Resistance in indigo land

IT took 15 years and a long bloody battle that took six lives, before 30 landless families in Bihar8217;s Barwaha Khurd got their 15 acres ...

IT took 15 years and a long bloody battle that took six lives, before 30 landless families in Bihar8217;s Barwaha Khurd got their 15 acres of land. In recent years, the government has tried to implement decades-old land ceiling laws by seizing surplus land and distributing it among the landless poor. But the order8217;s transfer from paper to land has not been bloodless.

According to district magistrate Vinay Kumar, at present there are only 50 people who own land above ceiling limits, compared to the 300 large estates just 10 years ago. This may be true technically, but Barwaha Khurd is one instance which shows that having documents is not enough to occupy land.

It was as early as in 1986 that the 30 families among the 150 of this village of Tharu tribe were given parchas of half an acre of land each.

The land was under the control of the Ramnagar estates. The Tharus came from Jharkhand to work in indigo cultivation in colonial times. Years later, Gandhi inaugurated his satyagraha campaign here in 1917.

As India was winning freedom, Tharus, who owned land two centuries ago, were gradually dispossessed and many became bonded labourers. These 30 families were allotted land later but were not allowed to occupy it. Three years later in 1989, the entire village decided to support the struggle of these people. 8216;8216;As tension and fights became a regular feature, we decided to offer a price to the landlord and settle the matter,8217;8217; says Ram Har Ram, a villager.

But the matter was far from over. The villagers occupied the land and began collective farming. Shootouts during harvesting became common. 8216;8216;Then the Raja landlord called us for a compromise. The Rani demanded Rs 1 lakh per acre. The negotiations went on. By 1995, the Raja came down to asking for Rs 10-14,000. But finally, he agreed at Rs 12,000. But the actual price was Rs 10,000,8217;8217; says Ram.

Meanwhile the villages suspected three brothers from the Sao caste of working for the Raja. Managers of the 30 acres, they didn8217;t want the ownership changed. As the intrigues thickened, the issue became one between the Sao caste and the rest of the village.

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Another five years passed. According to the police, sensing an opportunity, the Maoist Communist Centre MCC eliminated the three Saos. The police have charged 20 people including the MCC ideologue Osho alias Narendra Kumar in the case. 8216;8216;We are sure of the MCC involvement in the killings,8217;8217; says Ratn Sanjay, former SP of Bagha.

The violence didn8217;t end there. Later the Raja renewed his offer of negotiations. The three villagers who went for the talks never returned. The police says they were murdered on the way.

Barwaha is not yet calm. Today it8217;s labelled an MCC village. There are cases against several villagers, accused of being members of the MCC, a charge they deny. 8216;8216;We have nothing to do with the lal salam the MCC,8217;8217; says Ram Har Ram.

Irrespective of its affiliations, this village is one of the very few that has shown stiff resistance from the landless in the fertile lands of feudalism in Champaran.