Vardhaman Book on Jainism

Author(s): Jayshree Menon
Publisher: Bennete Coleman & Co Ltd

Page 66

ou cannot ignore or deny the fact business acumen and humane approach that that a man and a woman are like could teach a thing or two to hothouse trained
the twin wheels of life's carriage. MBAs, whose focus on upward mobility often That is why a husband and wife must nurture makes them lose sight of the shop-floor, where mutual respect and buffer each other at all times the success story actually begins. on their journey towards self-expression, "For 32 years we had no strike, no go-slow and fulfilment. For it is only in such secure and no loss of manpower." Now this is a record civilised homes that an intellectually strong and achievement for a helmswoman with a BA deemotionally sound new generation can be gree, who worked on the machines in a sari (oh raised...and a bright future ensured for our val- yes!) and evolved her own play-to-win strategy, ues, our culture."
with some credit to Peter Drucker, who asserts This is Sharayu Daftary - ace businesswoman, that the best manager is one who can get every caring wife, proud mother of three highly accom- thing done through worthy delegates. plished daughters and a staunch practising Jain "I really believe in that. Rather than appointing - speaking in her new avatar as a committed quality-control inspectors, I always told my workeditor of Jain Bodhak - an inspiring fortnightly ers that I had full faith in them. I would give them paraphrasing the way to live right, as per the the specifications of the materials and tell them tenets of Jainism. She is reacting in this edit, to to be their own inspectors in the production unit. Prime Minister Vajpayee's declaration of 2001 This increased both their self-esteem and their as the 'Women's Rights Year' and elucidating how skill." And no doubt, their loyalty. "My religion, gender equality is intrinsic to the Jain dharma my upbringing has taught me that where you are which grants a woman as much dignity, freedom born is because of your karma. Go beyond that of thought and opportunity as man.
and you realise that all atmas are equal. Besides, A lightning-swift mind; a wide canvas of a little praise goes a long way in making 'effiinterests and achievements; ideas as crisp as the ciency effective and weakness redundant' as delicately embroidered cottons she prefers; a Drucker recommends." tremendous capacity for absorbing information Daftary takes us down memory lane to reveal and learning and a work ethic that is defined by how her'enterprising adventure began. "My grand"need, not greed" has enabled this spunky in- father, Hirachand Nemchand, was a reformer who heritor of the Walchand family to go far, in a male- brought the religious texts of Jainism out of the dominated arena, with many 'firsts' to her credit. temple and made them accessible to the com
Currently injecting her special spark of mon man and more important, to women. Till womanpower in her second innings as President then, because of the Mughal influence, women of the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC), where who stepped out of the threshold were looked she had the honour of becoming the first elected upon as 'loose'. So women were kept at home President, way back in 1981, Daftary has also and denied a higher education. He was the first earned the distinction of being the first woman to to let his daughter study. My uncle Walchand was be elected President of the Automotive Compo- a visionary who started the Hindustan Aircraft facnents Manufacturers' Association in 1971, the first tory at Bangalore, among many other enterprises, woman member of the executive committee of As my father Lalchand was the executive director FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Com- of this, we spent some of my most memorable merce & Industry, New Delhi),
years at Bangalore, where, beand first lady Rotarian of the Ro
Rather than
cause of their presence and pretary Club in her area. In fact, dur
appointing
cept, I imbibed some unforgeting her initial run at the IMC, she
quality-control
table lessons. VIPs would gather was President elect of both its
inspectors, I always
at home on Sundays and I witmainstream body and the Ladies'
nessed many discussions about
told my workers that I Wing. The fact that the latter po
had full faith in them.
the burning need for political and sition is now occupied by her
economic freedom. This is where
I would give them the daughter Gauri Pohoomal, says as
the seeds of my nationalistic
specifications of the much for the daughter's compe
fervour were sown...and I felt detence as for the mother's consci
materials and tell them
termined to contribute to the ecoentious nurturing skills.
to be their own
nomic growth of my country. This She is also founder and man
inspectors in the
is when I first dreamt of running aging director of Bharat Radiators
production unit.
an industry." She was then only Ltd., an engineering and ancillary
This increased
six years old! unit to the automobile industry
both their self
That dream did not peter out, which she established in 1958, esteem and
even after marriage (at 19) and a at age 25. She guided the for
their skill
daughter (at 21). That was when tunes of her company, with a
she asked her father if she could
VARDHAMAN 66 Jain Education International
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