How do you rate present regime of Bihar.

The government miserably failed on all fronts. Nitish ji promised that law and order would be restored within ninety days of coming to power. The result  is before us. Not a single day goes without any major crime. National Rural Employment Gurantee Programme (NREGP) failed in most of the districts. The Poor were excluded from BPL (Below poverty line) list. Their vulnerability  got aggravated further as a result of deprivation even from the government safety net.  A large scale bungling and manipulation has created distrust among poor against this regime.

Do you feel that some of the recent government initiatives have changed the perception about the state?

Global Meet and Mirror Conference kind of move are only cosmetic  in nature. Bihar is largely following the Chandra Babu Naidu model and it is bound to backfire.
Bihar was an abandoned child of ‘Globalisation’ and the spurt of capitalist forces in a changed situation would not change the real faces of our rural society.

Do you feel that Bihar is taking the path of ‘Globalisation’ prescribed by World Bank and IMF ?

The recent employment of lacs of unemployed youth is the strong indication of casualisation of  a large work force. Contract systems are implemented on a large scale right from doctors, engineers up to police force. This is failed model implemented in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. This politically vibrant state has a national perception all along its history. So how can one expect  that what is happening in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab would go unnoticed in Bihar.

The current social engineering of Nitish again relegated Left to the backyard of Bihar politics.

Nitish has only consolidated old feudal forces and aligned with a communal force excluding a large chunk of socially and economically excluded section of our society.
The left forces kept on awakening this large mass for effective political participation for years. Now we have reached to a stage when people realized that this left progressive forces are  the only option to transform the society.
 
Once your party had aligned with the Samata Party led by Nitish. Is there any future possibility of changing alignment in Bihar politics?

At that time situation was very different.  And political struggle was on some common issues.  In a changed situation we can’t think of   becoming any political ally to JD (U) in Bihar. JD (U) is very much a part of NDA led by BJP.

Government claims that they have toned up the“Governance” starting with innovative changes at policy making level. How do you feel  its impact at the grassroots level?

The delivery system has miserably failed in the state.  Just giving you an example of much publicized  employment program  known as  NREGP in which there was a provision for hundred days employment for poor in rural areas. It finally ended up in providing 10 -15 days employment in most of the areas. Govt. is yet to take action on the report of land reform commission. A large number of tenants failed to take any advantage of govt. programs. Even routine delivery system is not functioning properly.

Recently on the issue on “Migration” a section of politicians accused Bihari politicians for skewed development of Bihar.

Bihar is the least urbanized state and much has to be done in rural sectors. Agriculture has to be made economically viable. For this, immediate initiatives can be taken up . Land reform along with security of tenancy, security of holding along with adequate credit and marketing facility is required. The equitable development in rural areas is the ultimate answer.

Why Left and ultra-Left, which had mobilized a large section of society in late 70s and 80s are now no more a central force in Bihar? Is it due to new initiatives of govt. on Panchayat election and other grassroots initiatives?

No, again a new mobilization is taking place in different areas of the state. I definitely agree with you that govt. has diverted the attention of peoples movement towards Panchayati Raj Institutions. But people are well keeping a watch on the performance of the govt.

Is politics of identity among Dalits eroded your traditional support base?

The politics of identity and symbolism is a temporary phenomenon. Some political parties like BSP have capitalised on the unfulfilled aspirations of dalits. But the core issue of livelihood is still untouched by these political parties and their leaders. Its purely a temporary phenomenon.

Comment

Comments...

The philosophy of Marx was attractive when I was young and naive. It was the promise to Utopia. Then came the real life experience. It revealed that the road to Utopia first goes to capitalism. Socialism, the state of Utopia according to Marx, could not be achieved without achieving capitalism. The idea of Marx seemed confusing but it would be betrayal of Karl Marx to experiment with socialism before fully exploring the benefits of capitalism. Could we say that the communists of China and Russia are experimenting with capitalism to realize the dream of Marx?

As far as Lenin was concerned he was ruthless yet pragmatist followed by Stalin. Under Stalin, millions of people died from hardship and famine. Many served time in Gulag concentration camps and millions were executed in the name of the rule of proletariat. What happened in Soviet Union in the name of communism also happened in Mao's China. Both used brutalities and repression to subdue their masses before they came to senses. Russia has broken the shekel of repression but China is far from abandoning it. 

Looking at communism in general, one can deduct from its history that CPI(ML) of India is no different than its foreign masters. It is a violent organization that believes in the antiquated theory of force and arms struggle.  

The interview of Mr Ajay Kumar, the Editor of Bihar Times with the general secretary of CPI (ML), Mr. Dipankar Bhattacharya reveals that Mr. Bhattacharya is an idealist and a social elite who is clueless about the needs of the masses.  May I tell him that the people do not want bloodshed because too many lives have been lost and too many opportunities have been wasted in the name of arms struggle. Although arms struggle was a myopic view of revolution in an ignorant society,  it has been proven incompetent and destructive for a free society.  In modern times,  the revolution is the name of investment, job creation and prosperity. People like peace, not  the barrel of guns.They do not like killing for killing sake and maiming of innocent people. It is not a revolutionary idea, it is an idea beset with human tragedy.

Mr. Bhattacharya' assertions are off the mark when he talks about the new administration of Bihar. The left forces in Bihar were either silent during Laloo-Rabari regime or Laloo had them silenced. However, in democracy, you cannot silence genuine voices. Tragically, the CPI(ML) has never been the voice of the people. It is recognized as a violent organization and works to support chaos and instability. Some of its genuine causes like Nexalbari and Singur were  eclipsed only due to  widespread violence. To say that the left would organize as a force in Bihar is myth. The reality is Bihar will never accept Male as a political force.

What bothers me more than anything else is the death of the people in the name of false manifesto. Whether they call themselves Nexals or Male, they do not deserve to die. May I hold the leadership of Mr. Dipanker Bhattacharya responsible for what happens to the rank and file of his organization? They die in the hands of the police because of the misguided philosophy of their leaders.   

In my view,  revolution is a constant process that is necessary to hold the leadership of the country alert and responsive. However, revolution does not have to be violent. The new version of revolutionary ideology is peaceful dissent, not arms struggle.  If you can not win at the ballot boxes, you cannot win in democracy.

Nawal K Pandey

NawalKPandey@aol.com

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