The Hindu Business Line : There are no fun times in Bihar

ON rail or off, there's always something to rail at if it's about Lalu. The latest is his comment about still being in power. Paswan should be angry that Lalu is now a tension-free, relaxed man, saying things such as: "I'm not worried about loss of power. I have ruled for 15 years. I'm still in power. It is a problem only for those hankering for it." But taxpayers are worried that the man is asking for fresh elections, because that would mean poll expenses, and there's no guarantee that the mandate wouldn't be fractured. Voters don't change their minds so soon, do they?

Five years ago, the scene was different. Number 1 Anne Road, Patna, was the scene for celebration, as Lalu was hailed by his supporters as bhagwan. In an interview then, Lalu had explained: "The poor and the downtrodden of this State have been insulted in the worst possible manner by some people. They have been called junglees (savages) just because they are with me politically and ideologically." In response to such `vilification,' they were `showing sraddha (respect) for their State' by calling Lalu their god. His detractors would say Lalu failed the people, but the end result is that his devotees failed their god.

Before the recent elections, he was confident of retaining his `kingdom' even as he spoke of the polls as mere renewal of `Rabri's licence' for five more years. "Main mooli nahi hoon kee koi ukhaddega," he had roared, meaning I am not a radish, which anyone can pull out.

There's a chubby photo of Lalu on Wikipedia, and the write-up notes: "He is one of the most parodied politicians from India. Most of the parodies mimic his rustic dialect (of Hindi), his clownish actions and statements." The page gives a link to www.atimes.com where you can see a positive Lalu not ruling out the possibility of being Prime Minister one day, though conceding "there is still time."

Many jokes about Lalu abound on the Net. For instance, www.jaalmag.com has an anecdote of his going for modelling after resigning as CM, and posing for shutterbugs with a herd of buffaloes, resting his elbow on one of them. "Guess the caption," asks the site, and suggests: "Laloo, third from left!"

I'm sure Lalu doesn't mind the humour, because there're a few edifying ones too. Such as how Bill Clinton decided to `teach' Lalu English, and invited him over to the US. They lock themselves in a room, and it is only after many weeks that the door opens. Out comes Lalu, with his usual smile, cool and unruffled. But Bill looks dazed. To shocked reporters Bill answers: "Ee babua hamar kuch bhi naahi sunat hai!"

Lalu fun is on unusual sites too, such as an URL of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (www.ieee-tsec.org) . In one snippet, he is coming out of the airport and the security guard says, "Wait please," to which our man replies, "65 kg" and moves on. Lalu claims that behind what are seen as his funny ways, "there is always a deeper meaning" for he has "the interests of the poor in mind" and that he gives them hope.

It is instructive that in an article titled, "Making a meaning of Laloo's Bihar," Rakesh Chaubey wrote that the poor of the State "hardly cared for what many scams Laloo was involved and whether he was further corroding the already brittle foundations of Bihar economy," because what mattered to them was that "he was paying back their long-time tormenters in the same coin." Lalu held his sway not with `tangible gains' for his people, but doled out `abstract values' such as `rights' and `dignity.'

Perhaps, Lalu has lost touch with his people, and so failed to notice that they have changed over the years. Is it that they're tired of his entertainment and, therefore, asking for tangible gains?

SayCheek@TheHindu.co.in

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