Putting India First: 28 Incredibly Inspiring India Positive Citizens
What makes a nation great? It’s citizens.
Meet 28 incredibly inspiring India Positive Citizens from across India. Folks who have made an immense contribution to the nation.
Sometimes when we look at some people it seems as though they were destined to be a certain way. In reality they scripted their destiny. They are powered by purpose. They stayed on course no matter what challenges life sent their way. Honoring each moment and doing their best. Eventually all of it adds to up an immense contribution – to the nation and humanity.
We all read some books that transform us. The writing of this book transformed me. To connect with and know of the life journey of so many amazing Indians. One common factor was their humility and love for Bharat.
The story of Param Vir Chakra awardee Bana Singh made a deep impact on me.
Since then, when faced with a problem I close my eyes and think of Bana Singh and his team climbing a 1500 feet wall of ice in a blizzard in -50 Deg. And I ask myself if the situation I am facing is more challenging than that. The answer is no and the contemplation reframes the situation completely.
Dr Kumud Joshi has spent nearly 5 decades in healing people through nature cure. At one point a doctor (whose wife she had healed) offered her a ten-bed facility in a prime location in Mumbai for free so that a wider number of citizens could be healed in a natural way. She accepted his offer and did not charge patients for many years. These are unsung heroes. A citizen who chose to forego income from a prime property. A doctor who honored it by offering free service. Are there such instances in any other part of the world?
Srikanth Bolla is enormously inspiring. Full of energy, honest, articulate. He was born visually impaired. His parents were agricultural workers in a village. From that origin to MIT to starting a company focused on creating a sustainable world – his life story will make you look at everything in your life with a whole new perspective.
We know of the Bombay Stock Exchange. Many know that Ashish Chauhan is the CEO of BSE. Few know that his childhood experience of witnessing rural poverty powers his zeal to enable value and wealth creation for millions. His perspective on India will leave you inspired.
Dr Krishna Ella – the founder of Bharat Biotech comes from a humble agricultural background. A Rotary scholarship enabled him to pursue further studies in USA. The good folks who funded the scholarship had no idea that their contribution would one day help India during the worst pandemic the world has seen in 100 years. We know him as the creator of Covaxin. Bharat Biotech has created many life saving vaccines since it’s inception. Pakistan has left no stone unturned to harm India. But this Indian company’s vaccines have saved lives of children in Pakistan. His vision catalyzed the creation a Genome Valley – a knowledge hub in Hyderabad, which is today home to 100+ companies.
Some sectors don’t get adequate attention. We live in a world where food delivery apps get a lot of media focus. But agriculture, which creates the food, is a largely ignored area. The health of a population is determined by the health of the soil. Dr Nagaraj Hegde, an innovator in the agricultural space has created a solution that will do away with the need to burn stubble or even transport it. It will heal the soil and improve air quality (as no burning or transportation needed).
You can build roads and bridges faster by doubling manpower on a project. But we can’t grow trees faster by adding more water or soil. Trees are invaluable to heal land and air. Peepal Baba has enabled planting of more than 1 crore+ trees across India.
Gen Ved Malik former COAS shares his wisdom from his lifetime of service to the nation.
Dr Rajat Mitra shares brilliant insights on the role of psychology in the rise of New India. As much as the Rafales and other tech we need to build the psyche of our citizens. That needs us to take an honest look at our past and come to terms with it. In that liberation lie the seeds of a new and powerful future.
I had tears in my eyes when I received the email from Vikas Manhas sharing his life journey. He channeled the pain of the experience of seeing the funeral pyre of soldiers far away from their loved ones into a lifetime of service to our brave soldiers and their equally veer parivars. We are not a free nation because we gained freedom on 15 Aug 1947. We continue to be a free nation because that freedom is protected 24×7 by brave men and women of our defense forces, sometimes by making the supreme sacrifice. From the -50 Deg of Siachen to the +50 deg of the desert of Rajasthan they stand strong so that we can be safe in our homes.
No other country on the planet has a culture as wide and deep as India. Each region of India has its unique geography, history, food and textile culture. Ami Shroff of Shrujan shares a profound perspective on how we can approach crafts. And in doing so enrich our lives.
Many more stories in the book. Each of them merits a book. All of them have a message for citizens in the 75th year of our Independence.
These are real life heroes whose stories we must know and share. These aren’t people wearing makeup or with the benefit of a script and editing. They are men and women from across the length and breadth of the nation. People whose armor was action. Their script was values and courage. Each one is a blockbuster. Towering over the reel heroes who were mistaken as real heroes for several decades.
There is inspiration in their stories at various levels. At a personal level, as a professional and as a citizen. This isn’t about passive reading. But about translating that inspiration into action.
We build the world we inhabit by our action and inaction. To those who feel that what can I do or will my unsung actions matter – please know that EVERY action makes a difference.
Inviting every Indian to put #IndiaFirst. Through our mindful actions let us contribute towards India@75.
Savitha Rao, the author of India Positive Citizen, 500+ Ways to be an #IndiaPositiveCitizen, Putting India First: India Positive Citizen Perspectives Vol I, has started a unique movement under the banner of India Positive Citizen to inspire every Indian into nation building. Volunteers of India Positive Citizen follow the mantra of ‘One action. Once a week. Every week.’ towards building a great nation one India Positive action at a time. Through on ground actions , online campaigns , books this movement is inspiring Indians across India and the world. The concept and book has been inspired and appreciated by Hon PM Modi.
Savitha Rao
YuVraj Pokharna
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