‘They are all jealous of me’

‘‘I am a field worker,’’ Laloo told The Indian Express in an interview. ‘‘I don’t like to be locked up in a seminar. I’m a low-brow people’ s representative. I and Maulana Fazlur are same. I have taken his speech back with me, so I can translate it and understand it.’’

The Congress may fume, the BJP may scoff, but in Pakistan Laloo took Track II diplomacy away from the air-conditioned seminar rooms to the bazaar and streets. ‘‘He gave Pakistanis a sense of belonging by approaching us with his arms open,’’ said Kushmala Tariq, MNA of the PML(Q).

‘‘Pakistan is just like our villages,’’ said Laloo. ‘‘Musharraf is a very tough straight person who wants peace.’’ Indeed, during his meeting with Indian MPs, the only time the General’s face cracked open in a joyful smile was when he was introduced to Laloo. ‘‘Arre Laloo ji,’’ Musharraf beamed, ‘‘Laloo sahab! Aapke baare mein bahut suna hai.’’ How does he feel about relegating other delegate members to the background? ‘‘Arre, yeh kyon mujhse jalte hai? There’s no reason for their anger. Kyon chidhte hain?’’

Referring to Nitish Kumar’s remarks, he said: “He is a khatmal. Does anyone outside India know him? Nobody should listen to jealous voice of a khatmal (bed bug).’’

In Islamabad, a 200-strong delegation of Pakistani Christians came to meet him. Women journeyed all the way from Karachi to talk to him. In Lahore, Anarkali market shopkeepers opened up their closed shops for him. On the train back, his mobile rang with congratulations. Rajiv Shukla and RJD MP Prem Gupta stayed pressed to his side hoping to gain from the photo-ops. ‘‘Yeh Rajiv bahut mere peechhe peechhe rehta hai,’’ Laloo complained. He was mobbed at every station from Amritsar to Ambala. Ram Vilas Paswan was so put off by the Laloo road show that he stayed back in Pakistan an extra day refusing to travel back with Laloo.

‘‘What’s the way forward for Indo-Pak diplomacy? ‘‘Sirf seminar se kaam nahi chalega,’’ said Laloo, ‘‘logo ki bhasha mein baat karni chahiye. Ham to udhar political thermometer dalne ke liye gaye the. People don’t only want experts, but field leaders like me.’’

Said Anadi Sahu of the BJP: You can criticise Laloo, but there is no doubt he spoke very well. He took the dialogue to the people. He should not be underestimated.’’

‘‘Foreign policy jo hai, it is in some elitist language that people don’t understand,’’ complained Laloo. ‘‘How long will people tolerate? They like me because I speak their language.’’ He said he is taking photos of his fans back to Delhi and will try and help them get visas to India.

‘‘My consumers are all over the world. So many people came to see me. I will now work tirelessly for Indo-Pak peace.’’ While most MPs flew from Islamabad to Lahore to catch the bus back to delhi, Laloo journeyed to Lahore by car, stopping at motels along the way to eat with locals. ‘‘Sab log dukhi hain. They ask, when will it stop? Bring peace!That’s what they say. I had no political agenda. People like me because I am a common man.’’

So did he have any problems? ‘‘Only the food,’’ he says urgently, ‘‘all non-veg. I am pure veg. In my room I used to eat sattu daily. In the mornings, I would drink sattu with mirchi. I had to look for subzi everywhere. But though my daughter had told me to be careful, I felt as if I had come home.’’

He may have returned as unofficial wazir-e-azam of Pakistan, and his loyal lieutenant Prem Gupta may have been dislodged by the Pak MNA Kushmala Tariq, but as he steps off the Shatabdi, Laloo may like to remember that he has to fight elections and court cases in India. Not in Pakistan.