Billionaire dad sends son to Kerala to work as aam aadmi
In
an effort to wean his son from a life of silver-spooned privilege, a
Gujarati diamond merchant and proprietor of a Surat-based Rs 6,000 crore
company with presence in 71 countries, persuaded his only son to go to
Kochi incognito and survive on odd jobs for a month.
Dravya
Dholakia, 21, doing an MBA in the US and on a holiday in India, arrived
in Kochi on June 21 with three pairs of clothes and Rs 7,000 that his
father instructed should be used only in an emergency.
"I
gave him three conditions: I told my son that he needs to work to earn
his money and he couldn't work at a place for more than a week; that he
can't use his father's identity nor use the mobile phone nor Rs 7,000
taken from home for a month. I wanted him to understand life and how the
poor struggle to get a job and money. No university can teach you these
life skills except experience," Savji Dholakia, proprietor of Hare
Krishna Diamond exports, told TOI over phone from Surat. Incidentally,
Dholakia had hit the headlines after his firm gifted cars and flats to
employees as bonus.
Dravya accepted the
challenge and it was decided that he would go to a place he was not
familiar with and where the language would be new to him and search for a
job. "He decided to come to Kochi as he didn't know Malayalam and Hindi
is not commonly spoken there," said Dholakia. But little did he know
what was in store after he landed here.
"For
five days I had no job or proper place to stay. I was frustrated as I
was rejected at 60 places, as no one knew me here. I understood what is
rejection and the value of a job in these few days," said Dravya, who
lied to his employers that he is a class XII student born in a poor
farmer's family in Gujarat. Dravya Dholakia first got a job in a bakery
in Cheranelloor. Then he worked at a call centre, a shoe shop and even
McDonalds in the city, earning Rs 4,000 plus in a month. "I never
worried about money and here I was struggling to get one time meal worth
Rs 40. I needed another Rs 250 per day to stay in a lodge," said
Dravya, who returned home on Tuesday.
Sreejith
K, a finance manager who met Dravya, said: "I met him at the bakery and
liked him. I gave him my visiting card and offered him all help.
However, as my colleagues warned me against employing him, I wouldn't
respond to his calls. On Tuesday, I received a call from Dravya's
company CEO thanking me and informing me of Dravya's journey."
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