He has credibility all right. That is ensured by the virtue of being the son of VVIPs. Laloo's & Rabri's followers are servile to the "prince". About worth, only time will tell.

However, going by the old adage "Shahar sikhawe Kotwaal". The army of sycophants are almost sure to mislead the innocent youth.

Either ways, cutting across party lines and cutting across the lines of professions, this dynastic business must end. It only breeds mediocrity. In the good old days people used to shine out in areas of excellence based on their aptitude, skill and hard work. These days we see sons and daughters pushed into lines they are not cut out for. The successful parents force their aspirations down the throats of their kids. It becomes a punishment for the person concerned, a torture for the people around and a misfortune for the nation.

Where are the likes of the selfless politicians who sacrificed everything to fight for independence? Where are the likes of the Big B, Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra etc.? Where are the likes of Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle etc.? All gone... Replaced by sons and daughters trying desperately to look like the clones of their parents and failing miserably in the act. The talent survives in unheard of people in complete anonymity, unable to come up. The poor talented people stand no chance against these misfit superkids, whose parents stand behind them with sacks of money and truck loads of influence.

If parents stop forcing their aspiration on their kids, the kids can develop in areas of their choice and excel in them. Perhaps Tejaswi Yadav will make a good cricketer and one day we will all cheer for him as he leads our country to victory. Children who grow up free to choose vocations as per their interests will be originals not fake clones. They will be assets for our country. - Rajesh Chaubey - Oct. 7, 2005

Some of the authors in Reader's Write take self defined high moral ground, irrespective of practicalities. I don't know if this is just frustration or jealousy. At the core of their entire article there will be an assumption that "others are ignorant" as if author knows everything, the reason for his very existence in universe including the reason for existence of universe
itself.

Natural forces are quite funny. They play two ways because they are even. Yes, it will be ideal if son of a "Tanti" can carry the surname like "Dubey" but what if surname "Tanti" as it is can also become equally advantageous/respectful like "Dubey" or for that matter, even more advantageous/respectful than "Dubey" will "Tanti" still desire to carry a surname "Dubey"? After all we all know that it is kalyuga and today "Dubey" is just a surname and has nothing to do with knowledge of two Vedas similarly it is possible that "Neta" or "Mukhya Mantri" has become surname and has nothing to do with leadership or governance.

The so-called "Ignorant Masses" do know these truths and they are looking at bigger picture. They are happy with "ye tamasha", they were happy with "wo tamasha", they will be happy with "aanewala tamasha". They have seen it all. Author may assume them ignorant but they know it all including quantum physics and not just two vedas or four vedas but veda-anta.

By the way "Ramji Londonwale" was a good movie." - Raghu Yadav, London - Oct. 7, 2005

The quantum logic of Raghuji defies me. I may pretend to know everything in the universe but I surrender before this quantum logic.

The collection of words is impressive but apparently he forgot to weave them together into a coherent viewpoint.

Among all the words like frustration, jealousy, others are ignorant, Tantis, Dubeys, ye tamashas, wo tamashas, aanewala tamasha, jaanewala tamasha, existence of universe, quantum physics, vedas, vedantas etc etc & etc. all I could make out was that "Ramji Londonwale" is a good movie. I admit, though the movie existed in this universe, I did not know about it. Well, thanks for the recommendation. - Rajesh Chaubey - Oct. 7, 2005

Bravo! Ragu Yadav ji. I just loved his interpretation and deep understanding of politics of surname. - Krishna Prasad - Oct. 8, 2005

Rajesh Ji, sometime it is better if we take things the way they are rather than looking for any coherence in them (smile). “Jo samajh me aa jaye wahi kafi hai warna fir opinion form hone lagta hai”. By the way, you write very nicely, and I read all of them. Regards, Raghu Yadav - Oct. 8, 2005

I had written this article with general concern for the quality of people we have in different fields. When I wrote this article I was not thinking of narrow considerations like caste or any backward / forward equations. It was because of this that I could not comprehend the reactions. Only now, I understand why a lynch mob started gathering.

The world is progressing fast but we, the educated, enlightened people of the state, can not think above the "murga ladai" of backward / forward. This caste ridden mentality is precisely the bane that has brought Bihar to the bottom. A "murga ladai" can progress is the two murgas are of matching strength. As far as I can see it, the forwards have been no where near political power in Bihar for a very long, long time. The forwards have been dead and gone from the political arena of Bihar for decades. So where is the fight? Why this permanent victim mentality? For heaven's sake, can we get above it? Can we not be just plain adjective-free Biharis for a change?

