Principal Transformation Consultant | Interim CTO | AI & PMO Advisor (Gen AI/ Enterprise
The Question That Made Me Who I Am
Not an article. Not a story. Just my heart on a page.
Sometimes I wonder… Why am I the way I am? Why do I feel so deeply for people? Why do I care so much about lives that aren’t even connected to mine?
And then, when I sit alone… or when I speak to someone who truly listens… I go back to that moment. That place. That smell of the soil. That trembling voice of an elderly woman. And that tiny 12-year-old version of me… who saw the world differently for the first time.
I didn’t know then that life was teaching me something. But today, I know that moment shaped everything.
One of the recent events with Vishvanathan Sir
🌾 My Childhood Wasn’t Grand. But It Was Real.
My father was a Federal lead. Not the “sit in AC cabin” kind. The kind who knew every tree, every village, every worker, every problem. We lived in rural areas — places where the forest met people, where life was raw, simple, and… heavy.
I was young. Too young to understand society. But somehow… I was always standing in the middle of it.
We were helping the Artisans Federation of India. Big names were involved — V. Vishwanathan Sir, A.N. Vasudevan Sir — but honestly, at that age I didn’t know what “National President” meant. [ I was asked to connect with locals, talk in marathi and get the yougsters to attend In-person event in 2002, suppose to get youngsters from rural area job/business opportunities then , from remote areas within Maharashtra for Artisans Federation Of India's event focusing on youngsters to get involved in Business/Self-employment providing support ]
I only knew: “People need help. Let’s gather them.”
In my mind, everything was simple. If something gives opportunity, people will come. Why wouldn’t they?
I was wrong. Painfully, innocently wrong.
💔 The Marathi Question That Broke Me at 12
This memory is so clear, it’s almost like life carved it into my bones.
An old woman stopped me as I was giving invitations.
[ Invitation was for any working youngster/men must attend the program- The slum I was to invite were amongst group of people who joined federal construction site daily wage prgram within 1-2 days , construction site workers of remote area, they knew me as "Sahebacha Mulga" ]
Her saree was worn out. Her face had years of struggle written on it. Her hands were trembling slightly — not from fear, but from exhaustion.
She looked at me like I mattered. Like my words would decide their day.
She said:
“Baba… donhi lokanna pathavaycha ka? Ki ekala pathavla tari chalel?” ( Mening , Should I send both of them "Son/Father" , or is it ok to send any "One amongst them" )
I didn’t understand why she was asking.
I replied cheerfully, “Aaji, both can come! It’ll help them.” (aaji, doghana pathwa, mi madat karench ki)
And then… she looked down. Her voice cracked. Her eyes told me something my age couldn’t process.
“We survive on daily wages, child. If both go for learning… we won’t have money to eat that night.”
In that moment… the world suddenly felt heavier. Even the air around me felt different.
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to respond. I just knew something in me shifted forever.
I was a child. But that day, I grew up.
Who Shaped Me - The Man Who Became My Compass
🌱The Man Who Shaped My Purpose: V. Vishwanathan Sir
A Tribute to V. Vishwanathan Sir
V Vishvanathan Sir on left hand side
There are people you meet in life who don’t just guide you… they build you without even realizing it.
For me, that person has always been V. Vishwanathan Sir — my godfather, my mentor, my moral compass, and the quiet force behind everything I am today.
I met him in 2002, in Delhi, during a gathering led by the great Smt. Sheila DikshitJi, a minister whose vision for the unorganized sector was unparalleled. She is no more today… but her blessings were the light that ignited the movement.
And in that light stood one man — simple, fearless, stubbornly principled, unshaken by politics or power or recognition — V. Vishwanathan Sir.
Trying to write about him feels almost wrong, because no words can carry the weight of a life like his.
Here is a man who:
Sold his house
Sold his property
Gave up the bungalow he built
Sacrificed his business and financial security
…all so that he could uplift the downtrodden, unorganized sector workers, and artisans across India.
He has walked from Delhi to Kanyakumari, Orissa to Assam, Maharashtra to Chhattisgarh, not for fame, not for power — but for the people who had no one else.
Even after a leg operation, he attended every cohort, every meeting, every event.
Even after a heart bypass surgery in 2022, while most people rest and recover, he returned to doing what he always did:
Running for people. Running for society. Running for those who needed a voice.
This is the kind of devotion you cannot learn. You cannot be trained for. You cannot imitate.
This is devotion you witness. And witnessing it changes you.
