Nitish laments decline in political culture

PATNA: Lamenting over the deteriorating political culture and decline in principles and ideologies, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday lashed out at BJP's PM pick Narendra Modi without naming him and said some leaders were raising baseless issues to create social tension.

The CM was speaking after releasing a Hindi title 'Hashiye par padi duniya' (world on the margin) which contains writing and speeches of prominent socialist leader Balkrishna Gupta, a close confidant of Ram Manohar Lohia.

"The situation in the country is getting from bad to worse and nation is weakening. If people don't awake and realize the danger, they will suffer," he said and asked the intellectuals and media to play their role in the larger interest of the nation.

Nitish said if wrong things are said and propagated it should be replied in right perspective. "How can I admit that Takshila is in Bihar or I was enjoying 'Chhappan bhog' at Rajgir when I was very much present in Patna on a particular day. I have the right to reply to such canard," the CM said, again referring to Modi's utterances at Gandhi Maidan on October 27.

He said the decay in political ideologies did not happen overnight; rather it started from the time of Lohia, the leader who gave a big jolt to Congress in 1967 when non-Congress governments were formed in several states. Again, after a decade, under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, a new movement which was an extension of Lohia's Sapt Kranti movement, emerged but it also could not flourish and his ideologies were forgotten. Today, the politics stands bereft of philosophies and principles, he added.

The CM said he tried to implement some ideologies of Lohia to some extent, particularly for the betterment of poor in the society and to bring them in the mainstream. "There is need for debate on the poorer sections of the society and agenda for their welfare. There should be policies for the society, the nation and many more issues but some leaders are more interested in spreading canard and creating controversies," Nitish said.

CM's cultural adviser Pavan Kumar Varma, senior socialist leader and vice chairman of citizens' council Bhola Prasad Singh, Balkrishna Gupta's younger brother Vidya Sagar Gupta and his daughter Ruchira Gupta also spoke on the occasion. The CM asked Ruchira, who runs an NGO engaged in rescuing girls from brothels and also teaches in New York, to come forward as an icon for bringing social changes.
TOI, Patna

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