Bhumi Sena

Bhumi Sena was a private army which operated in India between the late 1970s and mid 1990s. Bhumi sena drew its membership from youth of Kurmi Origin.

Bhumi Sena
Participant in Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
Active1970-1990
LeadersMahavir Mahto
HeadquartersNalanda, Bihar
Area of operationsNalanda, Jahanabad, Patna

Bhumi sena was much feared in Patna and also had influence in Nalanda, Jehanabad and Gaya region of Bihar, India.[1][2]

The growth of private armies, or Senas, began in the late 1970s as a response of the landlords to the growing strength of the Left extremist groups.The members of influential backward castes like Yadavs and Kurmis formed "Lorik Sena" and "Bhumi Sena" respectively in resemblance to upper castes viz. Bhumihars and Rajputs who formed Ranvir Sena and Kuer Sena.[3]

History

Bhumi sena was formed by Mahavir Mahto, a Kurmi landlord and his associates in the wake of "land grab campaign" in Bihar.[4]The growing consciousness among landless labourers about their rights and the mobilisation of these people by Communists as well as Shoshit Samaj Dal(SSP) of Jagdeo Prasad led to rise of Dalit leadership under Singhwa, a member of untouchable Dusadh caste.[5]

Singhwa mobilised the landless Dalits against the tyranny of 'Mahavir Mahto', his triumph over Mahto was seen by Kurmis as a threat to "Kurmi pride". This incident led Kurmis to unite and in the most notorious incident of Nalanda district, the Singhwa and his group was brutally overthrown.The men of Bhumi Sena then assassinated all of them.The incident took place at Belchhi village.Later, Indira Gandhi visited and met Dalits which helped her return to power in centre due to wide sympathy of Dalits with her.[5]

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See also

References
  1. Bayly, Susan (2001). Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age. Cambridge University Press. p. 347. ISBN 978-0-52179-842-6.
  2. "A lasting signature on Bihar's most violent years - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  3. "End of a terror trail". frontline.thehindu.com. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  4. "Lok Sabha Debates, Volume 8, Issues 2-4". Lok Sabha Secretariat. 1999. Retrieved 12 July 2020. If I start reading out the incidents of genocides then it will have no end nor do I want to waste the precious time if the ... 14 Dalits were butchered in Belchhi, Patna in 1977 these Dalits were massacred by Bhumi Sena, Nitishji is not present here. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  5. Sinha, A. (2011). Nitish Kumar and the Rise of Bihar. Viking. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-670-08459-3. Retrieved 7 April 2015.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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