Speeches in the State Legislatures : 1946-62-9

On 18 March 1960, Shri Chavan, in a speech full of persuasive skill explained why May 1 had been chosen as the Maharashtra Day and that the dates in themselves had no significance, the sentiments were important, he said in conclusion adding that we could well consider that Shivaji Maharaj was reborn on May 1. He strongly opposed the proposal to form three independent Marathi-speaking States. He refuted the allegation that the bilingual Bombay State had to be split because of lack of emotional integration. Frictions certainly were bound to be there but emotionally we were all Indians. Shri Chavan insisted, and it was with the intention of eliminating the minor frictions that the State had been split up, he said. Even the three parts of the Marathi-speaking State will have to be tuned to emotional integration. It is with this point in view that it had been decided to have a Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.

Appreciation of the services rendered by Shri D. B. Lala as Chairman of the Council was the subject of speech by Shri Y.B. Chavan on 25 March 1960. Shri Chavan was all praise for Shri D. B. Lala popularly known as Lalakaka. The dignified manner in which Shri Lala presided over the proceedings of the House had earned the encomiums of one and all. His guidance and advice would serve as a beacon to all the future aspirants to the post.

Speaking on the issue of grant of Government land at Nagpur to nav-Bouddhas the Chief Minister, Shri Y.B. Chavan, elaborately explained the importance of the piece of land which had come to be known as Deeksha Ground to neo-Buddhists and the gesture of Government in donating it to the community. The neo-Buddhists had built a ‘stupa’ on the site and Lord Gautam Buddha was revered by non-Bouddhas­­ too which precludes the clash of any feelings.

Holding of the Session of the Legislature at least once in a year at Nagpur was the subject of debate in the Legislative Council and Shri Chavan, spoke on two issues on 12 August 1960. Namely (1) State Legislature Session to be held once a year at Nagpur and (2) capital itself should be moved to Nagpur for a specified period. Replying to the amendments suggested by Shri B. S. Vyas, Shri Chavan pointed out that Government would be functioning from Nagpur for at least three months when the Legislature Session would be held there. Shri Chavan, further said that the proposal for inclusion of Marathwada in the jurisdiction of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court was not acceptable. Shri Chavan, dismissed some of the proposals put forward by Opposition members such as the moving the capital to Nagpur as containing the seeds of decentralisation and separatism. On 22 August 1960, Shri Chavan, announced the amalgamation of the Vidarbha Bank with the State Co-operative Apex Bank and explained the delay in taking over the Dhanraj Mills, Bombay and Narsing Girji Mills of Sholapur. Speaking on Third Five Year Plan of Maharashtra State on 25 August 1960, Shri Chavan observed that it would be hazardous to expect quick solutions in the matter of planning and because some of the Communist countries have found such quick solutions to problems of planning there, it would be wrong to expect the same miracle in this country because the conditions are quite different. The same was true, he added, about co-operative farming. We need not adopt the pattern of western countries because we too have time-tested systems of agriculture. As regards education and social services they would be given priority and the necessary emphasis. In the end, Shri Chavan, remarked that planning could be said to be successful only if it could hold the price line. What was to be borne in mind was that compulsion in any form in any field of life would not achieve the desired effects.