If I select both from the Muslim community, it is natural that people will suspect my motives. So, have we actually moved beyond these things? I do not think so.
SHAIBAL GUPTA (FOR)
Caste as a fever has gone down in Bihar in recent times. Development works are going on, roads are being built there has been various schemes for underprivileged sections so that they can come on a par with other sections. Based on development works, caste feelings in the state will surely come down. However, it is very difficult to wipe it out totally. Earlier, caste factor was not only confined to just politics. It was present everywhere — from politics to judiciary to administration. People holding senior government positions used to prefer people from their castes in junior posts. Yet, people from this state have elected people simply on the basis of their credentials and not on the basis of their castes several times. George Fernandes, Acharya Kripalani and Minoo Masani were elected from various constituencies because of their good work and their credentials.
SHAKEEL AHMAD (AGAINST)
One cannot deny the fact the whole political capital of those speaking in favour and against the motion is caste. Nothing much has changed in Bihar and those who claim that people voted for development should realise the fact that had it been the case the vote share of Nitish Kumar would not have gone up by just three to four per cent in the 2010 Assembly elections.
If one accepts the claim that women and youths voted in large numbers in support of Nitish, one would also have to accept the base of voters who supported Nitish in 2005 has become narrower now.
When Lalu’s voters’ base became narrower due to the perception that he banked on the support of Muslims and Yadavs, the other backward castes started supporting Nitish. Nitish then went on to garner the support of non-Paswan Dalit votes and took help of the BJP to make inroads into the upper caste votes.
I wish to see a Bihar where caste doesn’t play a role in politics but at the same time one also cannot claim that it was not visible in the 2010 Assembly elections.
