Driven to the Wall highway and smoke billowing out from

behind them. The footage also showed a

body lying near one of the tankers.
Dalits under Shiv Sena-BJP Rule This 'tanker theory' of the police has very
few takers. First of all the tankers as claimed
by police are parked on the other side of the
Prakash Bal
highway and that too towards the Chembur
end. Besides they were far away from the
The desecration of the Ambedkar statue and its violent aftermath have dalit colony, which is spread along the
exposed chinks in the Hindutva armour of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. highway towards V i k r o l i . The main entrance
These events have also brought to the fore the ideological bankruptcy of the colony, where the Ambedkar statue
of the dalit leadership and the inability of the Congress to effectively is located, is towards the V i k r o l i end of the
highway. The protesters had come on the
challenge the ruling combine politically.
highway at this place and were indulging in
stone throwing and setting fire to the passing
A FRAGILE peace has been restored in from the statue. In no time a crowd of early vehicles. The SRP platoon came from the
Mumbai. But Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, risers gathered near the statue. As the word Chembur end of the highway and hence had
his clan, other party leaders and activists spread people from the colony started coming to pass the parked tankers before reaching
have not learned any lessons from the flare- out and the protesters moved towards the the place of rioting. If the mob of protesters
up which engulfed Mumbai and other parts Eastern Express Highway, along which the had actually advanced towards parked LPG
of Maharashtra after the desecration of colony is located. Angry youth amongst the tankers local police would definitely have
Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue. protesters started blocking the highway and pursued them. But this does not seem to have
Initially Thackeray had to climb down pelted stones at the passing vehicles. The been the case. Most of the police force was
from his ivory tower and strike a posture of police in the outpost were outnumbered and at the Vikroli end of the highway. It is more
reconciliation and accommodation. He went reinforcements arrived. The local police plausible that the SRP platoon, as it
to Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai on two officers tried to pacify the crowd and warned approached the colony, came under intense
consecutive days to meet the governor and them to disperse. The mob did not heed their stone throwing and some stones must have
union home minister Indrajit Gupta. This warning and set fire to two luxury buses. In hit the van and the policemen inside. Enraged
was very uncharacteristic of Thackeray who the meanwhile police control room asked the or panicked by this the officer in charge of
has always boasted that he would not leave State Reserve Police (SRP) platoon stationed the platoon must have given the order to fire.
his residence to meet any political leader and in the adjacent suburb of Chembur to go to After the senior police officers realised the
that they would have to come to his residence. the area to help the local police. gravity of the situation and the wanton
Thackeray even admitted that the attack on The events thereafter are shrouded in disregard for human life shown by the SRP
the residence of the leader of the opposition mystery. The mob was fired upon by the SRP platoon, to save the situation, they must have
Chagan BhujbaJ was carried out by his party platoon and 10 people were killed on the spot thought up the "tanker theory'.
workers and it was 'unfortunate'. He assured and many others were injured. The SRP Another question which has perplexed
the union home minister that such events platoon fired 50 rounds in 10 minutes. The many observers is that why did police not
would not be allowed to happen again and firing took place immediately after the arrival fire tear gas shells before opening fire? In
Sena leaders and activists involved in the of SRP pIatoon. After the firing the protesting fact only when protesters became more
attack would be arrested immediately. A day crowd became enraged and police had to violent after the police firing, was tear gas
earlier Thackeray had justified the attack on repeatedly resort to lathi charge and fire tear used to control them and senior officers of
Bhujbal's residence in the Sena mouthpiece gas shells. T i l l the afternoon, skirmishes the rank of deputy commissioners were heard
Samana. Thackeray had argued that the way were taking place between police and the ordering the force not to point their rifles
Bhujbal was criticising him and Sena, it was protesters. The firing and the death of 10 at the protesters. This was the clear indication
but natural for his followers to lose their people had its echo in other parts of the city that the senior officers had realised the
temper. The turnaround in Thackeray's and all over Maharashtra. mistake and were trying to avert the same
position came about after the realisation Why did the SRP platoon open fire? Who from being repeated. The senior police
dawned on the Sena and BJP leadership that ordered them to fire? The senior police officers admit in private that there is a short
they were facing the real danger of dismissal officers tried to clarify that the mob was supply of tear gas shells all over the country
of the alliance government. trying to set fire to two liquefied petroleum and the Mumbai police does not receive its
The desecration of Ambedkar statue and gas (LPG) tankers. The police claimed that full supply. Hence the tear gas shells arc
its violent aftermath has exposed chinks in if the mob had succeeded in setting fire to supplied to the units selectively. Therefore
the Hindutva armour of the Sena-BJP alliance. the tankers then a massive explosion would it is possible that the first units which arrived
It also brought to the fore the ideological have taken place and an area within a three at the trouble spot may not have had tear
bankruptcy of dalit leadership and inability k i l o m e t r e s radius w o u l d have been gas shells. The same seems to be the case
of the Congress to effectively challenge the completely incinerated, hundreds of people with the SRP platoon. Another fact which
Sena-BJP politically. The desecration of would have died, perhaps thousands would has not come to light is that SRP is never
Ambedkar statue took place in Mata Ramabai have been injured. To avert this impending allowed to take any independent action. It
Nagar, a predominantly dalit colony, located tragedy we had no other option but to open has always to report to the local police force
in Ghatkopar, an eastern suburb of Mumbai. fire, so argued the police. In support of this to take orders. These are the standing
The first person to notice this desecration claim Mumbai police showed a minute long orders. But the officer in charge of the
was a middle-aged woman in the early hours video footage to the press. The video film particular SRP platoon did not follow
of Friday, July 11, 1997. She alerted the was shot by a resident of a nearby building. these orders and directed his men to open
police outpost which is situated about 50 feet The video shows two tankers parked on the fire. Another pointer that the firing was

