Bihar on Saturday claimed to have created a world record as more than three crore of its 11 crore population joined hands in support of prohibition forming a human chain that stretched almost 11,500km across 38 districts.
After enforcing total prohibition in Bihar on April 5, 2016, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who led Saturday’s human chain, launched the second phase of the campaign that will largely focus on creating awareness about an addiction-free Bihar.
Nitish Kumar was joined by his Mahagathbandhan allies – Rashtriya Janata Dal Supremo Lalu Prasad and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Ashok Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, state cabinet ministers, and senior bureaucrats in the main event held at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, where the human chain was in the shape of Bihar’s map.
The atmosphere at the venue was festive and hundreds of colourful balloons were released in the air to mark the commencement of the event. Songs on the anti-addiction theme added to the milieu.
“The support of the people has manifested in the form of the human chain. It is historic and beyond our expectations,” Kumar said. “The effect of this human chain will be seen outside Bihar too. Our state has set an example for those who are not enforcing prohibition citing revenue loss,” he said.
According to officials, the 45 minute human chain, starting 12.15pm, stretched over 3,433km on national highways and 8,044km on state highways, crossing the length and breadth of Bihar and touching border states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, besides Nepal on the international border. People of north and south Bihar converged on Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Rajendra Setu, and Vikramshila Setu over river Ganga.
The event was documented using ISRO satellites, drones, and low-flying aircrafts. Images pouring in from the state capital and the districts painted a scenic picture.
The state government claimed a world record has been established, however, it cannot be verified immediately. Kumar said the earlier human chains in Bangladesh and Nepal were 1,200km-long and mainly aimed at protesting something or the other. “Ours was 11,477km and in support of a good cause,” he said.
The event was organised by the state Education Department. RK Mahajan, the Principal Secretary of the department, told DNA that the participation was voluntary. Students and teachers from 70,000 primary and secondary schools, 6,000 high schools besides colleges and universities took part in it.With an estimated 1.5 crore government school children, five lakh college students, and four lakh teachers powering the event, it was largely a show of students.
Cutting across party lines, Opposition BJP and Lok Janhit Party had extended support to the event besides enthusiastic participation from the ruling RJD, JD(U) and Congress.
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