I grew up in Laalu's Bihar

When Laalu's daughter was getting married in Patna, Laalu's brother in law Sadhu yadav forcefully took away more than 100 cars frm the car showrooms, to ferry wedding guests from the airport. Those who didn't comply, their showrooms were damaged

Laalu spent 100 crores in the wedding, (this was in 1999) all from state coffers, while it didn't have any money to pay salaries to govt employees.

Every business owner had to pay this Rangdari tax, to the local goons, if you didn't, you were shot or your kid was kidnapped

When Nepal released waters and entire North Bihar was flooded, with loss of life and property, Laalu quipped during an serial survey: "It's a good thing, now all the fish will come to their house which they can cook and eat happily"

If you accumulated any money, and showed signs of it, like buying even a fuckin Maruti 800, you were on the list. Your kid could be kidnapped or there could be a dacoity. I personally know a few schoolmates who were kidnapped. Freed only when ransom was paid.

As a kid, I could never realize the gravity coz we were lower middle class, no wealth for anyone to burgle, back at home by 7pm shut from the outside world, chased out only by mosquitoes and power cuts. Every house had a "generator connection"

Before every monsoons, the open sewers and naalas were declogged and all the shit was laid on to the roads, mind you the busiest roads, so when it rained the roads were like swamps. As a kid I thought this was the norm. And we have to live with it.

Electricity was a luxury. So much so that when power used to restore late night people cheered as if India has won a cricket match against Pakistan. But the u find the voltage is so low, fan just whirrs, tubelight won't come to life, bulb so dim u can't even finish your homework

There were hardly any jobs, so the only people who were rich sans any political connections were the Doctors & corrupt Engineers. So their kids were the prime target for kidnappings. Extortion was the most flourishing industry, could have got VC funding easily in Bihar.

I can go on and on, Shahabuddin, the caste massacres, the state of education, the charwaha vidyalaya, the booth capturings, Gandhi setu..Phew.

In short, when I see a privileged journalist defending Laalu, it makes my blood boil.

You have no fuckin idea, Ms Sagarika ghose

PS: A bit taken aback by the surprise people expressed reading this, goes to show how easy it is for agenda (and also money) driven journos to whitewash this and present Laalu as a martyr to the new generation. Hence, such stories need to be told. #NeverForget