Laxmanpur Bathe massacre explained

Laxmanpur Bathe massacre
Location:Laxmanpur Bathe, Arwal, Bihar
Partof:caste-related violence, massacre in Bihar
Clash between CPIML Liberation & Ranvir Sena
Victims:Scheduled caste people
Fatalities:58 killed

The Laxmanpur Bathe massacre was a massacre conducted in the Laxmanpur Bathe village in Arwal district of Bihar, where 58 scheduled caste people were allegedly killed by members of the Ranvir Sena in retaliation for the Bara massacre in which 37 upper castes were killed.[1] [2] Laxmanpur Bathe is a village in Arwal district in Bihar, on the Son river about 90–km from Patna.

Killings

The village was the site of a massacre of 58 Dalits allegedly killed by the upper-caste Ranvir Sena on the night of 1 December 1997. All the victims were Dalits and many among them were children, the youngest being a one-year-old, and pregnant women.[3] To remove the last shred of evidence of their outrageous act, they crossed the river and slit the throats of the two boatmen who had rowed them, before disappearing in Bhojpur district. Laxmanpur-Bathe was targeted because Ranvir Sena members believed the village's Dalits, mostly poor and landless, were sympathizers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation behind the killing of 37 upper caste men in Bara in Gaya district in 1992. Ranvir Sena, a far-right wing militia of upper caste landlords, was created by Bhumihar caste to take on the Naxals.[4]

In the well-planned operation, about 100 Ranbir Sena activists carrying firearms had descended on Lakshmanpur Bathe at around 11 pm. They forced their way into huts by breaking open the doors and fired indiscriminately at people who were asleep. The entire hamlet located on the banks of the Sone river was virtually decimated in the attack that lasted more than three hours. The youngest victim was one year old.[5]

The incident sent shockwaves across the country. The Lalu Prasad-led RJD government was then ruling the state. The then President K R Narayanan had expressed his shock and dismay over the mass murder of 58 Dalits in Central Bihar. In his strong-worded reaction, he had termed the massacre as "national shame".[6] [7]

Trial

In December 2008, charges were made against 46 Ranvir Sena men. Sessions Judge Mishra, on conclusion of trial in the case on 1 April, fixed 7 April 2010 as the date for announcing the verdict. Earlier, the case was transferred to Patna from Jehanabad following a Patna High Court order in October 1999.[5]

On 7 April 2010, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Vijai Prakash Mishra of the Patna Civil Court sentenced 16 men to death and 10 to life imprisonment for the massacre. While pronouncing the verdict, sessions judge Mishra described the killings as a “stigma on civil society and rarest of rare cases of brutality.[8]

On 9 October 2013, Patna High Court acquitted all 26 accused persons, due to "lack of evidence".[9] [10] The CPI (ML) staged a Bandh throughout central Bihar.

Reaction

Some commented that the High Court judgement did not get the attention it merited in the media. The acquittal of massacre-accused were overshadowed by another big news of that time - the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar from cricket.[11] There was an angry reaction from the Bihar government and various political parties in the state. The government replied that it will appeal against the order,[12] while CPI(M) termed the verdict as “unacceptable” and asked the Nitish Kumar government to immediately file an appeal against it.[13] The CPI-ML criticised the state government and said that it would appeal in the apex court to appoint the SIT(special investigation team) probing all the massacre cases in Bihar.[14] Other state parties LJP and RJD demanded CBI investigation in High Court's decision and alleged that the state government is protecting the interests of Ranvir Sena.[15] [16]

