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Daddy
Tuhin Sinha
With gender dynamics changing the world over, parenting is a key area where this change is most perceptible. Modern dads today have no inhibitions in changing their baby’s diapers, spending sleepless nights catering to their newborn or looking after the baby while the mother is at work.They often tend to be more patient and indulgent with the baby, a marked shift from the way Indian fathers used to be a few decades ago. Daddy, a first of its kind Indian book, provides a rare parenting insight from a father’s perspective, and looks at issues, concerns and joys that every new father goes through. Combining personal narrative, with stories from new fathers and leading medical practitioners, the book brings together ideas on involved fatherhood and explores the changing relationship dynamic between a couple after the baby arrives. In more ways than one, it celebrates the spirit of new age fatherhood.PRAISE FOR ‘DADDY’"Fatherhood has been the most amazing life altering experience for me..Daddy is a one of its kind book that celebrates the emotion of being a father, besides being a ready handbook for all new fathers as well as those planning to go the family way." -VIVEK OBEROI, BOLLYWOOD ACTOR"‘Daddy’ proves that fatherhood is an inner calling and a passion! It shows how you can find time to be a hands-on father despite all your professional commitments" -MANOJ BAJPAYEE, BOLLYWOOD ACTOR"The book is an excellent combination of profound paternal emotions and some very practical guidance tips for new fathers. Loved it… you will!" -TARUN KATIAL, CEO, RELIANCE BROADCAST NETWORK LTD."Tuhin’s book comes with a bright ray of hope, providing beautiful and meaningful insights for fathers to raise their children in a healthy environment, which will enhance a child’s life holistically." -SEEMA HINGORRANY, PSYCHOLOGIST




Praise from the Participant Dads (#ulink_c38186ef-e38c-5f7d-a801-8061ca31b817)
‘Excellent read! Absolutely unputdownable for new and expecting dads! Would have been even better had this been around when my son Archit was born!’
—Abhishek Srivastava
‘A riveting, heart-rending, responsible and flawless depiction of a father-son relationship. Strongly recommended as a must-read for parents, especially fathers.’
—Anant Ganesh
‘Fatherhood is this biggest joy and this book will make your journey through parenthood seamless and fun.’
—Asad Lalljee
‘A book that brings out the male perspective on child-birth was long needed. Daddy is a brilliant and very useful read.’
—Debashis Das
‘A must-read for all modern-day parents. Tuhin has put his heart and soul in consolidating his experiences.’
—Rajan Gupta
‘Finally, a book about, for, and by the modern, urban, Indian father—an oft-neglected demographic.’
—Roopak Saluja
‘A practical handbook with emotional connect makes it a unique read.’
—Roshan Kanal
‘It’s a must read for the younger generation to realise what all their dads did for them…It will help kids reconnect to their dad’s with a fresher outlook.’
—Shobhit Jaiswal
‘The book is a must-read for every dad-to-be, particularly in a world where nuclear families have become the norm. With no support from grannies and uncles, it becomes even more imperative that the husband equally helps his wife in nurturing the kids.’
—Zahid H Javali

About the Author (#uba63302b-685f-5230-a7af-f095e226f206)
TUHIN A. SINHA is among the best-selling authors in India, a columnist and a screenwriter.
Tuhin is acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers with a maverick knack to experiment with new genres. While his first book, That Thing Called Love (2006) was an offbeat romance, The Captain (2008) was a cricket thriller that explored the underbelly of modern cricket. Of Love And Politics (2010) was a political thriller. His fourth and fifth books The Edge of Desire (2012) and its sequel, The Edge of Power (2013) can be called socio-political thrillers with a strong feminist skew.
Daddy is Tuhin’s sixth book and his first non-fiction narrative.
Tuhin is also a screenwriter of several popular TV shows, the most noteworthy being Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus.
Apart from his fiction novels and scripts, Tuhin is a keen political observer. His columns on Indian politics appear regularly in India’s leading dailies. Tuhin has a regular blog on ibnlive.com (http://www.ibnlive.com). He also appears frequently on news channels on discussions around politics and cricket.
At present, apart from working on two other books, Tuhin is a consultant with Reliance Broadcast, in- charge of new programming initiatives for their TV channel, Big Magic.
Tuhin is a doting Dad who has often bunked work to steal additional time with his son. He is not a bad husband either.

