Arunachalam Muruganantham: How I started a sanitary napkin revolution!

Translator: Jenny Zurawell Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

Prevodilac: Maja Malinov Lektor: Tatjana Jevdjic

So I tried to do a small good thing for my wife.

Pokušao sam da uradim nešto lepo za moju ženu.

It makes me to stand here,

To me je dovelo ovde,

the fame, the money I got out of it.

proslavilo me, donelo mi novac.

So what I did, I'd gone back to my early marriage days.

Vratio bih se na prve dane mog braka.

What you did in the early marriage days,

Svako na početku braka

you tried to impress your wife. I did the same.

pokušava da impresionira svoju ženu. Pokušao sam isto to.

On that occasion, I found my wife

Jednom prilikom, zatekao sam ženu

carrying something like this.

kako nosi nešto ovakvo,

I saw. "What is that?" I asked.

Video sam. "Šta je to?", upitao sam je.

My wife replied, "None of your business."

Moja žena je odgovorila: "Ne tiče te se."

Then, being her husband, I ran behind her

Onda, budući da sam joj muž, pošao sam za njom

and saw she had a nasty rag cloth.

i video da nosi groznu otrcanu krpu.

I don't even use that cloth to clean my two-wheeler.

Takvom krpom ne bih obrisao ni svog dvotočkaša.

Then I understood this -- adapting that unhygienic method

Onda sam shvatio ovo - ona koristi tu nehigijensku stvar

to manage her period days.

u svojim menstrualnim danima.

Then I immediately asked her, why are you [using] that unhygienic method?

Odmah sam je upitao, zašto koristi tako nehigijensku metodu?

She replied, I also know about [sanitary pads],

Odgovorila mi je: "Znam da postoje i higijenski ulošci,

but myself and my sisters, if they start using that,

ali moje sestre i ja, kada bi one počele da ih koriste

we have to cut our family milk budget.

morali bismo manje da trošimo na mleko.

Then I was shocked. What is the connection between

Bio sam zatečen. Kakve veze imaju higijenski ulošci

using a sanitary pad and a milk budget?

sa kupovinom mleka?

And it's called affordability.

U pitanju je pristupačnost.

I tried to impress my new wife by offering her a packet of sanitary pads.

Probao sam da impresioniram svoju novu ženu pakovanjem higijenskih uložaka.

I went to a local shop, I tried to buy her a sanitary pad packet.

Otišao sam u obližnju prodavnicu, da bih joj kupio pakovanje higijenskih uložaka.

That fellow looks left and right,

Dečko u radnji je pogledao levo, pa desno,

and spreads a newspaper, rolls it into the newspaper,

razvio novine i u nih smotao pakovanje uložaka,

gives it to me like a banned item, something like that.

pružio mi ih je kao da su zabranjeni ili nešto slično.

I don't know why. I did not ask for a condom.

Ne znam zašto. Pa nisam mu tražio kondom.

Then I took that pad. I want to see that. What is inside it?

Pogledao sam uložak. Hteo sam da vidim. Šta li je unutra?

The very first time, at the age of 29,

Tada sam, prvi put u životu, u 29. godini,

that day I am touching the sanitary pad, first ever.

dodirnuo higijenski uložak, prvi prvcati.

I must know: How many of the guys here have touched a sanitary pad?

Moram da znam: koliko momaka ovde je dodirnulo higijenski uložak?

They are not going to touch that, because it's not your matter.

Ne morate to da dodirujete jer to nije vaša stvar.

Then I thought to myself, white substance, made of cotton --

A onda sam se zamislio, bela pamučna supstanca -

oh my God, that guy is just using a penny value of raw material --

o bože, ovaj čovek koristi sirovinu koja košta jedan peni -

inside they are selling for pounds, dollars.

a prodaje je za funte, dolare.

Why not make a local sanitary pad for my new wife?

Zašto ne bih napravio domaći higijenski uložak za moju novu ženu?

That's how all this started, but after making a sanitary pad,

Tako je sve ovo počelo, ali kada napravim higijenski uložak,

where can I check it?

gde da ga isprobam?

It's not like I can just check it in the lab.

Ne mogu baš da ga proverim u laboratoriji.

