TOTAL prohibition declared by the Bihar government and the resultant bootlegging have occupied much of the space of daily newspapers in the state. The legislation enacted by the government to enforce the prohibition has been criticised for some of its provisions that are harsh, including the one to penalise all members of a family and the entire village if liquor is found in a family or is brewed in a village illegally.

The prohibition has gained wide support among the people in general and the women folk in particular and its positive impact can be seen in the lives of daily wage earners. But, illegal brewing and smuggling of liquor from neighbouring states have increased manifold which is evident from the deaths of many people after consumption of spurious liquor in Gopalganj. The Nalanda episode, in which a JD(U) leader was arrested after he was found to have illegal storage of liquor in his home, took a bizarre turn as the sub-inspector of the excise department who carried out the search was suspended  and accused by the district administration of being a tool in the hands of a former Mukhia (village head). It has provided ammunition to all those who are up in arms against the total prohibition. BJP has grabbed this issue and is trying to take political advantage out of it. Ex-servicemen and those in military services have openly criticised the government’s policy and raised the issue of harassment of military personnel who visit their villages during vacation and carry a few bottles of liquor with them. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with his eyes on larger political canvas, has made prohibition a political issue and moving around propagating this agenda.

In the meantime, more than half of the districts of Bihar are facing drought like situation due to deficient rain in July and August, while the rest -- the entire stretch of the Ganges from Buxar to Bhagalpur -- are facing a devastating flood. The flood, originating from Madhya Pradesh and Nepal, has exposed the preparation of the Bihar government and its disaster management department which had been boasting about its readiness to meet the challenges posed by such national calamities. The worst affected areas are Patna, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Naugachia, Purnea, Katihar, etc. Marooned people are huddled in ill-equipped camps in schools and other public institutions and many were forced to make their own arrangement on nearby elevated places and even on trees.

Though the government has provided food and other materials in the camps, it is far from satisfactory considering the enormity of the situation. Around 300 people have been reported dead due to the flood. Animals are the worst sufferers and their deaths have not been counted as yet. Now, as flood water is receding in the entire stretch, it has left behind a trail of devastation. The villages in the submerged areas have been completely destroyed and the villagers have lost their belongings and they will have to starts afresh. The government has announced that it would provide Rs 6,000 per family as relief. The flood-affected people need complete rehabilitation. Peasants will have to be compensated for the loss of crops, their animals and everything they possessed. According to a preliminary assessment, the damage caused due to the flood is to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore.

The Bihar government has failed to provide the much-needed help to the hapless drought and flood victims of the state. It failed to take any lesson from the last flood that ravaged the Kosi belt of Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura. It did not convene an all-party meeting and did not take any lead in mobilising the people of Bihar to come to mitigate the sufferings of their brethren. The central government also remained a mute spectator and has not announced any assistance to the suffering masses of Bihar. The chief minister has raised the issue of Farakka barrage and said that it was responsible for the silting of the Ganges and tried to divert the attention of the people of Bihar from the immediate demands of the flood- and- drought-affected people.

A CPI(M) team, comprising state secretary Awadhesh Kumam and Patna district secretary Manoj  Kumar and district committee members, visited some camps in Maner block of Patna district. A day-long dharna was staged before the Maner block office raising the demands of the flood-affected people. The flood-affected people of Bhagalpur blocked the road near Nathnagar and forced the district administration to talk to the CPI(M) leadership. After an agreement for providing relief to the flood victims, the agitation was withdrawn. Similar movements also took place in Khagaria, Saharsha, Darbhanga and Samastipur.

Flawed Development

A 2014 survey report, published in The Times of India, puts a big question mark on the development trajectory pursued by the Nitish Kumar government. Who are the beneficiaries of the double-digit GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) growth? According to the survey findings, Bihar ranks first so far as malnourished children – male and female -- are concerned. Bihar recorded the highest prevalence of under-nourishment (33 per cent) and severe under-nourishment (21.77 per cent) among the 5-18 years age group. In case of female, Bihar reported the highest prevalence (30.5 per cent) of severe under-nourishment.

The just-published sanitation report is also a cause of concern as it puts Bihar at 21^st position among the 26 states surveyed. Open defecation is still widespread in rural and urban centres alike. The report is a severe indictment of the so-called growth which does not take into account the ever-growing marginalised sections that are denied the benefits of food security, pension and other welfare measures. Statutory rationing scheme and other welfare measures like ICDS and mid-day meal scheme, meant to meet the nutritional necessities of the society, are being starved of funds and being implemented shoddily. The cash transfer system also created further difficulties for the most vulnerable section of the state. Education and health sectors in Bihar are in complete mess and only a mass movement on a wider scale can make a difference.

Law & Order Situation

There is an alarming rise in the crime graph in the state in recent times. Report of daily killings in Patna and far-off places are making headlines every day. A perception is growing among the people that the ‘grand alliance’ government is not taking adequate steps to curb criminal activities due to pressure from different allies that have their own political axe to grind. One can observe a definite pattern in the crime where the vulnerable and marginalised sections are the worst sufferers. Dalits and women are the target of attacks in many areas.

The release of RJD strongman Md. Sahabuddin, who has been charged in multiple criminal cases, has generated a lot of debate in Bihar. On his way home in Siwan from Bhagalpur jail, he was accorded hero’s welcome by his supporters and even bystanders were in awe to see his cavalcade pass by. The local media devoted its coverage on Sahabuddin’s release and what he said. People are questioning the role of the present government over his release.

The BJP is trying to fish in troubled water by raising the issue of return of ‘jungle raj’ in the state. The relation within the ruling coalition has also come under strain after Sahabuddin’s remark that Nitish Kumar was a chief minister of circumstances. It seems that a cold war has started between JD(U) and RJD. The Left parties must not allow the BJP to take advantage of such developments and go to the masses and mobilise them.

BJP’s Bid to Foment Communal Trouble

A planned effort is being made to create communal disturbance in Chhapra. The social media was used to foment communal trouble. The BJP and affiliates of RSS started looting and burning shops and establishments, holy places of the minority community in different areas of Saran district. Even the main market near the office of the district magistrate was not spared. A shoe showroom owned by the RJD district president was burnt. Even small shops owned by poor people were looted and burnt. The entry gate of a mosque was torn apart and teachers and students of a madrassa were threatened with dire consequences. Though curfew was imposed, miscreants were allowed to bring out a procession raising highly objectionable slogans. Police did not come to the rescue of the people who were targeted.

A CPI(M) team comprising state secretary Awadhesh Kumar and secretariat members Sarvodaya Sharma, Arun Kumar Mishra and Ahmad Ali visited the riot-affected areas. The intervention by the Party helped maintain peace in some areas. The Party also mobilised other secular parties and a peace march was planned. But at the last moment, JD(U), RJD and Congress refused to participate in the peace march. Leaders and cadres of the Left parties including CPI(M), CP(ML) and CPI came to the spot from where the peace march was to be organised but the administration did not allow it to proceed. The incident shows the limitations of the secular parties who are not interested in fighting the communal forces head on. The hesitation on the part of RJD was also due to the fact that its adherents were taking part in arson and loot. Saran district is adjacent to Uttar Pradesh. BJP is trying to create communal disturbances in and around Uttar Pradesh’s border areas to cash in on likely polarisation on communal lines in the 2017 Assembly election in the state.