Aurangabad, Dec 6:
Former principal of Milind College established by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the activist working for the preservation of the Dalit Literature for the pas 60 years, Prof. L B Raimane died here on Sunday. He died after a brief illness at the age of 85. As per his will, his body was donated to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) without doing any last rites after offering Buddha Vandana.
He joined Milind College in 1963 as a professor of Marathi language. He started a board periodical so that the Dalit Students should get a platform to express their sentiments. The experiences of the Dalit students were published in this periodical. This newly available platform was recognized at the state level and paved a path for the emergence of Dalit literature in the future course. Dr M N Wankhede, principal M B Chitnis, Prof. R G Jadhav and Prof. Raimane had the lion’s share in this new initiative. He was also instrumental in the Milind Sahitya Parishad ‘Asmita’, which was the movement of the Dalit literature. He was influenced by the associate of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, B H Varhade. Several poor Dalit students came to Milind College from various parts of the state. Prof. Raimane always treatment them with affection and try to resolve their problem. He helped them to stand on their feet in every possible way.