G.D. Birla (1894-1983) was born in the village of Pilani, Rajasthan. His father was an ordinary tradesman, who had a small business in Calcutta. At the age of fourteen, Mr. Birla left for Calcutta to assist in his father’s business.

One day, Mr. Birla had some work in the top storey of a commercial building of Calcutta. He was stopped from entering the lift for it was for the use of British officers only. He ascended by the staircase, only to find that he was not allowed to sit on a chair there either. He was brought to a bench which was reserved for peons. But the young Birla did not sit on it. He stayed standing until his work was finished.

Experiences of this nature during the British rule instilled Mr. Birla with a longing for Indian independence, and he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom movement. This was a time when rich capitalists were wary of associating themselves with Congress. But Mr. Birla was an extremely farsighted and courageous man. He caught a glimpse of the post-1947 Congress party in the pre-1947 one. He saw a free India in the India that was struggling for independence; he realized that the leader of today would be the minister of tomorrow; if he assisted them today, he would benefit immensely from them tomorrow. He started to provide the freedom movement with regular financial support. It is said that up to 1947, he had already donated 20 crore rupees (200 million) to Mr. Gandhi and the Congress party.

Mr. Birla reaped enormous benefits from this after independence. He was granted every kind of special facility by the new government. So astronomical was his rise that he soon became the greatest industrialist of free India. The Birla family is today considered to be the richest in India.

It is the one who sows today will reap tomorrow. This is true for both the present world and the future world. □

Spending with prudence even in times of affluence

The Prophet passed by Sa’ad, who was casually performing his ablutions from a big pot of water. “What’s this extravagance, Sa’ad?” The Prophet asked. Sa’ad was surprised that there should be extravagance even in ablutions. “Of course, there is,” the Prophet said, “even if one is on the bank of a stream.”