Lasting Legacies - J R D Tata

I believe Tata's were first true Indian Industrialists from Indian sub-continent and JRD Tata was a visionary.

Sometime back I got one email about an article from Sudha Murthy who is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayan Murthy is her husband. She is a legend in herself.
She wrote this article about JRD and this article is sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004.

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science. I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc. At the bottom was a small line: "Lady Candidates need not apply." I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination. Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful?

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco. I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then).

I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mated told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip. It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.

There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business. "This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted. Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview." They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them. Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories."

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, "But you must start somewhere otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories." Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me.

Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married. It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr. Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him. I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it). Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?" "When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha Murthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him. One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me. "Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said, "Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes." I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable. I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee." Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again."

In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused. Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?" (That was the way he always addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving Telco." "Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune." "Oh! And what will you do when you are successful." "Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful." "Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best." Then JRD continued walking up the stairs.

I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today." I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly. My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.

-- Keep the faith in yourself
- - Kalingaa...

If ....

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And — which is more — you'll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling
-- Keep the Touch
- - Kalingaa..

Man of Steel

This poem is written during Indo-China War 1965 by one of greatest hindi poet "Ramdhari Singh Dinkar". It speaks for more courage from india and not honour.

पुरुष वीर बलवान,
देश की शान,
हमारे नौजवान
घायल होकर आये हैं।

कहते हैं, ये पुष्प, दीप,
अक्षत क्यों लाये हो?

हमें कामना नहीं सुयश-विस्तार की,
फूलों के हारों की, जय-जयकार की।

तड़प रही घायल स्वदेश की शान है।
सीमा पर संकट में हिन्दुस्तान है।

ले जाओ आरती, पुष्प, पल्लव हरे,
ले जाओ ये थाल मोदकों ले भरे।

तिलक चढ़ा मत और हृदय में हूक दो,

दे सकते हो तो गोली-बन्दूक दो।

- Ramdhari Singh "Dinkar"
-- Keep the courage to fight against mightiest
- - Kalingaa..

Baavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna ....

Again its "Hazaron Khawahishen Aisi" which is best movie to come in last few years. It gives more questions to think about your way of life and what we all want out of our lives ...
This songs is 3rd most played song(along with other version of it) on my playlist after its release and still I want to listen more and more ..... Catch a mp3 and I am sure you will love it ..
Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna
Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna

Baavre se man ki dekho
Baavri hai baatein

Baavre se man ki dekho
Baavri hai baatein

Baavri si dhadkane hain, Baavri hi saansein
Baavri si karvatoin se Neendiya door bhage
Baavre se nain chahe
Baavre jharokhon se Baavre nazaaron ko takna

Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna

Baavre se is jahaan mein Baavra ek saath ho
Is sayani bheed mein Bas haathon mein tera haath ho

Baavri si dhun ho koi Baavra ik raag ho
Baavri si dhun ho koi Baavra ik raag ho

Baavre se pair chahe Baavre taraanon ke
Baavre se bol pe thirakna

Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna

Baavra sa ho andhera , Baavri khamoshiyan
Baavra sa ho andhera ,Baavri khamoshiyan ...
Thartharati loh madham , Baavri madhoshiyan

Baavra ek ghungta chahe Haule haule bin bataye
Baavra ek ghungta chahe Haule haule bin bataye
Baavre se mukhre se sarakna

Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna

Baavra man dekhne chala ek sapna
-- Keep Dreaming for more
- - Kalingaa..

Baavra Mann ....

No words to define beauty of this songs and specially instrumentals being played along ...
sun in the earth...sunflower
bird in the air...rain
eye within eye...daybreak

baavra mann dekhne chala ek sapna...

streets we have never walked on
windows we have never opened
hands we have never held
dreams we shall never...never see again

baavra mann dekhne chala ek sapna...
baavre se mann ki dekho baavri hain baatein...

sun in the earth...sunflower
bird in the air...rain
eye within eye...daybreak
lives we have never lived
hopes we have never realized
fires we have never lit
loves we shall never...never make again

baavra mann dekhne chala ek sapna...

sun in the earth...sunflower
bird in the air...rain
eye within eye...daybreak

i hear those strange whispers again...

