by admin | Sep 20, 2014 | General
The day was 2 years back – 6th September 2012, Wednesday morning. Earlier in August 2012, the Bombay high court had directed the demolition of the slums that stood upon 62 acres of the land owned by the Mafatlal company which was shut down several years ago. These included Vaghoba Nagar, Shanti nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Parsik Nagar, Gholai Nagar and Pounpada – nearly 35,000 slums …
Even the thought of demolishment was scary. It would mean that 35000 hapless slum dwellers would be rendered homeless. I could not just let it happen. At 3 am in the morning, I took the decision to do a rail roko. We went to every hutment in the area to spread the message of the rail roko and urged them to be part of it.
Early in the morning at 7.00 a.m., before the demolition squad could reach the site, all of us with the slum dwellers staged the rail roko at the level crossing gate no. 28 near Kharegaon.
By 9.00 a.m. all of the trains had halted. Not only that all the incoming, long journey trains also halted. The whole system was paralysed. Though we were concerned about the passengers, our cause was bigger than the inconvenience.
At 9.00 a.m. there was a call from Prime Minister’s office to Chief Minister’s office asking for details. Commissioner of Police got a call from C.M. office inquiring on what the matter was. Soon thereafter, we got a message from Government – they promised to intervene and assured us that a stay order would be issued such that no hutments would be demolished.
When the message came, we could not hold our joy – the joy of justice, the joy of having saved lives of thousands of poor people. I climbed onto my car and addressed the joyous mob – every common man has a right to LIVE, and the means to livelihood & sustenance cannot just be destroyed.
I can understand that one or two hours of train disruption would have caused inconvenience to many. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. I have been criticised by some, but for me it was a fight for principles, a fight for values. Priority for me was to SAVE LIVES & HOMES of 35,000 people.
Today as I recall one of the most important days of my life, I would like to leave you with a quote I had once read “It takes courage to follow your mind. But it takes everything to follow your heart.”
by admin | Sep 19, 2014 | General
नमस्कार,
तुम्हा सर्वांच्या आशीर्वादाने माझ्या कारकिर्दीची पाच वर्षे पूर्ण होत आली आहेत. तेव्हा ह्या पाच वर्षांवर थोडे बोलायचं आहे.
मी आमदार बनलो तेव्हा ‘सर्व आमदार सारखेच असतात’ असं लोक म्हणत असत. पण मी आव्हान स्विकारलं. निश्चय केला. माझ्या मतदारसंघाने निवडलेला आमदार इतर चारचौघांपेक्षा निराळा असेल… तो चेहऱ्यापेक्षा नावाने जास्त ओळखला जाईल. माझ्या मतदारसंघातील राजकारणाचा चेहरा बदलण्यासाठी आधी अभ्यासूपणा वाढवला. मुंबई विद्यापीठात “महाराष्ट्रातील सामाजिक आणि धार्मिक चळवळी” प्रबंधाबद्दल पी. एच. डी. मिळवली. फक्त डॉक्टर पद मिरवण्यासाठी नाही तर आपल्या मतदारसंघाच्या पाठीशी प्रबंधातून मिळालेलं ज्ञान उभं करण्यासाठी. सामाजिक चळवळीची ताकद किती असते? क्लस्टर डेवलपमेंटचा मुद्दा सर्वात प्रथम मांडून मी गप्प बसलो नाही. त्याला चळवळीचं रूप दिलं. आपलंच सरकार सत्तेवर होतं. तरीही लाखोंचा मोर्चा मंत्रालयावर नेला. इच्छाशक्ती आणि जनशक्ती एकत्र आली आणि दस्तुरखुद्द मुख्यमंत्रांनी कौतुक केलं.
