Once upon a time during the Emergency, the late Devkant Barua, a Congress veteran, remarked that "Indira is India and India is Indira" and caused opposition parties in the country to accuse Indira Gandhi of promoting the culture of sycophancy in politics. Indeed, politicians still cite Barua to prove how the late Indira Gandhi liked and encouraged flattery. But Laloo Prasad Yadav seems to have overtaken her; indeed, few other leaders would have anywhere near the number of sycophants fluttering around them as has the indomitable Rastriya Janata Dal president.

The recent controversy over a Bihar School Examination Board's question paper for Class VIII, which was loaded with paeans to Laloo Yadav, has brought to the fore his flair for collecting flatterers. "Why is Lalooji's personality an open book? What is that attribute of Lalooji which spontaneously attracts people towards him? Why is Lalooji regarded as the frontrunner of communal harmony?" These were some of the questions the young examinees were asked to answer.

Sushil Kumar Modi, leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, and others very vociferously demanded "severe punishment" for the person responsible for setting such questions. They also objected to as many as five questions on the man - which could have fetched 10 marks - against one question each on Lord Mahavira, Mahatma Gandhi, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Munshi Premchand. But Bihar primary and secondary education minister Ramchandra Purve found their objection to be a "foolish act". Saying that "we have not written in the question paper that Nathuram Godse is the founder of the Indian Constitution", he asked the opposition not to make such a hue and cry about "very appropriate questions set in the 8th class question paper".

As if to rub things in, he continued, "Laloo Yadav is a messiah of the poor. The masses love him. He is an epitome of communal harmony. He has given voice to backward classes and Dalits and safety to minorities. These are the realities of Laloo Yadav. Why should the opposition react on the questions based on realistic themes?"

The opposition wasn't at all surprised at his reaction because this was the same Ramchandra Purve who'd equated Laloo Prasad Yadav's journey to Ranchi jail in November last year in connection with a fodder scam case with the historic "Dandi march" of Mahatma Gandhi. Purve is known for his survival instincts, and he knows best that to survive as a minister in the Laloo-Rabri regime he must flatter the "all powerful Raja of Bihar". He is one of the politicians who joined the state cabinet when Laloo Yadav became chief minister in March 1990, and he continues to be a cabinet minister. Purve is neither known for his oratory nor mass base in his constituency, but he is known for his "undiluted loyalty to the Raja".

"And that," said Sushil Kumar Modi, "is the basic qualification for staying on in a position of power in the Laloo-Rabri regime." In fact, Purve is not alone in flattering Laloo Yadav. A small time neta, Brahmanand Paswan, sang paeans to Laloo Yadav by writing Laloo Chalisa on the pattern of Hanuman Chalisa. Laloo Yadav described him as a modern day Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (Dinkar was a national poet) and made him Rajya Sabha MP. Of course, the former chief minister's action surprised one and all for Paswan was neither a poet of any repute nor was he considered capable of even winning a panchayat election in Bihar. But then it was Laloo Yadav's way of promoting one who sang his praise.

Taking a cue from Paswan, Rambachan Rai wrote a chapter full of praise for Laloo Yadav. The government introduced that chapter in the Bihar Secondary School's syllabus for Class VIII. And it appointed Rai chairman of the Hindi Pragati Samiti. In fact, the controversial questions on Laloo Yadav in the recent Class VIII exams were based on Rai's chapter.

Similarly, Shankar Prasad, a folk singer, composed and sang several panegyrics for Laloo Yadav and Rabri Devi. One of them being: "Marachia ke mai ke tu lal bara ho; Ai Laloo jor naikhe neta tu bejor bara ho (You are a hero born to Marachia Devi; O Laloo, you have no peer, you are peerless)." RJD workers used Prasad's songs in election campaigns. And impressed with his "cultural qualities", Laloo Yadav got him appointed chairman of the Sangeet Natak Academy.

Again, Amar Kumar Singh was hardly known as a writer of any worth till he penned a biography of Laloo Prasad Yadav titled Gudri ka Laal (Diamond from tatters). Impressed by his work, Laloo Yadav got him appointed chairman of the Bihar Hindi Granth Academy. Another beneficiary of what the opposition describes as "Raja's love for dubaris (courtiers) and flatterers" is Anwar Ali. Ali has nothing to do with politics or social work. His only qualification is that he prepares biryani, kebabs and other non-vegetarian items to Laloo Yadav's liking and also massages his legs and back to comfort him and keeps him in good humour by praising him all the time. Laloo Yadav made Ali a member of the state legislative council. Even RJD workers describe Ali as a "kebab mantri (kebab minister)".

Brahmanand Paswan, Ramchandra Purve, Rambachan Rai, Shankar Prasad and Anwar Ali are only a few examples of those who have secured positions of power and pelf by virtue of flattering the Raja of Bihar. There are numerous others in the list of sycophants who enjoy life king-size.

Laloo Yadav, said a former RJD minister who was dropped from the Rabri ministry after he raised certain issues which Laloo Yadav did not like, "loves only the yes men who flatter him… as simple as that". In fact, Laloo Yadav in the initial stages as a politician, was himself known for the "art of flattery". Undoubtedly, he mesmerises the masses with his inimitable style of oration and commands charisma. But he was far ahead of the others in the art of keeping his "bosses" in good humour before he grew tall in politics. For instance, he referred to his mentor Devi Lal as Babuji (father) till he himself became chief minister and Devi Lal was deputy Prime Minister. But soon after Devi Lal fell from grace and lost his grip on the state of affairs, Laloo Yadav described him as Dhritrastra (the legendary Kaurav king who had a weakness for his sons).

Laloo Yadav's name will go down in history for promoting chatukarita (sycophancy) to the hilt, said Sushil Kumar Modi. But Ramkripal Yadav, another Laloo loyalist had a different opinion. "Lalooji ka dil Raja ka dil hai; Raja ke ashirvad se ek bhikhari rat-o-rat amir ho jata hai (Laloo Yadav has the heart of a king. The indigent who enjoys the Raja's blessings becomes a rich man overnight.)"

Nalin Verma
The author is The Statesman’s Patna-based Special Representative.