MUMBAI: It's been a while now since Uday Shantikumar Dixit passed away due to COVID-19 and though it would be a late obituary, however, it would be worth reflecting on an activist who valiantly crusaded and fought against Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) an Indian multinational conglomerate, with business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing etc, till the end of his life. 

L&T employees and labour union leaders say that Dixit will be remembered as a source of inspiration who throughout his career put up brave resistance to the corrupt deals of L&T’s top management, even spending sizable money from his pocket to foot the legal bills for all the litigations that he initiated. 

A resident of Kalyan, Dixit had done a Draftsman’s course from Ambernath IIT which was much sought after at that time, and was a member of RSS since childhood and according to his family members, he had even attended 'KarSeva' in Ayodhya with his wife in 1992. 

"There are many who claim themselves as a labour leader, but Dixit was different, a person who would fight for the workers’ rights sacrificing personal comforts and gains. He was not the one who would initiate workers’ agitation against management and make settlement back door. Dixit was not worried about exposing the corruption in L&T, because he had no expectations," said one former colleague who also learned about his death a little late.

Dixit crusaded against the illegal use of collector's land at L&T's Powai through several forums. Dixit had alleged that the Maharashtra Government had leased out land to the company at nominal rent in 1976. Subsequently, the price of the land basically given for workers’ accommodation, sky-rocketed. His former colleague says, "It was a repeat of the Hiranandani real estate scam. At that time the Urban Land Ceiling Act was repealed. But a deal worth crores took place in Powai in connivance with ULC officers and ministers."

In 2018 he was thrown out of L&T's shareholder's meeting held at Birla Matoshree Sabhagriha in Mumbai, former head-honcho and non-executive chairman AM Naik when he questioned the rationale for the L&T’s board of directors to allow Naik to set a super speciality cancer hospital at the Powai campus in 2018. 

In the meeting, a section of shareholders had demanded an inquiry into the scam exposed by Dixit which was summarily dismissed by the management team. Dixit later approached the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) alleging mismanagement of employee welfare fund and assets of the company but lost but he later moved the Bombay High Court and went up to the Supreme Court.

Dixit had accused the company of having collected Rs 30,000 to Rs.35,000 per worker between 2003 to 2008 in the name of 'L&T Welfare Foundation' and despite being an official wing of the company, the Foundation was sold to L&T, by keeping workers in the dark. Accusing the board members under Naik of embezzlement to the tune of nearly Rs 20,000 crore Dixit tried his best to expose this. 

Dixit had provided the proof of the alleged land deals to the current home minister and the then NCP State President Jayant Patil. had raised this in the state legislature.

Dixit also successfully fought for the workers of the National Rayon Company, located at Mohone in Shahad, Kalyan and brought to the fore the corruption in The JanataKalyan Bank Limited.

Family members say with his power, Naik had mentally harassed Dixit and was event sent to jail, yet Dixit did not deviate from his mission. He was shuttling between the Bombay High court and the Supreme court and during his visit to New Delhi, he was infected with COVID-19. He was admitted to a hospital in Dombivali, where he breathed his last. He was 68 and is survived by a wife and two children one of whom is also Covid positive.

Confirming this a family member said, "Now his son is also suffering from the same disease. Unfortunately, his family is almost helpless and is weathering the storm undeterred alone."