Making History in Parliament

In 1993, Nanik was given the singular honour to speak from the dais of the Central Hall of India's Parliament House. The book The Making of an Institution — Priyadarshni Academy best describes the events of that momentous day.

On August 20, 1993, the charismatic Nanik Rupani addressed a distinguished gathering of Members of Parliament and other dignitaries in the Central Hall of Parliament House, New Delhi. The unique privilege of presenting a magnificently rendered portrait of late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, served to highlight the Academy's achievements as an NGO. Present on the occasion were the President of India, Mr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Prime Minister Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao, Vice President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Shivraj Patil. Among the other dignitaries present were Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, MP, Mr. C. K. Jain, Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha, a host of Governors, Chief Ministers, Central Ministers and Members of Parliament.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the Academy, Nanik expressed his deep gratitude for the unprecedented honour accorded to him. The Academy had always held Mr. Gandhi in great esteem and it was in recognition of his invaluable contribution to national integration that the Academy decided to rename its triennial National Integration  Award of Rs. 1 lakh, as the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Award for National Integration. It was, therefore, a fitting gesture  that the Academy was offered the privilege of presenting Mr. Gandhi's portrait to the nation.

It is a matter of continuing pride for Priyadarshni Academy that this portrait has now become part of India's Parliament
House.

Reaching Out to the World

Nanik has always appreciated yoga and meditation. In 1995, a group of people affiliated with the Academy brought the ancient Hasyayoga — laughter therapy — into contemporary use by establishing a Laughter Club. There is the proven theory that when you cry, you cry alone but when you laugh, the world laughs with you. Initially, people ridiculed the idea, but when health benefits became apparent, the attendance at the club sessions began to increase. Nanik and other committee members had set their mind on giving momentum to this unique activity, and efforts were whole-heartedly directed at supporting all such clubs.

On June 26, 1996, the Academy formally opened its Laughter Club Division. At present, it is affiliated with more than 100 laughter clubs in India — 40 in Mumbai itself, several in the UK, and a few in the USA. Many distinguished personalities, educationists, top civil servants, leading medical practitioners and industrialists have joined the movement.

As activities of the Academy multiplied and kept pace with world affairs, another area that came into focus was spiritualism. "Success in the material world is a wonderful thing. It provides a person with all the comforts life has to offer, all the goodies money can buy. But how content you are on the inside, rather than the outside, is the true measure of a meaningful existence," Nanik has always believed.

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, an organization with a global presence, invited Nanik as its guest of honour. This was to felicitate Rajyogini Brahmakumari Dadi Prakashmani, chief of the University. She had returned to India after having been bestowed with the Peace Messenger Award by the United Nations. The bond that was established between Priyadarshni Academy and the University became stronger over the years, with the sharing of ideas, thoughts, philosophies and events.

1998 was the year that saw one of Nanik's long awaited dreams come true. He had always wanted the Academy to acquire a global identity. The Awards function held on September 19, 1998, proved to be a step in that direction. With Mr. L. K. Advani in the chief guest's chair, the curtain went up on the first International Awards function. To choose people whose work had impacted the world at large had been a challenging task. A high-powered committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Ram Tarneja, former Man-aging Director, Bennett Cole-man Group, had been formed and the members went through hundreds of documents and records to select a few individuals whose contributions to society led to either definitive commercial progress or the creation of a better social environment.

The Global Awards that were bestowed on the momentous day included:

•The Global Award for Outstanding Contribution to Humanitarian Services
•The Global Award for Promotion of Benefits of Space Technology to Humanity 
•The Global Award for Outstanding Contribution to Corporate Social Responsibility
•The Global Award for Promotion of International Understanding.

In 2001, the Academy joined hands with India International Multiversity, an institution of which Dr. Vijay Bhatkar is Founder and Chancellor, to start the Vedic Research Center. Elaborating on this new initiative, Nanik states: "Vedanta is a science of living. Science tells us that we use, at best, ten per cent of our mental capacity. Vedanta helps cultivate the balance 90 per cent and access the powerhouse of infinite energy lying dormant within us. It prescribes the technique of right action that ensures success. In any field, be it academia, business, music, art or sport — the winning edge comes from the mind. Master the basics of mind management and the outer manifestation of success follows. This is what Vedanta teaches us."

