Address by Governor at the presentation of the Parmarth Ratna Award organized by the Parmartha Seva Samiti in Mumbai
Address by Shri CH. Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the presentation of the Parmarth Ratna Award organized by the Parmartha Seva Samiti at Regal Room, Hotel Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai at 7.30 pm on Sunday 15th October 2017
Justice C S Dharmadhikari, Retired Judge, Bombay High Court, Shri Lakshminarayan Biyani, Chairman, Parmarth Seva Samiti, Shri Ramvilas Maheshwari, Trustee, Shri Gopal Biyani, President, Shri Ravi Lalpuria, General Secretary, Smt Pramila Goenka, Chairperson, Women’s Committee, Shri Ashok Jain, Chairman of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, Shri Anil Jain, other distinguished invitees, ladies and gentlemen,
I am indeed delighted to be with you all, for the second consecutive year, for the Diwali Sneh Sammelan organized by the Parmarth Seva Samiti.
At the outset I wish each one of you a very happy, peaceful and eco-friendly Diwali. I also pray for your continued happiness, good health, prosperity and success.
Ladies Gentleman,
I am truly honoured and privileged to join all of you in saluting the life and work of a noble soul late Shri Bhavarlal Jain, founder of Jain Irrigation Systems.
When I learnt more about Shri Bhavarlal Ji Jain, I remembered the words of Albert Einstein about Mahatma Gandhi.
Einstein had said of Mahatma Gandhi that: “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”
We are certainly late in felicitating and celebrating the life of Shri Bhavarlal Jain. Nevertheless, I would like to compliment and applaud the Parmarth Seva Samiti profusely for bringing to the fore a Karma Yogi, a Krishi Yogi, a Gyan Yogi and a Seva Yogi, who was a shining jewel in the crown of India.
I congratulate and convey my appreciation to Shri Ashok Jain and Shri Anil Jain who have shouldered the responsibility of carrying forward the legacy of their illustrious father, for accepting the Parmarth Ratna Award.
Ladies and gentlemen,
What a remarkable and yet simple life he lived !
Mention was made that young Bhavarlal Jain sold kerosene drawn by hand cart from door to door. He later toiled hard in the field to learn farming.
Starting a humble business with just 7000 rupees, Bhanvarlal Ji Jain turned it into a multinational company spread over countries and continents.
A proud Indian and son of the soil, he purposely kept the Headquarters of his global business organization at Jalgaon.
The Jain Irrigation is today acknowledged as the world’s second largest company in micro irrigation, the credit for which goes to his visionary leadership and the work done by his illustrious children.
As Governor of Maharashtra, I happen to be the Chancellor of 20 public universities in the State.
These include 4 agricultural universities. However, looking at the vast and diverse work done by Bhavarlal ji Jain in the area of agriculture and extension work, I have no hesitation in saying that Bhavarlal Ji Jain was himself a one – man University of Agriculture.
Sisters and Brothers,
Bhavarlalji was born in Jalgaon district. Very few people know that almost eight centuries ago, another great sage had lived in Jalgaon district.
Indian Mathematician Bhaskaracharya, born in the 12th century had lived in the Sahyadri region of Maharashtra in Jalgaon district. It was he, who first accurately calculated the time taken for the Earth to orbit the Sun, as 365.2588 days. Bhaskaracharya’s work had a far reaching impact on future studies. Even today foreign scholars make it a point to visit the village Patnadevi in Jalgaon district where he lived. Today Jalgaon is known to the people because of the lasting good work done by late Shri Bhavarlal Ji Jain.
Bhavarlal Jain pioneered micro irrigation in India for small farm holding. When he brought this technology to India, Indian economy was largely a controlled economy. The country didn’t have formal relations with Israel. Through micro irrigation, Bhavarlal Ji Jain empowered and enriched millions of farmers in India and in the world at large.
Muhammad Yunus, the social entrepreneur, banker and economist from Bangladesh who pioneered the concepts of microcredit and microfinance was awarded Nobel Prize for his role in alleviating poverty of millions of poor people of Bangladesh.
Shri Bhavarlal Jain achieved the same through micro irrigation by which he empowered millions of farmers of India. I think if anyone deserved to win a Nobel Prize in India it was Shri Bhavarlal Jain.
At a time when fruit processing was still a nascent industry in India, Bhavarlal Jain raised world class fruit and vegetable processing facilities. Most importantly, he harnessed solar energy and also produced bioenergy through recycled agricultural waste. I would like to tell Shri Ashok Jain and Shri Anil Jain that I am keen to visit Jalgaon at the earliest to see for myself the work done by late Shri Bhavarlal Jain.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has given the call for doubling the income of farmers by 2022. I have no doubt in my mind that India can usher in the Second Green Revolution and feed the entire world if we follow the complete agriculture model presented by late Shri Bhavarlal Ji Jain.
He was not just a Seva Ratna; he was a Jain Ratna, a Dharma Ratna and certainly a Manavata Ratna.
By honoring late Shri Bhavarlal Jain ji, the stature of the ‘Parmarth Ratna Award’ has increased manifolds. I think it will be very difficult for the Parmarth Seva Samiti to find men and women of his stature next year and the years after.
The Parmarth Seva Samiti deserves our wholehearted compliments for organizing medical and health check up camps, providing free dialysis facility to kidney patients, donating ambulances, running a Community Kitchen Scheme for poor children, arranging accommodation for meritorious students pursuing higher education, providing financial assistance to Gau Shalas and doing such other noble works. I am pleased to note that the Samiti is starting a Guest House for cancer patients and their relatives in Mumbai.
I congratulate the Chairman, President, Trustees and Members of the Parmarth Seva Samiti for rendering selfless service to the economically weaker sections of society and wish the Samiti continued success in its future endeavours. I also wish all of you a very happy Diwali.
Thank you
Jai Hind ! Jai Maharashtra !!