AFTER the assumption of power by the BJP alliance at the centre and Mahagathbandhan alliance comprising of JD(U), RJD, Congress in Bihar, the feudal and the rich classes feel emboldened. They have become more aggressive towards the poor people. Attacks have grown manifold against the weaker sections like dalits, mahadalits, extremely backward classes, minorities and women.

On the birthday of Sahjanand Saraswati, the first president of Kisan Sabha and a legendry peasant leader, the entire Kachia village in Nawadah district inhabited by mahadalits, was set on fire. A similar incident took place in Muzaffarpur on the festival day of Holi; the Sagopatti dalit village was set on fire, which consumed the life of a girl child. After two days of Holi festival, two dalit youths of Balia, Diara of Begusarai district were shot dead.

Dalits were beaten up in the Inchirawan village in Gaya district and in Harkutta village of Saharsha district, the dead body of a dalit was prevented for cremation and the pall bearers were beaten up.

Before that in the month of February, in Thauhatta Bariari and in Babunia villages of Saharsha district, hundreds of dalit families who built their houses on government land and are living there for several years were attacked in an attempt to evict them. Similar incident was reported from Khatari village of Nawada district. These are some of the incidents where the CPI(M) had resisted and has been carrying on the fight against these attacks. The newspapers are full of such daily occurrences in different parts of the state.

In its recently concluded organisational plenum, the CPI(M) has emphasised the need to raise the issues concerning economic exploitation and social oppression simultaneously. Bihar state committee of the CPI(M) deliberated on this guideline and decided to intervene immediately against the oppression and attacks on dalits-mahadalits, minorities, women and other vulnerable  sections of the society.

Most of the men and women of mahadalit families of Kachian village under Akbarpur block of Nawada district, had gone to visit a fare in a village nearby. Taking advantage of the situation, the feudal elements set the entire village on fire. Around 135 thatched homes got gutted. State secretary of CPI(M), Awadhesh Kumar, veteran leader of the Party, G S Vidyarthi, state committee members,  Umesh Kumar, Devendra Chaurasia and the district secretary of Kisan Sabha, Ram Jatan Singh rushed to the incident sight and gathered information from the victims. According to them, 135 mahadalit families have been living on a 1.6 acre plot of government land for the last four-five years. They have submitted the application to the SDO and district magistrate for the allotment of the piece of land and to issue them the requisite papers. But till date nothing has been done.

The members of victim families, Baijnath Ravidas, Kailash Ravidas, Rajkumar Ram, Sanful Devi, Siya Devi narrated that the village had been set on fire one year back too, in which about 20 homes burnt to ashes. The feudal forces are behind these incidents as they have set their eyes on this piece of land which is spread over both the flanks of the road and can fetch big amount of money.

The feudal forces tried to give the incident a communal colour but failed. The BJP is protecting these feudal elements and its silence over the incident speaks about the real intention of the BJP.  Even today the village poor are paid only 2 kg of corn as their wages. Most of the dalit families are not covered under the PDS and other social security benefits. They don’t have even hand pumps to quench their thirst. Only Rs 1800 was provided to the suffering families by the district administration as relief money.

The Party organised a protest dharna before the DM of Nawada which was addressed amongst others by CPI(M)  state secretary Awadhesh Kumar, G S Vidyarthi, CPI leader Arjun Singh and by a leader of Forward Bloc.

The villagers of Khatari village of Nawada district have been waging struggles for the possession of 500 acres of government, bhoodan ceiling and forest land. Hundreds of homes have been built by the homeless poor people and they are tilling the hundreds of acres of land for their livelihood. Feudal elements along with local administration and the police have tried to evict these people by resorting to violent attacks many times. The valiant fighter Yuvraj was targeted to be killed many times.

A mass meeting for land rights was organised at Khatari village on  February 28, 2016. Organiser of the land movement and grand old Communist leader, G S Vidyarthi, Awadhesh Kumar, district secretary Naresh Chandra Sharma, Bhola Diwakar, Ram Jatan Singh and Dani Vidyarthi addressed the gathering.

