Bhima Koregaon bristles with cops as 8 lakhs turn up for Dalit war commemoration

Pune: Two years after caste clashes marredthe commemoration of the battle of Koregaon Bhima in Pune district of Maharashtra, at least 8 lakh people on Wednesday visited the ‘Jaystambh’ (pillar of victory) in Perne village to mark the the 202nd anniversary of the historic battle.

The event passed off peacefully amidst heavy security, officials said. As a precautionary measure, Internet services in and around Koregaon Bhima remained suspended for the day. Services resumed in the evening.

Violent clashes had broken out in the area around Koregaon Bhima on the 200th anniversary of the historic battle on January 1, 2018, in which one person was killed and several others were injured.

The event commemorates a battle that took place on January 1, 1818 in which a Dalit army fighting on the side of the British, defeated a force raised by the Maratha rulers.

Smarter by their experience two years ago, this year’s event was marked by tight police security arrangements, especially at the historic Vadhu Budruk village, located near Perne. For onen month ahead of the event, the district administration and police held a string of meetings with villagers to “build confidence.”.

"The entire programme took place as per our plans. We wanted this entire event to be free of any dispute or incident, and it happened as per the plans," Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram said.

The heavy police deployment indicated the administration did not want to take any chances. "Apart from a large number of police personnel, companies of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), teams of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) were deployed," a police official said. Drone cameras were used to monitor the crowd.

Early in the morning, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar, Union minister Ramdas Athawale and several other leaders visited the 'Jay Stambh'.

After the violence of two years ago, events around the Bhima Koregaon commemoration have assumed a political intensity, especially for Dalit political groups. As per the Dalit narrative, around 500 soldiers from the dalit Mahar caste, who were part of the British Army, defeated forces of the Peshwas (who were Brahmins), in the 1818 battle.

Every year, lakhs of people, especially Dalits and those from the Ambedkarite movement, visit the Jaystambh on January 1 to pay their respects.