By The Editor
Jitan Ram Manjhi was neither everyone’s favorite nor the man for the job, he spoke what he like even if it’s to the dislike of his party, but the way he was dragged out of his office in typical Bihar politics style left a sense of pity for the guy. Parties are willing to put their interest above everything else for the perks of power. Bihar’s well being will be decided by on and off chief ministers who are worried more about the majority than power supply for majority of states population.
Nitish Kumar ran away from CM post after Loksabha election and placed his old ally Manjhi to do his bidding but when the new CM decided to go his own way instead of being the yes man, Nitish Kumar had a bitter awakening. What is the purpose of apologizing to the people of Bihar if he didn’t knew the person he worked with for years, didn’t it puts into question his ability of choosing people or is it just a tactful way of removing political opponents. It’s a sad fact that the state politics is more driven by caste rather than actual basic issues of lawlessness, disorder, power, poverty that are plaguing the state for decades but more surprising and saddening is the brazen shamelessness with which all political parties exchanged friends and enemies.
Nitish came to power in cohorts with BJP by claiming to get rid of RJD’s governance nightmare but when he parted ways with old time allies he found new friend in Lalu Yadav. BJP was tooth and nail against JDU, Nitish Kumar and Manjhi alike but as wind blew against Manjhi and civil war broke out in JDU ranks, BJP developed sympathy for the ‘Mahadalit’ CM. Is there any principal in this politics, is it limited to horse trading and power mongering only but this irony will be in Bihar’s fate until people take matter in their own hands, get above the tangles of caste and choose those who are more connected to the ground and its people.
Had Jitan Ram Manjhi focused more on his responsibility towards his post and uplifting people who are disenfranchised like the community he comes from, things would have been different today. Even after all this, for good or for worse he should have faced the confidence vote, that confidence vote would have made him a hero among the voters of lower strata but he gave up before the battle. Whatever the result of the coming legislative elections, its the people who will ultimately pay the price of decisions of few and this could be a disastrous or fortunate depending on who they choose.