Remembering Rambhau
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Obituary: Remembering Rambhau Item Type article Authors Meher, Purnima; Jog, Ashwini Download date 01/10/2021 08:51:07 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/41209 Obituary FISHER LEADER Remembering Rambhau An energetic and committed worker for the cause of fishers, he was a lighthouse for the fishworkers’ movement ambhau Patil, an enterprising a co-operative of fishermen. Fishing member of the fishing community gear, at necessity for fishing, was made Rof Maharashtra in India, was available to the village through this co- 79 years old when he left us on July operative, along with essential items 29, 2018, for his final journey. Born like food grain and kerosene. Ramchandra Patil, he received the The co-operative also took efforts affectionate moniker of Bhau, or for children’s education to address the Rambhau, due to his benevolence and illiteracy in the village. These efforts his always-on smile. Almost always included the opening of a Rashtra Seva dressed in a khadijhabba, a traditional Dal centre for adolescents and youth. pyjama-like loose-fitting shirt and This centre conducted recreational trousers, he was never seen without activities like sports and singing his bag full of books and documents sessions in order to bring about social 22 hanging down his shoulder. Rambhau and political awareness. was born in the village of Mahim in Rambhau actively participated Wadrai, Maharashtra. Although fishing in all such events. Therein lay the was his family’s ancestral trade, he was strong foundation of his future socio- brought up and raised in an educated political activities. After completing environment. Rambhau completed his his education, Rambhau took up a primary and secondary education at job at the famous Haffkine Institute, the block headquarters in Palghar. a biomedical research centre. He was also deeply interested in art and architecture. This drew him towards Almost always dressed in a khadi jhabba, a traditional a diploma course in architecture, for which he studied after his working pyjama-like loose-fitting shirt and trousers, he was hours. He could not complete this never seen without his bag full of books and documents course; family responsibilities forced hanging down his shoulder. him to give up his job and assume the family’s fishing business. He began an independent fishing The village had produced several business in 1969. He also tried trawling, freedom fighters; its inhabitants a new business in Mumbai at that came from various tribal groups, a time. Subsequently, over the next two fishermen’s community and small to three years, he tried his hand at a farmers. After being released from jail, fishing business at Satpati, a place these freedom fighters strove to unite known for the trade. He could not these underprivileged communities land much success. He began to think through a socialist movement. They through the problems in the fishing began working for their economic business, the risks and their solutions. empowerment by creating co-operatives This is what later led him to join the This article is by Purnima Meher (purnima. and social organizations. The fishing fishermen’s movement. Undaunted [email protected]), Member, Maharashtra community was in dire straits then. by failure, he refused to sit quietly. Machhimar Kruti Samiti (MMKS), They were severely exploited by the He became the sarpanch (head) of Maharashtra, National Fishworkers’ Forum traders and agents in their business. his village at the behest of the people (NFF), India and translated from Marathi by Ashwini Jog ([email protected]), Rambhau’s father, the late Kanha there. He remained in that position for Mumbai, India Patil, took the initiative in forming a good 15 years. SAMUDRA REPORT NO. 81 FISHER LEADER Tireless work Mumbai and Delhi to obtain diesel Rambhau worked tirelessly to make subsidies as well as tax rebates on the housing available to the fishermen and equipment necessary for the fishing to establish their rights over it. Another business. They were fairly successful. important issue was housing for the In the 1980s, Rambhau was tribals. The village was spread over introduced to Thomas Kocherry, who a large area, the tribal hamlets were was leading a campaign to organise the remotely located. He hence prioritized fishermen in Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the building of roads, and the creation fight for their rights. In 1989, he had of drinking water facilities, followed organised the Kanyakumari March by a health centre and a school. around the slogan “Save Water, Save He managed to get these facilities Life”. Rambhau had joined this March executed despite the fund crunch. He along with several of his colleagues. used his architectural/engineering Thus began his association with the knowledge–and his aesthetic sense–in National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF). the construction of the structure and in This was a turning point in his life. the design of a water