BETTIAH: Purportedly apolitical, the re-enactment of Mahatma Gandhi's arrival in Bettiah hundred years ago unfolded into a bioscope of Bihar's bipolar politics with two Gandhi lookalikes leading separate processions from the Bettiah railway station to the Hazarimal dharmshala in the town on Saturday. The bifocal vista filled the streets with much pomp and photo-ops.Gandhi No 1 bore the unmistakable stamp of a central government-backed show. An actor in 'Gandhi avatar', courtesy the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti-New Delhi, alighted from the single second class coach of a special Champaran Satyagraha Centenary train just before noon.Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh accompanied this 'Gandhi'. The duo were received by both the MPs from West Champaran, Sanjay Jaiswal and Satish Chandra Dubey. BJP MLA from Chanpatia too was part of the welcome party.With practised ease, the actor, lathi in one hand and Bhagvad Gita in the other, emerged at the coach's door with a Ben Kingsleyesque Bapu smile. 'Gandhi jee ki jai' and 'Gandhi jee amar rahen' rent the air as the actor moved to the stage outside, welcomed by Sashi Rai, grandson of Raj Kumar Shukla.Earlier, Hazra Khatoon, granddaughter of freedom fighter Peer Mohammad Munis, inaugurated an exhibition on Gandhi by the National Archives in a portion of the platform. "Both these scions of freedom fighters were not invited by the state government to Patna recently," MP Jaiswal said.Camera-phones flashed all around with selfie lovers jostling to capture this 'Satyagraha' moment. As Jaiswal took the rostrum to initiate proceedings, netas and others played musical chairs with the seat just vacated by the MP with many of them struggling just to take a selfie from the spot for their social media walls.The Union minister spoke of PM Narendra Modi's vision of a Swachh and developed Bharat. "We must offer 'karyanjali', not 'shraddhanjali' to Gandhi jee," Singh said. Other BJP leaders too chanted the NaMo mantra as the 'Gandhi' on stage smiled benignly at the crowd in white topis, many schoolchildren having turned Ba and Bapu.Speeches over, the cavalcade with Gandhi in an open jeep reached the Collectorate gate on way to the Hazarimal dharmshala, where it was greeted by vociferous cries of CPI-ML workers sitting on a bhoomi-satyagraha since Friday. "Bapu hum sharminda hain, terey kaatil zinda hain... Nakli Gandhi wapas jao," slogans blared from the ML loudspeakers.A few hours later, the railway station again sprung into life with white khadi caps, Champaran Satyagraha Shatabdi emblazoned on the sides. Narendra Sharma, Baidynath Mahto (former MP) and Munna Tyagi, district chiefs of the state's ruling Congress, JD (U) and RJD respectively, filled the front yard along with party workers and leaders.Schoolteachers and government employees added to the numbers. A sapling of the Indigo plant was much in demand by the selfie-shooters whose enthusiasm matched the scene of photo-ops earlier in the day. A local schoolteacher dressed up as Gandhi emerged from the platform as there was no train to bring this Gandhi to Bettiah.Local officials joined this second procession. Missing in this second Gandhi 'heritage' walk were the BJP faces of the morning.

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