Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

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

Page 91

THE JOURNEY
85
After visiting our principals in England, we travelled to Czechoslovakia at the invitation of Mr. Heyrbick, who had been a Prisoner of War in India earlier. He had asked Vadikaka to come to Czechoslovakia for striking a business relationship with machine tool makers. Czechoslovakia was one of the best countries in Europe at that juncture. It had suffered the least damage and there was no rationing there.
In Czechoslovakia
Prague had suffered some damage during the war, but not very significant. It is a very beautiful city. We stayed for about three weeks in Czechoslovakia. Food posed fewer problems in Prague than in London. On the business front, we were able to bring all the machine tool manufacturers together and form a consortium, which appointed Batliboi as its agent in India. Mr.Heyrbick continued to be our business representative in Czechoslovakia and the consortium agreed to pay him a commission. For Batliboi, this business with Czechoslovakia initiated in 1946 was of great importance. It was very extensive and has continued upto now.
From Czechoslovakia we came back to London and Vadikaka and Menakaki went back to India and Bhagwati and I went to the USA. It was very difficult to get any transport either by sea or by air to the USA. American troops were returning after the war. With great difficulty our agent in London, Muller & Phipps, through their travel agent Wakefield managed two air tickets for us to New York. The flight to New York had two stops, at Shannon (in Ireland) and New Foundland. New York had limited hotel accommodation even in those days and one was not allowed to stay in one hotel for more than five days. For vegetarians, the only food available was bread, butter, cheese, salads, fruit and vegetable. Fortunately, my father-in-law, Hemchandbhai, had a friend there. He had given an introduction to a gentleman by the name of Magan Dave, who did business in emeralds and other coloured stones at Fifth Avenue. The Daves were very hospitable. We also had Frederick and O'Meare, who acted as agents for Batliboi. There was just one well-known Indian restaurant in New York called 'Rajah, which was run by a Parsi gentleman. We ate there quite often. Through our agents, I made appointments with our various principals in Buffalo, Kalamazzo, Chicago,
Rid thyself of ego and perform service. Then alone shalt though attain honour - Guru
Nanak