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I had opened my TV for a post lunch, pre-nap entertainment. I don’t why I switched to Lok Sabha channel to see if the new house is different in deliberation quality. Sharad Yadav happened to be speaking at that time.
I had not heard Sharad Yadav earlier. I had expected him to be more responsible as the head of a party that is getting a great noticed countrywide for a good work in Bihar. In post days, some proposed Nitish as a potential material for heading a government at the centre one day. Sharad Yadav as some told me is a qualified engineer. To be frank, I don’t know that. But perhaps to steal the show from the ruling party as well as from Lalu and Mulayam, Sharad got real emotional, and threatened:
“I will consume poison and die here but not allow the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.”
I don’t understand why he is so obstinate about the reservation within reservation for OBC and dalit women. Sharad and Nitish would have been different. They would have allowed the bill to get passed. There proposal if rational or if they garner numerical strength in house one day, can get integrated through amendment. The passing of women reservation bill is not the end of world. It is contradictory to what his party is doing in Bihar where it has reserved 50% for women in panchayat. And it is greatly accepted. For the first time what Bihar is doing, the rest of the country is trying to emulate, be it RTI or 50% women reservation in panchayat.
I have suggestion for Sharad Yadav. Instead of threatening to consume poison if the women’s bill gets passed, he must focus and threaten the centre on the demand of special status for Bihar from the centre. Sharad must highlight the failure of the centre to treat Bihar respectfully. Why does Bihar not get its ethanol proposal cleared? Why is Bihar getting discriminated in setting up of food parks? Is it not the duty of the centre to see the equitable development of all the regions of the country? Sharad and Nitish can take initiative to make the eastern states such as Bengal and Orissa unite against the centre’s discriminatory policies. Let him go for a fast unto death for the special status. That will make him a great leader and his party respected among the people of the zone. I am sure that he can get the active cooperation from the ally BJP too.
However, let me appreciate his comment on the damage due to the entrenched caste system. ‘‘The mothers of India are slaves because of caste system. Break the caste system and women will themselves progress without any help of quota.’’
Can Sharad provide a leadership and initiate a movement to make the people of at least Bihar recognize the menace of the caste without any fear for the consequences. Let him be known as a great leader who can bring about a revolutionary change like his mentor JP. I am sure the youths of Bihar are ready; they are only waiting to get a leader.
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I am not at all agree with the author for Sharad Yadav opposing women’s bill. How more we will divide this country, we have already made a large gap among the people through caste system, now we are going to divide on the basis of gender. Worse! Will you say it a democracy, where your forefather’s caste will decide your fate to represent people. let’s say Jamui area of Bihar was reserved for SC. Do you think it is justice for the talented and qualified general people. what if some genuine general candidate from Jamui have aspiration to become MP. This is the irony of our democracy that neat and clean image people, highly qualified and Enthuastic people can’t become MP because his forefather was in general category. A SC, ST candidate can contest election from any place but not general category people.
Same thing applied for women’s 33% reservation in parliament. In democracy people should have wide option to choose their representative which should not be based on caste and gender.
So I am proud of Sharad Yadav, he had spine to call spade a spade. It need a guts to oppose something which is being supported by comparatively much larger group(Congress & BJP supporting the bill). ‘The person who believes in what he says and convinced and does not hesitate to take action’ that’s how masses define it leadership.
For Special status of Bihar, I am sure JD(U) leadership will go to any extent to get it.
Jitender Kumar Singh
Bangkok
Jitender.kumar@delta.co.th
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