The Cooper LEGACY

Mr. Farrokh Nariman Cooper is the grandson of Sir Dhanjisha Bomanji Cooper who in pre-independence period strived hard for cause of social and industrial development of rural Western Maharashtra. Sir. D.B. Cooper started first iron plough manufacturing in the Year 1922 at Satara. He was the President of Satara Municipality during 1923 to 1932 and during the same period he made primary education compulsory in Satara Municipal area. During this period, he was also a member of the Provincial Legislative Council and Governor’s Executive Council. In 1937 he got elected to Bombay Legislative Council and became Prime Minister of erstwhile Bombay Presidency consisting of parts of Sindh, Gujarat, and Western Maharashtra including Konkan and parts of Karnataka. During his tenure Congress had brought no confidence motion against Sir Dhanjisha and sought the support of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who refused the same and voted in support of Sir Dhanjisha government.

The multi-faceted Sir D.B. Cooper actively upheld the cause of untouchables and provided active support to Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil for spread of education in pre-independence rural Maharashtra. During this period, for the upliftment of the socially and educationally disadvantaged, he provided all possible support to towering personalities like Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Prabodhankar Thackeray. During 1923, Prabhodhankar Thackeray shifted from Bombay to Satara Road where Sir Dhanjisha Cooper had started an iron plough factory.

In 1934, the first diesel engine was manufactured, laying foundation of the automobile era and thus Sir D.B. Cooper became a pioneer of diesel engine manufacturing in India. He was a recipient of Knights of Garter - the oldest British order of Chivalry. In 1923, he took the lead to reduce the severe conditions of imprisonment imposed on Veer Savarkar during his imprisonment at Ratnagiri by the then British Government. Considering his contribution during the years 1920 to 1947, he emerged as an Idol Parsi, who walked few steps ahead of his time. He was a visionary, reformer and philanthropist in industry, education and agriculture. In the biographies of Seth Walchand Hirachand, Prabhodhankar Thackeray, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Yashwantrao Chavan, there are references to Sir Dhanjisha Cooper.