Ujjain Witnesses Caste Clash Over Vallabhbhai Patel-BR Ambedkar Statue Row

Makdone, fifty kilometres from Ujjain City, witnessed clashes between two caste groups over the vandalism surrounding a Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue at a public square. Stones were pelted and things took a violent turn with police vehicles being torched and shops torn down at this tehsil in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district. The dispute revolves around a square in a disputed land among wards 2, 8, and 9, where considerable Dalit population have been voicing for Dr B.R. Ambedkar's statue in the area. 

The video which surfaced on social media shows an enraged mob demolishing a life-size statue of former Deputy Prime Minister, Vallabhbhai Patel with a tractor. As reported by PTI, the Patidars community, part of the Other Backward Classes and members of the local Dalit community, Malviyas, have been sparring over installing a statue of Sardar Patel and Dr Ambedkar at a public square. 

While the Patidars had been vouching for Sardar Patel, an icon for the community, the Dalit group wanted to install a statue of Dalit anti-caste crusader BR Ambedkar. The matter was being deliberated by the local panchayat but the former group illegally installed the statue at dawn before any decision was taken formally, as alleged by the Dalit group. On Thursday morning, members of a local Dalit organisation took the statue down, resulting in violence, with around four people l, including a sub-inspector, injured in the scuffle. 

In a report by Anand Mohan J for The Indian Express, the locals involved from both sides have addressed the issue and spoken about caste discrimination has been continuing in the area for quite some time, with the tension brewing. "Since the local panchayat body was established, there has been tensions over this issue. But apart from the statue, the daily discrimination we face at the hands of the Patidar community has kept the tensions simmering,” said Narendra Malviya. 

"This has been a decade-long fight to install the statue. We have no issue with Vallabhbhai Patel, we accept him as our national hero. But they don’t have the permission. The local BJP leaders in their election manifesto for the local panchayat elections promised Patel’s statue. I sent a complaint a day before that they would do this. The police failed to maintain law and order. Most of those who protested were local Bhim army members and they were all rounded up by the police," said Sevaram Malviya, a local SC leader.

In the same report, Ashok Gami, a senior Patidar leader affirmed that their decision to install Sardar's statue was followed by due permission from the local authorities.  “We had informed the police about this (installing the statue). It was installed around 4 am to avoid inconveniencing the public. We were not doing anything illegal.”

Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Nitesh Bhargav told PTI, "An investigation is underway after which cases would be registered. No one has reported to us about it so far. Additional police force has been deployed. The situation is completely under control. We have removed the stones that were hurled by (members of) the two communities from the spot in the Makdone area."

Speaking to Outlook about the implications of the incident, Kashif Kakvi, a journalist based out of Madhya Pradesh said, "Situations like this are not very common in Madhya Pradesh besides the incidents that took place around Gwalior in 2018 against the Supreme Court's verdict on charges under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Dalits constitute around 17% of the state's population but haven't been unified in their political allegiance in the state. Leading up to the 2024 elections I don't think this stray event would have any serious implications. The issue has apparently been resolved mutually after the collector sat the sparring parties down for a talk. The state government wants to avoid any hassle leading up to the elections, and thus, it has been said no arrests have been made and the groups have been placated."