- Mrs.
Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and
Rural Development, ‘In Conversation with Dr. Pragnya Ram’
I have had
the privilege and honour of working with Mrs. Rajashree Birla since 1997. In my
CSR portfolio, she is the dream boss. It has been, and continues to be, a great
learning experience.
There is
something very touching about her tenacity. She leads with a single-minded
focus — whatever it takes to lift the poor out of their poverty, she does in
her own way. Compassion is the only currency that counts. It’s not just about
our Group. Her gaze is fixated at the nation. Rajashreeji’s vision is to help
raise the Human Development Index of India, which today stands at a lowly 136,
even though we are on the intellectual map of the world. For her, it’s not
about choices. For her, it’s a duty.
She does not
allow any baggage of the past to disturb her calm. Never a slighting word, no
railing, no matter what the provocation — this is yet another ethereal quality
of Rajashreeji. A karmayogini, she follows the philosophy of hope. An evolved,
reflective, iconic leader, she is by nature endowed with a very sunny
disposition and an optimistic, can-do attitude, always focused and forever
willing to learn afresh. She is a great role model for women per se. The
impact, in qualitative and quantitative terms, is awesome.
Under
Rajashreeji’s leadership, we have laboured hard to make her dream of freedom
from poverty come true in some of our model villages in Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat. You can see the changed face of
the villages. From abject poverty to meeting the necessities of life. From
dependency to freedom. From backwardness to progress — in more ways than one.
In most of the villages where we are working, our committed teams have
endeavoured to bring in change. There is a palpable difference. Tens of
thousands of villagers now seem self-assured, confident and happy at being able
to move towards a sustainable livelihood. There is new found dignity among them
as they celebrate a new life.
To ask
Rajashreeji about our CSR projects, in one’s view, would be a tad superficial.
All of you are aware of her stewardship. So one has opted to present different
facets of her prismatic persona.
Your philosophy of life
Simple — live
and let live. Today, I am about 90 per cent successful in living this
philosophy day in and day out. I believe that this ‘live and let live’
principle embodies the philosophy of tolerance. It helps you recognise that
every individual is distinct, different from you, and has the right to his or
her own views and attitude.
I am also a
great believer in self-acceptance. Accepting yourself unconditionally,
believing in yourself, is very important. Many times people tick themselves off
because they have not measured up to their image of themselves. If it is not
for want of effort, you should just let it pass by. I think one has to learn to
be kind and gentle to oneself. You must accept yourself as you are. And my mind
is like a blank slate. No baggage of yesterday.
“Think beyond yourself”. Have heard
you say so often. Elaborate.
Think beyond
yourself. Recall Satya Nadella’s email to employees when he stepped in as CEO
at Microsoft. He wrote, “I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in
our work. The best work happens when you know that it’s not just work, but
something that will improve other people’s lives.” Reach out to all those, who
are not as blessed or privileged as we all are. Work to make a difference to
them also. Leave behind a legacy, that of a good, honest human being who cared
for others.
Your favourite phrase?
“This too
shall pass” — just four words which tell you that everything in life is
ephemeral. Nothing lasts forever. In any situation, it holds true, and gives
enormous strength, resilience and hope. So it helps you go through the rough
times without despairing and good times without being too overwhelmed.
Your most memorable moment?
When Kumar
Mangalam cleared his CA in the first attempt and was among the toppers, I was
over the moon. At that point in time, there were no coaching classes for
students who aspired to do their CA. I know of many youngsters who cleared the
CA in the third attempt. Today, there are coaching classes and earning the CA
qualification is tough, but not that tough. I know of many Marwari girls who
have now earned a CA degree.
You know he
did his B.Com and CA together. From Sydenham College he moved to HR College,
which had morning classes. It was a tough slog for him, juggling two academic
programs side-by-side.
Of course,
hard work, perseverance, rigour, meticulous attention to detail, a degree of
seriousness and integrity were his hallmarks then and are his defining
characteristics even today. But I think all mothers get tense and worried when children
take exams. Having said that, Adityaji was absolutely confident and was sure
that for Kumar Mangalam it would be no problem.
What about his MBA from London?
In contrast,
when Kumar Mangalam enrolled for his MBA at the London Business School, I was
not at all worried. Adityaji and I were more than certain that he would make
the grade. Neerja went along with him to London and that kind of gave us great
comfort and a sense of reassurance. She helped him enormously every which way.
And they quickly settled into a groove. Still at 24, Kumar Mangalam was by far
the youngest in the class. He did brilliantly.
His entire
educational trajectory was charted out by Adityaji and Kumar Mangalam never
questioned it. He had blind faith in his father and idolised him.
What about Vasavadatta?
For parents
of our generation, being protective of the girl child was the norm. Even for
Vasavadatta, Adityaji decided what course she would pursue. So, after
graduation, he felt she should go to Switzerland’s finest finishing school.
Vasavadatta was also happy to do so.
She has done
the Montessori course at Sophia College (Mumbai University). She feels that
this course, which is primarily a teacher’s program, has helped her raise her
kids — my grandchildren Anandmayi, Yugadikrit and Vishwarupe. Kushagra (Bajaj),
my son-in-law, backs her to the hilt.
Is it still a man’s world?
(Laughs)
Changing, albeit at a slow pace. But if you are educated, you have the
intelligence, the wit and the verve, you can pull it off. In life, I believe
you have to find your own trail, you shouldn’t let your (woman’s) identity be
subsumed into the man’s, whatever your relationship.
Living one’s passion
Today the
world is nowhere near to the world that we knew as young parents. Distances
don’t matter. Children leave the comfort of their homes in their teens itself
to study abroad. Technology is such a marvel, you can talk whenever you want
and you can Skype whenever you want to see them. It’s so different.
Adityaji
could choose courses for Kumar Mangalam and Vasavadatta. Today’s children are
encouraged to pursue their passion and fulfil their dreams. My grand-daughter,
Ananyashree, took a sabbatical to found Svatantra Microfinance Limited, an
NBFC. Currently, she is studying at the Oxford University. Kumar Mangalam could
have never dreamt of taking a sabbatical. But Neerja and he went with her
dreams. Adityaji and I would have been startled if our children would have
wanted a break after their board exams. All straightjacket thinking, but now
the times are changing.
Your role model?
No single
role model as such. I find life is a journey where you meet so many interesting
people. Many of them have uniqueness, a trait which I begin to admire, and that
influences me as I move on. Having said that, the three people who cast a spell
on me are: Ma (Dr. Sarala Birla), my husband Adityaji, and now for nearly two
decades, Kumar Mangalam (my son).
Ma (Dr.
Sarala Birla): She has an indomitable spirit. She symbolises commitment,
passion, integrity and compassion. Apart from being one of the finest
educationists, having established more than 20 schools, she is a woman of
substance, a highly spiritual person. Even today at 86, she is extremely
sprightly and very active. Not a single lazy bone in her. She is a great source
of inspiration for me and many, many others.
My husband
Adityaji was my greatest guru. I was engaged at 10 and married at 17, that was
kind of expected. So, I would go to Birla Park in Calcutta and have a wonderful
time with his two sisters — Jayashreebai and Manjushreebai. It was much, much
later, and only during the last few months, when Adityaji was at MIT, that we
started writing letters to one another, after being permitted to do so by our
respective parents. He was 21 and I was 17 when we got married. The early years
he was very busy putting up factories in India and outside. He was an
absolutely doting father to Kumar Mangalam and Vasavadatta.
A true
karmayogi, there was a uniqueness to Adityaji. Beyond dynamism. Beyond vision.
So much of compassion. He had a lot of positive energy, the passion and the
edge to do something for the underprivileged, besides his companies’
stakeholders. It wasn’t cheque book philanthropy. I deeply admired these
traits. And that then had a resonance in my own life, moulding it in so many
ways.
