LAKSHMANPUR, Dec 4: The local administration came to the aid of the grief-stricken village on Wednesday, it worked hard to prepare for a mass funeral. And one hour before the bodies were cremated, it ensured that the dignitaries were taken around despite the crowd of silent, shocked mourners.

Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi arrived 36 hours after the massacre with Union Minister of State for Home Maqbool Dar and Bihar Governor A R Kidwai. To be fair to Rabri, she delivered no speeches. But neither was there any crying, any narrating of the nightmare, just a silence as the funeral pyres were lit.

On her return to Patna, Rabri announced that she would move out state DGP S K Saxena, which came as a surprise to many. Saxena is considered close to her husband Laloo Prasad Yadav and had got a second extension - barely two months ago - and only after Rabri had pressed hard his case with the Centre. Sources said Dar was behind the decision to shift Saxena, after he had a long meeting with Laloo on Wednesday.

While Laloo's defenders and detractors began preparing to milk the tragedy, all that the villagers here - and in neighbouring Parashurampur and Sarsaha - seem to be asking is: ``What next?''

For, many of them are convinced that the administration is in league with the Ranvir Sena. They cite the following as ``evidence'':

* None of the Ranvir Sena leaders was arrested despite the Bathani Tola massacre of 22 Dalits in Bhojpur last year and the killing of 11 in Haibaspura this year.

* The local police were aware that the Ranvir Sena was likely to strike. On November 25, Sena leaders held a meeting in Arwal, just seven km from here.

* Notorious Sena leader Shamsher Bahadur alias Mukhiyajee had been touring the area and collecting ``donations'' over the past three months.

* Sena chief Barameshwar Mukhiya addressed a public meeting in a Patna village a fortnight ago.

Police officers who do not want to be named admit they are aware of all this but claim that such meetings are routine. ``It's like crying wolf. The Communist Party of India (M-L) keeps sending us complaint letters every week, we can't take action every time,'' said one.

Also, police complain of poor facilities, unpaid salaries and regular attacks by Naxalites. Over the last two months, extremists groups have attacked police pickets in over a dozen places in central Bihar, including Jehanabad, Gaya and Patna. Police pickets in this region are badly equipped.

There are many cases where constables haven't got their allowances for months together.

But villagers say that all this is well known and the fact that the administration hasn't done anything about it goes to show how much they care about their plight. Monday night's massacre, according to villagers, was planned with great precision. Juglu Ram, who lost seven members of his family - four women and three children - says that the attackers knew which houses had CPI(M-L) sympathisers.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.