The writer is a former ambassador and currently the executive director of Centre for International Strategic Studies
In an interview given to an Indian publication, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Imran Khan, is reported to have said that he would want the governance of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) modelled on the “Nitish-style”, referring to the remarkable administration of Nitish Kumar, the dynamic chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar. It should be recalled that Kumar had visited Pakistan in November 2012, and when asked about the remarkable turnaround of his state, had reportedly said, “Good governance is the mantra of our growth story.” During that visit, Kumar had called on Imran and had apprised him of his work. In the interview, given a few days ago, Imran said, “We want to depoliticise the bureaucracy and the police force like Bihar did” and put “transparent focus on health and education like Kumar did”. Imran’s unabashed admiration for Kumar is certainly based on his full familiarity of what can only be described as the Bihar miracle.
For a long time, the Indian state of Bihar had languished in squalor, plagued by internecine conflict and fighting between Hindus and Muslims, in which armed militia wreaked havoc, aided and abetted by a corrupt and politicised police and bureaucracy. The state was ruled by an incompetent and dishonest, but populist politician, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who ran the state for 15 years and did little to address the woes of the people. A New York Times report described the situation of the time thus: “Criminals could count on the police for protection, not prosecution. Highwaymen ruled the shredded roads and kidnapping was one of the state’s most profitable businesses. Violence raged between Muslims and Hindus, between upper castes and lower castes. Its economy, peopled by impoverished subsistence farmers struggling through alternating floods and droughts, shrivelled. Its government, led by politicians who used divisive identity politics to entrench their rule, was so corrupt that it required a newly-coined phrase: the Jungle Raj.”
All this changed in 2005. Kumar won the election by putting together an electoral alliance that defeated the long-time chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Then, he went ahead to deal with crime first. Orders were given that the law would be enforced and criminals would be punished along with dissenting police and civil servants, irrespective of political affiliations or connections, and this policy was carried out, without fear or favour. Then came schools and hospitals, which were all straightened out and made fully operational. Kumar next tackled the bureaucracy, instituting simplified rules for development expenditure, coupled with proper monitoring and removal of incompetent and dishonest officials. By 2010, Bihar had recorded an average growth rate of a whopping 11 per cent, making it the second fastest growing economy in India. As a result, the people of Bihar, who eschewed violence and conflict, began to have plentiful jobs, decent living, and roads, schools and hospitals. The growth rate of Bihar, since 2010, has been steadily rising and achieved an astounding 16.7 per cent in 2011-12 and is projected to continue rising by 13 per cent for the next five years or so.
It is good that Imran and his team are aware of the Bihar turnaround. Following the Bihar model and the Nitish-style merit emulation can lead to a turnaround by the PTI administration in K-P. This can prove to be a pathway to well-being and prosperity for its population. Of course, the problems in Imran’s domain may be more difficult to overcome, given the added complications of the uncertainty in Afghanistan, especially during the 2014 transition, and its possible spillover effects in K-P, which adjoins that country. Then there is the problem of finding finances to bring about the necessary reforms and reconstruction. Moreover, the PTI-nominated chief minister may not be of the same mettle as Kumar, nor the bureaucracy as amenable to change as it was in Bihar. But the effort is worth making. The PTI’s plus point is that it has no baggage to carry. It has made its first government and is starting with a blank slate. It enjoys the goodwill of the people, and more important, the credibility of being a newcomer in politics. It has, therefore, the locus standi of bringing about change in a manner that no other political party in Pakistan has.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (52)
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@Baffled: "@Raja Islam , correct your facts .Yet Bihar has made much progress in comparison to Interior Sindh ,which looks more like devastated Moen-jo-Daro . Mehnat karr hasad na karr , my two paisas for you ." . This missive has to sound personal as it addresses the plight of a person who seems to have a mountainload of pent-up aggression against as he puts it at "Jinnah and his cronies". Added to that there is another object of hate The Mohajirs. I have to inform you that the presence of these migrants and their progeny cannot be wished away. . Whenever a word is said about these "hate objects", you never loose a chance of slinging mud at them or degrading them. It may have some therapeutic effect on you after you have got it out of your system but I am sure you are not earning any sympathisers. . The least you can do is to change your handle from Islam to Dahir. just a suggestion. Religiously inclined may take offense as they hold Islam dear.
