The farce called honours

Chandrakant Chhajed, leader of the House in the PMC, however avers that Republic Day and Independence Day were the two occasions when the PMC took the opportunity to felicitate social workers and laud the contribution of sportspersons, activists and freedom fighters.

“We present ideal teacher awards on September 5,” he said while refusing to comment on the PMC’s raison d’etre for felicitating all and sundry.

There is a sliver line as some resolutions include honouring the family of Col Balkrishna Gole, who laid down his life for the country in Kashmir and even cheering the Fergusson College which was listed among the top ten colleges in the country by a survey. But what say about corporators whose wives and kith and kin are in the queue for the memento and rose that will be presented by Mayor Vatsala Andekar for their contribution to “social work.”

The party leaders’ meeting last month had to face a question: Whether a proposal to felicitate a black marketeer should be cleared! Several old timers at the PMC guffaw at the annual charade and shake their heads wryly as this was the only occasion for several corporators to pamper their ward-wise followers.

Even as the applications will pour in till August 14, so fed up is this young corporator from the Gokhalenagar area that he has decided to place a resolution to felicitate a person from his ward who is involved in the illicit liquor business and also has done his bit towards “social work!”