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Journalism of Courage
A day in the life of Tejaswi Prasad Yadav 23 campaigning for the RJD
Its 9.30 am on April 20,the first day of Tejaswi Prasad Yadavs Bihar Yatra,and the RJD is leaving nothing to chance in what is practically the baptism of its heir apparent. RJD state media in-charge Randhir Yadav bustles around the 10,Circular Road,residence in Patna,ensuring the journalists are well taken care of,while Bhola Yadav,the personal assistant to party chief and Tejaswis father Lalu Prasad Yadav for years,looking purposeful with loads of files on his table,ensures each one of those journalists gets a two-page printout of Tejaswis venue-to-venue programme.
The 23-year-old,the second and youngest son of Lalu,did campaign in the 2010 Assembly polls,but this is his formal launch in active politics. By the 2015 Assembly polls,he would be 25 and eligible to contest polls.
By 9.45 am,the cavalcade sets offthe schedule being to travel to Samastipur that day by road,with stops along the way. Tejaswi,clad in a white kurta and pyjama and sporting a trimmed beard,is introduced to the media. As elder brother Tej Pratap appears,Tejaswi seeks his blessings before getting into the SUV,followed by supporters on vehicles,including RJD youth wing president Shivchander Ram.
There is a Parivartan Rath bus parked nearby,but that is meant for Lalu to travel across Bihar soon.
Hajipur,the headquarters of Vaishali district,is the first stop. Around 50 supporters gather,and there is sloganeering and music as Tejaswi gets down to garland an Ambedkar statue. Ekdam Laluji jaisan gor hathin He is as fair-complexioned as Lalu, remarks an elderly woman. Tejaswi smiles and looks the other way.
Amid his band of followers is Ashok Kranti 28,a part-time TV actor who joined the RJD in 2008. Tejaswis promise of 50 per cent tickets to youths in the next Assembly elections has galvanised the young,he says. A small fry like me cannot access Laluji. For us,Tejaswi is our leader. He is very mature for his age and respects party workers, Kranti says.
At the next stop,Berai Chaur in Vaishali,Tejaswi is again greeted by a small group. You all have to come for the May 15 rally, is all that the young leader says,talking about the grand meeting being planned by the RJD in Patna. As an elderly woman blesses him,Tejaswi bows.
Peoples reactions are mixed. Logon me Nitish ke liye gussa to hai,lekin Laluji ko phir logon ka dil jitna hoga People are definitely angry with Nitish,but Lalu has to work hard to win over people, says Ashok Kumar.
At Kanhauli Bazar,Tejaswi garlands the statue of a local leader and old Lalu associate,Sravan Babu.
At Mahua,among the supporters are Muslims,who reiterate their loyalty to the RJD and bless Lalus cricketer son. Are ye to Delhi Daredevils team mein tha, says a youngster,adding cheekily,Lekin ek match bhi nahin khela He was in the Delhi Daredevils team,but did not play a single match.
After a few more stops at Mahua,the cavalcade stops at a Govindpur dhaba for a tea break. No electricity fans around,some supporters start fanning Tejaswi with towels. He is not amused.
The strength of the crowd along the Vaishali route appears to cheer him up,with Tejaswi again telling them to come for the May 15 rally.
From Mahua,over a dozen bikers wearing green bandanas and waving RJD flags join the cavalcade. It is 2.30 pm,Tejaswi is behind schedule,but says that he cannot say no to anyone.
His final stop is Karpoori Gram,the paternal village of former chief minister and socialist leader Karpoori Thakur. He garlands Karpooris statue and briefly interacts with his family members. Incidentally,an RJD man had defeated JDU candidate and Karpoori Thakurs son Ramnath Thakur from Samastipur in the 2010 electionsTejaswis visit could heal those wounds.
He wraps up the day in a Samastipur hall that can barely accommodate 500 people. People outsidesome have been waiting for five hourswonder why he didnt choose an open ground for his address. When a veteran leader says he is ready to leave his chair for the young leadership,Tejaswi says astutely that one has to take along the youth and the experienced.
During his 10-minute speech,he pleads for support to the RJD and attacks the prevailing education policy and corruption. He also denies that nobody can grow in the RJD,giving the example of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Log ilzaam lagate hain ki pitaji ne kisi ko badne nahin diya,abhi bahutere log jo mantri ban phir rahe hain hamare yahan se hi gaye hai People falsely accuse my father of nepotism. Several ministers in the current government started out with the RJD.
As the crowd disperses,the Tejaswi brigade calls it a day,ready for a late lunch and a similar road show the next day. Using English words carefully,Lalus son indicates there may be many more such days ahead. People, he says,are supreme in democracy.
