HVK Archives: For the bereaved, Gawli's aid arrives before Sena's
For the bereaved, Gawli's aid arrives before Sena's - The Asian Age
Mini Pant Zachariah
()
19 July 1997
Title: For the bereaved, Gawli's aid arrives before Sena's
Author: Mini Pant Zachariah
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: July 19, 1997
Government aid is yet to reach them but Arun Gawli has reached out to the
families of the 10 dalits shot dead in police firing at Ramabai Ambedkar
Nagar last Friday.
The Dagdi Chawl don's mother took a token Rs 5,000 aid to the families of
each of the 10 dead within 48 hours of the tragedy, gratefully accepted in
a time of need; and compared with the slack the government exhibited. The
Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government announced Rs 2 lakh each as
compensation. A week later, only Rs 30,000 of the sum had reached the needy
families.
The ire of dalits against politicians kept most away from the colony.
Local member of Parliament from Mumbai Northeast Pramod Mahajan, who came
to Mumbai a day after the police firing left two days later, without
visiting the spot. He was naturally advised by the home department under
his brother-in-law Gopinath Munde that the situation was unsafe.
But Gawli made the smart move of sending his mother as his emissary.
"Arunbhai's mother had come with some people from the Akhil Bharatiya Sena.
She shared our sorrow," said Sunita Pathare, sister-in-law of Kausabai
Pathare, the 40-year-old woman who was killed a few yards from her small
dwelling in Ramabai Colony.
On July 11, Kausabai was on her way to Ghatkopar where she worked as
domestic help when she spotted the wounded Sanjay Nikam on the road.
She rushed to help him and was shot on the chest and stomach, dying
instantaneously. The story is the same in every bereaved household. For
Pandurang Dodke and his ageing wife, the death of their son Vilas, 22, has
come as a insufferable blow. "As usual he left the house around 7 in the
morning to ply his autorickshaw. Sensing trouble after the desecration of
the statue, he came back and said he was not going on work as it was not
safe. A while later, the neighbours brought him home. Dead," said
Pandurang. Vilas was the only son in a family of seven and the only earning
member in the family. The family admitted that Rs 5,000 from Arun Gawli's
mother was a help even as they await the government ex-gratia.
The dalit youth are disgruntled with the present leadership in the
Republican Party of India. Their leaders like Mr R.S. Gavai and Mr Ramdas
Athavale are seen as strengthening the Congress with Mr Prakash Ambedkar
and Mr Raja Dhale supporting the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.
The petty politics of the state leaders is slowly but steadily driving the
youth away from the RPI to the Akhil Bharatiya Sena. This topic, like the
aid from Arun Gawli, is spoken of in hushed terms.
And, like Gawli's help, much needed to raise the RPI leadership from its
slumber.
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