Learning Life Lessons from Sindhis

'Sindhi culture' is as old as 2500 BC. Do we know that Mohenjodaro was located where there is Sindh province today? It was one of the largest & oldest settlements of civilization, contemporaneous with ancient Egypt. Today, about 6 million Hindu Sindhis are struggling on both sides of the border, in Pakistan & in India, to maintain their identity. This is a story about how Sindhis created a deep impact on my mind ever since my childhood & taught me lessons of life.

Sindhis suffered the most in the Indo-Pak animosity, like Kashmiris. Their dear ones are scattered equally on either side.

Solapur, my hometown was the 4th largest city of Maharashtra when the state was formed in 1960. It was the second most cosmopolitan city, after Mumbai, with 40% population speaking at least 3 languages such as Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Laman, Kshatriya, Gujarati, Marwari etc. It was a city of Immigrants who migrated to Solapur because it was one of the largest textile hubs in India after Mumbai and Ahmadabad. (In the above photo see the beautiful structure of our Solapur Municipal Corporation & below our Sidheshar temple and its reflection in the lake, at night).

Sindhis also migrated from Pakistan & came straight to Solapur where the government created a 'Sindhi camp'. The Solapur Municipal Corporation constructed a shopping complex with small shops exclusively for Sindhis who migrated to the city. It was located right in the heart of the city. Sindhis got into cloth & related businesses and in no time they created wealth using their business acumen & with hard work. They constructed a bungalow colony, exclusively with Sindhi neighbourhood. It was named after Guru Nanakji. Even today there are about 1000 Sindhi families in Solapur. Sindhis in my city created a deep impact on my mind.

When I migrated to Mumbai. I started to understand Sindhis better. Sindhi's have immigrants' mindset.

Kumud & Jaya were my executive assistants when I was having a high-pressure International & National sales career with two different companies in Mumbai. Both were Sindhis & real gems. Their capacity for hard work was unmatched. They used to take ownership of their job. Once a task was given to them, I knew it would be delivered before time. I understood the Sindhi DNA better as a senior of these two ladies in the different companies. After my marriage, we stayed in Kalyan for 3 years and interacted with many Sindhi families. My wife, Arti, was the Dy. Branch Manager with a bank in Kalyan. She had many Sindhi customers. I started teaching MBA students and developed affectionate relationships with many Sindhi students. In a nutshell, I have gathered enough qualifications & exposure to comment on Sindhis.

Adaptability & agility This is the huge strength Sindhis share as a community. They can fit into any sub-culture in India or any culture of the world.

Survival instinct gives the power of adaptability & agility.

Sindhis have nicely developed an ability to bond with locals. They have no native place to go back to. They remain committed to the land where they stay. The only trace they leave their roots is their family name. Otherwise, they have nicely blended their sub-culture with the local cultures. One can identify a Sindhi only by his/her family name. Usually, they are Mirchandani, Gangawani, Poptani, Dadlani, Makhija, Raheja, Kukreja, Notani, Mulchandani, Goplani, Dudani, Aswani, Kandhari, Jethmalani, Advani etc. Interestingly most of the Sindhi family names end with two vowels 'I' or 'A'. The lower caste Sindhis got converted to Islam.

Commitment to business Sindhis love business. They get the sense of freedom by being self-employed. The men who do business earn respect in Sindhi society. Those who work for others struggle to earn that respect. Sindhis start business early in their life. Usually, Dad & uncles are their business teachers. The scenario is changing these days. Many Sindhi students are pursuing MBA. Most of the Sindhis in India are Baniyas (traders) & very rarely Kshatriyas or Brahmins. That is the reason we see most of the Sindhis in business.

Ability to manage the environment Sindhis know how to work in any legal constraints. They are masters in identifying loopholes in any system. No wonder Ram Jethmalani was the top lawyer in India.

Sindhis don't waste time in complaining about the law and unfair environment, they manage it smartly.

The dignity of labour & handwork Sindhis do all work in their business which includes moping, loading, unloading and other physical work. They don't shy away from the cheap labour work. Their value is the dignity of labour. This saves labour cost in their business.

Business communities in India have understood the dignity of labour very well

Lean cost structure hence deliver value for money Sindhis are known for their frugality. They focus on maintaining the lean cost structure of their business & pass on that benefit to their customers in terms of lower prices. Sindhis love to do business on the scale and earn thin margins rather than focusing on supernormal profits. The companies having Sindhi competitors have to struggle hard to match the market prices.

