A bust of Dr Viniyan in Jehanabad. Picture by Veerbhadra

Patna, Aug. 18: While the Maoist problem continues to plague the state, supporters and admirers of Dr Viniyan, today spoke about the non-violent methods adopted by the social activist for the uplift of downtrodden people.

In the 1980s, Dr Viniyan was the most-wanted Maoist in the state. There was an award of Rs 1 lakh on him. He was also the prime accused of a massacre in Arwal and the founder of Majdoor Kisan Sangram Sangh. But today — his fifth death anniversary, he was remembered as a man who was disillusioned by the violent means of the rebels and moved away from Naxalism.

“Dr Viniyan’s life is the story of a man who moved away from Naxalism to non-violence. He rejected Naxalism because he found that it was the downtrodden who suffered the most after the violence. He felt that because the leaders always remained underground, the Maoist movement never got proper leadership,” said Umesh Kumar Singh, a retired inspector-general of police, who had known the enigmatic Naxalite leader in the 1980s. Singh, who addressed a gathering at Nawada Ashram in Jehanabad district, added that the doctor’s philosophy was still relevant for people who belonged to the backward sections of society.

“As a personality, I liked the vast range of relationships he had. He was at ease with the common man as he was with intellectuals and even persons who did not conform to his ideology. It was a very broad spectrum,” said labour commissioner of the state Vyasji.

He added that Dr Viniyan also experimented with his ideology and work.

“He indulged in extremist ideology but he was also associated with the JP Movement. He came from Agra to live and work in Bihar. He set up an organisation to fight against decaying feudalism. He also experimented with Gandhian philosophy. He strongly believed that society could be changed without violence,” said Vyasji.

Viniyan came to Jehanabad — the epicentre of Naxalite violence — after he spent his tenure in jail.

“Even when he was underground he was fearless. He never cared to disguise himself because of fear of being ambushed by police. He preferred to live in the hotbed of Naxalism and he dismissed suggestions that he should live in urban areas, as he could be targeted by the Maoists,” recalled a supporter.

His supporters have published a book, Viniyan: Jivan, Vichar aur Sangharsh, which contains memoirs of intellectuals, politicians, civil servants, social workers and others on their association with Dr Viniyan.

“During his last years, he tried to experiment with training programmes for generating employment. It was a solitary effort and he often ignored his health. When he was rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital from Jehanabad, his death was mostly unsung for a man who had once generated so much curiosity among the masses and intellectuals of Bihar,” said one of his followers.