Rajendra Pawar writes emotional post to son Rohit Pawar amid MPSC protest: 'Fight, the struggle is firm'

As the protest by MPSC aspirants continues in Pune, MLA Rohit Pawar is facing criticism from his opponents. Against this backdrop, his father Rajendra Pawar, chairman of the Baramati Agricultural Development Trust, has written an emotional post on social media that is being widely discussed. Beginning with the words "Tera sahara baap" (your support is your father), he reminded his son of the struggle and advised him to face the challenges of politics.

Rajendra Pawar wrote in the post that he had slept on the road with Rohit Pawar during an MPSC agitation. Opponents have repeatedly levelled the charge that Rohit Pawar was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Rajendra Pawar has tried to rebut this by setting out his family's struggle and social work in the post.

He wrote, "In 1954, my father Appasaheb Pawar took up a job at a salary of Rs 110. He worked for 25 years and spent the remaining 25 years on social work for farmers." In this context he mentioned work done in Maharashtra to introduce crossbred cows, spread drip irrigation and promote allied occupations for farmers. He also said the Centre honoured Appasaheb Pawar's social contribution with the Padma Shri.

Writing about his own struggle, Rajendra Pawar said that in 1978 he went to the United States to study with only $500. He was not swayed by the glitter there, he wrote, and returned to Maharashtra to take up farming. According to him, he ran ventures for farming, social organisations and farmers, including silage, Krishik and contract farming in poultry.

On Rohit Pawar's journey, Rajendra Pawar wrote that after finishing college, instead of merely taking a job himself, he built an enterprise and gave employment to thousands of rural youths. He also recounted an incident from childhood. Rohit used to go with friends to a stream to catch fish and crabs, and would put his hand into a burrow without stopping to think whether it belonged to a snake or a crab.

Citing that courage, he writes, "You are in politics now. If a poisonous snake of politics ever bites you, be ready to digest the poison, and have the courage to pull out its fangs as well!" He ended with a message to his son: "Fight, the struggle is firm. Do not do politics for yourself; make gold of the generations of thousands of youths and of the poor."

Coming in the midst of the MPSC agitation, the post is not being seen merely as a father's advice to his son. It is also being read as a message that strengthens Rohit Pawar's political struggle.