Private armies in Bihar

Private caste armies in Bihar

Among the Indian States, private
armies of landowners are unique to Bihar. These private armies were
founded to counter the various left-wing
extremist, Naxalite, groups operating in different parts of the
State. During the past two decades, an estimated 11 private armies have
existed at varying points of time in the State. It is difficult to state
with certainty the number and names of those that are definitely in
operation today. These armies are created and financed primarily by
landowners to protect their land and properties. One interesting feature
of these private armies is that they are invariably formed on caste-lines.
Clashes between private armies and Naxalite groups have resulted in
a number of massacres, over the years.

Previously, these private
armies confined themselves to protecting the land and properties of
particular castes. However, presently the Ranbir
Sena is seeking to expand its base by looking after the agrarian
interests of several landlords belonging to the backward castes, too.
Like the Naxalite groups that impose a `levy’ on forest contractors
and illegal mine operators, these private armies have managed to sustain
themselves financially by collecting monthly fees from landlords.

Besides the caste-based
private armies listed here, there existed the Lal Sena between 1974-76.
It was the armed squad of the erstwhile underground Communist Party
of India––Marxist-Leninist (Liberation) and was founded to take-on the
landowners

Major Caste Armies
in Bihar

Name	Year of Formation	Caste Affiliation	Area of Operation
Kuer Sena	1979	Rajput	Bhojpur
Kisan Suraksha Samiti	1979	Kurmi	Patna, Jehanabad, Gaya
Bhumi Sena	1983	Kurmi	Patna, Nawada, Nalanda, Jehanabad
Lorik Sena	1983	Yadav	Patna, Jehanabad, Nalanda
Bramharshi Sena	1984	Bhumihar	Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Jehanabad
Kisan Sangh	1984	Rajput, Brahmin	Palamu, Aurangabad
Kisan Sewak Samaj	1985	Rajput	Palamu, Aurangabad
Sunlight Sena	1989	Pathan, Rajput	Palamu, Garhwa, Aurangabad, Gaya
Sawarna Liberation Front	1990	Bhumihar	Gaya, Jehanabad
Kisan Sangh	1990	Bhumihar	Patna, Bhojpur
Kisan Morcha	1989-90	Rajput	Bhojpur
Ganga Sena	1990	Rajput,	Bhojpur
Ranvir Sena	1994	Bhumihar	Bhojpur, Patna, Jehanabad, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya
Gram Suraksha Parishad	1995	`	Bhojpur
Mazdoor Kisan Sangh	1996	`	Bettiah

Source: Prakash
Louis, People Power: The Naxalite Movement in Central Bihar,
Delhi: Wordsmith, 2002 and various media reports.

Chronology of Massacres in Central Bihar
(1977-2001)

Year	Place	District	Attackers’ Caste/Class	Victims’Caste/Class	Casualty
1976	Akodi	Bhojpur	Upper backward/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
1977	Belchi	Patna	Upper backward/landlords	Scheduled caste/agri. labourers	14
	Kargha	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Brahampur	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/middle peasants	4
1978	Kaila	Jehanabad	Upper backward/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
1979	Samhauta	Rohtas	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	4
	Bajitpur	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
1980	Pipra	Patna	Upper backward/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	14
	Parasbigha	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	Backward caste/agri. labourers	11
1981	Mathila	Bhojpur	Police	Liberation cadres	3
1982	Maini Bigha	Aurangabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	6
1983	Panania	Gaya	Police	MCC cadres	5
1984	Gagan Bigha	Rohtas	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	5
	Ambari	Aurangabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Danwar-Bihta	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	22
	Kharakpura	Aurangabad	Upper casle/Lorik Sena	SC/agri. labourers	6
1985	Kaithi Bigha	Aurangabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	10
	Kunai	Bhojpur	Police	Liberation cadres	2
1986	Neelampur	Gaya	Haare Ram group/Lorik Sena	SC/agri. labourers	5
	Gaini	Aurangabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	12
	Aminabad	Jehanabad	Upper casle/Brahmarshi Sena	Muslims/Beedi workers	3
	Jeenpura	Patna	Ramanand Yadav group/Lorik Sena	SC/agri. labourers	6
	Arwal	Jehanabad	Police	MKSS cadres	24
	Kansara	Jehanabad	Upper caste/Brahmarshi Sena	Backward caste/agri. labourers	8
	Parasdih	Aurangabad	Upper caste/Satyanendra Sena	SC/agri. labourers	5
	Darmian	Aurangabad	Upper backward/middle peasants	Upper caste/landlord	11
1987	Chotki-Chhechani	Aurangabad	Upper caste/Satyanendra Sena	Upper backward/Middle peasants	7
	Dalelchak-Bhagaura	Aurangabad	Upper backward/middle peasants	Upper caste/landlord	52
1988	Narhan	Jehanabad	Upper backward/dacoits	Upper backward/poor peasants	4
1989	Nonhi-Nagwan	Jehanabad	Ramashish-Rajdev group/Nagwan	Upper backward SC/agri. Labourers	18
	Daumha	Jehanabad	Ramashish-Rajdev group/Nagwan	Upper backward SC/agri. Labourers	9
1990	Dariyapur	Patna	Upper backward/Kisan Sangh	SC/agri. Labourers	5
1991	Tiskhora	Patna	Upper backward/Kisan Sangh	SC/agri. Labourers	15
	Dev-Sahiara	Bhojpur	Upper caste/Jwala Singh group	SC/agri. Labourers	15
	Savanbigha	Jehanabad	Swarna Liberation Front/upper caste	SC/agri. Labourers	7
	Theendiha	Gaya	Sunlight Sena/upper caste	SC/agri. Labourers	7
	Mein-Barsima	Gaya	Swarna Liberation Front/upper caste	SC/agri. Labourers	10
1992	Bara	Gaya	Upper backward/middle peasants	Upper caste/landowners	34
	Chainpur	Rohtas	Police	PU cadres	4
	Ashabigha	Gaya	Police	MCC cadres	6
1993	Dadar	Rohtas	Police	Liberation cadres	3
	Ekwari	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	4
1994	Aghoura	Rohtas	Police	Party Unity	4
	Nadhi	Bhojpur	Police	Liberation cadres	9
	Matgharna	Gaya	Police	MCC	11
1995	Khopira	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3

