New saviours for Bihar?

Patna, Nov. 13: They had helped the Patna Municipal Corporation realise long-pending holding taxes from habitual defaulters. They also came to the rescue of the poor slum-dwellers when the local administration began razing their huts and shanties located in the state capital without making arrangements for their rehabilitation. With these feats in their kitty, eunuchs in the state seem to be a ray of hope for ridding Bihar of its evils.

And, now that top state leaders are still on the fence over the attacks on Bihari migrants, the saree-clad, heavily made-up transvestites have once again come forward to fight for their rights. Peeved at the role of the state leaders ~ now looking more concerned about playing the political game of one-upmanship than registering a strong protest ~ the eunuchs have resolved to strongly oppose the “atrocities” on the Bihari migrants soon.

Earlier this week, a large number of eunuchs under the banner of the Akhil Bhartiya Kinner Sabha gathered at Koelwar town in Bhojpur district, close to Patna, to at on their plans. The meeting chaired by Suresh Hizra alias Sheela, president of the organization, condemned the continuing hate campaign against Biharis by the MNS activists and assailed the leaders for their failure to muzzle divisive forces on the one hand and to curb such incidents on the other. “It's shameful that eunuchs have to take up the issue since nothing perceivable has been done by the leaders,” they said.

The issue ~ attack on Biharis ~ has left three top state politicians, RJD chief Mr Lalu Prasad, chief minister Mr Nitish Kumar, JD-U, and the LJP president Mr Ram Vilas Paswan locked in the game of one-upmanship as Biharis continue to be attacked. Their unity bid split barely hours after they came together sinking their political difference for this cause.

While all the five JD-U MPs have resigned from the Lok Sabha, the RJD chief has proposed that MPs and MLAs of all parties, including the ruling NDA and its chief minister Mr Kumar, should resign to launch a nation-wide campaign over the issue.

The LJP too has criticised the resignation of JD-U MPs saying: “They tried to present themselves as martyrs by simply trimming their nails”. “If they really are serious over this issue, the JD-U's Rajya Sabha members too must resign. Presently, only its Lok Sabha members have resigned when just four months of their term are left”.

Manoj Chaurasia
The Statesman