This week, Indian billionaire Azim Premji became recognized as “India’s top philanthropist.” Being one of the main donors in India and even on the Asian continent, this title puts him up near some of the world’s top philanthropists, like Gates or Buffet. However, Premji makes much less money than either of them, ranked by Forbes as the 51st wealthiest individual in the world. However, his charity will not go unnoticed, and most definitely not unused. Much of the donated rupees will go towards a holy elixir in the Indian culture: milk.
As per the Hindu faith of India, the cow is seen as a holy and divine creature, with maternal caretaking qualities. Not only do Indians consume milk, they also perform rituals and bathe idols in the sacred product. Milk is very special because of this, leading to it being highly regarded in their society. However, even at the price of 52 Rupees (approximately $0.75 US Dollars), much of India’s non ranching population cannot afford to buy milk because of the economic condition of the working class, who make little more than 200 Rupees per day (~$3). While much of Mr. Premji’s charitable donations will go towards other programs, a considerable amount of it will go to struggling lower class workers in India so that they can purchase the milk they so desperately require. While milk is largely a religious symbol, there is also the fact that by not drinking milk, the Indian proletariat doesn’t attain the nutrients and energy that they need in order to succeed in their work. By introducing milk to a class where it is often described as a luxury, they will take Mr. Premji’s donation seriously because it is both a religious issue and a health issue. Azim Premji may not realize this as an effect of his generous donation to the state of India, but productivity of Indian workers is about to shoot through the roof, all thanks to the elixir of the gods.