इंग्रजी चरित्र

‘Barrister Nath Pai: A Concise Biography’ is a book written by Nikhil Ghanekar and published by Br. Nath Pai Sevangan Malvan. The book is written and published with the purpose to introduce Barrister Nath Pai’s illustrious career in brief to the young readers and English medium students.

The districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are famous as land of beauty, natural prosperity and splendid coastline. The region is also the birthplace of many legendary personalities. One such significant personality, Mr. Nath Pai was born in the scenic town of Vengurla on 25th September 1922. Nath Pai’s original name at the time of his birth was Pandharinath, named after the famous deity from Pandharpur, Lord Vithala.

The name ‘Pandharinath’ got shortened and became Nath, which stayed as it is, till Nath Pai breathed his last at the age of 48. His mother, Tapibai and his siblings affectionately called him ‘Raja’. Nath Pai had three brothers, three sisters and a stepsister by the name Indira whom he called ‘Akka’ (older sister).

Nath Pai’s father, Bapu Anant Pai, had a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from the times when getting a degree wasn’t really an easy thing to achieve. He worked as a Postmaster for a while, but since it meant transfers at regular intervals, he left that job and took up a job as a teacher in A.P. Mission High School in Vengurla.

Nath’s father passed away when he was just 8 months old. It was a shock for the family. But Nath’s mother, Tapibai, was a strong and formidable woman. Her parents’ family at Adari, a small village from the tehsil of Vengurla was rich and well off. But she brought up all her children on her own without taking any financial assistance from any of the relatives.

A famous anecdote of Nath’s childhood speaks a lot about the values the single mother instilled in her children. During the summer holidays in Vengurla, the children would pluck nuts from the cashew fruits and sell them to the trader. This would generate additional income for the family. The eight siblings would sit and work together. Their mother would sit near and supervise to see to it that none of the children’s pockets even a single nut. In fact, it didn’t matter as the trader would anyway not notice the shortfall but the mother was making sure that the children learn the value of honesty and sincerity.

Nath Pai completed his primary education from Vengurla. The man who grew up to be a Barrister, a pundit of languages, an excellent orator, was weak in mathematics in school days. In those days, a deputy education officer would visit schools and conduct viva of the students. In mathematics, the students would be asked to do some quick calculations orally. Nath was a popular student in school. The teachers loved him. During one such exam, it was decided between teachers and students that the fellow classmates would write solutions on their slates and show it to Nath so that he would be able to answer the examiner. When Nath came to know of such a plan, he refused to be a part of it and rejected such help. He stated to his classmates and teachers that he would not look at the slates even if they were shown to him. Even in those early years of childhood, he said that he would gladly accept failure rather than the stain of dishonesty. These were the early signs of the man of principles.

Nath’s birthplace, Vengurla is a scenic coastal town. As a child Nath would often visit the beach in the evening and get lost watching the boats far away at the sea and the fishermen on the shore. The white of the waves and the blue of the sea mesmerized him as a child. His love for Vengurla and its people and beauty never really ebbed.

In later years of his life, when he was in London , based on the banks of Thames, Nath wrote to a long-time acquaintance, Vasu Deshpande. In this letter, his love and admiration for his birthplace is very much evident. He writes:
“So, you are in Vengurla, I hope you are aware of the great historic importance of the place. Do you know who was born there? Of course, you do. Apart from this don’t you think it is a lovely little town, what with its many temples, its blue sea, golden sand beach and its intelligent, friendly citizens. Blessed are those who live in that little town. Have you visited the dreamy, poetic, enchanting little villages nearby? I mean Dabholi, Aravali, Shiroda, Redi, Math, Vetora. Their very names breathe music. Konkan is the land of beauty, land of the great.”

Nath’s eldest brother, Anantrao alias Bhai opened a grocery shop in Tilakwadi, Belgaum and the family shifted from Vengurla to Belgaum. The next few years that Nath spent in Belgaum greatly shaped his life.

Nath enrolled in the Benon Smith Missionary High School and continued his education further. It was a famous school run by Methodist missionaries. Though it was run by missionaries, the school maintained a very liberal outlook. It did teach the Bible as a mandatory subject. Learning the Bible at such a young age helped Nath a lot to improve his oratory skills. Nath, who proved to be proficient in Marathi, Sanskrit and English, went on to win various elocution competitions for his school. Everybody from the school could see a great orator in the making. He had a great memory and also a knack to remember and reproduce exact references from Sanskrit or History to substantiate his arguments. He would often remember everything he heard and use various quotes from History, English and Sanskrit in his fine speeches that would often leave the listeners in awe and admiration. In later years, his well worded and in-depth speeches on topics ranging from finance to defence, criticizing the policies and voicing the concerns of the voiceless built up quite a reputation. It’s said that the then speaker of the Lok Sabha as well as the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who himself was quite proficient in English, admired Pai’s keen observations and oratory skills.

Nath Pai’s elder brother, Bhau Pai, led a very active social life. He led from the front when it came to running a gym or organizing the public Ganesh Festival, initiated by the late Bal Gangadhar alias Lokmanya Tilak. It was in his company that Nath Pai took the early lessons in public life. Times were changing with the change of leadership of the movement against the British. Mahatma Gandhi was leading the battle. Everyone was ignited and inspired by the idea of freedom from the rule of the British. Nath Pai was a teen who was keenly observing and adapting to the changing socio-political scenario of his times. He passed the Matriculation exam and went to Lingaraj College in Belgaum. Here, again, he won a lot of prizes in elocution competitions.

His brother started attending the meetings of various leaders and freedom fighters. A strong desire to be a part of the freedom movement was brewing within him. Everybody wished that the British would suffer defeat in the Second World War. The Atlantic Charter was signed and sanctioned between America and Britain. The charter stated that the nation which would lose the war will have to give up the colonies under its rule. Britain had made a list of its colonies, but surprisingly India’s name was not on the list that Britain had made. This further fuelled the dissent against the British.

One had to pass the F.Y. exam then in order to appear for Intermediate exams. Nath moved to Pune for F.Y. He took admission in Fergusson College which was founded by Lokamanya Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar. Once in the college, Nath started participating in the Inter-collegiate elocution competition.

In those times, The Gokhale Trophy for elocution was a matter of prestige. It was named after Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a senior Congress leader and the guru of Mahatma Gandhi. The Law College, Pune and the Wadia College, Pune were the chief contenders. Nath wanted to participate in the competition. A bright student, G. P. Pradhan was a year senior to Nath and had participated in the prestigious competition. The secretary of the debating society of the college, R. V. Pandit took Nath to meet Pradhan. When Nath told Pradhan about his desire to participate, Pradhan, skeptically remarked that it was difficult for Nath to be selected because there were a lot of other deserving candidates. But in a test debate, Nath’s oratory, his command over English and his unfaltering pronunciations impressed everyone including G.P. Pradhan. Nath was selected for the competition. Not only did Nath win the first prize in the competition, but also earned the prestigious trophy for his college that year.

The debating society of Fergusson College also organized a Mock Parliament where students participated and assumed the roles of members of Parliament. This Mock Parliament would have a ruling party and an opposition party just like the ones in the British Parliament. Nath was a part of this initiative too. Nath read a lot in these years. He read biographies of Italian revolutionaries. He read accounts of the French Revolution and the American freedom struggle.

In the summer holidays, when he came to Belgaum, Nath met the young Arvind Yalgi. They had a conversation about the poverty in the country and both were vocal about the necessity to be a part of the freedom movement.

Nath was 19-20 years old then. His mother was a bit worried about her young son. But Nath on the other hand, was quite charged up and determined to contribute to the freedom struggle. When his mother voiced her concerns, Nath responded in a bout of fury. He said to her “there are 20 crore mothers like you and I need to be part of the freedom struggle for them.”

The political scene was changing. The British were losing the war. Mahatma Gandhi called for a movement as a signal to the British to leave India. The Quit India Movement garnered a huge response as many young Indians took to the streets. The British started putting the Congress leaders across the country behind the bars. Belgaum was soon affected and Nath and his like-minded friends went underground.

Nath Pai and his friends were fascinated by the armed revolutionaries and their fearless attacks against the British. Nath and his friends staged quite a few daring attacks against the British. They attacked a postal consignment coming from Sawantwadi which was 100 kilometres away. They made a futile attempt at looting a branch of the Imperial Bank.

The British army had their stack of hay at the dairy in Belgaum Military Camp. Nath’s friends came up with the idea to set the same on fire. The attack was carried out with detailed planning and survey. They closely observed the guards and their duties and soon realized that they had a window of time to execute the attack. One fine evening they set the hay ablaze and Belgaum was covered in a thick layer of smoke. The police and the military had no option but to be a mute spectator. In response the police launched a frantic search for the young men who plotted the attack.

The young freedom fighters suspended their attacks for some time only to land a more fatal blow to the British. On 10th March 1943, they set ablaze a police station in Tilakwadi , Belgaum. Nath snatched the weapons in the attack and the young men dumped the weapons into the Congress Vihir (well). The establishment was shaken and livid. They again launched an extensive search for the disruptors. During the attack on the Police station, everyone except Nath and Gajanan Yalgi had covered their faces. The fearless Nath wanted the British to know that Nath had come and was a part of this attack.

