Visit to IIM, Bangalore captured in an MP3!
Thank you to all my dear young friends for visiting my Blog. For all of you, I have something special here. It happened like this - last week, I was back at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore where the Class of 2006 had heard me deliver the “Go Kiss the World” speech, four years ago. I was overwhelmed with the welcome by the students last Friday, this time I had gone to read out excerpts of the book “Go Kiss the World” because it has its origin in their institution. The book reading was followed by a great question and answer session. Subsequently, over the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see the book reading and interaction available as a MP3 file - you can listen to it at your leisure by clicking on the link below:
http://coffeewithsundar.com/SubrotoBagchi.mp3
Before I sign off, thank you to Sritanu Chatterjee for your comment posted last Thursday. Why, you ask, did we admit our parents in government hospitals in the last leg of their journey? Weren’t we children well-to-do enough to afford better hospitals? Let me explain.
My father died of burn injury as you know. At the time of the accident, he was staying with my brother who was an IAS officer posted in Delhi. The accident occurred late at night when his clothes caught fire. He was rushed to the Safderjung Hospital - it was the closest and also happens to have a dedicated ward for handling burn injury in the Capital. Once there, it was quite clear that father had third degree burns and shifting him any place else was not going to help. The system - whatever state it was in - was just providing him as peaceful a passage as was possible under the circumstances.
Years later, the same brother was posted to Bhubaneswar in Orissa and this time, he was the Chief Secretary of the State. This once, quite coincidentally, I was serving my second stint in the US and had to leave mother in his care. It is then that she suffered a stroke. My brother, the No.1 bureaucrat in the state, had a choice: either he could have shifted her to a private hospital or taken her to the State’s main hospital run by the government. He chose the latter. His logic was simple: If the Chief Secretary of the state shifted his mother to a private hospital, it meant he did not have confidence in his own doctors. What message was it going to give to the people of the state who had to depend on the medical system run by his own administration? As a family, we do not regret that decision.
By the way, some of the best qualified, most competent, amazingly devoted doctors in India still work for the government. A government-run hospital sometimes makes up for bad amenities, poor funding, apathy, mismanagement and corruption with great talent and unimaginable sense of service. I personally know many great doctors in several Indian medical colleges, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Surgery, to name just a few. These medical professionals are as good and as devoted as their counterparts in the best equipped hospitals anywhere in the world. Yet, we all know how difficult many government hospitals can be; it is true that some of them are just living hell.
When I shared the story of my parents in Go Kiss the World, I was not highlighting either our frugality or the misery of a government hospital - the larger messages was the stoicism of these two ordinary Indians who, at the end of their journey, rose above their personal conditions to remain concerned about and connected to a larger reality. In telling you about them, I have shared their spirit with you all. It was a gift too large for me to keep; I simply did not have space enough in my heart!
By the way, in every Indian family, there is a Makhan Gopal and a Labonya Prova.
We just have to pause and behold.
Go Kiss the World,
Subroto
18 Comments
Dear Subroto,
I just completed reading your book ‘ Go Kiss the World’. May be I should say that I did not read the book; but experienced the rich content. Every sentence that is mentioned in the book; makes so much of value addition.
At the same time; I wish that if I had read your book a bit earlier; I would have taken a better decision in my professional life. Four months back I quit my previous organization(where I was working for almost 9yrs) and joined another organization. After coming here; I am finding it difficult to overcome the emotional attachment and strong bonding that I have for my previous organization.
I have realized that I did make a bad decision without “Opening my mind”. As you have rightly said, I failed to - Open my mind before opening my mouth. After reading your book, I have now understood that I also went through a mid life transition and a job change was not cure for this. I am now at my professional crossroads. I also wonder; whether I have started an irreversible professional self destruction? It’s now a battle between my mind and heart. As stated by you - I have made this choice and have to face the consequences too !.
Thanks Subroto; thanks for writing in such a motivating book that opens up a complete new perspective and thought process.
