Nostalgia and introspection marked Sushilkumar Shinde's freewheeling interview in which the overriding emotion was gratefulness towards all those people who helped and encouraged him at various turns of his life and in different ways.

 

Q: What has been the most important, fulfilling factor in your life?

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My determination to achieve, to excel, is the most dominating sentiment of my life. I have constantly tried my best to outperform myself. My motto is: Remain ahead of the others, try to achieve the next higher goal and always care for the downtrodden, the unfortunate and the poor. I will never forget that I have reached this station in life, thanks to the countless people who have helped me during my 35 years in public life.

 

Q: How do you view the journey of your life?

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The highest point in my life was when the Congress party nominated me to contest the election of Vice President. Sonia Gandhi is one person who has given me many Opportunities to serve the masses. Of course, Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister gave me my first big break. I was brought to the national scene by P.V. Narasimha Rao. I can 't forget that my entry into public life was because of Sharad Pawar who presented me to Y.B. Chavan. Both were instrumental in my early rise in politics. The then chief minister V.P N. Naik blessed my future by inducting me his team.

I always think about the lucky bends in my life. Had I remained with the police force, I would have retired in the due course as a senior police officer. But destiny ruled otherwise. The path to the peaks of success that I have achieved is owing to Maharashtra. Its broad-minded cultural outlook and people from various walks of life such as music, stage and literature. I have a large friends' circle. My friends shower affection on me, not expecting anything in return. My childhood was enriched by many such friends, who on occasion sacrificed their own interests to boost my prospects. This is my true wealth. I started as a boy peon, attending night school. Several teachers went out of their way to groom me. In Solapur court, I served for a long time. This experience added another dimension to my career. I became a lawyer, joined politics and have been in power. I am obliged to the individuals who moulded me. The circumstance has remained my Guru.

 

Q: What is the secret of your achievements in public life?

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I consider myself extremely lucky as I have never begged for any post or position. They came my way since those taking decisions must have been observing my performance. Just like I have never begged for anything, neither have I betrayed anyone nor entered into any conspiracy against anyone. I can proudly claim that my years in power have been spent for the nation and for helping the needy. When I was appointed the chief minister of Maharashtra, the decision of the Congress high command was welcomed since a Dalit had been given the opportunity to occupy this exalted post tor the first time. I must maintain that as a Dalit, this was a great opportunity to serve the public and to show the world that a Dalit can perform as efficiently as anyone else. Of course, I never made any distinction on the basis of caste or religion while in office. When I stepped down, the universal reaction was that I had been successful in taking all the sections with me in my crusade to establish social justice. I am really happy on this count.

 

Q: How about your personal life?

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As a young man. I had nursed the ambition to marry a girl from another caste. Also, I wanted my wife to work as a cementing force between my family and the world outside. We have three daughters and have never grieved that we don't have a son. My daughters have inherited our broad-minded approach to life. It is really gratifying that my sons-in-law, too, share our life philosophy. As a young man, I used to have a dream regularly. In this favourite dream. I owned a bungalow and parked in its porch was my flashy car. Throngs of people awaited my arrival. One day, all this became a reality I can now say that all my ambitions and dreams have come literally true.

 

Q: Do you remember any particular memories of your early years?

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When I was in night school. summer nights would make me restless since I had been attending classes after a gruelling daily routine. Exhaustion used to envelop me soon after reaching home. But I had little choice. Hard work was the sole key to success. I knew. To overcome the fatigue caused by the 16-hour day, I would collect a few jasmine flowers on way to home and scatter them in our terrace around the place where I would study under a lantern. The aroma wafting from the flowers would lift my spirits and concentration on studies became easier. The valuable lesson I learnt from this period of my life is that an individual should learn to feel satisfied with whatever he has. My one ambition was to look like James Bond after seeing the 007 movie - “Dr No." This, too, became a reality when I joined the police force and was entrusted with some intelligence assignments. Donning a cocky felt hat and sucking on a pipe was the typical police image I had been cherishing. I felt great when a photographer clicked my image in that attire which I had put on as a CID officer.

 

Q: People believe that a large number of politicians have shady pasts. No such charge has ever been raised against you.

