Phule: Saamana questions CM’s silence over Brahmins objecting to movie

Originally set to release on April 11, the film’s launch was postponed by two weeks after Brahmin organisations in Maharashtra watched the trailer

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana on Monday questioned Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s silence over the controversy surrounding the upcoming film Phule, which is about the 19th-century anti-caste activists Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule.

‘Phule vs Fadnavis’: Saamana questions CM’s silence over Brahmins objecting to movie

Originally set to release on April 11, the film’s launch was postponed by two weeks after Brahmin organisations in Maharashtra watched the trailer and alleged that the movie portrays the community negatively and promotes casteism. The movie will now be released on April 25 with edits demanded by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), including removing terms like “Mahar,” “Mang,” “Peshwai,” and “Manu’s system of caste,” and replacing a scene showing a man with a broom tied to his waist (symbolising the historical humiliation and oppression of Shudras) with one showing cow dung thrown at Savitribai.

In an editorial published in Saamana on Monday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said that if Fadnavis, a Brahmin, does not break his silence on the controversy, it will be seen as “Phule vs Fadnavis”, indicating a caste divide in the state between backward classes and Brahmins.

“Progressive Maharashtra, which belongs to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Phule, is caught in the hands of orthodox people,” the editorial said. “Opposition to the movie Phule is a result of that. Why is CM Devendra Fadnavis silent on this social issue? He should break his silence, or it would be seen as Phule vs Fadnavis.” It added that Phule was not anti-Brahmin, and neither were all Brahmins during his time against him.

The editorial further said that Fadnavis can easily silence the Brahmin groups who threatened that they wouldn’t allow the film to be released unless the makers removed some scenes. “[Fadnavis] is the chief minister and also a Brahmin. The Brahmin community in Maharashtra will definitely follow his words, so it is his duty to silence these groups who are creating nuisance.”

It also pointed out that Fadnavis was all praise for movies like Kashmir Files and Chhaava but has not said anything about Phule. “Phule started a school for girls, and people from the Brahmin community also benefitted from it. Phule came forward to help widows from the Brahmin community who were suffering from problems like unwanted pregnancies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to people to watch Chhaava as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was brutally tortured by a Muslim ruler. But they are protecting orthodox Hindus who harassed the Phule couple. This is not justice,” stated the editorial.

Chandrakant Patil, senior BJP leader and state minister for higher and technical education, dismissed the editorial, saying, “The Saamana editorial talks about a conflict between Phule-Ambedkar and Fadnavis. But this caste conflict is in the mind of [Saamana executive editor] Sanjay Raut and won’t be a reality in Maharashtra. People from Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes know that Fadnavis stood for their reservation.”

Bhujbal rakes up Phule memorial

Meanwhile, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal criticised the state government over the delay in the expansion of a memorial to the Phule couple in Pune. He warned that he and his supporters would resort to protests if the government continued to dilly-dally over the project.

Turning on his own party’s president and state finance minister, Bhujbal said, “Ajit Pawar declared approving ₹200 crore for the [memorial] work but even after several meetings, the land is yet to come in the possession. Yesterday, I had no option but to say that if it is not happening, we will have to resort to protesting for the project. We have been demanding land to expand the memorial dedicated to Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule. But the acquisition work is going on at zero speed.”

This isn’t the first time Bhujbal has targeted the Mahayuti government, of which his NCP is a part. The senior OBC leader has been disgruntled ever since he was denied a ministerial position after the Mahayuti returned to power in November last year.

Responding to Bhujbal later in the day, Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune, said, “We will make all the efforts to develop a memorial of Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule. We will also ensure no one will have to protest for it.”

The BJP’s Patil, who is an MLA from the Kothrud assembly constituency in Pune, also assured that he would hold a meeting to expedite the work. “I will hold a meeting with the municipal commissioner and collector for the acquisition of the land for the project on April 17,” he said.

The state government has decided to integrate the Mahatma Phule Wada and Savitribai Phule Memorial in Pune, which requires the acquisition of 2.71 acres of land, including some private properties. Phule Wada, otherwise known as Bhide Wada, was where the Phules opened India’s first school for girls in 1848.

Bhujbal’s demands to expedite the Phule memorial work assume significance after the Mahayuti government’s recent declarations to develop several memorials to Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son, Sambhaji Maharaj.