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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several...

‘Bharat Ratna to Savarkar will increase its prestige’

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday threw his full weight behind the long-standing demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that the Hindutva ideologue’s inclusion would enhance the dignity of the country’s highest civilian honour. Bhagwat, who explained the genesis and growth of the RSS over past 100 years in two lectures at the Nehru Centre here on Saturday and Sunday, replied to several questions. While replying to one of the questions, he remarked, “If Swatantraveer Savarkar is given the Bharat Ratna, the prestige of the Bharat Ratna itself will increase.” He was asked, why there has been a delay in conferring the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar, in reply to which, Bhagwat said, “I am not part of that committee. But if I meet someone, I will ask. Even without that honour, he rules the hearts of millions of people.” he added. Social Divisions Bhagwat replied to questions that were clubbed in 14 different groups ranging from national security to environment, social harmony, youth, arts and sports. Whenever the questions suggested or expressed expectations that the RSS should do certain things, Bhagwat stressed on the involvement of the society and initiative from the society in resolving the problems. While addressing the critical issue of Uniform Civil Code, Bhagwat stated that the UCC should be framed by taking everyone into confidence and must not lead to social divisions. In the same way while replying to the question related to illegal migrants in the country, Bhagwat urged people to “detect and report” the “illegal infiltrators” to the police. He also urged people not to give them any employment and to be more “vigilant.” Backing SIR He highlighted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has already revealed the “foreigners” living in the country. “The government has a lot to do regarding infiltration. They have to detect and deport. This wasn’t happening until now, but it has started little by little, and it will gradually increase. When the census or the SIR is conducted, many people come to light who are not citizens of this country; they are automatically excluded from the process,” he said. “But we can do one thing: we can work on detection. Their language gives them away. We should detect them and report them to the appropriate authorities. We should inform the police that we suspect these people are foreigners, and they should investigate and keep an eye on them, and we will also keep an eye on them. We will not give employment to any foreigner. If someone is from our country, we will give them employment, but not to foreigners. You should be a little more vigilant and aware,” he added. SC Chief Emphasising the inclusivity of the Sangh, he said that anyone can become ‘Sarsanghchalak’ (RSS chief), including the SC and STs, as the decision is solely dependent on the work that any individual put for the organisation. “Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra or Brahmin does not qualify for the Sarsanghchalak position (RSS Chief), a Hindu will become the one who works and is best available. A Hindu will become, and that can also be an SC or ST. Anyone can become it depends on the work. Today, if you see, all classes have representation in the Sangh. The decision is taken on the basis of one who works and is best available,” he said. He pointed out that when the RSS was founded, its work began in a Brahmin-dominated community and hence, most of its founders were Brahmins, which led to the organisation being labelled as a Brahmin outfit at the time. People always look for an organisation that has representatives from their community, he said. “If I were to choose a chief, I would go by the ‘best available candidate’ criterion. When I was appointed RSS chief, there were many best candidates, but they were not available. I was the one who could be relieved from duties and appointed,” he said. He said that to belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities is not a disqualification, and neither is being a Brahmin a qualification to become the RSS chief. Ready to step down if Sangh asks for Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh had asked him to continue working despite his age, while stressing that he would step down from the post whenever the organisation directs him to do so. “There is no election to the post of RSS chief. Regional and divisional heads appoint the chief. Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post,” Bhagwat said. “I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen,” he said.

Shirur–Karjat corridor to reduce stress

Mumbai: The proposed Shirur–Karjat road corridor, being advanced under Maharashtra’s highway expansion programme, is gaining strategic urgency as authorities seek long-term solutions to recurring congestion on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway. The project, being executed by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), assumed renewed significance following repeated traffic disruptions — including a recent gridlock that lasted over 30 hours, highlighting the need for alternative mobility corridors capable of absorbing diverted traffic during emergencies and peak freight movement.


Senior officials associated with the project emphasise that the new corridor, along with the ongoing Mumbai–Pune Expressway missing-link works, will play a decisive role in stabilising traffic flows across one of the state’s busiest transport arteries. “The Shirur–Karjat road is not merely an additional highway; it is a structural alternative that will allow authorities to divert heavy traffic when the expressway faces disruptions,” a senior official said.


"When integrated with the expressway’s missing-link project, it will significantly reduce bottlenecks in ghat sections and prevent the kind of prolonged chaos witnessed recently," he added.


With an estimated investment of around Rs 12,500 crore — including land acquisition, engineering works and construction — the proposed four-lane greenfield highway is envisioned as a parallel east–west connectivity spine linking Pune district to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The alignment is expected to cover roughly 135 kilometres, passing through Shirur, Pabal, Rajgurunagar, Shirwali and interior Pune nodes before reaching Karjat, with onward connectivity planned toward Panvel and the Uran port corridor.


PPP Model

Planning authorities indicate that the project may be executed under a public–private partnership framework such as the Build-Operate-Transfer model, enabling private sector participation while managing the state’s fiscal exposure. The engineering design is expected to include tunnels, major bridges and dedicated bypass stretches to maintain uninterrupted vehicular movement.


Preliminary assessments suggest the construction of around five tunnels along with multiple bridge structures, reflecting the terrain challenges along parts of the alignment.


The corridor’s strategic importance lies in its ability to serve as a major diversion route for freight traffic originating from Marathwada and eastern Maharashtra. Currently, a significant share of such traffic converges on Pune city before entering the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, contributing to urban congestion and increasing pressure on the expressway’s vulnerable ghat sections. By enabling direct movement toward the Mumbai region without routing through densely populated zones, the new road is expected to substantially ease congestion.


Officials note that the project’s synergy with the expressway missing-link — designed to smoothen curves and remove accident-prone bottlenecks — will create a more resilient transport network. “The missing-link will improve safety and travel time on the existing expressway, while the Shirur–Karjat corridor will provide redundancy,” another official explained.


"Together, these projects will ensure that even if one corridor faces disruption due to accidents, landslides or maintenance, traffic can be seamlessly diverted without paralysing regional mobility,” they say.


Logistic Efficiency

Beyond decongestion benefits, the corridor is also expected to enhance logistics efficiency across industrial belts such as Shirur, Chakan and Talegaon. Improved connectivity to ports and logistics hubs in Navi Mumbai and Uran could reduce transit times and fuel costs for manufacturers, strengthening regional supply chains. Infrastructure planners anticipate the emergence of new economic clusters along the route, including logistics parks, warehousing hubs and agro-processing zones, thereby promoting decentralised industrial development beyond Pune’s urban core.


However, implementation challenges remain significant. Land acquisition across large tracts, environmental clearances and financial structuring under a PPP framework are likely to influence project timelines. Cost escalation risks due to inflation in construction materials and engineering complexities in hilly stretches may also impact execution.


Despite these hurdles, transport planners view the Shirur–Karjat corridor as a transformative infrastructure intervention that could reshape mobility patterns across western Maharashtra. By reducing overdependence on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway — a vulnerability exposed during recent extended traffic jams — the project is expected to strengthen network resilience, improve freight efficiency and support balanced economic growth across the Pune–Mumbai industrial corridor.

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