A Red Star over Mumbai Sky!
Ahilya
Renganekar strode along the streets of Mumbai for more than five decades
championing the cause of the poor and downtrodden. Born in 1922 in a
revolutionary family in Pune she had the support and succour of her parents and
siblings in all her endeavours. Ahilya followed the foot- steps of her elder
brother B.T.Ranadive and rose to be a tall leader in the Communist Party of
India (Marxist). Even as a student in Fergusson College, Pune she led a protest
rally of students when Sri.Mahadevbhai Desai, secretary of Mahatma Gandhi died
in prison. The students were imprisoned for three months in Yerawada Jail. They
were lodged in B class but Ahilya often visited the prisoners in C class and
taught them lessons in politics. The jail authorities were shocked and
surprised when she hoisted the Indian tricolour flag on the top of a tree in
the jail. As a punishment she was incarcerated in a separate cell for three
days.
In 1943
Ahilya Renganekar joined the Communist Party of India and took active interest
in the trade union movement also. Girni Kamgar Union was leading the textile
workers in Mumbai and Ahilya went to every nook and corner of the city to
mobilize workers. In one of the workers’ rally British soldiers opened fire at
the peaceful demonstrators and Ahilya had a narrow escape. But her sister Kusum
Ranadive received bullet injuries on her leg and one of her friends Kamal
Donde died the next day succumbing to
the bullet injury. Ahilya had a long innings in the Centre of Indian Trade
Unions (CITU) holding various positions. She also took part in the Samyukta
Maharashtra movement in 1956 for the linguistic reorganization of the state of
Maharashtra.
Ahilya started
Parel Mahila Sangh a powerful women’s movement in Mumbai which was later merged
with All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA). Parel Mahila Sangh under
the stewardship of Ahilya worked among the oppressed section of the society and
tried to ameliorate their sordid conditions in the slums of Mumbai. During the
Royal Indian Naval Ratings Mutiny in 1946 Parel Mahila Sangh took up the
challenging task of supplying food to the sailors on freedom struggle. The food
packets were taken in boats with the help of the fisher women living near the
Gateway of India. During the Indo-China war in 1962 many members of the
communist party were arrested under the Defence of India Rule. Ahilya was also
imprisoned for three and a half years. During emergency in 1975 Ahilya had the
honour of being the first woman to be arrested.
After joining
the Communist Party Ahilya Renganekar did not look back. Her unflinching
loyalty to the party took her to greater heights and she became the Maharashtra
State Secretary of the CPI-(M) during 1983-86. She was also a member of the
Central Committee of the party for more than two decades. She was elected to
the Indian Parliament in 1977 and served the house for three years. Ahilya and
her friend Mrinal Gore served the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai as its
members and strived hard to improve the civic amenities. Ahilya Renganekar,
Vimala Ranadive, Malti Nagarkar, Maniben Patel (sister of Vallabhai Patel), Sofia
Khan (wife of Khan Abdhul Gaffar Khan) and Aruna Asaf Ali were the progressive
faces of the Mumbai City and they were all in the vanguard of the movements
with courage and conviction.
Ahilya had a mellifluous
voice and she was trained in classical music. During independent movement
Ahilya used to sing revolutionary songs to enthuse the crowd. She was
affectionately called ‘Ahilya tai’, meaning ‘elder sister’ in Marathi. She was
happily married to Renganekar who stood by her in all her activities. The
couple were blessed with two sons Ajit and Abhay. Ahilya’s revolutionary life
came to an end on 19th April 2009. The city of Mumbai gave a respectful
homage to its precious citizen.
--P.Vijayakumar.
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