Narottam Morarjee
Information Sheet for the Commemorative Postage Stamp on the Birth Centenary of Narottam Morarjee, an Indian businessman in shipping and textiles industry :
Issued by India
Issued on Apr 2, 1977
Issued for :The P & T Department feels privileged to bring out a commemorative stamp in honour of Narottam Morarjee on the occasion of his birth centenary.
Description of Design : The design of the stamp is horizontal and depicts a portrait of Narottam Morarjee with a ship sailing on seas.
Type : Information Sheet (Brochure) bearing an Adhesive Postage Stamp with First Day Special Cancellation Postmark
Colour : Blue
Denomination : 25 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 X 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper
Number printed : 30,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing process : Photogravure
Designed and printed at : India Security Press
Name : Narottam Morarjee
Born on Apr 2, 1877 at Porbandar, Gujarat, India
Died on Nov 5, 1929
About :
- Narottam Morarjee was born on April 2, 1877 at Porbandar. Narottam lost his father Morarjee Goculdas, a textile magnate, at the age of four. His two illustrious tutors Narayan Chandavarker and Gopal Krishna Gokhale instilled in him a high sense of patriotism. Later he joined Elphinstone College, Bombay but gave up studies to join his father’s firm which managed two mills – Morarjee Goculdas Mill of Bombay and Sholapur Mill of Sholapur.
- Narottam Morarjee came into close contact with such luminaries on the Indian political scene as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Annie Besant, Dadabhai Naoroji, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Motilal Nehru. Inspired by the wave of national resurgence generated by Mahatma Gandhi’s gospel of Swaraj, Narottam Morarjee and his associates embarked upon a national shipping venture and the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Limited came into existence on March 27, 1919. Thus were laid the foundations of modern Indian shipping.
- On April 5, 1919, Scindia’s first ship s.s. LOYALTY sailed from Bombay to the United Kingdom and unfurled the flag of Indian shipping in international waters. The epic voyage symbolised the regeneration of a vanquished national industry, development of neglected ports, growth of Indian trade, prevention of drain of wealth and opening of a career at sea to the Indian youth. It was with infinite patience and tenacity of purpose that Scindias conducted the long Voyage towards their goal.
- For ten years Narottam Morarjee guided the destiny of the Scindia Company and promoted the interests of the Indian shipping industry. The progressive growth of the Indian shipping bears testimony to his vision and foresight.
- Narottam Morarjee, the architect of the modern Indian shipping, passed away on November 5, 1929. In an obituary tribute Mahatma Gandhi wrote in Young India : “The tragic death of Sheth Narottam Morarjee removed from our midst a merchant prince who combined patriotism with commercial ambition….His latest enterprise, the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, was conceived as much through patriotism as through ambition. His charities were wide, discriminating and in keeping with the modern requirements. The removal of such a son of India at this juncture is a great loss to the country”.
