Fadderbaba

The title ‘Fadderbaba’ describes the common way in which Catholic priests are addressed in rural Maharashtra

The Catholic priest, Father Dick D’Souza, works among the Warli adivasis along the Maharashtra-Gujarat state border. He has built up a tribal organization, the Shetkari Sangh, to give the adivasi a sense of dignity and to empower them to fight for their rights.

The whole area is in the grip of a corrupt nexus of politicians, police, sahukars and contractors which has ripped off the adivasi for decades. Therefore Dick and his sangh are seen as a serious threat.

Even more, his work is a source of irritation to the church establishment and his religious superiors, who are uneasy with priests ‘meddling in politics’.

The story opens with a big scam in which a state minister, the local MLA, the police and Dick’s own brother, a corrupt contractor with links in high places, are complicit. All want Dick quiet – or dead.

Will Dick ‘cool it for a while’ on his own …or will he be forced to ?