In the annals on Indian railway history, the name Madhu Dandavate shines brightly as a beacon of social justice and progressive reform.

Credited with doing away with the offensive ‘third class’ section, Dandavate also ensured a makeover for the hard, wooden seats  of the ‘second class’.

Born on 21 January, 1924, in Ahmednagar, Dandavate completed his MSc in Physics from the Royal Institute of Science, Mumbai.

He went on to head the physics department at Siddhartha College of Arts and Sciences, Mumbai. His entry into politics, however, was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi during the tumultuous Quit India Movement in 1942.

The socialist leader stepped into the role of Railway Minister in the Janata Government between 1977 and 1979.

During his tenure, he advocated for dignity for those who travelled in the second-class compartments.

Dandavate introduced two inches of foam on the “reserved sleeper berths” in the second-class sections of trains, which, prior to that, unlike their padded- first class counterparts, were made of hard, bare wood.

Although a simple intervention, this initiative had a profound influence on the lives of millions of ordinary Indians.

Dandavate’s decision to introduce these two inches of foam was driven by a desire to assist the country’s poor in a practical way.

As he once famously argued, “What I want to do is not degrade the first class, but elevate the second class”.

The first train with these safer and more comfortable seats was flagged off on 26 December, 1977, between Mumbai and Kolkata (and back).

Despite the  Railway Board wanting to call this train the Eastern Express, Dandavate decided on the name Gitanjali Express, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore. The train even had portraits of the Bengali poet hung inside it.

It is said that by the end of the 1980s, all trains of the Indian Railways had these padded berths in their second-class compartments, thus helping hundreds of millions of people.

Besides this, Dandavate also introduced the computerisation of railway reservations “to curb corruption” and “streamline the procedures.”

After battling cancer for a protracted period, Dandavate passed away in Mumbai on 12 November, 2005, at age 81. As per his wishes, his body was donated to the city’s JJ Hospital.