How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and other Stories Read online

  ‘But why do you have their photos in your office?’

  ‘You can call it gratitude.’

  Then, invariably, I have to tell the person the following story. It happened a long time ago. I was young and bright, bold and idealistic. I was studying in the final year for my Master’s degree in computer science at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which was then known as the Tata Institute. For me, life was full of fun and joy. I did not know what helplessness or injustice meant.

  It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was just becoming warm. Red Gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department in Engineering, and was staying in the ladies’ hostel. Other girls were pursuing their research in different departments of science.

  After completing my postgraduation, I was keen to go abroad to do my doctorate in computer science and had already been offered scholarships from universities in USA. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

  One day, while on the way to my hostel from the lecture hall, I saw an advertisement on the noticeboard.

  It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company TELCO. It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hard-working with excellent academic background, etc.

  At the bottom there was a small line: ‘Lady candidates need not apply’.

  I read it and was very upset. For the first time, I was faced with gender discrimination.

  Though I was not keen on taking up a job, I took it as a challenge and decided to apply. I had done extremely well in my studies, probably better than most of the boys. Little did I know then that in real life, to be successful, academic excellence is not a necessary condition.

  After reading the notice, I went fuming to my room. There I decided not only to apply for the job, but also to inform the topmost person of the management of TELCO about the injustice. I got a postcard and started to write. But there was a problem. Who was the head of TELCO? I did not know. I was so ignorant that I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group. I had seen his pictures in newspapers. Actually, Sumant Mulgoankar was then its chairman, which I was not aware of.

  I took the postcard and started writing. Even now, I clearly remember what I had written to JRD.

  ‘Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India like iron and steel, chemicals, textiles, locomotives, etc. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900, and are responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science! Fortunately I study there. But I am surprised that in such a company you can make a distinction between men and women.’

  I posted the letter that was written in anger, and after a few days forgot about it.

  Within ten days, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at TELCO Pune, at their expense. I was taken aback. But my hostel-mates told me I had to use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost. And the reason? Pune saris were cheap! I was told to buy saris for them. I even collected thirty rupees per head for each of their saris. Now, when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons, but then they seemed good ones to make a trip.

  This was my first visit to Pune. I fell in love with the city and even to this date it is very dear to my heart. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do at Hubli. The city changed my life in so many ways.

  As directed, I went to TELCO’s Pimpri office for the interview. There were six people on the panel and it was only then that I realized this was serious business.

  ‘This is the girl who wrote to JRD,’ I heard them whisper to each other as soon as I entered. By then I knew for sure that I would not get a job. And when I wouldn’t get a job, why should I be scared? So I was rather cool for the interview.

  Even before they started the interview I knew they were biased, so I told them, rather rudely, ‘I hope this is only a technical interview.’

  They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed of my attitude.

  During the interview they asked many technical questions and I answered all of them. Then one elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, ‘Do you know why we said that lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that to this day we have not employed any ladies on the shop floor of the factory. This is an automobile industry. Trainees may have to work in shifts. For training, we may have to send them to Jamshedpur in Bihar. All our plants have men and machinery. Our trainees may have to drive. We have a trainee’s hostel and a guest house for them. If a lady enters, then how can we accommodate her? We do not know how men on the shop floor will accept her. How will she come for shifts? We care for our employees, particularly if she is a lady. It is not a college where there is no gender difference. This is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that. People like you should work more in research laboratories.’

  I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world was very small. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties. So I answered, ‘But somewhere you must start. Otherwise a lady will never be able to work in the factories. You are pioneers in many aspects of life. When I look at your industries, you are far ahead of other people. If you think this way, then how will any lady ever enter this so-called man’s domain?’

  ‘Training a candidate costs a lot to our company. You are of a marriageable age. After your training you will leave this company and shift to wherever your husband works. Is it not a waste of money for us?’

  I thought for a moment and replied, ‘I definitely agree with what you say. I am sure when many of you married, your wives came along with you. That has been our tradition. But is it also not true that many men undergo training, and just for a few more hundred rupees, they shift their jobs. You don’t have any rule for them. You can’t stop them.’

  Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful in securing a job at TELCO. On the way back, I got down at Hubli, my home town. I was eager to meet my father, always my best friend, and tell him my adventure. I was sure he would be happy and praise me.

  But I was in for a shock. He was very upset. He said, ‘You should have basic manners when addressing elderly people like JRD Tata. You should have written the letter more politely and put it in an envelope, instead of sending a postcard. Now you have to take up this job because you are morally responsible.’

  That is what my future had in store for me. Never ever had I thought I would take up a job at Pune. There I met a shy young man from Karnataka, we became good friends and got married.

  The elderly gentleman who interviewed me was Dr Sathya Murty, who was an excellent technocrat and human being. I worked with him for some years. After joining TELCO, I realized who JRD was. He was the uncrowned king of Indian industry. I did not get to meet him until I was transferred to Bombay. JRD had an office at Bombay House, the headquarters of Tata Industries.

  One day, I was supposed to show some reports to our chairman Mr Mulgoankar, whom everyone always referred to as SM. So I went to his office on the first floor of Bombay House.

  While I was in SM’s room, JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw ‘Appro JRD’. ‘Appro’ means ‘ours’ in Gujarati. In Bombay House, people used to affectionately call him ‘Appro JRD’.

  By this time, I knew who he was and was feeling very nervous, remembering my rude postcard to him.

  SM introduced me very nicely, ‘Jeh look, this young girl is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She has worked on the shopfloor at TELCO. Is it not unusual? She was the first girl in our TELCO shopfloor.’

  JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions regarding my interview or the postcard. Thankfully he didn’t ask me anything about that. Instead he remarked, ‘It is nice that in our country girls are getting into engineering. By the way, what is your name?’

  ‘When I joined TELCO, I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir