Bihar voters found Nitish Kumar’s vision more credible than Gujarat model

It can’t be denied that despite his image of incorrigibly corrupt buffoon and the villain who had ushered in the Jungle Raj in Bihar, Lalu proved more than a match for the ‘invincible’ master strategist Amit Shah and charismatic Narendra Modi. He can now gloat and boast to his heart’s content at least for a while- ‘Iss Jungle main bus hum sher!’

Nor should Nitish Kumar’s contribution be underestimated. In the end, his vision of development-focusing on the impoverished villages and grass roots-was found more credible than the much hyped Gujarat Model prioritising the global over the local and giving primacy to industrialsation for creating jobs. There was no dearth of ‘blows below the belt’ but no mud could stick on Nitish. His cleanliness akin to godliness more than compensated for smears on Lalu’s face. The good work done by Nitish Babu (ironically some of it in partnership with BJP!) was not forgotten by the beneficiaries. In contrast, the PM was seen as some one who had failed to deliver what he had promised the people of Bihar. Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas has lost much of its soul stirring appeal. PM’s silence post Dadri too could only aggravate the situation on the battlefield. Coup de Agrace was administered by the Old War Horse Mohan Bhagwat who needlessly scratched the scab off reservation wounds. Once again Mandal scored over Kamandal.

To cut a long story short, nothing worked for the BJP because none in the party had the courage to open their mouth and tell the emperor that he had left his clothes behind. To make matters worse someone in urgent need of psychiatric aid had the brainwave to brandish ‘Ban the Beef’ weapon who had no clue that what a boomerang means. The hotheads and loud mouths who inhabit the fringes of Hindutva brigade but seem to render the high command incapable of sane (read rational) decision making declared open season on any one who ate meat (how could an innocent man being lynched in front of his family prove before his last breath that he was not a closet beef eater and that what was stored in the fridge was kosher?) and sealed BJP/NDA’s fate.

The deteriorating ‘climate of intolerance’ was not a figment of pseudo secular, progressive-liberal, professional public intellectuals or jhola chhap anti-national activists and protectors of sundry terrorists. Far from Lutyen’s Delhi, underexposed and uninfluenced by ‘Modi baiting English media’, the rustic, rural Bihar has spoken out loud and clear. Indian Constitution can’t be equated with the story of Goldilocks. One size or shape doesn’t fit every one. If we are really serious about not ‘tolerating’ but celebrating difference than we must accept that in our nation of sub continental dimension parties with different hues will govern different states and the Central Government has to learn to live with this reality. Any attempt to paint the map of India in any one colour – saffron, red or green – is equally hazardous.

What will be really interesting is how the ripples created by the stunning victory of mahagathbandhan affect the procceedings of the winter session of Parliament and log jammed legislative business and budget formation. Arun Jaitley may well be brooding now – manufacturing consent is harder than manufacturing dissent!

– The writer is an Indian academic, historian and former professor of international relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Views expressed are personal.