Global IndianstoryYouTuber to Daytime Emmy Award winner: How Prajakta Koli is rising through the ranks globally

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YouTuber to Daytime Emmy Award winner: How Prajakta Koli is rising through the ranks globally

Written by: Global Indian

(August 28, 2021) “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” John Lennon couldn’t have been more on point, for this perfectly describes YouTuber Prajakta Koli‘s journey. For someone who harbored dreams of becoming a radio jockey throughout her teens, it was failure that taught her important lessons. Her show fell flat and she lost her job; but every failure is a detour to a new opportunity and Koli found hers in YouTube.

It was YouTube that catapulted her to fame. With each video bringing in more followers and money, Koli found her true calling in content creation. But she isn’t just another YouTuber in a crowd of digital content creators. Within a span of six years, the 26-year-old has become a global brand in herself. From being invited to the United Nations to represent India on World Tolerance Day to winning a Daytime Emmy Award for her documentary on girl education to being the only Indian to have been invited by Marvel to collaborate with the cast of Captain Marvel, Koli has become a force to reckon with.

Koli has been an inspiration for millions of millennials who look up to her for making a difference in the world. Here’s the story of this Global Indian who is creating waves with her work.

A failed RJ who became a YouTube sensation

Born to a businessman father and a teacher mother, Koli began her journey in Mumbai. Radio was something that she was hooked to even as a child and it was the life of a radio jockey that a young Koli dreamt of living. So Fever 104 was the perfect career start for this intern who always wanted to be on a radio show. After working behind the scenes for a year, Koli got her first show, but things weren’t as rosy as she had imagined it to be. Though she loved to perform for an audience, Koli found the closed-off environment of the radio station claustrophobic. Her night show, Call Centre, failed to get traction and received a lukewarm response at best. Within few days, she was asked to shut shop and was replaced by another RJ. In no time, her RJ dreams came crashing down, but not without another opportunity hanging by at the next curve.

During her RJ days Koli had uploaded a video with Hrithik Roshan on Instagram which caught the fancy of Sudeep Lahiri of One Digital Entertainment who encouraged her to start a YouTube channel and make her own content. Despite not knowing how to, Koli took a leap of faith and jumped onto the YouTube bandwagon which was catching up with the youth. In 2015, Koli exploded onto the YouTube scene under the name of Mostly Sane with her first video that she shot on her dad’s old camera: in no time she became a favorite with the millennials for her funny, quirky and relatable videos.

Soon the subscribers on her channel started to increase and money began trickling in. It was then that Koli realized the power of social media. A year later, she saw herself perform at her first YouTube Fan Fest and knew that she had found her true calling.

Working for the right cause

At the start of her career in YouTube, Koli understood that her content could influence millions, and picking up causes and initiatives that resonate with her has been an integral part of her journey. From body shaming to mental health, Koli raised awareness on social causes that matter. It’s her content that got her invited to the Obama Foundation town hall meeting in 2017. The very next year this hotshot blogger and influencer joined hands with WhatsApp for a campaign against spreading fake news. She even participated in the #GirlsCount campaign for Org.One, an international non-profit organization, that deals with the importance of girl’s education.

Within four years of her YouTube journey, Koli had become a name to reckon with in the world of digital content creators. Even Forbes couldn’t ignore this girl who was soon featured on their list of 30 Under 30. The same year, she made it to the Outlook‘s list of Women of Worth and found herself winning Cosmopolitan’s YouTuber of the Year award.

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With a subscriber base of 2.8 million in 2019, Koli became the first Indian digital creator to partake in the UN General Assembly. Her powerful song No Offence on cyberbullies, misogyny and homophobia was selected by the United Nations for screening at International Tolerance Day.

In a conversation with the Times of India, she said,

“It feels gratifying to spearhead conversations about issues that matter to every other millennial just like me on a global platform like the United Nations. I urge every influencer in the country to shoulder the responsibility of being a facilitator of impact given the turbulent times we currently live in. The internet is a revolution and each of us can use our speech constructively to voice, educate and agitate for change, targeting global crisis.”

