Lalu's hypocrisy shows; Backs Shahrukh but thrives on caste-based intolerance in Bihar

Religious intolerance has become a cusp word these days and many of us do not even know why it is in news. It all started with insult insinuated on Ghulam Ali who was scheduled to perform in Mumbai last month.

But that is not the sole cause of contention among the top rungs of the literati and the common man. The lynching of a Muslim labourer, the murder of a rationalist thinker, lynching of a Muslim over beef consumption, and many more have been piling over the years.

But politics is undeterred, changing and maneuvering its course depending on the political climate and the mass opinion. RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's is a classic case of selective politics. Belonging to the backward Yadav caste, Lalu knew what he needed to get the topmost chair in the state. Thus, begins the caste-based politics in Bihar.

Bihar roles down the hill

In his 15 years of tenure as the chief minister of Bihar between 1990 and 1997, Lalu did whatever he could to encourage caste-based divisions in the state. Calling himself as the leader of the backward, he concentrated more on their upliftment rather than the state's development.

The eyewash worked and the Congress-inclined Muslim votes were diverted toward him. The leader of 11.7% of the Yadav population in the state, Yadav tickled public sentiments on discrimination. Naturally, the Dalits and the OBCs joined hands.

[Read: Nitish, Lalu made Bihar a haven of terrorists, claims Sushil]

Recently, just before the Bihar assembly elections 2015, Yadav said,"You cannot ignore caste. It is a reality in India. There are castes in animal world too. Elephants have castes. It is not a dirty word." Perhaps he did not know that talking about caste was reinstating the necessity of it....at least in politics. Same with religion as he never gave a second thought when he backed Shahrukh and lashed BJP.

Question him and he will rant out the reservation policies in the Constitution. On second thoughts, the hypocrisy shows and that's the blatant truth. While he is supporting a very simple statement by Shahrukh, which can otherwise be considered an genuine opinion, he is waging caste wars in his own state.

The question that remains

All said and done, the question that remains is what did he do for their upliftment. He might be armed with statistics when he says,"manual casual labourers, 51%; families living in one-room kuchcha house, 14%; landless households, 30%. Go and ask people living in these conditions their caste and you will know. The government does not give even a second glance at the poor." But what has he done to bring the figures down? Absolutely nothing.

[Read: Politics of Intolerance: How we Indians are fooled so easily]

The war of political agendas continue, elections will be won and lost but the mass's attitude toward the politicised class of 'minorities' will not fade, they will never grow and see the light of the day.....thanks to Indian politics.