The two-time chief minister of Bihar who maneuvered a near-impossible turnaround and turned the state on its head addressed the very first press conference after the recent win at the Press Club of India in New Delhi.

 He did not deliver any speech but started fielding questions on a variety of issues from the media straightaway.

 Asked about his reactions on the benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party drew from the coalition during the Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar said:  Those who followed the elections know that the win was not for the coalition but the development that the state has witnessed in recent years.

 Responding to a question on his stand on the Tiranga Yatra of the BJP in Kashmir, Nitish felt that there was no need for such a yatra.  He said it was a natural reaction keeping in view the long terms interests of the country.

 Nitish Kumar was categorical in his statement that the one thing that his party had managed to do in Bihar was to disturb the caste equations and help the people of Bihar to rise above caste and community considerations.

 Talking of terrorism, Nitish said that one of the greatest factors resulting in terrorism is distrust among masses.  His government is making efforts to generate mutual trust in the society so that it might become an effective weapon to fight terrorism.

 Fielding a question on Investment, Nitish acknowledged that investment is very important for development of a state.  Since the areas rich in mines and minerals have gone to Jharkhand, agriculture and food processing are the most important industries for Bihar.

 Offering his opinion on Black Money, Nitish explained that corruption generates black money.  He spoke of how his government has passed the Bihar Special Courts Act to deal with corruption cases.  The property of people with assets disproportionate to their known sources of income can be confiscated.

 During the recent Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar toured the entire length and breadth of Bihar holding no fewer than 300 election meetings.  The thrust of his campaign was that the property acquired as a result of corrupt practices, even if they belong to public servants, would be attached and used to run schools for children.  People are no longer prepared to tolerate corruption.  And, Bihar government believes in zero tolerance as far as corruption is concerned.

 Airing his views on the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the 2G scam, Nitish is unable to understand as to why there is a problem in constituting a JPC.

What is in the domain of the Public Accounts Committee should be looked into by the PAC.  And, whatever needs to be investigated by a JPC must be investigated accordingly.  The entire nation stands to benefit from a proper investigation of the scam.

 Corruption is emerging as a major problem for the nation.  There is need for a change in this direction. Change comes from the people. 

 Coming to Naxalism, Nitish admitted that it is indeed a problem.  But, this problem is not restricted to Bihar.  In fact, it has spread to several states.  Nitish felt that naxalism grows because of lack of development in certain pockets of the state.  He emphasized the need for transparency in the system and development projects.

 Bihar has adopted innovative schemes such as ‘Your government at your door,’ ‘empowerment of panchayat for local level development,’ ‘educational programmes, up gradation of training facilities can help deal with naxalism.  Central funding of projects can provide employment opportunities and also help in development of the state which would reduce the incidence of naxalism.

 The state revenue of Bihar from government levies on liquor has multiplied manifold in recent years.  The media wanted to know if the issue of liquor licenses have increased in recent years.  Crime and domestic violence seems to have increased as a result of this.

Nitish Kumar claimed that the revenue from government levies on liquor has increased from rupees two crore to 16-17 crore.  But, that does not mean that people have started consuming more liquor.  The government has clamped down on the liquor mafia and the illegal sale of liquor.  The bootleggers are being thrown out of business and the government is recovering its taxes from sale of liquor.

On the issue of reservation for women, Nitish Kumar said: Why 33%?  We are providing 50% reservation for women in schools, panchayats etc.  Women feel secure and move freely.  Women came out to vote in large numbers this time.  This is a positive sign. In fact, we have suggested that there should be separate Electronic Voting Machines for men and women.

 Asked why elections to student unions are not taking place, Nitish reacted by saying that it is not in the hands of the government.  If it were, he would have ensured that elections take place on time. He said he is a supporter of student movement.  In any case, there is no labour movement worth its name in the state.

 The media wanted to know the fate of celebration of Bihar divas (Bihar day) that began last year.  Nitish said, he was planning a three-day celebration in Bihar this time.  It might be celebrated in Delhi as well.  It is now 99 years since Bihar became a state.  Next year, Bihar is planning a year long celebration to commemorate its centenary.

 The people of Bihar are proud of their glorious past.  They are proud of their Bihari identity. The only identity that is more important to them is the national identity. Everybody in Bihar realizes this.  And, this is generating a lot of energy.