Bihar finally! I said to myself as I boarded the Patna Rajdhani express from New Delhi on the 12 of February 2006. By 6 in the morning the next day, I arrived at Patna, the capital of Bihar. I was on an evaluation trip with 2 persons, Kamaraj a colleague and Madhura from PRAXIS. We were conveniently picked-up from the station by a Sumo (not wrestler!) vehicle arranged by the Project Manager of whose project we have come to evaluate. Patna did not quite look like a State capital, rather like a big town. But we were informed by the driver that with the change of government (from Laloo to Nitish), the people of Bihar are looking for the next big change.
Muzaffarpur is supposed to be one of the 3 biggest industrial areas in Bihar. The other two are Patna and Dharbanga. Again the scene looked like we have arrived in another big town. For the next 4 days we were involved in the evaluation. But we also managed to see the place. There were many modes of transportation in Muzaffarpur, from bullock-carts and cycles to Santros and trucks. Then there are the buses (private, See picture), which form an important link to many interior areas of the district and the State. As you can see, people have mastered the art of remaining on the roof in various manners of postures. I sometimes think, maybe the seats inside the bus are in such bad shape that people are more comfortable sitting on the roof.
Majority of the people in the neighbouring villages are agricultural labourers (many of whom are bonded labourers). They toil in the fields and earn a meagre sum to sustain themselves and their families. Tobacco cultivation is also big time here. Muzaffarpur is famous for its bangles. Moti Jheel market is the most happening market in the area and has a section exclusively for bangle shops. Here bangles are made, transported and sold all over the country. As my visit was not for leisure, the most memorable things about the place are the women we met in the field. How they are transforming their lives through the Self-Help Groups that they have formed with the help of the project is truly worthy of praise. From being a voiceless segment to a vocal and active participating group, it took a lot of determination and sheer will to change their lives that made them real ‘heroes’.
