INTRODUCTION OF KEYNOTE SPEAKER
– by Pravesh Sawon, Secretary, Gahlot Rajput Maha Sabha, Mauritius
June 11, 2017
My responsibility this afternoon is to introduce the keynote speaker of this year’s celebration of 477th Maharana Pratap Diwas. Please permit me to do more than cite the qualifications of our keynote speaker.
There are many young people in this gathering who will benefit from an outline of what constitutes a good Rajput man and a good Rajput leader. My introduction of Commander Pratap Singh Mehta includes these definitions – hence it’s at length. We have invited him to be our special guest and a keynote speaker because he shares abundantly in these virtues.
First, a good Rajput man is one who has high regard for his nation, family and children. Caring for the welfare and future of the nation, family and of one’s own children is a premium virtue of Rajput men and women.
In this first regard, our guest of honour qualifies eminently as a good Rajput man.
Ladies and Gentlemen……….. It’s time to know a bit about today’s keynote speaker – Commander Pratap Singh Mehta.
कमांडर प्रताप सिंह मेहता भारतीय नौसेना के वरिष्ठ अधिकारी रहे हैं जिन्होंने 1971 के भारत पाक युद्ध में सक्रिय योगदान दिया। समुद्र विज्ञानं से स्नातक की डिग्री लेने वाले प्रताप सिंह मेहता की रूचि हमेशा से ही राजपूताना के इसिहास और उसकी परम्पराओं में रही है। और हो भी क्यों ना, आखिरकार वो मेवाड़ के प्रभावशाली प्रधानमंत्री श्री पन्नालालजी के अनुज, सैन्य कमांडर लक्ष्मीलाल जी मेहता के प्रपौत्र जो हैं!
He is a graduate of Indian Naval Academy and Defence Services Staff Collage AND a postgraduate in management studies. Commander Mehta was both a mariner and an aviator in the Indian Navy.
भारतीय नौसेना से कमांडर के रूप में रिटायर होने से पहले विभिन्न महत्वपूर्ण पदों पर कार्य करने का उन्हें अवसर प्राप्त हुआ। .. as a sea going Captain he commanded a squadron of missile boats and as a naval aviator he commanded an air squadron. वे पूर्व सोवियत संघ में 1979-80 के दौरान I N S Rajput के commissioning crew भी थे ।
Born and bred in Udaipur, Commander Mehta has spent his formative years in Rajasthan and now lives in Mumbai with his family after retirement from Indian Navy in 1994. He is married to Mrs Shail Mehta, who is present today with us. They have a daughter and a son both married and live in Mumbai. His son Nakuul Mehta is a leading Indian Television star, who features in daily show, “Ishqbaaz” on Star Plus.
Commander Mehta is an author of recently published coffee table book, ‘Rajputana Chronicles: Guns and Glories – the thousand-year story of the Bachhawat clan’. His childhood fascination with the story of his ancestors is what eventually led him to do a very extensive research that resulted in this book. It’s not only his labour of love but a token of gratitude towards all those who came before him and laid the foundation of the great Bachhawat clan. In words of Commander Mehta, “What will we be all, if not for our ancestors?”
I shall quote Michael Crichton, “If you didn’t know history, you didn’t know anything. You were a leaf that didn’t know it was part of a tree.”
I also take this opportunity to invite Hon. Prime Minister and the President of Gahlot Rajput Maha Sabha to receive a copy of ‘Rajputana Chronicles: Guns and Glories’ from the author, our very special guest, Commander Pratap Singhji Mehta, himself.
(after gifting of book, Sawon to continue…)
Ladies and gentlemen please help me to welcome the man of the moment, our special guest from India and the keynote speaker….. Commander Pratap Singh Mehta for an address.