Introduction
“Barbaric like that of General Dyer”, yes this is what was said by one of the senior BJP leaders in his press conference condemning the lathi-charge on the protesting BJP leaders in Bihar. Why are all these protest marches going on in Bihar? It is the answer to another protest march which was curbed by Nitish Kumar’s Mahagathbandhan government by teachers protesting against the new amendment passed in the Bihar cabinet for the teacher’s recruitment bill. So now Nitish Kumar Babu is strengthening Democracy with the help of Lathicharge!
What is the Teachers Protest all about?
This bill was passed in 2020 by the then-ruling NDA government to help create 19 lakhs Job promise by them in response to 10 lakhs Job promise by the RJD party. This bill stated that all the teachers domiciled in Bihar can apply for the jobs available in the recruitment. Now, this bill was reversed by the cabinet and now anybody outside Bihar can apply for the teacher’s jobs available in Bihar.
Why is this move?
Nitish Kumar after breaking the alliance with the NDA government formed a government with Congress and RJD. He knew that his politics in Bihar would be short-lived as leaders like Tejasvi Yadav who is also the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav wanted to become the chief minister of the state. Also, since JDU’s current number in the assembly is not that dominating, BJP and NDA parties will have a significant increase in their vote share in the coming elections.
Due to these reasons, Nitish Kumar wants to be at the National level of politics and eyeing the post of Prime minister. With this reversal of the bill, Nitish wants to shine his national level politics. He knows if the opposition parties unite and fight together, there might be a chance for them.
Nitish Kumar has also initiated the step of uniting the opposition parties by seeking the support of different parties at the Pan India level. He somewhat succeeded also in bringing them together at the Patna meeting last month. Although not all the parties took part in it and Kejriwal’s party AAP didn’t take part in the joint press conference with them as his agenda was sidelined in the meeting.
What made the Nitish Kumar’s government resort to lathicracy?
Nitish has not been comfortable ruling the government with the RJD party and that is why he moved to form the NDA government in Bihar. Now, with the numbers in hand, Nitish has left everything on RJD, this was quite evident in the statewide protest by the youth against the Agniveer project. This protest was sponsored by the ruling party’s workers. There was a huge loss of public property. Several trains were burnt and national highways were blocked causing severe issues to the common man.
Bihar was the only state where such violent protests were seen leading to anarchy. The Nitish Kumar government did nothing, absolutely nothing. Bihar was burning for several days and no lathis were used and police were just moot spectators in many places. This happened because the youth were angry due to unemployment which was further instigated by the anti-social elements.
So does Bihar really need this amendment where people from different states come and apply for jobs that are already less? I don’t think so, even though Nitish’s aspiration can make him take this move but it is going to aggravate the situation in Bihar.
Impact of this reversal in Bihar
Negative impact on quality of education
One of the main concerns arising from this reversal is that the quality of education in Bihar may decline. The original purpose of the bill was to ensure that apprenticeship positions were given priority to local candidates who were familiar with the local language, culture, and specific needs of the region. By reversing this priority, governments inadvertently overlook the importance of local knowledge and community understanding, which can lead to lower education standards.
Dilution of the state’s cultural heritage
Rich in cultural heritage and diversity, Bihar sought to maintain and promote its own identity by favoring local candidates. But repealing the bill risks the move diluting the state’s cultural foundation. Local teachers often play a key role in instilling traditional values and preserving local heritage that may now be under threat.
Social unrest and political backlash
Reversal of a bill aimed at providing job opportunities for local candidates could spark social unrest and political backlash. Local candidates seeking apprenticeships may be disillusioned and resentful of the government. This could in turn provoke protests and demonstrations and even potential political repercussions for the Nitish Kumar government.
Talent migration
Another possible consequence of withdrawing the bill is the potential brain drain of qualified teachers from Bihar. If local candidates feel alienated by policy changes, they may seek employment opportunities in other states or abroad. The loss of qualified educators could exacerbate Bihar’s existing teacher shortage, further degrading the quality of education and hampering the state’s development. Although the Education minister himself has made it clear that Bihar has a shortage of qualified talent. It is this state only which gives a large number of IAS and IPS officers.
Legal Objections and Judicial Scrutiny
The reversal of the Teacher Recruitment bill could also raise legal issues and judicial scrutiny. If the original bill passed the Legislature and met all legal requirements, its repeal could be viewed as arbitrary and in violation of the principles of natural justice. Such challenges can delay the implementation of new policies and create confusion and uncertainty in the education system.
Conclusion
Nitish Kumar’s decision to repeal the Teacher Recruitment Act for Bihar-based candidates will have profound implications for the state’s education sector and socio-political situation. Potential impacts include declining educational standards, dilution of cultural heritage, social unrest, talent migration, and legal issues. It remains to be seen what the implications of this will be and whether the government will take steps to address the concerns raised by the decision. One thing is clear, Nitish Babu has taken another step toward the Delhi throne.