Only 3 letters DaD but boy they are so inherently itched in my being that sometimes I feel a sense of incompleteness if I don’t talk to him or contemplate on what he is thinking or working on. Its not that I talk to him everyday but it’s the distance that brings us more closer.
His days are simple , structured revolving around his principles of work , family , community and faith. Even at the age of 75 there is no slowing down. We originally had big plans of celebrating his 75th birthday by going to India and organizing a big party with friends and family to honor the milestone but because of COVID situation we had to settle on a zoom online event. Nevertheless its the story that matters and my dad is the central character here with me his eldest daughter attempting to narrate it.
He was born in 1945 in an old village to Shankar and Parvati Gawade the youngest of 7 kids. He and his brothers walked miles to reach school and get back home as in those times there were no roads, bullock cart or bicycle being the common modes of transport. The family was poor and the only source of income was from farming. My dad was ambitious and he knew that to rise from poverty he has to take a leap of faith. So he left his Kunde village and went to Mumbai. He stayed with his brothers and got his education BA LLB studying and working simultaneously to make ends meet. Out of all his siblings my dad is the most educated.
Janardan also known as Janya soon got employed in ESI office. His hard work , public speaking skills and outgoing nature made him popular. He got elected as union leader. In addition to his regular job he strived to uplift the masses by speaking about equal justice for labor unions. He was managing all of this while raising a family.
His beautiful wife Sandhya welcomed his passions with an open heart. Not only did she support him but kept him grounded if he swayed on the currents of fame, popularity, friendship or obligation. We always had cousins staying with us for their education and dads friends came every weekend to meet him and discuss all types of issues. Tea , lunch , dinner was offered to whoever visited our house in Khadki , an extension of an office literally and figuratively. My sister and I loved it though , Kanitkarwadi had his unusual charm mainly surrounded by Brahmins like Bhagwat, Joshi, Sonawane’s. We flourished as kids playing in the neighborhood and also mingling with the ESI staff like the Iyers , Rajam aunty, Velu uncle , Nigudkar , Pawale Sawant , Mashalkar kaka such fatherly figures to us. They were so loyal to my dad that he supported them , was their spokesperson when it came to personal matters like health , accommodation , promotion etc. Janardan did it all because he truly believed service to mankind is service to God.
He is truly a renessaince man always ready to help financially and morally whoever needed his help. At one point dad helped his colleagues who were in love to get married by being the witness in court marriage. At other time he helped so many get jobs just by referring them to employers he knew. He loaned people with money without asking for any interest in return.
He also cared deeply for his children and Sandhya. His busyness never came in the way to provide for his kids. He always gave us whatever we desired. We remember holding his hand and going to shops for buying new dresses for festivals. He also took us to the tailor for measurements of our new garments. Once when he was transferred to Mumbai we remember he used to stay there for a week and come back on Friday with lots of sweets and snacks and of course fried fish from Kanjurmarg which we so looked forward to. We dined in all kind of fancy restaurants like Kwality , Rudra, Kamat , Shangrila and lived a privileged childhood with many vacations to different cities like Kolhapur , Goa , Bangalore , Solapur etc.
When we moved to Pradhikaran , he was tireless in his effort to get me admission in the best school St. Ursulas by following up with Sister Rekha for umpteen times till she finally agreed to make an exception as I had failed the entrance test. My sister Namita who had mild asthma, he left no stone unturned and took her to the best doctors in town always ending up with Dr. Beke whom he trusts like God when it comes to matters of health.
We made new friends like Daules , Karnatkis , Waghmare and the Parab’s. He also ran as the chairman of Ganesh festival where my brother Sid and Namita performed on stage with fellow artists. Wherever he went he thrived and formed a community of well wishers and admirers . He also had critics but no one could stop him. He always built bridges of hope for people like Bapu , Nilesh , Satish , More and many more providing an anchor for excellence and prosperity.
We had so many cousins Anju tai, Sanju dada , Nitin dada, Vaishu tai , Chayya tai who stayed with us for a few years till they could settle on their own. It was like an extended family perched in our nest and our parents believed that our abode “Shraddha” is strong enough to provide roots and the wings to all its inhabitants . He got all of us settled in well to do families his famous quote being “If you are happy I am happy.”
After retirement he still runs his own business , was president of Lions Club a prestigious social welfare organization and manages his own finances with a surplus so that he can still keep giving to those in need. The Prabhus, Kasles, Sawant’s his kids and grandkids are in awe of this phenomenal life so well lived, a force that he is . “ Gawade Kaka” is that idol , a living , breathing superhero , an adventurer , a story teller and singer of our glorious day to day hymn.
It was an absolute pleasure to publish this on my birthday a token of appreciation for my all time hero my Papa . Here’s a poem for you dad :
A lighthouse He came from a humble village With not too many treasures Believed in patience , hard work Making affluent destiny with no perks His strength, courage , enduring spectacles Helped him soar through obstacles Persisted when others quit Like a sun flower blooming bit by bit He stood for the true cause Candid , public spirited Walked alone sometimes mellow Upholding rights of beloved Union fellows He helped everyone who knocked his door Blurring the lines between rich and poor Together with Mom created a blissful tower Blessed are we to cradle this paternal power He reached out to folks struggling Empowered few with a job offering A phone call or a silent word here and there Bucked up youth to rise up from despair He hardly cooks , clean or conforms Does not worry much about helping mom His work , his ideals are being in action A wonder to imbibe such parental motion A thundering plateau or a fatherly charm A silent buddha, yin or yang Dad personifies the goodness, the essence A lighthouse in raging storm or tranquil calm They say God cannot be everywhere Hence he created a mother Why did he create a father I ask. He needed to create his own reflection perhaps
deepaligawade 