Reimagining Workplace Inclusion: Lessons from the Mahabharat, ETHRWorld
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What a labyrinth of dichotomies society is—and what narrative captures this more compellingly than the epic of the? This revered tale, which resonates differently across India's diverse cultural fabric, is a sprawling tapestry of 'what-if' moments.What if Drona's school hadn't been exclusive to royal princes? Would embracing a talented student like Eklavya, regardless of caste, have altered the war's outcome? What if the Pandava princes had looked beyond Karna's birth as a charioteer's son? Could they have gained an unmatched ally? On the other hand, what if there had been bias against Shikhandi—would Bhishma have remained undefeated? Theis a mosaic of such conjectures, each with the potential to redefine its motif.India is a potpourri of ethnicities, languages, and cultures—and takes great pride in its philosophy of 'Unity in Diversity.' But our multicultural richness often coexists with striking contrasts. We are simultaneously a land of technological ambition and deep-rooted inequality. Our culture is centuries deep in assimilation, and yet certain communities remain excluded from the mainstream. Tradition and long-held beliefs can sometimes harden into biases that obstruct empathy and inclusion.Despite decades of reform and awareness, many women across India still face hurdles to personal and professional growth due to entrenched orthodoxy. Legal rights exist for the LGBTQIA+ community, but social acceptance continues to lag. Persons with disabilities often remain unseen—not due to their lack of ability, but due to others' lack of awareness. Traditional social hierarchies continue to push marginalised groups to the edges.In echo chambers, once-unheard voices are becoming louder—and many of us are starting to listen.This is where the ideas of 'corporate' and 'citizenship' intersect. Organisations have a unique role to play in shaping a more equitable society. They are not just economic engines, but melting pots of identities, cultures, and perspectives. By bringing diverse voices to the same table, businesses can become platforms for transformative conversations.But inclusion cannot stop at hiring. It must extend to the lived experience of every employee. Creating meaningful change means building a workplace culture rooted in respect, equity, and opportunity.One of the most urgent tasks for any forward-thinking organisation is to help marginalised groups break through long-standing stereotypes. That requires more than tokenism—it means offering genuine support, safe spaces, structural accommodations, visibility, and most importantly, celebrating the contributions of those who have historically been sidelined.At Tata Steel, we launched, our flagship Diversity & Inclusion initiative, over a decade ago. It focuses on gender diversity, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and affirmative action groups. Today, we are proud to have surpassed 20% workforce diversity in India.Ours is an industry where entry barriers—both social and physical—are often high. Women account for just about 20% of the manufacturing workforce in India, and predominantly in the electronics segment. Heavy manufacturing infrastructure is often not accessible to persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ representation remains nascent.Yet the momentum is building. As demographics shift and workplace expectations evolve, companies across sectors are recognising the need for a dynamic, future-ready workforce. Diversity is not a checkbox—it is a strategic imperative. The workforce of tomorrow will be more disruptive, more agile, and above all, more diverse. Organisations must transform not only to remain relevant but to lead in this new paradigm.And perhaps, as we revisit the stories of the, we can draw lessons for today's workplace—that for every Arjun, there must also be space for the, andof the world. Because greatness knows no single form.
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Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Reimagining Workplace Inclusion: Lessons from the Mahabharat, ETHRWorld
Advt Advt By , ETHRWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHRWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHRWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. What a labyrinth of dichotomies society is—and what narrative captures this more compellingly than the epic of the? This revered tale, which resonates differently across India's diverse cultural fabric, is a sprawling tapestry of 'what-if' if Drona's school hadn't been exclusive to royal princes? Would embracing a talented student like Eklavya, regardless of caste, have altered the war's outcome? What if the Pandava princes had looked beyond Karna's birth as a charioteer's son? Could they have gained an unmatched ally? On the other hand, what if there had been bias against Shikhandi—would Bhishma have remained undefeated? Theis a mosaic of such conjectures, each with the potential to redefine its is a potpourri of ethnicities, languages, and cultures—and takes great pride in its philosophy of 'Unity in Diversity.' But our multicultural richness often coexists with striking contrasts. We are simultaneously a land of technological ambition and deep-rooted inequality. Our culture is centuries deep in assimilation, and yet certain communities remain excluded from the mainstream. Tradition and long-held beliefs can sometimes harden into biases that obstruct empathy and decades of reform and awareness, many women across India still face hurdles to personal and professional growth due to entrenched orthodoxy. Legal rights exist for the LGBTQIA+ community, but social acceptance continues to lag. Persons with disabilities often remain unseen—not due to their lack of ability, but due to others' lack of awareness. Traditional social hierarchies continue to push marginalised groups to the echo chambers, once-unheard voices are becoming louder—and many of us are starting to is where the ideas of 'corporate' and 'citizenship' intersect. Organisations have a unique role to play in shaping a more equitable society. They are not just economic engines, but melting pots of identities, cultures, and perspectives. By bringing diverse voices to the same table, businesses can become platforms for transformative inclusion cannot stop at hiring. It must extend to the lived experience of every employee. Creating meaningful change means building a workplace culture rooted in respect, equity, and of the most urgent tasks for any forward-thinking organisation is to help marginalised groups break through long-standing stereotypes. That requires more than tokenism—it means offering genuine support, safe spaces, structural accommodations, visibility, and most importantly, celebrating the contributions of those who have historically been Tata Steel, we launched, our flagship Diversity & Inclusion initiative, over a decade ago. It focuses on gender diversity, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and affirmative action groups. Today, we are proud to have surpassed 20% workforce diversity in is an industry where entry barriers—both social and physical—are often high. Women account for just about 20% of the manufacturing workforce in India, and predominantly in the electronics segment. Heavy manufacturing infrastructure is often not accessible to persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ representation remains the momentum is building. As demographics shift and workplace expectations evolve, companies across sectors are recognising the need for a dynamic, future-ready workforce. Diversity is not a checkbox—it is a strategic imperative. The workforce of tomorrow will be more disruptive, more agile, and above all, more diverse. Organisations must transform not only to remain relevant but to lead in this new perhaps, as we revisit the stories of the, we can draw lessons for today's workplace—that for every Arjun, there must also be space for the, andof the world. Because greatness knows no single form.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
