Legal Notice to Maratha Activist Smacks of Fadnavis’ Insecurities
Fadnavis’ insecurities comes to the fore with externment notice being served to Maratha activist, writes Parth MN.
advertisement
The Maratha agitation in the state of Maharashtra has only intensified with each passing day. The consistently mammoth demonstrations have put the state government in a fix, which is why all the eyes, throughout the agitation, have been fixated on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
However, the shadow-boxing between the state and Maratha protestors took an interesting turn when activist Sanjeev Bhor received a notice of externment.
Also Read: Maratha Rallies: The Silent Marches That Are Creating an Uproar
Activist Served Externment Notice
Bhor is the founder president of Shivprahar organisation, one of the many prominent Maratha groups in the state. More importantly, he is the man who organised the very first ‘Maratha morcha’ immediately after the Kopardi rape in July, which triggered the endemic of gigantic rallies across the state.
Bhor has a history of charges against him dating back to 2006. Some of the charges are as serious as attempt to murder, extortion and creating communal tension. In the last 3-4 years, he has played a critical role in creating an anti- atrocity act atmosphere in atrocity-prone districts. However, the timing of the notice – at the peak of Maratha agitation – is hard to fathom as a mere coincidence. The BJP says the police are conducting an independent inquiry but commentators say it is a googly dropped by the state government, attempting to emasculate the protests by playing divide and rule policy.
Also Read: DeQoded: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Maratha Protests
Motive Behind the Notice
The Ahmednagar police issued a showcause notice at 9pm on 5 September, said Bhor, and asked him to explain why he should not be shunned from Ahmednagar, Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Beed and Aurangabad in view of his “criminal background”.
The notice further stated that his presence in these districts could create a “law-and-order problem”, “threaten communal harmony and national integration”. He was asked to present his case the very next day at 10am. On 3 October, another hearing transpired where Bhor asked for time to gather evidence and witnesses to prove his innocence, and he has been given the time till the 17th of this month.
“The motive behind the notice is evident,” said Bhor, describing how he had to wake a lawyer up at 11pm on 5 September and work things out till 2am. “The government is locating people who are at the forefront of this agitation, so it can quell those voices and cripple the agitation.”
The BJP leaders say the administration is just doing its job and the charges against Bhor need to be examined carefully. “We do not need to play such games,” said Madhav Bhandari.
Also Read: Marathas, Patidars & Jats Are the Original Political Entrepreneurs
Is the Govt Trying to Suppress Maratha Protests?
Interestingly, the six districts from where he is proposed to be banned are the ones buzzing with Maratha agitation. The opposition is not ready to believe the government’s claim that the notice is not initiated on the behest of the chief minister, and some even likened it to what the Gujarat government did with Hardik Patel.
NCP leader Shashikant Shinde said the home minister, who in the current case is CM himself, is aware of the files of those about to be served notices of externment. “Instead of tackling the issue with maturity, government is complicating things by playing divide and rule,” he said. “And if that is not the case, it only shows their ignorance of the crisis.”
Bhor said the offences registered against him in the recent past pertain to agitations and demonstrations, which almost every social activist is charged with. Regarding the 2013 charge of attempt to murder, he claimed it had been managed by manipulating the police officers.
Also Read: Dalits, Patidars & Marathas Rise: The Political Sands Are Shifting
Political Motive
Ashish Jadhao, political editor of Maharashtra1, said the externment notice has the motive to make Bhor the face of the agitation. “The silent protests did not have any leader,” he said. “The government is trying to impose leadership on someone, which would make others insecure and expose the cracks within, leading to the movement fizzling out.”
NCP leaders, who have championed the Maratha cause, have appealed to the protesters to call the bluff.
Nonetheless, the CM cannot afford to disregard the most influential and populous community. On 13 October, the state government would be submitting an affidavit in favour of Maratha reservation regarding the pending case in high court. Fadnavis had earlier indicated his broad support to the demands and also invited the representatives to discuss the issue further. Experts say it was another smart move by the chief minister.
Fissures Come to Fore
The Maratha agitation, as it has mushroomed, has been infiltrated by radical and progressive influences alike. BJP leaders have also said the written demands presented by various Maratha groups vary from each other, though the demands of reservation and regulating the alleged misuse of atrocity act remain common.
The so far leaderless agitation would find it challenging to locate representatives who could adequately represent the agitation. Knowing that it could expose differences within the community, the CM is believed to have played this card.
Shinde, however, said the tactic of playing divide and rule would backfire on the government and end up intensifying movement even more. “The government needs to show and reassure protesters,” he said. “They know what the basic demands are. Why do they need discussions? At least start the process.”
Also Read: More Rallies, Bigger Crowds: Maratha Stir Puts Fadnavis in a Fix
Maratha Agitation Needs a Face
Jadhao, however, said the movement has achieved its initial objective of forcing the establishment to sit up and take note of the issue. But to get their demands realised, the agitation now needs to graduate to locating a few faces that would negotiate with the government.
“The strings of the protests are in the hands of various Maratha groups, who have their own vested interests,” he said. “It is impossible for them to zero down on a few representatives.”
In a nutshell, it seems, if the community is able to conquer the differences within, it can take the movement to a logical conclusion. Otherwise, it will be remembered merely as a show of strength.
(The writer is special correspondent with LA Times. He can be reached at @parthpunter. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)