Social Justice or Development: Bihar Must Choose

By: Mihir Bholey

After decades of hiatus Bihar has woken up to assert its priority- the need for development which has acquired centrality in the election agenda this time. Though, the residual impac

t of the castiest politics of social justice can still be found. But a new truism and truth has gripped Bihar’s elections this time around. The truism is more and more people in Bihar among all castes now recognize social justice a mere pseudo name for caste politics. The truth is despite the realization it’s still used to mobilize the voters on caste lines. A formidable source of caste realignment in the state since the decade of nineties, social justice is now being weighed against development; the emerging imperative in the state. Can the castiest assertion of social justice and the emerging imperative of development reconcile in Bihar following the ongoing assembly elections?

In the guise of social justice, Bihar suffered from ‘caste exclusive’ politics for a long time. The rising social assertion for development may be a new breakthrough eventually leading the state towards a ‘caste inclusive’ politics. The five years of feel good governance ensuing the near absence of governance for decades is now precipitating the demand for development. While the elections are on, the real issue this time is whether the ‘caste exclusive’ agenda will again subvert the demand for development or whether the agenda of development will succeed in initiating the process of ‘caste inclusive’ politics in the state?

The politics of social justice in Bihar has turned castes into absolute vote banks. As such, caste mobilization becomes stronger during elections. But there is also a growing realization this time that social justice is meaningless if not matched with economic development and growth opportunity. Interestingly, a large number of people who feel so are the numerically and socially dominant OBCs; the real beneficiaries of social justice. Following their socio-political empowerment, they now also want to achieve economic empowerment which can only be attained by pursuing development. In Bihar besides the Upper Castes many among the OBCs also feel that even for reservation - a major agenda of social justice, the criteria of economic backwardness may be a better option. There is also a realization this time that the economic basis for social justice and development can better level caste disparity which the champions of social justice ignored.

What has Bihar gained from social justice all these years except a false sense of honour and dignity among the garib-gurba (the poor and marginalized) without bringing any qualitative change in their life? The fact remains that social justice couldn’t help large scale migration of the Biharis to distant states in search of livelihood and face persecution there by the parochial political outfits like MNS and ULFA. Surely, migration was the result of the collapse of development for decades. The populism of social justice left Bihar far behind in the race of economic development. Even the World Bank report on Bihar observed from time to time that a wide range of fiscal pressure including the need to serve the populist policy by the underperforming state became an important reason for the visible deceleration in its economic growth.

The process of economic reforms in India which were set in motion during the 1990’s, accelerated the GDP of the nation from a meager 5.6% in 1990-91 to its highest ever 9.6% in 2006 and helped many states achieve unprecedented economic growth. But due to the lack of development agenda until 2004 Bihar’s rate of economic growth stagnated at 4.6% while during the same period it was 7.1% in Gujarat. Ironically, prior to the onset of economic liberalization in 1990s Bihar’s economic growth was 5.2% but thanks to the single point agenda of social justice, it dropped to 4.2% in the post-liberalization era. While Bihar remained obsessed with its make-believe of social justice, states like Gujarat steadfastly pursued the agenda of economic development and ensured comprehensive socio-economic development. Though, many political leaders in Bihar seem averse even to the reference of Gujarat due to their political compulsions, but the model of overall social development it has presented through its economic development can’t be ignored.

The much talked about Sushasan (good governance) in the last five years is working as a feel good factor and the little semblance of order in the state is contributing to the rising demand for development in this 2010 assembly elections. The maiden step towards development in infrastructure after a long hiatus is now paving way for further economic development. Even the people at the grassroot level can now make out the difference between the politics of social justice and the politics of development. It’s a positive sign. More than political parties’ it’s the people’s agenda this time; an agenda which may begin the process of inclusive politics leading to real rather than pseudo social justice in Bihar.

(Author is a Senior Faculty at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Views expressed are personal and based on his recent research on caste conflict and social justice in Bihar.)