Infosys Sudha Murthy Mesmerises Kuwait Kannadigas
Report and pics by Wilson Saldanha, Shirthady/ Kuwait
For Daijiworld News Network - Kuwait
Kuwait, Mar 2: Kuwait Kannada Koota (KKK), a nonprofit socio-cultural association, affiliated to Indian Embassy, arranged a lecture delivered by the well known personality, eminent Engineer / Philanthropist Padmashree Sudha Murty, Head of Infosys Foundation on Friday 2nd March, 2007 at the Kuwait Fencing Society Hall, Daihya. The topic of the lecture was "Philanthropy in the present corporate world".
Sudha Murty, Sudha Murty, wife of Narayana Murthy is the founder trustee and chair-person of Infosys Foundation that has been contributing to the society very actively in the field of Medicine and Education. She has been a great student and excelled in her academic carrier. She has also received awards for being the Outstanding Engineering student of Karnataka, Best Teacher award and National award for outstanding social service. She is a great writer she has written and published 13 books and has won the Karnataka State award for the achievement in the field of literature and social work. She was involved in the development of Infosys from its infant stages and had been very much part of its success. His Excellency M. Ganapathi, Ambassador of India to Kuwait presided over the function.
The audience was welcomed with sweets and a touch of different colors to mark the forthcoming festival holi. The program started with a welcome dance by KKK member’s children followed by lighting the lamp. Kuwait Kannada Koota President Sudhakar Shetty delivered welcome speech followed by short speeches by presidents/representatives of different Professional Associations. Dr. Amin From Indian Doctors Forum, Jagdish Joshi Chairman of Institute of chartered Accounts of India- Kuwait Chapter, Dr. Sudhir from Indian Dental Association, Romani Abdul Razak President of Institute of Engineers of India- Kuwait Chapter Welcomed Sudha Murty and appreciated her efforts towards Society under the umbrella of Infosys.
In his speech, Ahmed Al Saleh- Chairman & MD of Kuwait Computer Services welcomed Narayan Murthy and Infosys to Kuwait for a joint business opportunity. He also briefed about the schools started by his mother Fawzia Sultan which were one of the first bilingual, International and Rehabilitation Institutes of Kuwait. Sudha Murty Felicitated Management committee of KKK for the year 2006 followed by a speech from His Excellency M. Ganapathi, Ambassador of India to Kuwait.
Sudha Murthy was Felicitated by TKK with a shower of flowers, shawl, fruit basket and a momento. She mesmerised the audience with her professional speech with full of humour which started with ‘Namaskara’ in Kannada, ‘Holi Mubarak’ in Hindi and ‘Assalam Aleikum’ in Arabic. She also mentioned that the teaching is her profession and Business is her hobby. But she excelled in her hobby than Profession. Audience stood up and gave a huge round of applause at the end of speech. She succeeded in touching the hearts of Indians in Kuwait. There was a question answer session followed by a short cultural program by the KKK members and their families.
The well arranged program came to an end with the vote of thanks by Veerendra Babu followed by a delicious lunch by Oriental Restaurant. The program was well compered by Kavya.
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On March 1, 2007 Thursday, on the visit of Padmashree Sudha Murty, Head of Infosys Foundation, a press conference was arranged in ‘Shik Femingo’ on Thursday 1st March 2007. Journalists from the major news papers of Kuwait and websites were present. After exchange of a light chit chat, KKK President officially welcomed the gathering. Sudha Murty replied all the questions politely which gave a clear picture of her views.
Excerpts from the question answer session during press conference and lecture.
Q: What makes you so grounded?
A: I am a very ordinary person. Situation made me great. I was from a middle class family with a doctor father and teacher grandfather. They taught me that giving doesn’t mean only money. It is giving sympathy and passion. I feel greater pleasure in serving needy and poor. I like to travel in an ordinary bus than sitting in an AC room. I keep low profile as it helps us to serve more as we will not get recognized by many.
