Beyond the Last Blue Mountain

A Life of J.R.D. TATA

SUBMITTED TO Prof. RISHIKESHA T KRISHNAN Prof. VASANTHI SRINIVASAN

ON JANUARY 14TH, 2010

SUBMITTED BY
Sumathi Subramanian 0811252

PIONEER INDUSTRIES: BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT 1

BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN

A Life of J.R.D. Tata (1904-1993)

Men of business are not often at home in the world of idea; it was Jamshetjis distinction that he lived in both the worlds, the world of ideas and the world of action. It was because Jamshetji Tata lived in the world of ideas and had imagination the he played the role of pioneer in India in another direction - that of constructive philanthropy. Alms-giving and doing good to others are as old as human history, but new ideas, current in the latter half of the nineteenth century directed much of such activity towards higher education and the spread of education. The message of his former company on his death on 29th November 1993 He touched the sky and it smiled. He stretched out his arms And they encircled the globe His vision made giants out of Men and organization Summed it all. I would have been in 6th standard then. I didnt know he had died then. When Indira Gandhi died, I knew it even as kid, there was stillness in the streets in Trichy and hush whispers all around. But now I know, such a great man was there and he built the infrastructure for India, almost like a second government. As always, I started with preface and jumped to the epilogue and appendices before I started with the main book. It is just that I cannot stand suspense in book and always read the last chapter first. This review is captures my reflections as I read a particular slice of JRDs life and is organized in three parts: first, Childhood and Youth, second, Eyes on the Stars and finally Captain of the Industry and Patriarch. JRD Tata, the visionary man who took India forward, strengthened it and gave it its lasting foundations. To give alms is very easy, but to motivate that beggar, provide him a livelihood requires something beyond generousity and philanthropy. The fact that he wanted to die abroad, so that he would not bother people here; made him the epitome of a leader, against the present day politicians, and leaders for whom the state stops functioning, or riots break up. When I die, except for my eyes and any other organ that others might want to use, I

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would want to be incinerated in a jiffy, I would not want vultures or worms and rats nibbling this body, I think I will feed them with something else in my lifetime. It is no wonder that JRD did not like Zoroastrian funeral rites as well. His passion for flying, made me go back to my dreams of travelling fast as well. I always liked the thought of flying, experiencing the high speed rush of air on my face and experiencing the thrill of speed, going zoom and zig zag in small planes up in the sky, used to envy the birds that they could fly. And came this science magazine when I was around 5th standard, believe it was 2020, that described the space ship accident where astronauts died in burning oxygen inside the space craft and I restricted my dreams to zooming fast in open trax. Flying still brings the child in me, but my dream stops with enjoying a thrilling flight rather than pioneering an aviation industry, that JRD did in his time. In the epilogue as I read He said that though at moments when his beloved ones had died he had said a word of prayer that their souls rest at peace, he had not prayed all his life, not for any other reason but that he felt the Creator of this world had so much to do that one did not intrude with small personal requests made me think about what I did, there were indeed days, when I never prayed to god. I just carried on with life. But after couple of incidents, I start saying shiva-shiva even if it is as simple as crossing the stones laid between the library and CC to reach Central pergola. I pray for everyone, for me, my health; others health, gods name is constantly on my mind, that people around me tease me at times. People tell me that Shiva would be disturbed by the number of times I call him per day. I just have to see a beggar on the road and I would pray for him. Someone just has to be on the verge of slipping and before they regain their balance, I would offer a small prayer. JRD never did it; he went ahead and did what he could instead of wasting time in prayers. He started praying only in 1993, a little more than a month before he died. I came back to Preface, looking at his French mothers pictures and Wikipedias insistence that JRD did not study beyond matriculation. I somehow believe, after Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs, all education is somehow futile for making a real difference in the lives of people around us. While graduates and post graduates and PhDs study with paid stipend and other stuff, half the worlds population is up there in Africa and India - poorer

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countries fighting for means to feed their stomach. As the number of degrees and specializations increase for job market along with the education fees, everything is now going haywire.