A global name

In 2020, Koli found herself in the company of former First Lady Michelle Obama when she was chosen by YouTube and the UN for Creators of Change, which brought together 50 creators from around the world to create content on social issues. Along with Liza Koshy and Thembe Mahlab, Koli traveled to India, Namibia and Vietnam to highlight the work being done globally to help further the cause of girls’ education. The documentary earned Koli her first Daytime Emmy Award and the 26-year-old became a global brand in her own right.

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And now this digital creator, who has been an active advocate for women’s empowerment, is set to represent India at Google’s Impact Challenge and will rub shoulders with the likes of Shakira and Naomi Osaka. “Google has always been such a cheerleader for creators like me. This is another such occasion where they have included me in a conversation that affects so many of us. It’s an absolute honor to be in a list that features such powerful global female leaders from around the world. I am very grateful to lend to a cause that advances equity for women and girls around the world and creates pathways to prosperity,” she told IANS.

Koli, who stumbled upon YouTube a handful of years ago, has now become a force to reckon with. If her videos make people laugh, her activism has helped create the right noise around causes that need to be heard. The influencer and blogger is one of those content creators who have become a global brand, thanks to their work.

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Published on 28, Aug 2021

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Guneet Monga: The Oscar-winning Indie producer who tackled ageism and early failures

(July 26, 9:40 am) "And the Oscar goes to Period. End of Sentence for Best Documentary Short Film." As director Rayka Zehtabchi and producer Melissa Berton rose to receive the trophy on February 25, 2019, co-producer Guneet Monga was cheering the loudest sitting at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. And why not? This was her first win at the Academy Awards. Years of hard work, persuasion, conviction found a fitting culmination. Monga is one of those rare firebrands in Indian cinema that puts bucks behind offbeat stories. It's powerful storytelling that attracts Monga, and she makes sure to bring both arthouse films as well as commercial ones to international film festivals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wap5W4v_B_g Her persuasiveness to bring Indian cinema to the global map is reaping fruits: Think of with films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Masaan, and The Lunchbox making it to Cannes line-up. In April, Monga received the second-highest civilian French honor - Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters - for her contribution to world cinema through Indo-French productions and "her relentless work towards women empowerment." But behind the successful career has been a story of struggle, perseverance, and a never-give-up attitude. Childhood Struggles Born and brought up

ion to world cinema through Indo-French productions and "her relentless work towards women empowerment."

But behind the successful career has been a story of struggle, perseverance, and a never-give-up attitude.

Childhood Struggles

Born and brought up in Delhi in a Punjabi family, Monga witnessed domestic violence within her home at the hands of her relatives. On one such violent night, she along with her parents left their ancestral home and fled for their lives. Her mom wanted a home of their own, and Monga vowed to buy her their dream home. To help her dad financially, Monga took up every possible job - a DJ, an insurance agent, a rally car driver, and a property saleswoman. But it was at a movie set that Monga found her true calling.

After finishing her master's degree in mass communication, she started interning with her mom's friend who was into the production of international films. Monga realized that this was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She borrowed ₹50 lakh from her neighbor in exchange for a business plan she made for him and took the first train to Mumbai.

Train to Bollywood

She met people at malls and food courts asking if they had a story to tell. It was then that she found an exciting script in the form of Say Salaam India, about four guys and their passion for cricket. Sure of hitting a jackpot with a film like this in a cricket-crazy country, Monga released the film in 2007. However, the film tanked badly as it was released a few days after the Indian cricket team crashed out of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

She was down but not out. Because she had a plan - to showcase the film in schools at a nominal fee. In few months, she recovered her money. This taught her the biggest lesson so far: There is always an audience for every film.

In 2008, she made Vinay Pathak-starrer Dasvidaniya under her own banner, Sikhya Entertainment, which turned out to be a sleeper-hit. With a few films to her credit, Monga was ready to buy her mom her dream home. But destiny had a different plan. Her mom was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. Within a few months, her father succumbed to kidney disease. She was just 24 then.

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Struggling with grief, Monga returned to Mumbai and immersed herself in work.

Things really began to shift for Monga after her chance meeting with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who went on to become her boss and mentor. Basking in the success of Dev D, Kashyap had become the face of indie films in India. Every aspiring newcomer wanted Kashyap to take them under their wings. Monga's work caught his eye and he took her onboard for his production company Anurag Kashyap Films (AKFPL).