I need a woman volunteer. Where can I get one in India?

Treba mi ženski dobrovoljac. Gde da je nađem u Indiji?

Even in Bangalore you won't get [one], in India.

Nema ih čak ni u Bangaloru, u Indiji.

So only problem: the only available victim is my wife.

Dakle, jedina žrtva je bila moja žena.

Then I made a sanitary pad and handed it to Shanti -- my wife's name is Shanti.

Napravio sam higijenski uložak i dao ga Šanti - moja žena se zove Šanti.

"Close your eyes. Whatever I give,

"Zažmuri. Ovo što ću ti dati

it will be not a diamond pendant

nije dijamantski privezak

not a diamond ring, even a chocolate,

nije dijamtski prsten, nije čak ni čokolada,

I will give you a surprise with a lot of tinsel paper rolled up with it.

daću ti jedno iznenađenje zamotano u puno sjajnog papira.

Close your eyes."

Zatvori oči."

Because I tried to make it intimate.

Potrudio sam se da bude intimno.

Because it's an arranged marriage, not a love marriage.

Jer to je ipak ugovoren brak, ne brak iz ljubavi.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

So one day she said, openly, I'm not going to support this research.

Onda mi je jednog dana otvoreno rekla: "Ne podržavam ovo istraživanje."

Then other victims, they got into my sisters.

A onda su usledile druge žrtve, moje sestre.

But even sisters, wives, they're not ready to support in the research.

Ali čak ni moje sestre, supruge, nisu bile spremne da podrže moje istraživanje.

That's why I am always jealous with the saints in India.

Zato ću uvek biti ljubomoran na svece u Indiji.

They are having a lot of women volunteers around them.

Uvek imaju puno ženskih dobrovoljaca oko sebe.

Why I am not getting [any]?

Zašto ih ja nemam?

You know, without them even calling, they'll get a lot of women volunteers.

Znate ono, čak iako ih ne potraže, imaće puno ženskih dobrovoljaca.

Then I used, tried to use the medical college girls.

A onda sam pokušao sa devojkama sa medicinskog fakulteta.

They also refused. Finally, I decide,

I one su odbile. Konačno, odlučio sam

use sanitary pad myself.

da sam isprobam higijenski uložak.

Now I am having a title like

Sada imam titulu poput

the first man to set foot on the moon.

prvog čoveka koji je stao na mesec.

Armstrong. Then Tenzing [and] Hillary, in Everest,

Armstrong. Kao Tenzing i Hilari, na Everestu,

like that Muruganantham is the first man

Muruganantam je prvi muškarac

wore a sanitary pad across the globe.

koji je nosio higijenski uložak na svetu.

I wore a sanitary pad. I filled animal blood in a football bottle,

Nosio sam higijenski uložak. Napunio sam bočicu životinjskom krvlju

I tied it up here, there is a tube going into my panties,

i privezao je ovde, jedna cev mi je išla do gaćica,

while I'm walking, while I'm cycling, I made a press,

kako sam hodao, vozio bicikl, pritiskao sam je,

doses of blood will go there.

a doza krvi bi završila tamo.

That makes me bow down to any woman in front of me

Zbog toga sada mogu da se poklonim pred svakom ženom

to give full respect. That five days I'll never forget --

da joj odam poštovanje. Tih pet dana nikada neću zaboraviti -

the messy days, the lousy days, that wetness.

te neuredne dane, te grozne dane, tu vlažnost.

My God, it's unbelievable.

Bože, bilo je neverovatno.

But here the problem is, one company is making napkin

Ali problem je u tome što jedna kompanija proizvodi uloške

out of cotton. It is working well.

od pamuka. I to dobro funkcioniše.

But I am also trying to make sanitary pad with the good cotton. It's not working.

Takođe pokušavam da napravim higijenski uložak od finog pamuka. To nije funkcionisalo.

That makes me to want to refuse to continue this research and research and research.

Zbog toga sam poželeo da odustanem od svog ovog istraživanja.

You need first funds.

Pre svega, trebaju vam finansijska sredstva.

Not only financial crises, but because of the sanitary pad research,

Ne samo zbog ekonomske krize, već i zbog istraživanja uložaka.

