Amid complexity and turmoil, simplicity seems to emerge from this old-time value of ‘ahimsa’, or non-violence. For Dileep Prabhakarrao Gheware, retired government officer and committed servant of the community for several decades, ‘ahimsa’ is an ideal as much as a way of life and work. Being brought up in Kej, Maharashtra, Dileep hailed from a very poor and humble background. His endurance and resolute passion in helping others were qualities symbolic of what ‘ahimsa’ can effect, when taken into daily life.
The quality of the Jains’ ‘ahimsa’ is definitely more than simple non-violence. This principle calls on respect for every form of life and encourages both compassion and self-control. This principle in his career started in the year 1985 and was a town planner joined in the Maharashtra government until he improved urban infrastructure throughout his journey from Aurangabad, Latur to Bid, to transform a department of the urban land ceiling at the Thane Collector’s Office. With each role, he was presenting himself not only as an architect building structures but as one elevating communities while taking people’s needs and dignity into consideration.
According to Jain philosophy, ‘ahimsa’ is much more than just non-violence with the body but also incorporates mental and emotional actions. This is in line with the approach Dileep had for his social work, especially through initiatives like the Aryanandi Scholarship Scheme to support the education of the underprivileged and orphaned children and the Paritra Sagar Medical initiative that offered health care to the marginalized community. These projects reflect the belief in creating a society where compassion governs action. It’s a road inspired by ‘ahimsa’, where the most vulnerable one’s well-being is always put first and creates a culture of peace and good will.
Perhaps the strongest example of Dileep‘s commitment to ‘ahimsa’ came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he used his position to go further than organizing food, medical care, and safe transport for over 25,000 people. This was both service and a strong message of ‘ahimsa’ –that true leadership actually encompasses offering compassion and helping people out during difficult moments. The community lovingly addresses him as the “Corona Ayodhya Man,” an indication of how well he served humankind at an exceptionally tough moment in time.
Annual Aarogya Shivir health camps, which Shri 108 Muni Akshay Sagarji Maharaj has been organizing for years, become another added platform where Dileep can fulfill his aspect of ‘ahimsa’. He attended the recent Aarogya Shivir at Madawara in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, that provided health checkup services to about 4,000 beneficiaries irrespective of caste and religion. His involvement in such camps is testament to his dedication to service that transcends all lineages of society, making ‘ahimsa’ a stronger bonding agent between peace and care across communities.
For Jain philosophy, the act of ‘ahimsa’ is very highly interlinked with ‘anekantavada’ or acceptance of multiple viewpoints and ‘aparigraha’ or non-possessiveness, showing tolerance, understanding, and simplicity in everyday lives. It can be seen from the very first page of Dileep’s profile that these values are carried out, not only professionally but personally also with family, and are the bedrock on which he has traveled. He has instilled these values in his children and grandchildren, thus creating a legacy teaching them to carry forward such principles of kindness, humility, and service.
Today, gazing into the future with Dileep, he visualizes an ‘ahimsa’ guiding all people toward their actions. His dreams of stronger health facilities and better infrastructure for the people and more educational opportunities for the Mira Bhayandar people reflect his lifelong interest in fostering peace and compassion. Ambitious to be an MLA for his community, Dileep feels that it is high time to realize his dream and combine a passion for public service with long-held Jain values for a compassionate, inclusive, and sustainable society.
Against such a backdrop of division and war, Dileep Prabhakarrao Gheware‘s life is in itself inspiring on how the ideals of ‘ahimsa’ can bring reality change. His life translates the fact that ‘ahimsa’ is, besides being a principle for action, a path to sympathy and peace, guiding as well in the building up of a stronger, yet indestructible community.