Will submit proposal to central govt for Padma award to wrestling legend Khashaba Jadhav: State tells HC

Kolhapur: The state govt on Thursday submitted an undertaking to the Bombay high court's Kolhapur bench stating that it will submit a proposal in a prescribed format to the central govt's Padma awards committee before July 31 recommending a Padma award (posthumously) to wrestling legend Khashaba Jadhav, India's first individual Olympic medalist.The window for submission of such proposals opened on March 15 and closes on July 31. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding in the affirmative to a text sent by TOI and said, "A committee of the state govt will send the proposal."Earlier, additional govt pleader T J Kapre submitted the undertaking to the bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar and Justice Pravin S Patil, which is hearing a PIL filed by Khashaba's son, Ranjeet, seeking the court's directions for conferring a Padma Vibhushan award on the wrestling legend.Kapre told the court that the Maharashtra govt is ready to submit the proposal as per the guidelines laid down-through the portal developed by the govt of India. During the last hearing, the HC had asked the govt pleader to seek instructions from the chief minister on the matter after the counsel for the central govt had submitted a proposal in prescribed format needed to be filed with the awards panel.Advocate Vijay Killedar, representing the Union of India, told TOI, "The awards committee has powers to recommend Padma award to a personality, who is alive or has passed away within a year preceding the date of declaration of the honour on the eve of the Republic Day every year. However, in cases like that of Khashaba Jadhav, who is undoubtedly the first Indian to win an Olympic medal, the Prime Minister and the President have powers to declare the award."Killedar said, "Earlier, recommendations were made by many for conferring Padma award on the wrestling legend. However, a formal proposal during the fixed window for submission of proposals, was not filed till date."Ranjeet Jadhav, who established the Kusteeveer Khashaba Jadhav Foundation in Kolhapur, has been pursuing the issue for almost 15 years now. During this period, he met several prominent leaders and sports veterans.Khashaba Jadhav received the Arjuna Award in 2001, almost 17 years after his passing away and 51 years after he won a bronze medal at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. Advocate Sangram Desai, representing the petitioner, said the PIL will now come up for hearing next in June.