When Peshwa's army ran away in front of Mahars: Dalit votes divided after Koregaon violence; BJP leader said- don't scratch the old wound

Peshwa Bajirao II's army with 20 thousand cavalry, 8 thousand infantry and artillery is camped near Koregaon. About 800 soldiers of the British East India Company are stationed on the other side of the river. Bajirao orders a contingent of two thousand soldiers to attack the East India Company's army. The Maratha army takes charge with cannons for the attack.

Meanwhile, an officer of the British army made a big move. He ordered more than 500 Dalit soldiers of his army from the Mahar caste to fight against Bajirao's army. Mahars were familiar with this area of ​​Koregaon.

This contingent of the East India Company, led by Captain Francis Staunton, fought for about 12 hours. Peshwa's army ran away. They feared that if the war continued for a long time, another British contingent under the leadership of General Joseph Smith would arrive here. 834 soldiers of the company were killed in this war. Of these, 275 were Mahars. At the same time, about 600 soldiers of the Maratha army were killed.

Dalits celebrate this victory every year on 1 January. On January 1, 2018, people gathered in Bhima Koregaon for a similar celebration, but violence broke out. One person was killed. This violence had a deep impact on the politics of Maharashtra.

From a distance I can see Jayastambh touching the sky. This is the same Jayastambh, which was built in memory of the war of 1818. There is a police post outside, where a policeman is standing. I went ahead shooting from my mobile.

There is a small gate. It is written on the front – 'You are under CCTV surveillance.' There is Jayastambh inside the gate itself. There is a solid cement wall all around. There are two policemen sitting inside a tent also. He asked- 'Who are you, where have you come from and what are you doing?' After answering, as soon as I turned the camera towards Jaistambh, someone from behind shouted very loudly in Marathi.

Jai Stambh built in Bhima Koregaon.

When I looked back, I saw 70-80 police and paramilitary force personnel entering the Jaistambh campus. A policeman said, 'Madam, take your luggage and leave from here. Taking photos and videos is not allowed here.

At the same time, many policemen were taking selfies while eating bananas nearby, but I had to turn off the camera. I had to get out. After some time most of the policemen left. Thought we should try again. As soon as I switched on the camera, a policeman arrived again. Said- 'Look madam, you are seen in the SSP office, your mobile will be confiscated.'

I had to go out again. Paramilitary forces come to this campus twice a day. Police tents are set up. CCTVs are installed everywhere. Officials monitor 24 hours.

Here the question arose in my mind that what is the danger here that there is so much security? This was answered by Shishir Hire, who was the government lawyer in the Bhima Koregaon violence case of 2018.

Shishir explains, 'Intelligence has news that a community wants to demolish Jaistambh. This pillar was built from black stone in 1822 at the place where the war was fought in 1818. Named Jaistambh. Along with the Mahars, the names of the martyrs of 1965 and Kargil are also written on this pillar. Mahar wants only his name to remain here.

Its history is linked to the self-respect of the Mahars. Mahar comes from Dalit community. He offered his services to Bajirao II. Peshwa insulted his caste.

For their identity and self-respect, the Mahars joined the British Army and fought this battle. A January memorial meeting is held on the first day of every new year in memory of the Mahars martyred in the war. Dalits from all over the country participate in this.

He says- 'Everything was fine before 2018. On January 1, 2018, a meeting was held on behalf of Elgar Parishad in Bhima Koregaon. Elgar Parishad is a kind of gathering, in which social workers, former judges, IPS officers and many Dalit thinkers join. They organize to strengthen their stand against the atrocities being committed on Dalits.

Thousands of people were present in the meeting that day. Violence broke out in the afternoon. Shops were set on fire. A young man lost his life in this.

After this violence, 16 people were arrested from across the country. He was accused of inciting caste violence. NIA had accused him of having links with Naxalites.

One person was killed in the violence on January 1, 2018.

