Anger against the government was writ large on the faces of residents, who felt betrayed by the acquittal of the accused. They feel the prosecution did not plead the case properly. “For people like us, the government is the same. Be it Nitish Kumar or Lalu Yadav, nothing has changed in the past 18 years. Everything is a farce. Leaders visit the village during elections, make promises and forget all about it later,” Chaudhary told The Telegraph.
Marwari Ram, who lost his wife, daughter-in-law and grandson, has not replaced the door of his house even 18 years after the dance of death. “Why are you asking these questions? It’s my personal affair. Why should I give explanations to you? You too are part of the same system,” he thundered.
By then, a large number of people had gathered near the memorial. A section of residents had a grudge against the media. It was time to depart from the village.
The scene at Ekbari village, mostly inhabited by Bhumihars, was a study in contrast. Residents there were busy discussing the pros and cons of the elections. Asked about the poll scenario, Ram Ugrah Singh, chairman of Sahar Vyapar Mandal, said the constituency would witness a multi-cornered contest but hastened to add that a clearer picture would emerge in the coming days.
Bhola Singh, grandson of Nathuni Singh, whose seven family members were killed by Maoists about three-and-a-half decades ago, was aggressive. “It’s true that no major incidence of violence has taken place in the area in the past decade. Lekin chhit-put ghatna to hoti rahti hai (But sporadic incidents do take place),” he said, adding that the warring groups had changed strategy.
Bhola’s statement proves hatred is still alive between the two villages, which witnessed two separate massacres. It all began after an upper caste member, Jwala Singh of Tenwar Bihta village under Sahar block, was killed. “It was after Jwala’s murder that the upper caste men united and the Ranvir Sena came into existence,” said Uday Shanker Choudhary, a resident of Belaur on the Ara-Sahar road. Choudhary, who teaches zoology at SD Jain College in Ara, said CPI-ML(Liberation) workers were scared of taking out processions in Ara town till the time Brahmeshwar Singh Mukhiya was alive. “Only four days after Mukhiya’s murder in June 2012, red flags resurfaced,” Choudhary said.
After a series of killings on both sides, people of the area realised such mindless bloodletting should stop, he said. “I have no hesitation in admitting that the phase of violence has come to an end. It’s good for both sides,” he averred.
But a CPI-ML(Liberation) supporter, Kundan Kumar, claimed their leader Budhram Paswan’s murder would polarise backward community voters in favour of the party, which has fielded a candidate with a clean image. “Raju Yadav is popular among people cutting across party lines and would definitely make a dent in the backward vote,” he said.
The Ara Lok Sabha seat has Ara, Jagdishpur, Sandesh, Agiaon (SC), Tarari and Shahpur Assembly segments. Shahpur is represented by MLA Munni Devi of the BJP, Jagdishpur by Dinesh Kumar Singh (RJD), Tarari by Narendra Kumar Pandey alias Sunil Pandey (JD-U), Agiaon by Shivesh Kumar (BJP), Ara town by Amrendra Pratap Singh (BJP) and Sandesh by Sanjay Singh ‘Tiger’ (BJP).
Keeping caste equations in mind, political parties have mostly fielded Rajput candidates — a sizeable number in Jagdishpur and Udawantnagar. “After Aurangabad, Ara Lok Sabha seat is considered a safe seat for any Rajput leader,” said Mahendra Tiwary, a resident of Sahpur.
l Ara votes on April 17
