By ARPITA BANERJEE
Dehradun, 13 Feb: On Saturday, the entire nation mourned the demise of the business tycoon, Rahul Bajaj at the age of 83. The industry veteran was not keeping well for the past few days. The former Chairman of Bajaj Group began a new era with his Bajaj Chetak, a scooter that revolutionised middle-class commuting requirements.
We spoke to Sandeep Pal, owner of Mayur Auto, who runs the Bajaj dealership here in Dehradun. Mayur Auto’s association with the Bajaj Group goes back to 1980. ‘’Rahul Bajaj was a larger than life personality. His straightforward nature and honest approach made him a stalwart,’’ recalled Pal.
He has fond memories of Rahul Bajaj that are deeply ingrained in his heart. He shared that he interacted with Bajaj quite frequently. He revealed that Bajaj regularly interacted with his dealers and knew them by name. He would reply to their emails himself and they were all a part of a big happy family, adds Pal. Rahul Bajaj was not just their boss, he was rather a mentor.
Pal shared an incident when Rahul Bajaj came down to Dehradun to visit him. Bajaj flew down to Dehradun in his private plane. When Pal went to receive him at the airport, he asked, “Why do you take so much pain for me Sandeep?”
Fifteen years ago, when Bajaj visited Mayur Auto for the first time, he spent more than an hour in its office. He interacted with the employees and clicked pictures with them. Rahul Bajaj was a name that requires no introduction but he was humble and down to earth. He would introduce himself every time he met someone for the first time, Sandeep recalls.
“The industry will continue on but no one can substitute the kind of aura Rahul Bajaj had,” asserts Pal. “Rahul Bajaj’s demise has created a deep void and is a huge loss for the entire nation.”
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to grieve the loss of the industry doyen. Many eminent personalities too mourned the loss of the industrial tycoon.
