On January 1st, when India was busy in welcoming the new year, there were some people who made an effort to break the country’s unity, and divide Hindus into castes, so that they could gain some political mileage. An event was held in Bhima Koregaon, where B R Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar, Jignesh Mewani – who allied with Congress to contest Gujarat polls, and Umar Khalid – JNU student leader who had shouted anti-national slogans, were present.
To understand what the event was all about, one needs to go 200 years back in history. A Battle was fought on 1st January 1818 between British East India Company and the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao II, at Koregaon Bhima. The Company force led by Captain Francis Staunton, won the battle. It consisted of soldiers from the Mahar caste, who were Dalits. Since Peshwas were Brahmins, hence victory of the British Army is celebrated at the event.
On 1st January 1927, when B.R. Ambedkar had visited the battlefield memorial, which has names of all dead soldiers, including those who belonged to the Mahar caste, he had said, “Who were these people who joined East India Company’s army and helped British to conquer India? These were untouchables of India. Men in Robert Clive’s army in the battle of Plassey were Dusads, and Dusads are untouchables.” He claimed
However, this year’s event saw casteist, communal, anti-national, and hateful speeches being made by people like Jignesh Mewani. Some people belonging to Maratha community objected to this, which resulted in a fight between them, and Dalits who had come to attend the event. According to latest reports, the violence has spread to cities like Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad, along with towns like Baramati, Sangli and Miraj.
Those who are familiar with history, know that Britishers divided Indians, and made us fight against each other. Col. Reginald Dyer’s troops who fired on Sikhs inside the Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar, were all Gorkhas. Has anyone heard Gorkhas celebrating Jalianwala Bagh, and abusing Sikhs in an organized event? No. Hence, it can be concluded that this event was organized, to instigate animosity between castes, and break the unity of Hindus and Indians. It is very likely that the some organizers may have received funds from foreign to destabilize the country on the line of castes and generate sympathy for the British within India.
