Pandharpur (Solapur): An elderly man proved that age is no barrier for studying and set an example to those who leave their education citing adversities.
At the age of 92, getting PhD is just like a dream. But, this dream has come true for 92-year-old Lalasaheb Babar from Sonand village in Sangola taluka. The Commonwealth Vocational University awarded PhD to Babar for his social, cultural and political works. Lalasaheb Babar, who lives with his family in Sonand, a small village in Sangola taluka of Solapur district, has become an icon for young, who are deprived of education due to difficulties.
Lalasaheb Babar was born on January 1, 1930, in Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh. His father Madhavrao Babar was the Commander-in-Chief of Hattikhana and Horse Force at Scindia (Shinde) Sansthan in Gwalior. He was educated at a school in Sonand and he knew the importance of education from his childhood. Since them, he dedicated his life to Gandhian ideology.
Lalasaheb Babar has worked as a primary teacher from 1946 to 1947. His teaching career started from a new school in Manegaon. He resigned from his job in 1950 to devote his time to social work. Later, he entered the political arena and became the sarpanch of the village.
In 1952, Tantamukti Gaon Abhiyan Yojana was implemented in Sonand Gram Panchayat. Tantamukti Gaon Abhiyan Yojana means a village without quarrel. He tried to dispose of many court cases and complaints in the village itself without anyone going to a police station. In order to maintain law and order in the village, he set up a Village Security Force. He spread and propagated Gadge Baba's idea to clean the village and tried to keep it clean and beautiful.
Insisting on imparting primary education to all the students in the age group of six to fourteen years within the limits of gram panchayat, he emphasised the importance of education to the parents and played an important role in recruiting all the educated youth as primary teachers. In the seventies, Lalasaheb Babar worked diligently on many social committees of his district. Along with politics, he was committed to social work and carried many works of development in the rural areas.
Lalasaheb Babare's journey, which started as a teacher from rural areas, to getting a PhD is astounding.
