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COLUMN

Political activities intensify

as Bihar braces for polls

Some analysts remain sceptical about Nitish Kumar’s return to power in the
HARD state in the light of his poor performance on all fronts despite the fact that
JD(U) will fight in alliance with the BJP.
LINE

ANIL SINGH ith state assembly poll due liquor-ban in the state, which was actually
sometime in the last quarter designed to make sale, consumption of liquor
of 2020, preparations for an offence attracting stringent punishment;
The columnist is hustings are in the offing with nevertheless, has also resulted in the com-
Executive Editor of W all major and small political mencement of a parallel economy for liquor.
News24 news parties preparing to be engaged in flurry of Some critics opine that proliferation of illegal
channel. The views hectic political activity to woo the Bihar elec- liquor business can’t be possible without the
here expressed are the torate. Present dispensation headed by Nitish complicity of people in power.
author’s own Kumar as chief minister is a coalition of Janata What seems to have happened is that the
Dal (United) or JD(U) and the BJP as major pool of people who either engage in these
coalition partners along with some smaller crimes for their survival or out of their arro-
partners. Nitish Kumar has been at the helm gance has become very large. While some of
since 2005 and is aspiring for the fourth term those who lost their livelihood because of the
as chief minister. liquor ban seem to be engaged in petty crimes
Prolonged spell of 15-year rule is a suf- for their survival, those with the “connec-
ficient period to catapult the state of Bihar tions” are engaged in bigger crimes as they
to growth trajectory by pulling it out of the hardly fear the authorities.
so-called BIMARU status to a vibrant state According to media reports citing findings
with buoying economy, rural resurgence, of a recent survey conducted by the Centre
and upscaling the development indicators for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS)
on par with ‘developedstates’ of the national in association with Common Cause, there are
mainstream. However, the recently released two reasons for the spurt in crimes - first is
report by NITI Aayog on SDG India Index attributable to inadequate police personnel,
2019, which evaluates progress of states and poor quality of training and outdated arms
Union Territories on social, economic and and weapons; and secondly, the connivance
environmental scales, has adjudged Bihar as of the police with the people in power, and
the worst performer on the SDGs (Sustainable those engaged in such crimes.
Development Goals). These aspects constitute
the subject of public probity. Social dimensions
Education and health are two major criteria
Law & order for mapping social progress. Bihar’s rank is at
Media reports spanning the period from the 36 in SDG-4, the lowest in the country in the
JD(U)-BJP coalition assuming the power in 2019 SDGs Index. Bihar ranks as the second
Patna in mid-2017 onward depict a dismal lowest in the School Education Quality Index
scenario of the law and order situation and report released by NITI Aayog in September
currently it is said to be at a very low level 2019. Scoring of Bihar in this report in the
in the state. The reported incidents of crime realms of educational infrastructure and
have assumed alarming position entailing nu- facilities, access to schools, learning outcomes
merous instances of crimes against women, and equity is also dismal and about 40 per
abduction, extortion and murder. cent of children are still out of school in Bihar.
In the wake of disagreement among the Bihar’s performance in health sector is
media experts over the real cause of the also dismal. According to NITI Aayog report
deteriorating law and order situation, many on Healthy States Progressive India Report
experts attribute this as a fall out of absolute released on June 25, 2019, Bihar recorded

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