• Thousands of workers and leaders gathered at Hamal Bhavan to pay homage before his state-honour funeral in Pune.
• Adhav’s pioneering unions and movements secured key welfare protections for porters, drivers, vendors and other unorganised workers.
• A lifelong Satyashodhak (truth seeker), he fought caste discrimination, upheld secularism, and remained committed to people’s struggles until his final days.
Veteran Satyashodhak activist and labour rights leader Dr. Baba Adhav passed away in Pune at the age of 95 on Monday, December 8. He was suffering from prolonged illness.
Thousands of Workers- auto and tempo drivers, waste pickers, domestic workers, truck loaders, porters were gathered at Hamal Bhavan in Market Yard at Pune, to pay him tribute on Tuesday, December 9. Dr. Adhav’s mortal remains were kept at Hamal Bhawan for public homage, a place where he belonged, organised workers, ate lunch with them and raised slogans.
Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and many others have paid tribute to Dr. Adhav. His last rites took place at Vaikunth crematorium in Pune with the state honours.
Various political leaders from Pune and Maharashtra including Ajit Pawar, social activists and a swelling crowd bid a farewell to Dr. Adhav with eyes in tears and a prayer of truth seeking - ‘Satya Sarvanche Aadighar…’ Dr. Adhav used to begin all his public events with this prayer.
Dr. Adhav was known for his relentless commitment towards socialist ideas and society. He was active in public life before his last hospitalisation and death.
His demise leaves a huge void in the lives of the working class. Dr. Adhav stands as one of Maharashtra’s most influential socialist leaders and among the most enduring champions of unorganised-sector workers in India.
Born in 1930 in the small village of Bhingewadi in Satara district, Adhav grew up in the charged up environment of the freedom struggle and was shaped by the teachings of Mahatma Phule, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sane Guruji, Mahatma Gandhi and many socialist stalwarts.
He dedicated his life to building grassroots movements that centred the dignity of labour and the rights of the working poor.
His most transformative contribution has been organising and forming collectives of porters, loaders, auto drivers and many kinds of unorganised workers. He mobilised them into unions and forced the state to create welfare legislation that guaranteed minimum wages, accident benefits, pensions, identity cards and job security.
His social initiatives like 'One village- one water resource' challenged the caste based untouchability. ‘Kashtachi Bhakar’ centres became a source of good quality food at a very reasonable price for auto drivers and other workers.
Dr. Adhav, who faced incarceration in an emergency era, held thousands of protests and agitations for people’s rights in his life. He addressed protests during Covid-19 pandemic, at the age of 90. He played a decisive role in the movement for street vendors’ rights long before India recognised them through the Street Vendors Act.
A lifelong advocate of simplicity, secularism and non-violence, Dr. Adhav refused electoral politics, choosing instead to remain embedded in people’s struggles, except his one term as a municipal corporator in Pune.
Hundreds of people from across social strata in Maharashtra, expressed their grief on social media, by sharing their memories with Dr.Adhav and his contribution in their life.
