Mr Narayana Murthy on Faith.

I am very religious, but only at home

N.R. Narayana Murthy

(From God and I column from Deccan Chronicle, 10-11-08)

http://www.dcepaper.com/DC/DCC/2008/11/10/ArticleHtmls/10_11_2008_011_003.shtml?Mode=0

I AM very religious. But I keep my religion at home and I don't participate in any religious activity outside home. Religion is a private affair between you and your God. You need religion because, all religions say the same things — good things — and you need to create your own set of dos and don'ts. Those dos and don'ts will not make sense unless you accept that there is somebody greater than yourself.

Religion gives you stability and peace of mind. Particularly, while confronting difficult situations, you need hope, and that hope comes from your belief that there is somebody out there to help you.

This country needs all of us to come together. This is not the time to think of ourselves as Hindus, Christians, Muslims, etc.

I remember giving a talk on secularism in 2002. I said that if I start looking at differentiation, then I am in minority in everything. I am more than 50 years old; I speak English often; I am a Brahmin; I am a South Indian and; I am a Kannada-speaking South Indian. Hence, I can call myself in minority. So you can keep on creating more and more divisions. On the other hand, if I say I am an Indian first, then I can start seeing the commonality between me and others.

— N.R. NARAYANA MURTHY is chairman of the board and chief mentor of Infosys Tech nologies Limited