THE MIRACLE STORY OF BIHAR

Nitish Kumar is been described by many as the ‘miracle man’ of Bihar. The progress which Bihar has made in the last four years is nothing short of a miracle considering that the state was witnessing de-growth only half a decade back.

The latest data released by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) shows that Bihar has grown at a stunning rate of 11.03% in the last five years. The most startling aspect is that, it is the second fastest growing state in India, just a shade behind Gujarat. Not surprisingly, it was only five years back that Nitish Kumar took over as the chief minister of Bihar after fifteen years of Lalu-Rabri jungle raj.


So, what was the secret formula of Nitish Kumar that turned the Bihar story dramatically?

The formula was simple- he worked on the basics. He focussed on two key areas- the law & order situation & infrastructure.

The first and foremost challenge for Nitish was to restore the law of the land. During the Lalu-Rabri rule Bihar had become synonymous with kidnappings & killings. Eradicating this disease was not an easy task for Kumar. But his tight grip on the police departement ensured that the law of the land was gradually implemented. Speedy trial of criminal cases along with selection of police officers on merit instilled confidence in the public. The government also recruited 10,000 constables to bolster the security situation. And Kumar is confident that the perception of Bihar is finally changing with people recognizing that Bihar is a safe place to visit and do business. Many students and businessmen had left the state during the Lalu & Rabri’s tenure.

Infrastructure was the other key area which saw a drastic expedition in the last five years. If the year 2004-05, saw the construction of a merly 318 kilometers of road, in 2008-09 nearly 2500 kilometers of road was constructed. The state saw construction on 316 flyovers between 1975 and 2004 but from the time Nitish took over, 400 flyovers have been constructed.

The biggest testimony of these developments is the fact that the number of foreign tourists visiting the state has shot up from 95,000 in 2006 to 3.56 lakh in 2008.

The other major achievement of Kumar was embarking on the mission to empower the women of the state. One of the first moves after the government took over was to reserve 50 per cent seats for women in urban local bodies and panchayats across the state. The government also started programs to encourage the girl students to go to school. One such scheme started by the government provides free uniform and cycle to girl students above class 8th. The drop out rate of girl students has come down from 25 lakh to 10 lakh. Kumar is now planning to extend the same scheme for boys.

The leading business financial daily,‘The Economic Times’ awarded Kumar the prestigious ‘reformer of the year’ award recognizing his good work that is changing the fortunes of Bihar. After receiving the award, Kumar, in all his humility appealed to the top CEOs of India present there to invest in Bihar, which would help the state in moving forward. In his candid remark much to the audience delight he also added that ‘what is the use of a business award if companies don’t come to Bihar’. It was an honest plea by an honest chief minister. Maybe it may take bit more time before companies start heading towards Bihar. But one fact that Kumar has underlined by his performance is that –good governance & inclusive growth not only wins you elections & awards but also people’s heart & respect across the board.

26/11 & 6TH DECEMBER: TWO DATES, ONE REALITY

26/11 & 6th December are separate dates on the calendar, but they share one reality- Attack on the ‘Idea of India’. This term was used by Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram for the 26/11 attack, but it perfectly describes both the events in a nut shell.

The demolition of the Babri Mosque was the most shameful day for the Republic of India. The image of a nation that was built on the foundation of equality & secular credentials was shattered. The demolition of the mosque triggered a series of awful events that have battered us in the name of religion for 17 years. From the Hindu-Muslim riots in December 92’ which claimed 3000 lives to the first bloody bomb blast of Bombay on 12th March 93’ by Dawood Ibrahim in the name of Babri revenge which claimed 250 lives to the Godhra carnage in Feb 2002 to the Hindu-Muslims riots in Gujarat in March 2002 to the series of bomb blast in Mumbai including the devastating train blast of 2006 to the bomb blasts at temples in Varanasi, & Akshardham to the bomb blasts at mosques in Delhi & Hyderabad to the bomb blasts of Jaipur & Goa. They all have a connection and that is, ‘violence in the name of religion’. to the series of bomb blast in Mumbai including the devastating train blast of 2006 to the bomb blasts at temples in Varanasi, & Akshardham to the bomb blasts at mosques in Delhi & Hyderabad to the bomb blasts of Jaipur & Goa. They all have a connection and that is, ‘violence in the name of religion’.

