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Book Review
Gujarat’s path-breaking achievers
S. RAMACHANDER
TRAILBLAZERS OF GUJARAT: Kamlendra Kanwar; Harmony Publishers. Rs. 495.
The major Indian states are large enough and distinctive enough to be countries in themselves and it is little wonder that we hold strong stereotypes in our minds about them. Some are true while some reflect our prejudices. Gujarat is one such. Mention the word and associations that crop up are – thrift, frugal living, social conservatism, fierce independence, and a hard headed business sense. There is marked preference, untypical of the rest of the country, for self
-employment in business as against job security or designations. These are still only a part of the unique Gujarat phenomenon. Kamlendra Kanwar’s book tries to capture some of the many facets of this multifaceted state through 10 short biographical sketches.
Unsung heroes
The uniqueness of this book lies in its discovery of unsung heroes, in ordinary occupations, who have pioneered beyond expectations. Many are from ordinary backgrounds, and not everybody is from a business family. For example, the Excel group started with just Rs.10000 as capital and has run an exceptionally progressive and human enterprise, led by ‘Kaka’ Kantisen Shroff, now acknowledged as a unique achievement in industrial relations, with no stoppage for 65 years. Another example is young Dr. Tejas Patel, who persevered despite absence of any forerunners or the minimum facilities, decided to not only experiment with a unique new procedure but went on to perform our 45,000 cath lab procedures. He is now the only Asian to have a patented catheter in his name.
Of the 10 outstanding individuals, only one is a woman; yet she is worth many such people in the sheer weight and magnitude of her achievement. Elaben Bhatt single-handedly brought about the women’s self-help revolution in the country more than three decades ago. Today the organisation that she founded has resulted in her winning the Magsaysay award, and she has grown into an icon of the movement.
Yet another unusual and low-key figure is that of Bakul Dholakia, former Director of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, who commandeered the support the Board of Governors, the alumni, the corporate sector and well-wishers to put together a reasonable resistance against the mindless takeover of the detailed running and finances of the highly acclaimed business school by the bureaucracy in Delhi. That he was successful is not questioned. However, his term was not extended, a fact on which he comments only with a wry smile.In the world of architecture, no Asian has been acclaimed as a world-famous figure as Balakrishna V. Doshi, the only architect in the world who trained and worked with the illustrious masters, Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. In a city known for path-breaking design and architecture, Doshi’s contributions are legendary.One is tempted to ask why these achievers emerged in this milieu. One good reason is a value system that places great store by being a self-starter; and the shared sense that to fail is no shame. In a typically Indian conformist milieu, this freedom to experiment is refreshing.
The style of the book is commendably impersonal — like reportage; perhaps as a result, it seldom rises above the clichés of average daily journalism. Nevertheless, the book is a great source of inspirational anecdotes to dip into.
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