When one of the accomplices was caught in a raid by police, he was mercilessly beaten and thrashed. As a result, he disclosed the names of his accomplices, making it easier for the police to nab them. Arvind Yalgi, Diwakar Valavalkar, Madhukar Kulkarni, Jotiba Patil and others were arrested. They too were subjected to inhuman torture. The beating did not deter their will and determination and they kept refusing to give away the whereabouts of Nath and Gajanan Yalgi.

Nath had fled to Khanapur to a home of a government employee who was also a supporter of Rashtra Seva Dal. He believed that the police wouldn’t search there. A couple of days later, he shifted to another hiding place. The news was out that Nath was hiding at a home of the family named Nesrikar and at around 2 am, the teams of police made their way to the place, only to find nothing there. But someone there gave away the whereabouts of Nath and he was nabbed from his sister’s place the same night. Nath was relieved that the police did not find the pistol in his possession because carrying a pistol meant death penalty for the freedom fighters.

In the custody, just like his accomplices, Nath was mercilessly beaten and was subjected to inhuman torture. The police beat him with metal rods and canes dipped in brine. They lashed him with wet chappals that the British officers wore back then. The police threw him on the floor and kept stomping on his chest with heavy boots. All this was done to extract a confession, but the fearless freedom fighter refused to do so. The beating left him unconscious. He was taken to the civil hospital. Later in the court, the doctor who treated him at the hospital said that Nath had an unlikely heart ailment called angina pectoris. One of the causes of the ailment were the heavy and incessant kicks and blows on his chest.

Throughout the rest of his life this condition gradually weakened his heart and finally claimed his life some 27 years later.

All the inhuman torture and treatment in the jail, could not break Nath’s spirit. Instead, he tried to encourage his fellow inmates to fight and revolt against such treatment. He would narrate the accounts of martyrs to motivate the inmates who were low on confidence. The jailor did not approve the increasing admiration for Nath Pai among his inmates. The jailor started serving them impalpable food, bhakris mixed with sand. Nath launched and led a protest against all of this. A committee was formed to supervise the quality of the food. The committee instructed the superintendent to improve the quality of food. But he refused. None of this affected Nath’s spirits. Nath spoke to officials in a clear voice, which was a very unlikely thing to be done by an inmate. He even told one of the jail officials to respect him and his inmates because they were fighting for the freedom of their country and they were not some petty thieves or dacoits.

Eventually in February 1944, the trial of the inmates began. The presiding judge, Mr. Purshottam Lad was sympathetic to the freedom fighters and as a result all of them were acquitted. Nath was cleared of all 16 offences.

His mother was relieved to see him out of jail and she insisted him to focus on studies. She also voiced the fact that Nath’s father actually wanted him to be a Barrister. Nath nodded and he was back in Lingraj College.
Even in the college years in Belgaum, Nath never shied away from being part of rallies and protests. In those days, various shakhas (branches) of the Rashtra Seva Dal were opening across Belgaum and its neighbourhood parts. Nath started visiting these branches and he would often hold a conversation with a group of volunteers.
Around that time, teachers went on a strike to voice concern over postings and payments. The leaders of the teachers’ union requested the Rashtra Seva Dal to support the strike. Nath Pai started addressing the meeting of these teachers. He was quite a prolific speaker and the audience would listen to him with keen interest and complete attention. In his address to such meetings, he would often underline the importance of teachers by quoting a shloka from Sanskrit or he would shed light on the respect teachers receive in various countries.
In the middle of 1946, Nath Pai made a journey to Goa from Belgaum. Nath was told to travel to Goa by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a senior socialist who was pretty impressed by Nath’s fight against the British.

In those days, Goa was under the tyrannical rule of the Portuguese who were silencing any voice of dissent against them. People didn’t have any rights. Newspapers were banned. People were not supposed to organize public meetings or form groups. Nath was instructed to talk to people and motivate them by narrating the stories of the fight against the British Rule. Nath would use a bicycle to travel in Goa. He would beat a thali with a stick, gather people, address them for a few minutes and off he would go to his next place.

Lohia came to Goa to address an audience but he was arrested and sent back. Common folks as well as artists, writers and poets took part in the revolution. They painted walls and wrote poems urging people to be a part of this fight against the rule of the Portuguese. Nath Pai and B.B. Borkar shared an invaluable friendship. Years later, in 1961, when finally, Goa was free, they had exchanged lines from Borkar’s poem through a series of telegrams that very well captured the joy that both of them felt.

On 15th August 1947, there were celebrations in the Tilak Chowk in Belgaum, just like there were celebrations all across the nation. Nath Pai addressed his fellow young freedom fighters. He said, “We have got our long-awaited freedom because of the sacrifices of our martyrs. But freedom isn’t the ultimate goal; it is a tool to make our country prosper”2. He went on to urge people from all strata and classes to do their bit in nation building.

Now that the nation was free, Nath focused on achieving a more personal goal. He wanted to be a barrister and study Parliamentary democracy because he believed that Barristers would have a significant role to play in the nation building of the newly established democratic nation of India. There was scarcity of funds. For a while, he thought that he might have to give up the dream. But then friends, family and supporters of Nath raised enough funds to help him realize his dream.

Hundreds of people gathered on the railway station of Belgaum to bid him a teary farewell. Within a day, he was on a ship from Mumbai which was supposed to take him to a new land, open new avenues of knowledge and personal enrichment.

Nath arrived in London towards the end of December. Though he was new to the city and its people, he was familiar with London through the works of William Wordsworth and Charles Dickens. He was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn on 2nd January 1948 and he shortly began his studies. The scarcity of money made it difficult for him to have meals at regular intervals. But hardships and poverty were no strangers to him, so eventually he sailed through the initial days.

In those years, Clement Atlee had risen to power. He had been launching various social and democratic schemes of his Labour Party with an aim to create an egalitarian society. Nath was inspired by the idea of a government of a nation that promotes free education and health services for all its citizens. Nath wished to carry out the same back in India.

Nath came in contact with the Indian Socialist Group in London. This organization comprised students from India with socialist learnings and leaning. In cooperation with the Labour Party and Asian Overseas Socialist Fellowship, the Indian Socialist Group built youth hostels for students who had come from India and other parts of Asia. Nath eagerly attended the meetings of this group. And in a few days’ time with his intelligence, oratory and wit, Nath grew famous within the group and was made Secretary of the group.

During his stay in London, he also met people associated with the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). The Indian Socialist Group was affiliated with this international organization. IUSY had student members from all over the world. Using this organization as a platform to create a larger public opinion, he spoke about the tyrannical rule of the Portuguese in Goa at the conference of International Union of Socialist Youth organized in Toulouse. This conference passed a resolution condemning the Portuguese rule.

It was during this time that Lord Clement Atlee took Nath under his wings and made him a member of governing body of Britain-Asia Overseas Socialist Fellowship. Nath witnessed the functioning of the House of Commons from the spectators’ gallery and dreamt of implementing the egalitarian socialist ideas in his country, once he went back.

Nath also became a member of the governing body of the youth wing of UNESCO. He extensively travelled over Europe and spoke to groups of young people. As a result of his great oratory skills, his in-depth study and research into Indian administration and labour laws, he started receiving invitations from various countries to visit and talk to the young people there.

During this period, in his motherland, the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30th January 1948. In 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect and India became a free, sovereign and democratic nation under the Leadership of Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its first President.

As the sovereign nation geared up to hold the first general elections in 1952, in turn of events, the newly founded Praja Socialist Party decided to offer candidacy to Nath Pai. He was supposed to contest election from Belgaum. Back in 1952, before the formation of the state of Maharashtra, it was the state of Mumbai spanning from Gujrat to Dharvad. Belgaum city had a seat for the legislative assembly. Nath was supposed to contest for Mumbai Assembly Polls. As PSP nominated him, he filed his application for the same in London in the presence of the London High Commissioner.

After a warm farewell in London, he boarded Polish Ocean Liner, MS Batory. He left his education midway. He was more eager to serve the Republic of India and do his best for the country.

While Nath was on his way back, his friends and supporters in Belgaum had already launched the election campaign on his behalf. They were going door to door and requesting the voters to vote for Nath Pai while convincing them how Nath is the apt candidate for them in the election.

Nath got down at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus which was called the Victoria Terminus back then. From there he got a train to Belgaum. The train reached Belgaum after a delay of couple of hours but Nath was welcomed by a huge crowd at the Belgaum train station with shouts of slogans like ‘Socialism Zindabad’ and ‘Nath Pai yancheswagataso’ (a warm welcome to Nath Pai).

Once home, Nath had a meal with the brothers and his mother. His mother narrated to him the incident of how she met Sane Guruji, a senior Gandhi supporter and freedom fighter. Guruji had visited their house in Belgaum in 1949 and Sane Guruji had praised Nath Pai. Sane Guruji had called Nath ‘a diamond’.

The next morning Nath visited the office of Bhimrao Potdar, the congress candidate. Nath had gone there expecting to clear any bitterness between them before he began his election campaign. On the other hand, the congress had already opened a campaign against him. Nath’s kind and gentle demeanour surprised everyone at the Congress office.

