Driven by idealism

Bharat Narayan,
owner of Hunter Foods Limited, Dubai

When I was a child I used to play with Mahatma Gandhi's children. I remember how he (Gandhi) used to tease and call me a rasgolla (an Indian sweet dumpling) because I was chubby then.

"I think continually of those who were truly great ..." Stephen Spender's words echo in my mind when I recall my childhood days.

If there was anything that distinguished the people around me when I was young, it was idealism and the simplicity that came from their adherence to Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy.

My grandfather, Jamnalal Bajaj, was a close associate of the Mahatma and worked closely with him during the freedom struggle in India and, later, in the nation-building process.

Although my early years were spent in Wardha, we soon moved to Delhi, which was at the time the centre of political activity.

After graduation I got married and joined the family business, in respect to my family's wishes.

Soon I was appointed president of our export division, called Bajaj International. It was on behalf of this enterprise that I came to Dubai in 1974 to sell building materials.

The rest, as they say, is history.

When I first came to Dubai, Shaikh Rashid met me and asked if I would be willing to build houses for the people.

I was not sure then, so I put the onus on my wife, Madhulika, by saying she would not be willing to live in Dubai.

When he heard that, he asked me to get my wife over to Dubai by the next available flight, so that he could ask her himself.

When she was asked, Madhulika said she had no objections to living here, so I really had to eat my words!

When I started the project in 1974, I was asked how many houses we could build per day.

I said we could build 1,000 houses in a year (more than three houses per day). That made him extremely happy.

I built 8,000 houses from 1974-1982. (Most of the houses in Jumeirah and flats in Karama that I built have been demolished.)

In 1975, rents in Dubai began to soar. So Shaikh Rashid asked me to build apartments in places like Karama, Ghusais and Rashidiya, for which he fixed a very low rent of Dh5,000-Dh6,000.

This had an immediate effect of stabilising rents across Dubai.

Those were glorious years. It was hard work, but I was thrilled to be a part of the nation-building process and to work for a visionary.

I used to be at the construction sites day and night. I remember how he solved any problems that stood between him and his objectives, which is how the pace of progress achieved acceleration.

For instance, when I started construction work in Dubai, I had an acute shortage of labourers. I told Shaikh Rashid I needed 100 labourers from India.

He listened to my request and then signed a letter, which allowed me to get 100 visas on the same day.

I feel progress on this scale would have been impossible without his foresight and quick thinking.

When I visited the school, I saw a strange arrangement in my son's class.

There were around 20 children sitting on chairs, an equal number on desks while many were seated on the ground ... There was a total of 70 pupils in that classroom!

I was shocked and asked the principal just how he planned to conduct classes in this manner.

Unruffled he replied, "Don't worry sir. It's not every day that all children attend school. So we'll manage."

I was amused by his cheerful attitude, and am proud that the same school has become one of the best schools in the Gulf, with a very high academic and infrastructural standard.

So I decided to set up my own factory, called Hunter Foods Ltd, in Jebel Ali.

It is one of the first factories to be set up in Jebel Ali Free Zone and was inaugurated in March 1986 by Shaikh Ahmad bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group.

Since then the factory has been a front-runner in providing packaged food items in local and international markets.

Just when everything seemed bright and promising, tragedy struck.

One morning in June 1986, hardly three months after my factory was inaugurated, I got up with a numb feeling in my right leg. The numbness spread rapidly along the right half of my body and I became immobile.

My wife rushed me to Rashid hospital and doctors put me through a battery of tests, but found nothing wrong with me.

From then on began an interminable journey for my wife and I, to doctors and hospitals around the world.

Almost two decades have passed since I had this stroke, but doctors have still not been able to diagnose the problem.

Although there have been periods of improvement as well as deterioration in my condition, we have both learned to live with it.

I owe everything to my wife who has sacrificed a lot in order to take care of me.

She used to be a gregarious person, who loved to socialise. Now she is always by my side. I try to keep her happy by going on long drives in a chauffer-driven car or on short trips.

We have been married for 36 years. Madhulika is the joint managing director of Hunter Foods Limited FZCO. She has supported me throughout.

We have two children. Our daughter graduated from the London School of Economics, is married and settled in Singapore. Our son has a masters in marketing from a leading American university and lives in Hong Kong with his wife.

We meet quite often in Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong.

Now that the business has settled I spend most of my time reading books and doing charity work.

I have been fond of animals since my childhood. In 1992, I set up a children's club called Anipal (friends or pals of animals).

The club members discuss various environmental issues.

I think it is important for children to be aware of the fact that people should live harmoniously with nature rather than destroy it.

I make it a point to attend the annual get-togethers and other events organised by the club, which currently has 5,000 members in Dubai.

Currently, the club is involved in a project on waste disposal and recycling of waste material. The club is also actively involved with the World Wildlife Fund.