In a conversation with Outlook Business, Monga said,

"Anurag's faith gave me wings. At 25, and two years after joining the company, he asked me to co-own the company with him. I had produced two films with the company and I knew I could do it. But it was his belief in me that really pulled me through."

Ageism - a bigger bias

Monga was breaking deals as a young 25-year-old producer, and ageism did catch up with her many times. "People get very intimidated by a young, strong, opinionated woman. Age was a bigger hindrance than being a woman. During big deals, it was difficult to get beyond that. I just decided to never acknowledge the difference in age,” she added.

Monga wanted her work to talk for itself and that's what she was doing at international film festivals. She was meeting the biggies in independent cinema and promoting her films.

"I always say that there are two ways of entering this industry —one is to work with the biggies and the other is to do something so disruptive that people sit up and take notice. When you do something disruptive, you’re always doubting yourself or feeling isolated. You’re worried the projects will never see the light of day. But when you work for yourself, the day doesn’t end," she added.

Innings with Indie films

But it was the 2012 gangster drama Gangs of Wasseypur that catapulted Monga to the forefront. The two-part series not only made ₹23 crore but also attained a cult status with a fam following to this day. This film took Monga to Cannes Film Festival, and as they say, the rest is history.

She kept backing interesting scripts such as Aiyyaa (2012) and Shahid (2013). But it was Ritesh Batra's 2013 film The Lunchbox (an official co-production between India, France and Germany) that earned her another milestone. The film earned a BAFTA nomination, grossed $7.4 million worldwide, and went to become India's official entry to the 2015 Oscars.

[caption id="attachment_5972" align="aligncenter" width="561"] Guneet Monga takes The Lunchbox to Cannes Guneet Monga with The Lunchbox actors Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui at Cannes.[/caption]

However, the blinding success of The Lunchbox left Monga depressed. She describes that period as one of self-doubt.

"My peers termed the success of the film as a fluke. I felt lost about what it was that I wanted to do. I had to take that break and see if I wanted to be a part of the industry," she told India Today.

Monga used this break to learn Kalarippayattu, to go for detox, and travel the world in search of the answers. The 37-year-old wasn't ready to give up and went right back into the business of making films. "I believe that if you put something out there, it will manifest itself into something bigger. There is a difference between faith and blind faith. If you really love what you do, there is nothing stopping you," she added.

With films like Masaan, Haraamkhor, and Period. End of Sentence to her credit. Monga became one of the first Indian producers to join the Producer branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. The very same year, Variety named her as one of the 50 women from entertainment 'doing extraordinary things on the worldwide stage'.

However, her achievements got a dismissive response from her industry peers.

"They said I am there to tick a box, the diversity one, the woman one, the inclusivity one. When The Lunchbox succeeded as a true crossover project, they said it was luck. When our film, Masaan, went to Cannes, they still said the same. But I’m not bothered. I work bloody hard. My work is for all to see. Constantly putting Indian films on the map doesn’t happen by fluke, it takes a lot of relentlessness, a lot of hard work," she told HuffingtonPost.

The Oscar Glory

But it was her 2019 documentary Period. End of Sentence that earned Monga her first Oscar. The film based on the stigma around menstruation in India made waves at the 91st Academy Awards. Even Hollywood actors like Reese Witherspoon lauded the film's Oscar win.

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“A period should end a sentence , not a girls education” - best quote of the night ✨#OSCARS @NoShamePeriod #bestdocshort

— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) February 25, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocJP8dG1OA

After dipping her toes in independent films and mainstream Bollywood, Monga ventured into Tamil cinema with Soorarai Pottru based on the life of Captain GR Gopinath who found India's first low-cost airline Air Deccan.

She is also keen to discover and amplify the works and voices of women directors with Indian Women Rising, a collective started by Monga, producer Ekta Kapoor, and filmmaker Tahira Kashyap.

"There was a lot of judgment when my films didn't have distribution. I felt unprotected when I didn't have support in India. I wish there was something like Indian Women Rising when I was starting out."

