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Tata
Group stalwart Nani A. Palkhivala passes away
11/12/2002 |
 Nani
A. Palkhivala, a stalwart of the Tata Group, passed away in
Mumbai on Wednesday, December 11, 2002. He was 82.
Born
on January 16, 1920, in Mumbai, Mr Palkhivala was a man of
many parts. A lawyer by profession, he was a fellow of the
Government Law College, Mumbai, and, later, an honorary professor
of the college for many years.
In
1975, he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of
Political Science, New York, in recognition of his outstanding
public service and distinguished contribution to the advancement
of political science. In June 1978, Princeton University,
New Jersey, United States, conferred on Mr Palkhivala the
honorary degree of doctor of laws, describing him as a "defender
of constitutional liberties, champion of human rights, teacher,
author and economic developer".
In
his long and distinguished career with the Tata Group, Mr
Palkhivala was a director on the boards of several leading
Tata companies, including Tata Sons, Tata Steel, Tata Engineering,
Tata Infotech and Indian Hotels. He was on the board of trustees
of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust,
and was also the chairman of the executive committee of TCS
for several years.
In
addition to his deep and dedicated involvement with several
corporate activities, he was the president of the Forum of
Free Enterprise, chairman of the Leslie Sawhny Programme of
Training for Democracy, chairman of the A. D. Shroff Memorial
Trust, president of the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal Bar
Association, Mumbai, and a trustee of other charitable trusts.
Mr
Palkhivala was not just a legend; he was an institution. He
became a phenomenon in Indian public life with his Union Budget
lectures — the largest ever public meetings on an economic
subject — as well as for the famous battles he fought
for constitutional rights and democracy.
As
an author, his books on taxation, constitutional law and on
India's priceless heritage, have become bywords on the subjects.
He also distinguished himself as India's ambassador to the
United States. Above all, he will be remembered as the conscience
keeper of the nation during the turbulent 1970s.
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