@vickram: "It is also called Modi style of governance." Without reference to Gujrat's development and other issues, Modi is a criminal and would never be convicted because he has terrorized away witnesses that could prove his crimes. But his supporters would never admit it.
@Aysha: You are mixing unrelated issues. Avoid confusion.
@manoj: wonderful yes i am aware biharis has always been top of merit list in Indian civil service and also before partition, during british rule , over here in Pakistan due to qouta system and sons of the soil prejudice we dont find people of bihar origin as many as their acumen and intelligence , high qualification deserve
Ali Sarwar Naqvi sir, I grew up in Modern-day Bihar and can vouch for the fact that Hindu-muslim riots have NEVER been a reality in Bihar in the past 25 years. Feudalism, yes. Casteism, yes.Naxalism, yes. RELIGION- NO.
Antanu, The change in Bihar is NOT cosmetic. Contractors and Businessmen in 'progressive ' states like Gujarat (west) and metros like Bangalore(south) are now finding it difficult to hold onto migrant workers who refuse to come back to the metros after the mandatory trips home during festivals. Work/developement activities are definitely increasing in Bihar. Take it as a truth-coming from the lowest common denominator.
Raja Islam, Biharis are troublemakers? If you check the results of the year-wise IAS exams-You will find Biharis not only topping the exams-but dominating the entire list of successful candidates year after year. And the IAS RUNS the country. The world's LARGEST democracy. Boojhle?
The difference is that in Bihar the general population was fed up with these criminals and crooks. In KPK, they're fed up with the drones and a lot of them still consider TTP as their brothers. Until and unless there is a shred of sympathy towards TTP in the local population any kind of change is next to impossible - plus PTI's plan includes bringing such people into its fold and giving JI the education ministry. Pakistan and India are a whole different ball game, especially when it comes to KPK.
I wonder and ponder as to why and how Imran's party could not sweep in election and Imran lost the chance to be PM but had he been PM things would have been different altogether. I wish the incumbent PM delivers what he has promised while begged votes from the voters at all different cities and towns.Budget has not earned applause and laurels from the public in any case gives you hint as to what we will get from him. Imran has formed govt in PK but I have feelings that he is short on type of people required to do good governance. However, by next election Imran will be fully manned to steer the dwindling economy of the country. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait / Cell 00965-66229897 / iqbalhadizaidi.formerdiplomat@hotmail.com
@nirmal s maunder: It was very rare that hindu-muslim riots would occur in pre-partition India.It is a post partition phenomenon.Look into the history of the May'46 riots in Bihar INSTIGATED by the forces that be that caused the spill over in the great Calcutta holocaust!Check the role of the chief minister of the undivided Bengal.(who was the last chief minister of the undivided Bengal)
@Raja Islam: Biharis most industrious people example is their work under Akhter Hameed Khan for Orangi Pilot Project
Pls also look up Eqbal Ahmed a Pakistani thinker acknowledged by Chomsky, Edward Said and Zizek, was of Bihari origin, pls refrain from making sweeping statements
@Raja Islam , correct your facts .Yet Bihar has made much progress in comparison to Interior Sindh ,which looks more like devastated Moen-jo-Daro . Mehnat karr hasad na karr , my two paisas for you .
During his visit to Pakistan in November 2012, Nitish Kumar was impressed by the good governance in Punjab and declared Shahbaz Sharif as his ideal Chief Minister.
While PPP &its coalition partners were routed during the recent elections, anti-establishment PMLN survived and defeated the tsunami because of excellent delivery by Shahbaz Sharif.
All the visionary projects have been audited & cleared by Transparency International. They have been praised by World Bank and Asian Bank and that is why we can see influx of investment and record-heights of stock exchange index (barometer of the economy).
While praising Nitish Kumar,Imran Khan should somehow show courage in praising Shahbaz Sharif who is the ideal of Nitish Kumar!
@mrs ahmed: In general Bihar has been rated as one of the worst provinces of India and Biharis are known to be troublemakers and disruptionists.
@darbullah: Good one.
As Pakistanis, it is more desirable that we compare ourselves to developed and forward looking islamic societies like Turkey and Indonesia. India is not an Islamic society and we may have had some things in common with them culturally, in the past, but not any more. Lets stop harping on the past.
