‘Badlo Bihar Nyay Yatra’ in Seemanchal Region of Bihar

A Badlo Bihar Nyay Yatra by CPIML was started on 1 February in one of the most backward Seemanchal regions of Bihar aimed at highlighting and bringing in the centrestage of Bihar’s politics the most needed and long pending demands of common masses. This foot-march by hundreds of activists is led by CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, MLAs Satyadev Ram and Mahboob Alam, Politburo members Dhirendra Jha and Shashi Yadav, MLC and other senior leaders. The marchers are appealing to the people to join a massive rally in Patna, Badlo Bihar Mahajutaan (Transform Bihar Congregation) to be held on 9 March.

Introducing the objective of the Yatra Comrade Dipankar said people of Bihar are in the frontlines of the resistance to fight for the freedom, democracy and the constitution, and this yatra in the historically backward, poverty stricken region marred by forced migration of the poor is aimed at raising the important issues of people’s total development. Social equality, equal rights for all and justice for all are the minimum that every citizen must get, he said.

The Padyatra started from Forbesganj on 1 Feb, after paying tributes to eminent writer and freedom fighter Fanishwar Nath Renu in his village, Aurahi-Simraha, and garlanding of the statue of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar in Forbesganj town. Fanishwar Nath Renu was the most powerful literary-cultural voice of Seemanchal inspiring the generations for the struggle for social justice and rights of the poor.

Addressing the gathering at the time of inauguration of the yatra, leaders reminded of the task of defending the constitution and democracy from the all round attacks by the BJP government, this requires a broad based mass struggle.

The Yatra will culminate in Purnea on its fifth day after covering the distance on foot. Many people’s demands are unmet in this region. The oldest jute mill of Bihar was here which is now closed down, a sugar factory at Banmankhi was needed to run, a branch of Aligarh Central University was not fully functional yet, the people are forced to migrate in search of cheap labour but the government is silent on this, while many land mafia mainly belonging to BJP ruling establishment get open protection from the administration and dalits-adivasis face evictions from their lands and livelihoods on a routine basis.

Many other important issues the CPIML has been raising against the BJP-JDU regime in the state, like deep rooted corruption, police atrocities on dalits and backward sections, along with a countrywide caste census, 65% reservation limit to be included in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution, Rs 2 lakh assistance for each of the 94 lakh extremely poor families in Bihar, homestead land, pucca house for everyone, free electricity for poor, honorarium to scheme workers at the minimum wage rates, and guarantee of education and employment for all, etc are also being raised in this campaign.

The leaders condemned Nitish Kumar for unleashing terror and oppression on CPIML activists, students and youth leaders in the name of his Pragati Yatra. Such intimidation tactics only expose the fear of Nitish Kumar. Many CPIML offices were also raided by the police during this so called pragati yatra. AISA leader Kundan Yadav and Agricultural and Rural Labourers’ Association (AIARLA) Vikki Ram were arrested at 2 AM from their homes in Saharsa in the name of law and order for Nitish Kumar’s pragati yatra on 22 January. CPIML Mithilanchal incharge Dhirendra Jha called this reign of terror an attempt to suppress the genuine issues of youth and rural poor. This exposes Nitish’s internal fear and anti-democratic fear. He said Nitish claims to make a dialogue with the people through his so called yatra, but is taking the help of police by sending notices to many activists, making house arrests, detentions and police highhandedness. This is nothing but direct attacks on democracy and freedom of expression. Kundan Yadav and Vikki Ram wanted to meet the CM regarding their questions related to BPSC aspirants and MGNREGA workers of Bihar whose wages are lowest among all the states in the country.

CPIML MLA Rambali Yadav, AIPWA General Secretary Minar Tiwari, Baidyanath Yadav, Neyaz Ahamad, Aftab Alam, Abhishek Kumar, Devendra Sah, Jamaluddin Zamir Alam, Araria party secretary Ramvilas Yadav, and many others also joined the Badlo Bihar Nyay Yatra.

The big presence of ASHAs in the yatra is also attracting people’s attention. Many local activists, organisations and common people are coming to meet the leaders in the yatra and handing them over their memorandums of demands. Many Mid-day meal workers, Aanganwadi workers, Jeevika cadres, Tola Sevak etc are also coming to greet and join the yatra.

Day Two of Yatra

The yatra reached Araria where ASHA and Anganwadi activists as well as common people welcomed activists with garlands.

Comrade Dipankar shared in his social media posts on day two and three of this padyatra as follows:

“Day two of Forbesganj-Purnea Badoo Bihar Nyay Yatra. It was still foggy when we set off on the second day of our yatra from Laxmipur village. As we walked some distance along the highway with maize fields on both sides, a group of children watching us from a distance joined us for some time. On the way to Hasanpur Kalavati Degree College where we were welcomed by a big contingent of ASHA activists, we addressed a couple of meetings near the Mirzapur agricultural cooperative and Godamchowk, the latter attended by a large number of women from nearby villages. After a late afternoon meeting at Raniganj Chowk, the yatra halted for the night at Raniganj. The desire for change has started becoming a shared resolve of a large spectrum of Bihari society.”

Day Three

“Once again we had to set out on a foggy morning, but the fog cleared up as the day progressed and the afternoon was quite sunny. After garlanding the Ambedkar statue near the Raniganj block campus we proceeded to Bousi near Purnea border holding a series of meetings at Pachera colony, Kamalpur, Dak Bungalow Chowk, Gunwanti Chowk, Gunwanti bazar Chowk and Basaithi Hospital chowk. All through the three days of our padyatra in Araria district we found palpable fear among the poor over the threat of losing whatever land they have. The women are angry with growing electricity bills and increasing incidence of electricity connections being cut off in village after village. More and more people are getting united in their anger against the non-performing NDA regime and shared urge for change.

“For lunch we had assembled near the Gunwanti Shiv temple. We were struck by the Islamic architectural style of the temple. Muslim masons and construction workers were busy renovating the temple. The roots of syncretic sculpture and composite culture clearly run very deep. With these strong roots of composite culture, Seemanchal continues to rebuff the orchestrated assaults of the Sangh brigade's hate politics.”

The yatra will continue for two more days till it reaches Purnea on 5 February.