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U. N. MEHTA INSTITUTE OF CARDIOLOGY
RESEARCH CENTRE
The U. N. Mehta institute of Cardiology & Research Centre, Ahmedabad
ing with the tenets of our Jain faith I would not eat non-vegetarian food or touch alcohol. She would pack lots of khakhras for me, so that I wouldn't go hungry," he laughs. A promise which he has strictly kept, not just out of respect for his mother, but also because he believes in it himself. Those were the days when vegetarianism had yet to catch Western fancy. "My hosts would often laugh at me and frankly they were quite worried that I may fall ill if I didn't eat properly or at least drink some vodka in the bitter cold. But I managed quite well."
Reminisces Shardaben, "My husband always believed in straightforward dealings in business. He also believed in sharing one's prosperity. The moment our business began to do well in the early 1970s (Trinity Laboratories became Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. In 1975), his first thought was to do something for his old school and he decided to help establish more such hostelschools so that children from poor families could get the chance to study. He went to the community and convinced them that similar schools for girls should also be established. So we helped set up the first Mahavir Jain Kanya Chatralaya. My children studied at the small village high school in Chhapi and it became my dream to modernise the school and provide it with a proper infrastructure. So we have now completely rebuilt it and there are 1200 students studying there right upto Class XII," she says with a smile.
"But that's not all," adds her son, "we plan to
expand the school so it can accommodate 300 more students." Shardaben is helped in her sev. eral charitable projects by her eldest daughter, Meena Modi whose husband, Dineshbhai manages the Rs 100 crore Torrent Cables. Her other daughter, Nayana Shah and her husband, Dushyantbhai manage Torrel Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. The family manages one major trust - the U. N. Mehta Charitable Trust that was established in 1982. "My basic concern revolves around empowering women and children through education and vocational skills so that they can become independent," says Shardaben. "And the second is health care. Both concern humanity, rich or poor, young or old. Though my husband and I have always followed the Jaina dharma in our personal life and supported sahadharmik bhakti (helping our own community), we later wondered why were restricting ourselves. We decided to help all those who needed our help. and also to do something for the village which had supported and nurtured us in our difficult days and do something for the people there? That's when my husband decided to contribute about 10 per cent of whatever profit we earned to society and formed the U.N. Mehta Charitable Trust, to fulfil this aim."
"Talking about Jaina dharma," continues Shardaben animatedly, "let me tell you how my husband interpreted it. He always advised our children that whatever they did, they must make sure that they were always on the side of truth.
VARDHAMAN 112
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