Bihar sees spurt in violence in past 3 months

Bihar has witnessed a sudden spurt in communal incidents in the past three months. Prior to that, the state was virtually regarded as free from communal tension during the NDA regime starting 2005.

The latest incident was reported in August from Nawada, 120 km from Patna, where two persons — one each from the Hindu and Muslim community — lost their lives, while 22 others sustained injuries. Several shops and houses were set on fire and the district came to a standstill.

In the last three months, it was the seventh incident of communal violence in Nawada alone.

In the same month, people of Khora village in Motihari district clashed during a procession of ‘akhara’. When a rival group protested to the route, the procession turned into an army, and devotees carrying traditional weapons helped further.

On July 19 last, Khagaria district’s Hajipur locality witnessed communal flare-up after a clash and firing between two groups over a dispute on burial land. Over 35 persons sustained injuries in the incident. In July, Jamui also witnessed communal tension over an incident of molestation. Several houses and shops were reduced to ashes, while several persons sustained injuries.

Munger, Gaya and Patna also reported such clashes. Reasons — molestation attempt or a group protesting against a religious function — remained eerily similar across districts and even states.