PRESS ROOM
Bihar Violence Kills 35
BBC World Report
Friday, March 19, 1999
Poverty and caste divisions have fuelled violence in Bihar
Inter-caste violence has left 35 villagers dead in the Indian state of
Bihar, according to police.
The group first attacked a police station as a diversionary tactic, before targetting villagers in execution-style killings.
The killers left pamphlets on the bodies, identifying the faction to which they belonged.
The attack, which took place about midnight local time (1830GMT), is the latest in a series of clashes between high-caste militia and left-wing extremists in the eastern Indian state.
More than 80 people have died so far this year.
Sharp divisions
Bihar is among the most backward areas of India. A rigid caste system means sharp divisions in wealth between high-caste landowners, and the poor who work their land.
These divisions have contributed to the growth of militancy in the state.
Earlier this month, the Indian
Government was forced by parliament to reinstate the Bihar state government,
which it had dismissed in an attempt to curb violence and lawlessness.