Friday, November 25, 2016

Thanks Giving - To my Parents

 Yesterday was 'Thanks giving day'  in USA.  We celebrated it by having dinner at Sumedha's house along with Suhas and Jayanti family ( Daughter of Prof. H. U. Kulkarni). We talked a lot about our life in Walchand College quarters where we used to stay as neighbours.

The day reminded me about my blog about my parents, I had written in 2007. I feel it appropriate to include it here again to revive the memory of my parents and to express my gratitude towards them. 

About my parents




 Mother – 

Maiden name ‘Champutai’ born in Akle a village near Satara. Her father Janardan Sathye was serving in Satara with Kanhere family. After marriage the name got changed to ‘Lakshmi’. She was sober, soft spoken Self motivated, worrying about relatives and their welfare, very tolerant, Never became angry, always protective attitude and caring nature, did not allow the children to take risk, simple living, used chappals occasionally, full faith in god, 

Mother, with her soft and loving nature taught me to be sympathetic to the world. She never complained about ill doings or inferior treatment by relatives but praised whole heartedly about achievement of others.

Father

He was born and brought up in Jakatvadi, a village near Satara. His father was serving in collector office and used to come to office on foot travelling long distance. His father purchased a house in Magalwar peth and started a grocery shop. But soon that shop was closed due to rising arrears from customers. He had five sons and two daughters, my father , Vishnu (Tatya) was second in eldership. Elder brother Vaman (Dada)was tailor, where as younger brothers were in bank.

My father (Nickname ‘Tatya’ ) did his matriculation and joined service with Satara Sansthan. He was resolute in nature with high self respect but never envied or despised about others. He had full confidence in himself and his decisions. 

Good nature, cooperative, helped others, after brother’s accidental death, he asked all brothers to send money regularly to the family and advised brother’s wife to learn and stand on her own feet. She also got trained at Hingane and got school teacher job.

He was brought up in poverty, worked at three places simultaneously.

Good English, Good handwriting, sympathetic view, helping nature, many colleagues regularly came to him for advise, 

Black coat and cap, dhoti and white cotton shirt – always fixed dress.

Expert in office work, his younger brother, who was bank manager often came to him for advise.

He worked as clerk in Satara Sansthan and used to visit all forts and get accounts from the karbharis there. His salary was Rs. 20/month. After matriculation, he had gone to Bhusaval to give entrance examination for railway clerk. He took special interest in me and moulded me to what I am today intellectually. He told me stories of palace life in Satara, of forts and Shivaji’s bravery. I heard all Aesap’s stories and Panchatantra from him. He used to sit by my side and teach me how to write. He prepared notebooks for my school from blank ruled papers, always put brown paper covers to all my school books. He encouraged me to take part in school activities, essay competitions and often told his ideas about the subject and how to tackle the issue.

Daytime, he worked in insurance company established by Chirmule. He used narrate all experiences he had while getting the job, talking with his superior Shri Kashikars, how he felt about them. At that time the employment was very difficult to get. I remember one person Dixit, who was sacked from that company got derailed psychologically and sat at company door with Bamboo and earthen pot to indicate his funeral.

The insurance company where he worked later got merged with LIC later. 
In the evening he worked for the postman association, which was located in a lone room upstairs of a shop.. Once late at night he was engrossed in the work and was unaware of surrounding. He saw a shadow of a man on his papers. He lifted his head and was shocked to find a man staring at him. He got shuddered with fear. The man said, ‘ I had come to you to ask about my work, but as you were busy I did not disturb you. My father breathed a sigh of relief and told him to knock the door, whenever he comes in the room.

As a child, I remember waiting for him to come home and I could identify him by his dress and black cap from a long distance.

Tatya was very methodical in running the house affairs, used to keep details of all accounts in his diary everyday. Once he showed me the details of vegetables purchased on the day he joined service. Somehow, I could not follow this practice mainly due to lazyness.

Whatever I have written about my parents in above blog deals only with as related to my childhood period in Satara. There are many more details and events which need yo be explained in detail during their life in Sangli since 1960 to 1995. 

On 30eth April 1991, Tatya completed 75 years.  You can read his autobiography in his own handwriting. 





We had also arranged a program where every member in our family spoke about our parents and thanked him. 

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I owe a lot to my parents. They moulded  my personality. Mother gave me sensitiveness and capacity to understand other's feelings. Father taught me how to be methodical and aware of true nature of world and instilled in me a spirit of fighting alone  for getting desired goal without expecting any favour from others.

My duty is now to pass on that legacy to future generations.


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