Divided RPI leaders wax eloquent about Dalit unity

Apart from two RPI factions, one led by Prakash, the grand son of late Dr Ambedkar and the other led by Ramdas Athvale, there were few other groups such as an outfit floated by the Samajwadi Party and a few followers of Kanshi Ram and the Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan were also on the job trying to draw some attention. Even as all the factional heads of the RPI completely ignored the much talked about renaming of Dadar railway station as “Chaityabhoomi station”, some followers of Paswan were seen distributing a two-page leaflet condemning the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for opposing the move.

Similarly a Jaahirnaama, a booklet with a photograph of Kanshi Ram was in circulation among those who cared.

The people, however, were not in a mood to read or hear the same old politics. When Athvale was talking about the “Dalit unity”, a large number of people preferred to sit on the shore staring blankly at the horizon on the Arabian sea. “I am all for unity…the ball is in their court”, said Athvale to those who chose to sit for his public meeting.

Ramdas Athvale stoned at Ambedkar Nagar

Miscreants from the Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar, today attempted to disrupt the meeting of RPI leaders at Chaityabhoomi. At around 10.30 pm, residents from the colony began throwing stones at the dais erected at Dadar chowpaty.

Ramdas Athvale, a leader of the RPI was addressing the meeting when the incident occurred. “People began to hurl stones at us and a few missiles landed on the stage,” Athvale informed Indian Express. Seeing the commotion RPI leaders immediately gave a call for Dalit unity and wound up the proceedings. Athvale and other RPI leaders were unhurt.