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We are perched on a twelfth floor flat in Tata Symphony,
sitting in the august company of Prabhakar Krishanji Udas
lovingly called "Appa" by his near and dear ones,
overlooking the Raheja Nest pond full of green glistening
water and Powai Lake in the background with hills and clouds
completing the scenic orchestra. Appa is a senior citizen
looking forward to his platinum jubilee this September.
Infact Appa is an old hand with Powai. He has been frequenting
this place ever since his Tata Electric days way back in 1959
when he was coordinating the survey for electric transmission
lines for L&T. He remembers Powai to be lonely, deserted
and uninhabited place then. After his graduation from Ruia
College in 1951, he got an entry in Tata Company as a Junior
Officer. Udas' father had also served the Tatas and it was
but natural for him to follow suit in his father's footsteps.
Appa's style of function-ing and sure shot delivery for any
assigned task brought in the limelight and hence noticed by
JRD Tata himself. He almost became an Aide to him for all
PR and liaison work with Government and external agencies.
He specialised in land acquisition and estate assignments,
he headed the Estate Dept of Tata Electric. His interest in
horticulture got him presti-gious tasks like setting up the
famous garden at Valvan Dam in Lonavala, he spear-headed the
community afforestation program of planting three lakh trees
around the Valvan Dam. He was nicknamed "Vriksha Mitra"
by the local officials.
His rapport with state officials, NGO's and other agencies
he interfaced he set an exemplary model extend-ing the Tata
philosophy which he proudly dispersed. Narrating a classic
incident, a piece of Parsi tenet - he cited one incident where
Naval Tata once mentioned an adage to him "Namey toh
Jamey" meaning thereby if you bow and be softspoken you
will go places.
He was appointed as "Special Executive Magistrate"
by Govt of Maharashtra for nine consecutive years of his outstanding
contribution to education of needy children, distribution
of educational books and providing medical treatment to needy
children. He has been Secretary of Chamber of Commerce and
Industries (BCCI) - Beautifi-cation Trust which was mainly
involved in development and maintenance of gardens at Colaba
Woods in Cuffe Parade, Tata Gardens at Warden Road and Suman
Nagar Gardens Chembur.
Talking to Appa was a delightful experience. His narration
was punctuated with jokes, anecdotes and instances highlighting
the inspiring aspects of his fulfilling life and career. In
another instance that he narrated during his Tata career once
he had high temperature for almost five day and it never came
down as a result he could not attend work. When JRD learnt
this, he despatched an ambulance, one doctor, one nurse and
blood pressure apparatus to his home to check his well being.
When the team arrived at his house and the doctor asked his
condition little did he realise to learn that JRD had sent
all this paraphernalia for him know sooner his fever came
down suddenly. Today remembering this many years later he
laughs at this incident.
Looking back at life its variety, spice and color he calls
himself a cosmopolitan Indian. He has a son and a daughter
both of them are well settled.
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