@Ali Tanoli,: good similarity
@Still confused: why not India? As a Pakistani, it is admirable to see the GDP growth of our neighbour, its relevance in the global markets, the development of high tech in many sectors including wind energy - as we are so far behind,socio economically, why should we not learn from our neighbour with whom we share a long history? Indeed trade with India would improve our economy for a start.... and Bihar's experience is well worth implementing in KP - wish Imran Khan much luck - he has chosen a good path.
Do you know true meaning of "Biharisation"?
@Ali Tanoli,: " ... Bihar, country of Sher shah Suri who built great link from peshawer to Kolkata and did many good thing but north india bad luck he died too soon another example is syed kamal Mustafa mayor of Karachi. ... "
Are you talking of the Grand Trunk Road ? Check your history. The road goes way back to a time BEFORE Islam come to the sub-continent. Please do not take credit for other people's work.
KPK's (for that matter even Pakistan's) aspirations should exceed that of Bihars or India. Citing the Bihar is just an example. Our goal/vision should be to be better than every country from every perspective. Is that possible in the next 5 -10 years. No. Ever? Probably not. But does that mean your lower your goals? No.
There is no doubt that improved governance and accountability will result in a better environment for growth, provided there is stability.
Bihar, country of Sher shah Suri who built great link from peshawer to Kolkata and did many good thing but north india bad luck he died too soon another example is syed kamal Mustafa mayor of Karachi.
New Bihar is a myth. ...created by a media controlled by upper caste segment of the society. To see the true picture IK should visit Bihar the. Change is only cosmetic. only difference is that its dark side is not being highlighted by the media now as was xone during Lalu era.
for all those comparing Bihar with Gujarat...............please remember Gujarat was already way way ahead when Mr Nitish came to power in Bihar. @ Author: pl note that the clashes referred to by you as Hindu-Muslim clashes where caste clashes and not rpt not communal
@Zubair:
You are right,the massive problems from Afghanistan have spilled into Pakistan giving Pakistan even more issues than what you already have
@Still confused: The name you have chosen says it all. Please come out of your confusion and I am sure you will get the answer to your question.
@Realist If we learn from the enemy we will become like the enemy. Too many people look to USA/China/Japan/India to learn. We will become like them if we learn from them. We should learn on becoming more muslim. Good governance should be muslim good governance not Yankee/Hindu/Chinese good governance. Wealth should not be the aim of Pakistanis.
@shiv: YOur commnets are a bit biased. If Hindu community is drawing strenth from Education and culture, our FATA too is strongest in culture and very pro-education. It is the absolute ignorance by the government of the area; manipulation by international powers, poverty and highly unstable neighbor in the form of Afghanistan.FATA has always been used by government and international powers for thier dirty wars. First in Afghan war and now in war on terror. The status being FATA and not a province says it all.
@Still confused: its already clear in your handle " still confused"
It is interesting to see that the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh popularly known as BEHARIS are undesirable but BIHAR MODEL seems to attract considerable attention
Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh popularly known as BEHARIS are undesirable but BIHAR MODEL seems to attract considerable attention
@vickram: stop it vikram shed your bias against Bihar
@vikash: thats what my mother says it is Vihar , she migrated in her teens with parents but still dreams bihar , so delighted to know Vihar is on the progress path , remember Sher Shah Suri also from Vihar
Government in KPK is a biggest test of PTI, I do know that they don't have magic stick to resolve all mountainous issues but if they able to make things better for KPK people, then they'll gain more respect possibly next government, on the contrary if they fail to deliver then they'll lost everything.
@gfdn
There is a right to information Act. Article 19a of 20h Ammendment
Ambassador, a small correction to otherwise an excellent piece. I know Bihar: Hindu-Muslim conflict is not the major issue. Lallu Prasad Yadav was, exacerbating caste divides, letting law and order run amuck (which in turn encouraged private caste-based militias), unabashed corruption etc. Bihar, under him, was a Hobbesian state. Nitish was right, good governance is the key and he did add a few innovative touches (that may not work in KP), such as providing free cycles to girls going to school.
