Gandharva Manch has global recognition, but no one knows PCMC: Civic commissioner

The competition will be held at the Santpeeth premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. The competition is being organised to mark the 750th birth anniversary of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, the 375th Vaikunthagaman (ascension) ceremony of Sant Tukaram Maharaj, and the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal.

At the press interaction in PCMC on Monday, Commissioner Suryavanshi’s statement instantly drew condemnation from activists and former civic corporators.

Criticising the commissioner’s statement, Seema Sawale, former PCMC standing committee chairperson, said, “Pimpri-Chinchwad is more than just a city on a map; it is an industrial powerhouse giving work to millions of hands. The commissioner does not seem to be aware of the status of Pimpri Chinchwad. This land is blessed by the presence of Saint Morya Gosavi, flourished through the spirituality of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram, and built upon the martyrdom of the Chapekar brothers. A city that has fueled the country’s economic engine through the hard work of its people needs no introduction to the world—its legacy is its identity.”

Political analyst Avinash Chilekar, a long time resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “What a shocking statement by the commissioner. It seems he knows nothing about Pimpri-Chinchwad. The State government has made a mistake by sending him to a city which has emerged as the best in Maharashtra and where people not only from the country but from across the globe are staying working and are regularly visiting it. The commissioner should withdraw his words which are unacceptable.”

Kiran Dhanvate, another activist, said, “The commissioner’s statement is highly objectionable. He is undermining the city which he is heading. If people from across the world are regularly visiting the industrial city for business purposes and even foreign delegations have visited PCMC, how can he then say that PCMC is not known globally?”