No need for army to be deployed
in central Bihar, says Nitish Kumar
Railway Minister and Samata Party politician Nitish Kumar today asserted that there is no need to deploy the army in central Bihar where several massacres by private armies and extremists have taken place in recent days.
"The situation is not that bad," he said in New Delhi.
He said the situation has improved since the imposition of President's rule in Bihar. But the feud between landowners and landless labourers can only be tackled through an effective social movement and administrative measures, he added.
He said all parties would have to come together to launch a movement to stop such killings.
He emphasised the need to implement land reforms, some work on which was done by the government of the late Karpoori Thakur in the Seventies.
Asked if he thought there had been a spurt in the activities of the private armies representing the upper castes and the dalits when the Rashtriya Janata Dal was ruling the state, he said this was not a new phenomenon, but is limited to certain pockets in central Bihar. These have to be identified before implementing any measures to restore social order.
He said the government could not be compelled to introduce immediately in the Rajya Sabha the resolution seeking to ratify the imposition of President's rule.
He said the government is working within the Constitution, which gives it two months to get President's rule ratified by both Houses of Parliament.
The Lok Sabha has already adopted the resolution, and it is the government's prerogative to decide when the resolution should be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
He said it was incorrect of the opposition to disturb the proceedings in both Houses demanding that the resolution should be introduced in the Rajya Sabha immediately.
Congress committing political suicide, says Govindacharya
In Hyderabad, Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary K N Govindacharya said the Congress is committing "political harakiri" by taking the "immoral stand" of opposing President's rule.
Asked if the imposition of central rule in Bihar would be ratified, he said the BJP is exploring all legal and political options.
He said that while there is a general rise in the incidence of crime all over the country, Bihar is unique because the people in power there took sides, misused the state apparatus, and protected criminals.
There were several instances of violence against politicians and IAS officers and in all these cases, the finger pointed to the state administration, he said.
He said the mere imposition of President's rule would not suffice. It will take some time to set right the state apparatus, which is steeped in corruption and casteism.
Referring to Tuesday's violence in Jehanabad district, the BJP ideologue said it followed a visit to the area by former chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav during which he made an inflammatory speech.
He said Naxalite violence has continued in the state since 1990 and casteism and corruption exist in all Naxalite groups, which are being used by petty land-holders to settle their disputes.
UNI
The Bihar state page
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