by admin | Dec 11, 2014 | Marathi, NCP
शरद पवार – एक थोर नेता – एक उत्तुंग व्यक्तिमत्व
शरद पवारसाहेब – भारतीय राजकारणातला एक द्रष्टा नेता. सदैव जनतेच्या नाडीवर हात असलेला, जनतेच्या हितासाठी झटणारा, जनतेची अस्मिता जागवणारा, जपणारा नेता…. या लेखात मी साहेबांच्या जडणघडणीचा, वाटचालीचा आलेख घेत आहे…
एखाद्या नेत्याचे नेत्त्रुत्वगुण हे अनेक वर्षांच्या अथक प्रयत्न व समाजासाठी केलेल्या कामांमधून सिद्ध होते. त्याच्या जीवनात अनेक कठीण प्रसंग येतात. पण त्यातच त्याच्या कसबाची कस लागते. सर्व कठीण परिस्थितीतून जो यशस्वीपणे बाहेर पडतो तोच नेता मानला जातो. लोककल्याणासाठी सातत्याने झटणारा नेताच लोकमानसात उतरतो.
शरद पवार यांचे नेतृत्व हे महाराष्ट्रातील नाही तर सार्या देश्यातील लोकांनी मान्य केले आहे.. पवारसाहेब हे सत्तेवर असले काय किव्वा नसले काय, ते कायम लोक्संपर्क ठेवून असतात. ते आपली नाळ लोकांपासून तुटू देत नाही. लोकांच्या नाडीवर बोट ठेवून तो लोकांशी संवाद साधतो. पवार साहेबांचा लोकसंपर्क रावांपासून रंकांपर्यंत आहे.
गेल्या चाळीस वर्षांपासून सामाजिक बांधिलकीच्या भावनेतून त्यांनी कामांचा डोंगर रचला आणि कर्तृत्वाचा सह्याद्री उभा केला.
शरद पवारांच्या राजकारणाला समाजकारणाचा आशय प्राप्त झालेला आहे. राजकारण हे समाजाची उन्नती करण्याचे एक साधन आहे असे साहेब नेहमी म्हणतात. आणि त्याच अनुषांघाने त्यानी वेळोवेळी घेतलेले निर्णय हे महाराष्ट्राला वैभवाच्या काळाकडे नेणारेच होते. यशवंतराव चव्हाणांनी महाराष्ट्राच्या भवितव्यासाठी रोडमॅप तयार केला. पवार साहेबांनी त्यानुसार वाटचाल केली. त्यात काळानुरूप बदलही केले.
शरद पवार साहेब हे खरेच एक धैर्यशील वा द्रश्ते नेते आहेत. ते नेहेमीच परिस्स्थिति पाहून आणि तिला पोषक असा योग्य तोच निर्णय घेतात. मग प्रसंगी कॉंग्रेस पासून वेगळे होऊन १९७८ मधे पुलोद स्थापन करणे असेल किव्वा १९९९ मधे राष्ट्रवादी कॉंग्रेस पार्टी ची स्थापना करणे असेल.
पवार साहेबांनी महाराष्ट्रात रोजगार हमी योजना जोमदारपणे राबविली, मराठवाडा विद्यापीठाच्या नामांतराचा निर्णय घेतला, महिला धोरण ठरविले व ते कार्यान्वित केले, सहकारी चळवळीला दिशा दिली, राज्यात नवीन विद्यापीठांची स्थापना केली, फलोत्पादनाला प्रोत्साहन दिले, सर्वच क्षेत्रांत महिलांना समान संधी दिली, मंडल आयोगाच्या शिफारशी स्वीकारून इतर मागासवर्गीयांना न्याय दिला, जिल्हा परिषदा व स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस्थांमध्ये महिलांना तेहतीस टक्के आरक्षण दिले आणि कर्जमाफीच्या द्वारे शेतकऱ्यांना दिलासा दिला.