Daddy
The Birth of a Father
Tuhin A. Sinha


www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For
Neev Tanish,
you’ve gifted me the most pristine experience on earth
Daddy,
whose virtues and values I carry today as a father
Ramy,
for bringing Neev into the world
Mamma,
for being the most wonderful mother
And for every passionate and evolving Dad who redefines the parent-progeny relationship with a new meaning.

Acknowledgments (#uba63302b-685f-5230-a7af-f095e226f206)
There aren’t many instances in your professional life when you instinctively derive the courage to swerve away from conventional commercial considerations and do what you believe in. In that situation it is equally an arduous task to find the right person who believes in what you believe in. Thank you Amrita Verma Chowdhury for the strength of your conviction. Thank you for your indefatigable efforts and initiative in nurturing the book and making it happen in its present form. As a publisher, you have been exceptional.
Thank you, Mohini Chaudhuri for your being so patient and relentless through the editing process. This was not an easy book to edit and your contribution to the book stands out.
This book would not have happened without the sporting participation of ten young fathers who eagerly took queries, some of a personal nature, and with whose inputs I was able to bring forth more perspectives for the readers. Thank you, Abhishek Srivastava, Asad Lalljee, Anant Ganesh, Debashis Das, Rajeev Shukre, Rajan Gupta, Roopak Saluja, Roshan Kanal, Shobhit Jaiswal and Zahid H. Jawali for taking time out from your busy schedules and making the book more engaging.
I owe a debt of gratitude to renowned psychologist, Dr. Seema Hingorrany, senior paediatric consultant and oncologist, Dr. Santanu Sen and paediatrician Dr. Ninad Hebbalkar for contributing exclusive write-ups for the readers. The book’s utility for the common reader has gone up manifold with your contributions.
I am grateful to Vivek Oberoi, Manoj Bajpayee, Madhur Bhandarkar, Tarun Katial, Nandita Aggarwal and Vinita Nangia for their consistent encouragement.
I remain grateful to my mom and dad for instilling in me values that had me believe that a book of this nature was long overdue and had to be written.
I am as grateful to my wife Ramyani and son Tanish for being my reservoir of strength. You make life more liveable.
Last but not the least, as always, I remain thankful to my readers! No contemporary Indian writer has perhaps experimented as lavishly with all his books as I have. You give me the strength to believe that the bestsellers’ chart is not the be all and end all. There is a beautiful world beyond it.

The Rainbow (#uba63302b-685f-5230-a7af-f095e226f206)
My heart leaps up when I behold
A Rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the man;
And I wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
—William Wordsworth

