1994 Gowari stampede

Last updated

1994 Gowari stampede
Adivasi Gowari Stampede Memorial.jpg
Memorial of the Adivasi Gowari Stampede at Zero Mile, Nagpur
Date23 November 1994
Time5:30 IST
Location Nagpur, India
Casualties
114 dead
500 injured

The 1994 Gowari stampede occurred at Nagpur, India on 23 November 1994 in which 114 people from the Gowari community were killed and 500 more injured. [1] Nagpur Police were trying to disperse almost 50,000 Gowari protesters using a baton charge but it created panic and triggered a stampede amongst the protesters. [2] Gowaris are an ethnic group of central India and are predominantly present in Nagpur. The majority of casualties were women and children who were crushed to death under the crowd's feet as they scrambled to escape the police line. Some were victims of barbed wire piercing as they were climbing over high fences to escape. The Maharashtra state government appointed the one-man Justice S S Dani Commission to investigate the event, [1] but it held nobody responsible and referred to the tragedy as an "unfortunate" one. The Commission justified the police action of baton-charge to control such a huge crowd. The commission also cleared state Chief Minister Sharad Pawar and the rest of the government for any responsibility in the incident. [3] Maharashtra's Tribal Development Minister Madhukar Pichad later resigned, accepting moral responsibility for the tragedy. [3]

Contents

Stampede

Every year, the winter session of Maharashtra state assembly, Vidhan Sabha, is held at Vidhan Bhavan, Nagpur. For quite some time, the Gowari community had been demanding Scheduled Tribe status to avail themselves of the benefits of reservations in government jobs and education. On 23 November 1994, Gowari protesters, led by Gowari Sanghatana, were trying to reach Vidhan Bhavan and present their demands to the state government. Nagpur police had earlier banned all protest marches during the winter session of the assembly. Nagpur Police stopped the march of 50,000 protesters at Nagpur's Vasantrao Naik College of Arts and Social Sciences (Morris college). However, no government official turned up to talk with protesters and resentment grew. Disturbances started amongst the crowd as they tried to break the police barricades. Police gave out repeated warnings to maintain order but the situation was getting out of control. Chief Minister Sharad Pawar had already flown back to Mumbai after concluding the day's session. At 5:30 pm, a car with a red light atop it arrived and protesters at the front rushed towards it. They assumed some minister had arrived to take up their petition. However, police feared trouble and started wielding batons to push back the protesters. This initially caused them to retreat, but word of the police attack spread, causing a panic, with protesters trying to run away. [2] Women along with children who were part of the protest march got caught in the midst of the chaos. They were trampled and asphyxiated under the feet of running protesters. [3] In all, 114 people lost their lives in the tragedy. Autopsies conducted on the victims concluded that their deaths were caused by traumatic asphyxia. They were the result of chest compression and obstruction of the respiratory system. [2]

Enquiry

Soon after the tragedy, the Maharashtra government appointed a one-man commission - Justice S S Dani - to investigate the causes of the tragedy. [1] Meanwhile, the opposition Bhartiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena coalition took immediate political advantage of this tragedy and it became one of the factors for the Indian National Congress losing the state elections of 1995. After many extensions, the Dani Commission finally tabled its report in March 1998 and found nobody responsible. [4] It noted that Pawar was neither aware of the protest taking place outside of Vidhan Bhawan nor the nature of the protesters' demands. Pawar, who was now leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, had initially stated that he feared state government was trying to frame him by altering the commission's report. [5] The commission concluded that the police were right to initiate a baton charge on the surging crowd in order to maintain order while the assembly session was going on. It also noted that almost all deaths were caused due to people getting trampled under the feet of the stampeding crowd and suffering asphyxia, and not due to injuries caused by the baton charge. However, the commission suggested that water sprayers and rubber bullets be used first and that police should carry out baton charges only as a last resort, after giving two warnings. The Commission based its report on statements given by local press and photographers along with independent witnesses at the site. [2] The BJP-SS led government quickly rejected the report.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi was quoted as saying

"Any one of them going and talking to the protesters could have averted the tragedy". [6]

