Jharkhand govt arrests another Dalit activist Naresh Bhuiyan

The Modi and the BJP-led Raghubar Das government’s atrocities against human rights activists continue unchecked in Jharkhand. Dalit activist Naresh Bhuiyan was arrested from his home in Bhandar village, Garwha district, on May 14, 2019.

The police told Naresh’s family members that he was being taken to the local police station for certain enquiries and would be released immediately. But when he did not return the next day, the family members went to the station to inquire. They were not allowed to meet Naresh. He was illegally kept in the station and was not produced in the Court for several days.

Even a copy of FIR has not been made available so far, but information collected from sources indicate that Naresh Ram has been implicated on charges of links with Maoists. “The charges are gross manipulation and far from truth. There are also reports of physical torture by the police,” says a statement released by Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha.

Naresh Bhuiyan is an active member of ‘Bhartiya Bhuiyan Vikas Parishad’ and has been working for the rights of Dalits and Adivasis for several decades. He has been associated with several peoples’ movements like Adim Janjati Parishad and Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Manch. Naresh Ram has actively participated in agitations against irregularities in grain distribution to particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), Birsa Housing scam, cases related to human trafficking, issues related to direct appointment of eighth and tenth pass PVTG candidates to mention a few.

It must be mentioned that Naresh is involved in protests against the Mandal Dam that is to be constructed on the North Koel river. Despite protests by people of villages that will be submerged, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Dam on January 5, 2019. This project will submerge 46 villages that will lead to displacement and loss of livelihood to thousands of Dalit and PVTG families. Lakhs of trees will be felled, and the project will have huge adverse impact on the environment affecting the locals for all times to come. Having realised the harm caused by the proposed dam, the residents of the affected 46 villages have started agitating.

The illegal arrest of Naresh Bhuiyan on false charges is an attempt to weaken the protests against the construction of Mandal Dam. It is also one more example of the anti-people attitude of Jharkhand’s BJP government. More than 6,000 Dalits and Adivasis of the state are languishing as under-trials in jails since years. Many have been booked falsely on charges of Naxalism. The police has been unable to produce any evidence against most of them. It also must be mentioned that in the last five years, the state government has even booked many human rights activists on false charges of sedition, emphasises Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha.