Govind Pansare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Govind Pansare
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Govind Pansare
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 November 1933 Kolhar, Ahmednagar district, Bombay Province, British India (now Maharashtra, India) |
| Died | 20 February 2015 (aged 81) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Political party | Communist Party of India |
| Occupation | Marxist, lawyer, author and activist |
Govind Pansare (born November 26, 1933 – died February 20, 2015) was an important Indian politician. He belonged to the Communist Party of India, a political group that believes in equality for everyone. He was also a lawyer, writer, and activist who worked for people's rights.
Pansare wrote a very popular book in the Marathi language called Shivaji Kon Hota (which means Who was Shivaji?). This book was about the famous 17th-century ruler Shivaji. Sadly, Govind Pansare and his wife were attacked in February 2015. He later died from his injuries.
Contents
About Govind Pansare's Life
His Early Years
Govind Pandharinath Pansare was born on November 26, 1933. His birthplace was a small village called Kolhar in Maharashtra, India. He was the youngest of five children. His family was very poor. His mother, Harnabai, worked as a farmhand, and his father, Pandharinath, did many different small jobs. They even lost their land because of money problems.
Education and Joining Politics
When he was young, Pansare joined a local group called Rashtra Seva Dal. This group was interested in making society better. A member of this group helped him go to high school. There, Pansare learned about Communism, which is a political idea focused on sharing wealth and power equally.
He helped with election campaigns for communist candidates. Later, he moved to Kolhapur to study more. In 1952, he officially joined the Communist Party of India (CPI).
While studying at Rajaram College, he read many books about left-wing ideas. He also took part in important movements. These included the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which aimed to create the state of Maharashtra, and the Goa liberation movement, which helped Goa become part of India.
After college, he studied law and became a lawyer. In 1962, he was arrested during a war between India and China because he was a communist. In 1964, he started working as a lawyer, helping workers and people living in poor areas. He became a leader in the Communist Party of India.
Working for Change
Govind Pansare was a strong activist. He ran a group that encouraged inter-caste marriages, helping people from different social groups marry each other. He also spoke out against certain traditional rituals and against toll taxes, which are fees paid to use roads.
He also criticized those who praised Nathuram Godse, the person who killed Gandhi. Pansare believed in rationalism, which means making decisions based on reason and facts, not just beliefs. After another activist, Narendra Dabholkar, was killed, Pansare encouraged others to continue Dabholkar's work against superstition.
His Family Life
Govind Pansare had three children. His son, Avinash, was also involved in politics but passed away young. He had two daughters, Smita and Megha. His daughter-in-law, Megha Pansare, is a professor and also an activist. She leads a women's organization in Kolhapur.
His Books
Pansare wrote 21 books, mostly about social problems. His most famous book is Shivaji Kon Hota? (Who was Shivaji?). He wrote it after giving a speech in 1987.
This book was important because it showed a different view of King Shivaji. Some groups used Shivaji as a symbol for their own ideas. But Pansare's book explained that Shivaji was a leader who treated everyone equally, including Muslims. He also showed that Shivaji respected women and ended serfdom, a system where people were forced to work.
Shivaji Kon Hota? has been translated into many languages, including Hindi, English, and Tamil. Since it was first printed in 1988, it has had 38 different editions and sold over 145,000 copies.
The Attack on Govind Pansare
On February 16, 2015, Govind Pansare and his wife, Uma, were returning from their morning walk. Two men on a motorcycle shot them outside their home. Pansare was injured in his neck and chest, and his wife was injured in her head.
They were taken to the hospital. His wife got better, but Pansare remained in a serious condition. He passed away on February 20, 2015, due to his injuries. The way the attackers acted was similar to how another activist, Narendra Dabholkar, was killed in 2013.
Reactions to the Attack
After the attack, many people spoke out. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, said the police were trying to catch the attackers. Hamid Dabholkar, the son of the murdered activist Narendra Dabholkar, said that if his father's case had been solved, this attack might not have happened.
Other political leaders also expressed their sadness and concern. They said that such attacks were a threat to freedom of speech. After Pansare's death, more people started buying his books.
However, a police official said there was no connection between the two cases, except that both victims were morning walkers. Hamid Dabholkar disagreed, pointing out that both Pansare and his father were rationalists who opposed extreme views and had received threats.
The Investigation
After the attack, the police started investigating. They looked for witnesses and checked security camera footage. A retired judge said that Pansare had received threats before, after an event where a book about a police officer was discussed.
In February 2015, a reward of 500,000 Indian Rupees was offered for information about the attackers. Later, this reward was increased to 2.5 million Rupees. Police sketches of the attackers were made based on descriptions.
Pansare's wife, Uma, told the police that the attackers were two young men on a motorcycle. One of them had asked for directions before the shooting started. She could not remember their faces or the motorcycle details. Another left-wing leader also received a similar threat letter and was given police protection.
Arrests Made
In September 2015, a man named Sameer Gaikwad was arrested. Police said he was a member of a group called Sanatan Sanstha. They believed he might be connected to the murder. Later, four more people were arrested in connection with the case.
Police also searched for another man, Rudra Patil, who was a member of the same group and was wanted in another case.
However, during the investigation, it was found that Sameer Gaikwad was in a different city when Govind Pansare was killed. The police could not find enough evidence against Sameer Gaikwad or the Sanatan Sanstha group in Pansare's assassination. A minister also confirmed this. The court even rejected requests for brain mapping or lie detection tests for Gaikwad.
The police in Karnataka also could not find any evidence linking Sameer Gaikwad to another murder case.
