Baba Adhav Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Baba Adhav

• His father, Pandurang, ran a lentil distribution business, which closed during the great economic depression of 1930.

• When Baba Adhav was 3 months old, his father died. He and his siblings were raised at their mother’s family home in Nana Peth, Pune.

• They were supported by their uncle, Bapusaheb Zende.

• As a child, Baba Adhav was inspired by socialist ideas from Bhausaheb Ranade, S. M. Joshi, N. G. Gore, and Rammanohar Lohia.

• As a teenager, he joined the Rashtra Seva Dal. He was inspired by the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi.

• During his early years in Rashtra Seva Dal, he worked with several noted leaders, including Bhai Vaidya, Pannalal Surana, and Bapu Kaldate.

• These leaders became his close friends and supporters throughout his life.

• After completing his formal education at Tarachand Ramnath Ayurveda College in Rasta Peth, Baba Adhav started his own medical clinic in Nana Peth in Pune and practised as a doctor for 14 years.

• He joined the Goa Freedom Struggle from 1940 to 1961. This struggle aimed to end Portuguese rule in Goa.

• Baba Adhav participated in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement from 1956 to 1960. This movement wanted a separate state for Marathi-speaking people in Western India.

• In 1952, when a major famine occurred in Maharashtra, some Hamals (manual labourers) asked him to lead their union in a protest (Satyagraha) against high prices and food rationing. He was put in prison for 3 weeks because he led the protest.

• After this incident, Baba Adhav decided to change his career and chose to work on making social reforms.

• In 1955, he began working with Hamals and formed the first labour union for unorganised workers called Hamal Panchayat.

• This union fought against unfair treatment by employers and aimed to get fair wages for the Hamals’ work. The union also worked to improve the social image of Hamals, as they came from poor and looked-down-upon backgrounds.

• Baba Adhav has supported Kashtachi Bhakar, a community kitchen that gave healthy food at low prices to workers.

• He then worked with the Maharashtra Mathadi (Government Labour Department) on drafting laws for manual workers. He also helped in developing projects that improved the lives of slum residents.

• Baba Adhav went to prison 53 times during his life as a social activist. He faced police violence many times.

• In 1962, he lost sight in one eye forever, in a police lathi charge, when he was protesting against people’s displacement due to some government projects.

• In 1963, Baba Adhav was elected as a Municipal Councillor from Bhavani Peth, Pune, Maharashtra, by a group called Nagarik Sanghatana (Citizens Forum).

• During his tenure as a councillor, he helped poor people and worked on solving the problems of slum residents. He also worked on slum rehabilitation.

• Baba Adhav served two terms as the municipal councillor from Bhavani Peth.

• After that, he joined the Ek Gaav, Ek Paanavtha (one village, one pond) project, which aimed to end untouchability in rural India.

• Through this mission, Baba Adhav worked to stop caste-based unfairness. Later, he published a book on the same project.

  

  The cover of the book Ek Gaav, Ek Paanavtha (one village, one pond)

• He then joined the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal and worked for equality for Muslim women.

• After that, Baba Adhav became a part of the Devdasi Nirmoolan Parishad to end the devdasi practice in which young girls served as temple dancers.

• He then worked to increase the number of trade unions in and near Pune, Maharashtra.

• Baba Adhav has worked with many Indian social activists, including Narendra Dabholkar and the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, which fights against superstitions.

• He also worked with Aruna Roy for the Self-Employed Women’s Association.

• Baba Adhav once joined Medha Patkar for the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Prakalpa Grasta Shetkari Punarvasan Parishad.

• Reportedly, even at the age of 93, he would arrive at his Kashewadi office every day sharp at 10 a.m. He used to hold meetings with porter groups, vendors, union members, and others.

  

  Baba Adhav while delivering a lecture at his office

• Apart from being a social worker, he was also a writer. He has published the books One Village, One Waterhole, The Journey of Truth-Seeking, and Hamal Panchayat.

• As a senior social worker, Baba Adhav regularly worked as a supporter of various social and labour movements in Maharashtra.

• He was a believer in truth and justice and emerged as a faithful leader for workers.

  

  Some college students during their field study with Baba Adhav

• Baba Adhav spent his whole life helping unorganised and poor workers like porters, rickshaw pullers, and construction workers. Through his movements, he worked to provide them justice, social security, and respect.

• In November 2024, he held a three-day sit-in protest against the alleged misuse of EVMs in the state elections. He held the protest at Phule Wada, the home of social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Pune.

• Several leaders from various political parties met him during this protest.
  

  Baba Adhav with Uddhav Bal Thackeray during his protest against alleged misuse of EVMs in the state polls, at Phule Wada, in Pune

• On 8 December 2025, Baba Adhav passed away at the age of 95 in Pune. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma for five years, along with a lung infection and kidney failure.

• He liked reading books in his free time.
  

  Baba Adhav while reading a book