'They are doing it in the name of social justice but it is nothing but an act of revenge'

At a Bhumihar stronghold under the Jehanabad town police station, angry youths voiced their resentment over attacks by the PU and police inaction. “Tell us, where do we go? The police have proved to be totally ineffective in protecting our lives, houses and crops. We just don’t know what to do,” lamented Ashok Singh, a farmer owning 20 acres of land, who has been on the PU’s hit list for the last two years.

Gopal Sharma, a resident of Gonwan village under Parabigha police station, was an accused in connection with a carnage which had taken place there some time back. Though he was acquitted from the sessions court, he has been facing an economic blockade imposed by the PU for the last four years.

“Whoever goes to till the land is threatened of elimination,” grumbled Sharma, who owns 17 acres of fertile land. So he wrote to the district authorities saying that if they did not help him, he “would have no other option than to join the Ranvir Sena”.

On the night of 14 August, Ram Singh Yadav, a former mukhiya and BJP Kisan Morcha president, was killed at Motichak village under Karpi PS. D K. Sharma, a former MLA and Samata Party leader, has not been spared either. His brother and housekeeper were beaten and his house in Bithra village under Kurtha PS was set on fire and all the arms looted. “They are doing it in the name of social justice but in fact, it is nothing but an act of revenge,” he said.

If this continues, the aggrieved middle farmers would be forced to join the Ranvir Sena, “just to get security and protection”, he warned, adding that “it will ultimately lead to civil war”.

One of the key organisers of Ranvir Sena, Satyendra Singh alias Langra, who was responsible for the Haiwaspur carnage in March, is suspected to be hiding in his relatives’s house in Jehanabad. According to police reports, the Ranvir Sena and the almost defunct Swavarna Liberation Front have merged and feelers have been sent out to the headless Diamond Sena and the Rajput-dominated Sunlight Sena to join hands.

The Ranvir Sena made its presence felt in the district by fighting a pitched battle with the police at Aairara village under Karpi PS on 29 August. Two of its members were killed and its local chief arrested. Ironically, SP Bhatti got transfer orders after he raided the Sena hideout.

Normally, the situation remains peaceful except in the sowing or harvesting seasons. But interestingly, the floods this year have led to a sudden increase in Naxalite activities. “After 20 years,” said Bhatti, “floods like this have hit the district.” And this has made the hideouts of the PU and the Ranvir Sena inaccessible for the police.

The SP deplored the lack of resources and infrastructure. “We need better vehicles and better wireless sets. Above all, proper training needs to be imparted to policemen to counter Naxalism.”

The police also lack manpower. While the PU used to move in squads of 1 to 8, now it moves in 1 to 15 formations (the ‘1’ signifies the commander and the other figure the remaining members of the squad). On the other hand, the police squads are 1 to 6 -- comprising one officer and six constables. In bigger operations, the PU deploys up to 200 cadres.

A Rs 100 million action plan had been drawn up to counter extremism in 13 districts. Jehanabad, Gaya, Aurangabad, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar, Bhabhua, Palamu, Garhwa, Chatra, Giridih, Nalanda and Patna. However, it is gathering dust in the chief minister’s secretariat.

Of the 132 police stations identified as Naxalite-infested, Jehanabad alone has 13 marked as ‘super sensitive’. Communication gap between police stations is a factor that the Naxalites take advantage of.

But above all, land is the key problem. According to the SP, “Land reforms put an end to Naxalism in West Bengal. The same is needed to be done here in Jehanabad.” There is little hope that it would be done. And so, as Sachidanand Prabhat alias Masterji, a leader of the PU peasant front, said at the Jehanabad subjail, “The movement will carry on.”

Naved Zahir/Jehanabad

Kind courtesy: Sunday magazine