"You and your welfare and safety first"

 Yes, "You and your welfare and safety first". That was the feel of the braveheart, Baji Prabhu Deshpande. Some  three hundred and fifty years ago, in July 1660 to be precise, he fought utmost bravely and intelligently to save the life of Shivaji Maharaj, and in the process, the nascent Maratha kingdom.

In the Pavan Khind (a pass in the Western Ghats, then known as Ghode Khind), with his three hundred soldiers, he managed to finish off the wicked and wily plans of the mighty Moghuls, a troop of at least ten thousand. Why, he himself, even when his head was cut off treacherously, continued to fight off the enemy, and that, too, with two swords in two hands!

He fought the difficult battle most intelligently as well, with the special smart guerrilla technique associated with Shivaji Maharaj and his followers. Initially, hence, Shiva Kashid was sent off in a palaquin to hoodwink the enemies. In the meanwhile, the king was dispatched to the safety of Wishalgad, a fort nearby. Till he could hear the artillery blast indicating the safe arrival of his king at the fort, he, even his dead body, continued to fight and ward off the enemy away from his king.

What huge commitment, both for his king and the concept called "swarajya"! Well, in my opinion, in our lives, too, there is a Baji Prabhu who wards off every trouble in our way, and at the cost of his every, small to big, comfort. SURELY, in my life, there WAS one such superb individual. Yes, you guessed it right. My father!

 I do feel that our fathers are our Baji Prabhu Deshpande's! In fact, I wrote a poem to that effect. Our happiness, our comfort, our achieving our goals is all that matters to that unique individual. He can fight any battle, most heroically and in the most committed fashion so that the final victory is ours! No 'pass' can fail this Baji Prabhu in our individual lives. Every day is hence Fathers' Day in my opinion! 

Pratima@These days, there is an ugly and cheaply casteist reference to "Anajipant". Well, very important it is to remember his contribution, too, and far more necessary it is to never ever forget the very many Baji Prabhu's who adorned the reign of Maharaj!