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| RP Goenka with Indira Gandhi |
I came to know Rama Prasad Goenka in December 1984. He had just bought a well-known tyre company in Free School Street with the help of a business partner.
Fearing I wouldn’t be able to work with them, I packed my bags and expressed a desire to resign. Ramababu summoned me and said without preamble: “Haven’t you become famous by writing stories about the high court — can people be hanged there without trial? Shouldn’t you allow me a trial first?”
Let alone give him a trial, I fell under the spell of this strange man and nearly three decades went by in the course of a wonderful relationship.
What I have seen of this magnate, whose intelligence enabled him to shake the corporate world from his base in Calcutta, from such close quarters should perhaps be the subject of an entire novel. He had the daring of a world-conqueror, a game plan, and an extraordinary ability that the English call “negotiating skill”.
Starting out as a man of ordinary means, he displayed the courage to buy one reputable company after another. Many considered it “audacity” at the time; some called him the “Takeover Tycoon”.
But the mild-mannered Ramababu was never the man to dominate or coerce anyone.
“I never went against anyone’s wishes while buying any of my companies,” he once said.
“Once I attempted a hostile takeover of an auto company in Bombay but at the last moment, Indira Gandhi summoned me privately and forbade it. On another occasion, a written deal was clinched in secret with a famous Bombay firm but the elderly father (owner) later regretfully told me that his son was dead against it.”
R.P. Goenka let go of that company, too.
I often feel proud of the Bengali-at-heart Ramababu. After Independence, when all the big commercial establishments were fleeing Bengal, this son of Calcutta was making us proud by acquiring major companies.
Rama Prasad spoke fluent Bengali — he had studied in a Bengali-medium school and later graduated in history from Presidency.
Those days, he would catch a bus or tram to College Street from his Muktaram Babu Street home and chat at Coffee House. Putiram was his favourite sweet shop; Sushobhan Sarkar his favourite professor. Another professor he loved was Taraknath Sen.
Ramababu never confined himself to a circle of wealthy businessmen — he had close ties with people from all strata of society: journalists, politicians, singers.
He would often say that once his workload lightened a bit, he would invite eminent writers, researchers and artists to his home and have long conversations with them.
Ramababu had a weakness for the Nehru family and once earned the nickname “Poster Goenka” by printing Indira Gandhi’s campaign material. Within his family, he was known for his “Indira obsession”.
As a result, he had to spend time in a Nainital jail after Indira Gandhi’s fall from power, and his house was searched several times. During those dark days, Indira Gandhi visited his home in Delhi and ruefully told him: “You had to suffer because of me.”
Yet the man harboured not an iota of grudge against anyone. He would beckon those hired to spy on him and tell them: “How long will you stand outside and suffer? Do come in for a cup of tea.”
Early in life, Rama Prasad was branded a chatty Bengali. “Father did not have much faith in me,” he would say.
Once, after he had gone off to a wedding in Deoghar without permission, his father punished him by making him work as a house telephone operator of sorts.
His mother’s death in a plane crash abroad, however, left a deep scar in Ramababu; from then on, he began taking an interest in astrology.
One man whose memory was always close to his heart was his grandfather, Sir Badridas Goenka, chairman of Imperial Bank.
When a young Ramababu asked for his grandfather’s blessings the day he was to join Duncan Brothers (after graduating from Presidency), Sir Badridas had given him some sterling advice.
“Never hide your problems from your doctor or banker,” he said. “And always keep in mind that a promise made orally is more valuable than written documents, whatever it may cost you to honour it.”
Rama Prasad had no peers in his ability to draw people close to him. He would introduce me as “Bengal’s beloved writer” and add: “He helps me now and then in his free time.”
He was eclectic about food. Sometimes he would order beguni from College Street, sometimes kachuri from Putiram, or singara from K.C. Das, or Mughlai paratha from Anadi in Esplanade. Often, he would ask for abar khabo sandesh or Nakur’s sweets.
During his final illness, he asked for a Bengali vegetarian dinner one day. Since my wife’s passing had left my kitchen in a state of wilderness, I ran to Bapi Barik of Bijoli (Grill). At a few hours’ notice, I was able to arrange the best Bengali food and send it to Goenka Niwas. He was very happy.
Rama Prasad Goenka used to say: “If I have achieved many successes in life, I have met with failures too. I couldn’t buy Balmer Lawrie or Premier or Bombay Dyeing; I couldn’t hold on to Dunlop; I bought Remington but had to let it go; I couldn’t retain Haldia Petrochemicals....”
But he would add: “I have no regrets. Every small failure I witnessed was followed by a big success. I lost an opportunity to buy a company — the eventual buyer was murdered in a tea garden belonging to that company. I believe that whatever God does, He does it for my good.”
As a Rajya Sabha member, Rama Prasad was at Parliament House on the day of the attack. He wasn’t afraid.
I remember him saying very calmly the other day that one cannot play one’s part in the bustling workhouse of the world unless one is fearless and unflappable, and trusts and respects others.
In my 79 years, I have not heard anyone else say anything like that. Such a personality can only evoke reverence and wonder.
‘big loss’
It is a very sad day for me and I have no words to express my feelings
G.P. Goenka,
younger brother of R.P. Goenka
Our association with Shri Rama babu goes back to several decades. He was a very close family friend of ours. Shri Rama babu was an exceptionally intelligent and a highly successful personality. In his death, not only Bengal but India has lost one of its prominent sons. Our heartfelt condolences to Smt. Sushila Devi and other family members and our prayers to God to rest his soul in everlasting peace
B.K. Birla and his wife Sarala Birla
One of the tallest business leaders has passed away from our midst and the country has lost one of its business doyens. The CII has had the benefit of the late Goenka’s visionary thoughts and guidance from time to time on matters of policy and
issues, which ensured that the industry always moved in a progressive way in the country. Goenka’s erudition and knowledge was vast and helped the industry draw from his worldview
S. Gopalakrishnan,
CII president and Infosys executive co-chairman
Shri Goenka has been former president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and through his relentless work he helped strengthen
industry’s recognition in the global economy. As president of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry he continued to strengthen India’s ties with other nations
Naina Lal Kidwai,
Ficci president
Today we lost a great industry leader and a visionary. He had acquired ailing business houses and later on successfully revived them. He was able to build a great business empire. He used to give us a lot of advice on many subjects and he was also politically aware. He was a senior statesman to us
Harsh Neotia,
chairman, Ambuja Reality
It is a big loss. Our family had a great connection. He was a big industrialist, a big businessman and a great family man. Personally, I knew him to be a very jolly person
C.K. Dhanuka,
chairman, Dhunseri Group
We have lost a great visionary and a charismatic personality. He was good at sensing business opportunities
Kallol Dutta,
chairman, Andrew Yule, and president of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry
