Focus 1993 October - December

Focus 1993 October - December



1 Page 1

▲back to top


Volume VII. No. 4
september-December, 1993
This Issue of the 'FOCUS' Is
dedicated to the memory of
Mr.fR 0 TATA,fo der-chairman
oflhe FamilyPlanningFoundation
ION ENUlRONM.ENT
If humility is the hallmark of greatness, JRD had
it in ample measure. For him, modesty was not
an over-rated virtue. His self-effacing life-style,
graciousness
and
gentlemanliness were as
transparent
as his
dedication
and
commitment to high ideals'
and noble causes.
If dash-and-dare is
the propellant of a high
flyer, JRD showed it in
abundance. He literally
touched the skies by
becoming not only the
first commercial pilot in
India but also the father of
civil aviation in the
country.
If an ethical
approach even in
matters mundane is the
touchstone of highest
human conduct, JRD's
~:~m~~:'rJ was a singular
means justified
the end and he
lived up to this ideal at
times even at the cost of his narrow businessinterests.
In this regard he was a Gandhian in the truest sense
of the term.
If courage of conviction is the distinguishing
trait of a heroic mould, JRD possessed it in no mean
me-asure. He could differ with the highest and the
mightiest and hold his own. Economic liberalisation
which came towards the fag end of his life is a
vindication of his stand for free enterprise.
If concern for fellow human-beinss is the bed-
rock of nobility, JRD's was a life-long dedication.
His relentless efforts to create wealth and jobs, his
trusteeship approach towards workers, his services
to science and society through establishment of
unique institutions
and last but not
least his magnificent
'obsession
for
family planning to
raise the living
standards of the
poor
teeming
millions of this
ancient land, are
silent yet most
eloquent tributes to
the vision of this
great son of India
the like,'
0f
whom
are
• born in
centuries.
A patriot to the
core, he never wore
patriotism on his
sleeves. He worked
ceaselessly all his
life to give India
sinews of steel, literally and figuratively.
He was a world citizen par excellence. In his
many-splendoured personality-a
visionary, a
missionary, a man of action-JRD effortlessly
harmonised the rich and humanistic cultures of
the East and West. His was the stuff legends are
made of. In the inimitable words of the immortal
Bard:
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mix'd in him that Nature mieht stand up
And soy to all the world 'This was a Man!'

