Protests against Nitish Kumar politically motivated?

10 October, 2012

Not only the people from Bihar, but from all over the country started believing that one of the poorest states, Bihar is set to change for good after Nitish Kumar became the chief minister, ending ten-year rule of Lalu Yadav- led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

IN A shocking development, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is being greeted with violent protests at every public function in the state for past few days. This is despite the fact that Kumar's rule has been earning laurels for the progressive steps he has undertaken to change the future of the state.

The latest protest took place Wednesday when plastic chairs were thrown at the chief minister during his Adhikar Yatra in Nawada district in the state. Luckily he escaped unhurt. According to the media reports, JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar termed the attack as part of a larger conspiracy and claimed that the attacker was an RJD worker.

This is not the first time when people have shown their anger towards Kumar. On a prior occasion the contractual teachers in the state had held up black flags in some districts, demanding uniformity in pay and terms of employment with regular teachers.

Frequent protests forced the government to ban people wearing black clothes to the CM's functions. Apart from this the administration also banned people from carrying black umbrella, black handkerchiefs and flags.

The students' arm of congress NSUI, RSS' ABVP and All India Student's Federation have also participated in protests against Kumar and showed him black flags in Begusarai, Khagaria, Darbhanga and other places.

Notably, Kumar is on a state-wide tour popularly called Adhikar Yatra, where he is addressing public rallies in a bid to garner support for the demand of special status category to the Bihar from the central government.

Although the demand is in favor of the entire state above any politics, but the question everyone is asking is why frequent protests are being held against Kumar? Whether the protests are politically motivated and pre-scripted or real?

If one believes Uday Singh, a BJP MP from Purnia district, then the anger against Kumar-led government is genuine, not politically motivated and is result of poor implementation of various government schemes.

“Contrary to the rosy pictures being painted of Bihar's economic rise, the reality is that shoddy implementation of government schemes has led to anger among the people,” Uday Singh said, according to zeenews.com.

Singh added that both Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Modi were overlooking the undercurrents in Bihar, and frustration could also provoke youths to take guns.