Jariwala Arunchandra Navnitlal, a highly respected doyen of the Indian textile industry, better known as Arunbhai Jariwala passed away on 21st January, 2017 in Surat. He was Chairman of FIASWI for 23 long years and was appointed on various Committees set up by the Government of India. Jariwala was one of the leading member in the Expert Committee on Textile Policy led by S Satyam, IAS, who had appreciated the contribution of Jariwala as follows:
Arunbhai Jariwala is one of the initiator of establishment of Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA) in Surat. Entire development of Man-Made Textile in Surat is due to the upliftment of knowledge of Textile due to the research programmes and educational and activities at Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA) due to Shri Arunbhai’s vision of the future of synthetics textile industry. Many associations including Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Surat Art Silk Cloth Manufacturers Association. (SASCMA) and TRAs in Gujarat owe immensely to Jariwala’s efforts in promoting their visions.
Says N T Rao, Secretary General of Federation of Indian Art Silk weaving industry (FIASWI): “It will be an unforgivable lapse of mine if I do not single out Shri A. N. Jariwala’s name for special admiration. Having been a member of most of the Committees appointed in this sector, he was the bulwark of our bastion and the corner-stone of all our consultations. A technocrat by training, a weaver by profession, a sadhu by temperament, and a helper by instinct, he was present everywhere at all times to help everyone notwithstanding his old age, ill-health, and inconvenient location. I place on record my salutations to this great man.â€Â