Editor's Take

Earning one's stripes as a path-breaking producer in an industry that usually ignores the arthouse world is no easy feat, but Oscar award-winning producer Guneet Monga shattered all the stereotypes bit by bit. With films such as Gangs of Wasseypur to her credit at the age of 25, Monga had announced her arrival with a big bang. The Lunchbox was a pathbreaker on many counts: It was the first film to be made under the 1985 Indo-French film co-production treaty. Monga is one of those rare producers who's a regular at international film festivals and takes up every chance to make a global impact with Indian cinema.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Jayshree Seth: 3M’s Indian-origin chief science advocate who also holds 72 patents

Surround yourself with those unafraid to ask questions, solve problems, and dig deeper. That’s been the mantra for Dr Jayshree Seth, corporate scientist and chief science advocate at US-based 3M. The Indian American, originally from a Rajasthani Marwari family, has 72 (and counting) patents to her name. She is at the highest technical designation within the $32 billion company and the first female engineer to get there. She juggles multiple hats - works with other engineers and scientists to find solutions to complex problems in 3M’s adhesives and tapes division, besides advocating the importance of science in people’s lives. The girl who grew up thinking science and engineering were not for her, recently won the Society of Woman Engineers (SWE) Achievement Award 2020 (SWE’s highest accolade). Quoting from 3M’s State of Science 2021 report, Seth took to LinkedIn recently and wrote, “If the virus is the villain, science can be called the hero. In 2021, 85% say that science will save us from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Love for problem-solving Even as a child, Seth had an insatiable urge to solve problems. It helped that she and her brother were nurtured under the scientific mind of a father who did his Ph.D. on a Commonwealth Scholarship at the University of Manchester in England.

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“If the virus is the villain, science can be called the hero. In 2021, 85% say that science will save us from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Love for problem-solving

Even as a child, Seth had an insatiable urge to solve problems. It helped that she and her brother were nurtured under the scientific mind of a father who did his Ph.D. on a Commonwealth Scholarship at the University of Manchester in England. As a child, Jayshree found herself in the august surrounds of IIT Roorkee where her father was a professor in civil engineering (later he retired as director at National Institute of Hydrology). “I am a beneficiary of visionary parents,” she told Global Indian.

Seth followed her parents’ advice and tried for IIT Roorkee. She didn’t get through and instead went to the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. Later, she went to graduate school at New York’s Clarkson University.

In a write up for British Science Week, Seth wrote: “It was actually at university, when I started doing experimental work on hard coatings to protect surfaces, that I realized for the first time how excited I was to plan my experiments, conduct them and write up the results to communicate in an understandable way.”

Computers to chemicals

[caption id="attachment_4051" align="alignnone" width="1005"] She has worked at 3M for 28 years.[/caption]

At Clarkson, she had to take her life’s first major decision on her own. While working on computer modeling for her masters, an incongruity hit her hard: Her desire was to make the world a better place but she was pursuing something unrelated.

“I thought ‘is this what I want to do in life? I made the scary decision to switch topics for my Ph.D.,” she adds.

While still a Ph.D. candidate, 3M came knocking with an internship and that put her on a path to conquering the mercurial and invigorating yet gender-biased world of science. She has been with the same company for 28 years.

[caption id="attachment_4066" align="alignnone" width="425"] Jayshree Seth with Indian-origin teen innovator Gitanjali Rao in 2018.[/caption]

Patents for diapers

Many of her early patents were on closures for disposable diapers, although she had never seen a diaper before joining 3M.

Ask her if she has any favorite patents and pat comes the reply: “They were all equally rewarding because of the journey, and the people I got to brainstorm with and learn from.”

She also shares a patent with her husband, (a fellow 3Mer with a PhD in Chemical Engineering) on window films. The mother of two, a boy of 23 and a girl of 19, feels her children are an inspiration who have taught her the importance of having an open mind.

Scholarships for under-represented communities

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In December 2020, she created an anecdotal compilation of her journey in a book ‘The Heart of Science - Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints & Imprints.’ Proceeds from its sales are going towards a scholarship for under-represented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, administered by the SWE. Today, Seth also mentors and encourages girls in STEM. It’s almost unreal to hear her admit that she was not the “science type.” She reiterates that it is possible to carve out a path to success even if you aren’t as smart as some of the others. She calls out to girls who are missing out on science because of the way the world “talks, teaches, trains, tracks and typifies education, career and success – very male-centric.” Her journey, she hopes will inspire change in STEM for girls. A song she had written and put to music raised funds for United Way, one of the US’ largest non-profits.

