This is a story of grit and determination, of honesty and hard work, of hope, come what may. Beating the bad days, seeking education in the toughest of times and not losing track of life even in the most adverse situations, Dinanath Narsinha Bhandare emerged a winner. Taking pride in the work he did decades ago, he reminds us of the diverse things he was associated with “ since the Portuguese era. “Did you ever look at the tall trees enveloping the municipal garden in Margao? The oldest among them should be the ones I planted decades ago,” he boasts while recalling how he passed the entrance exam for securing a government post “ one among five selected for this Class I position“ drawing a salary of Rs 68 back in the 1930s. Later, promotions and transfers took him to various departments “ Survey, PWD, Customs and Excise “ finally retiring from the post of Assistant Commissioner of Excise in the 70s.
Today, surrounded by his family “ two daughters, Asha Balwant Talwadkar and Lata Prakash Kamat, four grandsons “ Sachin, Nilesh, Hemant and Harshad, their wives and six great grandchildren “ Shaivee, Rishabh, Siya, Trusha, Sanhavi and Akshaj, Dinanath lives a blissful life in Panaji. “A disciplinarian throughout his life, he is a living example to our children that shows living with dignity, honesty and dedication can make a person so relaxed, peaceful and calm,” says Dr Nilesh Talwadkar, one of his grandsons.
For decades, Dinanath followed a routine “ he got up early and went for a walk, then did yoga, puja and breakfast before going to work. “Even after his retirement grandpa worked in a local factory as a supervisor to keep himself occupied. A workaholic, the idea of retiring did not appeal him,” says another grandson Sachin Talwadkar.
Dinanath’s story reminds us of those hard times when one had to travel outside Goa for higher studies. Life was tough for Dinanath as he lost his father when he was only three. “My uncle supported our family. I was the youngest among three brothers and two sisters. In my childhood, there was no electricity and kerosene lamps were the only source of light after dusk,” narrates Dinanath.
Fighting adversities, he moved ahead. His urge to educate himself was strong, so combating difficult situations and earning while learning he studied Portuguese Segund Grau (secondary education) after his Primeiro Grau (primary education) in Marathi and then took private tuition in English for two years before joining Lyceum (higher secondary education). Wanting to study further, Dinanath shifted to his sister’s place in Margao where his brother-in-law worked as a professor of Lyceum. “A renowned advocate from Margao offered me a friendly advice to answer entrance exam for government job. That changed the course of my entire life,” says Dinanath who answered the exam and came first and got a job in the municipality. Here he with his other colleagues managed to bring about cohesive working culture in the municipality. After eight years in the municipality, he joined the customs department in 1944 which, after liberation, turned into local excise.
Dinanath recalls this transit, “I honed engineering skills from late Dr George Barretto, president of Camra (municipality). Late Visitacao Paes also aided in upgrading my knowledge. There were knowledgeable people around me who willingly shared their intellectual property with others. Sharing knowledge was a common custom. There was respect for human life and we experienced dignity at work place,” recalls Dinanath who is saddened by today’s chaotic system of working and degraded lifestyle.
“My father is a foodie and his taste buds are very much alive even at this age. Nurturing hobbies like music, sketching, playing flute, reading, travelling and connecting to people, he has lived a content life,” shares daughter Asha.
Being the oldest member of one of the oldest libraries in Goa “ the Saraswati Mandir Vachanalaya in Panaji, Dinanath, was felicitated during the centenary year of this library in 2013. He was also felicitated as a founder member and ex-chairman of Goa State Co-operative Housing and Finance Federation and as the oldest past pupil at the centenary celebrations of Mustifund Saunstha. Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society where he lived felicitated him for his contribution to the society. At 100, he also got a rare honour as the senior most Mahajan of the 450 year-old Shree Laxmi Narayan temple at Kumbharjuve, founded by the Gaud Saraswat Vaishnav Bramhins of the Bharadwaj Gotra and identified by the surname of Bhandare. Today surrounded by his kith and kin, Dinanath is a happy old man! “At 103, there’s no peer pressure,” he winks.
