‘Jaystambh’ adorned for 208th anniversary of Battle of Koregaon Bhima: 9,000 cops, CCTV cameras, drones deployed for security

A huge police force has been deployed around the ‘Jaystambh’ and adjoining areas in Pune for the programme to be held on Thursday (January 1, 2026) to mark the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.

The ‘Jaystambh’ has been decorated with the design of the Indian tricolour along with images of Dr B R Ambedkar and the Ashok Stambh, displaying the words nyay (justice), swatantrya (freedom), bandhutva (fraternity), and samanata (equality) on its four sides.

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.

On January 1, 2018, widespread violence was reported in the Koregaon Bhima area, which led to the death of one person and left several others injured after a huge number of Ambedkarites had gathered for 200th commemoration of the battle of Koregaon Bhima.

Since then, heavy security arrangements have been made for the annual event. Accordingly, a force of about 9,000 police personnel from Pune city, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad are deployed in the villages around the Jaystambh, particularly in Perne, Koregaon Bhima, Vadhu Budruk, Shikrapur and Lonikand region.

Around 1,000 home guards, 20 companies of the state reserve police force, 18 bomb detection and disposal squad (BBDS) teams, multiple quick response teams (QRTs), and anti-sabotage squads are also deployed for crowd control and to prevent any untoward incidents.

Several CCTV and face recognition cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, drones, and satellite phones are also being utilised to keep a watch on suspicious movements. Besides, watch towers have been installed at different locations. The police have warned of action against the circulation of objectionable posts in connection with the battle of Koregaon Bhima, and preventive action has been taken against possible troublemakers.

Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill and Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey are monitoring the situation.

The police said a section of the Pune-Ahilyanagar highway from Shikrapur to Lonikand will be closed for all vehicles on January 1. Visitors have been asked to park their vehicles at the temporary parking lots. Over 800 buses of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) have been pressed into service for taking visitors from the parking lots to the Jaystambh, the police said.

Ambulances, fire brigade teams, health and sanitation facilities, and drinking water arrangements have also been made for the visitors, the police said.

As per a Dalit Ambedkarite narrative, 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. Special programmes are expected in 2027, which marks the centenary year of Dr Ambedkar’s visit to the Jaystambh.

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. Successors of Jamadar say that as per the sanad (official order) granted to him by the British government a few years after the battle, their family was given possession of about 260 acres of land, along with the Jaystambh land, till the time they had male successors.

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.

A dispute between the Jamadar family and the Maharashtra government over ownership and possession of the Jaystambh land, is pending before a civil court in Pune. A Bombay High Court order passed on September 17, 2025, directed the trial court in Pune to decide the matter within a year.

As per the high court order, the government has taken possession of the disputed land from December 22, 2025, to January 5, 2026, to make arrangements for the January 1 programme at the Jaystambh. After January 5, the possession of the disputed land will be given back to the Jamadar family.