The Hindu : No Central intervention in Bihar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 05, 2003

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No Central intervention in Bihar

By Harish Khare

New Delhi Jan. 4. Notwithstanding the brave talk in the National Democratic Alliance circles in Patna of ``President's rule'' and the dismissal of the Rabri Devi Government, the Centre is unlikely to provide any comfort to the BJP and the Samata Party in the State as they agitate against the RJD-Congress coalition Government.

The NDA constituents in Bihar are hoping that the possibility of Central intervention would motivate their cadre and sustain the agitation, the first major political offensive against the Rabri Devi regime in recent years.

The Union Cabinet on Friday night had a brief discussion on the situation arising out of the Bihar bandh called by the NDA over the ``fake encounter'' by police. The bandh saw considerable violence and widespread disruption of rail traffic.

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, wanted to know from the Bihar-based Ministers the situation in the wake of the bandh as also why there was talk of ``Centre's rule'' there. (Some of the NDA leaders were reported to have threatened that because of the ``lawlessness'' the State would be brought under President's rule and that a joint session of Parliament could be called to get the Parliamentary ratification for the Presidential proclamation.)

The Prime Minister was not exactly amused that some of the Central Ministers were seen as lending a helping hand in a political agitation against a State Government.

Mr. Vajpayee's invitation to his colleagues to talk on Bihar did not elicit much response. Surprisingly, the NDA convener and Defence Minister, George Fernandes, kept his counsel. He said he had been quoted out of context.

The Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, confined himself to explaining the steps taken by his Ministry to safeguard railway property from the bandh-related violence. Neither Sharad Yadav, Minister of Consumer Affairs, nor Shahnawaz Hussain, Minister for Civil Aviation, had any view on what, if anything, ought to be done in Bihar. It was pointed out that only Ram Vilas Paswan, a former colleague, who had first talked of Central rule.

Even the Deputy Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, Lal Krishna Advani, had no views or information to share with the Cabinet. Evidently, the Home Ministry did not think that the Bihar situation was serious enough for it to firm up a view.

The inclination is to treat the developments since the ``fake encounter'' as a law and order problem, falling strictly within the jurisdiction of the State Government.

The tone and tenor of the discussion do not indicate any willingness to take political advantage out of the Bihar situation. There seems to be a marked reluctance to take on the State Government, especially if it entails any flexing of the Centre's Constitutional muscles.

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