I felt an elephant stamped on my chest when I heard the news on the fateful morning of Amol Kale’s passing away. Even though we were not in regular touch, the feeling of always being ‘connected’ was there. We could lift phones and call each other anytime of the day/night, such was our friendship. He was mine and baba’s regular reader and every blog of ours when I sent him, it was appreciated by a smiley as he knew the ‘taunts’, the underlying meaning and who was the target- in one go. We used to have a hearty laugh about it when we spoke. A very lovable and very affectionate person. Even from the opposition camp, no one will talk bad about him. He was the MCA president when he passed away. For all the others reading including Ministers, bureaucrats and liaisoners or businessmen all across, won’t you all agree if I said, he never knew to say a NO to anyone…
Yes, he had a connect with everyone. Yes, he was best friends with Devendra Fadnavis. The likes of Shailesh Joglekar, Alhad Raje, Devendra Fadnavis, Amol Kale and many others are original friends since the beginning and from Nagpur days. But off late the “Sofitel Gang” had taken over in Amol’s life. Those who have had the mindset and think that Amol had made it due to Fadnavis , please visit Nagpur and find out. He had made it at a very young age. He was a contractor as he was very ambitious from the beginning. Today Amol Kale was very well off, but he never forgot his Nagpurian roots. It was because of this, that his both kids, one daughter and son, are very grounded and sincere even after knowing what their “baba’ was..Yes, today Amol was one of the biggest men in Maharashtra politics if I count the people who are working in coordination with politicians everyday and who are influential.
Devendra Fadnavis is indeed devastated by the passing away of Amol Kale. I think even today he has not come out of it. I was in touch with one of my friends who was present at Amol’s home when the news came, he said DF was unconsolable. For a week, till his 13th day prayer meeting, DF visited Amol’s home regularly, at times going to work the next day without any sleep. Not everything is give and take, friends. He has lost someone whom he loved like his own. It will be very difficult to fill in the space that Amol had in DF’s heart. Many people are trying to become the next Amol Kale, but Heera, Heera hota hai…Amol Kale is not replaceable.
Mine and his friendship began in 2017 during my brother’s wedding at Nagpur. Like me he too was a heavy weight man and all his talks were always about ‘weight’, how to control it and how to be fit. He loved letting his hair down (when he had once in a blue moon. But never ever when he socialised, he forgot with whom his name was associated. Else we know how best friends or “DUR ke rishtedaar” of politicians act when they are ‘high’ in power. Just 10 days ago before Amol passed away, he had got all his blood tests done for a policy or something. He showed off his blood reports to one of our closest friends saying, ‘such should be the reports at 47’. He had lost weight, was building muscles and was very very diet conscious. My head spun a couple of times of how life is unpredictable, and how even perfect blood test reports are just pleasers. When your time comes, nothing means nothing works–death is the ultimate truth.
47 was not the age of Amol Kale to go, many times, it is unfair for people to go so young. I spoke to a couple of his close friends whom he was in touch with regularly, they all pointed to one thing it might be a reason –Stress and lifetsyle. What I knew about Amol yes things worried him, but he would never take stress. But his recent appointment as MCA chief had made him very very busy. As one of the closets friend told me, “vikrant, we would book a table for lunch, Amol used to leave his home from Bandra west, but in between he use to call us and say that I (Amol) have to rush to this place as work has come up and not turn up for the lunch. He had everything today, but TIME”.
I was particularly appalled by a lot of so-called “Devendra Fadnavis” camp leaders of Mumbai BJP who were at Amol’s house when his body had arrived from the USA a couple of days after his death. If you want to be just seen, you should have stayed away especially when Amol’s entire family including DF were there and the family was torn apart. So called big leaders discussed politics, were seen smirking and were discussing what to wear and when…Such people are stone hearted–DF should at least give up these people now. He has already seen how BJP performed in the Lok Sabha thanks to advice and strategies and handling of such over-smart leaders. It is because of such people who have gathered round DF, who are just using him for their benefit, and worst is, DF is letting them do. But DF is a wise man, if he regroups, he will win Maharashtra alone in Vidhan Sabha, ELSE with all these so called bogus sympathisers around him, and passing away of Amol Kale, DF is in for some serious competition from the MVA and internally NDA too…
Anyway, Amol Bhau, you went too soon. I will miss you, will miss your laughter and your replies to my blogs…Sleep well now my friend…See you on the other side…
Always,
– Vikrant Hemant Joshi