A. For a long time, the Indian state of Bihar had languished in squalor, plagued by internecine conflict and fighting between Hindus and Muslims, in which armed militia wreaked havoc,
This statement is not factually correct. The Laloo Yadav regime was flawed in many ways, but not even one incidence of Hindu Muslim conflict occurred during this period. In fact the ruling combination was known as MY (Muslim + Yadav) as these two communities together controlled about 25% of all votes and 75% of all positions of power.
B.“Criminals could count on the police for protection, not prosecution. Highwaymen ruled the shredded roads and kidnapping was one of the state’s most profitable businesses.
This is substantially correct. And the biggest kidnapping network was operated by a Muslim MP belonging to Laloo Yadav's party. The character, Tabrez Alam, in the movie Apaharan (Kidnapping), was based on this MP. The MP was arrested and has been convicted by a special court set up by the Nitish Government.
And now the million dollar question- TTP is known to indulge in kidnappings to generate funds. Will the PTI Government find the courage to apprehend and convict them as was done in Bihar?
@Mirza:
Learning from the enemy does not mean embracing them. I advocate learn from them but keep them at a distance.
@nirmal s maunder: well corrected ! I am from Bihar and i know the reality. Here , hindu-muslim was never an issue and not is at present. Only some ''secular'' politicians try to pollute our VIHAR(Bihar).
Somebody with reading comprehension issue wrote. "I will never understand why we have to compare everything (from politics to governing, from movies to health and education) to India." and another wise man wrote "We need to look at counties like Egypt". Present day Pakistan as a whole is almost like a version of Bihar. This article doesn't compare Pakistan with India at all. If a neglected and a backward Indian state like Bihar can achieve 16% state GDP growth then they must be doing something right. I am positive, a smart and sincere leader like Imran Khan can transform the face of KP. One leader is enough to change the destiny of a country in a postive way just like one Jinnah gave you a new country called Pakistan. Common people should encourage and appreciate such efforts rather than spreading negativity.
Correction.It is not hindu muslim war in bihar but caste war.The landowners have Ranvir sena,a armed group.The landless labor its own army & during Laloo regime this was going on regularly.actually Lalu's electoral success was due to MY factor,his own caste Yadavs & muslims together provided for him the votes.Kidnaspping for ransom was the official industry & even ministers housing kidnappers.Nitish did change the situation.
@Zaheer: You mean make Pyramids? And rely on tourism for revenue? No, our social structure is more closely associated with India and so are our habits. There is no harm in learning some good from across the border.
@Mirza: While credit should definitely go to Nitish for the turnaround in Bihar, also keep in mind the ethos of Indian society. Education and culture makes our society amenable to good governance, unlike the FATA, where these basics are l guess missing in the local genes for centuries.
@Zaheer: The comparisons are with India as there are so many similarities and a shared history of a few thousand years . What does Pakistan have in common with Egypt ?
Access to information is essential for good governance
@Zaheer: I fully agree with you. We need to look at advanced countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, Syria and our fellow brother country of North Korea as example and follow them, and not at hindu states.
@Zaheer: " ... We do need to model ourselves on an Indian state ? We need to look at counties like Egyot. ... "
Egypt is in a downward spiral. We all need to look at Nordic countries for human development and governance benchmarks.
We do need to model ourselves on an Indian state ? We need to look at counties like Egyot.
I will never understand why we have to compare everything (from politics to governing, from movies to health and education) to India. Can we have some other more realistic benchmark? I am sick of this comparison to India.
Well said, and well written... and certainly worth emulating. As an Indian even, I can only wish that what the author says comes true (even if the portion: But the effort is worth making) -- if even half-a-Bihar (as described here) were to happen in KP, it will be rightly called the "Mother of Miracles"
For good governance Pakistan should make law like Right To Information Act. which exist in India and it will help to reduce corruption. Because of this act many corruption scandals in India have come to known and common people can know what is spent and what is not spent on small projects.
It is a great example of openness and success from across the border. It is imp to note that IK in a few minutes of chat with the leader of Bihar has learned so much. If this is true then why are we not honestly trying to have open and honest relationships with India for the betterment and benefit of the two countries? When so much could be achieved in a few minutes with Nitish Kumar then why not open contacts between the two people without and malice and threats. If Pakistan has to move ahead they should be open to every new idea and example of success.