It’s not because he ended his party’s 17-years-long relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party at a time when the latter is better placed on the 2014 election scene.

It’s also not because he harbours the desire to rule the country one day or thinks he is a better performer or administrator when compared to Modi — he has the right to assess himself as a politician and also decide on the poll partners.

Advani was not talking through his hat when he had recently said in Madhya Pradesh, “Gujarat was always a progressive state. I congratulate Modi for the state’s further growth.”

Undoubtedly, when compared to Biharis or UPites, the Gujaratis (whether Hindus or Muslims) are certainly more business-minded people equipped with better entrepreneurial skills. Sadly the two northern states are known for their labour force more than the intelligence quotient.

What shocks me about Nitish is his belief that Advani would be more acceptable to the Muslims of Bihar than Modi.

As far as I know, the Muslims can’t stand both and Nitish’s public sympathy for Advani over ill-treatment meted out to him by the BJP is unlikely to go down well with them.

Just because Advani made a statement on Jinnah cannot dilute his role in whipping up Hindu frenzy in the early 1990’s. And whatever the media may speculate or say, the Muslims have not forgiven Advani for the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. Only the memories of 2002 Gujarat massacre are fresher than the demolition of 1992.

Agreed Atal and Advani had formed the NDA of which Nitish Kumar became a major beneficiary. But it amuses many like me when he says Atal-Advani era is over in the BJP and he cannot reconcile with the new era. Didn’t he know the Babri demolition occurred during Atal-Advani era?

Though Babri happened before the NDA came into existence, Godhra happened while he was an active partner in NDA. Why his secular sensibilities did not prod him to quit the arrangement with the BJP then.

I am sure Nitish was not so naïve not to know the ‘chola, chal and charitra’ of the RSS driven the BJP? Why this sudden volte face after Modi took over as party’s chief campaigner?

I am now convinced that politicians actually believe the public memory is ephemeral.

The fact is the JD (U) wanted a formula to checkmate its sliding popularity graph. Though Nitish has turned around Bihar in 10 years of his rule, he as a politician knew he will need some volatile poll issue to get another five years term.

He withdrew from NDA, condemned Modi driven BJP and shed some tears for Advani. If he believes the Muslims will go whole hog with him, he is in for a shock.

His political adventure may turn into a misadventure. That would be a sad day for the country as the country requires leaders of Nitish Kumar’s ilk.

I am referring to LK Advani’s resignation here. Incidentally, this is not the first time Advani has resigned, he had done so twice or thrice in the past.

But we went overboard covering the storm over the ‘generational shift’ in the BJP, which in any way was on the cards as its parent body RSS had done it way back in mid-2000. Even that had created ripples but had failed to catch the media attention.

As we discussed and dissected every aspect of Modi’s elevation, we somehow missed a few incidents that happened in Uttar Pradesh.

Remember the furore that the murder of Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia Ul Haq in Kunda had raised in the political quarters sending the Akhilesh government in a tizzy.

The beleaguered chief minister had taken some quick steps as media questioned Raghuraj Pratap Singh’s continuation in office following a complaint lodged by Haq’s young widow against him. Singh was told to resign, a CBI inquiry was ordered (which has yet to nail Singh) and the CM had flown to Deoria to console the bereaved family members next morning.

A few months back in yet another incident in Saharanpur criminals shot dead the gunner of a police official who himself had a narrow escape. The incident occurred when the cops tried to intercept a gang of criminals trying to flee in a car.

Another cop was killed in Bareilly when the team was returning to the police station after arresting a hardened criminal. None of the incidents drew the attention of the media as well as the state government. The chief minister did not react; the home department did not act. Their deaths went unnoticed as the country discussed politics and sheer politics.

Why? Is it because Saharanpur and Bareilly are not as infamous as Kunda that made the crime sensational? Is it because the cop killed in Kunda belonged to a minority community?

Why all those politicians and minority organisations that had demanded the government’s dismissal after Haq’s murder preferred silence now? Where is the BSP? Where is the BJP or the Congress?

