A banyan tree!

Today is 18th April. It is fourteen years since my grandfather Narayanrao Welnakar- Nana Aajoba had passed. This is a small attempt to recall his memories. Actually such a sharing from his grandson is somewhat like a rookie artist expressing his thoughts about legends of the calibre of Hariprasadji! Because what we grandsons and granddaughters saw was his last years. It was seeing a fast diminishing sun. Compared to this, the relation of a father to his son or daughter is much closer and it witnesses many things for long time. There they get opportunity to understand closely. But also sometimes too harsh blinding the eyes. As our eyes cannot see things which are too far, they also cannot see things which are too close. This is the nature of the relation between the father and his son/ daughter. Compared to this, the relation between the grandfather and his grandchildren is much pleasant. Thanks to the not so harshly burning flame and attachment sustained to the distance!

Despite of this difference in age and the lifetimes, even the grandchildren could experience caring shadow and comforts of this banyan tree. Childhood memories still pop up in the mind. I can clearly see- he is doing his sun- salutations (Surya Namaskar) on the terrace, he is doing his daily tasks with discipline- going to RSS Shakha, meeting people and writing constantly. For others he is a little harsh, but for the grandchildren, very gentle! He is readily available when our health is not good or when we wish to convince our parents!

During the childhood days, I never understood his work as the civil engineer, his social work and the people he had earned. Because, many times we need contrast to understand things. In those days, one would just think maybe this is the case everywhere. Therefore, who he really was, how he was and he was a banyan tree not just for us, but for many more people- all this we clearly understood only when he left us when we saw so many people talking about him. After his demise, prof. Sheshrao Mohite had shared his beautiful memories. Despite of distinct ideology and orientation in life and also huge age difference, my grandfather had became a close friend to him.
His year of birth was 1924 and in that sense, this is the 100th year. In those days, he became an engineer and for expanding RSS work, he left Nagpur and settled in Parbhani, a small town in central Maharashtra in 1960. Along with his profession, he continued working for RSS and other social work related activities. Later on he played a significant role in establishing many organizations. Yoga Mitra Mandal, Parbhani is one of them. Inspired by him, further generation- my father, my uncle and my aunt also contributed in social sector. But his impression is more than that. Today when we see so much of contrast in the society, we realize how deep and tall this tree was. Those days, the epoch- it was altogether different.

In those strange days, in 60s to 70s, many people would regularly come to our house for meals. It was a trend then. The house would welcome many faces every day. My grandparents have helped many needy persons. In those days, one thing was strikingly different than today's world. Everyone whom my grandfather would meet at home or outside- all of them were his friends. Shopkeepers, workers in house or other places, teachers, government officers- they could be anyone, but they were never strangers and rather his friends. In those days my grandparents and later on my father- they never would meet any stranger at all! And all of this was so effortless in that it was so deeply rooted with them. My grandfather would encourage my grandmother for her music penance and he would support his daughters for fulfilling their dreams. This was being much ahead of his times. We never realized how unique it was until we experienced the outside world.

As his grandson, I never even wondered how deep this was. His presence was gentle and not troublesome. He would speak lively. It was a great relief for me that all my school teachers are his friends! He was a passionate cricket fan. And he was also fond of telling stories with signatory phrases! I still remember the movie “Hum Aapke hain koun” which we enjoyed in a theater with our grandparents. In later stages of his life, he would sit for hours and keep writing. He had translated poems of Atalji and he would also write in detail about religious, spiritual and social subjects.

Before this bright sun was set, he was eclipsed by dementia. Maybe due to this, for many persons his memories are about his forgetfulness! Yes, the sun had lost much of its blaze. But its fire was revealed when people shared their loving memories with reverence. It revealed how bright this star was. Today it is fourteen years since he passed, but people who know olden days of Parbhani still recall him. Today sprouts out of this banyan tree have reached far away.

- Niranjan Welankar 09422108376
18 April 2024