This CM can read people’s mind

B>Chief minister Nitish Kumar can read the mind of people. When he went to attend a function at a shopping complex and found all stores closed, he left the place quickly realising the shopkeepers’ agony. he incident happened recently at Grand Plaza, a big market complex with nearly 100 shops. The securitymen closed all the stores in the complex ahead of Nitish’s arrival for a book release function. Some shopkeepers grudgingly shared their agonies in whispers: “Why these securitymen have closed our shops? We are losing on business at peak hours.” As if he had guessed the agony of the shopkeepers, Nitish said: “All the shops in this complex are shut. The shopkeepers might be getting angry and cursing me. I should leave the place.” Then he walked away. Soon, a shopkeeper said: “Yeah janata ke man ka awaj sun lete hain (He can read people’s mind).” Another added: “We should not have rued the closure of shops for a few hours. After all, Grand Plaza has come up and we are doing our business in peace only because of the improvement in the law and order situation that Nitishji has ushered in.” The chief minister had reached the complex at 4.15pm and left at 5pm.

Superiority complex

ome Bihar leaders perhaps suffer from superiority complex and dismiss Jharkhand and its leaders as failed ones. Citing the pitiable condition of Bihar State Transport Corporation, a reporter recently told transport minister Brishen Patel: “Anosh Ekka had thought of closing the corporation in Jharkhand when he was the minister there. Why don’t you follow Ekka, given the state of your corporation?” Hearing the suggestion, the minister lost his cool and said: “Please don’t compare me with Ekka. And Bihar is not Jharkhand. We are not a failed state. The transport corporation will be given a new lease of life the way other corporations have been given.”

Source of inspiration

e it the inauguration of Patna book fair or the release of Prabhat Prakashan outlet or any other function related to books, chief minister Nitish Kumar tells the same tale. “When I became the chief minister for the first time for seven days only in 2000, a friend gave me eight volumes of Krishna ki Atma Katha (biography of Krishna). I knew that it would be hard for me to survive, given the number of MLAs on my side then. I had hardly anything to do in those seven days. Thus, I used the free time to read all the eight volumes. On the seventh day as the chief minister I completed the book but I lost my post. A day after losing the post, I got a call from Prime Minister then Atal Bihari Vajpayee to become the railway minister.” The chief minister then adds that the Krishna ki Atma Katha, authored by Mannu Sharma, has been one of the great inspirations of his life.

Old tobacco habit dies hard

oad construction minister Nandkishore Yadav either chews paan (betel leaf) or tobacco all the time. He is always seen with his jaws moving and lips spitting. But the minister did not chew anything when he attended a function on Friday to apprise people of the hazards of chewing tobacco and smoking. Surprised, a reporter asked him: “Have you given up tobacco?” The minister said: “Yes. I have taken a resolve to give up tobacco and paan. After all, we advise people to give up their bad habits. It is not nice for us to indulge in the things we restrain people from.” But on Saturday, the minister was seen chewing paan again. A wag said: “Old habits die hard.”