BLURRED VISION: GRATITUDE - Letters from a Grandfather to his Future Generations. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hello folks:

My work life in Crompton Greaves continues.

The years rolled by without much lasting improvement in the IR environment of Crompton Greaves. We would arrive at some understanding on a particular issue and things will settle down for a few months. And then again trouble would raise its ugly head.

During prolonged lockouts or strikes, it would be like a siege. I remember one instance where we were under siege in Kanjur Marg complex. Bhag, Sujan, Joglekar and some others would hold the fort inside the Penthouse office. We would take turns and would be escorted in and out with police protection. Those who came in, would bring fruit, food and booze. Once Bhag walked in with a huge water melon on his shoulder.

On another occasion Devinder Sodhi, the Worli Division Management and I were held inside the Worli factory. The workers demonstrated outside the Main gate. For some time they would be full throated since the offices were right close to the Main Gate. Then they would get tired and be quiet for a while. In those long boring days, with not much to do, Devinder n I would engage in long conversations on the situation, and a lot of other subjects to take our minds off the fruitless exercise we were engaged in. Devinder was of a philosophical bend of mind and conversing with him was stimulating. He was also a trainer and would often join in as Faculty in training programs within the Company and outside. He left the company much before I did. He prospered in other jobs in the North. He and i got together again when I was ready to embark on my work life in Viet Nam. Devinder tried to persuade me not to leave my family and country. He said that there was lots I could do within India. History tells that I did not allow myself to be persuaded. Sukhjit and I caught up with him n his lovely Rita in Gurgaon a couple of years ago, when Vicky n Anu had set up home there. Vicky got a lead to them thru a colleague in Max Bupa where he was working then. Do well good friend.

In those days, when there was relative peace at the Factories, we would spend much time at homes of colleagues. The ‘party’ atmosphere provided much relief after a tense interlude. Some of the bonds built in those days lasted through the rest of my working career. We lost touch after my retirement since we went away to Viet Nam. We did pick up some of the links on return.

Permit me to dwell on the subject of smoking. In our early working life, there was no awareness of the evils of smoking. We non smokers would blithely sit thru meeting rooms, party rooms where many others were smoking. Many of my close colleagues of that era fell a victim to the ills of smoking. We lost Joglekar the year after we moved to Viet Nam. Then Sujan and a few years ago Khanapurkar also passed away. Gokhale was a smoker; but he was a devout Yoga practitioner; therefore he lived to a ripe old age. Khanu was a very successful consultant after retirement. His wife had been the Principal of the Dadar Blind School. God Bless the souls of our friends who have gone ahead of us.

Little do they know that my longs absorbed all the second hand smoke. So much so that in 2004 I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis – a condition in which some bronchi are damaged. I became prone to lung infections; some time I would have serial episodes of infection and fever. I would be subjected to long courses of antibiotics apart from bronchodilators of one kind or the other. Last few years I had to take recourse to Nebulizers also.

I am mentioning this in detail, to bring home to the smokers that they are putting at risk, not only their own life; but also the lives of their family and friends.

Thankfully, now there is plenty of awareness on the subject.

While I am on a personal note, let me cover two happy events that took place a year before I signed up with Forbes:

Sukhjit’s sister Narinder Kaur had come to stay with us after finishing her education. In 1974 she got married to Inderjit Singh Kahandal. He worked with Coca Cola in India and then other brands in Dubai. They are now settled in Amritsar. They have:

*Daughter Sonu married to Gurmeet Singh Jaspal of Kolkatta. They have a son Devansh. They are partners in Manthan Broadband Services, running a business of Multi-system Operations in Cable TV.

*Daughter Smita aka Chimpi married to Jasdeep Kent a businessman of Ludhiana. They have daughters Simran and Gurbaani. Since her school days, Chimpi would spend her spare time and holidays with us and developed an intimate bond with us. During Sukhjit’s several hospitalizations, she and her mother would be her primary care giver. Thank you Nini and Chimpi.

*Daughter Suprit, aka Sweety married to Harvinder Singh Ahluwalia (Lali) of Batala Punjab. They have daughters Harmeet and Harnoor. Lali n his elder brother Hira have several businesses and Hira is also politically active.

Folks, some of you know this for a fact that Nini and Inderjit have been very fortunate in having their daughters married to such fine gentlemen. So much so that they never feel the want of a son of their own. In a larger sense, God has been kind to us in that all our in laws and outlaws are very decent and God fearing people. I keep telling you: Good things happen to good people.

Later in 1969 my younger brother, Ravinder, (Kaka) had finished his schooling and was searching for a career. I asked Joglekar and he promptly offered to talk to Dr S.S. Rajadhyaksha, a professional colleague who was Personnel Manager of Mazagon Docks. Raja immediately inducted Kaka as an apprentice Marine Engineer. In course of time Kaka qualified as Marine engineer and has adopted that as his career to date. Raja has an important place in my future career. I will get to that on another day.

As I said, Forbes had made me an offer and I accepted the job of their Group Personnel Head. I had signed up with Forbes Group around the autumn of 1975. Rather an exceptional case, but Crompton required 6 months notice, and they made no exceptions. Fortunately Forbes were willing to wait out the long notice period. However, as much was happening in Forbes, my would-be colleagues Astad Parakh and SY Gupte would keep in touch and seek my advice on their activities.

Soon after my leaving Crompton in Feb 1976, PR Deshpande went into retirement. Mr. Padhye took over; but he did not live long to make a difference. A year later, SK Mohile was appointed Managing Director. He changed the Industrial Relations climate of the Company. Of course by then the workers had got frustrated with the earlier leadership. They chose a much more virulent and violent Union leader. There was serious violence and some fatalities. Ultimately Mohile made IR Peace with that Union leader. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword: that Union leader was himself murdered a couple of years later. Such was the IR climate in Mumbai in those days. While I was glad to be out of the worst of it, but not entirely.

That is another long and happy story and I will get to that by n by.

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Please pardon any errors in Captions.
But do please point out the errors.