Why the red flag flies on
The Panchayat Samiti of Talasari tehsil in Thane has remained with CPI(M) for 50 yrs
Chile’s former president and a democratically elected Marxist late Salvador Allende and Arjun Dumada, 60, from Vevaji village in Talasari tehsil of Thane district who barely studied till his SSC, have nothing in common. But this notion erodes, as you begin chatting with Dumada.
From Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin to Allende, Mao and Fidel Castro are not only the names, but his ‘source of inspiration,’ as he puts it, needed to work against the ‘capitalist’ and ‘bourgeoisie’ political parties in the area. Dumada, by no means, is an isolated example in the 21 villages of Talasari tehsil, the 90% of the population of which is Warli tribal.
These are the activists, party workers and comrades which are the backbone of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the tribal belt of Thane district. After the results of recently held Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, the Panchayat Samiti of Talasari remained with CPI (M) for the 50th consecutive year. Ever since the state of Maharashtra was formed and the first elections were held in 1962, the CPI (M) has never lost this Panchayat Samiti. The tribal population of Talasari has been voting for the ‘Red Flag’ without an interruption for all those years and no other party such as Congress, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena seem to have been able to make inroads in this red bastion of Maharashtra.
A party which has a negligible political presence in the rest of the state, except for few places, has kept on winning in Talasari. DNA travels to the interiors of Talasari to understand what has been forcing the people of this region to never leave the Red Flag. There are the stories from the past that still haunt the tribals, there are stories of heroic leadership that the tribals got and then there are concerns about the future. A look at the history of Talasari answers the most eligible question which everyone has, ‘Why the red flag keeps flying high here?’
HISTORY
History is written by victors, we say. Zipar Javalia, Rishya Shinvar or Rupaji Vadu might not be victors for us, but in Talasari they are pasted in people’s minds for the atrocities they suffered at the hands of moneylenders and landlords, most of whom were Parsis, from before independence and even after it. Rupaji was tied upside down to the tree and placed above smoke filled with chillies. He had eaten a mango from his seth’s owned tree. Zipar was used instead of a bull in a farm and was told to plow, because he had taken a leave the day before. Rishya was buried alive because he protested against one of the most natural rituals of those days — sending his wife to the moneylender on the first day of his marriage. It was the ’40s.
That was the time when the tribal population began uniting under the red flag, under the leadership of Godavari Parulekar and he husband, Shamrao. Such was the impact and militancy of the agitations led by Godavari, the red flag became the symbol of liberation for the tribals.
REASONS
One of the agitations, which helped the left tremendously, is ‘snatch the land’ agitation. “We, the tribals were farming in the land from generations. We worked hard, we sweat and we took care of the crops. The land belongs to the one who cultivates it,” said Vasant Dhodiya, a farmers’ leader from Talasari. He mentioned that though the land documents at the government office show the names of original owners, the tenants are these tribals. “If these filthy rich babus come from Mumbai asking us to move from the land, just because documents show their forefather’s name, they are sure to be kicked out,” he said. The CPI(M) itself has distributed the lands among tribals to do farming and the party gives protection to them.
The legacy of Godarani (as she was affectionately called by tribals) is never ending in this area. “It is her legendary work, organisational skill and militant style of agitation that will never be forgotten. You will find her photo in almost every alternate tribal household,” said Vasant Jivdodiya of Kochaye village.
Shankar Gonjari was the speaker of Panchayat Samiti. “Compare the roads of this tehsil to others. You will see the difference. The schools in the area, the college in Talasari is the indication of what we have done,” he said.
Sanjay Kelkar of BJP, the main opposition of the Left here, thinks all talks of development are nothing but false agenda. “They could not bring development; the older generation was brain-washed. You cannot fool the people always with what has happened in the past. You have to show them a bright future,” he said.
Iron grip of the party
Out of 21 gram panchayats in Talasari tehsil, CPI (M) is in power in 18. “Elected representatives cannot work independently, as they get directions from the village level party committee’s and accordingly work,” said Lahanu Kom of the CPM.
Godavari Parulekar in her years as a leader began party classes even among the illiterate tribals. “She would read the newspaper, party publication and teach them what red flag stands for in classes. She taught us our rights and about what’s happening around the world,” says Dumada.
It all seem to have made such an impact on tribals that even after the inside disputes of the party when many leaders left the party, very few tribals followed them. “They stick to the party flag and not to the leader. That is our strength in here. No amount of money can manage such voters,” said Mariyam Dhawale, a state committee member of CPM.
Future
Boasting about the glorious history is not what a communist does,” claimed veteran tribal leader of CPM, LB Dhangar, adding that party confined to only tehsil and could not go beyond is a thing of concern.
BJP has different version to offer. “The educated Adivasi youth is going away from the left. For all those years, the party exploited, threatened the illiterate and poor Adivasis for the electoral benefits. Our struggle with the Red flag from last 40 years is yielding fruits now and for the first time we were successful in winning one Zilla Parishad and one Panchayat Samiti seat in Talasari. This trend is going to continue,” he said, adding that the constant scuffles between the two parties in this area are the result of CPM’s violent way of functioning.
The Panchayat Samiti of Talasari tehsil in Thane has remained with CPI(M) for 50 yrs
Chile’s former president and a democratically elected Marxist late Salvador Allende and Arjun Dumada, 60, from Vevaji village in Talasari tehsil of Thane district who barely studied till his SSC, have nothing in common. But this notion erodes, as you begin chatting with Dumada.
From Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin to Allende, Mao and Fidel Castro are not only the names, but his ‘source of inspiration,’ as he puts it, needed to work against the ‘capitalist’ and ‘bourgeoisie’ political parties in the area. Dumada, by no means, is an isolated example in the 21 villages of Talasari tehsil, the 90% of the population of which is Warli tribal.
These are the activists, party workers and comrades which are the backbone of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the tribal belt of Thane district. After the results of recently held Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, the Panchayat Samiti of Talasari remained with CPI (M) for the 50th consecutive year. Ever since the state of Maharashtra was formed and the first elections were held in 1962, the CPI (M) has never lost this Panchayat Samiti. The tribal population of Talasari has been voting for the ‘Red Flag’ without an interruption for all those years and no other party such as Congress, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena seem to have been able to make inroads in this red bastion of Maharashtra.
A party which has a negligible political presence in the rest of the state, except for few places, has kept on winning in Talasari. DNA travels to the interiors of Talasari to understand what has been forcing the people of this region to never leave the Red Flag. There are the stories from the past that still haunt the tribals, there are stories of heroic leadership that the tribals got and then there are concerns about the future. A look at the history of Talasari answers the most eligible question which everyone has, ‘Why the red flag keeps flying high here?’
HISTORY
History is written by victors, we say. Zipar Javalia, Rishya Shinvar or Rupaji Vadu might not be victors for us, but in Talasari they are pasted in people’s minds for the atrocities they suffered at the hands of moneylenders and landlords, most of whom were Parsis, from before independence and even after it. Rupaji was tied upside down to the tree and placed above smoke filled with chillies. He had eaten a mango from his seth’s owned tree. Zipar was used instead of a bull in a farm and was told to plow, because he had taken a leave the day before. Rishya was buried alive because he protested against one of the most natural rituals of those days — sending his wife to the moneylender on the first day of his marriage. It was the ’40s.
That was the time when the tribal population began uniting under the red flag, under the leadership of Godavari Parulekar and he husband, Shamrao. Such was the impact and militancy of the agitations led by Godavari, the red flag became the symbol of liberation for the tribals.
REASONS
One of the agitations, which helped the left tremendously, is ‘snatch the land’ agitation. “We, the tribals were farming in the land from generations. We worked hard, we sweat and we took care of the crops. The land belongs to the one who cultivates it,” said Vasant Dhodiya, a farmers’ leader from Talasari. He mentioned that though the land documents at the government office show the names of original owners, the tenants are these tribals. “If these filthy rich babus come from Mumbai asking us to move from the land, just because documents show their forefather’s name, they are sure to be kicked out,” he said. The CPI(M) itself has distributed the lands among tribals to do farming and the party gives protection to them.
The legacy of Godarani (as she was affectionately called by tribals) is never ending in this area. “It is her legendary work, organisational skill and militant style of agitation that will never be forgotten. You will find her photo in almost every alternate tribal household,” said Vasant Jivdodiya of Kochaye village.
Shankar Gonjari was the speaker of Panchayat Samiti. “Compare the roads of this tehsil to others. You will see the difference. The schools in the area, the college in Talasari is the indication of what we have done,” he said.
Sanjay Kelkar of BJP, the main opposition of the Left here, thinks all talks of development are nothing but false agenda. “They could not bring development; the older generation was brain-washed. You cannot fool the people always with what has happened in the past. You have to show them a bright future,” he said.
Iron grip of the party
Out of 21 gram panchayats in Talasari tehsil, CPI (M) is in power in 18. “Elected representatives cannot work independently, as they get directions from the village level party committee’s and accordingly work,” said Lahanu Kom of the CPM.
Godavari Parulekar in her years as a leader began party classes even among the illiterate tribals. “She would read the newspaper, party publication and teach them what red flag stands for in classes. She taught us our rights and about what’s happening around the world,” says Dumada.
It all seem to have made such an impact on tribals that even after the inside disputes of the party when many leaders left the party, very few tribals followed them. “They stick to the party flag and not to the leader. That is our strength in here. No amount of money can manage such voters,” said Mariyam Dhawale, a state committee member of CPM.
Future
Boasting about the glorious history is not what a communist does,” claimed veteran tribal leader of CPM, LB Dhangar, adding that party confined to only tehsil and could not go beyond is a thing of concern.
BJP has different version to offer. “The educated Adivasi youth is going away from the left. For all those years, the party exploited, threatened the illiterate and poor Adivasis for the electoral benefits. Our struggle with the Red flag from last 40 years is yielding fruits now and for the first time we were successful in winning one Zilla Parishad and one Panchayat Samiti seat in Talasari. This trend is going to continue,” he said, adding that the constant scuffles between the two parties in this area are the result of CPM’s violent way of functioning.
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