Lesson from Nitish to Rahul? Migrants dont beg,they move the wheels of a city Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars contention that Delhi would come to a standstill were its Bihari residents to stop working for a day could have some truth to it migrants from Bihar do,after all,constitute a rising share of the capitals population. Kumar was exhorting Biharis to take pride in their contribution and to celebrate their migration. Thats a refreshing political chord to strike after Rahul Gandhis bleak refrain during the UP election campaign that migrant labourers go to beg in cities. That goes against the very grain of mobility,both physical and economic. Cities remain the hubs of opportunity and dreams and if people from Bihar are making the wheels of Delhi move,so are people from West Bengal,Tamil Nadu,Kerala,you name it. Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit is right that the city belongs to everyone and each citizen has the right to migrate not only to Delhi but anywhere else in India. Thats one of the great strengths of the republic. Over the years,it has led to people moving to different parts of the country for work and for home,it has helped weaken the rigid divides of caste and community,its essential to the creation of the market so attractive to businesses and employment in short,its the very foundation of the idea of India. Sometimes,narrow parochial interests do triumph over such considerations,as the success of Raj Thackerays Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,especially in Mumbai,demonstrates. The backlash against migrants from Bihar and UP in Mumbai shames not only the city but the nation. Thats why politics based on exploiting such cultural polarisation is bound to yield diminishing returns. Thats why Nitish Kumar,the shrewd politician that he is,underlined the vital importance of the migrant to life in the capital.
