Date:10/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/10/stories/2004011001331300.htm

National

Women's commission calls for action against Ranvir Sena

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 9. Coming down heavily on the Bihar Government for its "inaction" in checking the activities of Ranvir Sena, an armed militant group of landlords, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the Government to take immediate steps to maintain law and order in the areas where the group operates.

This strong reaction came following an NCW team's visit to Arwal district to investigate the killing of a Left party political activist, Manju Devi, who was allegedly shot dead by activists of the Ranvir Sena on November 10 last year. Manju, a leader of the All-India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) and the Communist Party of India (ML), commonly known as Ma Le, at Puran in Arwal, was pursuing the cause of the landless labourers belonging to the Dalit and weaker sections of society for ensuring payment of minimum wages as prescribed by the State Government. Puran has become a centre of constant friction between the Ranvir Sena and the landless labourers fighting for their rights to minimum wages and against exploitation by the "Bhoomihars" or landlords.

The team comprised Nafisa Hussain, member of the Commission, Sankar Sen, a retired IPS officer and former member of the National Human Rights Commission, and M.L. Mazumdar, retired bureaucrat. Addressing a press conference here today, the team members accused the Government of lacking in political will while dealing with the Sena activists. "There were allegations that the activists were being backed by local Minister, Akhilesh Sharma, a Bhoomihar, though the allegation was denied by the administration.''

Of the three involved in the killing of the activist, police arrested only one though the two men, who were with the victim when she was killed, had identified others. Information received by the Commission today said that some more arrests had been made after the team's return.

The situation became more serious after some more Dalits were killed in Arwal after the return of the NCW team, which is being seen as a possible backlash. "We have given four weeks to the Bihar Government to send the Action Taken Report and we will make another visit to the area after three months,'' the NCW chairperson, Poornima Advani, said.

While the NCW was unable to meet the Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, when in Patna, they have sent a report to the Government. The success of Manju in organising landless labourers including women, has panicked the landlords, who saw her as a big threat to their age-old grip on the poor and hapless agricultural labourers, the team members observed, adding that the elimination of Manju was a calculated move.

Recommending a drive to seize weapons from the Ranvir Sena activists, the report also suggests posting of a dedicated senior officer in the district for enforcement of the Minimum Wages Act.