Bihar had earned a notoriety for lawlessness for decades. Along with Uttar Pradesh, it was in the forefront of the national crime graph. However, there has been some respite in recent years, thanks to the tough stand taken by Nitish Kumar as chief minister. This could also be the reason why Bihar did not figure prominently in the recent release of crime statistics by the National Crime Records Bureau. It has Uttar Pradesh still on top while Bihar stood at the 19th slot – a major improvement over the years. Against this backdrop, the shooting down of real estate businessman Gopal Khemka in capital Patna on Friday was an isolated incident. Prima facie, business rivalry is the reason for the killing at the hands of a hired gang. His son had been shot down seven years ago. The present murder assumes more seriousness as Khemka is one of the main financiers for the BJP and that Bihar is heading for assembly polls.
Bihar’s crime rate remained very high during the term of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi. Their party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), drew massive support from some social groups, whose ranks are filled with muscle-flexers. One of the first acts of Nitish Kumar after he grabbed power in the state was to round up criminal elements wholesale and dump them in jail. This had a salutary effect on the crime scenario for many years. Now, Kumar co-habits with Lalu’s party and his family members, but perceptions are that he generally keeps crime under control. Problem with Nitish Kumar lies elsewhere. He has no vision to turn Bihar’s fate from being a backward state to a progressive one. Kumar’s key governance planks from the beginning were reaching Sadak (roads) and Pani (water) to all nooks and corners. He however failed to take matters further ahead.
Kumar famously had been having a long spell of enmity with Narendra Modi. However, Modi having established himself at the apex of power in Delhi since 2014, Kumar had to finally cosy up to him and eventually return to the NDA fold. Now, political compulsions for Modi are such that he cannot do without Kumar. The JDU gives BJP the numbers to govern the nation. This presented the best opportunity for Kumar to speed up the state’s progress as his party nominees are also ministers handling major portfolios in the NDA government at the Centre. Kumar can even draw a line and make Modi dance on it. For Bihar, after many years, this presented a great opportunity. Question however is, does Kumar have the grit and determination to shape the destiny of Bihar in better ways. To reassure his continued rule he is now promising 35 per cent reservations for women if re-elected to power. Kumar has shown a tendency to change colours like a chameleon. Where he stands next to remain in power is unpredictable though.
