Make In India – The Original Indian
A young archer was having dinner when a strong breeze put out the lamps in the dining room. The lad waited for a while for the lamps to be relit and realizing that it could take a while for that to happen, started resuming his dinner in the dark. As he continued to eat in the dark, a thought struck him and he reflected thus -“I am able to eat in the dark because I know by force of habit where the food in my plate is. It is habit that enables me to unerringly pick up the food from my plate and eat it. If I can eat in the dark by force of habit then surely I can shoot in the dark as well by similar force of habit. The principle is the same after all. Let me give it a try.”
Under the cover of night skies the boy started to practice archery, releasing arrows in rapid succession. While his fellow students slept peacefully, the boy archer continued striving in the night, sometimes in total darkness, in dim moonlight on other occasions. One night his teacher happened to hear the muffled twang of the bow string and decided to find out what was causing the noise. When he realized that it was one of his students honing his skills in pitch darkness he inquired what had prompted him to practice at night. The student told him what had transpired in the dining room. The teacher embraced his pupil lovingly and predicted that few if any would be able to match his prowess with the bow.
Modern India has instituted an award in memory of the lad who had the presence of mind to try and hone his archery skills in the dark. This particular episode from the life of Arjuna,matchless Pandava bowman from the age of the Mahabharata, is not as well known as some of the other episodes in his life such as his inability to focus on anything other than the eye of a wooden bird he was directed to aim at during a test. The episode is in fact a great example of how the minds of innovative winners function. Arjuna is suggesting to us, “Nothing is difficult. It is only unfamiliar. You can get used to anything, even shooting arrows accurately at night.”
If Arjuna is a hero of a distant past telling us of the infinite possibilities that are open to alert minds, Baji Rao is a hero of a not too distant past telling us something similar in the context of midnight striving.
A brilliant general who fought 41 battles and won them all, Baji Rao who was 'Peshwa' or Prime Minister to the Marathas is said to have advised his brother Chimaji Appa thus – "Remember that night has nothing to do with sleep. The night is your shield , your screen against the cannons and swords of vastly superior enemy forces".
He meant every word of what he said. Realizing that he was up against an enemy that was numerically vastly superior, Baji Rao played to his strength and moved rapidly . 2 riders would have 3 horses between them - while 1 horse rested the other 2 were ridden in turns. Baji Rao was able to move 40 miles in 1 day and sustain this rate of advance for many days. It was the highest speed of any army at that point in time. History has it that his army moved 2000 miles in 6 months from the time he left Pune in Oct 1727 until the end of the Battle of Palkhed in March 1728.
Baji Rao epitomises the innovative genius – he would make best possible use of local terrain , appear suddenly from behind ,sever enemy supply-lines with rapid troop movement, encircle the enemy speedily, launch an offensive from an altogether unexpected direction, distract the enemy's attention, harass it and strive to keep it off balance. He sought to quite literally dominate the battlefield on his own terms and succeeded– all this despite being numerically vastly inferior.
Bernard Montgomery, famous British General of the Second World War studied Baji Rao’s methods and is said to have remarked that he was possibly the finest cavalry general ever to have been produced by India.
As we strive to ‘make in India’ and become an economic power the spirit of Baji Rao is telling us , “Dont worry about numerical facts. Play to your strength. Use what you have well. I moved rapidly at night. Try something similar. Spot opportunities. Innovate.”
Closer in time are 2 other innovators who have a lesson for us,especially those who are working in start-ups and believe strongly in the 'make in India' theme.
Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Deewar’ is remembered as one of the great successes in his film career and it has its own story for those seeking to imbibe the innovative spirit. The story goes that Amitabh happened to observe Haji Mastan (on whose real life the character of Vijay Verma played by Bachchan in ‘Deewar’ was loosely based) at the Mahalakshmi Race Course in Mumbai and saved the gentleman’s facial expression within his mind. Amitabh plays a dock laborer in the first part of the movie (and Mastan had once been a dock laborer as well) – the portrayal and facial expression , especially in the eyes is remembered to this day. Bachchan,easily Bollywood's greatest living legend, has a lesson to offer – “Be alert and observant. You may well get a winning tip from life in the most unexpected places,even at a race course.”
Australia has always been synonymous with fast bouncy pitches and genuinely fast bowlers. Back in 1977, India had neither fast bouncy pitches (we still don't) nor did we have genuinely quick bowlers.There were no artificial fast bowling machines either,hence simulating Australian playing conditions during pre-tour practice sessions was obviously a challenge.The story has it that Indian batting genius Gundappa Vishwanath engaged a volunteer to hit wet tennis balls with a racquet in his direction as he practiced on a concrete strip in Bangalore.A tennis ball hit with a racquet comes at you fast and bounces steeply as well; a wet tennis ball more so. Vishwanath is reported to have practiced in this manner.His reflexes and hand-eye coordination were duly aligned with Australian conditions when India landed Down Under.He emerged as the most successful batsman on that tour.There is a lesson here from Vishwanath – “Just because an idea is simple and not very glamorous doesn’t mean it wont yield great results.”
‘Make in India’ can happen successfully and with pride if we stay alert and vigilant to the opportunities that surround us. A dash of instinctive innovation added to dedicated hard work and realistic vision will give India success. In doing so, we will only be continuing an ancient tradition,for the India that we seek to build anew must be as good or even greater than the India that once was – hard working, prosperous and full of the innovative genius.
