NEW DELHI: Commenting on the cold blooded massacre of 39 persons at Gaya in the state of Bihar a couple of days back, the Indian Press has expressed grave concern about the law and order situation in that state.

The Times of India writes, this type of continued caste conflict “will result in periodic carnage because of the decaling effectiveness of the states to the maintain law and order.

It finds the reasons behind such massacres in the “failure of the state to implement its land reform Jaws, prevent the cynical exercise of their muscles by the powerful and give the socially weak confidence in the fairness of the guardians of law.”

It warns, “The state must realize even now that neither economic monetization nor political stability can be ensured when Agrarian India sits atop an active volcano of violence.”

The patriots say the manner of killings reminds one of the Nazi days.”

It says, “blood feuds in the central region have their genesis in the failure of successive government’s implement and reforms.”

It puts the blame on the short sighted policies of the state government and the slack administration in their failure to protect life and property of innocent people.

The Indian Express expresses shock and dismay over these Wanton killings underscoring the near Anarchic” conditions prevailing in Bihar,

The principal cause, it says, “is the Agrarian conflict raging in several districts of Bihar” and the second “is Bihar intense, violent and deep rooted caste rivalries, which lend a particularly vicious character to Agrarian disputes.”

It says, the Camage would not have taken place if the administration had not virtually collapsed in most parts of the state,

The Tribune says, “Law of the jungle” is prevailing in Bihar, and blames everybody, including the media for taking Partisan views on it, when an incident warrants which community the victims belonged.

It says, the absence of land reforms and the prevailing rich poor divide will surely “explode into Violence.”

The Hindu says, the Camage was the “outcome of gang rivalry” and adds that Bihar is famous “for the Patronage extended by politicians to private armies to further their Partisan ends.” The editorial says, the time has come for the government to break the nexus between the faction leaders and the gang leaders irrespective of their political allegiance.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1992