Author and philanthropist Sudha Murty was recently conferred with the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation in Toronto. The author-philanthropist has become the first woman to receive this award. Speaking to us at the recently concluded seventh edition of the Ooty Literary Festival in Tamil Nadu, she shares, “I received a $50,000 prize and donated the money to the Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto (Canada). I respect the field of mathematics a lot.” The author also adds that her husband, Narayana Murthy, and her are the first couple to receive the award as well.
As a vegetarian, the 73-year-old was trolled on social media when she mentioned her concern that the same spoon may be used to serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Addressing the heat she had to face, she says, “I don’t worry much about it. It is always temporary, never permanent. Today if it’s on me, it will be on someone else tomorrow. I don’t give it much importance. My aim is focused on children and young readers, mainly.”
Speaking about social media, Murty believes that the need for instant gratification has increased now and advises the younger generation to work hard for success. “You need to learn to have patience and be persistent to achieve success. Real life is not like a three-hour movie where success is easily attainable,” she says, adding, “Don’t wait for instant gratification. We live in a world where we press one button and get the desired results, but life has so many surprises.”
She believes that this need for instant gratification has affected the reading habits among youngsters, today, as well. Ask if she has a solution for this “worldwide issue” and Murty says, “I don’t have an immediate fix for it but I would say to all the parents out there that they should start inculcating the habit of reading among children at a young age.”
{{/usCountry}}She believes that this need for instant gratification has affected the reading habits among youngsters, today, as well. Ask if she has a solution for this “worldwide issue” and Murty says, “I don’t have an immediate fix for it but I would say to all the parents out there that they should start inculcating the habit of reading among children at a young age.”
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