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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 7:55:54 pm

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s...

The BJP’s Ganesha Gambit

Pune’s Ganeshotsav has become an enormous civic and political stage, and the ruling party has proved adept at occupying it. Pune: The city’s Ganeshotsav is entering its final phase, but the festival has already demonstrated something beyond its extraordinary crowds and familiar spectacle: the extent to which it has become a political stage. This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has left a particularly visible imprint on the festivities, using an event that reaches deep into the city’s neighbourhoods as an opportunity for public outreach. The political appropriation of the festival has not, however, been without a counter-current. Demands were raised for curbs on noise pollution, loudspeakers and the volume of dhol-tasha performances. The argument was not against Ganeshotsav itself, but for moderation - notably, a complete ban on DJ music and limits on the number of dhol and tasha instruments used by performing troupes. Familiar Troubles The festival’s reality has been rather different. Major roads have been occupied by mandaps. Processions celebrating the arrival of Lord Ganesha have unfolded amid punishing noise. DJ music, while subject to restrictions, has continued. Traffic congestion has become a familiar feature of the festival, with the movement of political leaders adding another layer to the city’s already strained roads. The Peth areas have remained crowded deep into the night. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple has drawn enormous crowds for darshan from the opening day. From the old city to housing societies and neighbourhood mandals, Ganeshotsav touches virtually every part of Pune. For a political party seeking a direct connection with citizens, few occasions offer such a ready-made network of people, institutions and local influencers. The BJP enters this festival with an unusually formidable organisational base. It has two MPs, seven MLAs and more than 100 corporators in Pune. Murlidhar Mohol, one of the city’s MPs, is a Union Minister of State. Chandrakant Patil is a Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, while Madhuri Misal is a Minister of State. The party’s presence also extends into the festival’s organisational architecture. Its influence is visible across numerous mandals, large and small. BJP MLA Hemant Rasane is General Secretary of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust. Kunal Tilak, a member of Lokmanya Tilak’s family, is a BJP corporator. The political and cultural histories of Pune therefore intersect in ways that are difficult to ignore. The BJP’s senior leadership has also made the most of the occasion. National President Nitin Nabin visited Pune to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the city before and during the festival. Such visits are about more than religious observance. In a festival watched by millions and embedded in the city’s social life, political visibility comes almost automatically. There is also talk in Pune that the BJP provided substantial financial support to Dhol-Lezim troupes and their organisers, with claims that some major mandals received financial backing as well. These claims would require independent verification, but the perception itself points to the depth of the political contest around Ganeshotsav. BJP workers, according to local observers, have also sought to make their presence more conspicuous than that of festivities organised by housing societies. Useful Expedient The festival arrives at a politically useful moment for the BJP. The party has faced disquiet on several fronts. Young people have been agitated over the paper-leak controversy. Broader public dissatisfaction has been voiced over inflation and unemployment, while government policies relating to ethanol and charges associated with UPI transactions have also generated criticism. While a political party can defend a policy in a press conference and advertise its achievements, during Ganeshotsav, its workers can be physically present in neighbourhoods, among processions, mandals, cultural groups and devotees. Politics thus becomes less about argument and more about visibility. That is the BJP’s advantage in Pune. Ganeshotsav, after all, is not simply a sequence of religious rituals. It is an elaborate civic network involving local organisers, volunteers, cultural groups, businesses, residents and political representatives. Whoever has influence over that network acquires a powerful channel of communication with the city. The BJP appears to understand this particularly well. Its strength in Pune’s electoral politics has been reinforced by a presence that extends beyond elections and into the institutions and social spaces that organise public life. The irony is that the very scale of the festival that makes it politically attractive also magnifies the civic costs. The political value of Ganeshotsav and the civic burden it creates are therefore two sides of the same phenomenon. For Pune, the larger question is not whether politics has entered Ganeshotsav. It has done so for decades. The more consequential question is whether the festival’s extraordinary social capital will remain primarily a vehicle for political outreach or whether the same influence can be used to reconcile celebration with the ordinary civic needs of the city. For the moment, the BJP seems to have understood the first proposition better than most.

HARC’s Mission to Empower the Marginalised

Writer: Vinod Chavan
Vinod Chavan
Apr 19
3 min read

In a society where vulnerable communities often struggle for dignity and opportunity, certain organisations stand out for their selfless dedication. The Homeopathic Academy of Research and Charities (HARC), based in Parbhani, is one such institution that has been consistently working to uplift the underprivileged, orphaned, and HIV-affected sections of society. Under the leadership of Dr Pawan Satyanarayan Chandak and Dr Asha Pawan Chandak, the organisation has carved a niche in the fields of healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, and social rehabilitation.


