UpdateBot at 07:49, 9 April 2022

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{{short description|Indian politician and workers rights activist}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Dattatraya Ekbote
| birth_date = 1936
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Politician
| party =
}}

'''Dattatraya Ekbote''', known popularly as '''Datta Ekbote''' (c. 1936 – 2 September 2020), was an Indian workers' rights activist, politician and former [[Mayor of Pune]], the second largest city in [[Maharashtra]] (after [[Mumbai]]) and the eighth largest city in [[India]]. Ekbote was a longtime, vocal activist for workers' rights, especially in India's [[beedi]] industry.<ref name=th>{{cite news |first=Shoumojit |last=Banerjee |title=Former Pune Mayor Datta Ekbote succumbs to COVID-19 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-succumbs-to-covid-19/article32514647.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=2020-09-03 |access-date=2020-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920091204/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-succumbs-to-covid-19/article32514647.ece |archive-date=2020-09-20 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[beedi]], or bidi, is a type of cigarette popular in India.

Ekbote grew up in extreme poverty to become a prominent labor rights activist and politician.<ref name=pn/> He was the former Maharashtra State Vice President of the [[Samajwadi Party]].<ref name=mm>{{cite news |title=Former Pune Mayor Datta Ekbote dies of COVID, had to struggle to get bed |url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/coronavirus/news/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-dies-of-covid-had-to-struggle-to-get-bed/articleshow/77904397.cms |work=[[Mumbai Mirror]] |date=2020-09-03 |access-date=2020-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002122430/https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/coronavirus/news/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-dies-of-covid-had-to-struggle-to-get-bed/articleshow/77904397.cms |archive-date=2020-10-02 |url-status=live}}</ref> He was also a member of the [[Janata Party]] and, later in his career, the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] (NCP).<ref name=mm/>

In August 2020, Ekbote began exhibiting symptoms of [[COVID-19]] during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in India]] and tested positive for the virus.<ref name=th/> He and his family tried to have him admitted to intensive care units of several private hospitals in Pune, but they were unable to find an available hospital bed or an ambulance for emergency treatment.<ref name=th/><ref name=pn/><ref name=mm/> Local officials had to appeal to Maharashtra state officials in order to finally secure his admission to a public medical centre, [[Sassoon Hospital]], where he reportedly did not receive proper treatment.<ref name=th/><ref name=pn>{{cite news |first=Maheb |last=Quershi |title=Former Pune Mayor Datta Ekbote Dies of COVID As He Couldn't Get Hospital Bed On Time |url=https://punekarnews.in/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-dies-of-covid-as-he-couldnt-get-hospital-bed-on-time/ |work=[[Punekar News]] |date=2020-09-05 |access-date=2020-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002121115/https://punekarnews.in/former-pune-mayor-datta-ekbote-dies-of-covid-as-he-couldnt-get-hospital-bed-on-time/ |archive-date=2020-10-02 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Ekbote died from COVID-19 at [[Sassoon Hospital]] in [[Pune]] at 12:30 a.m. on 2 September 2020, at the age of 84.<ref name=th/><ref name=pn/> Ekbote's 45-year-old son, Ravindra or "Ravi", also died from COVID-19 on 31 August 2020, after testing positive for the coronavirus.<ref name=th/><ref name=pn/> The former mayor was survived by his wife, their two daughters, and a grandson.<ref name=th/> He was cremated at Kailas Cemetery in Koregaon Park.<ref name=pn/>

Ekbote's death drew attention to the lack of medical infrastructure to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in Pune.<ref name=th/> Ekbote died just days after the death of local television reporter, [[Pandurang Raikar]], who also died because he was unable to secure a bed or [[ventilator]] in an intensive care unit, just like Ekbote.<ref name=th/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ekbote, Datta}}
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Mayors of Pune]]
[[Category:Indian civil rights activists]]
[[Category:Workers' rights activists]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India]]
[[Category:1930s births]]
[[Category:Janata Party politicians]]
[[Category:Nationalist Congress Party politicians from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Samajwadi Party politicians from Maharashtra]]

Datta Ekbote - Revision history

UpdateBot at 07:49, 9 April 2022