Between aim and achievement falls the shadow. And Raj Thackeray may just have done the greatest service to development in Bihar. It is sadly ironic that it took violence and deaths in Maharashtra to, at least, nominally unite arch-rivals Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, with Ram Vilas Paswan in the picture as well. The belligerent and bickering troika at the helm of Bihar politics shared a platform while laying the foundation stone for the reconstruction of a fertiliser plant at Barauni. If they came together more often, and on issues bigger than a fertiliser plant, the beleaguered state might finally dream of beginning to find its way out of economic darkness. It might even, over time, set its law and order straight. It might at last begin to offer its residents the means of livelihood, the health and educational opportunities that would curtail the overwhelming need of its youth to try and make a living by migrating to wonderlands like Mumbai. Wonderland would instead come to Bihar. As Nitish Kumar has been saying since he became chief minister three years ago, his big challenge is to create conditions for Bihar to benefit from the Biharis’ industry. Thackeray may have, in his thuggish way, provided an impetus.

But all this still remains wishful thinking. Till the other day, Lalu Prasad and Paswan were criticising Nitish Kumar for the resignation of the five Janata Dal (United) MPs from the Lok Sabha. And the Bihar CM was rebuking the two Union leaders for not doing justice to their authority by bringing pressure to bear on the Central government. In fact, the Bihar deputy CM, Sushil Modi, had admitted that all-party unity would not last in Bihar.

... contd.