'Felt humiliated in Bengaluru': Bihar man shares experience of regional bias, viral reddit post sparks debate

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Oct 25, 2024, 11:41 AM IST

A Reddit post by a Bihar man highlighted regional discrimination in Bengaluru after a juice vendor remarked on outsiders working in the city. He expressed concern over growing negativity towards outsiders and called for efforts to change perceptions, while others shared similar experiences and offered suggestions for improvement.

A recent Reddit post has sparked a conversation about discrimination based on where people come from, in Bengaluru. A man from Bihar shared a painful experience he had at a juice shop, revealing the difficulties that people from various states face in India.

The man, who chose to stay anonymous, described how, after ordering orange juice, the vendor started a conversation with him. When he said he was from Bihar and worked in an IT company, the juice seller replied, “Bahut zyada ho gaya aplog ka bahar se aake edhar kaam karne ka,” which means it’s too much now, you people coming from outside to work in Bengaluru. He just smiled and shrugged it off.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

After reaching home, he says he thought about the stereotypes and mocking of Bihari people on social media. He wrote, “This incident stuck with me. It’s happened many times before: I do well, and when people learn that I’m from Bihar, their reaction changes. Not everyone reacts this way, but many do.”

He expressed his worry about the growing dislike for outsiders in Bengaluru and stressed the need to change how people view them.

There’s also this ongoing debate pushed by some from South India about their tax collections going to Bihar, etc. Why doesn't our state government or people do something to change this perception? In Bangalore, it's a different story—hate against outsiders seems to be increasing day by day, which could lead to an alarming situation if not addressed.

Felt humiliated in Bangalore
byu/Deep_Grab_5058 inbihar

He continued, “I want Bihar to develop so that these stereotypes weaken. Uttar Pradesh doesn’t suffer from this as much anymore; its image has improved significantly. No matter your political stance, you’ve probably noticed this shift.

With the rich history Bihar has—especially before the Mughal rule, with Patliputra being the capital of major empires—it’s frustrating to see our state in this condition. What do you think can be done to change this? Or is Bihar doomed just because we’re a landlocked state with limited minerals? (Most of the minerals people talk about are actually in Jharkhand, which used to be part of Bihar).”

The post led to many users sharing their opinions on regional bias. One user, named Safe-Cell-8441, suggested that the man should just avoid that juice shop next time.

Comment
byu/Deep_Grab_5058 from discussion
inbihar

Another user, chitrapuyunga, recommended that the Bihar government could better support its people by connecting with business owners and promoting local products. He pointed out that many Biharis live in other states, which could help develop cooperative brands in the FMCG sector. He also stressed the importance of building better roads, like expressways, to help farmers get their goods to market more easily.

Comment
byu/Deep_Grab_5058 from discussion
inbihar

User jayy1709, shared his own experience of facing discrimination in his home state of Gujarat, emphasizing that these divisions are deeply rooted in Indian society. He noted that people will always try to assert their superiority over others, no matter their caste, religion, language, or state, and suggested that this issue is unlikely to change anytime soon.