Faceless victims: Diploma holder to farmer,party man to shopkeeper

The Indian Express profiles the six:

RAJESH KUMAR,23: Rajesh had done an ITI course from Sindri and cleared a written test for a job in Kolkata. A resident of Ahiyapur village in Nalanda district,he is said to have become a Modi fan since returning from Sindri seven months back. Before leaving for the Patna rally,he told his labourer father Anjani Bhushan that he would take up the Kolkata job soon and shoulder the responsibility of educating his three younger brothers. “Rajesh wanted his brothers to pursue higher studies and get government jobs. If those sympathising with us can take care of that,we will get some solace,” the father said.

RAJNARAIN SINGH,65: A small Rajput farmer,Singh belonged to Kamarji village of Gaurichak on Patna’s periphery. Singh,two of whose sons are in the Army,was a staunch BJP supporter who would not miss any big party rally. “My mother had asked him not to go because of his old age. But he slipped away from the house. He had once crossed the Punpun river to listen to Rajnath Singh. He would often talk about seeing Modi in person,” said his unemployed eldest son Ramvinod Singh. Rajnarain was near a giant TV screen at the rally venue when a bomb exploded nearby. Although they have been visited by several BJP leaders,the village would have appreciated it if Nitish Kumar had also visited them,Ramvinod said.

BHARAT RAJAK,55: Supaul resident Rajak was the BJP’s Simrahi panchayat head. A Mahadalit,he earned his living through odd jobs. His eldest son is a labourer and two other sons are in school. The family lives in a brick and tile house and depended on Rajak and the eldest son to feed it. Rajak had missed attending Modi’s June 2010 rally at Gandhi Maidan but made it this time.

VINDESHWARI CHOUDHARY,55: An active BJP worker from Tarabariyarpur of Begusarai,Choudhary had reportedly got more than 500 people from his area to Modi’s rally. An OBC Vaishya,Choudhary was a small farmer and a father of three sons. Tarabariyarpur resident G N Singh said Choudhary was very enthused about mobilising people for the rally and extensively canvassed for it. Like Rajnarain Singh,Choudhary was also near a giant TV screen at Gandhi Maidan when a bomb went off. Some villagers who had accompanied Choudhary were also wounded.

VIKAS KUMAR SINGH,28: Vikas was a primary member of the BJP and was actively associated with the Yuva Morcha of the party in his area of Rampur Nishija village of Kaimur. A farmer by profession,he had 12 bighas of land. He was also the father of an eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter and the only one earning in the family. Vikas had been assigned to motivate youth in the area by invoking Modi’s speeches. He had travelled to Patna with fellow villagers by bus and the party had paid for the trip.

MUNNA SRIVASTAVA,32: Although not an active member of the BJP,the resident of Mirganj in Gopalganj was another staunch supporter of the party and would often attend its public meetings. Munna had returned from Delhi a few years back and ran a provision store. He had a two-and-a half-year-old daughter.