A LEADER : One aught to be

Sharad Borkar (WEB: journalistland.in )
A long back when Shri Sharad Pawar was a Chief Minister in the state of Maharashtra. I had an opportunity to be a member of a 4 members delegation committee led by Late Jambuwantrao Dhote known then as Vidarbha Veer.
I along with the late Journalist & Freedom fighter Mr. Umesh Chowbey, leader Nimbarkar, along with our mentor & Ex.MP Late Jambuwantrao Dhote entered in the cabin of then CM at the 6th Floor, Mantralaya, Mumbai. The then Vidarbha Veer gave no visiting card or asked for any kind of permission and entered in the CM’s room … to received us all three members of delegation lead by himself. And I saw that Shri Sharad Pawar jee stood from his seat to receive all of us. Jambuwantrao jee first of all asked us to be comfortable in our seats and then looking at us confirmed that we had been all settled then gave a list of our demands. To me it was surprised that what we had had in our list of Demands had been accepted by the CM, Sharad Pawar in toto and agreed on the legal committee to be form officially in a week time.
Jambuwantrao had had his own VIDARBHA VEER identity that no one else has since then. He started his partee from ZERO PAISA but the volunteers spent for the party’s upliftment. After the meeting in the lobby we walked down to the lift and found out that many of the people who knew Late Jambuwantrao Dhote were touching the fetes of that great Leader. After a little walk, another one just introduced Late Jambuwantrao jee as a son-in-law of the then acting Home Minister Ramrao Adik. Mr. Jambuwantrao who had been in his LUNGI attire like a South Indian in a white official dress suddenly stopped after a step ahead, stared towards the man and questioned him “KAY BOLA~LAT” … ADIK SAHEBANCHE JAWAI : KA, mazi swatachi identity nahi ka?
Yes, Jambuwantrao had married the daughter of then Minister Late Ramrao Adik … Advocate Madam Vijaya Adik. But Jambuwantrao was an Ex-MP and was known in the country for the role he had played in Parliament to torn of the papers he had and thrown it on the face of then powerful PM Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Jambuwantrao Dhote was a President of the partee he had launched. He was only a man from Vidarbha who won the MP seat amongst all at a time there were a Congress Lobby in States and at the Centre. He had two members of his Partee as MP at that time to speak in the parliament in favour of Vidarbha. Yes I do agree that Late Jambuwantrao win the National Stage.
A FAKEER without a pocket in his LOONGI was his dress, a long black beard man in his personality he was PAHELWAN … to make down to anyone who came in the AKHADA where Jambuwantrao is ready to get a challenge and an invitation to fight for a cause. Anybody challenging Vidarbha Veer Late Jambuwantrao had to be eliminated, surely, I am convinced of.
But this man with his long beard was no less than SADHU- SANT I witnessed him when we all four had gone to attend a marriage in the Juhu Area. He took the plates one by one to offer food since we were all hungered from the time our Calcutta Mail reached the then VT station in the early morning. From there we all boarded in the Western Railway Guest House at Church gate. At night we all gathered at the reception venue. Jambuwantrao served us our plates one by one, in a buffet where no one would like to behave in such a manner. I saw Jambuwantrao Dhote’s action of love all through the day in Mantralaya and the love of serving food on my plate more differently than the mother of mine has ever served me. His leadership as a leader is unforgettable to me till today.