When three Munjal brothers left within a year

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 14

Three Munjal brothers left for the heavenly abode within a time frame of one year. Today, with the death of Satyanand Munjal (99), an era has come to an end. The eldest of all, Dayanand Munjal passed away in 1960s, while three brothers were looking after the empire. OP Munjal passed away on August 13, 2015, while Brij Mohan Lall Munjal on November 1, 2015.

The three brothers were so attached to each other that they were unable to live in each other’s absence and died one after the other within a span of one year.

Badish Jindal, chairman of the Federation of Association of Small Industries of India, said: “The death of his brothers came as a major emotional setback for him. He could not bear the void created by the loss of his brothers.”

Sharing memories, an old timer in the industry, said: “Satyanand was a very down to earth person. Finding no cop when he would get stuck in a traffic jam, he would step out of his car without thinking twice and start regulating traffic. This was his spirit. He was a great man with high principles, but firmly rooted to the ground.”

Gurmeet Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation, said his company supplied rim and mud guards to Hero Cycles and during the days when his father was taking care of the business, Satyanand Munjal would often come to their factory in his car to collect order whenever anything was required urgently.

Charanjit Singh Vishivkarma, president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association, said anybody who went to him for help never returned empty-handed.

“He was always ready to help whenever anybody was in need and never said no to donations. He was the founder member of the UCPMA, which is the largest association of the cycle and cycle part manufacturers in Asia,” he said.