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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.

Krishna Sobti: Voices of Life and Identity

Writer: Dr. Kailash Atkare
Dr. Kailash Atkare
Jul 1
3 min read

Her works continue to inspire readers and scholars, reminding us of the importance of individuality and self-expression in a changing world.

Krishna Sobti is one of the Dnyanpeeth writers. Her literary corpus has been translated into many languages, including English. Her writing stands for bold themes, strong characters, and a deep understanding of human emotions. Her novels and short stories present the complexities of life, identity crises, gender, language, and social change. Her stories reflect lived experiences and cultural realities.


Women's Voices

One of the central themes in her writing is the individual identity of women. In her works, she portrays women who challenge traditional roles and express their desires openly. In Mitro, Marjani, Mitro is bold, outspoken, and unapologetic about her physical and emotional needs. She is not a typical submissive female character. She speaks freely about sexuality and questions societal norms. Through her, Sobti highlights the suppressed voice of women and brings it into public discourse.


Freedom and self-expression are unique features of Sobti's writing, as she believed literature should give voice to those who have long been silenced. Her characters are not afraid to speak their minds. In Zindaginama, a novel set in pre-Partition rural Punjab, she presents a vibrant community where different voices coexist. The novel celebrates diversity, tradition, and human relationships. It serves as a living document of a culture that was deeply affected by the Partition of India. The theme of Partition and its impact is also significant. She was deeply influenced by the trauma of the Partition. In her writings, she shows how political division resulted in the emotional and cultural loss experienced by people. Her narratives capture the pain, displacement, and identity crises faced by individuals during this period. She also focuses on resilience and the ability of people to rebuild their lives.


Language and Memory

Language and regional culture are hallmarks of her literary style. The 'chutnification' of language is uniquely and skilfully reflected in her work through the blending of Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi. These expressions make her writing lively and authentic. Her language reflects the cultural setting of her stories and adds depth to the characters. In Zindaginama, the use of local dialects creates a strong sense of place and community. This thematic emphasis on language shows how identity is closely linked with speech and culture.


She also explores human relationships within families. She portrays complex emotional bonds between individuals, highlighting both love and conflict. Her characters are realistic, with strengths and weaknesses, making them relatable to readers. She shows how relationships are shaped by social expectations and personal choices.


Another striking thematic feature is ageing and memory. Sobti reflects on the passage of time and the role of memory in shaping identity. She presents old age not as a period of decline but as a stage of reflection and wisdom. Her characters often look back at their lives, trying to understand their experiences and choices.


Her writing marks a strong sense of resistance against patriarchy and social customs. Feminism focuses on equality between men and women and challenges systems that silence women. Sobti's female characters resist male domination and social restrictions. They assert their identity, body, and voice. She questions rigid structures and authority through her narratives. She challenges the idea of the ideal woman who is obedient and self-sacrificing. Instead, her women are complex and real. This feminist approach makes her work revolutionary in Hindi literature and relevant to today's discussions on gender equality.


Lasting Legacy

Postcolonial theory studies the cultural, social, and psychological effects of colonial rule and its aftermath. It also explores identity, displacement, and cultural memory. Sobti presents life in rural Punjab before the Partition of India. The novel reflects a rich cultural world that later gets disrupted by colonial politics and Partition. Through detailed storytelling, she preserves the voices, traditions, and everyday lives of people who are often ignored in mainstream history.


In a nutshell, Krishna Sobti's literary corpus is rich in themes that explore the depth of human life. Her focus on identity, freedom, gender, culture, and memory makes her one of the most important writers in Indian literature. Through simple yet powerful storytelling, she gives voice to the marginalised and presents a truthful picture of society. Her works continue to inspire readers and scholars, reminding us of the importance of individuality and self-expression in a changing world.


(The writer is an assistant professor of English literature. Views personal.)

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