Reeks of conspiracy to suppress democratic dissent: CASR on lifer to Bihar Left MLA

Counterview Desk
The civil rights network, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)*, taking strong exception to allegedly “frivolous framing" and conviction of Bihar MLA Manoj Manzil and 22 others in the nine year old Badgaon murder case, has called the special court judgement awarding lifer to them as reeking of “conspiracy to suppress democratic dissent”.
Demanding their immediate unconditional release, CASR said, the judgment shows that “the role of police and judicial system, in imparting justice in cases of struggle between landless/poor peasantry and feudal forces like Ranveer Sena or Karni Sena (to which killers of Satish Kumar – the victim – belong to) cannot be ignored.”

Text:

On 13th February, 2024, a special court convicted Liberation leader Manoj Manzil and 22 others in a nine year old murder case of one Jay Prakash Singh and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The state has alleged that Jay Prakash's killing was in retaliation to the murder of Satish Kumar, a leader of CPIML-Liberation. Satish Kumar was killed on 25th August, 2015, by feudal forces of Badgaon panchayat of Bhojpur for struggling to get the crops of landless and poor peasants purchased by government authorities.
This led to him becoming the target of a local feudal element, Rinku Singh, who was also the President of Badgaon Panchayat Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS). Four persons, including Rinku Singh and Awdhesh Sah, named in the murder of Satish Kumar were acquitted in 2019, interestingly around the same time when a local court took cognizance of charges against Manoj Manzil and others in Jay Prakash’s killing.
The special court, while awarding the sentence, stated that the prosecution has not provided “peculiar” evidence to categorize the case as “rarest of rare" and, therefore, cannot grant death sentence. But what is more important to understand is that not only the state didn’t provide “peculiar" evidence but they did not provide any material evidence at all and the court relied merely on the 9 witness testimonies, including those of Jay Prakash Singh's son, investigating officer, medical examiner and few others.
The very reason that the judicial system let the killers of Satish Kumar roam free and convicted the leaders of Liberation without ample evidence beyond ‘reasonable doubt’ reeks of conspiracy to suppress democratic dissent of people and all those who stand with them. It is important to point out that state has alleged that Jay Prakash was assaulted by Manoj Manzil and others when he was passing by a protest against killing of Satish Kumar. According to this version, the son of Jay Prakash who is also a witness in the case, fled the scene and Jay Prakash went missing, only to be found dead 2 days later, on 27th August 2015.
However, there are no sufficient further arguments or material evidence to justify that Manoj Manzil and others were involved in the killing. Furthermore, the role of police and judicial system, in imparting justice in cases of struggle between landless/poor peasantry and feudal forces like Ranveer Sena or Karni Sena (to which killers of Satish Kumar belong to) cannot be ignored.
This particular case cannot be evaluated in isolation from the history of massacres like Bathani Tola or Laxmanpur Bathe, carried out by Ranveer Sena that is rising its heads again in the form of Karni and many other private militia of landlords. Whether be it case of murder of Satish Kumar, massacre of 21 landless dalit peasants in Bathani Tola of Bhojpur or massacre of 67 Dalit landless peasants in Laxmanpur Bathe of Jehanabad; the courts from lower to the upper rung have betrayed the oppressed and exploited people by overturning the convictions or delaying justice, ultimately letting the feudal militia roam scot free. However, this very state has been eager to incriminate the leaders and activists working among the oppressed and exploited sections.

On March 2, 2023, Gaya Sessions Court awarded life sentence to Ram Chandra Yadav, who has already spent 17 years under-trial, for alleged involvement in Killing of 37 Bhumihars (a feudal class- upper caste) by Maoists in February 1992 in retaliation to massacres done by Ranveer Sena. In this case also, a person, who already spent 17 years.
In jail, was sentenced to life in TADA case, whereas in massacres by Ranveer Sena, let alone TADA, not even normal penalty under relevant sections of IPC has been awarded. We see the conviction of Manoj Manzil and 22 others in this similar pattern and believe that the protector of Ranveer Sena, Nitish Kumar along with Brahmanical Hindutva Fascist BJP-RSS is unleashing this onslaught on leaders of Liberation to suppress any voice of democratic dissent against rising feudal, casteist and communal violence in the country.
This attack should not be seen as an isolated one, but a well coordinated attack on the very idea of struggle against oppression. Therefore, all the forces that strive to struggle for a democratic society, free from exploitation and oppression, must perceive this attack as one on their own and fight it back unitedly.
Campaign Against State Repression strongly condemns the frivolous framing and conviction of Comrade Manoj Manzil and 22 others in Badgaon murder conspiracy case and demands their immediate unconditional release. We also call upon all democratic, progressive and justice-loving people to unite and fight back such offensive against the democratic forces.
---
*IRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, Progressive Lawyers Association, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Manch, SFI, United Against Hate, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Fate of Yamuna floodplain still hangs in "balance" despite National Green Tribunal rap on Sri Sri event

By Ashok Shrimali* While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reportedly pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna, the chief petitioners against the high-profile event Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has declared, the “fate of the floodplain still hangs in balance.”

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Counterview

Search This Blog