This is your chair… you should occupy it : CM Thackeray to Tehsildar

Mumbai, January 20, 2020: Uddhav Thackeray is not only recognized as the chief minister of Maharashtra but is also known as a person who shows full respects towards others, especially the administrators, may whichever office they might be holding. His generosity and ‘down to earth’ nature had won the hearts of people, wherever he moves.

One such similar incident was witnessed in the Sangli district when the program for the beautiful building of the tehsil office was to be inaugurated in the Walwa tehsil of Islampur. The chief minister visited Sangli district two days ago on an official tour.

Notably, every household in the entire village has the history of sacrifice and contribution in the freedom struggle of the nation. This building took shape in the premises of the historical office in this village. It had been the swarms for people engage in freedom struggle. The building is in true sense, a symbol of administration of the modern era. The chief minister reached the village in the evening.
The villagers, leaders and social workers started gathering for the rally that was to be held immediately after the inauguration of the tehsil office. Chief Minister Mr Thackeray reached the entrance of the administrative building of tehsil office along with guardian minister Jayant Patil and other ministers and ministers of state.

He inaugurated the office by cutting the ribbon in a traditional way and started visiting various floors in the building for inspection. Mr Thackeray first visited the meeting hall on at the top floor and later he came to the ground floor near the tehsildar office. This, obviously, is main office of the entire building and so the chief minister also visited it.

When he entered the hall of the tehsildar there was the chair of the tehsildar. He set on it for a while and suddenly getting up, he went a few steps ahead and holding tehsildar Ravindra Sabnis’s hand, he accompanied the tehsildar till the chair with him and asked, “ Are you the tehsildar? If yes, this is your chair. Please take your seat.”

District magistrate Abhijeet Choudhary, ministers and minister of state who are all present on the spot, were very pleased to see such humble side of the chief minister. They felt proud when they saw that the chief minister himself had himself asked the tehsildar to sit on his chair by vacating it, himself. Tehsildar Sabnis was sentimental and was not ready to occupy the chair and sit in front of the chief minister of the state. He humbly said to the Chief Minister that he cannot sit on the chair but the chief minister was adamant. He ordered,’ This is your building. You are the chief of the entire building and this chair belongs to you. It is your right and you should be
sitting here. It is me who is directing you to be seated on the chair”. Lastly, Mr Sabnis has to sit on the chair, with no options left.

Mr Thackeray told him, ‘You are holding this important post. I myself directed you to sit on the chair. Now you should be performing your duty with full devotion and giving justice to the chair.” The Chief Minister patted his back and left. There was an old Neem tree (Azadirachta Indiaca) in the premises of the tehsil office. This tree was considered as the eye witness of the freedom struggle by
the people of Walwa village. They didn’t permit anybody to cut down the tree. Later on, it was shifted and re-planted at other place. The Chief Minister was informed about the entire history.

Mr Thackeray stood near the tree for some time with the officers and employees and said, ‘ All of you should be following the path of this
Neem tree. You should give shadow and have mercy on others. You should be loving others like this tree and most importantly, you should understand others.’

“The chief minister left the place after the inaugural function but since then whenever I am going near the chair to sit on it in my cabin, I feel that the chief minister of the state is standing somewhere near the chair’ said Mr Ravindra Sabnis.

Due to the generosity and loving nature of the chief minister, not only the tehsildar Sabnis but all the other officers and their employees now feel that their responsibility had increased, manifold and they are to perform their duty in better way than ever before.