जनतेला माहीत नसलेले पण महाराष्ट्राच्या दृष्टीने अतिशय महत्वाचे निर्णय पवार साहेबांनी घेतले आहेत. ते असे:
1) मुख्यमंत्री असताना डॉ.बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर यांचे संपूर्ण साहित्य 18 मोठ्या खंडांत इंग्रजीत व मराठीत प्रसिद्ध केले.
2) महात्मा फुले यांचे समग्र साहित्य व विचार मराठी , हिंदी व इंग्रजी या तीन भाषांत प्रसुत करण्याची भूमिका त्यांनी बजावली आहे.
3) तिसरे तेवढेच महत्वाचे अनमोल कार्य म्हणजे मराठा आरक्षणाचे विधेयक महाराष्ट्राच्या विधिमंडळात पास करून घेतले.
पवार साहेब आज एक राष्ट्रीय नेते आहेत.. एक उत्तम संसदपटू म्हणून त्यांनी नावलौकिक मिळविला आहे. त्यांचे विरोधकही त्यांच्याविषयी आदराने बोलतात व वागतात. ते स्वतंत्र बाण्याचे आहेत. कृषिमंत्री या नात्याने शरद पवारांनी अनेक महत्त्वाचे निर्णय घेतले. शेतकऱ्यांच्या कर्जमाफीचा निर्णय ऐतिहासिक स्वरूपाचा होता. कृषिक्षेत्रातील गुंतवणूक चार टक्क्यांपर्यंत वाढली. अन्नधान्याचे उत्पादन विक्रमी ठरले.
शरद पवारसाहेब कमी बोलतात पण जे बोलतात त्यामागे विचार, तत्त्व, सत्त्व, महत्त्व, प्रभुत्त्व, विद्वत्ता, अनुभव असतो.
स्वतः च्या प्रकृती स्वास्थ्याला दुय्यम स्थान देऊन ते सामान्य माणसाच्या समृद्धी साठी अथक परिश्रम करत आहेत .
त्यांचा आज वाढदिवस. ७५ वर्षात त्यांनी पदार्पण केले. पण त्यांची कामाची पद्धत, उमेद पाहिली की वाटते ते अजून तरुण आहेत. त्यांना वाढदिवसाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा. देव त्यांना उदंड आयुष्य देवो वा त्यांचे मार्गदर्शन आम्हाला सदैव मिळत राहो ही ईश्वर चरणी प्रार्थना.
by admin | Dec 10, 2014 | General
After Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, it is now the turn of veteran politician Sushma Swaraj to put her party into a false position. Our External Affairs minister has been on the eye of the storm since she proposed last week that the Bhagwad Gita be declared the national Holy Book! In my opinion, no amount of condemnation is enough for such an insensible, politically immature proposition on the part of a union minister.
Over the past few months PM Modi has been seen presenting Gita to his counterparts abroad. Well, it has been entirely a matter of personal choice that he could not find anything more appropriate to share with the heads of the states. But it is plain weird to capitalize in the gesture and make demands that the Hindu holy book be proclaimed as India’s national scripture.
Not only in India, Bhagwad Gita is universally revered all over the world. For ages, both the mass and class in India have drawn inspiration from the message of Gita in their spiritual and mundane discourses. It is absolutely unnecessary to confer an official designation to this universally-admired book as if in an attempt to elevate its prestige. Thus any attempt at constricting the vastness of Gita into the narrow confinement of national symbol was bound to evoke suspicion and treated as nothing but cheap political gimmick. It is hardly surprising that the External Affairs minister’s statement has irked the entire nation, not just the parties in opposition.
BJP has taken a childish stand by insisting that Gita is not a Dharmagranth (religious scripture) but a karma granth (book that strives to guide one’s actions). Holy books of every religion do just that—they preaches the ideal way of leading life for the highest spiritual attainment in lifetime and beyond. Then why impose the holy book of Hindus on the people belonging to other religions? It is clearly against India’s secular spirit. As I told earlier to the press, the Union Minister’s statement is coated with religiously provocative fervor that is hurting the sentiments of the people of other faiths.
