Fiery family cools down, but still simmers

Police officer have managed to dissuade three members of the Kalyankar family, who had threatened to immolate themselves on I-Day over their disputed plot of land

Fiery family cools down, but still simmers

Police officer have managed to dissuade three members of the Kalyankar family, who had threatened to immolate themselvesu00a0 on I-Day over their disputed plot of land

After threatening to immolate themselves on India's 65th Independence Day, members of the Kalyankar family retracted their threat yesterday.

MiD DAY's report on August 14

The burning matter cooled down after the family received counselling for two long hours from the police, who assured them that they would receive every kind of help necessary in their crusade for justice.

Sundayu00a0MiD DAY had reported on the Kalyankar family yesterday ('64 years on, whose land is it anyway?').
The family members had threatened to immolate themselves, in front of the Mantralaya on Independence Day.
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They claimed that they had to resort to such a dire method of protest after builders Gulabrao Karanjule Patil and Vinod Navre unlawfully appropriated the 6,534 sq ft plot at Ambernath which they had received as a gift from freedom fighter Tukaram's friend Raghunath Bhau Sawant.

Responding to MiD DAY's report, the police summoned the Kalyankar family to the Ambernath police station, and after a two-hour long counselling session, managed to dissuade them from the suicidal act.

Chandrakant Kalyankar said, "Immediately after the correspondent from MiD DAY visited the police station enquiring about our predicament, some police officers paid us a visit, assuring us that they would help us reopen the case. They coaxed and cajoled us not to set ourselves on fire."

Vinayak, Chandrakant's elder brother, said, "We have been asked to meet the collector. The police inspectors have promised to offer us protection if we receive a threat from anyone. They appealed to reason. We have postponed our plans as the policemen's promises have given us fresh hope."

Copspeak
Smita Pathak, ACP, Ambernath division, said, "The family was given proper guidance from my senior inspectors.
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We have requested them not to make any hasty decisions, and the family members have vouched in a written statement that they will not immolate themselves. However, our officers will keep a close watch on the family."