तसा मी सामान्य मध्यमवर्गीय कुटुंबातला. तुमच्या आशीर्वादाने आमदार झालो… आणि माननीय शरदचंद्रजी पवारसाहेब ह्यांनी तर थेट महाराष्ट्र प्रदेश कार्याध्यक्षपदाची जबाबदारी दिली… आणि नंतर महाराष्ट्राचा वैद्यकीय शिक्षणमंत्री.
सगळं काही तुमच्या आशीर्वादाने झालंय ह्याची मला पूर्ण जाणीव आहे.… तुम्ही देता बळ माझ्या पंखांना आकाशात उडण्याचं … काही कार्यकर्ते विचारतात, ‘साहेब, दिवसरात्र, अष्टोप्रहर हिरीरीने काम करण्याची उर्जा तुमच्यात येते कुठून? मी त्यांना गाडीत बसवतो आणि कळवा फिरवून आणतो ,,, ह्या माझ्या बंधूभगिनींच्या डोळ्यांत पाहिलं ना की जाणवतं ह्यांचा माझ्यावर रक्ताच्या माणसांपेक्षा जास्त विश्वास आहे…
त्यांनी माझ्या खांद्यावर जबाबदारी दिली आहे कारण ते समजतात माझे खांदे त्यासाठी सक्षम आहेत… त्यांना वाटतं की मी मांडू शकतो सभागृहात त्यांच्या मागण्या ठामपणे, वेळ प्रसंगी न्याय मागण्यासाठी त्याच सभागृहात स्वस्थ न बसता मी आक्रोश करू शकतो, करू शकतो आंदोलन मी जातीधर्माच्या पलीकडे पाहून माणसाला ‘माणूस’ म्हणून जगवण्यासाठी. आणि मग अशावेळी थकून भागून, खांदे पाडून कसं चालेल … अहोरात्र केलंच पाहिजे एवढं काम आहे मतदारसंघात,,,
दिवसरात्र एक केलेत तेव्हा कुठे आता दिसतंय ते चित्र बदललंय …
कॅम्पाकोलाचे हाल बघून वाटतं आपल्याला त्यावेळेस सुबुद्धी सुचली आणि रेलरोको वगैरे केला तेव्हा कुठे त्या ३५००० झोपडपट्टीवासीयांकडे लोकांनी करुणेच्या नजरेतून पाहिलं ,, कळवा विभागाला सापत्न वागणूक देण्याऱ्या वीज विभागाला ‘झीरो लोडशेडींग’ राबवण्यास भाग पाडलं. खड्ड्यांच्या रस्त्याचं स्टेशन असं कळवा स्टेशनकडे पाहून हसणारे आता त्याच सुसज्ज कळवा स्टेशनकडे पाहून तोंडात बोटं घालतात… रेल्वेच्या अधिकाऱ्यांशी अविरत पाठपुरावा… पाठपुरावा कसला मी त्यांचा पिच्छा पुरवला असं म्हणा’, तेव्हा रेल्वे रूळांखालच्या विटाव्याच्या बोगद्याचं विस्तारीकरण झालंय आणि लगोलग रस्त्यांचं नुतनीकरणही करून घेतलं. अन्यथा तिथला वाहतुकीचा खोळंबा सुटला नसता. आता हा ठाणे स्टेशनपासून विटावा स्कायवॉक होऊ द्यात.… ४ मिनिटात माणूस ठाणे स्टेशनपासून कळव्यात पोहोचतो की नाही ते बघा. कळव्यात ७२ एकरच्या भूखंडावर सर्व शासकीय कार्यालय एकाच ठिकाणी येणार, कळव्यात आंतरराष्ट्रीय विद्यापीठ येणार.… पारसिक येथील डोंगरावर २५ एकर जागेमध्ये उद्यान उभारणार … आपण सगळे मिळून कळवा नंबर वन करूयात.… महाराष्ट्राची अस्मिता असलेल्या छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचा दिमाखदार पुतळा उभारणी असो, आंबेडकर भवन असो, नाट्यगृह असो, ज्येष्ठ नागरिक भवन असो किंवा नवीन कळवा खाडी पूल असो तुमची कामं करताना जात-धर्म-पंथ असले भेद पाळले नाहीत कधी . शासनाच्या जमिनीवरील घरे व इमारती पाडा असा निर्णय आल्यानंतर मा. उच्च न्यायालयात जाऊन मी त्या निर्णयाविरोधात