Page 8 - sands of time

8 SANDS OF TIME VOL. XVI, ISSUE 3, 2020

NANI A. PAlkhIvAlA - ThE MAN Of All sEAsONs...

It is said that once a member of his ambassadorial Words, Good Deeds.” He was inspired by the philosophy
staff in Washington wanted leave for India to meet of Adi Shankaracharya and Sri Aurobindo. He held
his father who was in a critical condition. According to Paramacharya Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra
the Government rules the employee needed to make Saraswathi of Kanchi in the highest esteem. He was a
an application to
the Ministry in follower of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.
India and obtain final Days
the Government’s
approval for leave. Nature was not too kind to Nani at the end of his
This procedure, journey. In the last years of his life, Nani Palkhivala was
however, was a
FROM THE
severely affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
long and lengthy
and
process
would require
a substantial
amount of time.
Instead, Nani took
COLLECTION
the responsibility
on himself and
released the
Nani Palkhivala with employee.
Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.
Nani was equally
OF
late’’, Nani always believed when it came to helping THE
generous. He did not let his left hand know what his
right hand did. “Do it today, tomorrow may be too

Dr. Badrinath, the famous eye specialist of Sankara Nani Palkhivala with his family during his final days.
others.

Nethralaya, a hospital in Chennai, recounts the
TATA CENTRAL ARCHIVES
story of him being invited by Nani for dinner in According to Attorney General Soli J. Sorabjee, who
Bombay. As Nani was seeing the doctor to his had known him for many years, it was painful to see
car, he slipped him a small envelope saying this
was a token contribution for the hospital. When that a person so eloquent and articulate unable to
the doctor opened the envelope, he saw Nani’s speak or recognise persons except occasionally in a
personal cheque for rupees two crore. When Nani momentary flash.
heard of the proposed move to place a plaque in
the front building of the hospital commemorating Nani was critically ill on December 7, 2002 and was
his name he protested and requested that the taken to Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. He died on
same be removed. December 11, 2002 at the age of 82.

Though departed from our amidst, the many-splendoured
Though outwardly Palkhivala did not seem to be
religious minded he had deep abiding faith in God. life of Nani Palkhivala and his story continues to remain
Nani was not attracted by the rituals and the pomp an inspiration to all of us, whether young or old in the
and ceremonies of religion, but he respected all times to come. He still is and will continue to forever be
religions. He believed in and practised the essence of the Man of All Seasons.
Zoroastrian religion to which he belonged, namely, - Pramila Nathan
“Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta – Good Thoughts, Good Deputy Manager, TCA

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