New Delhi/Mumbai: Marking an unofficial red-letter day in the national political calendar, scores of celebs and commoners rushed to meet Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar and greet him ‘Happy Birthday Saheb’, either physically or virtually, on Thursday.
The trickle of greetings started with his close family and friends posting wishes, roses and cakes after midnight, but by dawn, it had become a veritable storm, with many jostling to be seen, heard or read by the veteran leader, currently a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Among the early birds who felicitated him on X were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the INDIA bloc and ruling NDA, besides other parties, plus the corporate world, entertainment, media, foreign dignitaries, and even ordinary peasants as Pawar has netted big buddies all over during his 57 years in super-active political life.
Clad in his trademark black jacket, to beat the New Delhi cold, the Baramati-born Big Birthday Boy was seen basking in all the attention, enjoying his day with a glint in his eyes and a semi-toothed smile, warmly receiving his family members, political and personal friends, foes and fans at the official bungalow, with many falling at his feet, bowing and beaming and seeking his blessings.
His daughter, Lok Sabha MP and NCP(SP) Working President Supriya Pawar-Sule was seen playing the gracious hostess, welcoming visitors or VIPs, from Maharashtra and elsewhere, with a broad smile, a humble ‘namaste’ and ushering them to her ‘Baba’ (father in Marathi) nearby.
The eye-popper who turned up to greet was the rival Nationalist Congress Party President and Deputy CM Ajit A. Pawar, with his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra A. Pawar and their son Parth Pawar also dropped in to wish their fond ‘Pawar Uncle’.
In the past couple of years, the Ajit Pawar-Sharad Pawar sides have witnessed many political ups and downs, parties split, and families ripped, but their personal relations never crumbled and survived under the ever-watchful and protective 85-year-old ‘umbrella’. Owing to a set of political circumstances and personal ambitions, a tad irritated Ajit Pawar had attempted to close down the ‘umbrella’ and repeatedly pushed him to retire into a ‘margdarshak mandal’ sort of role.
Later, it was time for the formal do’s, shaking hands and cutting a cake, which Sharad Pawar did the honours first with a small knife and then with a medium-sized sword, offering pieces of cake to his family members as someone showered flower petals amid claps and cheers.
After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Sharad Pawar was back to business in moments, got up and left to go to Parliament for the day’s proceedings.
Besides the Pawar clan, NCP(SP) leaders like the Sule family, Jayant R. Patil, Dr Jitendra Awhad, Fauzia Khan, Rohit R. Pawar, Yugendra A. Pawar; NCP’s Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal; Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sanjay Raut, Kishore Tiwari, Sushma Andhare, etc., greeted him.
Similarly, several leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and other state, regional or national parties, CM’s of various states, celebs and big biz honchos, and hordes of ordinary folks, greeted him in person or through social media messages.
Most praised Sharad Pawar for his good health, the wisdom that he bestows on the country as and when needed, extolled his political acumen, administrative skills, how he guided several gen-next and expressed gratitude for learning a lot under his firm but gentle tutelage while weathering many political storms.
Speaking for the Baramati’s numero uno political clan, Ajit A. Pawar and his nephew Yugendra S. Pawar pointed out that whatever may be their political-ideological battles, they never allowed it to interfere in family relations as taught to them by Sharad Pawar himself.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)
–IANS
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