A three-part special documentary series on the spread of communal division and hate in Maharashtra.
https://thewire.in/communalism/naf-rath-in-maharashtra-end-of-reason
In this three-part docuseries, we dissect the strands of this political narrative, unveiling the intricate connections that have led a state once broadly characterised by harmonious coexistence to a creeping and ominous amplification of actions, speeches and public articulation of division and hate.
Part I of the series introduces the Sakal Hindu Samaj rallies, the background behind it and the history of communal violence in Maharashtra. It gives an overview of the past three decades of communal violence.
Part II focuses on Kolhapur and Trimbakeshwar. In Kolhapur, on June 6, 2023, the occasion of the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation, a WhatsApp video extolling Tipu Sultan triggered indignation among certain factions. While a protest march by the ‘Sakal Hindu Samaj’ on June 7 remained peaceful, the following day saw Hindu groups in Kolhapur turning violent, launching stones at various shops run by Muslims. In Nashik’s Trimbakeshwar, a group of Muslim men were stopped at the entry gate of the temple. These men were allegedly concluding a “100-year old tradition”, they claimed. Videos of this event went viral and the mainstream media painted a disturbing and communal picture. An SIT has been constituted to authenticate the claims of members of the Muslim community.
Part III focuses on an organisation, Shiv Pratishthan Hindusthan and its leader, Manohar Kulkarni, alias Sambhaji Bhide.
17/12.2023