- Target:
- The President of India
- Region:
- India
The Amir Das Commission, which was investigating the political patrons of Ranveer Sena has been disbanded by the Nitish Kumar Government of Bihar.
Ranveer Sena, a private army of upper-caste landlords brutally massacred 282 dalit, backward rural poor between 1995-2000including the Bathe and Bathani Tola massacres, where pregnant women's wombs were torn out, lest they produce "Naxalites".
That the Ranveer Sena conducted its killings with impunity and protection, often close to police camps indicates the participation of politically powerful in the cold-blooded plans.
While the Commission was set up with reluctance (and only following massive protests), several obstacles were placed to prevent investigation, earlier by the RJD government and now by the JD(U)-BJP government. The disbanding comes as the final blow to ensure that the killers remain masked.
The announcement for disbanding comes following Sushil Modi's announcement that setting up the commission was flawed (obviously since top BJP and JD (U) leaders are known to have links with the Ranveer Sena).
While those whose families have been massacred and the socially oppressed, rural poor of Bihar are fighting against this, let us stand by them and demand that the patrons of the Sena killers be exposed and Amir Das Commission be allowed to complete its inquiries and table its report.
Please sign the following petition for the same and forward it to others to put the necessary pressure on the Nitish Government.
The President of India,
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sir,
We are shocked at the Bihar government's decision to abandon the Amir Das Commission, which has been probing the political links of the Ranvir Sena. That the Commission has been disbanded at a time when the Commission was nearing completion of its report makes it highly suspect. It may be recalled that the Amir Das Commission was set up in the wake of the brutal December 1997 massacre of more than 60 men, women and children belonging to socially and economically oppressed groups of Laxmanpur-Bathe, Jehanabad by the killers of the Ranvir Sena. Late President KR Narayanan, had called this massacre a national shame and in the face of countrywide protests and international condemnation, the government of Bihar had been forced to set up this Commission to identify the political forces patronising the killers of the dalit and rural poor of Bihar. The upper-caste landlord army of the Ranveer Sena killed 282 labouring poor between 1995 and 2000 in Jehanabad, Patna, Gaya, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Aurangabad and Nawada.
In the past, the Commission had repeatedly complained of non-cooperation by the government and the accused political leaders, many of them from the BJP. The current Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar has even gone on record describing the very formation of the Commission as flawed. The present government's decision not to grant further extension to the Commission, supposedly to stop further waste of time and public money has dealt a heavy blow to those seeking justice. By abandoning the Commission just before completion and submission of its report, the Bihar government has exposed its desperation to shield the accused many of whom are important leaders of the present ruling combine including ministers and MLAs. The government is thus also conveying to the oppressed poor in the State that far from ensuring justice, it is working towards shielding the political and social forces who have presided over the massacre. The undemocratic approach and the intent of the State govt. can be gauged from the fact that the announcement to disband the Commission came just after the Assembly Session was concluded!
The security of the poor is threatened by this act. We hence request your immediate intervention in this matter and urge you to ensure that the decision to abandon the Amir Das Commission is reversed and the Commission granted the necessary time and facilities to finish its job of identifying the patrons of the massacres.
Yours truly,
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The Reinstate Amir Das Commission petition to The President of India was written by radhika menon and is in the category Justice at GoPetition.