Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (file photo)
Patna:
Nitish Kumar, who was MIA from the blogosphere for two years, is back.
In a new post today, the Chief Minister of Bihar, who recently derided politicians who tweet, focuses on his "revolutionary steps" to give girls in Bihar easy and uninterrupted access to education. (Read blog here)
The 61-year-old expounds on a scheme he announced on Independence Day that gives free government schooling for any girl in Bihar. "The only criterion is that the beneficiary should be a student of a government school. That's all," he blogs.
Mr Kumar's populist reform that gave cash to any teen girl to buy a cycle so she could remain in school helped power his re-election for a second term as chief minister in 2010.
"That cycle scheme brought about a social revolution and made the cycle-riding schoolgirls a veritable mascot of Bihar," he writes
A few weeks ago, Mr Kumar was asked why he is not on Twitter. "Tweeting is for birds," he said. "It's okay for actors who need to reach their fans. True politicians are in touch directly with people every day."
That was one of the many jabs taken by him at his political rival, Narendra Modi, who has since been declared the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for prime minister. Mr Kumar saw that coming in June and ended a 17-year-old partnership with the BJP after the party chose Mr Modi to head its campaign for the national election. The BJP vowed the appointment was not a precursor to letting Mr Modi run for the country's top job; Mr Kumar said he saw through its demurrals.
Mr Kumar, who depends heavily on the support of Bihar's Muslim voters, has described Mr Modi - always without naming him - as a divisive leader who did not do enough to stop hundreds of Muslims from being killed in Gujarat's communal riots in 2002.
In a new post today, the Chief Minister of Bihar, who recently derided politicians who tweet, focuses on his "revolutionary steps" to give girls in Bihar easy and uninterrupted access to education. (Read blog here)
The 61-year-old expounds on a scheme he announced on Independence Day that gives free government schooling for any girl in Bihar. "The only criterion is that the beneficiary should be a student of a government school. That's all," he blogs.
Mr Kumar's populist reform that gave cash to any teen girl to buy a cycle so she could remain in school helped power his re-election for a second term as chief minister in 2010.
"That cycle scheme brought about a social revolution and made the cycle-riding schoolgirls a veritable mascot of Bihar," he writes
A few weeks ago, Mr Kumar was asked why he is not on Twitter. "Tweeting is for birds," he said. "It's okay for actors who need to reach their fans. True politicians are in touch directly with people every day."
That was one of the many jabs taken by him at his political rival, Narendra Modi, who has since been declared the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for prime minister. Mr Kumar saw that coming in June and ended a 17-year-old partnership with the BJP after the party chose Mr Modi to head its campaign for the national election. The BJP vowed the appointment was not a precursor to letting Mr Modi run for the country's top job; Mr Kumar said he saw through its demurrals.
Mr Kumar, who depends heavily on the support of Bihar's Muslim voters, has described Mr Modi - always without naming him - as a divisive leader who did not do enough to stop hundreds of Muslims from being killed in Gujarat's communal riots in 2002.
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