The Liberhan commission which was set up in the aftermath of the Babri mosque demolition finally came out with its finding after 17 years. The report was much criticized by the political class & the media for the lack of fair assessment and indictment. While A.B. Vajpayee indictment came as surprise for many, it was the clean chit to then PM, Narasimha Rao that raised questions on the credibility of the report. The indictment of Advani, VHP, and RSS etc in the report was nothing new as everyone knew they were the principal culprits for the demolition. The biggest failure of both the report & the government was the refusal to take any action against the culprits. Advani still remains the leader of opposition; in fact this report almost gave him a chance to resurrect his political career. But the government’s refusal to take any direct action has left everyone high and dry. The end result- after 17 years, a 1000 page flawed report submitted with no action. The culprits remain where they were and everyone has forgotten or rather don’t care about justice! Politicians survive and politics wins over justice.

The first anniversary of 26/11 saw huge coverage across the media. The turn out of people for the memorials & 26/11 programmes was not overwhelming. Last year on 3rd December, India Gate saw a legion of celebrities, businessmen, youngsters & Mumbaikars crowding up to pay their tributes and they took an oath to change the system. 1 year after 26/11, what has changed? The Kasab case is still on and in all certainty he will be hanged sooner or later. But how does it change the vulnerability surrounding our security? The main culprits- the Hafiz Saeeds and Maulana Azhars are still roaming scot free. Zakiur Rehaman Lakhnavi is arrested but there are no signs of a speedy trial against him. Saeed continues to run his ‘Attack India’ factory, churning out more and more Kasabs. Pakistan continues to blame India for the lack of evidence against Hafiz Saeed. India has been pushing the U.S to pressurize Pakistan to act against the culprits but Obama’s top priority is Afghanistan and for that he needs Pakistan. Media investigations also exposed the embarrassing reaction of the top brass of the Mumbai police when they failed to take swift action on the night of 26/11. And to top it all- R.R. Patil the Home minister of Maharashtra at the time of the attack has been re-inducted into the government as a ‘Home Minister’ again!! Politicians & police win again. Who cares about accountability? Civil society continues to only talk. All the anger that was displayed last year has fizzled out.

26/11 was again an attack on the ‘Idea of India’. Taj Mahal hotel & Oberoi hotel were the two hospitality icons of the financial capital that represented the healthy India. CST station on the other hand where maximum number of people died is the lifeline for the ‘common man’ who travels by train. The Nariman house & Leopold café saw many foreigners, mostly tourists loosing their lives. All these 4 places represented the secular, plural & diverse India.

These two events are significant not only because they were tragic in nature but also because they jolted the ‘idea of India’. The only silver lining was that while India got divided into Hindus & Muslims on the 6th December 92’, it was the appalling 26/11 attack that bridged the divide. But the battle to preserve the ‘idea’ continues.

10 CHALLENGES INDIA FACES IN 2010

The year 2009 was a satisfying year for India. Been able grow at an impressive rate of 7% at the time when the whole world was reeling under recession and also emerging as a major global player on all key global issues were some of the biggest achievments . But the year 2010 will bring with it even bigger challenges which will truly test the might of the nation. Here are the 10 major challenges for the year 2010.

1) Price rise- Even though India was able to fight global recession to a great extent, the rise of basic food items has hit the common man badly. Currently the food inflation is at a decade high of 20 percent.The government will have to ensure that prices are back to normal levels at the earliest otherwise the economic growth will look meaningless for the middle class & poor people of this nation.

2) Terror threat- Post 26/11 no major terror attack has struck India but the Headley-Rana case is a chilling reminder of the vulnerable security situation. From the time Chidambaram has taken over as union home minister, the inteligence sharing has improved drastically. But there are still many grey areas. The threat of another 26/11 type attack continues to loom.

3) Commonwealth Games- This has become a matter of pride for the nation. This is a golden opportunity for India to showcase itself to the world as a potential superpower. China was able to do it by hosting the 2008 Olympic Games. But with the IOC skeptical about the preparation made so far, the onus is on the administration to act quickly at any cost. If Delhi is able to pull this off succesfully then the stereotype of India been just a poor nation and full of call centres might be finally broken. This is a huge challenge as the nation’s reputation is at stake.

