Ravish Kumar Highlights Issue Of Crumbling Condition Of Bhide Wada In Pune
Pune, 28th December 2022: Senior journalist Ravish Kumar, who has been intermittently hosting short chat shows on YouTube after his exit from NDTV, has brought up the problem of Bhide Wada’s crumbling condition, the location where Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule founded the girl’s school.
Although the Maharashtra Government and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have frequently stated that the crumbling structure will be renovated to contain a memorial for the school and its founders, the plans have not materialised. According to the government, there are certain problems relating to resistance from store owners who seek renovation while operating their businesses on the property. In this regard, they filed a motion with the Bombay High Court, where the case is still pending.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal, a well-known OBC figure in the state, brought up this matter during the current session of the Maharashtra assembly. Following a meeting with the administration, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instructed the Pune Collector and Municipal Commissioner to provide a report on the progress of seizing the land owned or rented by tenants within a week.
Ravish claimed that despite reading about the Wada’s condition in publications, nothing could have prepared him for the state of the premises. Ravish remarked, “It’s unfortunate that people and political figures who frequently use the names Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule can’t protect such a significant landmark.
Ravish can be seen filming the location by himself, highlighting the crumbling walls, broken wooden doors and windows, and nearly completely covered floor with grass. He also interviews a Phule family descendant about the significance of the Wada and the unfulfilled promises made by politicians over the years.
“To bring this structure back to its former splendour, the entire nation ought to have banded together. There can be no justification for allowing this national monument to stay in this condition, notwithstanding what I’ve been informed about politics around this problem,” Kumar added.
On 1st January 1848, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule founded the Bhide Wada school in Pune.
