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Nitish Kumar: From Chanakya to Dhritarashtra

By Arun Srivastava. Dated: 2/21/2017 11:28:46 PM

Bihar CM's political flip-flops may cost him dear

With 2019 coming closer, socialist leader and Bihar chief minister has awoken to the bitter reality that his recent political flip-flops would not help him and he has to befriend a formidable force to navigate the electoral Baitarani River. Only three months back he had extended full support, moral and physical, to Narendra Modi's move to demonetise the high value currency notes. His support to Modi came at a time when later was facing bitter criticism from politicians and economists for his policy decision. Everyone was shocked to listen to Nitish's argument that this step would cleanse the economy of the black money. By design Kumar has even made indiscreet hints that he could realign his politics with that of the BJP, if the situation so demanded.
But the preliminary feedback, after the first day's polling in Uttar Pradesh, which made it clear that BJP was losing the battle as the notebandi has failed to entice and enthuse the poor and agriculturists, he made a tactical U-turn and borrowing the words of the former prime minister, Dr Manmohan Sinbgh despised Modi's move as monumental mismanagement. What an irony that it took three months for the so called competent administrator like Nitish to realize Modi has failed the country and its people. His borrowing Dr Singh's words has significant importance and implication. He tried to identify with the Congress.
Nitish in fact was nursing the view that Modi's demonetisation slogan would work miracle. Posing as the conscience keeper of Modi he had also suggested to him to bring a bill to retrieve the benami land. It is beyond comprehension how he could ignore the fact in his own Bihar 90 per cent of the big landlords owning hundreds of bighas of land were the leaders and supporters of the BJP. Modi would never date to antagonize this huge support base. These people have been maintaining private militia and one of them is Ranavir Sena.
This development along with his recent decisions and actions made it explicit that he had lost touch with the ground. His policies are devoid of any kind of political urgency or ingredient. The only element which guides him is his lust for power; now becoming the prime minister by any means. Kumar also the national president of the Janata Dal (United) has left political observers bemused with his flip flops of past months.
He may be the chief minister of Bihar, but is not liked by the opposition leaders and parties. This was clearly manifest in political parties of Uttar Pradesh ignoring him during seat sharing or campaigning. They treated him like a pariah. He had high expectations from Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi but none of them came to his help. The Bihari Chanayka poved to be an utter failure in UP. After having worked intensively to launch the JD(U) in UP, Kumar abruptly decided that his party would not contest the state elections - a decision seen as having helped the BJP consolidate its vote bank among the "non-Yadav" Other Backward Caste -OBC voters. Interestingly just a couple of days back his JD(U) announced that he will campaign in favour of Akhilesh. It made apparent that he had deserted his new friend Ajit Singh and his INLD.
Not too long ago, Kumar was seen as cozying up to his bête noir and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the birth anniversary celebrations of Sikh religious leader, Guru Gobind Singh. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kumar will need to walk the talk with the dexterity of a trapeze artiste. The treatment he was meted out by the UP outfits makes it clear though there is a vacuum in the country's Opposition space, there are little signs that Kumar will become acceptable as the leader of such a grouping. His recent political posturing has simply made Lalu Yadav hardening his stand. RJD as a bigger partner, has been aggressive in its political posturing and dismissive of the chief minister's image as a "Sushashan" (Good governance) man.
Once Chanayka, Nitish is now being seen as Dhritarashtra. A number of serious crimes and scams are taking place before the eyes of Nitish but he pretends to be ignorant. Crime has galloped. Not a day passes when a person is not shot dead in state capital of Bihar. The most heinous crime has been molesting of two girls in broad day light by the sons of the two most powerful and well connected fathers.The motorcycle-borne boys had molested the girls, boarders of a women's hostel on the busy Boring Road. When the girls approached the Buddha Colony police station to lodge a complaint, the cops had discouraged them from registering a complaint, saying that it would invite problems for them (the sisters). This incident had raised questions about the city cops' seriousness in tackling crimes against women and also their attitude to crimes committed by the rich and powerful.
While during last four years while the state has been hit by a series of scams, the paper leak controversy in recruitments by the Bihar Employees Selection Commission and the Bihar Public Services Commission (BPSC) has no parallel. The BSSC examination question leak racket has shaken up the state and the Grand Alliance government. Its chairman Sudhir Kumar admitted the involvement of politicians in the multi-crore job scam. Kumar, an IAS officer of the 1982 batch, didn't stop there. He told reporters that it was difficult for any bureaucrat to avoid the recommendations of the politicians. "These politicians not only make recommendations but also come to the office to get their work done. What can I do under such circumstances? Should I throw them out of the office," he asked. The secretary of the BPSC was sent to jail. However he confessed that he used to get regular calls from politicians and bureaucrats seeking favours for the appointment of their kin and acquaintances."I am merely a toy in the hands of big politicians and bureaucrats. If you have guts, catch the big fish involved in the scandal".
So far the Bihar police has not laid its hand on the big fish. Police has filed an FIR against Hamida Ansari, president of the JDU minority cell. Incidentally the petition filed before the high court mentions nine senior bureaucrats, seven state ministers and twenty five MLAs involved in this scandal. It is strange that crusader against corruption, Nitish Kumar was not aware of this scam. For Nitish, it is embarrassing to face the scam which is being compared to the Vyapam scandal of Madhya Pradesh. It threatens to rob the sheen of a clean administration. The scamsters are so dare devil that they continue to practice such operations even after expose of the BPSC scam. Question papas of the Intermediate examinations were revealed in the same manner and style. A set of biology question papers were posted on the social media while the test was underway
Owing to the political compulsion the RJD supremo has so far been ignoring the accusations of his senior leaders against the state government. But now the mood is changing. The fragile peace between the RJD and Janata Dal United has again come under strain with leaders of RJD questioning the style of operation of Nitish. At least five senior MLAs known for their proximity to party boss Lalu Prasad criticised the implementation of the seven resolves, which, they alleged, was tied up in bureaucratic red-tape with virtually no role for the local legislator. The governance is caught in rampant corruption at the grassroots. Nothing gets passed without exchange of money. Taps installed under the scheme to provide water to villagers go dry immediately after the CM leaves. The local legislators have no say and they are ignored by officials.
—(IPA Service)