Contents
Cover (#u3b3856ba-87d0-5e85-83c5-cdd213a595f7)
Praise from the Participant Dads (#u539c3b41-39d1-5477-afea-75e60ad56136)
About the Author
Title Page (#u6a9822d8-14e6-5a34-9aec-f70bda507ec5)
Dedication (#u6ca92734-ad84-5a76-9acd-965af8d881fb)
Acknowledgements
The Rainbow
Prologue
Section A: BECOMING DAD (#ua3f7134c-36e8-576e-bced-855561e91570)
1. Introduction (#ub3807b19-f052-565e-a740-e9ea647df8f2)
Why I wrote the book
2. I Want to Become a Dad…But Am I Ready? (#ue062bf6d-d46e-5c76-959c-becaf7205fbd)
My first paternal pangs
When to be a father (#ulink_55c751bc-a899-52f2-b273-10075f04f09d)
It’s written in the stars (#ulink_55a9761e-8462-554d-bc33-cf57cba99f52)
The clock is ticking… (#ulink_e0c1c284-0714-5012-aea2-d1c93b957b2f)
Things to remember (#ulink_df9abeb2-5d1a-5ecf-baba-371d84a57507)
Section B: WHAT A DAD NEEDS TO DO DURING PREGNANCY (#u6f45e365-821f-58fa-b676-47e8c296ab94)
3. You’re Expecting! What Next? (#ua74421c8-0658-5e02-90bd-f300a309b1dd)
Deciding the doctor and hospital
Make your home baby-friendly (#ulink_1692732a-8094-5f18-93e3-56c3af59cc80)
Scans and more… (#ulink_7a078df2-9f16-5802-ab32-a76ea5551e9b)
Stem cell banking (#ulink_00965060-56c4-5f20-8f4b-01b7aba9b1b5)
Things to remember (#ulink_72702bec-03f9-5920-b6f7-428322a0d696)
4. Giving Emotional Support (#u3cb76a38-a389-50cd-b8cd-243c2c22e77b)
She needs some tender, loving, care
Say goodbye to your social life (#ulink_4a34714a-b720-55c1-8695-4913ea7aecc3)
Put wife before work (#ulink_76b75bf5-59e5-540b-bdd0-12f2fddd20ac)
Help her through morning sickness (#ulink_bb0091da-bff9-5ac8-aa9e-92573a7bce6d)
Indulge her food cravings (#ulink_d10e986d-8232-5874-badb-afa1792740c6)
Pick up household chores (#ulink_e57adece-19d6-5fe7-b6b7-c5cc78030bf7)
Protect mother and baby (#ulink_16225655-f7df-5620-ba54-10dced2a670b)
Sometimes you have to sit back and let go! (#ulink_ad8b1cf7-b3aa-5033-9786-8710d303b05d)
Plan a baby moon (#ulink_aad9fd41-69b3-5476-9938-4d7a3f761761)
Section C: THE BIRTH (#u4f9e4dea-e1c0-575f-af4a-46cc49966b36)
5. Labour Day (#ucd139bd1-1647-5afd-9424-fe702a4a8ac1)
Early birds
The final countdown (#ulink_c2777926-26ac-5353-8661-9f64dfe04099)
There will be blood! (#ulink_16def6a0-c448-5cd1-bfbc-c0f1d2ef4249)
So far but so good (#ulink_e08053c3-638d-55f8-a383-099ebff44d1d)
Watch out for the waterworks (#ulink_83a157a3-b7dd-5efd-bc07-6702420a4c36)
6. Managing Birth Complications (#u8333fcd1-3659-55a0-aaba-0722c18d58ba)
Testing times ahead
Managing the crowd (#ulink_7e6daf05-fcdb-5aa1-b0e6-5f295ded8b20)
Is your hospital a safe zone? (#ulink_9266591e-2bee-5e22-91a1-af8c43e3955d)
Things to remember (#ulink_3e0bfa61-b3fb-5566-9695-a5a75492c3b7)
Section D: THE HOMECOMING (#u2c6f1552-8bfb-5394-8c8f-a7d005a04bee)
7. Announcing the Baby (#u314ab197-6a8b-5f38-aaaf-f369b2237394)
Finally, Tanish and mom re-unite
Bringing home the new addition (#ulink_2b1e838f-4acf-5ca7-9cc3-d2a7c0c0024a)
The longest car journey ever! (#ulink_e40596fe-461a-519e-a156-d1246c118efa)
Of pujas and photo ops (#ulink_c168b5e0-8852-592f-97e1-d3d8aa7b0f82)
Say hello to the virtual world (#ulink_9851187f-8960-5d95-b656-80e1969de584)
8. Caution! Speed Bumps Ahead (#u5f0f52e6-682d-50cd-bdf3-7ab8ed53348e)
Getting down to business
At times, formula milk is inevitable (#ulink_41b68ba0-aa2b-5e16-94c6-ad05f5f8037f)
Don’t over-react (#ulink_f19f742a-4501-5aa2-9e57-c64d90fe5ab0)
A separation (#ulink_eec1e319-99bd-5708-9d3c-ca4d50cee31f)
Things to remember (#ulink_4f0f79c4-e539-52bb-8e64-940a60485330)
9. The Name Game (#ubcee4a4e-5b4d-5a94-9f31-7c6ca0a73267)
The key players
Google thy name (#ulink_8251c670-1aa3-5635-9172-d8341fb49ef8)
The perfect fit (#ulink_528f9c49-d41b-5170-956f-864de650d754)
Better late than never (#ulink_fbed4961-d8d7-533f-93e9-0f819975caab)
Things to remember (#ulink_be1ce02f-9b39-5044-b9b2-7f956bf56f81)
10. Up All Night (#uce5278d7-0d94-5fd5-8bb5-8983c590ebd0)
Say goodbye to sleep
Adjusting to new sleeping patterns (#ulink_c617a85e-3775-57a9-9f75-21f72ebddde0)
Working your magic (#ulink_ae7467a3-d644-57a1-a9fe-58368a8e7ff0)
Co-sleeping with your child (#ulink_4be71b71-56ff-5ac2-adf8-222406f15448)
Things to remember (#ulink_923e3a6b-4858-5501-923e-e6049c75568d)
11. For Crying Out Loud! (#u74ea4c08-d61f-5046-9f5a-3f12f55cb09a)
Take a chill pill
The language of tears (#ulink_33872ba4-ab97-59a1-8ff4-1cacfc768bf4)
Swaddling (#ulink_d3f1dc07-5b81-5745-ba06-80e02eb824ee)
To do or not to do? (#ulink_b3a4e5c0-360e-5255-ab70-53a3bb5f5fb0)
Things to remember (#ulink_f91a779c-794d-5a65-9b1b-f614ee52975e)
12. Relax, Little One (#u1265d006-c61b-5a20-8559-a79560849c2b)
Time to bond
The first bath (#ulink_e4b1d5f6-9200-54fa-9413-44e81e44586e)
Safety rules to remember (#ulink_d5557afd-4317-57c0-8b84-07ae6340b540)
Massaging your baby (#ulink_63a0ac0f-5844-5a10-940d-3e590552064f)
13. I’m Always Anxious (#ueec30eb6-9d92-587d-a834-b2b7696f82c2)
Feeding woes
Obsessing over your baby (#ulink_3ef7c1a0-f85f-50bd-851c-558fea737bba)
Finding a good paediatrician (#ulink_8a47feb3-67b3-5b0e-a688-e97f7fd74ec6)
Ruling out anomalies (#ulink_89bcf382-faa5-5e39-b469-b1d95d86a34e)
Things to remember (#ulink_1f3bcd66-ddd9-553b-a108-ae1b5ab40fd0)
Section E: NEW MOM, NEW DAD (#u6823a5ba-7cca-5a44-b475-0aff7b182aa9)
14. Emotional Atyachaar (#uaa80ea77-9283-516c-a9d7-29715b2ae5e0)
Mind your language
Everyone has an opinion! (#ulink_da5e0442-4037-5e49-99c5-dd3933874ab2)
