Bihar Staring at Jungleraj 2.0
With gradual optimism being felt on multiple fronts in terms of governance at the national level, Bihar might be staring at a future full of gloom and darkness. The threat of the state being pushed back by another decade is increasingly becoming potent and realizable.
Fifteen years of misrule by the lantern-bearer resulted in an unprecedented level of migration of students and manpower in search of better educational and employment opportunities.
The purpose of this essay is not to instigate a phobia or to create frenzy but to galvanize a realization that Bihar too can grow and contribute in the process of national resurgence and development under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, raking up ghosts from the past has become extremely significant in light of the recent political events and in the interest of the state.
The brazen marriage of convenience and opportunism in Bihar is going to have long-term ramifications on the socio-economic and political health of the already beleaguered state.
Over a month ago, the nation was remembering the excesses of the Emergency on its 40th anniversary that produced a galaxy of leadership aspiring to struggle for the eternal ethos, values of democracy and collective leadership.
The pivot of the anti-emergency movement has again attracted national attention by the coming together of LP (Laloo Prasad) and NK (Nitish Kumar).
Murder, rapes, abduction and extortion-killings were the common adjectives conspicuous in the daily newspapers of the state during the one and a half decade rule of LP. Caste based violence; atrocities and lawlessness prevailed in the rural hinterland of the state. The economic growth was halted by the despotic regime of the LP government.
Ranvir Sena and MCC casually disrupted the peace and stability in the central region of the state. The middle class in the urban centers was largely terrified to send their children to school and colleges.
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Given this dark and terrifying, documented past, it is better to be cautioned of any such future nightmare however hypothetical it may be.
Remembering my teenage days in Patna, I recollect often coming across stories of kidnapping of my fellow-classmates and extortion killing from the business families. The rural-urban landscape burnt equally and suffered during this period while the Yadav clan and hooliganism flourished under the rule of Lalu Prasad.
The entire narrative of Bihar shifted tremendously from that of the historical legacies of Nalanda and Vaishali to Bathani-Tola and Jahanabad (notoriously remembered for caste-based killings during Lalu’s tenure).
Looking at the statistics under a post-split state government, crime is back with vengeance in Bihar. The Janta combine has the objective to resuscitate their old fort of infamy.
The dream of Bihar is not different from the ‘Great Indian Dream’; it is nothing very unique and specific. Good governance, development, economic growth and social justice coupled with the immense potential and aspirations of the youth are sufficient to pull Bihar out of years of inertia and negativity.
As a person hailing from the state, I am not embarrassed to acknowledge the pains, which a normal student from Bihar faces in an alien institution in the north and south of India: name-calling is often attributed as a customary practice.
The young people of Bihar like the rest of India are truly aspirational, aspirations transcending caste and communal rhetoric. Bihar needs institutes with professional courses; skill-development programs and a robust network of ITI’s and entrepreneurial support networks and not outdated affiliations of caste and clergy.
Prime Minster Modi’s announcement of a special package for Bihar from Saharsha, in the northern region of the state will hugely dent the morale of the ruling dispensation in Patna. The overwhelming sense of optimism is palpable every time the PM addresses a gathering in Bihar.
However, the battle of perception over realism should not triumph as being felt by the humdrum of the Opposition’s campaign. The maladies of the state need to be addressed through thought-provoking interventions by the central and the future state government.
A sustainable growth paradigm and coordination between like-thinking governments will be a great source of potential for the otherwise economically docile Eastern corridor.
Excellent analysis, and possibly a frightening prediction. But the recent ugly protests, where students and faculty (yes faculty included) vandalized their own library, threatened to rape women faculty and students who wanted to get to class and stole or broke cores of equipments meant for education, at the Univ. of Pondicherry, is driving many cities and States to the level of Bihar and UP.
It is one thing to protest, another to request or demand resignation of administrative staff who are not “competent or reliable or trustworthy”….but it is completely another to resort to violence, Dravida KKK tactics (Kathi, Kuthu, Kollu: which means knife, stab and kill) and burn, break, vandalize or steal your own university educational resources. Where do good honest, hard working, intelligent and motivated students go in such an atmosphere? No wonder many are taking loans and going abroad even for their undergraduate education. They will be bonded laborers abroad. It is all very scary because idiots, sycophants, political dirty men and ethnic, caste (pretending to be anti-caste) or regional identity politics have dominated higher educational system.
Playing ethnic politics, reverse caste politics and minority politics have a become a full time job or occupation for many in Indian academia…driving the ranking of once esteemed universities down. These people are killing the backbone of the country: which is “good relevant higher education, advanced research, and development or inculcation of problem solving knowledge, skills and critical thinking”. This is a form of anti-nationalism.
This needs to be investigated seriously in places like Tamil Nadu or Pondicherry and Kerala…which in a decade or two may end up like Bihar or UP. No kidding.
In these southern states it is the Evangelical agenda sponsored by US which will divide the states and ultimately the nation. People like Kancha calling British rule divine intervention and encouraging and actively involved in conversions NGOs should be stopped.
Lalu prasad was acting against Ranvir sena, so he won’t activate them again. Also, Nitish controlled MCC, Ranvir Sena and others. So he won’t create them again as well. Citing alliance with Lalu alone as cause for jungleraj2 is not convincing. You need to be more clearer on why it will be a jungle raj with NK at the helm as CM. So far I have not seen a single article from anyone on why NK is a risk for Bihar’s growth, except barbs about his secularism.
