GOTHALA VILLAGE: Almost every stone from the Dalit Kotal Satava Ramba Kamble’s house to the village Chawadi could well be carrying tell-tale marks of the blood of the kowwal and his two sons Mohan and Raosaheb as their bodies were dragged from their house where they were brutally murdered to the Chawadi. Tuesday all that is left of their home are broken walls as the mob of villagers led by Pandurang Kamble went about their murderous task

The massacre last was planned by the village school master Ganesh Kashinath Gulve Guruji who is absconding. He belongs to an upper caste and is a landlord as well as money lender.

Satava Kamble who according to the villagers lived like a police patil and possessed 20 acres of fertile land had five sons and two daughters. Mohan and Raosaheb were killed and Damodar had his leg broken Nagnath narrowly escaped and the youngest son is away studying at Ahmedpur.

Gangubai Nagnath Kamble daughter-in-laws of the deceased kotwal recounted the ghastly event: “Satavaji ran into the room while being chased by Pandurang Kamble..Then there was shouting ‘Satwa open the door’…five minutes the house was surrounded by the villagers. Some of them broke the walls .Many climbed onto the roof and broke it. We had no place to hide. The women were fervently requesting them to stop. All the time Gulve Guruji was standing outside. I ran for over an hour-and-a-half and fell at the door of the police station in sheer exhaustion”.

REVENGE: Relations were cordial between Gulve Guruji and Satavaji until a dispute arose over possession of seven acres of land. Satavaji offered the landlord Rs.55000 after Gulve Guruji had settled for Rs.30000. This enraged Gulve Guruji who set about securing revenge through Pandurang Kamble.

Pandurang Kamble had money problems and Guruji helped him out as Pandurang had a grudge against Satavaii.

There were other reasons also for the killings. The behavior of Mohan the second son of Satavaji was criticized by several Savama (upper caste) women. He often provoked villagers with his arrogant behavior particularly as he was a Dalit and used abusive language. He was also charged with 15 offences mostly eve-teasing and molestation

The massacre might have been triggered off by the release of the nine persons arrested for assaulting Mohan on Aug.18. He fractured his hand in a fight after refusing to pay the money he owed Guruji. Pandurang Kamble and his family fearing retaliation sought police protection.

On Sept 4 villagers of Gothala led by Guruji started an indefinite fast in front of the Ahmedpur tehsil office protesting against the goonies of the Kotwal family. After two days the deputy collector Udgir ordered the deployment of police in the village. But nothing materialized. Ironically as it turned out it was the Kotwal’s family that was in need of protection.

There is no doubt that the killings had a caste bias despite the fact that Pandurang and the other three accused were Dalits. They were instigated by Gulve Guruji who stage-managed the events.

The social welfare minister and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale will be visiting on Thursday. However the Dalit Panthers have called a Latur bandh earlier.

NEW DELHI: V.P Singh the leader of the Janata Dal Parliamentary Party UDPP) Wednesday said that his party would launch a satyagraha if either the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad made any attempt to precipitate matters in Ayodhya in violation of the Constitution or the court order.

Briefing newspersons here Singh said that his party would adopt all possible democratic methods to defend the Constitution. He said that the National Front in it selection manifesto had committed itself in preserving the status quo of places of worship in the country and the National Front-Left parties combine had mounted considerable pressure on the government to introduce the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Bills ;

Article extracted from this publication >> September 20, 1991