For those who have been born and brought up in Bombay, the lights never go off in this metropolis. In fact, my childhood memories go to the period when the lights were deliberately put off for the blackout exercises in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. In comparison, Goa has constant imposed blackouts. The underground electrical cabling was the work of the Tata Power Company since 1915, the provider being the BEST
( Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport). The Tata tag line is that it is committed to “lighting up lives” and is responsible for ensuring affordable, reliable and quality power supply across Mumbai, Delhi, Ajmer and Odisha. After more than a century of dedicated service, today the leading power distribution service in most of Mumbai is the Adani Transmission Ltd.
The passport department in Goa is one of the most efficient government departments in the State. No preferential treatment to the rich and the powerful, no extra visits and the passport is received within 3 or 4 days by post. This department is also outsourced to the Tata Consultancy Services as a part the Passport Seva Project implemented in a Public Private Partnership mode. TCS has set up 77 Passport Seva Kendras and deployed over 2,500 staff across India delivering services to passport applicants.
What is this work ethics that is associated with the name Tata, which is different from other public sector or government departments? These days, the sad demise of Ratan Tata has brought the Tata’s back in the news.
He inherited a legacy of compassionate capitalism from his predecessors Sir Dorabji, Jamsetji and JRD Tata. One of my friend’s, parents worked in Jamshedpur for the Tata’s. His father always narrated the story of his encounter with JRD Tata, forgetting each time that he had already narrated the same story before. He begins with the entry of an unexpected and unknown visitor to the factory one day, who asked him the formula of the mixture that he had used. He replied that it was a company secret and could not be disclosed at which the visitor smiled and before parting ways he turned, waved back and said, “They call me JRD”. It was clear that the company’s employee had never seen his boss, and the boss worked quietly in the background without intimidating his employees either overtly or covertly with his presence.
The very next day, he received a gift, a wrist watch with the initials JRD engraved on it. After that, the story ends with the display of the watch, one of his most prized possessions. This man was a Tata loyalist, anything required for the house whether a car or anything else if it was manufactured by the Tata’s, that was the first choice. He proudly purchased the Nano and when the Tata’s upgraded it he purchased that too. This was the lifelong loyalty and fidelity of just one individual, like this there are thousands or more. It is an irony of fate that his grandson got admission in the IISc Bangalore and the heritage buildings donated by the Tata’s became his learning space.
What ties JRD and Ratan Tata together is their shared Parsee heritage. As a student of JB Petit in Bombay, the Parsee culture, their respect for others, their housing colonies called Baghs, like Cushroo Bagh, their ethical way of life, their delicious cuisine and the very talented Pearl Padamsee became a part of my life. The friendships that I made in school I cherish even after half a century! Fire and water is sacred in Zorastrianism, named after its founder Zoroaster. Every Parsee building in Bombay always has a well and in their Fire Temple an ever-burning fire. Outside most temples, a shop sells sandal wood. Like others use candles and incense sticks, Parsees buy sandalwood to keep the fire burning. Their faith believes in the triumph of good over evil. The central moral precepts are good thoughts, good words and good deeds. There is an emphasis on spreading happiness through charity. The Holy book or the Avesta calls for the protection of water, earth, fire and air, it is an eco-friendly religion. Fire represents light, warmth and has purifying powers.
Several of the best-known business houses or conglomerates are the Tata’s, Godrej and Wadia families. When the Parsees came to India to escape the Muslim conquest of Iran in 636-651 CE, they touched the West Coast of India in Gujarat. They promised the Indian King Jadi Rana that like sugar dissolves in curd, their community would get integrated in the Indian culture. They lived up to their expectations! This community has played an important role in the economic development of India even during the British rule.
Dadabhai Naoroji, political activist and economist, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, co-founder and member of the Indian National Congress, Homi Bhabha, the father of India’s Nuclear programme, Homi Sethna, Chemical engineer who guided the development of India’s first nuclear device, Dinshaw Petit, founded the first textile factories in India, General Sam Manekshaw, former Chief of the Indian Army, Sir Dorab ji Tata, the founder of Tata Steel, Jamsetji Tata, industrialist and founder of the Tata group of companies and recognised as the world’s most charitable donor, especially in the field of healthcare and education, Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata, industrialist and founder of Air India, and to this illustrious list is Ratan Tata who passed away recently on October 8, at 86.
Many fellow business condoled the death of Ratan Tata as a revered philanthropist. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, emphasized that he was more than just a business man, “he embodied compassion and humility”. His launch of the Tata Nano was aimed to provide affordable transportation for the common man of India. Ratan Tata always emphasized on how an individual’s success is measured by how much success he brings to others who are less privileged. Unlike others he practiced what he preached.
Once Ratan Tata’s friend requested him to donate some wheelchairs to physically disabled children and insisted that he gift them in person. All the children ran around in their new found freedom of movement. One young boy clung on to Ratan Tata’s pants and stared at his face, so he was asked if he wanted something else. The boy said, “When I go to heaven, I need to recognise your face”. Ratan Tata considered this one spontaneous statement of a grateful child as one of his life’s greatest awards!
Ratan Tata had rescued a stray dog on his holiday in Goa eleven years ago. He named him ‘Goa’. In normal circumstances, one would not appreciate this but his love, respect and adoration for animals led to the setting up of a super speciality Small Animal Hospital, Mumbai, Advanced Pet Care, is proof enough that he loved his ‘Goa’.
Why cannot Public Sector and Private Sector Undertakings as well as the government emulate the values and good governance of the Tata group? Society throws up good individuals like Justice Krishna Aiyar, the upholder of human rights and civil liberties, T N Sheshan and Ashok Lawassa, ex-Election Commissioners with an upright spine, Mother Theresa, the saint of the gutters among others whose success is measured by trust, good governance and dedicated service to the community. In death, Ratan Tata has awakened the conscience of the nation to be responsible and good citizens.
(Dr Sushila Sawant Mendes is an Author & Professor in History and an Independent Researcher)