Dr Ratan Marshal, the first person to obtain a doctorate in the Gujarati language, died on Sunday at his residence in Ahmedabad. He was 99. His PhD thesis, 'Gujarati Patrakaratvano Itihas', was published in book form and is considered one of the most valuable reference books on Gujarati journalism.
Although it was then mandatory to write a PhD thesis in the English language, Mumbai University gave him special permission to use Gujarati as he was writing about a certain style of writing, words and punctuation of Gujarati that had become obsolete. His thesis was so wide-ranging - it covered topics like the history of the Gujarati language - that he was forced to shorten his thesis.
Marshal worked with the Parsi panchayat in Surat for more than 70 years in various capacities. He lived in the city almost all his life but spent his last years in Ahmedabad. He always missed Surat, which is why he made it a point to keep himself updated on happenings in the city by reading Surat editions of different vernacular newspapers.
He used to write short stories which were published as 'Parsi Sansari Premkathao'. Marshal also wrote an autobiography entitled, 'Katha Ratan'. He was felicitated by Gujarati Sahitya Parishad for his achievements.
Marshal had played a comic role in 'Biccharo Barjor' - a Parsi edition of an English play which was staged in Gujarati as 'Kutrani Punchhadi Vanki'. But he was more active in social service than in literature. In an interview in 2006, Marshal expressed disappointment with some newspapers which, he said, had lost their objectivity and had become the mouthpiece of political parties.