Q: Let us know about a person or philosophy which influenced you.
A: I was influenced by many peoples like my teachers and grand parents at initial stage. My grand parents never went to school but used to help the needy with the grains they used to grow. They used to give better quality to others and used to cook second quality for us. When we used to ask them about this they said ‘God will ask us what we gave to helpless people’. Serving others is more important than our own ‘MOKSHA’ always we should draw a line in our life called ‘enough’.
Q: Does gender discrimination still exist?
A: Not like before. TELCO was not wrong in asking ladies not to apply. How we can expect a lady to work in an automobile shop in shifts that to in a state like Bihar? It is hard for a woman with children to work in certain fields.
Q: Does freedom for woman effects Indian culture?
A: When woman study and work, they get economical freedom. For the centuries they were dominated by male. If wife is earning more than husband or she is more qualified professionally, she should not dominate her husband. Friendship, family and understanding are more important. There should be a right to convince if some thing is wrong. Mutual understanding is more important than dominating.
Q: You are a woman behind a successful man. Do you feel that you compromised with your career?
A: I am a great investor. I compromised for an extraordinary passion of my husband Narayan Murty. We belong to such a value system like growing children giving good guidance to them etc. Both of us had a very good job and only one kid to grow and living a happy life. But he had a big dream and it is duty of a wife to help when her husband dreams for something. We had a perfect understanding and I was earning bread and butter for the next three years. There was perfectly no misunderstanding and tension.
Q: What is your opinion about present youngsters?
A: When we were young and asking something with our parents, they could say that they can’t afford it. But today I can not tell the same as we can afford it. I ask my children to retire the old ones before buying new so that needy can use them. For us building Infosys was not so difficult. Maintaining family and giving good future to children is more difficult. Present youngsters seeing money at very young age. But present youngsters are much more liberal. Normally youngsters in Infosys donate their last salary to charity when they leave and most of my students give their first salary when they get job. It depends one how you guide them. I tell my students who study on scholarship to return that money to needy students when they start earning.
Q: Your message for woman in Kuwait.
A: Men think they are very powerful. But they are not (with a smile). Women belong to a stronger gender as she plays many rolls in society as mother, sister, daughter, in-law etc and she is built stronger by God as she has to go many physical difficulties such as delivery etc. Try to improve yourself, keep your mind open and accept your faults. God has given ears not to wear diamond or pearl also to listen other’s difficulties.
Q: Does corporate world takes advantage of philanthropy?
A: As far as Infosys, we have complete freedom to spend the funds allocated to us and we never use it to the benefit of Infosys. About others, I don’t know much and can’t comment.
Q: Presently the education has become very competitive and parents expect their children to get above 90%. Give some tips to present youngsters.
A: During our time passing the exam was our parent’s expectation. More we pressurize our children, less they do.
Share their time for different activities. Have dialogues with them. There is one thing in the world that God has rationed is ‘TIME’ irrespective of gender and class. Take time as resource. Parent should start writing time table to their children even if they don’t follow and allocate time for every thing. At least one day they will realize the importance of it. Reading is must for children. Any amount of computer does not replace book.
Q: Women’s status in rural areas.
A: It has changed tremendously. Women are more confident, aggressive and professional. They dominate in many fields such as rank lists etc. This change is because they are educated.
About Sudha Murty
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. An MTech in computer science, she teaches computer science to postgraduate students. She is also the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written nine novels, four technical books, three travelogues, one collection of short stories and three collections of non-fiction pieces. Her books have been translated into all the major Indian languages and have sold over 150,000 copies.
Sudha Murty, wife of Narayana Murthy, has been contributing to the society very actively thru Infosys Foundation. She has initiated a move whereby all Govt. schools in the state of Karnataka have a computer and a library.
She is a part-time computer science lecturer, full-time social worker. Her book "Dollar Bahu" is being brought to the TV screen by Zee
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Also read: The Amazing Success Story of Infosys...