"My Daughter Woke Me Up": Sudha Murty On How She Embarked On Her Philanthropic Journey

Author-philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty recently revealed how her daughter Akshata Murty played a pivotal role in making her realise the power of giving back. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Murty shared an enlightening account of how a conversation with her daughter helped her embark on her philanthropic journey. She admitted that she was "sleeping" until her daughter "woke her up" and ignited her commitment to giving back. She revealed that her journey towards a life of philanthropy began when Ms Akshata approached her with a request for sponsorship. 

"My daughter Akshata's perspective made me realise the importance of sharing our blessings with others," Ms Murty wrote on X while sharing the video. 

Take a look below: 

In the clip, Ms Murty recalled, "She (Akshata Murty) came and told me one day that amma, I found out a very bright boy by the name of Anand Sharma, who is very good at studies but very poor. He may get admission to St. Stephen's College in Delhi. Who can sponsor him?"

At the time, Sudha Murty said that she was the Head of the Computer Science Department and was preoccupied with work. So, she told her daughter that she could sponsor the student. "My daughter told me you never give money," the Padma Bhushan awardee added, explaining that she never gave money to her children. Instead, she always asked them to give her a wishlist, which she tried to accommodate.

Her daughter then replied, "I don't have any money, and you say, how can I sponsor?" 

Ms Murty shared that it was her daughter's response which ignited her philanthropic journey. "Amma, you're well travelled, well-read, fairly intelligent, and if you can't do philanthropy, then you don't have a right to say to anyone that they should do philanthropy," Ms Akshata told her mother, Ms Murty shared. 

This poignant exchange led Ms Murty to reflect deeply on her daughter's words. And after a week of contemplation, Ms Murty said that she decided to fully immerse herself in philanthropic work. "I thought over it over a period of one week and decided to do full-time philanthropy. I was sleeping, I felt, my daughter woke me up," she noted.

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Notably, Sudha Murty is the author of several books, mostly for children, and is also known for her contribution to Kannada and English literature. Her charitable efforts include founding orphanages, supporting rural development projects, enhancing computer and library facilities in Karnataka government schools, and establishing the Murty Classical Library of India at Harvard University. Ms Murty is also involved in public healthcare initiatives through the Gates Foundation.

The 73-year-old is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Padma Shri (2006), and the Padma Bhushan (2023). Earlier this year, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu. Her daughter Akshata Murty is married to former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.