Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

Author(s): Rauf Ahmed
Publisher: Bhupendra Singh Anand

Page 24

18
PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
well off, living with us when they needed to, at times for years. Bapaji tried to help them all by giving jobs in his company or offering them a small partnership in one of his businesses. At one point, I remember, we had 22 people living in our bungalow besides the staff.
Bapaji did not have proper formal education. He had dropped out of school in Grade II, which was equivalent to the current seventh standard, to join hands with his father when he decided to embark on his own diamond business around 1896-97. Bapaji was about 12 years old then. However, Bapaji firmly believed in the dictum that'Education makes a full man. To his credit, he was always in tune with what was happening around, including political developments. He began learning English rather late, after he started working. But his quest for knowledge continued till the end. He was in his 80s when he began learning to play the violin. Earlier he had learnt classical music and yoga. He passed on this passion for learning not only to us - his children - but to his grandchildren as well. He was keen that all the boys and girls in the family should be well-educated. He wanted us to continue with our quest for knowledge throughout life.It was a rare line of thinking for those times particularly within community like ours.
Bapaji was 95 years old and weak when he asked me to take him to Kottakal in Kerala for the famous oil treatment known as 'Tel Dhara. The doctors examined him and prescribed the treatment. On the third day he caught a cold. I asked the doctors to stop the treatment immediately, but they wouldn't listen. I had to literally threaten them to stop. We then flew to Coimbatore, where we stayed with one of Batliboi's principals for two days before flying back to Mumbai. On our return, Bapaji wanted to stay at my house at Malabar Hill in South Mumbai. He was suffering from too much pain on the right side of his ribs. After studying the X-ray, the radiologist said it could be cancer of the lungs. Dr. J.K. Mehta, who had been treating Bapaji, felt that at his age Bapaji was not likely to have cancer. However, Dr Praful Desai, whom we consulted, confirmed that it was cancer, but advised against chemotherapy in view of his age. After staying with me for two months, Bapaji wanted to return to his Andheri bungalow.
Compassion is a great virtue