Engineering Railway Reform - Madhu Dandavate

Madhu Dandavate, a physicist turned politician, was born today in 1924. His pioneering reforms in the railways included seat cushioning and electronic ticket issuing

Madhu and his wife Parmila - Their letters would become the symbol of defiance during the emergency; Source: Loksabha.nic; Public Domain

Madhu Dandavate was a technocrat. Born on the 21st of January, 1924, his early life was dominated by his studies in physics, as he obtained a masters in physics from the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay. As he would head the physics department at the Siddhartha College of Arts and Sciences, however, new opportunities presented themselves.

The Quit India Movement had just begun in 1942 and he would actively join the movement, ending up as a lifelong committed politician.

He would also lead an agitation in Goa in 1955 against the Portuguese. Becoming a part of the Praja Socialist Party, his campaigning would continue in Maharashtra and other neighbouring states.

By 1970, Dandavate was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, and then a member of Parliament for the Lok Sabha. He was arrested during the Emergency due to his support of the opposition movement.

There are interesting anecdotes about his 200+ letters to his wife while he was imprisoned, which contained all sorts of topics of discussion - philosophy, music, love, books etc. His life would change as the emergency was lifted by 1977.

Dandavate was invited to be the Minister of Railways in the Morarji Desai government which took power after 1977. He would be best known for his numerous reforms to the railways - railway reservations were automated, reducing corruption among clerks and uncertainty among passengers. The Konkan Railway was sanctioned between Apta and Roha, and around 5000 kilometres of old tracks were replaced by the railways under his tenure. Another major change was the introduction of cushioned berths for second class sleeper coach passengers. While it may seem like a minor change, this was actually of huge benefit to the passengers - of whom millions had been travelling in wooden berths.

He would also be instrumental in the Anti-Defection Law in the Parliament by 1985, but his political career was wrapped up by the 1990s.