Heart Beats of SPCE: Part 3
Establishment of Marathi Vangmay Mandal...
The second semester started in January. Having thoroughly studied subjects like Survey and Strength of Material during my diploma, I found them easily manageable in this semester. I was quite relaxed and began taking an interest in other activities, something I've had a flair for; like watching marathi drama, attending Kavi Sammelan, writing poems etc. Some of my poems were published in weekly ‘Lokprabha’.
Staying at the SPCE hostel, I developed good relationships with the locals, even owners of nearby hotels like Neelkamal and Bobino. I also built cordial relations with the college staff residing on campus, often helping them with various tasks. Room No. 57 was a hub of fun and lively discussions; students often used to come over there to enjoy it. With consistent follow-up with hostel authorities, we managed to reduce the number of trespassers on the campus significantly.
One evening, while having dinner in the mess, someone informed me about a program called "Fuli and Gola," a quiz competition on Mumbai Doordarshan, where a team from our college would represent us. Intrigued, we headed to Prof. Bhavani Prasad's residence in the hostel to watch the program. After viewing it, we returned to Room No. 57, and my immediate question to my friends was: "Who sent these students to TV program to represent our college?" The backdrop to my inquiry was their poor performance-they struggled with speaking Marathi and understanding the questions. Even with seniors present, no one had an answer.
The next morning, at around 9 a.m., before classes began, we gathered in the college garden to discuss the previous day's TV program. As we deliberated, more and more students joined us. Through discussions, we learned that Doordarshan had sent an invitation to the college, which was passed to student representatives. Instead of circulating the opportunity among students by displaying it on the notice board, they kept it to themselves. Ultimately, two of them decided to go directly to the television station. I pointed out that the representatives had failed in their duties and their performance was embarrassing.
After exchanging views, we decided to call the representatives to the garden and take their assurance that such actions wouldn't be repeated. However, to our surprise, they refused to join us, and on top of that, they spoke adamantly to the students who conveyed the message.
Determined, I moved to the college gate, stood in the porch, and declared, “We would sit on a dharna until the representatives come to apologise”. During this protest, we also discussed other issues, such as gymkhana activities, participation in youth festival, arranging inter-collegiate competitions, and prepared a list of demands. By lunchtime, most of the students had gathered at the gate.
At around 2 p.m., Prof. Natu and Prof. Rawale approached us. They were very friendly and understanding, as we had interacted with them often during college treks. They took note of our demands and went inside to discuss the matter with the student representatives.
After half an hour, the representatives came to the gate, accompanied by Vice Principal Papa Vaidya and Prof. Ms. Gogate Madam. With folded hands, they apologized for their actions. I stepped forward, shook hands with them, and thanked the professors for their efforts in resolving the deadlock. I also urged the students to return to their classes peacefully.
Before dispersing, I appealed all the students to gather in the Gymkhana Hall, after college hours, to constitute Marathi Vangmay Mandal in our college. Nitin Gadakari (not the minister) and I had already discussed this idea earlier, so we were prepared.
Later that evening, all interested students gathered in the Gymkhana Hall. During the meeting, I was elected as the President of the Marathi Vangmay Mandal, while Nitin was chosen as the Secretary. It was an exciting moment, beginning of a new chapter for promoting Marathi culture and literature within our college!
Dr Mahendra Ingale, Former Principal @ Pune, March 21, 2025