Thanks for everything and my kind wishes to your family members.
Kind Regards,
Bharath S
Hello,
My firend gifted me an Oxford coupon on my birthday and i picked GO KISS THE WORLD. I started reading exactly after 29 days, i could not stop myself reading it. I just completed with in two days. An amazing journey all through the reading. This book reiterates the belief that all great leaders are down to earth and great human beings. I started reading two years back ( thanks to my boss, i know now what i lost all the previous years) but for some reason this book had touched me a lot. I will carry some of its principles all through my life. When i told my dad and my wife about the title ( the reason!!) they were just moved. Thank you very much for a wonderful master piece and wish we do get more of such kind in future. Kudos to Mr. Subroto Bagchi
Now i would like to pick the first book ( The High…).
Good luck to all. Keep reading, please do not forget to read GO KISS the World.
Regards
Venu
Hi Sir,
I attended your talk on 18th and I must say I was inspired beyond imagination by your thoughts and lessons on inclusive growth, receiving, giving to receive, etc. I am glad I attended and seek your best wishes in trying to adopt those lessons in whatever insignificant way possible in my life.
Thanks for the wonderful evening and those excellent words of inspiration.
-Archit
Dear Subroto,
Even though I must be among the first MindTree Minds to buy the book, I got a chance to read it only last weekend. I have had numerous interactions with you and have been inspired by your ideas. What strikes me most about this book is its candour. Everything is presented on an “as-is, where-is” basis. Success or failure, high or low, brilliance or mediocrity, everything goes as part of a journey without one getting defensive about it. Coming to think of it, life is like that (Forrest Gump’s “bag of chocolates”). Why do we worry so much to plan for adulthood when we are young, to plan for middle-age when we are adults, to plan for old age when we are middle-aged and to plan for after-life issues when we are old! Living in the present is something we forget. Thanks for bringing out the essence of living the moment!
Best regards.
Alankar
Dear Mr.Bagchi,
Although I haven’t yet read “Go Kiss the World”, I just finished reading The High Performance Entrepreneur and “All About Integrity” from the Mindtree site. I’m amazed at the openness and candour with which the company conducts itself, even when dealing with sensitive issues involving breach of integrity.
I’m a first year student at the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), Chennai. As a part of the ongoing CEO Guest Lecture Series at LIBA, I would like to invite you to our college to present a Guest Lecture at our campus. Please let me know how we can send you a formal invitation.
Warm regards,
Subramanian.
Dear Subroto Bagchi,
It’s been 15 days since I bought “Go Kiss The World” and I have read this book twice. I loved this book for it’s simplicity and honesty. It’s fascinating to see how a normal human can climb ranks and yet remain an honest person true to himself. I have lavishly used high lighter and have marked plenty of things which I would like to read again and again.
I had an offer to join MindTree 3 years back. At the same time, I had another offer from Microsoft. Microsoft sounds too catchy to miss at that time but today I really wish if I had accepted that offer from MindTree.
I love MindTree for the values it stands for and social service they do. It’s hearting to see a company taking keen interest in development and upbringing of those who are otherwise neglected by mainstream society. Well just today I took print out of “Making of MindTree” from MindTree website and I am going to read that next.
I would like to meet you. I don’t have your email address or any contact information but I have this strong desire and I really wish you read this and provide me detail. My email id is mihironline@yahoo.com and phone # is 098859 03919
Thank you very much for writing this book and inspiring lot of individuals like me.
Will be very happy to hear from you.
