Patna,(BiharTimes): Nitish Kumar became the first politician in Bihar, who as the chief minister announced the shutdown (bandh) in the state. But that is not the only first. He is the first chief minister of the state who was not even aware that the CBSE-XII exam starts on March 1 and disrupting them would amount to playing with the career of thousands of students of the state he is ruling.
On Friday afternoon he made a public appeal asking the people of the state to observe Bihar bandh in protest against the Centre’s decision to give special category status to Seemandhra and not to Bihar.
It was later in the day that he changed the date to March 2, that is Sunday, only after being reminded that the CBSE-XII examinees would face a lot of harassment.
The state Janata Dal (United) president Bashistha Narayan Singh said that the date was changed because the CBSE exams are being held on March 1.
Basistha Narayan Singh might have cited the example of CBSE but the truth is that in this season, examination of other classes and boards also take place. Our politicians are unaware that there are a large number of ICSE schools too in Bihar.
To take the wind out of the sail the BJP launches its ‘rasta roko’ stir on February 28, just a day before the start of CBSE exam day.
As if that is not enough on March 3 its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, is to address a public meeting in Muzaffarpur to be followed by Purnea on March 10. Both these days are Monday and would certainly affect students of one board/class or other in these two towns. He is to address two more rallies in March––Gaya and Bhagalpur––but their dates have not been announced yet.
The RJD, which could not get the ground in Muzaffarpur, cleverly announced that it is postponing its rally keeping in mind the examination. The truth is that earlier it too was unaware of examination.
What Nitish needs to be reminded is that the Supreme Court had way back in 1998 banned bandhs called by political parties and even imposed fines on the BJP and Shiv Sena for calling a Mumbai bandh against the serial bomb blasts. But here who will bell the cat, that is, impose fine, on the chief minister.