The same evening, he was to address an audience as a part of his campaign. As he took to the dais, he could see a large crowd that had children, men and women of all ages. Unlike any other candidate belonging to a certain party and contesting elections, Nath spoke about the real issues that the audience faced and how Socialism will help the country free itself from the clutches of poverty and will bridge the gap between the class and masses, spoke of his desire of building a nation that aimed for the welfare of the common man. Throughout the speech he referred to poetry, philosophy, saint literature and folklore. The audience listened to him in rapt attention. He didn’t launch any personal attacks on the candidates opposite him. This would characterize all his speeches in the future.

Pundalikji Khatgade, a staunch supporter of Congress Party for a long time rallied behind Nath Pai and declared his support for Nath requesting the voters to elect Nath. From the other part of the world, his colleagues and well-wishers from the Labor Party wrote letters of recommendation and support to Nath Pai. In one such letter, Mr. Fenner Brockway, a British Socialist politician, writes,
“You belong to the best party and you are the best person. I can speak of your quality as a person from my own experience. In London you pursued your studies with the only object of serving your people. At the same time, you continued to carry on your work for socialism among the Indian students. You have the ability and the character and I believe your constituents will learn to take pride in you as their representative. Best of fortune to you and the cause.’’

His friends and supporters developed new ways to campaign. As a part of it, the great Marathi writer, P. L. Deshpande who was then a professor at The Rani Parvati Devi College in Belgaum, had written a socio-political satire, ‘Pudhari Pahije’. The satire focused on how an ideal leader should be and what kind of qualities shall the voter look into while electing a candidate. It was performed in the campaign. The campaigners also put loudspeakers on the street corners that would play the then famous Marathi song, ‘Ghanashyam Sundara Shridhara’ from the film Amar Bhupali. The early risers would gather and it would be a sizable crowd in no time. Nath would interact with them and then move forward.

Nath’s public addresses slowly grew popular, and the number of attendants started rising. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru came to Belgaum and spoke for the congress candidate. On 1st January 1952, Nath delivered a speech in English titled ‘Dawn of Socialism’, where he once again highlighted the importance of and the need for socialism if the country is to make progress.

On 24th March 1952, Nath was supposed to give his last address of the campaign. Like all the other meetings prior to this, this one was a success too. P. L. Deshpande also addressed the audience, appealing them to elect Nath. Everyone was positive that Nath would win.

All of them believed that Nath’s oratory skills, his studies of Indian polity and his rootedness would benefit in the election and he would emerge victorious. But after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the caste and class – based equations were on rise. There was a sharp divide between the Brahmins and Non-Brahmins. Such an occurrence proved Nath wrong as he believed that the new, independent India will break free from the old social, casteist structure. Nath had never viewed the world around him through lenses of any caste or class. He believed in unity, he believed in taking everyone along as he walked ahead. But the changing equations of campaigning and electioneering disillusioned him.

And when the final results came in, everyone was in utter disappointment. It was not Nath but B.K. Dalvi, an independent candidate who had won.

After addressing the supporters and telling them not to give up and work harder next time, Nath decided to leave for England and complete his education that he had left midway for this election.

On his return to England, Nath had his focus solely on completing his education that he had left in the middle and within a year he passed his exams of the bar. The long-cherished dream of his and his family had been realized.

In 1954, he enrolled himself in the University of Vienna to write a thesis about ‘the effect of the Upanishadas on German Philosophy’. The city of Vienna was famous for its architectural and historical heritage. It had a rich tradition of western classical music. Its buildings echoed a great past. It was in Vienna, he had met Christine Puchel, a daughter of a high ranking official. The year was 1949. She and Nath had first communicated in English as unlike many Austrians who preferred German, Christl, as she was fondly called by her loved ones, was fluent in English too. Nath had first met her in London and they had become great friends in an instant. When her father met Nath, he was impressed by this driven young man. When Nath was in Vienna, he learnt German pretty quickly and even wrote articles in the daily newspaper.

He also started working for the International Union of Socialist Youth and extensively travelled the rest of Europe promoting and advocating the ideas and values of socialism. Due to his dedication towards socialism and tireless work to spread it, he was made the President of International Union of Socialist youth in 1954 in Copenhagen. Due to the work of the organization, he could not complete his thesis. As a President of this organization, he travelled to countries like Belgium, Holland, Yugoslavia, Germany and Israel. He was especially impressed with the way the then Prime Minister of Israel listened to him with keen interest as he spoke about Socialism, his experiences in the Freedom Movement of India and the Indian Socialist Group in England.

His experiences and travels during this period only intensified his longing for his motherland as he was eager to do his best in building the young democratic nation of India. With this thought in mind, he left England in 1955 and decided that this time he would be going home forever.

Nath arrived in Mumbai and stayed at his cousin V.N. Adarkar’s place at J.J. School of Arts. Here, various relatives, friends and admirers would come and meet Nath. One day, the senior freedom fighter Raosaheb Patwardhan walked in with a garland in his hand. Nath stood up and greeted him. When Raosaheb tried to felicitate him, Nath refused to take the garland across his neck because he believed that going to London in his times was easier than it was when the likes of Lokamanya Tilak and Raja Ram Mohan Roy had gone there and made the case for India’s freedom. He told this to Raosaheb, who wasn’t dissuaded and did put the garland across Nath’s neck.

As he was leaving, Raosaheb moved to Nath again and spoke, “Neither am I Gokhale, nor you a Gandhi, but I would like to tell you the same thing that Gokhale once told Gandhi, get to know the real India, travel all around the country and understand the problems of the people if you wish to work for them.” Nath could understand the truth of his words and the need to reconnect with the people of the country whom he wished to serve.
Nath returned to Belgaum. All his old friends and acquaintances showed up to meet him. Gangadharrao Deshpande, the senior freedom fighter arranged a small get-together to welcome Nath. Everyone he met was eager to know about his travels and Nath narrated accounts of the same for hours together. A judge advised him to take up a few matters in the court and said he can make a lot of money.

Though Nath had studied law and had become a barrister now, he hadn’t achieved this to mint money. He wanted to employ his knowledge and all the worldly experiences in building the nation and serving its people.

When Nath arrived in Belgaum, the state and the region were battling three critical issues and as a driven young satyagrahi, Nath wanted to contribute in resolving these issues. One of the issues was about the liberation of Goa from the clutches of the Portuguese. The other was the inclusion of Belgaum in the state of Maharashtra and the third one was the inclusion of Mumbai in Maharashtra. The battle in Goa against the Portuguese was intensifying. Nath first focused his attention towards this issue.

It was decided that satyagrahis from all over the nation would head out to Goa on 15th August 1955. The then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about his wish to see Goa liberated in his address on the morning of Independence Day. But the Portuguese army that had anticipated large crowds of Satyagrahis heading to Goa in support arrested many noted satyagrahis and their main leaders Nanasaheb Gore and Senapati Bapat on the borders of Goa.

Madhu Dandavate, the secretary of the Goa Vimochan Sahayyak Samiti (GVSS) had 1200 satyagrahis with him when he made his way to Goa but since the entry in Goa was prohibited, he and the satyagrahis walked for days and reached Sawantwadi. Till then the Portuguese police continued their brutal and inhuman atrocities on the satyagrahis. Many of the fighters, who had sustained serious injuries, lost the battle of life. In reflection of such occurrence, the Satyagrahis and GVSS, with the intention to stop the bloodshed and avoid further fatalities, suspended the fight and stepped back.

Though Portuguese police had brutally attacked and severely injured most of the Satyagrahis, the resolve and unity of these freedom fighters had shaken the police as well as the Portuguese. Salazar, the ruler, appealed to international organizations like NATO and accused India of violating the command and sovereignty of Portugal over the region. It was during the same time that Nath Pai, who was President of IUSY, went to Europe and made a case for the liberation of Goa. He was very impressive and could successfully convince his socialist friends about how the Portuguese in Goa were harassing the common folks by suspending their civil liberties. Nath’s friends in the Labour Party even formed a committee and declared their support to the Goans against the Portuguese.

On the other side, in Maharashtra, The Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan (a movement) was fighting against the injustice done to Maharashtra by the Fazal Ali commission when it was decided that the states will be reorganized on the basis of linguistic majority. The commission had stated that since Mumbai had a sizable number of Gujarati speaking population, it should be made either a different state or a union territory. The Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan was fighting for a unified state of Maharashtra with Mumbai as its capital. The congress leaders including the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru weren’t very positive about the demand and the Congress leaders in the state with the likes of S.K. Patil echoed his opinions.

On 6th February 1956, The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was formed with KeshvraoJedhe leading from the front. Important leaders like Shripad Amrut Dange, S. M. Joshi, P. K. Atre, Senapati Bapat rallied their support to this organization.

The fight for Samyukta Maharashtra brought together almost all political parties viz. the Peasants and Workers Party, Communists, Socialists as well as PSP. The native Mumbaikar working class also took to the streets along with these groups. The leaders of these parties and groups launched attacks against Morarji Desai, the Chief Minister of state of Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru and other Congress leaders who were being a hurdle in this fight through articles published in ‘Maratha’, a newspaper run by P.K. Atre.

