Niyamat Ansari Killing: collusion of Administration,Middlemen, and Maoists By Jitendra3/7/11
Email<http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/niyamat-ansari-killing:-collusion-of-administration-middlemen-and-maoists?redirect=/web/guest/in%20focus> Print<http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/niyamat-ansari-killing:-collusion-of-administration-middlemen-and-maoists?redirect=/web/guest/in%20focus>[image: SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend] <http://tellafriend.socialtwist.com/>[image: Bookmark and Share]<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=newzfirst> ( This is a special report prepared by newzfirst correspondent on Neyamat Ansari killing and the issues connected with it. Jitendra, reached Latehar soon after this incident and tried to investigate the issue – Editor) LATEHAR - A young MNREGA activist with gifted leadership skill, Niyamat Ansari , 35, was killed on 2nd March, 2011. He was working under banner of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan for the empowerment of laborers. He was only literate member of his family, studied till class 9. But the class was not the matter. He had learnt an important lesson in his life i.e. maintain honesty in public life, which costs him dearly. His father was right in saying 'If he would compromise at some extent then I would not see thishard day at this stage of my life'. He, along with his friend, Bhukhkhal Singh, 42, became a flag bearer against the existing corruption at Administrative level. On the very evening, Bhukhkhal Singh, father of three children, took shelter inside the pulse crops field, as the perpetrators reached their home. Villagers said Mahavir Parhiya of Uchchawa village, also a MNREGA activist, was also searched by the perpetrators. *Eye witness account* It was around 7 pm on 2nd of March. About 8 Khaki dressedmen along with two in civil dress carrying arms came to Niyamat Ansari’s house in Jerua village under Manika Police Sation of Latehar District of Jharkhand. They were using abusive language and pulled out Niyamat Ansari, despite protests from his family members including his old Father, Samsuddin Miyan, her mother, her wife and her widow sister Sahiba Bibi, along with three kids. They took out Niyamat Ansari by tying his hand. He was continuously begging for excuse. His mother and widow sister followed them but they were thrashed badly by some perpetrators. No one from the locality dared to voice against this catastrophe. Ignoring his plead for excuse; he was tied to a tree and beaten. Then they took him away to other corner of the village where they hit him with thick cane. As his voice stopped coming out, they left the body and moved away. The family members reached and brought the body back to home. They claimed that he was not died yet; he was still breathing. They called up Police Station, begged for the help but Police refused to come. According to family members, his life could be saved incase of timely approach to the Hospital. Unfortunately, it took more than three hours to reach Manika Sadar Hospital, where he declared dead. His elder brother Hadees, stealthily moved to call the people of nearby villages to create pressure on the perpetrators for any kind of compromise. But nobody responded. FIR was lodged on very next day. Vashishth Tiwary, Purshottam Prasad, Shanker Dubey, Vijay Dubey, Dewa Singh, Arun Singh, Prem Chandra Singh and CPI(Maoist) Zonal Commander Sudershan made accused by the widow sister Sahiba Bibi. Arun Singh was arrested on March 4, a local media had reported. *Exposing of MNREGA fund embezzlement led to death* This is an exceptional case of blatant fraud where the then acting BDO of Manika, Shri Kailash Sahu, colluded with the Panchayat Sevak of Rankikala (Shri Basudev Nagesia) to embezzle NREGA funds bypassing the entire record-keeping system in Pond project no.-23/09-10 and another project no.- 49/09-10. The pond project no. - 23/09-10 was completely imaginary project at Banarchuian in Lanka village under Manika Block, whereas pond project no. - 49/09-10 was of Jhoojhi village, only carved at Paper. A total of Rs 2.56 Lakh was siphoned off. Briefly, the Panchayat Sevak (PS) prepared two fake “Payment Advices”, for which there were no corresponding Muster Rolls, Measurement Books, MIS entries or any other records (these Payment Advices are signed by the PS and BDO only, Rojgar Sevak place left unsigned). The BDO then signed a cheque for each Payment Advice and the money was siphoned off through Post Office accounts of the fake workers, in collusion with the Postmaster Rankikala, Shri Ashok Tiwari. The workers listed in these Payment Advices live far away from the concerned worksites, and deny having worked there or having received any of the money that was withdrawn in their name from the Post Office. Some of them (e.g. Sunil Mochi s/o Banaudhi Mochi, of Aholiya Tola in Rankikala Village, a bus conductor who never worked on NREGA) did not even know that a Post Office account had been opened in their name! The documental proof and other details are available to this correspondent, which is enough to show the extreme degree of barefacedness. It is being said that Niyamat Ansari was the one who brought this siphoning off money to the day light. Later, these facts were initially established with help of NREGA Sahayata Kendra, Manika, and submitted to the Latehar District Collector, Shri Rahul Purwar, who directed the SDO Latehar to conduct a joint enquiry with members of the Sahayata Kendra on 21 February 2011. The SDO Latehar came to Manika that day, and examined the records available at the Block office, but refused to proceed to Rankikala to verify the Post Office records or talk to the workers listed in the fake Payment Advices (he was unable to give any valid reason for this and appeared to be under pressure to protect some of the culprits). The Sahayata Kendra team (including James Herenj, Jean Drèze and Niyamat Ansari) proceeded to Rankikala, took photographs of the Post Office records, and talked to some of the workers listed in the fake Payment Advices. The SDO Latehar came back the next day and was able to verify the facts