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Bhima Koregaon row: Dalits, Marathas unite; blame ‘outsiders’ for violence
Led by the sarpanch, villagers blame “outsiders” for violence, Maharashtra government for poor law and order.
Scarred by the damage and destruction in their village and the state-wide unrest between Dalits and Marathas over the last few days, the villagers of Bhima Koregaon - the epicentre of the unrest- blamed “outsiders” and the state government’s failure to maintain law and order.
The villagers have also demanded compensation for the destruction caused by vandalism in the villages in their region.
On Friday, Dalits and Marathas from the village, led by the Bhima Koregaon sarpanch Sangeeta Kamble, came together and held a media meet outside the main village temple on Friday morning. A number of villagers voiced their dissatisfaction with the handling of the violence by the police.
Violence erupted in the village of Vadhu Budhruk and soon spread to other parts during the bicentenary celebrations at the Jaystambh memorial in Bhima Koregaon on January 1.Thousands of Dalits had gathered from different parts of the state to mark the 200th anniversary of the ‘battle of Koregaon’ in which the British had defeated the Peshwas. Dalits feel proud of this victory as the Mahars- treated ruthlessly by the Peshwas- were among those who fought valiantly and brought victory to the British.
The celebration by the Dalits and the claim that it was a Mahar who had bravely performed the last rites of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son, Sambhaji, under threat of execution by the then Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, was also resented by some Marathas.
On Friday, the village sarpanch blamed “outsiders” for being the trouble makers and destroying peace in the village. While not specifying who these troublemakers were, she said, “There is no difference between a Dalit, Maratha and members of other communities. We all signify oneness and there is no friction between any of the communities here in BhimaKoregaon.”
Kamble demanded that the state government must compensate for the losses incurred by the people and make up for its complete failure and mismanagement in handling the crowds during the anniversary celebrations.
Another villager, Naryanrao Phadtare, said that it was vested interests that had tarnished the image of Bhima Koregaon. He said the government not only failed in intelligence gathering, but also in providing strong police bandobast. Phadtare demanded fair compensation to the victims of violence as losses ran into lakhs of rupees.
Villager Vrushali Gavhane narrated how shops were set on fire and small children ran helter-skelter out of fear and panic. She said that electricity and water supply had been disrupted over the last two days. The government must compensate all the affected parties and help restore confidence amongst the villagers, she said.
The villagers said they were united in seeking compensation from the government.
