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Category: Bhima Koregaon

Bhima Koregaon anniversary: Govt urges Covid caution, plans for another Elgaar Parishad

Bhima Koregaon anniversary: Govt urges Covid caution, plans for another Elgaar Parishad

Bhima Koregaon anniversary: As govt urges Covid caution, plans for another Elgaar Parishad

22/12/2020

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

Why is the Bhima Koregaon anniversary significant, what are the plans to observe it this year, and what happened during its 200th anniversary in 2018, which saw the arrests of activists and intellectuals?
As yet another anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon approaches, the Maharashtra government has urged for low-key celebrations, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
However, preparations for the anniversary are on in full swing, with Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad announcing he will visit Jaystambh – the battle war memorial – and the group Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan saying they will organise another Elgaar Parishad this year.
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Pune meet discusses plan to hold another Elgaar Parishad event

22/12/2020

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

“We are now organising Elgaar Parishad at the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. We have already booked the premises and process is on for seeking permission from the police for holding the conference,” said Justice (retd) B G Kolse Patil, a former High Court judge who was a key person at the meeting.
Activists and retired officers held a state-level meeting under the banner of ‘Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan’ in Pune to plan another ‘Elgaar Parishad’ event on December 31, ahead of the anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon on January 1.
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COVID-19 in Maharashtra: Home Department urges people for a low key programmes at Bhima Koregaon

22/12/2020

The Free Press Journal / by Sanjay Jog

The Home Department, on Tuesday, appealed to the Ambedkarite Dalits not to gather in large numbers at the Bhima Koregaon war memorial to pay their respect at the Vijay Sthamb (victory pillar) on January 1 in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The department wants people to observe the day at low key on the lines of Ganapati, Navratri and Eid, amongst others. The programme should be symbolic.
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Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission to resume in January if Covid exits

Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission to resume in January if Covid exits

Hindustan Times / by Shalaka Shinde

The Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission may resume work in January after one year of being out of action with the three-month extension granted by the state government.
“January we will begin. We are waiting for a bigger physical space for the hearings to observe social distancing. The government is very much keen on the hearings to resume. There are around seven more people scheduled to record evidence,” said advocate Shishir Hire who is representing the state government at the commission.
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2 years, 3 charge sheets & 16 arrests — Why Bhima Koregaon accused are still in jail

2 years, 3 charge sheets & 16 arrests — Why Bhima Koregaon accused are still in jail

The Print / by Apoorva Mandhani

Since 2018, stringent UAPA rules, SC’s Zahoor Watali order, NIA takeover and allegedly ‘inadmissible’ evidence has made sure that all accused remain in custody.
On 31 December 2017, a group of activists, political leaders and even retired judges came together at Shaniwar Wada in Pune.
Called the Elgar Parishad (Congress for Speaking Aloud), the organisers of this event included former Supreme Court judge, Justice P.B. Sawant, and former Bombay High Court judge, Justice B.G. Kolse-Patil. The event saw songs, street plays and speeches on various issues, including Dalit rights and criticism of the Narendra Modi government. 
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Arrests in Bhima Koregaon case frame a transformation in India’s polity and police force

Arrests in Bhima Koregaon case frame a transformation in India’s polity and police force


Watch music video: Wake Up Call

The Indian Express / by Christophe Jaffrelot

The current usage of the expression “urban Naxal” owes much to Bollywood film director Vivek Agnihotri, who defines an “urban Naxal as an intellectual, influencer or activist who is an invisible enemy of India”. The idea of such a conspiracy was propagated, however, by the Sangh Parivar.
In October, Stan Swamy, an 83-year old Jesuit priest, was sent to judicial custody in the Bhima Koregaon case. His is the latest arrest in a case that illustrates a significant transformation in India’s polity and the country’s police force.
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Suppressing Dissent / Who is Really the Enemy of the People?

Suppressing Dissent / Who is Really the Enemy of the People?

Suppressing Dissent

20/10/2020

Medium.com / by Arun Simon

Dissent is rarely welcomed in any society. As power increases, appreciation of dissent decreases. Innumerable examples can be seen with dictators or absolute powers. It is also possible in religion, culture, and other domains… My country India, with all its high democratic values, is no different. The officially declared emergency(1975) may be the worst period in that line. But there are many unofficial competitors for the same today. The recent arrest of many social activists (latest in that line being Fr. Stan Swamy, a tribal activist) under a draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with many contemporary events raises serious questions.
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Who is Really the Enemy of the People?

20/10/2020

NewsClick / by Suhit K Sen

India will have to look to forces within the country to steer back towards political processes that incorporate opposition, dissent and diversity.
Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, was arrested in Ranchi on 9 October. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which carried out the arrest, claimed he was a member of the CPI (Maoist) organisation. It appears that anyone who works for Dalit rights, or is not in full agreement with the toxic ideology of the Sangh parivar, must be a Maoist.
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Bhima Koregaon judicial panel requests state to put hearings on hold due to Covid

Bhima Koregaon judicial panel requests state to put hearings on hold due to Covid

Hindustan Times / by Nadeem Inamdar

The Bhima Koregaon judicial commission has written to the chief secretary, government of Maharashtra, requesting the state government to put the extension notification on hold at least till the end of the year due to the aggravating Covid-19 situation in the state.
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Who cares for Bhima Koregaon Commission?

07/10/2020

Rediff.com / by Jyoti Punwani

The government announced on October 6 the final extension to the Commission, asking it to submit its report by December 31, 2020.
The government knows meeting this deadline is an impossible task.
On February this year, the Commission had told the government it would need at least six months to complete its work, as reported by Rediff.com.
After the March 24 lockdown was announced, no hearings have been held.
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Maharashtra grants `final´ extension to Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry till Dec 31

Maharashtra grants `final´ extension to Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry till Dec 31

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

The commission, which is probing the reasons behind the violence that broke out in Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 2018, has been asked to submit its report to the government by that date.
Commission members, however, have sought a bigger site to conduct the hearings, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Case Against Hindutva Leaders Ignored, No Justice in Sight for Bhima Koregaon Violence Victims

Case Against Hindutva Leaders Ignored, No Justice in Sight for Bhima Koregaon Violence Victims

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

Even after the fall of the BJP government, the Sena-NCP-Congress coalition has also not shown any inclination to prosecute Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide.
Mumbai: On January 2, 2018, a day after a violent mob attack on Dalit community members visiting Bhima Koregaon, anti-caste activist Anita Sawale had filed a case accusing Samasta Hindu Aghadi president and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote and Shiv Prathistan Hindustan leader Sambhaji Bhide as the “masterminds” of the attack.
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Maharashtra Govt Considers Setting Up an SIT in Bhima Koregaon Case

Maharashtra Govt Considers Setting Up an SIT in Bhima Koregaon Case

Maharashtra Govt Ponders SIT in Bhima Koregaon Case: What Message Is It Sending?

13/09/2020

Newsclick / by Amey Tirodkar

JV Pawar, senior author, activist and one of the founders of the Dalit Panthers movement, however, questioned the timing of this move.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and kingmaker of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Sharad Pawar, on Thursday held a high-level meeting with ministers from NCP, Congress, and senior officers from the home department. Pawar took stock of progress of the probe in the Bhima Koregaon case.
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Bhima Koregaon violence: Pawar wants bigger picture

12/09/2020

Rediff.com / by Prasanna D Zore

Dr Raut, who was at the meeting called by Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar to consider formation of a special investigation team to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence, reveals to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com what was discussed at the meeting.
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Sharad Pawar Once Again Considers Setting Up an SIT in the Elgar Parishad Case

11/09/2020

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

The Nationalist Congress Party chief had convened an urgent meeting on the matter in Mumbai on September 10.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government is once again mulling over the possibility of setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the violence that broke at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018.
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