MahaBhandara for Dharavi locals to mark Karl Marx’s 205th birth anniversary

Politicians use the concept of MahaBhandara liberally to woo people with religion. Marx, who famously said that religion was the opium of the people, was brought to Dharavi by Samya Korade, a member of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and president of the Progressive Students’ Union that works in the shanty town

Mumbai: On Friday, residents of Dharavi attended a ‘MahaBhandara’ (a free lunch/dinner organised for people after a religious function). As is the custom, guests queued up to offer flowers and pay their respects to a photograph at the venue. The twist in the tale is that the bearded gent in the photo was not a saffron-clad godman but an economist whose ideology took the world by storm over a century and a half ago: Karl Marx.

Mumbai, India - May 05, 2023: 205th birth anniversary of world-renowned German philosopher, political theorist and socialist revolutionary Karl Marx was celebrated by PWP activists, organised by local PWP youth activist Samya Korde, at Dharavi, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, May 05, 2023. (Photo by) (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

Politicians use the concept of MahaBhandara liberally to woo people with religion. Marx, who famously said that religion was the opium of the people, was brought to Dharavi by Samya Korade, a member of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and president of the Progressive Students’ Union that works in the shanty town. Korade organised the event to celebrate the 205th birth anniversary of Marx, the father of communism and modern socialism.

At the venue, multiple activities were on. Songs extolling the rights of workers like ‘Hum mehnatkash is duniya se jab apna hissa mangenge’ were being played in the background. Nachiket Kulkarni, a Marxist scholar, explained the thoughts of Marx and their relevance to the upliftment of workers and the poor. A group of about 20 young volunteers was serving food to people, among them Arshad Khan, a 19-year-old student who lives in Dharavi. “Marx was the first person who raised a voice against the exploitation of workers,” he said. “That’s why he is relevant for us.”

PWP state general secretary Jayant Patil, former MP and Mumbai University vice-chancellor Bhalchandra Mungekar, Adv Suresh Mane and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prabhakar Narkar attended the function. “Organising a MahaBhandara to celebrate Karl Marx’s birth anniversary is a really innovative idea,” said Patil. “We will replicate this at several places on his next birth anniversary.”

When asked about the use of a religious concept to celebrate the birth anniversary of a revolutionary thinker, Samya Korde maintained that it was just a group dinner. “Basically, this function is like a get-together to spread awareness about the thoughts of Marx in an area like Dharavi,” she said. “And it is part of our culture to offer food to guests. Considering the area and the social background of the local people, we decided to use the popular word ‘MahaBhandara’ for this dinner, so that locals could connect with the concept behind the function easily.”

Raju Korde, Samya’s father and office secretary of the PWP, said that the MahaBhandara was a medium to spread awareness about Marx. “In today’s time, the rights of workers are being denied and they are forced to work for longer hours for lower wages,” he said. “It is against this backdrop that Karl Marx has become more relevant.”