1948 Economic and Political Weekly August 2, 1997

 indiscriminate was that most of those killed to some obscure post. If the police do not become an extended suburb of the city.
were not active protesters. The middle aged take any action, then also they are punished. There is thriving business of illegal and
woman who first noticed the desecration was Honest and efficient police officers always unauthorised construction in Thane. Many
amongst those killed. Another man who face this dilemma. A police officer who finds corporators and municipal corporation
went to retrieve the body of the woman fell himself on such a cleft stick gets frustrated officers are hand in glove with contractors.
to police bullets. A 13-year-old boy coming and ultimately leaves the service. Besides The pavements have been virtually taken
out of his house was shot in the head and this general trend, the police in Maharashtra, over by unauthorised stalls with the blessings
died instantly. Another young man going to particularly the lower ranks, have been found of corporators and local political leader.
work died in the firing. to be influenced by the propaganda and Shiv Sena has a strong presence in Thane
This incident of firing led to call for rhetoric of Shiv Sena. This became clear and its district leader Anand Dighe has
'Mumbai Bandh' next day, i e, July 12. In during post-Babri-Masjid-demolition riots styled himself as 'Dharmaveer' and projects
the last few years except Shiv Sena, no other and was brought out starkly before Srikrishna his image on the lines of Thackeray. He
political party or the organisation has had Commission proceedings. has total control over the district party
the ability to enforce such bandh. But this How the police force is being used to organisation and no decision can be taken
time other political parties were successful protect Sena leaders and activists who indulge without his consent and approval. He is not
in disrupting transport services and closing in criminal acts can be seen from some recent answerable to anybody except Thackeray.
down business and other establishments. events. As the threat of dismissal of Sena- His allegations of corruption against the
Dadar, Parel, Lalbaug, the areas in central B i P government receded. Sena has again corporators - both from Sena and other
Mumbai, which are known as citadels of the returned to its old ways within no time. It parties - in granting contracts of civil works
Sena, wore a deserted look. A mob of a few has again started browbeating and threaten] ng had kicked up a row last year and state
hundred people protested in front of the those who oppose it. In fact a day after government had instituted an inquiry to probe
Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of the Sena Thackeray met union home minister Indrajit these allegations.
and near Thackeray's well fortified resi- Gupta in Mumbai, a Sena M L A Srikant A new commissioner, T Chandrasekhar,
dence in the suburbs of Bandra. The Shiv Sarmalkar along w i t h his f o l l o w e r s was appointed three months back to head the
Sena office in this suburb was also ran- mercilessly beat up the chief administrator Thane Municipal Corporation. Earlier the
sacked. of a prominent hospital in Mumbai for not commissioner was the head of Kalyan
The Sena retaliated by attacking residences giving permanent employment to casual corporation and had earned kudos from local
of Chhagan Bhujbal and Madhukar Pichad, workers in spite of assurances to that effect. people for launching a drive against illegal
both leaders of opposition in state assembly Police did not take any action to arrest construction. People in Thane were expecting
and council respectively. Bhujbal, himself Sarmalkar, Only a few Sena activists were same drive and zeal from Chandrasekhar and
a former Sena leader, was the first target of apprehended. After the news of this attack he is responding to their expectations. This
the mob. The mob was led by Sena M L A s , was published and public criticism mounted, has brought him in conflict with corporators.
corporators and other leaders. BhujbaTs Sarmalkar presented himself at the police The city's mayor, Vijaya Deshmukh, a Sena
house was completely ransacked and the station. He was duly arrested and immediately leader and staunch follower of Dighe, came
furniture was set on fire. Bhujbal had prior let off on bail. out on the street to stop the corporation's
information of the impending attack and had This is the general trend and most of the eviction squad from demolishing un-
asked police for adequate protection. The Shiv Sena leaders and activists who have authorised stalls on pavements. This
residences of Bhujbal and Pichad are opposite indulged in vandalism, arson, criminal attacks particular case of unauthorised construction
the Mantralaya, the state secretariat. This are now virtually free. A case in point is the was being followed by Bhagwat. The
area is a high security zone. Still the police attack on regional daily Deshonnati, which interference of the mayor in the eviction
allowed the mob to approach the residence is published from Akola in Vidarbha region drive drew a lot of criticism. The fallout of
of Bhujbal. As it is Bhujbal has been provided of the state. The office of this regional daily this criticism was the attack on Bhagwat. In
with police security and his home is well was ransacked and its journalists as well as his complaint Bhagwat has named Dighe
protected. In spite of this police allowed the other employees were attacked on July 25, and two other Sena corporators. But the
mob of the Sena leaders to enter the house. a couple of weeks after the flare-up in the police has not taken any action. In spite of
Instead of dispersing the mob the police state. The reason for the attack was that this the chief minister's assurance and handing
were seen pleading with Sena leaders to daily had published a series of detailed over the case of state C I D after a month
leave the house. Bhujbal escaped injury by news reports about the inciting speeches nobody has yet been apprehended. There
the skin of his teeth - by barricading himself delivered by Gulabrao Gawande, a minister is a specific r u l i n g given by Supreme
in a room with stengun wielding security of state in the Joshi government, after the Court in Jharkhand M u k t i Morcha case,
guards. Ghatkopar firing. The attackers included a that the police have to register an FIR against
nephew of Gawande and his close followers. those persons whose names have been
POLITICISED POLICE Though an FIR was registered and Gawande's mentioned in the original complaint. After
The glaring lapse of the police in both the nephew and a couple of his followers were investigation, if the police find the com-
cases - firing in Ghatkopar and attack on arrested no action has been taken against plaint baseless, then the names can be deleted
B h u j b a l ' s house - has been w i d e l y Gawande. from the FIR. Bhagwat has mentioned
commented upon. The police forces have Another glaring instance is the murderous Dighe's name in his complaint. Hence in
been criticised for their undemocratic and attack on Pramod Bhagwat, a chief sub- the light of Supreme Court ruling the
partisan behavioural weltas for being trigger- editor of Maharashtra Times, a premier police should have registered an FIR
happy . As in every other state of the country, Marathi daily of The Times of India group against Dighe and'other Sena corporators.
the police in Maharashtra have been of newspapers. Bhagwat has been relentlessly But the Thane Police Commissioner has
politicised, If an upright officer takes action pursuing those involved in the illegal and refused to act thus.
against the leaders of ruling party, he is unauthorised construction in Thane, a district Dighe was involved in another case of
castigated and punished by transferring him town east of Mumbai, which has virtually violence recently. A Sena woman leader was

