Now, Bihar chief minister joins Facebook

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who last week admitted that he is at sea when it comes to computers, has now joined Facebook, officials said Monday.

Manjhi, 68, has activated his Facebook account on his android mobile phone to check it regularly despite his busy engagements, said an official in Chief Minister's Office here.

"Now, Manjhi has been using Facebook...," the official said.

According to officials close to him, Manjhi opened the Facebook account after he realized the importance of information technology and use of high-tech gadgets for governance during a training workshop that he inaugurated last week for his cabinet colleagues.

Manjhi then admitted that he was not fully aware of how to operate gadgets like computers, laptops and tablets.

"I would try to learn myself," he said.

He advised his cabinet colleagues that they should be fully aware of IT and learn to operate gadgets. "All this will help us in governance."

Former chief ministers Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad already have their accounts on Facebook.

Manjhi's profile picture on the Facebook account shows him in company with Nitish Kumar. He has also tried to project himself as a 'backward class chief minister' in his profile.

Manjhi has repeatedly recalled that he is a Mahadalit, the most backward among the community. He belongs to the Musahar community that derives its name from the practice of eating rats after usually hunting for them in paddy fields.

Manjhi is getting a lot of friend requests and he has responded to some of them.