Varsity of violence

The name Nalanda conjures up tranquil images of reading and writing in beautiful Buddhist Viharas (monasteries). Ironically modern Bihar, fast becoming a metaphor of violence and lawlessness, is etymologically derived from such peaceful viharas. It was the first university of Bharatvarsha, much admired by Chinese travellers like Hiuen Tsang and Fa Hien. Once an erudite seat of learning, Nalanda today is only a few kilometres from curfew-bound Biharsharif city which is in the news since last week due to a violent communal flare up. Although the deaths and the numbers of those injured are limited to a few, the army staged a flag march and has been busy patrolling the streets. Although Biharsharif town has been communally sensitive in the past, particularly during religious festivals, the district administration is partly responsible for the recent violence as they stood mute spectators while hoodlums built a makeshift place of worship and even carried out kar sewa on a disputed piece of land. In fact, four ofthe culprits who were arrested were later released on a request from the District Magistrate’s office.

Anyone familiar with the district of Nalanda can hardly fail to notice that the very structure of Biharsharif — its uniquely communal ghettoisation — lends itself vulnerable to sectarian violence. The poorer downtown is riddled with shantytowns which are predominantly populated by the minorities, while the more salubrious tourist part of the district has a mixed population. For a parliamentary constituency which is represented by the high profile defence minister George Fernandes, Biharsharif has witnessed some development projects, most of which has completely missed the poorer downtown areas. The ire among the minorities, given the unfairness in terms of distribution of the development funds, is palpable especially during election time. Despite his secular credentials Fernandes has apparently in the past failed to garner most of the minority votes of this constituency. It is high time that the defence minister condemned the sectarian violence raking his constituency and asked for the suspension of topadministrative officials who have clearly failed in carrying out their duties.

Biharsharif is only the tip of the iceberg. Given the endemic backwardness that prevails, most of the central and southern Bihar districts are today rivetted with violence, especially between the private armies of rich landowners and the various Naxal outfits. Less than a week ago an SP-rank officer was killed by the MCC cadres in Lohardagga. Despite unprecedented violence, some analysts argue that Bihar is an exception compared to other Hindi heartland states in one respect: the relative lack of sectarian violence along religious lines. Even during the thick of the Babri masjid controversy when the whole of north India was on the verge of a breakdown, Bihar had stayed calm and peaceful. The absence of communal violence in the state was for long considered one of Laloo Prasad Yadav-led RJD’s few achievements. But not anymore. Less than two months ago there was a communal clash leading to several deaths between the Ali Sena and the MCC in South Bihar. The resurfacing of communal violence in Biharsharif provesthat unless a long-term solution is hammered out Bihar will continue to bleed.