Shri Chavan A man of courage
G. S. ALTEKAR
I HAD an opportunity to watch the life and career of Shri Yeshwantrao Chavan since he joined the Tilak High School at Karad. Though not at the top of the students in his class he was very clever and impressive. Like many students in this High School he was fired with a spirit of patriotism and took prominent part in the political agitation of the Thirties and even earlier. The urge to place the interest of the motherland above everything else was so irresistible in him that he sacrificed his career in the school, college and vocation as well.
He was never dogmatic in his views. He has been in search of truth and did not hesitate to discard the views and organizations when he was convinced that they were wrong.
He does not mind the unpopularity he may incur for his faith and actions when he feels sure about the correctness of his stand. His attitude and action at the time of the agitation for Samyukta Maharashtra is an eloquent instance in this connection. He sponsored the idea of formation of Samyukta Maharashtra as any one of those who were carrying on keen agitation for it. But he sincerely and rightly believed that the way to attain the objective was not by weakening or breaking the great party to which he belonged by causing a split in it, but by persuading its High Command to realise not only the justness of the demand but the desirability and inevitability of it as well. He accepted the decision of the Parliament establishing bigger bi-lingual of Maharashtra and Maha-Gujarat, and gave it a fair trial with all the sincerity and earnestness that a Chief Minister placed in its charge should bring to bear upon it. But when after a sincere experiment for over two years the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat would not get reconciled to the ideology and establishment of the bi-lingual state, it was he, who, impressed upon the great leaders of the Congress Party of the Centre that there was and could be no emotional integration of Gujarat and Maharashtra and in the absence of such integration no good will come to either of them or the nation. That it was better that two separate states should be formed. His submission was accepted and the result is well-known.