BIPOLAR PUNE
Dangerous Double Life
Why a culture , education , upwardly mobile IT hub is becoming a battleground of political ideologies ?
by Prachi Pinglay-Plumber in Mumbai
Apopular Marathi saying goes like this , Pune tithe kai une , which loosely translates to “ Pune lacks absolutely nothing ”. It is a confident reference to the city ’ s rich cultural history , excellent living conditions and academic supremacy . But beneath the façade of a modern Pune — with slinky new cars , fancy apartment complexes and malls with dazzling neon signs — is a metropolis caught in a violent clash of ideologies .
Over the past few years , a series of events have put the city in the headlines — from the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar , to arrests of suspects from Hindu right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha , to a politically-charged rally and subsequent arrest of rights activists for allegedly inciting violence , and protests by civic action groups against the government . India ’ s most liveable city , according to this year ’ s Ease of Living Index , it appears , is living a double life . “ Increasingly , we have bipolar groups , who are being brainwashed and are accepting propaganda without questioning , just like one adopts religion . People need to understand that human rights is a subject related to good governance and are not mutually exclusive ,” lawyer Aseem Sarode tells Outlook . “ I also believe that having two separate schools of thought following Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar has not helped our society . Historically , they never rejected each other and the present separation is being used by the right-wing .”
In recent times , it all started with the assassination of Dabholkar in 2013 and the halfhearted investigation by the police . A few months later , techie Mohsin Sheikh , on his way back from work , was killed by a mob driven by allegedly
Beneath the facade of a modern Pune — an IT hub with a cosmopolitan population — is a metropolis caught in a violent clash of ideologies .
UNQUIET FLOWS THE MUTHA On paper , Pune is the lost liveable city in India .
derogatory Facebook posts about late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thac keray and Maratha king Shivaji . The Film and Television Institute of India , one of India ’ s premier institutes , also witnessed a long-drawn agitation over the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman . Beyond the city , the flourishing industrial belt of Chakan-Pimpri- Chinwad and nearby rural areas were pulverised by a violent Maratha agitation , a farmers ’ upheaval and even a crackdown by police on protesters and whistle-blowers .
Last month , the Bombay High Courtmonitored Dabholkar murder probe saw a breakthrough when the anti-terrorism squad ( ATS ) arrested several suspects and seized weapons and explosives . The suspects are allegedly linked to the Sanatan Sanstha and are also said to be connected to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bangalore . Even as demands for banning the Sanshta grew louder , Pune police arrested five well-known activists across India , claiming they were plotting to destabilise the government . Activists and opp osition leaders claim the police action is a diversionary tactic to shift the focus from alleged
14 OUTLOOK 17 September 2018