Warm regards,
Mihir
Dear Shri Bagchi, I belong to Andhra-Orissa border, settled down in Hyderabad and worked in Mumbai and Bangalore. I read your document in the site and watched your NDTV interview recently. Coming from a middle class background, moving from back-ward areas to metros and travelling around the world on professional work, climbing up the ladder in career in a sincere and hard way, maintaining the humility and pride of the family, helping the younger generation to attain bright careers and delivering such inspiring lectures sharing hard real life experiences and then converting them into a book, dedicating with respect to the parents, oh……… GREAT. I am longing to meet and shake hands with you at the earliest opportunity, because I too live in Bangalore. Sincerely - CP
Dear Sir,
Iam yet to read either of your books, though i have heard a lot about you as well as about Mind Tree. I had read your experiences and your learnings from Mind Tree Archives. I have decided to read both your books shortly.
You have been a role model to many in many ways !! The one thing that i have found distinct from your speeches is that “You dont have to know someone to be someone”. In today’s context, though one might be tempted to question that assumption, there have been plenty examples of vision and hard work achieving the dream.
I will remember that forever and i seek your blessings in my endeavour to create my destiny.
Thank You.
Thursday (Aug 7th) evening I picked up a copy of the book from the Sapana books house Indiranagar. I went to buy another book and saw this one on the shelf. I was just glancing through the pages. The random page I opened was where you talks about the mistake in you career to join the Bell/Lucent. I just felt connected with book at that moment. I had a copy of this book with me when I moved to the billing counter later.
After the dinner I sat with book in my reading chair. It was almost 1 AM midnight when I finished the last page. It was highly inspirational and writing style also will keep you reading till you finish it. Friday morning on the way to office I shared the book with my cousin.
I am undergoing an early mid life crisis and searching in the dark. I was feeling like running away from life and career as it doesn’t motivates me any more. I felt some there were some messages for me.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Dear Subroto..
I have just finished reading this amazing peace of work called Go Kiss The World.it was such an inspiring book for me. I have spent about 18 years working in sales and marketing function out of which I spent 8 years in orissa, Each and every town city and village of orissa mentioned in your book has been personally visited by me including Patnagarh, Though born and brought up in Kolkata we feel a great affinity for this state.
The book was so honest I just had to finish it in two days and planning to read it again,What I missed out most is that you have not said much about your college days in bhubaneshwar…what i look forward is to understand how you devoloped your mind and thinking.
thanks for such a great book..
Hi Sir,
I cant tell you how much excited i am feeling to write this….Because i am sure,this will be read by You.
To start with i am MBA student at symbiosis institute of management studies, pune.
Coming from a very small village in rajasthan(even by village standards), i aspire to be an entreprenuer plannning to start in a few moths….
About a month Back i read your book The High performance entreprenuer and that just chaned my whole perspective of it….
i just loved it for its simplicity,importance of ethics,values nd honesty and of taking people along.
few days back somebody forwarded me a pdf file of your speech at IIMB. i was moved…to be honest i had tears in my eyes when i finished,it might sound strange,even i dont know what they were for…may be that was some strange way to convey respect for you…
It was then that i decided to read Go kiss the world today i saw it at crossword…where i was window shopping,but sadly i didnt had the Rs 400 in my pocket…..but as i glimpsed through the last pages….the line stuck me its not about making it big,its about making it good will surely read it soon.
If i and my company make it big, or so to say good (Because for me if its not good its simply not big enough) even in a small way….a major credit of it will go to your writings……and i promise these value will stick to me for my life…
i had read quite a few articles of yours too….
Thanks for giving us such masterpeices….
charn sparsh…..
Dear Subroto,
I just finished reading your book ‘Go Kiss the World’ and was searching on net other user’s view on it. Most of the people read reviews on books before buying/reading the same. However, I usually read the book first and then look for reviews. This helps me to read the book in an unbaised manner.
I really liked the book, specially the part regarding your professional life. The early part of the book was not much in chronological order, and I realized that that was written more in an order that made sense to you, and how different events in life taught you dfferent things. I really liked the style of writing as well - rarely I have seen an Indian writer, except the likes Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, use their words carefully, and in the process reflecting the time and care put into the writing of the book.
