Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" is not merely childhood entertainment. There is a deep meaning hidden in each of Gulliver's travails. Look at the Brobdingnagian land, for instance. These absolutely larger than life personas are no threat. In fact, larger than their physical persona is their personality. They are kind, absolutely reasonable, fair and ethical.
Life at times is truer than fiction. In real actual lived life, we do meet such souls. Let us today talk about two such men who were such giants in their own way. Yes, October 9 is the death anniversary of these two remarkable men.
On the face of it, both of them would appear as different from each other as chalk and cheese. One of them is a diehard revolutionary; the other is an industrialist, a capitalist. What could be common at all between them? Is that your question? Our blog today tries to provide a few answers that surely defend this claim of mine.
Look at Ratan Tata's love for animals. No, I am not referring merely to the strays he would pamper with the care and concern granted typically to a high-bred breed. Famous are all those visuals of the dog who came to pay the last tribute to the master during his funeral. Why, in the heart of Mumbai, Tata built a state of art hospital for animals, pets as well as strays.
Now let us look at Che. On the tour of the Americas, as described in his "Motorcycle Diaries", even a lifeless motorbike is a companion. He names it "Rocinante" , after the horse of the idealistic, rather quaint, Don. To many bourgeoisie, so must he himself have appeared.
Neither cared for such superficialities. Instead, both were concerned deeply about their cadres. There are any number of stories about how Che would get himself in to danger to save those fighting the guerrilla war with him.
Countless stories are told about Tata's care and concern for his staff. Once the entire Woodland Society in Kothrud, Pune was pleasantly surprised to find Tata get off the lift. Later it was known that he was there to meet an employee who was ill. Tata himself was in his eighties with his own ailments. Yet nothing, neither his status nor his own poor health, stopped him from his care and concern for an old guard, his employee.
Most importantly, both had a vision for their respective countries. It was optimistic, positive, fair and just. In fact, just as Che cared for the entire South America, the whole of it from Mexico to Chile, bound by a common past and a possible destiny.
Tata made Mumbai as his base. Yet the whole of india, and beyond, he spread the wings of his industrial empire wherein employees were treated with dignity and honour.
Right now these many similarities should suffice to prove my point that superficially they both may appear to be coming from vastly different perspectives. Yet both shared a similar dream, the welfare of the motherland and the good of the common man. Hope our mindsets are Brobdingnagian enough to appreciate this commonality amongst differences!
Pratima@ Great is what great does. Hope we are good enough to appreciate it!
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