Patna Durbar

Progress is the new mantra in Patna
Times are achanging in Bihar. Let alone Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, even Lalu Prasad Yadav is talking about the state's development today. He has been effectively using his ministry taking his wagon of railway projects to the most backward regions like Seemanchal and Mithilanchal. Not to be left behind, Union Minister of Steel, Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan is also assiduously pushing his ministry's projects into Bihar ahead of the parliamentary elections. He laid the foundation stone last week for a mega steel project in his Hajipur constituency — a few months after he set up a steel processing unit in West Champaran. From Raghuvansh Prasad Singh to Shakeel Ahmed, Bihar has a handful of ministers in the UPA Government, and they are trying their best for their home state. While they charge the state government of “ playing politics with the development of a poor state,” the apparent change of heart by Bihar’s politicians is surprising, to say the least. There was a time when development was a nasty word which nobody uttered in the past. With Lalu Prasad scoring one political triumph after another during his 15 years of rule in spite of showing utter disregard for Bihar's growth, it was a widely acknowledged in Patna's political circles that the road to power and the path to progress were two parallel routes and “ the twain shall never meet.” Lalu often boasted amid his supporters that only affluent people -- forces opposed to social justice -- needed good roads. The poor, he would say, had their bullock carts to negotiate with any kind of roads. But now, Bihar politicians seem to have woken up like Rip Van Winkle after many years. Which is why present Chief Minister Nitish Kumar does not want to take any chances. Last Sunday, he dropped 10 ministers because he did not find them pro- active to pursue development schemes launched by his government. That a minister can lose his job for not delivering goods is doubtless a new phenomenon in Bihar politics. Thankfully, the scramble of Bihar's high and mighty for development, albeit belatedly, has benefited the common man. They suddenly have in their midst politicians swearing by development and progress, people who had never touched a public welfare project with a barge pole in the past.

Tits-Bits :-

Nitish refuses crown and other regalia
STATE politicians have loved their fancy and expensive gifts given by their ardent supporters. While politicians earlier preferred being weighed in coins, the current crop believes in receiving ostentatious gold and silver momentoes. Over the years, RJD supporters have gifted gold mukuts ( mythological crown) and silver lathis ( batons) to Lalu Prasad. Even frontline Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan has a good collection thanks to his generous supporters. So, was it inverted snobbery when
Nitish Kumar politely refused to accept a gold crown presented to him by an enthusiastic follower at a rally in Purnia? The crown is a symbol of monarchy, explained Kumar, and it is an anachronism to wear it in today's democratic society. “ Today is the world of knowledge, and not of brute power,” he added for flourish. No prizes for guessing whom he is alluding to?

Borders are no bar for cinema buffs

BIHAR Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi is an unabashed movie buff. He admits that he rushes to Delhi's multiplexes to watch new films whenever he gets time off his hectic schedule. He likes the Dolby stereo sound, picture quality and the overall ambience of the theatres in the national Capital. So, when Aamir Khan's Taarey Zameen Par was not released in Patna due to producer- distributor problems over its price, he wasted no time to slink into Delhi to watch the acclaimed film. Modi came out of the hall so impressed that he wanted to exempt the movie from entertainment tax in Bihar. But by the time the film was released in his state and he made up his mind, he realised that " it was too late". But it is not only Bollywood flicks that cater to the needs of the cinegoer in Modi. He is equally keen on Pakistani cinema. He regrets that Khuda Ke Liye, the first Pakistani film to be released in India, could not hit the theatres in Bihar because the distributors could not afford its price. Hardly surprising then, he wants producers to slash the price of their ventures for Bihar territory so that film aficionados of the state like him do not have to go to other states to watch movies.

At last, the guns have fallen silent
IS THE time of trigger- happy politicians over in Bihar? Well, suddenly there is a scarcity of resident dons in the state. The old order has changed but the Gen X musclemen simply do not have the chutzpah of the likes of Mohammed Shahabuddin, Anand Mohan, Pappu Yadav to carry off their modus operandi of guns- and- goons politics. With the long arm of the law finally catching up, they are all behind bars following their conviction in cases of murder, abduction and other criminal cases over the past few months. Not that anyone misses them. Actually, their presence in state politics was so acute for such a long time that it is hard to imagine they would all lose clout almost simultaneously and cool their heels in prison. In volatile areas like the Kosi belt where Mohan and Yadav fought violent battles for supremacy for over a decade, the guns have fallen silent and no new don has stepped into their shoes. Similarly, in Siwan too there’s peace after Shahabuddin, who ruled the roost, was convicted in fast- track courts in case after case. Even today, legislators like Anant Singh and Sunil Pandey have done their best to add to the state’s image of a lawless region. But to give the devils ( pun intended) their due, they are no patch on the not- sogood, old dons of Bihar.