“PAISO LADHUM PATA TAAN…”
Secret of Sindhi’s Business Sense
By Arun Babani
It is a natural human trait to think big to travel far in fantasy and reach for the stars. History is replete with instances where ordinary human beings have risen to built empires, amass wealth and power beyond imagination. Sindhis have a special relationship to riches, a lure of zeroes so deep, that their heart goes boom on hearing a lucrative proposal, their minds start racing at the mention of a good deal. Theirs is a strong deep rooted faith in the value of wealth. Something basic at the roots of a Sindhi culture is the belief that a good life begins at the wallet. There seems to be an indelible imprint on a Sindhi psyche, a sort of genetic programming to work hard and succeed. As the saying goes, “Paise Bina Prasad, Haroo Na De Hath Mein”, (you don’t even get godly blessings without funds). A Sindhi believes in work hard, play hard policy. That’s the reason a Sindhi beggar is a social rarity, and Sindhi wealth a phenomenal fact to reckon with. What exactly is the secret of a Sindhi’s success, the factors that make him get what he wants, in short what is the magic behind his millions?
Sheer hard work is one mantra that a Sindhi chants day ‘n’ night. So its, “Paiso Kamayum Mahhat Saan” as against folk song that says, “Paiso Ladhum Pata Taan”. A typical Sindhi day starts early and goes on till late into the night, day after day, week in week out, month to month, for years and years together. A Sindhi family preserves and literally slogs for its money. It is a common sight to encounter a Sindhi man or woman, travelling in hardships in rain or shine, just enough time for food and sleep. A ‘Dhun’ or ‘Junoon’ is how one can describe this hard struggle to reach somewhere, to achieve the goal and have the best of both the worlds.
Sindhis are well known to possess a business acumen, a set of principles around the business of earning money. One such piece of economic wisdom that seems to have worked wonders for Sindhis is the fact of “low margins with a high rolling”. Another strictly adhered rule is to have clean and honest exchanges without resorting to unethical shortcuts. By and large Sindhi businessmen maintain a friendly public relation enterprise; some one said, a Sindhi businessman scolds with a smile. This ever friendly style of doing business comes in good stead when the business is low, or competition is high; a Sindhi enterprise is preferred by most communities simply because of its largeheartedness coupled with a humble approach to business associates.
A Sindhi’s adaptability to strange environment is by now a proverbial fact. A Sindhi has travelled the length and breadth of the entire globe and commendably has been successful in all environments basically because he possesses the mysterious talent for integrating and adapting himself to any and every cultural situation. From China to Canada, from Gujarat to Gandhidham, east, west, north, south a Sindhi takes on the colours of any culture and makes them his own, effortlessly, beautifully. This important psychic trait of adaptability has made a Sindhi a versatile and global citizen, at ease with language and dealings of most major societies all over the world.
An underlying ambition of a Sindhi makes him go and explore the moolah wherever it happens to be available. Traditionally, a Sindhwarki made far flung journeys to distant and difficult corners of the earth, with only a small boat and blessings of Daryashah Uderolal. His age old greeting, “Jhulelal, Beda Paar”, springs from a Sindhi’s journeys across seven continents. This ambition naturally makes him a willing taker of risks, a sort of dare devil who believes in the motto of ‘no risk, no gain’. In addition to the ambitious adventurer, a Sindhi businessman is also blessed with a far sightedness which comes in good stead in pioneering far flung projects that seem to bear little prospects in the initial stages. But a true Sindhi player can mysteriously smell future gains much more accurately than any of the other business community. This blessing, or talent or genius to see fruits where others see a sapling, needs to be appreciated and valued. As Dr. Moti Prakash put it, “Khak Mein Son Banaina Wara Sindhi” (it is the Sindhis who can create gold from dust).
Today, commendably, Sindhis are truly a world community, with a Sindhi present in over 200 countries all over the globe. This fact alone makes the Sindhi community available to a modern, progressive and free thinking life style. With contacts in high places of business and government, even an ordinary Sindhi back home stands a good chance to be picked up for a right opportunity and offered an international life style. Since Sindhis have a very clear cut community fellow feeling, a Sindhi would always go out of his way to lend a helping hand to another Sindhi, thereby sailing together, hand in hand. From marrying a Mangol in Malaysia to attending a Church in London to playing Garba in Gujarat and dancing in Durga Puja in Bengal, a Sindhi has been there, done that.
And of course, a true Sindhi businessman knows no limits for expansion and growth. A Sindhi never says die, the sky is too close for him, and so a Sindhi empire, once created goes on and on to create similar, bigger and better kingdoms.
Thus, the secret of a successful Sindhi business venture is not so mysterious, or it is not as if a Sindhi is more or less fortunate with lady luck hovering around him all the time; its all these above facts that make a Sindhi business tycoon admired, respected and welcome wherever he happens to be. That is the mystery and magic of Sindhi money.
A Sindhi proverb says, “Jo Vanje Jaave, So Phir Na Aave, Je Aave, Ta Puta Pota Khave”.