Aurangabad, Aug 15 (PTI) The writings of renowned Marathi poet and lyricist late Namdev Dhondo Mahanor were largely centred around farmers and their problems, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar in central Maharashtra’s Aurangabad city on Tuesday.
The poet-lyricist, popularly known as Na Dho Mahanor, was also a farmer and served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. He died on August 3 in a Pune hospital at the age of 81.
Mahanor’s speeches delivered in the Council during his tenure were like a guide for new members of the Upper House, Pawar said while paying tributes to the late poet.
The former Union minister was speaking at a condolence meeting organized by the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre (Aurangabad) for Mahanor in the Mahatma Gandhi Mission University campus here.
“The writings, poems and articles of Na Dho Mahanor were centred around farmers, their issues and crops. The speeches that Mahanor gave in the Legislative Council when he was its member must be read by new legislators,” he said.
During his speech, Pawar narrated an anecdote related to the Padma Shri recipient.
“Once I asked Mahanor to come with me to the United States of America. While giving an affirmative reply, Mahanor added a condition — he wanted to first-hand see farming in the US. Mahanor went there and studied farming, its economics. At the same time I had to convince Mahanor to change is attire (for US trip). After telling him repeatedly, he called a tailor and made him stitch some trousers and shirts for the tour,” recalled the NCP patriarch.
As a farmer, Mahanor was an ardent promoter of water conservation measures, said the former Union agriculture minister.
“Mahanor was very much concerned about water conservation. Palaskheda, his native village (in Aurangabad district), is located in a rain deficient area where there is a need to preserve every drop of water. He always use to speak about it,” said Pawar. PTI AW RSY
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