Vasantrao Parashram Patil, former MLA and president of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti Central Committee, died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital here at around 5.30 a.m. on Monday. He was ailing from health problems related to old age and was admitted to the hospital a week ago. He was 78. He is survived by his wife, four sons, three daughters and grandchildren. In his death, MES has lost a
prominent leader who spearheaded the movement, along with other senior leaders for long, in support of its demand seeking transfer to Maharashtra of areas dominated by Marathi-speaking people on the border. Born in 1938, Vasantrao Patil joined the MES early in its struggle against alleged injustices done to the Marathi-speaking linguistic community by including several Marathi-dominated villages and towns in Karnataka during reorganisation of States in 1956. He was a soft-spoken person and commanded high respect in society, cutting across linguistic barriers too.
He was president of the MES-Central Committee for the past 22 years. He was elected as an Independent to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka twice from Khanapur of Belagavi district in 1983 and 1985.
The last rites were performed at his native village Garlgunji of Khanapur taluk at 5 p.m. on Monday. A large number of MES activists and senior leaders from the district, besides from Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, paid their last respects to the departed soul.
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