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By:

Shoumojit Banerjee

27 August 2024 at 9:57:52 am

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of...

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of society in Maharashtra. The foundation has become a home for out-of-school children, those who have never enrolled, the children of migrant labourers and single parents, and those who scavenge at garbage dumps or drift between odd jobs. To call their foundation an “NGO” is to miss the point. Vinaya Nimbalkar describes it as a “democratic laboratory”, where education is not merely instruction but an initiation into citizenship. The couple were once government schoolteachers with the Solapur Zilla Parishad, leading stable lives. Yet what they witnessed unsettled them: children who had never held a pencil, begging at traffic signals or sorting refuse for a living. Prompted by this reality, the Nimbalkars resigned their jobs to work full-time for the education of such children. Leap of Faith They began modestly, teaching children in migrant settlements in Solapur and using their own salaries to pay small honorariums to activists. Funds soon ran dry, and volunteers drifted away. Forced out of their home because of their commitment to the cause, they started a one-room school where Vinaya, Mahesh, their infant son Srijan and forty children aged six to fourteen lived together as an unlikely family. The experiment later moved to Barshi in the Solapur district with support from Anandvan. Rural hardship, financial uncertainty and the pandemic repeatedly tested their resolve. At one stage, they assumed educational guardianship of nearly 200 children from families that survived by collecting scrap on the village outskirts. Eventually, the foundation relocated to Talegaon Dabhade near Pune, where it now runs a residential hostel. Twenty-five children currently live and study there. The numbers may seem modest, but the ambition is not. Democracy in Practice What distinguishes the Ajit Foundation is not only who it serves but also how it operates. Within its walls, democracy is practised through a Children’s Gram Panchayat and a miniature Municipal Council elected by the children themselves. Young candidates canvass, hold meetings and present their budgets. Children maintain accounts and share decisions about chores, activities and certain disciplinary matters. In a country where democratic culture is often reduced to voting, the foundation’s approach is quietly radical. It treats children from marginalised backgrounds as citizens in formation. The right to choose — whether to focus on sport, cooking, mathematics or cultural activities — is respected. “We try never to take away what is their own,” says Vinaya Nimbalkar. Rather than forcing every child into a uniform academic mould, individual abilities are encouraged. A boy skilled in daily calculations may not be pushed into hours of bookish study; a girl who excels in cooking may lead the kitchen team. For children who have known only precarity, standing for election, managing a budget or speaking at a meeting can be transformative. On International Women’s Day, the foundation seeks visibility not just for praise but for partnership. If you are inspired by their mission, consider supporting or collaborating—your involvement can help extend opportunities to more children in need.

BJP’s Bihar victory cements Tawde’s reputation

Mumbai: The thumping victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recent Bihar Assembly elections was more than just a mandate for development; it was a resounding validation of meticulous planning and astute political strategy. At the operational heart of this success was Vinod Tawde, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) National General Secretary and the designated in-charge for Bihar affairs. For Tawde, an organisational veteran who spent decades navigating the volatile politics of Maharashtra, the victory marked a powerful vindication—a testament to his patience and his capacity to deliver a complex win far from his home state. Tasked by the central leadership with the unambiguous mandate to win “at any cost,” Tawde successfully engineered a path to power, establishing himself as a key figure in the BJP’s national strategic command.


Tawde’s contribution to the Bihar campaign was defined by his sharp focus on two critical areas: messaging and social coalition building. Recognizing the deeply layered social dynamics of the state, Tawde immersed himself in studying Bihar’s complex caste equations and electoral history, a far cry from the urban Maratha politics he once knew. This deep dive allowed him and his team to craft a winning narrative that effectively combined the central government’s focus on welfare and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity with the regional relevance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. His expertise in what party insiders term "social engineering" helped the BJP solidify its base while expanding its outreach to diverse social groups, building a sturdy coalition of support.


Decisive strategy

The most decisive strategic victory attributed to Tawde came long before the election results were announced - orchestrating the return of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) to the NDA fold. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Tawde was part of the core team that successfully broke the rival RJD-JD(U) alliance, clearing the path for the formation of a formidable dual-engine government structure that proved unbeatable in the Assembly polls. The resulting landslide, where the NDA secured a commanding three-fourth majority, was a direct consequence of this foundational alliance work. Gracious in victory, Tawde attributed the success to "teamwork" and the combined leadership of Modi and Kumar, downplaying his own crucial role as the architect on the ground.


ABVP days

Tawde’s ability to handle high-stakes national assignments is rooted in a decades-long career spent building the BJP's organisation from the ground up in Maharashtra. Starting with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), he rose through the ranks, mentored by stalwarts like the late Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde. He served multiple terms as the Maharashtra General Secretary, became the youngest President of the BJP Mumbai city unit in 1999, and later held the crucial post of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. After his electoral debut in 2014, he went on to serve as a powerful Cabinet Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, holding key portfolios like School Education, Higher and Technical Education.


However, his political journey was not without turbulence. A shock denial of a ticket in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections forced him into a period of political uncertainty. It was during this time that Tawde demonstrated his remarkable discipline and organizational loyalty, quietly resuming work for the party until his eventual comeback in 2021 as a National General Secretary in J.P. Nadda’s team. His transition from influential state minister to key national strategist was initially challenging, yet the Bihar victory has now cemented his reputation as a reliable, patient, and results-oriented leader capable of delivering electoral success in any environment. As he now sets his sights on potential new assignments, party observers note that the central leadership is likely to entrust him with similar crucial roles in other states, recognizing that his strategic shift from Mumbai to Delhi politics has been rewarded with a "giant leap" victory that will inevitably impact national politics.

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