I
first came into contact with the Respected Shri Ramjibhai in 1930-32, during
the days of the freedom struggle (satyagraha).
I had heard that he was a person who was successful in business and industry, but
was interested and believed in the activities proposed by Pujya Gandhiji –
khadhi, cottage industries, service to villagers, services to Harijans, supporting
indigenous goods, etc., and he wholeheartedly supported the efforts to attain independence.
When I saw him for the first time in his institution in Amreli, even during
this first meeting I saw in him surprising humility, firm resolve, extremely practical
common sense, clear thinking and foresight - his personality was fascinating
and impressive. He was not interested in meaningless conversation or useless
criticism; he was only expecting specific, meaningful work.
This
first impression gradually became stronger. Whatever I came to see, know and
hear about his life after that and whatever I have read in the pages of this
book, was proved by that first experience which was truly appropriate. I have
known Ramjibhai’s son, Punamchandbhai since the time he was studying in Vinay
Mandir in Dakshinamurthy and enjoyed his affectionate nature and companionship
for a few years. When he asked for my cooperation in publishing Ramjibhai’s
biography, I joyfully agreed; to tell the truth it was also out of a sense of duty
because of our friendship. When I glanced at whatever material he had gathered
for this book, memories of my personal association with Ramjibhai surfaced anew,
and I got a deep and unique insight into the different aspects of his
personality. He had reached the pinnacle of success in the field of business
and industry, and was also highly respected by others due to his humanitarian
ways. Because he joyfully accepted his work as a duty it was pleasurable for
him and an inspiration to others.
I
have not written this biography, neither have I collected the material for it. I
have not corrected or revised the drafts (of the book) but, I have been
involved with it from the beginning to the end. Actually the painstaking work
of collecting the material for this book, organizing it properly and writing it
in the form of a biography, was done by Shri Dolarkumar Bhatt, Ramjibhai’s
trusted friend, who had the good fortune of hearing about Ramjibhai’s
experiences, first hand. The editing of the language and style was done by Shri
Krishnavir Dixit, editor of Kalam Kitab, and
an erstwhile colleague of mine. Shri Dixit is a renowned critic. As proof of
his critical ability, the Gujarat Sahitya Association had appointed him to
chair their annual debate on Gujarati literature in 1970. This book is the
outcome of the hard work and enthusiasm of Shri Dolarkumar and Shri Dixit. My
role has really been limited to that of an observer and planner and to giving some
inspiration. The pictures given in this book were also located and collected by
Shri Dolarkumar, who has also given the captions. The printing of the book and
the arduous work of proof reading was carried out by Shri Dixit. Shri
Punamchand and I did read and go through all this – so in the publication of
this book it could be said that, ‘many hands made light work,’ or the work was
done quickly and efficiently by many persons.
I
came into contact with Shri Punamchand, who is endowed with many of his father’s
virtues, and to some extent his other brothers, because of this book. Their
goodness and practical intelligence made a lasting impression on me. Through
this experience I also understood why they were so successful in the industrial
and other fields and the secret as to why they were always progressing. I must
also mention here that after they decided to do something, they knew how to see
it through to the end.
After
coming into close contact with Shri Ramjibhai and learning about his life and
his work, I sincerely feel that he looked at life from all angles and revered
it. He believed in the goodness of people with whom he came into contact and
knew how to make the most of them. He was as adventurous at an older age as he
was when he was younger, but what is surprising is that even at a young age he
had very mature ideas, thinking and natural wisdom. He was able to foresee
future circumstances, and had a natural ability to plan accordingly and reach
the desired target. Another thing I could see in his life was that he could
easily grasp the trend of the changing times and could naturally adapt to them;
he did not need to think and reason about them. Due to this he was just as much a progeny of
the Jawahar era and the scientific ages as he of the Gandhian era.
There
was never any change in the simplicity of his personal life. Regular in his
habits and aware and disciplined in his ways, Ramjibhai had trust in the innate
goodness of mankind but also had an extraordinary capacity to judge people. He
rarely made a mistake in deciding what was right or wrong, but could
immediately and easily judge a person who came into contact with him. Because
of this he could assign the appropriate rights and responsibilities to others. These
managerial abilities came to him naturally. I feel that this ability must have
played a major role in his sons’ upbringing and progress. He was adventurous
and always ready to ‘seize the moment.’ It was never in his nature to ignore or
run away from anything. Despite this he was never involved in any confrontation
or fervour. He followed the principle of ‘one step at a time,’ or building by ‘one
brick at a time.’ He became stronger in difficult circumstances. Rather than
being cowed down by difficult circumstances he would see how to overcome them.
I
consider it my good fortune that Shri Punamchandbhai, considering me a family
member, has involved me in the work of writing and editing this book, which can
be considered a tribute of the life and times of Shri Ramjibhai. This has given
me an opportunity to look deeply into Ramjibhai’s life and works and truly
understand their meaning. This benefit is more than compensation for any hard
work I have put in, in the publishing of this work.
Mumbai
Dt.
11.10.’71 Mohanlal
Mehta - Sopan
No comments:
Post a Comment