By Muslim Mirror Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI : Two pro-Hindutva leaders – 56-year-old Milind Ekbote of the Samast Hindu Aghadi and 85-year-old Sambhaji Bhide aka Bhide Guruji of the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan – have been booked on the charges of attempt to murder for bringing the entire Maharashtra to a halt after their followers on December 31 evening attacked Dalits gathered at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle in Pune in which the British Army comprising Dalit Mahars had defeated the Peshwas.
Ekbote and Bhide have also been slapped under sections of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. The two allegedly sparked the riots that have engulfed the entire state, including Mumbai, by desecrating the memorial of Govind Gaikwad – a Dalit icon – at Wadhu village near Pune on December 29. Gaikwad is credited with performing Shivaji Maharaj’s son Sambhajiraje Bhosale’s funeral when nobody else would touch the body as it could have invited the Mughals’ wrath.
The duo – alleged Vira Sathidar, a Nagpur-based activist who was the convenor of the programme – knowing desecrated the ‘samadhi’ (memorial) so that the Hindutva forces can be ranged against the Dalits in the state. They were well aware that thousands of Dalits would gather at a nearby village called Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 to celebrate the anniversary of the 1818 battle.
The riots began in Bhima-Koregaon after Hindutva activists led a procession to the village, where Dalits had gathered for the annual commemoration of the battle, and attacked people, torched and damaged their hundreds of vehicles.
The violence spread soon to Pune and have since engulfed the entire state. Despite their registration of FIRs against both of them under serious sections, they are yet to be arrested. The reason – say activists – is their good relations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They also have deep links with the ruling dispensation in the state and at the Centre.
Notably, Narendra Modi had visited Bhide at his house in Sangli and touched his feet soon after launching his electoral campaign in 2014.
This is not the first time Bhide and Ekbote have played role in turning a caste on another. His followers had attacked several cinema halls in the state in 2008 against the release of movie Jodha-Akbar.
Ekbote has 12 cases of rioting, trespassing, criminal intimidation, and attempts to spread enmity between two communities against him. He has been convicted in five of these cases. During his first term as a BJP corporator in Pune between 1997 and 2002, he had come to fisticuffs with a Muslim corporator over the construction of hajj house.
Ekbote was a BJP corporator in Pune from 1997 to 2002. Denied a ticket, he fought as an independent for a second term and won.
He lost the corporation election in 2007 and to stay relevant floated Hindu Ekta Manch the same year. The Manch has since been spearheading moral policing campaigns against Valentine’s Day.
He also contested assembly elections in 2014 on a Shiv Sena ticket bust lost.
Popular among youth, Bhide, a nuclear physicist and former professor at Pune’s Fergusson College, joined the RSS as a pracharak.
He formed his own organisation called Shiva Pratishthan Hindustan in the 1980s to spread the message the life of Shivaji Maharaj. His openly spits venom against Dalits and minorities during his talks on the lives of Shivaji Maharaj and his heir Sambhaji Maharaj.
Dear All
Happy New Year
In India there are two communities Muslims & Dalits who’s laments have become boring for the simple reason that they can easily solve their problem but they seem to have become addicted to merely voicing their grievances without doing anything effective. Though their problems can easily be solved (preferably through a new NGO sponsored by Muslims and Dalits and some members from other communities also) by efforts much less than what they are wasting on unnecessary breast-beating. These two communities Muslims & Dalits are victims of communal and castist policies of Hindutva / Hinduism.
Fortunately Muslims & Dalits can get relief if said new NGO file following five writ petitions in Supreme Court of India (SCI) in the interest of ‘rule of law’ about :-
(i)- Legally expected restoration of Status-quo-ante of Babri Masjid which was demolished in 1992 in the presence of Observer of SCI (ii)- Query about retrieve of POK (including militarily if necessary) in the interest of removal of AFSPA, SPA etc from J&K (through writ first in J&K high Court and then in SCI, if needed) (iii)- Prosecution against guilty found by Sri Krishna Commission about 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai / Maharashtra (while rightly asking for deportation / action against Dawood Ibrahim etc, the guilty of serial blasts which were direct fallout of said riots) (iv)- Quashing of discriminatory (especially against Muslims) Reservation Policy which is giving reservation to also those castes of Hindus which once ruled in India. [There is nothing wrong in reservation especially to those who otherwise do not get proportional representation in government, but it should not be in the name of demoralizing tag (fatally harmful for democracy) of Dalit, backward etc. Rather reservation should be given only in government service on merit (and not in education or elections) to any recognizable human group whichever demands it proportional to its percentage in population] (v)- Delhi 1984 & Gujarat 2002 riots regarding responsibility of and punishment to executive magistrates and security & armed forces in stopping riots under sections 129, 130, 131 Cr.P.C.
Muslims & Dalits will get more relief if their new NGO further demand from Government of India (GOI) that Rs ~ 1,000 Trillion of State-capital (http://www.newsnation.in/article/121125-news-nation-disclosure-on-blackmoney-kharabpati-farmers-take-agriculture-route-t.html ) should be recovered and then PROFITABLY deployed in following five areas which will take care of roti (food), kapada (clothes), makan (housing), health-care and education of Indians [in addition to using this State-capital in freeing the farmers (from agricultural loans) who are committing suicide, one every 30 minutes in India]:-
(i)- For opening outlets, godowns, cold-storages etc of Public-Distribution-System all over India which will also provide fair & remunerative prices to farmers (ii)- In cloth manufacturing factories which will provide basic needs for under-garments, other clothes, bed-sheets, blankets, shoes etc of the people, at moderate price. (iii)- For making residential and commercial buildings all over India which will be given on rent to be decided by ‘Statutory Rent Commission’ (iv)- In making health care for all (whether in organized or un-organized sectors) through modified ESI workable [In the management of modified ESI in addition to the representatives from government of India (GOI) the representatives of employees and of employers should also be there. Moreover there should be a body (majority nominated by employers with appealing right to statutory tribunal) which will look into the complaints of Doctors of this ESI recommending unnecessary leaves to so-called sick employees]. (v)- On the basis of the experience of amended-ESI in second stage the education (at least up to Higher Secondary level) should also be given under direct control of the people.
It will go a long way in getting relief especially to Muslims & Dalits if this new NGO can (through demonstrations at District and State headquarters all across India) ask communal and castist Hindtutva led GOI to clarify that why GOI did not recover black-money of said Rs ~ 1,000 Trillion State-capital from ~ 1 million tax-evaders and instead merely for 3 to 4 Trillion black-money (that too ultimately could not be realized) preferred to harass most of ~ 1.3 Billion people of India during de-monetization (This India level agitation is bound to send Hindutva led communal & castist governments at center and in States out of power in coming elections).
It is hoped Muslims & Dalits will stop unnecessarily lamenting permanently and instead will strive (as mentioned above) to bring succor, justice, prosperity and peace to not only themselves but through them to entire India (which will raise the esteem of Muslims & Dalits immensely in the eyes not only of Indians but of entire mankind). In filing said writ petitions in SCI and in organizing country wide demonstrations for recovery of Rs ~ 1,000 Trillion State capital, I can also if needed assist this new NGO to be sponsored by Muslims & Dalits.
Regards
Hem Raj Jain
(Author of ‘Betrayal of Americanism’)
Bengaluru, India