2 Page 2

▲back to top


A LIFE EXTRAORDINARY
Born in Paris on July 29, 1904,
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata
- better known by his initials,
JRD - was the second of the five
children of Ratanji Dadabhai Tata
and his French wife Sooni. JRD's
early years were divided between
Bombay and France, where his father
ran a business in precious stones.
After the birth of their fifth
child, the Tatas came to live in India
in 1924. However, JRD's studies
alternated between the famed Janson
BesaiIlyschool in Paris and Bombay's
Cathedral High School. As a young
boy, he associated himself more
with France because he was
angry that India was not free.
After finishing school, he was
conscripted to the French army
and commissioned in a crack
unit in Algeria in 1924.
Father of
Civil Aviation
But his foremost passion
was flying - since a French
flier .- neighbour fired the
imagination of young JRD.
When he got his flying licence,
he engraved his name in the
country's aviation history as
the first Indian pilot. His solo
flight from Karachi to Bombay
in 1932 heralded the age of civil
aviation in India. He repeated his
feat in a dare-devil manner 50 years
later at the age of 78. The Tata
Airlines started in 1932, blossomed
into the nation's flagship carrier, Air
India, in 1948. He retained his ties
even after its nationalisation in 1953
and remained its chairman till 1978.
Businessman
"-or Excellence
But aviation was not JRD's sole
preoccupation in life. On his return
from Frimce, he was brought into
Tata Steel to be groomed by Mr. John
Peterson, a Scotsman who ran the
company in 1920s. In 1926, JRD
became a director on the board of
Tata Sons Ltd., on the death of his
father. And in 1938,when Sir Nowroji
Saklatvala, head of Tata Sons, died,
the directors, all senior to him,
selected JRD as their chairman and
for the next 53 years he piloted the
fortunes of the House of Tatas with
such skill and aplomb that made it
the foremost name in the country's
business and industrial activity.
During this period it saw massive
growth and development.
The secret of his snccess lay in
attracting professional merit and
giving it a free hand. In a way he was
the founder of a sound management
base with an ethical code. He
voluntarily relinquished the top post
two years ago in 1991.
In 1930, JRD met and married
Thelma, an Austrian. Soon they
became familiar in the elite Bombay
social circuit. His charm, erudition,
gentlemanliness and above all the
dash and "man of action" image
endeared him to many.
Economic Planner
In the early 40s, he had a brief
association with the freedom
struggle, due to his friendship with
Jawaharlal Nehru: He even attended
a few Congress sessions including
the historic 1942 session where the
Quit India call was given. JRD
realised that politics was not his cup
of tea and that his major role lay in
economic field. He called together
other industrialists and technocrats
and gave a formal shape to the
Bombay Plan, announced in January
1944,envisaging doubling of India's
per capita income by trebling the
GNP in a matter of 15 years only
with an outlay of Rs.lO,OOOcrore (at
pre-war prices). The plan drew flak
both from leftists and rightists, yet it
gave an impetus to the country's
planning process.
His Obsession
JRD evinced abiding
interest in vital national issues.
Family Planning, for instance,
became in his own words, an
obsession with him. In fact, he
was the first to advocate family
planning right from the early
years of Independence.
Characteristically, he put into
practice what he preached by
launching family planning
progr'Jllmes inTISCO, TELCO
and other Tata concerns which
.have drawn admiration from
one and all and acted as models
for others to follow. He was a
very vocal member of the
Population Advisory Council
of the Government of India. The
Family Planning Foundation which
he established in 1970, has since
become the spearhead of his crusade
for population control.
In the service of
Science and Society
JRD lent his name and all the
power it commanded to several
causes in the service of science and
society. The Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, one of the
premier instibJtes of its kind in the
world founded in 1945, and
considered the cradle of India's
atomic energy programme, will
always stand as a monumental

3 Page 3

▲back to top


tribute to his foresight. He was one
of the founder-members of the
Atomic Energy Commission,
President of the Court of Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore and a
patron-member of the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhawan.
His contribu tion to the
betterment of society and support to
the humane causes is evident in the
form of several charitable trusts,
educational institutions and the
famous Tata Memorial Cancer
Hospital, among others.
Honours and Awards
It was but natural that honours
and awards came to a man of JRD's
stature in generous measure in his
long innings. In the penultimate year
of his life he was given two most
prestigious awards, one national and
the other international.
For his all-round services to the
nation, India honoured him with
Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian
award, while the United Nations
conferred on him its 1992Population
Award in recognition of his crusade
aimed at stabilisation of population
growth for more than 40 years.
Among other honours bestowed
on him, JRD was made doctor of
science,Allahabad University in 1947,
doctor of laws from Bombay
University in 1981,and very recently
doctor of literature of the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences. He was
awarded the Padma Vibhushan in
1955.
Recipient of the Durga Khaitan
gold medal, JRD was also awarded
such distinguished i~ternational
decorations as "lnternational
Management Man," the Henry
Bessemer gold medal of the Institute
of Metals, London, and Edward
Warner Award of the U.N. His
f:loliness Pope Paul VI honoured him
with Knight Commander of the order .
of St Gregory; France made him
Commander of the Legion of Honour;
,and Federal Republic of Germany
conferred upon him Knight
Commander of the order of merit.
Thus, he became a true world citizen
transcending national barriers.
Mr Tata displays the gold medal which he received as a part of the UN Population
Award. On his right is Dr Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the UNFPA
July 29, 1904
1909
1923
1924
1925
1926
Feb. 10, 1929
Dec. 1930
Oct. 15, 1932
July 26, 1938
Aug. 1942
Mar. 8, 1948
Aug. 1, 1953
1958-59
March 1979
Oct. 15,'1982
Mar. 25, 1991
Jan. 26, 1992
Sept. 1992
Born in Paris, France
The Tatas went to live at Hardelot beach resort in
France where he developed the first interest in aviation
Mother Sooni expired
Drafted into the French Army's Le Saphis regiment
Joined Toto Sons as on apprentice
Father expired in France, JRD inherits the directorship
in Toto Sons
Became India's first commercial pilot licence-holder
Married to Thelma Vicaji
Inaugurated Toto Aviation Service, flies solo between
Karachi • Bombay
Appointed Chairman, Toto Sons
Attended the Indian Notional Congress session where
the historic Quit India resolution was passed.
Declined a proposal of knighthood; unveiled Bombay
Plan; launched the J R D Toto Trust; initiated setting up
of TIFR; led first Indian delegation of industrialists to
USA and UK.
Air Indio incorporated as a joint sector venture
Air India nationalised with JRD as Chairman
Elected lAtA president
Presented the Tony Jannus Award
Re-enacted the solo Karachi-Bombay flight on the
golden jubilee of Indian Civil Aviation
Bestowed rank of Commander of French Legion of
Honour
Relinquished Chairmanship of Tata Sons
Conferred Bharat Ratna
Presented the United Nations Population Award