Part 1: Childhood and Youth

What I remember most vividly is that we always seemed to be on the move, and that my lovely and cultured mother had to uproot herself every two years or so to find a new home alternatively in France and in India Made me remember the only time, we shifted our house from a rented house to defence quarters in a bullock cart when I was a kid in 4th standard. Life was still primitive and rustic, where I still used to make chutneys with stone grinders and fill in pots of water that I used to easily carry on my waist in 7th standard, something that I cannot do now. My friend was always on the move though. She was born in Jalandhar, came from Belgaum, stayed in Trichy with me, then moved to Dehradun and Sikkim and Delhi and now she is in Thailand. Even when we could shift to bigger quarters, we chose to stay in the same quarters for more than 22 years. After months, when I go back home for few days of holidays, tears swell up while I walk on the streets before reaching the single bed room quarters; the closest to a permanent abode in this transitive world. When I read that JRDs desire to have fought in the war; I remember reading the stories of children who had been awarded bravery award. I had wished sometimes, rather than getting these scars by just sitting in some accident prone vehicles, I had saved some child from death. But no such thing happened. After reading his sailing from wartime France to India, the closest to travelling in troubled times, came when I was forced to cancel my travelling because of Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamilnadu in early 2007. That was the first time, my dad really raised his voice and said, you are staying put in Bangalore and not moving out. I was surprised to read about the efforts that Jamsetji had put in building the Taj Hotels and was wondering, how he might have felt to read about the shoot outs and media coverage. BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN

You always need an incident a spark like that. A flying neighbor, to inspire you into aviation. My neighbor was a maami who used to make us sing for her golus and we sang to get the snacks and our neighbours used to help us with our homework and dads translation assignments. JRDs experience with Japanese typhoon, made me remember the only time, I experienced what I thought was an earthquake that turned out to be a tsunami on Dec 26th. I was still asleep and felt lazy to even to move a limb and decided to sleep, even if the roof fell on me. 1918, aboard a ship, JRD spent learning typing on an old Remington machine. 82 years later, I learnt typing in Remington machine in womens association building and later forced to key in question papers for my brothers 12th board exams on dads insistence. I was not comfortable with JRDs poor chap remark on the Elkingon kid. I would not have joked on his embarrassment. But surely I did treasure that one sheet of paper with my doctors handwriting. He was 19 years old, when he lost his mother, who he had admired so much. So impressionable then. Young Jehangir being presented with a French racing bicycle suddenly reminded me of Harry Potter getting a fancy broom which was the awe of his school friends. When the introduction of Steel Industry Protection Bill came in 1924, when JRD was 20, RD was going through turmoil. The crisis was at the highest when Sir Dorab pledged his entire fortune for 10 million towards the loan of 20 million to pay out the salaries and other needs. This reminded me of the Prof. DVR Seshadris anguish where he had to do the same to pay the workers salaries. There was a period in 1924 when a good friend of R.D. Tata would call on him every day to ask when he was going to close down the works. Each day R.D. would reply: Ask me again tomorrow. We will be able to manage for today.He went on dancing in the evening and mixed with friends. But when the children had retired to sleep, in the still of the night, Rodabeh recalls her father pacing up and down on the veranda of Sunita overlooking the Chowpatty. He was praying.

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What tests a mans greatness is not how he carries himself when the times are good, but how he carries himself when the whole world is against him. To keep going, amidst all odds, no matter what brought out my memories of crisis as well. I always lazed around when I had nothing to do; I fought up when everyone including my dad had lost hope in me and condemned me to remain a lame girl. Took me time to convince dad, eventually he gave in. I made sure, I never brooded about my legs those days, engrossed myself with books, took up java certifications, prepared for CAT in those months, when I needed assistance even to attend natures calls. But once things were better, I lazed around, taking life as it comes. It seems, as if I need a crisis to bring the fighter in me. Am sure, I can come out physical crisis, but mental crisis are yet to be seen, which am praying, I should not get to see. Jamshetji, appointed Peterson under his employment. The way he recruited Charles Page Perin and Perins recollection of that moment that says I was dumbfounded, naturally. But you dont know what character and force radiated from Tatas face. And kindliness too. And that reminded me a favourite Abraham Joshua Heschels quote: 'When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people Jamshetji had passed away in 1904 but his vision was to outlast him. Made me wonder as to how many things have I endeavoured, without caring for its present practicality, but based on the firm conviction and the foundation of the ideal by itself, that this will work out, if not in my life time, sometime in the future. There has been none so far. I had no inkling that I was not going to see him around made me go back the shock I experienced which even at 29 was hard to bear. Just the previous day I was speaking over phone when he said, he had backache. I didnt realize backache was also a symptom for heart attack. He was just 22. His responsibility as the head of the family began to dawn on him. When JRD missed Cambridge and the book says - Of this period of self-study Churchill said First we shape our dwellings and then our dwellings shape us Wish this society, did not play emphasis on formal education for suitable employment; let people come up based on their abilities rather than going by the certificates of formal education. Even when JRD was BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN

caught up with typhoid and paratyphoid, he read business magazines instead of resting. I want to be worthy of Tatas. If I could inspire this for the small kids in my large family, then I can consider a part of my life worthwhile. I like everything that is a little on the edge, on the verge of disaster living dangerouslyThe car was the love of my life then sounded like my own words. Back home, my parents gave me all the freedom I wanted. I could come home any time, unheard of in a conservative place like Trichy. I said, I want to join driving classes and they let me in. After my close encounters with death, my parents never said no to me. Since I was the first and only girl student in the newly started driving school, their trax was at my disposal, most of the time, for going to college, for taking trips. I would lose control at a mere 80-90 kmph; still I would not lift my feet of the accelerator. I loved that trax then, though changing gears was physically hard with it. I was always climbing up places, even when I punished by three schools for climbing up the tallest structure in our locality a water tank in 5th standard. I loved watching extreme sports. I dreamt of reaching the top and seeing the world so tiny from there. Every mountain, hillock I saw beckoned me to scale it. Reading about Sir Dorab, who successfully managed to raise capital for Tata Steel plant from Indian people, and who went on to pledge all his personal fortune including the jubilee diamond, made me wonder, how did someone amass so much wealth in the first place. However, when he is quoted: The acquisition of wealth was only a secondary object in life; it was always subordinate to the constant desire in his heart to improve the industrial and intellectual condition of the people of his country. Which is quite true, but I am curious to know, when he started ab initio, penniless, was this his motive as well? But he was born into riches, so he never had to bother about all this. Jamshetjis second son Ratan making donations to Gandhi and Gokhale and most importantly for the cause of education was truly enlightening. Suddenly I was wondering, if the same donations had been made to introduce science in Indian schools instead of making donations to LSE. Reading about Humata, Hukhta, Hvarashta (Good thoughts, good words, good deeds) inscribed on Lady Meherbais mausoleum made wonder about Zoroastrian faith. I BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN

sometimes ponder, if my thought process would be any different, had I been born a Muslim or Christian, though I would abhor eating meat even though they prescribe halal cuts and all that. End of the day, this message of goodness in thought, deed, and action is there in every religion, even pronounced in our convocation.

Part II: Eyes on the Stars

Today, we take the shape of a plane for granted but they had to think of one made me wonder, if a plane could have had any other shape. Anyway, the ships and submarines are shaped after the fish; the plane has to be after the birds and all creatures that fly. Nevertheless, there is so much we take for granted now. Wonder, how it was during prehistoric times. JRD says, No one except those crazy people in aero clubs believed in a future for civil aviation other than as a sport or spectacle. It is indeed amusing to see the struggles a pioneer has to undergo to turn his idea into reality. Now suddenly I was thinking about what Paramahamsa Yogananda mentions in his Autobiography of a Yogi. His guru conveyed his thoughts to his beloved disciple in US without using a flight which is so expensive, polluting the environment with its high impact carbon foot print and bitter competition with low margins aviation industry. Would the world have been any different, if in addition to mindless innovations, the scientific community had taken a holistic approach to scientific innovation taking into consideration sustainability, inclusivity and cradle to grave aspects of a new product design? When asked what has been the most satisfying experience of your life? he replies instantly: the flying experience has dominated. No other can equal the excitement of a first solo flight for me the most thrilling one was when I drove close to 100 kmph in my driving schools trax after I had missed my bus by matter of few minutes. But the most satisfying one was when I first learnt swimming and did a one whole lap in December early morning just after 6 am in Chennai swimming pool. I had the whole pool to myself and lazily floated on the water.

