Not everyone is an idealist. Especially not in the world of politics. Many take up this profession to enjoy the power and riches it has to offer. Lalu Prasad Yadav is the perfect example of a successful politician. His achievements include stealing from people, promoting thuggery and dividing society for personal gains. But not everyone is adept at this game, even if they come from the same bloodline. The Gandhi family, which manipulated the entire country on several occasions, now boasts of a scion who cannot even handle a television interview. The picture is much grimmer at the Lalu household, where it seems not a single member is cut out for the patriarch’s business.
But despite the constitutional obligations which prevent him from holding office, Lalu likes to keep power close to home. Wife Rabri Devi, who spent her days in the kitchen, was para-dropped into the chief minister’s office overnight. Son Tej Pratap, who was once a ‘sanyaasi’, took sanyaas from his sanyaas and became Bihar’s health minister. He has now taken it upon himself to solve the world’s ecological crisis, and rides to work on horse. And then there’s the younger son, Tejaswi Yadav. A budding cricketer once, he often ran onto the field carrying drinks for the Delhi Daredevils. Tejaswi Yadav never got a game, but now he is playing a different one. However, the deputy chief minister of Bihar is clueless about how it is played.
A horrific incident took place in Bihar a few days back. Rocky Yadav, offspring of a politician-mother and a gangster-father, shot dead a teenager for overtaking his car. Since Rocky’s mother is an elected representative belonging to the ruling coalition, the general buzz was that the notorious ‘goondaraj’ had returned to Bihar. Upon being asked about this, the deputy chief minister spoke about the Pathankot terrorist attack, and asked if this wasn’t an instance of goondaraj as well considering the government in question ‘let it happen’. What is startling is that this isn’t a politically incorrect or purposefully sensational statement. It is just blatant ignorance about how the country and its various branches of government function, something highly unbecoming of a deputy chief minister. Let us take this opportunity to educate the man.
Firstly, dear Tejaswi Yadav, let us understand the term ‘goondaraj’. This came about when your parents ruled the state one after the other for fifteen years.
I do not know where you were at that point and what you were up to, but chances are you were leading a comfortable, protected life somewhere. Meanwhile, murder, rape and loot had become the commonest activities in the state. What’s more, most of it was committed by your father’s cronies and supporters. Whether your father turned a blind eye to pander to them, or was too busy with other things like cattle fodder is anybody’s guess. But soon enough, it was quite clear that the state government was ‘letting it happen’.
Dear Tejaswi Yadav, when your father’s friend-turned-foe-turned-friend Nitish Kumar dethroned your parents, his government brought this Mafiosi to an end. The likes of Bindi Yadav, Rocky’s father, were put out of business. Bindi had been a staunch supporter of your father, and had used his political clout to become the Godfather of Gaya. His kith and kin ruled and terrorized the area. After Nitish’s advent, they realized they could not go on like before. So they simply switched lanes, to construction and politics. But when Nitish returned for the third time last November, that factor which promoted sanity in the state was unfortunately not with him anymore. Instead, it had been replaced by your father, the erstwhile ruler of the goondaraj era. The reason we believe goondaraj has returned, is because the kith and kin of people like Bindi are clearly back to their thuggish ways. And when those at the helm of affairs (like yourself Mr. Deputy CM) are so lax with their response, the establishment is ‘letting it happen’.
When it comes to the attacks on the Pathankot airbase, dear Tejaswi Yadav, the union government did not ‘let it happen’. This is not a Congress government which ‘lets’ the Malegaon blasts happen so that they can indulge in dirty politics. Unlike the goondaraj, there is no tacit understanding between those who rule and those who kill. The Pathankot attack was perpetrated by an enemy country, with the intention of undermining our defense capabilities. Before assuming the office of the deputy chief minister, the least you could have done was understand the difference between terrorism and goondaraj.
Although there’s one person who agrees with you and has come out in full support. Yes, your convict father. He seems to think that you have imparted some marvellous wisdom that nobody else would be bold enough to impart. But all that’s in public, I’m sure you were reprimanded at home for this bizarre comparison. Let me be honest with you, dear Tejaswi Yadav. Ideally, you should have stuck to the Indian Premier League. Who knows, maybe a team like RCB would have given you a chance. But now that you’re here, and that we can do nothing about it, please don’t go down the Rahul road.