Page 6 - JRD TATA

J.R.D. was only 20. As personalities Nehru J.R.D. Tata craved for, yet his work in
and J.R.D. had much in common but their every field he involved himself was so
approach to both economic and foreign exemplary that the honours poured in. He
affairs differed. In the biography of has received numerous national and
J.R.D., “Beyond the Last Blue international awards.
Mountain”, there is a chapter on Nehru
The country’s highest civilian honour –
Bharat Ratna – was bestowed on J.R.D.
Tata in 1992 for his contribution in the
building of a modern India.

In October
1993 J.R.D.
FROM THE
left Bombay for
Geneva for
what was to be
a brief
vacation. He
J.R.D. Tata with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was admitted
circa 1956. in hospital on
COLLECTION
and J.R.D. There were letters exchanged November 4.
J.R.D. passed
between the two but J.R.D. did not share away on
his socialistic values. As was the case November 29,
with Pandit Nehru, with Mrs. Indira 1993.
Gandhi the relationship was on a Receiving the ‘Bharat
Ratna’ from the President,
personal level but what was lacking was The funeral R. Venkataraman, 1992.
confidence and trust. OF THE
ceremony and
During the years when the World War II internment was held two days later in
was drawing to a close, the thought Paris at the Père Lachaise cemetery.
engaging J.R.D. the most was, the
building up of the country’s industrial On his death, The Economic Times paid
the following tribute: “With the passing of
capacity. He called together other
TATA CENTRAL ARCHIVES
Mr. J.R.D. Tata, the country has lost one of
industrialists such as G.D. Birla and
its most illustrious citizens. Not only had
Kasturbhai Lalbhai, and technocrats
such as Dr. John Matthai, Sir Ardeshir he become a symbol of maturity and
Dalal and A.D. Shroff and got such an wisdom, his was also seen as a steadying
endeavour off the ground. This resulted influence, a voice of reason in an
in January 1944, in a comprehensive increasingly turbulent domestic polity.
document entitled “A Plan of Economic When J.R.D. spoke, everyone listened.
Development for India”, published part in More than anything else, it is that
1943 and part in 1944. This plan came patriarchal voice which will be missed –
to be known as the “Bombay Plan”. not only in Tata Sons but by the country
too…”
Rewards, decorations and recognition in
other forms were not something