At all his rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accusing the Nitish Kumar government of being responsible for the large-scale migration of unemployed youth from Bihar. The BJP’s newspaper advertisement has also asked the Chief Minister why one in every three families has to leave the State, and why the families are falling apart.
But for the passengers of the Palayan Express, all three rivals — Mr. Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Lalu Prasad and Mr. Narendra Modi — are co-passengers, birds of the same feather.
At 8.45 a.m. every day, the Jan Sewa Express (no:15209) leaves platform no. 2 of the Saharsa station for Amritsar, Punjab. It is locally known as Palayan Express or Majdoor Express (a train of migration or labourers); for it carries thousands of migrant youth and their families in 22 general compartments. It is a lifeline for the youth of Kosi, devastated by floods almost every year. During the festival season and later, the train’s rickety bogies are packed with passengers. “People have even suffocated to death,” said the weary train guard, who did not wish to be identified.
According to the BJP advertisement, 45 lakh youths migrate from Bihar every year and one in three families is forced to leave the State to make a living. Sushashan ka dambh bharne wale mukhyamantriji, jata bataiye…kab tak Bihar ke yuvaon ko ghar chodne par vivash karte rahenge [Dear Chief Minister who claims good governance, please tell us…for how long will the youth of Bihar be forced to leave their homes], asked the front-page advertisement titled Bihari ko Bahari banana kya shusashan hai [Is it good governance of making a Bihari an outsider?].”
Mr. Nitish Kumar has also made a catchline on the theme. Bihar mein bahari raj karega, ya Bihari [Will someone from Bihar rule the State or an outsider]. But for the hapless passengers of Palayan Express, the migrant workers, all this is mere politics.
“What’s the use of voting for them when nothing has changed in our lives for the past 31 years. Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and Narendra Modi are co-passengers of the same class and compartment,” said Chandrashekhar Sardar alias Sahni, 49.
