Playing The Third Inning Of My Life On The Front Foot

This time you didn’t guess it right! Ahhaan!! This is not about any cricketer. But in our country, cricket and its language can be used as the best metaphor to describe any life journey. Isn’t it? In fact, Mr. Dilip Deshmukh believes that his life story can be segmented into three innings. And this is his third inning. So let’s unfold some aspects of his life, that life which he has devoted to the Nation and Society.

A Life Dedicated To Society

His life's foundations are firmly rooted in the discipline and values he learned during his childhood with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “I have always lived a routine life, even today I take my daily walks very seriously.” His primary education was held in Mumbai and started to go to Shakha when he was 5. “Those values learned during those days in Shakha are still in me today.” He has been associated with ‘Sangh’ – which refers to RSS since he was in class one. His life’s choices and the paths he took were based on the values, pledges, and preaching he received there. “I was motivated to do something for the society, and grew up reading the courageous stories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr. Hedgever.” His dedication towards society and the Nation can be measured by the fact that he never got married to avoid any distractions in the path of social service.

Was with RSS as a ‘pracharak’ for the first 25 years of his adult life, then motivated to uplift the village sector and contribute to the very roots of the country he shifted to a small rural area in Kutch, Gujarat. “ I had a thought that small and rural areas should be uplifted so after being associated with the Sangh for 25 years, I shifted to a small village in Kutch in 2005 and started to administrate a government-regulated higher secondary school over there.”

The Third Inning Story

I believe I have been extremely blessed that I am living the 3rd segment of my life,” he believes that he was given a second chance, or birth in 2001 when the Bhuj area of Gujarat was struct with a massive earthquake of 7.6 magnitudes, thousands of people lost their lives at that time. Still, Mr. Deshmukh survived. “When I realized that I have survived such a disaster when so many people couldn’t, from the next hour I considered this as my second life or Second Inning.”

During the first two segments of his life, he worked actively towards the betterment of society. Worked for youth development, promoting leadership in youth, protection of the environment, uplifting rural areas, education, and many more. But this amazing journey had to be kept on hold due to an uncertain speed breaker in the path. “I was diagnosed with a liver condition.”

After ignoring it for a few years he decided to get it treated in 2020. And doctors recommended him an immediate Liver Transplant. But life always has different plans. “As soon as I decided to go for a transplant in February 2020, Covid occurred, and my operation was suspended. Then I was put on medications for several weeks which is a necessary yet very tedious process for liver patients. I was kept on so many restrictions regarding my food and medications and finally, on 10th July 2020 I received my liver transplant.” The time after the surgery was also a bit critical as survival after the transplant is also a battle in itself.

“Before going to surgery, I signed my consent form myself and at that moment I decided, if I survived this, then from the very next sunrise it will be my 3rd inning. And today, it's been 3 years, and I have to admit that these 3 years have been unmatched.” And from the day of his transplant till today Dilip Deshmukhji has been continuously working for spreading awareness toward organ donation