"The Ranvir Sena is today a spent force and there does not seem any other private sena coming up which is willing to take its place. This does not however mean that that the movement of Bihar's poor for their legitimate rights does not face any opposition. The task of protecting and advancing the interests of the feudal forces, earlier performed by the private landlord armies, is now being directly undertaken by the state forces. Central forces like the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and CRPF have been moved in along with the Special Task Force (STF) of the Bihar Police. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to do what the private armies were unable to do." - by Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves

The recent Cobrapost sting, which resulted in a documentary film titled Operation Black Rain, has started a new debate about the bitter realities of the Indian judicial system. The sting also reignited the discussion in the media about mass killings by the upper-caste militia—Ranvir Sena—in Bihar. B…