Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

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

Page 63

THE JOURNEY
57
As Managing Director of SRM
After Bapaji took over Shree Ram Mills in 1940, I began taking more interest in its running. We had a competent manager in S.M.Cooper, who had been appointed by P.N.Mehta. After he retired, we appointed Hughes, an Englishman, who was equally competent. With their help we set about modernising Shree Ram Mills, which involved humidification, high-speed spinning, automatic winding and continuous washing and processing. It was not long before Shree Ram Mills was rated among the most modern textile mills in India. We continued to make innovative changes.
The Menghraj Group had a 25 percent share in the Managing Agency that was responsible for running SRM.Pokhardas Menghraj were already among the leading cloth traders in the Mulji Jetha market. We were also associated with the Menghraj family in Bombay Cotton, which was a trading firm for cotton exports and imports. It was handled primarily by Radheshyam Barot. Later, Nevandram Bajaj's son Ishwardas Bajaj also joined the firm. 1 was managing Shree Ram Mills on behalf of the Managing Agency. The workers and other staff respected and trusted me and extended full support. Though I possessed no degree or diploma in textile engineering my training at VJTI proved invaluable to me in running the mill.
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We had to fight a bitter legal battle with the Menghrajs over their unreasonable demands...
After the Managing Agency system was abolished by the government, Narayandas and his brothers made an unreasonable demand viz. that along with me as M.D., one of the brothers should be made also a Managing Director. This would not work as there would be dual control. So, I told Narayandas and his brothers, "Look, our families have had a 40-year association; I suggest that one of us buys out the other and runs the business. If you name a price I have the first option to buy out your share, or let me quote a price and you will have the first option to buy our shares." They said they didn't have
Violence is the weapon of the weak; non-violence that of the strong - Mahatma
Gandhi