Page 65 - Gujar Mal Modi

cheer. A word of encouragement from him acted as a healing balm to those af-

fected by the floods.

Another textile unit was planned to be set up in 1956 at a cost of Rs. 3.85 million.
Capital for the mill was arranged through the issue of shares. The same year Mr.

Musaddi Lal, a director in the Modi concerns, was compelled by deteriorating fi-
nancial circumstances to dispose of his shares in the Company. In 1957 a degree

college was established at Modinagar. Its foun dation stone was laid on 11th May
1957.

On Govardhan Puja day, the 23th October 1957 Rai Bahadur Multanimal Modi,
Gujarmal Modi’s beloved father, breathed his last. He was born on 21st October

1875 and died at the age of 82 years. He was a religious and God-fearing person
and had lived most of his life at Patiala. Mr. Modi would seek the blessings of his

father while embarking on an new project. It was on his advice that Mr. Modi
dropped the idea of purchasing a wire-drawing factory at Patiala.

It appears that the father had some intuition about his ap proaching death. One

day he called his son and told him that he had faith that he would be able to
carry out his three most ardent wishes. He wanted him to take proper care of

his mother, keep all the brothers happy and contended, and lastly safeguard the
assets of the family.

On the night before his death, Rai Bahadur Multanimal was in fairly good health
for his age. He was put in a chair and carried to his shop where the family wor-

shipped Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Next morning, having finished the
usual morning chores, he took his breakfast and suddenly died. The last rites

were performed at his Ashram situated outside the city. A big temple was later
constructed there in his memory and a Sanskrit College was also established.

In the early years after Independence there were rumours that the new socialist

Government might nationalise all big indus tries. The younger brother, Mr. Kedar
Nath Modi, one day suggested that the Modi family might go in for medium

and small size industries in keeping with the socialistic thinking. Just then Ga-
nesh Flour Mills in Delhi was gutted by fire and the then Union Minister for Food

suggested that the Modis might also set up a big flour mill in Delhi. The idea
was tempting. After preliminary negotiations, orders for the flour mill machinery

58