Ranvir Sena
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Ranvir Sena is a group mainly based in Bihar, India. This group is thought to be formed by Bhumihar landlords.[citation needed] It carries out actions against the Naxalites. It has, on several occasions, been accused of human rights abuses.[1] The formation of the group was vital given the Naxalite movement. Naxalites are regarded as a terrorist group and classified accordingly by the Government of India.[2] The Ranvir Sena has committed violent acts against Naxalite sympathisers and other members of the left wing militant communist party. The Bihar State government banned the Ranvir Sena in July 1995 and since then the Ranvir Sena remains proscribed. Government can't control Ranvir Sena as long as there is a threat of Naxalites.
History
The name Ranvir comes from Ranvir Baba, a supposed mythical figure, and Sena is a Hindi word (origin: Sanskrit sena, meaning 'army'). As the legend goes, during the late 19th century, Ranvir Baba, a retired military man and a resident of Belaur village in Bhojpur district, protected the rights of the Bhumihars against the Rajputs. It is believed that Bhumihars asserted their power in Bhojpur because of his efforts. This gave the Ranvir Sena its name when it was founded decades later under the leadership of Brahmeshwar Singh 'Mukhiya'.
It is claimed by the Ranvir Sena, that it came into existence primarily to counter the influence of various left-wing terrorist Naxalite groups and the Communist Party of India, Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) Liberation in central Bihar. However the Indian government considers the group a right-wing extremist group, who serve the needs of landowners (It is legal to own land in India). It was founded in September 1994 in Belaur village of Udwantnagar block, Bhojpur district following the merger of private caste armies like Savarna Liberation Army and the Sunlight Sena. The forerunners to the Ranvir Sena in Bhojpur district were the Brahmarshi Sena and Kuer Sena, Kisan Morcha and Ganga Sena. These groups were smaller in size and operated with a limited area. They could not sustain for long and had withered away due to repeated Naxalite onslaughts.[citation needed]
Dharichan Chaudhary of Belaur had founded the Ranvir Sena. Its founding and continuing commander is Brahmeshwar Singh of Khopira village.
Area of Operation
From Bhojpur district where it was formed, over a period of time, the Ranvir Sena spread to Jahanabad, Patna, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Bhabhua and Buxar districts. It mobilises the landed gentry in these districts against the People's War Group (PWG), the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the CPI-ML (Liberation).
Organisation
The Ranvir Sena is highly organized, has extensive influence among landowners in its areas of operation, and is supposedly well-endowed with financial resources.[citation needed]
Ranvir Sena cadres are militarily better-organised and are better-paid than any of the private armies of the past. The cadres operate mostly underground while their leaders are believed to be living in towns.
Brahmeshwar Singh 'Mukhiya', the founder chief of the Ranvir Sena, on whose head the authorities had placed a reward of half a million Indian rupees, was the Supreme Commander of the Ranvir Sena until he was arrested in Patna on August 29, 2002 to face a large number of criminal cases, which included those related to massacres.[3] Initial reports said that Shamsher Bahadur Singh was, on September 7, 2002, appointed new chief of the Ranvir Sena. However, according to a report of December 25, 2002, the chief of the Ranvir Sena was Bhuar Thakur until he was arrested with his two associates on December 24, 2002 near Karnol bridge on the Patna-Sasaram road in Charpokhri, Bhojpur.[4]
The outfit has an estimated strength of 400 underground cadres.[citation needed] Landowners in central Bihar finance the Ranvir Sena through "generous" subscriptions. Official sources, in the year 2000, said that each member of the Ranvir Sena was paid between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15000 per month for work that essentially involves defending landowners and carrying preemptive attacks against Naxalite terrorists.[citation needed] In addition, the life of each cadre participating in an attack is insured for a hundred thousand Indian rupees.[citation needed]
The Ranvir Sena has also founded a front named Ranvir Kisan Maha Sangh, which looks after the socio-economic and political activities of the land owners.[citation needed] The Ranvir Mahila Sangh, a women's wing has also been created to organize and empower Bhumihar women. Its members too have been trained in arms use.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Human Rights Watch World Report 2001: India: Human Rights Developments". Human Rights Watch. 2001. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ http://pakobserver.net/200906/27/Articles02.asp
- ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1297443.cms
- ^ Template:Cite article