‘Saint Ratan Tata’

By George Kannanthanam

Bengaluru, Oct 14, 2024: If Ratan was a Catholic, we would have made him ‘Saint Ratan Tata.’ Does anything prevent the Church from making him Saint? It is time to reconsider our views.

Sainthood is an acceptance of a person’s life as an example to others. Ratan has set the highest example for anyone to live in this world, including for the Christians. His values were the best of Christian principles, of truth, justice, equality, humility and compassion.

Ratan could speak truth to power like a prophet. He spent most of his wealth for the public good of the vulnerable sections of society. He created great institutions for social concern that transformed the social landscape of India. He supported global educational centres for empowering the youth.

He stood with and for the workers, giving them dignity and hope. He ensured better living for the persons with disabilities and the elderly. He loved nature and animals. Never has the whole country mourned the death of a businessman. Yes, Ratan Tata was a modern Saint.

Basically, Ratan was a business, but a businessman with a difference. He was a compassionate businessman. He was led by the Gandhian motto, ‘when you make a decision, think how it is beneficial to the poorest person in the country.’ Ratan kept that in all business dealings.

Nano Car was his response, when he saw the struggles of a family of four struggling to drive a scooter, a common scene in India. His desire was not to create competition in the car industry, his dream was to give a decent facility for the poor families to travel with dignity. He was guided by such noble intentions in many of his business initiatives, unparalleled in our lifetime.

Ratan was deeply concerned about the welfare and dignity of his workers. He never compromised his business profits causing any difficulty to his more than 700,000 staff in 19 companies spread across more than 100 countries with a net value of US$400 billion. No wonder his driver said after his death, “My God is no more.”

In moments of disasters, Tata stood with his affected staff. He never moved out of the Taj Hotel for three days when the terrorists attacked it on November 26, 2008. He visited the family of every staff member who died. He gave the opportunity for their children to go to any University around the world and study.

When Tata Steel company in Jamshedpur was downsized in 2012 from 78,000 to 40,000, he ensured all workers get their present-day wages until retirement age. Such a decision in favor of the workers is unheard of in history anywhere in the world. Only Ratan Tata with a heart of steel could think of such a deal, ensuring the good future of his employees. As the world witnesses business compromises affecting the safety, health and rights of workers, Ratan stands as a benevolent businessman.

Ratan Tata believed that a company’s success is tied to the welfare of society, not just for himself. Many Indians learnt philanthropy from Ratan Tata. Much before the country would script the CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility) policy and act, he implemented it. His example was the model before the government to make the CSR act.

An annual inflow of about 20,000 crore (200 billion) rupees from Corporates to charities today happens due to his example and inspiration. His total contribution to various philanthropic activities is roughly calculated to be around US$100 billion. If “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9/7) is correct, God loves Ratan Tata a great deal.

There is no area of social development that Tata Trust has not contributed to. But Ratan Tata’s greatest passion to support was in the field of education. He helped groom social workers for the country through Tata Institute of Social Sciences and best scientists through the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He also supported Catholic institutions like St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Ratan extended such support to various global Universities mostly to support Indian students from underprivileged backgrounds. He established a scholarship fund of US$28 million at Cornell University, to finance talented Indian students. Ratan Tata created the MIT Tata Center of Technology and Design and donated US$50 million to Harvard Business School to build an executive center called Tata Hall.

Tata Hall at UC San Diego is a modern research facility with a donation of US$70 million. His focus on addressing societal challenges through education has laid the foundation for sustainable development, ensuring India continues to produce future leaders and innovators who carry forward his legacy.

Ratan has upheld and promoted life in every possible way. He was a fighter for a cause, the cause of suffering humanity. Whether it was disability, malaria, TB, cancer or Alzheimers, Ratna created institutions and organizations to support the victims. He supported mental health work through NIMHANS [National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences].

His passion to work for the elderly was expressed in his program called Goodfellows, backed by Tata protégé Shantanu Naidu. Even at the age of 86, Ratan set up a project for the welfare of people with Alzheimer’s, understanding that he himself was affected by it. His Tata Trust has saved enormous lives. ‘Giving life and life is abundance’ is continuing Jesus’s work.

Ratan’s love went beyond human beings to animals. His love for dogs is famous. Ratan would cancel a prestigious lifetime award ceremony to honor his exceptional philanthropic work organized by Prince Charles at Beckingham Palace in 2018 just days before the event to care for his ailing dog. Most people would not do it for their parents or siblings.

Who said he did not have a family. The whole universe was his family. He exemplified ‘Laudate Si’ in more ways than one.

Ratan did all this in utmost simplicity. Humility was his hallmark, a virtue we look for in every Saint. He was a gentle soul at heart.

Ratan could have been on top of the Forbes list. But he had much higher humane aspirations in life than that. He knew very well that respect and love come from being humane, not rich. No wonder the whole nation cried for the loss of its best human face, very rare for a country, divided on multiple lines.

Ratan was a universal man. Transcended all barriers of language, religion and country. Everyone could claim him as their own. The presence of prayers in all religions at his funeral symbolized what he was – a global citizen. ‘Frattelli Tutti’ (All Brothers) was so much in his DNA.

Jesus said it is extremely difficult for the rich to enter heaven. He did not say it was impossible. Ratan showed how the rich can enter heaven. Jesus said, ‘not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord (prays) who will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father.’ Ratan Tata did it in abundant ways.

Thus, Ratan Tata is a modern saint. A saint without the garb of religion. This sinks well with the vision of Pope Francis, of being spiritual, even without being religious.

If a person’s values and principles are the essence of saintliness, Ratan fits well in the idea of a saint. Ratan embodied a spark of divinity in everything he did. Is this not the idea of being a Saint? A man with divine nature.

Church may not canonize Ratan Tata. But the people have already given a special place to him in their hearts as ‘Saint Ratan Tata’. May be God too, for his special child. It is time for the Church to reconsider its views on sainthood as being restricted to Catholics.

(Claretian Father George Kannanthanam is a social worker living with leprosy patients since 15 years at Sumanahalli, Bengaluru.