E-Paper
The family of Parliament security breach accused faces undeclared village boycott
Zari village is a tight-knit community where relationships and social bonds run deep and the accusations against Amol have also affected his relatives
In Latur’s Zari village, the parents of 25-year-old Amol Dhanraj Shinde, one of accused arrested for the Parliament security breach on December 13 last year, are still in a state of shock.
Their one-room house, provided under the state government’s Ramai Ambedkar Awas (Gharkul) scheme for Scheduled Castes, is as basic as it gets. The brick walls are rough, bare and exposed. The rusty metal-sheet roof has seen its fair share of rain and sun.
In one corner, a small, worn-out rug attempts to add a touch of comfort. The inside walls are left unfinished, displaying the raw texture of bricks. Furniture is scarce. A cupboard at the side of a wall, a bed, and a mattress on the floor.
A lightbulb hangs from the ceiling, providing a soft glow. The windows, covered with thin, well-worn curtains, allow a muted light to filter through. On the walls, personal touches come in the form of photos of gods. Yet, the small space manages to emanate a sense of warmth.
The house and the village in the drought-prone Latur district of the Marathwada region in Maharashtra caught the attention of the nation after the shocking Parliament security breach on December 13 last year.
And the parents of Amol, who survive on daily wages, are facing an undeclared boycott from their village community, leaving them isolated and struggling for survival. Zari village is a tight-knit community where relationships and social bonds run deep and the accusations against Amol have also affected his relatives.
Amol’s parents Dhanraj Shinde and Kesarbai, who used to earn ₹300 and ₹200 as daily wages, are out of work for the past month. Local employers, apprehensive about potential backlash from the police authorities, are hesitant to hire them.
Dhanraj said, “I could get work for only two days last month. Villagers ignore me and avoid sitting near me when I visit the temple. They are scared of possible police action if seen in my company.”
Amol’s mother Kesarbai said, “No one is talking to us and ready to give us work. How can we survive?”
Dhanraj starts his day carrying tools, a pickaxe and a spade visiting the familiar faces who gave him work before the Parliament security breach incident, only to return home empty handed.
“Many have promised to help only after the police close the case,” he said.
Kesarbai said, “I have not contacted Amol since his arrest, and no one has come forward to arrange at least a call to my son. Amol was enthusiastic about joining the army and engaged in training efforts. He took part in recruitment drives at Ratnagiri, Aurangabad, Nashik and Delhi in the past but did not clear it.”
She said that Amol went to Delhi three times in the last two months for recruitment drives.
“He left home on December 9. The next day he called us from his friend’s mobile and since then his phone was not reachable,” Kesarbai said.
After the arrest of Amol, no one from the Shinde family has visited Delhi.
“We don’t know how to go, and we don’t have money to cover the travel,” Dhanraj said.
After the incident, no representative from any political party came to visit the Shinde family. The only person who reached out was an officer from the district administration. He called Dhanraj to the village panchayat and, after hearing his plight, instructed the owner of the village ration shop to provide them with essential supplies.
However, Dhanraj insisted that he is yet to receive any ration.
Ramesh Shinde, Dhanraj’s neighbour, said, “Villagers do not want to unnecessarily get involved in a police case.’’
Refuting the allegation of ostracism, Dayanand Survase, the village sarpanch, “This is not true, why will we boycott the Shinde family? We are all happily living in our village.”
The Shinde couple has four children, three sons Rahul, Santosh and Amol, and a daughter Pranjali. Amol is the youngest among brothers.
Rahul and Santosh dropped out after Class 10. Rahul is working as a labourer and living with his family in Latur. Santosh is an autorickshaw driver in Panvel. Pranjali is married and living with her family in Kalwa (Thane).
After the arrest of Amol and alleged ostracism by villagers, Santosh stepped in to help by sending money to parents.
“I was left with no alternative but to borrow ₹1,000 from a distant relative to send my daughter, who gave birth to a baby, to her in-law’s house recently,” Dhanraj said.
Govind Waghmare, Amol’s friend and one of the villagers, “Amol is a good guy and accompanied his parents in their daily wage works, besides preparing for police and army exams. He used to jog early morning to prepare for physical fitness tests. We are shocked after we came to know about his involvement in the Parliament security breach case.”
As the country deals with the consequences of the Parliament security breach incident, the Shinde family struggles to make ends meet among villagers, who do not extend help fearing possible police action, underlining the issues that come up after such events.
