Bihar's biggest festival of 'democracy'—the elections—has begun with its full clamor. The announcements from both the ruling party and the opposition create the illusion that the state's suffering will vanish in an instant, and the lives of the people of Bihar will be greatly enriched. As in every election, this time too, caste and employment are emerging as key issues. Every party is unrolling its bundle of promises. But amidst this electoral noise, there are stories that are deliberately kept 'quiet'—because both the ruling party and the opposition benefit from their silence. One such story is the death of four Musahar children.
On the morning of October 3, 2025, three children were reportedly killed after being struck by the Vande Bharat Express near the Yavanpur railway crossing in Purnia district's Kasba police station area. Two children were severely injured, one of whom later died in the hospital. All the children were between 12 and 16 years old. They belonged to the Musahar community of Thakurapatti village in Purnia, a community living at the extreme edge of poverty.
Brahma Dev Rishi, father of one of the deceased, Sunder Kumar (15), told Dainik Bhaskar that a contractor named Amar and a man named Vishu Sahni from Benipatti, Darbhanga district, had come to the Mahadalit settlement. He took 10 children to Sapni village in the Muffalis police station area for the work of 'makhana' (fox nut) popping. The contractor allegedly drugged them to make them work and avoid paying wages. The children somehow managed to escape and return home. A few months later, he came to another neighborhood, tempted them with "good earnings," and took three children with him. When they asked for money, he reportedly gave them country liquor and made them work 16–17 hours a day. When the children ran away, his work stopped.
A month and a half ago, the same contractor returned and gave the three families ₹5,000 each. Under the pressure of poverty and unemployment, Brahma Dev Rishi sent his son Shyamsundar, nephews Sintu and Jigar Kumar. His sister's son Rohit and Kuldeep Rishi also went with them. The children went to lighten their family's burden, but now the families are crushed under an unbearable one.
The Fatal End of Child Laborers
Brahma Dev Rishi shared, "A week ago, my son and nephew called to say that they were given half-meals, made to work overtime, and beaten by the contractor if they protested." He told the children to return, but they said, "We will come back by Diwali once we get the money." At 10 PM on October 2, the children called to say they were running away and would reach home by morning. At 6 AM, the contractor called to say the children had run away from work. Shortly after, the news came that all four children had been hit by a train.
The injured Kuldeep (12) revealed that he was taken for work with a promise of ₹5,000 per month. On the day of Dashami, the contractor gave them ₹50 and sent them to a fair. The children decided there and then that they would not return. On the way, the contractor Vishu Sahni caught them, beat them severely, left them half-dead on the tracks. They used to work 17–18 hours daily, which included drying the makhana by the fire at night. If they refused, the contractor would mercilessly beat them with shoes and sandals. MP Pappu Yadav has also leveled an accusation of murder.
The SHO of Kasba Police Station stated on October 9 that "children are being coached to tell lies. The distance from the accident spot to the workplace is 20 km, so it's not possible for the contractor to have reached there." He added that the investigation is ongoing, the contractor's mobile has been seized, and his location on that day is being tracked. No arrests have been made so far. Even if the police's version is accepted, it remains clear that the children were running away, fed up with the contractor's abuse.
The Opposition's Silence and Caste Equations
While the ruling party is attempting to suppress this incident, the opposition's silence also raises many questions. This incident exposes the horrific reality of both Bihar's caste structure and unemployment, yet why is it not becoming an election issue?
On August 23, 2025, during the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Katihar, Rahul Gandhi met with makhana farmers. With him were the Congress State President Mukesh Sahni. Rahul Gandhi had written—"Today, meeting these farmers in their fields, I learned their ordeal. It sells for ₹1000–2000 per kg in big cities, but these hardworking people—the foundation of the entire industry—get nominal prices. Who are these farmer-laborers? Extremely Backward Classes, Dalit-Bahujan. 99 percent of the hard work is by the Bahujan, and the profit is only for 1 percent. The vote-stealing government has no respect or concern for them—neither income nor justice has been given."
Mukesh Sahni also said that they would get fair prices when the Mahagathbandhan government came to power. So why is his party not making the death of these Musahar children an issue? Is it the fear that the contractor—Vishu Sahni—belongs to his own caste?
The Socio-Economic Status of the Musahar Community
The Musahar caste is categorized as Mahadalit. According to the 2023 Bihar survey, their population is 3.08%, making them the third-largest group among Scheduled Castes. Despite this, Musahars remain at the very bottom socially and economically. Their prominent leader, Jitan Ram Manjhi (a minister in the NDA government), is also silent on this incident.
Statistics for the Musahar community show:
- Literacy Rate (Classes 1 to 5): 23.47%
- Literacy Rate (Classes 6 to 8): 7.99%
- Matriculation Pass: 2.44%
Intermediate Pass: 0.77%
- Representation in Government Jobs: 0.75%
Around 54.56% of Musahar families earn less than ₹6,000 per month. An additional 24.76 percent of families earn ₹6,000 per month. This means over 79% of families in this community survive on a monthly income of ₹6,000 or less. Only 26% have pucca (permanent) houses. Most are landless and are divided into small groups.
'Sabka Vikas' and the Musahar Reality
Nitish Kumar, who has been in power for twenty years and calls himself the heir to Karpoori Thakur's legacy, started the 'Mahadalit Vikas Mission' in 2007. But the question is: has there been any real change in the lives of the Musahar community? Where do the Musahars stand amidst the slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Development for all, with the support of all)? Today, when these families are seeking justice for the death of their children, both the ruling party and the opposition are missing.
Amidst electoral posters, speeches, and promises, a candidate will visit the Musahar settlement to ask for votes, but will not talk about justice for these victimized families. Because here, not just caste, but class also matters. Although the contractor may come from a Backward Class, he is organized along caste lines. That is why the silence of both the opposition and the ruling party prevails—and this is the most painful truth of this democracy. When democracy is limited to the vote, the lives of its citizens disappear from its priority list.
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*Social worker and journalist
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