Newspapers offer more perspective than TV news on #KoregaonBhima violence

While channels like Republic TV, Times Now and Zee News pinned the blame on Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and student leader Umar Khalid for the violence that gripped Maharashtra yesterday, newspapers have come forward to offer more perspective on what sparked it.

Far from the shrill tone of TV debates, dailies like Mumbai Mirror and The Indian Express’ front-page reports put the Dalit protest in context.

Mumbai Mirror led with the headline: “The Two Who Brought Your City To A Halt”. The report is a profile of Sambhaji Bhide (85) and Milind Ekbote (56) and explains how the two “ranged hindutva forces against Dalits” to desecrate the samadhi of a Mahar named Govind Gaikwad.

This occurred on December 29, two days before Dalits were to gather at Bhima-Koregaon to commemorate the Battle of Koregaon. The report goes on to state that an FIR has been lodged against Bhide and Ekbote, but “nobody is surprised that they have not been arrested yet” since they have deep links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

One of the front-page reports in The Indian Express profiles the “one dead” in the clashes so far. The report states that Rahul Babaji Phatangade was walking back to his house in Sanaswadi village in the evening when he passed a petrol pump where a mob was gathered. He was accosted and severely assaulted by a mob that identified him as a Maratha since he was wearing a jacket with Maratha warrior Shivaji’s face embossed on it.

Another report has voices of Ambedkarites stating that they have had enough of the violence. “Dalit men, women and children were mercilessly beaten up, cars torched at Bhima Koregaon yesterday. What was their fault? They were mere pilgrims at the annual celebration,” one person was quoted as saying.

Mid-Day had two inside pages dedicated to the violence that gripped Maharashtra. One of the lead copies detailed the damage to public transport owing to protests.

The Times of India carried wide-ranging reports on the bandh, allegations of opposition camps, the chief minister urging people to maintain peace and so on. One of the reports focusses on Dalit activists who feel that the violence was planned by the RSS and its affiliates.

It stated: “Ghanshyam Sonar, member of the Republican Panther Caste Annihilation Movement, said the violence at Koregaon Bhima was planned by the RSS. Sonar said Marathas and Dalits had shared cordial relations for generations. The RSS with its Brahminical mindset wants to drive a wedge between the two communities, he said. ‘The rasta roko and bandh in Mumbai was to highlight the violence against women and children. The attack on Dalits has been on for the past few days but the media did not highlight it till there was violence,’ he said.”

TOI also reported on how several commuters were stranded yesterday as protesters hit the streets. “For almost six hours, motorists – including children, patients and women – were left stranded as protests over the Bhima-Koregaon clashes reached the city and brought traffic in the eastern suburbs to a standstill,” the report stated.

Needless to say, newspapers this morning offered more perspective and information than what many TV channels could last night.