Author: Venkitesh Ramakrishnan
Publication: The Hindu
Date: March 25, 2004
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/25/stories/2004032501351300.htm
Mohammed Shahbuddin, the Rashtriya
Janata Dal MP from the Siwan Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, who has been under
detention for the past eight months, does not strictly fit the description
of a political detainee. The man portrayed as the `don of Siwan' by his
opponents as well as by some of his supporters was arrested on August 13
last year on the basis of four criminal cases, including two charges of
murder, one of bank dacoity and one of an assault on a senior police officer.
Still, he shares an accomplishment generally reserved for political detainees:
a systematic rise in political clout.
Evidence of his growing influence
is manifest here. In Siwan, where the `MP saab' is under detention, the
town is awash in posters and banners carrying exhortations to re-elect
him, even though his candidature is still to be officially cleared by the
party president, Laloo Prasad Yadav. Every building in the town, from multi-storeyed
business complexes to the ramshackle dhabas (wayside eateries), sports
the green flag of the RJD and pictures of Shahbuddin. And, of course, there
is no sign of any campaigning by an Opposition candidate. At the special
ward in the district hospital, where Shahbuddin is confined, hundreds gather
daily from all parts of the State to `wish their leader well' and to `take
political and organisational directions' from him.
It is clear that these orders are
accepted more because of their personal affiliation to Shahbuddin rather
than because of his organisational position as an RJD MP. "Hum Shahbuddin
key isharey pey chalengey (We will work according to Shahbuddin's directives),"
said Jansher Alam, an RJD activist from Gopalganj, when this correspondent
spoke to him in Patna. Mr. Alam was replying to a question on whether the
longstanding Muslim-Yadav combination forged by the RJD would hold steady
in the face of the BJP-led NDA's efforts to win over a section of the Muslims.
`The Shahbuddin factor' and the
impact that it would have in a number of seats are a staple of the political
discourse in Bihar. There is general agreement that Shahbuddin can personally
influence the polls, not only in Siwan, but also in constituencies around
it such as Chapra, Gopalganj and Sitamarhi. The debate is only as to how
significant the impact would be in constituencies such as Katiahar and
Bhagalpur, which are not geographically contiguous to Siwan.
What is particularly interesting
about the Shahbuddin factor is that it is happening in a party that goes
by the diktats of one man: Laloo Prasad Yadav. So, how has this 40-year-old
`three-time-MP' managed to come out of the shadow of `big brother' and
emerge as a new factor in Bihar politics? The answer to this query lies
in the connection between political might and muscle power, which has played
such a crucial role in Bihar. Shahbuddin owes much of his influence to
an increasing feeling within the State's Muslim community that he is `our
own leader with muscle.' That he is an accused in over 30 criminal cases
with the charges ranging from murder, kidnapping and dacoity amply highlights
his muscle power. According to a senior `retired' politician who does not
want to be named, "Shahbuddin's strong arm electoral tactics and his firepower
have taken him to a position where he is not dependent on the organisational
support of the RJD and this also has contributed to his rise as an independent
political entity." In fact, the politician added, the overwhelming perception
about Shahbuddin is that he can deal with Mr. Laloo Yadav on equal terms.
In fact, some political observers believe that Shahbuddin's detention was
engineered by Mr. Yadav himself because he was worried by the younger leader's
growing popularity among the Muslims.
Talking to The Hindu from his hospital
ward, which has cut- outs of him placed around, Shahbuddin refused to be
dragged into a debate on his perceived tussle with Mr. Laloo Yadav or his
clout in several constituencies. "I can only say that the people of Siwan
like me because I have been with them through thick and thin and have worked
constantly for the development of the region", he says. And because of
the good work he has done, he would win Siwan even if he was not allowed
to move out and campaign. He brushed aside questions about his criminal
record as `cooked up' or as "strong measures taken to protect the larger
interests of people." And, no he says, he has "never terrorised people
into voting for him."
Despite his refusal to talk about
his reach in the State, indications from sources close to Shahbuddin are
that he is indeed working towards a bigger role in State politics. What
concrete shape it will take, say these sources, remains to be seen. But,
obviously, the first step is the polls; the rest will follow.