[embed]https://twitter.com/jseth2/status/1391582848763654149?s=20[/embed]

Gender bias in science

She has battled the science industry’s legacy of bias and admits to feeling a lack of self-assuredness which fuels her to gain knowledge.

“You have to discover your ‘virtuous cycle’ that allows you to be authentic. Understand that the typical male projection of outward confidence may not be the only indicator of talent and skills," she adds.

Reading Time: 5 mins

From troublemaker teenager to monk to influencer: Jay Shetty’s unique journey

(July 23, 9:20 am) How many times have you come across a life coach who has spent his life as a monk? How many times did you hear about a British-Indian teen following a monk to India? How many times have you seen a monk turn into a media mogul? And it's this rarity that makes Jay Shetty a prominent face in the personal growth industry. An award-winning storyteller, podcaster, former monk, life coach, author - the 33-year-old juggles several hats. But it's his purpose to inspire people and help them find their calling that has made him popular across the globe. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jay Shetty (@jayshetty) It's personal transformation that's Shetty's dharma. He made a 180-degree shift in his life more than once and now he's on a mission to transform others' lives. But his journey hasn't been a bed of roses. The rebellious kid London was Jay's playground for the first two decades of his life. Born and brought up in a Tulu family in North London, Shetty was the perfect child, until he decided to go rogue in his teens. From drugs to violence, Shetty dabbled in all

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It's personal transformation that's Shetty's dharma. He made a 180-degree shift in his life more than once and now he's on a mission to transform others' lives. But his journey hasn't been a bed of roses.

The rebellious kid

London was Jay's playground for the first two decades of his life. Born and brought up in a Tulu family in North London, Shetty was the perfect child, until he decided to go rogue in his teens. From drugs to violence, Shetty dabbled in all and was thrown out of his school three times. At 16, he lost two of his closest friends - one in a car accident and another in gang violence. It was a confusing period for him as the tragic events made him do some deep soul searching.

"I was lost at that time; I really didn't know what I valued. The troublemaking wasn't fun - it was full of fear and guilt," he said in an interview.

He soon enrolled in a business school and was keen to make it big. Inspired by the stories of self-made entrepreneurs and the CEOs, it was the success that Shetty was chasing after. However, a chance encounter with a monk changed it all for an 18-year-old Shetty.

A college graduate who traded his suit for robes

It was a regular day at college when his friend invited him to attend a talk by a monk. A reluctant Shetty was armed with enough excuses to turn the offer down, but it was the promise of a pub night later that cajoled him into giving in. The monk, Gauranga Das, was the complete opposite of everything that Shetty held valuable at that time. Dressed in robes, the monk was an image of austerity. He had shunned every material thing that Shetty was feverishly chasing. He was so captivated by the monk's message on service that he followed him around the UK on his speaking tour and spent the next few summers at an ashram in India.

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In a conversation with National Geographic, Shetty said,

"This monk [Gauranga Das] came and spoke at my business school. He was so inspiring in a way that no CEO was. He spoke about selflessly sacrificing what was available to you to serve others, and that became a very attractive concept to me. I thought to myself, I want to do something meaningful with my life."

So at 22, Shetty decided to trade his suit for robes. He left London and moved to an ashram outside of Mumbai to become a Vedic monk.

"I turned down my graduate job offers and decided to go and live as a monk. I shaved my head, slept on the floor, woke up at 4 every day and all of my possessions fit inside a gym locker," he revealed in one of his videos.

The next three years of his life were filled with service where he helps build sustainable communities, feed the homeless, and teach meditation. He meditated for 4-8 hours a day and learned ancient practices of breath and mind control. He studied Vedas and philosophies of the east in great depth.

"When I became a monk, it didn't feel like I was giving up that much. I actually felt like I had made the best decision because anyone who hadn't focused on building themselves up was the one losing out," he told Success.

The monk who gave up his robes

After three years of living a monk life, Shetty started to feel that he had a higher purpose of sharing knowledge with the world. He mustered up the courage to confide in his guru Radhanath Swami who gave him the blessings to choose his path.

