If you open any TV news channel these days, you are bound to be aware of one particular issue being discussed in full spirits. The same topic is also a matter of heated debate in the print media. Despite serious national issues like Coalgate scandal and regional issues like Assam riots being the prime focus, the Raj Thackeray Vs one and all issue has become a big hit. Currently, the national media and the nationalist Indians are cornering Raj Thackeray for his ‘anti-Bihari’ and ‘anti-migrant’ comments. Here are some of my observations on this issue:
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The root of this mess lies in the Azad Maidan riots in Mumbai when Muslim protesters carried out mass destruction of public property, publicly beat policemen and even desecrated Amar Jawan Memoial. Soon after, Raj Thackeray organized a big protest against the vandalism and tried to awaken the Maharashtrian voters against the “ineffectiveness” of state govt. Huge media outcry followed and the destruction of Amar Jawan memorial in particular touched a sensitive cord of public memory. The state govt, which is headed by Congress party, and the local police which take orders from them came into action and filed cases against dozens of accused of the riots and vandalism (this also seems to be a political gimmick of Congress to first appease Muslims by allowing them to have their showdown and then to appease Maharashtrian Hindus by trying to catch the culprits). One of these accused was a Muslim guy, a native of Mumbai, who happened to be caught in Bihar where he was staying for a few days before trying to escape outside the borders into Nepal. Soon after Mumbai police made the arrest in Bihar, Bihar govt wrote a letter to Maharashtra police reminding them about the protocol of informing the local (Bihar) police in case of such arrests. Raj Thackeray who had already championed this particular issue, reacted sharply asking why is it that all criminals run to Bihar after doing crime in Mumbai? Now the main point which media and political analysts are missing, I am not sure if by chance or deliberately, is that why Nitish Kumar and his govt had to object to a criminal accused being arrested in Bihar?
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Over the last many years, Nitish Kumar has been shrewdly playing minority politics in Bihar and trying to build Muslim vote banks. It was a political compulsion as such, because he had to grab Muslim vote banks from Lalu Prasad who had his legendary ‘MY’ formula to ensure a sure sort electoral victory. It seems to me that Nitish Kumar felt that the Bihari Muslim community would feel insulted that Mahrashtra police came to Bihar to arrest “one of them” and hence it sent that letter as a “proof” that Nitish Kumar will leave no stones unturned to protect the “interests” of the Muslim community. The same strategy clearly has been making Nitish Kumar to get into spontaneous and unsolicited attacks on Gujarat CM Narendra Modi because he believes that Muslims all over India would love anyone who hurts Mr. Modi. And not the least, who knows in these times of coalition politics where smaller parties have luxury of switching sides, creating such a “pro-Muslim” impression may help Mr. Kumar someday get his dream Prime Minister’s chair!
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Now Raj Thackeray’s response on the other hand has been most natural. At least after watching and hearing him (and Shiv Sena) for many years now I can say that his stand is totally understandable and predictable. Some people ransacked his motherland Mumbai and here is one guy who is objecting to Mumbai police from arresting the accused! How could he tolerate such an act? Of course Raj has a very strong opinion on things and lacks “politician like” diplomacy. So he ended up making more allegations on Biharis “in general”. His statements where he accuses Biharis and UP wallahs for flooding Mumbai and doing most crimes happening here are examples of such statements. Such allegations are factually incorrect (more migrants in Mumbai are from Karnataka/Gujarat/other Southern states than from Bihar; also all big mafia and underworld dons in the state are from the local population or at least not from Bihar). His allegations should be taken in the right spirits and should be seen in the perspective of the kind of political standing he has in the state. He was only “provoked” and “angry” at the prospect of being challenged by Nitish Kumar and some secondary leaders of JDU and made a lot of charged statements.
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I think therefore, Nitish Kumar is more to be blamed on this fiasco than Raj Thackeray. Nitish knew what he was getting into, but still “played it” in order to appease his Muslim vote banks. But if the fight goes on for extended time, this episode will come back to bite him. Here is how:
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Until last (most recent) such “regional wars” in Maharashtra, it was always “Marathi Vs North Indians”. The term “North Indian” was used both by Shiv Sena and MNS to target “migrants” from other states. But this time around we have got only “Biharis” on the spotlight. Till last time, the targets were of the likes of Congressi Kripa Shankar Singh (who hailed from UP and settled in Mumbai), but this time around, the targets are “Biharis” as a whole. No matter how Nitish Kumar hails his initiatives and developments in Bihar which have indeed reduced migrants going out of the state, for many years to come migration won’t be going to stop totally. People from Bihar have to go out of their state looking for better education and employment and this is not a choice for most but a kind of compulsion. If situation in Maharashtra worsens, especially because of the impending elections due to which all politicians won’t let such opportunities go, Biharis will know whom to blame. For Nitish Kumar, it will be a zero sum game.
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While the need of the hour is a more sensible approach by both parties, the onus lies more on Nitish Kumar. A new trend is that increasingly more JDU leaders are going to the media and speaking their hearts out while “representing” Nitish or Bihar in general. He needs to have better control and appoint some competent party spokesperson. Also, building minority vote bank may be a strategic need but getting into frequent verbal duals with counterparts from other states is not going to help him in the long run. Therefore, he should contain negative tactics in his politics and should feel more confident in the positive methods. The kind of good work he is doing in Bihar will win him many elections to come, unless he become so much paranoid and insecure that he makes relationships with BJP and NDA partners sour on every appearing moment of truth. In the end, I won’t object to the sensationalism of such issues by media because no matter what they are not going to stop their TRP wars.
