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Locals fear losing homes to Annabhau Sathe memorial

The locals complain that there was no public consultation by the government, and they fear that the memorial could leave them homeless.

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Even as social justice minister Sachin Ahir declared that the government has cleared all issues related to its plan of building a memorial for Marathi Dalit littérateur Annabhau Sathe at Chiragnagar in Ghatkopar, residents of the area are not in favour of the memorial.

The locals complain that there was no public consultation by the government, and they fear that the memorial could leave them homeless. 

The memorial, if built, will force about 100 families from 3 chawls to look for accommodation elsewhere. “How can you expect families residing in the locality for so many decades to just leave? I have been staying here for the past 25 years,” said Juliana Brags, a resident of Chawl No. 5. The residents insist that Ahir once visit the area and clarify the government’s plans.

“We thought the matter had been closed. But after Ahir’s announcement, we are worried. We were informed about the project in December 2009 when officials from the collector’s office and the surveyor’s office came to survey the area. They told us that a memorial was being planned,” added Brags.

According to locals, in February 2010, officials forcefully conducted another survey. “On March 4, we wrote a letter to the chief minister and other officials, but didn’t get any response,” said Brags.

Another local, Sheikh Aarif Hussain, who resides close to Sathe’s house in Abdul Pathan Chawl, said, “In April, officials from the collector’s office arrived with police bandobast. They took signatures and thumb impressions of those who objected to the construction of a memorial. And now they announce that they are going ahead with the memorial.”

Caretaker of Annabhau Sathe’s home, Namdeo Sathe, who also organises events in memory of the writer throughout the year, said he does not know if the state will allot him a home or a job, if they do build a memorial. Namdeo is hoping that he gets a government job once the memorial is built. 

Even the daughters of Annabhau Sathe — Shantabai Dodke and Shakuntalabai Saptal — are in the dark about the memorial. “We have not been consulted by the government for the memorial. We came to know about the plans through newspapers,” said Dodke.

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