The Bihar CM’s second term has been nothing short of turbulent. However, he refuses to accept that the people of the state are angry. With promises on investments and an improved power scenario not delivered, will Nitish’s arrogance prove costly?
The magic of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems to have started fading gradually in the second term of his regime. Against tall claims of the ruling government, the ground realities don’t augur well for the state. The poor law and order situation and the red-tape that has marked his present term has had an adverse impact to the extent that investors have already started rethinking on their proposals to set up industrial units in Bihar. The recent spate of unnecessary violence in Madhubani district is a glaring example of the shambles that law and order in the state is currently in.
In the first phase of NDA rule in the state, Bihar had acquired considerable attention throughout the country and even abroad for its remarkable performance in the improvement of law and order and other successful experiments like speedy trials, fast-track courts and prompt action against criminal activities. But the situation has changed faster than expected. Take the example of the much-touted Adhikar Yatra that was recently undertaken by Nitish. The escalating resentment of the people has become so evident that the CM was greeted with slippers, black flags, stone-pelting and anti-government slogans. The people’s anger forced Nitish to give up the Yatra and he has also refrained from participating in meetings in Ara and Buxar. No other prominent leader has hitherto faced such resentment in the state. Skeptics point out that his arrogance and absolute disregard for popular sentiment lie at the root of the quandary.
On a recent visit to the state, Markandey Katju, Chairperson of the Press Council of India, attacked the Chief Minister for the poor law and order situation in the state. In a programme organised by the Director General of Police (DGP) in Patna, Katju, a man known for not mincing his words, said while referring to public angst during the Adhikar Yatra, “He (Nitish) is shying away from facing his own people. The CM had been living in an illusion and is not doing any introspection for things gone wrong.” The reactions that followed warrant even more attention. After listening to the attack on the government made by Katju; the DGP, along with several other bureaucrats, chose to leave the function midway. The organisers disowned Katju’s speech later on and tagged it as ‘unwarranted’.
Moreover, political analysts feel that Nitish’s prime ministerial ambitions and his engagement in national politics have taken prominence at a time when the state is in dire need of Nitish, the administrator. After all, Nitish’s first term was marked by a show of guts and courage and a solemn promise to deliver on the administrative front. However, he now chooses to stay busy in yatras rather than delivering on promises of economic upliftment.
There was a time when industrialists were making a beeline for investing in Bihar. But the manner in which companies like Adani Power & Essar have given up on their proposed plans in the state is not very encouraging. Investors are realising, for instance, that chances of improvement in the power scenario are quite bleak and wonder how industry would function in this milieu. Recently, State Bank of India Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri also insisted that the Bihar Government must cater to outstanding land and power issues to encourage investors.
The magic of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems to have started fading gradually in the second term of his regime. Against tall claims of the ruling government, the ground realities don’t augur well for the state. The poor law and order situation and the red-tape that has marked his present term has had an adverse impact to the extent that investors have already started rethinking on their proposals to set up industrial units in Bihar. The recent spate of unnecessary violence in Madhubani district is a glaring example of the shambles that law and order in the state is currently in.
In the first phase of NDA rule in the state, Bihar had acquired considerable attention throughout the country and even abroad for its remarkable performance in the improvement of law and order and other successful experiments like speedy trials, fast-track courts and prompt action against criminal activities. But the situation has changed faster than expected. Take the example of the much-touted Adhikar Yatra that was recently undertaken by Nitish. The escalating resentment of the people has become so evident that the CM was greeted with slippers, black flags, stone-pelting and anti-government slogans. The people’s anger forced Nitish to give up the Yatra and he has also refrained from participating in meetings in Ara and Buxar. No other prominent leader has hitherto faced such resentment in the state. Skeptics point out that his arrogance and absolute disregard for popular sentiment lie at the root of the quandary.
On a recent visit to the state, Markandey Katju, Chairperson of the Press Council of India, attacked the Chief Minister for the poor law and order situation in the state. In a programme organised by the Director General of Police (DGP) in Patna, Katju, a man known for not mincing his words, said while referring to public angst during the Adhikar Yatra, “He (Nitish) is shying away from facing his own people. The CM had been living in an illusion and is not doing any introspection for things gone wrong.” The reactions that followed warrant even more attention. After listening to the attack on the government made by Katju; the DGP, along with several other bureaucrats, chose to leave the function midway. The organisers disowned Katju’s speech later on and tagged it as ‘unwarranted’.
Moreover, political analysts feel that Nitish’s prime ministerial ambitions and his engagement in national politics have taken prominence at a time when the state is in dire need of Nitish, the administrator. After all, Nitish’s first term was marked by a show of guts and courage and a solemn promise to deliver on the administrative front. However, he now chooses to stay busy in yatras rather than delivering on promises of economic upliftment.
There was a time when industrialists were making a beeline for investing in Bihar. But the manner in which companies like Adani Power & Essar have given up on their proposed plans in the state is not very encouraging. Investors are realising, for instance, that chances of improvement in the power scenario are quite bleak and wonder how industry would function in this milieu. Recently, State Bank of India Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri also insisted that the Bihar Government must cater to outstanding land and power issues to encourage investors.
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