NEW DELHI: Amidst the changing dynamics of Bihar’s political landscape, the state’s principal Opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by the young and crowd-pulling Tejashwi Yadav, has launched a symbolic initiative that signals a thoughtful and strategic shift in political engagement through the “kalam banto” (distribute the pens) campaign.
Although the ruling political dispensation mocks it, the initiative has been catching the attention and appreciation of the youth.
Quoting a slogan of Tejashwi, RJD supporter Shubham Kumar said, “Pen, work and factory – in the new era, it has to be given to the new generations! This is Tejashwi’s vow.”
Bihar’s youth, often described as highly intelligent and capable, have long needed a push towards empowerment through education. The pen, symbolising knowledge and progress, is now being championed as the tool to unlock their potential.
Tejashwi Yadav, who has evolved through years of political highs and lows, is now inspiring the youth to choose pens over other means, to think, to express, and to lead. These are unified views, as remarked by a section of youths from across castes.
Amardeep Kumar, a young man from an upper-caste family in Bihar, said, “Jo Tejashwi kar rahe wo galat nahi hai. Ye move ye batata hai ki RJD ab sab ke liye hai aur lathi se nahi kalam se vikas ki kahani likhna chahta. I do support it, even though I am an upper-caste youth.”
The idea, said to be conceptualised by Tejashwi’s political adviser and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav, involves distributing pens at rallies and public gatherings where Tejashwi addresses the masses, in which the youth outnumber other age groups.
This approach is resonating with young people more effectively than traditional sloganeering and political rhetoric. “It’s catching the youth’s attention more rapidly and effectively than coining slogans and fanning them,” observed Bihar-based political analyst Dr RK Verma.
In a state known for its caste-driven political alignments, observers note that regardless of how the ruling dispensation mocks Tejashwi’s ‘kalam banto abhiyan’, the initiative is striking a chord with young people across caste and community lines. Many see it as a much-needed, albeit delayed, move that is redefining the RJD — making it more inclusive and appealing to a new generation that wants a progressive and developed Bihar.
As recently said to a YouTuber by Sanjay Yadav, the pen distribution is not entirely new. It began on 5 July this year on the occasion of the RJD Foundation Day, when pens were distributed to 10,000 youths after registration.
Before this, Tejashwi had already begun dispelling the notion that the RJD was a party only for the MY (Muslim and Yadav) communities. In 2022, he introduced several reforms within party traditions.
For instance, he directed that no new cars should be purchased by RJD ministers (when the party was in government), and he promoted the idea that senior party leaders should not touch the feet of younger members, an act symbolising respect and generational equity.
“It was our leader Tejashwi Yadav, who had promoted long ago in the party that instead of giving and receiving flowers or bouquets as gifts, encourage the exchange of books and pens,” said senior RJD leader Deo Kumar Chaurasia, who is expected to be the party’s candidate from Hajipur Assembly again.
The ‘kalam banto’ initiative, whether conducted at rallies or in direct interactions with youth on the ground, has sparked wide debate. While ruling NDA leaders in opposition to the RJD continue to mock the move, many young people, including those outside the RJD’s traditional vote bank, are welcoming it as a symbol of educational empowerment and inclusive politics, led by a maturing Tejashwi Yadav.