Did Adivasis in Bihar Attack Muslims Fearing Land Encroachment?

The land actually belonged to two Muslim brothers which was captured by Adivasis nearly 40 days ago.

Users on social media claimed that the Adivasis in Bihar’s Kishanganj attacked Muslims with bow and arrows fearing land encroachment. 

(Photo: Twitter/Altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

A post has gone viral on social media, which claims that in an incident in Bihar’s Kishanganj, tribals attacked Muslims with their bow and arrows after the Muslims forcibly tried to occupy their land for Namaz on Eid.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Similar claims have been made in an article by OpIndia, a right wing website, which reads, “The tribals fearing that Muslims had come to occupy their lands attacked them with their traditional weapons of bow and arrow which hit a few people who had come there to offer Namaz.”

(Photo Courtesy: OpIndia)

TRUE OR FALSE?

Well, the incident did take place in Bihar’s Kishanganj district on Wednesday, 5 June, however, the facts of the story have been tampered with to change the narrative.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT?

The Quint reached out to SP Kishanganj, Kumar Ashish who told us that the land actually belonged to two Muslim brothers and it was captured by the Adivasis nearly 40 days back.

Ashish added that the tussle had been going on for almost 40 days and the police was trying to solve it amicably, but on the day was Eid, a flag bearing the image of Ram was raised near an Eidgah which was 100 metres away from the tea garden.

He added that the Muslims were enraged by this and they started asking Adivasis to vacate their land. According to Ashish the Muslims were 2,000-4,000 in number while the Adivasis were a group of 70-80 people.

“We asked the both the groups, Muslims and Adivasis, to not take the law in their hands but the Muslims started stone-pelting and in retaliation the Adivasis resorted to the use of bow and arrow.”

Kumar Ashish, SP, Kishanganj

The police evacuated the Adivasis and removed their huts from the tea garden after which the land was handed over to the two Muslim brothers who own the land.

According to Kumar Ashish, the Mulsim group also attacked their vehicles after which the police resorted to lathi-charge.

Nearly nine people were injured in the incident, of which one is in the ICU but his condition is stable. All the others sustained minor injuries. The police has arrested 11 people in connection with the violence and they have registered an FIR against over 50 people and 1,000 unknow people.

“The situation is under control but there is heavy police deployment and patrolling in the area to ensure peace,” Ashish told The Quint.

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