स्थगिती आणल्यामुळे आजरोजी विटावा, वाघोबा नगर, आतकोनेश्वर नगर, घोलाई नगर, पौंडपाडा या परिसरातील नव्हे तर संपूर्ण ठाणे जिल्ह्यातील लाखो कुटुंबांचे घर – संसार अबाधित रहिले. कळवा-मुंब्रावासियांना इमारत कोसळण्याचं दुःखं अनेकवेळा सोसावं लागलं आहे. एका इमारत दुर्घटनेतील पीडितांना वाचवू पाहणाऱ्या तरुणाचा हात पडझडीमध्ये जखमी झाला होता. हात गमावण्याची पाळी त्याच्यावर आली. मी विचार केला अत्याधुनिक वैद्यकशास्त्र उपलब्ध आहे. मी ह्या तरुणाला अपंग होऊ देणार नाही.
सारी शक्ती पणाला लावली आणि त्याचा हात पूर्ववत केला. त्या हाताने माझं कार्य धष्टपुष्ट बनवलं. काही दिवसांपूर्वीचीच गोष्ट… पावसाळ्याआधी नालेसफाई न झाल्यामुळे पाणी तुंबतं आणि लोकांच्या घरात घुसतं. म्हणून ते काम समाधानकारक झालं की नाही हे स्वतः जाऊन पाहिलं आणि काम नीट झालं नसल्याचं पाहून संबंधित अधिकारी आणि कंत्राटदारांना १५ दिवसांचा अल्टीमेटम दिला. पाणी नळातून यावं, कोणाच्याही दारातून येऊ नये…
शाळेत असताना मला प्रश्न पडायचा की एक गणित सोडवून झाल्यावर दुसरं गणित उभं राहतं, ते सोडवल्यावर तिसरं उभं राहतं. आज त्याचा अर्थ कळतोय की प्रश्न कधीच सुटत नसतात. तुमच्यासमोर दोन पर्याय असतात. एकतर एकच प्रश्न कायमचा समोर ठेवा आणि तिथेच थांबा. दुसरा पर्याय म्हणजे एक प्रश्न सुटला की पुन्हा नव्याने समोर आलेला नवा प्रश्न सोडवायला सुरुवात करा. मी दुसरा पर्याय स्वीकारला, समस्या सोडवत पुढे निघण्याचा मला आता नाद लागला आहे.
आमदारपदाला धर्म मानून मी प्रत्येक धर्म-जातींमध्ये जातो, काम करतो. माझं पद महत्वाचे नाही, नाव महत्वाचे नाही… महत्व द्या माझ्या कामाला. मी आश्वासनांची खैरात केली नाही, करणार नाही. आधी करतो आणि मग बोलतो. म्हणून मी केलेल्या कामावरून जरूर नजर फिरवा. कारण मी ते तुमच्या आशीर्वादाने करत आलो आहे आणि करत राहीन. मी आधी खेळाडू आहे आणि मग आमदार. खरं म्हणजे कोणतेही पद मिळालं तरी मी ऍथलिटच आहे. दिसला अडथळा की पार करून पुढे निघायचं. त्यामुळे एक आव्हान संपलं की माझं लक्ष दुसऱ्या आव्हानाकडे जातं. माझ्या मतदारसंघातील प्रत्येक व्यक्ती हा माझा देव आहे. मानवता हा माझा धर्म आहे. मी कोणाचाही संसार उघड्यावर पडू दिला नाही, देणार नाही. कोणाच्या घरात अंधार असलेला चालणार नाही. अनेक स्त्रिया नोकरी करतात. काहींना पाळणाघरात ठेवलेल्या बाळांपर्यंत वेळेवर पोहोचायचे असतं. ‘घार उडते आकाशी, चित्त पिल्लांपाशी’… तिला पिल्लांपर्यंत झटपट पोहोचण्यासाठी खड्डेमुक्त, ट्रॅफिकमुक्त रस्ते देणे ही माझी जबाबदारी आहे. असं म्हणतात, नेते पाच वर्ष झोप घेतात! इतरांचं जाऊ द्या… मी झोप नाही, ‘भरारी’ घेतली. विविध पदांच्या उंचीवर पोहोचलो, पण ‘घार उडते आकाशी”… अशीच माझी अवस्था राहिली. कुठेही असलो तरी माझं चित्त मतदारसंघातील सामान्य लोकांपाशीच असतं.
