Mumbai tense after caste violence in Pune -Governance Now

Mumbai tense after caste violence in Pune

Violence breaks out when celebrations were on to mark 200 years of a battle between Mahar soldiers and Peshwas

Geetanjali Minhas | January 3, 2018 | Mumbai

#Peshwa #Mahar #Dalit #violence #Mumbai #Maharashtra #Pune #caste

Protest at Thane, Mumbai (Photo: Geetanjali Minhas)

Violence erupted in several parts of Maharashtra following the death of a 30-year old who was hit with stones when he was returning from office on Monday after a fight broke out between Marathas and Dalits in villages around Bhima Koregaon near Pune.

Clashes erupted on Monday when a large gathering of people near Pune were celebrating 200 years of the 1818 British battle at the ‘Jaystambh’ (victory memorial) in Perne village. A battalion of British East India company consisting of Mahar (Dalit) soldiers defeated the Peshwas, symbolising the defeat of upper caste Brahmins.

The event was marred by conflict between the commemorating group and those opposed to the event. Top Dalit leaders from Maharashtra, Gujarat's new Dalit face Jignesh Mewani, AIMPLB member Maulana Azhari and activist Umar Khalid were present at the celebrations.

Tuesday saw violent protests by Dalits across Maharashtra.

As many as 25 vehicles were torched by those opposed to the gathering. Fifty vehicles were damaged due to stone pelting. As per Times of India report, 154 buses were damaged across the state, including 20 BEST buses in Mumbai alone. The BEST buses were damaged in incidents across the suburbs, including Mulund, Chembur, Deonar and Kurla.

Cases were registered in Pune against Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, who head the Hindu Ekta Aghadi and Shivraj Pratishthan for attempt to murder, rioting and sections of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. The two organisations had opposed the celebration of "British victory" in the battle.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a judicial inquiry into the Koregaon Bhima violence, a CID probe into the death of the Pune youth and compensation of Rs 10 lakh for his family. This announcements failed to pacify the Dalit leaders, with Prakash Ambedkar calling for a Maharashtra bandh on Wednesday.

According to state police, protests were also held in Kolhapur, Parbhani, Latur, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Hingoli, Kolhapur, Nanded and Thane. Mumbai Police detained several hundred people over different locations for the violence.

“Elaborate arrangements have been made to keep the situation under control in view of the bandh call. Extra forces have been kept on standby. Some areas have been identified where Internet services could be suspended so that people don’t spread rumours on social media,” Maharashtra DGP Satish Mathur was quoted as saying,

Acclaimed writer and founder member, Dalit Panthers, Arjun Dangle, blamed sections of the media for misleading people by putting the blame of violence on Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and JNU student Umar Khalid.

“What have they got to do with it? What is the relation between Bhima Koregaon and Jignesh and Khalid,” he asked.

“We have been going every year for celebrations, no violence happened. After BJP came to power things are becoming worse. Why is it doing this? We supported Modi earlier, now everyone is against him. There is unemployment and caste based violence,” he added.

Calls to Dalit leader and founder member of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, Prakash Ambedkar who has called for Maharashtra bandh today went unanswered.

Due to partial bandh, Mumbai remained tense with heavy police deployment. Sporadic cases of arson and rail and rasta roko have been reported across Mumbai. The eastern express highway is blocked. As many as 700 interstate buses are affected.

Shops in Dadar and Parel areas are shut. Mumbai suburban trains too have been affected and running late. While schools remain open, school buses stayed off roads. Mumbai Dabbawalas are also participating in the bandh.

Comments

Other News

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Wired for good: Building sustainable cities with AI

The First Industrial Revolution in the 18th-19th centuries ushered in a paradigm shift in how cities were imagined. Fueled by railways, factories and grids, and obsessed with speed and scale, it was an ode to efficiency, which spurred unprecedented economic growth. Now, as the Fourth Industrial Revolutio