VSS springs surprise, selects Pradip Date as president

NAGPUR: The executive body of Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh (VSS) announced on Wednesday that Pradip Date, coordinator of branches in the present general body, will lead the literary organization as its president. The post was earlier held by Manohar Mhaisalkar, who passed away on October 14.
“Being associated with the VSS as well as many other social, cultural and literary bodies for over 40 years, Date has vast experience in organizational work,” said an official release by the VSS. “Date is also president of Yashwantrao Date Smruti Pratishthan, a literary organization. He is also a representative of VSS in the Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, a confederation of Marathi literary organizations across the world,” reads the statement.
Many in the literature field in Vidarbha were expecting that some author, poet, critic, or someone not from the VSS circle but active in social and cultural work would be selected to head the organization after 16-year-long tenure of Mhaisalkar.
However, the executive body decided to spring a surprise by selecting a lesser-known literary figure, who has been associated with the VSS for long and has a working style similar to late Mhaisalkar.
Date will be 22nd president of the VSS, a Marathi literary organization in Vidarbha, which will be completing its 100 years in 2023. Before him, Loknayak Bapuji Aney, GT Malkhodkar, Kusumavati Deshpande, VB Kolte, Ram Shewalkar, Dr Madhukar Ashtikar, Suresh Dwadashiwar and many legends of Marathi literature had headed the VSS as its president.