Jamui: The mud lanes of Kaduatari village, located barely 15 km from Jamui district headquarters, still carry an air of tension. Just days ago, this tribal settlement made headlines when villagers armed with sticks and stones chased down a police team, forcing uniformed personnel to flee for their lives. The incident, which took place barely 1.5 km from Barhat police station, left six policemen injured and raised uncomfortable questions about policing, liquor laws, and the collision of culture with the state’s prohibition regime.
“Our festival begins with alcohol”
For the tribal families of Kaduatari, last week was not just about survival, but about celebration. The Karma Puja, one of their most important festivals, was underway. “We are tribals. Karma Puja was on Friday. Our festival begins with alcohol. We prepare alcohol for it and with that we purify our houses. We also offer it to our deity. No outsider is allowed to enter the house that day,” said Champa Devi, a resident.
According to villagers, trouble began when police personnel entered homes despite repeated requests to wait. “We had just finished worshipping and were eating food. Women were changing clothes when the police barged in. They even tried to take away the mother of an infant. That is when people lost patience,” she alleged.
Women allege police misconduct
Several women claim the police misbehaved with them, sparking outrage. Shanti Devi, another resident, recounted: “The police entered our homes and misbehaved with the women. When we resisted, they started beating us. Then the villagers retaliated. If any woman in a house is harassed, how can the men remain silent?”
Others, like Soni Kumari, said alcohol was an inseparable part of the festival. “Our celebration is incomplete without it. Guests had come, everyone was drinking. When the police arrived suddenly, people panicked. Some women were caught, and then the whole village rose up in anger.”
The raid that went wrong
On Friday, a team of eight policemen led by Sub-Inspector Shubham Jha and female SI Urmila Kumari had entered the village for a raid after receiving information about illegal liquor brewing. What followed was chaos. The police were surrounded, pelted with stones, and beaten with sticks. A video that surfaced showed constables pleading with folded hands while the crowd advanced.
By the time reinforcements arrived, the policemen had barely escaped. Six officers, including both SIs, were injured.
Police launch crackdown
Since the incident, Jamui police have launched extensive raids in Kaduatari. “The attack on the police team is a serious matter. Action is being taken on the basis of video footage. Thirteen people have been arrested so far, including some women. An FIR has been registered against 20 named and 25 unidentified villagers. The culprits will not be spared,” Jamui SP Vishwajeet Dayal said.
Tradition vs. Law
For the tribal villagers, brewing alcohol is a sacred ritual tied to their identity. For the state, it is a violation of Bihar’s prohibition law. That clash came to a head last week in Kaduatari, turning a festival of faith into a flashpoint of violence.
Today, the festival drums have fallen silent, replaced by police boots patrolling the village lanes. Fear hangs heavy in the air—fear of arrest for the villagers, and fear of reprisal for the police.
What remains unresolved is the question that lies at the heart of the conflict: when custom collides with law, whose authority prevails?
