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Journalism of Courage
Ignored by regional parties who benefitted from a movement that began with their ancestor’s pen, two of the three active politicians in B P Mandal’s family have left their socialist roots. Mandal’s son, a former JD(U) MLA, is intent on staying put despite being denied a ticket, while the grandsons of his two brothers have moved joined BJP.
Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal, born in Murho village in Bihar’s Madhepura district, was a parliamentarian and former Bihar CM who chaired the Second Backward Classes Commission. Between 1978 and 1980, he authored what came to be known as the Mandal Commission report that was implemented in 1990. Its chief recommendation was reservation in government jobs for OBCs — then estimated at 52 per cent of the population. One of the many fallouts of this was the creation of multiple regional political parties with origins in socialism.
The Mandals are zamindari Yadavs. Suraj Yadav, grandson of B P Mandal’s eldest brother, was directly affected by the violence that followed implementation of Mandal report. “I was the ABVP Delhi state vice-president then. My organisation’s cadres were leading the agitation but newspapers were carrying my quotes lauding the implementation. This became embarrassing. I decided to leave,” said Suraj, now an associate professor of history at Delhi University’s Swami Shraddhanand College.
After a stint with the NCP, during which he unsuccessfully contested the 1999 elections against Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav — both beneficiaries of the Mandal movement — Suraj joined the BJP last year.
B P Mandal’s son, Maninder Kumar Mandal, has decided to stay with the JD(U) despite being denied a ticket in 2010 when he was sitting legislator from Madhepura. “I cannot see myself joining the BJP,” he said. He believes Narendra Modi is a factor. “It is his leadership, which is attracting people,” he said.
“The Mandal report wanted an egalitarian society. All it has resulted in is votebank politics,” said Anand Mandal, another grandson, who joined the BJP after leaving the JD(U). Before that he was with the Samajwadi Janata Party.
