The RJD office in Patna. Telegraph picture

‘Leaders left RJD for their interests’

Several RJD leaders are leaving the party. Do you think there were some mistakes while selecting leaders when you were in power?

It’s true that a number of leaders have left the RJD. But that does not mean the party no longer enjoys the mass support. People representing the backward class still have respect for the RJD because our leader, Laluji (Lalu Prasad), has always championed their cause. Leaders such as Shyam Rajak, Bhim Singh and Shakeel Ahmad Khan did not believe in the RJD's ideologies and left the party. But this did not affect the party functioning. They were opportunistic people, had their vested interests and did not have any respect for the party.

As far as selection of leaders is concerned, I don’t think there was any mistake. The primary reason that led many leaders to desert the RJD is very clear — they did not want to struggle while being in opposition. Let me tell you one thing — the leaders who deserted the RJD will return to the party when it comes back to the power again.

After the humiliation in the last Assembly election, Lalu has virtually left Bihar and started staying in Delhi. Are not party workers unhappy?

It is not correct to say that Laluji has left the state after facing defeat in the assembly election. The party has organised several meetings and programmes across the state and he attended all the meetings. For example, he attended the meeting held at Rabri Devi's house on December 22 and 23 in 2010. He also led a march to Forbesganj. There were several other important meetings that Laluji attended. He also campaigned for the Laukaha and Daronda by-elections. As far as staying away from the state is concern, I must say that he is a big leader and it's not possible for him to attend each and every meeting. I iterate that Laluji has not left Bihar. He is only a phone call away and guides us on various important issues. He is in constant touch with the party leaders and workers. It is not always needed for him to appear physically at all meetings. His stay in Delhi has not disappointed the party workers in any way and there is no conflict within the party leadership.

‘Our party is not dead’

Ever since the last poll debacle, the RJD has not got actively involved in state politics.

Parties like the CPI, the CPM and the LJP do not have any representation in the Assembly. But that does not mean that the parties are dead. They are still surviving. We have also reviewed the reasons to our debacle in the last election. We realised that vote shares had split because of some reasons. We are now taking a slew of measures to make the party stronger and do better in near future. Under the leadership of people like Abdul Bari Siddiqui (leader of the Opposition in the Assembly) and Ghulam Ghaus (leader of the Opposition in the state Council), the RJD is playing the role of constructive Opposition party and has kept the Nitish Kumar government on its toes. Do not assume that the RJD has become weak. At the same time, we do not believe in hurdangbaji (hooliganism). We believe in the ideology of great social and political thinker Ram Manohar Lohia. It is true that our party is at present struggling. But this struggle will continue till we achieve our target. Don’t forget that the JD(U) does not have presence in all villages and blocks of the state. But the RJD has. Laluji’s fight is for the people, but Nitish's fight is against the people. Laluji had changed the social and political life of the downtrodden people. But Nitish has failed to do so.

‘Official statusto corruption’

RJD has failed to raise issues of lasting impression.

It is incorrect to say that the RJD has not succeeded in raising issues. Besides, chief minister Nitish Kumar has himself gifted us several issues. He is perhaps the first chief minister in the country who has given an official status to corruption. No work can be done in the state without bribing government officials. Middlemen have become extremely active at the block level, while law and order is on the verge of collapse. All education institutions managed by the government have failed to provide quality education. As far as the question of lasting impression is concern, no issue can last for long time. It keeps on changing with time.

RJD is not considered a disciplined party and its workers lack training.

Our party follows the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and Lohia. We give enough space to our party workers to speak out. If the voice of the party is downplayed, then it goes against the democracy. The party workers must be united. I, however, admit that the party workers, on some occasions, do not behave properly - particularly during meetings that are attended by Laluji. During such meetings, everyone wants to be on the stage and seek recognition. But it also shows that the party is alive. I also admit that there's a need to train our workers and discipline them. We have decided to organise a training camp for them in February.

‘Laluji still an inspiring name’

Lalu was once the demigod for the backward caste people. But why did the same people reject him?

People have not rejected Laluji. They still believe that he is the only leader who gave them voice to speak. They respect him because Laluji had empowered them to fight for their rights. However, there is a big difference in supporting the stand of the leader and voting for him or her.

Laluji is the man who has brought in social and political changes. He took some bold steps by allowing them to become vocal. As far as loosing elections is concerned, even big leaders like Karpoori Thakur have suffered humiliation. Electoral politics is something else. Laluji is still the inspiring face.

Lalu believed in caste politics, which resulted in the Muslim-Yadav combination.

As I said that Laluji had championed the ideology of social consolidation and all the castes were invited and inducted in the party. It is nothing special to the Muslims and the Yadavs. All castes are equal to him. It is the media who coined the expression MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination.

Does the party get any benefit of Rabri Devi? She served the state as a chief minister for eight years, but now has vanished from the Bihar politics. Is she back to kitchen?

She has not vanished from the Bihar politics. You can always find her photographs and banners at every programme of the party. She is an inspiring force for the party workers. When our workers shout slogans in the party’s support, they take names of both Laluji and Rabriji. It’s a wrong perception to say she has got back to the kitchen. Apart from being a political person, she is also a mother who takes care of her children. But she will return to active politics very soon.

About Ram Chandra Purbey

Born on January 15, 1942, he did his schooling from Banurjula village in Sitamarhi. He later took admission to Langat Singh College, Muzaffapur. He graduated with physics, chemistry and mathematics from Rajendra College, Chappra, in 1963. He did his masters from Langat Singh College and obtained his Ph.D in theory of relativity in 1980. He was an MLC for 14 years from 1986 to 2000 and twice become MLA from Sonbarsa. He served as minister in five departments — HRD, minor irrigation, transport, Planning and development and parliamentary affairs.

If not a politician, what would you have been?

I would have been a professor. Before entering politics, I was teaching mathematics at Ram Manohar Lohia Smarak Mahavidyalaya in Muzaffarpur.

Musclemen in polls? Next question please’

Lalu always supported musclemen and people with criminal background. He even offered election tickets to Mohammad Shahabuddin (Siwan), Pappu Yadav (Purnia), Surendra Yadav (Gaya) and Mohammed Taslimuddin (Kishanganj) to name a few.

I will not say that Laluji had supported people with criminal antecedants. In fact, our party chief had tried his best to cut them to size by
restricting them from assuming larger-than-life image. I agree that these people were from the criminal background, but Laluji had never allowed them to cross their limits. As far as offering ticket to them is concerned, I would not like to comment on the issue. Next question please...