It was a fitting tribute to the man, Russi Lala, for whom Caux Initiatives for Business (CIB) launched the first lecture when two of Initiatives of Change (IofC) long-standing pillars and close colleagues of Russi Lala took the dais on the evening of January 23, 2016. When Rajmohan Gandhi, Historian and Author; and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, delivered the first lecture—in what is hoped to be a lasting Memorial lecture series—with RD Mathur as Chair, it was only expected that the hall would be packed.
Recounting his invitation to Rajmohan Gandhi over a year before the event, Sarosh Ghandy, Chairman of CIB told the delegates present that he had made it clear to Mr. Gandhi that he would like no one else do the honour of delivering this first lecture; and that he was willing to postpone the date to a time when his calendar made it possible.
Recalling through numerous anecdotes the different times that Rajmohan and Russi had together—their journey with the Himmat magazine; their struggles together; Russi’s battle with cancer; his passion for writing; and his life at the Tata’s, especially with JRD Tata—the octogenarian who worked for several years at a University in Massachusetts, USA highlighted through it all what a wonderful human being Mr. Lala was. The trip down memory lane that Rajmohan Gandhi and RD Mathur together took with their enthralled audience was captivating. The mood was emotionally charged and many were seen with tears in their eyes.
Rajmohan Gandhi also briefly took the opportunity to share on the Syrian refugee crisis that the world was staring at. He spoke of the need to view the situation in a humanitarian way, despite all the daunting challenges and fears that accompanied such decisions.
There were many from the international audience who knew Russi Lala well and had either worked under him or experienced his genial, warm nature. They too took the opportunity at the end to share briefly their own stories.
“Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure,” is one quote that aptly summarised the first Russi Lala Memorial Lecture Series.
