Page 27 - Unleashed BMM 2019-2020

Disconnected from the external world, and devoid of basic facilities like
technology and transportation, the people of these tribes found it difficult
to cope up with the present state of the region. On the other hand, the Kolis
managed well. Though they were affected by the incident, they were much
more facilitated in terms of services.
Most of the men from the Koli community worked in the nearby towns
of Sakri and Pimpalner, others have shops in Rainpada and the adjoining
hamlet of Kakripada and Rauhad. These were some of the very few who
had mobile phones with access to internet and WhatsApp. However, no
one had the video which went viral of the mob brutally killing the five
men. "Many of our community was not here when the incident happened.
They say that it started with a WhatsApp rumour of child kidnappers and
the insecurity amongst the tribals increased drastically. However, we never
received a rumour of such a kind and we don't have the video of the killing
too," said Gulabram Pawar, a departmental shop owner.
In our conversation with Pawar, it was known to us that the police stayed
at his place during the curfew and his family along with Vishwas Gangurde
and Sakharam Patil helped the newly elected Sarpanch a lot to maintain
the image of the village and restore the lost humanity. "We are deeply Dailibai Bhaure, wife of suspect Surjya Bhaure. Atharva Pande
grief-stricken by the incident which took place on July 1st. We express
our condolences for the dead. As far as the state of the village is concerned, Another family which suffered gravely due to the random picking-up of
we are doing our best to restore the peace of the villagers and co-operate suspected villagers was the Bhaure family from the Maunshi community.
with the police in their investigations to arrest the criminals and do justice The fifty-five-year old Surjya Dahilya Bhaure was taken away by police
to the dead and their families," said Banshilal Bhoi, the newly elected four days after the incident. "They took him away because our house is
Sarpanch or the village headman. Though the people of the village were the nearest to the Gram Panchayat Karyalaya (office)," said Yasab, the
shocked and frightened, they had full hopes in the village headman and twenty-five-year old son of Bhaure. "While we tried to contact the police
the localites like Vishwas Gangurde and Sakharam Pawar. about the release of my father, they told us to wait for ninety days.
Apparently, the chargesheet will be made after ninety days, The family
saw two of their daily wage earners being taken away by the police all
suddenly. "The police took my husband and my eldest son, Philip too.
What kind of monstrosity is this! I wanted to ask them if they fear God
but they did not even let me meet even
my husband," anguished Dailibai, the "THEY TOOK
fifty-year-old wife. Along with Surjya HIM AWAY
and Dailibai, it is a family of their BECAUSE OUR
three sons, Arun, Philip and Yasab and
their respective families. Yasab and HOUSE IS
Arun visit Bhaure every weekend in THE NEAREST
the prison and provide him with a TO THE GRAM
change of clothes. PANCHAYAT
While the police investigations re-
sulted in 21 arrests until now, it left KARYALAYA."
these families hollowed. A dark
shadow of depression and anxiety loomed over these thatched roofs and
brick walls. We tried to contact the Dhule Police but they were unavail-
able.
Rajubai Raut, wife of suspect Rajaram Raut with her grandchildren. Atharva Pande After showing around the village for some time, Pawar then took us to
the Gram Panchayat office. A dilapidated structure with broken windows
However, the villagers suffered despite offering cooperation to the police. and doors stood in front of us. One could guess the amount of rage and
Days after the incident, the Dhule police investigated the case and started brute strength applied by the villagers to storm open the doors and the
picking up men from Rainpada and the nearby villages randomly merely windows to bludgeon the men. As we entered the room, we witnessed a
on the grounds of suspicion. We spoke to the family members of two such horrid sight. The walls were smeared with blood everywhere, the tables
victims. Rajaram Tulsiram Raut, a sixty-five-year-old man from the Bhil and the chairs were broken. The portraits of leaders such as Mahatma
community was picked up by the police two days after the incident while Gandhi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule were hung tainted over the
he set off to till his land that morning. "He took his lunchbox and set off wall, with some dried splotches of blood here and there. The portrait of
to the field. Just as he walked past that tree, he was taken Gandhiji stood dangling in mid-air. It seemed as if the por-
away by the police," said Sarita, Raut's twenty-year-old "WHEN I traits too gave up on the condition of the nation in the pres-
daughter. The police detained all of these suspected men in WENT TO VISIT ent times. This was the fourteenth case of mob lynching in
the Dhule prison and allowed the family members to visit HIM, HE COULD the state since the last month. “Our men left their homes
them once or twice a month. "When I went to visit him, he NOT TALK. since the incident and there is no contact with them since.
could not talk. I asked him if they beat him, he kept silent Only the women and a few elderly people are left here
and began crying helplessly with muffled breaths," ex- I ASKED HIM now,” says 72-year-old Dagubai Gaikwad, a resident of the
pressed Rajubai, an anganwadi teacher and Raut's wife of IF THEY BEAT village. A month after the curfew, the village is regaining
sixty years. On asking whether they sought any legal help, HIM, HE KEPT its lost composure but is still a far cry from the peaceful
the only son, Motilal told us, "No lawyer is ready to help SILENT AND and calm place it once was. The children, women and the
us. Only Gangurde Saheb takes care of the matter. We have elders of Rainpada suffered heavily over the past month.
full faith in him. My father is innocent and God will come BEGAN CRYING A month after the incident, some men returned to the vil-
to his rescue." The family consists of Rajaram Raut, his HELPLESSLY lage. However, they find it difficult to even breathe peace-
wife Rajubai Raut, son Motilal, daughters Lalita, Sarita, WITH MUFFLED fully. The thought of getting picked up by the police haunts
Sarika and their children. them every second.
BREATHS"
27 | UNLEASHED | 2019