Bihar Dalits get ready For armed struggl

Sasram (Bihar): In this former hometown of Jagjivan Ram the desperate Dalits (Chamars) reeling under upper caste (Rajput) oppression have decided to take to armed struggle to protect their human rights. And since killing in self-defense is justified under law, they have started accumulating arms and the youths have started taking arms training. This development has brought nightmares to upper castes. The growing militancy of Dalits in this area is impressing other Dalits of the State and soon Bihar may turn out to be a huge armed battle ground, with Dalits and Muslims on one side and upper castes on the other side, Rohtas district is presently witnessing a new phenomenon – the emergence of Dalits as an organized force under the banner of the Bahujan Samaj Party. They are realizing the need for a separate political identity and also hit back at the oppressive socio– economic system. This realization has, in the last one year, created a sharp caste divide and things have come to such a head that a Rajput or a Brahmin considers all Dalits to be criminals, while for the latter all the upper castes are tormentors. The Dalit tolas in some villages have undergone a sea-change. There is no dearth of arms and there is even special hideout. Entering a tola after sunset is a risk, one having to answer a barrage of questions from the youth guarding the tola. The recent killing of ten Rajpur’s at Kesari village under Chand police station, though it was a fallout of a feud between Nakhru Chamar and Baidyanath Singh, proves this.