Dear Azaghi,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. What is keeping you up these days? I would have ideally liked to start my letter with “Jai Bhim” and indulge in praises of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, but instead, I am compelled to focus on political vendetta, even in the midst of a pandemic. This April 14 marked the 129th birth anniversary of Babasaheb, but ironically, it also coincided with the arrest of his grandson-in-law, Dr Anand Teltumbde. Why was he arrested, you may ask. What really went down on January 1, 2018? What is it to do with political vendetta?
Every year, thousands of Dalits gather at Bhima Koregaon to commemorate a war the mahars fought alongside British colonial forces to defeat the hindu upper-caste Peshwa regime, ruled by Brahmin King Baji Rao II, in 1818. However, in 2018, violence broke out—allegedly an attack by right-wing groups belonging to Manohar, alias Sambhaji Bhide, and Milind Ekbote, resulting in one death and leaving several others injured.
Ekbote was at least questioned, but Bhide has probably been enjoying the ignorance of authorities from the very beginning. The focus of the police, the twitter armies and media turned to the events of the previous day—the Elgaar Parishad, an event attended by approximately 35,000 people and consisted of a number of speeches and cultural performances.
The event saw a number of familiar comforting faces like that of Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, Dalit activist Radhika Vemula, Prakash Ambedkar, retired Bombay High Court Justice B. G. Kolse-Patil, and student leader Umar Khalid, among others. It was then alleged that the Elgar Parishad was responsible for the violence that broke out the next day, and it had Maoist connections. The right-wing forces did not let this opportunity slide away, especially since branding those who spoke out against the government as an “Urban Naxal” was sparking.
Arrests of activists followed since—Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Soma Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Vara Vara Rao, and as of today, Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha. They have all been charged under the draconian law of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for supposedly starting a conspiracy to wage war against and overthrow the Government of India, which makes it highly difficult to obtain bail. One is a lawyer, another a poet, another a professor, but it is evident what ties them all together—maybe they do have copies of Marx and Engels books, but also that they have individually been able to get the voices of Dalits and marginalised communities heard.
The police have claimed that they have recovered a letter that discusses a plot to kill Modi in emails allegedly exchanged with fugitive Maoist leaders. One of those emails allegedly mentions a “Comrade Anand”, based on which Teltumbde was charged. Yes, the evidence is that he shares the same first name, but also that this Anand is a hindrance to the current establishment with his deep-rooted Ambedkarite ideologies. I must point out how ironically Dr. Anand Teltumbde argued that painting the Battle of Bhima Koregaon as the battle of Mahars against their caste oppression in Peshwa rule, is a “pure myth”.
Reading open letters written by Dr Anand and his daughters only instilled more fear to pen this down. Where are we headed as a nation? Are we all going to be judged by our first names, books we read, and socialist ideologies we believe? Even when the world has been brought to a standstill, it is no surprise to see how these events are unfolding. I would summarise it down to, two men who are above the age of 65 being sent to potential hotspots of coronavirus for no other reason, other than political vendetta. I will write to you soon. Please extend my regards to your family as well.
Lots of Love,
Maya