Using wealth to transform destinies

It is one of the puzzling paradoxes of India that despite philanthropy being a core value of our civilization from ancient times, extolled by our most revered scriptures, teachers and saints—from the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Koran, to the Buddha, the Sikh Gurus and the Sufi Pirs—we do not have a real culture of philanthropy in our country. And he who does not sustain others is indeed dead, even if alive.” The Prophet Mohammad said “A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world.” And the Buddha taught us that “The greatest gain is to give to others”. Philanthropy in our country rarely goes beyond helping family members, donations to temples, ashrams and religious institutions, or sponsorship of sports and cultural events that receive prominent publicity in the media. To quote Rohini Nilekani, we need “the smartest minds, the warmest hearts and the deepest pockets to come together to bring about lasting change”.