4 Page 4

▲back to top


GLOWING TRIBUTES
Parliament's Homage:
Houses Adjourn in
Memory of JRD
Both houses of Parliament, which
began the winter session on Dee.
2, 1993, adjourned after paying
homage to Mr J R D Tata.
In the Lok Sabha, the speaker,
Mr Shivraj Patil, the prime
minister, Mr Narasimha Rao, the
leader of the opposition, Mr A B
Vajpayee (BJP) and leaders of
various other parties paid
glowing tributes to Mr Tata and
lauded his pioneering role in
several fields including industry,
civil aviation, promotion of
scientific research and social
service.
The prime minister, while
underscoring the contribution
made by Mr Tata to the country's
industrial
development,
commended his "futuristic
outlook." Mr Tata, who used to
describe himself as apolitical,
was deeply concerned about the
nation's future. This was reflected
in his efforts to encourage, among
other things, research and
development
and family
plcuu{ing.
The speaker described Mr Tata
as a multifaceted personality who
was a legend in his life-time. He
played a pioneering role in
industrial development and left
an incomparable record of social
service spanning over half-a-
century.
ln the Rajya Sabha, the deputy
chairman, Mrs Najma HeptuJJa,
said that in the death of Mr Tata,
the country had lost a towering
personality. He had left an
indelible mark on various spheres
of national development.
WOMAN IS THE CRITICAL
FULCRUM OF FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY PROSPERITY
-J R DTATA
CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY MOURN MAN OF VISION
Dr Bharat Ram, noted industrialist and Vice-Chairman, Family Planning
Foundation, said that in the passing away of Mr Tata, the country had lost
an industrial statesman. His sense of industry was not confined only to profit
making; it extended to social purposes as well. "His particular emphasis for
many years on family planning had great impact on the government's
programme for family planning."
**
Mr H P Nanda, renowned industrialist and mE'mber of the governing
board of the Family Planning Foundation, said that in the death of Mr Tata
India had lost not only a great businessman but one of its greatest sons. "I
have lost a very dear and dynamic friend and guide from whom I learnt a lot."
He had the vision to think 50 years ahead of time, Mr Nanda said.
**
Expressing his "great sense of loss and grief", Mr Ratan N Tata who
succeeded Mr J R 0 Tata as Chairman of the Tata Sons Ltd., said that his
viSion, his high values, and the traditions he firmly established for Tatas have
always been of great inspiration to me. "JRD's loss is tremendous and
awesome."
**
Mr Russi Modi, former TISCO chairman, said JRD was without doubt
a very great man and a person of many accomplishments. "He became
chairman of the House of Tatas by birth, retained his position through his
inteilect and won everyone's heart through his human qualities."
** Mr M R R Nair, Chairman Steel Authority of India (SAIL) said with the
death of Mr Tata, the entire steel industry had lost a friend, philo30pher and
guide. "The last of the great Mughals has gone to the other realm."
**
Mr Keshub Mahindra: "It is difficult to think of the corporate sector
without him. He was a true Indian - most humble and gentle and a real human
being for whom the values of mankintl meant more than anything else. He
had poetry in heart and music in soul."
**
Mr M V Arunachalam: "The passing away of J R 0 Tata is a great loss
to the entire country and to Indian businessmen in particular. JRD was a
nationalist and a gentleman to the core.
**
Mr Rahul Bajaj: "JRD was a giant not only among Indian industrialists,
but also among world industrialists. His business ethics and statesmanlike
approach influenced a lot of people in trade and industry."
**
Mr Ramakrishna Bajaj: "In his passing away, the country has lost a
towering visionary who worked with the great stalwarts of the freedom
movement and played a major role in laying the foundation of modern industrial
India. He represented all that is fair and finest in Indian business and culture."
** Mr Raunaq Singh: "Apart from being a great industrialist, he was a great
human being, a very lovable person, always respectful to fellow human
beings."
** Mr Dhirubai Ambani: "JRD w~s a man of great vision. His achievements
and his courage and convictions shone like a beacon for the entire Indian
corporate sector."
** Mr M A Chidambaram: "JRD's death is a great blow to India. He was
the brightest industrialist of the century."