Current situation

Names of victims at the memorial Name plaque of victims of Gowari Stampede.jpg
Names of victims at the memorial

After coming to power, the Bhartiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-led government had announced a Special Backward Caste (SBC) category for 47 such communities with 2 percent reservations in education and government jobs. However, the Supreme Court of India ruling that reservation quotas cannot exceed 50 percent has created legal problems for SBC quotas. Political efforts to assimilate 2 percent SBC under already existing scheduled tribe or other backward caste (OBC) quotas have faced tough opposition from their respective legislators' lobby. [4] After losing the 2004 Maharashtra state assembly elections, the BJP seems to have lost interest in Gowari incident. [7] The Gowari issue surfaced periodically during assembly sessions. [8] The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on 15 August 2018 ruled that Gowari community in Maharashtra should get benefits under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, pointing out that Gowaris were categorised as a tribe more than hundred years ago in the records of British India. [9]

A monument has been built in central Nagpur to commemorate those who died in this tragedy. Also, the flyover in Sitabuldi has been named Aadivasi Gowari Shahid flyover.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharad Pawar</span> Indian politician (born 1940)

Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar is an Indian politician. He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for four terms and in the Union Council of Ministers as the Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of P.V. Narsimha Rao as well as the Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Manmohan Singh. He is the first and former president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), "which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress". His faction of the NCP was split by his nephew, Ajit Pawar. He leads his faction of the NCP in the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament. He is the chairperson of Maha Vikas Aghadi, a regional Maharashtra-based political alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist Congress Party</span> Political party in India

The Nationalist Congress Party is one of the state parties in India and is one of the major political parties in Maharashtra with a recognised state party status in Nagaland and Kerala. The party has its presence in legislative assemblies of Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, with being in the governing coalition in all of these states. Besides this, the party is also part of the current governing coalition National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Mandal Commission or the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC), was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "identify the socially or educationally backward classes" of India. It was headed by B. P. Mandal, an Indian member of parliament, to consider the question of reservations for people to address caste discrimination, and to use eleven social, economic, and educational indicators to determine backwardness. In 1980, based on its rationale that OBCs identified on the basis of caste, social, economic indicators made up 52% of India's population, the commission's report recommended that members of Other Backward Classes (OBC) be granted reservations to 27% of jobs under the central government and public sector undertakings and seats in the higher education institutions, thus making the total number of reservations for SC, ST and OBC to 49.5%.

Reservation is a controversial system of affirmative action in India created during the British rule. Based on provisions in the Indian Constitution, it allows the Union Government and the States and Territories of India to set a high percentage of reserved quotas or seats, in higher education admissions, employment, political bodies, etc., for "socially and economically backward citizens".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramdas Athawale</span> Indian politician

Ramdas Bandu Athawale is an Indian politician, social activist and trade unionist from Maharashtra. He is the president of the Republican Party of India (A), a splinter group of the Republican Party of India and has its roots in the Scheduled Castes Federation led by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar since 1999. Currently, he is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India since 2016 and represents Maharashtra in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament since 2014. Previously, he was Lok Sabha MP from Pandharpur from 1999 to 2009 and from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency from 1998 to 1999. He was also Cabinet minister of Maharashtra from 1990 to 1995 and a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1990 to 1996.

The division was established during the 1861 police re-organization; however, the city's policing history began before that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajit Pawar</span> Indian politician (born 1959)

Ajit Anantrao Pawar is an Indian politician from Maharashtra. He has been serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2 July 2023 alongside Devendra Fadnavis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharashtra Legislative Council</span> Upper house of the bicameral legislature of the state of Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Legislative Council or Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Maharashtra state in western India.

