Mr. Vasant Sathe
Mr. Vasant Sathe was born on 5th March, 1925. He had his early education in Bhonsale Military School, Nashik and at Nagpur Mahavidyalaya.Mr. Sathe has been a good sportsman from his younger days. He learnt swimming and horse riding at the age of 6 and has been good at, Indian games as well as hockey, football and cricket. He was a captain of the boxing team of his college and Nagpur University. He has been a good debater and proficient speaker in Hindi, Marathi and English and has won many laurels in debating competitions during his college days. He was influenced from his childhood by his parents, who belonged to the Tilak School of thought. During his childhood, he has participated in the Prabhat Pheris of the Vanar Sena formed by Indira Gandhi in the Congress. He joined the Youth Congress in 1941 and actively participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942, removing the Union Jack and unfurling the Indian Tricolor of the District Court at Nagpur. Immediately thereafter, he faced a firing squad and police lathi-charge, got injured and was arrested. Having been influenced by the Socialist ideology through writings and speeches of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and other eminent leaders like Acharya Narendra Dev, Jay Prakash Narayan, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and others. He joined the Socialist Party from its inception in 1948.
Mr. Sathe has been a lawyer and an advocate from 1950 and has practiced both at the High Court and the Supreme Court. He became an active trade Union Leader since 1954 and was President of Madhya Pradesh Textile Workers Federation during 1956-1960 and the President of the Vidarbha Textile Workers Federation during 1960-65.
Mr. Sathe worked as an active Trade Union Leader for nearly 30 years. He rejoined the Congress along with a large section of the Socialist Party under the leadership of Chairman Mr. Ashok Mehta, in 1964. He represented India in the General Assembly of United Nations in the Silver Jubilee Session of 1970 and led the Indian Delegation in the Human Rights Committee.
Mr. Sathe was elected to Parliament in 1972 from Akola Constituency in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. He was reelected from the same constituency in 1977. From 1980 till 1991, he had been representing the Wardha Constituency in the Lok Sabha. He was Deputy leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party during 1977-79.
In January 1980 Mr. Sathe became the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. In his two-and–half years stewardship of this Ministry, Mr. Sathe was responsible for introducing colour television in India and also a network of Low Power Transmitters (LPTs) throughout the country, which today is responsible for reaching more than 80% of the nation’s coverage.
Mr. Sathe then handled the portfolio of Chemicals and Fertilizers in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi till 1984. During the Prime Ministership of Shri Rajiv Gandhi from 1985 till 1990, he held the portfolios of Ministry of Steel, Mines and Coal and the Ministry of Energy. He also held the additional charge of Ministry of Communication during 1987.
Mr. Sathe has always been interested from his childhood in classical arts of music and theatre. He was elected as Secretary for culture of the Constitution Club, which post he held for nearly 20 years. Because of his keen interest in cultural activities, Prime Minister Sh. P.V. Narasimha Rao, was pleased to appoint him as President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, with Cabinet rank from February, 1993 to March, 1996.
Mr. Sathe had traveled widely in most of the countries in the world and had represented India in UNESCO, World Peace Congress, Indian Parliamentary Union and he was appointed as Chairman of the Indo-Japan Study Committee till May, 1996 and the Convener of the Quit India Movement Golden Jubilee Celebrations Committee-1992.
Mr. Sathe is the author of six books, his main interest being in economics and political restructuring. Apart from many other articles and papers he had written for Newspapers and periodicals, his well known books are-
Towards Social Revolution- A case foe Economic Democracy- 1984
Restructuring of Public Sector in India-1988
The Challenge of Change- 1989
Two swords in one Scabbard- 1989
National Government- Agenda for New India-1991
Tax without Tears- 1994