Mrs Arthy Sampathy, Mr Sailesh, Prof V.G. Chari and
all other Professors, distinguished audience and most importantly, all the
graduates getting coronated today - I am
delighted and privileged to be amidst these blossoming flowers of life whose
petals are in pleasant colours that the most beautiful butterfly would envy. At
the outset, let me congratulate all of you for all that you achieved on this
illustrious Siva Sivani Campus. I also congratulate the faculty and staff who
should be feeling equally proud of seeing you transcending to a different
territory.
When Dr Chari called me on the morning of 16th
of this month to adorn this dais I instantaneously accepted the invitation for,
it is a great honour to be in the hall of fame of Siva Sivani Institute
alongside doyens like Abdul J. Kalam who ignited the minds of youth and
scientists alike. I also realise the responsibility to share with you such
lessons of life that you would love to hear.
If it is my parents who taught me love and
affection, it is my gurus who made me sterner stuff. I shall invoke my parents’
and Gurus’ blessings before I call upon you to do all that you wanted to do
after you leave this campus. “Matru Devo Bhava, Pithru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo
Bhava.
I was wondering what you would love to hear for the
next few minutes different from what you had been listening during the last two
years on this campus. I thought the choices made in my life at different points
of time could be of interest to you. You are today fortunate to stand in the
midst of an intersection that takes you to the roads leading to join a job or
setting up an enterprise that creates the jobs.
All of you are at a point of inflexion that I was
five decades ago holding a post graduation degree with distinction in Economics
for four years by then. Little did I know of opportunities abroad and even if I
had known there was no way I could aspire with no physical or financial assets
to support such ambitions. As the eldest child of the large family I had to
supplement my parents’ income to run the family.
After a year of intense preparation for competitive
avenues, I was every day waiting for the postman to arrive with some good news,
having seen my result for the civil services and the SBI Probationary Offiers.
The day arrived and the post man delivered three covers at a time.
I opened the first one: it related to the PO’s post
in SBI requiring me to appear for a medical test before the Bank’s Authorised
physician in Visakhapatnam; the second one – final selection asking me to
report at the National Police Academy, Mount Abu for training; and the third
one: Invitation to join the post of the coveted Research Officer in DCM Ltd.,
Delhi. I took all the offer letters to my father seeking his advice. He just
said: “my job is over. It is for you to choose.”Among the three the most paying
in those days was the last one; the least paying was the Civil Services, but
most charming. I opted to take the front foot to the civil services only to
back off in a fortnight. I joined the SBI. During the service in SBI instead of
chanting the panchakshari mantra of the Bank, C.A.I.I.B., I preferred to do
Ph.D. I enjoyed my profession – may be because success embraced me.
During my tenure at the Bank, thanks to my teacher
and well wisher, Shri B.N. Yugandhar, father of the present legendary figure in
Microsoft, Mr Satya Nadendla, I went on deputation to the LBS National Academy
of Administration, Mussoori as Professor of economics for a couple of years
where nearly 500 civil servants were trained during that period. This period
was as much teaching as learning. It opened up new vistas and kicked up my
passion for research and articulation.
With about three decades of distinguished career in
the Bank, I left the service voluntarily with no VRS benefit and it was my
academic instinct that took me to Administrative Staff College of India.
Now, my well meaning friends say that had I
continued in IPS I may have been a Governor of a State; others say, had I
continued in the Bank I would have been either a Chairman of a Bank or even
Governor of RBI; and some others say with my keenness for research, I would
have been chairing the Planning Commission. If that were to be your position, I
am unsure as to what you would have opted if you are in my position. In
retrospect, however, I would say that I had no occasion to regret for any of my
choices.
Since you are all at the point of inflexion right
now, the choices are many and opportunities could be plenty. Choose an option
but never regret.
Part 2
The jest for life is just beginning to unfold before
you and you are in a land of growing opportunities. On the campus you had all
the joy of gossip into filmy dialogues, watching Virat Kohli hit a double ton
again and again or Ashwin setting up new records in twisting his hand to the
exit of his opponent, or teasing each other on a silly joke. If you did not
indulge in such mirth you would have missed precious youth. But if you continue
the same you would miss the future. You need to take the lead in telling about
our culture, our custom and our history. The whole world is looking at India –
India as a nation of youth and energy.
India is the
only country which has democracy, demographic dividend and demand, and it is
currently on smoothening its road to the ease of doing business.
Talking of
entrepreneurship, starting small like the NIRMA is never a bad option for it
provides learning lessons at least expense and growing fast through
experimenting on new strategies.
I know that
several of you qualified in on-campus selections are eager to take positions in
the industry. There could be innovative few of you wanting to be part of Make
in India fortune as a start up. I cannot but recall Steve Jobs whose Apple
phone or Mac Note Book could be right in your hands. ‘You have to find what you
love and keep doing the things you love.’ But the fire and enthusiasm in you
should never be killed.
Quite a few of
you may have come from villages. You may want to do something to those hapless
people in villages who have all along been victims of petty politics. But when
you want to breathe fresh air, you have to go to such villages. Rural India is
today cynosure of investors. Innovative enterprise in rural areas has immense
potential for success. Such success may not be as instantaneous as a job fetching
you Rs.6-8lakhs per annum. But it has its charm.
