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Special Feature
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B&E
75 ARCHITECTS OF THE INDIAN CENTURY
B&E
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 ROHINTON MISTRY
Writing india’s fate
“To so many classes I taught Lear, learning nothing myself. What kind of teacher is that, as foolish at the end of his life as at the beginning?” said Nariman Vakeel, the widower protagonist after perennially getting begrudging treatment by his step children in Rohinton Mistry’s novel, ‘Family Matters’. These words not just exemplify a situation shaped by the novelist, but also the common callous treatment that parents across the world are meted out today.
Mistry’s ‘Family matters’ was appreciated so much that it bagged the illustrious Kiriyama award for the India-born writer. In fact, it was not just this novel which had addressed an Indian social problem, all the works that Rohinton Mistry is known for, deal with India’s social issues. From portraying social taboos like castism or the practice of untouchability in India to the emergence of Indian society, through his various books, Mistry has done it all. His book ‘A Fine Balance’ narrates a transparent picture of such obscure practices which have been the cause of concern for the country for long. The works of Mistry have helped in not just identifying the problems that masses in India have faced long, but also in creating awareness about Indian social issues like poverty and caste-based malpractices at the international level.
Mistry’s efforts also made him the only writer to have won the Hart House literary prize twice and gave him further recognition on a global scale. He is one Indian gem who would surely keep on further highlighting Indian issues so that they can be identified internationally; something that India cries out for in desperation to become the stalwart in the current century.
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 ANIL AGARWAL
Ttag-along champion
A firm believer in the native wisdom of various lands, Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc. continues to improve the socio-economic infrastructure of the communities he serves. In addition to numerous community development initiatives and sustainable development programmes that the group is actively pursuing, Anil is also setting up the Vedanta University in Orissa which will cater to educational requirements of the future generations. Anil Agarwal’s philosophy is very straight forward, “We have to give society back what we have taken in this lifetime.”
Vedanta’s processes and performance continue to evolve in line with vision set out as part of its health, safety and environment (HSE) and social policies. The company has been very particular about enhancing the quality of life for all communities. The company has been taking forward its initiatives with help of local and regional authorities.
His vision for India is very clear – “The developed countries have all undergone changes which India is witnessing now. Their biggest strength lay in world-class infrastructure which supports large industries. India too is in a position to evolve as a high-quality and low-cost manufacturing base.” He proposes to take advantage of India’s natural resources, democracy, an English-speaking population & skilled manpower. And with all these strengths he sees no reason why at least 25 infrastructure projects cannot succeed every year.
Though he faced criticism and allegations from various quarters in his early days, one thing stands for sure – Anil’s made progress, and he wants to tag-along with India on his journey.
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