तुमचे पंख आहेत सोबती, हीच माझी सर्वात मोठी संपत्ती !!!
मला का वाटेल भवितव्याची भीती.
by admin | Sep 18, 2014 | General
Lessons from the bye elections results: Dont ever take the Indian voter for granted
The bye elections results to 32 assembly and 3 Loksabha constituencies have once again proved that the Indian voter is very mature when it comes to selecting its representatives and government.
The BJP, which just 100 days ago had swept Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat was comprehensively trounced in the first two and ceded ground to Congress in Gujarat. The results proved that the honeymoon period for BJP is over.
The UP result proved that religious mobilisation does not work with voters. Modi had promised to bring down inflation. 3 months have passed and he has not been able to do so and people are now impatient, awaiting the much tom tommed ‘achche din’.
The big and bold message from the results is that India wants good governance and not Hindutva rhetoric. That the prices of tomatoes are more important to them than ‘love jihad’.
by admin | Sep 6, 2014 | General
The Modi government came to power 3 months ago by making tall promises to people and creating an impression that whatever the UPA was doing was evil and only the BJP could and would deliver ‘achche din’. So what do we have on our plate after 100 days?
Inflation continues to stay high and the government seems clueless about how to rein in rising prices of vegetables. The failure of the govt to ratify the WTO treaty led to a global outcry that India had scuttled a hard earned international trade agreement and left us isolated. The fanatic elements in the Sangh Parivar have found new strength and are up to their agenda of communalising the atmosphere and creating a sense of insecurity in the minorities while the Prime Minister looks the other way. Mr. Modi is showing signs of running the government like a dictator. He is more obsessed with self publicity and to achieve that goal has no qualms in insulting his cabinet colleagues. Hence, the press is fed with stories of how the PMO rejected the Home Minister’s choice of P.A. or the Foreign Minister is not included in his delegation on trips to other countries. From his paying obeisance to Parliament in front of TV cameras, to cleaning govt offices, and keeping the new minister’s disciplined – everything is done with the single minded objective of boosting the image of Mr Modi. After lying to the people, Modi now carries the burden of unrealistic expectations. People are realising that their daily concerns of price rise, social harmony and Achche Dinare a distant dream.
The people have shown their resentment and answered their discontent by voting against the BJP in the recent bye elections. Stunned by the defeats, the party has resorted to raising communal bogeys like ‘love jihad’ to polarise sentiment. The party should realise that nobody in India can be detached from the constitution which says that ours is a secular republic because people from many shades stay here.
Another issue of poor governance can be seen by the government’s naive attempt to force schools across the country to screen the PM address to students on Teachers Day. The HRD Ministry made this autocratic announcement and later, in face of opposition from the schools, retracted the decision. From hiking the railway fares by over 100% and later retracting, by their I&B Minister stating that the govt had never promised to reduce prices in 100 days, by conveniently forgetting the black money issue, by bullying the UPA appointed governors to submit their resignation to disallowing the claim of the Congress to the Leader of Opposition post, this government has shown its intention to adopt a path of confrontation. And this does not augur well for a democracy.
by admin | Aug 30, 2014 | General
Activism is ingrained in me since my student life. In my college days, as Secretary of NSUI, we used to take matters relating to students and fight with the Management for better amenities.
