Pune: A brief history of the two pagadis

Historically, the Puneri pagadi, which is associated with the erstwhile Peshwas, has been identified with the “elite and educated classes”.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has decided to replace the Puneri pagadi with Phule pagadi. (File)

NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s decision to replace the Puneri pagadi with the Phule pagadi during felicitation functions of the party has once again brought in sharp focus the deep emotions both the headgears evoke.

Historically, the Puneri pagadi, which is associated with the erstwhile Peshwas, has been identified with the “elite and educated classes”. The pagadi, which has got a GI tag, was also worn by crucial figures in the history of India’s freedom struggle, such as Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak and Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, among others. The Phule pagadi was considered the traditional headgear for the masses and was worn by the family members of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, said historian Hari Narke. “Some years ago, Jayantrao Tilak, a descendant of the Lokmanya, had written an article about the differences in the pagadis worn by Tilak, Justice Ranade and others,” he said.

Narke pointed out how Pawar, in the past, had “gracefully accepted” the Puneri pagadi. He also questioned the response by certain sections, which had called Pawar’s directive “an insult to Pune”. “The question is, why use the adjective Puneri only for a certain class of pagadi? Was Phule not from Pune, and did he not play an important role in shaping the city,” he asked.

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It is the second time Pawar has been accused of indulging in caste politics. Earlier, he had commented on the nomination of Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, to Rajya Sabha. Pawar had said in the past, Chhatrapati Shivaji used to appoint Peshwas (Brahmin premiers), while now it was the other way round.

Political analyst Chandrakant Bhujbal said Pawar’s decision to use the Phule pagadi over the Puneri pagadi has set the ball rolling for the 2019 polls. “They have already been raising the issue of the BJP government’s unfulfilled promises… this is another signal about the way they plan to attack the Devendra Fadnavis-led government,” he said.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar