The Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda is tall, dark and handsome. And, if you don't mind another cliche, strong and silent as well. Which is strange because although he should have had a lot to talk about, he was remarkably reticent about the problems he is facing as Chief Minister of Jharkhand, when we met him over tea, writes Business Standard.
Munda was clearly preoccupied "" he was scheduled to leave for the US the following day to attend to the health problems of his two small sons and one of them had developed a slight fever the night before. His suite at the Taj Mansingh was overrun by supporters wanting to press pieces of paper into his hand. Liaison men from various industrial houses appeared to be pushing their way in through, with only token resistance offered by his staff. So, there was time only for a cup of tea sans milk or sugar "" apparently that's the way they do it in Jharkhand "" as he talked about his plans and dreams he had for his state, and the challenges he faced.
About investment in Jharkhand, Munda was clear. The state, he said, had got proposals worth Rs 200,000 crore and investment worth Rs 160,000 crore had already been finalised. He spoke so casually, it almost seemed he hadn't grasped the enormity of the sums involved. Munda said his priority was to get the serious investor, not paanwallas from adjoining states. Investment in steel, power, agro industry, chemicals and fertilisers sectors had already been tied up. But he had to take care of other interests of his state as well. "As you know, the primary occupation is farming. But the advantage in Jharkhand is that, of the entire area under farming, not even 15 per cent has been infected by chemical fertilisers. So like Uttaranchal, we too are seeking certification for organic farming. We have already sought the help of consultants from Israel to create the infrastructure for agro industry, including fisheries. They will help us set up a cold chain." he said.
Munda said the money "" Rs 100,000 crore "" would begin to come in over the next two years. The smaller ancillary industries had already started work, though big groups had begun setting up shop only lately. "I monitor the progress made by industries every 20 days. I want maximum value addition. That will help state finances," he said.
He explained what he meant. "A certain kind of steel, which is a nickel alloy, is used to manufacture jet turbines. It is called crystal alloy steel. I want jet turbines all over the world made from the steel that Jharkhand produces. I have already spoken to [Laxmi] Mittal about this. This is my dream," he said. What about employment? "Initially 100,000 jobs will be created. These will be direct jobs. Indirect employment will be much more," he said.
But why is it that when Jharkhand was a part of Bihar, no one thought of all this?
"When the state was with Bihar, this may have been possible as well. But then we didn't understand ourselves. In a country like India, you can't work with the attitude that we have nothing to do with India "" that we won't give anything to India. What we're trying to do is to create a link between Jharkhand and India," he said. He admitted that the region "" Bihar and Jharkhand "" had seen political and developmental deterioration in the 1980s. But, this was a time of flux for India. "We never thought a situation would arise when our currency would have to be devalued" said Munda.
Which brought us to the other protagonist of the Jharkhand story, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who was on record as having described the Munda government as the most corrupt ever. "So do you want to challenge Sinha's assessment?" we asked. Munda was short. "I never make any charges against anyone," he said. "But your adversaries are making serious charges against you," we persisted. "I don't want to talk about this," he said with an air of finality.
Munda was as equivocal about the other problem Jharkhand faces "" the growth of the Naxal movement. He neither criticised the Maoists for their armed struggle, nor the Congress for advocating the soft touch in dealing with Naxalism, which the UPA sees as a socio-economic problem rather than one of law and order. "There has to be a national policy on this matter. You can't put it down in Jharkhand and let it thrive in Andhra Pradesh," Munda said.
What about the other big problem he faced "" dissidence in his own party?" we asked. It is the world's worst-kept secret that no one really wanted Munda to become chief minister. But once the Jharkhand Assembly elections had been held, the other big BJP leader, Babulal Marandi, suddenly got cold feet about the prospects of forming a government, and Munda was the central choice. Munda has been in the BJP for less than 10 years and was associated with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha before that. So, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is less than enthusiastic about him.
Munda's face closed. "It is a family. I really would prefer not to discuss it with the press" he said firmly.
We left just as another liaison man made his presence felt in irritated tones. The taciturn Munda had better things to do.
