Manoj Manzil, a Dalit leader and member of the Communist Part of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML), lost his membership in the Bihar Legislative Assembly this week following his conviction in a 2015 murder case. The 40-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court in Arrah along with 22 others for the killing of upper-caste Rajput resident Jay Prakash Singh (J P Singh).
Manzil was elected MLA from the Agiaon constituency in Bhojpur district in the 2020 state elections. This was his first term as an elected representative. The disqualification now leaves the CPI(ML) Liberation with 11 MLAs in the Bihar Assembly.
The murder case that resulted in Manzil's conviction is connected to the events leading up to the 2015 elections, when members of the CPI(ML) attacked and killed Singh in retaliation for the murder of one of their party workers, Satish Yadav. The Marxist party has, however, called the court verdict a "judicial massacre" and part of a "feudalistic conspiracy" against Manzil's activism.
Beyond politics, Manzil earned fame through his "Sadak Pe School" (School on the Street) campaign that he started in 2006. Through street protests and roadside classes, he highlighted the woeful state of Bihar's education system and its systemic inequalities. The innovative activism captured the attention of leaders like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. It also cemented Manzil's reputation as a crusader for the marginalized in Bhojpur district, a hotbed of socialist movements.
Manzil charted his course as an activist during his student days at Veer Kunwar Singh University in Arrah, where he was associated with the All India Students Association, the CPI(ML) student wing. After 2006, he grew rapidly in stature as a grassroots leader fighting for the oppressed. This catapulted Manzil as a prominent voice of the party in Bhojpur.
He first contested the 2015 polls from Agiaon but lost, securing only 30,000 votes. He was already under investigation for the murder case at the time. His win in 2020 with a margin of 37,000 votes proved his popularity against heavy odds. He was the president of the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA), the youth wing of CPI(ML) before becoming an MLA.
Besides the present conviction, Manzil faces 30 other criminal cases including for murder, attempt to murder and intimidation. According to his 2020 election affidavit, the Dalit leader has assets worth Rs 3 lakhs. His wife Sheela Kumari is also an active member of the CPI(ML) Liberation.
The party has vowed to challenge Manzil's conviction in the Patna High Court while also taking out protest marches between February 19-25 in Bhojpur villages. They demand justice for their ousted MLA, calling him a victim of 'feudal vendetta politics'. Only time will tell if the firebrand leader bounces back from this legal setback.
