Elections
2015: Can this be the beginning of the end?
As
Bihar goes to poll next month, Biharis must analyze before casting their vote,
the way the political stalwarts of Bihar have contributed to the ill-fate of
Bihar. In a democratic setup, it’s the citizen of the State, who by his power
to vote can build his destiny. Our constitution has bestowed upon us this
powerful right to vote and elect but the irony is that this can be exercised
once in 5 years (or earlier if there is no government in majority). Hence, if
we fail to choose the right political party, we will have to repent for another
5 years just watching the remaining States of India rising to greater heights.
Bihar
has an area of 94,163 km2 and is the 3rd largest by
population. Ganga
and its tributaries are the water resources for the state. Bihar has notified
forest area of 6,764.14 km2 which is 7.2% of its geographical
area. Valmiki National Park, West Champaran district, covers about
800 km2 of forest and is ranked fourth in terms of density of
tiger population.
If
we ask ourselves, what are the basic requirements for any State to develop and
where is Bihar lacking in fulfilling those requirements we will be able to
conclude that the only requirement which Bihar was lacking since independence
is the lack of good governance and political willingness.
Hon’ble
Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Nitish Kumar is heard saying that the development
of Bihar took a back stage due to the policies of the Central Government in the
past such as the Freight Equalisation Policy (FEP). Who was responsible for the
FEP? Wasn’t it the Congress party? Had the Members of Parliament representing
Bihar during that era been vigilant and audacious in the Parliament, the fate
of Bihar would have been different today. There has been a lot of hue & cry
by the Nitish government on Rs. 1.25 lakhs Crores package stating that it’s not
new but repackaging. If at all it’s repackaging, then where was the money all
this time? Why didn’t Mr. Kumar utilize the package? If he did not receive the
amount then isn’t it the fault of his new found ally which was ruling in the
Centre? If it was, then why is the same Congress a part of the “Maha
Gathbandhan”?
There
was an era in Bihar during which the people of Bihar lived under the threat of
security to life. An era of kidnapping
and ransom. Parents did not lend their surname to their child with the fear
that their caste will be disclosed if the surname is mentioned. Such was the
level of fear of criminals. The period of “Jungle Raj”. Anybody, who saved a
little would prefer to send his child to other States for education, ensuring
the safety of their child. Well-to-do people had their personal bodyguards. The
credentials of Bihar police was always in question. People had lost faith in
the government institutions and it was during this time that Nitish Kumar raised
his voice and promised to bring peace and security in the State. In spite of
its caste ridden fabric, people of Bihar voted him and he came to power with
the help of Bhartiya Janta Party.
In
all his interviews during the recent times, Mr. Kumar is heard saying that he
wants to debate on the issues of development with Mr. Prime Minister. Well! I
would like to draw your attention to a few points in this regard.
Ten
years is not a short term for any government having the “Political Willingness”
and agenda for development to change the fate of the State. Mr. Nitish Kumar
has been ruling for the last 10 years but is there any change visible in that proportion?
People of Bihar are still migrating to different States and Countries for
education, employment and social security. What initiatives has the JD(U)
government taken during the last decade to stop this migration? How many
educational institutions been opened? How many industries have been established
during the last decade which are still running safely? The answer will be
minimal. Bihar has all the natural resources required for a developed State, be
it land or water but still there is lack of infrastructure. The problems
pertaining to roads and electricity are still open at large. What did the
government do to build the required infrastructure within the last 10 years?
Mr.
Kumar talks about “Sushashan” but where is it visible on the ground? He says
that the crime rate has not increased post his alliance with Mr. Lalu Yadav. It’s
high time he should stop burying his head in the sand. He must go through the
newspapers daily so that he knows the reality of the State which he is ruling
upon. Instances of snatching, robbing, carjacking etc. have become the
headlines of the local newspapers and he is still in illusion. According to the
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2014, Bihar is at fourth position in
the no. of court complaints u/s 156(3) Cr.P.C. and we all know when a court
complaint is filed under this section. Moreover, Bihar is at no. 3 after Andhra
Pradesh & U.P in the no. of crimes against body as well as the incidences
of crime against schedule castes during the year 2013 as per NCRB. So, the
govt. failed to protect the schedule castes as well. Around 200,000 cognizable
offences were registered in Bihar in 2014 which shows a rise of 42% over 2010. Crime
against women in Bihar is one of the highest in the country. In 2014, around
15,000 cases of crime against women were reported in the State. Doesn’t these
statistics highlight the so called “Jungle Raj Part II”?
