| While I am with you, I would like to talk on the topic "Nobility in Politics". I would like to discuss about two noble leaders whom I have come across, India youth transforming from when can I sing a song of India to the spirit I can do it and the creative leadership needed for realizing the goals of India Vision 2020 which has the following distinctive profile: | |
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| Distinctive profile of the nation | | 1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership. | |
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| Learning about a noble leader | | In 1947, at the dawn of freedom, we had the best of leaders in science education, in technology, in history, in politics and in industry. On 15th August 1947, my high school teacher Rev. Iyyadorai Solomon took his class students including me to hear the mid-night freedom speech of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. We were all thrilled when Panditji spoke that the mission was accomplished. On the next day that is on 16th August 1947 I had a great experience. An experience of best of education I can think of. In the Tamil newspaper, on the front page, two news items appeared. One item was India achieving freedom and Panditji's speech. The other news item and the most important one, which has been embedded in my memory, is about Mahatma Gandhiji walking barefoot in a riot affected area, removing the pain of affected families. Normally as Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi has to be the first to unfurl the national flag on August 15, 1947 in Red Fort. | |
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| | Mahatma Gandhi was an embodiment of nobility, elevated thinking and concern for human beings. What an everlasting positive impact in the mind of a schoolboy! The leader was there, where, there was pain. | |
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| Forgiveness gives greatness | | When I was standing at the Pietermartizburg railway station a town of South Africa my thoughts were hovering on two scenes which I experienced in South Africa. One scene was, in Robben Island where Dr. Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for 26 years, in a very small cell, and the other scene was at the house of Dr. Nelson Mandela. | |
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| | Cape Town is famous for its Table Mountain; it has got three peaks called Table Peak, Devil Peak, and Fake Peak. Between the Peaks it was a beautiful sight throughout the day, sometimes dark clouds and sometimes white clouds embracing the peaks. Table Mountain is very close to the sea coast of the Atlantic Ocean. I flew by helicopter to Robben Island from Cape Town in 10 minutes. When we reached the Island, except sea roaring, the whole island was silent symbolizing the thought: this is the place the freedom of individuals was chained. We were received at the Island by Mr. Ahmed Kathrada, a South African, who was a co-prisoner with Dr. Nelson Mandela. What surprised me was, in a tiny room where sleeping and all human needs have to be fulfilled. It has to be remembered that Dr. Nelson Mandela, who was 6 feet tall was imprisoned in that room for 26 years – fighting against the apartheid. The major part of his life was spent in this silent Island. He used to be taken for quarrying in the nearby mountain for a few hours in bright sun. This is the time his sight got damaged. In spite of his body being tortured he revealed to the world his indomitable spirit. This is the time he evolved a manuscript of freedom in tiny letters every day, when the jail wardens went to sleep. This small tiny lettered manuscript finally became the famous book of Mandela "A long walk to freedom". | |
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| | It was a great event for me to meet him in his house in Johannesburg. What a moving reception, the man at the age of 86 gave with all smiles. Dear friends, I would like to share with you, when I entered Dr. Nelson Mandela's house, I saw his three dimensional form with cheerfulness: the mighty man who got the freedom for South Africa from the tyranny of apartheid. When I was leaving from his house he came to the portico to give me a send off and while walking he discarded his walking stick and I became his support. While walking I asked him, "Dr. Mandela can you please tell me about the pioneers of anti apartheid movement in South Africa?" He responded spontaneously, "of course one of the great pioneers of South Africa's freedom movement was M.K. Gandhi. India gave us M.K. Gandhi, we gave you back Mahatma Gandhi after two decades. Mahatma Gandhi was an apostle of Non-Violence". | |
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| | That is indeed the tradition of India - to enrich whichever nation we go, our foremost responsibility is to enrich that nation. Enriching the nation is not only in financial terms, but enrich with knowledge, enrich with sweat above all enrich with honour and self dignity. | |
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| | Nelson Mandela when he became the President of South Africa he gave the people who specialized in apartheid and ill-treated and put him in the jail for 26 years, freedom to move, freedom to live in South Africa as equal citizens. Dear friends, a big lesson that we learnt from this personality Dr. Nelson Mandela is beautifully captured in one of the Thirukkurals written 2200 years before by the Poet Saint Thiruvalluvar: | |
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| | Which means, for those who do ill to you, the best punishment is to return good to them. | |
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| "When can I sing a song of India" to "I can do it" | | Dear friends, during the last few years, I have seen, how India Vision 2020 has inspired the people particularly the youth of the nation, which has resulted in many taking up voluntary activities directed towards Vision 2020. Now I recall a situation in 1990 beginning when I was interacting with the youth of Ahamedabad, one girl asked me "When can I sing a song of India?" The same spirit echoed everywhere during that time. But for the last 3 years, while interacting with the youth, I had seen a different tone. "What can I give it to the nation?". But today, for the last 6 months in 2008, I have seen the transformation from the ignited minds of the youth, the spirit of "I can do it". | |
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| | What a great transformation? So the boundary conditions for development are in place. I am sure, each one of you can become a partner in the national development with the message that "I can do it", "We can do it" and "India can do it". | |
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| Conclusion | | I have seen three dreams which have taken shape as vision, mission and realization. Space programme of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), AGNI programme of DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) and PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) becoming the National Mission. Of course, these three programmes succeeded in the midst of many challenges and problems. I have worked in all these three areas. I want to convey to you what I have learnt on leadership from these three programmes. | |
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| | a. Leader must have a vision.
b. Leader must have a passion to transform the vision into action.
c. Leader must be able to travel into an unexplored path.
d. Leader must know how to manage a success and failure.
e. Leader must have courage to take decisions.
f. Leader should have Nobility in management.
g. Every action of the leader should be transparent.
h. Leader must work with integrity and succeed with integrity. | |
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| | In order to achieve excellence in any area or in any institution, what we need is creative leadership. Creative leadership means exercising the vision to change the traditional role from the commander to the coach, manager to mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands respect to one who facilitates self-respect. I am sure all the participants of Outlook Speak Out Competition will get transformed as creative leaders and be a partners in transforming the nation as a developed nation before 2020. | |
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