As the Lok Sabha polls unveil in Bihar, the state’s tumultuous history resurrects the horrific memories of the savage lynching of IAS officer G. Krishnaiah, a promising bureaucrat posted as Gopalganj district magistrate, back in December 1994.
This dark chapter has returned to haunt Bihar’s electorate as the state’s two most-influential political figures, chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, have given election tickets to individuals who had come under the lens in the Krishnaiah murder case.
Read More
Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla, the younger brother of the late Chhotan Shukla and an acquitted individual in the Krishnaiah case, is the RJD candidate from Vaishali Lok Sabha seat.
In the neighboring Sheohar constituency, Lovely Anand, the wife of Anand Mohan Singh, a convicted perpetrator in the Krishnaiah case, has stepped into the electoral arena representing Nitish’s Janata Dal (United). Lovely, like Vijay, was acquired in the case.
Polling is scheduled in Vaishali and Sheohar on May 25.
The fielding of Lovely and Vijay by frontline parties reignites a contentious debate in Bihar’s civil society and bureaucracy. While there is no legal impediment to Lovely and Vijay pursuing electoral ambitions, an adverse perception about their viability as candidates raises profound doubts about the moral compass of both society and the political entities.
Anand Mohan’s involvement in inciting the mob that killed Krishnaiah raises troubling questions about the empowerment of tainted politicians who are in pursuit of social and demographic dominance. His release from prison last year, while legally sound, reflects on the broader societal dynamics of Bihar, a state overwhelmed by caste and criminal nexus in politics.
Once a prominent Rajput leader challenging the dominance of backward castes patronized by the Lalu regime, Anand Mohan found refuge within the same political faction after his son Chetan Anand won an assembly seat in Bihar in 2020 on an RJD ticket.
However, Chetan’s switch to the National Democratic Alliance, following Nitish’s realignment earlier this year, appears to have prompted a reciprocal gesture from the JD(U) boss in the form of a ticket to Lovely. If Anand Mohan’s release from prison, while meeting legal requirements, highlights the murky intersection of power and privilege, Nitish’s decision to give a ticket to his wife somewhat sits oddly with the chief minister’s declared intolerance for anything unethical.
Amidst these political machinations, the tragic death of Krishnaiah, a compassionate public servant, remains a poignant reminder of the human cost buried beneath the veneer of power struggles. His murder during the funeral procession of notorious gangster Chhotan Shukla, despite his lack of connection to the deceased, had sent shockwaves across the nation in the nineties.
As Krishnaiah’s widow pursues legal options against the release of Anand Mohan, the debate over justice and the rule of law in Bihar endures. While one judicial verdict concerning Anand Mohan’s conviction has been rendered, the long-awaited decision on his prison release amplifies the lingering uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the emergence of Lovely and Vijay as election candidates representing prominent parties in Bihar has cast a pervasive shadow over the intricate political landscape of the state. The final chapter of this saga, yet unwritten, holds the promise of deeper truths revealing about the soul of Bihar’s democracy.
Subscribe to India Today Magazine
Published By:
Shyam Balasubramanian
Published On:
Apr 28, 2024
