India, Nov. 2 -- In the Bihar of the 1990s, amidst Lalu's Jungle Raj, dusk meant curfew. Women hurried home before dark, roads emptied out, and fear filled the air. Extortion, kidnappings, and political muscle were the order of the day. For the youth and women, opportunity was a distant dream, safety itself was uncertain.

Twenty years later, the picture could not be more different. Bihar's women today are no longer confined indoors; they are riding scooters to work, running self-help groups, and voting in numbers that often outpace men.

A state once synonymous with Jungle Raj has turned its women and youth into a political and economic force. From divisive caste-based politics to the politics of appeasement, parties like Congress and Ra...