Taj Ballroom soaks in Nita Ambani’s Anjar tears

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Her chosen subject? “Making The Impossible Possible” vis-a-vis the lessons learnt at Jamnagar after the 1998 furious cyclone nearly devastated the plant that straddles 7,500 acres. But Tuesday afternoon was no small talk about Jamnagar; the opening film was enough to convince even disbelievers that Reliance could get the plant functional in merely 14 days. Nita Ambani was holding forth on the post-earthqauke reconstruction efforts in Gujarat, particularly in Anjar town that the company has more or less adopted.

Two days after the earthquake, she flew into the area armed with relief material for the quake-devastated, support for the company team that was working in the area, and a few principles of leadership that she had obviously picked up from `Papa’ and Mukesh, and firmly believes in. Back in Mumbai, she wanted to share the experience with fellow citizens and remind them that it is indeed possible to rebuild Anjar, of course Gujarat, even India, if only there is vision.

“Reconstruction at Jamnagar after the cyclone was no easy task. In the earthquake-affected areas of Gujarat, the task is even more daunting. Reconstruction of houses, towns and villages on a vast scale calls for a war-like effort. It demands coordination and planning. Above all, it demands a high quality of leadership. My thoughts naturally go back to Jamnagar. We saw sound principles of leadership at work: lead your people from the front, give them a well-defined goal, give them space for initiative, do not compromise on time, quality and cost, do not spare yourself if you do not want others to slip up. In my humble way, I am trying to emulate these principles,” she read out.

However, these were the more sober passages. Nita broke down again and again as she recounted her first-hand experiences in Anjar, the need to treat the victims with dignity and respect which she discovered were crucial in that situation. Apparently, a little girl was in pain but reluctant to accept a box of sweets that Nita offered. “Her mother told me, `sister, we are not beggars’. I asked the mother: `You have called me sister, I am her masi, have I no rights over her?’ The whole atmosphere changed. There was a glow in their eyes. The girl was in pain but she could read the language of love,” recounted Nita.

“We need to act as men and women with sensitive souls, with throbbing hearts. We should not treat the dead as mere statistics. With god in our hearts, we must do whatever we can for those struggling to survive…people in Bhuj, Anjar, Ahmedabad are experiencing the chill of misfortune. Let us give them the warmth of our love, sympathy and support,” she read out fighting back tears, “My dreams are a tapestry of my vision as a mother, housewife, citizen. My special interest is in the problems of education and healthcare…I am involved in Jamnagar and now in Sir HN Hospital in Mumbai. This provides me the frame for my vision of a new India. All this I say with the heart of a woman. I believe women lend sensitivity and creativity to our construction efforts. In the reconstruction of Indian society, women can act as a great catalyst. Jamnagar proved this convincingly…I hope the trauma of Bhuj, Anjar and Ahmedabad will soon be a matter of the past.”

Expectedly, accolades and encomiums poured in by the micro-second as she finished thanking the obviously-moved audience for “letting me unburden my emotions”. It was Nita Ambani’s afternoon all the way — and Mukesh was in the room through all this. Of course, there was a five-star lunch spread for those interested.

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