B. J. Khatal-Patil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
B. J. Khatal-Patil
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B. J. Khatal-Patil
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 March 1919 Sangamner, Ahmednagar District |
| Died | 16 September 2019 (aged 100) Sangamner, Ahmednagar District |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Indian National Congress (INC) Self Retirement in 1985 |
| Spouse | Prabhavati Khatal-Patil |
| Children | 6 |
Bhikajirao Jijaba Khatal-Patil (born March 26, 1919 – died September 16, 2019) was an important Indian politician. People often called him Dada or Khatal Saheb. He was a senior leader from Maharashtra state and a long-time member of the Indian National Congress party.
He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra for over 20 years. During this time, he also held many different minister positions in the Maharashtra Government. He represented the Sangamner area of Maharashtra. He decided to retire from politics in 1985. He was elected to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) from Sangamner in 1962, 1967, 1972, and 1980.
Early Life and Family
B. J. Khatal-Patil was born on March 26, 1919. His family was Maratha, and they lived in Dhandarphal. This small village is near Sangamner town in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, India.
He married Prabhavati Khatal. Her father, Shri K. B. Deshmukh, was also a Congress leader and an MLA. B. J. Khatal-Patil and Prabhavati had six children. Prabhavati Khatal-Patil was also a social activist. She even took part in the fight for India's freedom.
He studied at Pune University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied law at ILS Law College in Pune. After finishing his studies, he started working as a lawyer. He became a very well-known lawyer in Ahmednagar district and all over Maharashtra. He also actively joined the movement to make India independent. He supported Mahatma Gandhi's Non-cooperation Movement.
Political Journey
B. J. Khatal-Patil first ran for the Maharashtra state assembly elections in 1952. He ran from the Sangamner area. However, he lost that election to a very strong politician, Late Shri. Datta Deshmukh.
In the next elections in 1957, he chose not to run. He did this to protest against the Congress party's stance. They were against the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. This movement wanted to create a united Maharashtra state. B. J. Khatal-Patil strongly supported this idea. He told the Congress leaders that he would not run as a protest. But he also promised not to work against the party. He would support the candidate they chose.
He first became a member of the Maharashtra legislative assembly in 1962. He represented Sangamner for the Congress Party. From then on, he had a successful political career. He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during these periods:
- 1962–1967
- 1967–1972
- 1972–1978
- 1980–1985
Right after being elected in 1962, he was appointed a Minister. He served as a minister in the Maharashtra Cabinet for over 16 years. During this time, he held many important roles. He was Minister of State for Co-operation, Planning, and Revenue. Later, he became Minister of Law & Judiciary, Food and Civil Supplies, Irrigation, and Public Works Department (PWD). He worked as a Minister under five different Chief Ministers:
- Shri. Yashwantrao Chavan
- Shri. Marotrao Kannamwar
- Shri Vasantrao Naik
- Shri. Shankarrao Chavan
- Barrister A. R. Antulay
In the 1980 general elections, the Congress (I) party won many seats. They came to power under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. The Congress (I) also won in Maharashtra State. Barrister A. R. Antulay became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. B. J. Khatal-Patil was appointed the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. He was the most experienced member of the cabinet. He was even more senior than the Chief Minister himself. He was considered the second-in-command to the Chief Minister.
After Politics
After 1985, he chose to retire from politics. During the 1980 elections, when he was 61 years old, he announced his decision. He said that those would be his last elections. He would not run for office again. After leaving politics, he spent about 25 years practicing yoga and meditation. He often visited the 'Vipasana Kendra' in Igatpuri.
Writing Books
When he was 91 years old, he started writing books. His first book, 'Antariche Dhave', was published in 2011. This happened on his 92nd birthday. He wrote several books, including:
- Antariche Dhave (Marathi) (a collection of his articles from the Loksatta Newspaper)
- Gulamgiri (Marathi)
- Dinda Lokshahichi (Marathi)
- Gandhiji Aste tar.. (Marathi) (meaning 'If Gandhiji were here..')
- Lashkari Vilkhyatil Pakistan (Marathi) (meaning 'Pakistan in Military Grip')
- Maze Shikshak, Sadhana Publication (My Teachers-Marathi)
He was working on another book when he passed away.
