In Bihar, every time, after a serious crime against a woman or girl, when the law-and-order situation is questioned, the political response seems almost predetermined. The ruling NDA alliance points towards the erstwhile RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) chief ministers Lalu Yadav-Rabri Devi years and reminds people of ‘Jungle Raj'. The Opposition points towards the present government and declares that law and order has collapsed. Between these competing narratives, the victim risks becoming little more than political ammunition.
The recent incident in Jamui, Bihar, involving a Class 10 girl and her male classmate has once again exposed this uncomfortable reality.
There is an uncomfortable question that Bihar's political class needs to answer - how long can the state's failure in providing security to women be explained by delving into the past?
Justifying the Unjustifiable
The horrific incident in Jamui took place on September 19 and came to public attention after a video showing the alleged harassment of the two minors circulated widely. Police registered an FIR, invoked the POCSO Act, formed a Special Investigation Team and arrested suspects. Yet within hours, the discussion moved from the safety of the two minors to the familiar political battle of attrition.
Janata Dal (United) state president Umesh Kushwaha brushed aside the dreadful crime as an ‘isolated' or ‘minor' incident and asked people to remember what Bihar was like before 2005, when the RJD was in power.
That argument may have electoral resonance, but it does not answer the question confronting the government today.
Bihar is not being governed in 2005. It is being governed in 2026. The minors were not even born in 2005. Most importantly, the people of Bihar have defeated RJD for its misgovernance.
The responsibility for maintaining law and order today rests with the present government.
The data make the argument difficult to dismiss. The NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) figures reflect that Bihar registered 15,359 cases of crimes against women in 2020. The number rose to 17,950 in 2021, 20,222 in 2022 and 22,952 in 2023. The latest available figures show 27,359 cases in 2024.
That does not automatically prove that Bihar has become more dangerous in every respect. Crime statistics are influenced by reporting, registration practices, population and other factors. But the sustained increase in registered cases is certainly a reason for the government to ask difficult questions rather than simply celebrate its record.
And there is another important distinction.
The state government can't measure its success simply by how quickly it responds after a video goes viral.
The real test is whether the state can prevent citizens from becoming victims in the first place - whether women can travel without fear; whether girls can attend coaching classes and return home safely; whether police are accessible; whether complaints are registered without struggle; whether investigations are professional; and whether victims get support throughout the legal process.
The Jamui case is particularly disturbing because the alleged harassment happened in public, while people were apparently more interested in recording the episode than ensuring the safety of the minors. The circulation of the video subsequently added another layer of harm, prompting police action against social-media accounts accused of revealing the identity of the minor victim.
This is not merely a policing problem. It is a societal problem.
The Language
Bihar has deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes, and gender-based violence linked to economic dependence, gender discrimination and low female literacy.
A state cannot create genuinely safe public spaces simply by increasing arrests after crimes occur. It needs sustained investment in policing, street lighting, safe transport, speedy investigation, women's help mechanisms, awareness and education. Most importantly, there has to be a change in attitude that treats women's mobility, clothing, friendships or choices as matters for others to police.
This is where some of the political statements surrounding Jamui become especially unfortunate.
Shreyasi Singh, the BJP MLA from Jamui and a minister, condemned the incident but also faced criticism after saying that ‘moral policing' could be done in a more ‘decent and elegant' manner.
There is nothing elegant or decent about vigilante behaviour towards minors. We are not under Taliban rule. It does not behove a female, educated minister like Shreyasi Singh to give a lame and indefensible statement to water down the crime in her constituency.
Vigilante behaviour towards minors is unacceptable. The state has laws. Citizens have rights. Police have responsibilities. The answer to alleged wrongdoing is lawful intervention, not public humiliation.
The Opposition, however, cannot claim the moral high ground merely by converting every crime into a referendum on the government.
Tejashwi Yadav has attacked the government sharply over the Jamui episode and demanded accountability from Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Holding the government accountable is an essential function of the Opposition. But political allegations, especially those involving claims of caste or political manipulation of an investigation, should be supported by evidence rather than speculation.
The larger problem is that both sides appear trapped in the politics of “your past versus my present”.
Women's safety is not an NDA issue or an RJD issue. It is a Bihar issue.
The state needs a political consensus that some subjects cannot be reduced to partisan score-settling. The Chief Minister should demand accountability from the administration. The Opposition should scrutinise the government without exploiting victims. Ministers should choose their words with extraordinary care. Police should investigate without fear or favour. And political leaders across parties should make one message unmistakable - the victim is not responsible; vigilantism is not acceptable and perpetrators will face the law.
Bihar's women and girls should not have to wait for the next election, the next viral video or the next political controversy to receive that protection.
Lalu-Rabri cannot be a permanent alibi. Neither can political rhetoric be a substitute for governance.
(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