5 Page 5

▲back to top


GLOWING TRIBUTES
INDUSTRY AND TRADE BODIES BID ADIEU TO THE
IT EWE L 0 FIN D I A'
Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
president Mr Bansi Dhar said Tata's
sudden passing away was a loss to
the entire nation, particularly to the
business community.
Confederation of Indian
Industry (Cn) president Mr J N
Godrej said that Tata's "memory
would live for ever and inspire
Indian entrepreneurs, managers ana
workmen to strive to achieve his
ideals."
ASSOCHAM president Mr
Govind Hari Singhania described
Tata as the "builder of modem
industrial India" and said his death
was an irreparable loss to Indian
business.
President of Confederation of
Asian Chambers of Ccmmerce and
Industry (CACCI) Mr R P Goenka
said Tata was a "benchmark in
honesty, idealism and fair play on
the Indian business scene."
The president of Federation of
Indian Export Organisations (FlEO)
Mr K N Memani, said Mr Tata was
"one of the most respected business
leaders in the world" and his death
at the critical time of India's economic
transition was a big loss to the
business and industry.
The presidentofPHD Chamber
of Commerce and Industry
(PHDCCI), Mr Vineet Virmani, said
that Mr Tata laid the foundation for
a strong India and had concern for
social causes like family planning,
environment and energy and his
work in scientific research was
extremely commendable.
President of Indian Merchants
Chamber Mr H V Goenka said that
Indian business had lost a "precious
jewel" adding that "like a colossus
he reigned over his contemporaries
in shaping and sharpening the values
of business in the post-independence
Indian industrial scene."
President of the International
Chamber of Commerce Mr Hari
Shankar Singhania, said "in the
passing away of Mr Tata world has
lost a remarkable personality who
left an indelible mark on national
and international business.
Mr Vijay Kalantri of All India
Manufacturers' Organisation (AIMO)
said Mr Tata's commitment to
unshackling Indian Industry from
red tapism and his dedication to the
growth of industry were
unparalleled.
The Press Guild of India
president Mr Ram S Tameja said Mr
Tata strengthened Indian Industry
through professi0naI management
and was "an institution in himself.
He was a piller of ethical and upright
business leadership."
Steel Chamber of India
president Mr Devkinandan J Gupta
described Mr Tata as the doyen of
Indian industry and patriar.(:h of
steel industry in the country.

6 Page 6

▲back to top


THUS SPAKE J R 0
Abiding Commitment to a Cause
TOMORROW MAY BE
TOO LATE
Why has India, even though
amongst the first countries of the
world to establish a national family
planning programme, failed so
dismally in its efforts to achieve that
one essential objective in dramatic
contrast to the countries of Europe,
amongst others, in which large
families were once as common as in
India, but which succeeded in
achieving within this very century
demographic transition by the
adoption of a small family norm.
What prevented India fron) doing
the same? I believe, from repeated
personal experience of life in Europe,
that their success has stemmed
mainly from the existence there of
two fundamental socio-economic
elements. First, the firm
determination among the child-
bearing members of their generation
that their children be not only strong
and healthy but also well-educated
or at least, well trained in the
specialised skills required for a
productive career. The second
element was their awareness that
today cost of modern education or a
professional training had become in
most countries so high as to make it
impossible .for parents to afford to
support large families. It is, I believe,
the awareness and acceptance of
these two beliefs, with the
accompanying constraints, that have
transformed the social habits of the
people of those countries and
motivated them, willingly, to control
the size of their families. In contrast
regretfully, I suggest, the very absence
of these two elements in India has
been the main reason for its failure to
control the rate of growth of 'its
population and the· main reason
therefore for its continuing poverty.
If the above view is accepted, I
believe that the priority in the
continuing pursuit of population
stabilisation must now be to find in
our country the means of convincing
the people, particularly, the parents,
of the absolute necessity of adopting
the small family norm in their own
and their children's interest as well
as that of the country as a whole.
. But time is of the essence. The
speed with which the situation has
been getting out of hand can be
gauged from the dramatic statistics
recently released by the Worldwide
Fund for Nature and Friends of the
Earth, which brought out that during
the mere 12 days of the Rio
Conference, 600 to 900 plant and
animal species became extinct in the
world and the world's population
grew by 33 million. These striking
examples of the phenomenon of
population outstripping resources
clearly calls for immediate action. In
India, yesterday would not have
been too early, tomorrow may' be too
late.
(From the speech delivered at New
York 0/1 September 17, 1992 while
accepting the U.N. Population
Award).
HOW WILL
HISTORY JUDGE US?
Must we remain poor? This
thought continues to torment me
/
especially when I see that we have in
our country all the basic resources,
including an educated manpower
and an economic infrastructure
growing more diverse and strong,
year by year ....
Like many other countries, we
in India have been trying to wage a
war on poverty. We have started a
number of development programmes
especially to uplift the extremely
poor. It has been claimed by the
government that the All India
incidence of poverty has come down
from 36.9 per cent in 1984-85to 29.23
per cent in 1987-88. However, the
issue remains whether productive
and viable employment opportunities
have at all been created to the extent
necessary.
The Approach Paper for the
Eighth Plan, discussed the other day
by the National Development
Council, rightly emphasised the
urgent need to remove the sources of
discontent and unrest by attending
to challenging problems like
unemployment, illiteracy, ill-health
and decline in living conditions of
the poor and vulnerable sections. I
was happy to observe that authors of
the Approach Paper had reached the
conclusion that 'the failure to achieve
perceptive reduction in the
population growth-rate and the