Maharashtra is India's third largest state by area and has over 112 million inhabitants. Its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million; Nagpur is Maharashtra's second, or winter, capital. Government in the state is organized on the parliamentary system. Power is devolved to large city councils, district councils, subdistrict (taluka) councils, and village parish councils. The numerically strong Maratha–Kunbi community dominates the state's politics. The state has national and regional parties serving different demographics, such as those based on religion, caste, and urban and rural residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anil Deshmukh</span> Indian politician (born 1950)

Anil Vasantrao Deshmukh is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He is a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party. Deshmukh served as the Minister for Home Affairs in Government of Maharashtra between 2019 and 2021. Deshmukh resigned in 2021 as the Home Minister of Maharashtra due to allegations of money laundering and other charges by Param Bir Singh. He was arrested by ED and was kept in custody for 1 year before being released by a court order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gowari</span> Caste in India

Gowari is an Indian caste of cattleman or herdsmen, predominantly residing in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devendra Fadnavis</span> Indian politician (born 1970)

Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis is an Indian politician currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra since 30 June 2022, alongside Ajit Pawar. He previously held the position of Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 31 October 2014 to 12 November 2019. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was the President of BJP's Maharashtra state unit from 2013 to 2015. He became Chief Minister at the age of 44, making him the second-youngest in Maharashtra's history after Sharad Pawar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharashtra Legislative Assembly</span> Lower house of legislature in Maharashtra, India

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Maharashtra state in western India. It consists of 288 members directly elected from single-seat constituencies. The Assembly meets at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, though the winter session is held in Nagpur. Along with the Maharashtra Legislative Council, it comprises the legislature of Maharashtra. The presiding officer of the Assembly is the Speaker. Members of the Assembly are directly elected by the people of Maharashtra through elections held every five years, unless the Assembly is dissolved earlier. The current Assembly was elected in October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagpur North Assembly constituency</span> Constituency of the Maharashtra legislative assembly in India

Nagpur North is one of the 288 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra state in western India. It is one of the six assembly seats which make up Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency is represented by Nitin Raut, who serves as a minister in the Government of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagpur South Assembly constituency</span> Constituency of the Maharashtra legislative assembly in India

Nagpur South is one of the 288 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra state, western India. It is one of the six assembly seats which make up Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. The Constituency Number is 53. This constituency is located in Nagpur district. The boundaries of the constituency were changed by the 2008 delimitation. It comprises parts of Nagpur Taluka, and Ward No. 9 to 11, 37 to 42, 73 to 78, 99 to 102 and 120 of Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patidar reservation agitation</span>

Starting in July 2015, the people of India's Patidar community, seeking Other Backward Class (OBC) status, held public demonstrations across the Indian state of Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajendra Mulak</span> Indian politician

Rajendra Mulak was a Minister of State for Finance & Planning, Energy, Water Resources, Parliamentary Affairs and State Excise in the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan Government of Maharashtra. He has studied Post Graduation in Commerce and has a Degree in Law. Mulak's constituency Umred that he had represented was declared reserved for scheduled caste seat. But he was elected in 2009 as an Maharashtra Legislative Council MLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jat reservation agitation</span> 2016 violent protests

The Jat reservation agitation was a series of violent protests in February 2016 by the Jats of North India, especially those in the state of Haryana, which "paralysed" the state for 10 days. The protestors sought inclusion of their caste in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, which would make them eligible for affirmative action benefits. Besides Haryana, the protests also spread to the neighbouring states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the National Capital Region.

Wada Vidhan Sabha constituency was one of the seats in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in India. Wada is near Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar. The area under this seat is now mostly divided as a part of Bhiwandi Rural and Vikramgad Vidhan Sabha seats since 2008.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "State Orders Probe After Stampede Kills 114". www.highbeam.com. 25 November 1994. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Dani exonerates Pawar; Govt rejects report". 31 December 1998. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 "Inquiry clears Pawar of blame for Gowari tragedy". 30 December 1998. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Govt in bind over reservations for `disputed' Scheduled Tribes". Mannan Haque. 5 March 1999. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Govt implicating me in Dani report: Pawar". 26 December 1998. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Ruckus over Dani report". 31 December 1998. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  7. ↑ "Five years after stampede, Gowaris are still a lost tribe". 25 December 1999. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  8. ↑ "Settle Gowari issue, govt told". The Times of India . 24 November 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  9. ↑ "Gowari community should get benefits as ST category, rules Bombay HC". THE INDIAN EXPRESS. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.