I’m not working in the IT industry, but in Financial Services, but I guess the challenges and opportunities are same in both. I really liked the account of your early job-life in DCM, and later in Wipro. I too was very close to changing my job recently (I’m just a little more than a year into my job), but finally decided to give it a chance for another year.
I used to like MindTree from my engineering days when I read your columns in the BusinessWorld magazine. And hopefully now onwards I would be tracking it more often. And I would be starting with your other books soon.
Dear Sir,
I have read both your book - The High Performance Entrepreneur and Go Kiss the world. First of all thanks for writing such an inspirational books for the youth.
I would really recommend all the young professionals to read this book. Go Kiss the world.
I wold like to mention that this is one of those few books, which i have finished within couple of days. It really makes you to read from one chapter to next and one interesting part is that you can get an inspiration at the completion of each chapter.
There are some interesting phrases which i think are very true and you think that, if we try to adapt this in your life, it would really help you in becoming a good, humble & honest human being.
In fact, i was so inspired by your book, that i went and bought some of the reference books which you have mentioned in the book.
Once again thanks for bring out such an useful book to all young professional like us.
Looking forward to more such books from you, which would help in our profession life and also help in developing as a good human being.
Thanks
Yours Sincerely
R. Ramesh
Dear Sir,
This Ramesh again, i missed to mention that i had worked under Amit datta Gupta - Amitda - who is my mentor too.
Mr. S.K. Basu who was my first boss, when i moved from an PSU to a private firm, is my mentor and Mr. Basu’s has been working directly under Amitda and i can really see how your mentor can change you in your profession life and as well as in developing you as an individual.
You have mentioned about Amitda in your book - it really brought back all my memories - times when i used you work for Amitda and S.K. Basu.
Thanks once again
Regards
R. Ramesh
Dear Subroto,
I have just finished reading the book ‘Go Kiss the World’ .It was indeed a conversation with you and not just flipping the pages of a new generation story book.A journey which can indeed give lots of take aways for young professionals like us.
I could so easily connect with the book as I also come from a simple background in a small town very near to Saraikella where values and principles are valued much more than materialistic pleasures.The clarity with which you have presented your thoughts on values,perceptions,displacement,simplicity,positive attitude,meaning of achievment and many others is quiet amazing.The book addresses a lot of doubts in a young professional’s mind .
I am from a premiere Business School of the country ,a CA and working in IT Industry but believe me the lessons of life which shape our career can only be taught by great minds like you who have experienced it all.
The book has forced me to undergo a self assessment and courage to shape my professional career in a completely new way.
Thank you for such a great book !!!!
Yours sincerely,
Sourav
Sir,
I am fortunate to have heard u as a guest speaker in BPL Ltd(1996-97) & your entire speech was captured by me in writing.I belong to Orissa(BJB College) & my mother is a refugee from Bangladesh.I have read both your books.
I just wanted a clarification in Go Kiss the…(Chapter 19) wherein you have left Wipro & joined Lucent.When you felt that it was a wrong career move & wanted to start something on your own..being in the rolls of Lucent was it ethically correct to focus your mind & divert attention to start your own venture.
This book has lot of similarities with my career graph & challenges faced & only proves that ambitious people always will challenge status-quo.
Thank you,Sir for a brilliant book.
Truly yours,
Shivaji Mohinta
Vice President-Sales & Marketing
Greenply Industries Ltd
dear subroto,
thank you for an excellent book. i was introduced to the book by Mr.K.Ravi, Chartered Accountant and my mentor.
in my life time, only 3 books have made to read them continuously, unless completed and through the nights - freedom at midnight (when i was 19), alchemist and now G.K.W.
more than anything else, it rekindled my passion of reading, which i had been missing for quiet some time.
Azim premji’s words on 120% workload and 100% efficiency, has really opened flood gates of thought process in me.
thank you for a wonderful description.
Two characters were outstanding - your father and Dadamoni.
i am inspired, if not influenced.
regards
M.B.Kripakar
Chartered Accountant,
Chennai
thank you
kripakar