THE long drawn Lockdown has left common people’s lives in shambles which crores thrown towards starvation, migrants keep walking on roads, facing unemployment and wage losses, but at the same time this is apparent that the Bihar government has also unlocked the feudal communal forces by giving them a free hand to perpetrate crimes and let loose oppression. CPIML Bihar Secretary Kunal said that the morale of feudal-criminals is once again sky-high under the excuse of Corona and Lockdown, and by not curbing this rise of crime and oppression the Nitish government’s complicity with such forces is being exposed once again. The attacks on dalits and poor are on the rise.
The lockdown and the right-wing hate campaigns are strengthening already existing tendencies of untouchability and discrimination against Dalits and Muslims, as well as towards Covid-19 victims. Attacks and social boycott of the poor and dalits by feudal forces have increased manifold. Spreading of communal hatred has also increased. The pandemic is being used as a weapon to justify the Brahminical system of social distancing. In the name of ‘lockdown’, all democratic values are being murdered and attempts are being made to strengthen regressive caste structures.
The police in Bihar are unleashing brutal repression on the poor, workers, weaker sections, and even shopkeepers, sanitation workers and other working people who are risking their lives during the Lockdown to reach essential goods and services to the common people. The police must understand that people are coming out of their homes only in case of emergency. In Masaurhi in Patna District medical store owners were brutally lathi charged.
Massacre in Gopalganj
JP Yadav and his family faced a murderous attack by the BJP-JDU protected feudal-criminal Pandey gang on 24 May at Hathua Block in Gopalganj District. The mafia don Satish Pandey explicitly linked with communal Hindutva elements, Amarendra Pandey alias Pappu Pandey who is JDU MLA from Kuchaykot and Satish Pandey’s son Mukesh Pandey a Zilla Panchayat member are involved in this incident.
JP Yadav is badly injured while three of his family members died in this brutal massacre. His 68 year old father Mahesh Yadav and 65 year old mother Sankeshiya Devi were killed on the spot while his 32 year old brother Sonu Yadav died on the way to hospital. JP Yadav is presently being treated at PMCH and his condition is said to be serious. JP Yadav has been associated with the CPIML but has not been active for a long time.
The CPIML has said that under Nitish Kumar’s much hyped ‘good governance’ the entire Gopalganj District has come into the clutches of the Pandey gang, who are openly supported by the BJP-JDU. These killings are protected by the state machinery. Similar situation prevails in other districts too. The CPIML held a protest on 26 May at Gopalganj district headquarters against this brutal massacre and demanded effective action without delay.
Minor Girl Student Gang Raped In Bhojpur
CPIML, AIPWA, AISA, RYA and Insaf Manch held a protest jointly on 29 April 2020 against the gang rape of a minor girl student by feudal-communal forces in Bhojpur district.
In Charpokhri Thana, Bhojpur, CPIML on 25 April when the girl was returning from giving her mother’s clothes for stitching to a tailor suddenly she was waylaid and gang raped by four persons including Golu Pandey, Shivshankar, Krishna Rai (all from the same village).
There had been no medical examination of the victim till a CPIML team met the District SP and demanded of the same.
Attack on Dalit Tola in Kauriya, Bihta
On 22 May Shivaji Rai and his son beat up Bhola Ram, a dalit. The villagers immediately protested and also informed the Thana. The protest led to stone throwing from both sides and one stone hit the Daroga who had reached the spot. Later at around 11 PM in night a heavy police force along with members of the dominant sections attacked the dalit Tola. Dozens of people were injured and some had cracked skulls and broken arms. The Thana of its own volition registered a case against the dalits; another case was registered on behalf of the upper caste forces. A thumb impression was taken from one of the dalits forcibly by the police. Prior to this incident, an altercation regarding a game of cricket occurred in January between boys belonging to the Ravidas and Kurmi castes in which dalit boys were beaten up and a case was registered under the SC/ST Act. On 14 May there was an incident of molestation of a 15 year old girl from the Ravidas caste after which the villagers gave a written complaint at the Bihata Thana. After two days the Thana called both the sides and counseled them. Thus, no FIR was registered. In the meanwhile the dominant sections snatched away the land on which dalits were farming, and stopped the water for their fields.
Police Repression and the Right-Wing Hate Campaigns
Abuse and intimidation of migrant workers who managed to reach Bihar by the police has become a regular feature. In Modanganj, Jehanabad District police accompanied by the DM and SP blindly beat up the villagers. The police entered the houses, climbed up to the terraces, and beat up the people. They even broke the hand pumps and whole tola was terrorised. When CPIML protested against this, Yogendra Yadav and 3 others were arrested and sent to jail.
In a similar situation at Bhore Block in Gopalganj, people’s anger burst out because of the repressive behavior of the Bhore Circle Officer, Jitendra Kumar Singh who indiscriminately beaten up many people, many were badly injured. He had earlier beaten up and injured a 70-year old man, another 75-year old man who was left unconscious after beating. A third incident occurred at Vishrampur where two women going for work on mustard fields were beaten up. The fourth incident involved the beating up of two persons who were cooking; the Circle Officer also confiscated their vessels and gas stove. The angry villagers jammed the Bhore-Pirganj road in protest on 30 March and raised slogans against the goondaism of the CO.
Patna District
Bihata: CPIML District Committee member Gopal Singh was prevented from entering the village and feudal dominant sections spread false propaganda that he was contagious and was responsible for the spread of Corona.