Since Belgaum also had a large number of Marathi speaking people, the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti demanded that Belgaum should be included in Maharashtra if states were to be reorganized on the basis of the population of speakers of a certain language. Nath Pai would go on to fight this battle for Belgaum’s inclusion in Maharashtra till the dying day.

Nath was playing his role in this movement. Back then, many young men and women from the region of Konkan used to work in the mills in Mumbai. The unions of these workers also took part in the marches and protests for the formation of Samyukta Maharashtra. Nath Pai started organizing and addressing the public meetings at small towns like Kudal, Sawantwadi and also his birthplace, Vengurla. He condemned the attacks of police on the peaceful protesters and slammed the people in power through these speeches. A great number of people would come out to listen to his speeches which he usually delivered in a school or a temple.

The next general elections were declared. The PSP workers like Vasu Deshpande and Jayanand Mathkar felt that Nath Pai should contest the election from South Ratnagiri constituency and their beloved leader, Nath Pai echoed their opinion.

Nath’s family and well-wishers were not really happy about the news. ‘Politics is a mess’, is what they all thought. The candidate against Nath was Moropant Joshi, a senior politician and sitting Member of Parliament from Congress. The public opinion was leaning towards Pai because of Congress’s indecisiveness over the formation of Samyukta Maharashtra. Nanasaheb Gore, a senior politician of PSP who had lost to Joshi in 1952 was a bit concerned about Nath Pai as he did not want to see Nath defeated the second time.

Nath, on the other hand, agreed with the PSP workers who believed that in the wake of Samyukta Maharashtra movement gathering pace, Konkan needed a solid and firm voice to represent it in Delhi. He had plans for the land he was born in. He wanted it to prosper and make a name for itself.

The Praja Socialist Party chose a ‘hut’ as their party symbol for the election. But the fact was, Nath was yet to be a household name. To establish a rapport with his voters, he extensively travelled from one corner to another of his constituency. Nath visited houses and huts of people and also the hamlets of the fishermen. He sat with them, listened to their problems and shared their daily meals whenever offered. He began to strike a chord with the voters who gradually started considering him as one of their own.

The workers of PSP campaigned on a shoestring budget. Sometimes they used a bicycle to travel and at other times they walked till the soles of the chappals worn off. During this period, most of the young population of Konkan lived in Mumbai as the city of dreams had jobs to offer. This young population would send money to their parents or families by money order. In those times Konkan’s economy was termed as ‘Money-order Economy’. Nath Pai spoke to voters of varying age groups with ease and confidence. He emphasized on exercising the right to vote.

All the hard work and travelling and connecting with the voters finally paid. The voters put their faith in this new, 35-year-old socialist who spoke their language; he could explain anything complex in a way they would understand. His devotion and integrity impressed his voters. Nath Pai won the seat of Rajapur against Congress’s Moropant Joshi by a margin of 1.24 lakh votes. He was looking forward to representing his people in the Parliament of this country.

Once in the Parliament, Nath Pai’s objectives were clear. The most important ones were as follows:

• To form a unified Maharashtra and include the Belgaum-Nipani region in Maharashtra which was put into the state of Mysore by the Fazal Ali Commission
• To represent the area of Konkan and make sure to build all the necessary infrastructure and initiate its development.
• To make sure the government makes an effective intervention in the Goa liberation movement.

Back in 1957, Konkan had few amenities and fewer opportunities because there was no industrial area in the region. The means of communication like telegrams and postal offices were scarce. There were only steam boats that took people to Mumbai. There was no railway or highway. The promising young bunch of Konkan had no option but to come to Mumbai in search of their bread and butter.

In his first ever speech in the house, Nath Pai lashed out at the Congress leaders, viz. S.K. Patil and once again highlighted the urgency and necessity of the Samyukta Maharashtra.

In the same speech, throwing light on the defeat of Congress in Mumbai, he said “…Here is a whole state which voted them out of power not because they were ungrateful… This was the verdict that was given to your bullets, your tear gas and your imprisonment. Fifty thousand people were put in prison. This record throws in insignificance some of the blackest deeds of others… Democracy does not function only on the majority of numbers but on the maximum good of the maximum number with the consent of as many as possible. That is the definition of democracy. Not by how many people we can have to vote for us for a course of action in the supreme house of the nation.”

His first ever speech in the Lok Sabha won him a lot of appreciation and admiration. Till then Mr. Hiren Mukherjee was considered one of the best English orators in the house. But after Nath’s speech, even the then deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, Sardar Hukum Singh, rose and walked to him and gave a pat of affection on his shoulder. K. Ishwar Dutt, a critic and scholar wrote an article in ‘The Tribune’ about oratory in Parliament. In that article with the mention of Nath Pai, he wrote,
“For sheer eloquence, none in the P.S.P., perhaps none in the house with possible exception of Mr. Hiren Mukherjee, is the equal of Nath Pai. He sits nonchalantly but when he rises, he is seized with a kind of frenzy which finds an impressive, indeed a striking manifestation in militant utterance or passionate outburst. If the young orator adopts a manner which is not even remotely suggestive of the histrionic, he will become invincible and compel yet greater attention. He has in him the right stuff.”

The speech also left an impact on the Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who was impressed with Nath Pai’s oratory skills and though he belonged to the opposition party, Nehru felt it’s important to hear such a powerful voice of dissent. He sent a note to Pai inviting him for tea. Over the tea, Nehru appreciated Pai and told him to be the voice of the voiceless. Nehru and Pai became friends who had a lot of affection and respect for each other.

Over the next few years, they discussed the defence policies of the country, the labour issues and the foreign policy too. However, their personal bonding was never affected when Nath made serious remarks and pointed out the mistakes in the government’s policy.

In 1957, the Central Government Employees’ Confederation demanded wage revision. The government was indifferent to their demands and protest. In response, the confederation that expected the government to support and fulfil their demands, called an indefinite strike. Nath Pai, who had unparalleled sympathy for the working class, stepped up and decided to lead the confederation and assure them the justice they deserved. With Nath’s consistent and successful efforts to catch the government’s attention, Pandit Nehru agreed to establish a commission that was to look into the grievances and demands of the government employees. This was one of the early victories of Nath Pai and he made his mark.

In August 1957, he delivered a crucial speech on labour rights in the house. In this speech he stated the need to fix the wages for workers in all professions . He further said, “we may give a new look to the trade union movement which may usher in an era of cooperative trade unionism. Both sides must be very honest. I do not want to make allegations when I offer my hand in cooperation… let there be no big stick talk. You cannot go to labour and ask him to cooperate with the big stick in your hand.”

At the end of his first session, Nath was looking forward to going to his constituency and talking to his voters. He considered it very important to tell his voters about the debates and discussions that took place in faraway Delhi. For him, maintaining such honest communication with the people of his constituency was an essential step in strengthening democracy.

When he went to Vengurla, the people and the party workers alike waited and queued up to meet their beloved representative. During such visits he would keenly listen to and note down the various demands that his people made. All of them felt some sort of connection with him. They saw him as one of their kin. Nath would then go to Mumbai and meet the concerned officials to make sure the issues are solved and demands of the common folks are fulfilled. Over the next 14 years, Nath would continue meeting the people of his constituency and giving them all the information of his work in Delhi. As a Parliamentarian and representative, he believed that the people of a representative’s constituency should always ask him the necessary questions because the voters are the custodians of democracy .

The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was winning the by-polls and the elections in ZP and other local governing bodies. The demand for a unified state of Maharashtra was gaining weight. In the border region in the then Mumbai state, people and workers from Belgaum and Nipani were also demanding the integration of Belgaum into Maharashtra. It was in 1946, that the Marathi writer, Gajanan TryambakMadkholkar first raised such a demand from the platform of the All-India literary gathering of Marathi writers. He was the president of that annual gathering. As a result, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti came into existence around 1948.

Nath kept raising the issue of Belgaum on various platforms to get some response, but it was all futile. Prime Minister Nehru did write to him, but it was merely to inform that both the chief ministers of the State of Mysore and Mumbai (then called Bombay) met but there was no solution or conclusion.

Amidst all this, the Samyukta Maharashtra bill was put to discussion in the Parliament in 1959. The demand of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was fulfilled. Mumbai was to be the capital of the new state of Maharashtra and Yashwantrao Chavan, one of the important congress leaders from the state was to be the state’s first chief minister. Chavan negotiated with the state of Gujarat and agreed to include some towns and villages on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border in Gujarat because those villages had Gujarati speaking population in large numbers and in return Mumbai was to be part of Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti raised the point that the same formula can be applied and Belgaum can be included in Maharashtra. But the congress leaders could never reach any clarity on the issue.

Nath, who was also the Secretary of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, led a protest against the injustice of the central government and the Mysore Presidency. The police of Mysore Presidency even came to the villages neighbouring Belgaum and started demanding taxes. The farmers refused to pay the taxes and said they wouldn’t pay any till the region of Belgaum – Nipani was included in Maharashtra. Police used brute force. Nath led marches and protests. A few days later, he was arrested and put behind the bars under sections 341 & 353 of IPC.

