Died: Dr Aban Keki Gharda, 85, director of Gharda Chemicals Limited and its associate companies, and sociologist who was supportive of the rights of domestic help; in Bombay on September 22, 2017.
"We were both PhDs but occasionally I would tease her that some PhDs are more valuable than others,” reminisced Dr Keki Gharda, founder chairman and managing director of Gharda Chemicals Limited, at the condolence meeting in his wife Aban’s memory on September 26. Whilst he is a chemical scientist, she had done a doctorate in sociology with her research culminating in the publication of a book The Domestic Servant Class. This publication caught the eye of a Member of Parliament who, with her assistance, presented a private member’s bill in Parliament on the subject.
"After months of agonizing with her guide Dr Govind Ghurye, she finally decided to take up the cause of domestic servants and their trials and tribulations as her subject with the aim of doing whatever little was possible to uplift their miserable existence,” notes a family source. Her research into the subject involved filling out no less than 500 long-winded questionnaires of real life subjects. This took her to all locations: from the slums of Wadala and Sion-Koliwada, to the posh enclaves of Malabar Hill and Napeansea Road, waylaying domestic servants wherever and whenever she set eyes on them. Each of her 500 volunteer subjects was most cooperative and forthcoming.
One such interview was with a full-time servant in the building where she lived in Dadar. The family has yet not forgotten how Aban and her parents were confronted by an extremely irate Parsi neighbor who demanded that she never ever speak to their servant again. Subsequent to the interview, the domestic help, it seemed, had confronted his employer with a demand for an instant pay rise or else he would join the Kohinoor Mill across the road which paid several times the pittance he earned for his 24 x 7 job over several years of service.
Despite all the wealth and amenities at their disposal, Aban and Keki continued to lead a very simple Gandhian life, devoid of pomp and luxuries, till the very end. "I used to joke that she had the most educated driver and I had the most educated cook anybody could have! For years we kept no servants,” Keki had remarked earlier.
Dr Aban Gharda (top and alongside) with Dr Keki Gharda: concerted commitment
She worked alongside him as director on the board of the parent company, Gharda Chemicals as also its offshoots — Gharda Scientific Research Foundation, Gharda Medical Advanced Technologies Foundation, Gharda Research Foundation, Gharda Investment Company, Gharda Pesticides, Gharda Consultants. Meticulous and well organized, at Gharda’s she was known to be "a strong lady with a mind of her own who did not hesitate to put forth her views for the good of the company or for the society at large.” Present at various events and functions organized by the companies, the "loving lady will be always be remembered by the Gharda parivar (family) for her concern and well-being of those around her,” notes a press release.
Whilst expanding their chemical industrial empire, the couple immersed themselves in socially relevant projects, establishing the Gharda Institute of Technology near Chiplun, two small hospitals in Dombivli and Lote Parshuram (on the Bombay-Goa Road), introducing mobile clinics and libraries attached to their factories, and village development activities at Ankleshwar and Panoli in Gujarat.
Animals and birds held a special place in Aban’s heart and feeding the crows and sparrows was an important daily ritual as was patting the dogs at Gharda House. Her interests included painting, reading, cooking and gardening. "She would pray, I never did,” revealed Keki.
The kind-hearted lady is survived by her husband Keki, brothers Darayes and Minoo Mehta, and sister Perin Mehta.