Easier To Run Government , But difficult To Run Nation : Nitish Kumar on Completion Of 30 Years As Parliamentarian
24 March, Patna
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made atongue-in-cheek remark, ‘It is easier to run a government,but very difficult to run the nation’, perhaps obliquely referring to his bete noire Prime Minister Narendra Modi,without elaborating further.
Looking back at his 30 years of life at a felicitation function organised by Asian Development Research Institute(ADRI) here Tuesday to mark Kumar’s completion of 30 years as a parliamentarian, he noted that the Parliamentary system was the best system in the world.
He said, ‘We all must be proud of such a system that offers an opportunity to anyone and everyone to contest and win elections’.
Replying to his felicitation, he said democracy is thebest system as it is run by a government, elected by people.’If we learn to live together in peace and harmony it wouldgo a long way to strengthen parliamentary democracy’, he stated.
Recalling his long innings at politics, Kumar recalled that in 1977 when everyone else had won, “I had lost. It seems only yesterday, but time passes in its own inimitable style. In 1985 when everyone else in my party had lost I managed to win”.
Referring to his long association with JP in the salad days of 1974 Total Revolution, he confessed, ‘People had started recognising me since then. I had to even go to jail during Emergency. Our activity was limited to just Patna University, which used to be usually a hot-bed in those days’.
The Chief Minister said he had never looked back ever since Karpoori Thakur nominated him as the president of Yuva Lok Dal.”I gradually gained reputation as a speaker on people’s issues. Self-control has to be exercised once one is in the government. Parliamentary life is full of responsibilities,” he noted.
Remembering the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, hes aid, “No path is bigger than the path shown by the Mahatma and all the nation’s leaders. Unless there is peace there can be no development worth the name”. Member-secretary, ADRI, Shaibal Gupta, presided over the function and spoke at length on Kumar’s life as parliamentarian.
JD (U) MP Pawan Verma noted that the Chief Minister had cemented the concept of of ‘justice with development’. The vice chancellor of Magadh University, Mohammad Ishtiaque, vice chancellor of Patna University, Y C Simhadri, noted surgeon Dr A A Hai and academician-economist Anjan Mukherjee also aired their views in the function. A large number of intellectuals, including senior journalists and prominent citizens were also present on the occasion