change of guard in Bihar

The change of guard in Bihar interests many, particularly to those rural poor which constitutes almost 50% of the total 83 million population of one of the poorest state of indian democracy. A study done by the World Bank on Bihar in 2003 showed 75 per cent of the rural poor were landless or near landless in 1999-2000. In rural areas, land ownership is closely linked to poverty, not just because land provides main source of income, but because land provides access to economic and social opportunities. Land reform in Bihar started in 1950s with the abolition of intermediaries between landlord and cultivators who worked under feudal lords. While the first Land Ceiling Act was passed in 1961, the progress has been very slow since. Only 1.5 per cent of the cultivable land was aquired and distributed by the ’80s,

In fact the Economist (26th Nov. 2005) in its current issue also highlighted the change of mis(rule) in Bihar.

...... Laloo Prasad Yadav had ruled Bihar since 1990…. it set the standard for bad government. Kidnapping for ransom was the only growth industry. Poverty, illiteracy, corruption and violence thrived. Mr Yadav's belated comeuppance came in an election result announced on November 22nd that left the RJD with just 54 out of 243 seats in Bihar's legislative assembly…..nothing to disguise their glee. “Laloo loses; Bihar wins�….. Even the RJD's ally, the Congress party, may not be too upset by the defeat of the biggest of its coalition partners in the central government.

Mr Yadav, who stood down as Bihar's chief minister in 1997 in favour of his wife after being charged with corruption, is India's railway minister….rise has been built on his skill at the politics of caste (read Yadav) and religion (read muslims)….earthily flaunted his humble origins as proof of his ability to bring dignity to the lower castes; and, allied with powerful gangsters, he presented himself as a protector of the Muslim minority.

….this year did this formula fail him, for a number of reasons. One was the job done by India's independent election commission, which kept the campaign relatively free of violence, and prevented “booth-capturing�—the coercion of voters…..Moreover, others, such as Bihar's new chief minister, Nitish Kumar, of the Janata Dal (United), have learned the art of caste-coalition building. Mr Yadav was deserted by many former supporters. His disdain for development, which has seen Bihar fall further behind on most social indicators, was, eventually, his undoing. Nor do Muslims now feel so worried by the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main national opposition and Mr Kumar's partner, with its Hindu-nationalist ideology.