Bihari

For Biharis, caste has been the most important identity till recently. Although other state people for their convenience coined the term long ago. Acceptence of "BIHARI" as an identity for biharis by the biharis, is a recent phenomenon. Lets see how it grew.
It happened when due to 40 years (congress - Laloo- Rabari) of ignorant rule left people from the state orphan. When this ignorant rule had started, in national and international affairs, biharis did matter; but the identity was not as a bihari. Although history of Bihar is full of migrations, in recent past immediately before and after independence it was not that rampant. Then only highly qualified people(like IAS/ IITians) for better career options, people going for pilgrimage or highly poor but ambitious ones used to leave Bihar. By 90s, even a simple middle class to earn his daily living and sometimes even to safeguard his life, had to leave to Delhi and Mumbai.
In late eighties, when "Bihari" had started becoming an abusive, unparliamentary word on the roads of Delhi, in fact Biahri middle class (including our MPs) was in slumber. They woke up when in 90s they had to look for their living on the roads of Delhi and Mumbai. And then rickshaw pullers to doctors to IAS from Bihar, all were treated alike by their coleagues! Doctors were beaten up in Mumbai - 5 years before Raj Thakarey started spitting venom - Pramod Mahajan was alive- his comment - Biharis come here to read - they should not try to boss here! It came on TV also.
And the worst was when a minor boy was killed in the bus in mumbai and the home minister justified the act of the stamp paper corrupt police officer! After all these slowly the identity of "BIHARI" is coming up.Otherwise if an aristocrat Bihari was called as "BIHARI", he used to shout - 'dont call me a Bihari'! Later when it became usual, and those from Bihar who used to think themselves as "special" among Biharis, their aristocracy was deflated, then identity of BIHARI came to the fore.Still its not complete, not mature enough.It will take another 25 years for this identity to grow.Then every one even in Newyork, Mumbai . . . will call a Bihari with respect.I will Wait for that time. ..But till then what will happen?