CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal said in a statement issued on 17 April 2020 that the police in Bihar are unleashing brutal repression on the poor, workers, weaker sections, and even shopkeepers, sanitation workers and other working people who are risking their lives during the Lockdown to reach essential goods and services to the common people. This is extremely condemnable. The administration should not think that Lockdown is a license for police repression. The Bihar Chief Minister and DGP must intervene immediately in this matter and stop this repression. The police must understand that people are coming out of their homes only in case of emergency. Comrade Kunal gave the example of Masaurhi in Patna District where medical store owners were brutally lathi charged recently.
AIARLA Bihar State Secretary Gopal Ravidas described how owner of Saraswati Pharma Rahul Kumar was returning home after closing his shop on 14 April when suddenly the DSP himself started beating him up. This angered other medical shopkeepers also and they decided to go on strike. The police then went to Praveen Pharma and beat up the people working there and arrested the owner Praveen Kumar. Medical shopkeepers then held a protest rally and gheraoed the Thana. The matter subsided only after the intervention of the SDO.
Similarly, sanitation workers were also brutally beaten up in Masaurhi, after which 60-70 sanitation workers went on strike. Other people beaten up by the police include acupressure doctor Pappu Thakur, tailor Rahmat Miyan, Naseem Miyan, and a person buying vegetables in Sigodi.
After observing Ambedkar Jayanti CPIML activists had arranged for food for 1000 people. But the police pounced on them, did lathi charge, wasted all the food and threatened to throw everyone into jail. The police also brutally beat up Rajnath Yadav (70) who had come to Pirhi Dulhin Bazaar for medical treatment.
The CPIML demands immediate and strict action against police personnel who are perpetrating repression on people. The Masaurhi DSP should be immediately removed and such terror-mongering actions should be stopped forthwith.
The CPIML demands compensation for the workers who suffered an accident while returning home from work in Patna on 16 April. It should be noted that after doing work for the construction of the government ‘pandal’ for Corona relief work near Golghar, these workers were hit by a truck near Ramakrishna By-pass, resulting in the death of Sanju Das on the spot and seriously injuring Umesh Mochi, Om Prakash Paswan, Arun Das, Shyam Das, Ramsevak Das and Chhote Das. Of these, the condition of Om Prakash Paswan and Umesh Kumar is critical. The CPIML demands Rs 10 lakhs as compensation for the family of the deceased and proper compensation, free treatment and relief arrangements for the injured. CPIML Sampatchak Block Secretary Satyanand Kumar is in constant touch with the injured.
