Two groups of people clashed following damage to a Shiva temple and desecration and theft of some idols.
In an era when the misguided youth of today are trying to build political careers by subscribing to divisive ideologies, they need to look to independent thinking icons such as Acharya Kripalani, says Mohammad Sajjad.
Why are far right Hindu organisations growing in strength? Why is there a rising subscription to Neo-Wahabism, the Saudi Arabian version of contemporary Islam?
Examinees and guardians insisted on using unfair means during the intermediate examination at C M Science College in Madhepura forcing cops to open fire.
'I have nothing more to lose. My three sons were killed. I am not going to sit silent.'
A poster war has erupted between ruling Janata Dal-United and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Gaya ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the holy city to address a party rally scheduled for Sunday.
Hailing the arrest of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal as a big success for intelligence agencies, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Thursday said a state Anti-Terrorism Squsad team would soon leave to interrogate him and seek his custody.
Every year, for thousands of years, the Sonepur Mela, transforms a small rural town in north Bihar into a giant fair.
According to media reports, 56 people -- mostly farm labourers working in the fields -- died in Bihar while 44 people were killed across Uttar Pradesh, Jharkand and Madhya Pradesh.
Bihar government has sounded alert in 28 flood-prone districts following a warning issued by Indian Meteorological Department in the wake of Cyclone Phailin that pounded Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The MeT department has warned of rain or thunderstorm at isolated places in the state in the next two days.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted aerial survey of 12 inundated districts to take stock of the situation arising out of flood which has claimed 190 lives so far in Bihar.
Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in north Bihar, is wanted in several blast cases being probed by the National Investigation Agency and state police forces. His name had come up in connection with the explosion outside Delhi high court on September 7, 2011 in which 12 people were killed.
'Nitish Kumar's government has proved during these floods that it is a helpless government.'
The flood situation in Bihar is showing signs of improvement after the swollen rivers started receding on Friday. For nearly a week major rivers like Ganga had wreaked havoc in the state.
The devastating quake of 8.3-magnitude on Richter scale that fateful day of January 15 had its epicentre at some 10 kms south of Mt Everest.
'At least 6,000 people attended a meal at Shahabuddin's residence in a feast to celebrate his bail. As if the community has no other priorities of channelising such funds for better purposes!,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
Heavy rainfall and high speed wind has badly affected normal life in Bihar in last 24 hours because of cyclonic storm Phailin impact of cyclonic storm. "More heavy rains are expected in Bihar in next 24 hours," a met department official said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has already taken a lead with his knock-on-door campaign.
Nitish 'sent his emissary, Prashant Kishor, to me on five different occasions.' 'Kishor seemed to indicate that if I were to assure in writing my party's support to the JD-U, the latter would pull out of the BJP alliance and rejoin the Mahagathbandhan.' A revealing excerpt from Lalu Prasad Yadav's Gopalganj To Raisina: My Political Journey.
Party's performance will also work as a catalyst in Uttar Pradesh elections.
Sherin Mathew left her hometown in Bihar in late 2015 for a new home in America.
'In Bihar, the Dalits are not a consolidated socio-political constituency,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning about havoc rainfall or a cloud burst hitting Bihar's flood-affected districts in the next 24 to 48 hours, officials said on Sunday.
From linking innovation with supply of inputs to providing contract farming, the private sector can help agriculture move to the next stage of development.
Yasin Bhatkal, a dreaded terrorist and co-founder of terror-outfit Indian Mujahideen, who was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in north Bihar, will be handed over to National Investigation Agency.
Among the better painted buildings in rural Bihar are hospitals run by the state government. Archana Masih travels to a village in north Bihar to find out what lies within. As Bihar goes to the polls, Rediff.com looks at the state through the lives of its people.
Articulate segments of Muzaffarpur have been at the the forefront of all anti-establishment mobilisation, which makes their silence over the atrocities in a shelter home in the town puzzling. Could it be that if those accused of horrific crimes belong to dominant castes and if the victims belong to the vulnerable groups, then the middle classes become mute, asks Mohammad Sajjad.
Mohammad Shahabuddin, in prison for over a decade, still inspires fear, a reminder of the 'jungle raj' when political murders were commonplace in Bihar.
Clusters of policemen and television journalists alertly anticipated the arrival of Mumbai's joint commissioner of police, who, it was confirmed by most people I asked, does not visit court often. No one could remember when they had last heard of Deven Bharti appearing as a witness in a murder trial.
'Did the government learn any lesson from the disasters of 2008, 1987, 1975?' 'Certainly not!' 'They are making people believe that the 2017 flood was unexpected, so no preventive effort towards reducing the loss of human lives was to be expected from the government,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
'The prime minister expressed concern and assured all possible help to the state,' CMO said.
'People wondered aloud why she had given up on the aging, getting-day-by-day-more-infirm avatar. And was freshly blooming.'
'It is the regional parties and their leaders who are the ones we have to watch.'
Nitish Kumar has failed to curb communal forces and hoodlums across communities. And that is ominous for Bihar's present and future, warns Mohammad Sajjad.
'Modi and his team have read the message from the ground.' 'People have started questioning what they have achieved by putting Modi in power.'
An army of government staff all over India conduct the world's greatest democratic exercise. Archana Masih/Rediff.com glimpses how they do it in the pivotal Saran constituency in North Bihar.
11,292 km. 20 million (Nitish Kumar says 30 million) Biharis. 45 minutes.
'By resorting to divisive issues, the BJP is giving the impression that even if it is voted to power it won't do anything new to give Bihar a facelift. It will repel voters with the belief that the BJP can't do anything without communal polarisation as its core ideology. This is sad and unfortunate,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
Bihar! The state goes to the polls next year. Narendra Modi has chosen a Bhumihar, Rajput and Yadav as his ministers from the state.
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