Purnia, Bihar: A controversy surrounding a road in Sharma Toli, located in the Shadipur Bhutaha Panchayat of Baisi block, recently made headlines across national media. Several news channels portrayed the issue as a Hindu-Muslim dispute, but an on-ground investigation by ‘Main Media’ has revealed that the matter is, in fact, an administrative and land ownership dispute rather than a communal conflict.
How the Road Issue Became a Religious Controversy
The national media sensationalized the road demand, giving it a religious angle. Zee News ran a segment in its show ‘DNA’ titled “Ram… rasta, Muslim,” describing the issue as a “frightening report” and questioning, “How did the Hindu locality of Bihar become imprisoned?” Similarly, News18 Bihar Jharkhand labeled it as “atrocities on Hindus in Purnia,” while another News18 channel claimed, “Muslims blocked the way to the homes of 150 Hindu families.”
To uncover the truth, the ‘Main Media’ team visited Sharma Toli on March 5, 2025. Their investigation found that the issue was primarily about a road requirement for the village, which was being misrepresented as a Hindu-Muslim dispute. A five-page order issued by the Purnia Civil Court on January 23, 2025, further indicated administrative lapses in handling the situation.
The Reality of Sharma Toli’s Road Problem
Sharma Toli is home to around 200 families, and like many villages in Bihar, it lacks proper road access. The need for a road is undeniable, but the question remains whether it should be framed as a communal issue.
According to villagers, they had initially proposed purchasing land from a landowner named Saud to construct a road. Saud accepted an advance payment of Rs 1 lakh but later returned the money and sold the land to members of the Muslim community. This transaction, however, occurred years ago, and the new landowners now have the legal right to build houses on their property, making a road through that path no longer feasible.
Nearby, another group of landowners, including Abu Bakar and nine others, owns land adjacent to the old road. The residents of Sharma Toli began demanding a 256-feet-long and 10-feet-wide road through their land.
Court Rejects Administration’s Decision
On November 25, 2024, Baisi Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kumari Tosi issued an order declaring part of the disputed land a public road and instructed landowners to keep it open. She also directed the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Baisi to construct a paved road.
However, the affected landowners challenged this decision in court. The Purnia Civil Court later overturned the SDM’s order, reprimanding her for overstepping her jurisdiction. The court stated:
“In the above order passed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, nowhere has it been discussed that there is any apprehension of breach of peace. There is no such statement in the order which shows that the Magistrate is satisfied that peace may be breached.”
The court further ruled that the SDM’s decision was unjustified under Section 166 BNSS and canceled her order, highlighting that she had attempted to establish a public road on private land without legal authority.
A Mutually Agreed Solution
Efforts to resolve the issue have been ongoing. One feasible alternative is constructing a road from the southern side of the locality, which would connect the village directly to the main road. This solution would benefit not just the 200 Hindu families in Sharma Toli but also neighboring Yadav and Muslim families.
A general meeting regarding this road was held on October 18, 2024, under the chairmanship of Shadipur Bhutaha Panchayat Sarpanch Md. Tohid Alam. The meeting was attended by around 150 villagers, including five landowners from the Muslim and Yadav communities who agreed to provide land for the road. A map was subsequently prepared for the proposed route. However, before implementation, the issue again shifted focus to the old road, leading to renewed disputes.
On March 5 and March 6, 2025, fresh meetings were held among villagers, where all parties agreed to construct the road from the southern side. Five landowners—Mohd. Shahnawaz, Mohd. Arshad, Waji Ahmed, Chenga Yadav, and Moti Lal Yadav—consented to provide land for the new road.
The Way Forward
With mutual consent now established, the next step lies with the administration. The ball is in their court to ensure timely road construction. The residents of Sharma Toli, regardless of their religious backgrounds, are eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of this long-pending demand.
Conclusion
The road issue in Sharma Toli is a prime example of how local infrastructure problems can be manipulated for political and media gains. The real story is about the need for better governance, transparent administrative decisions, and infrastructure development, rather than a communal conflict. With a resolution now in place, all eyes are on the local administration to deliver on the promises made to the villagers.
