Bihar Community Service celebrates annual day with fanfare and avidity
The Bihar Community Service (BCS), an apex association of expatriates from the eastern Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, celebrated its annual day with great fanfare here recently. A large number of expatriate workers from Bihar and Jharkhand, living and working in Saudi Arabia, participated in the event, which mainly focused on the need for education, training, and economic empowerment of the underprivileged sections of society.
The program commenced with a welcome address given by Mahfuzur Rahman, president of BCS, Riyadh chapter. Rahman shared the journey of the organization over the past year, emphasizing key achievements and spelling out the roadmap for future growth. Sharique Badr, Counsellor (Political & Press) at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, was the chief guest at the annual day celebrations.
In his inspiring address at the event, Badr said: “Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive society. Parents must take the lead in ensuring their children's right to education.” On this occasion, guest of honor Asif Rameez Daudi, a senior academician, TV personality, and training consultant spoke about the life-changing power of education with special reference to Bihar.
To this end, it is important to note that Bihar is a poor state compared to other states of India. Agriculture employs nearly three-fourths of Bihar’s population, and the state is one of India’s top producers of vegetables and fruits. Despite significant gains in mining and manufacturing in the late 20th century, Bihar has continued to lag behind other states in per capita income. A large segment of the population remains below the poverty level.
The theme of the event was the empowerment of people from the eastern Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand. A large number of top-notch community leaders, businessmen, professionals, and members of the organizing team namely Aamir Khubru, Faiz Alam, Wasi Ahmad, Mateen, Shafique Rahman, Shaukat Ali, Mushtaq Ahmed, Asad Zaman, Ayaz Nishar, Abdul Gaffar, Ehtisham Haque and Abdur Rahman were present in the celebrations.
The organizers also thanked four members of the community and business entities including Advanced Integrated Solution, Riyadh Key Trading, and Global Edge for their support and sponsorship. The BCS pledged to continue its efforts in promoting technical education, social awareness, and economic empowerment among youths in Bihar and Jharkhand. These two Indian states still lag behind in different sectors in comparative terms.
At the turn of the 21st century, the creation of Jharkhand from Bihar’s southern part further strained Bihar’s struggling economy. In fact, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are two of India’s most populous states, with estimated populations of 23.8 crore and 12.8 crore (17 percent and 9 percent of the country’s population) respectively. These figures are projected to rise significantly by 2036, contributing 34 percent of India’s total population increase.
Today, UP is fifth in terms of state economic output with a Rs 23.61 trillion GDP. However, on a per-capita basis, it is on the lower end at Rs 99,188, only above Bihar (Rs 66,896) — a consequence of inferior planning and historically bad governance. India’s per capita GDP is Rs 210,856 — three times that of Bihar and double that of UP. UP and Bihar together contribute only 11 percent to the national GDP despite their massive population.
