Anand Dighe (27 January 1951 – 26 August 2001), popularly known as Dharmaveer, was an Indian politician and social worker. He was a senior leader and Thane district unit chief of Shiv Sena.[2][3][4] He mentored many young politicians from the Thane region including Naresh Mhaske, Rajan Vichare, Eknath Shinde and Ravindra Phatak.
Anand Chintamani Dighe | |
|---|---|
 Anand Dighe | |
| Thane Unit Chief of Shiv Sena | |
| In office 1984 - 2001 | |
| Preceded by | M.D. Joshi |
| Succeeded by | Eknath Shinde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anand Chintamani Dighe 27 January 1951 Apta, Bombay State, India |
| Died | 26 August 2001 (aged 50)[1] Thane, Maharashtra, India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Political party | Shiv Sena |
| Occupation | Politician and social worker |
| Nickname(s) | Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb |
Career
editDighe joined politics at young age. He became President of Shivsena's Thane Unit in 1984.[5] Dighe was a grassroot leader with a large fan base.[6] He was popularly known as Dharmaveer.[7] He was considered a powerful muscleman in Thane.[8] He would hold a daily Durbar at his Tembhi Naka residence to hear out/resolve issues faced by Thane citizens along with Shiv Sena party workers.[9]
Dighe was accused in the murder of Shiv Sena party member Sridhar Khopkar, who had allegedly voted for Congress in 1989. Dighe was arrested under TADA and was out on bail.[8][10] The case continued until his death.[8]
Death
editDighe was hospitalised in August 2001 after a car accident. He suffered from minor injuries on his leg. During his treatment, hospital management announced that Dighe died of a heart attack. His followers believed that he died because of medical negligence and as a result, his followers burned the Sunitadevi Singhania Hospital in Thane where he died. Few followers believed that he was killed due to his popularity.[11] There are many conspiracy theories related to Anand Dighe's death.[3][12][13]
Popular culture
editDharmaveer (Marathi biopic released in 2022) was based on Dighe's life. Prasad Oak played the role of Dighe in this biopic.[14]
References
edit- ^ "a Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ "Bal Thackeray Had Special Love and Affection for Thane". Outlook India. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- ^ "Shiv Sena leaving no stone unturned to defeat former comrade". Rediff. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ Hansen, Thomas Blom (5 June 2018). Chapter 4. Thane City: The Making of Political Dadaism. Princeton University Press. doi:10.1515/9780691188621-006/html. ISBN 978-0-691-18862-1.
- ^ "Dighe's b'day, a show of strength". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Shiv Sena MP flays party heads". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Mob's Fond Farewell". Outlook India. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Hansen, Thomas Blom (5 June 2018). Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-18862-1.
- ^ "Sena faces uphill task in choosing Dighe's successor". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "A death and a riot". frontline.thehindu.com. 14 September 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ Katakam, Anupama (15 September 2001). "A death and a riot". The Hindu. Mumbai. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "आनंद दिघेंचा अपघात की घातपात? 'धर्मवीर'मधील शेवटच्या सीनमुळे चर्चेला उधाण". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "ZEE5 announces the release of Anand Dighe's biopic 'Dharmaveer'". The Statesman. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.