712 dalit families of Bariari village under Nawhatta block of Saharsha district have erected their huts and have been living on government Bhoodan and ceiling land for the last 25 years. But now they are facing eviction threat from the neo-rich, having allegiance with the RJD. The poor dalits were prevented to till the land which they had been doing traditionally. They were attacked and the attackers fled away with whatever they got from their homes and even the women and girls of dalit families were molested and sexually abused.

An investigating team under the leadership of state secretariat member, Binod Kumar and comprising of district secretary Hriday Narayan Yadav, district leader Randhir Kumar visited the village, met the victims’ families and collected the information about the incident. The team came to the conclusion that the incident is the handiwork of neo-rich administration-police nexus. Specially, the RJD is patronising these elements. The feudal musclemen want to evict these dalit families and acquire the valuable land.

A dead body of a dalit was prevented to be cremated in Harkutta village under Shaur bazaar block of Saharsha district. When the dalits protested, they were physically attacked in which two dozen of dalits severely got injured but the police did not register an FIR.

A protest demonstration was organised by the district CPI(M)  and a memorandum was submitted to the DM. But till date no action has been taken against the miscreants.

Thousands of landless poor, mahadalits and women participated in the protest demonstration.

On the festival day of Holi, the Unchariwan village under Sherghati block of Gaya district was attacked by caste Hindus and they thrashed the villagers and abused them. About a dozen dalits were injured. They were admitted in the hospital.

Mahadalits were punished for aping the high caste traditions. The attackers are the supporters of the BJP. The police did not take any action rather the dalits were threatened to be punished.

The Party organised a protest dharna before the DM. A Party delegation under the leadership of dist secretary met the SSP who later on directed the Harijan Police Station to register the FIR.

In Muzaffarpur, on the Holi day, a dalit boy of Sagopatti village under Sakra block was knocked down by a motorcycle borne high caste boy under the influence of liquor. When he was challenged by the villagers, he went away abusing everybody. Later on, the high caste people armed with fire arms attacked the villagers. The houses were burnt which consumed the life of a girl child. An FIR was registered but the attackers were not apprehended. It is the same village where the CPI(M) had led a march of dalits to enter into the temple.

On April 5, district Party unit organised a protest dharna which was led by dist secretary Gaffar Alam, Ram Pukar Sahni etc.

In Maksundanpur diara under Balia block of Begusarai, 120.68 acres of ceiling land were under the possession of rural poor and they had been issued the settlement papers. The feudal criminals were very much disturbed with these developments and so they killed two active members of CPI (ML). District Kisan Sabha leaders, Dinesh Singh, Vidyanand Yadav visited the spot. The Party supported the call of Begusarai bandh. Two assailants have been arrested.

In the month of March, at the initiative of district Kisan Sabha in Karthua village under Paraiya block of Gaya district, 150 dalit families have erected their huts on 52 bighas of land. Formerly, it was under the possession of local musclemen. Under the leadership of Khetihar Mazdoor Union, 200 dalit families have put up their huts on eight acres of land in Asiya village under Bodhgaya.

On April 3 night, a heart rending incident took place at Khiribandh village in Bhagalpur district.  17 year old girl of a very poor family whose father is a daily wage earner and the mother runs a road side shop, was abducted, raped and brutally murdered. Her only fault was that she was poor and wanted to live a life of her choice.

Arun Mishra, Party state secretariat member along with Manohar Mandal district committee member, Md Mobarak and Md Mobin, local comrades, met the grieving family. The victim’s mother had not taken food for the last two days. The entire village was tight lipped and nobody wanted to talk.

State AIDWA president, Ram Pari, Arun Mishra and some of the local comrades, again met the family members of the deceased girl on April 8. The family members are in a state of shock and are so scared that they did not want to talk. Though FIR has been registered but the police is working at snail’s pace. The Party organised a dharna before the DM’s office.  College teachers, members of Nyay manch and the family members of the murdered girl participated. This dharna got prominent place in locally published national news papers. The Party has decided to take this movement to its logical end till justice is done.

It is to be noted here that despite the tall talk of secularism of the RJD, JD(U), Congress, not a single party visited the poor hamlet  of the minority community barring the CPI(M).

As the report is being sent for publication, a twelve year old minor girl was abducted and raped in an abandoned house in Tatarpur area of Bhagalpur district.