Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor described Bihar as "literally a failed state" while interacting virtually with members of the Bihari diaspora. The interaction marked the launch of the US chapter of Jan Suraaj, his socio-political initiative aimed at transforming Bihar. In painting the picture of the challenges ahead, Kishor appealed for dedicated, long-term efforts to drive change.

"If Bihar were a country, it would be the 11th largest in terms of population in the world. We have just overtaken Japan in terms of population."  Kishor said while pointing at Bihar's rising population. He said Bihar was in "deep shit," with societal despair being its biggest hurdle on the path to progress.

"When you become hopeless, the immediate survival needs become so overpowering that nothing (else) matters,"  Kishor explained, pointing out how this sense of hopelessness hinders collective efforts for development.

Despite the grim outlook, Kishor offered a glimmer of hope, citing the groundwork laid by Jan Suraaj over the past two and a half years.  "Some hope is definitely there because of what we have been doing... But to convert this into a tangible electoral outcome and further into a governance outcome (will take time)," he urged those involved to commit for at least five to six years.

"Even if the government (of the Jan Suraaj) is formed in 2025 and we continue to work hard with this intensity, it would be a big thing if Bihar becomes a middle-income state by 2029-2030. It is literally a failed state as it stands today on all developmental parameters," Kishor said.

"The characteristics of failed states are visible in the population here. For example... sometimes we think... why are people in Sudan fighting for 20 years in the civil war. Because when you are in that failed state, then people are not worried about how our children will study in Sudan. They are worried about who to shoot and where to capture. So that is the situation in Bihar too. And we must be aware of it," he added.

He assured the diaspora that he was not trying to alarm them but to point out the ground realities. "I am not trying to scare them," Kishor clarified, "but making them aware of the long road ahead." 

The Jan Suraaj will win in 2025 (Bihar Assembly elections). There is no doubt about it. (Based on my) electoral understanding, I can clearly see that we will win," he said.

Jan Suraaj, launched in October with great promise, failed to leave a mark in Bihar's recent Assembly bypolls. All its candidates lost deposits on all seats except one, as the NDA coalition at the helm scooped up all four seats.