Entry into Politics

 

As happens after every marriage. family routine took over. Always raring to achieve a new goal, Sushilkumar Shinde started looking beyond his course of duty. As for Ujwala. everything was new. She was transposed into another world. Her husband would be busy constantly and away from home most of the time. She needed to adjust to the lifestyle of a different section of society. Its customs, cuisine and way of life all new to her. She mastered the art of running a household under the eagle eye of her mothers-in-law. Liaising with relatives was a novel experience for both sides. Ujwala patiently underwent the training, never bothering Sushilkumar Shinde with the day-to-day affairs.

 

In performing his duty, Sushilkumar Shinde had been having a daily brush with politics and the people involved in It. Fascinated by this process, he started cultivating friendship with a variety of political workers. One of them was Shriram Lele, a Dadar resident Running his transport business, Lele had been active in labour matters. A member of Sharad Pawar's inner circle, Lele became the catalyst that brought and Sushilkumar Shinde together. That was the period when Pawar had started looking for promising lieutenants to expand his political network under of his mentor YB. Chavan. Indian politics was passing through a tumultuous phase. Indira Gandhi had been sweeping one election after another. But Maharashtra was still in the grasp of Chavan and the so-called Maratha lobby. The Congress high command did not interfere with the party affairs in the state. Vasantrao Naik had completed a decade as Chief Minister and Pawar was rising as a young leader.

 

Pawar used to drop in at Lele's house frequently. On one such occasion, Sushilkumar Shinde happened to visit, too. Pawar at once realised the potential in the police officer and decided to sound him out later. Though politics was hardly discussed at their maiden meeting, Sushilkumar Shinde was aware that Pawar was a budding Maharashtra leader. Chavan's affection for Pawar was well known in the state. Pawar's own magnetism was such that few could resist his overtures. No wonder, Sushilkumar Shinde was hooked at the very first meeting with Pawar. That was perhaps the moment political ambitions started stirring within him. But he would have to wait. Pawar was biding his time. A born politician, even if he wanted to rope in the promising young police officer, he was not going to do it in a hurry. He kept his plans to himself.

 

Sushilkumar Shinde's ambition of donning the black coat and practising in Court was becoming stronger even though he was assured a secure future in the police department. The urge had been dormant but never extinct. Sushilkumar Shinde stood at a crossroads once again. On one hand, the political arena was opening up for him. At the same time, a legal practice was beckoning him. This was a clear signal. His days in the police department were numbered. Sushilkumar Shinde himself did not know at the time that within a few months, he would be bidding farewell to the force. Again, destiny played its hand. His legal career in the near future was to be the outcome of an unexpected political development. Already his time in Mumbai had given him the confidence that if he needed an independent source of income, he would not have to depend on anyone. Pawar and Shinde developed a close bond. They started meeting more often. The people around Pawar used to discuss many things, besides politics. They found Sushilkumar Shinde's company enjoyable. Both Pawar and Sushilkumar Shinde were starry-eyed, had a liberal progressive bend of mind and were obsessed with the concept of social justice. During one such meeting, Pawar asked Sushilkumar Shinde the question that was to impact his career and life.

 

“Are you ready to contest the Lok Sabha election?' Pawar asked.

 

Sushilkumar Shinde said, “I am thinking of resigning my job but I want to start legal practice. I can think of your offer sometime later."

 

Neither side pursued the subject and nearly a year elapsed without any further development.

 

Meanwhile, the political scene in India was churning as never before. Indira Gandhi was now the all-powerful leader of the nation. She had completely sidelined the old guard of the Congress party. Her popularity was at its peak. Maharashtra's supreme leader, Y.B.Chavan had thrown his weight behind her at the time of the historic Congress split in 1969. Indiraji needed to strengthen the trend and needed a band of leaders who had no past associations. As a result, the Congress Forum for Socialist Action was being set up in every state.

 

The Forum was an offshoot of the Congress party. Launched by the so-called 'Young Turks' of the party, it was led by Chandrashekhar and Mohan Dharia, among others. In Maharashtra, Pawar and Prabhakar Kunte were among its founders. They had been looking for young blood. They had realised that the mass base of the Congress party needed expansion. Hence this was an opportune time for aspiring young people from challenged backgrounds to join the party. As Sushilkumar Shinde fitted the bill perfectly, Pawar asked him to join the Forum. Taking the plunge, Shinde resigned his job on 6 November 1971.

 

A minor drama occurred prior to his departure. Many of his well-wishers tried to dissuade Shinde from resigning. One of them was his immediate superior officer, Suryakant Jog, who later became the police chief of Maharashtra.

