The Ear
th News | Sant Kumar Sharma | Jammu, Nov 29|15: We often say when we hear of something that defies logic, and is very novel, that It Happens Only In India. The words uttered are not in the sense of approval or belief. They are meant to convey a sort of feeling of disbelief and frustration. Also, that what has happened, has happened, and not anything can be done about it. The same happened in Bihar some days ago as elections to the new Bihar Legislative Assembly concluded recently. And Nitish Kumar became the chief minister of the state again. His party, Janata Dal (United), won a landslide over rivals, mainly the BJP and its alliance partners. The JD (U) walked hand in hand with Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Till some months ago, it was thought of as improbable, if not impossible, that Nitish and Laloo would be together again. But here they are, together. May sound incredible but it has happened. When the results were declared and many sitting MLAs lost, something incrdible happened for the first time in the history of independent India. Many among those elected MLAs decided not for allotment of government bungalows to them as per their entitlement. This would have happened as the government was bound to provide them accommodation. They decided to take possession, never mind that it was done by using force, of the government bungalows themselves. Oh yes, without waiting for those bungalows to be vacated by in whose possession they were, after due allotment. Under rules, the losing MLAs are entitled to retain the bungalows for a grace period of 30 days, or a month, till they shift their belongings. Do these rules exist in Bihar? They do but the government of the day, headed by Nitish, did nothing to enforce these rules. Might is right, the saying goes and it was given a concrete shape by many winning MLAs, obviously of the ruling party/ parties. A similar example of forceful trespass and encroachment of government bungalow number 6 at Krishna Menon Marg (New Delhi) was done at the behest the then Lok Sabha Speaker, Mrs Meira Kumar. She converted this bungalow as a memorial of his father, Babu Jagjiwan Ram. Likewise, bungalow numbers 12, 14 & 16 at Gurudwara Rakabganj Road (New Delhi), were converted illegally into a composite unit. This was done against direct violation of norms set for Lutyen’s zone as the bungalows were forcefully occupied by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati. She constructed a memorial of Manyavar Kashi Ram against a cabinet decision of the year 2000. This was also in direct violation of guidelines set in Supreme Court verdict delivered in 2013. Unfortunately, the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh authenticated these illegal encroachments, trespass and occupation of prime properties in New Delhi. It chose to give these on long lease to trusts desiring these bungalows to be converted into memorials. The Supreme Cour heard a writ petition demanding that bungalow number 10 at Rajaji Marg (New Delhi), retained by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in his capacity as former President of India, to be converted in his memory as ‘Knowledge Centre’. The grand nephew of great Dr Kalam could not follow ideals set by his grand-uncle. He resigned in protest from the ruling party because a government bungalow could not be converted in a memorial of Dr Kalam in name of a ‘Knowledge Centre’. Perhaps, the present BJP government can consider undoing the wrong done by previous UPA government. It can cancel lease of government bungalow number 6 at Krishna Menon Marg and 12, 14, 16 at Gurudwara Rakabganj (all at New Delhi). These bungalows will then become available as official residences to those entitled. May be Nitish should step in and take action against erring the newly elected Bihar MLAs forcefully occupying government bungalows. This will help him prove his authority, and also prove that he will not allow a repeat of “jungle raaj’’ in the state with might is right as guiding principle.
