DailyPost 2696
A DEMOCRACY CALLED BIHAR
While democratic practices in this country date back to the ancient times; more so in the geographical area of Bihar today, what is intriguing is what we have made of democracy after it was constitutionally mandated to us with all its safeguards. Indians have the uncanny knack of managing the safeguards, till the time it becomes conducive beyond recognition. Democracy does not only have national variants but in one country too, it can have state level variants. These variations have direct impact on the governance or lack of governance of the state. A trust vote is on yet again is both a manifestation and a cause of Bihar Model of Democracy and Governance (BMDG).
The likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan created power out of the personas they had, unfortunately the powerful of today are bereft of any magnetic or charismatic or doer or never say never say die persona. Jayaprakash Narayan was the last practitioner of democracy without power and brought government/s to its knees. Last three decades of Bihar democratic existence has been led by two of his followers, who were born out of his Sampoorna Kranti movement. Schooled by JP, in a socialist semi revolutionary environment, what they made of democracy is for the world to see.
That today yet again people of Bihar are watching the trust vote proceedings, is a living testament of Bihar’s practice of democracy and electorates understanding of it or of having accepted the democratic bondage they were born in and would have to live through till their last breath. Every Bihari has politics in his head, what exactly it is, is very difficult to fathom out. The performance on Human Development Indices remain where they were. You can add Internal Migration Index to it as well side by side with the Flight of the Well Educated. You can call them non-returnee Biharis as well.
From the Jungle Raj to the jingle tunes of Susashan, the plight of governance and its recipient – the people have remained the same. CM by Proxy finds it origin in this state and is now practiced elsewhere in the country as and when required. Frequenting jails by top politicians was also made a norm in this state. The stigma of any variety of criminal case was shown the window once and for all and now it has become the national norm. One CM that too the longest serving one, could manage the support of parties from across the political spectrum, for his government at different times, to have the democratic numbers has no parallel in the democratic history here or elsewhere. Democratic Revolving Doors Model has been one of his dubious inventions. What next for the already tired and exhausted electorate is a million-dollar question?
THE CHEEK TO SUPPORT THE BIHAR MODEL OF DEMOCRACY IS ALSO DEMOCRACY.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.