Jail Life
One of the books which exercised tremendous influence on Yeshwantrao was Bertrand Russel's" Road to Freedom". Then there were the little pamphlets on various aspects of Socialism written by the British Fabians which also interested him. He also read eagerly some Labour Party pamphlets written by men like Strafford Cripps. Though lodged in "C" Class Yeshwantrao soon became adjusted to prison-life; he read a lot and tried to understand political problems. As he puts it: "That was really the year of revolution for me."
Another influence on him was that of M. N. Roy. He was impressed by his historical perspective and revolutionary approach. Further, some of the Royists became his personal friends.' He was particularly attracted by their dynamic outlook.
Graduation
Soon after his release Yeshwantrao took to his studies rather seriously and appeared for the Matriculation Examination, which he passed in 1934. He then joined the Rajaram College at Kolhapur whence he graduated in Arts in 1938. He then took up Law and obtained his LL.B. degree from the Law College, Poona. Having thus qualified himself he set up legal practice at Karad where he made his mark and became a flourishing lawyer, specializing in criminal cases. However, politics was his first love and the same year that he graduated he became a member of the Maharashtra Provincial Congress Committee. He also travelled much and knew every nook and corner of his district.
There was not a single village which he did not visit. As he observes: "I knew the whole district as I know the palm of my hand."
In 1939 the Second World War broke out. By then Yeshwantrao had become one of the rising leaders of Maharashtra. He, however, broke away from the Royists because of their theory of accidental war and became more attracted to Nehru's analysis of the situation. Already the latter's biography had moved him greatly, but as the war situation deteriorated Nehru's approach to it appealed to him more and more. He read his writings and speeches and was particularly thrilled to hear him at several meetings when Nehru made his famous whirlwind election tour of Maharashtra in 1937. Later he came more strongly under the spell of the leader and readjusted his political thinking accordingly. As Chavan writes in the book: "A Study of Nehru", "Here, we told ourselves, was a leader and liberator par excellence, the symbol of our aspirations, showing our people young and old the path of emancipation."