Cultural harmony must for development

BANGALORE: Infosys founder and chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy the need for flexible and innovative policies that allow for respect of languages in each state. He was speaking at the launch of Ranjini Manian’s book ‘Upworldly Mobile’ on Saturday. “The constitution of India allows us to move freely and relocate to any part of the country. I am a Kanandiga, but I find it difficult to understand or speak other languages. We need policies that would allow a Marathi child to learn the basics of Kannada here,” said Narayan Murthy. He continued, “Indians are experiencing a rare period of self-confidence, global recognition and the hope for inclusive prosperity. If we can reduce the differences the prevail between us and different cultures, we will have more confidence. This is the best way to grow inclusively.”Manian’s Upworldly Mobile talks about cultural intelligence, dealing with the understanding of the nuances of different cultures in a rapidly globalizing world. The book has examples from world leaders, and seeks to answer critical cultural questions such as ‘When is the right time to bow down or do namaste?, and ’How can you manage unfamiliar food abroad?”