The recent events taking place in Maharashtra are very disturbing. Not everyone is aware of what did really happened. Many people are not even aware why the Dalits go to the place "Koregaon-Bhima".
So, guys to let you know what really the reason for visiting the Bhima-Koregaon, just read the history given below.
"The Battle of Koregaon –
The Battle of Koregaon was fought on 1 January 1818 between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction but not Maratha faction, at Koregaon Bhima.
The Company troops of Indian origin included a number of Mahar Dalit soldiers belonging to the Bombay Native Infantry, and therefore Dalit activists regard the battle as a heroic episode in Dalit history.
Peshwa's forces - The Peshwa's army comprised 20,000 cavalry and 8,000 infantry. Out of these, around 2,000 men were deployed in the action, constantly reinforced during the battle. The force that attacked the Company troops consisted of three infantry parties of 600 soldiers each. These soldiers included Arabs, Gosains and Marathas (the caste).
British East India Company forces -
The Company troops dispatched from Shirur comprised 834 men, including: Around 500 soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry, led by Captain Francis Staunton.
Around 300 auxiliary horsemen under Lieutenant Swanston
24 European and 4 Native Madras artillerymen with two 6-pounder guns, led by Lieutenant Chisholm. Besides Chisholm, Assistant-Surgeon Wyllie (or Wyldie) was the only officer in the artillery.
The Company troops of Indian origin included Mahars, Marathas, Rajputs, Muslims, and Jews.
Out of the 834 British East India Company troops, 275 were killed, wounded or missing. The dead included two officers — Assistant-Surgeon Wingate and Lieutenant Chisholm; Lieutenant Pattison later died of his wounds in Shirur. Among the 1st Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry men, 50 were killed and 105 wounded. Among the artillery, 12 were killed and 8 were wounded.
According to the British estimates, around 500 to 600 of Peshwa's soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle.
Mountstuart Elphinstone, who visited Koregaon two days later on 3 January 1818, wrote that the houses had been burned and the streets were filled with dead bodies of horses and men. There were around 50 dead bodies lying in the village, most of them of the Peshwa's Arab soldiers. There were six dead bodies outside the village. In addition, there were shallow graves of 50 native sepoys, 11 European soldiers and the 2 deceased officers belonging to the Company forces.
The Koregaon pillar inscription features the names of the 49 Company soldiers killed in the battle. 22 of these names end with the suffix -nac (or -nak), which was used exclusively by the people of Mahar caste. Other dead soldiers of Indian origin included 16 Marathas, 8 Rajputs, 2 Muslims, and 1-2 Jews.
The obelisk was featured on the Mahar Regiment's crest until Indian Independence. While it was built by the British as a symbol of their own power, today it serves as a memorial of the Mahars.
The Mahars were considered untouchable in the contemporary caste-based society. The Peshwas, who were high-caste Brahmins, were notorious for their mistreatment and persecution of the untouchables. Because of this, the Dalits (former untouchables) now see the Koregaon obelisk as a symbol of their victory over the high-caste oppression. The Dalit Buddhist leader B. R. Ambedkar visited the site on 1 January 1927. To commemorate his visit to the site, now thousands of his followers visit the site every New Year's Day. A number of Mahar gatherings have also been held at the place.
Although it is currently portrayed as victory of lower caste over upper caste Peshwas, the Mahars had fought for the Peshwa rulers."
So, due to the above history, Dalits visit the place for showing the honor to all the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Koregaon.
What happening in Maharashtra is right or not that cannot be said, but lets just hope everything gets right with time.
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