Saturday, June 18, 2005

The Winds of Change

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LOOKING UP: We are the change. We are the master of our own destiny.

Boss, the tables have turned…

“When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell mychildren: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in Indiawho would make you starve, if you don't.”
Thomas Friedman of The New York Times ....

When I was a young kid I used to always look for inspirations. Inspirations that would push me to do something great in life. But I hardly found any apart from the heavily rewritten history books. Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – the history book was nothing but “of Congress, by Congress and for Congress.” During the late eighties and even early half of the nineties, I grew up hearing my seniors in school and college say, “There are no jobs. There is no point in studying if you are not a topper.” The movies were filled with clichéd anti-establishment storylines - educated unemployed man with a brilliant resume finding it difficult to get a job and treat his ailing mother. And then something happened. The economy opened up. The jobs started coming. And there came the inspirations. The Narayanmurthys, the Sabeer Bhatias, the Azeem Premzis and suddenly there was no dearth of icons. In 2001, when I started looking for a job, it was difficult but not impossible. That was also the year when my brother left for States to pursue higher studies and a career. Things improved gradually. Outsourcing was in. And then came the horde of US Fortune 500 companies – I am now working in one now - setting up shop here. India, which was only known by its rich history, was now the centre of the universe. The tables have turned and I am lucky that I was witness to the change. In fact, I am lucky that I was part of the change and have been positively influenced by the change. Going to the US???? Was never and will never be an option for me. I am too happy being an Indian. Boss, the tables have turned.

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