Mumbai: For months, the quiet home of Anita and Bhagwanrao Dipke in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was gripped by overwhelming anxiety and fear. On Saturday, as news broke that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned amidst the nationwide NEET paper leak agitation, that heavy cloud of distress finally lifted, replaced by profound relief and overwhelming happiness.

For Anita Dipke, her son’s crusade meant months of sleepless nights. Ever since Abhijeet returned to India from the United States to lead the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, her heart remained in her mouth.

Fighting back tears, she recalled the constant terror of checking her phone every morning. "I was worried all the time. I had sleepless nights. Every morning, I was scared to even look at my phone, fearing I would see a disturbing video. I would immediately call his friends to ask if he was safe," Anita shared.

Abhijeet's friends repeatedly tried to comfort her, assuring her that they were shielding him and that he grew deeply emotional whenever he heard about her anxiety.

Remembering the day the agitation first flared up, Anita admitted she wept out of fear and helplessness. But Saturday brought a very different emotion.

“Today, the tears in my eyes are of happiness,” she said softly.

Terming the resignation a “victory of the youth”, she praised the thousands of young citizens who stood alongside her son.

“I am extremely happy. His honesty has won. The support of the youth helped him and he achieved a big victory,” she added, noting that she expects Abhijeet to focus on social service rather than formal politics.

Now, her only wish is to have her son back in her arms. “I will ask him to come home early. If he does not come, we will go and bring him back. I will hug him tightly and perform an aarti for him. The last time he was here, he did not allow me to do that, saying he was not some prominent person,” she smiled.

‘We were eating barely one roti a day’

For his father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, watching his son, a young man with no family background in politics, take on a national movement was nerve-wracking.

"We were all worried when he took the political plunge. He went against my wishes. Nobody in our family had any political background," Bhagwanrao admitted.

The fear was so intense that when Abhijeet prepared to return from the US in June, the family pleaded with him not to come back. Fearing arrests and physical threats, the parents briefly left their house to stay in the Konkan region.

“We were so scared that during the initial days we left home and stayed in Konkan. We were under tremendous pressure. There were threats of physical harm to us,” he recalled.

The immense pressure took a severe toll on the elderly couple's health.

“We became so weak that we could barely stand. We were eating barely one roti a day. We could neither eat properly nor sleep. He was attacked twice during the agitation,” Bhagwanrao revealed.

Watching televised footage on July 20 of a police officer grabbing his son's microphone felt like a nightmare.

“I felt that if my Abhijeet fell into the hands of the police, he would not survive. By God's grace, he is safe. I honestly feel he should now come home and stay with us,” he said.

Despite the intense ordeal, Bhagwanrao showed grace toward the outgoing Union Minister, remarking that Dharmendra Pradhan showed “a big heart” by resigning while urging students to focus on their studies.

“This should not be seen as anybody's victory or defeat. Leaving such a high post requires a big heart. Even while resigning, he thought about the interests of students,” he observed.

Reflecting on his son's journey, Bhagwanrao acknowledged Abhijeet's determination and past experience.

“He had earlier worked with (AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal and has seen politics closely. I personally do not like politics, so I have no idea what he will do next. But I will be with him,” the proud father pledged.

 

PTI