Fears of stars and omens goad politicians

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI 

“Something is rotten in the State of Jharkhand,” Shakespeare would have said had he been born in Jharkhand. Sadly, there is no Shakespeare here to write dramas on a State that produced many tragedies, satires and even crude political comedies; enough to qualify the state for basket case distinction.

The Shakespearean tragedy has remarkable parallel here, as politicians of Jharkhand fear omens and stars quite like Marcellus and Horatio; the two character of drama Hamlet.

They secretly consult pundits and astrologers before taking political decisions which their fingers stuffed with precious stones partially admit. But their fear for stars and inauspicious time is quite glaring on the Hindu Lunar Calendar that they admit quite publicly. Till inauspicious time passes-off let the government and people suffer: no cabinet expansion, no major decision.

So recently coalition government’s partners, JMM and the BJP; have plunged the state in deep uncertainty as each have dared other to withdraw from coalition government. Senior JMM leader Shashank Shekhar Bhokta publicly admitted his party of secular credential will avoid taking a decision during December 15 to January 15 — the period known as Kharmas.

“Whether we stay with the BJP or not the decision will be taken only after Kharmas…because this period is not auspicious for taking any such a decision. You know it may bring disaster,” Bhokta said. The JMM may use the time to negotiate with the Congress and bully the BJP. But Bhokta admitted his party chief Shibu Soren has this thing in his mind.

The BJP after initial verbal match with the JMM has softened its stand to avoid further damage. Best blame stars and inauspicious Kharmas for conflict. “Such things are happening due to Kharmas. Let the Sun go northward the dispute will end,” Goswami sounded innocently. Nevertheless, inquisitive BJP leader and Chief Minister Arjun Munda had consulted three top astrologers to select moment to take oath in September 2010. But even arrangements and alignments of stars and constellations can’t guarantee political stability in Jharkhand where politics suffers from unpredictable predicament.

If stars and omens indeed make and mar the fate of these earthly Gods JMM chief Shibu Soren might not have forgotten his second stint as CM in 2008 that met with a tearful termination after he lost Tamar assembly by-election as CM in the first week of January 2009.

Soren is after all a secular man not known for chasing stars. But when Opposition mounted assault for his resignation he had privately wished he should be allowed to continue as CM as namesake till Kharmas was over.

Soren probably believed he will tide the time and situation once the bad phase was over. “Soren that time wanted the Congress to re-prop him as CM for another six months which was constitutionally wrong.  Kharmas and other inauspicious periods are actually an alibi. It is very funny that cabinet expansions are withheld due to such reasons. Jharkhand has set an example of superstition,” Congress leader Radha Krishna Kishore said.  

Politicians of state have long been indulged into a debate questioning the timing of very foundation of Jharkhand on midnight of November 15, 2000 when first Governor of the State Prabhat Kumar was sworn in three minutes past that midnight followed by the first Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. Many years later Marandi admitted Jharkhand took birth on wrong time. A senior BJP leader had admitted that two astrologers from Ranchi and Uttar Pradesh had warned against the very timing of oath taking. But Marandi did not want to wait till morning as he feared central bosses could change their mind in favour of Kariya Munda.

Four hundred years back Shakespeare tempted to say something is rotting in state of Denmark; in Jharkhand it is stinking.