In what appears to be a disturbing case of political discrimination, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leaders allegedly denied access to a village well to a 60-year-old man, reportedly due to his identity as a Hindu and his support for the BJP. This incident came to light when an emotional video of the man went viral on social media. In the video, the man alleged that he was being denied access to the well because of his religion. The video, believed to be from the Madhupur Assembly constituency in Jharkhand, lacked additional details, prompting a deeper investigation.
Organiser decided to uncover the truth behind the video as part of its ongoing ground coverage of the Jharkhand assembly elections. Having extensively travelled across the state to report stories often overlooked by mainstream media, the team set out to locate the man.
Locating the crying elderly man
On November 12, the journey began in Deoghar, also the city of ‘Baba Baidyanath.’ From there, the team followed leads to Madhupur, which comprises 21 villages. The search involved showing the man’s video to locals in villages like Dalha, Gariya, Dhamani, and Patwabad, yet no one recognised him. The breakthrough came at Jawagudi panchayat, where a group of elderly men, after watching the one-minute clip, identified him. “He is Murli Singh,” one of them confirmed.
Excited by the lead, the team inquired further. “Do you know him personally?” they asked. The elderly man nodded affirmatively and directed them to the Panchayat office. “Ask anyone there, and they’ll guide you. Park your vehicle on the road and take the lane,” he suggested.
A pagdandi to Murli’s house
Following his instructions, the team left their vehicle behind and walked into the village. As they crossed the Panchayat Bhavan, they noticed a large but inactive water tank. When questioned, the villagers confirmed it had not been operational for a long time. The area was dimly lit, with no streetlights, and the kutcha houses were scattered far apart.
The team ventured onto a narrow path, a pagdandi formed over years of foot traffic. Along the way, they sought further directions from a woman, who pointed them down a dark, unpaved lane. After walking nearly 1.5 kilometers, they finally spotted a house faintly illuminated by a dim yellow light.
It was a modest pucca house with two rooms, its walls yet to be plastered. Outside, under the light of a lantern, a man lay on a charpoy. This correspondent approached him. “Are you Murli ji?” she asked. The man nodded in affirmation.
By this time, three or four men from the village had gathered nearby, drawn by the unusual presence of outsiders. They lingered hesitantly but with evident interest, eager to understand the purpose of our visit. One of them ventured to ask, “What brings you here?” Their collective gaze followed us as we settled down with Murli, ready to hear his story and the struggles that had brought his name into public discourse.
Murli, along with his wife and two grandchildren, sat on a charpoy opposite the team Organiser. The team explained the purpose of their visit, and Murli was eager to share his side of the story. As the conversation unfolded, more details about his plight and the alleged discrimination emerged.
Why Murli cried that day?
Murli began his story with a heavy heart, saying, “I am the sole breadwinner of the family. My son passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.” He gestured towards his two grandchildren, one of them, around five years old, and added emotionally, “They run behind me, calling ‘Dada, Dada.’ I am living for them only. I work hard every day to ensure their needs are met.”
Addressing the viral video that brought his plight to light, Murli explained, “This village has a severe water crisis. We are forced to live like underprivileged people because of the JMM MLA, who hates Hindus.”
“You vote of BJP, hence you will not get anything..”
Murli revealed that he had been pleading with the current MLA, Hafizul Ansari, to address the issue of the well. However, his requests were repeatedly dismissed. Quoting the MLA, he said, “You vote for BJP and expect us to give you a well? Let the BJP give it to you, not us.” Murli added, “I have been running behind these MLAs for ten years. Earlier, it was for irrigation water for my fields. Now, it’s for a well near my house, which could benefit the entire village.”
With a deep sigh, he shared how his son used to fetch water from a hand pump located three kilometers from their home. “Since my son passed away, this problem has only intensified,” Murli lamented. “My wife and I are old, and although I leave for work early every morning, the burden of fetching water falls on my daughter-in-law.”
Recalling his interaction with Hafizul’s father, Haji Hussain Ansari, who held the seat before 2019, Murli shared, “When I went to him with the same request, he outrightly said, ‘You are a Hindu. I cannot provide you with a well because you don’t belong to my community.’”
PM Modi addresses the issue
These experiences have left Murli disheartened and hopeless. When a journalist visited his village and inquired about water facilities under the JMM government, his pent-up emotions spilled over, and he broke down in tears. This incident caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, during a recent address, remarked, “I saw a video where a man was crying for water under the JMM government.”
Water scarcity is not the only issue plaguing Murli’s village. Basic amenities such as proper roads, electricity, and adequate housing are also missing. The road leading to Murli’s house is a narrow pagdandi (footpath), making it impossible for vehicles to pass. “When my daughter-in-law was pregnant and went into labor,” Murli recalled, “we had to take her on a two-wheeler to the main road, where we then hired an auto to reach the government hospital in Madhupur.”
Muslims harass women and kids
When asked about education facilities, Murli confirmed that the village school only offers classes up to the 10th standard. For higher studies, children must travel 3–4 kilometers to Jagdishpur, a predominantly Muslim area. “We fear sending our children there because of harassment cases,” Murli said. “Muslim men harass Hindu women.”
Murli also highlighted the lack of access to government schemes, claiming that the women in his village haven’t benefited from the Maiyya Samman Yojana, which provides Rs 1,000 monthly to women over 18 years old. “This is all because we vote for BJP and are Hindus,” he asserted.
Why they vote for BJP?
From behind, Murli’s wife chimed in, “It was Modi who fed us during COVID. He gave us grains twice every month then, and now we receive it free every month. Only we know how much it means to us.”
Murli echoed her sentiments, saying, “Since my son passed away, we have had no other way to sustain ourselves. The ration provided by the Modi government has been our lifeline. How can I not vote for him? I will support BJP as long as I live, and I will ensure my grandchildren and daughter-in-law do the same.”
The plight of Murli Singh’s village is not unique in the Madhupur Panchayat region, where most villages are dominated by a Muslim population. This demographic imbalance often breeds discrimination, leaving families like Murli’s to suffer silently.
Murli spoke with quiet desperation, “I rely entirely on rain for my crops. A well would change our lives—it would make things less tough for everyone in the village. If the Sarpanch won’t help, I am even willing to donate my land to the government. Just please, give us a well.”
His plea to the central government was heartfelt. Murli expressed his frustration with the current state government, claiming, “Soren only works for Santhals and Muslims. For Hindus, there is only one party—BJP.”
Murli and his family, who do not belong to any politically significant caste or community, have become victims of what he calls “dirty politics.” The JMM leaders, fully aware that families like Murli’s are unwavering BJP supporters, deliberately neglect their needs. Murli believes this neglect is intentional. “They know we won’t vote for them no matter what they do. So, they’ve left us to suffer,” he said. His voice trembled as he added, “We’ll have to endure this pain until someone from the BJP replaces the Ansari family.”
The challenges faced by Murli’s village stand in sharp contrast to the promises of inclusivity championed by central government schemes. Programs like PM Awas Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana aim to benefit every citizen, irrespective of religion or caste. However, regional parties like JMM seem to pursue what Murli calls “Muslim appeasement.”
“The Centre gives to everyone, Hindu or Muslim, without discrimination,” Murli said. “But here, people like us are ignored and left to fend for ourselves just because we vote differently. Is that justice?”
Murli’s heartbreak is evident as he reflects on his years of struggle. His story is a stark reminder of how political bias can strip away basic human dignity, leaving people like him clinging to hope for a future where their needs are no longer dismissed.
