By Rashad Ullah Khan
Kolhapur is the land of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, known for his social reforms. He is also seen as a symbol of progressive thought. However, for the past year, it has witnessed two large-scale events of communal violence.
On July 14, 2024, what was claimed to be a peaceful protest against illegal encroachments near the Vishalgad Fort turned to chaos as protestors damaged 40 homes and shops and vandalized the local mosque.
The report of the incident by The Quint, which has eyewitness accounts of the residents, goes into detail about how the mob appeared carrying swords, lathis, and knives and proceeded to inflict damage to the property around. In 2023, a similar large-scale incident took place when right-wing organizations took offense to a social media post and called for a bandh in Kolhapur.
According to an analysis carried out by Article 14, Maharashtra had an influx of communal incidents, about 41 cases ranging from riots, lynching, and rallies with hateful messaging. One cause of such a high level of incidents could be the number of hate speeches delivered in Maharashtra. The Hindutva Watch reports that 74 hate speeches had been delivered in Maharashtra in the first 6 months of 2023, accounting for 30% of cases in India. The lack of any intervention from the state administration and local police is the main cause for alarm as only due to inaction can such an environment prosper.
The political scientist, Suhas Palshikar writes that due to the failure of the institution of police, there will be an increase in cases of vigilante action which will act as a form of law enforcement.
If we look closely into the case of violence that took place in Kolhapur, the activists who were present on the ground have reported how the violence and vandalism were carried out in the presence of the police.
According to the call against the encroachments given by former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sambhaji Raje, the participants proceeded to gather at Vishalgad Fort but were dispersed by the police at the fort who did not allow the gathering to take place. It was upon returning from the fort that the mob approached the nearby village and unleashed violence.
This story was originally published in siasat.com. Read the full story here.
