The nation mourns the loss of its icon, celebrated industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, who passed away on Wednesday night in Mumbai after a brief illness at the age of 86. A celebrated personality in both industry and philanthropy, he was renowned not only for his business stature but also for his compassionate nature.
After the sad news broke, several Mumbaikars recounted their encounters with the humble billionaire, who mingled with everyday people effortlessly.
One X (formerly Twitter) user named Lotus recalled Ratan Tata as a "very down-to-earth" individual who always chatted with neighbourhood kids. “I have some nice memories of Sir #RatanTata when I used to live in Colaba some decades ago, he used to live next door in Bakhtawar nd would religiously walk his 2 Doberman dogs every evening in his shorts nd Tshirt, would spot him sometimes at the US club playing tennis nd having chai, was a simple nd friendly guy, inspite of achieving so much he was very down to earth nd humble, would always say hello nd chat with the young kids in the compound. A gracious nd chivalrous gentleman, that’s the memory I have of this legend,” the user wrote.
“What can one say about his philanthropic nature which was not just confined to humans but even to animals particularly the four legged ones. The doormen at the Taj Hotel were instructed not to shoo away stray dogs. He recently built a multi speciality hospital just for animals in Mumbai nd also started a wonderful service for the old nd aged who were alone nd needed someone to take them to doctors, buy their grocery etc. Ratan Tata was truly a noble man,” the post added.
“His ancestors came to Bharat as refugees from Iran nd landed on the shores of Gujarat, they not only accepted the Gujrati culture but also the language nd way of dressing. The whole country mourns today for him but specially the city of Mumbai which has the Tata stamp on every corner in some form or the other. For Ratan wealth was just a number as his needs were limited, he always felt he was a caretaker nd his money should be put to good use. Go in peace friend, You lived a life which inspired millions nd with a sad heart we say goodbye to one of the most iconic figures of my beloved Mumbai, Aavjo Ratan,” Lotus wrote in her post.
Another user wrote: “What a man! What an Icon! What a life! What a True India! Got a glimpse of him when I just moved to Mumbai- near Colaba getting down from a Mercedes S class and looking for a building .. No assistants no security. And people nearby in awe! RIP #RatanTata.”