Bihar’s Most Marginalised: The Musahar And Manjhi Communities - In Photos
As Bihar heads into another election, voices from its poorest settlements speak of ration lines, lost pensions, and the quiet persistence of democracy. The story of Bihar’s marginalised emerges most clearly in the heart of the state, where the Ganga’s plains turn to cracked earth during summer. Here live the Musahar and Manjhi communities, among the most marginalised Dalit groups in India. Traditionally landless labourers, they have for generations worked in others’ fields, cutting paddy, carrying bricks, and surviving on daily wages. Though official records list them as beneficiaries of countless welfare schemes, their lives are marked by chronic poverty, poor access to healthcare, and dependence on a ration card that barely sustains them.
Amidst the village, the community struggles with basic amenities in extremely dire environments | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Bharti Devi (50), a widow from the Manjhi community, sits with her son, a testament to the gaping hole between political rhetoric and ground reality | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Future of the community hangs in balance amidst the daily struggles | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Jattu Paswan (55) and Saalti, from the Manjhi community, sit outside their basic shelter, relying on cutting and selling wood for a living. | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Punia Devi and her family from the Manjhi community. Being landless laborers, they depend on government rations and a hope for a better future. | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Raja Manjhi and Soni Devi, members of the Manjhi community, at their residence. | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Three women of the Manjhi community Sonpatiya, Reshmi Devi, and Phulmanti Devi sit outside their modest home, reflecting the daily struggle for basic amenities. | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
Water, sanitation and health amenities still a problem for the community | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook
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