As Chhath draws migrants to Bihar, parties scramble for their votes

DARBHANGA: The otherwise deserted villages of Mithilanchal feature all of a sudden suit thickly settled, filled with unfamiliar faces and accents that father’t sound native. It’s happening in villages such as Dekuli, Madanpur, Ughra, Usmamatha, Shankar Lohar, and Pator dotting on the flanks of the Darbhanga-Baheri road and Kakarghati, Tarsarai, Sakri, Nawada, Aradiya-Sangram, and Phulparas on the Darbhanga-Supaul road.But don’t mistake the visitors for outsiders. They are the very sons and daughters of these villages, who were forced to migrate from Bihar in their teenage years in search of livelihood. Like migratory birds, they return home every year, spend a few days, then depart again.Chhath is a special occasion that fills every Bihari with nostalgia and draws them home, no matter the cost or discomfort they must endure. “Every year, Chhath brings with it a spontaneous and joyous reverse migration. We eagerly wait to reunite with our loved ones. These are the days when Indian rail becomes Bihar rail. But the very day the festival concludes, a painful migration begins again. They return to the places they came from, and these villages and homes fall silent and deserted once more,” said Madan Kumar Jha Madhup, a Dekuli resident.Madhup says that this time, courtesy the coming Bihar assembly elections, these otherwise “neglected” migrants are in demand with different political parties. “Leaders have arranged vehicles – cars and buses – for them so that they can reach their villages on time. They have even organised dinner packets for them. Almost all the political parties are wooing them.”This year, Chhath has come just before the Bihar assembly election, where Nitish Kumar, the sitting chief minister and head of the NDA in the state, is seeking an extension for another five years.People still see Kumar as the antidote to what the NDA refers to as the Jungle Raj of the RJD between 1990 and 2005. But the big question remains when Bihar will have industries and opportunities like those in states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, or Telangana.Sanjay Kumar (42), a non-resident Bihari from the Kumhar (potter) caste who hails from Alinagar (Darbhanga), has an answer too, though not a certain one. “Modiji hi kar sakte hain, Nitishji hi kar sakte hain lekin kab karenge pata nahin (Only Modi ji can do it, only Nitish ji can do it, but when, we don’t know),” he said with a weary smile. He is not sure he will stay back to vote. He is worried about getting a return ticket to Tamil Nadu, where he works.Sudhir Malakar (42) of Pandaul, who works in a diamond factory in Surat, said that he’ll vote for NDA because he trusts Modi. “I wish he cares for Bihar the way he cared, and is caring for Gujarat. These welfare schemes are making us dependent. These are freebies. I just feel sad that none have a roadmap for industrial and overall development for Bihar.”Manoj Sahani of Kamalpur village in Pandaul block (Madhubani), who had just reached home after an exhausting 24-hour journey from Ambala, where he works as a supervisor in a factory, to Darbhanga, has a different point of view, but his eventual choice reflects the strength of one of Kumar’s major support bases, women.“I was 20 when I left home in search of a livelihood, 25 years ago. Since then, things have definitely changed in Bihar after Nitish Babu became the chief minister. There are better roads, electricity. But there is nothing for us to return to. Where are the jobs for people like us? This time, I wanted to go for Jan Suraaj, but my wife is adamant about voting for Nitishji, as he has increased the old age pension of my mother from ₹400 to ₹1,000. I’ve returned home after a year, and I don’t want to break her heart.”And some migrants are still under the influence of the identity politics that has characterised the state for decades. Mohammad Musa (55) of Tardiha village in Madhubani district, who works as a driver in Kolkata, said that despite being a fan of Prashant Kishor, he’ll again vote for the RJD. “I can’t go beyond my jamaat (community). We see another Lalu in Tejashwi, so we’ll vote for him,” he said.Still, as evident in Jan Suraaj’s name being taken by both Musa and Sahani, there’s a desire for change.Across the belt, there is praise for the welfare schemes launched by the state and Union governments. These include five kilograms of free foodgrains, an increase in pension, and, most recently, a cash transfer of ₹10,000 to the bank accounts of lakhs of women. These measures are likely to pull votes for the NDA, but people expect the Nitish-Modi combine to go beyond welfare schemes and focus on broader development.Everyone wants Bihar to have enough opportunities for them.Dinesh Mahto (42) of Kalyanpur village in Samastipur, who works in a construction company in Pune, said he could not get a confirmed ticket from Pune, so he travelled to Delhi and then somehow managed to get a confirmed seat in Sampark Kranti Express with the help of a tout. His return ticket to Pune is confirmed on November 16.“What has any government done for people like us? If they had, I wouldn’t have spent so much money to come here. Governments will come and go, and will keep travelling like this. Neither Lalu nor Nitish has done anything for migrants. This time, I’ll vote for Jan Suraaj as Prashant Kishore has made migration an issue,” says Mahto.Dinesh Singh (59) of Bheetbhagwanpur in Madhubani district, who works as a bank manager in Surat, has a word of caution for the NDA.“The trust and patience of the people are inching close to an expiry date, and the alliance will face a major challenge in keeping this faith alive. The Jungle Raj is over; it belongs to the past. The question now is, when will Mangal Raj arrive?”Priya Darshan, a Patna-based political analyst, said that almost all the political parties are worried about the possible exodus of migrant voters after the Chhath festival.“Over 4.6 million Biharis live and work outside the state, and their homecoming for the annual festival. But once the festival ends, the traditional rush to return to work may thin voter turnout in several constituencies, prompting parties to draw up plans to keep migrants home till polling day. All the parties have begun exercises to reach families of migrant workers and get their votes by any means – socialising, threatening, and bribing,” he said.He added that party workers can be seen at every big railway station and bus stand to greet returning workers, urging them to cast their vote for their nominees.“Whoever keeps their migrant supporters home will gain a decisive edge. In Bihar, this year’s Chhath will be more political than religious. Due to more manpower and money-power, the NDA seems to have an edge in wooing this lot,” he added.According to Bihar government data, 45.78 lakh residents work in other Indian states, while another 2.17 lakh are employed abroad. Most belong to economically weaker sections and migrate seasonally to cities in Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana for work. Data shows the highest migration from Patna (5.68 lakh), East Champaran (6.14 lakh), Siwan (5.48 lakh), Muzaffarpur (4.31 lakh), and Darbhanga (4.3 lakh). Gaya, Samastipur, West Champaran, and Nalanda also have large numbers of workers employed elsewhere. The outflow is most severe among the extremely backward classes (EBCs) and scheduled castes, reflecting Bihar’s deep-rooted employment crisis.Migration is the backdrop against which this election will unfold. For all the parties’ grand promises and loud rallies, the quieter journeys of these migrant voters — and whether they stay to cast their ballots — may prove decisive. Rail- and bus-traffic from Bihar later this week and early next week could provide some clues.