3.

Many learned articles have been written on the life and mission of Shri Yashwantrao Chavan since his sudden passing away on November 25th, 1984. Most of them have dwelt on his political career. No doubt, politics, and especially, power politics was a dominent factor of his long political career. While he was alive, he was a subject of even responsible critics. He was in power mostly. He was a national personality and the Congress-man through out his life. He was a staunch freedom fighter. He was a national leader after Lokmanya Tilak. Both were Maharashtrians. Y. B. educated himself in Tilak High School, Karad. He had great respect for Tilak as Tilak was a freedom fighter and though Tilak was not so much progressive in the fields of social reforms. Chavan was not a socio-religious reformer just like Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj or even not at all like Maharshi Shinde. He was a well known follower of Gandhi and Nehru. He was a patriot. He cannot be detached from politics. Still I do not want to add one more paper dealing with his politics only. I intend here to explain his social progressive aspects because of which he became successful in his politics and kept his hold over the state for a period of thirty years. His social progressive values were the base of his politics. He was aloof from movements based on castes and religions. He never became a member of any provincial party. He remained secular in the fields of politics. He had a universal outlook.

I do not want to say that he was without political faults or he was without short comings. Despite such faults, he was great in all respects. Though he passed away suddenly, he
left behind thoughts and good deeds which are quite worthy to be studied critically.

This is a study based on his published autobiography -"Krishna Kaath". As I come from Satara, the district Y. B. also came from, I happened to listen to several lectures of Y. B. Moreover, I had a very private interview with him at his residence in Delhi for 46 minutes, just before he joined the Indira Congress. He did not tell me that he would just join Congress (I). On the other hand, he expressed that Indira did not wish to change her policy. He was looking very serious, when I was talking with him.