Dalit groups warm up for Bhima Koregaon anniversary on Jan 1
Although plans are still fluid, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasang,national leader Prakash Ambedkar, retired Supreme Court judge PB Sawant and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan are among those who are chalking out plans for January 1
Various Dalit groups are preparing to observe the 201st anniversary of the historic Battle of Koregaon in which the East India Company had defeated the Peshwas with the help of the Mahar and other regiments.
Although plans are still fluid, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasang leader, Prakash Ambedkar, retired Supreme Court judge PB Sawant and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan are among those who are chalking out plans for January 1.
Ambedkar and Ravan said they will be visiting the victory monument (obelisk erected by the British at Koregaon) on January 1 and offer homage to the Mahar soldiers of the British East Indian Company who fought against the Peshwa’s army. Sawant, who along with retired Bombay high court judge BG Kolse-Patil, was one of the organisers of the Elgar Parishad last year, said he along with others are planning to hold an event either before of after Bhima Koregaon anniversary on January 1.
“The theme of the event will be ‘save constitution, save country’. There will be speeches by various leaders during the programme,” said Sawant adding that details of the programme are being worked out. “We will organise this event under the banner of Lokshasan Andolan, he added.
Ambedkar said, “I will be in Bhima Koregaon on January 1. We will hold celebrations as per the long established traditions of the past 35 years.”
Last year, the bicentenary celebrations observed by the Dalits at the victory pillar erected by the British at Koregaon in Pune district were marred by large scale violence and clashes between Dalits and Marathas. These celebrations were preceded by the Elgar Parishad Conclave, organised by Dalit and Left-leaning groups, ironically Shaniwar Wada, the seat of Peshwa power in Pune. A coalition of 260 organisations under the umbrella of ‘Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan’ had organized this conclave on December 31 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon battle.
Investigations into the riots took a dramatic turn when the Pune police first blamed Samasta Hindu Aghadi president Milind Ekbote and Shiv Pratisthan Hindustan president Sambhaji Bhide of instigating anti-Dalit sentiments in the region, but later arrested a number of prominent social activists and intellectuals who participated in the Elgar Parishad conclave on charges of being Maoist sympathisers. Dubbed as ‘urban naxals’ these activists such as Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, who are now in custody and facing trial, were accused of conspiring to spread unrest.
During the Elgar Parishad conclave last year, Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, JNU students’ leader Umar Khalid, Late Rohit Vemulla’s mother Radhika Vemulla and activist Soni Sori were among the speakers and participants.
Riots had erupted at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 following caste clashes leading to the death of a youth. Following the clashes, Prakash Ambedkar had accused right wing organisations led by Ekbote and Bhide for instigating the riots.
In view of last year’s caste riots, the district administration is gearing up for January 1 event and Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram recently made a visit to Bhima Koregaon.