Country: Bihar, India
Group: Dusadh/Paswan
Date: November 13th, 2023
Team: Teagen Allen (lead), Jhanz Marco Garcia, Rebekah Dilks
Content Warnings: forced displacement
Approximate Time Period: 2010’s
The Dusadh or Paswan community predominantly resides in Eastern India, with a significant presence in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. The term “Paswan” originates from Urdu, meaning “One Who Defends.” The Paswan, referred to as Duasdh, are recognized as Dalits in the eastern regions of India. Many Paswan individuals, classified among the ‘untouchables,’ face challenges in land ownership and often take on roles as village watchmen and messengers (The Print, 2020). Historically, the Kurmi, serving as landlords, held authority over the Paswan (Sinha, 2011). With a population of nearly 7 million, the Paswan predominantly practice Hinduism and communicate in Hindi or Bhojpuri.
On January 10th, 2010, the BJP-JD(U)-protected feudal forces displaced three Paswan families, along with 307 others from diverse castes, across seven villages in Patna, Bihar. According to the Communist Party of India, the Kurmi Caste specifically executed the eviction against the Paswan community (Communist Party of India, 2010).
Data Quality: 0/3 Limited data from source of questionable reliability, information is from the Communist Party of India.
Sources
Dhingra, S. (2020, October 23). Who are the Paswans? “upwardly mobile, powerful” Dalit Group at centre of Bihar Polls Buzz . ThePrint. https://theprint.in/politics/who-are-the-paswans-upwardly-mobile-powerful-dalit-group-at-centre-of-bihar-polls-buzz/528964/
Sinha, A. (2011). Nitish Kumar and the Rise of Bihar. Viking. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-670-08459-3.
Communist Party of India (2010). Updates. 11th Anniversary of Comrade VM’s Death. (2010). http://www.archive.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2010/feb_10/updates.html