#IAmBrandBihar Is Breaking Stereotypes Associated with Bihar

By Tanaya Singh

June 3, 2016

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“I once came across a website where the word ‘Bihari’ had been listed as a curse word in the Hindi section. I was shocked and completely disheartened. That incident acted like an inspiration that drove me towards doing something that would change this image of my state,” says Bashshar Habibullah who then went on to launch a website named PatnaBeats with the aim of redefining Bihar.

Many people across the country complain about the stereotypes and prejudices associated with Bihar and Biharis, mostly because of the way the state is portrayed in mainstream media, movies, books, etc. – the accent, the cliche about people in Bihar being not-so-refined, the association of the state with crime and only crime…the list is a long one. “I have seen many people from Bihar who reside in other states with reputed white-collar jobs. They feel ashamed of being recognized or of introducing themselves as Biharis,” writes Swati Kumari, a writer with PatnaBeats.

Recently, Swati along with Bashshar and their team started a very interesting campaign that has brought together many Biharis on social media, and they are trying to end the practice of Bihari being used as a derogatory word.