In conversation with the dynamic 99-year-old Rtn. Haso Thadani
Rtn. Haso Thadani
In an hour-long, freewheeling interview, the veteran talks about his early life and experiences with the Rotary Club of Bombay
On a warm Saturday afternoon, we visited Rtn. Haso Thadani’s Cuffe Parade residence to interview him for Know Your Fellow Rotarian, a regular feature in our Club’s weekly bulletin. The walls of his living room, where we waited for him, were adorned with photographs of his family and the Club’s Major Donor flags. There was something about the atmosphere in his room that told us this man had a wealth of experience to share. Breaking the stillness of the moment, he entered — flashing his endearing smile and complaining about how hot the Mumbai weather had become. His energy defied his age; he could easily put any youngster to shame.Rtn. Haso was born in the Sindh province of British India on June 6, 1915. His father was a tehsildar and worked hard to ensure a proper education for his 13 children. At the age of 12, Rtn. Haso shifted to Karachi with his family, where he completed his education and pursued a dual degree in electrical and mechanical engineering from Nadirshah Engineering College. He stood second in his college and soon after the results came out, he was offered a one-year training programme along with two other fellow engineers at Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited’s (TISCO) Jamshedpur branch. “My salary was `50 per month and we were given a two-bedroom flat for accommodation. We were very happy as it was a good start for our respective careers. We also got a chance to visit different places,” he says.
Everybody seeks greener pastures at some point in their career and after the initial excitement of his first job, Rtn. Haso moved to Bombay in 1938 since his dreams were more ambitious than earning `50 a month. Life was not easy back then in the ‘city of dreams’ and Rtn. Haso struggled to find a good job. He somehow managed to find an old school friend who was working for Indian Railways and stayed with him in residential staff quarters close to Bombay Central station. “In a span of three months, I had applied to almost 100 companies. It was lean period in the economic cycle and no jobs were available. My parents used to write to me asking how things were and I used to lie saying things are great so that they wouldn’t worry,” he recalls. He landed a job at a match factory but felt his potential extended way beyond his then job profile. After six months, he took up a job that required him to plan a new factory for ASEA, a Swedish electrical company. He says, “I had two engineering degrees and was looking for something more challenging. I enjoyed working for the project and I was lucky that everything went smoothly.”
Running parallel to his professional life was a love story (you read that right!) that seemed straight out of the movies. His childhood sweetheart, Devi, was a distant cousin and lived close to his place in Karachi. He got to know her when he was in Class 6. “She was down with typhoid fever and was missing out on a lot of lectures in school. I used to go to her house every day to spend time with her and, on some occassions, teach her so that she could catch up easily. We used to hold hands and she was very grateful for whatever I was doing,” he says. Their love blossomed and stayed strong even when he went away to pursue his professional dreams. “After I was settled, I came back to Karachi on a holiday and told my parents that I wanted to marry her. They were shocked but gradually accepted our relationship and we got married soon. All those years she had many suitors but rejected all offers of marriage. Whoever said love breaks all barriers was absolutely right,” he says with a chuckle. They have a daughter, Bina, who is settled abroad. Rtn. Haso enjoys keeping in touch with his two granddaughters over the phone.
We then moved on to his association with the Rotary Club of Bombay. He said that he came to know about the Club somewhere during the late 1950s through a friend and decided to join it for the purpose of social service. His classification was Industrial Management. “I think Rotary as a whole is a wonderful institution. It does tremendous work for upliftment of the poor. It covers all problem areas — be it health, sanitation, education or maternal care — and works hard to bring about a positive change through its projects. We should realise that India is a vast country and there is a host of problems plaguing it. Our work doesn’t end by donating one or two crore rupees. We must get together and think up of innovative ideas and ways to tackle these issues,” he opines.
So what, according to him, sets Rotary apart from other social service organisations? He immediately replies, “The transparency with which this organisation, especially the Rotary Club of Bombay, functions is what makes it a class apart. So many businessmen and professionals come together here for the cause of social service. There is not even a whisper of corruption here. Everyone is motivated to serve the poor. It’s not wishy-washy like other clubs.”
Despite his busy schedule, Rtn. Haso used to try his best to attend at least 90% of the weekly meetings. He remembers the time when the lunch at Taj used to cost only three rupees. “In those three rupees we used to enjoy non-vegetarian food. Those were good times,” he says with a smile.
He is happy that the Club continues to function in a fair and ethical manner and also that members continue giving their best, despite rising professional demands. He admires Club members such as Rtn. Burjor Poonawala and Rtn. Dr. Ramchandra Lele. “Even Kalpana (PP Rtn. Kalpana Munshi) has done a lot on behalf of the Club for maternal and child health care. I appreciate her for that. Members like Rahim (PP Rtn. Dr. Rahim Muljiani) and Haresh (PP Rtn. Haresh Jagtiani) have played a vital role. I am proud that the future of the Club is in safe hands,” he adds.
The low cost shelter project at Naroli village, next to Shilonde, is the closest to his heart. He has graciously donated `26 lakhs towards the project, in memory of his wife Late Devi Thadani, and is quite pleased with the way it has turned out. His age has never stopped him from being involved with the Club’s activities and his commitment is truly an inspiration for the younger generations.
After the interview, as we bid him goodbye and left his house, he waited at his doorstep till we got into the lift. Thus demonstrating how great and humble a man he truly is!