The story of the rise and fall of Vaishali encapsulates the story of Bihar’s rise and fall
“Vaishali is a symbol – of the great Mahajanapada whose core message was unity in diversity. Just as Vaishali’s downfall was caused by its own internal adversaries, today Bihar faces similar divisive forces that must be identified and removed.”– IPS Vikas Vaibhav
Vaishali (Bihar) [India], February 10: Under the aegis of the Let’s Inspire Bihar campaign, thousands of people gathered at the Namaste Bihar on 9th February 2025: Fifth Grand Public Dialogue in Vaishali. Rising above caste, creed, gender, and ideological differences, they collectively pledged to build a developed Bihar by 2047.
Addressing the audience, renowned IPS Officer Vikas Vaibhav stated that the story of Vaishali’s rise and fall reflects Bihar’s historical glory and current decline. He emphasized the need to understand and reflect upon this historical narrative. Highlighting Vaishali’s historical prominence, Vikas Vaibhav noted that Vaishali was the symbol of an ancient Mahajanapada whose core message was unity in diversity. Understanding what made Vaishali unique at that time is essential. Vaishali did not become the world’s first republic by chance—it was backed by a broad, comprehensive, and visionary approach.
Speaking to the packed audience, he explained that during Vaishali’s time, the prevailing global norm was hereditary rule, where rulers were chosen based on lineage. Ancient texts such as the Valmiki Ramayana and other scriptures suggest that Vaishali also initially followed this governance model. However, later texts like Buddhacharita reveal that a grave mistake by Vaishali’s ruling class led to widespread condemnation. The ruling dynasty eventually perished, marking the gradual decline of Vaishali’s traditional governance system. People began realizing that a lineage-based governance system could not ensure the selection of capable rulers. This thought process laid the foundation for the world’s first republic in Vaishali—at a time when such a concept was unheard of anywhere in the world.
Vikas Vaibhav, an IPS Officer who is popular among the youth populace of Bihar, addressing the enthusiastic crowd, reminded them that the foundation of Akhand Bharat (Undivided India) was laid on Bihar’s soil. At a time when institutions like Oxford and Cambridge were non-existent, Bihar was home to globally renowned universities like Nalanda and Vikram Shila. Engaging with the audience in an interactive manner, he stressed the importance of understanding why Vaishali’s golden era came to an end. He asserted that the reasons behind Vaishali’s decline hold the key to Bihar’s present challenges. While Vaishali’s rise was rooted in unity in diversity, its downfall was caused by internal conflicts, selfishness, jealousy, division, arrogance, and a retreat from a broad vision. A Vassakara (a cunning strategist sent by the Magadha empire) orchestrated internal discord that led to Vaishali’s destruction. Similarly, today, Bihar faces numerous Vassakaras striving to fragment the state. Recognizing and countering these forces is imperative.
Seeing the massive and enthusiastic crowd, Vikas Vaibhav expressed a mix of amazement and joy, stating that such a large turnout signified that people now wish to see Bihar rise above caste and communal divides. He noted that after historic gatherings in Sasaram, Ara, Begusarai, and Saran, the overwhelming public participation in Vaishali reaffirmed that ideas are greater than individuals. He declared that Let’s Inspire Bihar has now become a movement embraced by every young person in Bihar. He explained that Bihar’s ancient glory was rooted in its Vedantic vision—one that rejected discrimination of any kind. The future of Bihar lies in education, equality, and entrepreneurship, and Let’s Inspire Bihar is advancing with these principles at its core. Addressing the gathering, Vikas Vaibhav called upon every individual to take responsibility for nation-building. “Each of you must become the agents of change, taking on the responsibility of shaping Bihar’s brightest future.”
He also stated that transformation in Bagaha and Rohtas was possible because the people there recognized the profound vision of their illustrious ancestors. Emphasizing this point, Vaibhav said that Bihar’s development is only possible through an entrepreneurial revolution, and he needs everyone’s support to achieve this. To ensure the success of thousands of Startups in Bihar, a comprehensive ecosystem must be established. Along with the widespread dissemination of education and entrepreneurship across the state, Centres of Excellence in different disciplines must be established in every district. The thousands present at the event resonated with Vikas Vaibhav’s vision and echoed the slogan: “Main Badlunga Bihar! Main Karunga Apne Purwajon ki Bhumi Ka Punaruddhar!” (I will change Bihar! I will revive the land of my ancestors!”)
