26 September,2016 06:32 AM IST | | Chaitraly Deshmukh
In all its storied past, Pune had never witnessed a sight like it did yesterday —20 lakh Marathas marching together in silent determination
The protestors ended the march by handing over their list of demands and singing the national anthem together
Pune: In all its storied past, Pune had never witnessed a sight like it did yesterday - 20 lakh Marathas marching together in silent determination.
The last time this city saw such a mass gathering of people was four decades ago, but with just a fraction (one-sixth) of the number of people that were participating yesterday. The Maratha community has been sweeping through the state with its silent marches, which were triggered by the gang rape and murder of a Maratha minor girl by Dalit youths in Kopardi (Ahmednagar) in July this year. In addition, the community also demands reservation.
The march began promptly on time, maintained discipline throughout and ended on time, once the protestors arrived at the Council Hall, a group of six college girls handed over the community's memorandum of demands to the Pune District collector, Saurabh Rao, and then addressed the crowd.
Protestor dies
One of the participants collapsed during the march at Deccan Gymkhana. Santosh Ramdas Kate (32), a resident of Mamurde, Dehu Road, was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead due to a heart attack.
