Kolhapur: The decision to organize Rajshree Shahu Social Reconciliation Parishad here on Monday 26 June at 12 noon in the presence of renowned actor Amol Palekar at Keshavrao Bhosle Theater was taken in a meeting on organised by among others, Bharatiya Lok Andolan in Kolhapur on Saturday, June 17. Members of political opposition parties also participated. Lokmat reported the developments. June 26, 1874 is the day Shahu Maharaj, who occupied the throne of Kolhapur for 28 years, from 1894 to 1922, was born. Born as Yeshwantrao to the Ghatge Maratha family, of Kagal village of the Kolhapur district as Yeshwantrao Ghatge to Jaisingrao and Radhabai, Shahu Maharaj’s reign is highly regarded by Maharashtrians who associate social justice and progressive values to be the key to good governance.
The day before, on Sunday, June 25, the Shahu Salokha Manch will be organising a Peace March in the city where different parties and social organisations will participate.
Sabrangindia has consistently reported on the recent violence perpetrated in Kolhapur, a city closely associated with the values of Shahu Maharaj and more recently with Dr Govind Pansare. Tensions had simmered in this southern Maharashtrian town, after Hindutva groups and representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), egged on by rival Shiv Sena factions sought to escalate tensions over a controversial social media post (June 6) valorising Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. Despite appeals by the Muslim community and citizens not to allow one incident to spread tensions and terror between ordinary people, attempts were made to “enforce a bandh and at least two three stray acts of targeted violence against Muslims was reported. Efforts by the local police and citizens helped restore some calm on June 7.
At the time, speaking to Sabrangindia, SP Mahendra Pandit had stated that the whole town of Kolhapur was under curfew presently, peace had somehow been ensured and added that all those guilty of the bandh-instigated violence would be prosecuted. FIRs were also registered against those who attacked a Muslim vendor on June 6 and six arrests have been made.
The meeting last Friday, was held at the office of the Farmers Labour Party. City President of the Nationalism Congress Party (NCP) R. K. Powar said, everyone should come together and give a fitting response to rioters. Then participants should march to the city square and tell speak on the vision and ideals ofd Shahu Maharaj.
CPI (M) State Secretary Uday Narkar said, Kolhapur is progressive land built on the thoughts of Shahu Maharaj. There is an outcry among the people against recent communal riots (June 5-6). Dr. Megha Pansare, district secretary of Communist Party of India (CPI), Satishchandra Kamble, Vasantrao Mulik, Atul Dighe, City President Sachin Chavan of Indian National Congress (INC) , Baburao Kadam of (Peasants and Workers Party-PWP), Ravi Jadhav of Janata Dal, Bharti Powar, Dilip Pawar (CPI), Subhash Jadhav, B. L. Barge, Babasaheb Deokar also spoke. Vasantrao Patil, Dilip Jadhav, Sanjay Salunkhe, Rafiq Bhai Sheikh Dildar Mujawar were also present in the meeting.
Maharashtra has seen a spate of instigated attempts at targeted communal violence over the past two months including Ahmednagar, Shevgaon, Trikambeshwar and Nanded. The brutal killing of one Lukman Suleman Ansari near Nashik has sent shockwaves. The Nashik rural police arrested six cow vigilantes for allegedly murdering Lukman Suleman Ansari on suspicion of transporting cattle for slaughter. These accused, Pradeep Adhole alias Pappu (34), Bhaskar Bhagat (28), Chetan Somawne (26), Vijay Bhagade (26), Rupesh Joshi (39) and Shekhar Gaikwad (22), were associated with Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, founded by hate offender Pravin Togadia. The accused have been remanded to police custody until June 17 and the police are in the process of recovering weapons from the accused, reported Indian Express on June 15.
Ansari, a resident of Padgha, Bhiwandi, was earlier reported to be missing. Ansari along with Pappu Atiq Paddi (36) and Aqueel Gulam Gavandi (25) bought two cows, a bullock and a calf for Rs 18,300 from a woman in Kharegaon, Shahpur. They were transporting the animals in a pick-up tempo to Padgha in Thane district.
