208th anniversary of battle of Koregaon Bhima marked peacefully at ‘Jaystambh’

208th anniversary of Koregaon Bhima battle observed peacefully at Jaystambh memorial (Express Photo)

About seven lakh people, largely Ambedkarites, visited the ‘Jaystambh’ at Perne village in Pune district to mark the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima on Thursday.

Jitendra Dudi, collector of Pune district said, “As per the police report, about seven lakh visitors attended the Koregaon Bhima battle anniversary program at the ‘Jaystambh’. No untoward incident was reported. There was excellent coordination between the police department, district administration, Zilla Parishad, PWD and revenue officials. Also, various organisations supported the government, due to which the program was held peacefully.”

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of B R Ambdekar, were among the political leaders who visited the ‘Jaystambh’ on Thursday.

On January 1, 2018, one person had died and several others were left injured in the violence in Koregaon Bhima area, when a huge number of people had gathered to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle. Since then, the January 1 event at Jaystambh has been treated highly sensitively by the government.

A large police force was deployed around Jaystambh and the adjoining villages, including Koregaon Bhima, to maintain law and order. The government made arrangements such as free buses for visitors, drinking water tankers, health, medical and sanitation facilities, fire tenders, ambulances. Every visitor going towards Jaystambh was made to pass through door frame metal detectors. Multiple CCTV cameras were installed and drones were used for overseeing the crowds. Thousands of people visited the book stalls on the open space near Jaystambh.

According to historical records, the Jaystambh, a military monument located in Perne village on the Pune–Ahilyanagar highway, was erected by the British government in 1821 in memory of its soldiers who fought against the Peshwas at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818.

The records say that the British Army, comprising 500 soldiers from the Mahar community, defeated a 28,000-strong force of Peshwas in this battle.

Lakhs of Ambedkarites across Maharashtra and other parts of the country visit the Jaystambh on January 1, calling it ‘Shaurya Din (victory day)’ to pay tribute to soldiers who, they believe, fought a war for freedom against the alleged casteism of the Peshwas. Dr Ambedkar had visited the Jaystambh on January 1, 1927, as part of the historic anti-British movement against the ban on recruitment of the then “untouchables” in the British Army.

The Britishers are said to have appointed the soldier Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar (Malvadkar) – who was wounded in the Battle of Koregaon Bhima – as the in-charge of the Jaystambh on December 13, 1824.

According to the Jamadar family, which belongs to the Maratha community, both British and Peshwa forces comprised soldiers of different castes. Thus, they say the battle of Koregaon Bhima cannot be linked to any particular caste or religion, and that it was not a war against casteism.

When contacted, advocate Rohan Jamadar, a successor of Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar said, “Like previous years, we received a notice from the police to stay away from Jaystambh area as a preventive measure. So we did not visit Jaystambh today.”

The situation also remained peaceful at the historic Vadhu Budruk village, located about four kilometers from Jaystambh. Many who visited Jaystambh, also went to Vadhu Budruk, known for the samadhi of legendary king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The village also has a disputed tomb-like structure, which, according to the Dalit Mahar community, is the samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Meghoji, a 17th-century Dalit figure.