Kurian and Sam! Men defined different in India!!

Posted on: May 5, 2021

Two Model Books for Greater Dreamers among the Youth! “Dreaming Big” (Sam) & “I Too Had A Dream” (Kurien) !! Read and Transform Yourself !

By Sam Pitroda

By Verghese Kurien

India Can become a developed nation only when we are able to define and understand these men proper and associate with their purpose!

By NV Paulose / Gayathri Vishwanath

Youth is the missing component in Indian Development Process!

In the entire history of Independent India; if at all any individual could have understood about what should be the fundamental change that is required to make a total change in the nation; It is SAM PITRODA. He believed it possible to transform India; and did his best for the same purpose. We too can believe it is possible provided we are willing to become part of the process. Whenever opportunities had occurred to him; he had left himself and had fixed himself into the fire of action with lot of affection for his birth land. Today’s digital revolution was made possible with his intervention then. Dreaming Big has a direct commentary on everything that was actual and factual. Dr. Veghese Kurien’s book is also about the Human factor in the development process.

Model of Verghese Kurien is all about City Rural Connectivity in an Economic Progress Circle! Model of Sam Pitroda is Equality among Citizens and Empowerment of the Youth to make technology to work wonders for the people. Nothing more nothing less. These two men sacrificed their entire youthfulness for the nation and we the people of India could only try to tie them at two corners; one at white revolution and other at Telecom Revolution. Of Course, these two are huge areas of achievements but are too small when we realize the true worth and purpose of them!

Dr. Kurien had created a model. Where there is a city that can consume; we can create a career circle around the surroundings. Model taken was of Milk. It had happened like that. It could be anything else also. There are plenty of such models we can create when we understand the underlying principles of City Rural Connectivity. How come he got stuck with milk model is a huge story. It is a story of a dignified gentleman who had self respect at the highest. Nephew of then Finance Minister who quit a lucrative job in TATAs just at a doubt about the role of his uncle in getting his posting at Tatas. John Mathai, his uncle, who was Finance Minister in Nehru ministry had visited him twice when he had come to Bombay House for Board meeting. Kurien’s status raised high when people came to know his relation with the Union Finance Minister. Kurien took it otherwise. Is it because of my Uncle that I was selected here in Tatas? He wanted merit on his own merit. What a wonderful story to read “I Too Had A Dream” with unbelievably amazing anecdotes.

Same is in the case of Sam Pitroda. Man who had forgotten himself in his journey to handhold a nation; towards its matching in economic standards; with the ethos of American Mindset of human equality; and larger connectivity for economic prosperity; with an open approach; towards opportunities that are open for all; with equal terms at similar situations. Equality for entire citizens and Youth Empowerment are the two areas that need better understanding and proper upbringing in Indian system. We forget our duties while we waste our time in saluting everyone who poses to be the boss at different times. Starting with janitors and even up to the topmost ones; India is a nation of approvals and signatures. Nothing works normal. Everyone wait for others to take responsibilities and to issue orders and vice versa. This hierarchical blockade was thrown open at the massive intervention of Sam Pitroda who had happens to come to India for obvious reasons that only nature can define and describe.

Kurien and Sam undergoes tremendous threshold of challenges. Both works in constant appraisal with the Prime Ministers office; Sam being an insider; Kurien remained unattached. Of course, the intimacy between Rajiv Gandhi and Sam Pitroda was a historic destiny that had taken India into the digital dimensions.

Both Sam and Kurien undergoes tough times many times but both of them had their triumph back in to success. Both had instances of encounters with Cabinet Ministers. Both times, the ministers had lost their portfolios when they had tried to touch the upright men to tarnish their true image. Agriculture minister wanted Kurien to set up a private milk unit at his constituency whereas Telecom minister Unnikrishnan wanted to take revenge on Sam being part of his attempt to create bad image about the people around Rajiv Gandhi.

