Dalit poet commits suicide in protest

A dalit poet committed suicide in protest against the firing by the police on the residents of the Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar colony in Ghatkopar.

Shahir Vilas Ghogre, a Republican Party of India, activist hung himself to death in Mulund, northeast Bombay on Tuesday. In a suicide note he blamed the Shiv Sena-BJP government for mishandling the incident and held them responsible for his death. He wrote the same message on the walls of his one room tenement where the incident occurred.

The note also mentioned that he could not endure the government's compliance in the injustice done to the dalits. 'Eleven Bhim Sainiks (as the dalits are affectionately called in the memory of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar) were killed. 26 were injured. I cannot withstand this injustice. So I'm committing suicide as a mark of protest.'

People started gathering around his home as the news spread. He is survived by his wife and a 25-year-old son.

Compiled by Prasanna D Zorey from the Marathi press