Bihar: Protests against Rafiganj Mass-Poisonings
Govt Must Conduct High Level Probe in View of New Facts
A CPIML-AIPWA state level team visited Chiraila village in Rafiganj Block a second time on 15 April 2022. The team comprised MLAs Mahanand Singh and Manoj Manzil, AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, Saroj Chaube and Shashi Yadav. The team obtained some new facts including a copy of the FIR filed by deceased Kajal Kumari's father, in the light of which they have reiterated the demand for a high level probe into the incident.
The copy of the FIR states that Anisha Kumari (15) was in love with a boy named Deepu (s/o Umesh Paswan), a resident of Paharpur village in Guraru Block, Gaya District but Deepu refused to marry Anisha, after which Anisha called her friends to the 'baghar' and gave poison to all of them, 4 of whom died.
One of the survivors in this incident told the enquiry team that she did not actually consume the poison, and another girl also spat out the poison after taking it in her mouth. Thus both these girls survived. She also said that a dominant caste boy from the village, Golu, had seen Anisha and Deepu talking to each other and had snatched away the mobile phones of both. The poison consumption incident occurred 2 days after that. The report of the mobiles being snatched had already come to light. When family members of the victim girl tried to contact her on her mobile, they were abused.
The question also still remains unanswered: after all, who provided poison to these minor girls?
The enquiry team tried to talk to top District officials but did not succeed in doing so. The team felt the police enquiry is fully against Deepu, but they are neither making any attempts to find the boy who snatched away the mobile phones, nor confiscating the mobiles.
The enquiry team strongly suspects that attempts are being made to cover up the truth. The families of the victim girls are not speaking out openly. They are also targeting Deepu. The possibility that they are under pressure cannot be denied. Even on the first visit the enquiry team could sense pressure put by the dominant section. Therefore the enquiry team reiterates its demand for a high level probe into the incident. A local level enquiry will not succeed in bringing out the truth.
Statewide Protests
CPIML and AIPWA observed Ambedkar Jayanti on 14 April 2022 with statewide protests in Bihar to demand a high level probe into the poisoning of 6 dalit girls (4 of whom have died). A protest meeting was organized at Kargil Chowk in Patna. After garlanding the portrait of Babasaheb Ambedkar, a pledge was taken to continue the struggle against attacks on democracy, social justice and secularism under the BJP regime. The meeting was addressed by CPIML legislative party leader Mahboob Alam, Arwal MLA Mahanand Singh, AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, AICCTU State Secretary Ranvijay Kumar and other leaders and conducted by AIPWA Patna City Secretary Anita Sinha. Hundreds of activists were present on the occasion, including Saroj Chaube, Shashi Yadav, KD Yadav, Abhyuday and Kamlesh Sharma.
Speaking on the occasion, the leaders said that the government has paid no heed to our demand for a high level probe into the Rafiganj poisoning incident. Today's statewide protests are a reminder to the government that they must act without delay. The entire incident is suspicious and appears to be not suicide but murder. Our team comprising MLAs Mahanand Singh and Manoj Manzil, AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari, Saroj Chaube and Shashi Yadav will once again visit Chiraila village on 15 April.
Leader of CPIML legislative party Mahboob Alam pointed out that the three sections being most targeted under the BJP-JDU regime are minorities, dalits and women. MLA Mahanand Singh that feudal terror is so pervasive in Chiraila that people are hesitant to speak out the truth about the incident. The administration stands with the dominant section and the government remains silent. AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari said that the theory of collective suicide does not hold good, as no pharmacy today sells poison, not even rat poison, to women without prescription. CPIML and AIPWA once again reiterate the demand for a high level probe into the incident so that the truth about the deaths of dalit girls on such a large scale comes to light.
