Anti-Bihari sentiment refers to discrimination and prejudice faced by Bihari people in various parts of India. Historically, Bihar has witnessed slower economic growth compared to the national average, leading to mass migration of Biharis to other regions in search of better livelihood opportunities.
Migrant workers from Bihar have often encountered hostility and stereotyping in their host states. Negative portrayals have included associations with criminality, sexual violence, and disloyalty, contributing to social stigma and exclusion. Biharis have also been impacted by anti-Hindi sentiment in non-Hindi-speaking states, stemming from a perception that central government institutions give preferential treatment to Hindi compared to regional languages in national-level examinations and public services.
Biharis have been subjected to derogatory stereotyping through the slogan "Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari", which literally translates to "One Bihari, a hundred diseases." Biharis still practise old customs such as dowry, groom kidnapping, casteism irrespective of economic background etc.
Causes Between the late 1980s and 2005, Bihar faced significant economic challenges, due to a combination of poor governance and recurrent flooding caused by the Kosi River, often referred to as the "Sorrow of Bihar". Widespread corruption in regional politics, along with incidents of kidnappings targeting professionals who spoke out against such corruption and the domination of caste politics also contributed to an economic decline. This resulted in the emigration of capital, middle-class professionals, and business leaders to other parts of India.
The resulting increase of investment and talent worsened unemployment in the state, prompting large-scale migration of Bihari farmers and unemployed youth to more economically developed states. Bihar has a per capita income of approximately US$536 per annum, compared to the national average of US$1,470. About 30.6% of Bihar's population lives below the poverty line, higher than the national average of 22.15%. The level of urbanisation in the state is 10.5%, significantly below the national average of 27.78%, while urban poverty stands at 32.91%, compared to the national average of 23.62%. Bihar also has the highest population density and the lowest GDP per capita among all Indian states.
Impact
Economic
Bihar has a per capita income of approximately US$936 per annum, significantly lower than the national average of US$2,624. Due to this income disparity, many workers from Bihar emigrate to other states in search of better-paying jobs, often agreeing to work for lower wages. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, inter-state migrant construction workers have been reported to earn between ₹300 and ₹400 per day, in contrast to the prescribed minimum wage of ₹750 per day.
The outflow of workers has had notable economic effects. After the departure of thousands of migrant labourers from Nashik, local industries expressed concern about increased operational costs, brought on by the need to hire more expensive local workers.
In an interview with The Times of India, Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, remarked: "The city [Mumbai] cannot take the burden anymore. Look at our roads, our trains and parks. On the pipes that bring water to Mumbai are 40,000 huts. It is a security hazard. The footpaths too have been taken over by migrants. The message has to go to Bihar that there is no space left in Mumbai for you. After destroying the city, the migrants will go back to their villages. But where will we go then?"
Concerns regarding the strain on urban infrastructure due to migration have also been raised by mainstream political leaders. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh acknowledged that unchecked migration had put pressure on the state's basic infrastructure. Nevertheless, he appealed to migrant workers from Bihar to remain in Maharashtra, even during periods of intense anti-North Indian agitation.
Similarly, Sheila Dikshit, the then Chief Minister of Delhi, commented that migration from Bihar was placing an increasing burden on the capital's infrastructure. She stated, "These people come to Delhi from Bihar but don't ever go back, causing a burden on Delhi's infrastructure."
Violence Bangladesh
Many Biharis in Bangladesh were Urdu-speaking and supported the Pakistan Armed Forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Their opposition to the Bengali language movement and the independence of Bangladesh led to significant reprisals by the Mukti Bahini and other militias. Various reports estimate that up to 150,000 Biharis may have been killed during this period.
Nepal Biharis in Nepal have reportedly faced social discrimination and been subjected to derogatory terms such as raddi kaghaz ( 'waste paper', or 'rags'), khaali botal ( 'empty bottle'), and Bihari bhaiya ( 'brother from bihar'''). In one incident, a Bihari was killed and two others were injured after Nepalese armed police opened fire near the Lalbandi border outpost.
India
Attacks on Sikhs Following the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and massacres in Bihar, a significant number of Sikhs residing in areas such as Patna City, Lalji Tola, and Exhibition Road began relocating from Bihar. The trend continued into the 1990s due to deteriorating law and order and rising extortion. Majority of Sikhs were murdered in cities of Patna, Bokaro etc during 1984 anti-sikh riots.
In 2022, a group of Sikh pilgrims from Punjab were attacked in Bhojpur district when their vehicle was stopped, and the driver was assaulted during a dispute over a religious donation. At least seven sustained injuries.
Attacks on Bengalis During the period often referred to as "Jungle Raj" (1989–2004) under Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, several Bengali families reportedly faced violence and displacement. Many were forced to resettle in neighbouring states like Jharkhand and West Bengal. Reports suggest incidents of violence, kidnapping, and property seizure.
Attacks on journalists Bihar has witnessed multiple incidents of attacks on journalists, ranking among the highest in India. These have involved political groups, local mafias, and others. Media watchdogs have raised concerns over freedom of expression in the state.
