihari, it is an compliment of our bravery and our boldness that we can show off at any time and at any place, no matter where we are, who all are watching us, etc etc. Because nothing bothers us, we are the free spirit and we do things as we please and we care a damm what others think of us. Let me clarify one thing not every bihari take this compliment positively, there are few who takes offence of this as well, poor fellows but they are very few. Hey I didn't belong to the category of those poor moron who take offence of this, I was a proud bihari who took pride in the word till I crossed the hallowed wall of NIT Jamshedpur. Hey, don't blabber like this, anyone from that exceptional moron and forlorn souls can ask me, whether I have any facts to boast our bravery in public with so much authority. I would ask those sophistacted idiots to shut up and enjoy a incidence that I am going to narrate,
" It was at a time when I was returning from tuition in class 12, I was returing home, traveling in the local train. Me and my friends where having usual chatter and fun in our on bihari style, shouting, screaming at each other without caring a damm even though we where blowing others eardrum off. One of our bihari bhai' would be 12 to 13 years of age, standing at the trai's gate, actulay swiveliing around the pole of the gate, performing his pole dancing. So what so amazing about pole dancing to be mentioned here, Hey shut up and just watch the bravery act. Actualy there are concrete pole standing tall beside the railway line to support the web of electric wire and at some palce they are merely 1 feet away from the chasis of the train. And you may even kiss them if you have the guts while the train is running not only kissing it will give you the best possible opportunity to meet our Gods. Come back to the pole dancing act, Now you can understand how brave the fellow bihari bhai was performing his pole dance to seduce the God, may be Indra can give him a chace to perform in the swarg (after all we are in the modern world where pink is not an illegal colour or attitude to be displayed in public, so why bar the Gods, they have equal roghts as well. Poor fellow his dancing was 6 years ago, he was to ahead of his time to get a call from swarg to perform... never mind keep trying you will surely get a call) . Ahhh, that bloddy bengali, so called bhodro( mannered) student. He did not like the pole dancing to be performed by my bihari bhai, actualy he was jealous of him, may be he wanted to be performing in swarg before him. Any ways he broke the temmpo of the pole dancing and the tune of singing. And bluntly told my bhai or requested (bengali can't ask a bihari in commanding voice, right) to stop his pole dancing or he may die and will book a meeting with the God. Ohh God, poor bhodro student... how dare you? Told my bhai... He made that bengali confessed that he has done wrong by interupting him, and threaten him that he will "bhasm" him ( by his 3rd eye) if he again dare to intrupt him. Ahh so brave, isn't he?... Yes he is, And he pull down the curtain on the incident giving a brave speech by saying:
" Sala hum nahi pole se latkenge to kaun latkega... M******d pata kaise chalega ki hum bihari ke baal bacha hai... bangali me dum nahi hota train se latakne ka..."
Poor bhodro fellow, he held his head down in defeat and watched the next performance after a break... cheers mate... I too felt the pride in my heart to be bengali oppss to be bihari.... And I tell you, it's not that we boasted and felt pride of our bravery act only... We have an strong backing of the results of all government exam, irrespective of state or post, we the bihari dominate every sector... ( this one is for not so brave bihari like me who boasted it and helds his head high for this fact). This is one such bravey act I have seen or witness, there are many such bravery act, that has earned us the coveted title of "Mrdua", which I would love to narrate... but sorry time and space both are constraint..
All these years that I lived at home, till college, NIT Jamshedpur, and even till my tenure in hyderabad, I strongly belived that bihari are the most dominate community and the most rowdy-ly brave community in India. Each one of us boast the fact, only one bihari is more than enough to ripped apart asses of 10 other people and we had the capacity to transform harmony into cacophony...
Part-B
When I reached delhi. I was the same brave bihari, but a more mature one with experince of various other city, and being an experienced and due to age I have learnt to keep bihari in me in control and decided to give my Kolkataite a chace to show off.... But poor me I was accompanied by an uncle cum friend, a bihari, he refused to drop down his bihari attitude and roamed around thumping and roaring and stamping the fact that he is a bihari, at every landlord I went to find a flat. I remained slient and let him talk... Result was that many simply refused to rent a flat to us, and denied in a dominating attitude alien to biharies, with disdain attitude towards us. It was realy a jolt for me, That friend of mine tried to force the issue in bihari ways giving all kind of evidence and refernce of highly powerfull goverment official that he knows and what he can do... But to my surprise nothing worked, this could have fetched me a flat at cheaper rate any where in the other cityies that I have visited. But things were different here, every other person in delhi specily the land lords seem to know the Union minister personaly... So this bihari attitude didn't worked in delhi... As the days passed I realized that bihari brave attitude that seemed to work every where does not work in Delhi... Bihari are no more the dominace force out here and their bravery act has taken a back sheet... The Jaat and the haryanwi's are the bihari of Delhi (huge compliment for a Jaat... [:-/] ) Interesting part is that if there is any brawl or a some kind of mishap happens on the street or in the metro., and one of the persson involved try to dominate the other person, most of the Time next person start his fight by the saying:
" arre mere ko bihari samaj ke rakha hai kya... sala kuch bhi bolega kya.. mai bihari nahi hu Delhi se hu ( in typical haryanwi accent)... "
This exactly what happened when two commuter in the metro launched an argument two days ... I smiled at my self at the fact bihari's can't be ignored no matter what is happening and who are involved... :P...
I went into a deja-vu, how the meaning of being bihari has changed from one part of India to other part.... All those past dominating pride that I had being a bihari while staying in eastern part of India has went for a toss...this part of the country being bihari does not means the dominating community but it only symmbolizes the labour class or some one who cheat rent and other stuff...
No offence to any bihari, I can't offened a bihari as I am one myself and a Proud one... This a onepart of the story that I have seen, faced, experienced and living with... But one thing for sure we bihari's need to change to be respected by others... We need amendment in our attitude for the sake of our own improvment and have to stop enjoying the label of being noisome creature... enough of crap Sighning out... [:)]
