A view of the Ranchi-Tata highway in Ranchi. Picture by Prashant Mitra

While studying at a reputed public school in West Bengal almost two decades ago, I often found myself cornered by my classmates and roommates.

They would argue with me that the then unified Bihar was an extremely backward state and that it cannot match West Bengal?s contributions to the country.

Though Bihar, including the present Jharkhand, was not such a bad place during those days, I often had a feeling of being the odd-man out.

About two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Dumka on an official assignment. The driver insisted that we avoid routes passing through West Bengal, as these roads were bad and because West Bengal police would unnecessarily harass the drivers.

But I insisted on taking these very routes. Mainly because I wanted to refresh my childhood memories. I was also overconfident that the police would not be a problem, as I was working with a reputed daily.

But, my travails began soon after we left Silli. After entering West Bengal, near Tulin in Purulia district, we were forced to negotiate around potholes and obstructions created by the villagers. With vehicles often parked in the middle of the Ranchi-Purulia highway and with encroachments on either side of the road, driving became progressively difficult.

Not long after, two gun-totting cops stopped our car near a police station and got in. The ?Press? sticker and the newspaper?s name prominently displayed on the front and rear windscreens of the car did not seem to have any effect. I was seated in the backseat but they did not even bother to ask before getting in.

After travelling for two-km or so, they asked the driver to stop the car near a check post and got out, totally oblivious to my presence.

It took more than two-and-a-half-hours to cover the nearly 60 km stretch between Muri and Chas More. I asked the driver to take the Bokaro-Dhanbad route, instead of proceeding to Neamatpur via Raghunathpur, though the latter was shorter.

I again had the taste of bumpy roads after reaching Kalyaneshwari near Maithan Dam. Smooth roads greeted us only after re-entering Jharkhand, near Jamtara.

I had several backbreaking experiences driving through the remote villages of Dumka. But, I am proud to say that most roads in Jharkhand are better than those in West Bengal. Though, I find it impossible to convince my school friends.

They argue that people living along the dilapidated roads of Purulia and Burdwan districts are leading a much better life. They have elected gramsabhas and no politician or bureaucrat has the guts to overlook the elected panchayat heads.

In the villages of West Bengal, official machinery functions through a well-defined system, which has gained a strong foothold over the years.

But, Jharkhand is perhaps the only prominent state in the country where panchayat elections are yet to be held. Here the BDOs and MLAs rule the roost. My Dumka tour was aimed at finding the tribals? reaction after the panchayat elections were stalled, again, following an order passed by the Jharkhand High Court.

I had gone there to examine the causes that led to the tension between the poor tribals and the dikus and sadans. But I returned without being able to arrive at a conclusion, because the tension had evaporated by the time I got there.