scheme. At this stage, he met several leaders His work was widely celebrated, from across the country, including extending his social and political circle. Harekrishna Debnath of West Bengal He continued to and Nalini Nayak read extensively, of Kerala. Although consulting with Rambhau was experts and already sensitive those who had to women’s issues, experience in the the objectives of fishing business. NFF gave him 23 He ended up joining the scope to the Maharashtra incorporate women Machhimar Kruti into the union Samiti (MMKS), and to develop an organisation an appreciation fighting for the of women’s rights of fishermen. contribution in This was a period this field. He of change; with mechanization of used to enthusiastically elaborate the fishing industry had begun and upon the importance of using the other several new schemes had been term “fishworkers” in the title of introduced in the coastal areas. NFF. Incorporating women into the Moreover, the country was also movement was not an easy task, going through the phase of economic as he explained later. He served as restructuring and globalisation. President and Secretary of both MMKS This had created large industrial and the NFF over several years. This settlements in the coastal regions for was a time when several important improving employment opportunities. leaders of the organization died one The period also saw introduction of after another—Thomas Kocherry, commercial ports, atomic energy plants Harekrishna Debnath, Mathai and chemical industries, which would Saldanha and MD Koli, an important release their toxic wastes into the leader from Maharashtra. Rambhau rivers, bays and seas nearby. did not allow a leadership vacuum. He Increasing pollution in the coastal kept the organization stable and held villages endangered fishing activity. its components together. During this MMKS began organizing protests period, he faced disappointment, too. around these issues. The founder of MMKS, Bhai Bandarkar, along Significant struggles with Moreshwar Mistry, who formed The significant protests and struggles the union of sailors, and Motiram Rambhau helped organize include: Bhave had organised protests against • The struggle against foreign fishing mechanization and environmental vessels: This struggle continued for a pollution. They also campaigned in long time. Participating in a hunger JUNE 2019 OBITUARY strike along with Thomas Kocherry, any dispute on the coastline. In his he fasted for nine days. four decades of public work, he always • The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) received great support from his loving Notification of 1991: He travelled family, his brothers, his wife Lalita, throughout the country to raise his sons Jivitesh and Prashant and awareness about the Notification daughter Vandana; their co-operation and organised several awareness and contribution to his achievements is campaigns. by no means insignificant. • He campaigned to acquire subsidy Rambhau, the energetic activist for diesel fuel, which is essential and a lighthouse for the fishworkers’ for operating fishing vessels. He movement, left us on 29th July 2018. subsequently also succeeded in increasing the subsidy amount. Rambhau was fond of writing. He used simple language which could be easily understood by the common fishworker. He translated into Marathi the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and also the booklet about the recommendations of the Murari Committee. Another concern of his was the relationship between mangrove forests (Tivarvane) and the fishing occupation. He composed songs for the worship and 24 celebrations held on the Fishworker’s Day every year, encouraging everyone to sing along. He spoke incessantly of the importance of preserving and protecting the rivers, bays and salt marshes in the villages. Rambhau made a major contribution in the protests and campaigns for laws regarding marine biodiversity, environmental protection and conservation. He traversed the country while working for MMKS, the NFF as well as the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP), with which he was associated. His family responsibilities did not hold him back from his social activism. He found several colleagues, friends as well as mentors among these three organizations. He always felt grateful for this. He was very appreciative of the fact that he met activists from all castes and religions while working with these three organizations. Rambhau had the good fortune For more of Sane Guruji’s company during his https://indianfisheries.icsf.net/images/ youth. He always upheld the values stories/indian/FULL-NFF-BOOK121208. and principles of peace and democratic pdf socialism, working for the greater Save the Coast, Save the common good. He would always assert, Fishers: Report of “Machhimar while addressing public meetings, that Adhikar Rashtriya Abhiyan”, in the coastal fishworkers’ communities, May - November 2008, National there were activists from different Fishworkers’ Forum background, and yet there never was SAMUDRA REPORT NO. 81.