Three Centenaries have passed
The youngest sibling's turn comes last.
Today we celebrate a life
With heights of glory and times of strife.
Naval had a practical bent of mind
And at a tender age we find
Him toiling on the shop floor
Full of confidence, very sure.
For his common touch and winsome smile
His workers would go the extra mile.
He always was a pioneer.
He was the one who would steer
The Indian typewriter and later
An Indian made refrigerator.
And when India chose to go to space
Godrej also joined the race.
He also brilliantly succeeded
In making machine tools that were needed.
Not all was done by the group
As others were brought into the loop.
And so IMTEX received much support.
For each exhibition space was sought.
But expansion proved to be a boon.
A plant was built and very soon
It served to install a new edition
Of the IMTEX exhibition.
The common cause was always greater
And Godrej production followed later.
The plants were built at a steady pace
And slowly filled up much of the space.
The clinics, schools and housing too
And that is how Vikhroli grew.
And Soonu Aunty played her role.
With welfare as her major goal.
His contribution to philanthropy
Is clear for everyone to see.
With Vasant Sheth he set up FMR
An institution that's gone very far.
And the Pirojsha Godrej foundation
Was active in health and education.
He served the Parsi community
As a Parsi Punchayet Trustee.
And Godrej Baug was his creation.
And everything was going fine
Until 1979.
He was cruelly stabbed by a knife
In that fatal year of labour strife.
His health was once again regained
In spite of the many wounds sustained.
His brilliant doctors were able to save
His life as he was very brave.
All the public rallied around.
Many blood donors were quickly found.
Alas! This was a clear gain
That later proved to be a pain.
Unbeknownst to us all
Infected blood caused his fall.
Naval Uncle deserves an ovation.
No matter what the tribulation
We invariably would find
He preserved a peaceful mind.
And he would work but also play
And there was never any way
That work could affect his family life
Devoted time for kids and wife.
He also had an avid yearning
For betterment and constant learning.
And very often I would find
He loved a challenge for his mind.
He'd call me to play bridge or chess.
I miss those games I must confess.
But nothing gave him as much pleasure
As Tir, his yawl and greatest treasure.
Of course the weekend Mandva sails
But even more the Ocean trails.
Jamshyd learnt this as a little boy.
It's something he still does enjoy.
Naval's work for the people and the nation
Will always serve as an inspiration.
