By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London, Oct 30 (IANS) A loner tramp who lived in the middle of a ring road in Wolverhampton in the west Midlands for over 30 years and who was adopted by the local Hindu community that saw in him the elements and echoes of a sadhu has died.
A grumpy, bearded loner who shunned company and material possessions, Josef Stawinoga, 87, became an Internet phenomenon as thousands signed up to a Facebook site in his honour. For decades, he lived in a tent, and became part of the local landscape as motorists zipped by.
The Wolverhampton City Council Monday paid tribute to Stawinoga. A spokesman said: “Everyone is very saddened to hear of the death of Josef Stawinoga. He was part and parcel of life in the city for decades and people took him to their hearts. He walked with a pronounced stoop and lived a quiet, unassuming life.
“He was a true character and Wolverhampton won’t be quite the same without him. If no next of kin or friends come forward to organise the funeral, the council will make the necessary arrangements”.
Wolverhampton, near Birmingham, is home to a large minority of Indian origin. Stawinoga was adopted over the last decade by the local Hindu community who believed his lack of possessions echoed that of sadhus, the Hindu ascetics, in India.
Explaining the local Hindu community’s interest in him, chairman of Wolverhampton’s Krishna Mandir Temple, Dershan Lalshadha, recently said: “In India we believe that people who live in jungles and outskirts, away from civilisation devote their lives to God.
“This man doesn’t want any relation with the world, he is connected with God and so we believe he is a saintly person.”
Many of Wolverhampton’s Indian population believed Stawinoga to be a saint. An unnamed local lady took flasks of hot tea to him every day for years. She told the local BBC: “We took our children to see him We wanted to show them the man who did not have anything on this world but his relation with God.”
His fansite on Facebook is titled “We love you, Wolverhampton ring road tramp”. One member wrote: “He was a brilliantly eccentric icon for Wolverhampton. Nobody really knew him, but we all felt like we did.”
Stawinoga reportedly came to Wolverhampton in the 1950s and worked at a steelworks before settling to live on Ring Road. Known locally as Fred, he would often be seen sweeping around his tent. The council provided him with meals, replaced his tent when necessary and generally kept an eye on his well-being.
He was known to have a cantankerous nature and disliked company. The solitary pensioner and his wild grey beard were regularly seen by thousands of motorists passing on either side as he shuffled around the grassed area near his battered tent.
Stawinoga’s background was shrouded in mystery, but it was thought he came to Britain from Poland after World War II. Some stories maintain he was detained in a prisoner of war camp in Russia and could not face the confines of a house.
Other theories claim he chose a solitary life after a failed love affair. He was regularly checked on by Wolverhampton Council’s social services department, which tolerated his life under canvas.
Although the city council does not normally tolerate squatters, officers made an exception for Stawinoga due to his phobia of confined spaces. The council said his life on the ring road was “not an ideal situation”, but was considered the “best option” for him.