A report of the Maharashtra Police that claimed the Bhima-Koregaon violence was stoked by Maoists may have some substance as a statement has been purportedly released by the central committee of the CPI (Maoists) asking dalits, Adivasis and religious minorities to launch a massive movement against upper caste Hindus to defeat communal Brahmanical forces.
Last month, the Maharashtra police had submitted a report that the violence at Bhima-Koregaon was instigated by Maoists from Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra.
In the statement issued by the central committee, the Maoists said the violence in Maharashtra in January was a clear indication that the BJP government would like to eliminate minorities, Adivasis and dalits.
“We cannot contain Hindutva that has become a great threat to the survival and self-respect of the dalits, Adivasis and religious minorities without courageously struggling and defeating the communal Brahmanical forces,’’ Abhay, spokesman of the CPI(Maoist) central committee, says in the statement, which has been accessed by THE WEEK.
Condemning the attacks on dalits, the Maoists said, “Our party severely condemns the attack of the communal Hindutva forces with deadly weapons on the thousands of dalits when democratic and secular forces gathered to celebrate their historic success day as a symbol for the self-respect of dalits on January 1 in Bhima-Koregaon of Maharashtra.”
The statement said after the rule of Shivaji in Maharastra in 1680, the Peshwas continued with Maratha rule.
“Though the Marathas defeated the attacks of the Mughal kings, they could not face the British armies. The British defeated the Marathas and established their military and administrative centre in Poona (now Pune). In the first quarter of the 19th century, the Peshwas tried to occupy Poona with their army of 28,000. But the British resisted them for 12 hours and retained Poona,” said the release.
Supporting the British action against the Peshwas, the Maoists said that all the members of the British army who resisted the Peshwas were dalits.
“...the dalits have been celebrating the defeat of the Peshwas at the hands of the dalits as their day of success and a symbol of self-respect on January 1 for the past two centuries. The Brahmanical forces could not digest this yearly celebration,” said Abhay in the statement, which he has signed as the spokesman of the central committee of CPI (Maoists).
The Maoists said the BJP government at both the Centre and Maharastra employed 'Hindutva goondas like Sambhaji Rao Bhide of Shiv Prathisthan and Milind Ekbote of Hindu Ektha Manch' to attack the dalits with deadly weapons in Bhima-Koregaon in January this year.
“The government and police remained mute spectators despite the fact that dalit leaders had informed the police and administration much ahead. The government and police encouraged the saffron terrorists to see that the dalits do not try to celebrate such self-respect days,” said the Maoist statement.
The statement further asks dalits and minorities to expose Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. CPI (Maoists) has also criticised the BJP government for slapping cases against Gujarat leader Jignesh Mewani and JNU leader Umar Khalid.
“False cases have been filled against these dalit leaders who highlighted self-respect of dalits,” the letter further said.
Asking people to raise their voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maoists have threatened that they would not tolerate a single word Modi that speaks ill of dalits.
“Let us raise our voice that Modi, a greater 'Manu' who says that everyone must do their duty in Brahmanical Chathurvarna system, caste order and untouchability like the Bhagavat Gita says. He does not have the moral right to praise Ambedkar (B.R. Ambedkar) and we shall never tolerate a single word he speaks ill of dalits,” the statement said.