The efforts of top leaders of Janata Dal (United) to garner support for the ‘Adhikar Rally’ at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday bore fruit as thousands of Biharis from different parts of the city turned up for the rally to extend their support to chief minister Nitish Kumar’s demand for ‘special status’ for the state.
While Kumar demanded that the central government endow special status to Bihar, his supporters said he is an ideal candidate for the post of the next Prime Minister of India.
“Bihar was in a state of anarchy before Nitish Kumar became the chief minister. We were forced to migrate from the state in search of better life. If his performance is taken into account, he deserves to become the next PM of this country,” said Sunil Pandey, a resident of Sant Nagar in north west Delhi.
Extending support to the cause for which the rally was organised, the supporters said the state needs extra help for taking the next leap on development front.
“The condition of roads and law and order has improved over the last few years. However, the state still has to witness industrial growth that would create jobs,” said Sambhu, who works as a mason in Delhi and lives in a slum in Okhla.
“We are eagerly waiting for that to happen as it would provide a chance to lakhs of people like me who would not have to migrate from Bihar for work,” said Sambhu.
In his speech, Nitish Kumar also highlighted the inhuman conditions in which people from Bihar are forced to live in the unauthorised colonies and slums.
“People have been forced to leave their home state. Lakhs of people are living in the jhuggi jhopri clusters in Delhi,” said Nitish.
“The living conditions in all these colonies are worse than in the villages back home. If we get assistance from the central government, such forced migration could be checked,” added Nitish.
He also gave out a political message to Delhi's political class that the ‘Bihari population in the city cannot be taken for granted’ and they need to be given an equal share in the fruit of development in the city.
