Raja Dhale, cofounder of Dalit Panther, dies

Mumbai: Well-known author Raja Dhale, one of the founders of the radical outfit Dalit Panther, died at his residence here on Tuesday, family sources said.

He was 78.

He breathed his last around 5 a.m. at his home in Vikhroli here. The author is survived by his wife Deeksha and daughter Gattha.

After waking up in the morning as usual, Dhale fell on the floor at home. He was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead, a family member said.

His daughter Gatha Dhale is currently a leader of the Republican Party of India (A).

Hailing from Maharashtra's Sangli district, Dhale along with others in 1972 founded Dalit Panther, a youth-based organisation inspired by the Black Panther outfit of African Americans in the US, with an aim to raise the voice of Dalits more aggressively in the state.

Raja Dhale's article titled "Kala Swatantrya Din" (Black Independence Day), published in Sadhana, the Dalit Panthers' official publication, on 15 August 1972, created a great sensation and built recognition for the Dalit Panthers through Maharashtra.

Apart from being a social worker, he authored several books based on his thoughts and works.

Renowned for his firebrand oratory and literary works, he had unsuccessfully contested the 1999 and 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North-East constituency.

Top Dalit leaders, including Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale expressed grief over Dhale's demise and paid glowing tributes to the leader for his contributions to the Ambedkarite movement in the country.

"Dhale brought me into this organisation (Dalit Panther) and mentored me. His death is a personal loss for me," Athawale said.

On Wednesday morning, Dhale's mortal remains shall be taken out in a procession from Vikhroli to Dadar where the last rites shall be performed at the Chaityabhoomi Crematorium.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)