Anti-Bihari Sentiment
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Anti-Bihari sentiment refers to the large scale discrimination against Biharis in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Bihar experienced slower economic growth compared to the rest of India, prompting many Biharis to migrate to other regions in search of better opportunities. Migrant workers from Bihar have often faced hostility and prejudice in these areas, with stereotypes portraying them as criminals, rapists, and traitors. Additionally, Biharis have been affected by anti-Hindi sentiment in non-Hindi speaking states, fueled by the perception that central government agencies favor Hindi over regional languages in national examinations and services.


Causes

Since the late 1980s and through to 2005, poor governance and annual flooding of Bihar by the Kosi River (also called as the Sorrow of Bihar) contributed to a crisis in the Bihar economy. Corruption in regional politics and kidnappings of professional workers between 1990 and 2005 who spoke against the corruption contributed to an economic collapse and led to the flight of capital, middle class professionals, and business leaders to other parts of India. This flight of business and capital increased unemployment and this led to the mass migration of Bihari farmers and unemployed youth to more developed states of India. The state has a
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
of $536 a year against India's average of $1470 and 30.6% of the state's population lives below the poverty line against India's average of 22.15%. The level of urbanisation (10.5%) is below the national average (27.78%). Urban poverty in Bihar (32.91%) is above the national average of 23.62%. Bihar has highest population density and lowest GDP per capita in India.


Impact


Economic

Bihar has a
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
of $936 a year against India's average of $2,624. Given this income disparity, migrant workers moved to better paid locations and offered to work at lower rates. For example, in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
inter-state migrant construction workers are paid about ₹. 300 to ₹. 400 a day against the minimum of ₹. 750 per day. After thousands of migrant workers left Nashik, industries were worried that their costs would increase through more expensive local workers. In an interview with the ''
Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'', Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena said; "The city (
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
) cannot take the burden anymore. Look at our roads, our trains and parks. On the pipes that bring water to Mumbai are 40,000 huts. It is a security hazard. The footpaths too have been taken over by migrants. The message has to go to Bihar that there is no space left in Mumbai for you. After destroying the city, the migrants will go back to their villages. But where will we go then?". The strain to Mumbai's infrastructure through migration has also been commented by mainstream secular politicians. The Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh felt that unchecked migration had placed a strain on the basic infrastructure of the state. However, he has maintained and urged migrant Bihari workers to remain in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, even during the height of the anti North Indian agitation. Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister of
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
, said that because of people migrating from Bihar, Delhi's infrastructure was overburdened. She said, that "these people come to Delhi from Bihar but don't ever go back causing burden on Delhi's infrastructure."


Violence


Bangladesh

Many Biharis were ethnic Urdu-speakers and largely maintained a pro-Pakistani stance, supporting the Pakistan Armed Forces and opposed the independence of Bangladesh and the Bengali language movement. Biharis faced reprisals from Mukti Bahini and militias resulting in up to 150,000 Biharis killed.


Nepal

Biharis have faced discrimination in Nepal, often being derogatorily referred to as "raddi kaghaz," "khaali botal," "sir par gamchha," or "o Bihari bhaiya." One Bihari was killed and two others were injured when armed police of Nepal opened fire near Lalbandi border outpost.


India


Attack against Sikhs

In 1984, the significant Sikh community residing in areas like Patna City, Lalji Tola, and Exhibition Road began relocating from Bihar following the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This trend persisted into the 1990s due to deteriorating law and order conditions and increasing extortion demands. In 1984, Patna was home to over 25,000 Sikhs. However, their population has since dwindled to 4,000 as families sought security and livelihood opportunities by migrating to Punjab and other states. In 2022, a group of 60 Sikhs from Mohali in Punjab were returning from celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh at Takht Sri Harimandir Ji in Patna. Their truck was stopped by a group of people at Dhyani Tola, who demanded a donation for a yagna and the construction of a Hanuman temple. When the driver explained that they had no money, an altercation ensued, and the local group pulled the driver from the vehicle and assaulted him. As a result, at least seven Sikh pilgrims sustained head injuries in Bihar's Bhojpur district.


