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Barely a few hours after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday termed the Bihar police as sabse bada rangdaar (biggest extortionist), I got the clearest evidence of why he had said so.
On Sunday evening, I, along with my family, was on way to a private function near Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park. After leaving Kankarbagh in my personal car, I was about to cross the old Chirayantaad bridge when I had to bring my vehicle to a screeching halt. |
A police gypsy, with an ASI brandishing a four-feet-long stick, shouted, “Aye, ruk, ruk.” I had to stop, thinking that perhaps the CM or Dy CM might be crossing from the eastern end which eventually joins the old Chirayantaad bridge.
But no, it was neither Nitish nor his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi. It was Tourism Minister Sunil Kumar Pinto, who was apparently enjoying every moment his escort party was humiliating to scores of vehicle-owners.
I followed his car and found that the rude behaviour of police escort party (brandishing stick and shouting) continued. The minister made no effort to ask the police to stop the menace or not be rude to people passing through. Pinto was simply enjoying every bit of his “unbridled power” which has come with a ministerial slot followed by an escort party.
Having accompanied the Chief Minister several times, I recalled how Nitish Kumar personally instructs his staff that while travelling to any place, there should not be any inconvenience to the common man due to his cavalcade. At times, he has snubbed those who flout his guidelines.
But when will Nitish’s ministers take a leaf out of their boss’s book? Enjoying enormous power and clout, they have started treating themselves like a demi-god.
Incidentally, Nitish Kumar too had come to the function where I had been to. I could have easily narrated him the incident, as he was in a relaxed mood and chatted with us for quite long.
But I wanted to talk to the Tourism Minister first and ask him why he did not stop his escort party from misbehaving with every person who was driving his or her car en route.
So on Monday morning, I rang him up on his mobile no. 9431241051. Repeated attempts to contact him bore no fruit. Then I called him up on his landline - 2202887. The lady who picked up the phone said, “Minister Saheb is busy. Kuch kaam hai?” I said, “I just wanted to narrate him about yesterday’s night incident and tell him how rude his escort party was. And what right do these cops have to humiliate every law-abiding citizen.” The minister even then took no pains to call back and apologise. Which made me ponder over three things:
First, why do these lesser mortals like Pinto roam around in the heart of Patna with a police escort? Having spent nearly 40 years in Patna, I have never seen such crass misutilisation of power/police. (God knows who started this practice of escort party for ministers moving in Patna. This reminds me of Lalu Raj when his goons used to roam around in SUVs brandishing guns and Ak-47, and abusing every Tom, Dick and Harry who dared to come through their way).
Secondly, what will happen if one fine day Nitish Kumar’s 30-odd ministers start roaming around the heart of State Capital with their respective escort party?
Thirdly, if we have a Tourism Minister like Pinto, imagine what impression will those people have who come from outside the State and if they too are meted out the same treatment?
Is this the way you are planning to promote tourism, Nitish ji?
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