HUNDREDS OF VILLAGERS GATHER TO PAY TRIBUTE TO DILIP VELIP

MORPIRLA: The body of Dilip Velip, the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) activist who was killed in the fire set to the Adarsh Co-operative Society building by unknown assailants during the tribal stir at Balli on May 25, was on Monday consigned to flames near the Mahadev temple at Morpirla amidst tight security.

Almost 80 commandos of the Rapid Action Force kept guard to prevent any untoward incident as the last rites were performed.  The entire village had gathered near his residence to pay homage to Dilip even as men and women were crying, unable to bear the loss of Dilip who was very popular among the masses.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including the party’s state president, Mr Laxmikant Parsekar, Mr Rajendra Arlekar, Mr Narendra Sawaikar, Mr Rupesh Mahatme, local MLA, Mr Dattaram Gaonkar, UTAA president, Mr Prakash Velip, ZP member, Mr Kushali Velip among others paid homage to Dilip.

Ms Ulasi Chari, who has known Dilip as a child, said he was a nice person and the only bread earner for the family. She further said that Dilip has a sick father and a two and a half-year-old daughter. He has also got his two sisters married while the third one was living with him.

She said he was talented and was particularly good with bhajans in the village and used to also play the tabla during weddings in the village. Ms Chari said Dilip, who worked at the government hospital at Chicalim, was a hardworking man and worked towards the upliftment of his family.

Meanwhile, RAF commandos were posted at various places in Cuncolim, Balli and surrounding areas to prevent backlash from the tribals as the bodies of the two deceased activists were brought back to their villages for the final rites. An uneasy clam prevailed over Balli as many shops kept their shutters down. No untoward incident was reported.