Since then, I have always connected with students as I believe that as citizens of tomorrow, they should be nurtured and
mouldedproperly.
As destiny would have it, my mentor Shri Sharad Pawarsaheb gave me the responsibility of becoming a Cabinet Minister of Medical Education and Horticulture in Maharashtra and my tryst with students restarted.
To get a feel of what problems students face, what are their aspirations, their expectations, I decided to interact with them directly.
This is how the concept of Coffee with studentswas born.
I started from Mumbai, then Pune and then went across the state, meeting students on this informal platform, inviting them to share their expectations, narrate their grievances, and then try to solve them.
It has been a fascinating journey with the doctors of tomorrow and I narrate here some of my moments with them.
Coffee with Students at Dhule – It was disheartening to know that students face problems in basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation and other basic needs.
Basic needs not being provided shows the medical institute in a very poor light. I decided to move into their shoes and see that the problems of drinking water and sanitation was resolved immediately.
For several years in the past, focus of medical education has changed from students to hospitals. The need now is to concentrate on the well-being of the students because they are tomorrow’s pillars on which Maharashtra’s health & well-being is going to rest.
My interaction with students of Chhatrapati Shahu Government Medical College, Kolhapur, exposed several issues the students are facing, such as lack of class rooms and teachers not giving lectures. The students also sought change in the examination pattern to ensure that the students are not burdened unnecessarily.
The students shared their problems only after getting assurance that no disciplinary action will be taken against them if they bring to light the issues.
The students’ demands included merit scholarships, inclusion of multiple choice questions in the entrance examination for post-graduation, avoidance of clinical posting during vacation, increase in classrooms and in the number of PG seats, and up-to-date library.
I assured the students that all these problems will be solved, and asked the dean of the college, Dashrath Kothule, to immediately initiate work on the issues that come under his jurisdiction.
During the event, a third year student said, “Currently, every subject is divided into two parts and there are separate tests with fixed syllabus for each. But, as per the new pattern of examinations, there will not be any division of syllabus and questions from the first part may appear in the second and vice versa. This increases our burden as the syllabus is vast.”
The student’s argument had merit and I promised to change the examination pattern.
One final year student complained, “One of our teaching faculty took only three lectures in a whole year and we had no option but to do self-study. We had taken the issue to the higher authorities but no action was taken. We did not complain officially as we fear that we may be punished during practical exams and it will ruin our career.”
I promised the students that all their problems will be solved and would soon organise a meeting of the members of the academic council, vice-chancellors and three representatives from every medical college. It will help us get direct interaction with the students and address their problems in the presence of the authorities that take decisions on these issues.
Keeping view and needs of changing times, we took decision to make the premises of all medical colleges Wi-Fi enabled and libraries and classrooms to be air-conditioned. Besides, special courses on stress management and communication skills will be organised in the college, along with regular curriculum.
The Coffee with students at Nagpur has been very eventful. I announced at Mayo Hospital and College building a free wi-fi, air-conditioned reading room, spacious rooms.
Feedback of all students will be looked into. Also took review of OPD, casualty ward, feedback from patients and instructed all officials to improve conditions immediately. Teacher should become guardians of students.
Visited hostels, mess and canteen, and placed immediate orders to rectify and upgrade the outdated facilities.
Obviously there is much more to it than just coffee – it’s a platform to connect and resolve issues of the medical students.
I am happy to have opened up a direct communication channel with medical students via this concept and glad that students continue to interact with me and write to me on a regular basis. I encourage not just youth of the Nation but everybody in general to verbalise issues in the right manner and the right channel as the first step to solving them. Sincerely want ideal conditions for students so that medical colleges of Maharashtra churn out doctors of the best quality.
