First Week of July 2006...
(This article was an editorial I had penned for the department newsletter at Infosys)
Hero is but an ordinary person who inspires others by accomplishing the extraordinary.
In this article, I am going to highlight three of my heroes who came to the fore and made headlines - all within a week's time - the first week of July 2006.
The first hero is Infosys' Chief Mentor & Chairman, Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy - a humble & unassuming persona with an outstanding vision to say the least. Challenges give birth to heroes. One such challenge, which was first in the series of many, ignited the mind of Mr. Murthy who co-founded Infosys. Infosys - a name which is taken with respect, awe and pride by every Indian today, a name which is synonymous with hard work, determination, perseverance, values and service to society. The reason for which Infy made headlines recently was for celebrating its 25th birthday. Infoscions have left behind many a milestone in their journey through these turbulent twenty five years. From acquiring the first computer to signing the first contract, from being the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ to grossing over one billion dollars, from almost facing dissolution to completing 25 years and still going strong, Infosys has been through every thick and thin. Infosys has contributed hugely to the Indian economy, to social welfare through Infosys Foundation & Mr. Murthy's principle of distribution of wealth among people, to the careers of budding students through campus connect programmes and to the lives of all Infoscions by providing them with a platform standing on which, they can fulfill their responsibilities towards their family, their society and the country at large.
It is this vision of Mr. Narayana Murthy that gave birth to the name Infosys that more than 50000 Infoscions wear proudly today.
Moving on from the local Indian hero who has made a global impact I now come to a global hero who recently made a local impact. His impact was very much focussed on the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Yes, I am referring to the beloved 'Zizou'. Zinedine Zidane's story is of the vintage hero. A childhood full of torment, a hostile society and a hero who braves all those odds to emerge as a shining 'Ornament of Faith' (Zinedine Zidane is Arabic for 'Ornament of Faith'). This midfield magician has conjured many miracles with the football and had scripted France's world cup victory in 1998 and is one of the most loved superheroes of the sport. But like all superheroes, he also has his share of vulnerabilities in conjunction to his superpowers. He has always been hailed for keeping his cool in crunch situations which was affirmed yet again when he took the early penalty in the finals against Italy this year. Head to head with one of the best goalkeepers in business, Gianluigi Buffon, Zidane runs to the ball, halts & instead of a full blooded kick gives a casual chip which hits the crossbar and fortunately falls behind the line. Ironically, he is also infamous for his short fuse. It was this Kryptonic temper of the French Superman that led to his 10-minute early exit from the international arena making the first penalty of the world cup finals Zizou's last. The lone red card of the match was flashed and like most of the heroes we adore, Zizou went down fighting.
After Zidane with French-Algerian roots, my next hero hails from the city that never sleeps, Aamchi Mumbai. Mumbai, the financial hub of India, never sleeps but has witnessed the most number of nightmares including becoming the only city in the history of the world to endure (not suffer) two serial bomb blasts during peace time. It was through numerous nightmares that this hero fought through. My third hero is the battered, wounded average middle-class Mumbaikar. Communal riots in fag end of '92, 13 serial blasts in '93, monsoon deluge of '05 and the 7 attacks on the railway lifeline in '06 are a few wars the Mumbaikar has waged coupled with many sporadic battles on the way. As the number of casualities increases, the number of Mumbaikars coming forward to rush victims to hospitals rises exponentially. As the operating rooms get overcrowded, the queue of blood donors elongates. As hundreds of office-goers get stranded away from home, thousands of hands distribute food packets and water bottles and throw open doors to strangers. We might not hear a polite 'Please come in' or a 'Thank you' over the sound of deafening bomb blasts but we will see stoic eyes with tear, we will definitely feel the wounded but undying spirit of the people of Mumbai who help anyone and everyone through the traumatic times. That's what the ubiquitous Mumbaikar does best. He brings the city back on its resilient feet in no time.
These heroes serve as inspiration to one and all and reinforce the belief that there is a hero in every one of us and in face of adversity each one of us can and should rise above the ordinary.
