Residents of remote Dare Tam village in Maharashtra’s Satara district raised ‘gudis’ (traditional flags), usually erected on Marathi New Year in March-April, after Eknath Shinde took oath as chief minister. But, seeing as he is one of their own, residents are hopeful that he will bring development: better infrastructure and a desire that students would no longer have to cross the river to attend school after Class 6.
Shinde’s village in the western part of the state erupted in celebrations as the Shiv Sena strongman was appointed chief minister after leading a successful rebellion to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.
Mostly seen as a grassroots politician who rose from Thane near Mumbai, Shinde belongs to Dare Tam located on the banks of Koyna river, around 300 km from the state capital. Before his family moved to the big city to earn a better living, the 58-year-old leader had completed his education from this village.
All the village residents want now is to see quicker development. As the urban development minister in the Uddhav-led cabinet, Shinde had ensured that some development works were implemented in the village, a resident said but expressed a hope that the local school will be to Class 12.
“The moment Shinde saheb’s name was announced as the next CM, people started celebrating. Sweets were distributed, gulal was smeared on each other’s faces, coconuts were offered to the village deity, aarti was performed and slogans were shouted in his support,” said Ganesh Utekar, a local resident and Sena functionary.
“We also installed gudis on top of our houses and made rangolis outside. We are very happy that our ‘dada’ has become CM,” a woman said.
After he rebelled along with several Sena MLAs, people in the village had prayed to the local deity and performed ‘abhishek’ ritual to ensure that hurdles in his way were removed.
One of the residents said there is a need for better roads and other infrastructure, while a woman said the children have to cross the river to attend high school after they pass Class 6.
(With PTI inputs)
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