The article originally appeared on http://naukarshahi.in on May 28,2013
...continues from http://www.hardtalk.cc.cc/2013/06/the-shifting-mindset-i.html
The Janta Durbar – Now a
Days
But what is happening in
Janta Darbar for the last couple of years is a dark truth. There are serious
indication of people losing faith in the janta ke darbar mein Mukhyamantri
program. Too many complainants claimed that the CM mere transfers their
application to the respected department and officials, but it seems an eyewash
as most of the complaints goes against the department itself. Had the related
department worked promptly they would not have to turned up to the CM after a
long travel, wait and gruelling process full with formalities.
The Chief Minister’s
janata darbar felt the heat of woman anger in september 2012, when a group of
women staged noisy protests against spiralling crimes, including rape cases.
Later on antother group of three women protestors also sat on an impromptu
dharna at the place right before the Chief Minister and raised slogans. Pushpa,
Sanju and Pratima Devi, all of Ramkrishna Nagar, were complaining that
antisocial elements had captured their land and started construction work on
them.
Monday, April 13 this
year there is one Bijay Kumar from Jehanabad who came to the darbar thrice
because he has not received rent for the senior government hospital staff that
stay in his house. "They are asking me for a commission if I have to get
the rent that is pending for three years. This is my final attempt. If my
problem is not solved I will pay the commission. Maybe I will get my money
then," says the landlord..
Rally Exposes State Of Mind
It was 2012, JDU
november 4 rally preparations which drew severe flak from every quarter and
even the entire notion of special status were told a red-herring approach.
Skirting all rules, thousands of huge posters and hoardings sprung up across
the state and Nitish’s fight for special status state compared with epic battle
of Mahabharata between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Huge posters of Nitish in
the battle garb of Arjuna and Sharad as his charioteer Lord Krishna have come
at all major centres in Patna to prove a point. Supporters were seen flaunting
cap and T-shirts with Nitish face printed on it. This recalls RJD days of rally
and raillas. Undoubtly, the way Nitish went ahead with rally has besmirched his
reputation as an eclectic leader.
Coolant Evaporates
Nitish has been known
for his cool mind. Even opposition revered him for this. But with passage of
time, Nitish become a lose-tempered person. Party workers, companions and even
several senior leaders have to face harsh and coercive words. Quite often he is
witnessed lambasting. At regular intervals he get caught doing so even in
public and media.
Incident I
On 19 September
2012, the day Nitish kicked off his much-publicised Adhikar Yatra from
Betia as few contract basis teachers began to shout demanding regularisation
the CM lost his cool and shouted the protesters down. and ordered the
cops there throw them out. “Kaun chilla raha hai ji; shant raho sab…agar phir
ye chillate hain to uthakar bahar phenk dijiye”.
Incident II
The arrogancy remarks at
Motihari the same day with the same sort of opposition from contractual
teacher, as the CM was heard threatening to mincemeat the demonstrators.
Kachumar Nikalwaa Denge (I will make a mincemeat of you).
Incident III
All during Adhikar Yatra
contract based teachers demand to rise their honorarium or to regularise them
evaporates Nitish’s cool. In Darbhanga on September 26, when he again was
greeted with vociferous protest by the angry crowds. “Jara sun lo kan
kholkar…aaplogon ko kuchha nahi milega…Aur aapki udandata ke chalate aapki
mangon par vichar tak nahi kiya jayega (witnessing your indiscipline neither
you will get anything nor your demand will be reviewed).
Incident IV
When Patnaites were
drowned into waist-deep rain water last year in 2012. An obvious failure of
drainage system in patna. The CM himself promised to solve the problem by
2007 soon after he took oath for the first time. Yeh toh Rehmat ki baaris hai
isse kheit sudhregi aur sahron ki samasya toh chalti rahegi. (This rain is
god’s boon, will help agriculture and the problems of cities will continue).
A Si(e)ckular Nitish
All lessons he learnt
under the tutlelage of JP and Lohia, following paths of socialism and
secularism with distances from congress are negotiable for one sole agenda: The
containment of Narendra Modi. Nitish knows that his secular stand is the only
brahmastra to keep him buoying in national politics. Otherwise there is no
rational to go with BJP's secularism, which was pretty alright to go along him
in 2002 when Modi's Gujarat erupted in communal rage. Then, Gujarat was not
part of this planet for this great secularist, the Railway minister in the
Vajpayee government. It was Vajpayee or BJP who gave him first berth at
railways to explore himself as a political alternative to Laloo yadav.
Undoubtly, he’s getting sick of secularism.
Opportunities And
Challenges
Nitish Kumar had too
many advantages. First, the NDA was given a clean mandate hence no one to
stagger him in his course of action for good governance. Second, his predecessor,
the Laloo camp misrule made the state awarded the title of jungle raj. Hence
even a bit of positive work attracts attention. Third, people cast their vote
and not just vote their cast for Nitish. The development issue pivoted the
entire game as he wished.
With these factors in
role, Nitish had every possible opportunity in Bihar’s political space to take
strong decision for upliftment and good governance in Bihar. But witnessing his
line of action during the last couple of year aam biharis are discouraged. By
playing secular card he has ajared himself to politics of opportunism.
Amit Sinha is a Research Journalist. He is available at facebook.
