26/11 terrorist attack a life-changing moment for me: Ratan Tata

VADODARA: The 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai was the life changing moment in my life, Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, said here on Tuesday.

Tata, who was conferred the Sayaji Ratna Award instituted by the Baroda Management Association (BMA), said this while interacting with youth at Hotel Gateway after the awards ceremony held at the Sir Sayaji Nagar Gruh.

"If I rewind my life, the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in which many lost their lives, was a life changing moment for me. For six months, my voice was breaking and I could not speak clearly, like I am speaking today," he said, while recollecting the ghastly terror attacks.

"Every evening, I used to go to hospitals, visit families. For three days, I saw that there was nobody to even pay their bills. It was after that that we formed a trust to rehabilitate all known and unknown victims," he said, adding that the attacks also made him more sensitive.

To a question posed by a student on which politician he would drink tea with, Tata said he has not just drank tea but also flown kites with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to Modi's invitation to Tata Nano project in Gujarat, he said that it was after Modi kept his promise of land acquisition in three days that his trust in politicians increased.

At the award ceremony, Tata appealed for India as a country of equal opportunity based on merit. "Each one of us has the responsibility to drive to this. It should not be who we are, should not be rule of law applied to one person and not another, it should not be who you are connected with and how influential you are. It should be based on your merit. Once, authority gets recognized and respect with, everything will fall in place," he said.

He said vested interest coming mostly from the private sector is one of the greatest crisis India is facing. He said India is a great country but lots of potential which is yet to be achieved.

Tata is the second recipient of the Sayaji Ratna Award which was instituted by BMA in 2013 in memory of the erstwhile ruler of Baroda state - Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. In 2013, N R Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys Limited, had come to the city to personally receive the award as the first recipient of the award.

The award, instituted in the memory of Baroda's visionary ruler Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad II, is given away to India's living legends from various fields to recognize their contribution to the country.