The story of Sindhis is the story of pain. Sufferings taught them the survival instinct.

'Live today' spirit They enjoy life. They are foodies. They love local street food. Sindhi localities will always have very rich street food available even in the late hours. When you visit Sindhi retailer he will not offer only tea. He feels bad if you refuse the hospitality, particularly the food offered to you. They eat & make you eat. My physical structure will tell you that I have enough Sindhi friends & students who feed me with great affection. Hahaha Sindhis also love colourful dresses. The ladies enjoy handmade designs and are prepared to pay for it. Men love colourful designs. You can make out Sindhis through their attire.

Ulhasnagar - Mecca of Sindhis The story of Sindhis can't be complete unless one learns about Ulhasnagar. It the bastion of Sindhis. It is a sacred place for Sindhis as Amritsar to Sikhs, Kashi to Hindus or Vatican to Christians. Prima facie it is a dirty town near Thane & Kalyan cities but is 'the market' & second to none. You can get anything & everything in Ulhasnagar. It is a favourite destination for shopping for those who know about it. Every Sindhi has a close relative staying in Ulhasnagar. I jokingly say it is the 'capital of Sindhistan'. Sindhis are very sentimental about Ulhasnagar. When they were on run this town gave them shelter.

Ulhasnagar gave Sindhis their food, shelter & also their business. It is a holy Mecca of Sindhis. Never say, Ulhasnagar is dirty.

The meaning of the word 'Ulhas' in our local language,Marathi, is enthusiasm or energy. People in Ulhasnar are truly enthusiastic and energetic. If you estimate the average number of working hours per person, then Ulhasnagar will top the table of cities in India. I have never seen such a hardworking people anywhere in India. Everybody in that town works hard. everybody runs some business in Ulhasnagar. I always say

If the God is very hungry & wants to eat something delicious, he will go to Ulhasnagar

It is the food capital of my state Maharashtra. People are foodie. They love food. They love going out & eat. They love street food. Every street has some special food.

Reverse Engineering Sindhis are clever designers. Their value consciousness makes them focus on reverse engineering rather than engineering design. Ulhasnagar earned name & fame because of its design & manufacturing talent. They will print 'Made in USA' Sindhi understanding of USA is Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association. I jokingly say that Ulhasnagar will build Boeing 777 if they get the prototype. The new generation of Sindhis is shining into engineering & technology because of their DNA. Some Sindhi students are doing exceedingly well in academics particularly in Marketing & Finance which comes to them naturally.

Sindhis are very friendly with numbers and with people. My Sindhi students are shining in marketing & Finance

Spirituality They are the God-fearing community and are strongly bonded to each other through their spiritual and religious beliefs. They surrender to the almighty. Their earlier generations have experienced the power of the God when he protected them against the wrath of the society. Every Sindhi businessman invariably spends an hour, in the morning, for prayers and other religious activities.

Sindhis are 'doers' rather than thinkers. They believe in actions rather than plans. Their business strategy is 'Let the river come & we will cross it'. They are volume driven.

Yesterday was a great day in my teaching life. My dear student Chandani Aswani stepped into the corporate world as a businesswoman. I taught her Marketing at IBS Business School, Mumbai. I wanted her to be the first lady entrepreneur manufactured in my IBS class. There could be others but I am not aware of them. Chandani has started an exclusive two-wheeler showroom for Suzuki Motorcycles in Kalyan, a developing but old town on the outskirts of Mumbai. I always argued that the Indian MBA education cripples scions of business families who run small businesses & trading houses. and make them join the corporate jobs. I wanted them to leverage their family businesses, add value to the family businesses, give it a scale using their MBA education, create employment and come to IBS Mumbai campus as a recruiter. Chandani and her father also deserve compliments because they proved Sindhis to be one of the most progressing community with traditional Indian ethos. Here comes an era of Sindhi women entrepreneurs who will make their mark in the business world. Sindhi women are graduating from home-makers to nation-builders. Good luck Chandani, ..... the bright star.

About the Author: Prof Dr Ajit Patil was awarded 'Top Voice on LinkedIn - 2017'. He is a Management Writer; Marketing, Business Development & Retailing Consultant. He conducts Management Development Programmes; trains & coaches Sales & Marketing teams. He has been teaching MBA students in India & overseas for over 18 years. He can be reached at ajitpatilmumbai@yahoo.co.in

Prof Dr Ajit Patil at Suzuki Motorcycle showroom in Kalyan, near Mumbai owned by his student Chandani.