Dear Brothers of the Yadava Community,

THANKS to years of relentless, painstaking efforts by the CPI(ML), the Party of us all, a militant unity was developing among the people of all castes, the reflection of which could be seen in the growing tide of people’s struggle in this area against the exploitation and oppression by tyrant landlords, their goons and the Congress government. Smelling immediate danger, the enemies of the people—the Congress government, landlords and casteist leaders,—began to hatch a conspiracy of pitting the Yadava peasants against the harijans, particularly against our Party. To put this design into practice they required the services of a few Yadava individuals, and unfortunately in the adjacent areas of Ekangarsarai-Ghosi, such individuals did not prove hard to come by.

Theft and dacoity had been completely curbed in this area, thanks to our Party’s relentless campaign against these social evils. And consequently, all thieves and dacoits have a score to settle with us. By establishing their control over, the Radil chhilka the masses have deprived certain Bhumihar contractors of the gains that so far accrued to them on account of their control over this chhilka. To regain their control these contractors need the help of some Yadavas. In order that the CPI MP, Ramashray Singh, is able to retain his seat in the parliament, the Yadava peasants must be prevented from joining our Party. In order that the Congres(I) MP, ‘King’ Mahendra, is able to retain his parliamentary seat, it is necessary that the Yadavas are locked in a permanent quarrel with all other castes so that he could mobilise the votes of the latter. And to stem the tide of the anti-government agitation, the Congress government can only bank upon inter-caste conflicts. All these vested interests have mobilised certain thieves and lumpens from the Yadavas, given them money and guns and linked them with a group of Bhumihar goondas to tailor the outfit named Lorik Sena.

Has this Lorik Sena been formed for the good of the Yadavas, or does it have some evil intentions? If it were formed for the development of the Yadavas, it would have surely fought for relief to the Yadavas in times of drought and flood, for the promotion of agriculture and irrigation, it would have striven for the abolition of the dowry system and for the promotion of education, it would have protected the Yadavas from the atrocities of the landlords and the police. And if the Lorik Sena really works for the development of the Yadavas we have nothing against it. But what has been the record of its activities so far? Looting the rural poor in league with the police and certain Bhumihar goons, setting their houses on fire and killing them, molesting and.raping their women, abusing and terrorising the people of all castes and extorting ‘levy’ from them.

These activities have obviously caused a lot of damage to the people of other castes, but the greatest sufferers have been none other than the Yadavas. Already some six to eight Yadavas have lost their lives in clashes and several have suffered serious injuries, many have criminal cases against their names and their houses and properties have been seized by the government, houses after houses have been demolished by the police, a lot of people are behind the bars and a good many are absconding, several villages wear a deserted look, and lakhs of rupees have been lost in the process. Not only that, the entire Yadava community runs the risk of getting branded as dacoits and murderers, and consequently of getting isolated from all other castes. Lorik was the name of the legendary hero who had upheld the banner of dignity for Yadava raiyats through a glorious struggle against the atrocities of the then kings and landlords. And Lorik Sena is the name of those thugs and lumpens who rob and murder poor peasants at the instigation of the government and the landlords, who bring disgrace to the great name of Lorik and to the entire Yadava community. To be sure, the Lorik Sena will ultimately prove to be a Frankenstein for the Yadavas. Just as the Kurmis had to suffer the most on account of the Bhoomi Sena, the Lorik Sena, too, will bring the greatest of losses to none but the Yadavas. We urge upon you, peasants of the Yadava community, to ponder whether this foolish and fruitless battle by the Lorik Sena against the Party and poor peasants of all other castes can bring you any benefit at all ? What progress are you going to achieve through this? You can take it from us that while the thieves and lumpens stand to gain partially, the greatest beneficiary will be those who are conspiring to foment conflict among ourselves, and for you peasants it is going to be losses all the way.

It is quite natural for people of different castes and strata living in the same village or area to have certain differences and quarrels among themselves, but such differences are to be resolved through discussions and panchayats, not through battles. Otherwise we will get into the trap of the ruling classes’ politics of 'divide and rule', of disrupting the united struggle of the people against the landlords and the government by pitting one caste against another. It is through such traps that the tiny minority of rulers and exploiters manage to perpetuate their rule over the great majority of the people and we are condemned to lead a wretched life. Ninety five per cent of you Yadavas are either landless or own some five to twenty bighas of land. And you are faced with a hundred and one losses and difficulties—on account of flood and drought, costly inputs like diesel, manure etc., non-remunerative prices of agricultural produce, corruption among the government officials, lack of provision for health-care and education for your children, lack of employment, various social evils and caste conflicts. All these problems of yours are products of the anti-peasant policies of the Congress government. And to solve them, therefore, you have got to unite with all other castes, including the harijans, in a resolute struggle against the government. There is no other alternative. Presently, our Party is in the process of launching a united peasant movement on all these issues. It is true that to begin with, we had taken up the problems of the agricultural labourers (harijans), for in today’s Indian society they are the poorest and most oppressed of the whole lot. But that does not mean that ours is only a party of the agricultural labourers (harijans), our Party is dedicated to the progress of the broad masses of Indian people—workers, peasants and middle classes alike. In fact, many among the first batch of functionaries to uphold the great red banner of our Party in this area had come from Yadava families— Gyaneswar Yadav (Nagendra), Ram Babu Yadav (Kailash), Ramdas Yadav (Lalan), they all laid down their lives at the altar of the people’s liberation and progress. Today’s Yadava youth should follow the footsteps of these immortal martyrs. Even today the Yadavas figure quite prominently among the cadres of our Party.

Peasants of the Yadava community, please convey this message of ours to all those misguided elements of the Lorik Sena who are still thinking of wiping out our party. Please tell them that no such force has ever been born, nor will ever be, for we are dedicated to the service of the people. On the contrary there is no such power in the earth, nor will ever be, that can save the Lorik Sena from certain disintegration, for it is engaged in plundering and murdering the people. Our victory is as inevitable as its defeat. Under no circumstances are we going to loot any village for looting is against our principle. But tell them that if they dare enter any village to plunder the people, not a single one of them shall return alive. We can begin to consider their case in a different light only if and when they give up looting, terrorising and killing the masses and stop their anti-Party activities.

At this critical juncture when the landlords, the Congress government and certain vested interests among the Yadavas are conspiring to generate caste frenzy and to trap the Yadava peasants in a suicidal internecine war, we appeal to the wisdom and conscience of all wise and conscientious Yadavas to try their level best to stop this suicidal frenzy and to wage a militant people’s movement on all their burning issues together with the peasants of all other castes. Our Party certainly fights against the cruel landlords, goondas, thieves and dacoits of all castes but never do we and never will we fight against the broad masses of any caste, not even if they are instigated to fight against us.

Come, let our slogans be :

Long live the broad unity of peasants of all castes !

Down with the despicable design of pitting us against one anoyher !

With revolutionary greetings,

Central Bihar Regional Committee

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)

5 December, 1985