Political and Economic Notes:
L o n g B
a ttle fo
r Dalits
Ba
for
The Bhima – Koregaon village
and surrounding areas in Pune
district of Maharashtra have
witnessed violent clashes between
the Hindutva forces and the
masses of Dalit people at the end
of Dec’ 2017 and Jan’ 1 st 2018.
The course of developments,in
brief, are like this:
Bhima – Koregaon is a village
where 200 years back, in 1818
British East India Company had
erected a “Ranastambha” as a
mark of honour to the British Army
men ( Who included 500 Mahars)
who fell in a battle which defeated
Peshwa Bajirao II on Jan 1, 1818.
Dr. BR.Ambedkar had visited this
site on Jan 1, 2017 and declared
the Ranastambh as a symbol of
pride for the Dalit Community as
this battle ended the Peshwa
domination. Since then, it had
become a practice for the Dalits
of the different corners of the
Country to congregate at this site
in every year on Jan 1 st . This year,
being the bicentenary of 1818
battle, the organisers made
extensive preparations for a
massive congregation at the site.
On Dec 27, 2017, some had
erected a board near the Samadhi
of Govind Mahar in Vadhu Badruk
village near Bhima – Koregaon. It
extolled Govind Mahar as he is
believed by the Mahars to have
performed the last rites of Shivaji’s
son and successor Shambhaji
who was killed by the Mughals in
1689. Some from Marathas could
not digest it because they believed
that Shambhaji’s last rites were
performed not by a Mahar, but the
Marathas. Both sides filed their
February - 2018
complaints with the local police
station. But the Hindutva forces,
who were waiting for an opportunity
to sow the rift among the Marathas
and Dalits, used the incident as a
match stick to ignite the tensions
and clashes between the Marathas
and Dalits.
On Dec 31 st , 2017, the Dalits
held an “Elgaar Parishad” (battle
cry) at the Shaniwarawada Fort in
Pune. This place is important
because it was here in 1818 the
Army of British East India Company
(which included some Mahars)
had defeated Peshva Bajirao II in
a battle. This Elgaar Parishad was
attended by many prominent Dalit
leaders including Jignesh Mevani,
Radhika Vemula, Vijay Ratan
Singh of Bhim Army and the
artistes of Kabir kala Manch. The
Dalit leaders chose this as the
venue as they thought it to be a
better place to send out a strong
message to the Hindutva forces
that Dalits are united and are not
prepared to tolerate the atrocities
and attacks on them. The
speakers had concentrated their
criticism against the Hindutva
forces and their governments.
On Jan’1, 2018, saffron flag
holding mob of 1000 armed with
stones, bottles, sticks and rods
attacked the buses that were
ferrying the Dalits to Bhima-
Koregaon. They vandalised Govind
Mahar’s Samadhi and burnt down
10 vehicles. Violence continued
for more than 4 hours. One 28 –
year old person has died in the
violence. The administration as
well as police on the scene
remained silent spectators.
The attacks on the dalits were
not local in nature. They were a
part of a larger conspiracy of the
Hindutva forces. Manohar
Shambhaji Bhide of Shiva
Pratisthan Hindustan from Sangli
district and Milind Ekbote of BJP
and Samsthan Hindu Agadi from
Pune are the prominent, who are
known for frenzy in Hindutva, are
believed to be the persons who
fanned the communal flames and
attacks on the Dalit people.
According to Satish Shinde of the
Maratha Shambhaji Brigade: “The
Bhima-Koregaon violence was an
act of Hindutva outfits and designed
to spark tensions between the
Mahars (Dalits) and Maratha
Communities.”
On Jan , 2018, Prakash
Ambedkar, the leader of Bharipa
Bahujan Mahasangh Party, the
grandson of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar
and various Maratha Organisations
including the Maratha Shambhaji
Brigade Jointly called for a Bandh
in protest against the callous
attitude and inaction of the state
Govt. in the context of violence and
clashes in Bhima-Koregaon area.
It is significant to note that while
the clashes and violence came as
a product of the conspiracy of
Hindutva forces to widen the rift
between the Marathas and Dalits,
those who gave the Joint call for a
Bandh called for the unity among
the dalits and Marathas and
directed the struggle against the
Hindutva forces and the Govt. The
Bandh call received a positive
response from the people in
Maharashtra. The life in many areas
in Mumbai came to a standstill.
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