Bathani Tola is that mirror which even today shows us the ugly face of all political parties. All those parties which preach 'non violence' and 'social justice' had kept quiet about the massacre on account of their anti-poor politics. Those parties in power who wanted to entrap the supposedly 'violent' CPI(ML) in a war of retribution, failed completely. In fact the CPI(ML) led a nationwide agitation against this brutal massacre and compelled communal-casteist forces to retreat.
At that moment, there was a surfeit of those in the cultural-literary-intellectual field who envisioned the unity of Dalit-marginalised- Muslim communities in order to combat the forces of Hindu revivalism, and yet, intellectuals remain oblivious to the unity that can be forged on the ground. Naeemuddin, who lost 6 of his family members in the massacre tells of how he had sought refuge along with his entire family in Bathani Tola when he felt threatened living in neighbouring village of Badki Khadanv. The landlords there had born a grudge against this family and others right since 1978, when a young man called Mohd. Yunus had been chosen Mukhia on the plank of a larger unity of Dalit, Muslim, deprived, poor and backward communities. This was a unity that had proved to be grit in the eyes of feudal forces. When they tried to grab land that belonged to the Imambada, which stood on 1 decimal of land owned by the Bihar Government, they were beaten back. Naeemuddin also tells of how they had fought a battle in court in order to take back the land from the graveyard (Karbala) that had been grabbed by the landlords, a battle that only served to anger the landlords. When the Karbala Mukti Janjagaran Manch was launched in January 1996 with the leadership of the CPI(ML) in order to take back the graveyard land that was grabbed in Kanpahari and Nawadih villages, peaceful villagers returning from a march were attacked by goons of the Ranvir Sena. However, two of those goons, who underestimated the resistance of these villagers, were killed in the ensuing clash. After that Ranvir Sena goons killed Mohd. Sultan and did not allow his burial in Badki Khadanv. Mindful of the private army’s penchant for massacres, people buried him in the neighbouring Chhatarpura village. After that, the Ranvir Sena attacked and looted Muslim and Dalit homes and families in Badki Khadanv, as a result of which 18 Muslim and 50 other families were displaced. Naeemuddin recalls that he came to Bathani Tola after that. The Ranvir Sena attacked Bathani Tola repeatedly. The police, the local administration, and the government looked the other way, but the people beat them back six times through concerted resistance. In spite of the presence of no less than 3 police camps in the vicinity, the feudal landlords' 'army' attacked the village repeatedly, and finally succeeded a seventh time in carrying out cold blooded murder.
That was a day worse than the most terrifying of nightmares. Three month old Asma Khatun was tossed in the air and her neck was slashed by the murderers. A pregnant woman was murdered along with her unborn child when her belly was slit open. Naeemuddin’s sister who held on to his daughter was shot with a bullet that also killed the child. Lukhia Devi, the seventy year old washerwoman who was on a round to deliver clothes was not spared. They slaughtered Shrikishun Chaudhary’s wife and two little daughters – while he later remarried, it is a spectre that he cannot forget and wants that those responsible for the carnage be hanged. Recently, the Sessions Court has sentenced 23 out of the 53 defendants, when the demand has been that all of them be sentenced. The demand is particularly that Brahmeshwar Singh be punished in an exemplary way. But the JD(U) – BJP government that succeeded the RJD iyn Bihar is also shielding those who want to protect the Ranvir Sena. In fact, Brahmenshwar Singh is a member of the BJP. Even at this level Nitish is in cohorts with communal and casteist forces. Nitish wants to represent himself as an emancipator of women; Radhika Devi who survived despite her many gunshot wounds to testify in court, undaunted by threats, has a question for him: "Did he feel any shame at all when shielded those who wanted to protect the murderers of Bathani?"