Distinguished Guests
Among the distinguished guests were Syed Shamail Ahmad, National President of the Private Schools and Children Welfare Association; Sujit Nayan, Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India; Kirti Prakash, Vaishali District President of the Private Schools and Children Welfare Association; Kishlay Kishore, Chief Coordinator of the Let’s Inspire Bihar campaign in Vaishali and the main organizer of the event; Abhishek Ayush, Secretary; renowned ghazal singer Kumar Satyam, who had specially arrived from Mumbai; well-known social activist from Aurangabad, Luv Kumar Singh; and Namrata Kumari, Chief Coordinator of the campaign’s Art and Culture Wing. Other prominent attendees included Rahul Kumar Singh, Chief Coordinator of the campaign; Mohan Kumar Jha, Chief Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Chapter; OP Singh, Chief Advisor of the Entrepreneurship Chapter; and other distinguished people including Jeevesh Ji, Abhay Ji, Ajitabh Ji, Raju Khan Ji, Shashiranjan Ji, Amaranjay Ji, Chandan Ji, Namrata Ji, Vibha Ji, Dr. Neeti Shukla, Dr. Nisha Shukla, Engineer Sonu Thakur, Satish Gandhi, Dr. Raman Kishore ji, Rohit ji, Ashish Ranjan ji, Ramavatar Rai ji, Rakesh Singh ji, Indramohan Yadav ji, Lushi Bharat ji, Prabhakar Rai ji, Anup Narayan ji, Pandit Laxmanacharya ji, Ravi ji Rahul ji and Utpal Yadav ji among others.
About Let’s Inspire Bihar
The Let’s Inspire Bihar campaign, dedicated to Bihar’s bright future, was launched on March 22, 2021, at the call of renowned and senior IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav. Its vision is to develop Bihar into a state by 2047 where no one needs to migrate for education, employment, or healthcare. Rooted in the principles of education, equality, and entrepreneurship, the campaign aims to transcend narrow divisions of caste, community, and gender to contribute to the nation’s development, drawing inspiration from Bihar’s rich heritage. Currently, over 150,000 individuals are voluntarily contributing through various chapters of the campaign.
The campaign aims to spark an entrepreneurship revolution in Bihar, fostering local employment generation. To educate and skill every Bihari, an inclusive ecosystem must be built, supporting youth in self-employment, Startups, entrepreneurship, and businesses. The campaign targets the establishment of at least five successful Startups in every district by 2028, each capable of providing employment to over 100 people. In pursuit of this goal, a Startup Summit was organized at Vidyapati Auditorium in Patna on August 25, 2024. The Bihar 2047 Vision Conclave (Season 2), held in December 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi, was a historic milestone in many aspects.
Public Engagement & Milestones
To spread the campaign’s message to every village and town and ensure maximum public participation, Mass Dialogues began on December 10, 2023, in Begusarai, where 50,000+ people gathered.
On January 21, 2024, thousands attended the second Mass Dialogue at Maharaja College, Arrah. On December 1, 2024, over 50,000+ people participated in the third Mass Dialogue in Sasaram (Rohtas).
On January 21, 2024, 30,000–35,000 people attended the fourth Mass Dialogue at Rajendra Stadium, Saran. Today, the fifth event was held in Vaishali, with thousands participating. More than 1,600+ events have been organized across all districts of Bihar, major metropolitan cities in India, and internationally. Over 10,000 successful entrepreneurs have joined the campaign as volunteers.
Various Startup Summits and the Vibrant Bihar Global Conclave were organized in Patna in 2022 and 2023. The Bihar Entrepreneurship Summit (2021) and Bihar Vision @ 2047 Conclave (2023) were successfully held at NDMC Auditorium, Delhi, with the second edition of the Vision Conclave hosted at Bharat Mandapam in December 2024.
Bihar engagement programs have also been conducted in Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Vadodara, connecting entrepreneurs with the campaign. Prominent entrepreneurs regularly mentor Startups at these summits.
Social Initiatives
The Jivak Chapter, founded by doctors, has organized over 250+ free health camps, benefiting 35,000+ underprivileged individuals.
The Gargi Chapter, led by women, currently runs 18 Gargi Pathshala centres in 8 districts of Bihar, offering free education to underprivileged students. It also supports women’s self-employment through Gargi Kala Kaushal Kendras and Gargi Kritya. Several districts, including Siwan, Patna, Gaya, Aurangabad, Madhubani, Samastipur, and Begusarai, operate free education centres.