Economic and Political Weekly August 2, 1997 1949

 thrashed in Dighe's office. Dighe himself were allegations of threats being issued to to become the leader of opposition and gave
slapped her hard and his close supporters workers to sign agreements w i t h the this post to Manohar Joshi. While in the Sena
beat her up, Police guards provided for management giving their no objection to Bhujbal was a staunch anti-dalit. He had
Dighe's protection also took part in the the sale of mill land. Later on Sunit Khatau gone to the extent of ritually purifying
beating. Still no action has been taken against was gunned down by the Amar Naik gang. Martyr's Memorial in Mumbai after it was
Dighe. Only a few of his supporters have Naik and Gawli are diehard enemies and vandalised by dalits. He had demanded that
been arrested. since it was rumoured that Gawli was helping all Gandhi statues should be pulled down
On the other hand Arun Gawli, the mafia the Khatau management, Sunit Khatau and in their places busts of NathuramGodse,
don, who has launched a political party called was eliminated. Immediately afterwards the assassin of Mahatma, should be put up.
the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, has been arrested Babubhai Shah, the owner of posh ready- The Congress used to be the main target of
after a woman journalist from Asian Age was made garment store, was killed and it was Bhujbafs criticism then. Now the same
pelted with stones in his fortress like Dagdi seen as a retaliation for Sunit Khatau's Congress is relying on him to dislodge the
Chawl. The journalist had not named Arun murder. Shah was suspected to be a financier Sena from power. This short-sightedness of
Gawli in her complaint. But the police arrested of Naik gang. Pawar and the Congress would be to the
Gawli and have implicated him in another A l l these things point to careful planning advantage of Sena.
seven-year old case, as he is likely to get and strategy behind political moves being The dalit leadership has failed miserably
bail in the case of assault on the journalist. made by Gawli. The Sena has pointed its and the attack on Ramadas Athavle, a former
The Sena-BJP is doing everything and is finger of accusation at Bhujbal and the minister in the Pawar government and a
ready to go to any length to keep Gawli in Congress. Many political leaders admit in prominent Republican Party of India (RPI)
prison after he successfully organised a private that some Congress leaders arc using leader, was a reaction to the shenanigans of
50,000 strong morcha in Mumbai deman- Gawli to challenge the Sena because 'Lohe the dalit leadership and its ideological
ding dismissal of the slate government. A koioha hi katsakta hai. In spite of the Sena- bankruptcy. Dalit masses have been left to
delegation of the leaders of Gawalfs party, BJP government's lack-lustre performance fend for themselves by the leaders, who are
including his wife, was received by the state and the Sena's propensity to threaten and more eager to grab positions of power and
governor. The delegation presented hi m with browbeat the opposition, the Congress has
strike deals with various political parties in
a memorandum and the governor assured the not been able to challenge the Hindutva
return for monetary gains. The various
delegation that he would forward it to the regime. After the Ghatkopar carnage the
factions of the RPI ritually unite at the time
president. It is strange that a constitutional Congress is demanding the dismissal of the
of elections and then drift apart in search of
functionary like the governor should enter- alliance government and has criticised union
power and pelf. The unity of these factions
tain the delegation of a party floated by a home minister Indrajit Gupta for saying in
gives hope to dalit masses and their break-
mafia don who is infamous for extortion parliament that while in Mumbai he had
up spreads the mood of utter dejection
and contract killing. While addressing the been told about Bhujbafs connections with
