Athavle finally visits Ramabai Ambedkar colony

A villain one day, a hero the next. That's how Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavle's predicament can be described succinctly.

For a man, who spearheaded the militant dalit movement in Maharashtra in the late 1970s, it was a shock to be assaulted by one's comrade-in-arms. As Athavle was on Sunday when he arrived at the Ramabai Ambedkar colony to attend the funerals of the ten dalits killed last Friday in police firing.

But that was then. Just 72 hours later, Athavle, a minister in the Sharad Pawar ministry, received a hero's welcome when he arrived at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar.

Residents of the dalit colony lined along the Eastern Express Highway to welcome Athavle. On his arrival at 4.30 pm he was taken to the Ambedkar bust at the heart of the controversy. After he had paid his obeisance to the statue, the dalit leader paid his condolences to the families of those killed in the police firing. He walked with a palpable limp, an indication of the injuries he suffered when he was beaten up on Sunday.

Compiled by Prasanna D Zorey from the Marathi press.