Nath’s imprisonment made headlines in the state of Maharashtra and Delhi. He was a notable MP then. He rejected and opposed all the efforts to release him or put him in a special cell only because he was an MP. He was determined to stay together with the rest of the protesters. He was behind the bars for four and half months. During this period, he indulged in his favourite pastime – reading.

The year was 1960 and the promises made to the Confederation of Central Government Employees in response to their demands in 1957 were still unfulfilled. Nath had become a leader of the employees. In July 1960, tired and angry at the government’s negligence and inaction, thousands of employees boycotted work. The government, unhappy with such a reaction, put in effect the Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance to crush the protest through arrest and imprisonment.

In the Parliament, Nehru opened the attack against the protestors by calling the leaders childish and immature. Nath, while speaking in response to the scathing remarks made by Nehru, quoted Sanskrit Shlokas and some excerpts from Nehru’s autobiography. Taking a more personal note from Nehru’s autobiography, Nath referred to the year 1926 when Nehru had showcased his support to the strike called by the British coal workers. Nath said in his speech, “Two images come to my mind… one is that of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the idealist of 1926 who was moved to tears at the plight of the British working class and the other of the Prime Minister of India of 1960 for whom the tearful appeals of his own employees failed to move to do justice. Who is the real Nehru then? The one of 1926 or of 1960?”

Nath further stated that he understands the Prime Minister’s anger towards the strike and the leaders but he should also consider the facts and situations that made the employees call the strike in the first place. Nehru took note of these remarks by this young and bright member of the House.

A few days later, Nath went to Vienna to attend the conference of IUSY. He was in the sixth year as its President. Nath had planned to resign from the post and did so. It was the same year when he married his long-time dear friend Christl in a civil ceremony in Vienna. The couple came back to Mumbai in January 1961 and received a warm welcome. After a simple Indian wedding ceremony, the couple left for Belgaum to meet Nath’s mother who was then bed-ridden due to a stroke paralysis. Tapibai found the name Christl, particularly difficult to pronounce and hence she settled for a much simpler name, Krishnabai. Christl wrote her mother a letter every week since she arrived in India in 1961, till she left permanently for Austria with her sons, a decade later.

After Belgaum the couple left for Delhi. Pandit Nehru had invited this newlywed couple for breakfast. Christl also met Mrs. Indira Gandhi there who was a great host. Nehru and Christl did have a chat about Austria, the winter there and Nehru also spoke about his time as a student in England. Christl was impressed by the garden around the residence. At the end of their meeting, Nehru stated that he wanted Nath to represent India at a conference of Parliamentarians in Moscow which was to be held later that summer. When Nath and Christl walked out of the Nehru residence, Nath mentioned to Christl that Indira will be the successor of Pandit Nehru, a statement that proved to be true later showed his acute awareness of politics.

On 24th May 1961, Nath’s constituency, the Konkan was hit by a cyclone and the damage was huge. The people of Konkan suffered irreversible losses. Trees fell and the houses were shattered. Electric lines had snapped. Telegraph and other mediums of communication were not functioning. There was no accessible and feasible mode of transport for the people of the region. Nath Pai could reach there a couple of days later on 26th May, walked miles and miles, observed the damages, spoke to the people affected by the cyclone. He comforted them. The PSP workers started lifting the trees that had fallen to make way for smooth movement. Around this time, Nath’s health worsened a bit. He was aware of it, but made it to the region of Deobag where the fishing community waited to see him. They had lost almost everything in the cyclone.

Nath took notes and prepared a detailed report on the damages. From there, he went to Mumbai. Once there, he spoke to Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan and every other concerned official and made sure that the people in need from his constituency receive maximum aid and assistance.

On 22nd July 1961, Christl gave birth to a boy at a hospital in Bombay. Nath came later that evening and was very happy to see his son. They named him Anand – a name easier to pronounce for the baby’s Austrian grandparents as well as his Indian grandmother.

On 16th August 1961, Nath made an impactful speech in the Parliament. In the speech, he discussed the way the Central Government handled business with the neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan. In this speech he also mentioned that the growing proximity between China and Pakistan should concern India. Further in the speech, he rightly pointed out that the Pakistani President, Ayub Khan must have thought “Why not try to derive advantage by exploiting deterioration of relations between India and China? Here the Chinese went a very long way in accommodating him. Very strange bedfellows – a Communist regime and a fascist one from the other side. They became bedfellows in order to spite India.’’

Nath also believed that Ayub Khan had launched a hatred campaign against India to distract the citizens of Pakistan from the chaos and unrest within their own country. Throwing light on this, he further said in the speech, “Try to find someone who you can hold responsible if and when everything goes wrong at home. This has been the stratagem of all dictators in every country in all times. With the novelty of his regime fading out, Khan needed a whipping boy and turned to India to direct his hate.”

A few days before this speech, Ayub Khan had mocked Indian leadership and had taken a jibe at them. Nath had a befitting response to it. He said, “What can we say to General Ayub Khan; when he mocks at our leadership, we would like to remind him that had it not been for the struggle led by the Indian leaders, General Ayub Khan would have been a Brigadier clicking his heels before some British commander”

Focusing on a more domestic issue, Nath mentioned the pressing issue of Goa’s liberation from Portugal. Commenting on the inaction and unwillingness by the government to do anything, Nath said, “That behaviour shows acquiescence, passivity and acceptance of defeat. There is a time for proper wrath, anger and expression of that.”11 Nath once again urged the Prime Minister to take a clear and firm stand about the freedom of Goa.

Towards the end of 1961, in December Nehru took a firm stand on the Goa issue and also deployed an army in the direction of Goa. The towns like Sawantwadi and Vengurla turned into bases for the soldiers. A temporary helipad was built in Vengurla. The navy also positioned its battleships along the coast. On December 18, the attack began by land, air and sea. It was named Vijay meaning victory. The Portuguese surrendered after 36 hours of battle. Goa was finally free from the clutches of the Portuguese whose 400-year-long colonial rule had finally come to an end.

The year was 1962; the campaign for the General elections was gaining momentum. The Praja Socialist Party had withdrawn from the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti. Congress had an edge since the State of Maharashtra was formed. In the heat of the campaign, when the Congress leaders could not find anything solid and credible to criticise Nath, they stooped low and mentioned that Nath was an outsider since he was from Belgaum and how he married a European woman which only tells us about how he sees Indians. They tried to put a couple of false statements in Nath’s mouth.

Since Nath believed in fair elections and had respect for the Congress candidate against him, all this irked and saddened Nath and angered the PSP workers. The workers wanted to tear off the posters of the Congress candidate, But Nath stopped them from doing something like that. Nath had faith in his voters and the voters didn’t let Nath Pai down. When the opposing political party indulged in such a dirty game, the common folks became Nath’s ambassadors. Men, women, children, young men, farmers, fishermen everyone stood behind Nath and encouraged everyone around them to vote for Nath.

As a result, Nath won the election of 1962 by a larger margin than the one in 1957. The voters didn’t pay any heed to personal attacks and bad publicity about Nath. The Praja Socialist Party didn’t fare well in other constituencies. The workers were in dual minds. The fading popularity and mediocre results of the party on the National level except the Rajapur constituency, made them consider joining Congress as an option but none of this affected Nath at all . He felt that the three MPs of the party were enough to raise questions in the Lok Sabha.

All the meetings and travelling during the election campaign took a toll on Nath’s health. While returning from Malegaon after stepping up as a lawyer in court for a party worker, Nath felt chest pain. He started sweating and pacing restlessly in the compartment. The next day, in Mumbai he met the MLA, Madhukarrao Choudhary. Nath told him what had happened yesterday on the journey. Choudhary was alert and he called doctors at the nearby GT hospital. The doctors ran some tests only to conclude that Nath had suffered a stroke the previous night. He was transferred to Bombay Hospital. When the news broke Christl came from Delhi with Anand. Shyam also came. Nath’s eldest brother, Anna also came from Pune by an ST bus. Unfortunately, Anna also suffered a stroke and he was also admitted at the same hospital.

A lot of people visited Nath including politicians, party workers, poets and artists. Barrister A.R. Antulay, a member of the Congress government in the state, would come with Tiffin of home cooked food and would sit beside Nath discussing the current matters in the state as well as reminiscing the good old days in England while studying the Bar. Pandit Nehru also was constantly in touch and asked about Nath’s well-being.

On the other end, in September 1962, at the borders of our India, China’s Public Liberation Army had attacked. They had mocked the call of ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’ with this attack. On 20th October, the Chinese army invaded Ladakh and crossed the McMohan line in the North Eastern Frontier Agency. Nath’s worst fears had come true. When India retaliated, they were easily outnumbered. The war lasted a month before China withdrew because of a snowfall in the region which might have closed all getaways for the army. The casualty for India, was around 3000 soldiers and a public mockery of the call for brotherhood, ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’.

This deeply saddened Nath who was helpless and resting at a friend’s apartment after discharge from the hospital. He was one of the foremost opposition leaders, who was constantly drawing attention to the threat that China possessed since 1957. In a debate in the Parliament in 1959, Nehru had argued that guarding the 9000 miles frontier would be too strenuous on the forces and hence should not be guarded. Nath in response had said with sarcasm, “the best is not to guard anywhere so that we can concentrate.”