Attack against Bengalis

Ten Thousands of bengalis were displaced from Bihar during Lalu Prasad Yadav's Jungle raj from 1989-2004. Majority of them re-settled in nearby states of Jharkhand, West Bengal etc. Bengalis were living in bihar for hundreds of years they were intentionally targeted for being soft mannered and for being non-bihari, they were all beaten up, murdered, kidnapped and their ancestral properties sieged during Lalu's era.


Attack against Journalists

There are 22 instances of attack on journalists in Bihar, 2nd highest in India, specially by political parties, mafias and natives.The freedom of speech and expression is lowest in Bihar in all of India.


Lowering India's GDP per capita

Biharis are accused of lowering India's GDP per capita by doing obsolete, extreme low-skill and low-paying jobs such as
coolie Coolie (also spelled koelie, kouli, khuli, khulie, kuli, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a pejorative term used for low-wage labourers, typically those of Indian people, Indian or Chinese descent. The word ''coolie'' was first used in the 16th cent ...
, panshops, rickshaw driver, sewage worker etc. in all other parts of India. Bihar's average GDP per capita is mere Rs. 86,000 only, some estimates says that India's GDP per capita would have been 4,500$ if UP and Bihar are excluded as these states are overpopulated.


Protests and demonstrations

Angry students in various parts of Bihar disrupted train traffic, as protests continued against assaults on north Indians by MNS activists in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. Noted Physician Dr Diwakar Tejaswi observed a day-long fast in Patna to protest against repeated violence by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray and his supporters. Various student organisations gave a call for Bihar shutdown on 25 October 2008 to protest attacks on north Indian candidates by Maharashtra Navnirnam Sena activists during a Railway recruitment examination in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. Various cases were filed in Bihar and Jharkhand against Raj Thackeray for assaulting the students.Anand Mohan Sahay
Bihar: 2 more cases filed against Raj Thackeray
, Patna, 23 October 2008
A murder case was also filed by Jagdish Prasad, father of Pawan Kumar, who was allegedly killed by MNS activists in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
.
Mumbai Police The Greater Mumbai Police (Marathi language, Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Brihanmumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay City Police'') is the Police, police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a cit ...
, however, claimed it to be a case of accident. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a compensation of ₹ 1,50,000 to Pawan's family. Bihar state Congress chief, Anil Kumar Sharma, has demanded enactment of an Act by Parliament for closing opportunities to any political party or organisation that indulge in obscurantism and raise such narrow, chauvinistic issues based on regionalism to capture power. A murder case was also lodged against Raj Thackeray and 15 others in a court in Jharkhand on 1 November 2008 following the death of a train passenger last month in Maharashtra. According to the Dhanbad police, their Mumbai counterparts termed Sakaldeo's death as an accident. According to social scientist Dr. Shaibal Gupta, the beating of students from Bihar has consolidated Bihari sub-
nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
.Ahmad Faizan, ''"Bihar violence: Raj the gainer"'', The times of India, Pune, 27 October 2008, pp. 6


Rahul Raj

Rahul Raj, from Patna, was shot dead aboard a bus in Mumbai by the police on 27 October 2008. Rahul was 23 years old and was brandishing a pistol and not shooting at public but a major threat to public security. The Mumbai police alleged that he wanted to assassinate Raj Thackeray. Nitish Kumar questioned the police action, but R R Patil justified it, and restored public security. It was alleged that Rahul was protesting against the attacks on Bihari and Uttar Pradeshi candidates appearing for railway examinations. Mumbai crime branch is looking into the incident. During Rahul's funeral slogans of "Raj Thackeray murdabad" and "Rahul Raj amar rahe" were heard. Despite Mumbai police's allegations, there was high level government representation at the funeral. Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and PHED minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey represented the state government at the cremation which was also attended by Patna MP Ram Kripal Yadav. The bier was carried by Rahul's friends even as the district administration had arranged a flower-bedecked truck for the purpose.