Jay Shetty during his monk days

"I felt that if I stayed where I was, I wouldn't be able to serve in a calling of wanting to share what I'd learned in a more powerful way with the world that I came from, as opposed to the world that I'd adopted," he added.

He moved in back with his parents after an almost career suicide. With nothing to show on his resume for the last three years, Shetty spent 9 months updating himself on the world. He realized that the world had majorly gone digital in his absence and he used this very tool to spread his message. He became Accenture's Social Media coach for executives online branding and digital strategy. He began to figure out how to use mindfulness in the corporate world.

The Influencer calling

Things changed for Shetty when Arianna Huffington saw one of his motivational talks and offered him a spirituality show on Huffington Post. Shetty packed up his bags and moved to New York in 2016. In no time, he was interviewing the biggest names in the industry like Deepak Chopra, Tim Ferriss, and Russell Simmons.

After his short stint at HuffPo, Shetty started to create his own videos and work on his own brand. In the last five years, Shetty has made more than thousands of videos for YouTube and Facebook, has acquired a strong 8.6 million followers on Instagram, and started his own podcast - On Purpose.

Shetty has become synonymous with mindfulness and self-growth. People across the globe look up to this life coach for guidance on finding purpose.

After influencing millions of people with his wisdom through coaching and inspiring videos, Shetty released his best-selling book Think Like A Monk (a combination of memoir and self-help advice) in 2020.

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"As young people, we're not exposed to two things enough: a diverse range of role models, and a diverse set of experiences. Those are the two things that change people's lives. What I'm trying to do is use the online platform to create a world where we're exposed to a lot more role models and a lot more experiences to expand the way we think and connect dots," he added.

Editor's Take

It's not every day that you come across a life coach who has lived as a monk. And that too, when he was as young as 22. That's what makes Jay Shetty stand out among many motivational speakers. A Britisher of Indian descent, Jay learned the ancient Vedas during his monkhood and decided to spread his learnings in the real world. The Forbes 30 Under 30 life coach is guiding millions of people in finding their purpose.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Remembering Dadabhai Naoroji: Sage freedom fighter and first Asian elected to UK’s Parliament

Mahatma Gandhi had once said that Dadabhai Naoroji was the real Father of the Nation. To hear the man that the masses adored heap such adulation on a political leader is testimony to the power and idealism Naoroji wielded. In 1956, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said in the Parliament: “We have, to my right here, the picture of Dadabhai Naoroji, in a sense the Father of the Indian National Congress. We may... in our youthful arrogance think that some of these leaders of old were very Moderate, and that we are braver because we shout more. But every person, who can recapture the picture of old India and of the conditions that prevailed, will realize that a man like Dadabhai was, in those conditions, a revolutionary figure.” On his 104th death anniversary, we look at the life of the political leader, scholar, and writer who left a deep impact on modern India. [caption id="attachment_4156" align="aligncenter" width="480"] A plaque in honor of Dadabhai Naoroji at Finsbury Park, London[/caption] Man of many firsts Born in 1825 into a Parsi family in Navsari, Naoroji, at the age of 28, became the first Indian to be appointed as a professor at a British-run institution. That institution was Elphinstone College in Bombay where he taught mathematics and physics. At a time when most Indian

the political leader, scholar, and writer who left a deep impact on modern India.

[caption id="attachment_4156" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Remembering Dadabhai Naoroji on his 104th death anniversary A plaque in honor of Dadabhai Naoroji at Finsbury Park, London[/caption]

Man of many firsts

Born in 1825 into a Parsi family in Navsari, Naoroji, at the age of 28, became the first Indian to be appointed as a professor at a British-run institution. That institution was Elphinstone College in Bombay where he taught mathematics and physics. At a time when most Indian women lacked any form of education, he founded some of the first schools for girls in Bombay. In 1855 he left for England to join Cama’s firm in London as a business partner; here he became so involved in politics that he contested the election for the House of Commons in 1886. Though he lost that year, in 1892 he represented the Liberal Party and became the first Asian to be elected as a Member of Parliament into the UK’s House of Commons.

