Jamshedpur, August 27: Steel city on Thursday paid tributes to the former Chairman of Tata Group, Sir Dorabji Tata on his 156th birth anniversary at a program held at Sir Dorabji Tata Park.
Dorabji was intimately involved in the fulfilment of his father’s ideas of a modern iron and steel industry. Paying homage, Tata Steel MD TV Narendran said, �Sir Dorabji Tata played the role of a perfect son and his visionary approach made it possible to set up a steel plant which his father Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had dreamt about.
In many different ways there is a lot to learn from Mr Dorab Tata. He realized the dreams of his father and it was his commitment and passion which got us here over last 100 years.
Tata Steel as a steel plant and Jamshedpur as a city exist because of his vision. In many different ways we can take leadership lessons from that point of time�.
�The issues which we are facing from the last 10 years in Kalinganagar project are nothing when compared to the challenges that Sir Dorabji Tata had in front of him while establishing a steel plant in Jamshedpur.
We look towards West for every challenge and Dorabji came from West to East to set up a steel conglomerate which is remarkable.
At that time they did not have resources like proper communication, vehicles and he set up a steel plant here more than 100 years back overcoming all hurdles. . He was the force behind setting up of Steel plant (Tata Steel) in 1907.
Planned Jamshedpur city that we see today is result of his hard work�, added Narendran. At the event floral tributes were paid to the visionary by Tata Steel MD, Tata Workers union President R. Ravi Prasad while the function was attended by the senior officials of the company and other Tata group companies, employees, senior citizens of the steel city, and others.
R. Ravi Prasad, President Tata Workers Union said, “It is in Indian culture to fulfill the wishes of father and mother. Sir Dorabji Tata fulfilled the promise of his Father of setting up a steel plant and the Indian Institute of Science.
Besides production of steel he also supported development of sports, construction of broad roads and propogation of greenery along with making steel.
Hence our true tribute to him will be in collectively taking Tata Steel forward.”
A thematic exhibition on the life and times of Sir Dorabji has also been put at Centre For Excellence.
The exhibition showcases Sir Dorabji as an administrator and facilitator of the many projects envisaged by J N Tata and also as sportsperson, patron, and supporter of the Olympic movements in India.
The exhibition will continue till August 29 and is open for public viewing from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on each day.
Dorabji, the elder son of JN Tata, was a philanthropist. When steel prices stumbled after World War I and Tata Steel was not in a position to pay its workers, Sir Dorab pledged his assets and his wife�s jewellery to obtain a loan to disburse salaries.
Dorabji also displayed concern about developing India as a sporting nation and had taken up pragmatic steps to fructify this by sponsoring sportsmen to 1924 Olympic Games.