Written by Lakshmi Mittal on his visit to Jamshedpur (Jharkand). An
eye-opener I guess
>
>I visited Jamshedpur over the weekend to see for myself an India that
is
>fast disappearing despite all the wolf-cries of people like
Narayanamurthy
>and his ilk. It is one thing to talk and quite another to do and I am
>delighted to tell you that Ratan Tata has kept alive the legacy of
perhaps
>Indias finest industrialist J.N. Tata. Something that some people
doubted
>when Ratan took over the House of the Tatas but in hindsight, the best
>thing to have happened to the Tatas is unquestionably Ratan. I was
amazed
>to see the extent of corporate philanthropy and this is no
exaggeration.
>
>For the breed that talks about corporate social responsibility and
talks
>about the role of corporate India, a visit to Jamshedpur is a must. Go
>there and see the amount of money they pump into keeping the town
going;
>see the smiling faces of workers in a region known for industrial
unrest;
>see the standard of living in a city that is almost isolated from the
mess
>in the rest of the country.
>
>This is not meant to be a puff piece. I have nothing to do with Tata
Steel,
>but I strongly believe the message of hope and the message of goodness
that
>they are spreading is worth sharing. The fact that you do have
companies in
>India which look at workers as human beings and who do not blow their
>software trumpet of having changed lives. In fact, I asked Mr
Muthurman,
>the managing director, as to why he was so quiet about all they had
done
>and all he could offer in return was a smile wrapped in humility,
which
>said it all. They have done so much more since I last visited
Jamshedpur,
>which was in 1992. The town has obviously got busier but the values
>thankfully haven't changed. The food is still as amazing as it always
was
>and I gorged, as I would normally do. I visited the plant and the last
time
>I did that was with Russi Mody.
>
>But the plant this time was gleaming and far from what it used to be.
>Greener and cleaner and a tribute to environment management. You could
have
>been in the mountains. Such was the quality of air I inhaled! There
was no
>belching smoke; no tired faces and so many more women workers, even on
the
>shop floor. This is true gender equality and not the kind that is
often
>espoused at seminars organised by angry activists. I met so many old
>friends. Most of them have aged but not grown old. There was a spring
in
>the air which came from a certain calmness which has always been the
>hallmark of Jamshedpur and something I savoured for a full two days in
>between receiving messages of how boring and decrepit the Lacklustre
>Fashion Weak was.
>
>It is at times such as this that our city lives seem so meaningless.
>Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had created an edifice that is today a
robust
>company and it is not about profits and about valuation. It is not
about
>who becomes a millionaire and who doesnt'. It is about getting the job
done
>with dignity and respect keeping the age-old values intact and this is
what
>I learnt.
>
>I jokingly asked someone as to whether they ever thought of joining an
>Infosys or a Wipro and pat came the reply: "We are not interested in
>becoming crorepatis but in making others crorepatis."
>
>Which is exactly what the Tatas have done for years in and around
>Jamshedpur. Very few people know that Jamshedpur has been selected as
a UN
>Global Compact City, edging out the other nominee from India,
Bangalore.
>Selected because of the quality of life, because of the conditions of
>sanitation and roads and welfare. If this is not a tribute to
industrial
>India, then what is? Today, Indian needs several Jamshedpurs but it
also
>needs this Jamshedpur to be given its fair due, its recognition. I am
tired
>of campus visits being publicised to the Infosys and the Wipros of the
>world. Modern India is being built in Jamshedpur as we speak. An India
>built on the strength of core convictions and nothing was more
apparent
>about that than the experiment with truth and reality that Tata Steel
is
>conducting at Pipla.
>
>Forty-eight tribal girls (yes, tribal girls who these corrupt and evil
>politicians only talk about but do nothing for) are being educated
through
>a residential program over nine months. I went to visit them and I
spoke to
>them in a language that they have just learnt: Bengali. Eight weeks
ago,
>they could only speak in Sainthali, their local dialect. But today,
they
>are brimming with a confidence that will bring tears to your eyes. It
did
>to mine.
>
>One of them has just been selected to represent Jharkand in the state
>archery competition. They have their own womens football team and
whats
>more they are now fond of education. It is a passion and not a burden.
This
>was possible because I guess people like Ratan Tata and Muthurman
havent
>sold their souls to some business management drivel, which tells us
that we
>must only do business and nothing else. The fact that not one Tata
>executive has been touched by the Naxalites in that area talks about
the
>social respect that the Tatas have earned.
>
>The Tatas do not need this piece to be praised and lauded. My intent
is to
>share the larger picture that we so often miss in the haze of the
slime and
>sleaze that politics imparts. My submission to those who use phrases
such
>as "feel-good" and "India Shining" is first visit Jamshedpur to
understand
>what it all means. See Tata Steel in action to know what companies can
do
>if they wish to. And what corporate India needs to do. Murli Manohar
Joshi
>would be better off seeing what Tata Steel has done by creating the
Xavier
>Institute of Tribal Education rather than by proffering excuses for
the
>imbroglio in the IIMs. This is where the Advanis and Vajpayees need to
pay
>homage. Not to all the Sai Babas and the Hugging saints that they are
so
>busy with. India is changing inspite of them and they need to realise
that.
>
>I couldn't have spent a more humane and wonderful weekend. Jamshedpur
is an
>eye-opener and a role model, which should be made mandatory for
>replication. I saw corporate India actually participate in basic
>nation-building, for when these tribal girls go back to their
villages,
>they will return with knowledge that will truly be life-altering.
>
>Corporate India can do it but most of the time is willing to shy away.
For
>those corporate leaders who are happier winning awards and being
>interviewed on their choice of clothes, my advise is visit Tata Steel,
>spend some days at Jamshedpur and see a nation's transformation. That
is
>true service and true nationalism.
>
>Tata Steel will celebrate 100 years of existence in 2007. It won't be
just
>a milestone in this company's history. It will be a milestone, to my
mind
>of corporate transparency and generosity in this country. It is indeed
>fitting that Ratan Tata today heads a group which has people who are
>committed to nation-building than just building inflluence and power.
JRD
>must be smiling wherever he is. And so must Jamsetji Nusserwanji.
These
>people today, have literally climbed every last blue mountain. And
continue
>to do so with vigour and passion. Thank god for the Tatas!
>
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