Vaghelas' fast enters 21st day

Even as the fast by the Vaghelas entered 21st day on Friday, there was no assurance coming forth from the government. Praful Vaghela and his brother Shantilal Vaghela, fathers of Dipesh and Abhishek, started their fast unto death at their house in Nirnaynagar on September 17, the day chief minister Narendra Modi kick-started his three-day Sadbhavna Mission. They are demanding justice for the death of their sons.

According to Vaghela brothers, the state government is not doing enough to probe the death of Dipesh and Abhishek. The two kids were cousin brothers and went missing from a residential school run by Asaram Bapu's Gurukul in Motera in July 2008. A few days later, their mutilated bodies were found from the Sabarmati riverbed behind the ashram.  

After remaining on fast for 21 days, the Vaghela brothers have suffered serious health problems. To keep a close watch on their health, a team of doctors from Civil hospital visits them daily.
"They visit us daily and check our blood pressure and advise us to end our fast. But no one talks about the reason for which we are forced into this situation," said Praful Vaghela on a notepad.

Both of them are also observing silence and in case they have to say something, they are writing it down.  Praful feels that the government has weakened the probe by setting a probe commission, which didn't yield any result even after three years.

Two weeks back, in an attempt to end their fast, police forcefully shifted them to a hospital in an ambulance amid protest from their family members. To protest the police action, shopkeepers of Ranip, Chandlodia and Nirnaynagar downed shutters on September 25.

 "We received support from local residents, opposition leaders, NGOs and many other people, but the government has not uttered a single word till date," said Shantilal Vaghela, who is also determined to continue fast till a fresh probe is set up.