I was sad to learn of the passing away of Xerxes Desai ("Timekeeper of the nation,” In Memoriam, Parsiana, August 7, 2016). I came to admire Desai (pictured) while working with him in Tata Chemicals before I left for USA in 1965. He was every bit what his associates described him to be — I witnessed it all early on in his career.
He and his wife Rajani prompted me to write a sociological outline of the very unique native population, as this had not been done thitherto, and published it in the company’s magazine, which I hold as a tribute......