By – Prakarsh Kastwar
On the night of January 25, 1999, a small village in Bihar—Shankarpur Bigha in Jehanabad district—witnessed one of the most horrifying chapters in India’s caste violence history. In just 10 minutes, 23 villagers, including women and children, were gunned down at point-blank range by the Ranvir Sena, a private militia formed by upper-caste landlords. The village, mainly inhabited by Dalits and members of backward castes, became the target of a meticulously planned massacre that left behind blood-soaked homes, charred memories, and a community permanently scarred.
Prelude to the Carnage
The Ranvir Sena, dominated by members of the upper-caste Bhumihar community, had been involved in a series of brutal retaliatory killings throughout the 1990s. These were primarily aimed at suppressing the growing voice of Dalit agricultural workers and left-wing groups like the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Just months before Shankarpur Bigha, the Sena had orchestrated two other major massacres—Bathani Tola (1996) in Bhojpur and Laxmanpur Bathe (1997) in Jehanabad—leaving dozens of innocents dead.
By January 1999, tensions in the region were simmering again. Just two weeks prior to the Shankarpur Bigha attack, Ranvir Sena leader Brahmeshwar Mukhiya gave a chilling interview to a local newspaper, hinting at an upcoming assault and stating that “targets have been selected; we’re only waiting for the right moment.
The Night of Terror
On that cold January night, around 50-60 armed men, dressed in combat gear, entered Shankarpur Bigha. According to eyewitnesses and later reports, the attackers began firing indiscriminately on sleeping families. Women and children were shot at point-blank range, with bullets aimed directly at their heads and chests. The brutality was such that some villagers survived only by pretending to be dead, lying still among the corpses of their own kin.
As the gunfire echoed across the countryside, nearby villagers from Dhewai and Karamchand Bigha began firing shots in the air to scare off the attackers. Their warning signals worked—within moments, the attackers began retreating while shouting slogans like “Ranvir Sena Zindabad” and “Ranvir Baba Ki Jai.
Caste, Politics, and a Chilling Message
The motive behind the massacre was not robbery or personal vendetta. It was a targeted political and caste-based act of terror. The attackers aimed to instill fear among the Dalit communities and to disrupt the growing influence of left-wing groups fighting for labor rights and land redistribution. Significantly, not a single Yadav (a backward caste known to align with Bhumihars politically in some regions) was killed. Locals claimed it was a strategic decision, as many Yadavs supported the Ranvir Sena or remained neutral.
There were allegations that Bhumihar residents of nearby Dhobi Bigha were warned: either support the Sena or risk Naxalite retaliation. This fear-mongering and polarization helped the Sena rally support and remain unchallenged in many regions.
Allegations of Police Inaction and Bias
The role of the local administration came under serious scrutiny after the massacre. Locals alleged delayed police response, and in some cases, active protection of the perpetrators. It was reported that a few days after the massacre, a special commando force spotted six alleged attackers relaxing in Dhobi Bigha. The commandos wanted to neutralize them on the spot, but ASP Mahaveer Prasad, allegedly sympathetic to the Bhumihars, intervened and stopped them. Weeks later, a few arrests were made, but key figures, including Binod Sharma, believed to be the leader of the attack and a former Naxalite-turned-Sena member, remained untouched.
Compensation and Controversy
The Bihar government announced ₹1.2 lakh as compensation for the families of the deceased, along with ₹20,000 under the Indira Awaas Yojana. But this relief was controversially limited to Dalit families only, excluding children below 18 and those from backward castes, sparking anger and resentment among survivors.
Despite repeated warnings from CPI-ML leaders and other organizations about potential threats from the Ranvir Sena, no preventive action was taken by the administration. Lists of vulnerable villages and suspected targets were allegedly ignored.
Legacy of Fear and Injustice
Even after 26 years, justice remains elusive for many victims of the Shankarpur Bigha massacre. The larger issue of caste violence, private militias, and administrative complicity continues to plague rural Bihar.
The massacre wasn’t just an act of mass murder—it was a chilling message to anyone who dared challenge the centuries-old hierarchy of caste, land, and power.
Related Articles in the ‘Bihar’s Bloodshed’ Series:
- Bathani Tola: When Asking for ₹32 Wages Led to a Massacre
- Laxmanpur Bathe: 58 Killed While Sleeping – No One Spared
- Belchhi Massacre: When Dalit Blood Paved Indira Gandhi’s Comeback
- The Night of Knives: Beheadings, Mutilations, and a Symphony of Gunfire