for himself. *Role of corrupt Middlemen* Kailash Sahu, Basudev Nagesiya and Post Master Ashok Tiwary were named as culprit only because their name appeared on forged paper but the real culprit Shanker Dubey, a local contractor with political connection is still free. A local social activist, did not want to be named, said FIR was lodged against BDO and Panchayat sevak on 26 February. Later, Panchayat sevak also lodged a case against BDO, and Shanker Dubey and their men for forcibly taking his signatures number of times. On March 1, Shanker Dubey desperately contacted this activist to pacify this matter. He begged to save the skin of BDO at any cost. But it was too late. This was not the only two cases in which Niyamat and Bhukhkhan was on the middlemen target. Both of them became the eye sore of the middle-men since the introduction of the MNREGA and Forest Rights Act, 2006. There were lots of financial irregularities in Ponds project no. 116, 122, 133 of financial years 2007-08. Due to effort of Bhukhkhan and Niyamat, Middlemen cum Contractors Arun Singh, and Engineers Shyamnath Dubey, Gupteshwar Ram were booked in. *Dubious role of Maoists* Maoists headed by Sudarshan, locked the houses of Niyamat Ansari and Bhukhkhan Singh on 25 Oct, 2010, after organizing Kangaroo Court alleging them ‘Enemy of Forest’. Astonishingly, it was opened after four days. Local believe that Maoists acted on behalf of a group of corrupt middlemen. As Bhukhkhan says, they opened the lock after getting heat from the administration. Police threatened these middlemen including Arun Singh, Shanker Dubey, Vashishth Tiwary, Purshottam Prasad, Vijay Dubey, Dewa Singh. They all called ‘village assembly’, comprising their own men, signed a letter, and then after their houses were un- locked. "In greed of levy, Maoists have backing the corrupt officials andMiddlemen" said Bhola Prasad, a social activist operating in Manika. He further added 'Now the question is who were the men who signed the letter to un-lock the houses of these two activists.If Maoists didn't have a problem from Niyamat and Bukhkhan then who has? Earlier these middlemen, claimed themselves as 'Forest Protector Group' and alleged Bhukhkhan and Niyamat as 'Forest Destroyer'. Both of them were involved in implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006. Both of them were helping the poor tribals to get their 'Patta'(Legal Documents regarding possessed lands) under the Forest Rights Act. The landless tribal with plenty of lands till 1980's, tried to usurp the few acres of forest lands for their livelihood. The middlemen in collusion with Forest Officials lodged an FIR against 26 people including Niyamat Ansari and Bhukhkhan. Only Niyamat and Bhukhkhan were sent to jail twice in this connection. Recently, they were lodged in jail on 18 January, later released on 21 January. "A new kind of Zamindars in 'masks of middlemen' are being created by Maoists" says Jawahar Mehta, an activist working with NREGA Sahayata Kendra, another activist who raised doubt over the involvement of Maoist in this case. He said Maoist used to either behead or shoot out the accused and leave a paper slip there. Later he said that why Maoists didn’t followed their own procedure this time. James Herenj, another activist said after the killing of Lalit Mehta, a MNREGA activist, in 2008, Maoist claimed that they are not behind this killing. But this time they are silent. *Bhukhkhal Singh and other larger issues* After this incident of Neyamat killing, Bhukhkhal Singh left his house along with wife and children, and is taking shelter at CRPF camp in Manika Block. He seemed disturbed by the killing of his friend Niyamat Ansari. Niyamat Ansari, Mahabir Parhima and Bhukhkhan wrote a letter to Commissioner on 22-10-2008, asking for the security of his life. All three claimed that they were being threatened by Contractors and Middlemen. Prof. Jean Drez, a renowned Economist, also signed this letter and appealed in personal capacity for proper security to these MNREGA activists. The letter no. 4-453/08, forwarded by State NREGA Commissioner (SNC) to District Dy-Commissioner cum District Program Convener, demanded stern action against local contractors and corrupt middlemen. Latehar SP, Kuldeep Diwedi, said on phone, that administration had provided security blanket to Niyamat Ansari and Bhukhkhal Singh. But on the fateful days, Niyamat didn't inform the local administration about their movement. He ensured proper security for the other NREGA activists including Bhukhkhal Singh. But the activist, James Herenj, disprove the claim of Latehar SP, said there were no security blanket to him. The above case exposes the siphoning off money in the name of unknown laborers. But there are number of cases in which laborers have been running from pillar to post to get their due. Activism is a passion for many but it’s a risky job as well and the risk rate is high if the state is Jharkhand.Lalit Mehta and Niyamat Ansari is few known example. Both of them devoted their life for the betterment of the system. Unfortunately they became the victim of the system itself. Their brutal killing has passed signal of distress and fear among the activists and now they all are living infear, considering them as the next target. Email<http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/niyamat-ansari-killing:-collusion-of-administration-middlemen-and-maoists?redirect=/web/guest/in%20focus> Print<http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/niyamat-ansari-killing:-collusion-of-administration-middlemen-and-maoists?redirect=/web/guest/in%20focus>[image: SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend] <http://tellafriend.socialtwist.com/>[image: Bookmark and Share]<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=newzfirst> http://www.newzfirst.com/web/guest/full-story/-/asset_publisher/Qd8l/content/niyamat-ansari-killing:-collusion-of-administration-middlemen-and-maoists?redirect=/web/guest/in%20focus -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist * * *"Nobody is giving up violence. Neither the state nor the Maoists are giving up violence. 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