Source: https://candytech.in/rise-of-sundar-pichai-as-google-ceo-in-parent-company-alphabet/
I encountered a question recently in one of discussions, why lot many people are proud of Sundar Pichai, the new Google CEO? Why everybody is sharing and celebrating the rise of Google CEO? I looked back at my own posts, I was also sharing and feeling happy and proud of Mr. Sundar Pichai. Sundar is usually called a boring keynote speaker by many of news stories though i differ from these news stories after listening to his conversation with Harsha. I pondered myself what is the connection between him and me, the Google was already there and i didn't play any role in letting him achieve the top position even slightly. Yes, I heard of Sundar only a year or two ago and he was not like Rahul Sharad Dravid whom i closely followed in every match and speech for past 6-7 years. But inspite of that, i was happy and got proud of his achievement more and more as i read about him and his journey. One of the connect was deeper than i thought and this post is about those musings why I am happy and relate with him so well. Let me briefly tell the story of Sundar first.
A child later named Pichai Sundararajan was born in 1972 to two Tamilians managing just a living in the urban city of Madras, now called Chennai. The father was an electrical engineer and the mother was a stenographer and all they could manage with this was a two room home in erstwhile Madras. It is not a typical rags to riches story, it is normal living to epitome stories. The parents believed in no jewels or resources and the most enticing investment to them was Education and only Education of their children. They instilled a sense of hardwork in young boy and motivated him to compete for what is called the toughest exam -IIT entrance exam. They ensured that child get best resources and support to achieve and excel in that test. Happily, with God's grace and hardwork, Sundar excelled in that and entered into prestigious IIT Kharagpur in the metallurgical engineering branch . When the boy decided to pursue Masters and had wanted to go to US, the parents were not having a car yet which is still considered a luxury in middle indian households but they ensured that their child can pursue his dreams. The rest of story I will leave for readers to explore which is well available and cherished in western media.
If you listen to this story, and have been born in 1980s and 1990s in this country of the so called crazy third world people, many of you will be able to relate with it and could trace some parts with your parents and their generation. Yes, this story is about the second generation of our Independent India. They are immediate descendents of the generation which was young at time of Independent India. The first generation were mostly uneducated and had an important role in restoring this country together after independence. The generation born thereafter was an interesting case to look at, people born in 1960's and 1970. I will talk this story from the perspective of middle class or upper middle class of this generation to be precise. This was a class which got the benefit of independence from previous generation sacrifices and had some important choices to make. And looking back, I will say they knowingly or unknowingly made the best of choices.
This class of Indian generation opted for mostly two or max three children policy and they went in the field of life with the sole aim of providing the best education to all of them. They also curbed the true interests of child to chose his own path but at the same time in true sense curbed their own interests first for what they think would be best for a child. A mother/father wakes up at 4 or 5 am in the home whenever his child has an exam even in class 6th or 7th to give the morning tea so that child can study attentively. The exam days become a sense of no vacation time for the whole family where they avoid any visits to and by any guests. Certain homes become non-cable zones for the whole sake that child does not get distracted from the studies.
The story does not end there, I had a personal experience recently with some such people. I went with my cousin for entrance exam to Jamia Millia Islamia. The exam was near the vilage of Najafgarh. The village is known to cricketing India as village of Virendra Sehwag. When i reached the examination centre, it was a small school . The parents and accompanies of children were told to wait outside while the child writes the exam. This is my only experience of what my father had been doing outside the examination centre for years. I saw a huge gathering of parents some educated, some uneducated , some service class , some business class but all waiting outside and sitting on the floors of small shops near the school. All of them were anxious and hopeful that their child will make the final list. The care for the child brings them so that they could provide the best homely environment to the child before he enters the examination. I seriously doubt if people have so much time for their children in western countries.
This is the common denominator between Sundar and me or better to say Sundar's parents generation or my own parents. I have not known Sundar personally or followed his achievements closely over the years but what makes me proud for Sundar is an example of triumph of that Indian generation.
Also, I should clarify this blog should not act as a burden for the current generation that they are in debt of previous generation but it is just a feeling of gratitude for the unasked sacrifices these people did which are not made in many parts of world.
Also, i envision the next generation as not limited to education alone rather it will break the shackles of discrimination of caste, religion and sex and also would also provide an environment to let people choose Music, Sports, Arts and other fields as professional careers.
P.S : This blog was started when Sundar became CEO but was completed at the time of publishing.