 

"You have a great future in this job. Why do you want to join a game of chance like politics?" Jog asked.

 

Leaving the Police Force

 

Jog even offered to keep the resignation in abeyance for some time. But seeing Shinde's determination, he wished the departing PSI all success. Thanking him, Shinde walked out of the police department. Many years later, he was the chief guest at a function that was held on the occasion of Jog's retirement. Jog narrated the touching incident at this function and predicted that Sushilkumar Shinde would reach newer heights in life. His words have come true, literally.

 

Now that he was free, Sushilkumar Shinde was appointed convener of the Forum on 9 November. This was the red-letter day of his political career. But the launch of his entry into actual political work was hardly spectacular. He was asked by Pawar to address the Forum workers at a Pune meet.

 

Congress workers were waiting eagerly to see and listen to the new 'find' of Pawar. Already, Mumbai newspapers had splashed the news of the PSI resigning his job and of joining politics. His marriage to Ujwala had added glamour to his image. Amidst huge applause, Sushilkumar Shinde took the mike. His 'speech' at that meeting became the talk the town for many days. The experience was, in fact, unnerving. Describing that testing moment, Sushilkumar Shinde recalls, “For the Pune meet, it had been declared that I would be one of the speakers. The leaders perhaps wanted to see my performance.”

 

Maiden Speech

 

Sushilkumar Shinde vividly remembers that maiden speech. which lasted not even a minute. "Strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister", he muttered from the dais and sat down. Felicity with words and the faculty to captivate an audience somehow had deserted him. The reason for this could be that he was out of practice, or that the proximity of big leaders had unnerved him.

 

Few realised that an important speech had been made and was over, too. Even the leaders were taken aback with the abrupt end to an important item of the agenda. But this moment was decisive for Sushilkumar Shinde.

 

An admirer of great orators like Nath Pai and Y.B. Chavan, the fledgeling politician pledged to himself that he would spare no effort in mastering the craft of public speaking, no matter what occasion and in which language. Sushilkumar Shinde already had enough experience of performing on stage. He would only have to hone his skills afresh, adding the dimension of speaking in a language other than his mother tongue. He started listening intently to various speakers, observing their body language and their choice of words. A film buff, watching movies with a new insight grew into a hobby for him. He keenly scrutinised different actors, how they manifested a variety of emotions and monopolised the screen. He particularly studied the scenes when two great thespians confronted each other. The actor in Shinde started nurturing himself on the technique and delivery of dialogue.

 

Sushilkumar Shinde knew that mastering a craft needed dedication and hard work. These he invested in abundance. Within a couple of years, he became known as an accomplished speaker. But this mastery had not come easily. Shinde had studied Maharashtra's culture, history, social pioneering and various movements diligently. He never missed an opportunity to meet an important person, regardless of the field of activity of that successful individual. This included political and social leaders, of industry, sportspeople and of course, performers. In this manner, he developed a keen insight into a large number of subjects. The firsthand knowledge of the major issues facing the nation, the state and the party gave him the confidence to speak before an audience. His personality and vocabulary made him a popular speaker.

 

A bridge between Artistes and Government

 

Sushilkumar Shinde's personal warmth won over a huge array of people. The audiences fell in love with him. It became a practice to invite him to any major function as a speaker. His tenure as cultural affairs minister of Maharashtra remains unsurpassed to this day. He became the ambassador to form a bridge between the world of arts and the government. The two had developed a love-hate relationship over the years. Some sections had even started treating the government as an enemy. Shinde wanted to change all this. He began to systematically cultivate the leading lights of the world of art. Many giants later admitted frankly that they would never have expected such treatment from a minister. They publicly admired Shinde. The cloud of uneasiness in the relationship between the two gradually vanished. Thanks to his efforts, Shinde was accepted at different gatherings. A perceptible change in the attitude of society towards the government was becoming apparent.

 

Among the speakers for whom he has great regard, Sushilkumar Shinde fondly recalls the way Chavan or Vasantdada Patil would explain a complicated subject for lay audiences, how they would transmit a message and bring around a change they had in mind. When the mood in the state was decidedly anti-Congress, Chavan had bravely faced the angry masses. The Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, demanding a separate state of Maharashtra with Bombay as its capital, was at its peak during the 1950s. Violence always seemed around the corner. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had asked Chavan to succeed Morarji Desai as Chief Minister when the movement was most intense. Chavan's adversaries included fiery orators like Acharya Atre and the great socialist leader S .M. Joshi.

