Bihar jungle raj is back: There was a time when Nitish Kumar was called ‘Good Governance Babu’. Today the same people are asking about the government claiming to bring law and order back on track – “Why has the price of life in Bihar so cheap?” Every day from Patna to Muzaffarpur, Gaya to Buxar and Darbhanga, the sounds of bullets are echoing at every street, every intersection. Police vehicles reach the spot when the criminals are absconding. CCTV footage, FIR, post -mortem and then the same old statement – “is being investigated.” But the question is, as long as the investigation is done, why does the next corpse fall? The atmosphere created on the streets of Bihar has refreshed the terrible memories of the 2000s, when there was only one word on every tongue, Jungle Raj. Today again the same fear is returning, the only difference is that this time there are the same people in power who stood against that era.
From good governance to ‘informationless governance’?
When Nitish Kumar took power against Lalu Yadav’s ‘Jungle Raj’, he clearly said – “The rule of law is to bring the rule, not of goons.” But today the same Bihar police looks helpless, the administration dwarf and the general public got scared. Looking at the incidents of a few weeks, it seems that anyone, anywhere, can be killed anytime and the killers run away without fear. Whether it is the murder of a student leader, the kidnapping of the businessman, firing in front of the police station or entering the hospital, the courage of the murder criminals is increasing day by day. The opposition is now raising the same question, “Has the Nitish Sarkar left the crown of good governance and started the politics of ‘treaty agreements’?” The minister of the ruling party, giving a statement on the crime, says – “Everything is under control.” But the reality of figures and land says something else.
‘Politics + Crime = Abhed Alliance’?
The history of crime in Bihar has been related to politics. Many MLAs and MPs have been accused in criminal cases themselves. But now the new breed of criminals has become more organized, violent and unbridled. Some analysts say that the police-administration is deliberately placed in ‘political stiffness’ to protect against select criminals. In such a situation, the trust of the public is not just moving, but completely breaks down. It has also been seen in many incidents that the victims go to the police to file a complaint, but on the contrary they are threatened or pressurized to change the statement. This is not a system failure, but a well -planned ‘tantra failure’.
‘Jungle Raj’ is not just a crime, the psychology of fear
In Bihar, ‘Jungle Raj’ is not just a crime, but an environment in which everyone is scared – shopkeepers, students, doctors, farmers, police and even leaders. According to psychiatric experts, when a large part of the society starts to consider crime as normal, then that society goes into ‘collective depression’ and this is happening in Bihar. On one hand, the youth are wandering in search of a job, on the other hand parents are afraid to send their children out after 6 pm. This fear is not only a sign of law failure, but is also becoming a sign of the ‘silent acceptance’ of the government.
Nitish Kumar: Waiting for a tired commander or a big trick?
Nitish Kumar has been considered Chanakya of Bihar politics for a long time. Sometimes with the BJP, sometimes with the opposition, sometimes the third front. But in the situation that is there today, it seems that either Nitish ji is very tired, or he is preparing for a political explosion – the public is paying their lives. The public is asking-“If the law and order is deteriorating, then who will take responsibility?” The government considers crime as a ‘subject of publicity’, but can the count of corpses be suppressed by media management?
2025’s board: Jungle raj will become an election issue?
The assembly elections in Bihar are 2025 nearby. In such a situation, opposition parties have already started surrounding the Nitish government. Tejashwi Yadav is repeatedly reminding that “Bihar is going on the path of the same fear from where Nitish ji started.” Chirag Paswan, Congress, and even BJP are now making crime figures electoral weapons.
Is Bihar going again in the same darkness?
Bihar is a historical, cultural and politically rich state. But when the youth there are grown up to hear the echo of bullets, it is the biggest defeat in the state. Today, the way the crime is increasing and the power is silent, he has forced the public, “Is this our ‘good governance”? Is Jungle Raj still just an allegation, or has it become a reality? ” Bihar again stands on two paths, one is the way of change, and the other is the silent confession. Now it remains to be seen that in 2025, who chooses its leader to the person who spread the fear, or to end the fear?