-- Keep listening to those strange whispers
- - Kalingaa..

Forgotten Poets

Along with some random thoughts I put poems and ghazals from shayar which people otherwise dont know about. This blog is dedicated for people who wanted to express their feelings by their own style. As by an earlier post I blogged about Meena Kumari and I love the way she writes about emotions ....

This one is about circumstances in life when you cant make picture of future .. and just read last three lines again after reading completely ..
Yeh Nur Kaisa Hai - Meena Kumari

yeh nur kaisa hai , raakh ka sa rang pahne

barf ki laash hai , laave kaa saa badan pahne

gungi chaahat hai , rusvaai kaa kafan pahne

har ek qatra muqaddas hai maile aansu ka
ek hujum-e-apaahij hai aab-e-kausar par

yeh kaisa shor hai jo be-awaaz phaila hai
rupahli chaanv mein - badnaamion ka deraa hai

yeh kaisi jannat hai jo chaunk-chaunk jaati hai
ek intizaar-e-mujassam ka naam - Khamoshi

aur ehsaas-e-bekaraan pe yeh sarhad kaisi?
dar-o-diwaar kahan ruh ki awaargi ke

nur ki vaadi talak lams kaa ek safar-e-tavil
har ek mod pe bas do hi naam milte hain

maut kah lo - jo muhabbat nahiin kahne pao
-- Keep looking for Light
- - Kalingaa..

Continue from last Post...

Also when you think that someone whom you trusted the most lets you down .... and you feel that "drinking till you fall" is only option left for you to choose so that you will forget everything for a moment ... But this actually increases the pain and suffering, as I believe everyone must have tried to forget pains and nobody is really successful in this ....

Koyi kisi ka nahi ye jhoote,
Naate hain naaton ka kya

Kasme waade pyaar wafaa sab,
Baatein hain baato ka kya

Hoga masiha ...
Hoga masiha saamne tere,
Phir bhi na tu bach paayega
(according to Christians, after dead everybody will have to meet god for justice)
Tera apna…
Tera apna khoon hi aakhir tujhko aag lagaayega
(
according to Hindus, Cremation is placing the first fire in the mouth of a dead man on the
funeral pyre by the eldest son.
)
Aasmaan mein ...
Aasmaan mein udane waale mitti mein mil jaayega
(according to Islam, Cremation is placing body in earth and putting sand on by relatives)
Kasme waade pyaar wafaa sab, baatein hain baato ka kya

Sukh mein tere ...
Sukh mein tere saath chalenge,
Dukh mein sab mukh modenge
Duniya waale ...
Duniya waale tere bankar tera hi dil todenge
Dete hain ...
Dete hain bhagwaan ko dhokha,
Insaan ko kya chhodenge
Kasme waade pyaar wafaa sab,
Baatein hain baato ka kya
-- Keep trsuting youself more and more
- - Kalingaa..

Koi Hota Jisko Hum ....

When I feel lonely I have this songs to remember because this songs give the same words which i want express to this world. When you are away from family and friends, you get to know that you need them more then ever before. Also you become more closer to yourself and try to think what you need in life and what is more significant to our social life. Still you need people with whom you can share your happiness and sorrow, your success and failure, your words and your fears ......
Koi Hota Jisko Apna
Hum Apana Keh Lete
Koi Hota Jisko Hum Yaaron
Paas Nahin To Door Hee Hota
Lekin Koi Mera Apna

Aakhon Mein Neend Na Hoti
Aansoo Hi Tairte Rehte

Khwabon Mein Jaagte Hum Raat Bhar
Koi To Gham Apnataa
Koi To Saathi Hota

Koi Hota Jisko Apna
Hum Apana Keh Lete Yaaron
Paas Nahin To Door Hee Hota
Lekin Koi Mera Apna

Bhoola Hua Koi Waada
Beeti Huyi Kuchh Yaadein
Tanahai Dohraati Hain Raatbhar
Koi Dilasa Hota
Koi To Apna Hota

Koi Hota Jisko Apna
Hum Apana Keh Lete Yaaron
Paas Nahin To Door Hee Hota
Lekin Koi Mera Apna
-- Keep looking for the "ONE"
- - Kalingaa...