Hingoli (Maharashtra) [India], August 16 : Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday recalled how the film 'Swades' inspired his desire to give back to his village, saying his journey eventually brought him back from the US and allowed him to work for his community.
"Life really does come full circle sometimes," Dipke said in a post on X while reflecting on his long-standing connection with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Bollywood film.
"As Fatima bi said to Kaveri Amma: 'Bata dena uss ladke ko apne hi paani mein pighal jaana barf ka muqaddar hota hai...'," he wrote.
Dipke said he had grown up watching 'Swades' and had seen the film more than 100 times, with one particular sequence continuing to affect him.
"Grew up watching Swades and fell so deeply in love with the film that I must have watched it over 100 times by now. There's one part that has always stayed with me," he said.
Recalling the film's protagonist Mohan witnessing the hardships faced by a poor family and later seeing a child selling water at a railway station instead of attending school, Dipke said the scene had always moved him.
https://x.com/abhijeet_dipke/status/2088625100514070655
"As Mohan quietly sheds a tear, I did too. Every single time. Ever since, somewhere in my heart, I wished that someday I could do something for my own village, just like Mohan did for Charanpur," he said.
Dipke said he had never imagined that he would eventually return from the US and receive an opportunity to contribute to his own village.
"Little did I know that life would take such a turn that years later, I would return from the US and actually get an opportunity to do something very similar for my own village," he said.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity and the support he had received, Dipke added, "Life really does come full circle sometimes. I'll always be grateful for this opportunity, and for all the love I've received from people. I love you all, and I'll give it everything I have to do something meaningful and make a real difference."
In another post, Dipke shared a video showing school students surrounding him and rushing to shake his hand. "Them: 'How do you deal with all the hate you're getting?' Me: 'What hate?'" he wrote.
The posts came after Dipke launched the "School Thik Karo" campaign from his native village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district on Independence Day. He alleged that government schools lacked basic facilities, including adequate seating, water supply and functional windows and toilets.
Dipke said he would visit more government schools across Maharashtra as part of the campaign and urged parents to conduct social audits of school facilities.
The initiative follows the CJP's announcement of "Season 2 of Jantar Mantar", with the outfit saying it would conduct a nationwide "listening tour" and focus on public concerns, particularly education.