Criticizing Ranvir Sena the militant outfit of Bhumihaars invited death threats to Editor of Forward Press

New Delhi: Naval Kishor Kumar, Hindi editor of Forward Press has been receiving death threats for last two days over calls and on social media. The editor alleged that followers of former chief of Ranvir Sena, Brahmeshwar Mukhiya threatening to rape women of his family living in Bihar. And warned him to kill him in his Delhi residence.

Naval Kishor has been actively writing on brutality committed by Ranvir Sena, Bihar based militant outfit of the upper caste. Naval is a senior journalist who conducted last comprehensive video interview of Brahmeshwar Mukhiya in the year 2012.

He has been a strong critic of Brahmeshwar Mukhiya’s politics. The Forward Press has carried several stories on the militant nature of Ranvir Sena which is accused of killing lower caste people and inciting violence against them.

On 1^st June 2012, Brahmeshwar Mukhiya was assassinated by unidentified assailants. After 6 years of his murder, Ranvir Sena is planning to install a bust of Brahmeshwar Mukhiya at Khopira in Bhojpur district on the same date.

Pramod Ranjan, managing editor of Forward Press published a press release in which he writes, “The case is still being probed by the CBI. Preparations for unveiling of the bust are under way on a massive scale under the patronage of some government officers. On May 27, 2018, Kumar posted a comment on Facebook opposing the event. In the post, he accused Brahmeshwar Mukhiya for the murder of more than 300 SC’s and OBCs, and called his death a “dog’s death”. Kumar also held the BJP-JDU government responsible for the growing morale of feudal forces.”

Brahmeshmar Mukhiya had a history of inciting violence against lower castes in eastern Bihar. In the press release, Ranjan further writes, “This is the same Brahmeshwar Mukhiya who had instructed his followers not to even spare Bahujan children during these massacres. “They are snakelets who will eventually become Naxals,” he used to say. Ranvir Sena is responsible for butchering dozens of children, attacking even pregnant women and severing breasts of young girls.”

The editorial board of Forward Press has made its stand clear against the militant ideology. In the past, it has done several critical stories over Sena with the harsh title. The cover story, it carried on July 2012 soon after Mukhiya’s murder titled as “Whose ‘Magic Bullets’ Murdered ‘BUTCHER OF BIHAR’?” while other stories titled as “Why mourn the death of a murderer?” The press made it clear that there is no point of using respectful words for the Monster.

The Forward Press has written complaint regarding the threats has been made to the DGP of Bihar. In the same press release, managing editor writes, “In cases where the people issuing the threats were identified, we have made a complaint to the SSPs of the districts concerned. In many of the Facebook comments, expletives have been used to denigrate the Dalit community. We will be writing to the authorities concerned in this regard.”

Note; In this article word ‘Dalit’ has been replaced by constitutionally presecribed word Scheduled caste