He went on to highlight the unfavorable economic consequences of British rule in India. By the turn of the century, Naoroji was openly advocating for ‘Swaraj’ or self-governance. He declared that only self-governance could halt the wealth drain from India to Britain; he batted for the creation of a representative and accountable administration that would serve Indian interests. His theory caught on and gave impetus to India’s nascent freedom struggle. His work and words inspired two other very important figures in the history of India’s independence struggle: Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The latter even campaigned for Naoroji in the elections and served as his private secretary for several years. In one of his speeches, Gandhi also said,

“I myself and many like me have learnt the lessons of regularity, single minded patriotism, simplicity, austerity and ceaseless work from this venerable man.”

[caption id="attachment_4157" align="aligncenter" width="299"] Remembering Dadabhai Naoroji on his 104th death anniversaryRemembering Dadabhai Naoroji on his 104th death anniversary A ₹5 coin with featuring Dadabhai Naoroji[/caption]

Inspiring Nationalism

Naoroji’s work also inspired other nationalist leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu. He founded the Indian National Congress in 1885 with help from Allan Octavian Hume and Dinshaw Edulji Wacha. Naoroji went on to play a key role in India’s freedom struggle. However, his brand of nationalism also drew its fair share of criticism. When Bengal reeled from Lord Curzon’s partition in 1905, Bal Gangadhar Tilak pleaded with Naoroji to support the Swadeshi movement. Other radicals such as Shyamji Krishnavarma blamed Naoroji of inconsistency. They alleged that on one hand he condemned British rule, and on the other, he maintained belief in British justice and fair-mindedness.

In 1906 when the INC was battered by rifts, Naoroji, the only leader amenable to the extremists and moderates, was called upon to preside over the organization’s Calcutta session and he took up the Congress presidency for the third time. It was here that he publicly termed Swaraj as the Congress’ central and ultimate goal.

“Self-government is the only and chief remedy. In self-government lies our hope, strength and greatness,” he declared.

[caption id="attachment_4159" align="aligncenter" width="607"] Remembering Dadabhai Naoroji on his 104th death anniversaryRemembering Dadabhai Naoroji on his 104th death anniversary Annie Besant and other INC leaders at Dadabhai Naoroji's Versova home[/caption]

The Calcutta Congress was Naoroji’s last major political outing. By 1907 his health had collapsed and he spent several months convalescing. He eventually resolved to retire from public life and retreated to a seaside bungalow in Versova where he led a retired life. In 1912 when King George V and Queen Mary visited India, he pushed asked Indians to push strongly for self-governance. However, in 1915 when he welcomed Annie Besant’s Home Rule League he caused great consternation among the moderates in Bombay.

When he passed away in 1917 at the age of 92, he had left behind a maturing political organization and a nationalist ideology. In an article in Hind Swaraj, Gandhi declared Naoroji to be, “the Father of the Nation. Had not the Grand Old Man of India prepared the soil our young men could not have even spoken about Home Rule.”

Watch this short documentary on the life of Dadabhai Naoroji

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeKpJyF5wB8[/embed]

Reading Time: 8 mins

Rahul Dubey: The Indian American entrepreneur who sheltered 72 strangers in danger

Rahul Dubey’s actions speak louder than words and he displayed it on June 1 last year. That night, the Percynal Health Innovations CEO instinctively opened the doors of his three-story rowhouse in Washington DC to shelter about 72 persons who were being targeted by law enforcement for peaceful protests over the death of African-American George Floyd. Dubey, who lives with a 13-year-old son, housed the 72 hitherto strangers all night, got meals arranged for them and even negotiated with the cops. Overnight, this Indian American became a humanitarian hero not only in the United States but across the world. TIME magazine named Dubey as one of its ‘Heroes of 2020’, describing him as the "The Man Who Gave Shelter to Those in Need." But the healthcare entrepreneur feels there was nothing heroic about his act. In an exclusive interview with Global Indian, the 44-year-old said: "Anyone who would see people getting pepper sprayed all over, just getting attacked for doing something peaceful for the injustice against George Floyd, would have opened their doors for them." [embed]https://youtu.be/ycYEQCb1Q5Y[/embed] “It’s my house. You can stay here as long as you need to because they will not let you leave.” Compilation of videos from

would have opened their doors for them."