He was certain that China, a very ambitious nation, was capable of betraying India when the time came and he was sure that someday China would attack India. He had been forewarning the government. The Government, not paying much attention to Nath’s warnings, had excessive faith in the diplomacy and they believed a call for brotherhood would cause a change of hearts, but at last China showed its true colours.

Towards the end of the year, Nath focused on his constituency and travelled to Konkan. The second edition of the Konkan Vikas Parishad was to be held in Vengurla. Nath was the President of this Parishad which was established in 1959 to discuss and design the pathway to Konkan’s development. People from all corners of the region had come for this. Everyone had a demand of their own, better roads, support to farming and fishing, development of ports. Along with these demands, the agenda had one of Nath’s long cherished dreams – the Konkan Railway, a railway line which would connect the region to Mumbai and make travel a lot easier for the working class of Mumbai that had their families in Konkan. Various projects and budgets were discussed. Nath left Konkan for Delhi, with a wish to make the dream a reality.

It was April 1963 and the Parliament was to discuss the defeat from China and the shortcomings of the defence policy. Everyone in the Parliament was eager to listen to Nath Pai present his argument. He had been warning the government regarding such an attack and betrayal since 1959. He said that an unwarranted, unjustifiable, uncalled-for ministerial interference in the daily dealings of the army had led to such a situation that resulted into an attack that caught India unawares. He stated that the lack of a long-term defence strategy had caused such a breach of the borders. He also made a point saying “that there was probably no democracy in the world where the people and the “sovereign Parliament” were deliberately put in the dark about their defence and yet the rest of the world knew about the country’s defence deficiencies. One does feel that the defence minister has been caged, cabined and crippled.”

In a well worded and in-depth argument, he continued lashing out at the Government for ignorance, “Here was the enemy menacing the security of the country. Here we were completely ignoring the writing on the wall. When the hour of trial came, we found the Indian army – a fine fighting unit – an Army about which Czar Alexander spoke: ‘if only I could possess the Indian army for a few years, say three years, I could conquer the whole world. That is what he has said; but what has happened under the new dispensation in free India under this fine unit?… the first time it drew its sword in the defence of India it was subjected to the humiliation of a crushing blow of defeat. Why? Who is responsible for it? The simple reason is: there was no clothing; there were no shoes, there was no ration; there were no arms; there was no ammunition; there was no transport; there was no communication.”

He concluded this speech saying, “Let us not forget one sad lesson of our history. Time and again, an invader has come, taken us by surprise, inflicted a crushing blow on this country and gone back. Timur, Chengiz Khan, Mohammad Bin Kassim are all sad reminders of the same chapter… Our political leadership and our military command must try to prove themselves worthy of our brave jawans and of this great nation.”16 the speech received a great applause.

Following the defeat by China, Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon, a close aide to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had stepped down and Yashwantrao Chavan, first Chief Minister of Maharashtra took Menon’s portfolio. Nath Pai continued to lash out at the central government for the shortcoming and lapses in the defence sector and said that its lack of preparedness had caused the shameful defeat. Once again slamming the government and its diplomacy, Nath stated, “they were the victims of their own slogan. They were prisoners of their preferences and prejudices. They were paralysed by their pusillanimity, they were hypnotised by their credulity, by their gullibility. It was the failure of the political leadership from which flow our military failures. These military failures were inescapable corollaries of the political myopia and jaundice from which our leadership was suffering. The government had no military appreciation of the danger, of the challenge from China.”

But over the last year, Nath’s addresses and speeches in the Parliament over the defence matters were more than just allegations and pointing out mistakes. On the contrary, he would also incorporate a few suggestions regarding the safety and security of the regions close to our sensitive borders. And in the past while congress leaders refused to take the suggestions or rejected the presence of shortcomings, Mr. Chavan was very much open to suggestions.

While addressing Mr. Chavan, the defence minister, he said, “For too long we have neglected the Himalayan Belt. Now we must try to infuse new light and new spirit. The people in that area must not be treated as we have tended to treat them so far.’’18 Nath also suggested that India should always keep sizable divisions of Army ready to combat.

In a speech throwing light on the difference of thought and approach of India and its enemies, he rightfully pointed, “You and I believe and worship at the shrine of Buddha and of Krishna. The enemy believes that power speaks through the barrel of the gun and that war is a continuation of polities by other means. He worships at the shrine of Clausewitz and Machiavelli”

It was the first time after the liberation of Goa that elections were going to take place in December 1963 in Goa. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was established with the objective to integrate Goa into Maharashtra. Mr. Bhausaheb Bandodkar was the leader of the party. He was well known to the people of Goa. He was one of the leading men who had fought for the freedom of Goa. The people who leaned to the Portuguese side as well as the ambassadors of Goa’s freedom came together and formed the United Goans Party. The Congress Party was confident of winning the said elections with a thumping majority in the Union Territories. Mr. Purushottam Kakodkar was pretty certain that he would be the Chief Minister. The Praja Socialist Party had a conversation with Bhausaheb Bandodakar and decided that the Party will support the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Nath Pai and S.M. Joshi were leading the dialogue from the front. The inclusion of Goa in Maharashtra was to be the talking point of the election. Praja Socialist Party had two seats in the legislative assembly of the state and one for the Lok Sabha.

The campaigning began and the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party had star campaigners viz. Nath Pai, Nanasaheb Gore and S.M. Joshi. The senior Congress leaders came to Goa and campaigned for their candidates. Eventually the people of Goa chose Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party. Peter Alvares was elected for the Lok Sabha. Praja Socialist Party won two seats. Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party won 14, United Gomantak won 12 and Congress won just one seat and that too in Diu-Daman.

Mr. Bhausaheb Bandodkar did not contest the election, but Nath felt that it was necessary that Bhausaheb becomes the Chief Minister if Goa is to be merged in Maharashtra. He convinced Bhausaheb to take the charge as the Chief Minister. It was necessary for Bhausaheb to get elected to the legislative assembly in order to be the Chief Minister. One of the party’s MLA resigned and Bhausaheb contested from his seat. The results were no surprises to anyone, Bhausaheb won and became the first Chief Minister of Goa.

On 27th May 1964, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru passed away. His sad demise shook the nation. Nath was saddened by the news of the death of Nehru. Irrespective of their political differences, Nath and Pandit Nehru shared a bond of mutual respect and affection. Nehru called Nath, a gentleman politician. It was Lal Bahadur Shastri who was nominated to be the next Prime Minister of the country by the members of the Congress party. Nath held Shastriji in high regard. He considered Shastriji to be a brave man.

While paying tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the Parliament, Nath Pai said, “The crown of leadership in a democracy is a heavy crown of thorns. In India, this crown of thorns had been worn for 18 long years by a colossus for such was Nehru. The void left by the departure of this unusual man will not be easy to fill. Gandhi gave us faith in our salvation, in our emancipation, in our redemption, But Nehru gave us faith in democracy, in moulding the future by our own hands, in being masters in our own lands and how great it is.”

In August 1965, the Pakistani soldiers stepped onto the Indian soil dressed as Kashmiri locals. They had come with an aim to capture the town of Akhnoor. While retaliating the Indian soldiers crossed the borders on western front signalling the beginning of a war. In the war India lost around 3000 of its soldiers.

Much before this, in March of the same year, Nath had declared that Pakistan had captured the area in Kutch. He had said “Though the House, as usual, has not been taken into confidence and told the bitter truth, Pakistan has only in recent past, grabbed 18,000 sq. acres in Kutch.”21 The government did not respond immediately to this but confessed around 9 days later that what Nath had told the House was indeed true.

Nath believed that when an enemy strikes, we should retaliate at a place that’s suitable for us which might not always be the place of the origin of the battle. To substantiate his stand, he said to the House, “From Alexander and Mao Tse Tung, India fought the enemy on her soil. An effective way to outsmart the enemy is to take the fight to their land. If Pakistan attacks Kashmir, take the battle to Lahore.” Suggestions such as this, did not go well with the leaders and ministers in the government, but Prime Minister Shastri listened to him with keen attention.

On 10th January 1966, the Tashkent agreement was signed between the warring nations and the war had ended. But the relief of the end of war was short lived. A day later, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkent. Within a week, on 19th January 1966, Indira Gandhi became the next Prime Minister of India.

Nath and Christl went to meet Lalitadevi Shastri to offer their condolences. She told them that a few Congress leaders had approached her with the request to contest elections because they thought they would benefit from the sympathy, but she had refused. Lalitadevi said that Shastriji had a strong dislike for dynasty politics and also would not have liked using his name for gains. Nath was quite impressed by her firm stand. On the way out from their residence, Nath said to Christl, “If you are ever offered to contest elections after my death, think of what Lalitadevi had said.”

In 1966, the demand for integration of the Belgaum – Nipani area into the state of Maharashtra started gaining momentum again. They claimed that various villages in the Mysore Presidency (Present day Karnataka) neighbouring the area of Belgaum and Nipani had a large share of Marathi speaking population. Hence under the principle of reorganization of states based on linguistic provinces, these villages deserve to be a part of Maharashtra. In May 1966, the legislators who were part of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) resigned from their posts to highlight the mistreatment from the authority. Nath led a delegation of the members to meet the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and other ministers , but unfortunately the Belgaum issue hadn’t reached a solution yet.

