Why my dad’s my superhero – Father’s Day Tributes

Fathers often tend to be the forgotten figures in our lives, they are the people who serve as great role models and the support figures when we most need it. The third Sunday of June is marked as Father’s Day across the world, so we decided to ask some of our readers what their dads mean to them.

Dr Riitesh Sinha, Innovator — Reason for everything that I am today

“My father, the late Dr R N Sinha, was an academician, a reputed scientist, a loving and compassionate human being, amazing father, extremely supportive husband and a devoted son. He was a visionary, who made every effort to ensure that his son, who faced extreme challenges due to cerebral palsy, becomes self-reliant and academically strong. He always told me “Do not get disheartened if people make fun of your physical condition, instead develop techniques that will ease your life and other people having CP. He was always looking out for solutions for people with disabilities in the absence of any kind of support – medically, socially, technologically or otherwise. He was a humble, soft spoken, curious, enthusiastic, learned and determined person.

I would like to pay my tribute to my dad in the form of gratitude. I will always be indebted to my dad for gifting me the biggest jewels of my life that is education. Had my parents not supported me for education I wouldn’t be standing where I am today in my life. – Jasmina Khanna, Systems Engineer

Zoyeb Zia, Assistant Professor — Mentor & Friend

“My Dad has been a source of constant support to me. At a time when I was not too sure about my own abilities, he believed in me and kept me focused. He has been a father, a mentor, a friend , and a believer in my abilities. He says ‘I was willing to lead, and now I am willing to be lead’. That’s the kind of believe and trust he has in me.

Amar Jain, Lawyer — Maturity, self-esteem, and self-respect

“The most important lessons I have learned from my Dad are – self-respect, self-esteem, confidence and to approach problems from a solutions-seeker perspective. I remember many incidents that helped shape that. In class 5, I approached him and said I wanted tuitions like my classmates and he told me to study on my own instead and said that even if I failed a year in the bargain, that was fine. I got upset and kept my books aside at which he slapped me. Three days later, I kept my books before him and said ask me whatever questions you want.

“He always told me that you should never lack for confidence as long as you know what you are talking about. He also taught me to find a solution to every problem. In 2005, during the terrible Mumbai floods, my cousin was traveling to Mumbai by train and the family was worried about how he would cope with the situation. He was unreachable by phone and I called station masters on route to make an announcement that he should get off midway and stay with relatives. I was in class 9 at the time and this was a big thing given that I was raised and schooled in a small town. That maturity was a big thing and that I learned from my dad.

Sai Kaustuv Dasgupta, Motivational Speaker – Pillar of my life

“The worlds most comfortable zone for me is to be with my father. His presence, his touch and smell made me secure in every circumstance. He is the pillar of my life who had taken all my sufferings and helped me to gift a smile towards the world. He is my super hero, who can goes into any extent to see me happy. He is my father, Kaushik Dasgupta. Love you dad.