Laloo Prasad Yadav
The rustic Bihari baboo, the former railway minister of India, self proclaimed bucolic hero from the hinterlands of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav is perhaps the most recognized face of the Indian political class outside India. To his credit he is one of the few, if any, politicians to have a doll look alike.
Like it or not, with his rustic charisma, Laloo has found a place in our cultural and social life.
An LLB graduate, he was one of the youngest MPs in the parliament at the age of 29. This seemingly affable politician was the prime suspect in one of India’s most shameful scams. Between him and his semi-literate consort Rabri Devi, this man had an iron hold over Bihar for 15 years. It was during his rule, widely criticized as the dark days of Bihar, that the once golden city of Pataliputra became a haven for extortionists, kidnappers, murderers and their ilk. His rule saw the rise of the Yadav community, particularly his seemingly endless family. His brother in laws, sisters, nephews, etc soon took up important positions in the administration. His was the royal family in Bihar and he acted it. He coined this catchy phrase during the 2005 state elections: jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak to rahega Bihar mein Lalu. Though he lost Bihar, he managed get the railway portfolio in the 2004 Manmohan Singh government. His administration saw the dramatic turnaround of the Indian Railways which was once on the verge of bankruptcy to become the second largest profit making public sector enterprise in India. He was hailed all over the world by business pundits for his understanding of the Indian junta and his simple yet novel ideas. His words became THE new mantra in management. Courses were planned on his management style and he was invited to deliver lectures at reputed business schools including Harvard. That’s till 2009. Today he is sulking behind the scenes after the crushing defeat in this year’s elections. The new railway minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that a white paper will be made on the Lalu regime. It seems that his fortunes have turned. He is perhaps at his all time low. But knowing Laloo, this is perhaps only a temporary glitch. After all it is his proclaimed ambition to be the Prime Minister of India!
Like it or not, with his rustic charisma, Laloo has found a place in our cultural and social life.
An LLB graduate, he was one of the youngest MPs in the parliament at the age of 29. This seemingly affable politician was the prime suspect in one of India’s most shameful scams. Between him and his semi-literate consort Rabri Devi, this man had an iron hold over Bihar for 15 years. It was during his rule, widely criticized as the dark days of Bihar, that the once golden city of Pataliputra became a haven for extortionists, kidnappers, murderers and their ilk. His rule saw the rise of the Yadav community, particularly his seemingly endless family. His brother in laws, sisters, nephews, etc soon took up important positions in the administration. His was the royal family in Bihar and he acted it. He coined this catchy phrase during the 2005 state elections: jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak to rahega Bihar mein Lalu. Though he lost Bihar, he managed get the railway portfolio in the 2004 Manmohan Singh government. His administration saw the dramatic turnaround of the Indian Railways which was once on the verge of bankruptcy to become the second largest profit making public sector enterprise in India. He was hailed all over the world by business pundits for his understanding of the Indian junta and his simple yet novel ideas. His words became THE new mantra in management. Courses were planned on his management style and he was invited to deliver lectures at reputed business schools including Harvard. That’s till 2009. Today he is sulking behind the scenes after the crushing defeat in this year’s elections. The new railway minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that a white paper will be made on the Lalu regime. It seems that his fortunes have turned. He is perhaps at his all time low. But knowing Laloo, this is perhaps only a temporary glitch. After all it is his proclaimed ambition to be the Prime Minister of India!
Went through your Blogs..liked your individualistic way of writing..one on Smokers,good work there.
ReplyDeleteKeep up!
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