Interview of Shri R.S. Agarwal, Chairman Emami Group to Samachar Sameeksha Evam Vichar

Look, when I started working as an industrialist here, the United Front government was in power, and at that time there was a militant labor policy. But by God's grace and the company's policy, there has never been a single day of strike, lockout, or protest in any of our companies in Bengal. So there was no conflict. When Jyoti Babu was there, he used to ask me the secret. He wanted to present that this big company had grown without any labor union or strike. I said, 'No, Jyoti Babu, I will not give any interview about this. If it becomes known, your own people will come and ruin our industry.' So there was no conflict. Why? Our product does not depend on government resources. Whether someone buys Mami cream or Boroplus, no one will buy a single piece just because a CPM or Congress person says so. They buy based on our quality, marketing, and price. That's why we never had any conflict. And now Mamata Banerjee has come, and there is no conflict with her either. She never interferes in our policies. She is very happy. At the AMRI hospital, there was an accident, and whatever she did, our relationship with her is very cordial.

I learned that what our gods and saints taught: 'Sitaram, Sitaram, whatever path God keeps us on, we should be content.' Nothing is in your hands. The day God wills, your prestige, wealth, power, resources will be useless. God will show you whether you stand on this earth or fall. God will teach you. My entire family believes in God. So I did not feel any discomfort even then. When Goenka ji was put in jail, and I was kept in a jail ward of the hospital, we were happy there. We practiced yoga nidra, brought God inside us, lived joyfully, and served all patients. If someone had no money, we gave them money. I told my Balram to ask who didn't have money, and we gave. Goenka ji couldn't get bail for hundreds of people. He was amazed and said people can't get bail for 500, 2000, 5000. So we would send money to the jailer to secure their bail. It was a great experience. It felt like we had come to heaven and gods came to get good work done from us.

The fire occurred, and people died. But it was unfortunate that no one died from the fire; they died from smoke. Now we cannot say what the cause was or wasn't. We told you: it was divine grace or misfortune.

Look, there is not much difference between philosophy and performance. All our industrialists, businessmen, religious leaders, political leaders, muscle leaders (whom you might consider goons), and those in the intoxication of power - in all of them, there is more of a performance mentality, not a life philosophy. So I say, when a person moves away from the performance mentality and starts following philosophy, and defines the purpose of life - because in the end, one has to go, to be cremated in a three-and-a-half by six foot space where the poor were cremated. So my wife is also very religious-minded, and our partner Goenka ji also believes in this philosophy. So we have great joy, peace, love, energy, and then bliss, and then Sachchidananda. This is the sequence we are bound in.

No, we will not make films. We have established rules of governance in our company, family governance rules, and business governance rules. In business, we will not go into liquor, pan masala, gutka, cigarette manufacturing, and similarly, we will not go into filmmaking.

Look, we were also part of it. Goenka ji, Aditya, and Manish were to go. Then you media people created a controversy that AMRI's accused are also going. So since we are not poets, we thought it appropriate not to go. So the trip will be successful, the work will be successful. How much success, I cannot tell yet. From reports, it seems they got good support, but the real result will be known only after they actually come.

If you look at West Bengal, there are resources and localization for every industry. Now labor issues have also reduced. But there is a fear among people that what might happen here, and how consistent the government policy will be. That probably makes people from here or outside afraid. I think gradually it will improve. And in West Bengal, let me tell you one thing: God's resources are highest in Bihar – mines, iron, coal. In West Bengal, coal is the highest. In Odisha, iron ore mines and minerals are highest. Yet God has made the people here poor, and there is no industry. Have you ever thought? If you think, there is only one reason: the people here are happy with contentment and don't have the desire to do more. In our Rajasthan, there was nothing but desert, so we ran wherever we saw work and we did the work.

Look, I can talk about these hurdles. India's good days are coming. A lot needs to be done for that. What needs to be done? At every level – labor laws, company act, income tax, infrastructure – something needs to be done everywhere. Even in bureaucracy, much reform is needed because corruption has seeped into our blood. Narendra Modi, I think, is a man who has the desire to do something and perhaps will be able to do it. It will take time. Thank you, sir.