By Manish Anand
New Delhi, December 11: With internet breaking barriers, Bihar is now listening to some of the forceful voices against caste divisions. A clear narrative for breaking free from caste-based politics is finding celebrations among a section of the youth. While election strategist Prashant Kishor has dug his heels in Bihar to fan the air for an alternative politics, IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav in a curious turn in the state also took the stage to raise the call for ‘Let’s inspire Bihar’.
Four months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the forceful arguments for stoking pride in the regional nationalism of Bihar are being closely watched out by the political observers. The 90s generation that saw the ‘jungle raj’ is now seen to be growing restless for a change in Bihar. With the generation of the 1990s having made fortunes in diverse sectors of IT, bureaucracy, and others, there appears subtle moves afoot to grab the political space in the dominated by the caste-based identity politicians.
Prashant Kishor is now in his second year of outreach in Bihar. He is holding small meetings which are attended by a cross-section of the society. He serves earfuls to his audiences. He holds the people of the state for the current conditions of Bihar. Prashant Kishor is blunt in telling the people that they are themselves responsible for the currete state of affairs in Bihar. Prashant Kishore said ine such lamentation: “Vote dijiyega Ram Mandir par aur sochiyega shiksha badlegi…bachcha padhega hi nahi aur sochiyega beta collector banega (You vote for Ram Rample and hope education will improve. With no education, you dream that your child will become an IAS).”
He serves another diagnosis “neta ko sudharne se pahle khud sudhariye …aap apna imaan beche 500 rupya aur murga bhaat par to neta chor nahi hoga to Harishchandra hoga…pahle apna chori sudhariye (before thinking to change politicians, change yourself as political class consists of bigger thieves than you)”.
His ‘Jan Suraj’ outreach is gathering curious cross-sections of the people who listen to the blunt messages served by Prashant Kishor in his chaste Bihari accent. Mahatma Gandhi has a pride of place in the background of the small stage of Prashant Kishor.
But he is not alone in “awakening the conscience” of the people of Bihar. Serving IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav yesterday held stage in Begusarai where he addressed a rally which was attended by the people from several districts of Bihar. For years, he has been building a fan-following in Bihar. Counting several media friends, Vikas Vaibhav is widely reported in the state media in glorified terms. He has also been active for several years with outreach among the youth. Now, he is seen to have perfected the art of public speaking. Vikas Vaibhav sought rejuvenation of Bihar. As part of ‘Namaste Bihar’ campaign, the IPS officer makes people take oath to work for the state of a developed state by 2043.
He also says, “Bihar badalna hai kin ahi badalna hai..agar badalna hai to sankalp lena hoga ki hum jaati, sampraday, ling bhed se uthe…us Bihar ka smaran Karen jo kabhi akhand Bharat ka samrajya ka Kendra tha (you want to change Bihar or not; to change you have to rise above small differences of caste, religion, and gender and recall that era when Bihar was the centre of the Indian empire).”
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