By Waquar Hasan,New Delhi / Patna, 19 Aug 2015: Once again, the decade-old demand has got new wings – this time from the sting operation of investigative portal Cobrapost.com. In the wake of its revelations about the alleged backing of top politicians including a former prime minister to the erstwhile militia of landlords – Ranvir Sena – both politicians and civil society are demanding restoration of the Amir Das Commission which was set up to probe the massacres of Dalits in mid-1990s.
Over 100 Dalits were killed by armed members of Ranvir Sena in a series of massacres between 1995 and 2000 in Bhojpur district of Bihar.
The then government of Lalu Prasad had set up the Amir Das Commission in Dec 1997 to probe those Dalit massacres and also the nexus between Ranvir Sena and politicians. However, about a decade later, the commission was disbanded in Jan 2006 by his successor chief minister Nitish Kumar even before it could submit any report.
In the Cobrapost videos released this Monday (17th Aug), six former operatives of Ranvir Sena have revealed names of some big politicians including a former prime minister (who has passed away) and a former finance minister who allegedly aided the Sena in massacres of Dalits between 1995 and 2000.
Following the disclosures, the demand for restoration of the Amir Das Commission is being made.
While expressing grave concern over the alleged involvement of a former prime minister and finance minister in Ranvir Sena, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has demanded the restoration of Justice Amir Das Commission. SDPI chairman A. Sayeed has made the demand in press statement today (Wednesday).
“Social Democratic Party of India has expressed grave concern on the investigation, in which ex-Prime Minister, ex-Finance Minister and other political leaders have been accused of politically and financially supporting Ranvir Sena, the group involved in Dalit massacres,” said Sayeed.
As Bihar is going to Assembly polls in couple of months from now, the issue is being picked up by rival politicians also.
Pappu Yadav, Member of Parliament from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad, has accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for protecting Ranvir Sena.
“The latest expose by the CobraPost clearly indicates that both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav were involved in protecting the Ranvir Sena extremists. In light of the new revelation, criminal cases should be filed against both without delay,” said Yadav who recently formed his own political outfit Jan Adhikar Party after expulsion from RJD.
Pappu Yadav also demanded the restoration of Das panel.
“Amir Das Commission was dissolved even before it could present its findings to a court. This was done to protect the criminals. The Commission must be brought back to bring the facts into light,” demanded Yadav.
The CPI-ML (Liberation) has long been demanding the restoration of the panel.
“It has become necessary to revive the disbanded Commission in the wake of its outgoing chairman Justice (Retd) Amir Das’ statement that the real perpetrators of the massacre have been allowed to go scot-free,” CPI-ML had said in April 2010.
The commission was set up in 1997 but it could begin inquiry only in 1999. According to an Outlook magazine report, a host of politicians, including former Union ministers Murli Manohar Joshi, C P Thakur, former Governor Kailashpati Mishra, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and RJD’s Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh had deposed before the commission either in person or through their advocates to reply to the queries on the accusations against them of links with the proscribed outfit.
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