We are all educated people and perhaps the only hope for our unfortunate state, which is right at the bottom, thanks to our attitude. If a Bihari sees a goat on the field he will first try to find out it's caste. Bihar has been murdered by the mind set of it's people. It lies battered and bleeding at the feat of it's educated sons but the sons are too busy solving caste riddles and equations. Mark my words, till Bihar improves Biharis will have to live in shame, wherever they exist on this planet. Today, on the international forum you can be a proud Indian but in a desi crowd can you be a proud Bihari?

We all know what this caste syndrome has done to our state and that it is totally irrelevant in most states which are on the development fast track. If we have to use those hated words let us push Bihar "forward" and not "backward" by our thoughts and attitudes. I may be asking for the impossible but can we take a pledge not to bring in caste considerations in our future writings in PD? - Rajesh Chaubey - Oct. 8, 2005

It does not surprise me when people like Raghu Yadav who usually lay low but only come out when someone dares to criticise their beloved leader Laloo Yadav. Irrespective of how educated these people are or where they live, their casteist color shows up if anything is said against Laloo or his family.

People like Raghu Yadav are the reason where Bihar is where it is today. - Akhtar Hussain - Oct. 8, 2005

Rajesh Ji, with due respect, last month 10 CRPF men who died in Chhatisgarh fighting Naxals were also proud Bihari, Indians. Those 10 CRPF men died in India. Are you saying they died in shame among Desi because they were Bihari? I am sure your so called Desi crowd is something which has nothing to do with Desi.

I don’t want to drag this. It is your view and I have no intention to prescribe glasses for you. Discrimination on caste is going all over India, in Tamil Nadu, in Maharashtra, in Haryana, in UP, in Punjab, in Gujarat, in Bihar in fact all over India and among all religions in India. Why only Bihari, we all Indians should be ashamed or proud of whatever we have got. Many of my English friends have pointed to me that worst form of racism is practiced in India and not in Europe and I agree with them.

You are right it must stop but are we honest enough to fight against racism based on caste? I doubt it and I am sure my fellow Indians doubt it too irrespective of upper, lower or Super (“Neta”-caste) or whatever caste and that is why we see them taking shelter under their caste. They all know that this fight against “Jaatiwad” is false.

Unless we start showing the respect for the dignity of our fellow human beings, in full and with true heart, all our words against “Jaatiwad” will fall in deaf years. If we talk against caste on one hand but on the other hand, if we fail to feel the pain for murder of 3000 minority in Gujarat or make 5 lakh highly vulnerable people homeless in Mumbai without any remorse or when we show apathy towards poor flood victims by saying that during the flood poor gets the chance to eat fish or after beating poor students from other part of the country we declare that we are ultra nationalist or when we allow motivated media to dictate our policy and ignore the plight of our suiciding farmers or when we beat our poor workers mercilessly so that they think 1000 times before forming a genuine union as was done in Gurgaon, then the so called ignorant masses know that we are not honest.

Bapu (M. K. Gandhi) had a “Talisma”, you can find it on net (It used to be on the back of NCERT books), and if you use Bapu’s “Talisma”, it will never allow you to gloat about anything and it will help you keep content about many things. I am sure it has the capability of curing from the haunts of dummy Desi crowd too!

After all our beloved Bapu had successfully practiced “Ahimsa” among some of the most “Hinsak” people in world without any frustration or jealousy.

With your dummy desi crowd, I am reminded of some false superiority complex which had thrown our suited-booted Babu out of train compartment in South Africa and as reply our great Bapu came to India and started wearing “Langoti” and became “Mahatma” do we know why? May be… may be in this way he tried to give us an honest solution but he was a Mahatma.

We Indians have always been addressed as ignorant masses but how come we were able to differentiate and fell in love with Bapu. Perhaps we seek honesty in “prawachans” and when it lacks honesty, we ignore them and we are often stigmatised as “Ignorant Masses”. Let it be, who cares!!