15 years of track record of misrule and plunging a decently administered state into a criminal wasteland is not reason sufficient evidence for you to extrapolate what could happen incase Janata Parivar comes to power. And you need more analysis on how things can go wrong?
If Nitish can go to Lalu for support, it shows what his priorities are. Nothing, but POWER, at any cost. Even with Nitish at the helm, Lalu will be the real power-yielder. Remember, they share 100-100-40 seats along with another criminal entity called CONgress.
Seriously, if you do not see the irony in a Nitish-Lalu alliance, then no amount of convincing will make you understand the impending danger.
I do understand the 15yrs of jungleraj. But I also see how Nitish put an end to it and brought relative peace in Bihar. From the electoral perspective, people see the party and the leader while voting. In 140 seats where RJD and congress are contesting, only the RJD and congress goons will vote for them. Many NK supporters will be split to BJP. This 140 seats are where BJP can gain over the secular alliance. In 100 seats where JD(U) is running, both NK supporters and the RJD/cong goons will vote for them. Here is where this secular alliance can beat BJP in a big way. In fact, it is more likely that JD(U) share will be much higher than RJD and Congress after results are out. This means, NK will have much stronger control over Lalu, than what he has now prepoll. For NK supporters, NK as CM is good enough to keep Lalu in check and work for development, even if it means some compromise. It is from this context that I am asking for clear data to justify why NK will not focus on development of Bihar.
Sir, I still think it is premature to conclude that votes shall be distributed in accordance with the traditional preferences. Voting pattern in Bihar saw a notable departure in the last parliamentary elections wherein we saw aspirations transcending caste allegiance in a big manner. The union of good and bad may not necessarily result in good neutralising the bad. Nitish who is being projected as a man of development has been squarely responsible for causing social tensions through caste categorisation and sub-categorization. Who can forget Mahadalit division in the SC category solely on the basis go his antagonism with Sh. Ram Vilas Paswan who did not let him become the CM in 2005. Faith in his leadership has been gradually eroding. As a matter of fact, we have the liberty to speculate on the outcome of the polls.
Let me add a small piece of my opinion.
NK does not have enough core supporters in its 100 allotted constituencies. All these 100 places where JDU had earlier won was because of “NK supporters + JDU supporters + anti_RJD + BJP supporters”.
The proportion of NK supporters is not potent enough to win the seat along with RJD/CON goons. Arithmetically, I am not sure if it adds up to win those 100 seats. It might probably win them 40-50 of them.
Having said that, your analysis looks dry and assumes that the votes just add up from election to election. The Vote banks (caste, religion) have become very porous and do not behave like contigous block anymore. Majority of the people vote based on their perceptions and how they see the drama around them.
Going by the various events in bihar and how NK is becoming desperate every passing day, I feel he is feeling the heat. I found it comical that he had to go to AK for pooling up some more “anti-BJP” votes.
Don’t forget, only until a few short years ago, Nitish Kumar was part of NDA. You are discarding BJP’s influence on Nitish Kumar’s performance, but it was huge. Similarly you are discarding Lalu Prasad’s influence on Nitish Kumar’s performance. Again it will be huge. Still if Biharis elect Lau-Nitish-Congress, they deserve what they get and what they have been getting.
N.K Sarma, name sounds that of a Bengali, Loud mouth Lout, uncultured, uncouth cowards so this lout talks of Lalu, Bhalu. After all a Bengali will not allow another Indian, these crosses between monkeys and rats will however lay their women if they see a white skin and lay a Red carpet for a filthy dirty Bengali scum. After all a Bengali Jogendra Mondal supported Muslim League and Direct Action in name of so called Dalits (which was a BRIT CHRISTIAN CREATION), however the same lout wanted to be in India after ML and Pakistan butchered his so called supporters because he wanted to LIVE. Bengali christian monkeys have no Hinduism left after Commies got their HOT Monkey faced whorish bengali Commie ‘Feminists” layed by British, Chinese, etc. HOWEVER, WE THE OTHER STATES FACE THE PROBLEMS OF BENGALI LOUTS, COMING IN HORDES WITH THEIR PRODUCTION OF INCEST..LET BENGAL FACE THIS, WHICH IS HAPPENING WE OTHER INDIANS SHOULD NOT BE BOTHERED. AFTER ALL THESE FASCIST LOUTS WHERE EAST INDIA COMPANY SET WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE WERE WANTING “BRIHOOD BONGOL” IN 1947.
https://twitter.com/devil_cult
Lalu never acted against anyone neither Ranvir Sena nor Maoists. Both of them were plain law and order issues and these were solved when the situation improved after 2005.
Jungleraj was not only because of Ranvir Sena and MCC. Their influence was limited to south and central Bihar. In rest of the area it were criminals who called the shots. In Siwan, Shahabuddin, Seemanchal, Taslimuddin, and numerous other gangs in other areas.
Would you believe that extortion money in high profile kidnapping used to be delivered at Sadhu Yadav’s residence? It was free for all scenario that qualified Bihar for coveted JungleRaj title.
Why NK is risk for Bihar’s growth is, his focus on development and administration has waned. He was unquestionable authority in NDA government and BJP wasn’t ever demanding.
I don’t think the situation would be same with Lalu. Criminals of Lalu who were put up in Jails would be itching to come out and with a favourable government they would sooner or later. Do you think this situation would be good for law and order? Kidnapping for extortion which was almost finished is again raising it’s head.Stable law and order is first prerequisite for growth and I foresee law and order in shambles if Nitish returns to power with lalu.