Mumbai: Violence that broke out over the 200th anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune on Monday spilled into Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday. Thousands of Dalits disrupted rail and road traffic, and damaged more than a hundred buses in the city as they protested against the death of a 28-year-old man in Monday’s violence and demanded action against those involved.
More than a 100 people were detained as protesters went on a rampage and riot police had to be called in. Chembur bore the maximum brunt of the Dalit outrage as more than 20 government buses were set on fire there. Protesters also disrupted road traffic in the suburbs and local train services on the Harbour Line. They blocked roads in several areas, forced shops to shut down, and also attacked a journalist of a television news channel.
State-owned buses were also targeted by Dalit protestors in Pune as 11 buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and the Pune Municipal Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) were damaged.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed for calm and ordered a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Bombay High Court into the Pune violence. He said it needed to be ascertained if there was a conspiracy behind Monday's violence. Fadnavis said Rs 10 lakh compensation would be given to kin of the youth killed and his death would be probed by the CID.
Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle which the forces of the British East India Company had won over those belonging to the Peshwa. Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as soldiers from the Mahar community – then considered untouchable - were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory was seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.
But this year, the protests got a political colour as several right-wing groups objected to the event, calling it anti-national. Fadnavis said that the police force in Pune has shown great restraint and managed to keep the situation under control.
But that did not impress Prakash Ambedkar, the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader and grandson of B R Ambedkar. He has called for a 'Maharashtra bandh' on Wednesday to protest against the government's "failure" to stop the violence.
In Thane, hundreds of protesters sat on a dharna on roads, forced shops to down shutters and damaged buses. Reports of violence and stone pelting were also reported from Pune and Solapur.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the event to celebrate the Bhima-Koregaon battle as a "potent symbol" of resistance to RSS-BJP's "fascist vision".
"A central pillar of the RSS/BJPs fascist vision for India is that Dalits should remain at the bottom of Indian society. Una, Rohith Vemula and now Bhima-Koregaon are potent symbols of the resistance," he tweeted.
The Mumbai police, meanwhile, issued a statement appealing to people not to believe in rumours and verify facts with the police before posting anything on social media. Maharashtra minister of state for home, Deepak Kesarkar, visited Bhima-Koregoan and neighbouring villages and said the situation was under control.
Several domestic airlines, including the government-owned Air India, have waived charges for ticket cancellations and no show due to the ongoing unrest in parts of Maharashtra.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar blamed the administration for the violence and demanded a probe into the incident. Appealing for peace, Pawar said such situations need to be defused patiently by those in political and social spheres without any provocative speeches being made.
"Since the administration did not take precautions, rumours and misunderstanding spread. A youth in Nanded died unfortunately. People from political and social field should defuse the situation harmoniously and patiently without making provocative speeches," the former Union minister said.
Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan condemned the violence and urged people not to believe in rumours. Antisocial elements were trying to create tensions between Dalits and Maratha communities for political benefit, he said.
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