Nagnath Naikwadi | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1922-07-15)15 July 1922 |
| Died | 22 March 2012(2012-03-22) (aged 89) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation(s) | Social worker Indian independence activist Educationist |
| Years active | 1939–2012 |
| Known for | Prati Sarkar |
| Spouse | Kusum |
| Children | Three sons and two daughters |
| Parent(s) | Ramchandra Ganapati Nayakawadi Laxmibai |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan |
Nagnath Naikwadi (1922–2012), popularly known asKrantiveer Nagnath anna, was anIndian independence activist, social worker, politician and educationist, known for his revolutionary activism during theIndian independence struggle.[1] He was an associate ofNana Patil during theQuit India movement and together they establishedPrati Sarkar, a parallel government, in Satara-Sangli region ofMaharashtra and indulged in armed struggle against the British.[2] After the Indian independence, he was involved in electoral politics and was a member of theMaharashtra Legislative Assembly, representingSangli.[3] The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of thePadma Bhushan, in 2009, for his contributions to Indian society.[4]
Naikwadi was born on 15 July 1922 in a farmer's family inWalwa, a village inSangli district nearPune in the western Indian state ofMaharashtra to Ramchandra Ganapati Nayakawadi and Laxmibai,[5] After early schooling at local schools in Walwa and Ashta, he joined Rajaram High School, Kolhapur and completed matriculate studies in 1948, though there was a break in studies due to his involvement in theIndian independence struggle. Later he joinedRajaram College for higher studies. During this period, he got involved in theQuit India movement and joined Rashtra Seva Dal, a forum of freedom activists which gave him an opportunity to become an associate ofNana Patil.[6]
During the early 1940s, Naikwadi and his colleagues resorted to armed conflict against the British colonial authorities. In order to raise funds for the movement, his group robbed a government treasury inDhule and supported the insurgency against theNizam of Hyderabad.[3] During one of his skirmishes with the British police, he was caught after being injured by a bullet. While in custody atSatara jail, he staged a jailbreak with his fellow activists. The British colonial government announced a reward on his head but Naikwadi managed to stay underground for four years.[2] In 1943, along with Nana Patil, Kisanrao Ahir and a few others, he declared a parallel government,Prati Sarkar, which operated in around 150 villages in the western Maharashtra region which includedSatara andSangli.[3]
After the Indian independence in 1947, Naikwadi shifted his focus to social work. He founded a number of educational institutions such asKisan Shikshan Sanstha which runs a college of education[7] and an upper primary school,[8] Hutatma Kisan Ahir Vidyalaya, a junior college[9] and Hutatma Nanaksing Hostel.[2] In 1950, after his marriage to Kusum, he worked alongsideShetamajur Kashtkari Shetakari Sanghatana reformers and was involved in theSanyukta Maharashtra movement. Entering electoral politics in 1957, he successfully contested the Assembly elections and served as aMember of Legislative Assembly till 1962.[5] Once the tenure as an MLA was over, he returned to his social work and founded Jijamata Vidyalaya and Savitribai Phule Girls' Hostel. The next two decades of his life was associated with the cooperative movement and sugarcane farming, starting with the implementation ofKisan Lift Irrigation Scheme in 1972 and culminating in the establishment ofHutatma Kisan Ahir Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana in 1984. In between, he contested another Assembly election which he lost;[3] he would lose again in the2004 Lok Sabha elections later.[10] He was also involved in theLatur earthquake relief activities and in the establishment of aPani Parishad for the drought affected areas.[5]
Shivaji University honored Naikwadi with the degree of DLitt (honoris causa) in 2008[2] and the Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of thePadma Bhushan in 2009.[4] He was also a recipient of several other awards and honors.[11] He died on 22 March 2012, at the age of 89, succumbing to age-related illnesses atLilavati Hospital inBandra, Mumbai, survived by his wife, Kusum, two sons, Vaibhav and Kiran and two daughters, Vishakha and Pragati.[12] The sugar factory founded by Naikwadi in Walva,Hutatma Kisan Ahir Sahakari Sakhar Kharkhana, has since been renamed asPadambhushan Krantiveer Dr. Nagnathanna Naikwadi Hutatma Kisan Ahir S. S. K. Limited in his honor.[13] The Government of Maharashtra has constructed a memorial for him at his native place, at a cost of₹150 million and with a constructed area of 18,000 sq.ft which houses a hall and a museum.[14]
