Battle of Koregaon Bhima anniversary: Thousands start paying respects at Jaystambh amidst heavy police deployment, watch on social media
Thousands of followers have started to arrive at the Jaystambh in Pune’s Perne village marking the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima Sunday amidst heavy police deployment. The police said they are keeping a close watch on the social media posts related to the subject.
The district administration said it is expecting a turnout of over five lakh people this year. Nearly 5,000 police personnel have been deployed at the Jaystambh located on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway and nearby villages, including Koregaon Bhima and Vadhu Budruk. Traffic diversions have come into effect from 5 pm Saturday on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway for vehicles, except for those taking people to the Jaystambh. These diversions will remain in force till midnight.
One person was killed and several others were injured in violence in the Koregaon Bhima area on January 1, 2018. Every year since then, the district administration and police machinery has been taking stringent steps to prevent any law and order situation in the area. The police have appealed to the citizens to refrain from posting any controversial or inflammatory content on social media or phone messenger platforms.
Over the past few days, the police have identified dozens of social media posts which can potentially lead to law and order and situation and initiated a process to delete them.
District administration said 1,500 mobile toilets have been installed in the area. Around 20 medical response teams, 41 ambulances, additional bike ambulances, and several garbage collection vehicles have been deployed around the Jaystambh Over 300 Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal buses have been pressed into action to ply followers visiting Perne.
Pune district collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh held multiple coordination meetings between administration and police officials in which the review of facilities provided on the premises of the Jaystambh has been taken.
Traffic going from Pune to Ahmednagar has been diverted right from Kharadi and will take the route of Mundhwa Chowk, Magarpatta Chowk, Kedgaon Chaufula, Nhavara, and Shirur towards Ahmednagar. Traffic from Solapur Road to Alandi and Chakan has been diverted via Hadapsar, Magarpatta Chowk, Kharadi Bypass and Vishrantwadi.
Heavy vehicles coming from Mumbai to Ahmednagar have been diverted via Vadgaon Maval, Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon and Alephata. Light vehicles coming from Mumbai to Ahmednagar have been diverted via Vadgaon Maval, Chakan, Khed, Pabal and Shirur. Vehicles coming from Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara and going to Ahmednagar via Katraj and Mantarwadi Phata have been diverted from Hadapsar to Solapur highway and will take the route of Kedgaon Chaufula, Nhavara and Shirur.
Traffic police said separate parking arrangements have been made for the vehicles of the people visiting Jaystambh.
As per historical records, the Jaystambh was erected by the British government in 1821 in memory of its soldiers who fought against the Peshwas at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818. Later, the Britishers had appointed their soldier Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar (Malvadkar), who was wounded in the Battle of Koregaon Bhima, as the in-charge of the Jaystambh on December 13, 1824. According to the descendants of Jamadar, who are from the Maratha community, both British and Peshwa forces consisted of soldiers from different castes (upper and lower) and religions and so the history of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon “should not be distorted and used for making any casteist remarks”.
