Professor Gnanaharan

August 2006

A recent edition of The Hindu Young World (9th June 2006) carried an article written by Sujata C. It emphatically drove home the need to "understand the power of three". To substantitate her argument the author quoted quite a few illuminating examples. Some of them are reproduced here:

The three phases of time: past, present and future

The three distinct levels of human being: body, mind and soul

The sum of human capability: thought, word, and action

The Trimurti, the foundation of the Hindu religion: Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara

The strongest form of construction: a triangle

One can think of many more. But a few can be added here to further strengthen the argument:

Matha, Pitha, and Guru, the most important sources of ones knowledge & character

Knowledge, Wealth and Courage, the three essential ingredients for success

Iyal (prose), Isai (verse) and Nadakam (drama), three aspects of language & literature

Interestingly, the concept of sustainable development is also built around three P's: Profit, People and Planet. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) defines in the following manner:

"Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social equity. Companies aiming for sustainability need to perform not against a single financial bottom line but against this triple bottom line".

A couple of recent developments at the national level as well as at the global corporate level seem to confirm that the concept of inclusive development has really gathered momentum. The draft approach paper to the Eleventh Plan released recently is appropriately called as "Towards Faster and More Inclusive Growth".

But what attracted the media headlines all over the world relates to the recent decisions taken by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, the world’s richest and second richest. Gates has announced his plan to give up his day to day role at Microsoft from excatly 2 years from now and devote his time wholy for Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation. This Foundation works in the areas of Health and Education for the world's poor.

Even more path breaking is the decision taken by Warren Buffet to donate bulk of his wealth ($ 31 Billion to be precise) to Melinda & Gates Foundation. Warren Buffet is reported to have told the Fortune magazine that "We agreed with Andrew Carnegie who said that huge fortunes that flow in large part should be returned to the society". He further declared that philanthropists "should seek out talent to distribute their money just as they sought out talent to acquire it". This is a clear pointer to the need for developing and attracting management talent in the development sector.

Avaiyar, the saint Tamil Poet centuries ago referred to the possibility of inclusive development when she said " nadengum vazha kadenrum illai " . Translated into English this simply means that there is nothing in the nature that obstructs growth of one and all. The time has come that development planners all over the world shoud realise that the concept of inclusive growth is not only a desirable goal but an eminently achievable one - if only we have the courage of committment.