Mangesh Ahiwale, who sells vada pav outside the Elphinstone Road railway station on the Western Railway, wants to help one of the victims of the Stampede on September 29. Ahiwale isn’t very well to do either but out of kindness, he is going to go all out and help the deceased. Mangesh sells vada pav under the name Aapla vada pav and when others sell it for INR 14-15, he sells it for INR 5! Now that’s a price from back in time. This coming Saturday i.e., October 14, from 10 am to 8 pm, he is going to work and sell vada pav for Mayuresh Haldankar and will donate all his day earnings to his family.
Mayuresh Haldankar (24), a resident of BDD chawl in Worli, who worked as an office boy in Ameya cleaning agency at Masjid, died during the stampede on the staircase of Elphinstone Road station foot overbridge (FOB). Mayuresh was heading to his office in Masjid before he was crushed to death on the bridge. His death was due to an unusual circumstance. His family would need the financial assistance being offered. The government has promised the families of people who died a compensation of INR 5 lakh but none of the families have received it yet.
Ahivale believes he can contribute his bit to the Haldankar family that lost its sole breadwinner. Ahivale quoted in the Indian Express, “After visiting his house in the wake of the incident, I learnt that Haldankar is the sole bread-winner of that family. His family, which includes his parents and his sister, is left to fend for themselves now. We are trying to do our bit.”
Though his family have been granted Rs 5 lakh ex gratia amount, this is a noble initiative by Mangesh. Mangesh will make his discounted sale of vada pav in front of Hotel Sarathi, near Swami Samarth Math, at Elphinstone Road.
