Patna: On the night of March 18, 1999, the quiet lanes of Senari village in Bihar’s then Jehanabad district (now Arwal) turned into a scene of unspeakable horror. Cadres of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), a banned Naxalite group, stormed the village, dragged out 34 upper-caste Bhumihar men, and slit their throats near a temple locally known as the Thakurbari. The massacre, one of the deadliest caste-related killings in Bihar’s turbulent 1990s, remains etched as a dark chapter in the state’s history.
The attack, was part of the violent cycle between the Ranvir Sena, an upper-caste militia, and the MCC. Central Bihar at that time had become a battlefield of caste vengeance, with Dalits, backward castes, and upper-caste landlords caught in an unending spiral of killings and revenge.
Even today, 26 years later, Senari remains frozen in time, a haunting reminder of that night of terror. Locals still refer to it as the “village of widows.” About 80 kilometers from Patna, the road to Senari remains as rugged as its memories, smooth asphalt gives way to potholes and dust as one nears the village. Five kilometers before the village, the tarmac disappears entirely, as if symbolically reflecting the neglect that followed.
At the center of Senari stands a small memorial, with the names of the 34 murdered farmers engraved in stone. It is here that every year, the families gather to pay tribute. “They dragged our men out one by one, shouting ‘Lal Salaam’,” recalls an elderly resident. “The temple priest climbed a tree to hide and watched the massacre unfold below. His 18-year-old son was among those killed that night.” His voice still quivers with grief that time has not healed.
Ajay Sharma, one of the few survivors of the massacre, still bears the scars of that night, both physical and emotional. “They were shouting ‘Lalu Zindabad’ while killing us,” he recounts. “They cut my brother in front of me. I somehow survived and stayed in the hospital for over a month. Even today, I take medicines for the pain.”
For years, the promise of justice has remained elusive. Several suspects were tried, and in 2016, a lower court convicted 10 people and sentenced them to death, while others were given life imprisonment. However, the Patna High Court later acquitted all accused, citing lack of evidence. The verdict crushed the remaining hopes of the victims’ families.
Today, Senari stands still, scarred by grief and government neglect. Many widows continue to live in poverty; their children having migrated to cities for work. Development remains a distant dream. The memorial stone, weathered by time, is the only witness that still speaks for the dead.