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Speaking about his flying, JRD replies The fact that you found yourself totally alone in the immense space made you feel very humble and made you see of what little consequence you were. And you identify God with the immensity of nature. These are the only times, I feel totally alone and was conscious of that loneliness. Made me wonder about how truly small I am in the bigger scheme of things. Imagine how huge a solar system will be for that universe, where earths solar orbit is of the size of the existing atoms orbit. The closest I have come to flying except while going as a passenger on flights is when I climb up some hill and look at how small everything else becomes. And at such times, am overwhelmed not with loneliness, but with something more fulfilling, something completing me. But if it is very crowded say like in T-nagar Ranganathan street or streets of Mumbai, at times I experience a sudden and absolute loneliness, as if the people are walking in mute and in background and as if am all alone in this bizarre crowd with the people scuttling around as in a silent movie and with me as sole movie viewer. JRDs issue of sharing one third of aviation profit with Nevill made me reflect on Forrest Gump where Gump shared half the profit with the Bubba for just the idea of shrimping business. When JRD talks about Nevills death, When someone dear to us passes away, a part of us dies with him, which he quotes quite often, made me think about dad and grandparents. Life is never going to be the same again. Looking at JRDs control while manning the plane in thunderstorm made me cringe and quiver. When I first boarded a flight, I was nervous as a chicken, fervently reciting lalithasahasranama in my mind, and here was this man, who braved it all and was the epitome of calmness, even in such extreme conditions. JRDs reminiscence of VG - VG is real old-timer and personified the early birds who had come in with us right from the start. They lived and dreamed the same dreams that I dreamt, and built up this great airline with their sweat. Today when I see so many young men who have never done a days real hard work in their lives, who think that the airline which they did nothing to build up owes them a good living for a minimum of work and an occasional strike, who have no understanding of what this airline stands for and means to people like VG and myself, is it surprising that I should feel particularly grateful to men like him? made me think BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN

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about what Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said about her initial days. She was talking in response to my comment on how she braved acid attack threats to go to her office during strikes and she said how another lady CEO of a garment factory was struggling to save the factory from the economic crisis, while the workers were demanding for higher bonus and striking with acid attack threats. How many of us have the courage to follow the leader and stick to them in thick and thin? When JRDs voice breaks on reading the nostalgic farewell written by Bobby Kooka after the nationalization of Tata Airlines, I could not help recollecting the boyish delight Hitler felt on seeing the first Swastik flag, sewn by the ladies. A wrong comparison indeed, especially considering how much JRD hated Hitler, nevertheless, it brings the feeling much beyond intense passion of these two guys, associated with their dreams, that is so emotionally bonding and perhaps goes beyond bordering on madness. Am still wondering, what is that purpose, beyond mundane pursuit of pleasures that would make me go to lengths to achieve something. Speaking of the relationship with BC Mukharji who became the chairman, JRD says, Largeness of heath is required when youre vulnerable, which makes the generousity associated with men of JRDs stature even with former enemies. His remark of the laughter and the relief in the farewell speech of Kooka, reminded me of Ramcharans Six Leadership passages letting go and demonstrating the joy of achievement of others below him. It was really amazing to know that at 78, having just had a heart attack few weeks earlier, JRD actually repeated his inaugural solo flight and says This flight of today was intended to inspire a little hope and enthusiasm in the younger people of our country that despite all the difficulties, all the frustration, there is a joy in having done something as well as you could and better than others thought you could. True indeed, joy of achieving something is indeed has its own alluring charm, especially, when people say it is too difficult for you do it.

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Part 3: Captain of the Industry and Patriarch

JRD quotes Carnegie who came to America poor and rose to be the steel king This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth; to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravaganceto consider all surplus revenues which come to him as trust funds, which he is called upon to administerthe man of wealth thus becoming the mere trustee and agent for this poorer brethren, made me think about Mayawati, Jayalalitha and Lakhsmi Nivas Mittal. To give is the law of nature says Vivekananda. Speaking of charity and giving, made me remember biblical oft quoted let not the right hand know what the left is doing. Speaking of aviation JRD says With Air-India I was the creator. I was the founder so I could afford to make mistakes without undoing the good that was done by others in the past made me think about Atlas Shrugged and the strike by the creative people. I have never created anything other than experiments with cooking which thankfully folks liked and perhaps paintings but even that was copied from nature. JRDs love for Other Mens flowers made me go to poemhunter and search for The Hound of Heaven. After reading the first few verses, I decided, I will stick to Blake for now. JRD admitted later that the Bombay Plan did not pay adequate attention to agriculture made me visualize how different agriculture would have been if that had been included. Consolidated farming instead of partitioning land, usage of organic pesticides instead of blindly aping western agricultural practices. It in fact reminds me of P.Sainaths Everyone loves a good drought. I cannot believe that the government had helicopters to seed thorny bushes from Russia, all over India in the name of protection for crops, to cross breed a particular bull variety in Andhra Pradesh with a foreign bull, that the resultant calf died and the whole species vanished. I still cant believe that countries like France had the temerity to send ships of cattle waste because; India was into producing gobargas and harmful chemicals to be disposed in India. How can politicians do this time and again?

