Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 17: Pal of gloom descended on the supporters of Shiv Sena as well as thousand of his followers and members of displaced Kashmiri Pandit community soon after the news of the Sena Supremo, Balasahib Thakeray demise broke here today.
His demise was a shock for his followers in the State as well as the members of displaced Kashmiri Pandit community who term him a Messiah for them while highlighting his role during the mass exodus of Pandits from Valley in 1989-90.
All KP organizations irrespective their ideology and political affiliations were of the opinion that Bala Sahib Thakeray’s yeoman’s services to the community will go down with golden letters in the history of Kashmiri Pandits and entire KP community owes a lot to him as well as his organization Shiv Sena.
All KPs are of the opinion that had the Sena supremo not come to the rescue of the community by announcing reservations for the community youth in professional colleges in Maharastra, the situation would have been quite alarming for the displaced Pandits at present. His timely support came as a moral boost to the community, which managed to stand on its legs to some extent and overcome the pangs of migration.
Realising the pain and agony of the displaced Pandits form Valley who were thrown out from Kashmir by trigger happy militants supported by Pakistan the Sena veteran came openly in their support and kept the doors of his organization open for them for all support and help.
This was with his timely decision that a big chunk of displaced youth managed to stand upon their own legs instead of depending on others for help and entire credit for this goes to Balasahib Thakeray, said a KP youth who has done his engineering from Shiva Ji University Maharastra in 2004 while expressing his shock and grief over the demise of veteran Sena leader whom he described a towering personality.
The Sena chief who was recipient of Sharda Saman by Panun Kashmir led by Dr Agnishekhar in its second KP World Conference in 1998 for his pioneering contribution in providing admissions to displaced KP youth in professional colleges after the mass exodus of the community from Valley is taken in high esteem by entire KP community.
Ashok Gupta who heads his organisation in the State is leaving for Mumbai tomorrow along with 250 party activists to participate in last rites of Sena chief. He described the Balasahib a Hindu Samrat and veteran leader who had a firm ideology and who was a man of principles. Terming his death a great loss to the nation, he said the Sena leader never backtracked from his words and he challenged the terrorists like a roaring lion.
The KP organizations and leaders who mourned the demise of Balasahib Thakeray included, ASKPC chief, H L Chatta, PK convener, Dr Agnishekhar, KP Sabha chief, K K Khosa, KPC president, Kundan Kashmiri, P K chairman Dr Ajay Chrungoo, PK president Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, JKVM senior vice president, Dr R L Bhat, its secretary HL Bhat, PK leader Ramesh Manwati, RIK convener, Veer Saraf, AIKS chief, Moti Kaul, KSD president, Rakesh Kaul, PK president V K Bhat, ASKPC senior vice president R K Raina, PK general secretary Kuldeep Raina, AMCCC chairman Desh Rattan, BJP Migrant Cell president, B B Gosani, social activist, Adarsh Ajit and many others. They said with his death the community has become an orphan.
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