WILL BIHAR GET RID OF ‘NEEL DOSH’

WILL BIHAR GET RID OF ‘NEEL DOSH’

29-JULY-ENG 6

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-----------------------Is the 'Nitish-Lalu Dosh', which has been rooted in Bihar politics for decades and is now directly named as 'Neela Dosh', really heading towards its end? The open call for freedom from 'Neela Dosh' on the posters of prospective candidates under the Jan Suraj Abhiyan is once again posing this question in front of the people of Bihar. This is not just an election slogan, but a symbol of the deep discontent that considers this political equation a major obstacle in the development of the state.

For the last several decades, the center of power in Bihar has revolved around Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav. These two giants have defined the politics of the state, sometimes together, and sometimes by clashing against each other. Jan Suraj alleges that due to this 'Neela Dosh', Bihar has not been able to make the expected progress in basic areas like education, health, employment and law and order. Frequently changing alliances, power tussles and excessive emphasis on caste equations have left the overall development of the state far behind.

Freedom from 'Neela Dosh' simply means freeing Bihar's politics from the dominance of these two major poles. It means promoting such politics where development, good governance and public interest issues are paramount instead of caste equations. New political platforms like Jan Suraj have entered the fray with the hope that they can give the people a third and credible option. Their goal is clear: to free Bihar from the political web that has hindered its progress for decades.

This is the most important question. Freedom from 'Neela Dosh' is possible only when the people of Bihar themselves are ready for it. They will have to rise above caste loyalties and old political identities and accept new leadership and new thinking. The posters of Jan Suraj are directly communicating with the people, telling them where the root of their problems lie. It will be interesting to see whether this direct attack will force voters to think and they will decide to untie a decade old political knot.

Of course, the political influence of Nitish and Lalu Prasad Yadav has still not diminished. They have their own dedicated vote banks and their organizational hold is also strong. But, the slogan of 'Neela Dosh' reflects the growing aspiration in Bihar which no longer wants to be limited to only old faces and equations. The upcoming elections will be a litmus test of whether Bihar will really be able to move towards freedom from 'Neela Dosh', or will remain trapped in the old political maze.