A state with a rich legacy of culture and heritage has lagged behind the rest of the country in recent times. Focusing largely on a regime that has considerably impacted the tragic condition of the state, Author, Entrepreneur, and Social Activist, Mrityunjay Sharma traces the post-independence socio-politics of Bihar and the story of Bihar's plunge into an abyss of crime, corruption, and economic ruin during the tumultuous decade of the 1990s in his bestseller, ‘Broken Promises’.

Born and raised in ‘Undivided Bihar’, a first-generation Entrepreneur and Social Activist, Mrityunjay Sharma has explored the major political events focusing on Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ascendancy during the timeline and how his and Rabri Devi’s rule affected the state. A hotbed for a series of crimes including kidnappings, murders, and other unlawful acts, Bihar has witnessed lawlessness, misgovernance, and economic implosion for a long time. Mrityunjay Sharma’s ‘Broken Promises’ highlights several such anecdotes that have made the state, a byword and backward even today. The book focuses on some historical factors and majorly depicts in more recent times how the rule of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi has impacted the state. Tracing the political events of the 1990s, the book includes the Mandal Commission, Caste-based actions, and LK Advani’s procession for building the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Mrityunjay Sharma profiles the institutionalization of crime during the given period and how only false promises overruled the actual implementation of laws, law and order, and reforms in the state. The deterioration of health, education, and infrastructure, leading to the immigration of people in search of a better quality of life, has been outlined in the book.

There is a sequential exploration of events instead of chronological detailing, making the book an engaging read. The profound insights on important aspects like why certain parts of the state prospered more as compared to other regions, have also been provided in the book. Chartering the problem areas at the grassroots level, the book presents a comprehensive overview of more contemporary dynamics of Bihar centered around Caste, Crime, and Politics. A fair documentation of the dark era or ‘Jungle Raj’, Broken Promises covers the socio-political scenario of Bihar through fifteen chapters and seven titles. From Naxalite movements to the emergence of Bahubali leaders, and from political battles to a newer Bihar under Nitish Kumar’s rule, the book gives a blinkered view of the events of the nation that had a bearing on Bihar’s political scenario to a considerable extent.

An engineering graduate from BIT Mesra, Ranchi, and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, Mrityunjay Sharma moved from the corporate corridors to the political province. Having worked in various senior HR roles, he moved to the hinterlands of Chhattisgarh, where he worked with the then-chief minister Dr Raman Singh on developmental issues. He subsequently moved to his home state of Jharkhand to join politics and work at the grassroots. He is currently the Convener - Election Management for BJP Jharkhand. Mrityunjay Sharma runs a social initiative called Kartavyapath to teach mathematics to underprivileged children, and he is the co-founder of Ranchi-based start-up ‘biofie.com’. He is a visiting faculty at several institutes, including the IIMs.

A true opus that is engrossing and engaging, Broken Promises by Mrityunjay Sharma is a must-read. 

Cover Pic Credit: Pune International Literary Fest; PILF