When I reached the office, Karamshibhai made an unusual request to me -- he asked me to conduct interviews for the post of principal of the Arts and Commerce College. I interviewed about 10 candidates in his presence, at the end of which I told him not a single one was suited for the post.

Karamshibhai immediately announced: ``We have decided to appoint you.'' His statement surprised me, and I sought some time to decide; I was also not mentally prepared to leave my college at Margao and the next day I left for Goa.

But Karamshibhai always got what he wanted. He bombarded me with continuous lightning calls till I agreed to accept his offer. I took charge in July 1978 as principal.

The beginning wasn't smooth, though. My brazen style of functioning and my refusal to bend or breakrules saw a rebellion building up in the campus against me. But those who protested against me did not reckon with Karamshibhai. At that time, an urgent meeting of the Management Council of Somaiya Vidyavihar institute was held to consider the near-unanimous chorus for my removal. Everyone present at the meet said a person like me should not continue. At the end of the discussion, Karamshibhai whispered something to Dr SK Somaiya, who got up to say: ``Gabhe stays. The meeting is dismissed.'' And I stayed for another 14 years.

Karamshibhai led the Vidyavihar complex by example. He had a robust common sense and great faith in his own judgement. He condoned honest mistakes but was ruthless when it came to dishonesty.

As an incident of 1980 proves. I was then obsessed with the idea of introducing computer education in the institute. A friend of mine agreed to lend his mainframe IBM 60 for the institute, on the condition that an area of 2,000 sq ft would be made available. I finally found a place where wecould run the class, but there was a hitch: the place was a residential building near the campus owned by Karamshibhai himself. No one in the institute wanted to take the risk of letting me use the vacant building. I discussed the matter with one of Karamshibhai's relatives, who gave me the go-ahead with the warning: ``If Karamshibhai is impressed, he'll excuse you. If not, you'll be fired.''

I got the computer installed without Karamshibhai's knowledge. But one day, he arrived at the scene and sent for me. He asked me about the machines, equipment, the works. At the end of my explanation, without a word of admonition, he said: ``Go ahead with the project because it will benefit our young generation. But next time you want to do something of this sort, consult me first.'' I was pardoned.

There are other memories too. Like when I insisted we should start a BEd college at Somaiya. Though Karamshibhai was not enthusiastic at first for various reasons, the college was started. Later, when I told him theUniversity Affiliation Committee would be visiting the college in a few days, he asked me to give him a list of equipment and other things the two-month-old college needed. Within a few days all equipment was in place.

Today, Somaiya's BEd College is one of the few excellently equipped unaided colleges in the city. In the same way, he ensured the engineering college had adequate infrastructure, complete with a building of its own. He was also interested in Sanskrit and Indian culture, which saw him establish the Somaiya Sanskriti Peedam.

Again, I had approached him with a proposal to start management courses, which was also taken up. In a few years, a majestic management institute came up in the campus. It was also Karamshibhai's dream to start a medical college. There were hiccups as we didn't get Medical Council of India's recognition for many years. When permission finally came, the college started functioning temporarily at Vidyavihar campus. But there were problems regarding availability of patientsand efforts to link it up with Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar failed. That didn't deter Karsamshibhai. He quipped at one of our meetings: ``We will have our own hospital.''

Amazingly, he completed the construction of a hospital in a few months' time. Though he was a businessman, he had high thoughts about his country, and wanted to inculcate values in children. Hence he started a small school which grew into a huge educational complex.

His passing has created a vacuum not only in the Somaiya family but also in the educational community of Mumbai.

(The writer is ex-vice-chancellor of Nagpur University. He was also principal of KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, Vidyavihar, for 16 years.)