Yashwantrao Chavan

We also remember the nationalist leader and first Chief Minister of Maharashtra Yashwantrao Chavan who was born on 12 March 1913 in Sangli district of Maharashtra. As a schoolboy in Karad, he was fined for his participation in the Non-cooperation Movement. In 1932, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hoisting the Indian flag in Satara. During this period, he came in contact with Swami Ramanand Bharti, Dhulappa Bhaurao, Appasaheb and Govind Kruparam Wani.
During his college years, Chavan was involved in many social activities and was closely associated with the Congress party and its leaders, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Keshavrao Jedhe. Chavan was one of the delegates at the Bombay session of the Indian national Congress in 1942 that gave the call for Quit India. He spent around two years in jail for his participation in the Quit India movement.
Post-Independence, Chavan was the first chief minister of the undivided state of Bombay. When the two new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra were created in 1960, Chavan became the chief minister of the new state of Maharashtra. He took several steps to develop the state. He passed the Cooperative Societies Act and brought industries to backward areas, thus laying the stepping stones for a modern, industrialized state.
Yashwantrao Chavanheld many important portfolios in the central government. He served as the minister of Defense, minister of Home affairs, minister of finance and External Affairs Minister.
He also served as the fifth deputy prime minister of India from July 1979 till January 1980. Yashwantrao Chavan died of a heart attack on 25 November 1984 in Delhi. AIR pays tribute to the great leader.

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Maker of modern Maharashtra