The Change

Ever changing, yet ever the same, I have seen it in different phases and in its many moods,in the evening when the shadow lengthens, in the still hours of night and at dawn which brings the promise of a new day, and its still changing, my state Bihar and my home town Patna.

Time is never constant, it changes its nature as well as the surroundings. The present hardly exists before it becomes past, both different but quite connected. Philosophers claim that there is a stillness and everlastingness in the past, it changes not and has a touch of eternity, unaffected by the ups and downs of the present, maintining its dignity and repose, tempting the troubled spirit and tortured mind to seek shelter in its vaulted catacombs, seeking peace of mind and security. Ask the people of Bihar and they will say that its all BULLSHIT. Who the hell wants to remember the damn ugly past of Bihar when murders, kidnappings and scams were the actionss of the day. These had become so common in those dark days that people were afraid to get used to it. The very stuff of life i.e., passion and urge to act was on the verge of extinction. Without passion and urge there is a gradual oozing out of hope and vitality which would have moved us to lower level of existence and finally merging it into non existence. People were waiting for a renaissance, a rebirth, a revival from their meagreness which they got with the arrival of Mr. Nitish Kumar as their chief minister.

The reformation age began.

Every year when I return HOME I am quite happy(and some times sad) to see the changes. Happy to see the the transformation from non-governance to damn good governance, better administration, the parking lots, the fly overs and as a result the reduced traffic, smooth roads(like the cheeks of Hema Malini ;) ), reduced crime, increased freedom, the upcoming malls and multiplexes, the renovated Mona and Regent Theaters and I am waiting to have a byte of pizza at the newly opened Domino's Pizza at Frazer Road. And sad to see that my beautiful colony in Boring Canal Road(dont go by its name, its not at all boring) has lost it lush green trees. All the eucalyptus trees, the old peepal tree, the neem trees and my jack fruit and guava tree which made the place cool and breezy have been replaced by apartments.

With so much changes and development, reformations and renovations going in the whole state, there is somewhat a dream-like unreality in it, of course for those who still think that Bihar is a poor and undeveloped state filled with corruption, especially my friends of TN and AP, and those who could not accept the change, but believe me...its quite real.

If we think a bit logically and deeper, the past has always been with us because we are a product of the past, completely immersed in it, not to feel it as something living in us but to combine it with the present and extend it to the future , to break from it where it cannot be united, to understand the past mistakes, work on our present so that our future can be bright. The past, present and the future, the mighty trinity, are all connected by a fine thread. Each does not exist without the other.

Mr Nitish Kumar, a true exception, confined to Bihar, understood this fact very well and brought about the start of a new era.