In response to the increasing crime and deteriorating law and order in the state post-elections, the INDIA alliance organised a statewide protest march on 20 July in Patna. Protests were held in the capital Patna as well as in Jehanabad, Arwal, Nawada, East Champaran, Ara, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and other centres.
In Patna, nearly a thousand activists associated with CPIML, RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, and VIP marched with flags and banners from Veerchand Patel Path. The protesters broke through barricades at Income Tax and Dak Bungalow crossroads. Later, a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister was handed over to the Patna District Magistrate. The memorandum mainly demanded the cessation of the continuously rising criminal incidents in the state.
The brutal murder of the 67-year-old father of VIP chief Mukesh Sahani was also raised. Additionally, attention was drawn to incidents of feudal violence against the Dalit community post-elections. The demand letter highlighted recent feudal killings of Mahadalits in Gaya, Nawada, Muzaffarpur, and other places, incidents of parading women naked, urinating on the face, rape, Muzaffarpur scams, and mob lynching. A detailed list of criminal incidents in Patna district was submitted.
The march was led by CPIML legislative group leader Mehboob Alam, Satyadev Ram, Gopal Ravidas, Shashi Yadav; Congress state president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and legislative group leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan; RJD district president Dinanath Singh, CPI's Ramlala Singh, CPM's Sarvodaya Sharma, and VIP district president Arjun Sahani. Prominent participants included CPIML politburo members Amar, and CCMs Abhyuday and Sandeep Saurabh, and Ranvijay Kumar, Kamlesh Sharma, Umesh Singh; RJD metropolitan president Aftab Alam; CPI's Bishwajit Kumar, CPM's Manoj Chandravanshi and Sonelal Prasad, Congress's Patna president Shashi Ranjan Yadav, and VIP's Anand Thakur.
Memorandum Submitted to the Chief Minister
The increasing criminal incidents in the state have shaken all of Bihar, as if there is no law and order left. There has been an alarming rise in crime incidents in districts like Gaya, Nawada, Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Saran, East Champaran, Sasaram, and Gopalganj. The situation has reached a point where even in the capital Patna and surrounding areas, criminals are completely unchecked. Over the past few days, more than two dozen murder cases have surfaced.
The recent brutal murder of the 67-year-old father of VIP chief Mukesh Sahani demonstrates that criminals no longer fear law and order. This is extremely concerning. The common people of Bihar are forced to live under a shadow of fear and terror. On one hand, criminals are rampant, and on the other, feudal forces are also rising. Dalits, women, and minority communities are being particularly targeted. Here are some instances of Dalit oppression:
In Chiraila Manjhi of Tikari block in Gaya district, feudal lords cut off the hand of Sanjay Manjhi with a sword when he protested against the landlords’ occupation of the poor's land. In Muzaffarpur, BJP-supported feudal forces attacked Sanjeet Manjhi, stabbing him, and when opposed, they abused his wife and attempted to strip her. The landlords also forced Sanjeet Manjhi to urinate. A case of the murder of 50-year-old Pappu Manjhi in Nawada district has also come to light.
Similarly, there has been a steep rise in incidents of rape involving innocent girls, minor girls, and women. Reports of rape incidents have come from Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Bettia, Sasaram, Begusarai, Motihari, Vaishali, Katihar, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, and other districts.
On the occasion of Muharram, Muslim youths were targeted in various parts of the state, with some arrests being made.
Thus, through today's protest, we demand an immediate halt to the rising incidents of crime and violence against Dalits, women, and minority communities in the state. The administration should promptly arrest the criminals to eliminate the atmosphere of fear and terror.
