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.

Updated on: 31 October 2025 10:06 am

Inside the village of the Musahar community | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook

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2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election

Amidst the village, the community struggles with basic amenities in extremely dire environments | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook

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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

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Future of the community hangs in balance amidst the daily struggles | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook

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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

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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

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Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Musahar community

Raja Manjhi and Soni Devi, members of the Manjhi community, at their residence. | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey/Outlook

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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

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