Author: Amarnath Tewary/ Patna
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: June 23, 2004
Soon after retaining his unquestionable
political fiefdom in Siwan for the fourth consecutive time, controversial
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Shahabuddin had put it in a couplet form
in Delhi - Main dosto ko kabhi bhulta nahi, aur dushmano ko kahi chhota
nahi - and, now it appears, what the terror of Siwan says he really means
it. At least, the facts and his political opponents believe it so.
"At least 14 JD-U supporters are
either being killed or beaten up or kidnapped in post-poll violence in
Siwan by the goons of the Siwan MP," alleged Leader of Opposition Upendra
Kushwaha. Leaders of the CPI-ML and the NDA, too, supported Kushawaha's
charge and demanded an immediate end of the ongoing trail of political
killings in Siwan.
In the last Lok Sabha elections,
JD-U candidate Om Prakash Yadav had posed a tough fight against Shahabuddin,
who was incarcerated in Siwan jail on a murder charge. Although, the terror
of Shahabuddin runs once again in his favour and he won the election by
a margin of over one lakh votes, but much to his dismay and dislike his
voting percentage declined. Following reports of largescale rigging, booth
capturing and voters intimidation by the JD-U candidate, re-poll was ordered
on about 500 polling stations by the Election Commission. Nevertheless,
the "terror raj" of the RJD candidate runs supreme and he won from behind
the bar.
Shahbuddin's supporters reportedly
had attacked Om Prakash Yadav's house and fired several rounds to celebrate
the RJD candidate's victory. Thus, green (RJD's party colour) once again
became the colour of terror in Siwan.
Harendra Kushawaha, the mukhia of
Bhanta Pokhar panchayat, was shot dead on the SDO court premises in Siwan
on June 19 at around 10 pm in full public view. Earlier, Kushwaha had survived
a murderous attack on him on April 26. "Kushawaha's only fault was that
in his panchayat Om Prakash Yadav had bagged more votes than the RJD candidate,"
said JD-U leader Upendra Kushawaha, adding that the family members of the
slain mukhia were so terrified that they even did not dare to lodge an
FIR against the murder. Later, on the basis of a report by a local chowkidar,
the police registered a case in this regard, he said.
Similarly on May 28, Manan Singh,
a former mukhia, and his sons were attacked at Nirkhapur village under
Sirsan police station. Manan Singh later succumbed to his injuries. Moreover
when his relatives went to claim his body in the Siwan hospital, they were
allegedly manhandled by some anti-social elements. The next day, another
JD-U supporter Yogendra Sah was gunned down. On May 30, Nurayan, another
JD(U) supporter, was also killed. Both Sah and Nurayan had reportedly worked
for the JD-U candidate in the last Lok Sabha elections.
The bloody trail of murder and violence
did not stop here, as a coal trader, Dharamnath Yadav, was killed on June
17 in Siwan town itself. On June 11, a supporter of JD-U candidate Tarkeshwar
Tiwari was gunned down for his "audacity" to vote against the RJD candidate.
Significantly even on the election day in Siwan on April 26, a PCO booth-owner,
Shakaldev Yadav, was shot and injured by the goons reportedly owing allegiance
to Shahabuddin.
Another STD booth-owner Ram Balak
Yadav was beaten up and looted at Baduniya crossing because he had put
a JD-U banner atop his house.
During the polls, it was very difficult
to get a banner, banter or poster of other parties in Siwan. "Those who
muster courage to put it on their houses or shops or allow their space
to open offices for other political parties, often invite quick bloody
retaliation," said BJP leader Shushil Kumar Modi.
With the days passing by, the post-poll
violence on the JD-U workers kept increasing, and on May 28, a known JD-U
supporter Badri Yadav and a polling agent Shambhu Prasad were badly beaten
up by the goons of the Siwan MP. After the polls, even Om Prakash Yadav
had to fled his home town and sat on a dharna in Patna, demanding adequate
security for his life. The district JD-U leaders sent an SOS to the state
administration and the party's top leadership to save their life from the
Siwan MP.
Raising the issue in the Assembly,
the Opposition disrupted the House proceeding thrice on Monday. The JD-U,
the NDA and the CPI-ML leaders were demanding a reply from the State Government
on the spate of political killings in Siwan allegedly by criminals patronised
by the ruling party MP. Ironically, Minister of Panchayati Raj in the Rabri
Devi Cabinet Upendra Prasad Verma claimed that there had been decline in
the incidents of crime in the state, and even accused the NDA leaders for
being responsible for the killings of several RJD members in Siwan.
The fear stalks in Siwan town over
the question of who would be the next target -for holding courage to exercise
his democratic right of franchise as per his wish and so defying the don.
