Freedom fighter Kashinath Navandar passes away

Aurangabad, June 29:

Freedom fighter of Hyderabad freedom struggle and senior counsel of Aurangabad division bench of Bombay High Court died on Wednesday at the age of 95. He is survived by his wife, son Vikas, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, and granddaughter-in-law. Last rites were performed on him at Banewadi crematorium.

Kashinath Navandar was the activist State Congress during the Hyderabad freedom struggle. He went underground and hatched a plan to plant a bomb in the Aurangabad tehsil office. His group members destroyed the railway track between Parsoda and Rotegaon. He tried to disrupt the communication system of the Nizam government by tampering with the wires. He also demolished the bridge near Siddharth Garden and destroyed the contact of the Cantonment with Aurangabad city.

Navandar is a native of Gangapur in Aurangabad district. As a student, he used to run a gymnasium. He was the general secretary of Vidyarthi Sangh in 1949 while running a branch of Rashtra Seva Dal. He actively participated in the Mulki and Non-Mulki movements in Hyderabad. He was also active in Samajwadi and Janta Party for many years. He participated in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

He had gained acclamation as the senior counsel. He also established Lions Club in Aurangabad city and shouldered the responsibility as zonal chairman. He was president of the Marathwada Freedom Fighters Association for many years. He was president of the Marathwada Chess Association. He was a life member of the Saraswati Bhuvan Educational Institute.

He contested Assembly elections as a Janta Dal candidate in 1980. Indira Congress had given ticket Abdul Azim. As the alliance between Janta Dal and Jan Sangh was hampered, Azim defeated Navandar.

Later, leaving politics, he diverted all his attention toward his legal profession. While being the president of Aurangabad Bar Association, he met the then prime minister to establish the Bench of Bombay High Court in Aurangabad. He was away from public life for the past few years due to his old age.