In September 1988, Ramakant Mane was coaching on the Police Coaching Academy in Nashik, when he acquired a letter. The letter — from his retired father, who lived in Kolhapur— was a name of misery. His father, then 60years outdated, had misplaced his ancestral lands in Kohlapurin a court docket case as a result of the land information have been all in an obscure script of Marathi that had light from use within the early a long time of the twentieth century. Nobody within the space, together with Mane’s father Kareba Mane, might decipher what was written on the land paperwork.
“I made a decision at the moment itself that I’d study the language,” stated Mane.
Over the course of the following 20 years, as Mane slowly made his approach from a sub-inspector to assistant police commissioner in Pune, he additionally stored deciphering the maze of the now-antiquated Modi script, a rare achievement that helped flip him well-known not simply among the many authorized and police circles, but in addition linguists. Since 2014, officers say, he has helped resolve almost 50 land title disputes throughout the state utilizing his mastery of the script that was extensively utilized in official bookkeeping until 1950, when the script was withdrawn from college textbooks.
“To resolve the disputes, we’d like a listing of proof and in lots of instances present paperwork from the 18th century, scripted in Modi lipi. I learnt the script which helped me to review outdated paperwork associated to specific properties,” Mane stated.
The land parcels concerned within the disputes are primarily from the Pune, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, and Mumbai areas. The cumulative worth of the land is price ₹10,000 crore, though ascertaining the precise determine can be tough on condition that land charges preserve various, stated senior officers. These instances have been pending for many years because the departments had put them on the again burner, given the shortage of people that might unlock the secrets and techniques of the script.
“We’re pleased with this achievement. Mane has been in a position to spare time to assist to unravel some main points,” stated R Raja, deputy commissioner of police, particular department.
The decline of the script
Varied theories abound on Modi script, used for writing Marathi within the 18th century. One in all them is that it’s believed to be derived from damaged Devanagari characters, which helps that etymology. The script, in line with specialists, is tough to study.
Linguist and Maratha historical past professional, Pandurang Balkawade, stated,“In 1957, Modi script was withdrawn from the college textbooks and slowly changed by the devanagari Marathi. So those that have been in class earlier than 1957 know the Modi script very effectively.”
Balkawade conducts Modi language programs in Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal in Pune claiming that there are solely 200- 250 folks in Maharashtra who can write and skim Modi script.
Usually, the land allotted to the police division was below British regime, though its possession remained with another person.
A property will get a “clear title” when its possession is with none dispute and liens. Issued by the native governing authority of a state below income division, the title clearance certificates is proof confirming no debt or border encroachment is related to it and is evident of every kind of encumbrances. Due to this fact, Mane’s information of the script proved notably helpful in settling land titles.
The turnaround
The turning level got here in 2008, when he was posted on the caste validity division, which validates caste certificates submitted by candidates throughout elections, in Solapur. Mane confronted a roadblock, like his father had, whereas coping with a case pertaining to election caste validity certificates, which proves that an individual belongs to a sure caste. He joined a three-month skilled course in Solapur to higher his information of the script on the behest of the division.
“Thereafter, I began visiting the Peshwa Daftar (a Peshwa paperwork workplace, in Pune, that homes archival materials courting again to the time of Chattrapati Shivaji) and studied many Gaon Namuna Patre (paperwork pertaining to land information in villages) and associated paperwork in Modi script, which I later used to unravel numerous land title instances,” Mane stated.
Mane studied numerous income and attraction paperwork, and authorities resolutions since 1850.
Immediately, his work has cleared disputes from almost 200 acres of land, 60% of which is from Pune district, 20% from Mumbai district and the remainder from Ahmednagar and Jalgaon. Mane has additionally helped BJ Medical Faculty, Faculty of Engineering Pune (COEP) and Pune district court docket to clear their land titles.
“One can get permission for land growth solely when the land title is evident, failing which, the state authorities won’t present funds. Many tasks have confronted roadblocks as a consequence of this problem. After I offered the paperwork, it grew to become simpler for them,” Mane stated.
Distinguished amongst these disputes have been the title of the Pune Police Commissionerate’s workplace, which stands on over a two-acre plot, close to Pune station, in 2016. The commissionerate’s land — though with the division — was owned by a church. It took the cop two years to straighten it out.
Trying forward
Friends and seniors have taken be aware of his contribution. “That is social service. It’s commendable that he was in a position to ace it regardless of day-to-day difficulties and a busy work schedule. We’re comfortable to have him on our workforce and are hopeful that many extra officers will equally come ahead,” stated R Raja.
Balkawade stated,“Work on Modi is the need of this period, as a result of there are round 5 crore Modi script paperwork which can be obtainable in Peshwa Daftar (Peshwa-era doc workplace) in Pune and round 25 lakh Modi script paperwork can be found in Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal in Pune. These paperwork are associated to Peshwa and Maratha historical past. If we’re ignoring in the direction of Modi then how we are able to know our courageous historical past.”
He has acquired money rewards 45 instances for his contribution on this subject, as recorded in his service guide. However he’s not eager to relaxation on his laurels. For now, he has began learning the Raigad fort and Ahmednagar subah (villages, as they have been known as throughout Shivaji’s time), gathering paperwork and learning them within the Modi script.
He lately revealed a guide titled, Historical past of the Nrusinhawadi, on the Duttaguru temple in Sangli district. Mane hopes to do extra, encouraging scholarly discourse on Modi lipi. “I’m doing this all as part of my passion. If you find yourself excited by one thing, you handle to find time for it. It’s not further work,” he stated.