"Power is seen as privilege"

Political sociologist DL Sheth tries to pinpoint the factors behind Bihar's political decline.

DL Sheth, a political sociologist at the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), talks to Saif Shahin about Bihar's political decline.

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Why has Bihar fallen behind other states in development?

Progress has been broad-based in most states of India. In Bihar, this has not been the case.

How has the politics of the state changed over the years?

Initially, Bihar was under an elitist rule and the government belonged to a small minority. Today, the government is more representative but this has not translated into governance for the majority.

What do you think of the caste and crime factors in politics?

I do not use terms like "politicisation of caste" or "criminalisation of politics". They are off-the-mark, media-created and not very helpful in understanding a situation.

Then how do you explain Bihar's decline?

Power is today seen as a privilege in Bihar, as a resource to be distributed among family and friends. Until Karpoori Thakur, there was a balance between power and responsibility. Now the responsibility factor just doesn't exist.