Bihar: Satish Yadav killed in Bhojpur by feudal forces
August 29, 2015
Sea of People Join Final Journey, Bid Farewell
Source: ML Update
On 20 August 2015, CPI (ML) leader comrade Satish Yadav was ambushed and brutally killed by Ranveer Sena goons as he was returning at around 6 pm from Badgaon in the Agiaon assembly segment after conducting a ‘Jan davedaari Sabha’. The rising political claims of the poor, just before the Bihar elections, has clearly created frustration and disquiet amongst the feudal forces in the state. These forces, operating with impunity under the patronage of the BJP as well as some leaders from the grand ‘secular’ alliance, are hell-bent on stopping the increasing mobilization the poor, dalits, farmers, and working sections of society at any cost. They are thus once again training their guns on CPI(ML) leaders in their frustration. A few months ago, a popular CPI(ML) leader, comrade Upadhya Yadav, was mortally attacked by feudal criminal forces in Jehanabad. In this latest incident, popular Party leader from Bhojpur comrade Satish Yadav has been murdered by Rinku Singh’s gang, known to have close links with the Ranveer Sena as well as the BJP.
This killing has come at a time when strong agitations across the state have been demanding the arrest of Ranveer Sena leaders who have openly confessed their roles in the mass carnages of Laxmanpur Bathe, Bathani Tola and other gruesome massacres. The recent Cobrapost sting reveals the open secret of the role of the Ranveer Sena in these massacres, and also of their patrons in the BJP such as BJP leaders Sushil Modi, CP Thakur, and others. A few days ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a public meeting in Ara, which served to boost the morale of feudal criminals and comrade Satish Yadav’s murder only highlights the chilling arrogance and impunity with which feudal-casteist forces seek to instill terror. Eyewitnesses say that the killing was done with the connivance of the Ajeemabad police station in-charge Shyamdev Singh. When Satish Yadav made his way from the jan davedaari sabha in Badgaon, the police followed on the same road just a few minutes later. They went into the village, and almost immediately news came of comrade Satish’s murder. Clearly, people’s leaders are being regularly attacked and killed with the connivance of the BJP and the Nitish government’s police.
The news of comrade Satish’s killing left people stunned, and a wave of grief spread throughout the entire district of Bhojpur. CPI(ML) called for a Bhojpur bandh on 21 August, and demanded the immediate arrest of the killers. His final journey took place on 22 August, and it was an unprecedented event. It began at the Ara Party office where Party leaders (including PB member Swadesh Bhattacharya, State Secretary Kunal, PB member comrade Amar, CCW member and former State secretary Nand Kishore Prasad, district secretary Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sudama Prasad, Raju Yadav, Manoj Manzil and others) paid floral tributes to the beloved departed leader.
The last voyage then began. From Ara to Ajeemabad, hundreds of motorcyclists led the way, a convoy of cars followed, and people lined both sides of the road to catch a last glimpse of their beloved leader.
Comrade Satish Yadav: A Life Sketch
Comrade Satish Yadav, who was killed by feudal-casteist forces, was only 40 years old. At this young age, he had already become very popular amongst the people due to his commitment to struggles. Comrade Satish was born in the Kamariya village of Agiao block in a farmer’s family. His father, comrade Judge Yadav, was a popular leader and in 1990 he fought the elections as a Party candidate from the Badhara seat and secured about 25,000 votes. From childhood, comrade Satish came into contact with the struggles by the poor, led by the CPI(ML). That was the time when the historic Baga Math fight took place, which left a strong impression on the young Satish and resulted in his decision to dedicate himself to revolutionary struggles. He became a member of the CPI(ML) in 1995. That was the phase when the bloodthirsty Ranveer Sena was spreading terror in Bhojpur and carnage after carnage was being perpetrated. Comrade Satish took up the fight against the Ranveer Sena and fought several historic battles as part of the Party’s propaganda squad. His capabilities soon made him a popular leader within the Party as well as with the people.
After the decline of the Ranveer Sena phenomenon, he led several movements and struggles for basic issues of workers and farmers, against crime, and for developmental issues of the area. His initiatives, not only on issues concerning the poor, but also on issues concerning the middle class, became a talking point. Last year when the paddy crop in Ajeemabad was withering due to drought-like conditions, Comrade Satish led a 4-day road block agitation by farmers demanding that water be released into the canal. Under pressure from this agitation, the canal from Nonaur to Ajeemabad was replenished and water came to the fields. The administration, under pressure, also sent their work proposal for implementing the Dedhua pump canal project, a long standing demand of the farmers. Comrade Satish emerged as a popular leader among the farmers. When the paddy crop was ready, he led a historic struggle for its purchase in Agiao and forced the administration to purchase 30,000 quintals of paddy from sharecroppers and small farmers.
Ranveer Sena leader Rinku Singh, a BJP leader and also the President of the Badgaon panchayat PACS, was also pressurized by Comrade Satish to purchase paddy from farmers. Even now, he owes Rs 8 lakhs to the farmers as purchase arrears, for which comrade Satish was incessantly fighting. By killing comrade Satish, the BJP has snatched away a beloved young leader from the farmers. This clearly exposes the anti-farmer character of the BJP and its protégé the Ranveer Sena.
Comrade Satish led several struggles in the area for development, and against crime. A case was filed against him in the Pawana agitation for electricity. He was also charged in the Narayanpur agitation against murder of a father-son tradesmen duo by feudal criminals. He carried out strong agitations on the issue of electricity in Narayanpur, Akauna, Pawana, Madanpur and other villages, after which electricity first came to the Mahadalit tolas. He also mobilized sand workers who were losing their livelihoods because of sand mining using JCB machines by the dominant forces in the Ajeemabad sand ghat, resulting in the ultimate victory of the sand workers. He led struggles on the issues of registering names of the poor in the BPL lists of Agiaon panchayat, and issues of ration. He was also active in agitations regarding schools and roads. He successfully led the agitation for reinstatement of teachers in the school at Poswa.
