9th October 2010, WIPRO had organised a run. This event was hosted at 35 locations all over the world.
Employees were allowed to invite their families and friends. The distance was divided into 2, short and long. Short distance was 4 Kms and long distance 10 Kms. The Bangalore
Vilas was enthusiastic about it and made all of us participate in the event. Upon registration each of us got a T-shirt. On the back of the T-shirt was the run statement, ‘I am running with _____’. This blank was to be filled by the person who wears the T-shirt.
We started early morning by to Sarjapur Road Office. As we reached the destination, we saw a huge board welcoming all the participants and a large number of police personnel at the entrance. The Office security was busy doing the routine check and allowing employees towards the parking lots. Buses were organised for those who wished to avail this facility.
I could see all of them were very excited about the event and large number of employees with family and friends had turned up to take part in the event. The ages varied, from age 2 to 70 and above. Kids were given a warm welcome a good cheer from the event managers.
The run was to start at , so the long distance runners were called first to start the run. Mr.Azim Premji was to come to flag off the run. There was a lot of cheer, when he was arrived. He stood on the podium and a flag was handed over to him. After countdown, he flagged off and declared to run to start. All long distance runners began running. Vilas was one among them.
Then was the turn of the short distance runners. Similar way the short distance run was flagged off. With lot of cheer and fun we all started. Some ran some walked. I participated in the run but walked the 4 Kms distance. Everyone was in a sporty mood but not every one completed the mission statement though few did by writing the names of their colleagues & friends, kids sported running with ‘mom and dad’, their names, some had a signature campaign, some wrote WIPRO, my daughter wrote ‘running with YOU’ and Vilas being a marathoner sported ‘PASSION’, but one entry caught me raw, I am running with ‘the walkers’.
On the run way mineral water bottles and glucose powder was provided at every Km. the road was clear and the traffic was diverted from the opposite side.
The run took an hour or so to complete and most of them were returning back to the start point. Participants were welcomed with fresh lime juice at the return point. All were directed to the refreshment counters to collect their breakfast and coffee. Announcements were being made at the return point there is something more special in store after the breakfast, I could hardly guess what it maybe.
Security allowed entering the campus upon registrations as a guest (it was impressive to see their vigilance), on the left hand we could see tables arranged with breakfast boxes and the right hand side chairs were arranged in a circular fashion with a round dais with some musical instruments arranged in the centre. In all probability I assumed it was an orchestra.
My daughter wanted to see what it was about and we walked in to be seated, we were amused to see people ahead of us holding and playing various types of drums. As we approached the vacant seats, one instrument kept on each seat. We grabbed the one on our seats and instantly fused with the sound mania. The show went on, the main drummer was introduced and he guided the crowd with various beats and the crowd followed it. It was a DRUM JAM.
We sat we played; we stood we played; we hooted with the crowd; we clapped with them in a rhythmic beat; it went on and on and the crowd and me and all around, got their first chance to perform live in the public with the drums on their seat, it is simply unexplainable in words. This participation reminded me of the strategy of our late Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi motivated the common man to participate in the fight for independence by his simple principles of truth and non-violence, building a huge army to stand by him, which ultimately gave us freedom. Had the run took place on the original date 2nd October 2010 (Gandhi Jayanti day); it would have been the most appropriate gift to the present individualist nature of humans. The run was postponed from 2nd October to 9th October, upon anticipation of communal tension as the judgment was to be announced on the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid land dispute.
One man Azim Premji has built a corporate empire giving a good living to thousands like us and I think the SPIRIT OF WIPRO is not only ‘intensity to win* act with sensitivity* unyielding integrity’ but as the run and the following drum jam suggests, its the team ship-oneness among the employees, which binds one person to the other across religion, caste and culture.
Next day news poured in that, the number of participants in the ‘SPIRIT OF WIPRO RUN 2010’ was 14000 and WIPRO has resolved to plant one tree for every runner with the help of local farmers for the benefit of the community.
Great Vision Great Values!
-Adv.Vandana Vilas Vaidya.
