SUMMARY
The Ranvir Sena (in English the ‘Army of Ranvir’) is a non-state armed group operating primarily in the Indian state of Bihar, essentially employed as a private army by land owners. The name is derived from a 19th century mythical figure –Ranvir- who fought for the rights of upper caste landowners, combined with the word ‘sena’, meaning army. The group was founded by Dharichan Chaudhary in 1994.
The Ranvir Sena group was formed by upper caste landowners to counter the rising power of the so-called ‘Naxalites’, a term used to categorise various Indian left-wing groups such as CPI-ML (Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist) and MCC (Maoist Communist Centre). Lower caste groups, and also those termed ‘untouchables’ or Dalits, are commonly employed as agricultural labourers on land that is owned by the upper castes; in Bihar mainly the Brahmins, Bhumimars, Kayasthas and Rajputs. Militant and political actions by these groups to improve the poor working and living conditions of the lower castes are countered in Bihar by the upper castes. In this context ‘countering’ such action means not only political lobbying, but targeting civilians of the lower castes by means of one-sided violence. The Ranvir Sena then has no political ideology or goals of its own, but is used by land owners to carry out their political agenda; combating the Naxalites and any who support them.
Ranvir Sena appears to have been formed from the remnants of previous, smaller ‘senas’ that had been in existence in Bihar state since the late 1960s but were to small or weak to stand up against the powerful communist groups that sprouted throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The group receives the patronage of rich and influential upper caste elites in the state of Bihar, who supply the group with arms, training and financial resources; making the group highly organised. Reportedly the group enjoys support from individuals high up in the hierarchies of, amongst others, the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although this is yet to be fully corroborated. Evidence also points to the group receiving covert as well as overt support from the police forces, who have been accused of training soldiers for the Ranvir Sena and of turning a blind eye on crimes perpetrated by the group. Naxalite groups claim that the state government of Bihar is partial to the Ranvir Sena, but the group has been banned by law since 1995. The Ranvir Sena also has a political front organisation, the Ranvir Kisan Maha Sangh, which works for the socio-economic and political goals of the upper castes.
Brahmeshwar Singh took control of Ranvir Sena soon after its inception, and led the group until his arrest in 2002. After his arrest the leadership of the Ranvir Sena becomes unknown.
The Ranvir Sena has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.