Bhima Koregaon is an issue in the election offices of Maharashtra which the leaders do not want to discuss. BJP spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar says, 'Why scratch the wounds which time has healed? This matter has become old, judicial investigation is taking place, cases are going on. It is not right to fan it.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Gopal alleges that undoubtedly Bhima Koregaon will be remembered politically. Dalits and intellectuals know that BJP tried to trap many people in this. Couldn't prove anything. Couldn't even punish. The entire investigation was planned in advance.

On the other hand, Maharashtra journalist Avinash Thorat says, 'After the violence in Koregaon, elections were held in Maharashtra in 2019. After the violence, Bhimrao Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar contested the elections with Asaduddin Owaisi's party. That is, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and AIMIM party fought together.

He believed that Dalits and Muslims would together become a big political force, but between 2019 and 2020, Dalit votes in Maharashtra slipped and went to Mahavikas Aghadi. After this incident, the Dalits of Maharashtra divided into many parties. Some joined Sharad Pawar and BJP. A large section broke away and joined the camp of other parties.

Avinash says, 'In the last four years, Congress and Shiv Sena have proved that Prakash Ambedkar is the B team of BJP. Prakash Ambedkar also went with Mahavikas Aghadi. Mahavikas Aghadi was giving him 6 seats, but he wanted more seats. Now the Dalit community feels that Prakash Ambedkar means BJP.

He says, 'Now political parties have suppressed the Bhima Koregaon issue. This is a deliberate move. Dalit of Maharashtra knows this issue very well. One thing is certain that the way the police is deployed in Bhima Koregaon, it can be said that due to a little negligence or laxity on the part of the government, this issue will come to the fore again.

Board installed near Jai Stambh of Bhima Koregaon.

Advocate Sudha Bhardwaj was put in jail after the violence. Former DU professor GN Saibaba was ill. His mother passed away, but he did not get bail. He got bail in March this year and died last month.

Similar thing happened with Stan Swamy who fought for tribal rights. Dalits of Maharashtra are angry with this. He knows that this is a fight between Manu Smriti and the Constitution.

Historian Prof. Rushikesh Kamble also tells the other side of Bhima Koregaon. He claims that the Mahars had defeated the Brahmins and not the Marathas. The Brahmins had forcibly imposed untouchability on the Dalits and they were angry with it. When the Maharos asked the Brahmins to end it, they did not agree and that is why they joined the British army.

The British army trained the Mahars and prepared them to fight against the Peshwa. This fight was against the Brahmins who were fighting in the name of Maratha power and the Mahars defeated them. Dalits consider this war that took place in Koregaon as a major event in their history.

British author James Grant Duff has mentioned this battle in his book 'A History of the Marathas'. It is written that after marching all night, the Mahars reached the banks of the Bhima River at ten o'clock in the morning of the New Year, where they stopped about 28 thousand Marathas. They kept marching towards the river and Peshwa's soldiers thought that they wanted to cross but as soon as they captured the area around the village, they converted it into a post.'

The book 'A History of the Marathas' by British author James Grant Duff. Koregaon battle has been mentioned in it.

Henry T Prinsep's book 'History of the Political and Military Transactions in India' mentions the courage of the British contingent composed of Mahar Dalits in this battle.

It is written in this book that when this contingent under the leadership of Captain Staunton was going to Poona, there was a possibility of attack on it. To avoid the fear of getting trapped in the open space, this troop reached Koregaon and decided to make it their fort. If this contingent had been trapped in the open, it could have been in a bad situation at the hands of the Marathas.

How did Bhima-Koregaon become the center of Dalit identity?

Bhimrao Ambedkar's father Ramji Maloji Sakpal was a Subedar in the British Indian Army. In May 1892, new recruitment in the Mahar Regiment was stopped under British rule. During the First World War, the British Empire needed soldiers. At this time the Mahar Regiment was re-introduced, but after the war stopped in 1918 the Mahar Regiment was again discontinued.

In one of his speeches in 1941, Ambedkar mentioned Bhima-Koregaon and said that at this place the Mahars had defeated the Peshwa. It was Ambedkar, because of whom Bhima-Koregaon became the center of Dalit identity.

In 1927, for the first time, Ambedkar placed before the British the demand for reinstatement of Mahars in the army. In this connection, he came to Bhima-Koregaon for the first time.