2 June 2011: PN, CEO of a large IT company, had a smile on his face when he looked at the news headline – “One millionth Bodhi tree exported”.
No one would have believed that a small beginning in his organization four years ago could have developed into such a strange business proposition for his country.
It was some time in April 2007 when his team met to discuss the itinerary of the Japanese prime minister’s visit to his organization.
Details of the agenda were finalized, details of the prime minister’s tour of the facility were drawn, and the guest list was finalized.
The agenda was to include a gift for the visitor. Various suggestions included a gem-studded statue of Buddha.
Gagan, the head of business development and also an environmental champion in the organization, made an unusual suggestion. “Why don’t we present him with a Bodhi tree?”
The team members looked at him as if they did not understand the simple question. It was indeed a strange suggestion.
Every Indian knew what the Bodhi tree was. It was the tree under which Buddha, the originator of Buddhism, received enlightenment two-thousand five-hundred years ago. The tree was a place of pilgrimage and was visited by tens of thousands of people annually from all over the world.
How could someone suggest such a strange gift?
Gagan sat up straight to explain. “Well, it was just a thought. It just flashed in my mind when you mentioned the gem-studded Buddha. You are aware that today we can create clones. I am sure it will not be difficult to create a clone from the Bodhi tree.”
There was silence in the room. People just did not know what to say.
PN broke the silence. “Well, Gagan, this seems a very wild thought, but I guess if we can make this happen, the Japanese prime minister will feel honored. It will be a pleasant surprise for him and also for his countrymen. One thing I am sure of, they will never forget our name. Can you look into this and let us know?”
“But what about the costs?” asked Suvarna, the CFO. “How much is it going to be and which cost center are we attributing this to?”
Anand, the delivery strategist, who had seen the world, said, “PN, I must remind you that this is not our business. We are a systems integration company and have nothing to do with this area.”
“Anand, Suvarna, I agree with you on this,” PN said. “Gagan, can you get some more information on the costs? Maybe the management team can afford this and give it as a personal gift from all of us, rather than from the organization. I do not want to let go of this thought, though it looks too good to be true.”
AVL, the qquality assurance head, said, “I agree that it is possible to create clones, but who will allow us to touch the tree?”
The team did not speak about the topic much after this because they thought this was just a fantasy idea that would be forgotten as the days passed. They discussed other aspects of the prime minister’s visit and then the meeting broke off.
After the meeting, Gagan caught hold of Abid, the administration head, who was a well-connected person and could be of help. They met the head of the botanical department.
They got to know more about something called somatic embryogenesis and about micro propagation. They sought contacts of the Micropropagation Technology Park, Pune, where a lot of work in the area of tissue culture was happening.
They also learned that they were not the first ones to clone the Bodhi tree. It had first been done by Sanghamitra, daughter of King Ashoka, way back in 288 B.C., when she carried a sapling of the original tree to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, and that this was the oldest living human-planted tree.
They also learned that Dr. Narlikar, a scientist and head of Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, had done a similar experiment. Dr. Narlikar’s team successfully grew the clone of the famous apple tree under which Isaac Newton had sat and is said to have thought of the theory of gravity. Gagan was elated to know that what he proposed was actually possible.
Gagan asked for PN’s help to meet with the Ministry of Science and Technology. Gagan prepared a proposal in which PN’s organization would fund the initial efforts. They also negotiated for their organization’s name to be tagged to the project.
They told the minister about the great potential of selling millions of plants from the Bodhi tree to Far East countries that hold the tree in the high esteem.
The minister agreed to look into it. Later, they were informed that the work could to be undertaken under the aegis of Dr. Tendurkar of Micropropagation Technology Park in Pune.
This was great news. Gagan assembled his team of environmental enthusiasts and went to meet Dr. Tendurkar. The group gained great insight into the science of tissue culture. Some of Gagan’s team members stayed back to work with Dr. Tendurkar.
The pilot project, of which many were dying to be part, gave the team a great sense of satisfaction. Each day was a one to be remembered forever. The news about this gift was kept within the team.
