Lakhs of people gather at the Jaystambh in Perne village to mark the anniversary of the battle. (Express: Arul Horizon)Though the anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima is the driving force behind the Dalit gathering at Jaystambh in Perne village on January 1, a samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Megoji, a 17th century Dalit figure, located at the nearby Vadhu Budruk village, also saw an unusually large number of visitors on Tuesday.
According to Rajendra Gaikwad, who claims to be the descendant of Govind Gopal of the Mahar community, there was at least a three-fold increase in the number of visitors at Vadhu Budruk compared to last year. Police estimates say more than one lakh people would have visited the samadhi on Tuesday.
Caste tensions in Vadhu Budruk, a few kilometres from the Jaystambh in Perne village, a couple of days ahead of last year’s anniversary, was seen as one of the triggers for the violence that broke out the previous time. The village has been at the centre of a dispute for the last few years over who conducted the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was killed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1689.
The Marathas believe it was their ancestors, the Shivale Deshmukhs, who defied the orders of Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj. As per the Dalit narrative, particularly of the Ambedkarites, Govind Gopal performed last rites on the king.
Rajendra Gaikwad at the samadhi. (Express: Chandan Haygunde)A board with disputed history about Govind Gopal. erected by the Gaikwad family and others in Vadhu Budruk on the intervening night of December 28 and 29, 2107, was removed by members of the Maratha community, leading to a few days of caste tensions in the village.
A few groups of Dalits used to visit Vadhu Budruk every year after attending the main event at Jaystambh, but this time a much larger turnout was expected.
“I know about the Jaystambh and the Battle of Koregaon Bhima from last few years. But after the violence last year, I got to know about the samadhi of Govind Gopal Mahar at Vadhu Budruk. So I decided to visit Vadhu Budruk along with the Jaystambh today,” said Sangra Lambe of Hinganghat in Wardha district.
Like Lambe, a majority of the visitors to Vadhu Budruk this time were first-timers.
The local administration, expecting that many visitors would be interested in coming to the village, had made arrangements for shuttle bus services from Jaystambh. “Last year, four of us had come here. This year, our group has 12 people. The newcomers were curious to know about Jaystambh and Govind Gopal Mahar. Now, we plan to visit both places every January 1,” said Ashok Ingle of Jalgaon.
Pramod Inamdar from Sangli said the government arrangement, especially the shuttle bus service, had ensured that everyone who wanted to come to Vadhu Budruk was able to do so.
“The government provided buses for people who wanted to come to Vadhu Budruk from Jaystambh. Along with it, water, food and security arrangements were well managed by police, state administration and local villagers from all communities. Due to this, people were happy to visit the Govind Gopal samadhi,” said Inamdar, who claimed to be a descendant of Sidnak Mahar, believed to be the leader of Mahar soldiers who fought against Peshwas in the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.
Like the surrounding areas, the situation in Vadhu Budruk remained peaceful throughout the day. Heavy deployment of police teams had been made in the village, just like everywhere else, in light of the sensitivity of the place and the events of last year.
Local BJP MLA Baburao Pacharne, who visited Vadhu Budruk on Tuesday, said, “The situation is normal and peaceful because of police security and co-operation by villagers from all communities. The chief minister has sanctioned funds for the development plan for Jaystambh area and Vadhu Budruk.”