4) The Naxal threat- The naxals proved in 2009 that they are the biggest security threat to this country. With the naxal influence growing from the state to state the government will have to do much more to restrict this threat. Apart from dialogue with the Naxals, enhancement of police weapons & special task force are significant immediate steps that the government will have to take.

5) Implementation of flagship programs- The iconic projects and flagship programmes of the UPA government are suffering from implementation blues. The delivery monitoring unit in the Prime Minister’s Office that assessed the performance of 18 schemes has found that only the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is doing well. The Rajiv Gandhi Yojna (Housing scheme) & Right to education are some key projects that are yet to take off. Making sure they take off in the right direction would be essential this year.

6) Creation of smaller states- The Telangana issue has triggered of a debate which would shape the future of India. Having smaller states could prove to be boon as it would lead to more development, lesser corruption and more decentralization. But it is imperative that the government comes out with clear set of policies for carving out smaller states. Creating states merely on ethnic or linguistic lines doesn’t make sense at this point of time. Economics should be the driving point. Setting up a committee to set the guidelines should be done at the earliest.

7) Autonomy for Jammu & Kashmir- This is a thorny issue that is bound to create huge ripples but probably is the right way ahead. Critics argue that this will create a safe haven for terrorists which will have a direct impact on Indian security. By granting autonomy to J&K, the government just might tilt the valley’s support in its favour. With uncertainty attached to Pakistan’s democratic future, this is the practical way ahead.

8) Foreign policy decisions- India has been criticized in the last few years for going the US way on international political issues. The vote against Iran was seen in this light. On issues like climate change India has been able to guard its interest. But will it stifle under US pressure on large international political issues is the big question.

9) How to deal with neighbours- This question has haunted India for decades now. To talk or not to talk to Pakistan is a big question. So far India has resisted from taking a very rigid stand. But it still needs to find ways to make Pakistan act against the perpetrators of 26/11. Without that there would be no meaning to any dialogues with them. Similarly the China issue is even dicier. On issues like climate change both countries have lobbied together but the Arunachal Pradesh issue is the tricky one where trusting China could be a mistake.

10) Police Reforms- P.Chidambaram has been raising this point for sometime now. The police needs immediate reforms. The recent cases of Ruchika molestation and Mumbai cops dancing in an underworld party exposed the naked truth. Also the cops need better training & weapons to fight terror attacks.

THE TELANGANA DILEMMA

The Telangana issue has left Andhra Pradesh limping. It began with KCR’s fast and slowly turned into a mass protest by Telangana supporters. The government cracked down under pressure and gave a go ahead to initiate the process of creating a separate state of Telangana. This upset the anti- telangana supporters who also took the streets, demanding the roll back of the decision

This issue is not about Telangana alone. It is an issue which will herald a new phase in Indian polity and also change the geographical dynamics of the nation. The two big questions that need to be answered before creating the new state are- 1) Is the government moving in the right direction by creating smaller states & 2) What is the basis on which separate states are going to be carved out?


The answer for the first question is- Yes, the government is very much taking the right step by creating newer states. History is a testimony that centres that are closer to the state capitals have developed at a much faster pace compared to other regions of the state. In many instances including Andhra Pradesh the resources are mainly located in the least developed areas but are utilized for regions proximate to the power centers. Smaller states will make administration smoother and efficient coupled with higher development of the areas that have been neglected by the corridors of power that a located in the state capitals. Decentralization is a key step forward. For the central government it is both a boon & bane to have smaller states. The boon is- smaller the states, lesser power they possess to bargain with the central government. But on the negative side, it will have many more chief ministers asking for funds. From the people’s perspective this will not only localize the issues but also give them more access to the government. Corruption will reduce and the government will be much more accountable. The disparity levels between the developed and non-developed areas would come down substantially.

The second question is more crucial. It is imperative to have a clear & articulate principle in place to decide the reorganizing of states. In the 60’s the restructuring committee took ‘language’ as the principle to create more states. Marathi & Gujarati speaking got their own states in the form of Maharashtra & Gujarat. Similarly, South India got four states speaking different languages. Many critics argue that a state that has one language should not be divided like in the case of Andhra Pradesh. But the recent examples of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand & Chattisgarh have proved to be really successful. Jharkand along with Bihar has a higher GDP & per capita income compared to undivided Bihar (Jharkhand was part of Bihar). The language spoken in all these states is the same as their parent states.

