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'Only we are fighting the Ranvir Sena as it should be fought'

Tara Shankar Sahay in Ara, Bihar

A miniature civil war reigns in Ara where the Ranvir Sena, the private army of upper caste landlords, is locked in a do-or-die battle with the extremist Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).

Such is the intensity of the mutual hatred between the two that the Sena, foregoing its fight against the erstwhile Laloo Yadav regime which banned the private army, is now supporting Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate Chandradeo Prasad Verma against the CPI-ML's K D Yadav.

Though the Samata Party, the Bihar Jan Congress, the Janata Dal and the Congress are also in the fray, the real battle will be between the RJD and CPI-ML. Certain political observers, however, think there may be a triangular contest with the BJC forming the third corner.

Peculiar to the constituency is the fact that the national perspective about the Ranvir Sena does not apply here as the private army has shed much of its animosity against the forces of social justice in order to make the CPI-ML bite the dust.

It is a measure of the chicanery and double-standards of most Ara politicians that when the opportunity arises, they do not hesitate in using the Sena, though their public posture against the private army is holier-than-thou. Thus, essentially, Ara is witnessing a fight between the major evils while the lesser ones keep to the sidelines.

The beginning of an unwritten civil war in Ara took root about three decades ago when poor sharecroppers began muscling in on rich landlords, chiefly Bhumihars.

In the caste-ridden society, the uppercaste Bhumihar landlords took grave exception to this sudden phenomena of sharecroppers forcibly harvesting their crops. They created their own muscle-force, and let it loose.

As a result, the nascent tension between the various splinter Naxalite groups simmered and exploded. And thus began the mutual hacking and killing, leaving in their wake a thick trail of blood and gore.

Anirudh Sharma (not his real name), a wealthy Bhumihar landlord and a computer engineer in New Jersey, has come down to help his brothers in the election. Speaking with a heavy American accent, he reveals that his family has sworn to help the RJD candidate against the CPI-ML -- they have not forgotten the killing of a relative by the Naxalites in 1988.

The CPI-ML, for its part, reiterates the committment to 'eliminate the menace of the Ranvir Sena'. Labelling the RJD as 'fraud', K D Yadav contends that the leadership is gladly accepting the Sena's help.

"Only we are fighting the Ranvir Sena as it should be fought," he says, adding a long trail of expletives against the 'bourgeoise'.

BJC candidate and former Union minister for fertilisers Ram Lakhan Yadav seems optimistic about his prospects, asserting that he has 'many pockets of influence' in Ara.

Was the Ranvir Sena helping him?

Ram Lakhan Yadav smiles, shakes his head, but says: "But I will not refuse if people are willing to help me."

The authorities fear the surfeit of illicit weapons in the constituency will be used by the RJD and CPI-ML to outgun each other. That, after all, is how things have worked in Bihar till now.

EARLIER REPORTS:
• The Stench of Death
• Mindless Bihar caste war cripples law and order
• Banned CPI-ML plans to avenge Monday's massacre
• Bloodbath at midnight
• At least 60 massacred in worst-ever Bihar caste feud

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