Invaluable efforts to protect Hindus in Bihar during the period of Karseva

Dr Neel Madhav Das

I joined the Shriram Janmabhoomi Movement in 1989. At that time, I was working as a doctor serving under the Government. The Rath Yatra for laying the foundation stone was going on. I was living in Jharia in Dhanbad District of Bihar. I took the Rath Yatra from village to village. There was unprecedented enthusiasm among the people. People from all classes and leaders of all political parties participated in it.

Protests in Muslim-majority areas

We faced protests when we went to some Muslim-majority areas, yet I carried on with the Rath Yatra despite opposition. Later in 1992, the Karseva programme took place. I was the President of Vishva Hindu Parishad at Jharia then. In that period, the organising of Hindus had reached its peak. I formed committees from village to village and encouraged many people of Jharia to perform the Karseva.

The Babri structure was demolished in Ayodhya in December 1992. On the very next day, the fanatics started assaulting the Hindus in Jharia. A great responsibility fell upon me to protect the Hindus.

Police sided with the fanatics

The Police and administration were on the side of the fanatics because the Chief Minister of Bihar was Lalu Prasad Yadav. Just at that time, a curfew was imposed in our area. This made it difficult for us to work. Fanatics were given a completely free hand by the Police. But we Hindus had to work clandestinely. A temple was demolished by the Jihadis. Fanatics sometimes used to attack the houses of Hindu leaders with gun fire.

Arrest warant in my name

An arrest warrant was issued in my name. I was not living in my house at that time.

For many days I operated clandestinely and kept the Hindus organised and safe. The fanatics in our area could not launch any major attack on the Hindus.

My house was repeatedly raided by the Police, but I did not fall into their hands. Finally, the Police caught me.

Police demanded a bribe

The Police demanded a bribe from me to release me from their custody, but I did not pay any bribe. If I had got away with a bribe, I would have been a disgrace to my activists.

Police were harassing me day in and day out for the bribe. When they finally lost hope of getting a bribe from me, they sent me to prison. They had charged me under 3 serious Sections of IPC. I had to stay in prison for 7 days, but my lawyer was able to convince the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) that I had been implicated under the wrong charges.

After 7 days I got bail and walked out of prison.

Prison inmates treated me well

When I was in prison, I got a lot of affection from the inmates. They served me really well, gave me good food. They wondered how I could, being a doctor, that too serving under the Government, do so much for Hindus !

Formation of ‘Tarun Hindu’ organisation

After I came out of prison, my work became more extensive. In 1998, I formed a new organisation called ‘Tarun Hindu’ with the sole objective of working for establishing a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.

– Dr Neel Madhav Das (Founder of ‘Tarun Hindu’, Jharkhand)