Nagpur News.
The atmosphere at the venue, where Dr Ashish Deshmukh has undertaken an indefinite fast pressing his demand for creation of Vidarbha State, has started to blow hot and blow cold. On one hand the health of Dr Deshmukh is taking a dip following the indefinite fast, on the other hand, the situation for supporters of Dr Deshmukh and Vidarbha State has reached a boiling point.
“The indefinite fast undertaken by Dr Ashish Deshmukh has entered the Day-7. But still no Government representative has visited Dr Deshmukh in order to find an answer to logjam. The insensitive Government is deliberately neglecting Dr Deshmukh’s fast,” lamented dozens of political leaders, eminent personalities who have been visiting Dr Deshmukh, and hundreds of supporters with outrage writ large on their faces.
Dr Deshmukh is on indefinite fast since December 6 at Bhaskar Bhavan premises near MLA Hostel in Civil Lines.
The dignitaries who visited Dr Deshmukh include former MP Banwarilal Purohit, Vidarbhavadi and former MP Ram Hedau, MLA Dr Anil Bonde, former MLA Girish Gandhi, former MLA Ashok Dhawad, former MLA S Q Zama, Dr Vedprakash Mishra, Baburaoji Zade, Tanaji Vanve, Arun Chaudhary, former Vice-Chancellor Haribhau Kedar, and others. They welcomed Dr Deshmukh’s bravery to go on fast for the cause of Vidarbha State and whole heartedly supported his demand. Dr Deshmukh repeated his concern for Vidarbha people and disappointment over Vidarbha’s backwardness with mixed words of anger and frustration.
“No leader has come forward in real sense for independent Vidarbha State and overall development of Vidarbha. The rulers neglected Vidarbha’s development for political selfishness. Mumbai and West Maharashtra got developed and Vidarbha remained backward. Industries in Vidarbha are downing shutters. There is no water for farming due to massive backlog in irrigation. The educated youths are leaving Vidarbha for employment. Naxal movement is has got bolstered. Mihan project is lagging behind. The Vidarbha State can only develop the region in all ways. Therefore, MPs should raise Vidarbha issue in Lok Sabha on the lines of Telangana,” the pioneer of “Youth for Vidarbha State” and Convener of Vidarbha Joint Action Committee Dr Ashish Deshmukh opined.
“When a referendum was carried out in Amravati, 85 per cent of people favoured Vidarbha statehood. A referendum in Nagpur will also be conducted on December 16. Vidarbha is far away from development and until and unless Vidarbha State is carved out, Vidarbha’s people and youths would not progress, said Dr Deshmukh in weak voice.
Dr Ashish Deshmukh’s demand for separate Vidarbha has started to gain momentum with large number of youths, different social and political outfits voicing support for Dr Deshmukh’s demand for Vidarbha statehood.
