Gratitude, Compassion and Simplicity – Homage to my Father!

Gratitude, Compassion and Simplicity are the three words which come to my mind today for the principals followed by my father in his life. He passed away on 11^th Jan 2022 at the age of 86. On my birthday today, I am going to write how these things played very important role in his life and also like to express Gratitude towards the people who helped me throughout my life.

My father ‘Bhalchandra Deo’ (we used to call him ‘Nana’) served Government of India for 36 years in Telephone Department, which he did very meticulously and with lot of sincerity. Hard work was a part of his entire life so not to be mentioned separately.

More than his service, he was known as ‘Violinist’ and spent 70+ years in nurturing his hobby & passion. It was a difficult task to manage family life, full time government job and giving time for his passion. With no formal training, with minimum available resources he emerged as a Classical Violinist. Gradually he also went into accompanying many famous vocalists in the area of light classical. After being felicitated at multiple events and functions, people started referring to him as ‘Pandit’ (Guru). He taught hundreds of students in playing this ‘not so easy to play’ musical instrument. My sister is the lead student and now a professional violist.

In spite of being a violin guru at home, I never picked up this art and not an authority on this subject of music so I am not going to write more about it. Multiple articles were published in local newspapers about him. He was interviewed on All India Radio earlier and even recently. He was interviewed on Television channel also. His multiple programs are uploaded by his well-wishers on YouTube.

I will write about Compassion first, then Simplicity and lastly about the Gratitude…

Right from the days when he had a salary which was barely sufficient to manage a 4 member family, he was also compassionate about people who are struggling to survive. He used to pass on financial and other help to everyone who is needy. Even as children we were never told the details about the help he was doing but I know it mostly as I overheard these discussions at home. We were leaving in one room kitchen home for almost 20 years and then constructed one more room in the same home. Eventually he moved out of this tiny house after 25+ years. He or anyone from my family never thought the home was a hindrance in our upbringing! My mother was his ultimate supporter for 59 years of their togetherness!

Simplicity comes naturally with your financial condition and for someone like my father, it was a part of his life and was not related his financial condition. Moving from a small house to a one bedroom flat (apartment) was the biggest financial decision of his life and all other norms of simplicity remained same throughout his life. We also understood that punctuality, discipline, being organised and well-dressed has nothing to do with your financial status. He never used a Smart Phone or a Computer and used only bicycle and a small two-wheeler (moped) for few years. Later he stopped using any kind of vehicle and only used public transport.

Gratitude – First of all I would like to express gratitude towards known and unknown people who helped me and my family at various occasions. It includes Doctors, Medical staff, relatives, friends, colleagues, well-wishers, Nana’s students and many others. It is not easy to be ‘solo’ in life like a ‘solo traveller’. Also the relations which one built over his / her life are non-transferrable assets. They start and almost come to an end with that person itself.

Nana had a very deep feeling of gratitude in his life. He was never hospitalised till the age of 84 when he got a Heart Attack. Many people including family members helped him come out of this illness and he always wanted to show his gratitude towards all of them as it was first major illness of his life.

On 9^th Jan 2022, he organised a ‘Gratitude Program’ to thank all those who helped him during this illness and recovery. This program kept on postponing (for good) because of covid19. While expressing gratitude towards everyone in this program, he collapsed from the chair with another massive heart attack. With CPR and revival process he came out from this Cardiac arrest once again for one day but finally breathed his last on 11^th Jan in ICU in a hospital.

I do understand the importance of gratitude and thanking everyone who helped you but it should not be emotionally so stressful that it can take your life! We knew his feelings and were perfectly ok without that gratitude function also!

Overall he lived a very happy, healthy, satisfied long life and served Government as well as the Musical Community of India. He was a strong support to all family members and many others and we will definitely miss him.

This blog is the homage to him on my birthday!

Chittaranjan Deo, Pune, India

14-02-2022