The issues raised by Bihar Navnirman Abhiyaan are issues of the poorest of the poor in Bihar, the Mahadalits, Dalits, adivasis, women and children and those affected by the 2008 Kosi Floods. The Bihar government has been reluctant to address these issues so far. 

Bihar Navnirman Abhiyan is the common platform formed by nine organizations, namely Kosi Nav-Nirman Manch, Jan Mukti Sangharsh Vahini,  Parchadhari Sangharsh Vahini, Lok Sangharsh Samiti,  Dalit Shakti Sangathan, Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Parivartan Jan Andolan, and Lok Sangharsh Morchaand Mazdoor Kisan Samiti, that have come together to demand people’s right over land and livelihoods. They have been holding regular meetings and consultations with the various state level officials for nearly a year. However, the failure of the state to engage them in meaningful way prompted them to stage a peaceful sit-in in front of the assembly on April 9th.  

 We are shocked and enraged by the police brutality and arrest of  Satyagrahis (peaceful protestors) who were staging a sit-in in front of the Bihar Assembly in the Capital of Bihar, Patna on April 9th 2015 demanding that their long-standing demands of land and livelihood rights be met by the state government. 

This protest was a follow up to last year's protest held on 5th March 2014. The State government at that time too resorted to use of police force and  pursued charges under various IPC sections against the peaceful protesters.   

These organizations have made the following demands to the Govt. of Bihar:

1. Implement Forest Rights Act 2006 and accept claims of the Adivasiand traditional dwellers in the forest.
2. Ensure land rights of lakhs of people holding parcha/parwana (land ownership titles) on the ceiling, bhoodan, government and other lands.
3. Ensure complete rehabilitation of the displaced people of Kosifloods 2008 and fulfil the promise of building 1 lakh houses.
4. Guarantee complete rehabilitation of the displaced from erosion of embankments of rivers.
5. Give land tiles in the name of both wife and husband. Ensure women’s rights to land in land reforms, forest land rights, rehabilitation, and land distribution.

Even as the Bihar government opposes the Current Land Ordinance Bill that significantly undermines and override interests of the historically marginalized populations in India, it cannot shy away from its responsibility towards effectively addressing long standing land and livelihood related grievances of Dalits and marginalized farmers within Bihar. The use of force and impositions of sections of Indian Penal Codes 144, 188, 353 and 427 on the 5 grassroots activists, C.A Priyadarshi, Varsha, Malti Devi,  Chanwa Devi and Ashok Manav,  denotes the state government’s intention of dealing with issues of democracy through the use of police brutality and force.

We demand:

a)       Immediate release of those arrested and dismissal of all charges leveled against the peaceful protesters.  

b)      Ensure meaningful engagement with and effective redressal of the demands put forth by the Satyagrahis (peaceful protesters).

Media coverage of the peaceful sit-in, press release and pictures of the police lathi-charge can be accessed through the following links:

1.http://napm-india.org/ content/satyagrahis-arrested- demanding-land-and-livelihood- rights-patna

2.http://www.thehindu.com/ news/national/other-states/ police-detain-protesting-kosi- flood-victims/article7086884. ece

3.http://www.prokerala.com/ news/photos/patna-police-take- away-the-activists-of-bihar- 288531.html

4. http://viewpatna.blogspot.com/ 2015/04/bihar-navnirman- abhiyan-activists-stage.html

5. http://www.videovolunteers.org/landless-dalits-march-for-their-right-to-land/