The Indian School of Business alumni Dhimant Parekh and Anuradha Parekh,
as shown below are husband and wife social entrepreneurs associated with the
innovative positive news reporting startup called ‘The Better India’.
This venture started to curate all good news in India, and it is now, in just about
a decade or so, the world's largest positive and solutions-based content-driven
impact platform. It tells stories of change, inspiration, courage, resilience, hope,
kindness, compassion, innovation, initiative, sustainability, progress, social
good, small businesses, renewable energy, green technologies, and much more.
By using the power of digital media and positive storytelling, it showcases the
journey of India's most inspiring individuals and institutions, and thereby drives
its audience to turn this inspiration into impact!
As such, every student aspiring to be a changemaker must constantly check into
its website and always heed what Anand Gopal Mahindra of the Mahindra
Group had said thus about its recent book (TBI, 2021): “The Book of Hope is
perfect for a nation that refuses to give up. Curated by The Better India these are
stories of resolve, love, faith, entrepreneurship, and compassion that will uplift
your spirit. These stories serve as pick-me-up when you’re feeling down, or
when you need a reminder that in the end, we’ll make it through. This book is
an archive of a nation’s collective goodness. Stories are what connect us and
remind us that hope is always possible, and the lives of these ordinary Indians
will surely inspire you. These are the experiences of real people who found
love, overcame loss, worked towards achieving their dreams, or who
bravely fought against societal norms. This book is a testament to the fact that
anyone can do it—even you. When all seems dull and bleak, think of this book
as a ray of hope brightening up your heart, mind, and soul.”
Nothing can be a much friendlier touch-me than the above foreword to the
book, which is divided into six sections. In each of the three sections titled Love
Always Finds a Way, When the Going Gets Tough, and Find Hope respectively,
there are six stories. In Section IV, there are three stories, and in Section V,
there are five stories. Lastly, in Section VI, there are four stories. The
storytellers are Vidya Raja, Lekshmi Priya S., Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk, Gopi
Karelia, Sanchari Pal, Jovita Aranha, Yoshita Rao, Serene Sarah Zachariah,
Tanaya Singh, Ananya Barua, Divya Sethu, Manabi Katoch, and Himanshu
Nitnaware.
They have told good stories. A good story, for example, can connect a
photography club for the blind with a visually impaired girl who always
dreamed of becoming a photographer so that she can finally realize her dream;
it can be one that connects a school for underprivileged children in Chennai
needing repairs with a team of engineers in Bengaluru with the intent to help so
that their broken wall can be rebuilt; and it can also help a social entrepreneur
on the brink of bankruptcy meet an impact investor seeking to scale up
sustainable innovations so that his amazing product gets a new lease of life.
The Better India has offered hundreds and thousands of such good stories which
have had a positive impact on individuals, society, policies, and the
environment. As Dhimant and Anuradha say, “Today, a good story has become
so many things. It has a place among the important coverage the rest of the
media does. It shines a spotlight on those doing good. It implies that their
efforts—helping trigger real, on-ground impact—are being acknowledged and
loved by our readers. It is read by millions, who now consider reading about
something good a natural part of their daily lives, perhaps even with their
morning tea. “ A good story can “also be a book; one you can hold and treasure
and be inspired by, at those times when you feel what we felt all those years
ago: “Is everything in this country really all that bad?”
There is too much of negative news which helps highlight the issues plaguing
our country, creates some furore and brings in a resignation or two makes us all
angry at the system. But at the end of it all, what does it really achieve? Does it
inspire us to action or paralyze us with demotivation? Does it help us see how
we can solve things for the better or make us believe that nothing will ever change? And most importantly, does it give us hope or throw us deeper into the
throes of despair?
Reflections on these questions had led Dhimant and Anuradha to start the TBI
portal to show that India is much, much better than you think. As they say,
“While COVID ravaged the world, it also brought out the need to find hope,
compassion, courage, and resilience like never before. In the extreme darkness,
we searched for the beacons of light that shone through and guided our
way—extraordinary Indians who never gave up, those who provided relief to
helpless communities, selfless frontline workers who went the extra mile to
serve the society, incredible teachers who went door-to-door just so that no
underprivileged kid got left behind, those who fed the hungry and the homeless,
and so many more.”
I am fortunate to have come to know The Better India even as I am lost in my
own blue funk reactions to structural inequalities and their associated ascriptive
divides in India. I hope, after reading this posting, you too will consider yourself
very fortunate for checking into the TBI portal in order to embrace the
extraordinary stories of ordinary Indians, and thereby become optimistic.
I salute TBI and its architects.
References
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/N3PPjMfTuvjf0It23AdzoO/Anuradha-
Parekh--Dhimant-Parekh--When-the-news-can-change.html
TBI. 2021.The Book of Hope: Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Indians.
Penguin.
By Annavajhula J.C. Bose, PhD
Department of Economics, SRCC
Comments