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Was it a trap that led to Bhima Koregaon violence?

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Kiran Tare
Kiran TareJan 06, 2018 | 11:07

Was it a trap that led to Bhima Koregaon violence?

The violent Dalit protests across Maharashtra was not a spontaneous reaction to the attacks on the community members on January 1 at Bhima Koregaon near Pune, it has emerged. It was the fallout of a trap systematically laid by the extreme left wing organisations in which both the Dalits and the Marathas were caught unaware.

According to a top official with the home department, the signs of trouble were first noticed on December 22 when some people erected a flex at the tomb of one Ganpat Gaikwad, a Dalit, at the nearby village of Vadhu, announcing that he was the person who had cremated Chhatrapati Sambhaji. Mughal emperor Aurangazeb had killed the Maratha king after inhuman physical torture for nine days in 1688 at the same place. A group of Marathas took objection to the flex, arguing that two families in the village, the Vechale and the Shivale, had actually done the cremation.

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Originally, their surname was Patil, which got changed to Vechale and Shivale after they collected (Vechale) and stitched (Shivale) parts of Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s body before they cremated him.

On December 29, the flex at the tomb was found damaged, leading to tension in the area. Miscreants spread mischievous messages on social media, speculating that the Dalits who would gather at Koregaon Bhima on January 1 might try to damage the tomb of Chhatrapati Sambhaji as a reaction to damaging the flex. The atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion led to the clashes.

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The police suspect that extreme left wing workers were instrumental in erecting the flex at Gaikwad’s tomb, which was constructed only four years ago. It was seen as an attempt to instigate the Marathas by neglecting their contribution in maintaining the dignity of their beloved king.

Minister of state for social justice, Dileep Kamble, who witnessed the attacks on Dalits, told Mail Today that the attack was a work of “outsiders”. He did not name anyone but pointed fingers at the left wing workers. “The village didn’t have a history of caste-based riots in the last 200 years. Someone is spoiling the minds of the people with vested political interests.”

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The Maharashtra bandh on January 3 received a good response in urban areas. The Dalits in rural areas mainly stayed away from it as they are entirely dependent on the Marathas for their daily earnings right from farm labour or employment in local factories.

There might not be clashes between these two communities but one thing is certain, they have developed mistrust about each other. The immediate need is to clear the air.

Last updated: January 06, 2018 | 11:07
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