Mr.
Kumar talks about medical facilities but the fact is that even now people have
to travel to Metro cities for treatment because Bihar still lacks in numbers
for the state of the art medical facilities. If you see the level of education
of teachers in primary and secondary schools, you will be astonished that many
of them do not know who the President of India is or for that sake what is the
spelling of “January”? Is this the level of selection criteria opted by the
government? What will such teachers teach to the future of Bihar?
Let’s
talk about tourism. We all know that the Golden Age of India in science,
mathematics, astronomy, commerce, religion and Indian
philosophy was during the Gupta Empire which originated in Bihar. The
Nalanda & Vikramshila Universities were of global repute with students
coming from all over the world to study. Vaishali was established as the
world’s first Republic. Bihar plays an important role in the history of Jainism
& Buddhism in India. The Ashokan Pillars, the highest Stupa of the world in
Kesaria, the Valmiki National Park etc. are all present in Bihar. People across
the world are interested in visiting these places but the State Government has
failed to develop infrastructure for tourism. If you visit these places you’ll
be shocked to see the conditions of these world heritages? I would request the Hon’ble
CM to visit the Ashokan Pillar & Stupa at Lauria & Nandangarh & see
the level of negligence towards these heritage sites. There’s no proper road to
reach these sites. There are potholes throughout that single road to the
heritage site. How do you expect tourists to go there? Had the government shown
interest in protecting these structures & promoting tourism, the tourism
sector itself would have generated volumes of employment and revenue for the
State. Wasn’t it feasible in 10 long years?
Biharis
are known for their culture and the respect with which they talk to another
person. Biharis are courteous in their behavior. You will rarely hear a Bihari
calling you as ‘Tum’, he will always say ‘Aap’. On the contrary, I would like
to draw the attention of Mr. Nitish Kumar towards his dearest friend Mr. Lalu
Yadav, a convict in the Fodder Scam & the arrogance with which Mr. Yadav
talks. For him, the Prime Minister, the I & B Minister and many more are
his juniors and so he can call them names and make fun of them. Is this the
culture which you, Mr. Nitish Kumar want to pass to the future of Bihar? A
culture where there is no respect for any individual or any designated post? Does
Mr. Yadav have a single agenda for development of Bihar? Not one. During his
entire speech you’ll see him doing mimicry of other leaders and passing comic
statements which are far away from the agenda of development. Sorry to say but
do we need a clown in the political arena? Recently, we all heard his statement
on reservation. I do not want to go into the intricacies of reservation,
however, we should give a thought about whom has reservation actually
benefitted? Has the benefit reached the people who actually deserved to be
benefitted or it has only benefitted to the likes of Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi
Yadav, Misa Bharti etc.? Bihar has always given preference to "CASTE"
while electing its leaders and in return these leaders have only empowered
themselves rather than focusing on the development of Bihar. This is because
these leaders do not have the political “Vision” and “Willingness” for
development.
Can
this be the beginning of the end? The end of the sufferings which Bihar has
tolerated for the last 68 years only by electing the wrong leaders in good
faith & upon a single criteria – “Caste”. Bihar has seen the Congress
regime, the RJD regime under Lalu Yadav & Rabri Devi and now for the last
ten years the regime of JD(U) under Mr. Nitish Kumar. If Mr. Nitish Kumar says
that 10 years is not enough and he needs another tenure of 5 years then he doesn’t
have the moral right to raise fingers on the Modi government which hasn’t even
completed 2 years in Parliament and the changes are visible throughout the
world. India is being recognized on the Global front as an emerging power.
Undoubtedly,
caste has been an integral part of Bihar elections since independence but if
you see the last two elections i.e. 2010 Bihar Assembly polls and 2014
Parliamentary elections, you will realize that the scourge of caste took a
backseat and the people elected NDA with a thumping majority wherein NDA had sought
the mandate on its progressive agenda of development. Hence, a ray of hope to
the developmental politics has been seen in recent times. Almost 58% of Biharis
are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion of youngsters of the
population of any state in India. Hence, this “Youth Brigade” should contribute to making
the Modern Bihar by voting for development. We now need a government which is
not only vocal but also enthusiastic in building the “Modern Bihar” and
restoring the wealth and pride of the State which it earlier had.
Now
the time has come for the change which Bihar has been waiting for. Let us keep
the caste factor aside and join hands to vote for development. Let us build a Modern
Bihar.
Jai Bihar! Jai Bharat!
...
