A Passion Called Priyadarshni y the mid-80s, Nanik's business ventures had taken to the air, where they were gaining both speed and altitude. He knew it was time to realize a vision that had been calling him right from his formative years — to establish a unique institution to render service to humanity. Nanik realized this dream in Priyadarshni Academy. The story of his life is closely entwined with that of Priyadarshni Academy. The Academy has been his passion, his obsession, for more than two decades. Priyadarshni is his legacy of love to the world, which he firmly believes shall endure for generations to come.

Nanik,Chairman,Priyadarshni Academy, addressing the Indian Parliament

It was an institution simply waiting to happen. A tiny spark was all that was needed to get it going. One day in 1984, Nanik and some of his friends — Murli Adnani, Popati Hiranandani, Jamnadas Lalwani, Kaushi Mirpuri, Ramkrishin Advani, Chander Manghnani and Madhav Balwani — came together to discuss how best to promote the talent of the deserving, upcoming Kathak danseuse, Anila Sunder, who was in search of the right platform.

That meeting was a turning point for Nanik. "We have such a gold mine of talent and potential in India. Regrettably, due to lack of opportunity, much of such talent remains unnoticed. We envisioned an organization that would unearth and polish such treasures for the world to see. Besides, service to humanity is the best work of life. Since we have taken so much from society, we must pay back."

The friends brainstormed over how to continue and sustain work along these lines. Nanik continues: "There was no lack of issues to be addressed in India. Whether it was the subject of helping our youth with education opportunities, reinforcing Indian values and culture in society, combating social evils like drug addiction, or reaching out to help people affected by natural calamities — we wanted to form and pilot an organization to serve people."

The world has seen an untold number of such organizations that are set up with much enthusiasm, only to wither with time. So how and why was Priyadarshni Academy to be different? From what source would the Academy finance its various activities? Would it remain a local entity, or would it mature into an institution with a national, or even an international reach? Time would tell.

Nanik knew that if any such organization were to survive and thrive, it had to be unique as well as effective. Looking around him, he saw plenty of organizations and clubs like the Jaycees, Rotarians and Lions that did their bit in honouring Indians who had contributed something worthwhile to their country. "Their work was commendable, but what did not exist was an organization truly Indian in origin, which recognized and applauded the efforts of individuals and institutions from across the world. Why was there a lacuna in this area? This is the thought that inspired the Academy which upholds, primarily, the values of humanity and service," he states.

A Star is Born

Priyadarshni Academy was born on September 19, 1984, in Mumbai. On March 18, 1985, it was formally inaugurated by late Dr. V. Subramaniam, then the State Minister for Housing, Maharashtra Government, and by Vilasrao Deshmukh, then Minister of State for Home. On the same evening, the Kathak danseuse, Anila Sunder, whose cause made Nanik and his friends come together in the first place, displayed her artistic talents.

In May 1985 — barely two months after its inauguration — Nanik introduced Priyadarshni to the President of India, Giani Zail Singh, at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. "I led a delegation from the Academy to meet the President. We introduced the vision of Priyadarshni to him. A few months later in October, I took another delegation to meet the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Amarsingh Chaudhary, to request him to be on the Advisory Board of the Academy. He agreed immediately. This acceptance from all quarters came mainly because of one of the core values of the Academy — that of promoting national integration by strengthening socio-cultural bonds. It's a thought inspired by the philosophies of our great leaders," Nanik points out.

On September 19, 1985, Priyadarshni Academy celebrated its first anniversary by holding an Awards Ceremony at Mumbai's glittering Taj Mahal Hotel. The function was marked by the presence of the entire cabinet of Maharashtra's ruling government. Priyadarshni Academy was Nanik's baby, and he had the knack of drawing the best and the brightest to support his endeavours.

