Protest against lathicharge in vasai

 

Thousands of villagers from all over Thane district gathered at Saket Road on Sunday under the banner of Shramajeevi Sanghatana to protest against the police lathicharge on Vasai MLA Vivek Pandit and his supporters on March 5. The villagers marched from Saket road to Tembhi naka, where, amid heavy police bandobast, Pandit, his wife Vidyulata and Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde addressed the rally. Pandit said their agitation was against the state government for democracy and freedom. “Whatever our freedom fighters fought for, they sacrificed their lives for freedom, and the Chavan government has snatched away that freedom and made slaves out of people. They have raped democracy with the lathicharge. But it is time for people to revive democracy and the freedom struggle. This is just the beginning, the battle is yet to be fought,” said the Independent legislator. He added that the real culprits behind the lathicharge were sitting in the Mantralaya. “We have no problems with the hands that hit us but with the heads behind them,” he said. On the exclusion of the 53 villages, Pandit said that mafias are after the land of the villagers and that the state government is an agent. He said they would intensify the agitation if they do not get justice. Pandit gave a written application to resident deputy collector Amol Yadav.

Thane MLAs vow to take up issues of tribals

Thane MLAs vow to take up issues of tribals

Three newly-elected MLA's from Thane district have vowed to jointly take up the issues of tribals in the district. Speaking at a felicitation function organised at the Shirsad Phata in Vasai last night, the MLAs, Chintaman Wanga of BJP from Vikramgadh, Vishnu Savra of BJP from Bhiwandi-Rural and Vivek Pandit, an Independent from Vasai, declared that they along with Daulat Daroda, former MLA from Sahapur, will be working towards resolving the long pending issues of the tribals. Mr Pandit said the felicitation was in fact for citizens of Vasai, who had fought against the terror of the 'Mafia dons' from the Vasai-Virar region.

 

 

On the occasion, the 30th anniversary of the Shramajivi Sanghatana and Samarthan was celebrated by the tribals. It is since 1979 the Pandit couple Vivek and Viddhyulata have been fighting for the cause of downtrodden in the district and the state, and they have been bestowed several national and international awards. They both were felicitated on the occasion and given Shawl, sriphal, and a citation for their work. Pandit was described by speakers as the MLA of the people, by the people and for the people. It may be recalled that immediately after the state government annouced the formation of Vasai Virar Municipal corporation, merging 53 villages into it, the people of Vasai protested and demanded revoking of the order. Pandit took the lead in the committee and staged a fast into death. The move was supported by all, which finally came handy in the election and this was the main plank on which he fought the election and won the seat.