Despite Bihar’s rich history of progressiveness and numerous accolades, it remains unable to assert itself among the ranks of the developed geographic masses around the world. The root causes of this failure have always been the subject of heated debates around the nation but what perplexes me the most is the absence of a coherent plan or solution to remedy this downward trend.
Let us not dwell on the glorious days of Magadh and Nand; instead, consider the recent past, when Bihar as a whole, and particularly Munger, stood out as a thriving industrial hub. And you will agree with me that, to attain such a status, the region must have offered fundamental factors that could draw investors from the country and around the globe. But the question that looms large is: what were the catastrophic factors that led to the eventual closure of industries in Munger and other parts of Bihar?
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What Was Wrong?
One can wonder about the drastic event that led the place to become a site of illegal activities and hotbed of crime. The prevalence of illegal industries has made it difficult to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit (as highlighted by the sage IPS officer Amit Lodha in Bihar Diaries), which raises concerns about the legitimacy of legal businesses operating in the area.
Munger’s association with weaponry stemmed from its role as a vital British Raj industrial center, renowned for supplying guns and cartridges to the British army, a fact even noted by the esteemed author Jules Verne. Despite the advantages it conferred on revolutionaries, this history was ultimately left unexplored by the leaders of independent India.
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The Roadblocks to Industrialization in Munger
The post-independence government in power restricted industries, including arms production, despite being a proponent of nonviolence. But assume that if the industries were nurtured properly, the scenario and dynamics of the place would be completely different.
Let’s think rationally: if the initiative to curb industrial growth and instead focus on the development of self-sufficient and legal means of production had been undertaken years ago, Munger would have become a glorious and prosperous centre for the legal manufacture of weapons!
Just like the current efforts of Prime Minister Modi in developing selected centres in various states, as in Uttar Pradesh, Munger too could have been a golden bowl for legal and self-reliant weapons in the nation, provided they were served with proper support and guidance from the ruling parties at different stages of the day. But Alas. The facts remain drastically reversed.
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