________________
IMPRESSIONS | 145
It became the responsibility of Mr. Pratap Bhogilal to convince the cotton textile mill industry of Mumbai to generously respond to the appeal made by the Government for maximum assistance to face the national emergency. With his persuasive and convincing style, he was able to collect a substantial contribution of Rs.65 lakh from the mill industry in Mumbai.
The domestic production of cotton during those years was woefully inadequate. Those were days when the Government used to fix minimum and maximum prices of cotton. The Millowners' Association, Mumbai, under the chairmanship of Mr. Bhogilal insisted that in the best interests of the farmer, the mill industry and the consumer, higher returns on cotton should be secured through better yields per hectare. In the years that followed, proper emphasis was laid on the improvement in the productivity of cotton, which increased from 104 kg in 1961 and 1962, to 555 kg as at present.
Thus, Mr. Bhogilal has left an indelible mark on the mill industry in the country.
Ms. Kiran Nanda Director, Indian Merchants' Chamber - ERTE Mr. Pratap Bhogilal was President of Indian Merchants' Chamber twice, in 1968 and again in 1985, which is a rare honour in itself.
I have known Mr. Bhogilal for over two decades. I had met him much before joining the IMC. Over the years I have come to respect him as a person of integrity, intellect and rational thinking. Different presidents of IMC have had different strengths. Some might have had sound knowledge of economics, while some others might not have had a thorough knowledge of economics but made up for it with their business experience and the ability to get the best out of the staff at IMC. Mr Bhogilal was exceptional. Besides these attributes, he had a wider perspective on the Nation's economy and was bold in his thinking and initiatives. The recommendations he had made forty years ago for the Nation's progress show his foresight and vision, as some of them are being implemented now!
True education is helpful in weaning away society from going into bad ways and
brings it to the right path - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
