Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM releases K.K. Birla's Autobiography

I am delighted to release the autobiography of an old and dear friend, Krishna Kumar Birlaji. I have had the privilege of knowing him and his family for a long time. I therefore, consider this a special moment and a welcome opportunity to honour Dr. K.K. Birla and I listen his fascinating speech just now I said to myself this was that in that dawn to be alive the events that he recounted the glorious freedom struggle of our country and the role of the Birla families in that freedom struggle is something that the historians will and have recorded handsomely.

As Soniaji says in her foreword to the book, the Birla family and the Congress Party have a relationship going back to the early days of our freedom struggle. The late Shri Ghanshyam Das Birla was not just a friend and follower of Gandhiji but was also an inspirational leader in his own right. His patriotism, his nationalism, his spirit of enterprise and his deep and abiding commitment to India's freedom and prosperity, have won for him a prominent place in the pantheon of India's great leaders of the twentieth century.

It is no exaggeration to say that Krishna Kumarji is not just an inheritor of that proud legacy but also has played a stellar role in carrying it forward. Let me also add that I think Shobhana Bhartia also carries forward that legacy and has emerged as one of our most respected business leaders and media personalities. I find that she brings to her Parliamentary career the same kind of seriousness, the same sense of professionalism, the same attention to detail and respect for facts that we all admire in her father, Dr. KK Birla.

The life-story of one who has seen the transformation of this great nation over a historic century and, who is as familiar with the world of Ghanshyam Dasji as with the world of Shobhanaji, would be an exciting one. And it is indeed an exciting account of his journey. I am, therefore, happy that Dr. Birla has written this book for the world and for posterity to read. This life story of Dr. Birla tells us why Mahatma Gandhi enunciated the idea of trusteeship. The business philosophy of the Birlas has always demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to the welfare of all Indians and to the progress of our country. The role they have played in laying the foundations of modern India's industry deserves to be celebrated.

When Dr. Birla came of age and joined his father, India was still an industrially backward nation. This was true even at the time of our independence. It is a testimony to the vision of Ghanshyam Dasji that he, along with other important business leaders, such as JRD Tata authored the famous "Bombay Plan". They outlined the role of the government and the responsibilities of business in the modernisation and development of our country.

That vision shaped public policy at the time. This was the essence of trusteeship. Government and business working shoulder-to-shoulder to build the foundations of modern India. I believe that this close relationship between our national leadership and the business leadership does come through in the early sections of Dr. Birla's book.

Dr. Birla has consistently taken active interest in public affairs. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms through very difficult but also very exciting times. I recall my close association with Dr. Birla during his tenure in the Rajya Sabha. He had asked me to write a foreword to a collection of his speeches. I recall that the most important feature of his speeches was his attention to detail and facts. Whether he spoke on the Union Budget or on inflation or on other issues, he marshalled hard information and made a persuasive point. His speeches reflected his vast reservoir of experience, knowledge and wisdom and his deep understanding of public affairs. It is members like Dr. Birla who have genuinely lived up to the title of the Rajya Sabha as the "House of Elders".

I recall with gratitude the support I received from Dr. Birla for the policies we introduced in 1991 to liberate Indian enterprise and take the economy forward. There were many business leaders who were worried, who were apprehensive, who were nervous about the changes. They had lived in a secure world of permits, controls and quotas. Many of them preferred that security over the uncertainty that is associated with risk taking and normal functioning of competitive markets. Some even publicly articulated their discomfort and were therefore called members of the famous "Bombay Club".

But Dr. Birla understood the importance and the relevance of what we were doing and I valued his support then as I value it now. I received that support both in Parliament and through the columns of The Hindustan Times. Even now I enjoy reading his thoughtful columns in the same newspaper that Shobhanaji has taken to even greater heights.

The past century has seen many waves of industrialisation in our country. The last began after 1991. There are today many business leaders who were not even in business in 1991. Many of the newcomers have overtaken their peers. Such is the law of industrial development. I do believe we are on the threshold of a new era of industrial development and I do hope that KK Birlaji will remain active and guide us through this new phase. The experience and knowledge that he has will be of great value to younger generations of our business leaders.

Finally, I must make specific mention of the fact that many of us who have had the opportunity of knowing Dr. Birla have always valued his generosity of spirit, his grace and his affection for younger people. All these three qualities have combined to make him one of our greatest educationists. The interest he has taken in modern education in India has helped the growth of some of our best educational institutions. Obviously our nation will be eternally grateful to him. I believe this investment in the future of our country will be probably his most important and lasting contribution to India's sustained development in years to come.

I wish Dr. Birla many more years of a purposeful productive life dedicated to nation building and to the advancement of Indian enterprise. He has told us that he is past 90. I conclude by reciting a couplet -

"Salamat rahen aap hazaar baras

Aur har baras ke din ho pachaas hazaar."