Pat Oct 18 (IANS) Mahadalits, the poorest of the socially marginalised in Bihar, have been targeted by powerful feudal forces which have the full support of opposition BJP to defame and destabilize the government led by Jitan Ram Manjhi, a Mahadalit himself, the head of the organisation meant for the community's welfare has said.

"It is unfortunate but true that suddenly there are reports of a rise in atrocities against Mahadalits in Bihar. Mahadalits have become soft target of powerful feudal forces with the backing of BJP to defame and embarrass the state's first Mahadalit chief minister," Bihar Mahadalit Commission chairman Uday Kumar told IANS in an interview.

"The powerful feudal forces are not ready to digest the fact that a Mahadalit is the chief minister," he added.

The soft-spoken Uday Kumar said that in most of the crime against Mahadalits in the past two months, the hand of landed and powerful upper caste men had come to light.

"It is mainly the handiwork of the BJP, which is using some upper caste men in all districts to target Mahadalits to paint a picture that they are neither safe nor protected by the state administration headed by a Mahadalit chief minister," he added.

He charged that the BJP is frustrated at being ousted from power by the ruling JD-U. "Now BJP leaders are indulging in defaming the Manjhi government. Their sole aim is to create trouble," he said.

Uday Kumar admitted that as the head of a constitutional body, he is not supposed to speak in this manner but he was forced to point out the involvement of the BJP in the atrocities against Mahadalits.

He said that powerful people with muscle power, locally known as 'dabangs', have their own mindset. "Such people are getting encouragement from officials in the administration," he charged.

He said that bureaucrats and the police have not been invoking the SC/St Act which calls for harsh action against the perpetrators of crimes.

"Top officials repeatedly ordered and instructed the district level officials to implement the SC/ST Act against those accused in crimes against the weaker community but instructions have been hardly implemented by police officers at the district level."

The commission has decided to visit the districts where crimes occurred against Mahadalits in recent months to inquire if the victims are being treated properly by the police, Uday Kumar said, adding that unlike in the past, Manjhi himself ordered speedy trials in all cases against Mahadalits and asked top officials to take stern action against the accused without delay.

For instance, following a charge-sheet filed in a record time, the trial began earlier this week in the gang-rape of six Mahadalit women in Bhojpur district. The main accused here is Neel Nidhi Singh, a former leader of the Ranveer Sena private militia of the landed upper castes.

Similarly, Manjhi ordered a speedy trial in the case of a 15-year-old Mahadalit boy being burnt to death in Rohtas district on Wednesday evening.

Sai Ram was burnt alive by Arvind Singh after his goat grazed on a portion of the latter's paddy crop.

The spurt in crimes against Mahadalits started last month when nearly 300 of them fled from Pura village in Gaya district after being threatened by upper caste men. They took shelter near the block office in Tekari for four days but later returned home following assurances of security and protection.

Some powerful upper caste men warned Mahadalits not to protest against the killing of Arjun Manjhi, who was allegedly beaten to death after his brother filed his papers for the election of the primary agriculture cooperative society's president and refused to withdraw despite pressure.

A Mahadalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by four men in Sanhauli village in Khagaria district last Tuesday. In another incident the same day, four Mahadalit women were brutally beaten up by some strong men at Lodipur village in the Masaurhi area of Patna district over a petty dispute.

In September, Shyamdeo Manjhi was killed in Tiskhora village in Patna district by strongmen for raising his voice against them.