Musing : Bihar Mein Ka Ba?
By
Colonel Kritiyanand Das
Now that elections are over. Pandits will pounce on the world with their” penetrating” analysis and autopsies!
People in Bihar have done what they always do, cast(e)d their votes.
All OBC and SC castes in Bihar as in other states have their own political parties. Some higher sudras not included in OBC, both in North and South India have their own political parties like their sudra cousins in OBC and SC.
Only upper castes that is Dwij floats between Congress and BJP. And their swing and tilt make all the changes in the elections’ results, both at state and Central level. India is indeed a loose federation of caste republics. And Bihar is no exception.
-The MY, that is Muslim -Yadav combine of RJD has remained intact as ever before.
-JD(U) has not been deserted by EBC. Despite the incumbency factor.
-LJP under Chirag has been used by the BJP to prune Nitish’s overgrown political foliage and ambitions.
LJP has suffered in terms of losing seats and has split the NDA resulting in loss of overall seats.
It did so to cut Nitish to a manageable size at BJP request. Chirag may be compensated immediately, by getting a berth in Central Cabinet and he may replace Nitish subsequently in Bihar so that some 16% SC votes could be assured to BJP.
With Nitish getting eclipsed by age, time and politics, both EBC and OBC less Yadav could be managed with Chhutbhainya leaders under BJP’s umbrella. BJP took a big risk and has been successful.
Both BJP and RJD will play dominant role for some long time to come.
RJD will use Congress to poach on upper castes votes from the BJP. And BJP will use AIMIM to poach Muslim votes from the RJD. There could be an open alliance subsequently or just manage it with its present form of Votekatua status for some more time.
Both OBC less Yadav and EBC will be wooed for quite some times by both BJP and RJD. Both parties will prefer Chhutbhainya leaders in these groups and will come heavily on any one with pretence of bigger roles than what suits the two political parties that is BJP and RJD.
Tejashvi has done well on his own. His youth and energy during the campaign was impressive. He has a long way to go. He should rise above the caste tag that his party has inherited.
He should bring wiser and progressive elements from all sections of the state in to his party. Since age is on his side,he should wait and not hurry up messing up things for short gains.
Mr Modi has retained his charisma. Plight and pains of migrant workers have not turned the people anger against him. May be Nitish has got it as he deserved for his long slumber and willful insincerity.
And they have voted as they always vote – as caste dictates and have not been influenced by recent pandemic and its out comes. May be they were looked after in route during those unfortunate marches.
And once at home, help came to them from various central agencies and were not left to starve. As it is,they are a sturdy lot both physically and mentally.
Their forefathers had carried out many such marches when they created a Nation out of wilderness from Kandhar to Kamrup and Kashmir to Kanyakumari under the Mauryas and a pan Asiatic Culture through Buddhist Universal Church.
The Left has done reasonably well. Specially the Marxist – Leninist. There presense among the landless sections in certain areas is very strong. They are the only lot who care for these most unfortunate lot of Bihari society.
They are the only political group that has ventured in to the unorganized working class. All other Left groups are as bad or as good as Congress and other splintered socialists. And cannot do much on their own and have to lean on to some political support for survival.
Its association may bring change in the RJD and be a positive influence as well. But it will be better if they grow and rise on their own. They could be the best hope for Bihar.
As the win is very narrow margin,the stability of the government will require apt handling. Even a little arrogance on part of BJP can annoy Nitish and he knows what trick the BJP has played and he may just walk across and will be hugged with joy by the opposition and play his secular card again!
Pre poll alliance aren’t any guarantee to keep the partners together now. Maharashtra episode is still fresh in our memory.
Other than Left all parties have been in government in Bihar at one time or the other. Congress had been in government in very initial stage, both before and after Independence. There is hardly any thing that will be remembered as an achievement of Congress except corruption and misrule.
Nothing was done to relieve Bihar of flood menaces, no irrigation facilities were added to counter the haunting problem of droughts. Even rightful central grant did not come to Bihar’s kitty and that what came was wasted away.
The Fright Equalization made Bihar almost a colony of rest of India. Bihar was left out from the industrial growth that came after independence.
Some industries came up in Jharkhand area as they could come any where else but central and northern Bihar remained untouched generally. Sugar, paper, jute and cement industries that were there from pre independence days, started dying slowly.
