lalu Prasad and others get what they deserve
With Mr lalu Prasad being sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the fodder scam case, the corruption scandal that can be traced back decades has finally been brought to its logical conclusion. The verdict is a tremendous testimony to the strength and resilience of the country's judicial system and is equally importantly a reiteration of the basic principle of equality before the law. It comes at a time when widespread and deep-rooted corruption, especially within the political class, has disillusioned the masses; and will hopefully go some distance in helping the people regain their faith in the system. It is true that the courts have taken 17 long years to hold Mr lalu Prasad and his accomplices accountable for looting public money and it is also true that the convicted politicians still have the option of appealing to a higher court (which they will surely do). Still, the very fact that a former Chief Minister who has also served as a Minister in the Union Government and continues to be a supporter of the ruling coalition at the Centre, has been convicted alongside a sitting MP proves that the system works; that those in whom the public has reposed trust cannot get away with disabusing that faith. The fodder scam, perpetrated through the Animal Husbandry department of Bihar in the name of fictitious livestock, spanned several years, covered multiple administrations and included members from across the political spectrum. It was also one in which the top leaders of the land, including not one but two Chief Ministers — Mr lalu Prasad and his predecessor, Mr Jagannath Mishra, who has also been convicted — were directly involved. Given how deep the rot had set in and the political machinations that allowed it to flourish, the inordinate time taken to nail the mastermind is not surprising.
With Mr lalu Prasad behind bars, a big question mark now hangs over the fate of his party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal. It has been out of power for almost a decade now but was hoping to script a political comeback after its arch rival in the State, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), snapped a longstanding alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier this year. Conventional wisdom was that the RJD would be the biggest beneficiary of the JD(U)-BJP split, especially with a certain amount of anti-incumbency sentiment also setting in. However, with the RJD chief out of the picture, it is unlikely that the party will be able make the most of this opportunity — even though his wife and son have already taken charge. RJD loyalists will point to the time when Ms Rabri Devi ruled Bihar as Chief Minister while the husband served his time in jail, but that was two decades ago. Today, Mr lalu Prasad is past his political prime, Ms Rabri Devi is being dragged out of semi-retirement and their son and supposed political heir is an unknown face. Without its chief in the battle-field, it difficult to imagine how the RJD can turn its political fortunes.