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PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
I consider Pratapbhai to be truly wealthy not because he has wealth but because of his phenomenal capacity to generate wealth and give it for good causes. He is rich not because of his material possessions, but because he is driven by a higher, larger cause. There is coherence and meaning in his life. Unlike many others in his league, who consider themselves affluent but lead a shallow, hypocritical existence, he epitomizes the following maxim:
Mat rijho upar ki dhikhai par Yeh toh sone ka varkh laga hai mitti ki mithai par
Pratapbhai is an antithesis of the usual'rich’man.His life has been a celebration and his biography is indeed a celebration of his many-splendoured life. I would not consider him to be vayovriddh, but as one symbolizing vruddhi (increase) in good deeds, in goodwill and good karma.
Ms.Abhilasha Singhvi, a recipient of the Rajasthan Ratnakar Award, was ranked among '100 Eminent Personalities of Gujarat' by the leading newspaper Dainik Bhaskar. She was also adjudged Woman of Substance 2009. She is the daughter of late Dr. L.M.Singhvi, a former Indian High Commissioner in the UK.
Mrs. Hansaben Dalal Former president of the Ladies Wing of Indian Merchant Chamber I have great admiration for Pratapbhai. We travelled together on an IMC delegation to China, which he had initiated as President of IMC in 1985. We then went on cruises together to Japan, Alaska and Australia. Though he was the oldest member of our group, he took the lead in everything, from planning sight-seeing to organising hard-to-get vegetarian food. He would be up at 5.30 a.m.While we made the excuse of the late night, Pratapbhai would say his prayers and finish his morning walk before we were up, even though he had slept at the same time as us.
I worked under his presidentship on various fund-raising projects. When the Maid of Cotton used to come from the USA, his Shree Ram Mills participated in the fashion shows.I was struck by the fact that he wanted his daughters to get involved, and both Chitra and Dharini used to be very active.
God resists the proud and gives His Grace to the humble - St. James
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