Screen your visitors (#ulink_a46bdd97-cced-5dd4-a6e6-5be58335ebc7)
Internal atyachaar (#ulink_4a1f48e2-f857-5019-88bc-874145c519e1)
Am I fat? (#ulink_c34ab9d5-730a-50dd-b68c-f4db2cc87837)
Managing grandparents (#ulink_ddfa34e6-03c3-542b-ae60-b79d69b7aa88)
More people equals more love (#ulink_7b2d6dbf-ea1f-58e3-aaea-d2a9bdf8f813)
Things to remember (#ulink_67e5af96-a950-58fa-aba8-aa51652ed3e1)
15. Pati, Patni or Woh! The Nanny Diaries… (#u76591203-3adc-5b32-85fb-2621b719749f)
Yes, we need help
The nanny from hell (#ulink_05e11b1e-1a6f-58ec-ae11-dd2235c9dafa)
Agencies or personal reccos? (#ulink_45b3c032-e157-53dd-9d38-a23d0479d13c)
Give the nanny a break (#ulink_cc7818f2-5f3f-56fa-810b-3c7880c6158e)
Things to remember (#ulink_0f3c6eb1-e4b5-5570-8304-4347e266dba8)
16. Getting Life Back on Track (#u1973f761-c2b9-5ff3-acdc-d21145743ed0)
No time for love
Reconnecting with your wife (#ulink_3c651d6b-0609-564e-9fa3-caec69287b7a)
Things to remember (#ulink_bd11f5c3-6f72-5cd8-91ab-aac355ee353d)
17. It’s Not All About the Money, Honey! (#ub37195c6-ea4e-561d-b77b-9fb11a4ce283)
Office politics before the baby
Is she worried about her job? (#ulink_45ac1594-42c1-53f2-a611-8253f841ddb9)
Maternity leave is over. What next? (#ulink_03a858ca-4dae-56b2-b6d0-612c1fc6f32c)
Not without my baby (#ulink_dbc74288-00a4-59d8-a66d-afed577bc178)
Things to remember (#ulink_70d39516-1c04-5c23-becc-fd6a010747f4)
18. Daddy Needs Bonding Time too (#u3f4b62e7-0d62-5434-94d9-33db57244978)
Crazy, stupid, love
The new-age dad (#ulink_746d636a-8a48-5c96-b374-19eb03f5cf39)
Take note, corporate dads (#ulink_7895329b-3d67-5504-866c-76ac24c5a849)
Are you a Helicopter Dad? (#ulink_55a670ec-1a6e-5eef-b108-64f272186d39)
Too close for comfort (#ulink_908e4306-649f-51d6-b269-6c21fda3d374)
Paternity leave in India (#ulink_972a93d7-6ac2-58a9-8010-1d21cee656c2)
Things to remember (#ulink_15b5136d-d9f6-570a-8ad9-5018b72c3468)
Section F: SIX MONTHS AND OVER (#u128a3616-b29f-5e1d-b91f-f120d2633c1e)
19. An Accident at Every Corner (#uab8af6bd-fa71-5df0-a51e-1f32bd621cc9)
Have a safety plan
Baby-proofing the house (#ulink_0e8569b5-523c-598b-aa30-7e433446ff5d)
Blink and miss! (#ulink_6c626f28-ec5a-5981-86d7-26245f415011)
The technological solution (#ulink_fd5e4f53-7bef-5ca5-8334-6593173c431b)
Guard against secondary drowning (#ulink_8e6a1cf3-b374-5043-b01a-879e019a05ed)
Things to remember (#ulink_a247e20a-33bf-5e89-9076-891ab0248eb7)
20. Separation Anxiety (#u48a1cd3f-869e-5c83-bf84-d45d8a233938)
What does this mean?
Our tryst with separation anxiety (#ulink_9e118562-11b5-50ae-9dc7-dfb95a2ff089)
How should I prepare my baby? (#ulink_63833992-ce97-58a4-bf1f-115e1213d586)
Things to remember (#ulink_f4ed8e9d-9dde-51f0-976d-884f63e32baa)
An Expert Take—by Dr. Seema Hingorrany (#ulink_5bba4c34-0ac3-5f89-afed-e60af49220d1)
Things to remember (#ulink_c89c6e21-ef3c-5393-ab74-16485e572c61)
21. My Baby is the Boss of Me (#u6e543f59-11da-50e3-b30d-81aa09cf59bb)
Am I spoiling my child?
The early symptoms (#ulink_a2fe252a-fb11-5656-9d50-b61029f16f2b)
Even parents get homework (#ulink_e1eaed49-d9cb-5eb2-aae2-2b5abe32c60e)
Don’t let the tears fool you (#ulink_a831e031-844b-5701-a6f6-a5b1b81d075a)
It’s time for some tough love (#ulink_19575d2a-ef79-5a4c-859a-787e33e07fb1)
Teaching habits (#ulink_47538d69-9bc4-541a-9d4f-02304d72faea)
Things to remember (#ulink_8977e7a4-520e-5230-839f-2fb00d06a0c6)
22. Keeping the Little One Entertained (#u2da75891-a436-5283-9347-68f586c2e508)
Games galore
Gadget geeks start early (#ulink_abf50a63-7d37-557f-8554-cfbb29635c77)
With a little help from friends (#ulink_804bb52e-d3bc-5a77-84e4-95388e4dce3c)
Malls vs open spaces (#ulink_e27b263a-4d1c-5cc7-9274-8b7f5f08ab64)
When to allow TV (#ulink_ec8a0573-aafd-5ca0-b678-5771aa3f2c06)
Encourage physical activities (#ulink_7ae9b48a-b12c-5e2f-9003-493d8137869b)
Power of age-old story telling (#ulink_d93d31d9-dbd3-5fe5-8c6c-b85e553d6e66)
Things to remember (#ulink_27b05061-0a22-54a2-87ea-de4a4db0505e)
23. Protecting Your Baby (#ubfc90fcc-4fb9-59af-9cd9-b347709ae17f)
Don’t panic! This too shall pass
Are vaccines optional? (#ulink_0426e23a-715a-5261-8ef6-f8b4fe59fc23)
Common illnesses (#ulink_40fcba62-4fa4-5abb-ade2-93a2b61b5b44)
Things to remember (#ulink_8574f337-6824-5c64-83a1-1e1b5366fd2e)
An Expert Take—by Dr. Santanu Sen (#ulink_1f224af9-f87f-5fb4-b0e2-c5ff350cc7e1)
An Expert Take—by Dr. Ninad Hebbalkar (#ulink_6e514317-ff5c-5914-9e2f-760d77fe4e25)
24. Teaching Your Tot (#u91f6c645-47c3-59a5-bd8f-08c2298fba37)
School’s in session
Do we need one? (#ulink_75fb3ce3-f348-50ca-b0d7-ad07f8bee1e7)
How to find the perfect school (#ulink_21f9792a-c0fa-5f48-a2e7-9d5b89914054)
The first day (#ulink_525eae4e-9965-598a-bc29-c3de51f7fdf9)
Things to remember (#ulink_1a774693-737a-5f58-9073-98858ea09355)
Section G: A CASE FOR INVOLVED FATHERHOOD (#u8774d9c1-db69-5346-8c14-fb54f6600517)
25. Fatherhood across Generations (#u28cdf3bc-b6cb-5c8b-96da-e5e44410f8ee)
The way we were
My daddy strongest (#ulink_69e1c51b-4191-5dee-81a8-bc9eb6611940)
Things I’d do differently (#ulink_9b616d24-58cb-5b2a-9daa-55c16d27a2d5)
26. A Letter to My Son (#u6fda7cfe-546e-56f4-a032-394e344e4bca)
If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again (#u3ddd07b1-9ec6-598b-9e9b-68468e33decb)
Fathers Interviewed for the Book (#ub4306d1f-6420-5e1c-b54f-e751289ba6a8)
Copyright (#ufe14b9f3-8e41-5c0e-b351-15feabe095ad)