I saw him execute free upskilling campaigns, train thousands, solve problems despite language barriers, guide communities through storms — all while receiving no award, no media coverage, no government recognition, no spotlight.
He did not do it to be seen. He did it because he could not ignore suffering.
This is the kind of leader he is:
👉 Sacrifice without noise. 👉 Service without expectation. 👉 Leadership without a chair.
People like him are never interviewed. Their names don’t trend on social media. Their work doesn’t get awards or headlines.
Because true service never looks for applause. It just continues.
And today, when I reflect on my journey — on my values, my compassion, my purpose — I realize something very quietly, very deeply:
I am who I am because I grew up watching him.
Dignitaries
He shaped my understanding of humanity more than any book, mentor, or institution ever could.
And if there is one reason I continue to walk this path — of supporting people, uplifting rural families, standing with the unprivileged — it is because I was blessed enough to witness a man whose heart was bigger than any title, any position, any reward.
V. Vishwanathan Sir — my godfather, my guide, my example, the man who taught me that true purpose is never loud… it is lived.
🌱People Think Social Work Is Noble.
They Don’t See the Weight It Gives You.**
As years passed, I met hundreds of people — artisans, labourers, youngsters, families. Each one taught me something I didn’t even know I needed to learn.
The man who walked barefoot to a meeting because buying slippers would mean skipping dinner.
The boy who studied only on Sundays because he worked the rest of the week to help his mother.
The mother who smiled even when her stomach was empty, because her daughter got a chance to learn stitching.
And then… there was Hivlekar ji.
Mr.Hivlekar Ji from Nagpur - he invested his entire provident fund to contribute to case hearing fees for group of people who werent his own by blood/relation, use to collaborate with artisans leaders - Vishvakarma's across India to unite and empower people to educate and support daily needs]
2017 event where V Vishvanathan Sir and Mr.Hivlekar Sir and Mr.Yerpude Ji and others were guiding youngsters getting right for the youngster share of artisans
Mr.Hivklekar [60-65 years old then, was talking with other Aged-leaders ,they were sharing common hotel room between 3-4 , after day long event I heard him saying - following
“It’s good that my wife passed away… Now I can roam freely and help people.”
Back then, I didn’t understand it. How can losing someone be “good”?
Today… I understand the sacrifice. The price of purpose. The loneliness that comes with service. The silent pain people carry while helping others.
And somewhere along the way, without realizing it… I am following them .
🌟 The Truth: I’ve De-priortised A Lot.
But I’ve Never Felt I Lost Anything.
People sometimes tell me: “You give too much.” “You stretch yourself.” “You forget yourself for others.” No Friends connect, No relatives connect, No Great Enjoyment connects! but at SOCIAL for cause.
But they don’t understand what I understood that day at age of 12:
Some people don’t need your money. They need your presence. They need your voice. They need someone who will stand for them when they can’t stand for themselves.
I’ve sacrificed family moments, relationships, social circles, stability — but I did it with a full heart.
Because every time someone needs me… I hear that old woman’s trembling Marathi again.
Her voice became my compass.
💛My Purpose Isn’t Something I Chose.
It’s Something That Chose Me.
It chose me in that slum. It chose me in the eyes of that boy who wanted to study. It chose me in the tired smile of that mother. It chose me in the sacrifice of Hevlekar ji. It chose me when I saw people survive on hope more than on food.
And today… even when I work in tech, AI, startups, training, leadership — deep down, I am still that 12-year-old boy, trying to make sure nobody has to choose between learning and eating.
I didn’t choose compassion. Compassion chose me. And it still holds me.
🌍 If You Ask Me What I Truly Believe…
It’s This:
You don’t need to be rich to create impact. You don’t need power to change lives. You don’t need fame to matter.
You only need a heart that refuses to turn away.
And mine refuses. Every single day. For people who don’t even know my name. For people who may never repay me. For people who remind me of where I started.
Because it’s not about me. It’s always been about them.
And if someone, somewhere, lives a slightly better life because of something I did… then I think my 12-year-old self would look at me today and whisper…
“Tu thik kartoy.” (You’re doing the right thing.)
My gratitude to every mentor, leader, and elder whose footsteps shaped my path. This article is a tribute to them, not to me
Thanks LinkedIn for making me think above [What’s one cause or nonprofit you support and why? Whether you volunteer, donate, or are passionate about raising awareness, your story of giving can inspire others.]
One of the recent events with Vishvanathan Sir
