Over six lakh folks, primarily followers of Dr B R Ambedkar from totally different elements of the nation, visited the ‘Jaystambh’ at Perne village in Pune district to mark the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima on Wednesday.
Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar and chief of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Union Minister Ramdas Athavle, MP Chandrashekhar Azad, former MP Jogendra Kawade have been among the many senior Ambedkarite leaders who visited the ‘Jaystambh’.
Chatting with media individuals, Athavale introduced poetry in his distinctive type. “….Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar ahet aamcha daata, Ani jo Babasahebana virodh karel tyala ghalu amhi latha (Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is our guardian, we’ll kick those that oppose Babasaheb)”, he stated.
By the way, there have been widespread protests throughout the nation just lately towards Union Residence Minister Amit Shah for his alleged objectionable remarks on Dr B R Ambedkar in Parliament. A couple of Ambedkarite teams visiting ‘Jaystambh’ have been additionally seen shouting slogans towards Shah on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Dattatraya Bharane, Minister for Sports activities and Youth Welfare, Minorities Improvement and Aukaf of Maharashtra and Madhuri Misal, Minister of state for social justice, additionally visited the Jaystambh on Wednesday morning.
Deputy Chief Kinister Ajit Pawar didn’t go to the ‘Jaystambh’, however posted a message on his social media account to commemorate the Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary.
It could be recalled that one individual died and a number of other others have been left injured within the violence in Koregaon Bhima space on January 1, 2018, when an enormous variety of folks had gathered to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary Koregaon Bhima battle. Since then, the January 1 occasion at Jaystambh is taken into account extremely delicate by the federal government.
Over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed round Jaystambh and the adjoining villages, together with Koregaon Bhima, to take care of regulation and order.
“No untoward incident was reported. As of now, about six lakh folks have visited the Jaystambh peacefully,” stated Commissioner of Pune Metropolis police Amitesh Kumar.
In addition to Kumar, Pune district collector Suhas Divase, Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Santosh Patil, Superintendent of Pune rural police Pankaj Deshmukh, Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey and different prime officers have been intently monitoring the scenario at ‘Jaystambh’ and different places.
Chatting with media individuals after his go to to the ‘Jaystambh’, Dalit chief Prakash Ambedkar stated the battle of Koregaon Bhima bodily ended, however it’s nonetheless on mentally. “So long as the psychological battle (towards casteism) continues, folks will hold visiting the symbols of humanity just like the Jaystambh…,” Ambedkar stated.
When contacted, advocate Rohan Jamadar, a successor of Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar stated, “Police issued a discover and requested us to avoid Jaystambh space right this moment as a safety measure.”
Together with tight police safety, preparations like free buses for guests, consuming water tankers, well being, medical and sanitation amenities, hearth tenders, ambulances, have been in place. Everybody going in direction of Jaystambh was made to cross by way of door body steel detectors. A number of CCTV cameras have been put in and drones have been used for overseeing the crowds.
No untoward incident at Vadhu Budruk
No untoward incident was reported on the Vadhu Budruk village, a extremely delicate place situated about 5km away from the Jaystambh.
Vadhu Budruk is understood for the samadhi of legendary king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The village additionally has a disputed tomb-like construction, which, in accordance with the Dalit Mahar group, is the samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Meghoji, a Seventeenth-century Dalit determine.
Marathas from Vadhu Budruk village consider it was their ancestors, the Shivale Deshmukhs, who defied the orders of Aurangzeb and carried out the final rites of Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by the Mughal emperor in 1689.
However as per one other narrative from the Mahar group, Govind Gopal carried out the final rites of the king. The Gaikwad household from the village declare to be successors of Govind Gopal.
A board with the ‘disputed historical past’ of Govind Gopal erected in Vadhu Budruk on the intervening night time of December 28 and 29, 2017, had led to an altercation, which was seen as one of many triggers for Koregaon Bhima violence on January 1, 2018.
1000’s of people that visited Jaystambh additionally went to Vadhu Budruk on Wednesday. An enormous police pressure was deployed in Vadhu Budruk to make sure peace.
Pandurang Gaikwad, who claims to be a successor of Govind Gopal stated that each one important preparations have been made within the village by the federal government.
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