Statue of Godavari Parulekar installed at Talasari's college

Palghar: Coinciding with the 118th birth anniversary of the legendary Communist leader, activist and writer Godavari Parulekar, her statue was installed in the senior college at Talasari in the Palghar district of Maharashtra.

The college, Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar College of Arts, Science and Commerce, started 31 years ago in 1994.

It is run by the Adivasi Pragati Mandal, founded way back in 1961, which now also runs other junior colleges, schools and hostels in Talasari and Dahanu tehsils, with a combined student strength of over 8,000, most of them poor Adivasi girls and boys.

Godavari Parulekar (14 August 1907 – 8 October 1996) was, along with Shamrao Parulekar, one of the top leaders of the historic Warli Adivasi Revolt against landlordism from 1945-47 and one of the founders of the All India Kisan Sabha (AKIS) in Maharashtra at its first conference at Titwala in Thane district on January 7, 1945.

Godutai, as she was affectionately known, was a freedom fighter, the first woman law graduate in the state, a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee for 25 years, the first and only woman National President of the AIKS in its 90-year old glorious history, and the first Secretary of the Adivasi Pragati Mandal.

Her statue was jointly unveiled by veteran 97-year-old CPI(M) and AIKS leader L B Dhangar, and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and AIKS National President Dr Ashok Dhawale.

A permanent exhibition of various cultural and artistic objects made by Adivasis was also inaugurated.

Hundreds of students, teachers, party members and other dignitaries attended this special function, which was well organised by the Adivasi Pragati Mandal.

The original idea of making and installing this statue was that of another veteran CPI(M)-AIKS leader Lahanu Kom, ex-MP and ex-MLA, who was also the first President of the Adivasi Pragati Mandal from 1961 till his demise at the age of 87 on May 28, 2025. He was fondly remembered on this occasion.

Prominent among those who attended the function were former Sheriff of Mumbai Mohanbhai Patel, senior CPI(M) and AIDWA leader Hemlata Kom, CPI(M) Central Committee member and MLA Vinod Nikole, NCP leader and ex-MLA Sunil Bhusara, CPI(M) State Secretariat member and Palghar District Secretary Kiran Gahala, Talasari and Dahanu tehsil secretaries Laxman Dombre and Radka Kalangda, AIKS state working president Chandrakant Ghorkhana and state joint secretary Chandrakant Dhangda, AIDWA state general secretary Prachi Hatiwlekar and state office bearers Lahani Dauda amd Sunita Shingda, DYFI state president Nandkumar Hadal and state joint secretary Rajesh Dalvi, SFI state vice president Bhaskar Mhase, social activists Ajit Narvekar and Hasubhai Thakkar, and many other party and mass front leaders.

Some of the above addressed the large meeting on the occasion which was introduced by the college Principal Dr B A Rajput and chaired by the Secretary of the Adivasi Pragati Mandal, Rupesh Rane.