Nanubhai passes away

Nanubhai was chairing a question-answer session after tea-break at a seminar organised by the Vadodara Navchetna Abhiyan at Hotel Surya Palace this morning where he was the guest of honour. He was replying to a question sitting in his chair when his head suddenly fell on the table in front of him. One of the organisers tried to wake him and make him sit, but he realised Nanubhai had some problem. He was immediately rushed to the Bhailal Amin Hospital, but breathed his last before reaching there.

His body was taken to his Amaltas Farmhouse and Nursery in Bhayeli village and kept there till 5 p.m. to enable family members, relatives and friends to have the last glimpse of the man who was considered synonymous with the development of Vadodara. A large number of people flocked to his house to pay their last tributes and condole the death.

Moments before he collapsed, he told the audience that “instead of blaming VMC and other agencies for not doing their best for the city, the citizens should better be introspecting about their own contribution.” Earlier, in his speech, he exhorted the youth to join the Navchetna Abihyan started with the aim to make a Vadodara a better place.

A funeral procession was taken out at 5.05 p.m., which was attended by over 1,000 people drawn from various walks of life including politicians, social workers, industrialists, journalists, academicians and employees of his various enterprises. Prominent among those who attended the funeral were former mayors Thakorebhai Patel and Nanalal Choksi, chairman and managing director of IPCL K G Ramnathan, Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises chief executive G D Jalani, LMP’s Anuj Patel, Dhirubhai Mistry of PUCL and V V Modi of SOCLEEN, besides a host of people from all walks of life.

His mortal remains were consigned to flames in the Bhayeli village crematorium at 5.30 this evening amidst chanting of religious hymns. His son Anant, who is in US, was informed of the death but could not reach here immediately. The funeral pyre was lit by another son Rahul.

A meeting to mourn the demise (besna) has been arranged between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday at the farmhouse.