7 Page 7

▲back to top


inadequacy of the present strategies
to contain the demographic pressure
tended to retard our growth on all
fronts. That is what I have been
always saying.
Lack of political will is the
principal reason for inadequate
results. The election manifestoes of
at least three major political parties,
viz., Janata Dal, BJP, and Congress
(1) did give a special place to
population control. Yet, in the last
six to eight months one has not seen
any major public response. I am
unable to understand how leaders of
our country, who have b~en
articulating strong views ~n social
and economic restructuring, can
remain oblivious of the. serious
consequences of soaring population
and permit time to defeat all honest
endeavour. How will history judge
us?
(From inaugural speech delivered at
the symposium on Family
Planning in the Nineties: Search
for New Approaches" held in New
Delhi on July 11, 1990 - the World
Population Day).
WHEN DYKES ARE
THREATENED
When shall we face reality?
Only the other day, the Aid India
consortium of Western donors and
international institutions which met
in Paris had called for "urgent and
immediate assistance to India to
tackle the problem of rapid growth
in population." The United Nations
Fund for Population Activities
(UNFPA) too has cautioned that "the
national picture is likely to remain
gloomy as long as Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and
Rajasthan - home to 40 per cent of the
country's population - perform
poorly. The United Nations
Development Programme's (UNDP)
report on India also draws attention
to continuous population increase
exerting stress on health and
education system, urban and rural
housing, food supply and
distribution etc.
While international assistance
is welcome, I would like to pose a
question : Does not the problem
rather lie in our own inadequate
perception of the depth of the
population crisis,and feebly executed
programmes? Managerial failure and
haphazard utilisation of· resources
are as much responsible for poor
results as faulty planning. The world
is rightly worried about the prospect
of 1.8 billion Indian people in the
next century. But are we?
The international agencies are
not flushed with funds either. One
often hears about the overall shortage
of funds. On the other hand, the
galling reality is that the world
continues to spend one billion dollars
every year on all kinds of lethal
armaments while large parts of the
globe are putting up a desperate
fight against hunger and wasting
diseases. One only hopes that the
massive reduction in arms will release
larger funds for being invested in
promoting economic revival in the
third world and for supporting
health, education and urban
improvement programmes.
There will still be pressure on
resources. However, the task of
containing the population outburst
cannot wait. India has to reorder the
economy in a manner that permits
diversion of funds into sustainable
development, which, in my way of
thinking, includes education, health
and employment. Check on runaway
population and that too in the next
decade or so, should be a historical
imperative for us.
We, in the Family Planning
Foundation, cannot but welcome the
recent statement of the Deputy
Chairman of the Planning
Comm,ssion that population control
is being treated as one of the four
main priority areas of the Eighth
Plan. It is good to remember,
however, that when the dykes are
threatened, the response to the
swelling tide has to be instant and
sizeable enough, to contain the threat.
Critical priorities require a firm
political commitment as well as
adequate resources. But more than
resources, it is a question of choice of
right strategies.
(From the Chairman's
observations at the Annual General
Meeting of the Governing Board of
the Family Planning Foundation on
October 14, 1991)
LAST JOURNEY
Mr J R D Tata was buried in
Paris on December 3, 1993
according to Zoroastrian ritual
with hundreds of family friends
and officials in attendance.
The French-born Mr Tata
was interred in the family vault at
Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery .
after a ceremony at its
crematorium.
His heir and nephew, Mr
Ratan Tata, briefly addressed the
mourners after the ceremony,
which was attended by Inrlian
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Mr Salman Khursheed and envoy
to France Mr Ranjit Sethi. France
was represented by Foreign
Ministry
official
Claude
Blanchemaison.
Bombay mourned the death
of Mr J R D Tata at the ceremonial
Uthamna prayers, held at the
Tower of Silence on Malabar Hill
on December 1, 1993.
At a memorial service at the
Zoroastrian synagogue of the
Delhi Parsi Anjuman on December
5, 10Q3, eminent personalities
offe. ,. 'Ioral tributes to Mr Tata
and spoke of his contributions to
public life.
It was for a life like J RD's that
poet Iqbal had said:
,~~.~~~
~
if -mtt t
~ ~~Cflct ~ mr t ~ iT
tfl~IC4< ~,
For thousands of years the
narcissus sheds tears on
its lustreless existence,
It takes ages for a truly
illumined mind to beborn.

