Dalits serve immolation threat to feud-torn RPI

MUMBAI, Oct 24: Disgusted with the game of one-upmanship in the top brass, 11 Dalits from a hamlet in the newly-created Washim district in north Maharashtra have threatened self-immolation if the various factions of the Republican Party of India fail to reunite by December 6. founder Dr B R Ambedkar’s death anniversary.

Local leaders in Washim say the preoccupation with the leadership issue in the RPI has only thrust neglect upon the community which is dogged by many woes.

Anna Belkhede, Vilas Pakhale, Sunil Pande, Balwant Bhagat, Shrikrishna Manwar, Gajanan Manwar, Prabhakar Manwar, Dipak Ingole, Ashok Kajale, Himmat Pakhale and Vinod Pakhale, who belong to the neo-Buddhist community and hailing from Sakhardoh village in Manora taluka, say they are determined to go ahead with their self-immolation plan at Chaityabhoomi at Dadar in Mumbai on December 6.