Nearly a thousand people have been killed in caste violence in central and southern Bihar districts in the last three decades, according to conservative estimates.
The worst affected districts have been Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Bhojpur, Gaya and even parts of Patna.
Among the biggest of these massacres have been:
In 2001, Bihar reported 54 per cent of total murders due to "casteism", according to Central police records.
Upper caste landlords have organised a variety of "senas" - the Ranvir Sena, the Lorik Sena, the Savarna Liberation Front, the Brahmarshi Sena, the Kunwar Sena, the Bhumi Sena, the Sunlight Sena and so on - to carry out these massacres regularly since 1976.
Ranvir Sena's chief Brahmeshwar Singh "Mukhiya" is in jail, charged with committing "hundreds of murders".
Dalits and tribals have responded with India's most dogged, but highly divided, naxal movement. Some studies claim there are 14 different naxal groups. The chief among these are the Communist Party of India (Marxixt-Leninist)'s Liberation group and Party Unity group, and the Maoist Communist Centre.
Of late, some massacres have also been the result of differences between these naxal groups.
{{/usCountry}}Of late, some massacres have also been the result of differences between these naxal groups.
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