In April 1977, during the summer vacations in Itanagar, a month after the Emergency had been lifted, I first became aware of Maharashtra Day. I was a standard four student at Kendriya Vidyalaya there — part of the pan-India chain for transferable Central Government employees. My classmates came from all corners of India, besides the native Nyishi, Adi, and Apatani students. Marathi was almost unheard of in that small multi-hued world.

It was my archaeologist father (then posted at the Itafort excavation) who urged my brother and me to read about Maharashtra’s formation — and about Acharya Atre. A fiery orator, sharp editor, educationist and fearless public intellectual, Atre (1898-1969) became a presence in our lives, only by hearsay. My father spoke of Atre’s wit, his stirring speeches, and how one man’s vision helped shape Maharashtra’s destiny. We talked about Shyamchi Aai (1953), the Swarn Kamal-winner film that Atre directed, and about the importance of reading beyond school textbooks.