From very early on, I was exposed to the work and thoughts of my father, which in itself was a great learning process. My father belonged to the post independence generation of professionals, who sought to build the nation brick and mortar into a self-sufficient country. He started his career in the Indian Air Force and signed off a Quality Assurance specialist in Dresser-Rand, an US multinational. His career graph was long, beginning at the age of 16 and culminating at the age of 70. He, however, never ceased to work or engage with people who sought his guidance. My father believed that learning and working should continue as long as life lasted. His constant endeavour was to surpass his own performance and improve upon his achievements. His mission was to bring out the best in people who worked with him. He was one person who believed that his reputation was his greatest asset. He allowed his work to speak for him.

He was never deterred by the immobility and pain he had to bear in his last days. He was an inspiration for people and taught me that life’s work was greater than the tragedy of death. Even when he was in great pain he never allowed his pain to overshadow his beautiful mind and its strength to illuminate the spirit of people around him. He was my best friend and will remain so even in his death, because he made me what I am today, and his convictions are going to guide me throughout my life. It hardly seems that one year has passed since he left his mortal frame. His legacy, I am sure will live on through his work and what he contributed to various institutions and people at large.

He was the scion of a feudal family. My grandfather, Dhirendranath Banerjee and my great grandfather B.C. Banerjee Vidhyadhar Banerjee were people known for their contribution to the society. Our family was steeped in nationalism and spirit of social service. My great-grandfather’s predecessors Shivnath Banerjee, Ramkumar Banerjee and Horomohun Banerjee gave great importance to preserving our heritage and Hindu way of life. They cherished education and social reform. They attached importance to discipline in life and integrity in all walks of life. My father also taught me that character was the foundation of life.

On December 21, 2011 he would have turned 75. His absence has left a great void in my life. The best tribute I can offer him is by taking his resolute ideas to young people across all professions. His principles were simple- strength of character, integrity, discipline and commitment to whatever we do.

In his personal life, as in professional life, he was a fine example of balance of mind. He was a caring father. He was one father with whom I would fight one moment and laugh at the next. I feel privileged to have got the opportunity to be close to him and known all those people I came to know through him. My father taught me the value of experience in life, which no theoretical knowledge can supplant. The other thing I learnt from him that we must never stop our social contacts from expanding. He always gave me a lot of quality time as I grew up. My interactions with him on a wide range of subjects, which turned into debates at time, were always thought provoking. He always encouraged me to question the logic of his decisions so I had the freedom of debating with him on a wide range of subjects. This was a great fun in a close knit family. The company of my father and mother, I feel, is the best part of my life.

Having lived in various places, he was my guide to discovering my motherland and understanding its people. He gave equal importance to both empirical learning and bookish learning. This balance I found was very useful in my professional life. When I was a young boy, it is from my father that I learnt the art of making toy craft. As I grew up my inclination to involve myself in extracurricular activities helped me a lot especially to keep me away from the evils of our modern society. He also from time to time took a lot of project site and manufacturing sites. It is from then onwards that I was inclined to study Management, though my first love was to join the Indian Air Force. But it does not matter as long as I am able to give back more to the society then what I take from it.

We only grow old in our thoughts and he was one person who would never grew old in thoughts. He was a man who kept his mind open to ideas from all around but not swayed by the winds of the time. He was a man rooted in our culture and has feet firmly on the ground. He had the ability to connect with a diverse range of people. One value my father always kept above everything else was the loyalty to our motherland. We are Indians first and we need to identify and embrace people from all parts of the country and connect with them. Our philosophy says that the human soul never dies, it is immortal. It guards its loved ones like a guardian angel. Death is only the end of one’s physical existence but not of his soul. His thoughts, ideas and ideals will live on forever. These will, by their merit, inspire others. I am sure India will never be in dearth of right thinking & upright leaders to stand up to any occasion.

The writer is the author of the series ‘Leadership Excellence- Principles my Father followed’. The author can be reached at knowledgecell@gmail.com


The Article is tribute to his father Mr.Rathindranath Banerjee ( 21 December 1936 – 9 January 2011)