amongst them. There is a problem of massive
morcha one of the leaders of A k h i l anti-social elements. Congress is painting
Bharatiya Sena threatened journalists and unemployment. The youth in the community
the Sena as anti-dalit. No doubt the Sena is
warned them not to use the term 'mafia anti-dalit and Thackeray has never been have become despondent and dejected about
don' while describing Arunbhai. The attack reticent in declaring his opposition to their future. They do not see any brighter
on the Asian Age journalist was a sequel to reservations and other issues of dalit interests. side to their life. There is a seething anger
this threat. The paper had published a But the record of the Congress is not clean among the dalit youth against the present
news item which described the activities of either. A few years back there was a political, economic, social set up. This anger
Gawli gang. controversy about Ambedkar's book Riddles boils over even due to a minor slight to their
of Hinduism. During those days there was collective identity. Then these youth come
Gawlfs rise on the political horizon of the
a spate of attacks on dalits in rural areas. on the street and indulge in acts of vandalism,
state is impressive and without precedent in
state politics. The pattern in which Gawli's During Sharad Pawar's tenure, on Dushera because they have nothing to lose. This
party is spreading its wings in rural day activists returning from a Sena rally at mental make up of dalit youth has repeatedly
Maharashtra is similar to the Sena's forays Shivaji Park in central Mumbai attacked been used by unscrupulous political parties
in the region during the mid-1980s. Bhujbal residents of Sidhhartha Nagar, a dalit colony to inflame their passions and get political
as a firebrand Sena leader was instrumental in Chcmbur. The activists were from Thane mileage.
in striking roots for the party in rural and were led by Anand Dighe. There was This is what happened on July 11 at Mata
Maharashtra. The composition of people who police firing and a couple of persons were Ramabai Nagar in Ghatkopar. The leader-
participated in Gawli's morcha is also killed. No concrete action was taken by the less mass of dalits went berserk and played
significant. Most of them were young and Pa war government. Thackeray and the Sena's into the hands of mischief makers. There was
in the age group of 20 to 25. There was large role in 1992-93 Mumbai riots is well no leader to warn them of this conspiracy
presence of women also. Many participants documented. Still the Congress government and advise them to observe restraint. There
had come from rural areas. Gawli's party led by Pawar did not take any action against was no responsible leader to point out to
has also set up a union and is trying to take Thackeray. them that the real problems of dalits are
over units where the Sena has its unions. The Sena has to be challenged politically poverty and unemployment, to solve these
Last year Arun Gawli's nephew Sachin and defeated in election. Congress can do problems they have to align themselves with
Ahir was appointed a joint secretary of that, if leaders like Pawar come forward and all disadvantaged sections of the society;
Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (RMMS), organise the party on a war footing. But such a broad front would be the only way
an INTUC-affiliated union of textile workers Pawar is not inclined to do that and is trying to the objective of empowerment. The result
in Mumbai. When Sharad Pawar was the to find a political short cut to power. He of the failure of dalit leadership was the
chief minister Ahir entered Mumbai's trade seems to have decided to rely on the rabble death of 13 people and injuries to scores
union field. During the Khatau mill imbroglio rousing qualities of Bhujbal who left the more - no real tangible benefit to dalit
in 1994 his name was in forefront and there Sena because Thackeray did not allow him movement.

1950 Economic and Political Weekly August 2, 1997