Butcher of Bihar: Brahmeshwar Singh alias 'Mukhiya'

Brahmeshwar Singh alias ‘Mukhiya’, who headed one of the most brutal caste-based militia in Bihar that killed over 200 people, may not have killed anyone himself but heading the Ranvir Sena he was accused of perpetrating some of the worst caste-based violence seen in the country. The Ranvir Sena, loosely translated as the army of the brave, is suspected to have been formed around 1994 by landlords of the Bhumihar caste to battle growing Naxalite activism in the region and perhaps owes its creation to a fight between landlords and Communist party activists in which one person was killed. Singh, a graduate from the Jain College in Arra who was named village ‘mukhiya’ (headman) at age 17 , and another landlord Dharicharan Chowdhury are credited with forming the militia and ensuring that their supporters were well equipped with weapons, provided allowances and other benefits. [caption id=“attachment_328873” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“A file image of Brahmeshwar Singh. PTI”]  [/caption] Competing with other militia like Sunlight Sena, Savarna Liberation Army, Brahmarishi Sena, Kuer Sena and Ganga Sena around the same time and which drew their cadre based on caste, the Ranvir Sena stood out with brutal massacres that catapulted them into the national consciousness. Horrific massacres like that of Baithani Tola in 1996 in which 21 were killed, mostly women and children; the 1997 Lakshmanpur-Bathe village massacre in which 58 were killed and the 1999 Shankarbigha village massacre in which 23 villagers were killed, ensured that the Ranvir Sena were feared and reviled. Promising to claim 15 lives of opponents for every murder of their own group, the Ranvir Sena were equipped with automatic guns and were dreaded for their night attacks in which they stormed villages and murdered perceived enemies. Despite being banned in 1995, the militia continued to go on rampages for years later and are accused of taking close to 277 lives. As the Ranvir Sena’s clout grew, so did Singh’s status within his Khopira village in Bhojpur district and areas well beyond. The biggest landowner in his village owning 100 bighas of land, Singh was held in high esteem despite being on the run from the police who claimed to be seeking to arrest him in one of the 22 cases registered against him. Not all believe he was on the run as claimed thanks to his political links which were extensive. Proof of this was the fact that he continued to address meetings and was arrested only in 2002 while holding one such public meeting of a Ranvir Sena wing in a building located in a crowded area of Patna. Many believed his arrest took place as a result of the political cracks that emerged between the Ranvir Sena and the political parties that supported it. After his arrest, a defiant Singh told reporters,“I don’t have any remorse over the massacres carried out by the Ranvir Sena in its fight against Naxalite groups such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, or the CPI(ML) Liberation, the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the People’s War (P.W.) and their supporters, particularly among the landless poor and the backward Dalit community.” Even in jail he believed that nothing would be able to weaken the clout his militia wielded and in a misplaced sense of power even created a political organisation and contested elections from behind bars in 2004. Not surprisingly he lost. Singh also managed to escape arrest in many cases since they were committed while he was in jail, a move decried by many activists. After nine years in jail, Singh managed to get bail in 17 of the 22 cases against him and was released wit the trials pending. Claiming to have turned a new leaf on his release, Singh said he was not involved in any of the massacres and that the police and government had framed him as the perpetrator of the carnages. He also claimed he was never part of the Ranvir Sena and had only worked to reform the dowry system. However, while on a walk this morning Singh was accosted by gunmen who shot him multiple times,  killing him instantly.