PUNE: "I am making this statement after a lot of contemplation... it is wrong to say that Maharashtra is a progressive (state)..." Govind Pansare recently said during his last visit to Pune.

Pansare was concerned about the shrinking space for free thinking and rationalist thoughts, and shaken after Narendra Dabholkar's murder. Paying tribute to his former rationalist colleague, Pansare had expressed apprehension saying, "Today it is Dr Dabholkar's turn, tomorrow we can't say who it will be. When they are not able to defeat you in logic and rationale, they use bullets..."

The veteran communist leader's apprehension came true, when assailants shot at him and his wife from close range on the morning of February 16. The attack, the second such in 18 months on a rationalist, has given rise to concern for not just the safety of progressive leaders, but also the future of rationalist movements in Maharashtra.

After Dabholkar's murder, his Andhashraddha Nirmulan movement continued, but leaders in the movement say that Dabholkar's absence has slowed down the movement's progress and it will take years for it to recover.

Senior scribe Arun Khore said, "Maharashtra will not realize what it has lost with the death of Govind Pansare. He was an institution and with his death, progressive movements in the state have received a massive setback. We can't imagine another leader of his stature." Khore added that though progressive movements have many devoted full-time activists, but Dabholkar and Pansare were the guiding lights.

Pansare had founded 25 organisations and unions and was their key mentor. Activists said presence of senior members to anchor these outfits is reassuring, but the void Pansare leaves behind will be difficult to fill as he suggested the line these outfists should take on various issues.

"There is a systematic attack on leaders who are the nucleus of progressive movements. It seems there are forces that believe that progressive movements in Maharashtra will halt by attacking its tallest leaders like Dabholkar and Pansare," said Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of Narendra Dabholkar, adding that the violence would continue if the perpetrators go scot free.

In the recent past, communist leader Ajit Abhyankar and activist Vidya Bal were attacked in Pune and there have been instances of students being threatened for holding events against certain fundamentalist organisations.

N D Patil, veteran activist and leader of various reformist movements in the state, said, "Fundamentalist forces have gained strength because of apathetic politicians who are only bothered about power politics. Politicians look at people's movements with despise. Nobody wants rationalism to prevail as once people start thinking rationally, those who reap political, social and economic benefits in the name of emotive issues like religion will be exposed."

Nitin Pawar, a young activist who works with Baba Adhav's social movements, said there are very few leaders like Pansare who were connected to the masses and their issues. Communist leader Bhalchandra Kango said that attacks on leaders like Pansare send out a message that people who stand for the poor and speak against exploitation in the name of religion must be ready to face bullets.

Senior activist Shantabai Ranade said that it was responsibility of the youth to take forward progressive movements. "The way the youth in Maharashtra has reacted to attacks on Dabholkar and Pansare has kindled some hope. Let the message go out that movements will not die with such attacks on its leaders," she said.

A group of youths that has been on a hunger strike at Vitthal Ramji Shinde bridge (where Dabholkar was shot dead) for the last five days demanding immediate action against attackers of Dabholkar and Pansare mourned the leader's death on Saturday. "We will take this fight forward. We are determined that the voice of rationalists is not silenced," said Harshal Lokhakare, who is part of the group.

