Ritu Jha-
The San Francisco-based Bihar Foundation USA organized an event celebrating the annual Bihar Diwas in Milpitas, California on April 7. Many Bay Area community organizations attended the event, built around the theme “Bonding, Branding and Business.”
The Bihar Foundation USA organizes free cataract surgeries in remote villages and helps budding entrepreneurs in the northern Indian state.
The foundation implements projects that promote health, art and culture from Bihar, and organizes outreach programs for the diaspora from the state, according to Rajiv Sinha.
Sinha, the foundation’s president and a member of the founding team, said since its inception in 2008, each year they observe the formation of the state of Bihar in 1912.
The foundation launched the “Adopt a Village” project in 2018-19 and put together its “Vision Bihar” program to eradicate blindness in the state. He said that many people at the event showed interest in working to improve 22 villages the team had lined up for assistance. Addressing the event’s theme, he said the team was indeed focused on bonding, branding and business.
“Last year we hosted two delegates from Bihar and organized “Bihar Business Connect -2023” in partnership with TiE Silicon Valley last July, Prior to that, we hosted Sanjay Kumar Jha, Bihar’s water resources minister, and his team.”
Sinha told indica that Tiger Analytics, based in Santa Clara, California, is planning to invest in Bihar. Right now they are limited to a Bangalore office in India.
As far as health goes, he said, the Bihar Foundation has provided more than 500 free surgeries and provided 1,000 free corrective glasses in six villages.
Shyam Chaudhary, executive council member of the foundation, described how people could help villages in Bihar. He came from Bhojpur in the state but now lives in San Jose.
“Adopt A Village project is where anybody here can adopt a village in the Indian state by donating $1,000,” he said. “That will take care of cataract surgeries of at least 40 to 60 people. For surgeries, we have tied up with a very good 200-bed hospital in Kankarbagh, Patna: the Sri Sai Lions Netralaya.”
Chaudhary said that prescreened villagers who are deemed to need help are taken to the state capital Patna for surgery and a day to recuperate.
“It takes $22 to $25 to give patients their sight back,” he told indica.
The foundation’s Bihar intervention began about seven years ago when it joined forces with the Sri Sai Lions Netralaya in Patna.
“Donating [money] is one thing, but it is important for donors to know where the donation is going and how it is affecting people,” Chaudhary said, adding that the tie-up with the hospital ensured a stable and transparent process, particularly because it had the means to cover villages in a 200-mile radius around Patna.
Chaudhary, who joined the foundation in 2011, said it relied on help not just from within the US, but also from the Bihar government. Unfortunately, a change in government affected the dynamics of the relationship.
“The consistency is lost,” he explained, adding that the effort now was to make the organization autonomous and not reliant on personal connections alone, so that the work continues even during changes in the administration.
“I think there is a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “There is a lot that the new generation can do. I think new blood should take over and continue the journey that we have embarked on.”
One of the chief guests for the event was Rakesh Adlakha, deputy consul general and commercial representative at the Indian consulate in San Francisco.
“It is wonderful to see how the Bihari diaspora has promoted and preserved its culture so that it can be passed on to the new generations,” he said. He also judged a children’s painting competition held on the occasion.
Raj Salwan, the city of Fremont councilmember, has attended his share of events organized by the active Bihari community in the Bay Area.
“I have attended the Chhath Puja [a prominent Bihar festival] for the last three years,” he said, admitting that he did not know such a ritual existed, and adding, “Once I started going, I saw how dedicated they are.” He said that despite heavy rain, he had to help get permission to expand the festivities at Quarry Lakes in Fremont, Calif. so that more people could attend.
The Bihari community is very vibrant, and strong in the city of Fremont and the Bay Area, and they do a lot of good work,” Salwan said. “The community has great ancient ties to Buddhism, philosophers like Chanakya, and great religious leaders.
“I feel touched that we’re able to celebrate this rich culture here in America, our new homeland,” he said.
Salwan wants more cultural spaces for events like Bihar Diwas in Fremont.
“A lot of times the bureaucrats and the administrative officials don’t understand our rituals or festivals,” he said. “It’s important to explain to them what’s going on.”
Swati Sinha is one of those trying to help socially conscious startups. An executive fellow and mentor at Miller Center of Social Entrepreneurship, a part of Santa Clara University, she is one of the organizers of the event.
“We help social entrepreneurs who work in sectors related to climate change, poverty, and women-run businesses,” she told indica. “We educate them and take them to the next level.” She said her team helps draw venture capital attention to businesses that have been there for three years or have $50,000 in revenue.
“We are expanding across India but because I have been part of the Bihar Foundation we will start with Bihar,” she told indica. “The Miller Centre offers a six-month course, which is like a mini-MBA and is free of cost because donors pay for it. Once the social entrepreneurs are ready, we will fly them over here to pitch their ideas before VCs. The Miller Center will sponsor their visit. We want all Indians to take advantage of this.”
Besides the painting competition, the program included Bhojpuri and Maithili songs by Swasti Pandey and her group.
One singer, Ruchi Priyadarshini, said one song she sang, “Jai ho bhutal gaurav Bharat jan jan jriva haar, hamara pyara raja Bihar” was about the rich culture and heritage of her state of birth.
Jain spiritual leader H.H. Acharya Lokesh Muni also spoke about Bihar’s glory and fact that Jainism was born there.
He said Bihar Diwas would not be complete without recognition of the first President of India Rajendra Prasad and leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan.