There are various ethnic groups like the gorkhas, karbis, bodos etc demanding for a separate state and so are politicians like Mayawati, Ajit Singh who feel Uttar Pradesh should be divided into two separate states as it is difficult to manage a big state. The voices demanding separate states are increasing but for different reasons. Ethnicity or even political mileage for certain parties should not be the criteria to divide states otherwise this whole exercise is futile and will turn out to be a catastrophe. Economic viability, better administration & inclusive development have to be the three basic principles on which states should be divided.

The government should first & foremost set up a restructuring state committee to lay down the basic principles and policy for creating new states. More number of states will not diminish India’s size nor will it curtail the cohesiveness that exists. On the contrary if handled with care and pragmatism this just might turn out to be a key tool in bolstering Indian development pace which is till lagging behind.

WHAT IS THE NEW BJP?

Sushma Swaraj has taken over from LK Advani as the leader of the opposition, putting curtains on an exciting political journey stretching over 5 decades. Advani will be heading the BJP parliamentary board (a newly created post) & the NDA, none of them will have any significant bearing on the BJP political strategy. No matter how much the BJP shouts that Advani is still very much the main driver of the party, the reality remains that the Vajpayee-Advani era has finally come to an end.

But the big question remains- Is the new BJP leadership competent enough to resurrect the fortunes of the party that has been hammered comprehensively in the last 6 years. There are multiple challenges that the party still faces.


Who is the real leader?- Even though Sushma Swaraj is going to lead the party in the Lok Sabha & Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha, there is still confusion as to who is the undisputed leader of the BJP. With the low profile Nitin Gadkari taking over as the BJP president; party workers are a bit disillusioned about the real leadership. The RSS handpicked Gadkari faces even more difficulties. He has been handpicked to implement the RSS agenda within the party, but with the Swaraj- Jaitley combine trying to adopt the moderate line of thought, infighting is bound to continue. The past 6 years have clearly shown that BJP has failed to work as a collective unit. The success they tasted in the 90’s was because they were led by a strong and commanding leader- A.B.Vajpayee. Vajpayee was the undisputed leader of the party. Of course he was never authoritative in his conduct and always took decisions after consulting Advani and other senior leaders. But the hierarchy was very clearly laid out, eliminating any sort of differences within the party. But with the current crop, there are no signs of any unity or cohesiveness.

The ideology issue- After suffering two back to back defeats in Lok Sabha elections, the very basic dilemma the party faces is the ideology issue. The party rode to power in the 90’s on the back of right wing Hindutva issue. But due to a huge coalition, the party was never able to deliver on that agenda. The Hindutva story was embraced to an extent in the 90’s. But the new millennium had changed the mind set of the Indian citizen. The staunch urban voter that supported the party in the 90’s now wanted development & infrastructure instead of Mandir & uniform civil code. The party failed to understand the pulse of the middle class voters which had transformed over the years. The new Indian voter was more secular & moderate in its thinking. And even now the party is confused which route to adopt-the more inclusive approach, one based on the development plank cutting across religious lines or to go back to the 90’s hindutva plank, which the voter has already rejected. They cannot afford to hang in between. They will have to choose a more forward looking ideology which is more inclusive in nature.

RSS: Liability or the Guiding force- The party will have to emphatically decide the role of the RSS in the new BJP. Will the RSS continue to set the agenda and have a say on all the major issues or is the party now ready to break those shackles and act on its own given that the party now has firm roots. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has made his intention clears that he wants the RSS to be the guiding force of the party. He wants the party to go back to the hard core Hindutva ideology to make a come back.

The new leadership’s immediate task is to come out with a clear ideology. The top leadership will have to be on the same page if they are serious about reviving the party. The party needs a complete revamp both on the organizational & ideological front. A clear hierarchy should be formed and it should be made sure that it is followed by all. The RSS has to be told that the party wants to work as an autonomous unit. If it fails to distance itself from the RSS at least on the political front, it would be really difficult for them to bounce back. BJP will have to clearly spell out the role of the RSS in the new BJP. These are some tough questions that the leaders will have to answer; otherwise the party will fade away in the same fashion as the Janta Dal party did in the 90’s. Time for the new BJP to take some tough decision… It’s now or never…