On 20th May 1966, senior freedom fighter Senapati Bapat, the President of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, B. R. Sukhatankar and other workers called an indefinite hunger strike. Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi met Bapat and Sukhatankar. As a seasoned politician, she promised to solve the Belgaum issue in a peaceful manner and requested them to end the hunger strike, but she did not give any timeline or concrete steps in which she was going to do so and Bapat felt that the promises she made were vague and decided to continue with the hunger strike.

Just a day later on 22nd May, Senapati Bapat’s health started deteriorating and everyone grew concerned. Nath Pai told this to the government and leaders like Vasantrao Naik and Yashwantrao Chavan met Bapat at the odd hour of the midnight requesting him to call off the strike but the leaders had no resolution to offer.

On 25th May Indira Gandhi was to be in Pune. She called up Nath to be there and discuss the issue of Belgaum and the current hunger strike by Senapati Bapat. Nath told Mrs. Gandhi about the necessity for her to intervene and also about Bapat’s deteriorating health. After the discussion the Prime Minister declared that one member committee composed of Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan would look into the issue of Belgaum. The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik announced the same and the indefinite hunger strike was called off.

The Mahajan Commission was set up and the MES workers were awaiting its recommendations. On 1st November that year, the man who had been on an indefinite hunger strike for Belgaum’s integration into Maharashtra, Senapati Bapat was to address an audience. In his address at Samyukta Maharashtra Chowk Bapat spoke about the hunger strike. He also had words of appreciation for the mediator between Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti and the central as well as state government, Nath Pai. He said, “there is no comparison to the service Nath did during my fast-unto-death. It is because of Nath’s relentless work on this issue in Delhi, in Parliament, in Mumbai and Belgaum that the subject is still alive. He is among the promising leaders of the future.”

The fourth general elections were declared to be held in 1967. The workers of Praja Socialist Party quickly got to work and the walls and compounds of people’s homes, of schools and buildings were full of slogans supporting their beloved MP, Nath Pai.

Though the excitement and enthusiasm said otherwise, the ground reality differed. Nath’s health has been speedily deteriorating. He had suffered a stroke but nothing seemed to slow him down. The party funds were next to none. The party was barely surviving and on the other hand, Congress had more than enough funds. But the people in Nath’s constituency and the PSP workers opened their hearts and homes for the party and to make sure that they make their best efforts to get Nath elected. Nath’s long-time colleague and close aide Vasu Deshpande’s home became an election office.

There was too much poverty in the Konkan belt then. Though Nath’s voters couldn’t provide money, they simply offered what they could – water, jaggery, tea leaves and ladoos to the campaigners. People gathered wherever Nath spoke. Nath also listened to the woes of his voters and tried his best to come up with a solution. He spoke in the local dialect, Malvani, which helped him develop a strong bond with the natives.

In his speeches, Nath would always discuss the national level matters and educate his voters about various problems that India faced as well as what the country achieved. He spoke about the wars with China and Pakistan respectively and also about the devaluation of Indian currency.

Nath’s efforts had paid off. He won the election the third consecutive time. He won by a margin of around 1,20,000 votes. In his hometown, he almost scored a one-sided victory getting 35,000 votes out of the total 40,000 votes. Rajapur was the only seat that the Praja Socialist Party managed to win in Maharashtra.

The hectic schedule of the election took a toll on Nath’s health who only a few days after the result, he had to be hospitalized. He was at Willingdon Hospital in Delhi. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and almost every other important leader of Congress paid him a visit at the hospital. His sharp criticism of the government’s policies never became an issue when it came to Nath’s personal relationships with the members of the Parliament. Though admitted and stuck on a hospital bed, Nath was keeping track of the various matters in Parliament and around the country. Christl, who was now expecting their second child, was with him at the hospital.

On 11th March 1967, the couple, Christl and Nath were blessed with a baby boy. They named him Dilip, after the great emperor and ancestor of Lord Ram.

In February 1967, the Supreme Court made a crucial judgement stating that the fundamental rights would be excluded from the Parliament’s right to amend the constitution. This meant that the Parliament would not be able to abridge the fundamental rights if the need arose because the court feared that if the Parliament was given limitless power, it would lead to an authoritarian rule.

Nath was taken aback by this judgement, he believed that the legislature is supreme because the Lok Sabha has representatives of the people elected and trusted by the people to run the government. Nath religiously studied the constitutions of other countries while trying to find something that would help him assert his argument about the supremacy of the Parliament.

On 7th April Nath introduced a private member’s bill which argued that the Parliament could amend any provision from the constitution. He spoke in favour of it at length referring to the constitutions of various countries and quoting great lawmakers. A joint committee chaired by R.K. Khadilkar. The witness in this committee was Nani Palkhivala, the same man who had debated Nath a few months earlier at the convocation hall of Mumbai University. Palkhivala echoed the feelings of the Supreme Court saying that giving unrestricted power to the Parliament will have its unwanted effects. Therefore, the bill did not pass, it was dropped. However, Palkhivala admired Pai and thought that a leader of Pai’s stature was pretty rare to find. Substantiating his stand in front of the committee, he had said, “If somebody asks ‘Can you trust the representatives who will come 15 years later? My answer would be ‘I do not know’… People like the honourable members here are not going to be here for all the time to come. You don’t have a Nath Pai every day.”

On 18th July 1967, Nath participated in yet another debate over the country’s foreign policy and yet again Nath lashed out at the government. In his speech, he said, “Our power to influence the course of events is negligible and our standing as a force for peace and justice is at its lowest. We have an External Affairs Ministry or a foreign ministry but we do not have a worthwhile foreign policy… We have innumerable fair-weather friends but we do not have any allies in adversity. Taken in its totality, it is a dismal, depressing and disheartening picture.”

He further commented on how India decides to take a stand as a nation which is in complete contrast to the aim of the non-alignment movement which was supposed to let India take sides on the basis of a situation. He said, “When we are in Moscow, we are the votaries of Russia, we will denounce the bombing in Vietnam but when we are in Washington, we will sympathise with Mr. Johnson’s predicament and will agree with the necessity of bombing.”

The Belgaum issue started making headlines again. The Mahajan Commission had submitted its report. It had stated that Belgaum shall be retained in Karnataka while they should integrate some villages in the border area into Maharashtra. The report of the Commission was put on the table for debate. The recommendations had already made Nath furious.

He stated, “A report can be shelved but the dispute is not shelved; the dispute remains with us and the dispute cannot be put under carpet; the dispute has to be resolved. We cannot allow such disputes to go on vitiating and embittering the relations between the people.” He urged the Parliament to come up with a solution. He further said, “They should not go on pointing to Mysore and Maharashtra. The whole responsibility of the government is now clear. If the central government feels that fissiparous tendencies have got to be checked then it is the time, they showed courage.”28 The then Home Minister of India, Yashwantrao Chavan responded that the government will consult the members of different parties and will try and reach a consensus on this.

The year was 1969. Nath’s health was consistently deteriorating. Refusing to listen to Christl and other close friends, Nath continued working tirelessly. He was in Mumbai to attend the fourth edition of Konkan Vikas Parishad, a convention established to highlight and resolve various developmental issues of the region of Konkan. The Parishad was established in 1959. Irrespective of his frail health, Nath wanted to attend this convention and address the audience because he felt that it was his duty towards Konkan and its people.
Since the first edition Nath had been consistently urging the leaders in the state government to give the economy of Konkan a boost with significant investment in Cashew, Fisheries and building a railway line that would connect the hilly area to the economic hub and capital of the state. He even had plans to establish a Development Authority for the region. But over the years Nath had experienced negligence towards Konkan and its issues by the Government. He experienced that the leaders in the government discriminated when it came to providing Konkan with funds or amenities while the Western Maharashtra received all the benefits of the government’s developmental policies.

The fourth edition of the convention was taking place in Mumbai and Shirodkar Hall, the venue was flooding with people who had come to listen to Nath . Dr. Dhananjay Gadgil, an economist and the then vice chairman of the Planning Commission inaugurated the convention. Mr. CD Deshmukh was also present. When it was Nath’s turn to speak, looking at his health, the dignitaries felt he should speak sitting in the chair, but Nath listened to none and rose to speak. While referring to the fact that Konkan was a land where many great souls are born, he said, “I am lucky to be born in the land of Savarkar, Tilak, Ambedkar and Sane Guruji.” He concluded the long speech saying, “if God is happy with me in this lifetime and allows me to choose my next birth, I want to be reborn in Konkan again.”

The Konkan Railway – a railway line connecting the region to Mumbai was Nath’s mission, his dream. He strongly believed that the railway line will bring better connectivity, employment and economic prosperity to the region. He knew it would bring development to the region. With every opportunity he got, he would urge the Central Government to understand the importance of a railway line in the region. In one of such addresses, he said, “The region is extremely rich in every type of mineral wealth, its export potential is unprecedented. Strategically it is imperative that there should be a railway line from Bombay to Goa because that is a vulnerable region.’’