Prologue (#ulink_88ac2a35-6e8d-525f-abc2-cba2a932ef3a)
As I dwell upon what has been the most beautiful phase of my life, I feel blessed to have enjoyed the unflinching support of several kind-hearted souls who shared my joys and sorrows through this journey. Some of these relationships were inherited; others formed, often unsuspectingly, at different stages of life. The inherited relationships constitute what we call family, while the acquired ones include my circle of friends.
They say birth, death and marriages are made in heaven. What that implies is that we were destined to be born to a certain set of parents, marry a certain man or woman, and have a certain being as our son or daughter. While we choose our friends, the people with whom we’re closest to were perhaps always meant to be a part of our lives. An invisible, divine force plays a crucial role in determining these relationships.
The Hindu religion accords great reverence to our lineage. An important ritual in most of our pujas is to pay homage to our forefathers. The last five ancestral fathers in a family are invoked by the priest through chants and prayers and their blessings sought. I have always felt a strange kinship with those names, most of whom I have never seen or met. I don’t know what they looked like; how different their lives were from the ones we lead today and yet, I know that I am in this world because of them. I owe my existence to the vast lineage to which my forefathers and I belong. So while documenting my journey forward, I feel a strong urge to thank them for taking their generations ahead. They form the foundation of my being, my values and my beliefs.
In addition to the reverence that I have always had for my father, about whom I talk later in detail, I also greatly admire four other father figures who are worthy of emulation. Each of them belong to a different world—mythology, literature, sports and films. Their lives are a true celebration of fatherhood.
These are the stories of Nandaraj and his foster son Krishna, spiritual partners Debendranath and Rabindranath Tagore, novelist Ramesh Tendulkar and cricketing genius Sachin Tendulkar, and Aamir Khan and his surrogate son Azad Rao Khan.

