"I would tell my children that look, nobody is less than us," Narayana Murthy said.
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy today opened up about cleaning his own toilets, which he sees as a matter of principle, in an exclusive interview with NDTV. He also spoke about how he convinced his children when they asked him why he chose to clean his own toilets.
"I would explain to my children gently and affectionately that these are the best ways of respecting other people. In our society, people always feel that those who clean their own toilets are looked down upon. Therefore, I would tell them that look, nobody is less than us," Mr Murthy said.
"My children are very curious. They observe and have a lot of questions. I would tell them that look, nobody is less than us. It so happened that we have been put into a very advantageous situation by God," he said.
Elaborating further, the tech billionaire explained his conversation with children about cleaning his own toilets which in India is still seen as taboo, especially in rich families.
"We cannot take that as our right, we cannot take it with a sense of arrogance, therefore, to the extent possible, we should try and do thing that will give us a sense that we are trying to be as fair to the society as possible," the 78-year-old billionaire told NDTV.
He also said both his children are very understanding, adding that they all were very curious, bright, and inquisitive.
On Joining Politics
Mr Murthy categorically denied any plans of joining politics as the 78-year-old industrialist believes he's too old for that now.
"I think I'm too old for any of that. I'm now 78," Mr Murthy said when asked if he would now consider a career in politics.
Elaborating on his plans, he said that he now plans to spend time with his children and his grandchildren. He also plans to enjoy music and read up on a variety of topics ranging from physics to economics.
Author and philanthropist Sudha Murty, Mr Murthy's wife, also said that she does not need to join politics to serve the public.