Hero is but an ordinary person who inspires others by accomplishing the extraordinary.
In this article, I am going to highlight three of my heroes who came to the fore and made headlines - all within a week's time - the first week of July 2006.
The first hero is Infosys' Chief Mentor & Chairman, Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy - a humble & unassuming persona with an outstanding vision to say the least. Challenges give birth to heroes. One such challenge, which was first in the series of many, ignited the mind of Mr. Murthy who co-founded Infosys. Infosys - a name which is taken with respect, awe and pride by every Indian today, a name which is synonymous with hard work, determination, perseverance, values and service to society. The reason for which Infy made headlines recently was for celebrating its 25th birthday. Infoscions have left behind many a milestone in their journey through these turbulent twenty five years. From acquiring the first computer to signing the first contract, from being the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ to grossing over one billion dollars, from almost facing dissolution to completing 25 years and still going strong, Infosys has been through every thick and thin. Infosys has contributed hugely to the Indian economy, to social welfare through Infosys Foundation & Mr. Murthy's principle of distribution of wealth among people, to the careers of budding students through campus connect programmes and to the lives of all Infoscions by providing them with a platform standing on which, they can fulfill their responsibilities towards their family, their society and the country at large.
It is this vision of Mr. Narayana Murthy that gave birth to the name Infosys that more than 50000 Infoscions wear proudly today.
Moving on from the local Indian hero who has made a global impact I now come to a global hero who recently made a local impact. His impact was very much focussed on the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi. Yes, I am referring to the beloved 'Zizou'. Zinedine Zidane's story is of the vintage hero. A childhood full of torment, a hostile society and a hero who braves all those odds to emerge as a shining 'Ornament of Faith' (Zinedine Zidane is Arabic for 'Ornament of Faith'). This midfield magician has conjured many miracles with the football and had scripted France's world cup victory in 1998 and is one of the most loved superheroes of the sport. But like all superheroes, he also has his share of vulnerabilities in conjunction to his superpowers. He has always been hailed for keeping his cool in crunch situations which was affirmed yet again when he took the early penalty in the finals against Italy this year. Head to head with one of the best goalkeepers in business, Gianluigi Buffon, Zidane runs to the ball, halts & instead of a full blooded kick gives a casual chip which hits the crossbar and fortunately falls behind the line. Ironically, he is also infamous for his short fuse. It was this Kryptonic temper of the French Superman that led to his 10-minute early exit from the international arena making the first penalty of the world cup finals Zizou's last. The lone red card of the match was flashed and like most of the heroes we adore, Zizou went down fighting.
After Zidane with French-Algerian roots, my next hero hails from the city that never sleeps, Aamchi Mumbai. Mumbai, the financial hub of India, never sleeps but has witnessed the most number of nightmares including becoming the only city in the history of the world to endure (not suffer) two serial bomb blasts during peace time. It was through numerous nightmares that this hero fought through. My third hero is the battered, wounded average middle-class Mumbaikar. Communal riots in fag end of '92, 13 serial blasts in '93, monsoon deluge of '05 and the 7 attacks on the railway lifeline in '06 are a few wars the Mumbaikar has waged coupled with many sporadic battles on the way. As the number of casualities increases, the number of Mumbaikars coming forward to rush victims to hospitals rises exponentially. As the operating rooms get overcrowded, the queue of blood donors elongates. As hundreds of office-goers get stranded away from home, thousands of hands distribute food packets and water bottles and throw open doors to strangers. We might not hear a polite 'Please come in' or a 'Thank you' over the sound of deafening bomb blasts but we will see stoic eyes with tear, we will definitely feel the wounded but undying spirit of the people of Mumbai who help anyone and everyone through the traumatic times. That's what the ubiquitous Mumbaikar does best. He brings the city back on its resilient feet in no time.
These heroes serve as inspiration to one and all and reinforce the belief that there is a hero in every one of us and in face of adversity each one of us can and should rise above the ordinary.
posted by Harish at 1:51 am
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