There has not been a single year since its inception that Priyadarshni Academy has failed to make a significant contribution to society and to lessening its many human struggles. There is no doubt that the Academy is powered by Nanik's convictions, faith and determination. However, Nanik simply refuses to let the spotlight rest on himself. "The Academy has been a success only because of the collective will and efforts of the team involved. People from different walks of life have come forward to support this institution. They have invested their ideas, time, effort and money in the Academy. I had only the determination to keep it going, but I needed their support to make it happen," he says.

Elaborating on this team spirit, Nanik states: "Our Sindhi community is very coherent. We believe that 1+1=11. This unity is very important to get big projects off the ground. We believe that while a single thread can easily be broken, 100 such threads held together shall have the strength of a rope.

"Priyadarshni has brought me in touch with many new friends and has strengthened my bonds with existing ones. A special bond of friendship that comes to mind is with the Harilela family based in Hong Kong. Nearly thirty years ago,I was introduced to Bob Harilela by our mutual friend, late Prof. Ram Panjwani, who was a highly respected and accomplished figure with a magnetic personality. He told me that he would like me to meet a very well-known but down-to-earth person. He introduced me to Bob over a lunch meeting, and Bob and I clicked almost instantly. It has been three decades, and our friendship has only deepened; I have been to Hong Kong to visit Bob and his family several times, and Bob too has visited my family and me whenever he has come to India.

"The entire Harilela family lives jointly in a palatial bungalow in Hong Kong. It was through Bob that I got to know and respect Hari, his elder brother. Hari has distinguished himself in business; he heads a leading chain of hotels worldwide. The Harilelas are known for their philanthropy and are always in the forefront of helping and supporting worthy causes. What I find remarkable is their love and unity that I have been privileged to observe over the years. My heart always warms up whenever I think of them.

"Another long time family friend who comes to mind is Haru Mahtani, Chairman of Wearwel International and an influential resident of Jakarta, Indonesia. He recommended Ms. Megawati Soekarnoputri, the past President of Indonesia for a Priyadarshni Award. The committee studied the recommendation and bestowed upon her the Global Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of International Understanding in 1998.

"In Thailand, I have close friends like Vashi Purswani; in Japan, Bhojraj Rupani, who is affectionately referred to as Jiju; in Dubai, Dr. Ram Buxani, Murij Manghanani and Vasu Rupani; in the US, Nari Pohani. In fact, time will fail me if I recount the names of all the friends I dearly love, who have done so much for the Academy. That would require another book, I suppose!" he smiles.

The Academy runs on highly democratic and well-structured lines. The various committees formed for the purpose of identifying people who have contributed immensely to their chosen fields, have the full liberty of nominating anyone they want. Nanik has not given himself the power to influence any selection. The usual procedure is to go through a person's achievements and then test them against the norms set by the Academy. There is a strong code of conduct that disallows anyone to use the powers vested in him or her to do anything that may be considered unethical.

"Admittedly, there is always external pressure from people who want those close to them to be honoured with the awards, but I tell them upfront that I have no clout as far as the committee's decisions are concerned," Nanik says. This firm stand does result in a few disgruntled elements being unhappy with the Academy, as Nanik himself admits: "Yes, there are times when someone feels disappointed because the award has gone to someone else who has achieved equally; but then that's life, and he or she comes around to understanding that."

Having brought the Academy so far, Nanik feels that he has to pass the baton to someone else. "A successor is yet to be found to take this institution forward. This is a very special position and holding the chair for more than 20 years has been a source of personal pride and joy for me. Niranjan Hiranandani is a good candidate for the Chairman's position, but it depends on his other commitments. Niranjan is a special person who has done a lot for the Academy and has its interests close to his heart. Above all, his and my families are very close-knit; I consider Niranjan as a younger brother and he completely understands and values the vision I have for Priyadarshni Academy.

"Nayan Patel is another wonderful choice. I admire him for his capacity to organize and his penchant for perfection in all that he does, and I am sure the Academy will flourish under his leadership."

The position is one that calls for a wide range of networking skills. It involves a lot of interaction with politicians, academicians, social activists, film personalities, overseas Indian businessmen and so on. The Academy is always in the media spotlight. Given Nanik's larger-than-life contribution, it is a challenging act for any successor to follow.

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