Maoists called for a 24-hour strike against the court's decision in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, and the police advised that the banks and shops remain close.[17] Seven people, including one suspected member from the Ranvir Sena, were killed in Aurangabad district on 18 October.[18] The Dalits in the area feared that there may be a retaliation from the Ranvir Sena.[19]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Sinha. Arvind. Sinha. Indu. 2001. Ranveer Sena and 'Massacre Widows'. Economic and Political Weekly. 36. 43. 4095–4099. 4411296. 0012-9976.
  2. Web site: Ranvir Sena - Left Wing Extremism, India, South Asia Terrorism Portal. www.satp.org. 2020-04-11. 13 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191113123542/https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/Ranvir_Sena.htm. live.
  3. Web site: Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre: No one killed 58 Dalits. Firstpost. 11 October 2013. 2020-04-11. 11 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411034054/https://www.firstpost.com/politics/laxmanpur-bathe-massacre-no-one-killed-58-dalits-1166975.html. live.
  4. News: Arun Kumar . 16 to hang for killing 58 in Bihar village . https://web.archive.org/web/20110811055629/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-04-08/india/28125248_1_ranvir-sena-arwal-district-upper-caste . dead . August 11, 2011 . Apr 8, 2010 . . 2013-10-10.
  5. Web site: 16 sentenced to death for 1997 Jehanabad carnage . NDTV.com . 2010-04-07 . 2013-10-10 . 31 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130731233136/http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/16-sentenced-to-death-for-1997-jehanabad-carnage-19422 . live .
  6. News: Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre case: HC order unacceptable, says Left. 2013-10-11. The Hindu. 2020-04-11. PTI. en-IN. 0971-751X. 11 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411034053/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Laxmanpur-Bathe-massacre-case-HC-order-unacceptable-says-Left/article11800740.ece. live.
  7. Web site: Death to 16 in Dalit massacre . Deccan Herald . April 7, 2010 . 2013-10-10 . 10 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150610221822/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/62543/sixteen-sentenced-death-laxmanpur-bacarnage.html . live .
  8. News: Death for 16 Ranvir Sena men . The Telegraph . 2010-04-08 . 2013-10-10 . Calcutta, India . 27 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101227012435/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100408/jsp/nation/story_12314143.jsp . live .
  9. News: Bihar: HC acquits 26 convicted of Laxmanpur-Bathe carnage. Oct 10, 2013. 2013-10-10. The Times of India. 9 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131009215740/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bihar-HC-acquits-26-convicted-of-Laxmanpur-Bathe-carnage/articleshow/23841960.cms. live.
  10. News: Patna High Court acquits all 26 in Dalit massacre case. The Hindu. Oct 9, 2013. 2013-10-10. Rahi Gaikwad. Chennai, India. 9 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131009160716/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/patna-high-court-acquits-all-26-accused-in-laxmanpur-bathe-massacre-case/article5218083.ece. live.
  11. News: Why Indians love Sachin Tendulkar . BBC News . 2013-11-14 . 20 June 2018 . 29 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180629012350/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24830995 . live .
  12. News: Anger among India's 'untouchables' after 26 people acquitted over caste massacres . London . The Daily Telegraph . Dean . Nelson . 2013-10-10 . 3 April 2018 . 5 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170805075625/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10369794/Anger-among-Indias-untouchables-after-26-people-acquitted-over-caste-massacres.html . live .
  13. News: laxmanpurbathe-massacre-case-hc-order-unacceptable-says-left. The Hindu. 11 October 2013. 2020-08-12. 5 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131105054220/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/laxmanpurbathe-massacre-case-hc-order-unacceptable-says-left/article5224978.ece. live.
  14. News: CPI-ML-rally-against-Baathe-carnage-acquittals. Times of India. 11 October 2013 . 2020-08-12. 5 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131105110409/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/CPI-ML-rally-against-Baathe-carnage-acquittals/articleshow/23930386.cms. live.
  15. Web site: LJP Seeks CBI Probe in the Laxmanpur Bathe Massacre Acquittal - PatnaDaily. 2021-08-06. www.patnadaily.com. 6 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210806112159/https://www.patnadaily.com/index.php/news/8932-ljp-seeks-cbi-probe-in-the-laxmanpur-bathe-massacre-acquittal.html. live.
  16. Web site: No one killed 58 Bihar Dalits: HC acquits all accused - Hindustan Times. 11 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131011092448/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Bihar/No-one-killed-58-Bihar-Dalits-HC-acquits-all-accused/Article1-1133303.aspx . 11 October 2013 .
  17. Web site: 2013-10-27. Angry with 1997 Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre verdict, Maoists blast a mobile tower. https://web.archive.org/web/20131027090607/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/angry-with-1997-laxmanpurbathe-massacre-verdict-maoists-blast-a-mobile-tower/430214-3-232.html. dead. 2013-10-27. 2021-08-06.
  18. News: Blast signals clear and present danger Massacre rerun fear haunts police . Calcutta, India . The Telegraph . Dipak . Mishra . 2013-10-19 . 5 November 2013 . 5 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131105062002/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131019/jsp/bihar/story_17469941.jsp#.UniEgloW1Ml . live .
  19. News: After acquittals, fear haunts Dalit village . Chennai, India . The Hindu . Rahi . Gaikwad . 2013-10-11 . 5 November 2013 . 5 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131105070113/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/after-acquittals-fear-haunts-dalit-village/article5223811.ece . live .

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