1 January 2020
Koregaon Bhima is a panchayat village and census town in the state of Maharashtra, on the banks of Bhima River. This place has a very significant Dalit history. 500 Mahar soldiers (the untouchables) offered to fight alongside their countrymen, against the colonisers. Rejected by the ruling Caste they joined forces with the colonisers and fought in the ‘Bhima Koregaon Battle’, defeating the Brahminical rule of the Peshwas. Just as history did, so does the media and ruling Caste today conveniently forgets to acknowledge them. On the 1st of January, every year, 20 lakh (2 million) people gather at Bhima-Koregaon to commemorate that battle. On a large scale, Ambedkarite singers, performers, musicians visit and perform in the event. Small groups are mostly seated in the path of the victory pillar or moving along them while the bigger groups can be seen performing on various stages and tents built around the victory pillar.