Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Volume I , Issue II December 2012 ISSN : 2278 4497

Available online at www.mahidachintan.com

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Moral Exclusion of Bihari People : A Peace Research Perspective

Dr. Prem Anand Mishra Assistant Professor Peace Research Centre Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad 14 Gujarat (India)

Introduction and methodology This study deals with the moral exclusion of Biharies from the view point of peace research. Presenting the socio-psychological analysis of the moral exclusion of Biharies and its consequences, this paper argues that Biharies have been morally excluded in this country through a systematic representation of Biharies as a problem. Especially, the negative and violent representation of Biharies in public sphere and media has de-humanized them to such an extent that there is serious problem of identity is emerging in Bihari people living outside Bihar. This study further argues that in the case of Bihari people, humiliation is not only an accident but has become a systematic process by which they are psychologically targeted to assume themselves inferior then other states people. At methodological level, to prove the arguments above, this study employs the concept of moral exclusion as defined by Opotow. In Opotows view, moral exclusion is the process whereby individuals or groups are perceived to be outside the boundary in which moral values, rules, and considerations of fairness apply.1 One might ague; what is basis of moral values, rules, and

considerations by which the outsider are evaluated? It can be said, it is the dominant discourses of the time that become the criterion to evaluate a community. Logically extending it, might be said today it is the discourse of democracy and economic development by which one community is judged by others. If one is in accordance with the above discourses, one is seen within the boundary, if not conforms to the discourses, put outside the boundary or excluded, at least morally. Further, as Susan Opotow puts, moral exclusion serves as the moral justification and rationalization for both structural and direct violence. This means that inflicting violence upon others outside ones scope of justice is justified. Further, moral exclusion is characterized by viewing the excluded others as psychologically distant and as nonentities undeserving of fairness or resources. Hence, there is a lack of moral obligation or responsibility toward them.2 In short, moral exclusion and us-them thinking are the psychological processes that rationalize violence in the collective mind (in this study, outside Biharies people) and they inflict it on excluded when time comes.

Copyright 2012. Dr. Prem Anand Mishra .This is an open access refereed article distributed under the Creative Common Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Moral Exclusion of Bihari People : A Peace Research Perspective

ISSN : 2278 - 4497

However, second part of this process is more traumatic as within excluded, there is feeling of insecurities, fear of constant humiliation that dehumanizes excluded that might also resort violence in turn. Based on this theoretical understanding this study attempts to present social-psychological study of Biharies. The Meaning of Being Bihari : The Psychology of Inferiority This is not a secret now that outside Bihar, the term Bihari is used to demoralize or insult a person, or to make him/her feel inferior. It is common perception that all Biharies are illiterate, violent and aggressive, corrupt, and law breakers. This is not only the perception of other but tragically inside Bihar, Bihari people gradually feel, they are inferior to people of other states. It is generally assumed (and Bihari also think now) they have no sense of cleanliness and sanitation, no dress sense, no specific life style. Further, they feel they are rustic, poor and prepared only for manual works. For others, Beharies are understood as a community who do not know how to behave; and they have no culture (accept the culture of violence) and no respect for public properties. Apart from this, for outsiders, Beharies are taking away natives jobs and becoming competitor in job seeking. In short, Biharies are assumed as un -civilized people who are not fit with the so-called main stream civilized people or state and they are polluting natives. This common perception gets voice by intellectual like V.S. Naipaul who said Bihar is such a place where civilization ends.3 According to his brother, British writer Shiva Naipaul, Bihar represents the subcontinents heart of darkness.4 Further, Civil servant and novelist Upamanyu Chatterjee, of English, August fame, once said rather pitifully in an interview, I was born in Patna, I can't efface that from my history, it's in my passport.5 On the other hand for common people, living outside Bihar, Bihar is considered as a land of unwanted migrants. Thus plights of Biharies are that they have become aliens and demoralized in their own country. However, one might argue here; why Bihar is imagined or perceived as an uncivilized state and Biharies are morally excluded? There are several reasons that need consideration.

