Tribute To J N Tata On His Birthday 3 Mar 2011 Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Business is meant for
Wealth generation only
This deep-rooted adage
Was shaken and thrown off gear
This day in 1839
When Nusserwanji Tata
Was born in Navsari of Gujarat

It was a differently bright
And quite a colourful dawn as
It marked the beginning of
Socially-considerate
Industrialization in India

The country leaders were
In a struggle for political freedom
At the time when Tata grew
And was mature enough
To take a lead

He thought politically freed
India should also turn
Economically independent
And technically advanced

His gnawing desire and cherished vision
Was an economically strong
And technologically sound
Independent India

He knew also how to make it happen
The only way was
To make India industrialized
And to make Indians trained in technology

Winning independence may be difficult
But not impossible
But, holding on to that is possible only if
Adequate economic foundation is ensured
And with scientifically tutored man power
To pillar that democratic mansion

Business’s live-wire is wealth generation, no doubt
But its life preserver is the
Support of the people around
Who directly or indirectly
Helped the business establish and run

He professed
Sharing of
Generated wealth with neighbourhood
Is an essential component of business
He introduced this
So far little known theme in business

What not he did
For the nation
To make it grow in the real sense
Establishing industries
Educational institutions
And formatting schemes for
Flow of wealth
Into the welfare of the
Needy common man in
Nearby areas of his business sites

Words turn inadequate and short
In praising this tall
One-man planning commission

His contribution towards
Employee welfare is remarkable
And far ahead of his times
Provident fund schemes
Profit-sharing bonus concepts
Medical care to his workmen
Are only a few in the list

Environmentally conscious Tata
Sowed the seed for
Compensatory afforestation way back in 1904
When he wrote to the Commissioner of Central Province
Expressing his reclamation plan by planting trees
Compensating the loss of green
If it happened they cleared vegetation
While doing a prospecting operation

And Indian Parliament enacted Forest Act in 1980

We can keep on telling many, many things
About this great visionary

On this day marking his 172nd birth anniversary
Let us take pride
In being associated with the
Efforts towards realizing his dreams
And let us resolve and reaffirm our commitment
To keep this legacy up and high
And we will do everything to
Uphold the status of Tata Steel as a company
For others to emulate
In employee and neighbourhood welfare
In staunch business ethics
In safe, sustainable, environment-friendly ways of working
And in compassionate corporate governance