Ideological and caste differences over a 200-year-old battle brought several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Kolhapur and Nagpur, to a standstill on Wednesday, following a bandh called by two organisations belonging to the Maratha and the Dalit communities. The battle of Koregaon Bhima, 170 km south-east of Mumbai in Pune district, was fought between the Peshwas of Maharashtra and the British in January 1818. A small band of Mahars (a part of the larger Dalit community) had sided with the foreigners then.
Violence had erupted on Monday, January 1, at the site where thousands of Mahars congregate each year to commemorate the British victory in the Anglo-Maratha battle. On its 200th anniversary, individuals with saffron flags pelted stones at the Mahars. One person — a 28-year-old man — died in the subsequent clashes.
Wednesday’s bandh was called jointly by Dalit leader and president of the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) Prakash Ambedkar, and various Maratha organisations, including Sambhaji Brigade, one of the largest in the State. Even though Monday’s violence was allegedly between Marathas and Dalits, the two communities joined hands to protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led State government, demanding equal status in society, and reservations.
Mr. Ambedkar said, “The incident at Koregaon Bhima has nothing to do with any caste, but is an attempt to oppress those that are already marginalised by Hindutva forces for decades. We stand together against this.”
Many areas of Mumbai came to a standstill with schools declaring a holiday, local trains paralysed by ‘rail roko s’, and city highways and arterial roads blockaded by demonstrators, who also forcibly shut down thousands of shops and eateries. Autorickshaw and taxi unions decided to keep their vehicles off the streets, and online taxi operators such as Uber and Ola found many of their services crippled.
Mumbai’s functioning Metro line was suspended after protesters tried to forcibly enter stations. Hundreds of commuters were locked in at various stations.
Mumbai’s BEST bus services were halted after demonstrators targeted vehicles and deflated tyres at various depots. In Navi Mumbai, over 60 people were detained in 17 cases of rasta roko , rail roko , and stone pelting.
In some districts in western Maharashtra, the shutdown saw bursts of violence. Following the silent Maratha rallies in 2016 and 2017, it was reported that other castes, especially Dalits, were organising themselves for a show of strength. Both communities account for almost 52% of the State's population. Normal life resumed in most parts of the State by evening, after the bandh was called off.