A bit on the concept of Karmayogi
The concept
of the karmayogi is beautifully explained in the Gita. Comments Aldous Huxley —
“The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive summaries of the
Perennial Philosophy ever to have been done. Hence, its enduring value, not
only for Indians, but all mankind… The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most
systematic spiritual statement of the Perennial Philosophy.”
On all
counts, the Gita is the stairway to a higher purpose in life. It teaches how to
transcend oneself through contemplation, self-control and meditation, and
compassion as well. All of which help quieten the chatter of the mind, which
ceaselessly flits from one issue to the other. The Gita teaches you how to
master the mind through following the path that it enshrines. It transposes you
to an entirely higher plane, giving you inner peace and a kind of tranquillity.
Today, more than ever, most people, all over the world, are seekers of this
inner peace. People have begun to realise the need for self-control in the
midst of unrelenting stress.
We as a
family look upon the Gita as our spiritual guide. Our aspiration is to try and
reach the exalted level of the true karmayogi. (That’s the secret of
Rajashreeji’s calm, unhurried, unflappable self, always brimming with
patience.) In fact, Adityaji and I grew up in the spirit of the Gita. Both of
us listened to the discourses on the Bhagvad Gita. It gives you an inner
strength, a sense of equanimity and fortitude. It helped me cope with the
passing away of Adityaji. He was the noblest of the noble. But we did not ask
God, why him? We accepted God’s will unconditionally. I read the Gita
regularly. And this has percolated. Kumar Mangalam and Neerja hold a satsang
every week at home with a group of their friends. During the two-hour satsang,
the focus is on spirituality and the teachings of the Gita.
As a parent,
I see a lot of compassion, goodness and nobility of character in Kumar Mangalam
and Neerja. And I see these values percolating to my grandchildren —
Ananyashree, Aryaman and Advaitesha. I admire the way they are growing up. If,
as parents, we follow the straight and narrow path, if we keep doing the right
thing, children are bound to imbibe those values from you. Of course,
ultimately we do what we can do — give the best of values and the best of
education. If these two are in place, everything else will fall in line.
On wealth
As a family,
we subscribe to the trusteeship concept — the wealth that is generated is to be
held for larger purposes. Quite honestly, how much money one needs is a
difficult question. People would tend to say whatever is the comfort level for
them. Money is important up to a point. Thinking beyond yourself and helping
others and making this a part of your life makes me feel good. I think it is a
good thing to do.
Running a business?
After
Adityaji’s demise, Kumar Mangalam suggested that I look after a few units. Very
quickly I realised that I was not cut out for business and I told him so. Then,
a year down the line (1997), we set up the Aditya Birla Centre for Community
Initiatives and Rural Development. Our CSR projects became structured and very
meaningful. I find that our work in communities and my involvement has endowed
my life with a sense of purpose.
The book on your bedside table?
I believe
that if you view life through the lens of a positive prism, you will only be
greeted with positivity. I have found that reading books like Don’t sweat the
small stuff..... and it’s all small stuff by Richard Carlson, Joy 24x7 by the
spiritual master Sadhguru, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen
Covey, also help enormously in stoking positive thoughts, which enable us to go
with the flow. So these kinds of books occupy my shelves.
Wanderlust
Every year,
we head off to some exotic destination and explore new countries. We are a
bunch of buddies who travel together and press the limits in exploring new
geographies and exotic places. So we have been to Australia, Croatia, New
Zealand, Canada, the Rockies, South America, South Africa, China, Egypt and
Turkey. We will head off to Japan soon. It’s a lot of fun and every place just
amazes me, and I see myself soaking in their culture and their history. In a
manner of speaking, these are wonderful learning expeditions too, and great
leisure pursuits.
You dream of
An India free from poverty. In the villages, and elsewhere, when you see men
and women ravaged by poverty, it hurts. We have seen all this. With the right
focus on inclusive growth in the foreseeable future, this is not a pipe dream.
And of course a world with more of peace and minimal conflict. Utopia? Is it?
(Reproduced with the permission of Dr.
Pragnya Ram, Editor, ‘Aditya’, the management journal of the Aditya Birla Group).
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