Attacks against Bihari people

KOLHAPUR: A group of 15 to 20 Maharashtra Navnirman Sena members on motorcycles went berserk on Tuesday attacking migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and February 3, 2008 - The tirade against North Indians started with clashes between MNS and SP workers at Dadar in Mumbai. MNS chief Raj Thackeray explained that the attack was a reaction to the uncontrolled dadagiri of migrants and leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. February 5, 2008 - MNS workers also pelted stones at the offices of Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari and North Indian Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam. February 8, 2008 - MNS chief Raj Thackeray revoked the issue of Marathi pride this time lashing out at the North Indians in an article titled "Majhi bhumika, majha ladha" (My stand, my struggle) written by him in the Marathi daily Maharashtra Times. February 12, 2008 - MNS workers destroyed government property to vent their anger against the reported move to arrest Raj. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh admitted that his government was responsible for failure in preventing the attacks by MNS on north Indian candidates at Railways examination centres and ordered a probe into the incident. October 20, 2008 - Thackeray was arrested in Ratnagiri after Mumbai police had received a non-bailable warrant issued by a Jamshedpur court against the MNS chief. The arrested again ignited violence by his supporters in large parts of the city forcing it to shut down. 2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra


Bhojpuri film industry relocation

The ₹200-crore Bhojpuri film industry is considering moving out of Mumbai owing to threats from MNS workers, and growing insecurity. With an average output of 75 movies per annum and an over 250 million target audience, the Bhojpuri film industry employs hundreds of unskilled and semi-skilled people from the state in various stage of production and distribution. The industry, which has around 50 registered production houses in Mumbai, has initiated talks with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "We have given a proposal to the
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
government through its Culture Minister Subhash Pandey for setting up the industry in Lucknow. Besides, we are also counting on some other options like Delhi, Noida and Patna," Bhojpuri superstar and producer Manoj Tiwari said. The films have a large market because the Bhojpuri
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is spread over countries like
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and the
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. 70 per cent of the total production cost of a Bhojpuri film — budgets of which range from ₹80 lakh to ₹1.25 crore — is usually spent in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, providing direct employment to junior artists, make-up men, spot boys and local studios among others.


Improving Bihar

However, the state government, post 2005, has made an effort to improve the economic condition of the state, and reduce the need for migration. In 2008, the state government approved over ₹ 70,000 crore worth of investment, has had record tax collection, broken the political-criminal nexus, made improvements in power supply to villages, towns and cities. Bihar, a state fraught with abject poverty, has come out on top as the fastest growing state second year in a row, with a striking 13.1 percent growth in 2011–2012. Its economy has also grown bigger than that of Punjab — the prime destination for Bihari workers. They have laid greater emphasis on education and learning by appointing more teachers, and opening a software park. State Ministers who have failed to live up to election commitments have been dismissed. Bihar's GSDP grew by 18% over the period 2006–2007, which was higher than in the past 10 years and one of the highest recorded by the Government of India for that period.


Other consequences

Since November 2005, there has been a significant fall in the number of migrant workers in many parts of India. After the early 2008 migrant crisis and bombing of the Bhojpuri cinema hall in
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, Biharis have decided to stay away from states of the North East and Punjab. Culturally, Biharis appear to have rejected a film based heavily on Punjabi culture. In August 2008, a film called '' Singh Is Kinng'' starring
Akshay Kumar Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...
which was a superhit in India, flopped in Bihar. Bihar has been where Akshay Kumar's films, from ''Jaanwar'' to ''Hey Babyy'', have acquired a blockbuster status. In this case, the heavy usage of Punjabi language, culture was said to be the main cause of the movie being rejected by Bihari audiences.


Assam

Veer Lachit Sena gathered at a petrol pump in Guwahati, haranguing two of its employees – Tuntun Kumar and Govindagiri, both from Bihar, “Hey Biharis, you want a beating?” shouts someone else as the two employees are shoved and heckled.Singh claimed the Lachit Sena also hit 31-year-old Govindagiri, who left Assam soon afterwards. "They have told us, not a single Bihari should be seen", recounted Singh. Karbi Longri National Liberation Front militants from the Karbi tribe called three Bihari men out of their homes and shot them dead in Bamuni Sukanjuri village in central Assam’s Nagaon district.


Delhi

A student at Delhi University's Kirori Mal College was assaulted by a group of fellow students. The student reported that he was targeted for money and referred to as "Bihar wala". He stated that they would demand money and say, "You are from Bihar. Things don't work your way," indicating discrimination based on his Bihari background. Arvind Kejriwal, former CM of Delhi stated that "Fake voters are being brought from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, In last 15 days, 13,000 applications came for new votes have come.Fake votes are made by bringing people from UP & Bihar".


Punjab

An elderly woman from Bihar was mercilessly beaten multiple times by two Sikh men for allegedly smoking inside the Golden Temple complex. A man from Patna was beaten to death for allegedly trying to remove a religious flag from a gurdwara in Kapurthala district. The man allegedly tried to remove Nishan Sahib, a religious flag of the Sikhs, from atop a gurdwara in Nizampur. He was caught and subsequently beaten to death.


Haryana

An MLA from Haryana made a remark ''"Bihar girls for Haryana men"''. The Bihar Women's Commission took suo motu cognizance of reports about the leader's remark, and issued notice to him. In Haryana, there was one instance of the family of a woman from Bihar who was paid just ₹. 1000 for marrying off their Bihari daughter. An NGO found 27 Bihari women, were married off to Haryana men, With prices ranging for ₹ 10,000 upto 1.5 Lakh. Union minister Piyush Goya said that "If it were up to them, they would turn the whole country into Bihar".


Maharashtra

North India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
n students, including students from Bihar, preparing for the railway entrance exam were attacked by supporters of Raj Thackeray's far right MNS party in Mumbai on 20 October 2008. One student from Bihar was killed during the attacks. Four people were killed and another seriously injured in the violence that broke out in a village near
Kalyan Kalyan (Pronunciation: əljaːɳ is a city on the banks of Ulhas River in Thane district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It is governed by Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Kalyan is a subdivision (Taluka) of Thane district ...
following the arrest of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanded action against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists and full security to students. Nitish Kumar requested Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh intervention. Kumar directed the additional director general of police to contact senior police officials in Maharashtra and compile a report on Sunday's incident and asked the home commissioner to hold talks with the Maharashtra home secretary to seek protection for people from Bihar.Sahay Anand Mohan
Nitish+Kumar+Demands+Stern Nitish Kumar Demands Stern Action against MNS Activists
, daijiworld, 20 October 2008
In 2003, the Shiv Sena alleged that of the 500 Maharashtrian candidates, only ten of them successful in the Railways exams. 90 per cent of the successful candidates were alleged to be from Bihar. Activists from the Shiv Sena ransacked a railway recruitment office in protest against non-Marathi's being among the 650,000 candidates set to compete for 2,200 railway jobs in the state. Eventually, after attacks on Biharis heading towards Mumbai for exams, the central government delayed the exams. Here it is noteworthy that leaders from Bihar including Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan were the Minister for Railways for a long time. Raj Thackeray alleged that there was a preference for the North Indian candidates by these ministers. He also lauded the next Railway minister
Mamata Banerjee Mamata Banerjee (; born 5 January 1955) is an Indian politician who is serving as the eighth and current List of chief ministers of West Bengal, chief minister of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal since 2 ...
for including regional languages in the Railway Recruitment Board exams allowing a level playing field for Marathis and other non-Hindi speakers.


North East states

Biharis have sought work in many states that form part of North East India. There were significant communities in
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
,
Nagaland Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...
, and
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. Biharis who come to work as labourers are frequently and especially targeted in Assam by
ULFA The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed separatist insurgent organisation, that operates in the Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people thro ...
militants. There is a fear amongst the local population that Bihari migrants will dominate and annihilate the regional culture and the language. As with all migrations in history, this has created tensions with the local population, which has resulted in large scale violence. In 2000 and 2003, anti-Bihari violence led to the deaths of up to 200 people, and created 10,000 internal refugees. Similar violent incidents have also taken place recently in
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
and
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
. According to K P S Gill waves of xenophobic violence have swept across Assam repeatedly since 1979, targeting
Bangladeshis Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the permanent residents ...
and Biharis.


Rajasthan

On 13 May 2016, a student named Satyarth was beaten to death and another student was injured in an incident that occurred in Kota,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
. Regarding the event BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat of Kota stated that "Students from Bihar are spoiling the atmosphere of city and they must be driven out of the city." The government in Rajasthan assured full protection to students from Bihar, after ragging incidents of Bihari students in a private engineering college in
Udaipur Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...
surfaced. Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan flayed the attacks on Bihari students in Rajasthan saying that the students were subjected to insult, torture and assaulted with sticks when they protested. Former chief minister Rabri Devi called upon the chief minister to take necessary action and assure the safety of the students. According to reports, several Bihari students were thrashed during the ragging.


Gujarat

In October 2018, there were incidents of attacks on Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat after the alleged rape of a 14-month-old in a village near Himmatnagar in north Gujarat by a Bihari. The attacks triggered the exodus of the migrants.


Karnataka

A video of a man, purportedly from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, accusing three people in Rajajinagar of abusing and harassing him as he did not speak Kannada went viral.


Kerala

A 36-year-old Bihar native was allegedly beaten to death by locals in Kerala’s Malappuram after being suspected of theft, official said on Monday.


Himachal

Himachal CM blamed ''Bihari architects'' for low standard of buildings in his state, he further stated that "The houses which are collapsing these days have not gone through the standards of structural engineering. The migrant architects (masons), whom I call ‘Bihari architects’, come here and construct floor on floor. We do not have local masons".


Goa

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that about 90% of the crimes in the coastal State are committed by migrant labourers from Bihar.


Bengal

In Bengal, Bengali community use a slang called ''Gutkha khor'' (who chew gutkha) to describe bihari origin people. During 2021 election campaign, cm "
Mamata Banerjee Mamata Banerjee (; born 5 January 1955) is an Indian politician who is serving as the eighth and current List of chief ministers of West Bengal, chief minister of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal since 2 ...
" had described them as ''Bohiragoto'' (not native/outsiders). In 2019, Bihar passengers were beaten up in Bengal over regional identity, In an incident of hate crime, passengers on board a Patna-bound bus on Saturday alleged that they were beaten up by a group men over their regional identity in Bardhaman district of West Bengal. TMC MP " Mahua Moitra" called BJP MP and panel member Nishikant Dubey as ''Bihari gunda''.


Fake domicile scam

Biharis have been caught multiple times for obtaining fake certificate or stealing others certificate, especially birth certificate, school certificate, college certificate and other state domicile. In 2024, just before Durga Puja, two Bihari students were beaten in Siliguri. They were carrying fake domicile certificate of Bengal.


Extramarital affairs

According to Ex-Bihar CM Manjhi, 90 per cent men date other people's wives in Bihar, on his own son being caught having an affair with married police woman in August 2014. Many of the crimes happen in Bihar due to extramarital affairs.


Controversial statements


Editorial by Bal Thackeray

Shiv Sena leader, Bal Thackeray, commented in the Shiv Sena newspaper, ''Samnna'' on why Biharis are disliked outside eastern states. He quoted part of a text message as the title of his article. The message suggests that Biharis bring diseases, violence, job insecurity, and domination, wherever they go. The text message says, ''"Ēka Bihārī, sau bīmārī. Dō Bihārī, laḍa़āī kī taiyārī. Tīna Bihārī ṭrēna hamārī aura pām̐ca Bihārī tō sarakāra hamārī."'' (One Bihari equals hundred diseases, Two Biharis is preparing for fight, Three Biharis it is a train hijack, and five Biharis will try to form the ruling Government). Nitish kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, and the Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, protested against the remark, demanding official condemnation of Bal Thackeray. Kumar, during a press report at Patna Airport, said, "If
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
fails to intervene in what is happening in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, it would mean only one thing – he is not interested in resolving the issue and that would not be good for the leader of the nation". Angered by Thackeray's insulting remark against the Bihari community, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) activists burned the effigy of the Shiv Sena chief at Kargil Chowk in Patna and said that the senior Thackeray had completely lost his marbles and needed to be immediately committed in a mental asylum.


Consequences


Protests and demonstrations

Angry students in various parts of Bihar disrupted train traffic, as protests continued against assaults on north Indians by MNS activists in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. Noted Physician Dr Diwakar Tejaswi observed a day-long fast in Patna to protest against repeated violence by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray and his supporters. Various student organisations gave a call for Bihar shutdown on 25 October 2008 to protest attacks on north Indian candidates by Maharashtra Navnirnam Sena activists during a Railway recruitment examination in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. Various cases were filed in Bihar and Jharkhand against Raj Thackeray for assaulting the students. A murder case was also filed by Jagdish Prasad, father of Pawan Kumar, who was allegedly killed by MNS activists in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
.
Mumbai Police The Greater Mumbai Police (Marathi language, Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Brihanmumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay City Police'') is the Police, police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a cit ...
, however, claimed it to be a case of accident. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a compensation of ₹ 1,50,000 to Pawan's family. Bihar state Congress chief, Anil Kumar Sharma, has demanded enactment of an Act by Parliament for closing opportunities to any political party or organisation that indulge in obscurantism and raise such narrow, chauvinistic issues based on regionalism to capture power. A murder case was also lodged against Raj Thackeray and 15 others in a court in Jharkhand on 1 November 2008 following the death of a train passenger last month in Maharashtra. According to the Dhanbad police, their Mumbai counterparts termed Sakaldeo's death as an accident. According to social scientist Dr. Shaibal Gupta, the beating of students from Bihar has consolidated Bihari sub-
nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
.


Rahul Raj

Rahul Raj, from Patna, was shot dead aboard a bus in Mumbai by the police on 27 October 2008. Rahul was 23 years old and was brandishing a pistol and not shooting at public but a major threat to public security. The Mumbai police alleged that he wanted to assassinate Raj Thackeray. Nitish Kumar questioned the police action, but R R Patil justified it, and restored public security. It was alleged that Rahul was protesting against the attacks on Bihari and Uttar Pradeshi candidates appearing for railway examinations. Mumbai crime branch is looking into the incident. During Rahul's funeral slogans of "Raj Thackeray murdabad" and "Rahul Raj amar rahe" were heard. Despite Mumbai police's allegations, there was high level government representation at the funeral. Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and PHED minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey represented the state government at the cremation which was also attended by Patna MP Ram Kripal Yadav. The bier was carried by Rahul's friends even as the district administration had arranged a flower-bedecked truck for the purpose.


