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A gentleman politician passes on
In her tribute, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said his participation in the GST Council discussions was “well informed and thoughtful”
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi was known for his administrative skills, pragmatism and grasp over political issues. But he also had the difficult task of striking a balance between the aspirations of his party and the compulsions of coalition dharma. The BJP’s off-and-on alliance with the Janata Dal (United) has helped it share power in the state but is also perceived to have been detrimental to the party’s growth by many.
Modi, a man of dignified responses, measured speech and courteous demeanor, passed away on Monday night at 72. In April this year, he spoke about his inability to participate in the elections owing to the treatment he was undergoing for cancer. Although he had been unwell for a while, many of his party colleagues were shocked by the news, unaware that the man who doggedly turned up for Parliament and party work had been battling the dreaded disease.
A product of Patna Science College, Modi cut his teeth in politics as a student leader during the JP Movement and was jailed for over a year during Emergency. He was an MLA, MLC, a member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the deputy CM of Bihar between 2005 and 2013, and from 2017 to 2020.
A former colleague of Modi recalled how his persistence led to the exposure of the infamous Fodder Scam in Bihar, leading to the arrest of powerful regional leader and the then chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
“He was much loved and respected but there is a section of leaders who found fault in how the party grew in the state. But he never indulged in name-calling. If he found himself bound by limitations...he found other ways to serve the people and his party. An example of that is his role in the GST Council,” said the former colleague.
In her tribute, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said his participation in the GST Council discussions was “well informed and thoughtful” and he took keen interest in debates, particularly on fiscal matters.
In Parliament, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in December 2020, he spoke on issues concerning people. His interventions made both the government and the opposition take note. In his quiet but compelling voice, he raised questions and demanded government attention to issue from the threats of Artificial Intelligence to online gaming and gambling addiction, from vacancies in teaching positions to raising the demand for declaration of assets by judges.
Often mobbed by reporters seeking a sound bite, Modi was also among the few leaders who took the trouble to answer endless questions, explain in detail the genesis of political twists and turns and the implications these could have on people and the polity. And above all, even disagreement was without disparaging comments and rancour. A gentleman politician passes on.
