Dadabhai Naoroji’s 180th

"Hardly any Congressman knows that Dadabhai Naoroji was the founder of Congress. You will never find his portrait in any Congress office…I am of the opinion that the Indian National Congress of which he was a founder has done nothing for perpetuating his memory,” opined Dr S. S. Mohapatra, secretary general of the Dadabhai Naoroji International Society (DNIS) in his editorial published in the compilation highlighting the activities of the Society in the year 2005 (Mohapatra subsequently passed away in 2006).

To commemorate the Grand Old Man’s 180th birth anniversary the governor of Rajasthan Pratibha Patil presided over the Dadabhai Naoroji celebration and millennium award event in Delhi in September 2005.

In Bombay a function was organized by the DNIS on November 19, 2005 when Dr Balram Jakhar, governor of Madhya Pradesh was the chief guest and Dr L. M. Singhvi, former Indian High Commissioner to UK presided. Jamshed Guzder of Bombay and Lt Gen Adi Sethna of Delhi chaired the proceedings on the subject: "Decline of polity.” The guests of honor that evening included deputy high commissioner of UK Ian Hughes, economist Y. P. Trivedi, industrialist Nusli Wadia, former member of parliament B. V. Nayak and vice chairman of VISA S. K. Tamotia.

Dadabhai Naoroji awardees Chandi Batliwalla (left) and Farrokh Kavarana

Selected as the Millennium awardees this year were two Zoroastrians — Farrokh Kavarana, director of Tata Sons Limited and chairman of several Tata Group companies in India and abroad, and Dr Chandi Batliwalla from the banking and planning sector — along with Subir Raha, chairman and managing director of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Thulasi Das, chairman and managing director of Air India, Shakti Samanta, producer and director, and Mohan Lal Tulsian, industrialist and president of the All India Marwari Association.

Regarded as one of the most outstanding economists of India, Kavarana has "significantly contributed to the country’s economy and has been advising the Tata Group on various economic and financial aspects,” as noted the citation. Before joining the Tata Group in 1975 and assuming responsibility for the Group’s overseas operations and investments, Kavarana held key positions with McKinsey and Company Inc in London and Washington. He is also known to have advised leading international financial institutions, including the World Bank, on strategic and organizational issues.

During her 35 years of service with the Reserve Bank of India until she retired as director, Batliwalla handled important assignments on problems relating to India’s balance of payments, foreign investments, assistance and forecasting. After being deputed to the Banking Commission she was seconded to work at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as technical assistant in the office of the executive director for India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. She had the rare privilege of being deputed for a second term at the IMF — as advisor for the Indian constituency, mentions the citation.