The Hindu Business Line : Running for a noble cause

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Mumbai Jan. 21 Most people would spend weeks, if not months, training for a half-marathon. But Standard Chartered's Mr Murali Natarajan is not most people. The bank's regional head of consumer banking, India and Nepal, decided on Thursday to run in Sunday's half-marathon (21 km) — one of the events at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. He did so because he was inspired to help those less fortunate than himself.

"I decided on Thursday after hearing two blind people giving an inspirational speech in Singapore," said Mr Natarajan. "They were crossing the Antarctic and doing all kinds of stuff and I was thinking what's wrong with you. You can at least do 21 kilometres with the entire civilisation supporting you. A lot of people thought it was stupid but it was very enjoyable."

Funding Operations

Once he had decided to run, Mr Natarajan sent a message to his team, numbering between three and four thousand, asking each of them to sponsor a minimum of one metre at Rs 100 a metre.

The money Mr Natarajan raised by running 21 kilometres (21,000 metres) will go to Standard Chartered's `Seeing is Believing' program. The programme funds eye operations for those with curable blindness and is Standard Chartered's global socially responsible programme. "By last count this run would have helped me cure 250 odd people at Rs 1,350 an operation," Mr Natarajan said.

Restoring Eyesight

The Mumbai Marathon is the largest fundraising event in India for `Seeing is Believing'. The bank has restored eyesight to roughly 79,000 people over the last two years. Last year it raised over Rs 4 crore from this event and it should be double that figure this year. The bank had 46 different companies sign up to contribute, including Reliance, Hindustan Lever and the Tatas.

Mr Natarajan is also not waiting until the last minute to decide whether to participate next year.

"I'm definitely going to do it," he said "This time I'm going to practice and do some training. It is doable. I think 21 km is within the grasp of most people."

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