 

But Chavan ultimately made his mark. He did not use harsh words or abrasive language while dealing with the objections and allegations made by leaders of the movement. He must have faced countless such occasions that tested his patience. Nonetheless, he remained unflappable. This is a great virtue for a public figure, Shinde feels.

 

"I have learnt one important lesson from such towering personalities: do not lose your temper and don't take anyone for granted. At the same time, I have made it a practice to assess the mood of the audience and the occasion, and then decide on the most appropriate things to say," he says.

 

Learning Doesn't Stop

 

Shinde recalls a piece of advice given to him by Chavan once. "Read as much as possible and expand your horizons. Never think that there is nothing more to learn," Chavan told the aspiring Congress leader. He has taken this advice to heart. On most occasions, Shinde is found to have familiarised himself with the subject at hand. Besides the daily dose of newspaper reading, Sushilkumar Shinde tries to remain up to date in his reading—be it works of literature, political theory or the biographies of great men and women. He does not waste his spare time in meaningless pursuits. This enables him to devote at least an hour every day to read.

 

Another leader who left a permanent imprint on Shinde is Madhu Dandavate, who held portfolios like Railways and Finance in the Union government. Always found reading in the parliament library, Dandavate was an accomplished speaker who peppered his speeches with references and anecdotes. His selection of words and tum of phrase amazed everybody. He would never lose an opportunity to embarrass his opponents on the floor of the House by putting them on the defensive.

 

Dandavate was a brilliant student and, later, teacher of physics in Siddhartha College, Mumbai. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the maker of the Indian Constitution, was the founder of the college and had observed Dandavate closely. He granted the young man the freedom to pursue his career the way he wanted. "Do not shackle him with rules and regulations," Ambedkar had instructed his college authorities. Dandavate was a Socialist but Ambedkar did not let this come in the way of his admiration for the budding leader. Sushilkumar Shinde also adopted the same thinking. He valued the human element more than anything else. This largeness of heart has enabled him to rise above petty factionalism. Perhaps that is why he has not been identified with any group in the state or in the party although he has been in politics for decades, and more than a dozen years out of power. His admiration for Dandavate was witnessed when he flew from Hyderabad to Mumbai to pay him homage when the veteran socialist passed away.

 

Shinde's entry into politics almost coincided with the preparations for the 1972 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Indira Gandhi had returned to power at the Centre with a thumping majority, thanks to the liberation of Bangladesh. Bank nationalisation and the abolition of privy purses were still fresh in public memory. 'Garibi Hatao' had become the most popular slogan in free India. It was a foregone conclusion that a Congress nomination was a safe ticket to get elected to the legislature. Chavan and Pawar had been busy examining aspiring candidates for the assembly election amidst this atmosphere which had left the opposition totally demoralised.

 

While discussing various permutations and combinations, Shinde's name came up for consideration when the list for Solapur district was being finalised. The greenhorn in politics was not known to Chavan at the time. Pawar told his boss that a promising candidate was available to the party which was looking for young blood, especially from the downtrodden sections. Sushilkumar Shinde's credentials were impeccable. He fulfilled every norm the party was looking for in new entrants. Knowing that Pawar must have studied the candidate minutely before recommending him, Chavan agreed to nominate Shinde from Karmala (scheduled caste) reserved constituency in Solapur district. The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) endorsed and forwarded Sushilkumar Shinde's name, along with others, to Delhi for final clearance.

 

In those days, the AICC hardly ever made any changes in the list of candidates sent by a state Congress unit for its approval. The youth and the backward classes had found a champion in Indiraji. Shinde and his friends naturally presumed that the announcement of his name as a Congress candidate was only a matter of formality. But Shinde was to learn that in politics, two plus two rarely makes four. He was not prepared for the shattering blow dealt with him as the AICC decided to field Tayappa Hari Sonawane, a former MP, to contest the assembly election from Karmala. No reason was given why Shinde had been bypassed.

 

It was learnt later that Babu Jagjivan Ram, an influential Central leader had pushed Sonawane's candidature in view of his long innings in the party. Sushilkumar  Shinde was crestfallen. But there was no question of challenging the decision of the high command. That would be alien to it prudent to keep silent. All the same, it seemed like the end of the road, but he kept the lament to himself. He consoled Pawar and decided to behave as if nothing untoward had happened. Had he taken some hasty step or made a statement he would regret later, Sushilkumar Shinde's future could have been different. Patience paid off handsomely within two years as he remained tight-lipped about the run of the events.

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