Sara Musahar Toli in Bhojpur: At least 6 people were seriously injured when feudal criminals attacked the Toli on 5 April. The ages of the injured ranged from 6 months to 50 years.
Reports have come in from several places of false propaganda against minorities in the name of Corona. A 30 year old Muslim youth suffering from asthma died in Ara Sadar Hospital due to negligence and wrong injection. The report showed him negative for Corona but the doctors accused he died of Covid19. False propaganda was rampant that Muslims are spreading Corona. Similar reports of anti-minority propaganda, police repression and feudal-criminal atrocities have also been reported from Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Siwan. On 4 March Ashok Ram was shot in Siwan city. On 7 April Rinku Dubey (para teacher) was shot and died as a result. CPIML leader Rashida Khatoon was attacked by neighbors at the instigation of BJP members in Sadar Manigachhi.
AIARLA Bihar State Secretary Gopal Ravidas described how owner of Saraswati Pharma Rahul Kumar was returning home after closing his shop on 14 April when suddenly the DSP himself started beating him up. This angered other medical shopkeepers and they decided to go on strike. The police then went to Praveen Pharma and beat up the people working there and arrested the owner Praveen Kumar. Medical shopkeepers then held a protest rally and gheraoed the Thana.
In Patna District the CPIML Mukhiya Rajesh Gupta in Kanhauli was attacked. On 17 April at about 8 o’clock Rajesh Gupta got a phone call asking him to come out on some work. When he went to the said place, he was suddenly attacked and he and his son were seriously injured. All the attackers belong to an organization called Hindu Bhumi Putra run by Abhimanyu Yadav, son of BJP MP Ramkripal Yadav. The names of the other attackers were also specified by the CPIML leaders. Rajesh Gupta runs a government Quarantine Center in his area and had asked a group of workers—all Muslims—from Saharasa and other places to come to the Center. This angered the Hindu Bhumi Putra members who said Muslims are spreading Corona and should not be helped. The CPIML demanded arrest of the attackers and asked the government why it is not stopping such false propaganda against Muslims.
Similarly, sanitation workers were also brutally beaten up in Masaurhi, after which 60-70 sanitation workers went on strike. Other people beaten up by the police include acupressure doctor Pappu Thakur, tailor Rahmat Miyan, Naseem Miyan, and a person buying vegetables in Sigodi.
After observing Ambedkar Jayanti CPIML activists had arranged for food for 1000 people. But the police pounced on them, did lathi charge, wasted all the food and threatened to throw everyone into jail. The police also brutally beat up Rajnath Yadav (70) who had come to Dulhin Bazaar for medical treatment.
Brutal Attack by Feudal Forces in Noorchak
In Noorchak village is in Sigodi Thana, Patna District on 28 and 29 April the Bhat Brahmins repeatedly attacked the Dalit-Muslim Tola and many people have been reported to be injured.
The dispute started on 28 April when 4-5 dominant Bhat youths arrived at the small shop run by Feku Miyan. Feku Miyan daughter Soharat Khatoon was sitting in the shop. The youths ate chocolate from the shop but refused to pay for it, even though they were already running high on credit. When Soharat asked for the payment, they started arguing with her. Feku Miyan and his younger son Tabrez Alam, who were nearby, came running to the shop. The dominant caste youths then started saying that Muslims are people who spread Corona, and they threatened to beat up Feku Miyan. When Feku Miyan’s wife protested, they misbehaved with her also and a verbal altercation ensued. The dalit and minority communities then united to protest against this. Within a short time, the entire Brahmin community pounced on the dalit and Muslim Tola and started beating up people. Feku Miyan was injured and this was reported at the Thana but the Thana remained indifferent.
The Panchayat Mukhiya tried to calm things down, but after some time Ranjit Paswan was badly beaten up that he received serious injuries to his stomach.
On 29 April the dalit-Muslim Tola was again attacked, injuring at least 6 persons: Noor Jehan, w/o Feku Miyan; Soharat Khatoon (15) d/o Feku Miyan; Pratima Devi w/o Ramesh Paswan; Ramesh Paswan s/o Jitan Paswan; Munna Miyan f/o Kaish Miyan; and Anupa Devi w/o Devi Prasad Paswan.
If an FIR had been registered on 28 April itself and the culprits had been nabbed, the incident of 29 April would have been avoided. Despite repeated attacks, no FIR has been registered on the applications given by members of the dalit-Muslim communities. Instead, the administration is threatening to register FIRs against CPIML leaders.
Bhojpur District
In Bhojpur District, feudals belonging to the Rajput caste are consistently creating an atmosphere of hate and venom against minorities and also attacking them. These dominant caste people have the open support and protection of local BJP MP RK Singh.
In the evening of 27 April at Kauda village in Jagdishpur Block, Mohd Zaki Akhtar s/o Mohd Israr was badly beaten up by dominant forces. On 12 April at Siyarua village a Muslim family lives in the house of Chhotu Singh of the Rajput caste. The family consists of a painter, his wife and two children. Rajput feudal forces threatened the family to leave; they also threatened Chhotu Singh and said that he must remove the Muslim family from his house. Such incidents of attacks and threats against minorities have been reported from various villages in Bhojpur.
The CPIML leaders Kunal and Amar have said that the main reason behind these organized attacks and hate-mongering in the name of Corona is the communal politics of BJP-RSS. They want to use even the pandemic for communal purposes. CM Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, sits mute and does nothing. CPIML has appealed to the people not to be misled by BJP-RSS and to oppose and resist the economic-social boycott of minorities and face the current crisis together and united.