HARC’s journey began with providing free homeopathic treatment to HIV-positive patients. Over time, its work expanded to include rehabilitation of HIV-affected individuals, health awareness campaigns, and counselling initiatives aimed at reducing stigma and improving quality of life.


To promote health awareness among adolescent girls in rural areas, HARC launched the ‘P for Periods’ initiative. Under this programme, more than 260 menstrual hygiene workshops have been conducted across rural schools in Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Latur, Jalna, and Washim districts. The initiative has reached over 32,000 girls through counselling and distributed more than 13,000 sanitary pads free of cost.


With a belief that education is the key to transformation, HARC introduced an educational sponsorship programme. Since 2010, the organisation has supported the education of over 5,000 orphaned, underprivileged, and single-parent children.


Additionally, educational kits have been distributed to 344 orphaned and single-parent girls in Parbhani, Hingoli, and Jalna districts. Students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas have been provided with NEET and JEE preparatory books and exam fees for some have also been covered. The organisation has also established study centres and free libraries for underprivileged girls.


Notable Contributions

HARC has made notable contributions to the Sevalaya, an NGO for HIV-affected children run by ‘Amhi Sevak Sanstha’ in Hasegaon, Latur district, which focuses on the rehabilitation of HIV-affected and orphaned children. The organisation has extended continuous support for education, medical care, shelter, and daily needs.


To nurture talent, cultural activities such as music, dance, and performances have been organised. Vocational support, including sewing machines, has been provided, along with initiatives like exhibitions and sales of handmade rakhis and Ganesh idols. Even the sale of saffron mangoes cultivated through the children’s efforts has been facilitated, encouraging self-reliance. HARC has also helped solemnise marriages of three HIV-affected couples, offering them essential support to begin a new life.


Recognising that empowerment is closely tied to financial independence, HARC has implemented livelihood programmes for destitute, widowed, and HIV-affected women. Over the past few years, more than 80 women have been supported with sewing machines, dal processing units, flour mills, goat-rearing units, and mobile Bentex jewellery shops. These initiatives have enabled many women to become self-reliant and support their families.



To cultivate a reading habit among rural students, HARC has distributed ‘Anandi Vachan Peti’ (joyful reading kits) to 191 Zilla Parishad schools across Maharashtra. Through the campaign ‘Say No to Mobile, Say Yes to Books,’ 337 young readers from six districts have been recognised for their reading excellence.


HARC has undertaken several humanitarian initiatives to support the needy. Through the Diwali Donation Festival, festive kits have been distributed to hundreds of single-parent and orphaned families. Warm clothing has been provided to students during winter, while essential groceries have been delivered to destitute widows during Pitru Paksha.


In a remarkable social effort, the organisation has facilitated the marriages of 12 HIV-affected and orphaned couples, providing them with the necessary support to rebuild their lives.


Shelter Home

In 2023, HARC established a shelter home under the ‘Majha Ghar’ run by Manus Pratishthan of Sharad Zare and Sangeeta Zare near Budhoda village of Ausa tehsil in Latur district. Built within just 36 days through community participation, the 4,000 sq. ft. facility now provides safe accommodation, education, and care to 46 orphaned and underprivileged children bringing a new ray of hope into their lives.


HARC’s work has been strengthened by strong community support. The organisation’s official social group, ‘Prakashwata,’ formed in 2014, plays a vital role in raising awareness and mobilising resources. Through social media outreach, many compassionate citizens have joined hands, helping various initiatives succeed through collective participation.


Dr Pawan Chandak, founder of HARC has travelled over 1.11 lakh kilometres on a bicycle to spread awareness on HIV, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and reading culture. His campaigns have covered 13 Indian states as well as countries like Scotland, the UK, Germany, and France, reflecting an extraordinary commitment to social causes.


Significantly, most of HARC’s initiatives are driven by public participation and donations. With an annual expenditure of around Rs 12–15 lakh, the organisation continues its impactful work without relying on government grants or CSR funding.


Through its sustained efforts in healthcare, education, and empowerment, HARC stands today as an inspiring example of social responsibility and collective compassion, transforming countless lives and building a more inclusive society.


(The writer is a journalist based in Nanded. Views personal.)

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