Vada Pav - the golden goose

I was amused to read the news item - ' Engineering Vada Pavs' in today's edition of the Mumbai Mirror.

I recall that years ago I along with the editorial committee members of our Company's inhouse magazine 'Tutari' had met the Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray for an interview in connection with the Deepavali issue. As we entered his room at "Matoshri" , we saw Balasaheb seated on a huge chair resembling a throne, with the Shiv Sena symbol, a growling tiger right above his head. Indeed it appeared to us as "a tiger riding on another tiger." The interview was full of facts, puns (mostly intended),sarcastic wily barbs and regaling humour. I remember he had at length mentioned about the 'birth of the Vada Pav'. He had initiated the idea of vada pav to provide employment to the sons of the soil, at a time when 'abundance of people and scarcity of jobs' was the phenomenon. He was rather emphatic when he mentioned that the sons of the soil preferred cushy and comfortable jobs as compared to the hard but lucrative and stable jobs that he had offered to them at MTNL,Ceat Tyres and other companies. Hence it is not very surprising to see that majority of those employed at MTNL and Ceat Tyres hail from UP and other places in the North (hope this statement of mine does not provide fodder to Rajsaheb and his followers).

Balasaheb and his party did ensure a lot of opportunities for employment to the sons of the soil in many big companies like L&T. However, to ensure that others who were still unemployed eke out a decent living, he announced the setting up of Vada Pav stalls throughout Mumbai, Pune and other places.The Vada Pav has continued to be the delight of one and all and offered 'value for money'. I fondly remember when in college with barely anything in one's pocket,it was Vada Pav,Usal Pav and Misal Pav that satiated one's hunger.To this day, I remain committed, especially, to the Vada Pav. I will for the benefit of vada pav lovers like me, recommend the 'Golden Vada' shop at Lonavala. It's just amazing wth the 'chatni'.

It was extremely pleasing to read the news item that vada pav has once again become the platform for providing employment to the unemployed engineering and other graduates.The Shiv Sena, this time, has professionalised the Vada making and is holding a workshop on 24th November at Shivaji Park where it has invited the top 25 Vada Pav vendors, food experts and chefs to provide training to the wannabe vendors in the making.

I am extremely happy that by continuing to provide jobs to the unemployed, the'Vada Pav' has been living upto its promise. Can we say the same thing about the Government of India ?