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Journalism of Courage
The Republic of India may have banned the use of titles bestowed in the Raj era. But when it comes to hotel guru Mohan Singh Oberoi it was difficult to address him as anything other than as 8216;Rai Bahadur8217; in the most affectionate terms during his lifetime, and now after his death. This is only a small part, perhaps, of the nation8217;s everlasting gratitude to a man who put the Indian hotel industry on the world map backed by the export of Indian expertise.
His rags-to-riches story is well known. But few know that he was a social reformer too. Bringing women to work in hotels was nothing short of a revolutionary change in those times. But the contribution for which he will be remembered and respected most is the realisation of his vision that hotels, a major economic activity in themselves, were part of a larger picture called tourism which could do much to generate employment and alleviate poverty. In other words, he put hotels on a larger canvas of the socio-economic development of the nation.
For all his celebrity status and the fact that hotels are a peoples8217; business, Oberoi was a private man. Not that he was not an outgoing entrepreneur where work was concerned, wherever innovations were in demand or when staying contemporary in a highly competitive global environment was required. He was at the right place at the right time. But he was certainly not media-savvy.
Even one-on-one interviews were rare. This writer had his first chance of an informal chat during the ceremonies in Munich in 1978 when he was admitted to the Hall of Fame of the world8217;s largest trade association, ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents. What he told me then 8212; privatisation of domestic aviation and of airports 8212; did not have many backers even in the private sector 24 years ago. It is a tribute to the Rai Bahadur8217;s vision that private airlines are a reality today and steps are underway to hand over to private management the country8217;s international airports. His plea for a rational tax policy towards hotels and tourist services has however so far received only lip sympathy.
Partition has blurred the fact that in the first phase of his hotel empire- building in the 308217;s and 408217;s, his chain had properties in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Murree. Their loss spurred him to build a new chain with Oberoi as the brand name. The Oberoi in Delhi was the capital8217;s first private sector five-star offering that gave a new nuance to luxury. Then came Mumbai and a foray into the south with Bangalore and Hyderabad. Inspired by the father8217;s legacy, son Biki has redefined luxury and service standards with hotels like Raj Vilas in Jaipur which Bill Clinton described as the best resort he had ever stayed at. A great tribute to the Indian hotel industry8217;s grand old man.