	Sarathua	Bhojpur	do	SC/agri. labourers	6
	Gulzarbigha	Aurangabad	Police	PU Cadres	4
1996	Chandi	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	4
	Pathalpura	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri- labourers	3
	Mathanbigha	Aurangabad	Police	MCC cadres	7
	Nanaur	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri- labourers	5
	Nadhi	Bhojpur	CPI-ML cadres	Upper caste/landlords	8
	Nadhi	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	9
	Morath	Bhojpur	Upper caste/ landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Bathanitola	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC and Muslims/agri. labourers	22
	Purhara	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	4
	Khanet	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	5
	Ekwari	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	6
1997	Khanet	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Machil	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Haibaspur	Patna	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	10
	Akhopur	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	4
	Jalpura	Patna	PU cadres	Upper caste/landlords	11
	Indo	Patna	Police	PU cadres	6
	Ekwari	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri- labourers	10
	K-hadasin	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	8
	K-odihara	Patna	Police	PU cadres	2
	Katesar Nala	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	6
	Lakshmanpur-Bathe	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	58
	Chauram	Jehanabad	CPI(ML) Liberation	Upper caste/landlords	9
1998	Nagri	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	10
	Aiyara	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	3
	Sigori	Gaya	Police	MCC	6
	Rampur-Aiyara	Jehanabad	PU cadres	Upper caste/landlords	7
	Mahadevbigha	Gaya	Police	MCC cadres	4
1999	Shankarbigha	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	23
	Narayanpur	Jehanabad	Upper caste/landlords	SC/agri. labourers	11
	Usri Bazar	Jehanabad	Liberation cadres	Upper caste/landlords	7
	Bheempura	Jehanabad	PW cadres	Upper caste/landlords	4
	Senari	Jehanabad	MCC cadres	Upper caste/landlords	35
	Sujathpur	Buxar	Police	Liberation cadres	16
	Sendani	Gaya	Upper caste/landlords	Backward caste &. SC	12
2000	Lakhisarai^a	Lakhisarai	Backward caste/Contractors	SC/Sand workers	11
	Rajebigha ^b	Nawada	Upper caste/landlords	Backward caste/Middle farmers	5
	Afsar ^c	Nawada	Backward caste/Middle farmers	Upper caste landlords	12
	Mianpur ^d	Aurangabad	Upper caste/landlords	Backward caste and SC	35
	Dumariyan ^e	Bhojpur	Upper caste/landlords	Backward caste and SC	6
2001	Chironichi bigha	Gaya	MCC cadres	Police	6
	Kariambura	Jehanabad	Police	PW cadres	5

^aThis
massacre is not related to the agrarian struggle per se. It was an outcome
of the struggle for hegemony over sand quarry in the Ganges and Sone
riverbeds. In this incident the struggle for supremacy between two contenders
for sand quarry—both from the same upper backward caste and supporters
of political party currently ruling in Bihar—led to the killing of 11
labourers.

^bThis massacre
has a special significance to the agrarian movement going on in Bihar.
Though not directly linked with the Naxalite movement, this massacre
opened up once again the struggle between the forwards and the backwards.
Its echo could be heard in the Mianpur massacre. Akhilesh Singh, the
prime accused in this massacre, was an MLA in the Bihar Legislative
Assembly.

For details on political leaders with
criminal background, see ‘Legitimising Gun Culture in Bihar’, The
Hindu, 23 June 2000, p. 9.

^cThe Afsar
massacre was a revenge killing by the backward castes, who were victims
of Rajebigha massacre. Twelve Bhumihars were killed in Afsar village
of Kashichak block of Nawada district. The victims were not involved
in the Rajebigha massacre, but were relatives of the perpetrators of
the Rajebigha massacre. This also brought lo fore the political conflict
that has been going on in Bihar between the ruling Rashtriya Janala
Dal and its main rival, the Samata Party.

^dThis was
the first massacre committed by the Ranvir Sena in Aurangabad district.
Until then, the presence of the Ranvir Sena in Aurangabad was considered
to be nominal in comparison with its presence in other central Bihar
districts. For details, see Louis 2000b.

^eThis was
the second massacre in Bhojpur district by the Ranvir Sena in two years.
The sena originated in Bhqjpur district but in course of time spread
to other districts too. After the Dumariyan massacre, the struggle between
the Ranvir Sena and the CPI(ML) Liberation became sharper. See Times
of India, 11 September 2001. p. 1.

Source: Prakash
Louis, People Power: The Naxalite Movement in Central Bihar,
New Delhi: Wordsmiths, 2002, Table 8.8, pp.242-246.

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