In a shocking escalation of a simple wage dispute, tensions boiled over in Harinagar village under Kusheswar Asthan police station in Darbhanga district, Bihar. What began as a demand for unpaid labor wages worth Rs 2.47 lakh on January 30 has now morphed into a full-blown caste clash, drawing severe legal action against over 220 people from the Brahmin community.
The incident kicked off when Kailash Paswan, a Dalit laborer, confronted Hemkant Jha’s sister and brother-in-law on the road, demanding his dues for house construction work. Eyewitnesses report a heated argument quickly turned physical, with shoving and verbal abuses exchanged. Despite villagers’ attempts to intervene, the feud persisted into a panchayat meeting the next day.
By January 31, the situation exploded into violence. Allegations claim a large group from the Brahmin community stormed Paswan’s neighborhood, vandalizing shops and homes. Eleven people sustained injuries in the melee and are receiving treatment at DMCH. A video circulating online captures the raw chaos, showing heated exchanges over the outstanding payment.
Paswan’s side accuses dominant caste members of attacking their Dalit basti after he pressed for wages. Based on a complaint by Ashrafi Paswan, police registered an FIR against 70 named individuals and 150 unidentified persons under the SC/ST Act and other serious sections. So far, 12 arrests have been made, as confirmed by SDPO Biroul, who attributes the flare-up squarely to the wage disagreement.
The Brahmin community counters that the core issue was a private financial matter between Hemkant Jha and Kailash Paswan. They question why Jha’s relatives were accosted and humiliated publicly. Social activists working on SC/ST issues echo this, noting that the FIR includes absentees and outsiders, urging corrections to target only the guilty.
Village atmosphere remains tense, with named Brahmins gone into hiding fearing arrest. Meanwhile, SC/ST Commission Chairman Dhananjay Kumar alias Mrinal Paswan visited the injured at DMCH. He condemned anti-social elements for inflating a petty money row into communal strife, stressing that dialogue could have resolved it. Kumar vows strict action against harmony-breakers and justice for victims, following directives from Bihar government and a call from MP Chirag Paswan to probe personally.
This case underscores how economic grudges can ignite caste fires in rural India, demanding swift, fair intervention to restore peace.