Patna, August 29
As the ruling NDA in Bihar has completed 21 months in office since November, 2005, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his bete noire, Union railway minister Lalu Prasad are now seemingly vying with each other to command the strong muslim vote bank in the state.
It was the Muslim-Yadav equation that had helped Lalu earlier to rule Bihar for 15 years since 1990.The erosion in the Muslim-Yadav vote bank also had proved to be fatal for the RJD supremo in 2005 Assembly poll when he had lost the battle to Nitish, besides a new polaristaion of non-Yadav OBCs and upper caste votes in favour of the NDA.
This was evident when the Nitish cabinet on Tuesday decided to give monthly pension of Rs 2,500 each for the next of kin of 853 persons who had lost their lives in 1989 Bhagalpur riots.The Cabinet move followed recommendations by the Bhagalpur Riot Commission, headed by retired justice S.N. Sinha who handed over the commission`s report to Nitish earlier. The commsion was formed last year by the Nitish government only.
Principal secretary, Cabinet coordination, Girish Shanker told reporters today that the decision would be effective from September 1, 2007. Shankar said each dependent of those killed would get monthly pension of Rs 2,500, on the pattern of those killed in the 1984 Sikh riots.
The compensation would entail an additional expense of Rs 2.56 crore to the state exchequer per annum.
Sources, however, disclosed to The Tribune that despite his association with the BJP, Nitish made this bold move on Bhagalpur riot victims primarily to outwit Lalu Prasad on minority turf. Muslims in Bihar are said to be decisive in at least 80 assembly and 15 Lok sabha seats.
Besides, the state government is also planning to press the Centre to announce a relief and rehabilitation package for Bhagalpur vicitms on a par with the package announced for the victims of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
The Bhagalpur communal riot that claimed more than 1,000 lives has remained an emotive issue for the minorities, and the Nitish government, when it assumed power in November 2005, made it clear that the previous dispensation failed to properly rehabilitate the riot victims, and was even soft on some of the accused, who were even allowed to go scot-free.
And soon after the move by Nitish on the Bhagalpur riot victims, battle lines were drawn by the RJD in its bid to retain its minority vote bank.
Contrary to Nitish’s move to focus on Bhagalpur riots, the RJD picked up the issue of the brutal beating of chain snatcher Salim Aurrangeb in Bhagalpur yesterday by the mob with the help of the police.
In what appeared to be an attempt to tickle the religious sentiments of people and corner the Nitish government, RJD activists took to the streets in Bhagalpur to protest against the incident.The group also stoned a police station and cried hoarse saying that the minority community was not safe in the state under the NDA rule.
The administration has sent a high-level team to Bhagalpur, not only to probe the incident but also to ensure that communal flames do not flare up just like in 1989.
Nitish condemned the remarks made by Lalu Prasad where he criticised the state government for failing to protect the minority in the wake of the beating of the chain snatcher.
