The passing of a titan

How gently giants fall! That was my thought when I heard of Ratan Naval Tata’s demise. The last of India’s icons; a living legend whose name imbued the preciousness of this existence. The old world industrialist who can be credited as one of the greatest nation-builders of our times. And yet so humble, impeccably down-to-earth, with a love for rescuing strays. A gentleman and patriot whose only wish was to make a difference. And what a difference he made. A life that directly and indirectly touched the lives of millions.

Revered across various segments of society, Tata was one of those rare human beings who was equally loved by all. And he was an astute businessperson too. In the true spirit of his ancestors, his political patronage could never be besmirched as partisan as they transparently donated cutting across party lines. The Tata lineage however, jostles with the shadows of controversial land acquisitions and alleged trampling of tribal rights. Many instances of land acquisition, often handled by the government of the day, triggered protests, violence, and even loss of life. If there’s a blemish in his journey, it’s been this.

Our gods have feet of clay? I wonder if we expect too much of the ones that we place on a pedestal. Do we judge them for their philanthropy and dogged pursuit of providing quality service to the nation? Or do we remember only the painful chapters of an industrialist’s life that stands to tarnish his rich legacy? It would be objective to view a person through the prism of his times, and look back at how his life’s path meandered, manoeuvred, and yet maintained a growth trajectory, not only for the Tata Group, but for an entire nation.

India’s liberalisation coincided with Tata taking on the reins as Chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Sons. An impatient nation wanted to develop and make up for the backwardness thrust on it by colonial rule and ensuing regulatory suffocation. It was also a time when almost everything had to be built ground up, credence and resilience being foremost. The Tatas outshone their peers; their name synonymous with trust. Ratan Tata single-handedly also expanded the purview of the India-centric business to a global one handpicking prized companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Tetley Tea, and Corus.

You’re truly great when people speak about you long after you’re gone. The anecdote of Tata rescuing Bill Ford by buying Jaguar and Land Rover even though he had once been humiliated by the former, achieved cult status. Equally touching has been his patronage of startups (he invested in over 30 startups in his personal capacity) and his belief in excellence and innovation. His love for furries reflected in his personal appeals for dog adoption through his Instagram. Strays are always welcome at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel and treated with love and compassion, and his Bombay House became a comfortable refuge for strays equipped with climate controlled surroundings, and special doors for the animals to come and go as they pleased. Tata even skipped a royal event to honour his philanthropic efforts to stay beside an ailing pet, and more recently his devotion to animals was seen in the setting of a state-of-the-art five-storey animal hospital in Mahalakshmi, Mumbai. There are unsavoury land acquisitions but there was so much more to the man, who may have (dare I say) more than made up for some bad decisions with years of generosity and benevolence.

Many have a story to relate about Ratan Tata — I have a little one. In 2018, a few months before my book was published, I had reached out to him for an interview on the fateful Singur-Tata Nano plant episode. I had no hope of clinching an interview or even a response given the controversial topic. About a month later, I received a warm response from his personal email. He didn’t agree to the interview due to prior commitments. He hoped I would understand and excuse him, and extended to me his best wishes. He could have ignored my request, but then that’s the mark of true class. I was touched by the personal response; every syllable was carefully worded. I never got the privilege of interviewing Mr Tata; one of the few people whom I deeply admired. Three days ago when he passed away, I silently wept and said a prayer.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal