‘Musahar marketing’ in the politics of Bihar is the new mantra. Some point out that emergence of Jitan Ram Manjhi on Bihar political scene has made the Dalit politics of the state ‘Musahar centric’. In the ensuing “game of political musical chairs,” poll pundits are knitting their brows over the ‘Musahar vote’.

For the past forty years or more, dalit politics in Bihar has been controlled by the Paswans and Ravidas (Chamar) – Ram Vilas Paswan and the late Jagjivan Ram respectively belonged to these castes. Among the extremely backward castes, these two now have a significant number aming the ‘creamy layers’ and have benefitted at the cost of others like the Doms and Musahars.

However, Jesuit social workers who have worked with the Musahar, such as T. Nishaant and Sumit Edwin would agree that though Musahars became visible in Bihar politics, thanks to reserved seats in the Assembly much earlier.

It is Nitish Kumar who pushed them into the limelight and in a way facilitated their rise to the top of dalit hierarchy. Nitish and his new social engineering strategy in Bihar politics created EBCs and Mahadalits as new political entities. Kumar also set up Mahadalit Commission and engaged a large number of Musahars as Tola Sevaks. All sorts of sops were distributed among the Mahadalits, especially Musahars.

Former CM Lalu Prasad began the political marketing of the Musahars when he projected Bhagwati Devi as probably the first Musahar icon in a bid to cut Ram Vilas Paswan down to size.

Nitish picked Manjhi as Bihar chief minister in May 2014. Manjhi, the first Musahar Chie Minister, unfortunately, didn’t stick to the script and ultimately was forced to give up the CM’s chair.

[Prepared by intern Sonali for Newsnet One]

  Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Dalit, Jitan Manjhi, Musahar, politics