He had once addressed the C-DOT Engineers at Bangalore and had leveled allegations against Sam Pitroda. Entire Engineers had got up and went out giving signals to the minster that we don’t care your power and arrogance. Minister had to go out from the cabinet eventually when he had failed to achieve his targeted evil. Sam had suffered a lot at family front and at personal level since he had forgotten to take care of those two areas in pursuit of his dreams for India. We see him protected and covered under an unseen care.

World famous author Paulo Coelho says it;

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

The Alchemist is the largest read book in the world. It is a fiction; no doubt; it is amazing. Both Dreaming Big and I Too Had A Dream are true stories; unbelievable; but had happened in flesh and blood. Youngsters should read these three books. All are worth reading repeatedly as many times as it occurs on a continues basis.

Dr. Kurian and Sam Pitroda:

Something incredible and truly amazing is the journey of Dr. Varghese Kurien. This is the same kind of a story in telecom model that was introduced by Sam Pitroda. These two men were the hero’s who had walked into their mission in life at a perfect timing and engaged themselves wholeheartedly into what they were destined at that point of time in the history of India.

They had created a product or a service that had large and wide requirement and demand on a regular basis. Made a perfect micro – macro economic model out of the product and implemented them at national level. They accomplished their mission in a very large perspective. Millions of people continue to be benefited out of their work.

Both of them went out from their mission once the projects were implemented and were fully functional. They had to go out at once without getting economic advantages that are genuinely due for them.

We salute these men who were not even bothered about the kind of wealth that they had gracefully left behind. They went away without turning and looking at the world that they had created out of the mess that were present before their intervention.

Young Indian friends should go deep into these models and should study thoroughly about the fundamentals in the make of the Milk Revolution and Telecom Revolution.

Plenty of similar models are possible today with a dedicated band of youth engaged in finding solutions for the problems that are not being addressed in the society by those who are supposed to look into such matter. Avenues are plenty today. The young Indians should meditate upon such great visionaries and their role models.

  • Sam Pitroda Presenting the Vision to the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

 

  • Much forward three Decades Back.

 

  • 5 Decades Back! Kurien shows Prime Minister Shastri how his dairy works, in 1964. Impressed, PM asks him to replicate it nationwide.

 

Read About Dr. Verghese Kurien

7 thoughts on “Kurian and Sam! Men defined different in India!!

  1. Both these people are stalwarts of making Indian dream real.
    The common thread IMHO is their empathy towards the average middle class indian (working population) and lower middle class which got benefitted by their karma.

    May there be a 1000 kuriens and pitrodas to take india to its rightful place on world stage today

  2. These true gentlemen are truly makers of modern India. I had the privilege of working with both of them on HRD projects at NDDB and at Commonwealth Secretariat, London. Passion, commitment and country above all characterise these two besides their integrity, character and service orientation. There are many more and these two stand out. Kudos to their inspiring leadership.

  3. I completely agree. Thank you for drawing parallel between these two transformative leaders.

    Once Dr. Pitroda had remarked that India needs ‘Mad Men’ like Dr. Kurien to progress, fortunately, thanks to the ‘Madness’ of Dr. Pitroda India could get a brilliant technocrat back who revolutionised the way India communicates today.

    Life and work of Dr. Verghese Kurien and Dr. Sam Pitroda are truly inspiring. Both of them can be true role model for Gen-Next!

    I only wish Dr Pitroda had someone like Tribhuvandas Patel who use to shield Dr. Kurien from ‘politics and politicians’. It’s unfortunate that Dr. Pitroda’s personal inclination towards one particular political party has resulted into a Big loss for India.
    He is above party politics and has potential to continue to transform India in many more unique ways.

  4. Dr. Kurien’s first book – An Unfinished Dream – is a far better read and, because it is his speeches, a more accurate record than Ms. Salvi’s.

  5. Amazing books of the century, Pitroda and Kuriyan
    May there be many more such coincidences for India’s upliftment and better days ahead.

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