Prime Ministerial contender Paswan has no enemies in Delhi
Union Fertilizer, Chemical and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who became an MLA in his home state of Bihar way back in 1969, believes Delhi is where he belongs. As a corollary, he has played a significant part in national politics and now has an eye on the seat of power on Raisina hill. If arch rival Lalu Prasad Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and several others have Prime Ministerial ambitions, so does the Lok Janshakti Party supremo. Paswan has thrown his hat in the ring by declaring that he would like to lead the Congress-led UPA in Bihar.
Aware that the arithmetic emerging after the general election will be critical, Paswan has left his chief ministerial plans in Patna vague. The reason is obvious. He needs support in his constituency, Hajipur, and in other parts of Bihar. Also, he has created for himself certain liabilities requiring “paise ki rajniti”. This is where his reputation for amiability, easy style of functioning and touted desire to help the underprivileged will come in handy. At the same time, Paswan realizes that, to pursue his objectives, it is imperative that he remain a Minister at the Centre. Being a Union Minister is not only prestigious but adds tremendous leverage in promoting his agenda. Significantly, he has been a Central Minister since 1996 – serving a record five Prime Ministers. He also has the distinction of being a part of all the national coalitions – United Front, National Democratic Alliance and the current UPA. Some term it political dishonesty. But he has no enemies among the national political formations. Now, he even insists that there should be reservation of jobs in the private sector as well.
A socialist, Paswan emerged as a Dalit leader during the Jayaprakash Narayan movement in 1974.Greatly influenced by radical social reformer EV Ramaswamy Naickar or “Periyar”, he he has a similar approach to prevailing injustices being heaped on Dalits and backward classes. He is against the assertion of any animus towards the upper castes. His second wife is an upper-caste Sikh. Paswan’s goal is to ensure that Dalit and other backward and weaker sections get a fair share of the benefits of social engineering. Ram Manohar Lohia, Charan Singh, Karpoori Thakur and VP Singh also helped shape Paswan’s ideology.
He also admired Jagjivan Ram as the nation’s tallest Dalit leader and envisioned donning that mantle. But that has not happened. In Bihar alone there are at least three other Dalit leaders who have their own spheres of influence.
Paswan was born in 1947 in a backward village in North Bihar. His family was a relatively prosperous Ansadh family, and his grandfather had two acres of land which were enlarged to 30 acres by his father and uncle. His father was keen on educating the children and started his son off with private tuitions. Then Paswan attended a school, crossing two rivers to reach it, and received a scholarship of Rs 10 per month. He completed graduation in Patna, living in a Harijan hostel, and received the last instalment of the scholarship after becoming an MLA in 1969. In college, he paid more attention to politics than studies.
There is a heartwarming story about how the seeds of politics were sown during Paswan’s village days. A chamar, after having forfeited his meagre plot, was on the verge of being beaten by a Brahmin for not returning an interest of Rs 350 on a loan of Rs 75. The poor man’s hands and legs were tied and the Brahmin was about to hit him when Paswan intervened. After suffering the ignominy of being beaten by a Dalit, the Brahmin had no option but to leave the village.
After BA and before completing LlB, Paswan qualified for the Bihar Provincial Civil Service and was selected as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the reserved quota for Scheduled Castes. Prior to that he had come into contact with socialists and contested the 1969 Assembly elections as a member of Lohia’s Samyukt Socialist Party.
As a JP associate, Paswan was jailed during the Emergency from 1975-77. He entered the Lok Sabha in 1977 as a member of the Janata Party and continued to do so till 1984. In 1989, he won the Hajipur seat by a record margin of more than 5 lakh votes which got him into the Guinness Book of World Records. He was inducted in the VP Singh Cabinet as Minister for Labour and Welfare and worked for Mandalization and reservation of seats in government jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He promoted himself as a strong leader of the OBCs and Muslims. Yet, there is no Muslim politician of any eminence who owes his rise to Paswan. Muslim politicians of Bihar say Paswan will not allow any of them to emerge as a leader with an independent base. Like other party chiefs who rule with an iron hand, Paswan would rather handpick sycophants who can be dumped once they have outlived their utility or become too big for their boots.
Kanshi Ram’s emergence as a Dalit leader of the country in 1983 posed a serious threat. In a calculated move to counter him, Paswan set up the Dalit Sena.
After VP Singh was voted out of power, Paswan found a berth in HD Deve Gowda’s Cabinet in 1996. He was put in charge of the crucial Railways portfolio and promoted Dalit interests. He also regularized temporary sweepers on the gigantic railway network. When the Gowda government fell, Paswan was considered for Prime Minister but lost out to IK Gujral. Then came the NDA government under Atal Behari Vajpayee. Paswan was quick to join hands and was appointed Railways Minister, subsequently shifting to Communications which he held till 2001. Thereafter, he was moved to Coal.
Disappointed by both transfers, Paswan bided his time while waiting for a politically opportune moment to quit the NDA. He consulted journalists and friends. He told the media of his desire to resign but was advised to wait for a politically significant moment. It presented itself in the form of the Godhra carnage in 2002 and Paswan bid adieu to the NDA.
Having formed the LJP in 2000 and throwing his weight behind the UPA after the 2004 general election, Paswan was given the Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolio by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In the Bihar assembly elections in 2005, he refused to support Lalu or the NDA, accusing the RJD leader of being highly corrupt. The Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar lured LJP legislators to defect, resulting in Bihar being brought under President’s rule. Later, the NDA formed the government in Patna.
Throughout his career, Paswan has endeared himself to some charismatic leaders. It is well known that Karpoori Thakur, who took him under his wing, introduced him to Charan Singh with the remark that he was a good singer. Many journalists and others in Patna vouch for this talent.
In the run-up to the coming general election, Paswan finds himself once again at a crossroads. It is widely believed that the LJP on its own does not stand a chance of garnering a sizeable number of the 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar. RJD chief Lalu is in trouble, necessitating a defensive approach. The RJD is losing ground very fast, having lost all the byelections. Observers say the “jungle raj” in Bihar has ended. In the past three years, under the Chief Ministership of Nitish Kumar, 28,000 criminals have been sent to jail after speedy trials. Nitish is being seen as the “vikas purush” and Lalu as the “vinash purush”. If the LJP and RJD do not come together, the advantage may pass to the NDA with the UPA coming a cropper. Paswan, pitching for 16 seats, is hoping his constituents will pitch in. Whether they will or not, is the question.
When Lalu stunned Paswan
Once, after Paswan became a Union Minister, Lalu suggested making his first wife, Raj Kumari, a member of the Bihar Legislative Council. Stunned, Paswan told Lalu he would get back to him in a few hours. Paswan’s fear was that, if his first wife became an MLC, it could affect his political ambitions as he had remarried. Eventually, he decided to gamble. He told Lalu to go ahead. The latter quickly changed the topic and a relieved Paswan realized it had been a joke.
Earlier, Raj Kumari had lamented to a scribe, “Which woman would not like to stay with her husband….However, if he does not want it, what can I do?” On his remarriage, she said he had told her that to do well in politics in Delhi, one required a pretty woman by his side. Thereafter, Paswan took steps to ensure that nosy Parkers were kept clear of his first wife.
Paswan has been a Central Minister since 1996 – serving a record five Prime Ministers. He also has the distinction of being a part of all the national coalitions…Some term it political dishonesty. But he has no enemies among the national political formations
