From discipline to compassion: Lessons from Babuji

My earliest memories of Babuji are defined by strict discipline. He rarely interacted with us children except to give instructions or reprimands. I was not the most compliant child, so I bore the brunt more than others. His arrival home from work was announced by a bell for his attendant—a signal to us to stay alert and maintain distance. A rigorous routine of exercise and studies had to be followed. At the time, his love for us felt silent and distant, but over the years, I came to understand its steady, powerful presence.

He was uncompromising in matters of time, money, and principles. Despite owning a car, I had to take public transport to school, even in harsh weather—something that prepared me for the rigors of life. In 1956, when I lost ₹50,000 in a failed business venture, he didn’t reprimand me. Instead, he expressed unwavering faith in my abilities. “We will find the money,” he said when I planned another venture. That was his way of teaching—through trust and strong support.

His integrity was legendary. Once advised by his mentor Shri G.D. Birla to remain “above suspicion like Caesar’s wife,” he lived by that principle. Many senior businessmen of his time acknowledged that no one in the organization could match his honesty and loyalty.

Adopted and raised by an uncle in Pilani, Babuji remained deeply rooted in family values. After my brother’s untimely death, his composure and strength became our family’s anchor. Personally frugal but generous in giving, he initiated charitable work such as setting up a dispensary in Jairambati, promoting women’s education, and founding a much-needed commerce college and a dental care unit in Pilani.

He encouraged progressive ideas, granting freedom and rejecting orthodox customs like purdah. When my younger son proposed an inter-caste marriage, Babuji wholeheartedly supported him and joyfully welcomed the new bride into our family.

He always stood by me—whether in business, social causes, or Rotary. When I became Rotary International President, he said with joy, “Raja has added two more years to my life.”

He lived by a disciplined routine—early to bed, up before dawn, never missing his walks. He even advised strangers against obesity, smoking, and drinking. After his passing, his fellow morning walkers missed his fatherly reminders about regular exercise. In his advanced years, he often remarked on having outlived most of his friends. Later in life, his affection grew more visible, especially for his grandchildren. He loved visiting Chandigarh and Blacksburg, Virginia, where my younger son is settled, though Calcutta always remained closest to his heart.

Spiritually, he followed Swami Akhandanandji and Pandit Ram Kinkarji. He loved watching Ramayan and Mahabharat cassettes, often moved to tears. He once even asked for those cassettes on a Swiss Air flight.

Babuji lived a life of simplicity, integrity, and service. He exemplified the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita: “Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam”—excellence in action is yoga. To me, he remains a true karmayogi and a guiding force I feel within me every single moment.

(The writer is a Chandigarh-based industrialist and philanthropist who was the first Indian to head Rotary International)

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