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The Rediff Interview/Dipankar Bhattacharya

'Why is BJP not condemning Ranvir Sena's butchery?'

Forty-year-old Dipankar Bhattacharya is among the youngest political leaders. He succeeded Vinod Mishra as CPI-ML leader, when just 38, in December 1998.

He is camping in Patna, following the Mianpur carnage, as Left parties have given a bandh call on Wednesday, in protest against recent massacres.

The CPI-ML has emerged as a strong cadre-based party. In the state assembly, it has six seats, against five of its ally CPI, two by the CPI-M and one by the Marxist Coordination Committee.

He spoke to rediff.com's Soroor Ahmed on caste politics, on Tuesday evening. Excerpts from the interview:

Has the Ranvir Sena's brutality in Mianpur failed to elicit the outcry it deserved in the state?

No. The anger is palpable.

That's true in rural areas. Urban people, particularly public opinion-makers, have been quite indifferent.

It is true. Democracy in our country is in its early stages. The media has a role to play in influencing public opinion. It has not fulfilled its duty, especially in Bihar.

What's the pattern in massacres by the Ranvir Sena?

Seventy per cent massacres in central Bihar were by the Ranvir Sena. Unfortunately, the media and even people try to discover excuses for the senseless massacres.

Newspapers write that the carnage was in retaliation. What sort of retaliation was it in Mianpur? Neither has it anything to do with the Afsar (Nawada) killing nor can it be in revenge for last year Senari massacre in Jehanabad. In fact, it is a planned and conscious move to dilute the issue of the massacre.

The killers of Bhumihars in Afsar were Kurmis. But the Ranvirs killed Yadavs, who have little to do with the Afsar incident.

Not only that, a lot has been written about problems farmers face in the country.

True, in some states they are committing suicide, while in others they are taking to the streets. But are the Ranvirs espousing the cause of farmers by slaughtering people for no reason?

Has the Rashtrawadi Kisan Mahasangh, a front of the Ranvir Sena, ever raised any demand of farmers? Have they raised the issue of a power crisis or lack of irrigation facilities or shortage of fertilisers?

It is not only the Bhumihar farmers, associated with the Ranvir Sena, who are facing problems. Others are living in similar conditions, but no one else has gone on a killing spree.

The Bharatiya Janata Party says it is an issue of law and order, but why is it not condemning the massacre of Dalits first?

Is it so?

Yes. They only expressed regret and tried to politicise the issue for political gains. The Sangh Parivar has direct links with the Ranvir Sena. They have decided long back to weed out the red flag from central Bihar.

What about all-party meetings being called by Nitish Kumar and the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal?

Nitish has no moral right to call such a meeting. How can he do it when Sunil Pandey, a leading light of the Ranvir Sena, is a party legislator? Why not throw him out of the party?

There is no point in convening such meetings. Is not there a consensus on the Ranvir Sena? The RJD government has long back banned the Ranvir Sena, but it is largely on paper. Why not implement it? Our slogan is: Crush the Ranvir or quit. We want a white paper on the Ranvir Sena and its activities.

Laloo Prasad Yadav had never been harsh towards the Ranvir Sena, as it has suited him politically. Now, he is saying that their men are in the administrative machinery, but when we used to say the same thing he would silence us.

Laloo, in fact, wanted the people to counter the AK-47s of the Ranvir Sena men with stones.

What about President's rule?

That is no solution. The primary issue is elimination of the Ranvir Sena. It does not matter whether the government comes or goes. The imposition of President's rule and deployment of central para-military forces will only harm poor people, democratic forces and CPI-ML cadres. Nothing will happen to Ranvir Sena men. How many of them were arrested in the last crackdown?

What is the CPI-ML planning?

After the bandh, we plan to gherao the state assembly during the monsoon season, which begins on June 23. The date has not yet been finalised.

In fact, the CPI-ML has been honestly fighting such feudal forces. We do not approve of the Maoist Communist Centre-type of brutality too, as in Senari.

Something should be done to break this silence or indifference.

Why is it that in 70 per cent cases Bhumihars are on the rampage all over central Bihar, when there are other anti-Laloo castes like Brahmins, Kayasthas, Rajputs and Kurmis? One seldom hears of these castes indulging in mayhem.

They want to regain their glory. At the same time, they are feudal-minded, even if they are not very rich farmers. This is an explosive cocktail.

How long will this continue? When will saner elements of this caste stand up and say enough is enough?

The situation has reached its peak. Several people of that caste have started speaking out. I hope things will change soon.

The Rediff Interviews

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