The grand day of the prime minister’s visit arrived. There were the regular agenda items, during which the business groups presented him with the details of the contributions they had made to the Japanese economy, how their people had built smart systems that helped better governance, and so forth.
Then they took him on the facilities tour to show the environment they had created for their employees. The prime minister was happy. In the evening, they had a session with key employees at which the prime minister spoke highly of their organization and thanked the people for their contribution to his country.
At the end of the session, PN rose to give a word of thanks. He spoke of their long-term commitment to Japan, and he spoke about what his people had learned from the Japanese during their projects there. He concluded his speech by saying, “Your Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister, we would like to give you a small token of our respect. We are sure you will value our gesture.” And he presented the small Bodhi sapling.
PN continued. “Your Excellency, this is a gift from us to your countrymen who are devotees of Gautam Buddha. It is a clone of the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.”
The prime minister was extremely touched by the gift. He took the small plant in his hands and bowed with reverence.
And this was the beginning of Project Bodhi, kicked off by the Micropropagation Technology Park. More and more plantlets were created in the nursery, and countries in the Far East lapped more of them up. Everyone wanted to have a Bodhi in his or her home.
The period the team spent in developing the Bodhi saplings in Micropropagation Technology Park was the greatest reward for them. They were passionate about the flora and fauna, and they were passionate about learning something new in this area. What better reward could they have received from their organization!
PN was deeply satisfied that he could provide a platform for his people to express themselves and be happy. It was a small victory for John Galt!
Did his people stop after this achievement? Of course not. They created Indian herbal gardens in the city, they generated interest in all employees to invest in a huge farm to start organic farming, and they created resorts on the farm for their parents to visit. They created small patches of land where their children could experiment and see nature’s wonders, they helped the surrounding villagers set up self-help groups to work on their farms, and to learn and implement new technologies. The list is endless. But suffice it to say that a large number of employees of PN’s company now had a forum within which to express themselves and that allowed them to embark on the kind of journey that previously might have only been a dream!
No one would have believed that a small beginning in his organization four years ago could have developed into such a strange business proposition for his country.
It was some time in April 2007 when his team met to discuss the itinerary of the Japanese prime minister’s visit to his organization.
Details of the agenda were finalized, details of the prime minister’s tour of the facility were drawn, and the guest list was finalized.
The agenda was to include a gift for the visitor. Various suggestions included a gem-studded statue of Buddha.
Gagan, the head of business development and also an environmental champion in the organization, made an unusual suggestion. “Why don’t we present him with a Bodhi tree?”
The team members looked at him as if they did not understand the simple question. It was indeed a strange suggestion.
Every Indian knew what the Bodhi tree was. It was the tree under which Buddha, the originator of Buddhism, received enlightenment two-thousand five-hundred years ago. The tree was a place of pilgrimage and was visited by tens of thousands of people annually from all over the world.
How could someone suggest such a strange gift?
Gagan sat up straight to explain. “Well, it was just a thought. It just flashed in my mind when you mentioned the gem-studded Buddha. You are aware that today we can create clones. I am sure it will not be difficult to create a clone from the Bodhi tree.”
There was silence in the room. People just did not know what to say.
PN broke the silence. “Well, Gagan, this seems a very wild thought, but I guess if we can make this happen, the Japanese prime minister will feel honored. It will be a pleasant surprise for him and also for his countrymen. One thing I am sure of, they will never forget our name. Can you look into this and let us know?”
“But what about the costs?” asked Suvarna, the CFO. “How much is it going to be and which cost center are we attributing this to?”
Anand, the delivery strategist, who had seen the world, said, “PN, I must remind you that this is not our business. We are a systems integration company and have nothing to do with this area.”
“Anand, Suvarna, I agree with you on this,” PN said. “Gagan, can you get some more information on the costs? Maybe the management team can afford this and give it as a personal gift from all of us, rather than from the organization. I do not want to let go of this thought, though it looks too good to be true.”
