‘Kakasaheb wanted me to study in college’
AURANGABAD: “It was Kakasaheb who encouraged me to pursue my studies. He wanted me to complete my graduation. I am preparing for HSC examinations this year,”said the younger brother of a 28-year-old man from Aurangabad, who committed suicide during a Maratha protest on Monday.
Kakasaheb Shinde killed himself by jumping into the Godavari river till Monday.
Till Monday, all Maratha protests had been peaceful. But it changed with the suicide of Shinde and violence spread to other districts across Maharashtra.
With glowing tributes pouring in from all parties, his untimely death has brought misery upon his family because he was the sole breadwinner in the family. The eldest in the family of five, Kakasaheb worked as a driver. He dropped out of school as he wanted to support his family.
He earned ₹15,000 a month and encouraged his younger brother Avinash, a Class 12 student, to pursue his education. His parents are employed as farm workers.
Kakasaheb’s family hails from Agarkanadgaon village, some 55-km away from Aurangabad city. The Shindes own a small house, roofed with metalsheets. They have one acre of farm land where they cultivate cotton. They said they can’t afford sugarcane cultivation as it requires investment.
Shinde’s family met him two months before his death as he was staying in Aurangabad. They were also not aware that he took part in the Maratha agitation held at Kaygaontok on Monday. Kakasaheb was cremated on Tuesday, which led to the bandh call across Maharashtra on Tuesday and in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The only thing that brings hope for the family is that the Aurangabad district administration has assured to provide Avinash a government job based on his educational qualification. A ₹10-lakh compensation has also been declared by the state government. The family is also getting financial help from the politicians. Kakasaheb was employed with Santosh Mane, Yuva Sena chief of Aurangabad district for the past six years.