Lastly and most importantly, India already has its national book – the Constitution and no holy book – Gita, Quran, Bible or any other can replace it. It is sad that a veteran politician like Ms Swaraj has missed the point. Bhagwad Gita can provide us with the blueprint for a fulfilling life and spiritual experience on a personal plane. But when it comes to the interest of a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-religion nation like India, the Indian Constitution is the ultimate holy book.
And since when has the creation of a national symbol started to fall under the purview of the Ministry of External Affairs? As an ardent follower of the Gita, she should not have forgotten one of the Gita’s fundamental teachings that one’s Dharma or duty involves discharging the divine-ordained responsibilities in the most impeccable manner. In charge of one of the most important offices, Ms Swaraj is thus expected to refrain from meddling in other’s duties and focus more on those of her own.
by admin | Dec 4, 2014 | General
In view of the current frozen-baba fiasco, the gullibility of Indian mass has once again come to the fore. The episode underscores Indian people’s everlasting romance with superfluous spirituality and a lethargic administration’s pathetic failure in taking a firm standing.
Indian newspapers have always dedicated a good amount of news prints for the so called Spiritual gurus. In the recent months, some of them have even made to the international media as well. But this frozen baba controversy seems to overshadow all the previous guru-incidents in terms of drama. In fact it packs so much punch that it can well be the inspiration for the next Bollywood blockbuster or a 12-year long soap opera.
In a true it-happens-only-in-India kind of melodrama, the dead body of this self-styled godman, Asutosh Maharaj has been kept in frozen state for as long as 11 months. When he founded this Jalandhar-based Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) sect or when he was slowly spinning out this multi-million dollar empire over his decades-long religious career, little did he imagine that one day his mortal remains would be held hostage in the safe confine of a deep freezer inside his own ashram by a regiment of his own disciples! The guru was declared “clinically dead” by the doctors back in January. In a bold defiance of the law and tradition, the ashram inmates have simply refused to part with their guru’s body. A theory of imminent resurrection was upheld to avoid cremation.
The controversy further escalated with the surfacing of a son, hinting at a bigger conspiracy masterminded by the people with top-level connections. A former aide and driver of Asutosh Maharaj also alleged murder. Given that the property value of the godman running in crores, the conspiracy claims hardly surprise anybody.
Just think about it! A dead body is kept in a frozen state for past eleven months, speculations are brewing, the ashram is under media scanner for months, ashram inmates are openly fortifying the ashram in anticipation of a possible clash with the administration. The government officials are barred from entering the ashram premises. And even then, the government continues to provide expensive security cover to the Nurmahal Ashram, where the dead body is kept.
Well, I am not here to narrate a whodunit story or find out who is telling the truth. The question that seems to baffle every sane Indian is: how and why could the government drag the episode thus far? The incident has exposed the state’s callousness in dealing with the issues having roots in religious organizations and the men behind them. With the sensational Rampal incident, the entire nation has come to know about the existence of the parallel power centers called “deras” across Punjab and Haryana. Again, most of these organizations enjoy Z or Z Plus level of security.
Given the current stalemate, there is no denying of the fact that the ruling SAD-BJP alliance has become a mere pawn at the hands of a few spiritual gurus that command enormous influence over a commendable section of the population. In frozen baba controversy, it ultimately amounts to the vote bank consisting of hundreds and thousands of followers, a majority of whom belong to Dalits and other similar castes.
Under this circumstance, the Punjab Government acted quite predictably. Fearing the loss of Dalit votes, the government chose not to take any action and allowed the impasse to continue.
Punjab Government has reportedly wasted crores of taxpayers’ money in providing Z Plus security cover to the frozen deadbody at Nurmahal. No spokesperson from SAD (Badal) or BJP has offered any explanation. As the HC deadline for cremation nears, the nation is waiting with batted breath to see what happens next? Is a Rampal-like incidence imminent? Is yet another multi-crores encounter on the card?
In a digital India, there are only few buyers of the story of a dead man coming back. Still, such bizarre practices take place only because of the strong political backing. Government should be more respectful of the principle of separation of religion and politics. Mission to Mars represents a developing nation’s unbridled aspirations. An attempt at breaking the notorious nexus between electoral politics and religion can go a long way to reinforce India’s brand image among the international communities.