8 Indian Fathers Share Life Lessons We All Need to Heed

From encouraging their children to follow their passion to being there when times are rough, dads do it all. But when’s the last time we looked back at them and said ‘thank you’?

This Father’s Day, let’s not forget to thank our dads for all the sage advice they have given us throughout the years.

And while you’re at it, here are some heartwarming stories of children who recount how their dads were an inspiration to them.

1. Strive to be inclusive, always:

“Back in the day, it was even more difficult for trans persons to find jobs. My father would always help them out with whatever he could. He kept telling me that if I could help them, I should,” says Diego Miranda, on carrying his father’s dream and opening a cafe run by trans persons.

2. Follow your passion:

“My father told me I need not pursue IIT at the cost of everything else. He taught me not to sacrifice myself for what everyone was doing,” says Nishant Jain, whose father made him drop out of IIT coaching. While he still prepared for his JEE exams, his father encouraged him to do so while playing sports, exploring his interests as a comic artist and reading literature. The point was not to give up on life only for studies.

3. Don’t let crises get you down:

“I was crying, ashamed, hurt and confused, all together when I saw the pictures. I looked at my mother and said, “This is not me”. My father straight away hugged me and said, “Even if it is you, toh kya?” says Shruti Chaturvedi whose father made her fearless by refusing to be blackmailed with morphed pictures.

4. ‘Daughters are equal to sons’:

“Since childhood, my father has told us that we are equal. He would always insist that we treat each other with respect,” says Roshan, whose father went on to name his business ‘Gupta & Daughters’.

5. Be disciplined:

“My appa strongly believed in the power of discipline and channelising energy constructively. I remember that he sat me down before my first karate class and explained how the two were essential values for success,” says Sabari Karthik, a karate gold medallist, whose father supported his dream.

6. Men can be homemakers too:

“The predominant idea that women should be able to balance personal and public lives, and if not, then give up these aspects of their lives, is an extremely ignorant way of looking at things. The choice of balancing those aspects or giving up one to pursue the other solely falls on the individual, be it the wife or the husband,” says Lahar Joshi who broke stereotypes as a stay-at-home father.

7. Education is important:

“No matter what, never give up on education. I have experienced how it is to live day and night, counting the last of your income. We have spent years working tirelessly so we can eat well,” says Bathirasamy, who supported his son’s dream of becoming an IAS officer.

8. Use your skills for good:

“Appa has used his writing skills to force various government agencies into action. He was instrumental in relocating a bus stop, getting a foot-over-bridge installed for pedestrians, and setting up a library in the community centre for the residents. He has made me believe that I have the power to affect change, and that I need to be persistent and patient,” says Usha Ramaswamy whose father taught her to use her potential to bring about change in society.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

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