[embed]https://youtu.be/ycYEQCb1Q5Y[/embed]

“It’s my house. You can stay here as long as you need to because they will not let you leave.” Compilation of videos from that night and the morning after.

Reconstructing that night

According to the Associated Press, protesters out on the roads after Washington’s 7 p.m. curfew on June 1 last year were about to be arrested. TIME says police had set up barricades seemingly to trap protesters, and were pepper-spraying those who remained. “There was this sense of a human tsunami coming down the street and police beating people, putting faces down on cement,” Dubey told reporters later.

Sensing that things were about to go out of hand, he opened the door of his Swann Street house and yelled: ‘Get in!’ He gave Esquire magazine a more graphic picture:

“This was an out of body experience. Kids were screaming when they were running into the house. I mean, they were lining them off one by one and zip tying them.”

Some went upstairs, some downstairs and others into the garden.

The University of Michigan-Ross School of Business graduate ministered to this scared, tired crowd who had nowhere to go for the night – some aged 70, some as young as 16.

“People were coughing, crying, strangers pouring milk into strangers’ eyes,” Dubey told TIME “They were sharing information, writing down numbers for bail bondsmen. It was this real camaraderie.”

One protestor, who just goes by the name Meka, recalled later on Twitter: “They shot mace at peaceful protesters is a residential neighborhood. The man who took us in is named Rahul Dubey. He gave us business cards in case they try to say we broke in.”

https://twitter.com/MekaFromThe703/status/1267638186676834306?s=20

A couple of cops reportedly attempted to breach his sanctuary by posing as protesters and by trying to intercept the pizzas he had ordered for the 72. Dubey tried to be the negotiator but when matters reached a deadlock, he advised his guests to stay put until the next morning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1267697465400197120

The aftermath

Dubey’s spur-of-the-moment decision brought along new friendships with 72 persons he now calls family. "There isn't a day that goes by when I don't hear from at least one of them, such are the bonds that have been created, " Dubey told Global Indian.

He has become of the Most Googled Indians since he got the ‘Heroes of 2020’ recognition. People who know Dubey, like Kishan Putta, a neighborhood commissioner in DC, say he has always been a very caring, generous person who tries to do the right things.

Indian American heritage

Dubey believes his Indian American roots and penchant for travel have played a big role in molding his approach. Dubey’s father came to the US at the age of 19 with just eight dollars in his pocket. “As a child, he would visit India quite often and witness firsthand how his family helped the marginalized, irrespective of religion. “Being an Indian-American and having the blessings of both the beautiful culture of India, the sacredness and piousness of it, the problems of it as well and the opportunities of America, the diversity it brings and the power of people there, has helped shape me more than anything else."

[caption id="attachment_3483" align="alignnone" width="1079"] Rahul Dubey with his new friends at his home.[/caption]

Healthcare entrepreneur

A globe-trotter who has visited 25 countries, Dubey is a successful healthcare founder who started America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Innovation Lab. He was awarded Smart Health's 2018 Excellence in Healthcare Transformation Award and named in the American Journal of Health Promotion's 2017 Innovators and Game Changers list.

But being an Indian American can be a challenging identity at times. "When you are isolated in the suburbs of white mid-west America and suburbs of Detroit, trying to adopt an identity of your surroundings, the biggest challenge was to fit in and understand who I really am. That was something I struggled for a good 20-25 years of my life."

Dubey says he has faced racism all throughout his life in the US but remains optimistic about the future. Speaking to India Today, he said:

“What I need to do is find the identity of the role the Indian American is going to play in this transformation of America, in the transformation of this world that is coming out of Covid, coming out of systemic racism.

[caption id="attachment_3484" align="alignnone" width="409"] Rahul Dubey “They were sharing information, writing down numbers for bail bondsmen. It was this real camaraderie.”[/caption]

Hanuman Chalisa

Interestingly, the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ has been Dubey’s constant companion for the past 11 years. The Hindu poetic verses make things a little more beautiful and more optimistic, especially on the rough patches, he says.

Today, Dubey is proud of his Indian American heritage and is keen to represent that even in the remotest corners of the world. “I want to be in the Andes rainforest and interact with people who have never interacted with anyone from the Indian descent. I want to reiterate our values upon other cultures, take their values and see the similarities between the values."

Reading Time: 8 mins