My father Shri Bhanwarlalji Tholiya ( Age 89 years) left for his
heavenly abode @ 2.30 am on 29th June 2012.
He last attended his office on 26th June 2012.As most of you know he
was B.com, LLB, ICWA, CAIIB, Dip. in Business Management ( Bajaj
Institute), Sanskrit Visharad, Practicing Cost Accountant and Company
Secretary for last over 40 years.
He was auditors/ consultant for Hindalco, Indian Smelting, Andhra
Paper Mills, Dhutpapeshwar, Hind Cycles, Digvijay Cements, Ajanta
Paper Mills Balkrishna Synthetics, Siyaram Silk Mills, Ipca
Laboratories and hoards of other limited companies of which I do not
recollect his name.
He was cost auditor for Siyaram Mills and Balkrishna since 1 st year
of its Inception till his death i.e. for 35 years.
He started his carrier with a bank and then joined a insurance company
and lastly he was general Manger of a textile Mills of Seksaria
Groups.
He was strict Gandhian to the core and had struggled all his life due
to his simplicity, hard work, honesty and dedication to his principles
but never got cowed down and never compromised with his principles.
Since matriculation he earned his on money and till death he did so
without touching his fathers money or son's money for entire of his
life.After moving to Mumbai he invited his father ( my beloved grand
father Late Mumltanmalji Tholiya ) to join in and helped setting up
his business but did not allow his own father to make him heir.
partner or interested party in any of his interests mention-able is
Tholiya Bhavan. He remained happy being a tenant in building bought by
his father and subsequently co-owned by others in family. He has paid
rent for his one room till June 30th 2012 and never wanted anything
more then that in his life time.
While in his youth and as senior executive he was wearing suit etc but
at home he wore only Khadi ( hand spun by poor villagers and artisans)
and all his life he used Khadi clothes and Khadi footwear.
He was strong lover of Hindi language and worked vehemently to promote
same.So he did not use English ( except for professional purposes) or
even his own mother tongue Marwadi. So we his children could never
learn Marwadi as only Hindi was spoken at home and we were sent to
Hindi medium school. However he had great command over English and was
lecturer and visiting faculty for leading engineering college VJTI,
Mumbai for years. For years he was paper setter and examiner for
Institute of Cost and Works Accountant. He was several times elected
member of council of ICWA and other organisation for years.
Can't say too much about his nature except one small incidence: From
Birla ( Industry House) House a car used to come to pick him up early
morning at around 4 am to drop him at airport when ever he had to go
for audit to Hindalco ( Hindustan Aluminium Ltd) . He realised that
the driver is waking up at 3 0' clock and driving down 25 KMs. only to
pick him and drop him to Santacruz Airport which was 2-3 KM's from our
house. He asked few questions to the driver and realised that babu (
Boss) uses him till late night and again he gets up so early for
picking him up. Driver confessed that since he lives in a room of 100
sq feet or so, so practically sleep of every member of his house gets
disturbed. He strongly but politely refused this service and started
going by local bus to Airport. Now his colleges used to feel
embarrassed that they were reaching Airport by cab but their senior
"Tholiyaji" was using public transport. Even after I took a car he
would never let me drop/ pick him to Airport or railway station.
He did not accept even a shirt piece as gift from my in laws. My in
laws insistingly gave some gifts in marriage and out of which only
cooking range was kept in the room of my dad as kitchen was attached
to his room. He stopped eating food when he realised that this range
has come in my marriage from my father in law. He only ate food cooked
on this range when he paid its price to my papa in law who had no
choice but to accept same.
My mother had never entered a school and hardly had learnt to sign (
there was no system to give education to girls in those days and as
such their village did not have a school. But he never made her feel
that he was such a scholar and she was ....!! Their pair was like a
spiritual love birds and hardly lived without each other till my
mother left us all. She was accompanying him to all places with full
respect be it in 5 star, be it of top professionals or be it a Jain
discourse. Dignity to old and women are virtues witch I learnt from
him. While those days everyone was against my sisters going for higher
education but he let them study till they can and let them pursue
career of their choice. My eldest sister Mrs Purnima Jain ( 60 years)
is B.com LLB and is presently whole time director in pharma
major.Youngest sister Mrs Pratima Gangwal is practicing CA.And my
middle sister Mrs. Sushama Kala did Bsc., Dip. Administrative
Management. Sadly I did not go beyond graduation as I became active
in politics during my college days itself.
So while I had every facility to pursue higher studies but I chose
otherwise but he had no no money, his father wanted him to give up
studies when he was in 9th standard and stopped sending him fees (
those were the times of severe poverty, his part of Rajasthan was
declared drought affected which turned in to desert with no water and
sanitation facility). He went all the way to other state to Kanpur for
higher studies and around 1947 came to Mumbai where initially he lived
in a small room below staircase without light. So he did his LLB by
studying at railway platform on a bench below light as day time he was
working in a bank.
And such hard earned money was wasted by paying heavy income tax
honestly and thus saving nothing in hand.Even if I visited his own
office and had coke was his personal expense as I was not his business
guest.He never put any personal expenses as business and paid highest
slab taxes. A common chartered accountant friend advised me that I
must convince my dad to take tax benefits as he was paying more tax
then Amitabh Bachan. ( This is incidence of 1975/76 or so).
He never ever accepted a gift from clients or others. And last 40
years or so as we remember he avoided being photographed ( we have a
tough time searching his photo to be placed in Uthamana ( prayer
meeting on 3 rd day post sad demise as per custom) and have decided to
keep his photo of the time of convocation when he graduated law from
University of Mumbai) , he avoided accepting garlands, or being
facilitated,
There is a total vacuum above my head after his sad demise ( specially
when my beloved daughter has suffered a severe setback at the hands of
greedy immoral in-laws ) and this juncture this personal loss could
have affected me badly as I have really become ANATH ( lost parents
and parents in law in this couple of year) but for his spiritual
teachings ( one right and God gives you majority while one wrong with
whole world with you can not save you from curses). Moreover the long
list of well wishers and relations he built and left for us, and the
Great Indian culture of joint family too gives me a security and
comfort.
Finally, :
Occasion : UTHAMANA/ PRAYER MEETING
In memory of: Shri Bhanwarlal Tholiya
ON: Sunday 1st July 2012.
Time: 10.30 ( exact time when assembly will rise and leave for temple nearby)
Venue: Anand Ashram, 16Th Road, Khar west, near Maharashtra Co op
Bank, behind Camay Wafers, Khar Danda,
Advisory: park as per rule as toeing is common in that area.
Prefer train to Khar west and then all buses will take you to 16th
road Khar Danda.
Request: do not travel from too far or leave important work and
instead give that time to senior citizen or ailing who needs your
company and prey from where ever you are.
Yours,
Brother : Mahavir prasad
Bhabhi: Mrs Shakuntala Manakchandji Jain,
Son: Alok - Hema ,
Daughters: Purnima- Late Sushil Doshi, Sushama-Dharamchand Kala,
Pratima-Vijay Gangwal
Nephew: Ashok- Amita , Arun -Nina, Akhil-Shruti, Sanjay-Pushpa
Grand children: Pratik, Dr. Aksha
And entire Tholiya Family ( Nimaj / Santacruz)
His brother in Laws : Shantilalji, Sohanlaji,Champalji Patni ( Anandpur Kalu)
His Nanihal: Kataria Family from Narena ( Rajasthan)
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