In fact, it was a diplomatic feat of sorts on his part. He had managed to get both, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Dr. Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar and MPCC (I) President, Ms. Prabha Rau to attend the ceremony in spite of the political differences that had surfaced between them. Nanik had a long-standing relationship with Ms. Rau, and she readily accepted his invitation. However, Nanik knew Mr. Nilangekar only slightly, but after just one meeting, he was able to persuade him with the help of Mr. Govindrao Adik, then the General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

The re-establishment of communication between these two dignitaries on this occasion was hailed by many as one of Nanik's many ways of bringing people together by using Rupani Cement — as it came to be called!

Hands Folded in Service

At the first anniversary function, Nanik announced the institution of an Award for National Integration of Rs. 1 lakh, to be given every three years. Today, when the Academy has entered its third decade, this Award has become one of the most prestigious in the country.

It is at this point that another facet of Nanik's strong conviction and faith deserves a mention. When the Award and the sum of money were announced, several eyebrows were raised and doubts expressed. How would a fledgling organization be able to set aside such a huge amount? The value of one lakh rupees twenty years ago was almost 10 times it is today. Apart from the media and the critics, even Nanik's well-wishers were a little appre-hensive about whether he had bitten off more than he could chew.

"To that, I would say, we have many a time surpassed our own standards," Nanik declares. For the first thirteen years, the Academy did not need to hold any fundraising events. The noble cause was supported by the patronage of close associates, friends and Nanik's accumulated goodwill.

The National Integration Award was not the only thing on the agenda. The Academy stood ready to be of assistance during times of crisis or even otherwise. "Steadily and surely, the Academy became a part of the socio-cultural and economic fabric of the country, concerned as it was with all-round progress in various fields," Nanik says.

As an example of how widespread its activities soon became, the month of December 1986 serves as a pointer. The Academy organized an All-India slogan competition to create awareness about the harmful effects of drug addiction, and to highlight the urgent need for afforestation, family Many wondered: How would a fledgling social organization like Priyadarshni manage to get the finances required to fund its activities as well as its Award money? planning and national integration. Nanik relates: "The competition received an overwhelming response from across the country. The winning slogan was composed by Mr. Alexander from Coimbatore: We are one, if not, we are none."

The same month, a drive was launched to motivate slum dwellers towards main-taining cleanliness and hygiene. Other landmark events of 1986 were the institution of two important awards, which have always attracted huge publicity and are much awaited: the Best Sports-person of the Year Award and the Smita Patil Memorial Award for Best Actress.

Nanik has always felt strongly about women's empower-ment. He says: "I was appalled by reports of young educated men burning their wives or killing them for the sake of dowry." In 1987, Nanik decided to institute a special Anti-Dowry Committee in the Academy. Like-minded people helped Nanik in this endeavour. Noted film actress and social activist Shabana Azmi, lawyer Indira Jaisingh, prominent journalist Vimla Patil and famous media personality Dolly Thakore readily volunteered all possible help to the Anti-Dowry Committee. The committee held its first meeting in February 1987, at the residence of Maha-rashtra's Minister for State Education, Ms. Chandrika Kenia. By March, the first batch of victims of dowry-related harassment was invited to a problem-solving session at Manjhanand Durbar, a community hall in Khar.

Nanik recalls: "It was not easy to encourage oppressed women to come forward and present their cases. The Academy realized that it needed the sound backup of the Judiciary and the police force to inspire confidence and bring justice to the victims. Merely creating awareness was not enough. We thus started the Academy's Legal Cell, which was then headed by late Marzban Patrawala. The Cell offered counseling and legal assistance to those women who faced the wrath of their in-laws for failing to bring enough dowry."

The Legal Cell also ensured police protection wherever required by coordinating with the social security cell of the police department. The Anti-Dowry Committee began to organize orientation camps for social workers that trained them to assist dowry victims in various situations. It also, via oratory programs, tried to create mass opinion against this evil practice, which physically and mentally tortured young brides.