A matter of pride: How five LGBTQIA+ students passed Class 10
It's a drizzly 4pm, but that's not why there's a rainbow on the first floor of a municipal school near Sion station. The sun casting seven colours through a prism is a perennial fixture on a wall chart inside this year-old evening learning centre, nestled up a flight of metal stairs within D S High School. The painting is one of many quiet affirmations of the space's inclusivity. "Outside, we face a lot of ridicule for our effete ways," says 43-year-old Vikas (name changed), who dropped out of school in 1997. "But here, teachers don't discriminate or mock us for using phrases like 'aga bai'." We are at Masoom's learning centre for LGBTQIA+ students at Sion, a safe space that will celebrate its first batch of SSC passouts on July 29. Vikas, an outreach worker, is one of its five students— ranging from health workers to courier personnel—who cleared their SSC exams through the National Open School and are now studying for HSC, drawn by the centre's promise of free education, pens, notebooks, groceries and a shot at a stable job. "I didn't expect to fetch 64%," laughs Vikas, surprised to have stood third in his class. The idea for the centre was sparked by Seema Ali, a transgender student who made headlines in 2022 as a standout from Masoom's night school initiative. Born in a small Maharashtra town, Seema faced family rejection and community abuse before moving to Mumbai. After years of begging at signals, she joined a night school through the NGO, passed her SSC, and landed a job. At a panel last year, she pointed out how many queer individuals—often relegated to begging or sex work—would benefit from evening education centres. Her story helped rally support but the beginning wasn't easy. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Volunteers reached out to NGOs and gharanas to encourage enrolment but met with hesitation. "Members of the community tend to prioritise earning over learning," says Masoom's Sandeep Suryawanshi, who made several home visits. "They would say, 'We earn almost Rs 300 in an hour on the train. Why should we forego that?'" recalls Nikita Ketkar, CEO of Masoom, which had aimed to enrol 60 students. "We only managed to convince 16. Of those, 11 attended regularly and five passed." Aliza, class topper at 74%, is the only trans woman in this batch. Averting the gaze of commuters at Sion station, she would drop in for classes in Hindi, Home Science, Data Entry, Painting, and Business Studies, taught every evening by Abhishek Yadav, Sonali Pawar, and Nitin Pawar. Kalyan-based Mahendra, 29, who works as a part-time courier executive, set high expectations as the most diligent student. "Despite having to travel all over the city, he would drop in to our centre almost every day," says Suryawanshi. "I failed tenth when I was 14," says Mahendra who delivers Ayurvedic medicines for Rs 100 to Rs 200 a pop. "At times, the customers would adjust timings for my sake. At times, the teachers would wait for me," he recalls. "I want a job that helps me afford my dream—my own house in Mumbai," says the second-ranker, who lives in a Rs 7,000 rental in Kalyan. For Vikas, who last attempted SSC in 1997 or 1998— he's not sure—catching up wasn't easy. "In your youth, you retain more," says the aspiring makeup artist, who found Business Studies especially eye-opening. "I want to start my own business and I now know how to," says the 43-year-old. Though singing is his first love, Ulwe's 23-year-old Pranay (name changed) would be content with a secure govt job. Having dropped out in 2015 to support his ailing relatives, he cooked, swept and swabbed at six to eight homes for years in Navi Mumbai. "Friends advised me against it, but I had to make a living," he says. Recently he quit after a doctor told him about a gap in his spine. He now works with Humsafar Trust, raising HIV/AIDS awareness in the LGBTQIA+ community. "It's not easy. The young resist the message... until the disease gets them," he says. "It would help if the govt took the initiative to raise awareness about the community and its issues through railway announcements, etc," says Vikas, who faced unkind comments on his way to class. "As a society, we still have a long way to go," he adds, before entering the room with the perennial rainbow to prepare for Class 12. To enrol, call on 8655727370 or 8655086753
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- The Hindu
Keeping good company
When the Pandavas leave for the forest, the people of Hastinapura follow them, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. They discuss the injustice done to the Pandavas, despite the presence of learned men like Drona in the royal court. They tell the Pandavas that success and failure are common in a war. But an enemy should not win by unfair means. The Kauravas have resorted to underhand means to defeat Yudhishthira in a game of dice. The citizens of Hastinapura do not want to remain in a city which is ruled by an unjust king. There are two kinds of people who do wicked things. Some are intrinsically wicked, like Dritharashtra and Duryodhana. Some sin because of circumstances. Bhishma, Drona and Vidura belong to the latter category. Having been with the Kauravas, they cannot abandon them suddenly, even when they know that Duryodhana is guilty of unforgivable sins. Having enjoyed the patronage of Dritharashtra for many years, how can they turn against him, when he needs them? So they stay back with the Kauravas. But the residents of Hastinapura give reasons for their decision to leave the city. We acquire the characteristics of those whose company we keep. If you add fragrant flowers to a pot of water, the water begins to smell good too. The earth smells good because of the flowers. Clothes that come into contact with the flowers also acquire a pleasant smell. The people argue that they must be with righteous people like the Pandavas. If they stay back in a city ruled by Duryodhana, they too will begin to think and act like him, casting dharma away, and behaving selfishly. We should seek the company of educated people, the elderly whose experience we can benefit from, those with good qualities, those engaged in tapas and those with self-control.