Attacks against Marathis

After the October 2008 anti-Bihari attacks in Maharashtra, members of the Bharatiya Bhojpuri Sangh (BBS) vandalised the official residence of Tata Motors
Jamshedpur Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
plant head S.B. Borwankar, a Maharashtrian. Armed with lathis and hockey sticks, more than 100 BBS members trooped to Borwankar's Nildih Road bungalow around 3.30 pm. Shouting anti-MNS slogans, they smashed windowpanes and broke flowerpots. BBS president Anand Bihari Dubey called the attack on Borwankar's residence unfortunate, and said that he knew BBS members were angry after the attack in Maharashtra on Biharis, but did not expect a reaction. Fear of further violence gripped the 4,000-odd Maharashtrians settlers living in and around the city. Two air-conditioned bogies of the train Vikramshila Express – reportedly with Maharashtrian passengers on board – were set on fire in Barh area of Bihar. Hundreds of slogan-shouting students surrounded Barh railway station in rural Patna demanding that MNS leader Raj Thackeray be tried for sedition. No one was reported injured and passengers fled soon as the attackers started setting the bogies on fire. In another incident, a senior woman government official in Bihar, with the surname Thackeray, was the target of an angry mob that surrounded her office and shouted slogans against her in Purnia district. Ashwini Dattarey Thackeray was the target of a mob of over 200 people. The mob, led by a local leader of the Lok Janashakti Party, surrounded Thackeray's office in Purnia, about 350 km from here, and shouted slogans like, "Go back Maharashtrians" and "Officer go back, we do not need your services". A gang of 25 people pelted stones on the Maharashtra Bhawan in Khalasi Line,
Kanpur Kanpur (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), originally named Kanhapur and formerly anglicized as Cawnpore, is the second largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow. It was the primary ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. Constructed in 1928, the building is owned by the lone trust run by Marathis in Kanpur. It has served as an important venue for prominent festivals, including Ganesh Utsav and Krishna Janmastami. On 29 October, in Ghaziabad, Marathi students at Mahanand Mission Harijan PG College were attacked, allegedly by an Uttar Pradesh student leader and his friends. Police sources in Ghaziabad confirmed the victims stated in their FIR that the attackers "mentioned Rahul Raj and Dharam Dev" while kicking them in their hostel rooms. A group of 20 youths, from Bihar, attacked Maharashtra Sadan in the capital on 3 November. The Rashtrawadi Sena has claimed responsibility for the attack. They ransacked the reception of the building and raised slogans against Raj Thackeray.


Bhojpuri film industry relocation

The ₹200-crore Bhojpuri film industry is considering moving out of Mumbai owing to threats from MNS workers, and growing insecurity. With an average output of 75 movies per annum and an over 250 million target audience, the Bhojpuri film industry employs hundreds of unskilled and semi-skilled people from the state in various stage of production and distribution. The industry, which has around 50 registered production houses in Mumbai, has initiated talks with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "We have given a proposal to the
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
government through its Culture Minister Subhash Pandey for setting up the industry in Lucknow. Besides, we are also counting on some other options like Delhi, Noida and Patna," Bhojpuri superstar and producer Manoj Tiwari said. The films have a large market because the Bhojpuri
diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
is spread over countries like
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
,
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
,
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
,
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
,
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...
and the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. 70 per cent of the total production cost of a Bhojpuri film — budgets of which range from ₹ 80 lakh to ₹ 1.25 crore — is usually spent in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, providing direct employment to junior artists, make-up men, spot boys and local studios among others.


Improving Bihar

However, the state government, post 2005, has made an effort to improve the economic condition of the state, and reduce the need for migration. In 2008, the state government approved over ₹ 70,000 crore worth of investment, has had record tax collection, broken the political-criminal nexus, made improvements in power supply to villages, towns and cities. Bihar, a state fraught with abject poverty, has come out on top as the fastest growing state second year in a row, with a striking 13.1 percent growth in 2011–2012. Its economy has also grown bigger than that of Punjab — the prime destination for Bihari workers. They have laid greater emphasis on education and learning by appointing more teachers, and opening a software park. State Ministers who have failed to live up to election commitments have been dismissed. Bihar's GSDP grew by 18% over the period 2006–2007, which was higher than in the past 10 years and one of the highest recorded by the Government of India for that period.


See also

* 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra *
Anti-Indian sentiment Anti-Indian sentiment or anti-Indianism, also called Indophobia, refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination which is directed at Indian people for any variety of reasons. According to Kenyan-American academic Ali Mazrui, Indop ...
*
Permanent Settlement The Permanent Settlement, also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was an agreement between the East India Company and landlords of Bengal to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural m ...
* Ethnic relations in India *
Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh The Bihari Muslims, Bihari minority in Bangladesh were subject to persecution during and after the Bangladesh War of Independence (a part of the Indo-Pakistani conflicts and the Cold War) (called the Civil War in Pakistan), experiencing widespr ...
* Freight equalisation policy


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anti-Bihari Sentiment In India Discrimination in India Muhajir history Racism in India