Country: Bihar, India

Group: Musahar       

Date: October 17, 2023

Team: Amar Hammad (lead), Ashley Thompson, Laura Pruett

Content Warnings: sexual violence, child sexual abuse, violence

Approximate Time Period: 20th century – present

The Musahar people migrated to Bihar in the 12th century, and 88.6% of their population resides in Bihar presently (Sahay, 2019). They belong to the “Mahadalit” group, which leads to severe social exclusion and disadvantages. For example, they have no say in political decisions (Sahay, 2019). They are heavily marginalized in their communities, residing on the outskirts of villages due to no existing land ownership rights.

Maoist organizations have been responsible for a number of sexual assault cases against Musahar women over an extended period of time, and they have yet to face legal consequences (Sahay, 2019). A study conducted in 2006 found that 500 Dalit women in four states across India experienced violence: 46% of cases were sexual harassment and 23% of cases were rape (Rai, 2023). In 2009, while investigating the Naxalite/Maoist organizations, researchers found instances where upper caste Naxalite members sexually assaulted women, some of which were Musahar individuals (Sahay, 2019). Recently, on June 22, 2023, an eight-year-old Musahar girl was abducted, gang raped, and killed by members of the same villiage who were affiliated with another backwards caste (Rai, 2023). Government assistance in addressing sexual assault cases is still lacking today (Sahay, 2019).

Data Quality: 2/3 While there were plentiful sources, a number of them lacked context and therefore could not be used in this synthesis.

Sources

  1. Biswas, S. (2020, October 6). Hathras case: Dalit women are among the most oppressed in the world. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54418513
  2. Rai, V. K. (2023, August 23). A need to ensure the safety, dignity of Musahars in caste-ridden bihar. https://www.outlookindia.com/. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/a-need-to-ensure-the-safety-dignity-of-musahars-in-caste-ridden-bihar-magazine-311729
  3. Sahay, G. (2019). Substantially present but invisible, excluded and … – sage journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0038022918819357