On the Small Caste-based VIP Party of Bihar

Sarthak Bagchi offers a detailed analysis of the re-emergence of strong caste-based politics in Bihar ("Understanding Small Caste-based Political Parties in India: The VIP of Bihar"). This is to be watched. Some earlier such moves which started on the plank of social justice, degenerated into focussing only on narrow and selfish political and financial demands. The test is whether the leaders of parties like the new Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) are fired by ideological spirit or by the vision of short-term gains.