Patna: Legendary freedom fighter Kunwar Singh — who had led the battle against the British in Bihar during the first war of Indian independence in 1857 — has himself become the subject of a political clash in the state, over the celebration of the day on which he took control of the Jagdishpur Fort from the British.
The day is traditionally celebrated on 23 April by the state government, but this time, the BJP government at the Centre has planned a grand event this year, as part of its ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ series to mark 75 years of Indian independence.
The BJP also aims to use the event — to be held in Kunwar Singh’s home turf of Jagdishpur in Bihar’s Bhojpur district — to break a record, currently held by Pakistan, of the maximum number of national flags waved by a crowd at any event, according to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.
Pakistan’s record is 56,618 flags, at a March 2004 Punjab Youth festival in Lahore. The BJP is going all out to ensure that there are 75,000 people holding the Indian Tricolour at Saturday’s event.
“A team from the Guinness World Records is already in Jagdishpur to make the head count on the occasion,” Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal told The Print.
However, the BJP’s “appropriation” of Kunwar Singh’s victory anniversary has ruffled the feathers of not just opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), but even coalition partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party Janata Dal (United) — adding to the already existing differences between the two.
While sources said the JD(U) is not holding the ceremony it traditionally organises at the party office, Nitish has also cancelled the annual trip he takes to Jagdishpur on the occasion.
“All parties should have been involved in the event. Instead, the BJP has made it exclusively a party function,” said a JD(U) Member of the Bihar Legislative Council, on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, RJD MLA Ramanuj Prasad told ThePrint that “the Sangh Parivar has in the past shown scant regard for the national flag and they do not have any heroes of their own from the freedom movement”.
“The RSS headquarters did not hoist the national flag for a long time. Through this programme, they are trying to wash away their past sins and trying to take over the legacy of Kunwar Singh. Kunwar Singh has the respect of every caste and community in Bihar,” Prasad said.
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Symbol of Rajput pride
The ruler of a small principality in Jadgishpur, Kunwar Singh successfully liberated vast parts of western Bihar and eastern UP from the British during the first war for Indian independence in 1857. He managed to keep the area free of British rule for about a year, until his death in 1858.
A Rajput, he has been a symbol of pride for the community in Bihar ever since, and successive state government have also done much to celebrate his legacy — constructing his statues, or naming institutions after him — to appease a community that has been electorally important in Bihar.
A section of BJP members hint that the grand celebration of Kunwar Singh is an attempt by party to cement its Rajput votebank, especially after the upper caste Bhumihar community deserted it in this month’s Bochaha bypoll, leading to the party’s defeat.
However, the majority opinion in the party is against this reasoning. “No other political party has organised such a mega show in the name of Kunwar Singh,” BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel told ThePrint.
The flags record
On Sunday, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah unfurls the national flag in Jagdishpur on Kunwar Singh’s victory anniversary, over 200 stalls will be giving out the Indian flag to those attending the event, said Patel.
But the BJP’s grand celebration has created problems also for its own members in the state. Every BJP legislator and MP from in and around Bhojpur has been asked to bring 1,000 people to the event.
“It is a hard task, especially considering the fact that the programme is being held at 12 noon on a hot summer day,” said a BJP MLA, on the condition of anonymity.
The BJP is depending on 10 districts near Bhojpur to pull in the crowd.
“There will be no BJP flag in the field where this programme is being held. There will be only national flags. The numbers can rise to above one lakh,” said Patel.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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