Veteran Social Activist Baba Adhav, Voice of Maharashtra’s Unorganised Workers, Passes Away at 95
Veteran
Baba Adhav, veteran labour rights activist and founder of Hamal Panchayat, dies at 95 — Maharashtra loses a champion of marginalised workers.
Pune|09 December 2025: Baba Adhav, a towering figure in Maharashtra’s labour and social-justice movements, passed away late Monday in Pune after a prolonged illness. He was 95. Known for his unwavering dedication to unorganised-sector workers – head-loaders, rickshaw and autorickshaw drivers, construction labourers, hawkers and waste-pickers- his death marks the end of an era in grassroots activism.
Born in Pune in 1930, Babasaheb Pandurang Adhav initially practised as an ayurvedic doctor. But early exposure to social inequalities -especially the plight of vulnerable workers -soon transformed his path from medicine to activism. He gave up his medical practice and dedicated his life to organising and empowering the marginalized sectors of society.
Adhav’s most significant contribution was founding Hamal Panchayat – a trade union for head-loaders – which became a beacon for porters and unorganised labourers in Pune and beyond. Through this union and allied movements like Rickshaw Panchayat, he fought tirelessly to secure rights, fair wages, dignity, and social security for workers often ignored by mainstream labour laws.
Beyond labour rights, Adhav was a committed social reformer. He spearheaded the movement Ek Gaav, Ek Panvatha (“One Village, One Water Point”), a campaign to end caste-based discrimination over basic resources – a testament to his broader vision of equality and social justice.
Throughout his decades-long activism, Adhav faced repeated arrests – more than 50 times – but his resolve never wavered. He remained publicly visible even into his 90s: just last month, he had joined a protest outside the municipal corporation fighting for hawkers’ rights. In November, too, he had undertaken a hunger strike demanding fair elections and raising concerns about alleged EVM misuse. Such acts exemplified his lifelong commitment to the cause of the underprivileged.
Political leaders, colleagues and thousands of workers have expressed deep grief at his passing. Many described his death as the loss of a “pillar” of the labour movement, a social conscience of the working class whose commitment inspired generations.
He is survived by his wife and two sons, along with grandchildren. His final rites are expected to draw large crowds of supporters, labourers, activists and ordinary citizens whose lives he touched over decades.
Baba Adhav’s departure leaves behind not just memories, but a legacy -of unions formed, injustices challenged, and dignity restored for countless workers. His life remains a powerful reminder that grassroots activism, rooted in empathy and perseverance, can reshape social structures and give voice to the voiceless.
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