The mood was somber and there was an air of melancholy at the Sri VD.Swami auditorium on the 21st of March 2013 as the Sankara Nethralaya family including Chairman Emeritus Dr SS.Badrinath, Chairman Dr S.Bhaskaran and Dr. Vasanthi Badrinath gathered together to recall the contribution, pay their respects and condole the demise of Shri Narayana Gupta an old friend, steadfast supporter and a long time Board Member of the Medical Research Foundation. While the presense of a good number of well wishers and friends of Sankara Nethralaya at the meeting indicated the high regard and respect that Shri Narayana Gupta enjoyed, the Nathella family exhibited a rare solidarity with Sankara Nethralaya by being present on the solemn occasion in the midst of their grief.
Speaking on the occasion Dr SS.Badrinath, Dr Vasanthi Badrinath and Dr S.Bhaskaran recalled the warm, simple, cheerful and generous persona of late Shri Narayana Gupta and the Nathella family’s empathy and support of Sankara Nethralaya’s cause which embodied itself as State of the Art clinical laboratories and diagnostic facilities in the various Sankara Nethralaya centers and cost free dispensing of glasses to poor patient at camps conducted by the Sankara Nethralaya Women’s auxiliary. Shri Narayana Gupta’s deep involvement with the affairs and concern in the development of Sankara Nethralaya which made him a regular and active participant in the board meetings were recalled by the speakers.
Paying his tributes to his illustrious brother a visibly moved Shri Ranganatha Gupta observed that he was deeply touched by the impact that his brother’s demise has had on the members of Sankara Nethralaya and their spontaneous gesture of calling for a condolence meting as a mark of respect to him. Shri Ranganatha gupta recalled that his brother was totally devoted to social, religious and charitable work including the managing of the Nathella charities, reposed total confidence in him and gave him an independent hand in running the family business, this was followed by the late Narayana Gupta’s nephew recalling his uncle’s noble qualities and how he had set high benchmarks both in business and service which they would strive to reach and the family’s resolve to strengthen its glorious association with Sankara Nethralaya started by him.
Dr SS.Badrinath expressed his heartfelt thanks to the members of the Nathella family especially Shrimathi Sulochana Ammal the mother of late Shri Narayana Gupta who had turned up in spite of her age and unbearable grief. Shri Ranganatha Gupta thanked the Sankara Nethralaya family for the gesture of calling for a condolence meeting in honour of his brother and made a token donation to mark the occasion. The solemn function came to an end with participants observing a minute of silence as a prayer for the departed soul to rest in peace and offering of floral tributes to the portrait of Shri Narayana Gupta.