Buldhana, Maharashtra: He lived in the US for more than a decade. But the nanotechnology scientist left his cutting-edge work when conscience beckoned him to help change and improve things in his deprived Parda village in the Vidarbha region.
Treading the heat and grime of grassroots politics is 28-year-old Balasaheb S. Darade, who is contesting as an independent candidate from the Pangradole constituency in the Buldhana district council polls scheduled for February 7.
"I am focusing on three key aspects — rural development, youth empowerment and changing the attitude of people — if they want to see change, they must change themselves," Darade, who came back to India last year, said.
Born in Parda village, 450km southeast of Mumbai, which has now grown into a small town with around 25,000 people, Darade was educated here and in other parts of the state before joining the University of Cincinnati, US, from where he completed his masters in nanotechnology.
"My work got me a consultancy assignment with US space agency Nasa and I worked on the Mars Rover Project on nano solar cells."
Darade always longed to return to his town and do something for people's upliftment — almost like Shah Rukh Khan in the movie Swades.
During his stay in the US until last August, Darade watched and drummed up support for Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade. He also came in contact with spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the US and met former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam several times.
He even formulated plans for a revamp of villages partly by incorporating Hazare's Ralegan-Siddhi model village principles.
"I launched the Shankar Rural Transformation Project [SRTP] in 20 villages in the Vidarbha region, plagued by farmland suicides, huge unemployment and consequent problems, and depression among the people who feel they have no future."
