Prime Minister V. P. Singh | Name Madhu Dandavate | |
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Books Jayaprakash Narayan, the Man and His Ideas | ||
Madhu Dandavate (21 January 1924 – 12 November 2005) was an Indian politician.
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Career
After completing his M.Sc. Physics from Royal Institute of Science, Mumbai, he worked as a Physicist and was also the Vice principal, head physics department Siddhartha College of Arts and Sciences, Bombay
Political career
He was an active independence activist from Ahmednagar. He participated in Quit India Movement in 1942 and was jailed. He wa the leader passive resistance Goa campaign in 1955. He was als a participant Samyukta Maharashtra Movement Formation Maharashtra State.
He was a member of Praja Socialist Party, and since 1948 chairman Maharashtra unit. Later also served as joint secretary All-India Praja Socialist Party. He was active leader of the Land Liberation Movement, 1969. During 1970-71 he was member of Maharashtra Legislative Council. From 1971 to 1990 he was an M.P., elected to the Lok Sabha for 5 times consecutively from Rajapur in Konkan, Maharashtra. He was one of the prominent opposition leaders when Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were the Prime Ministers.
He was arrested during the emergency for 18 months spending time in Banglore jail and later Yerwada jail at Pune.
He was the Minister for Railways in the Morarji Desai Ministry. He initiated an improvements in second-class railway travel for passengers by replacing the wooden berths with berths consisting of two inches foam. He was also the Finance minister in the cabinet of V. P. Singh. He actively campaigned for the Konkan Railway and is considered one of its founders. He was also the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission in 1990 and again from 1996 to 1998. He was known for his probity in public life.
He was also the president of 'All India Life Insurance Employees Association' (AILIEA), a non-political association of LIC employees, for 24 years till his death.
Personal life
Dandavate was married to Pramila Dandavate, who was also prominently involved in the Socialist movement in India. She was the member of 7th Lok Sabha after winning the 1980s general election from Mumbai North Central constituency. She died on 31 December 2001 after a heart attack.
Madhu Dandavate died on 12 November 2005 in Mumbai after prolonged illness at the age of 81. As per his wish, his body was donated to J. J. Hospital in Mumbai. Former Prime Minister of India, V. P. Singh observed; "Even in death he served the country and the mankind by donating his body, and he has left only friends and no enemy.".