Why this discrimination? Duty is duty and anyone dying anywhere in the state while on duty deserves the same compassion and compensation if not media attention. Or is it the media attention that stirs the government as well as the political parties into action? Why this discrimination even amongst the dead!

A social activist has petitioned the chief minister demanding the same compensation for the family members of the cops who died recently maintaining that the government cannot have any policy which differentiated martyrs on the basis of rank, caste or religion,’ and according to me also ‘ media hype.’

I somehow don’t remember the festival the city was celebrating in gusto, but I do recall it was somewhat similar to the Basant Panchami celebrations in India. A generation still wears yellow and eats yellow that day in the countryside, also in metros. A friend later told me that there are a dozen odd cities in various countries celebrating a day in Green.

This year we at Hindustan Times in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand decided to go green and the easiest way was to encourage colleagues, friends and readers to wear green. And the overwhelming response prompted me to write this blog hoping all those who would read it incidentally on the Environment Day may end up donning green — if nothing just a simple bracelet or a band. And guys coloured pants as are in vogue.

My friend and nationally known folk singer Malini Awasthi explains the significance of green in our lives other than the fact that our survival depends on the environment around. She says ‘the environment friendly colour signifies royalty, is associated with calmness and brings good luck. Red is the colour of celebration but it also denotes danger and anger. White is associated with grief, black is out for festivals and celebrations in many Indian families. It’s yellow and green that usher in happiness.’

The United Nations has given an interesting theme for this year’s environment day – Think, Eat and Save — which is apt considering how our government allows food grain to rot in our country, raises technical reasons to reject even apex court’s suggestion of its distribution amongst the poor. It can’t somehow see the hunger around. We, at HT, have added ‘ Wear’ green too. If you decide to do so, please send pictures at saron@hindustantimes.com.

This incident dates back to 2009. It was around four in the afternoon when a couple of us along with our ‘local contact’ decided to visit some of the Maoist-affected villages. We were in two cars. As we were leaving the main road, we met a police patrol van. They stopped us, demanding to know where we were heading to. After they were told about our plan to visit some Maoists affected villages, they looked at us condescendingly and said, “We will advise you to abandon your plan. But if you insist, please go ahead. Meet us if you return safely.”

Undeterred by their warning, our cars started moving on the sandy non-existent road. The dust that the car in the lead kicked off was literally blinding. It was getting dark and there was no sign of any life around. As the driver tried to closely follow the leading vehicle, a local guy told him brusquely, ‘Maintain a safe distance.’ I thought he was trying to prevent collision between the two cars, which was quite a possibility. As I also told the driver to go slow to avoid any accident, the local guy retorted in a voice devoid of emotions, ‘Which accident are you talking about? I am referring to mines that they lay on the roads.’

I did not utter a word during rest of my journey. We reached the village, it was absolutely dark, I could hardly see the faces of the people I spoke to till they came and sat next to me. Till date I remember the wrinkled faces with hollow expressions, the painful words of an old man who whispered in my ears, ‘I can take you around the village and you can check for yourself . Food is cooked only once and majority of us sleep on empty stomach. They come and demand food.’ Such helplessness!

We drove back in silence. Had to take a detour, a longer route as by then the local guy said,‘ They know we were there.’

I might have mentioned this incident in my earlier blogs. But I feel the need to write it again as the country is debating the security aspect after the toll rose to 27, including that of Chhattisgarh Congress chief and his son and other party men.

Agreed the BJP government did not provide adequate security for Congress Parivartan Yatra , but how come the local Congress leadership decided to move in such a long convoy, knowing fully well that one of their key leaders Mahendra Karma has been on the Maoists hit list for long. If there has been a security lapse, there has been negligence too.

It’s a sad day for the country, where our very own people have lost their faith in the democratic system and picked up guns. Though the Dantewada killing of 76 police personnel was as gruesome as the Bastar massacre, it is for the first time that the political class has been attacked.

