They lend him their year

Or you could argue that change in Bihar is best framed by the revived discussion on its public education system. The ongoing process of large-scale appointment of teachers has stirred up the air that had long staled over the state’s primary school. Here, worn down teachers perform ‘combined’ teaching six days a week — a euphemism for one ageing man or woman ‘teaching’ all subjects to as many as five classes, simultaneously, in decrepit classrooms bare of teaching aids, erratically helped by the shiksha mitra or para teacher. There are widespread rumours of mukhiyas demanding bribes for jobs. But at last the scandal of the school is on the table. So is the breakdown in state colleges and universities. There’s been a flurry of high-level meetings on the subject.

Indeed, Bihar’s new regime obsesses about catchwords and phrases. Nitish Kumar was unhappy, they say, with the title ‘Janata Darbar’ for his weekly audience with ordinary citizens. The ritual was renamed ‘Janata ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri’ to give it a more humble ring. Apparently there was high-level agonising over the government’s one year report card too: should the slogan say ‘Nyay ke saath Vikas’, justice with development, or ‘Vikas ke saath Nyay’?

Or perhaps the New Bihar was struggling to come up anyway, irrespective of who rules Patna. For a glimpse of that heartening possibility, travel to Kanti block in Muzzaffarpur district, where the Centre launched an innovative scheme on November 19. Bank accounts were opened for labourers employed under the NREGA and they have been given ATM cards. Meet the Musahars among the 105 labourers chosen for the pilot project. An old belief forbids Musahars from consuming money gone “baasi” or stale — the day’s earnings must be spent before the day is done. Yet Musahar labourers of Kanti block needed little convincing from the local NGO that instructed them about the value of their new bank accounts. Now they can’t be cheated out of their wages, they tell you, by the mukhiya or thekedar or both.

... contd.