In The Name Of Ram

For the people of Hazaribagh, famous for its Ram Navamii, life is a tussle between peace, processions and politics

- Abhik Bhattacharya

A ROUND 90 km from Ranchi, as you enter Hazaribagh town, a sense of festivity captivates you for a while. Though the colour of the saffron flag and festoons has faded in the harsh sunlight, the life-size cut-outs of Ram are compensatory. It's election time and in Hazaribagh, a city known for the Ram Navami celebration, how can Ram not make an appearance in the electoral discourse? As the campaign tableau of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate Manish Jaiswal moves around the town, with the song 'jo Ram ko laye hai, hum unko layenge' being played on loudspeaker, both the mood and the mudda get established.

A few km from Jhanda Chowk-that finds a mention every time a Ram Navami procession turns violent- the Rajput samaj (Kshatriyas) is gearing up to welcome Jaiswal. Wearing a saffron robe and sporting a saffron tika, Giridhar Singh, one of the members of the community, says: "We are followers of Ram and we will support Modi who has given Ram his home."

As hundreds continue to chant 'Jai Shree Ram', Jaiswal enters the scene. Earlier, he was wearing a robe embossed with the BJP lotus but he changed it at the entry point. "This is a rally organised by our samaj. We are supporting the BJP on the grounds of Ram and nationalism. You won't find any BJP flags here,” says Tuntun Singh, one of the organisers. The contest in Hazaribagh constituency became interesting after the BJP decided to field Jaiswal, the current MLA and the son of former Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) leader B K Jaiswal, instead of the current MP Jayant Sinha, the son of former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha. Just a few days ago, Sinha’s son Aashir joined the Congress. Sources say that Sinhas are not happy with the decision of the BJP to deny the ticket to Jayant.