This is an
exciting time for leaders and entrepreneurs in our country. The country’s
policy framework is more federal than before. During 1990s we embraced
liberalization, privatization and globalization and the mantra was ‘compete or
perish’. Today, the mantra is coopetition for sustainability. You compete but
cooperate with the competitor. You collaborate and add value to whatever you do
provided it does not cut into your principles. Make mega beautiful.
You are
increasingly finding that firms are growing but jobs are declining because all
believe in automation, innovation and cost reduction. Each App on the mobile is
an instrument of innovation. The creator is happy when the market accepts it.
The user is happy when he sees value in it. But the creator realizes that it
threw off many out of job. Therefore, you need to run fast to stay where you
are, like Allis in the wonderland. You need to plan for building enterprise.
Enormous service opportunities are waiting for you with consumerism growing. Webster
defines ‘opportunity’ as a “fit time’. You are fortunate because now is a truly
‘fit time’ for you. You just have to have courage and patience, plan and
progress.
The timing is
perfect because I see more and more people standing against corruption and evil
designs than in the preceding five years. When you are competing with ten other
equals you compromise on remuneration. More importantly, many of those realize
that, ultimately, those who do only what they please to do are seldom pleased
with what they do. New horizons are being explored by such persons and this is
encouraging.
Here I feel like
recalling the last day speech of John Kennedy before he was assassinated: “We,
in this country, in this generation, are by destiny, rather than by choice, the
watchmen of the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be
worthy of the power and the responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with
wisdom and restraint, that we may achieve in our time and all times the ancient
vision of peace on earth, good will toward men. That must always be our goal
and the righteousness of our call must always underlie our strength, for as it
was written long ago, except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen walketh in
vain.” It aptly applies to us in India at this moment.
Financial Times,
London carried a beautiful article on ‘Which business people would make good
world leaders?’ just five days ago. “Sir Richard Branson, a person with no
formal education, built his business empire from relatively humble beginnings
he combines eco aspirations with pushing the boundaries of innovation, while
giving his highly skilled employees the autonomy and support to succeed.” Bill
Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Indra Nooyi, Yvon Chouinard are the other leaders
that figure in the article. At home you have very tall leaders like Narayana
Murthy of Infosys or B.V. Mohan Reddy, former President of NAFSCOM, closer home.
The diploma you
are proudly carrying with you from today is the product of knowledge or
‘Gnana’. ‘Pragjna’ or skill can be developed depending where you work. But
‘Pravrutti’ or attitude, the right one is possible only when you put ethics in
front of knowledge and skill. What is this ethics I am talking of?
Ethics is
deciding between right and wrong. But ethical dilemma lies in choosing between
right and right. It is the ethics in love and affection. You should be sincere
in love and deep in affection. The spouse that comes into your life may know
you no more than the fun and frolic you had time and occasion to share or the
physical attraction. Life lies in compromises generated out of affection. The
hollowness of life is at once gone, the moment you share the sorrows and joys
alike. Successful partners at home have never failed in their partnerships in
firms. Therefore, success begins at home. Loving parents and loving spouse
makes you the best partner in a firm or best director in a company because you
never carry the problems of home to a work situation.
I would only
cite a few things that you need to avoid, so that you pick up the right things
that come your way.
‘Taking things
that don’t belong to you; saying things that you know are not true; giving or
allowing false impression; buying influence or engaging in conflict of
interest; hiding or divulging information; taking unfair advantage; committing
acts of decadence; perpetuating interpersonal abuse; violating rules and
condoning unethical action.’
Upanishads are
our treasure. I am tempted to refer to a psalm from Brihadaranyakopanishad when
translated into English reads like this: Quote-
“Where learning is not realized as self, such learning
cannot last. Where power is not realized as self, such power cannot stay.
….
Like waters merging in the sea, all colours merge in
the sense of sight; sounds merge in the sense of hearing; odours merge in the
sense of smell; flavours merge in the sense of taste,; felt sensations merge in
touch; actions merge in motivation; all expressions merge in meaning; thoughts
and ideas merge in mind; and all feelings merge in the heart.
….
All mind and sense, and all objects they perceive are
formed from changing elements; in course of time they all must change and pass
away. Wherever knowledge is attained, no such perceptions can remain.” unquote
I also allude to
Gnana Yoga of Bhagavadgita that says:
“Karmanyakarma, Yah Pasyaecha karmani ka karma yah; Sa
buddhiman manusheyeshu, Sa yuktaha, Krutsnakyarma krut.” (Your ability to see
the wrong in the right and right in the wrong would make you intelligent, - and
all of you are intelligent - eligible for bliss and perform ethical acts.)
If you live each
day that it would be the last day, you will do all that you can before the day
ends. So you learn to live in the present to embark on an exciting future. And
yes, the future is uncertain, for you know not the reward of uncertainty. You
now hold in your hands information and inspiration that will unlock the
treasures you seek in tomorrow’s life. Instead of focusing your energy, as most
of us do, on what goes wrong- redirect that energy towards a positive outcome
in both work and family relationships. Make ethics as a permanent platform to
climb the ladder of success when the success will truly bring happiness. All
successful persons may not be the happiest lot; but most happy persons are
successful. I wish all of you the best in careers, happiness in life and
excellence in pursuit.
B. YERRAM RAJU
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