INDIA. Mumbai: Veteran leader of the socialist movement and educationist Ramesh Joshi passed away after a prolonged illness at his residence at Goregaon in North Mumbai on Monday. He was 80 and is survived by his son Sahil and daughter-in-law Priya.
The last rights were performed at Oshiwara crematorium late in the evening in the presence of a sizable number of people, including Janata Dal leaders, teachers, and well-wishers.
MLC Kapil Patil, JD (U) Mumbai President Prabhakar Narkar, Rashtra Seva Dal President and filmmaker Nitin Vaidya, and mediamen Rajdeep Sardesai, Manoj Bhoyar, and Umesh Kumavat were among those who attended the funeral and offered condolences.
A resident of Goregaon, considered the citadel of the socialists in earlier days, Joshi was actively associated with the Rashtra Seva Dal, Yuvak Kranti Dal, Keshav Gore Smarak Trust, and many other organizations.
A pioneer of progressive and culturally rooted education, Joshi was also the leader of the teachers working in the schools of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
He closely followed the issues related to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (Right to Education) with the BMC and the Maharashtra Government. He had taken up the issue with the court due to the failure of the government to properly implement the Right to Education Act.
Joshi always promoted BMC schools and urged parents to enrol in their wards in the BMC schools. He argued that the BMC schools impart quality education on par with private schools, which charge heavy fees.
He used to emphasise that BMC school teachers’ standards are not inferior to those of private school teachers.He also used to give examples of BMC School students coming off with flying colours in the examinations despite residing in slums.
Joshi was also a BMC Corporator between 1985 and 1990 and had raised several issues related to common men in the civic house.
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