Pramod Sachchidanand Navalkar (23 Jan 1935 – 20 Nov 2007) was an Indian politician and member of the Shiv Sena political party. A legislator for over thirty years, he served as cabinet minister in the

Government of Maharashtra The Government of Maharashtra is the executive branch of the Indian states of india, state of Maharashtra. The government is led by the List of chief ministers of Maharashtra, chief minister (currently Devendra Fadnavis since 5 December 2024) ...

from 1995 to 1999, holding the Cultural Affairs portfolio.

Career

Journalism

Navalkar began his career as a journalist and commentator while he was still a college student. In 1955, he began writing a weekly column titled Bhatkyaachee Bhramanti ("Man About Town") in the

Marathi language Marathi (; , 𑘦𑘨𑘰𑘙𑘲, , ) is a Classical languages of India, classical Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by Marathi people in the Indian state of Maharashtra and is also spoken in Goa, and parts of Guj ...

daily ''Navshakti.'' He is known as ''"Bhramantikaar"'' in Literature. The column, which dealt with political, social and cultural issues, ran continuously for 52 years without a break, and ended only with his death. This consistency earned him a mention in the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

for the longest-running

op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...

column in the world.

Politics

His career as a successful journalist and writer led him gradually to politics. Navalkar was one of the earliest members of the Shiv Sena. He joined that newly founded party in 1968, and remained with it till his death fifty years later, exhibiting a degree of steadfastness and loyalty which is rare in Indian politics. He was elected as a corporator to the Bombay Municipal Corporation on the Shiv Sena ticket from a ward in Girgaum,

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, in 1968. In 1972, he became a state legislator after winning the assembly election to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha from the Girgaum (

Opera House An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...

) constituency in south

, winning by over 25,000 votes. After this, he consistently won the election to the upper house ( Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad) from the Mumbai Graduates’ constituency from 1986 to 2006. Between 1995 and 1999, he served as minister of cultural affairs when his party, the Shiv Sena, was in power in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. He was instrumental in projects like Nana Nani (for the elderly) parks.

Personal life

Navalkar was born into a middle-class Marathi-speaking family. His father's name was Sachchidanand Navalkar. At a young age (just short of 20), Navalkar was married to Vandana, a lady of his own community and similar background. The marriage, which was arranged by their parents in the usual Indian tradition, was harmonious and happy. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary about two years before Navalkar died. They were the parents of two daughters, Reshma and Shilpa, who are married to educated gentlemen and well-settled with their own families. Navalkar was a long-time diabetic. In 1995, just around the time he became a cabinet minister in the state government, Navalkar also underwent a heart by-pass operation. He died of a heart attack at his residence in Mumbai on Tuesday, 20 Nov 2007, at the age of 72. He was survived by his wife of over 50 years and two daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navalkar, Pramod Shiv Sena politicians 2007 deaths Indian columnists Writers from Maharashtra Members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council 1935 births Politicians from Mumbai State cabinet ministers of Maharashtra Leaders of the opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Maharashtra MLAs 1972–1978 Marathi politicians