(a) Political upheaval in Bihar and mockery of dominant discourse of democracy: One of reason why Bihar got a bad name is its political dis-functioning. During last two and half decades, dominant discourse of democracy was made a mockery in the state by politicians. Criminalization of politics, glorification of political power and strength of caste power captured the public sphere in which there always remain possibilities of discourses of good governance. Rather than governance, the political management and combination to remain in power by caste equation became the central issue of political parties. Social dignity and respect of so far excluded castes was made focus (that means social justice) and extended to such extent where the economic development was not only marginalized but suspended till social dignity of some caste prevails. Public mobilization through emotionally charged caste sabha and rally became the regular features of Bihar politics in 1990s and initial years of new millinium that totally diminished the political rationality that eventually led to a disastrous economic downslide of the state. It is not surprising that in such a condition public discipline began to crack and when such cracking was questioned; it was justified as indicator of social change. Moreover, the undisciplined public behavior of public was seen as revolt against the existing social system and hailed or defined as reactionary attitude. To counter such a move at the level of people was understood as bias against the particular caste. Soaring crimes, kidnapping as home industries, treating particular criminals as hero and role model for particular caste, were not seen as problem of law and order but a manifestation of frustration of caste that was getting vent- a process of catharsis. Political public sphere in which the political authority could be questioned got divided on caste line and slowly lost its presence in Bihar. Literary public sphere, that was to be secular in accordance with the democratic discourse, was deliberately coloured in a particulate colour to suit the political requirements of particular ideology boasting itself as messiah of social justice. However, in such a volatile condition, benefit was taken by those who were already benefited and looser had to lose as usual. Yet, it

Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Vol - I , Issue - II December - 2012

Moral Exclusion of Bihari People : A Peace Research Perspective

ISSN : 2278 - 4497

is also surprising that at both political and intellectual level, especially the academicians of Bihar, hardly questioned about the system of governance during those periods and remained silent. They were either afraid of political revenge or remained timid sycophants. In between, the Naxals and other counter groups such as Ranvir Sena, Sunlight Sena and Maoist Communist Centre were not presenting a common revolutionary violence for social justice but representing organized caste army or political army, which had nothing to do with social justice at basic level. Political patronage to such an army for vote bank further weakened the governance and also the idea of revolutionary violence. Outside Bihar, the report on such violence was read as a result of hierarchical social structure and hyper aggressiveness /masculinity of Biharies who are always ready to die (either to maintain or break the structure). Thus, when other states were coping with 1991 economic policies of Liberalization, privatization and globalization ( LPG), for bad or better and arrangements were made to facilitate them, public were made understood about the positive and negative impact of LPG, Bihar was busy in caste combination and caste rally on the ground of or name of social justice. Nor surprising outside Bihar, Bihar was seen living in medieval period, when caste and land lordship were playing dominant role to decide the fate of people, lacking the democratic attitude. As democracy and democratic attitude is seen as the sign of progress, Bihar was noted as un-progressive and backward by other states. (b) Bihar as failed state, burden of inertia and tag of most Bimaru state of India: Apart from this political reason, economic down slide that is the criterion of being forward or backward, established Bihar as backward state in the eyes of other states. Bihar is often called Indias Basket case or failed state or burden of inertia. In a ranking of all states, it comes out at the bottom, or very near the bottom in almost all social and economic development indicators. Around 40% of the states population lives below the poverty

line almost double the national average of 26%. Per capita income in India has grown from Rs 8,760 in 1994 to Rs 13,332 in 2004, an increase of 52.2%. Per capita income in Bihar has grown from Rs 3,333 in 1994 to Rs 4,088 in 2004, an increase of just 22.6%. Bihars literacy level of 48% is way below the national average of 65%. Primary school enrolment is 52%, as against the national average of 77%; it is the only state where primary school enrolment fell in the 1990s. Only 10% of children in Bihar are fully immunized. The maternal mortality rate is 707 per 100,000 women, compared to the national rate of 404. Both Orissa and Uttar Pradesh are better off (Bihars infant and child mortality rates, however, show improvement and are better than Orissa and Uttar Pradesh).6 Other economic measurements shows rural poverty in Bihar is 41.1%, considerably higher than urban poverty (24.7%). The backbone of the rural economy is agriculture. Eighty per cent of the states workforce is engaged in agriculture, which contributes 40% to the states GDP. Yet, in the early-1990s, agricultural growth actually fell by 2% per annum and has grown by less than 1% per annum since 199495.7 The state has fertile soil and a good climate that would support rich harvests, but land reforms are urgently required. Further, 2003 World Bank study pointed out that: 75% of the rural poor were landless or almost so, in 19992000. In 1998, 28% of the land was leased in. Tenants pay as much as half the gross output to the landlord, which is double what is normally paid elsewhere. Legal protection for tenants is weak since the tenancy system is informal.8 Looking these data; it was not surprising that outside Bihar was seen as underdeveloped and poor state in almost all sectors. (c) Media and construction of violent Bihar: Media both print and electronic always eager to catch something new and special that could be served to people, took this opportunity to cash the unusual image of Bihar. Thus, one might see how in T.V. serials or in Cinema Biharies are represented. House-mades, house servants, gardener, milk supplier, Richsaw- walla, auto drivers, tea -vendors generally speak in Hindi with Bihari pronunciation. Their look, gate up all resembles to a typical Bihari. In film like

Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Vol - I , Issue - II December - 2012

Moral Exclusion of Bihari People : A Peace Research Perspective

ISSN : 2278 - 4497

Apharan, Shool, Gangajal, Mritudand and Rajniti Bihar is portrayed as a violent state. Thus, media (culture), which is presenting this dark side of Bihar, constructed the identity of Bihar as violent and Biharies as aggressor. It provided substance to shape other peoples views on Bihar and their social behavior against Biharies by hardening the difference between Bihar and others. As mass media has an enormous impact on how public opinion is portrayed, thus it dramatically impacts an individual's perception about where public opinion lies, whether or not that portrayal is factual. Thus Biharies were proved inferiors and others naturally superior on the scale of civilized behavior. Further, one might see some political rhetoric in this connection when Shila Dixit says, Biharies are law breaker, Raj Thakre coins, Ek Bihari Sau Bimaree and Chief Minister of M.P. says, There is no place of Bihari in M.P. On the other hand, students of Bihar are beaten at Guwahati and Mumbai Railway Station not by the common people but by the workers of a particular political party. Looking these rhetoric scenarios, one cannot ignore from this fact that they are not only a political rhetoric based on economic logic, but covey a systematic policy of moral exclusion that has a considerable effect. In fact, such a moral exclusion, on the one hand, initiates a key social psychological process that justifies violence on excluded; on the other hand it creates a problem of identity for Biharies. Thus, one may observe how Biharies make a ridiculous attempt to conceal their Bihari pronunciation (and so their identity) when they speak Hindi when they stay or visit outside Bihar. Although Biharies are getting seats in IIIT and UPSCC and they are on top levels, however, it did not do much to rid the word Bihari of the scorn it had gathered. People in Delhi and other metropolis continued to laugh at those who spoke with a Bihari accent. Not only this when two Biharies meet, especially posted

on good job, they try to avoid each other in presence of other states people. Logically consequence of all these are that Biharies staying out side are under a constant psychological warfare within, they try to become someone like others (not Bihari) but it does not happen and in this process they get alienated from their own self, with their communities and their native states Summing up Bihar is not a State but has become a state of mind for other state people. In public sphere, Bihari mind set represents aggression, foolishness, and lack of sense of cleanliness. On this basis, Biharies are morally excluded in other states. There are several reasons for that. As this study suggests, first of all, it was the political upheaval in Bihar and mockery of dominant discourse of democracy in the state during 1990s that portrayed Bihar as medieval state survived on violence. Second was less emphasis on economic development that led rural Bihari people to migrate in other state where they were unaware of city life and thus represented Bihar as rural. Third, it was the media construction of Bihar as violent and aggressive state that brought ill fame to Bihar and Bihari people. This poses a serious problem of moral exclusion of Biharies in India that creates both identity problem within Beharies and gives justification of violence on Biharies by others.
References 1.Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An overview. Journal of Social Issues, 46(1), p.3 2.Ibid. p.5. 3.www.idfc.com/.../The-United-States-of-IndiaStrategy-Politics-Mar12, 2010, downloaded on 1008-2012. 4.dreamink.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html , downloaded on 16-08-2012. 5.Ibid. 6.www.empowerpoor.org/backgrounder.asp?report= 187,downloaded on 18-10-2012. 7.Ibid.

Please Cite this Article as : Mishra, Prem Anand. Moral Exclusion of Bihari People : A Peace Research Perspective. Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal 1.2 (2012): 2831. <www.mahidachintan.com>.
Quest International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Vol - I , Issue - II December - 2012