A right-wing leader from Sangli, Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide, is one of the main accused of inciting the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1. Quite interestingly, he was recommended for a Padma Shri award by the BJP government in Maharashtra in 2016.
Bhide’s name was recommended after a meeting of a committee of 10 senior ministers. The supporting documents were obtained under the Right To Information Act.
Bhide, 84, also known as Bhide Guruji, is a controversial figure. He along with Milind Ekbote was named in the First Information Report (FIR). Bhide and Ekbote were named for provoking villagers. The villagers then attacked Dalit groups who were paying tributes to the Mahar regiment soldiers. Mahar soldiers, as is believed, defeated the Peshwas.
He was also charged with instigating communal riots in Miraj-Sangli in Sangli over an arch sporting a poster depicting the slaying of Afzal Khan. His arrest was demanded but the then Congress-NCP government did not take any action against him. In 2008 he was yet again in news for his organization ransacking theatres to protest the Hindi movie Jodha-Akbar.
Bhide’s roots
Bhide is a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker and the founder of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan. The last three decades of his life has gone in spreading awareness about the life of Maratha warrior king Shivaji. In the districts of Western Maharashtra and especially among the youths, he has a great following.
The 11-member committee comprising 10 ministers and the secretary of the protocol department, shortlists the names for the Padma awards as state entries every year. In addition, the committee reserves the discretionary power to recommend someone from outside the application. Housing minister Prakash Mehta headed the committee. He had recommended Bhide’s name among 15 others. After all this, the recommendations were sent to the Centre on October 12, 2015.
Uproar of reactions
The grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar and a Dalit leader, Prakash Ambedkar, lashed out and termed the decision as ‘intellectual bankruptcy’.
Ambedkar insisted that Bhide and Ekbote be arrested after the Bhima-Koregaon violence. Ekbote also moved Supreme Court for the anticipatory bail.
However, the committee members find nothing wrong in recommending Bhide’s name. Girish Mahajan, water resources minister and a member of the committee, said-
“I know him personally. He is an ardent follower of Shivaji Maharaj and ‘obsessed’ with the motive of building an idealistic young generation. He has been leading a humble and selfless life. I do not remember the details of the meetings but had we recommended his name and I stand by the decision. There is no big deal if he is facing any charges in Bhima -Koregaon incident because even I am facing a number of cases for my participation in social agitations.”
Nitin Chaugule, the working president of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, said, “Yes, Guruji had been asked about the Padma award, but he had simply refused to accept it. He said it was against his principles and would be against the ‘wish’ of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj. I do not know if the government had recommended his name even after the refusal.”
Bhide, along with water conservation activist Popatrao Pawar, medical field practitioners Dr Anil Kumar, Dr Rumi Fardu Behramji, Dr Aswhin Mehta, Dr Ragini Parekh and actors Prashant Damle and Asha Parekh were recommended.