In yet another grim instance of rising atrocities under the BJP-JD(U) regime, tribal tenant farmers in Pinda village, Katihar district, were brutally attacked by BJP-supported goons. The incident occurred on November 30 when Mahendra Oraon and Raghunath Oraon were cultivating land. Armed assailants led by Govind Singh unleashed violence, resulting in the death of Vaidhyanath Oraon, who was shot in the stomach. Another farmer, Jabna Oraon, sustained gunshot injuries in the thigh and arm and is currently undergoing treatment in Bhagalpur. A woman was also injured, and two tractors were set ablaze to instil fear across the area.
Shockingly, the local police watched the mayhem unfold for four hours without intervening. CPI(ML) leader Mehboob Alam, on receiving the news, immediately contacted the Katihar SP. This led to the arrest of one named accused and three others, but the main perpetrator, Govind Singh, remains at large, openly issuing threats to the tribal community.
CPIML fact-finding team
On December 4, a CPI(ML) fact-finding team, including Leader of the Legislative Group Mehboob Alam, MLA and State Convener of the Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha Virendra Prasad Gupta, and former MLA Manoj Manzil, visited Pinda village to investigate.
The team revealed that the land in question—3 acres and 2 decimal historically under the share-tenancy of Chaudhary Oraon’s family—has long been cultivated by Mahendra and Raghunath Oraon. The legal recognition of their tenancy was affirmed earlier this year by the Dy. Collector Land Reform (DCLR). However, Govind Singh, a Bajrang Dal activist and BJP-supported local criminal, falsely claimed ownership of the land through a fabricated 1983 registry, despite the original owner, Bhupati Jahrul Haq, having passed away in 1979.
Govind Singh, enraged by the rejection of his fraudulent claims, orchestrated the deadly attack on November 30 with the help of other criminals. An FIR has been lodged, but police complicity is evident, as counter-cases have been registered against Mahendra Oraon and other tribal farmers, at Singh’s behest.
The CPI(ML) investigation team condemned the BJP-JD(U) government for its failure to protect the rights of share-tenants and for allowing its leaders to shield such acts of oppression. The party demanded immediate action on the following points:
Compensation of Rs. 20 lakh for Vaidhyanath Oraon’s family and Rs. 10 lakh each for the destroyed tractors. Full government-funded medical treatment for the injured.
Police and magistrate-led protection to ensure Mahendra and Raghunath Oraon regain access to their land.
Action against complicit police officers at the Mansahi police station.
In protest against the attack, CPI(ML) and Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha have announced resistance programmes on December 9 across Purnia, Katihar, Jamui, and Champaran districts.