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JRD refused to bow under political gimmicks, as has been evident from the beginning. So when it came to having Nehrus brother-in-law for position of secretary of Delegation, JRD sent him a polite reply. Many a times, I find myself, unable to say no to people above me. I end up doing their tasks and assignments with half mind, that neither satisfies them or me in the end. Need to change it though. For almost half a century two men held the commanding heights of the Indian industry: JRD and GD Birla made me reflect on leaders who came without peers like Alexander and Ashoka; and those who came in pairs like say Gandhi and Hilter, cine actors MGR and Shivaji Ganesan, Rajni and Kamal, who brought in the contrast and complemented each other and yet had their own identity. In fact there a movie named TataBirla was released. Thinking of one makes one think of the other as well. I heard someone saying that it cost so much of Birlas money to maintain Gandhis starvation diet of Nagpur oranges. Wavell finds JRD supercilious which he mentions so. There are many instances in the book, where JRDs high handedness comes to light. But beneath all that is the caring generosity, benevolence and the will to do good for the greater masses, albeit by achieving something significant. Right from punching his brother and then regretting mon petit frre; JRD is kindness beneath a cloak of tasking pursuer of excellence. 1930s exodus of gold for 10 years and later Dawoods becoming rich because of restriction in gold imports which led him to smuggle gold, makes this whole game of politics sound so farcical. JRDs tolerance for people with nasty tempers like Tutwiler, Bari did not surprise me. Nehru was hot tempered as well, so much so that one of the good old grandfather neighbours used to remark, how often you get angry, like Nehru over trivial issues. But am being a sensitive person, where a glance off place can throw me off balance, harsh words and raised tone always make me lose my peace of mind. To be nice, I can be, to be good, is pretty difficult indeed. True, it was my doctor who introduced me to Sama, Dhana, Bedha and Danda, different people need different ways of handling. But being nice is much better than harshness and losing temper any day. I need to ensure that I dont get intimidated by such antics of loudmouthers. Believe there was a book Managing by intimidation, and that BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAIN 13

made me remember a tamizh kural that says, using harsh words when there are sweet words is like eating a raw fruit when a ripe one is available. In a more general context JRD told me, If I have any merit, it is getting on with the individuals according to their ways and characteristics. In fifty years, I have dealt with a hundred top directors and I got on with all of them. At times it involves suppressing yourself. It is painful but necessary To be a leader you have to lead human beings with affection. brings out the great leader in him. Reading about the relations he had with Nehru, Gandhi and Patel, where he describes how he feels after coming from a conversation with them, made me curious about Patel. Had Patel been the prime minister, things would have changed so much. His longing for a child is evident in so many incidents. I used to be scared of holding a baby because I was afraid I will drop it if I saw a cockroach when I was in 5th standard. But I have been babysitting my just born from my 10th standard and now that am 30 my heart goes out to every baby I see around. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw told me in a short interview she granted me that, everyone woman can have a baby, but you need to achieve something beyond. When you wake up every morning, have a sense of purpose that guides your day. When I got so influenced stating that I need not essentially add to worlds population, my colleagues retorted you need to achieve something magnificent to fill up that void. Kiran had tried for a baby for such a long time before giving it up. JRD had everything and in ways didnt have anything. 60 hour weeks drove me crazy. 80 hours week for years that JRD put amazed me. But did he do because as he says, what do I have at home to go back to? What struck me was the steadfastness and loyalty that JRD had for Thelly, even after her stroke, and also others in his family. JRDs support for Ratan as in when you are confident he question you and grill you, but if you are fighting with your back against the wall, he will come and duel beside you only demonstrates time and again the causes he took up and kingly manner of caring for his citizens, be it for a family member or an outsider.

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The fact that JRD states to his driver whom are you fooling on keeping watch fast in order to be punctual reminded me of dad who was punctual to the dot. I was always a last minute person which I sense I need to change. Some people follow religious rituals and worship others practices and follow its principles in everyday life. My yoga teacher often says, as reflected in Bhagavad Gita also, to see god in self is concentration, to see god in others next to you is love, to see god in everyone around you is knowledge. As JRD aged, his sensitivity for others increased, he put himself in others shoes before reacting for any incident. Even if he had made someone resign, he went out of his way to do something for the other person. It was indeed a pleasure to know JRD through Lala.

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