The then railway minister, Gulzarilal Nanda had taken Nath seriously and as per his orders the survey for the Apta- Mangalore line was undertaken. Nath was relieved to know this. His dream was a step closer to being a reality. When the members in the House from Mysore and Mangalore realized that such a railway line would also be beneficial for not only the coastal area of Maharashtra, but that of Goa and Karnataka too, they supported Nath’s proposal for such a railway line and the Government had to take it into serious consideration.

It was 1970. Nath was to speak at an august gathering of writers, poets and artists in Mahabaleshwar. It was the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. Nath was invited to inaugurate the event and deliver a keynote address. Nath’s dear friend and the great Marathi poet, B.B. Borkar was the chairperson. It was rare to find such a seasoned MP at such a gathering. Lakshmanshastri Joshi, a senior writer and a Sanskrit scholar of great repute had insisted Nath to come and inaugurate the event. Nath who had a liking for literature, art and poetry, was a great admirer of the creative minds.

At the gathering, Nath spoke at length about the role of politicians and the role of artists in the building of the nation. In his address he highlighted the geographical and historical importance of Konkan by mentioning how Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha King built most of his forts in Konkan as well as western Maharashtra.

He also shed light on his expectations from writers. He said, “Not a demand for a Nobel Prize for Marathi literature because our literature and poetry are so accomplished and extensive that one Nobel Prize will not do justice to it. But contemporary writers must aim to create memorable writings that will spur social reform. Maharashtra has seen the maximum number of riots and strife; our independence and sovereignty is under threat. If this continues, all that we hold as sacred and worship will collapse. Our new generation must be free of ignorance, our sovereignty must be protected and as writers, you have a crucial role to play. Your writings must encourage intellectual and cultural development, your works must inspire and motivate, they must challenge and educate and as you do through the vastness of Marathi literature, we will gladly learn and follow.”

In December 1970, Nath Pai was to address an adhiveshan (Convention) of the leaders of the Praja Socialist Party at Sakharwadi. Prime minister Indira Gandhi had dissolved the lower house of Parliament and the fifth Lok Sabha election was scheduled in 1971. Nath Pai criticised the step taken by the prime minister to dissolve the lower house of the Parliament and expressed concern on how this would impact the nation’s politics in near future. He was speaking in Marathi, English and Hindi to an audience full of PSP workers. He spoke at length about the importance of elections and how the votes can change the fate of a nation. He said, “ In an election, the challenge is equally faced by the candidate, the electorate and Indian democracy. Elections are a time of churning and learning, not just for the masses but for political leaders, parties and candidates.’’

Further in his address he said to voters, “the basic right to decide your destiny through a ballot paper is not a favour or charity done by somebody. You have to direct the candidates through this ballot paper. In a true sense, a deeper sense those who fight elections are the people themselves and they have to decide everything. The upcoming elections will raise several questions and among them are the pertinent ones – what is the place of our people in the country? Is there anyone superior to the people? Is there anyone above the people? Sovereignty resides in the people, emanates from the people and originates from the people. The representatives of the people are the trustees of this sovereignty.”

To conclude his 50-minutes-long address, he said, “You have a big responsibility to fulfil but how will you do this? Do not do this as just an observer; vote as you own this country; to build the future of our nation. It is with this determination and confidence that people of Maharashtra and India must vote during the upcoming elections.” His speech was met with a grand applause.

The elections were just around the corner. There was scarcity of funds. Once again, Nath was honest to his supporters, party workers and voters and people reached out to him with whatever they could provide. Nath was pretty moved by what people had to offer. He advised party workers not to accept jewellery or any of the precious belongings from the people if they offer for the funds of the campaign. When Mama Alve, a senior party worker from Kankavli offered Nath the jewellery of his wife, Nath politely refused saying he simply cannot accept it.

On 16th January 1971, Nath was to attend the inaugural function of the festival of Dashavatar, a form of folk theatre originated in the area of Konkan. Nath had an affection for the art form. The said festival was organized to raise funds for a school in a village of Chowke in the tehsil of Malvan. The three-day festival was happening at the suburb of Paral, in the heart of Bombay where lived many of the mill workers who were originally from Konkan. Nath had donated his salary for one month and had told the principal to not disclose his name.

Nath had grown up watching the performances and shows of the Dashavatara, which was a mixture of myth and folk and stories of kings told through music, dance and colloquial dialogues. Nath had travelled from Rajapur amidst the preparations for the upcoming election only to show his love for the folk theatre from his land of birth. Nath spoke at this event, taking the audience on a trip down his memory lane. The PSP workers as well as his admirers in the crowd cheered and shouted. Nath sat through the function and enjoyed a couple of performances.
In the last few years, there were ups and downs in Nath’s health. It was deteriorating speedily but nothing could stop Nath. He was very much motivated and driven to work harder and more for his people.

After the event when he reached his cousin ShrirangAdarkar’s place he looked frail and tired. He had to be in Belgaum the very next day to speak at the Martyrs’ Day event. The day was observed in memory of the people who gave up their lives for Belgaum’s integration into Maharashtra. Nath’s friend and PSP worker, SadanandVarde decided to stay with him that night. Nath could not sleep the whole night. Nath had been ignoring all the signals of his body. He was ready to face death in the line of duty if it ever comes.

On his way to the Mumbai airport, Varde accompanied him. When he saw Dr. H.T. Tulpule, an eminent cardiologist at the airport, Varde was relieved. Dr. Tulpule examined Nath and advised Nath to get admitted to the hospital, to which Nath refused. Nath, as usual, was quite adamant. Dr. Tulpule called a colleague Dr. Narde who lived near the airport and told him to bring the emergency medicine. Unfortunately, Dr. Narde could not reach on time because the roads to the airport were blocked as a fleet of cars carrying the Prime Minister was expected.

Nath reached Belgaum. His brother, Bhau Pai and his close aide, Dr. Anantrao Yalgi noticed Nath’s failing health at the airport itself and told him to rest a while. As the evening approached, he was very much looking forward to attending the event and addressing the audience. The day earlier the doctors had told him to speak for a maximum of 10 minutes and that he should sit and speak. But as he took to the dais and saw the audience in front of him, Nath just forgot everything and began his address. Whenever he was stopped by a cough, he would take a sip of water and continue. Towards the end of his speech, he clarified that the battle for Belgaum is not between the languages or against the state of Karnataka. He said, “We have no animosity towards the people of Karnataka or their language. We are opposed to their politicians and their unreasonable and unfair demands. I am confident that I will be able to influence the Parliament in favour of Maharashtra because history has shown that eventually justice and ethics always win. I salute you all for the fight you have put up so far.”

As Nath stepped down from the dais, he said to others with him, “I am freed from the debt of Belgaum today.”
He slept that night only to wake up around midnight. He was restless and profusely sweating. Dr. Anantrao Yalgi slept by his side. He woke Dr. Yalgi up and told him what he felt. Dr. Yalgi and Dr. G. R. Kulkarni, the noted cardiologist of Belgaum, urgently started the treatment. Nath Pai kept telling the doctors to make him feel better because he was to go to Vengurla the next day from where he was supposed to launch his election campaign. But the treatment proved to be futile and Nath Pai breathed his last on 12.46 am on 18th January. The freedom fighter, the beloved MP of the people of his constituency, the Parliamentarian par excellence, a gifted orator was no more.

Christl and the sons flew in from Delhi. Christl had brought Nath’s favourite roses from their garden. The people everywhere mourned the death of Nath Pai. The people of Konkan were shattered. Irrespective of their ages, everyone cried at this sad news. In the days that followed Christl could only understand what Nath meant to not only the people of his constituency but every other person as well as the leaders across parties.

The members of the Parliament had warm and affectionate words in memory of Nath. The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi paid a moving tribute to Nath Pai. She said, “Shri. Nath Pai was a personal friend not only of yours, Mr. Speaker, but perhaps of every member in the House. He was one of those rare beings whose sensitivity was in no way blunted by the rough and tumble of politics. His conscientiousness shone, through his eloquent and impassioned advocacy of the people’s causes. His intellect and interest covered a wide range. His was a questing spirit which yearned for justice for all. But above all he was a very warm-hearted and sincere person of great charm who made a very special place for himself in our political life and here in the Lok Sabha through sheer dint of ability and hard work. He had a great future before him. He has left a void in Parliament which cannot be filled.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was then a member of the Jan Sangh said in his tribute, “It is hard to imagine the Lok Sabha without Nath Pai… In his heart he carried the fire of patriotism and his soul was filled with compassion, a dedication to human rights. He was someone who was always ready for sangharsh… His speeches left people spellbound; he was a magician with words…”

As expected, Christl was soon approached and requested to contest election on PSP’s ticket but she politely refused staying true to the word given to her husband years ago. Finally, it was Madhu Dandavate, a professor of Physics and Nath’s companion from the Goa liberation movement days, who got elected from Nath’s constituency.

Christl and the sons moved back to Vienna, where she took up a job at the India Tourism Office. This position was specially created by the then government of India led by Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The job ensured that her ties with India were not broken. She maintained contact with the friends and relatives in India on a regular basis. She last visited India in 2005. Christl passed away in Vienna on 21st January 2018.