Nashik Diary

It is also known for its grandiose 8212; and mostly unsuccessful 8212; plans to construct memorials to the people who brought it glory.

Freedom fighter Savarkar was born in Bhagur village, about 20 km from Nashik, and after decades of delays and controversies over the acquisition of the house where Savarkar lived as a tenant, the revamped memorial was finally set up a year ago.

Ramdas Swami stayed on the banks of the Godavari river at Takli, which was picked as the site for the planned memorial. But having a ruling party which swears by the name of the Swami8217;s pupil evidently hasn8217;t helped; the memorial is yet to be built.

Plans for a Pandit Paluskar memorial went through the entire routine of debates anddelays before falling apart.

The Phalke memorial is also in limbo 8212; plans to construct it at the foothills of the Pandav caves were opposed by the local Republican Party of India unit which feels the monument will damage the Buddhist carvings in the caves.

The concerned8217; authorities seem to have perfected the art by now; recent plans to build a memorial to poet Kusumagraj appear headed the same way.

The State Government started off 8212; on the wrong foot, some believe 8212; by choosing an NMC plot earmarked for a planetarium and a swimming pool as the site for the memorial. And, in true memorial-building tradition, the city fathers have opposed the idea. Further developments shouldn8217;t come as a major surprise.

No Free Lunch

Time8217;s up, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde told members representing the shepherd community recently; if they wanted him to do more for their community, they would have to vote the Sena-BJP alliance into power once again, he notified the gathering.

He was addressing aconvention of the Malhar Sena, the youth wing of the Maharshtra Rajya Dhangar Samaj Mahasangh founded by Social Welfare Minister Anna Dange.

This is in line with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray8217;s strategy: he recently warned that a Malegaon district would be created only if the alliance won the election poll from that constituency.

Come Home To Cong

No one treats former, misguided party members as well as the Congress does, as a former office-bearer of the party8217;s local unit discovered recently.

In the true spirit of Congressism, Bhagwan Boge was welcomed back into the party fold one year after he was expelled for accusing party bosses of, among other things, 8220;high-handedness and irregularities.8221;

He later joined the Samajwadi Party, becoming its district president.

His wife, a corporator, had taken on the local unit president Murlidhar Mane, joint secretary of MPCC Jaiprakash Chhajed and even the then MPCC president Ranjit Deshmukh. During the party8217;s convention in Nashik, she had organisedan agitation against the party bosses and even alleged that women workers of the party were being sexually exploited.

All is apparently forgiven now; Bhoge was welcomed home at a function addressed by AICC secretary Major Sudhir Swant, no less.

Doing Our Bit

Citizens who wish to contribute to the welfare of soldiers defending the country8217;s borders can send cheques drawn on the Army Central Welfare Fund Kargil Cell to the Adjutant General Branch, Army HQ, DHQ P O New Delhi 110 011. Nashik district collector Manoj Saunik admitted that several individuals and institutions had approached the district administration seeking information on sending contributions.