BLEEDING BIHAR

I cannot claim to know the state of affairs if in the last Bihar assembly election, the other rival political combination could have been on the victory stand. But today, in the light of happenings, I can definitely hold a view that the worst fears of the watchers of Bihar are coming true. In course of electioneering, countering the opposition salvos, Nitish was repeatedly telling that there was not any jungleraj earlier and there will be none also in days to come. He also projected his image as a ‘vikas purush’ and assured to improve the infrastructure so that an extensive industrialization was ushered in. In the wake of these commitments, it would be interesting to assess the ground reality touching its ebb in just a few months of gaining the public mandate. 

I had  a very befitting cartoon on my Face Book today. A young man has gone to a pandit with the ritual ingredients on a platter, requesting him to perform his ‘pinddan’ as the Bihar Govt. had offered him a civil engineer’s job. No words can describe it more vividly. Some years back, under Nitish dispensation, an engineered named Satyendra Dubey had been murdered causing a nationwide great hue and cry. The CM explained it away as a stray incident with the assurance to restrain the unruly elements effectively. This time, leave aside others, as many as three engineers have cold-bloodedly murdered by ‘rangdari mafias’. They all were associated with road construction.

A day before yesterday, Tejaswi Yadav, Dy CM of Bihar came to Delhi to have discussions with Nitin Gadkari, Central Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister. Yadav told Gadkari that his govt proposed to construct a network of roads to attract business houses to come and invest. We can just guess that Gadkari, a seasoned politician must have assured to look into. However, Yadav was on a very slippery pitch when the press pointed out that who will be a foolish entrepreneur  to throw his money in a state where law and order was so pitiable. They pointed out how the road constructions including one between Samastipur to Darbhanga came to a standstill after the murder of three engineers overseeing them. The knowledgeable circles understand that all investers are in a mood to wait and watch at least for six months and if they found no escape from the return of jungleraj part ii, they would silently pack off to other convenient places. The leading partner of the  ruling coalition being RJD, Lalu could install his both sons as ministers. Now he is determined to send his wife Rabri Devi and daughter Misha Bharti to Delhi as MP/RS. The voters who had rallied behind the Mahagathbandhan, have been left in lurch. They feel cheated. The writing on wall is very clear in Bihar which has virtually started bleeding.