Bihar Diwas, the brainchild of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, seems to be losing its sheen. The idea of celebrating this occasion was introduced by Nitish in 2010 to mark the carving out of the state from Bengal Presidency on March 22, 1912, and to whip up Bihari sub-nationalism and in the process consolidate his position politically. Since March 22 and 23, the days on which the occasion is observed, precedes Holi, Bihar Diwas is generating less enthusiasm. The festival has a particular theme each year and Vikasit Bihar Ke Saat Sutra (seven-point vision of Nitish Kumar for development of Bihar) is the theme this year. This reflects Kumar’s ‘Saat Nishchay’ (seven vows).
Social scientists say that observing Bihar Diwas was an attempt to woo all sections of society for the state’s growth. That was after the 2010 Assembly election victory, but Kumar’s priority seems to have changed. After the 2014 Lok Sabha election defeat, he fell back to the caste equation. This forced him to ally with RJD, which ultimately ensured a big victory of the Grand Alliance in Bihar last November. “The CM’s new political combination is not attracting NRIs and investors to Bihar. Despite knowing these, he did not want to make this event fail after much publicity,” BJP leader and former leader of Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav told The Sunday Standard. Defending the lack of euphoria surrounding the event, JD(U) spokesperson Niraj Kumar said: “This year Bihar Diwas falls on Holi, but government agencies are prepared to celebrate this occasion like past years.”