Last week two things happened simultaneously—Lalu lost Bihar and Bihar lost its trademark wit, humour. For the last fifteen years the iridescent comic emotions on that patented vestigial puppy fat cheeks has been kicking Bihar alive inside and out. Apt wit for every mood and
occasion.

True Bihar got rid off Lalu Prasad, the politician but it also lost the crown comedian who had made the state more funnily famous, more humorously popular and more notoriously a laughing stock than any other live or dead Bihari. Now Bihar without Lalu is like an egg without salt, samosa without aaloo, jungle without Bhalu, a belch without good food and a fart without good shit and a kidnapping without ransom—more like the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chanez who engages without care for consequences. Failed joke. Weeping orgasm.

With Nitish Kumar now everything seems to have started coming on track but Bihar conspicuously loosing its laugh. No more one-liners, no more zany jokes, no more comical giggles, sighs and funny frowns. The familiar hairy earlobes, the famous katora-cut silvery hair-do, the oversized kurta, pyjama with loose strings, Govinda-mark white leather
sandal and a belly like a bum are gradually slipping out of flaccid public memory---- and also on page 4 of local dailies. Bihar no more a Laluland is a serious Bihar, a business meaning Bihar, a behaving Bihar.

But, above all what is Bihar without Lalu and his rustic charm, fascinating quotes and populist actions which if not ridiculous, always sounds ludicrous. What the Patna based journos would write taking all the possible liberties about Lalu…. blasting him left and right, most of the
time with reason but sometime without rhyme?, what even the serious looking national editors would comment upon freehand, where all the visiting foreign scribes as well as the Bollywood stars would make their ritual pilgrimage after making their occasional appearance in Bihar?
Where the families of kidnapped or killed individuals would go and who would invite the biggest hug from President Musharraf?, On whom Shekhar Suman would move and shake and to whom the opposition attack even one gets a mosquito bite?.

Ever since the assembly results have come out the crown king of Bihar comedy has confined himself in his soon-to-be-vacated villa. Nothing is coming out from inside except the occasional bile. “Though I’m defeated but nor frustrated. I will not sleep..”, said he on Saturday. How could he sleep? After 15-years of crowning glory can anyone sleep over his ungraceful exit. Lalu Prasad sounds right he must have lost his sleep.

After much wait, comes another. “Log bhaat khate-khate ub gaye the ….Roti khana chahte the [people had become fed up with eating rice for long.. they now wanted to have chapattis for change]”. Yes, this was closer to reason. People of Bihar do wanted change and they do wanted change him also. But Laluji is still at number 3. Hope is still there and still he is very much planted on the ground but for how long—asks many. The RJD boss would have to make introspection and use the time for meditating what went wrong in-between. Who knows a new avatar of Lalu may replace his present form and take Bihar out of all its mess and
malice.

Meanwhile, the Patna press has become a big bore to be read or heard. Nothing exciting to hear or write about. The Nitish Kumar government has started functioning with focused areas of development and growth. Meeting with bureaucrats and ministers are taking place even late to
night. Preparation for the forthcoming budget is on and the police chief is being regularly pulled up for improving law and order but who wants to read about it all. Lalu Prasad is being missed badly for wit will cherish an humour will linger!

We, the Bihar based journalists miss Lalu Prasad for more reasons than he misses his pun and power. Believe us or not we’ve been the greatest believer in your capability to make us all laugh and ability to give us a good copy to write.

Comment

comments...

I am really surprised and my ears are not ready to accept that people of Bihar enjoy Laloo's crappy jokes better than the Nitish noble manouvre.
Nitish's meticulous preparation for NRI meet reminds me the days of school exams. We should feel proud that Bihar made big point over there and NRIs were excited to hear our delegates. How come a Bihari would not love to hear or read all these things that has happend first time in Bihar.
No doubt Laloo had always focused on the masses especially village workers and Rickshaw walas. So he knew anything like NRI meets are not going to help him in making such crowd merry.
The time has come where we all we Biharis have to reset our mindset so that we could enjoy development works more rather than those pathetic Laloo's quotes.

Sujit Kumar
Singapore
sujit.kumar@db.com

I would like to bring to your notice the candid confession by the journalist.Confession
for this is not the job of a journalist to write about a clown and his jokes(Laloo's jokes mocks at all Biharis).Laloo made fun of us and the journalists glorified him.If someone dies ,some one is murdered then there will be small column in 4th page somewhere down at the bottom.But when these Politicians utter shit..it will be the front page.

Journalism is supposed to be a pillar of democracy...Please don't make this pillar shaky.Bring some glory to it.We have example of American Journalism before us.

Thanks and Regards,
Mohit Kumar

mohit1612@gmail.com

Amarnath Tewary
Patna based special correspondent of The Pioneer