29 April,2011 08:37 AM IST | | Varun Singh
Journalists and leaders pay their respects to former Sena MP Narayan Athavale after he passed away yesterday at the age of 78
With the demise of Narayan Athavale, politics has lost a principled man, with the ability to think out of the box.
Yesterday, the former Shiv Sena member, passed away after a brief illness. Athavale (78), a senior journalist and editor of Marathi daily Gomantak was also an author. His book on social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was widely appreciated. Athavale also actively participated in the Goa Liberation Movement in the late 1950s and contributed to several social causes.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said, "Athavale's work could not be doubted. He was an excellent orator and a writer. I am sad and shocked by his sudden death. On behalf of the entire Shiv Sena, I pay him my respects."
And it wasn't just Shiv Sena members who were grieving his loss. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also paid his respects. He said, "We have lost an aggressive journalist and writer. He has contributed a lot to the field of politics and society."
Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal also expressed grief. "Not only has journalism lost a prized journalist, but on a personal level I have lost my close friend. Even though his stint in the Parliament was short-lived, he raised pertinent issues such as the Karnataka and Maharashtra border issue." While many will miss the leader for his intellectual arguments, there are others who will miss his brand of fiery journalism.
Recounting his time with Athavale, former editor and present Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut, said, "Athavale was the bravest and most daring journalist. He wrote path-breaking articles on various issues. Since his ideologies did not match with those of Loksatta, he wrote a book Prabhanjanu00a0-- a milestone in Marathi journalism."
Raut also added that it was Athavale who inducted him into journalism and was always in favour of young reporters. "One thing that will strike me about Athavale was his sense of dressing. He was always seen in shirts with floral prints and dark colours," added Raut.
Kumar Ketkar, senior journalist and former editor of Loksatta, said that he knew Athavale for 35 years and commended him for his fearless writing. "Even though, I didn't have the same views as Athavale, I respected him. He believed in the saffron ideology and although he didn't subscribe to the Sena's communal ideology, he believed in their Marathi manoos philosophy."
Commenting on his stint in politics, Ketkar added, "He wasn't successful at politics, as he believed in calling a spade a spade." In his last days, Athavale steered clear of politics and spent a quite life. In 1996 during the Lok Sabha elections, Athavale won from the Mumbai North Central Constituency and then lost it to Ramdas Athavale in 1998.
