11. Book review, ‘My Silk Road’ Page

“The other part of us, however, pulls us back into ourselves. It separates us from the universe around us and leaves us feeling distant and out of sync. We lack the sense of kinship that the human family is a family. It deprives us of the universal concern that drives us beyond ourselves to the centre of humankind. . ..

“And yet, it is this very paradox of life that stretches us not only to grow but to contribute to the growth of the rest of the universe around us.

“We say we seek unity, yes. But lurking within every human act is the gnawing need to be independent, to think of ourselves as distinct from the rest of life.”

Thomas Merton2 in the following insert refers to this kind of living as 'salvation'

“We cannot find ourselves within ourselves, but only in others, yet at the same time before we can go out to others, we must first find ourselves. We must forget ourselves in order to become truly conscious of who we are. The best way to love ourselves is to love others, yet we cannot love others unless we love ourselves since it is written, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” [Mark 12:31]. But if we love ourselves in the wrong way, we become incapable of loving anybody else. . . The only effective answer to the problem of salvation must therefore reach out to embrace both extremes of a contradiction. . . Only when we see ourselves in our true human context, as members of a race, which is intended to be one organism and “one body,” will we begin to understand the positive importance not only of the successes but of the failures and accidents in our lives. My successes are not my own. The way to them was prepared by others. The fruit of my labours is not my own: for I am preparing the way for the achievements of another. . . Every other human is a piece of myself, for I am a part and a member of humankind. . .. What I do is also done for them and with them and by them. What they do is done in me and by me and for me. But each one of us remains responsible for our own share in the life of the whole body.”

*Dr. Sara Bhattacharjee is the niece of the late Chrysostom Thirumeni. She was the Professor of Community Health at the CMC Hospital and Medical School, Vellore, India. Her husband, Professor Suranjan Bhattacharige, was the director of the CMC.

2 Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island (Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1955, 1967), 13, 16–17. Note: minor edits made for inclusive language 15 | Page

- by Ram Gidoomal CBE With a Foreword by Dame Prue Leith, DBE

In these memoirs, a rich boy turned refugee tells the story of coming full circle to succeed in ways beyond his imagination. Born into a family that had recently fled British India during the partition of India and Pakistan, Ram's early life in Mombasa seemed charmed with wealth and success. However, losing all of this overnight through a second deportation, this time from Kenya to the UK, he saw the course of his life change beyond recognition. Despite having had his dreams and plans ripped away from him, Ram worked tirelessly, fighting to overcome every obstacle, and finally succeeded in gaining back wealth and reputation. However, on reaching his late thirties, an unusual daytrip in Mumbai changed his life forever, transforming him from someone enriching himself and his shareholders to someone enriching the world.

Aiming to encourage those who are struggling to move forward in life, Ram shares stories from his life that demonstrate the difference made by a can-do attitude, by a spirit of generosity and by prioritising relationships. Through all these, he shares the secrets of living a life that marries deep compassion with success, a generous life that reaps unexpected rewards.

Born into an Indian immigrant family of silk traders in Kenya, Ram Gidoomal was one of the thousands of Asians expelled from East Africa in the 1970s. Starting from scratch at the age of 17, he built a successful career in business, and was firmly on the road to prosperity and fortune, when a life changing journey led him to instead dedicate his business skills and profits to those who need them most. His contributions to the community were recognised by the Queen in 1998, by the award to him of the title "CBE". An experienced businessman and entrepreneur, Ram has worked for over 30 years at board and senior management level in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Numerous recognitions for his many books and other contributions include Honorary Doctorates from three UK universities, and inclusion in Highf1yers50 - the fifty most eminent people of Indian origin living and working outside India.