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No public sympathy for BJP in Bihar, thanks to insistence on Vananchal

Soroor Ahmed in Patna

The Centre's decision to impose President's rule in Bihar, instead of ending any political uncertainty, is likely to heighten it further, because of the situation in which such an extreme measure has been taken. The step came barely 16 hours after the state assembly rejected the creation of Vananchal by a margin of 181 to 107. As if that was not enough, the Rabri Devi government scored yet another point over the BJP-Samata combine when it won the trust vote by 190 votes to nil.

The situation in the state is volatile and tense but well under control, although the bandh call given by the RJD for Wednesday evoked a good response, especially in north and central Bihar. Reports of some stray incidents of violence and uprooting of rail tracks have also come in from different parts of the state. One person is reported to have been killed in Bhagalpur.

However, it appears that the RJD leaders have decided not to resort to violence -- and continue their fight democratically -- as it may nullify whatever sympathy has been generated in their favour. This, notwithstanding Tuesday's warning by Chief Minister Rabri Devi, that her dismissal may lead to a bloodbath. Political activity is likely to hot up with the arrival of Laloo Yadav from Delhi this evening.

Though the assembly session was to conclude on Tuesday, after the Bihar Reorganisation Bill 1998 was rejected and the government won the trust motion, it was extended till Wednesday. One opinion doing the rounds in the Bihar capital is that this was done to delay President's rule, since it cannot be imposed when the assembly session is on.

For an average Bihari, the whole exercise of Vananchal sounds a bit melodramatic as in the recent past even the tribal parties, the JMM, Jharkhand Peoples Party and others were quite satisfied with the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council created a couple of years back.

What has angered people is that when north Bihar was devastated by one of the worst floods of recent times, the victims, instead of getting any succour from the Centre, are being asked to part with the best part of their state -- the mineral and industrially rich southern half. During the assembly on Tuesday, the BJP, Samata and JMM legislators focused on north and central Biharis and dubbed them as exploiters who have bled south Bihar's economy white.

The irony is that not a single word was spoken against the industries, big dams and other projects, for setting up which thousands of natives have had to be displaced without any compensation.

The public sentiment, which otherwise may not be necessarily pro-Laloo, supports the former chief minister on the issue of Vananchal. The BJP and Samata legislators' diatribe against the people of north and central Bihar has forced even hardboiled supporters of the two parties to do a rethink.

Former state BJP president, Tarakant Jha, arguably the senior-most party leader in the state, on Tuesday cautioned his party over the issue. He said unless the Union government did something for the people of north and central Bihar, his party (the BJP) would not be able to face the onslaught of the RJD. Even four out of eight Samata MLAs abstained from voting, raising speculation that there are strong differences over the issue.

Hence, it is the timing of the Cabinet's decision, recommending President's rule, which has come under fire. "Why is it that the Centre did not impose President's rule when two MLAs -- one from the ruling party -- were gunned down within 24 hours? Why now, when the law and order situation is much better than that of many other states," asks former Congress MLC Padmasha Jha.

The truth is that the BJP and Samata leaders are unable to convince the masses that central rule has been recommended because of the state's bad law and order condition. Had it been so they would have taken the step any other day, today they only want revenge for rejecting Vananchal, the people seem to believe.

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