While everyone is obsessed with finding Indian origins in foreign heroes, I write about an original Indian hero.
Sunil Sathyendra, also known as Pungidasa or Pungi is many heroes rolled into one person.
He’s a poet and a story writer. With one big difference. He uses his talents for fundraising. His subscription money has funded education for many children in rural Karnataka. He also personally visits schools voluntarily to teach the children.
He is passionate about zero waste and sustainability movement. He has propagated the message of individual sustainability to 2000+ people worldwide through his sessions that explain how small changes in daily routines can make a positive impact.
He leads people without an official title. He has inspired many people around him—including me—to volunteer for social causes. Over a period of 5 years, he has organized more than 50 events and mobilized 300+ volunteers to put in voluntary work of over 13500 hours which has benefited 1000+ people.
He forms connections with everyone—the security guard, the cafeteria staff, the housekeeping staff, or even the company’s CEO! He believes in forming human-to-human connections, treats everyone equally with respect, and genuinely makes people feel special without any hidden agenda. He has established a broad worldwide network of over 800 people.
For him, diversity and inclusion is not about ticking boxes on a checklist, meeting KPI goals and creating a selfies and hashtags drama on social media. He believes in a culture of humans first and has put his life and soul into creating it.
He’s one of the few Indians I know who would decline a meeting invitation from a Western colleague because it conflicts with his lunch time. In an ideal world, there’s nothing noteworthy about this. But unfortunately, while his Western colleague doesn’t think much about it, his immediate surroundings consider this a “courageous” act—and not in a positive sense.
That anecdote is a good reflection of his personality. He stands up for his principles and carries on with his mission regardless of the skepticism, criticism, opposition and even ridicule he receives often.
That, ladies and gentlemen (and others), is Sunil, my hero, my partner-in-crime in many operations we do together, and indeed, my brother from another mother.
Who is a hero? For me, a hero is anyone who cares and works for others without caring about what they gain in return—or even when it comes at a personal loss. There are many heroes among the ordinary people around us.
We have to protect, nurture and grow our country with our own strength and efforts. No foreign celebrities—with or without Indian origins—will do it for us. Every small and big contribution by heroes among our ordinary people add up and make a huge difference.
Who are the original Indian heroes you know? Let me know in the comments below.
This post barely scratches the surface. I could easily write a book about him. But I will stop here at sharing a small sample of his inspiring LinkedIn posts and leave the bookwriting to Sunil.