With his eye on the larger picture, Nanik saw to it that the Academy did not espouse just a single cause. "It can never be enough to commit yourself to one particular project and ignore everything else. We needed to look at the country and its concerns and issues as a whole," he says. "We may not be able to provide solutions to all problems, but every bit helps in the longer run because initiative taken by an individual or organization motivates others to join the movement. It is this collective force and momentum that finally leads to a solution."

Keeping this in mind, the Academy has risen to many different occasions — providing direct cash assistance for the drought-affected, undertaking animal welfare measures, organizing medical camps for those who cannot afford high costs of treatment, promoting literary activities in regional languages, reaching out to the tribals through development projects, tackling the menace of drug addiction head-on — they have all come within the realm of the Academy's activities.  Drug addiction and the spread of this scourge among younger sections of society is something that Nanik has always felt extremely concerned about. "The misuse of drugs for so-called pleasure is a curse, an ever-present menace to our youth, their loved ones, and the society at large. We need to protect and rescue them from this bottomless abyss," Nanik says. "Given the heavy emphasis the Academy places on our country's youth, it was inconceivable for Priyadarshni not to enter the fray to combat this evil."

In this context, Nanik sought the guidance of Russel Pinto, a reformed drug addict who started Sevadhan, a drug rehabilitation center, and later became a member of the Academy's committee on Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation. 

Nanik emphatically says: "It is the primary duty of every citizen to educate and prevent students from falling prey to drug addiction. Young boys and girls consume drugs to start with, but ultimately they are the ones consumed by the drugs."

Priyadarshni also initiated efforts towards the creation of a cleaner and greener environ-ment. Being a lover of nature, environmental conservation and preservation have always been subjects of vital importance to Nanik. In 1987, an Afforestation Award was instituted to boost the efforts of those working in this area. In 1992, the Academy for the first time directly participated in tree plantations, starting with the Priyadarshni Park in Mumbai.

Priyadarshni as an organization has staunchly believed that youth are the backbone of the nation. "Supporting talented youngsters in the fields of education, arts and sports is one of our primary functions and this is to ensure that natural gifts do not go waste," Nanik explains. "I feel a sense of satisfaction for having contributed to the education of those who would have otherwise had to curtail their academic pursuits. I remember, in particular, a student named Shrikant Sharma whose parents were vegetable vendors. Priyadarshni provided him with a scholarship and Shrikant stood first in all the semesters at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). There was another bright boy whom the Academy assisted — he was from a backward class — he subsequently excelled in his studies and made it to Italy."

Another area that the Academy addressed was the keen urge of the overseas Indian community to do something for their country of origin. It was a feeling Nanik was quite familiar with, having spent his initial years in Ghana. "Indians living abroad are our country's gold mines. They love their country of birth and are eager to give back to their motherland."

The year 1990 proved to be a booster in cementing relations between the Academy and overseas Indians. In May 1990, Nanik, accompanied by some committee members held a series of meetings with Indians based in Dubai. Prominent among the diaspora were Vashu Shroff, Ram Buxani, Murij Manghnani, Lakho Lulla and others. Nanik declared his plan to set up an Overseas Indian Co-Ordination Committee with a computerized data bank of overseas Indians. As a centralized nodal agency, it would serve as an effective facilitator for the overseas Indian community.

Over the years, Nanik has been working silently for the betterment of the Sindhi community. "After all, my roots lie in this community. How can I ignore that fact?" he asks. In October 1992, Nanik participated actively in the Sindhi Adhikar Yatra that culminated in a meeting of a delegation of prominent Sindhi personalities with the Prime Minister, P. V. Narsimha Rao. Nanik accompanied late Nari Gursahani, President of the International Sindhi Panchayat, Kundandas Rohra, Chairman of the World Sindhi Congress, and others to the meeting.

The meeting turned out to be positive in many ways. It resulted in an assurance from Mr. Rao of immediate action for establishing a cultural center called Sindhu Bhawan. The proposal for securing a budgetary allocation in the Eighth Five Year Plan for a proposed Sindhi University and Sindhi Vikas Board also met with a favourable response.

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