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Parag Desai, the Executive Director of Wagh Bakri Tea Group, died on Sunday evening at a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, due to suffering from a brain hemorrhage. He is survived by his wife Vidisha and his daughter Parisha. On October 15, Mr. Desai went out for a morning walk around Iscon Ambli road and after being chased by some stray dogs, he fell outside his residence in an attempt to evade them. A security guard informed the family about the mishap and Mr. Desai was immediately rushed to Shelby Hospital. However, as his condition started worsening, he was shifted to Zydus Hospital for the procedure of brain surgery that he underwent.
A CT scan showed that he suffered from “acute subdural hematoma with bilateral frontal contusion” and after being on the ventilator for seven days, he passed away on October 22, 2023. The Wagh Bakri Tea Group released a statement on Instagram informing about the same, stating “With profound grief, we regret to inform the sad demise of our beloved Shri Parag Desai.” His last rites took place at Thaltej crematorium at 9 a.m. today.
Who was Parag Desai?
Parag Desai was a fourth-generation entrepreneur of Wagh Bakri Tea Group He joined the company in 1995 when it had a turnover of around 100 crore. It has been reported that under his 30 years of leadership, the conglomerate became one of the leading tea companies, with a turnover of 2000 crore.
He was the son of Rasesh Desai who is the Managing Director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group. Mr. Desai did his MBA from Long Island University, USA. He actively participated in increasing sales and his role is considered to be significant, especially in the marketing and exports division of the company.
Many people have expressed their condolences over Desai’s death, including Tech Mahindra who expressed their tribute over Twitter, calling it an “untimely loss”. Shaktisinh Gohil who is the MP in the Rajya Sabha and Gujarat Congress Chief, also expressed his condolences to “the entire Wagh Bakri family across India” for the loss.
What are the debates around the recent attacks by stray dogs?
The relationship between dogs and humans has been of companionship and understanding for ages. However, the aforementioned relationship has been put under immense scrutiny as recent data shows that dog bites have increased considerably over a period of time. Parliament of Indian Data shows that around 18,000-20,000 people have died due to rabies annually. Under such circumstances, it becomes important to resignify the relationship between humans and animals, considering that neither life can be seen as disposable or one without rights.
As the number of incidents of dog bites has increased in recent times, especially in NCR regions, one line of argument that arises tends to focus solely on the violence done by dogs. Another argument focuses on the way dogs benefit human lives and how humans have been violent to animals as well. However, it is not a case of either this or that. An open dialogue between the two can lead to a much more meaningful conversation than taking one side completely.
