Kamal Ghorui
Schools across Maharashtra remained closed on Wednesday as the state government declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragic death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash. The closure affected educational institutions throughout the state.The Maharashtra government announced an immediate public holiday after Pawar’s chartered aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Baramati Airport on Wednesday morning. All schools were ordered to remain shut on Wednesday as a mark of respect to the deceased leader.However, the state school education directorate issued the circular declaring Wednesday a holiday only around 3 pm. By that time, most schools had already completed their morning sessions and were in the middle of afternoon classes. Rajesh Pandya of the Teachers Democratic Front criticised the abrupt announcement, saying, “Notifying the closure of schools suddenly shouldn’t be done because then how is the school supposed to arrange for the children to be sent back. A more effective thing would have been to declare a holiday tomorrow in light of the funeral.”
There is no holiday for schools on Thursday and Friday, and educational institutions are expected to function as usual on both days.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a three-day state mourning period, during which the national flag is flying at half-mast on all government buildings across Maharashtra. He also cancelled all his programmes and, along with fellow Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, travelled to Baramati immediately after the incident, describing Pawar’s death as an “unprecedented loss” for the state.The 66-year-old Pawar died along with four others when his Learjet 45 crashed around 8:45 am while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati. The victims included pilot Sumit Kapoor, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, flight attendant Pinky Mali, and Pawar’s personal security officer HC Vidhit Jadhav.According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the VSR Aviation-operated aircraft crashed during a second approach to runway 11 at Baramati Airport. The plane veered off the runway, burst into flames, and was destroyed on impact. The DGCA has launched a detailed investigation into the cause of the crash.Pawar, nephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, was one of Maharashtra’s most influential leaders. He served as the state’s longest-serving deputy chief minister and held key portfolios including water resources, finance, and energy. His death has sent shockwaves across the political spectrum, with leaders from across party lines expressing grief.President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have conveyed their condolences to Pawar’s family.
