Dalit activists raided across Maharashtra ahead of planned protests

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, April 17

The Maharashtra police carried out raids at homes and offices of Dalit leaders, including writers, lawyers and intellectuals, in several cities on Tuesday amidst reports that they were planning a protest later this month to demand the arrest of a fire-brand Hindutva leader.

According to the police and Dalit activists, teams from the Pune and local police stations began the raids at 5 am in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Homes and offices of prominent Dalit personalities and leftist organisations were raided. The premises of Kabir Kala Manch in Pune, the Republican Panthers Party in Mumbai, the home and office of human rights lawyer Surendra Gadling in Nagpur were among those raided. Police said they have seized documents, computers and pen drives from the premises.

Others targeted in Tuesday’s raids include prominent left-wing activists Sudhir Dhawale and Harshali Potdar.

Police sources said they conducted the raids after they received information that the violence between Dalits and sections of local villagers in Bhima-Koregaon on New Year's Day was orchestrated by Maoist groups. Hindu right-wing organisations had filed a complaint against the Elgar Conference, as the event was called, to mark the 200th anniversary of the defeat of the Peshwa army by the British forces. The defeat is seen as a major morale booster for the Dalits since members of the Mahar community were part of the British troops.

The Elgar Conference was addressed by a number of prominent personalities, including Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani, JNU leader Umar Khalid, Chhattisgarh activist Soni Sori and Bhim Army president Vinay Ratan Singh.

Hindu right-wing organisations say provocative speeches were made at the conference and participants returning from the event were attacked by sections of the villagers.

The incident caused a violent bandh, with Dalit groups demanding the arrest of Hindu right-wing leaders like Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide.

While the Maharashtra Government has arrested Ekbote it has yet to proceed against Bhide, who is said to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dalit organisations were said to be planning a protest in Maharashtra later this month to demand Bhide’s arrest.

Reacting to Tuesday's raids, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar said the government was harassing Dalit leaders. "The government is not acting against Sambhaji Bhide who provoked the riots in Bhima-Koregaon. But it is harassing Dalit leaders instead," Ambedkar told reporters here.