AVL, the qquality assurance head, said, “I agree that it is possible to create clones, but who will allow us to touch the tree?”
The team did not speak about the topic much after this because they thought this was just a fantasy idea that would be forgotten as the days passed. They discussed other aspects of the prime minister’s visit and then the meeting broke off.
After the meeting, Gagan caught hold of Abid, the administration head, who was a well-connected person and could be of help. They met the head of the botanical department.
They got to know more about something called somatic embryogenesis and about micro propagation. They sought contacts of the Micropropagation Technology Park, Pune, where a lot of work in the area of tissue culture was happening.
They also learned that they were not the first ones to clone the Bodhi tree. It had first been done by Sanghamitra, daughter of King Ashoka, way back in 288 B.C., when she carried a sapling of the original tree to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, and that this was the oldest living human-planted tree.
They also learned that Dr. Narlikar, a scientist and head of Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, had done a similar experiment. Dr. Narlikar’s team successfully grew the clone of the famous apple tree under which Isaac Newton had sat and is said to have thought of the theory of gravity. Gagan was elated to know that what he proposed was actually possible.
Gagan asked for PN’s help to meet with the Ministry of Science and Technology. Gagan prepared a proposal in which PN’s organization would fund the initial efforts. They also negotiated for their organization’s name to be tagged to the project.
They told the minister about the great potential of selling millions of plants from the Bodhi tree to Far East countries that hold the tree in the high esteem.
The minister agreed to look into it. Later, they were informed that the work could to be undertaken under the aegis of Dr. Tendurkar of Micropropagation Technology Park in Pune.
This was great news. Gagan assembled his team of environmental enthusiasts and went to meet Dr. Tendurkar. The group gained great insight into the science of tissue culture. Some of Gagan’s team members stayed back to work with Dr. Tendurkar.
The pilot project, of which many were dying to be part, gave the team a great sense of satisfaction. Each day was a one to be remembered forever. The news about this gift was kept within the team.
The grand day of the prime minister’s visit arrived. There were the regular agenda items, during which the business groups presented him with the details of the contributions they had made to the Japanese economy, how their people had built smart systems that helped better governance, and so forth.
Then they took him on the facilities tour to show the environment they had created for their employees. The prime minister was happy. In the evening, they had a session with key employees at which the prime minister spoke highly of their organization and thanked the people for their contribution to his country.
At the end of the session, PN rose to give a word of thanks. He spoke of their long-term commitment to Japan, and he spoke about what his people had learned from the Japanese during their projects there. He concluded his speech by saying, “Your Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister, we would like to give you a small token of our respect. We are sure you will value our gesture.” And he presented the small Bodhi sapling.
PN continued. “Your Excellency, this is a gift from us to your countrymen who are devotees of Gautam Buddha. It is a clone of the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.”
The prime minister was extremely touched by the gift. He took the small plant in his hands and bowed with reverence.
And this was the beginning of Project Bodhi, kicked off by the Micropropagation Technology Park. More and more plantlets were created in the nursery, and countries in the Far East lapped more of them up. Everyone wanted to have a Bodhi in his or her home.
The period the team spent in developing the Bodhi saplings in Micropropagation Technology Park was the greatest reward for them. They were passionate about the flora and fauna, and they were passionate about learning something new in this area. What better reward could they have received from their organization!
PN was deeply satisfied that he could provide a platform for his people to express themselves and be happy. It was a small victory for John Galt!
Did his people stop after this achievement? Of course not. They created Indian herbal gardens in the city, they generated interest in all employees to invest in a huge farm to start organic farming, and they created resorts on the farm for their parents to visit. They created small patches of land where their children could experiment and see nature’s wonders, they helped the surrounding villagers set up self-help groups to work on their farms, and to learn and implement new technologies. The list is endless. But suffice it to say that a large number of employees of PN’s company now had a forum within which to express themselves and that allowed them to embark on the kind of journey that previously might have only been a dream!
1 comment:
Touched by the story. Thank you so much for sharing this Sirur Sir !!!
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