Castism led to caste wars. This effected law and order, in turn destroyed industries and degraded institutions. Rangdari and Phirauti (ki dnapping) became the routine crimes of the local thugs enjoying political patronage and protection. That made Bihar infamous and no industries came. Those that existed also fled away.
Then came JP Movement people joined in,with hope that some good will happen. Yes, Congress was replaced by varieties of socialists. The product of JP Movement Sri Laloo Prasad was in power for some fifteen years. His tenure is known as Jungle Raj.
Things became bad, specially law and order. People started fleeing from Bihar.
(The upper castes remained with BJP in recent elections, fearing the return of Jungle Raj again under Laloo’s son.) Every indices of human development came tumbling down.
And as if that wasn’t enough, then Bihar was divided again and Jharkhand was created. It did no good to either state.
Then came fifteen years of BJP-JD(U) Sushasan Raj, under Sri Nitish Kumar. Other than law and order nothing improved. Some incidents in Gaya and Muzaffarpur put a question mark on that as well. Neither old industries that had died were revived, nor new ones were added in this long period.
People kept migrating to other states as usual in search of livelihood as before. Those in power were happy with situation. The no people and no pressure to create jobs and improve things around suited the politico- bureaucracy lotus eaters. Migration became fait accompli for Biharis.
They say that money orders sent by the migrant workers home was more than the Bihar government’s budget! Nitish Kumar washed his hand saying that as there was no ocean near Bihar, so he was not able to develop Bihar! As if states without ocean near by haven’t done well on development front! This has caused lot of damage to Nitish politically in this election. He has just survived catching the folds of BJP’s tunic.
But what now?
BJP has promised 1900000 job in next five years. That is 52 weeks × 5 years = 260 weeks.
1900000 ÷ 260 = 7,308 jobs per week, that is 1044 jobs per day. Lets hope BJP is able to do this and also provide free vaccine against Corona.
“Let “Modi hai to mumkin hai ” stand its test! Or is it going to be like Rs 1500000 per head from the recovered black money!
There should be some punishment for leaders and political parties for making false promises to people even during elections. Like being debarred from holding offices and contesting elections for six years!
With Bihar left lagging behind, un cared by its criminal,corrupt and vision less politicians and its incompetent and arrogant bureaucracy has become a basket case, a real failed state. A mini banana republic. All political parties less the Marxist-Leninist have been partners in crime of making Bihar what it is today. And it seems all of them give more value to staying in power and doing nothing. Every election over the years has only reinforced failures one after the other.
Both Forward castes and the rest have ruled for equal periods say some 36 years each in long continuity and in bits and pieces out of the 73 years of independence. And have ruined the state. Each have proved worst than the other. There hasn’t been any reforms in this region since the rise of Buddhism.
It had done well for itself and the world in that period. And has lost its bearing since the eclipse of Buddhism in the region after the assault of Hun sage Shankaracharya and establishment of Brahmanism in the area followed by Abrahmic incursion under the Turks. Bihar ceased to remain the power centre and intellectual giant since then. And has been victim of caste system imposed on it.
Only ray of hope lies in the rise of Marxist-Leninist. Lest Modi does some magic and ceases their rise.
Bihar alone has been the citadel of the Indic world.
Second urbanization after the Indus Valley took shape in its folds. One of its legendary kings forced a God to flee,no less than 26 times from the battle, who left his place of birth and took his people to safety on a far off sea shore.
Another chased the Greek invaders and created a Nation and Civilizational State called India. Created an Universal Church in form of Buddhism, still going strong outside India and the Asian culture still continuing. Since the eclipse of Buddhism Bihar has been in a sort of Dark Ages.
Battered by both Brahmanism and Abrahmism, the two horns on the head of a foreign devil, gauging its life out since the fall of Guptas and two Hunnic invasions one in 5th century AD establishing Brahmanism and next in 12th century AD establishing Abrahmism. Bringing death to Indic World and agony to its people.
If this five years fails then rise of Marxist-Leninist and revival of lBuddhism in Bihar should have a try and spread out to entire subcontinent and beyond like before.
Both Bihar and India require an all changing reform and revolution. There are too many mismatch patch works with out much merit. A fresh look is needed.
