Last Rites of Former MP Dr Janardan Waghmare Held in Latur

The last rites of renowned educationist and former Rajya Sabha member Dr Janardan Waghmare (91) were performed at his native village in Maharashtra’s Latur district on Tuesday amid widespread tributes from political leaders, academicians and villagers.

The cremation took place at Kavtha village in Ausa tehsil , around 20 km from the district headquarters. State Minister Babasaheb Patil, Congress MLA Amit Deshmukh, NCP leader Sanjay Bansode, MP Shivaji Kalge and other senior politicians and officials were present to pay their respects. His mortal remains were taken in a sombre procession through Latur city and nearby villages before the final rites.

Waghmare passed away after a brief illness at his residence in Latur on Monday. A close aide of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, he was widely respected for his lifelong dedication to education, literature and public service .

He founded and served as the vice-chancellor of Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded , and also established Rajarshi Shahu College in Latur , where he worked as principal. He is credited as the architect of the widely recognised “Latur Pattern” of academic excellence , a model associated with students from the region achieving high ranks in board and competitive examinations.

Born on November 11, 1934, in Janwal village of Chakur tehsil , Waghmare served as a Rajya Sabha member from 2008 to 2014 . During his parliamentary tenure, he was part of key committees including agriculture, defence, external affairs and human resource development. He also served as President of the Latur Municipal Council from 2001 to 2006 .

An accomplished author, Waghmare wrote more than 80 books in Marathi, Hindi and English covering education, social reform, Dalit literature, philosophy and biographies. He received several honours, including the Maharashtra Bhushan Award and the Yashwantrao Chavan Literary Award.

In 2009, he was part of the Indian parliamentary delegation to the United Nations , where he addressed representatives from 150 countries on global peace. He also introduced a bill in Parliament advocating mandatory premarital HIV/AIDS testing .

Activists, villagers, family members and well-wishers gathered to bid farewell to the veteran leader and educationist.