Migration is at the heart of every problem Bihar faces: Kanhaiya Kumar

That is because every problem you can think of in Bihar is eventually linked to the migration of people to other states and abroad. The state boasts of Nalanda. Patna University is one of the oldest, established in 1907. Students, however, go out for higher education and even for schooling. There is an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) set up in Patna by the UPA government but people still go to AIIMS, New Delhi. There is an acute shortage of skilled labour in the state because they go out for employment and higher wages.

There is even a special train named Shramik Express taking them out of here. Unemployment rate is higher than the national average. Poverty, inequality and injustice have given rise to conflicts and unrest in society. The poor state of law and order in the state is there for all to see. Having failed to reduce migration and provide jobs, the double engine governments have been inciting communal violence during every festival. Everyone here agrees that there are attempts to stoke divisions and hatred. That is why we framed the yatra after the exodus of Biharis from Bihar.

That is not really true. The issue is known to all, and people have raised it in their own ways. It affects every community, class and caste. Muslims face the same difficulty getting train reservations during Eid as Hindus do during Holi and Chhath. The exodus is not confined to any one caste or class. Brahmins, OBCs, Dalits, rich and poor are all migrating to other states. This is also not confined to any one part of the state.

Some people migrate for better opportunities and wages, others because it is a compulsion for them. If education and healthcare facilities are not available here, they will move. According to one estimate, 20 million people have already migrated from Bihar. They have gone to even those states where they do not know the local language, like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, Gujarat and the Northeast.

We have raised the issue of NEET and paper leaks. We raised the issue of closed sugar mills. We held a meeting with the Auto Drivers Union in Muzaffarpur and raised the issue of women auto drivers. We also raised the issue of farmers whose land was acquired under the Bharat Mala project and are yet to receive compensation.

Congress is a political party, not an NGO, and does contest elections. We will contest the election in Bihar too. But the focus of the yatra is not elections; rather to get an understanding of the issues on the ground so that the manifesto can reflect that understanding. Questions related to elections are constantly being asked but remember there were elections during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and also when I undertook the Jana Gana Mana Yatra in Bihar. The same questions were being asked then.

Congress has not been in power in the state for the past 35 years. We naturally have to re-connect with people. That is the Congress tradition. People who are keen to save the Constitution and identify with the issues we espouse will hopefully use our platform.

Allow me to set the record straight. After contesting the election in 2019, I undertook the Jana Gana Mana Yatra under the auspices of the CPI. Although I was not in the Congress at that time, I campaigned for the Mahagathbandhan, for the RJD, for the Left and even for the Congress. The Covid pandemic intervened and there was little political activity. I joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra, was a part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and contested the election in 2024. People criticise me for contesting from Delhi in 2024 and not from Bihar. Everyone is allowed to contest from anywhere in the country, especially in the Lok Sabha election. These criticisms are meant to shift the focus of this yatra from the real issues to one person. It is really a diversion.

This yatra is not about me or Tejashwi. This narrative, I suspect, is created by the media which wants masala all the time. They believe there is no masala in issues like migration, jobs, education. This yatra is not about one party or one leader. This is designed to put our ears to the ground, feel the pulse of the people and think of solutions to change their lives for the better. This is not a popularity contest.