Kolhapur June 5-6, 2023
Reports then of a group of Hindutva inspired extremist youth thrashed a Muslim minor for reportedly sharing a social media status hailing Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. The status (social media) simply valorised Aurangzeb and Tipu and did not in any way attack another community or contain any words to offend or hurt the religious sentiments of any individual.
A video showing a mob of at least 8-10 men abusing a Muslim minor has surfaced online. Incidentally, organisations representing the Muslim community specifically wrote to the SP, Kolhapur Pandit urging that the truth behind the social media posts be established and the entire community not be held hostage. Former corporator from the city, Adil Faras who was alleged to have been the “author” of the controversial posts clearly distanced himself from the post and has publicly asked the police to get to the bottom of who the real culprits are. SP Pandit and the IG, according to reports from the ground obtained by Sabrangindia, patrolling the streets and urging that the bandh call given by extremist organisations not be adhered to.
Following the tensions since June 6 in Kolhapur, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had in a strong statement said that the ruling party “encourages” instances of communal violence, as has been reported by the Indian Express. “Incidents of communal clashes in Ahmednagar and Kolhapur have taken place over some mobile messages. What is the meaning of hitting the streets over such messages? Today’s ruling party encourages such things. Rulers should ensure peace and law and order. But if rulers start hitting the street and create enmity among two communities, that is not a good thing for the state,” Pawar said, addressing a press conference in Ahmednagar on Wednesday morning. He also said that the tensions were a result of the ideology of the ruling dispensation at work and that this must be deplored. (Reports in ABP Marathi and Indian Express)
On June 9, a Friday, senior activists and citizens active in public life met the Collector, Rahul Rekhawar pressing the civil servant to assure that those guilty of fomenting communal tensions in the southern Maharashtra town be promptly prosecuted. While deploring the social media post (valorising Aurangzeb) that had allegedly stoked the fires, they asked the administration why the entire city of Kolhapur, especially the Muslims held hostage to this one act?
“We expect that the administration (police and bureaucracy) to be governed strictly according to the law. After the incident (of the social media post) in Kolhapur city, fuelling a ‘reaction’ how were illegal assemblies and mobs allowed to gather and terror spread?”
Deploring strongly this attempt to spread and create riots, the delegation has in a written statement released thereafter pointed out that, “This is in the city of Kolhapur, which has a tradition of religious harmony between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rajshree Shahu Maharaj. The incident is condemnable.”
The issues raised by the delegation in the written memorandum submitted are:
- The events that took place dated on June 6 and 7, 2023 have violated the secular principles of the Constitution and the values of equality and reconciliation of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. Also according to these values administration and police more strict action is expected from them.
- Criminals should be prosecuted by law. But why was the entire society under siege?
- How could thousands of people gather in the city despite the ban? Who exactly were these people? How did they stockpile stones, bricks, glass bottles? How could the police not have an idea of this? Why was no action taken before the riots? When there was no response to the call made by the police to withdraw the bandh, why did not an urgent meeting of the representatives of both communities be called for peace?
- By all accounts this riot seems to have been premeditated. It is the responsibility of the Hindutva organizations that called for marches and bandhs to control them. Failure to do so will cause the entire city to go through stress took The poor suffered. Why was no strict action taken against the leaders of these organizations? Why are they not being compensated for the damage?
- It is illegal to demand the release of people involved in rioting and violence when they are arrested. On the contrary, the masterminds of this riot and the people who incited the mob to become violent by giving provocative speeches should be severely punished.
- On June 7, at the peace meeting organised by the police and administration, the presence of the guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar and representatives of Hindutva organizations was avoidable Meetings with these representatives shd have been separate from the peace meeting. When the meeting one was organized by the administration and the police, why were the office bearers of the political parties present on the stage?
- Proper Panchnama should be prepared for computing the loss of injured and damaged people in this riot and get them immediate compensation / government assistance.
- What plan is the administration going to implement to prevent such incidents from happening in the future? How will violent, fanatical organizations be controlled?
- It has been published in the newspaper that a report has come to the state government that there will be systematic efforts to create such kind of riots in the state. Do you know anything about it?
- The police and the administration should try to create harmony and harmony by removing the prejudice created by this riot in various caste-religious communities.
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Kolhapur Citizens meet Collector Rekhawar question impunity of Hindutvawaadi organisations