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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
their entire luggages were lost, and they were left our with night suit they were wearing After making complaint at Delhi Railway Station, in Vain, they directly reached Director General's office and had to borrow money for purchase of new clothes and other essential wears.
Dr. Desai was a good administrator, would come and leave the office punctually in time and expected others to follow the suit. Work was worship for him, he would expect hard, intelligent work from his subordinates and extracted work from them with firmness and kindness. He used to watch that the staff members, technical and administrative, always engaged in their work. When the sound of typewriter was not heard, he would knew that the work allotted is completed and would give more work keeping everybody engaged throughout. Before a report/article was finalised, ad many as 3 drafts were made out, they were kept separately in separate folders titled, Ist typed draft, 2nd typed draft, 3rd typed draft, prefinal draft" and so on, everything typed in the old Italian Olivetti Jumbo mannual typewriter with special diacritical marks for Arabic, Persian and Urdu words.
We had very good understanding of each other. While dictations or giving instructions when Dr. Desai used to substitute his thoughts with "This Thing" and "That Thing" frequently. I, being his mindreader, would immediately understand what he wanted by this. Once when we were in Mysore on an official trip, Dr. Desai Director (Epigraphy), asked me to bring "This Thing" in the presence of officers of Mysore Epigraphy office. I immediately brought that required material, and the officers present there got amazed.
Before leaving Hqrs. on tour, leave, etc., the pending papers, if any, were cleared and sometimes when some papers were left out, the replys were dictated and signed in the blank letter-heads, for want of time, for disposal. Nothing was kept pending. In the absence of some staff members and if some urgent matters were to be disposed off, he would himself attend to it from diarising to despatch. The letters diarised and despatched by him at his own handwriting, can be seen even today in the Diary and Despatch Registers of the Department. Dr. Desai knew typing also, sometimes he used to manage to type out small letters, etc. In the administration, he closely watched the progress of work and ensured that no work was pending. During those days. Mr. B.S. Seth was Head Clerk looking after all administrative matters. On some occasions, when some papers are not put up, which comes to the notice of Dr. Desai, he would loose temper and exchange hot words with the Head Clerk, but this remained for the time-being only and latter he would forget such incidents, for ever.
He kept good relations with his superiours in Hqrs. Office, New Delhi. Shri A. Ghosh was the Director General when Dr. Desai joined in the Department. Later, during the times of Prof. B.B.Lal, Shri M.N. Deshpande, Shri B.k.
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