My Father’s Journey: Humility and Strength

Many people have inspired me in my life. Yet, my dad has inspired me the most. He way of life has lasting effects on my thoughts and actions. Those who knew him closely remember him as a humble and simple man!

Early Life

My Grandfather was born in a Hindu Brahman Family. He traveled across many South Indian Cities for jobs. My Dad was Born in 1953 at Kanumuru, Krishna District. They relocated to Mumbai (Then Bombay). He did his secondary education in Bhavan’s educational group. He secured a seat in IIT Kharagpur in 1971, a premier engineering college in India.

As he was pursuing his IIT, tragedy stuck for family as his father passed away. Expenses were paid up by his relatives for the remaining part of the course.

After completing his education, he worked temporarily at a research facility. Then he joined VSNL (Videsh Sanchar National Limited) in 1981. It was a public sector company known for international calling and Internet services.

He got married to Lalitha in 1983 during his early career. She is a fierce warrior in all regards. Her strength and his strong-willed nature built a strong 42 yr partnership.

I was born in 1984, my sister Soumya in 1986 in our mom’s hometown, Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh.

Career

He started at VSNL’s satellite office at Arvi. It is a short drive from Pune, Maharashtra. This office had huge antennas for satellite connectivity.

Our family eventually moved to Mumbai in 1987. We lived there for the next 10 years. During this period, we shifted constantly among company provided accommodation. This was part of his life where he grew up in his career, also started making lifelong friends.

He also underwent a major Heart Bypass Operation. For mom, it was a challenging time because she was new in Mumbai. She had limited friends and was just learning Hindi.

The first fiber optical cable in India was laid from Mumbai to Chandigarh under his supervision during this time. Can you imagine the internet today without it?!

He did visit various countries part of growing telecommunications global business which included US, Japan, UK. At a certain time, we almost relocated to the US. Yet, his health issues once again became a barrier.

We moved to Pune in 1996 for the next 3 years where in we started enjoying a comfortable life. He oversaw the facility. The bungalow we lived in had all kinds of trees. These included Mango, Black plum, and Guava. There were also Neem, Eucalyptus, and Banyan Trees, among others. This was also the first place we had our own car.

In the next phase of life, we moved to Hyderabad in 1999. He had bought a home here for future retirement. He got an opportunity to interact with the then Chief Minister Honorable Chandrababu Naidu. He was part of the process to get high-speed Internet connectivity for the now bustling Hitech City. VSNL had one of the first buildings there, today it is just a dot in a bustling megalopolis.

I moved to a engineering college in Karnataka in 2001. During that time frame, my family went back to Mumbai.

He was put in charge of the office which controlled fiber optical cables going into the Arabian Sea. At that time, only two such facilities existed in India. They also lived in South Mumbai.

I used to visit during holidays and got an opportunity to visit South Mumbai landmarks within walking distance. His Health conditions kept chasing him and was decisive for his next part of life.

He also got the opportunity to visit IIT Kharagpur for its golden Jubilee Celebrations.

Retirement

VSNL became Tata Communications part of Government of India initiatives to divest public sector companies. At this time, his management recognized his health issues. They offered him voluntary retirement after 23 years of service in 2004. He had to accept, and we finally ended our stay in Mumbai and moved back to Hyderabad.

He worked briefly at Pet aviation systems and then as engineering college professor for a few years. His Health did not allow him to continue for long.

During this time, we built another single-family home. We also bought a car. My sister got married to Prashanth in 2008, a practical & self-grown individual.

I got married in 2010 to Annapurna Surekha. I joined Cognizant in 2011 and eventually moved to the US in 2014. Before moving to US, we conducted Dad’s 60th birthday Celebrations.

Mom and Dad visited many religious places. They went to destinations like Char Dham yatra in North India and other attractions in South India. He did like touring places even alone, a constant spiritual learner.

The last part of my Father’s life was plagued with health issues. Heart condition, cancer in 2018 and eventual brain stroke in 2025 which ended his life.

People who were touched by his grace knew him as a forever intellectual. He was humble and a simple living human being. Many people benefited from his knowledge and wisdom.

He continued to learn programming even late in life, as a passion. He also thoroughly learned Sanskrit and did certifications in the language. He loved roof top gardening. Also, he kept in touch with his some of his IIT Friends.

My conversations with him were usually on Politics, he had a very neutral view on almost all global topics. I have picked up the habit of reading great books from him. He never aspired to do anything beyond his means.

During the later part of his life, he spent a lot of time with his grandchildren. My sister’s children Samanjay and Yaksh learned a lot from him. My kids Jaidev & Sharvil spent some time with him.

Hope this article gives a gist on my dad’s life. It provides guidance on the importance of leading a simple and humble life. We have a lot to learn from him about living simply while still investing in your own learning. As children and grandchildren, we hope we can apply these values in our life.