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After I left the police force, over a year elapsed before I entered the legislative assembly. Meanwhile, it was essential to earn to run our household. So I started my criminal legal practice. Due to this, I came in regular contact with some dreaded criminals. On account of my integrity, they invariably treated me with respect. Their affection for me was so genuine that when I became a minister, they promised me on their own that henceforth they would keep away from me lest some misunderstanding was created. They kept their word. I feel indebted to them. Another factor that has spared me from any controversy is that I have not set up any institution or cooperative sugar factory. My life, like my house, is open to all. The poor and the rich are equally welcome. So are the people belonging to any caste or religion. I think I have risen above narrow considerations and implemented this credo as chief minister. At the same time, I have never believed in factionalism and groupism. My life has been dedicated to the Congress party which has taken me to such a high pedestal. I have never felt the need to change this mindset.

 

Q: How did Yashwantrao Chavan influence you?

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A towering personality, Chavan was the first national leader to take me under his wing. I was eager to follow in his footsteps since he, too, had metamorphosed from roots as the son of a court bailiff. As an employee in Solapur court, I was highly inspired by his life story. I felt that we had something in common, some unseen connected us. Chavan 's many-splendored personality, his command over the language, his deep understanding of the situation, the reverence of the bureaucracy by him and his grip on the administration, his courteous behaviour with all and sundry are some of the virtues I have been trying to cultivate in myself. Chavan's love for literature was well-known. When I called on him for the first time, he had started grooming Sharad Pawar to take over the reins. I was spotted by Pawar and promoted by him after Chavan endorsed my selection by his disciple. It was Chavan's greatness that he invited me as chief guest for a function at which his biographical work was released for publication. Chavan 's stature was such that the moment I was nominated to contest the Kamala by-election in 1974, opposition from within the Congress to me vanished overnight. Veteran Congress leader Namdeorao Jagtap took it upon him to run my campaign since I had been selected by Chavan Saheb. I was elected with a thumping majority. The greatest influence in my life has been Yashwantrao.

 

Q: How about your opponents?

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I had to face opponents, some open and many hidden, from the day I joined politics. Their efforts were subtle since Chavan and Pawar backed me. Nonetheless, my detractors continued to try. The only option available to me was to do well on the strength of my performance. Hence, I did not spare any effort to become successful. I have maintained a positive outlook on life. I do not believe in ‘finishing' an opponent. My stand is that he has an equal right to politics as I have. My performance must have been observed by my leaders since opportunities kept on coming my way. I have stayed on an even keel, never strayed from my path. I have seen that conspiracies have short-term gains. Destiny has given me more than I ever expected. Hence it becomes my duty to do everything at my disposal to help the less fortunate. It has become a passion over the years.

 

Q: Many people feel that you became a Chief Minister rather late in life. What are your feelings?

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My name had figured for this post repeatedly in the past two decades. Occasionally, I used to feel that I was kept away from chief ministership due to my caste and in spite of my capabilities and performance. However, Sonia Gandhi directed me to take over Maharashtra in 2003. I utilised this opportunity to show that I was a capable administrator. Owing to my past, all sections in Maharashtra greeted my tenure and stood by me. I was adjudged the Best Chief Minister by a leading English-language news magazine. My tenure in Mumbai was hectic but satisfying. It was due to the Congress party that I became governor of an important state like Andhra Pradesh. I try to justify the trust reposed in me by my leadership, no matter which post comes my way.

 

Q: After 35 years in public life, what are the achievements you wish to list?

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During my chief ministership, Maharashtra was facing a severe drought. I took urgent steps and saved not only humans but animals, too. The cattle camps started by my government kept lakhs of animals alive, providing great relief to farmers. For Solapur city, I sanctioned a drinking water supply scheme from Ujani dam. I was the first to move a private member's bill in parliament to seek job reservations in the private sector. One of the schemes I launched in Maharashtra has enabled bright young students belonging to backward classes to go abroad for higher studies with financial assistance by the Maharashtra government. For SC/ST farmers, I started the ‘Swabhiman Yojana' (Self Respect Scheme) under which the government gives agricultural lands to the farmers free of charge. Insurance for all students in Maharashtra has been another high point of my tenure. Career guidance facilities for deserving but poor students can be said to be another contribution towards empowerment of the deprived. I have a sense of fulfilment and am pledged to work for society as long as I can.