“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.”

Representatives in the delegation called the Bharatiya Lok Andolan included, Com. Dilip Pawar Dr. Uday Narkar, Bhai Baburao Kadam, Dr. Megha Pansare, .  Prof. Subhash Jadhav, Suresh Shipurkar, Bhai Sambhaji Jagdale, Ravindra Jadhav, Rasiva Padalkar, .   Krushnat Kore, Com. Vivek Godse,   Com. Raghunath Kamble among others.

Besides, the statement released by the delegation, adds, in recent times in Kolhapur, deliberate attempts have been made by Hindutva organizations to polarize society on religious grounds. Before the protest march organized by Hindutva on ‘Love Jihad’, these citizens had met the Collector and urged to disallow it and also to take action against the provocative posters put up announcing the rally. However states the delegation’s statement, no action was taken by the police and administration. In the earlier delegation, the group of citizens had also questioned exactly how many actual cases of ‘love-jihad’ the government has recorded in the district at that time. Then, collector Rekhawar had assured the delegation that he would provide this information, and yet, to date this information has not been made public. Now, stated citizens this information shoul be made public immediately.

On June 7, 2023, it was Hindutva organisations who suddenly called a Kolhapur “bandh” to demand strict action against those who posted offensive status and release of their detained activists. Despite the curfew, a large number of people were allowed to gather and despite police appeals for calm, they violently attacked, pelted stones, vandalized and vandalized. Muslim persons and their shops were attacked and damaged. The motive and plan was clearly to cause damage to one section, a particular community (read Muslims). According to media reports dozens were injured and the total losses suffered by people in the targeted violence was a staggering Rs 1.5 crores.

On June 7, at a meeting with the guardian minister for the district, Dilip Kesarkar, members of the delegation were present and took strong exception when, at first, he refused to allow some of the independent citizens representatives to speak. Said comrade Dilip Pawar, a close associate of the late comrade Pansare vehemently objected and observed that it was the obligation of an elected representative to meet and listen to the grievances of all citizens, especially those working for harmony and social peace.

The delegation had also met the riot-affected families in the targeted areas and told the Collector that fear still reigns and the concern is how to compensate for the losses suffered by the economically deprived.

The serious issues raised by the delegation of citizens are:

1.        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.
2.         Criminals should be prosecuted by law. But why was the entire society under siege?
3.         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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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?
7. Proper Panchnama should be prepared for computing the loss of injured and damaged people in this riot and get them immediate compensation / government assistance.
8. What plan is the administration going to implement to prevent such incidents from happening in the future? How will violent, fanatical organizations be controlled?
9. 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?
10. 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.

The delegation, Bharatiya Lok Andolan representatives offered full cooperation with the

Administration to maintain peace, provide psychological and social support to common people.

The Bharatiya Lok Andolan will also try to establish such reconciliation committees with the cooperation of local people and realize the right of common citizens to live safely in the future. It will also be active to awaken the basic principles of the constitution and the thoughts of Rajshree Shahu.

The representation may be read here:

Related:

Kolhapur Maharashtra: Valorising Aurangzeb will now result in abuse & arrests

Maharashtra: The new breeding ground for hate, oaths of allegiance to the Constitution brutally violated

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There is something about the girl in the blue-dupatta that I could neither pin point nor ignore. At first glance, she looks like a new bride but the expression on her face does not seem to complement my conjecture. I gently unplug an earphone from my husband’s ear and plug it into my own.

Representative Image

The girl playing on my husband’s phone turns out to be a newly wed widow. Her hands, which she brings up twice to show to the camera, have patches of henna on them. Her face has the glow rendered by a recent bridal facial.

When she speaks, her tone is devoid of emotions and her eyes reflect none of the grief of a new widow. One can tell by looking at her that she has not had a good cry. Although technically aware of her companion’s demise, she is yet to register its devastating implications. Grief, it seems, has politely stepped aside, giving her time to deal with the pressing affairs at hand. It shall come back later to consume what rightfully belongs to it.

So, as long as the camera rolls, I detect no trace of emotion on her face. Not when she says that she is left all alone in the world, not when she says that her husband was tied to an electric pole and mercilessly beaten to death.

I have seen the footage of the final moments of the man, whose widow I am now listening to. The footage, recorded by a mobile camera to keep as a memento, has the victim in the foreground, beaten and wounded. In the background stand a bunch of bare footed and filthily dressed men and boys, who would, in normal circumstances evoke one’s pity.

I had watched the footage for barely five seconds before scrolling up and sparing myself the torment of witnessing a brutal murder. I am aware of my candidature for a similar fate. Only too recently, a woman, a political leader of some sort, called for the rape and lynching of the women of my community by the male members of her community. After we are raped and lynched by ten to twenty men, our private part ought to be impaled in the market place for an effective finishing touch, I guess. That, according to her, was the only solution for our community. ‘The final solution’, I hear myself say.

The clip on my husband’s phone ends abruptly. I try to place myself in her shoes and imagine the man by my side tied to an electric pole, bloodied and hapless. My heart dislocates and sinks into the pit of my stomach.

I think long and hard. Being a direct victim of rape and lynching is in no way better or worse than being the wife, daughter, mother or sister of a lynched man. In the former, the agony is short lived but inexplicably intense. In the latter case, the agony consumes one slowly, like maggots leisurely eating away at the internal organs. It is impossible to have a personal preference.

I imagine myself in a game show. “Welcome to ‘The Lynchies’. (Can it be ‘Kaun Banega Lynchie?) Here is your first question”, says a tall, elegantly dressed man in a deep voice. “Imagine that you are in Lynchland. What would you prefer to be?”

“Your options are:

A) The lyncher                   B) The lynched
C) Kin of the Lynched        D) Silent spectator
E) Neta                              F) The police”

“Sir, C and D are the only options applicable to me. To choose between them, I want to phone a friend”, I say.

The doorbell rings and my thoughts scatter away. The children are back from school. Tired but happy, they vie with each other to tell me the tales of their trials and triumphs.

Before I know, a verbal tug-o-war has commenced between the two, locked in an eternal dispute. The boy, twelve, argues logically, basing his arguments on reason and straight facts. The girl, eight, expertly trounces facts and logic with her expressive eyes, articulate statements and the magical wagging of her index finger.

“Poor girl! what can she do? Tongue is the only organ in her body that works. It’s a pity she can’t write with her tongue”, says the boy referring to his sister’s spelling mistakes in a class test today.

“You also better pray for a tongue. Spellings and calculations even computers can do,’ the girl comes back typically.

“I already have a tongue. Longer than yours, for that matter. See”, the boy thrusts out his tongue.

I am supposed to be involved and entertained. But my thoughts are elsewhere. I hear their words without listening. The two of them are beautiful and more alive than most living people. The girl wants to be a teacher when she grows up, so that she gets to correct copies with a red pen. The boy wants to become either a chef or a doctor.

I am unable to stop my morbid thoughts from extending to them. In my mind’s eye, I see them raped, lynched and impaled on a sword in the middle of a marketplace. My face must have betrayed the grim nature of my thoughts because suddenly, the boy stops in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt and asks in a tone of alarm, “Are you upset about something Mumma?”

 ‘Yes Mumma. What’s wrong with you?” adds the girl.

 ‘No nothing”, I say as I become conscious of my surroundings once again.

“A moment ago, you were extremely worried about something,” says the boy.

“What has the mother of such wonderful little things got to worry about?” I say as I draw both of them towards myself and hold them close to my bosom.
 

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