A friend just forwarded to me Tata’s new year D&I calendar- D&I standing for Diversity and Inclusion. This is a commendable effort by TATAs especially at this juncture when the diverse elements of the society in our country need reassurance about our country’s all inclusiveness as guaranteed by our constitution.
The calendar starts with a brilliant message of a child’s mind being like a blank slate, bereft of any preconceived notions or prejudices and how good it would be if we all view this world with a child’s eye.
January’s theme is ability over disability with a child sitting on his father’s office chair seeking permission to run a wheelchairs race. February theme is Love is Love, exhorting that love has no forms, labels or norms. March theme is “Collaborage”, a brilliant connotation to emphasise that this is the age of collaboration amongst diverse thoughts. April theme is level playing field and May highlights the need to break stereotypes (brilliant illustrations drive home the message most effectively – here two girls looking at the boys with a placard reading boys are bullies, with one telling the other that my papa was also a boy once and he’s not at all a bully). June message is the every voice counts ( we shouldn’t muffle any), while July advises people to ask rather than assume because assumptions are mostly flawed. August talks about Nurturing being universal, September says differences enrich while October messaging is that thoughts transcend languages. November says that diversity thrives in inclusion and December advises us to shift a little to grow a lot!
All the above are pressing need of today and such relevant and strong messaging through the medium of calendar is thoughtful, innovative and appropriate. Hope people have not only forgotten Vijay Mallya but also his much sought after Kingfisher calendar depicting semi nude models in provocative postures disguised under the garb of art! Tatas new D&I is the need and representative of new India.
Arvind Arya blog 