[Reader-list] questions arising form bihar samaj simiti

[Rakesh]

Dear All

Last Monday I attended a programme of Bihar Samaj Samiti, an 
organisation of mainly Delhi based migrants Bihari Workers. Here I am 
sharing my observations and thoughts on the programme.

 
 "Jahan na pahunche gari

pahunche wahan Bihari

Har kshetra mein aage hain yeh

kya niji kya sarkari

Tab bhi dekh kar bihariyon ki dasha

man hua hai bhari"


These are the lines from "Bihar Samaj Samiti-Smarika (Souvenier of Bihar 
Samaj Samiti). Yesterday, The Samiti Launched its Souvenier-2005 in 
Rajendra Memorial Hall, Delhi. Mr. Oscar Fernandis, Union Minister for 
Programme Implementation, Mr. Tariq Anwar, General Secretary of 
Nationalist Congress Party, Lok Sabha MP Mr. Sandeep Dikshit, Formar MP, 
Lal Bihari Tiwari, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President, Rambabu 
Sharma, Chaudhary Matin Ahmad, Member of Legislative Assembaly, Delhi, 
Zameer Ahmad Munna and Ishwar Chand Goel, Member of MCD were the various 
types of guests (Chief Guest, Guest of Honour, Ditinguished Guest ....). 
Entire Rajendra Memorial Hall was full of working class population of 
Delhi. All, yes all of them from Bihar. Mostly Muslim.


At one level the Souvenier launch programme seemed to me an occassion of 
show of strength. Although 'Bihar Samaj Samiti' has an organisational 
structure but Mr. Naushad Alam, the General Secretary of 'organisation 
is all in all of the ogranization. The show was totally organised and 
managed by him. He was busy enough in getting him photographed as much 
as he could, from every angle of the dias. But at the same time the 
programme had another dimension also, which is quite interesting in the 
context of the aspirations and the dialy needs of the working class in 
the city. The question of migrants' identity is the most crucil in this 
respect. Whoever from the audicance got a chance to speak, spoke about 
their daily experience. Speaking in local

Hindi accent, a worker from Navi Kareem (a lane in walled city) said, 
"Hum thik kaam kare tab bhi aur kharab kam kare tab bhi, lala sala humko 
bihariye kahta hai." This kind of sense of humiliation was expressed 
almost by all, who spoke. They were poor, daily wage worker. So, 
humiliation is one aspect, another is a sense to show one's existance, 
and for this arise the need of a group of organisation. The ogranisation 
not only provides the migrants a sense of self being but also it serves 
as a tool of negotiation with local bureaucracy, civic bodies and 
dominating political forces. This was evident form the people present on 
dias, who were from different political streams, and the photographs and 
stories in the Souvenier. There are photographs of ACP and DCP and other 
higher officials, photographs of leaders of different political parties 
as the guests in different functions of Bihar Samaj Samiti. So all what 
I want to say here is that such kinds of organisations made on the basis 
of regional identities are the tool to negotiate with various power 
centers and at the same time it is a kind of claim. Claim to get share 
at different places. For example, one of the audiances criticised the 
demolition at Yamuna Pusta and the 'rehabilitation' aftermath and said, 
"If we are working in the middle of the city then why should we go on 
the outskirts, and why even staying here for more than 20-30 years we 
are not considered as a Dilliwallah?"


On the other hand it again became evident that the participation of 
different political leaders and figures in the programme was nothing but 
a political gimmick. While attending the programme I was continiously 
thinking that why not a single invited leader afford to be absent from 
the programme. And finally, now it is clear to me that it is impossible 
for them to miss such kind of opportunities, because these are directly 
related to the final outcome. The vote.


The banner of the programme was saying "Bihar Samaj Samiti ki Dusari 
Smarika ka Vimochan aur Bihar Mein Badh ki Vibhishika Par Sangosthi (The 
Lauch of the Souvenier of Bihar Samaj Samiti and A discussion on Flood 
in Bihar)" But not a single leader spoke on Badh ki Vibhishika. Instead 
one extened their best wishes for Holi. Besides, their tone was that 
they will do everything and anything for their (migrants') 
emanicipation. If fact some of them given account of what they have done 
during their tenure, or what they are doing presently. So, Initially 
when I went to the programme I thought I did a mistake, but after 
witnessing the enitre programme and going through the souvenier now I 
think this is a very important phenomenon of emerging urban and this 
demands attentions from urban researh community.

-- 
Rakesh Kumar Singh
Sarai-CSDS
Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054
Ph: 91 11 23960040
Fax: 91 11 2394 3450
web site: www.sarai.net
web blog: http://blog.sarai.net/users/rakesh/