OK BYE BYE TATA

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

10/X/2024

An ‘Anmol Rattan’ has moved to heaven to set up another industry of love, kindness, giving, sharing, loving and caring. He was needed more there. Thus, Ratan Tata was called at a ripe age of 86.

Though I was never associated with the TATAs as such, they touched our lives in so many ways. Starting from the 'TMB' or Tata Mercedes Benz trucks which we used to admire in our childhood. I remember OK-BYE BYE-TATA written behind every truck.

They were the bulk carriers of the good old days. A pointed nose and a Mercedes logo on its face, a happy go lucky truck would lug whatever was loaded in it reliably and without break downs. Later the T was placed like a bindi on its bonnet. That was brand Tata.

Other trucks and buses had a ‘sad face’. Take for example Leyland. The trucks had a bigger cab. The engine was under it which made it look weird. We were not used to such trucks. The grill infront of the radiator was in straight lines making it appear like a sad face. Every truck had a face, like the toy story of today. That is what a child like me imagined. A smiley, happy, big eyed truck versus a sad, gloomy square eyed truck. Eyes were the headlights.

The Army transportation was mostly based on TMB trucks. That too 4x4. In kindergarten, kids would come to school in modified TMB school buses. Thick black smoke would gush out from the exhaust when the engine started like a huge puff from a hookah which fascinated us.

Most of the roadways and transport fleet was based on a Tata chassis. Our school bus changed from Bedford to Tata. Till Leyland later Ashok Leyland joined the fray, but were nowhere in competition.

Steam engines were made in Chittaranjan Locomotives, which used to be a GK question in our quiz. I was not aware that it was a Tata company, till one day while my quest for steam engines got into exploration stage, I found a tata logo on the front roundel of YP and YG class locomotives on the meter gauge section. Tata made steam engines and it was a great find for me.

One took a joy ride on those steam engines so many times. Never did we find a breakdown in the NE railway section on any of the tata engines. With so many moving parts visible, and the strokes of its piston taking movement from the steam box to turn the wheels was a moment which I shall cherish all my life.

Then a stage came in my life when they diversified into so many varied fields. We happened to visit a Tata Indica car factory in Pune while doing our Staff College course. It was so impressive to see the shop floor, the cleanliness, the layout and their HR philosophy. The factory campus was so well laid out like an Army Cantonment, which spoke a lot of their culture.

It was later in life when 26/11 happened and I was working in B’bay. We watched the devastation and mayhem almost live. A place we used to frequent was the Gateway of India which had transformed totally. It was not the way and speed at which they rebuilt the hotel, It was the way the Tatas touched the lives of not only their employees but every one who took a hit during that dastardly attack. That is what I call the art of giving, caring and sharing. No match at all.

I wish I could have worked for any of their companies but that was not to be. If I could be of any use still, my services are available in whatever capacity.

Out of all the things, when I entered the kitchen today, I found a packet of Tata salt. We in the forces give our lives for Naam, ‘Namak’ and Nishan. If we are eating tata ka namak, we owe something to them.

Well, Mr Ratan Tata, fare thee well in your next journey. This country will miss you. If more industrialists can pick up clues and emulate your philosophy of how to look after the employees and their families, it would be a boon for this country.

Dear ‘big industrialists’, it is time to take lessons from this Tata legend. Making money is fine but please check from your HRs what ‘you think’ and the way your employees are treated and how HR policies are executed on ground is at variance. Cost cutting, layoffs, downsizing, retrenchment etc translate into things which will shock you. Will the industrialists ever pay heed? I wonder!!!!!!!

My deepest condolences to the TATAs as such. May his soul rest in peace. OK BYE BYE TATA dear sir.