Bhima-Koregaon Battle Anniversary

January 2, 2023

The 205th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle was celebrated peacefully this year, with lakhs of Ambedkarites from across Maharashtra and the country gathering near the Ranstambh (victory pillar) in Perne village, Pune district. This year’s celebration was heavily guarded by 7,000 security personnel, with the Pune Rural Police monitoring social media to delete any posts containing potentially provocative content in order to prevent a recurrence of the violence that occurred during the bicentenary celebrations in 2018.

Background of the Bhima-Koregaon battle

The Bhima-Koregaon battle took place on January 1, 1818, between the British East India Company and the army of Peshwa Bajirao II. The British had just 834 infantrymen, around 500 of whom were from the Mahar community, and 12 officers, while the Peshwa army consisted of 28,000 soldiers. Although the outcome of the battle was inconclusive, the Jaystambh (obelisk) in Bhima-Koregaon village was erected by the British government in 1821 to commemorate the soldiers who had fought against the Peshwas.

Importance to the Dalit community

For the Dalit community, the Bhima-Koregaon battle gained renewed significance when Babasaheb Ambedkar visited the site on January 1, 1927. The battle became a rallying point and a source of pride for the community, as the narrative of Ambedkarite Dalits is that a British army comprising 500 Mahar soldiers defeated a 25,000 strong force of upper caste Brahmins (the Peshwas) in the battle. This led to lakhs of people, mainly from the Ambedkarite Mahar community, turning up on January 1 to pay homage at the Jaystambh and see the battle as a “war for freedom” against alleged casteism of the Peshwas.

2018 violence and aftermath

Unfortunately, the bicentenary celebrations in 2018 were marred by violence and social tensions in Maharashtra, with property belonging to Ambedkarite members being destroyed. Ambedkarite outfits have accused the state police of not properly investigating the clashes, which took place under the BJP government led by Devendra Fadnavis. The Pune-based Republican Yuva Morcha (RYM) has even accused the former BJP regime of shielding the alleged perpetrators of the violence, including radical Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide.

Narrative of the Maratha community

However, the descendants of Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar, a soldier appointed as in-charge of the Jaystambh by the British on December 13, 1824, argue that both the British and Peshwa forces consisted of soldiers from various castes and religions. They maintain that the history of the Bhima-Koregaon battle “should not be distorted and used for making any casteist remarks.”

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