Ram Mahadev Apte, veteran trade union leader and High Court advocate, died in Belagavi on Friday. He was 96.
He was ailing for some time and passed away from cardiac respiratory failure, doctors said.
Fondly called Apte Dada, he was a leader that industrial workers, farmers, sugarcane harvesting workers, Devdasis and child workers will approach for advice and legal assistance. He founded Jeevan Vikas Pratishtan to help the poor. He practised in local courts in Belagavi and the High Court Bench in Dharwad.
Till a few months ago, he would attend labour union and farmers rallies. He would be standing in a corner, with his gala bandh coat and a leather bag containing legal documents.
The federation of trade unions has organised a condolence meeting in Belagavi on December 27 at Marathi Vidya Niketan Ground near Union Gymkhana in the camp area at 4.30 p.m.
Anand Mense, Nagesh Sateri, G.V. Kulkarni and others will speak.
“A law graduate of Bombay University, Mr. Apte practised law for over 70 years. Young lawyers of today have a lot to learn from his life,’‘ recalls N.R. Latur, an advocate and labour activist. “He wrote a detailed letter to the Supreme Court about legal reforms, that was appreciated by the Chief Justice of India,’, he said.
As per his wishes, the Apte family members donated his body to KLE Society’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College for medical education and his skin to the KLE Rotary Skin Bank for treatment of burns victims.
Mahantesh Ramannanavar, founder of Ramannanavar Foundation, conducted a condolence meeting at Samadhan, the Apte residence, in Rani Channamma Nagar before taking the body to the medical college.
Ashok Deshpande, a long-time associate of Apte Dada, recalled his contribution to labour agitations and legal activism.
His was a life in the service of others. From childhood, he fought for the cause of workers and the poor.
As a young man, he founded the anti-injustice forum. He used to provide counselling to young activists and leaders. He was actively involved in movements concerning women’s liberation, child rights, anti-corruption and labour reforms.
Apte Dada believed that corruption can be rooted out only by people when they stop giving money to politicians and officials and he lived by that principle, Mr. Deshpande recalled.
Activists Vishweshwaraiah Hiremath and Nyla Coelho, the former Mayor Vijay More and others were present.
Published - December 23, 2022 08:30 pm IST