It’s high-time they, the political parties as well as the Centre and the state governments, instead of training their guns at each other, put their brains together to find a way out of the Maoists problem. It goes without saying that a national crisis requires a national consensus.

Blame-game can be deferred for a later date!

I sighed with relief as I saw the state taking some baby steps in the right direction after days of chaos. There had been huge turbulence in the political circles following two major developments. One came after Lokayukta NK Mehrotra submitted his report on what is now called the memorial scam in which an estimated sum of Rs. 1410 crore is stated to have been siphoned off from Rs. 4148.54 crore spent on the construction of Mayawati’s dream projects (memorials) in the state capital. Interestingly, the Lokayukta exonerated Mayawati of all the charges while laying the total blame on the doors of former cabinet ministers Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Babu Singh Kushwaha and hordes of engineers and officials. The keen interest evinced by Mayawati in the execution of all her projects are known to all and sundry in the state capital as she often monitored the progress from a chopper that flew quite low many a time for her to have a clearer view. But then it appears she and her secretariat only checked the pace of the construction activity, not the cost, not the quality.

Fine, if that’s how the system functions. But is there something called ‘moral responsibility.’

The report came at a time when the SP government led by Akhilesh Yadav was battling one crisis after another – the most serious one was posed by the custodial death of terror suspect Khalid Mujahid. A CBI probe promptly recommended by the chief minister failed to assuage the hurt sentiments of the Muslim community who described it as cold-blooded murder. With the stage already being laid for polling on communal lines, Mulayam can’t afford their anger months before the general election in the country. The BJP has brought in Amit Shah to UP and the Muslims are edgy about the role his mentor Narendra Modi will play. Interestingly, the BJP has openly decided to support 42 cops who have been named in Mujahid’s death case.

But keeping all this aside, the two conferences sought to move on and discussed a way forward, with delegates from UP sharing their experiences of skill development, a sector in which the state needs to invest. Ironically, while the chief minister was displaying his political will to build a climate conducive for industrial growth, two cops were exchanging lathi blows outside Indira Pratishthan where the entrepreneurs’ summit was on; a few hours before, a family of seven was chopped to death in Ghaziabad; then there was violence in Moradabad.

All my enthusiasm tanked in a couple of hours. I was reminded of what one of the participants said at the skill development conference – UP has to board the skill development bus. If we miss the bus, the country will also fail to board it.

We are obviously gasping for breath already as the bus approaches us?

That reminded me of the times when the survival of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government had rested on three firebrand women chieftains, Mamata Bannerjee, Mayawati and Jaylalitha. His super-talents were at display every day keeping the three mercurial regional satraps in humour. But not all leaders have the same wisdom or skills that Vajpayee had.

Somehow over a decade the regional satraps have acquired larger than life status across India. Even in the Congress ruled states, it’s not the Gandhi’s magic that works anymore; it’s the local face like we recently saw in Karnataka where people opted for a lesser evil.

In a way it’s good to have regional leadership at the helms as they are well attuned to the needs of their respective areas. But that in no way gives them licence to become contemporary feudal lords in whose territory no one can interfere.

Let’s take Karnataka where BS Yeddyurappa refused to accept his party high command’s decision to step down and had to be eventually sacked. Both he and his erstwhile party paid the price and that too quite a heavy one. Congress won the state despite the taints of corruption.

Nitish Kumar has done wonders for Bihar, but if I could catch the straws in the winds blowing from the neighbouring state, his intolerance levels are growing. Vijay Bahuguna in the sibling state of Uttarakhand is known to be brusque despite the sense of humour that he has. Mamata Bannerjee, all know, believe that West Bengal is her bastion no one should meddle with. Mayawati toed the same line but fortunately, young Akhilesh doesn’t carry a swollen head and is open to suggestions. Just as there is nothing negative emanating from Madhya Pradesh where Shivraj Singh is holding the baton, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have little positive to share when it comes to the fiefdom culture.

Having said so, I sometimes wonder what the right path is in a democratic set-up. Of course decentralisation of power is said to be the best option. Can we say so when the regional satraps turn autocrat?