Bhandara: The lone survivor of Khairlanji massacre, Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, who launched a fast-unto-death in front of the Bhandara district collectorate on 16 October 2007, called off his three-day stir on 18 October 2007. Bhante Dhammadeep offered lemon juice to Bhaiyyalal to end the fast.

Bhiayyalal withdrew the agitation after the State Government issued a government resolution (GR) on withdrawal of cases registered against agitators involved in the state-wide post-Khairlanji agitation. A faxed communication to this effect was received by Bhandara district collector Sambhajirao Sarkunde.

On 17 October 2007, Congress MLA from north Nagpur Nitin Raut joined Bhotmange in his fast. Reacting to the development, Raut said he was confident about the fulfilment of Bhaiyyalal’s demands. He also said the offences committed by agitators after the Khairlanji massacre were a manifestation of anger against those who committed the crime.

Earlier this week, Bhaiyyalal led a delegation, under the banner of Social Justice Organisation and submitted a memorandum of demands to the collector failing which he would stage an indefinite hunger strike. Some of his demands included speedy disposal of the Khairlanji Dalit massacre case in which four of his family members were killed on 29 September 2006 and that the fast track court hearing the case be given the status of special court to speed up trial. The trial in the Dalit massacre case in Khairlanji village began on 3 May 2007 and urged the government for ensuring daily hearing of the case for expediting the trial.

(Source: The Times of India dated 19 October 2007)