8 Page 8

▲back to top


Family Planning Foundation Pays Homage to its
Founder Chairman
The Azmual General Meeting
(AGM) of the Family Planning
Foundation Society held in
New Delhi on 21st December 1993,
expressed deep sorrow at the demise
in Geneva on Nov. 29, 1993, of its
loved and revered founder
Chairman, Mr J R D Tata whose
distinguished career spalming the
best part of the 20th century reflected
the aspirations and endeavours of
the country as well as his role in
exploring new avenues, which have
left an indelible mark on various
aspects of national life.
Recalling, particularly, Mr Tata's
invaluable services to the cause of
population stabilisation the AGM
noted that, inspired by a vision of an
independent India, in which all
citizens will be able to seek and
achieve true fulfilment through a
process of humane socio-economic
transformation of the country, he
became the first person to sound the
alarm, in 1951, about the serious
implications of India's rapidly
growing population, especially, in
the context of the nation's resolve to
remove poverty and create new
opportuni ties.
Mr Tata's concern took a concrete
shape in the form of the Family
Planning Foundation which was
established in September 1970, with
a comprehensive charter to promote
population policies, biomedical
research, model-building efforts and
assist voluntary institutions
dedicated to the implementation of
family welfare programmes for
different sections of the population.
The contribution which the
Foundation has been able to make
under Mr Tata's enlightened
leadership as an independent but
committed forum for securing for
family planning and sustainable
development an important place in
national affairs, was acknowledged
by the United Nations who presented
to Mr Tata the prestigious UN
Population Award for 1992.
Mr Tata lost no opportunity to remind
his countrymen that the problem
was assuming awesome proportions
and that the nineties will prove to be
the critical decade. He always laid
emphasis on the education of women
and the youth on whom the burden
of the future will fall.
India had earlier honoured Mr Tata
with the highest civilian award of
Bharat Ratna, for his multifarious
services to the building of modern
India and work in different spheres,
notably, civil aviation, industry,
scienceand technology and education
etc.
The AGM felt that the ·tremendous
loss caused by Mr Tata's demise at a
historic turning point, when major
policy departures are being made to
usher India into the 21st century,
may well be irreparable because men
like him are not Olllyunique but also
rare. However, the AGM hoped that,
symbolising as they do the essence of
our times, the traditions, values and
standards of excellence set up by him
in all ventures he embarked upon,
will continue to inspire all those who
are working for the good of the
country.
The AGM hoped that Mr Tata's
passion for improving the life of his
countrymen through economic
activity supported by wise
population and development
strategies will provide the sheet
anchor of public policy till the dream
he saw at the dawn of Independence
is fully realised.
Dr Bharat Ram is new Chairman
of Family Planning Foundation
In its meeting held on December 21, 1993 in New Delhi the
Governing Board of the Family Planning Foundation unanimously
elected Dr Bharat Ram, Vice Chairman, as the new Chairman of the
Foundation in the vacancy caused by the demise of its founder-
Chairman Mr J R D Toto.
An eminent industrialist, Dr Bharat Rom is Chairman Emeritus,
DCM lid, and the first Asian to have held the post of the President of
the International Chamber of Commerce. Ever since the establishment
of the Family Planning Foundation in 1970 by Mr Toto as a leading
non-governmental organisation tp spearhead the couse of population
control in India, Dr Bharat Ram has played a notable role in its activities
as a founder-member and Vice-Chairman.
In the meeting, paying glowing tributes to Mr Toto, an
acknowledged leader of modern India, who had a clear vision that
encompassed the whole range of human development, Dr Bharat Ram
vowed to carry forward with vigour the legacy left by Mr Toto not only
in the sphere of population control but also in new and allied concerns
such as environmental degradation and the dreaded but much less
understood hazard of AIDS. "I am confident that as in the past,
Mr J R D Toto will continue to be a source of abiding inspiration to all
of us," he observed.
PLlblished by the FAMILY PLANNING FOUNDATION, 8-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-11oo16. Tel.: 6867080, 6867081.
Designed and Printed by Reproductions India, F-39 East of Kailash, New Delhi-110065. Tel.: 6422289, 6415600.
Editorial Direction & Guidance: Harish Khanna
Editorial Consultant: J.L Saaz