The massacre of 4 members of a dalit family in Khairlanji village in Bhandara district of Maharashtra and the police repression on the people's anger which erupted at many centres across Maharashtra has once again highlighted the casteist character of the state machinery. This macabre incident has also exposed the character of Congress-NCP combine ruling in the state on the question of caste oppression and atrocities.

Khairlanji village is situated about hundred kilometres from Nagpur. There are only 3 dalit families in the villages. Of them, the family of Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange had settled here about a decade back buying 6 acres of land. But the feudal elements of the village did not tolerate a dalit family having land. They took away 4 acres of land of Bhotmange family on the pretext of right of way through the land. Still not satisfied they started to press for even the other two acres remaining land in his possession. This time Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange refused to comply. To make his family do so they were beaten and terrorized.

Bhaiyyalal had a friend from a neighbouring village Dhausala, Sidharth Gijbhiye, a police patil of the village. He was attacked on September 3 for his support of Bhotmange family. He was beaten badly but could escape with serious injuries. He lodged a complaint with the police. Bhotmange family members- wife Surekha (44 years) and daughter Priyanka (18 years) identified the culprites of the attack. As a result 12 persons were arrested for attacking Sidharth. However they secured the bail the same day. A large number of them looked for Sidharth but did not find him. Then they turned on the Bhotmange family.

A gory incident followed detailing the horrendous crimes that the dalits are subjected to in the country and the role of the Govt. and the police-administration machinery in crimes against them. Led by village sarpanch and deputy sarpanch, the attackers dragged the family members- Surekha, Priyanka and two sons- Roshan (23 years) and Sudhir (21 years). The two sons were killed and their bodies mutilated. The attackers gangraped Priyanka and Surekha, mutilated their private parts and killed them brutally. The bodies of the dead were then piled up in a bullock cart and dumped in a nearby canal.

What followed is a severe indictment of Police-Administrative machinery. Bhaiyyalal who was not at home but saw the attackers while returning home, complained to the police about the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the Sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch. Police refused to register the complaint. The doctors, in connivance with police, did not give the finding of rape. Despite the murders and rape, the police and administrative machinery went on suppressing this heinous crime though some TV channels and print media were giving coverage making it clear to the people that Priyanka was gangraped before murder. Some sections of the media with the backing of the state tried to give a different twist to the incident. The role of Congress-NCP Govt. has been one of suppressing the incident and later the protests against the incident. The role of local BJP MLA is also documented in this macabre plot. Bhaiyyalal was so much disgusted with the role of the police and the Govt. that he refused the monetary help and job offered to him by the Chief Minister. Police just refused to act against murderers and rapists despite an extended period to move into action. People at large and dalits in particular saw for themselves the role of the Govt., police and administration.

The conspiracy of the Govt., ruling class parties and the police had succeeded if the dalit organizations and progressive organizations had not come out in mass struggle against this blatant cover up of atrocities. There was complete bandh in Nagpur on November 5, 2006. There were massive protest demonstrations in Sholapur, Nanded and other centres. Protest reached capital Mumbai which witnessed demonstrations against this dastardly attack. Every city in Maharashtra witnessed protests. The cover-up became difficult. Policemen were belatedly suspended and a Govt. agency confirmed the connivance of the police and doctors. But  the way the police and the Govt. first did nothing to prevent this heinous crime and then tried to cover it up, exposed the anti-dalit casteist character of the state machinery.

While the Govt. and police remained mute spectators to the massacre of the dalit family they unleashed severe repression on the protests against this atrocity. In Kamptee township of Nagpur, houses of activists were raided and those suspected of organizing protests were arrested. There was severe repression in Amarawati leading to the death of an activist. Curfew was imposed in Sholapur and Nanded. Severe police repression had further laid bare the true character of the ruling dispensation and the state machinery.

In this atmosphere of rising anger against the atrocities on dalits, damaging the statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar intensified the anger of the agitiating people. Vast masses particiapted in the protest. Brutal police repression was unleashed to crush the protests killing four activists. State machinery busy in covering up atrocities on dalits, went into overdrive to crush the protests of dalit and progressive organizations. Congress-NCP Govt. was not prepared to tolerate the resistance of oppressed sections. Even the 'judicial activism'  of the higher judiciary was nowhere to be seen.

Khairlanji massacre has raised among others the question of anti-dalit character of Govt., police and administration. The state machinery and the ruling class parties running it are opposed to the interests of the oppressed sections. Repression on tribals, atrocities on minorities and repression on struggles of workers and peasants are routine. Anti-dalit character of state machinery is part of its anti-people character.

Khairlanji massacre has also highlighted the role of land problem in caste oppression. This massacre came as a result of the attempts to grab the land of Bhotmange family. According to the annual report for 2004-'05 submitted by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to the President, Uttar Pradesh recorded the maximum number of crimes against Scheduled Castes. According to the report the majority of the crimes against Dalits related to land disputes. In Maharashtra in Koholgaon the land allotted for Boudh Vihar was sought to be taken away and those resisting beaten up. Land continues to be under the control of a small minority and vast masses and dalits and backward castes are without land. This report once again highlights the necessity of carrying out agrarian revolution to smash the base of caste oppression in Indian society.

Khairlanji incident is not an aberration. It is the reality of caste divided India in which atrocities against dalits are routine. Recently four dalits were beaten to death in Arah district in Bihar. Such atrocities are regularly reported and many more go unreported.

Khairlanji incident once again highlighted the role of caste division in serving the landlords in perpetuating the semifeudal agrarian relations in the villages. The influence of casteism makes even the poor sections of upper castes and even backward castes as instruments in the hands of landlords and ruling elite in suppression of the dalits and dividing the struggles of rural poor. Khairlanji village has a large population of OBCs and they are in dominant position. This incident shows how the rural elite is able to utilize the caste divisions to serve their interests and to divide the poor people. Khairlanji has once again underlined the urgent need to build a powerful movement against caste oppression in the society.

It is important to note that large sections of people, progressive and revolutionary organizations came out in struggle against Khairlanji incident and the role of Govt., police and administration. It has shaken not only dalits but also common people of other social groups and they too joined the protests. It demonstrates that a wide mass movement against caste oppression can and should be built not only for bringing the perpetrators of Khairlanji to book but also against oppression of and atrocities against Dalits.

Crimes like Khairlanji underscore the importance of building struggle against caste oppression and linking it to the struggle against the anti-people rule of big bourgeois, big landlord ruling classes. Only by intensifying new democratic revolutionary struggle and carrying it to victory can the base of caste oppression be wiped out. It is the duty of the revolutionary forces of linking these struggles as a powerful movement to overthrow the reactionary rule.