Economic stigma and employment Bihari migrant workers have often been employed in low-wage and low-skilled jobs across India, such as rickshaw pulling, sanitation work, and daily wage labour. Some critics argue that this influx lowers regional income averages. Bihar's GDP per capita remains among the lowest in the country.
Protests and demonstrations In October 2008, student protests erupted in Bihar following attacks on North Indian candidates during a Railway Recruitment Board examination in Maharashtra, allegedly carried out by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists. Protests included rail blockades and hunger strikes. Several FIRs were filed against MNS leader Raj Thackeray in Bihar and Jharkhand.Anand Mohan Sahay, Bihar: 2 more cases filed against Raj Thackeray , Patna, 23 October 2008Ahmad Faizan, "Bihar violence: Raj the gainer", The times of India, Pune, 27 October 2008, pp. 6
Attacks against Bihari people
In Kolhapur, a group of fifteen to twenty Maharashtra Navnirman Sena members on motorcycles attacked migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh on 13 August 2013 after the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl.
The February 2008 tirade against North Indians started with clashes between MNS and SP workers at Dadar in Mumbai. MNS chief Thackeray explained that the attack was a reaction to the uncontrolled dadagiri of migrants and leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Workers also pelted stones at the offices of Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari and North Indian Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam. Thackeray invoked the issue of Marathi pride, this time lashing out at the North Indians in an article titled "Majhi bhumika, majha ladha" (My stand, my struggle) written by him in the Marathi daily Maharashtra Times. MNS workers destroyed government property to vent their anger against the reported move to arrest Raj. Vilasrao Deshmukh admitted that his government was responsible for the failure in preventing the attacks by MNS on North Indian candidates at Railways examination centres and ordered a probe into the incident. In October, Thackeray was arrested in Ratnagiri after Mumbai police had received a non-bailable warrant issued by a Jamshedpur court against the MNS chief. The arrested again ignited violence by his supporters in large parts of the city forcing it to shut down.
Other consequences
Since November 2005, there has been a significant fall in the number of migrant workers in many parts of India. After the early 2008 migrant crisis and bombing of a Bhojpuri cinema hall in Punjab, Biharis decided to stay away from states of the North East and Punjab. Culturally, Biharis appear to reject films based heavily on Punjabi culture. In August 2008, the film Singh Is Kinng starring Akshay Kumar, which was a success in India, flopped in Bihar. Akshay Kumar’s films, such as Jaanwar and Heyy Babyy, have traditionally performed well in Bihar. In this case, however, the film’s heavy use of Punjabi language and cultural references was said to be the main reason it failed to connect with the Bihari audience.
Assam Members of the Veer Lachit Sena gathered at a petrol pump in Guwahati, haranguing two of its employees – Tuntun Kumar and Govindagiri, both from Bihar. Some reportedly shouted, “Hey Biharis, you want a beating?”, while the two employees were being shoved and heckled. Singh claimed the Lachit Sena also hit 31-year-old Govindagiri, who left Assam soon afterwards. "They have told us, not a single Bihari should be seen", recounted Singh.
Karbi Longri National Liberation Front militants from the Karbi tribe called three Bihari men out of their homes and shot them dead in the village of Bamuni Sukanjuri in central Assam's Nagaon district.
Delhi A student at Delhi University's Kirori Mal College was assaulted by a group of fellow students. The student reported that he was targeted for money and referred to as "Bihar wala". He stated that they would demand money and say, "You are from Bihar. Things don't work your way," indicating discrimination based on his Bihari background.
Arvind Kejriwal, the former Chief Minister of Delhi, stated that "Fake voters are being brought from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in the last 15 days, 13,000 applications for new votes have come. Fake votes are made by bringing people from UP & Bihar".
A 21-year-old delivery worker from Bihar named Pandav Kumar was shot and killed by an off-duty Delhi Police head constable in southwest Delhi's Jaffarpur Kalan on April 26, 2026 because he was a Bihari.https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/05/06/killed-by-a-cop-after-being-called-a-bihari-a-family-loses-its-sole-breadwinner
Punjab An elderly woman from Bihar was beaten multiple times by two Sikh men for allegedly smoking inside the Golden Temple complex.
A man from Patna was beaten to death for allegedly trying to remove a religious flag from a gurdwara in Kapurthala district. The man allegedly tried to remove Nishan Sahib, a religious flag of the Sikhs, from atop a gurdwara in Nizampur. He was caught and subsequently beaten to death.
Haryana
An MLA from Haryana made the remark "Bihar girls for Haryana men". The Bihar Women's Commission took suo motu cognizance of reports about the leader's remark and issued a notice to him.
In Haryana, there was one instance of the family of a woman from Bihar who was paid just ₹1000 for marrying off their Bihari daughter. An NGO found 27 Bihari women were married off to Haryana men with prices ranging from ₹10,000 up to 1.5 lakh.
Union minister Piyush Goyal said that "If it were up to them, they would turn the whole country into Bihar."
Maharashtra