By Amit Kumar for Twocircles.net
This is the second in a four-part series on cases of Dalit atrocities in India which were brought up during a tribunal held by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights in collaboration with other other liked-minded associations.
New Delhi: In June 2015, the weather in Bihar had turned for the worse: intermittent showers were a small comfort from the blazing sun: but for the 300-odd residents of Mirzapur, (Police Station Patori, District Samastipur, Bihar), this was a month where things went from bad to worse and all because they staked claim over what was theirs: land, that was coveted by the Rajputs of the area. This case was one of the 20 cases of atrocities against Dalits that were presented before a tribunal, organised by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) along with National Movement for Dalit Justice (NMDJ)
The story of this incident, like almost all caste-related issues in Bihar, has its origin in tensions related to land issues and the control exercised by the upper castes in the area. Like most villages of Bihar, the majority of the land in the area near the Mirzapur village is controlled by Rajputs. A pond, which covers about seven acres, is dotted by Dushadhs (Schedule Caste) families. The 200 families have been living near the pond for the past 70 years. However, earlier in the month, the Rajputs, which number about 300 families, asked the families to vacate the land, saying that the land belonged to a dominant land lord Tribhuvan Singh of District Vaishali. After the SC families refused to yield, the Rajputs decided to take matters in their own hand.
On June 23, just as the sun was about to rise; the Rajputs, numbering around 300, attacked the village. Firing over 200 rounds, the Rajputs attacked the inhabitants, looting all their possessions and injuring dozens in the process. One person, Rambhagat Paswan, recounted the ordeal while talking to Twocircles.net. “It was chaos everywhere: children, senior citizens, women, men were all running like mad: women were particularly attacked, their clothes torn by upper-caste men. I was shot in my left shoulder and my mother-in-law, who is a senior citizen, suffered so bad in the incident that she passed away a month later,” he says, barely able to hold his tears. “My daughter got lost for three days. All this happened because the land, which is ours, was wanted by the Rajputs,” he adds.
Paswan also says that the police, although aware of the tensions, did little about it. “Nearly two hours after all our houses were destroyed and our meagre possessions had been looted, the police came to ‘investigate’ the matter. How is that ordinary citizens own so much ammunition to shoot more than 200 rounds of bullets?” he asked. By the time dawn had broken out, 25 houses had been completely damaged, along with cycles, and the seven hand pumps around the village. The night was spent in the open, with almost zero food and water. Paswan’s wife, who had accompanied him to the Tribunal, said her mother suffered massive injuries. “We had to take her to a private clinic, where she passed away after battling for a month. We received no compensation from the government,” she added.
It was not as if the Rajput attackers were done: the following night, they attacked again to ensure that the message was delivered to the Dusadhs of the area: leave, else the attacks will continue. On the night of 24th also, the same procedure was once again followed: the police watched, while the upper-caste men went on a rampage.
The Jury, which heard the pleas of the members of the village, believes that the central issue in the case in the ownership of land. Ruth Manorama, who was one of the jury members, asked the villagers to file for ownership of the land, since the Rajputs claim it to be theirs. However, as documents produced by the Circle Officer Indradev Pandit show, the disputed land is government mad and there is no record of this piece of land being owned by the accused Rajputs. Speaking to Twocircles.net, Ruth Manorama, social activist and President, National Association of Women and one of the jury members, said, “Since they have been here for more than 12 years, they can claim ownership of the land. It is government land and not the property of the Rajputs, so once they claim ownership, the disputes will hopefully end,” she said. She further added that the land needs to be developed from the money allotted under the Schedule Caste Sub Plan, and that they must be provided housing under the Indira Awas Yojana.
Since the incident, however, the lives of the SC families have taken a turn for the worse: the accused remain free, while the SC families continue to live in fear. “More than nine months have passed, but there has been no action against the accused,” says Paswan. “Instead, the Rajputs have filed a case against us for rioting in Hajipur against us,” he added.
The police’s actions too have left a lot to be desired: the demands for a local police picket have been ignored. “How have they not manage to file even a charge sheet against eh accused after all this while? We received zero assistance from the government. Let alone houses, we did not even get food,” said Paswan.
Related:
Where has all the anger gone? Dalit survivors of Sunped wonder as they fight for justice