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Two states-Bihar and Andhra Pradesh-one with a rich history and another, which is making one. The contrast becomes all the more palpable given the fact that Andhra Pradesh, for long an indistinguishable expanse on the map of India, is emerging as a contender for all that means progression. Bihar, on the other hand, with a repository of natural resources, continues to flounder earning negative encomiums. The creation of Jharkhand that has truncated Bihar has deteriorated the economy further. With meager natural resources and hardly any industries, there is little prospect for further progress. Gloom and despair is omnipresent. By contrast, Andhra Pradesh has paved its way to progress, trying to overcome all bottlenecks.
Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Bihar present the two faces of modern India; while one is progressive, using information technology to chart its destiny, the other is economically backward and struggling.
Both the states have started their journey from a more-or-less similar socio-economic condition. Over time, however, they have traveled in significantly different directions. While AP has made substantial progress in terms of economic growth and development that has manifested in the form of increased purchasing power, specifically in the last five years, Bihar has lagged far behind. In fact, its pathetic state of affairs make it the poorest state despite its advantages from natural resources. What has been detrimental to the development or otherwise of these states? What are the factors that have been responsible to bring about growth in one state and those that have played havoc and reared economic and social upgradation in the other?
Bihar's journey dates back to the early years of the 20th century when the province was separated from West Bengal and established as a State in 1913. In fact, at that point of time, Bihar was better placed than AP. It had immense advantages in terms of natural resources such as huge mineral deposits (most of which are now a part of Jharkhand), extremely fertile soils, and ample rainfall. In spite of these resources, the state is in shambles economically and the general social and political indicators only reinforce the image of the poorest state in the country. It is still struggling with high fertility rates, low literacy rates, caste-ridden power politics and utter lawlessness. Today the image of Bihar as Sushil Kumar Sinha, ex-Secretary to the Governor of Bihar explains "...nowadays recognized throughout the world for its ugly face, ludicrous mentality and deplorable deeds, rape, murder, pilferage, fraud, bribe, scams, child-lifting, kidnapping for ransom, manufacture and transport of unauthorized arms, scale of skulls and bones, ", the list goes on.
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