Nandaraj & Krishna
According to Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born not out of a sexual union, but by a divine ‘transmission’ from the mind of Vasudeva to the womb of Devaki. He was born in a prison during a period of political turbulence in Mathura. King Kansa, Devaki’s brother-had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki’s eighth ‘garbha’, Kansa locked the couple in a prison cell and killed their first six children.
Krishna narrowly escaped death when he was secretly handed over by Vasudeva to his foster parents, Yashoda and Nandaraj, immediately after his birth. Nanda was the head of a community of cow-herders who belonged to Vrindavana. What fascinates me is the sheer selflessness with which Nanda offered to adopt Krishna and in the process risked his own new-born daughter Yogamaya’s life by handing her over to Vasudeva. He accepted Krishna and raised him with all the love his own father could not provide.
Scriptures do not delve deep into the motivation behind Nanda’s grand gesture. But what I learnt from the story is that fatherhood is a state of mind. It means protecting a young life from imminent perils and nurturing it to realise its true worth.

Debendranath Tagore & Rabindranath Tagore
The seeds of Rabindranath Tagore’s spiritual journey were sown way before he was born. Much of his philosophical bent, which is celebrated worldwide through his poems and prose, came to him as inheritance from his father Debendranath Tagore. Debendranath belonged to an affluent family, but he believed that meditation, prayers and travel accelerated brain development better than knowledge from books. He belonged to the intelligentsia of his days which took great pride in its philosophical leanings. Santiniketan was in fact Debendranath’s discovery and not Rabindranath Tagore’s, as some might believe. Rabindranath further developed his father’s discovery and got it its due recognition.
As I flip through the pages of Tagore’s autobiography Jiban Smriti, it tells me that if the father connects with his son at a spiritual level, he often creates a legacy which is far greater than material inheritances.

