Newsmaker: Pravin Gaikwad, the new-age Maratha warrior

Gaikwad has two rare qualities: he has an unparalleled connect with people from his community and, at the same time, underpins his ideology on a strong analytical base

Periods of heightened political polarisation and caste-based social movements in India have two outcomes, say political analysts: regime change and/or the emergence of new political leaders. The simmering Maratha agitation in Maharashtra has not resulted in the first, but Pravin Gaikwad is undoubtedly a leader to watch as the country heads towards general elections.

Gaikwad, 48, has risen from being a member of the Maratha Mahasangh, an organisation that champions the cause of the disaffected Maratha community, to running not one, but multiple community organisations in the state. So it is no surprise that he is at the centre of