At eighty-one, when most of his contemporaries have retired or died, Sharad Pawar continues to call the shots in Maharashtra politics and also plays a role in the national political discourse. His illnesses, as severe as cancer, don’t deter him from participating in day-to-day activities as a politician. Recently, when he was admitted to a hospital, Sharad Pawar once again conveyed to the world–he is above his ailments.
Sharad Pawar was hospitalized at Breach Candy Hospital on 31 October 2022, as his health deteriorated. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. The doctors informed him he might need to be kept in the hospital for at least a week. That week coincided with the NCP’s two-day convention at Shirdi on November 4-5. On the evening of 4 November, when Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde visited him, he said, “I will take a discharge from the hospital. Attend the convention and get readmitted.” Although everyone in the political circles doubted whether Pawar would make it to the venue, Pawar shocked them by staying true to his words. He went to the helipad at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, reached Shirdi by a chopper, addressed the gathering for a few minutes and then returned to the hospital. Pawar’s party leaders lauded his effort by saying that it was because of his fighting spirit and commitment towards his party that Pawar could make it.
However, taking a break from hospitalization to attend a political event is just a minor example for those who have seen Pawar doing greater feats. In 2004, when Pawar was diagnosed with cancer, doubts were raised about whether he would survive till the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The political pundits predicted the end of his public career as well. However, Pawar was not ready to give up easily. When a young doctor, after assessing Pawar’s reports, said that he would not survive over six months, Pawar, in a lighter vein, remarked, “I will outlive you.” Surgery was conducted on his cheek. A patch of skin from Pawar’s thigh was grafted on the cheek and his teeth were removed. After the election results, the UPA government came to the power in the centre and Sharad Pawar was made the agriculture minister. While getting treated for Cancer, he kept on discharging his duties as well. After attending his office and meeting visitors, he straightaway went to painful chemotherapy sessions at the Apollo hospital. Skin from the surface of his tongue and lips got peeled off and due to pain, it became difficult for him to intake a drop of water if not anaesthetized.
In his autobiography, “On My Terms”, Sharad Pawar wrote–“The first thing I decided when I was diagnosed with cancer was that I must devise a strategy to overcome the problem. Certain things in life happen suddenly, unexpectedly, and beyond one’s control to say. There is no point in brooding over them. Most people in such situations get depressed; some simply lose the will to carry on. As far as I am concerned, taking things in my stride is second nature, which I probably inherited from my mother.”
While Sharad Pawar was on his way to recovery from cancer, another ailment caught him. He was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after feeling uneasy and was operated upon for heart blockages. The health issues continued to trouble Pawar after stents were implanted in his heart. In 2014, his pelvic bone got fractured after he slipped into his house. However, after orthopaedic surgery, he started walking with no support within fifteen days. In March 2021, he had an endoscopy retrograde cholangiopancreatography to remove the bile stones that got stuck in his bile duct. A month later, Pawar was again hospitalized for gallbladder surgery.
Despite facing medical problems one after another, Pawar continued to make his presence felt in Maharashtra politics. In 2019, he architected the MVA government and managed to keep his party NCP in power despite it being number three in terms of numeric strength. Pawar doesn’t take it kindly if anybody compliments him for being so active at “this old age.” Through his actions, Pawar has repeatedly proved that age remains just a number for him.
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