Journalism of Courage
Preparations are in full swing for the January 1 programme at the Jaystambh in Pune district’s Perne village to mark the 205th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon Bhima.
For the second consecutive year, the Maharashtra government has put up the Mahar regiment insignia along with flowers and the tricolour on the British military monument ahead of the January 1 event. Besides, a photograph of Dr B R Ambedkar’s visit has also been placed on it this time.
The Jaystambh was erected by the British government in 1821 in memory of its soldiers who fought against the Peshwas of the Maratha forces at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818. The British appointed their soldier Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar (Malvadkar), who was injured in the battle, in charge of the monument on December 13, 1824.
As per a Dalit narrative, a British Army comprising 500 soldiers from the Dalit Mahar community defeated a 25,000-strong force of Peshwas (who were Brahmins) in the battle. Lakhs of people, mainly from Ambedkar’s Mahar community, visit the Jaystambh on January 1, observing it as Shauryadin, to pay tributes to the soldiers who they believe fought a war for freedom against the Peshwas’ alleged casteism.
The government expects over five lakh visitors to the Jaystambh on January 1, 2023, with thousands of Ambedkarites already having reached there.
According to the descendants of Jamadar, who are from the Maratha community, both the British and Peshwa forces consisted of soldiers from different castes. “Going by contemporary historical records, the Jaystambh cannot be linked to any particular caste or religion,” said advocate Rohan Jamadar, a seventh-generation descendant of Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar.
Rohan has written a book on the battle of Koregaon Bhima of January 1, 1818, with several contemporary historical references.
“In the 1818 battle, the British Army comprised the First Bombay Native Infantry, Madras Artillery and Poona Auxiliary Horse. The Mahar regiment did not exist in 1818. It was raised in 1941. Initially, the Jaystambh was part of the insignia of the Mahar regiment, but it was removed later. Now the Mahar regiment insignia has a pair of crossed Vickers medium machine guns and a dagger. I got information under the RTI Act that the government had made no communication with the Indian Army or the defence ministry before putting up the Mahar regiment insignia on the Jaystambh last time,” he said.
“Dr Ambedkar visited the Jaystambh only once, on January 1, 1927, as a part of the historic anti-British movement against the ban on the recruitment of the then untouchables in the British Army,” he added.
Meanwhile, a 5,000-strong police force has been deployed at the Jaystambh and in nearby villages including Koregaon Bhima and Vadhu Budruk. Violence in the Koregaon Bhima area on January 1, 2018, claimed one life and injured several others. So steps have been taken to prevent any law and order situation. As many as 240 CCTV cameras, drones and various security gadgets are in place at the Jaystambh.
The district collector and senior police officers from Pune city, Pune Rural and Pimpri Chinchwad are monitoring the situation. Special inspector-general of police Sunil Phulari warned of action against objectionable comments and social media posts about the January 1 event.
Police have also issued notices to about 70 people including activists of different ideological groups and some local residents to bar them from the Jaystambh and nearby areas on January 1.
Parking lots and water and health facilities have been arranged. Pandals have been raised in Perne by various Ambedkarite groups, political outfits and other organisations. The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd has arranged free bus services from various places to Perne.
Security beefed up at Vadhu Budruk
Security has also been beefed up in the historic Vadhu Budruk village, located about 5 km from the Jaystambh. It is known for the samadhi of legendary king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The village also has a disputed tomb-like structure, which according to the Dalit Mahar community is the samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Meghoji, a 17th-century Dalit figure. This samadhi is also decorated with flowers as many people going to the Jaystambh also visit this place on January 1.
Marathas from Vadhu Budruk village believe it was their ancestors, the Shivale Deshmukhs, who defied the orders of Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by the Mughal emperor in 1689. The Dalit Mahar community, however, claims that Govind Gopal performed the last rites of the king. The Gaikwad family from the village claim to be successors of Govind Gopal.
A board with the “disputed history” of Govind Gopal was erected by the Gaikwad family in Vadhu Budruk on the intervening night of December 28 and 29, 2017, and was removed by members of the Maratha community. This led to an altercation, which was seen as one of the factors that led to the Koregaon Bhima violence of January 1, 2018. Since then, Vadhu Budruk is seen as one of the sensitive locations in the district.
Pandurang Gaikwad, from Vadhu Budruk, said, “Police conducted a route march in the village today morning. We showered flowers over them. The situation is peaceful.”