Ramesh Tendulkar & Sachin Tendulkar
Ramesh Tendulkar, a respected Marathi novelist, was professionally poles apart from his sportsman son Sachin Tendulkar. However, both the Tendulkars shared a common goal of excellence and hard-earned self-respect. In his book, The Tendulkar Opus, Sachin says, “My father understood exactly how to get the best out of me. He always encouraged me and told my mother that he had full faith in me. It was probably reverse psychology, but as I got older I felt like I could not misuse that trust. He warned me against taking short cuts and told me to just keep playing, despite the ups and downs. My parents taught me that it is important to live every day of your life with grace and honour. When it came to choosing between cricket and going to university, he said, ‘You can play cricket, I know that is your first love, so go for it’.”
It might not have been easy for an educationist to watch his son put sport over academics, which makes it admirable that he blessed Sachin with his support. Sachin’s achievements are known world over and do not need further mention. From their inspiring story I learnt that a father should be prepared to take risks for his son and back his talent, no matter how unconventional his choices may be.

Aamir Khan-Azad Rao Khan
Superstar Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao had their first baby, Azad Rao Khan, through the In vitro fertilisation surrogacy technique. This is an expensive procedure and not every couple having trouble conceiving can afford it. Some, however, have had the good fortune of experiencing parenthood through IVF surrogacy but are too embarrassed to acknowledge it.
For a public figure like Aamir to make a candid and brave admission set a new precedent of sorts. By attaching his brand value to the procedure, he managed to remove the unpleasantness associated with something that is scientific and healthy. Later, fellow superstar Shah Rukh Khan too followed in his footsteps, using IVF surrogacy for the birth of his third child.
I credit Aamir and his family for making their new-born a torch-bearer for many such deliveries in the future. His brave move has created for Azad, a path of truth, courage and progression.
While these are fathers I look up to, there are umpteen examples of dads who have failed their children. They were either found wanting in fulfilling their responsibilities or were outright indifferent to their child’s upbringing. Ironically, Mahatma Gandhi, who is known as the Father of the Nation, wasn’t the best parent to his son Harilal. An article published in The Guardian in 2007 corroborates this. “Mahatma Gandhi once confessed that the greatest regret of his life was that there were two people he had not been able to convince. One was Mohammed Ali Jinnah and the other was his eldest son, Harilal Gandhi,” said the story.
Gandhi was only 18 when his first son was born. Six months after the birth of Harilal, he left his family in South Africa to train as a barrister in London. Harilal’s early years were marked with complete neglect by his father which reflected in his various complexes and rebellious nature. He spent his life fighting against all that his father stood for and died a pitiable death a few months after his assassination. Did Gandhi get carried away in his exaggerated sense of idealism, making Harilal a victim? Well, the answer to that question will always remain a subject of conjecture.
German leader Adolf Hitler too had a tempestuous relationship with his father Alois through his growing up years. It is widely believed that Hitler was so terrified of his abusive father that it led to a persecution complex. Sadly, Hitler’s flawed personality resulted in consequences and casualties that impacted an entire generation.
So I guess it’s safe to say that a dysfunctional father-son relationship can almost never produce healthy or positive personalities. This is where a spiritual connect between the father and son becomes all the more important. A positive father can help his child explore facets of his personality that he would have never imagined existed in him. An aloof one, on the other hand, can end up fuelling unhealthy complexes that inhibit growth and progress.

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BECOMING DAD (#ulink_88ac2a35-6e8d-525f-abc2-cba2a932ef3a)

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