Kolhapur (Maharashtra): On the occasion of Shahu Maharaj’s birth anniversary, on Sunday, June 25, the city of Kolhapur saw a remarkable sadbhavna or goodwill rally which aimed at promoting unity in a region recently affected by communal disharmony.
Shahu Maharaj, who ruled Kolhapur in the late 19th century and early 20th century, was a social reformer lauded for his progressive ideals.
Thousands of people participated in the rally, organised by the Rajarshi Shahu Salokha Manch. Former Congress MLA Malojiraje Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Congress leader and MLC Satej Patil, former rural development minister and Nationalist Congress Party MLA Hassan Mushrif, Congress MLA Rituraj Patil, Swabhimani Farmers Association leader Raju Shetty, along with other MLAs, former mayors and corporators, and office bearers of various organisations participated in this rally.
Kolhapur has a longstanding tradition of equality and social harmony which has been upheld since the time of Shahu Maharaj. However, in recent months, there have been attempts by some individuals and organisations to disrupt social peace in the city.
On June 5, a 16-year-old minor boy from Kolhapur shared a video on his Instagram account featuring pictures of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. In the background, the Haryanvi song ‘Baap to baap rahega‘ was playing. This status quickly went viral.
The following day, June 6, marked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation day. Hindutva organisations in Kolhapur claimed that the video insulted the Hindu community. By evening, members of these organisations went to the Lakshmipuri police station in the city and filed a case against the 16-year-old as well as some other minors.
On June 7, these organisations called for a shutdown in Kolhapur city. The protests created a tense atmosphere and over 30,000 people gathered at the Shivaji Chowk.
As time passed, the crowd started pelting stones. This ballooned into violence throughout the city, leading to the vandalisation of shops and the targeting of individuals from the Muslim community.
Vijay Chormare, a senior journalist from Maharashtra, spoke about the role played by political parties in fostering this violence.
“Certain individuals have been fostering an atmosphere of hatred between Hindus and Muslims in recent days. There is significant anger and negative sentiment among the public towards the two-party government that has taken office in the state,” he said.
These parties could be functioning under the idea that such incidents are necessary for their success in the upcoming elections, the journalist said.
“During the Kolhapur riots, the state’s home minister [Devendra Fadnavis] made an irresponsible statement, appearing more like a representative of a particular organisation than the people, in stating that they would teach a lesson to Aurangzeb’s children instead of promising strict action against those who disrupt law and order. It is believed that the riots started in the state due to these political motives,” he added.
Chormare further said that the riots in Kolhapur happened due to police inaction. “The police failed to stop the people who came to Kolhapur from outside, so the police, administration and government are responsible for this whole incident.”
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Protest marches organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj and involving a large number of participants have taken place, accompanied by hate speech targeting the Muslim community. These marches loudly claimed that ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’ were affecting locals and demanded the renaming of Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar.
Additionally, there has been a surge in posts on social media that aim to create religious discord. The misuse of social media has significantly contributed to the current atmosphere of hatred in Maharashtra, believe residents.
Over the past few months, incidents of communal riots and arson have been witnessed in cities such as Kolhapur, Akola, Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Jalgaon and others in Maharashtra.
Kolhapur is renowned for its food culture, wrestling, Kolhapuri chappals, football and Mahalaxmi temple. The city symbolises the legacy of Shahu Maharaj, and his impactful contributions to society will always be remembered. The Muslim Boarding established by him still operates in the Dussehra Chowk neighbourhood, providing education to the children of economically weak families.
Mateen Sheikh originally came to Kolhapur from Barshi in Solapur district, for wrestling.
“Except for a couple of Muslim friends, all of my friends are Hindus. We never discriminated based on caste or religion. We respect and love each other. There is a sense of unity among the community living in Kolhapur. In fact, Aslam Qazi, a Muslim wrestler, won accolades in Kolhapur, but recently, the wave of hatred towards minorities that is prevailing across the country has also reached Kolhapu,” Mateen said.
When asked about the current caste-related riots, Mateen says that the youth involved in the riots in Kolhapur were mostly between the ages of 18 and 23, and are easily influenced by videos circulated on platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. “Hindutva leaders and activists are taking advantage of these vulnerable youth to incite violence during times of religious tension,” he said.
“Some political leaders may try to exploit this religious polarisation to gain power, but it will result in erasing Kolhapur’s progressive identity established by Chhatrapati Shahu,” he added.
Is the reputation of Kolhapur city as a bastion of progressive ideology beginning to weaken in recent years?
Kolhapur district has long been recognised for its progressive ideals. The majority of the local population, belonging to the common class, embraces the principles of equality, justice and brotherhood espoused by Shahu Maharaj. Notable figures like Govind Pansare and Prof N.D. Patil have dedicated their lives to spreading progressive ideologies among the people. However, in recent days, there is an emergence of a religious atmosphere in Kolhapur.
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Vasant Bhosle, editor of the Lokmat newspaper in Kolhapur, says, that after the rise of Hindutva politics in recent times, sanatani people in Kolhapur have begun sowing hatred in the minds of the Bahujan community’s youth to promote the success of Hindutva politics.
“However, their efforts have not been successful. In the past few years, there have been attempts to undermine the principles of Shahu Maharaj, but I believe they will not succeed because Shahu’s ideas are deeply ingrained in the grassroots mindset,” he added.
