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Underworld don tries luck in politics - The Observer

Olga Tellis ()
22 July 1997

Title: Underworld don tries luck in politics
Author: Olga Tellis
Publication: The Observer
Date: July 22, 1997

The nexus between politicians and criminals in Maharashtra, which peaked
during the regime of former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar is now passe.

Underworld don Arun Gawli, who has a string of murders to his credit, made
his thundering political debut under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya
Sena. Around one lakh people took part in the morcha and shouted slogans
against the Sena-BJP Government and Raj Thackeray - the nephew of Shiv Sena
supremo Bal Thackeray.

The morcha demanded the dismissal of the Sena-BJP Government and protested
against the killing of 10 dalits in the recent police firing.

Arun Gawli's maiden foray into politics early this year occurred when he
fielded candidates in the elections to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
The Sena was so worried that he was eating into their vote-bank that it Is
alleged that they got him arrested.

He had fielded six candidates and all of them lost their deposits. Gawli
was released by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court when he
challenged his detention and Judge Ashok Desai not only passed strictures
against the police, the Bombay Police Commissioner and the state Home
secretary, but has made them pay a fine.

This gave a boost to Gawli's image. He has become the sworn enemy of the
Sena with whom he was once very close. In fact, Mr Thackeray seems
reluctant to make an enemy of him and almost eulogised Arun Gawli in a
front page editorial recently fearing that Gawli may take revenge for the
Sena putting him in jail.

Earlier, underworld dons only financed politicians and were used primarily
by builders to tackle slums and by businessmen to subdue unions.

It was Haji Mastan, the notorious don of gold smugglers, who towards the
fag end of his life started a political party in alliance with a
Nagpur-based Dalit party. He said he decided to start his own party
alleging that politicians took away his money by night and abused him by
day. However, his party never really took off.

Underworld figures are in the forefront in the Mumbai unit of the Samajwadi
Party of Defence Minister Mulayam Singh. At least six candidates who were
fielded in the recent elections reportedly had connections with the
Pakistan's ISI.

However, Arun Gawli seems a more potent threat as he is poaching on the
vote-banks of the Sena and the Republican Party of India. Through his
nephew Sachin Aher, he could poach on Congress territory too. Aher it the
secretary of the RMMS - the textile worker's union affiliated to the Congress.

Though unimpressive to look at, Gawli who is short but sturdy and sports a
topi, is able to attract youth, who are disillusioned with the squabbling,
corrupt RPI leadership. Several Dalit students who earlier owed allegiance
to the RPI have joined Gawli's morcha.

Interestingly Gawli himself came to the morcha but was not allowed to
address the audience for fear of losing his life.

Gawli's wife Asha who is expected to become a counter-point to Smite
Thackeray, Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law, showed up by the time the
morcha reached its destination and addressed the audience.

She was later received personally by Governor Dr P C Alexander along with
ABS general secretary Jitendra Dhabolkar and the city unit secretary Bharat
Mhatre.

The city unit of the Congress party under Murli Deora is also expected to
see its ranks depleted because except for its press statements, the party
is non-existent for all practical purposes. More importantly Marathi
speaking people have very little way in the party.

That the ABS in serious about taking on the Sena-BJP Government is evident
in its memorandum where it mentioned the unfulfilled electoral promises of
the Government.

The complaints against the Government are in the area of providing
essential commodities at controlled prices and the housing slum-dwellers.


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