Bhopal, August 18 (Pervez Bari): The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), is aghast in disbelief and is stunned at the revelation that alleged a former Indian Prime Minister and a Union Finance Mimister amongst other leading politicians were hand in glove to provide political patronage, money and arms to Bihar’s Ranveer Sena — a group that has been linked to murders of several Dalits in Bihar. The Sena had the tacit support of certain political leaders at the state level also.
Reacting to Cobrapost, an investigative-journalism outfit, report wherein six commanders of the Ranveer Sena confessed to their involvement in six major massacres of Dalits in Central Bihar killing in all 144 Dalits between 1995 and 1997, SDPI national president A. Sayeed has expressed his deep anguish, dismay and despair at the exposure in a statement.
Sayeed has demanded the restoration of Justice Amir Das Commission of Inquiry which the RJD Government in Bihar had set up on December 27, 1997 in the wake of Laxmanpur Bathe massacre. However, the commission was abruptly disbanded as soon as the JDU–BJP alliance in 2005 came to power in Bihar without submitting its report. There is much weight in Justice Das (Retd.) reported statement that it was winded up because his report could have implicated some prominent politicos for their support to the private army he was asked to shut shop, he added.
He lamented that the state of affairs in the political arena of the country has stooped to such a low that the conscious of politicians of repute do not stir them and they indulge in abetting such nefarious crimes with impunity for political gains.
Sayeed said it is horrendous that the Ranveer Sena cadres received training from Army jawans — either on leave or retired. They were equipped with modern weapons like AK-47, Light Machine Guns, SLRs and Mousers. Some of these arms were bought from the consignment that was part of the Purulia arms drop on December 17, 1995. (pervezbari@yahoo.co.in)