Nalin Verma
A senior journalist & Patna based special correspondent of The Statesman.

"My ambition to become a politicians led me to join the underworld", confessed Vivek Ranjan to the Bihar police after the latter arrested him and four of his accomplices in connection with numerous cases of kidnapping and dacoity.

Vivek is an educated young man who was nabbed by the police from a Patna University hostel a couple of days ago. All the members of kidnappers' gang that he heads are his University "friends" belonging to educated middle class families.

Pappu Dev, a college dropout, known as the "terror" of the Kosi belt due to his involvement in over 40 cases of kidnapping for ransom, made abortive efforts to get ticket from the mainline political parties in the last Assembly polls. But he has not lost the hope. "It's only a matter of time, I have enough popularity to get elected to the Assembly", he told.

In fact, the source of inspiration of Vivek and his likes are a large number of kidnapper and brigand turned MPs and MLAs including Surajbhan Singh, Rajen Tiwary, Md Shahabuddin, Rama Singh and Sunil Pandey who still have numerous cases of kidnapping, murder and dacoity against them. Most of them are still behind the bars.

This trend of the educated youths using kidnapping for ransom and other forms of crime as a tool to join politics and graduate into "honourable members" of the state House or the Lok Sabha has created a very alarming situation in the state.

Kidnapping for ransom which earlier used to be a phenomenon in the remote areas of north Bihar's east and west Champaran districts have now become rampant in the urban areas including the capital of the state. The developments have forced the common middle class and traders to live under the constant shadow of fear.

Criminals abducted a veterinary doctor, Mr Indrabhan Prasad's son Mr Sanjiv Sinha in broad day light here on 20 February. The incident took place close on the heels of the abduction of the famous fertilizer merchant, S. K. Kejriwal from Muzaffarpur recently. Hardly a day passes without an incident of kidnapping in the main cities and towns. More than 20 cases of kidnapping for ransom mainly from the urban areas of the state have been reported till now this month that still has nine days left.

What has added dangerous dimension to it is open encouragement to this trend by almost all the political parties and their top leaders. In fact, the NDA constituents including the Samata Party and the Lok Janshakti are not behind the RJD in drafting kidnappers and ganglords in their rank.

Rama Singh who has over 30 cases of kidnapping, murder and dacoity against him and who won the last Assembly poll from behind the bars is the "right hand man" of the union Mines Minister and Lok Janshakti leader, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan. Mr Paswan hardly hides his love for Rama Singh.

If Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav has the "don" of Belaganj, Surendra Yadav as a Minister in his wife led Government, the union Minister of Railways, Mr Nitish Kumar's affinity with the kidnappers turned MLAs like the "don" of Mokama, Surajbhan Singh, the "terror" of central Bihar, Sunil Pandey and the same of north Bihar, Munna Shukla is well known. Munna Shukla and Sunil Pandey are the Samata Party MLAs. All these "honourable members" of the Bihar House are behind the bars in connection with numerous cases of kidnapping, dacoity and murder against them.

"Kidnapping for ransom is most effective means to make fast money", said a senior police officer, adding: "any wealthy person prefers to pay ransom more than approaching the police for fear of his relative being killed in the criminals' captivity."

The Janata Dal (U) General Secretary and old socialist, Mr Laxami Sahu said: "Money and muscle power are now primary requirement for becoming a leader." "The money raised by these trigger happy people help them get tickets from the important parties who need money and muscle power more than anything else to sustain themselves."

The sociologist, Mr Sashibhushan Sinha fears that this trend is all set to grow more for the educated youths are not feeling secured in carrying out their education in a condition in which job opportunities are fast shrinking. "They find kidnapping for ransom, dacoity in banks etc as the most easy way to earn money and political status."