Ajaf Ashraf’s Bhima Koregaon: Challenging Caste exposes the machinations that put 16 activists in jail without implicating evidence

But it became quality precocious erstwhile bicentenary celebrations of the Battle of Koregaon connected January 1, 2018, drew larger crowds to Bhima Koregaon than successful past years. There was already hostility determination because, conscionable a fewer days anterior connected December 29, 2017, the memorial was recovered desecrated. The contented was raised successful a congregation of Dalit and Bahujan groups led by the Elgar Parishad, connected December 31, 2017. The authorities constabulary blamed inflammatory speeches made during the Elgar Parishad that, according to them, led to the convulsive clashes the pursuing day. Most importantly: the authorities was witnessing a societal turmoil arsenic Marathas had deed streets successful immense numbers demanding reservations. The determination was seen arsenic a ploy to country main curate Devendra Fadnavis, BJP’s Brahmin face. On 1 hand, the state’s astir ascendant societal radical was up successful arms against the BJP and connected the other, astatine Bhima Koregaon, SCs and Dalits were seen opening up a caller beforehand against the Hindutvawadi party.

Caught betwixt the devil and the heavy sea, the BJP, knowingly oregon unknowingly, overlooked the societal discourse and saw it done a ‘Left-Right’ prism. It dismissed developments astatine Bhima Koregaon arsenic left-wingers’ effort to malign the saffron party. Some over-zealots successful the BJP, successful an effort to undermine developments astatine Bhima Koregaon, coined the word Urban Naxals.

Journalist Ajaf Ashraf’s superb publication Bhima Koregaon: Challenging Caste explains “Brahminism’s wrath against dreamers of equality”. His reportage-style penning untangles the authorities agencies’ conspiracy theories with ease. Based connected interviews, probe and archival material, helium narrates the state’s analyzable and delicate societal underbelly supra which is built the facade of a ‘developed state’. The publication brings to the fore the world of caste favoritism prevalent adjacent successful the 21st century.

Ashraf gives absorbing anecdotes from the Peshwa-Raj, immoderate of which borderline connected hearsay and tin beryllium described arsenic propaganda against Brahmins. On the different hand, the authorities agencies, successful an effort to beryllium Elgar Parishad leaders “Maoist terrorists”, arrested 16 professors and lawyers without immoderate implicating evidence. Some of them were jailed adjacent without trial. Nothing was proved successful the tribunal of law. Ashraf exposes the machinations with micro-details.

This publication follows Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations, connected the aforesaid issue, already a taxable of a documentary and soon-to-be-released Hindi film. This shows the value of Bhima Koregaon successful knowing Maharashtra’s societal history. Though determination is simply a information of Ashraf’s publication being dismissed arsenic a “left-winger’s” constituent of view, determination is thing from the ‘other side’ to antagonistic it too allegations and insinuations.