Pune: Noted Marathi playwright and humorist late Ram Ganesh Gadkari’s statue installed in a garden here was vandalised in the early hours today( Jan 3) by a pro-Maratha group which alleged that Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son was projected in ‘poor light’ in one of Gadkari’s plays. Incidentally, Gadkari died 98 years ago on the 23^rd of January 1919!

Ram Ganesh Gadkari  (May 24, 1885 – January 23, 1919) was one of the writers the in new age transformation in Marathi literature. He wrote poetry under the pen name Govindagraj (गोविंदाग्रज) and humorous articles under the pen name Balakram (बाळकराम). He wrote plays under his legal name.

Celebrated playwright, Vijay Tendulkar considers Gadkari the greatest poet-dramatist in any Indian language after Kalidas. He feels that no other than Gadkari had the genius to describe Sambhaji’s extraordinary sacrifice in his struggle against the monstrous emperor Aurangzeb. Similarly, another prominent Marathi literary figure, Acharya Atre, considered Gadkari’s contribution to Marathi literature and in particular Marathi drama as one of highest order.

The Sambhaji Brigade, which claimed responsibility for the alleged vandalism on social media, said that after removing the writer’s bust from the garden maintained by Pune Municipal Corporation, its workers threw it in a river.

The outfit alleged that Gadkari, in his book and play ‘Raj Sanyas’, portrayed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son Sambhaji Raje in poor light.

“We were seeking removal of the bust from the Sambhaji Garden and had done necessary correspondence with Pune Municipal Corporation. However, they paid no heed to the demand, prompting our workers to storm the garden and remove the bust,” Sambhaji Brigade leader Santosh Shinde said.

“It is quite ironical the bust was installed in the garden, which was named after Sambhaji Raje. Such insult and defamation of Sambhaji Raje will not be tolerated,” he said.

Shinde also said that those who vandalised the statue will surrender before police.

Pune’s Guardian Minister Girish Bapat and the city civic body have ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Deccan Gymkhana police registered a case against four persons in connection with the incident.

“We have registered a case against four members of Sambhaji Brigade for allegedly damaging public property and stealing the bust,” Senior Police Inspector Ajay Kadam said.

He said they registered the case after the Sambhaji Brigade posted on social media about the vandalism, claimed responsibility for the incident and disclosed the names of its members, who allegedly executed the act.

“We have recovered a CCTV footage from near the garden and found that there were four persons who had removed the bust at around 2 AM,” he said.

A team has been formed to nab the suspects, he said.

  HATE CRIME, vandalism