I find it so funny when I read in newspapers something like, “If India has to become superpower by 2012 then or by 2020 then………”, hang on a second, when was this referendum held in India that we have to become a superpower with one third of world’s poor in our belly but I know that on 26th of January, 1950 we took a oath to make Republic of India a “just” country. “Kya iske liye chhota sa honest prayas kiya?” - Raghu Yadav, London - Oct. 8, 2005

I do not see anything wrong in Laloo's son taking over. This happens everywhere, in all parties. Hasn't the nation been shouldering the burden of Nehru-Gandhi family? What's so special about them? - Vinod Kumar - Oct. 8, 2005

Please prescribe glasses for yourself Raghuji. You have completely distorted the issue out of context. Please put on your glasses and look at the context of my initial writings. Quit your Quixotic valiance. Go back to your blissful sleep. No one attacked your community.

The backward forward debate is an aged, dying dinosaur now. There are hardly any Government jobs left and the private sector will employ the deserving notwithstanding backward or forward. The only castes, I know of, are poor, middle class and rich. This forward-backward stuff is garbage created by politicians to gather votes. A forward can be very poor and likes our Raghuji, a backward community wala can be enjoying western luxuries. Who and whose kids need reservations is another debate.

If you want to be a crusader for the "backwards", by your definition, please come back and work among them. Sitting in London in luxury and talking of "backwards" CRPF jawans & Bapu does not seem apt for a person with your revolutionary ideas and ideals. I would have great respect for you if, like Bapu or Mother Teresa, you come and work for the welfare of the "backward" community, live with them, work with them etc. Hollow gossip and tall talk lead nowhere.

Coming from a desi, who has done nothing for his "backward" community and has run away to bask in the luxuries of the west, I find it distasteful. - Rajesh Chaubey - Oct. 9, 2005

I never knew this. Laloo Prasad has two sons and so is the case of Buta Singh- the governor of Bihar. Fortunately for Buta Singh, he is governor at a time in Bihar when there is no elected government. The governor is in full control of the affairs in Bihar, famous for its transfer industry, that may be having a Rs. 1,000-crore market per annum. And I don’t know why his two sons- Lovely and Sweety would also have to move to Patna with him in Governor House. Is it because Buta Singh requires physical assistance because of any ailment or age? It does seem so, when you see him moving and talking on small screen. Do these kids require parental care and nurturing? I got the answer to my question when I read a news item in a national daily. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has extracted an assurance from Buta Singh that the Bihar Governor’s sons—Lovely and Sweety—will not dabble in state affairs.”

And then comes the turn of Laloo’s sons. And I didn’t know the names of Laloo’s sons too. At a public meeting to mark the filing of nomination papers by his wife, Lalooji introduced his youngest son-Tejaswee. ‘‘He is my son; he has defeated the cricket team of (Bihar BJP leader Sushil) Modi’s son. I want him to join politics but he says not now.’’ Tejaswee is a student of Delhi Public School, RK Puram and plays cricket. Rabri Devi facilitated her son in 2003 with Bihar’s highest sports honour. . Tejpratap is his elder son. At one stage, some RJD workers had declared Tejpratap, as the future Chief Minister of Bihar. However, Laloo never promoted him. Why is he doing that for the younger son? Is he learning the rules of the game of politics from the royal family of Congress Party? Does Laloo want Tejaswee to be a Sanjay Gandhi? Is Laloo testing this young boy if he can swim in the turbulent river of politics?

I am reminded of so many of the young MPs- perhaps all of them with some MBA degrees as credential without much job. I understand some of them left their well paying jobs to join politics. Is it only for serving the people? I wish it to be so. Even some of them who were doing very good job in running NGOs have left that to attend Parliament. Will it not be prudent for the PM to use these resources at hand more effectively? Are they all Ajit Singh’s class who even with a brand of IIT behind him has become a pure politician and opportunist? - Indra - Oct. 9, 2005

Bapu's Talisma in action. No more comments from my side on this topic (smile). Thanks to PatnaDaily for letting me express my self freely. - Raghu Yadav, London - Oct. 9, 2005

One should not look at the world through colored glasses lest everything will appear of the same color. Raghuji has strong feelings on certain issues and to him anybody who, advertently or in advertently, comes close to those issues looks like an attacker. Please remember "No one kicks a dead dog" and the backward-forward issue is almost dead. Even as an election issue it is losing ground to more pressing needs like development. No one needs to attack it. So Raghuji relax. I prescribe no glasses for you. Take off your glasses and see the world (and viewpoints) in the vibrant, varying colors in which they exist. - Rajesh Chaubey - Oct. 10, 2005

Discussion on this topic is now closed.