Having lost it all, family plans to serve visitors

KOREGAON BHIMA ANNIVERSARY

The Athawale couple has been setting up charity meals stall close to Vijay Stambh for the past 10 years and are going again again after the riots of closing yr

The notorious Koregaon Bhima riots afflicted each in their very own means, however some stories stories nonetheless remain undiscovered. One such case is of the Athawale family, whose lifestyles turned upside down when their home and shop have been vandalised and burnt down via rioters, and but their zeal for charity hasn’t died down.

Rama and Ashok Athawale, residents of Sanaswadi village close to Koregaon Bhima, set up a charity meals stall every year for guests of the Vijay Stambh. Though they're nonetheless suffering to get better from damage from the riots, they have nonetheless made up our minds to do the charity which has develop into a practice for the family over the past 10 years. While they're engaged in preparations, they're nonetheless undecided where they'll set up the stall because the police and district administration have denied permission.

The couple used to be amid distribution of meals closing yr after they heard that riots had broken out within the village. It used to be round 11o’clock when the 'poha' that they had prepared for distributing for the day had gotten over and Rama used to be in the course of making ready some extra. Rama mentioned, “Many people talk over with from far flung places and don’t have anything else to eat many of the occasions. Since the entire shops have been closed closing yr, they turned in opposition to our stall. So the meals got over early within the morning. I used to be thinking of making ready some other batch of meals after I got to understand concerning the riots. We rushed to our village to seek out our home set on fire and the workshop vandalised and broken. "

Out of worry for his or her lifestyles, the couple chose to leave the village he same day and took refuge in a Buddhavihar within the town. After a long keep at quite a lot of places, they have been after all allocated a refuge from the PMC which has develop into their home for past few months. The family used to be so shaken from the tragedy that they asked authorities to rehabilitate them anywhere excluding their village. Despite this state of affairs, they have deliberate to return to the village for two days and perform what they really feel is their duty. The battle, alternatively, is far from over.

“We really feel that since many of us shall be visiting this yr as well it will be important that we distribute meals like we used to. But we failed to find a prepare dinner and aplace where shall we prepare dinner despite repeated attempts. So now we've got made up our minds to get the meals prepared from Pune and distribute it there. The police officers and district administration don't seem to be allowing us to set up a meals stall however we've got nonetheless placed an order for preparation of 200 kg of rice,” mentioned Ashok.

While they talk over with their home which lies in ashes a few times a month, it becomes emotionally difficult for them to proceed to do so. Rama mentioned, “Not the entire accused we had named were arrested. We misplaced the entirety that we had within the riots. So the considered returning to the place on January 1still scares me. But I believe that it's my duty to welcome the guests again within the village a yr after the riots. That is why I am going.”