I come through all sorts of problems, including

Nailazio sam na svakakve probleme, uključujući i

a divorce notice from my wife.

predlog za razvod braka od moje žene.

Why is this? I used medical college girls.

Zbog čega? Koristio sam devojke sa medicinskog fakulteta.

She suspects I am using as a trump card

Ona je posumnjala da koristim istraživanje kao opravdanje

to run behind medical college girls.

da provodim vreme sa devojkama sa medicinskog fakulteta.

Finally, I came to know it is a special cellulose

Konačno sam shvatio da su ulošci napravljeni od posebne vrste celuloze

derived from a pinewood, but even after that,

koja se dobija iz borovog drveta, ali čak i tada

you need a multimillion-dollar plant like this

trebalo mi je ovakvo postrojenje vredno više miliona dolara

to process that material. Again, a stop-up.

da bih stvorio takav materijal. Još jedna prepreka.

Then I spend another four years to create my own

Onda sam proveo naredne četiri godine stvarajući svoj

machine tools, a simple machine tool like this.

mašinski alat, prost mašinski alat kao ovaj.

In this machine, any rural woman can apply the same

Sa ovom mašinom, svaka žena na selu može da koristi istu

raw materials that they are processing in the multinational plant,

sirovu građu koju prerađuju u multinacionalnim fabrikama,

anyone can make a world-class napkin at your dining hall.

svako može da napravi uložak svetske klase u svojoj trpezariji.

That is my invention.

To je moj izum.

So after that, what I did,

A šta sam uradio posle toga?

usually if anyone got a patent or an invention,

Obično, kada neko patentira svoj izum,

immediately you want to make, convert into this.

želi odmah da ga pretvori u ovo.

I never did this. I dropped it just like this,

Nisam to uradio. Odbacio sam ih ovako

because you do this, if anyone runs after money,

jer oni koji jure za novcem

their life will not [have] any beauty. It is boredom.

gube čar u životu. To je dosadno.

A lot of people making a lot of money, billion,

Mnogi ljudi zarađuju puno novca, milijarde,

billions of dollars accumulating.

milijarde dolara se gomilaju.

Why are they coming for, finally, for philanthropy?

Čemu se na kraju svi okrenu, filantropiji?

Why the need for accumulating money, then doing philanthropy?

Zašto potreba za gomilanjem novca, pa tek onda za filantropijom?

What if one decided to start philanthropy from the day one?

Šta ako neko odluči da od prvog dana krene kao filatrop.

That's why I am giving this machine

Zato ja poklanjam ovu mašinu

only in rural India, for rural women, because in India,

samo ruralnim predelima u Indiji, ženama sa sela jer u Indiji,

[you'll be] surprised, only two percent of women

iznenadićete se, samo dva posto ženske populacije

are using sanitary pads. The rest, they're using a rag cloth,

koristi higijenski uložak. Ostale koriste otrcane tkanine,

a leaf, husk, [saw] dust, everything except sanitary pads.

lišće, ljusku, piljevinu, sve osim higijenskih uložaka.

It is the same in the 21st century. That's why I am going

Isto je i u 21. veku. Zato sam odlučio

to decide to give this machine only for poor women across India.

da ovu mašinu poklonim samo siromašnim ženama u Indiji.

So far, 630 installations happened in 23 states

Do sada je postavljeno 630 instalacija u 23 države

in six other countries.

i šest drugih zemalja.

Now I'm on my seventh year sustaining against

Sada već sedam godina istrajavam u borbi protiv

multinational, transnational giants -- makes all MBA students a question mark.

multinacionalnih džinova - tako da se svi MBA studenti zapitaju.

A school dropout from Coimbatore, how he is able to sustaining?

Čovek iz Koimbatorea koji nije završio školu, kako on može da opstane?

That makes me a visiting professor and guest lecturer in all IIMs.

Zbog toga sam gostujući profesor i predavač na svim indijskim institutima za menadžment.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Play video one.

Pusti prvi video.

(Video) Arunachalam Muruganantham: The thing I saw in my wife's hand, "Why are you using that nasty cloth?"

(Video) AM: Video sam nešto u ženinoj ruci: "Zašto koristiš tu groznu krpu?"

She replied immediately, "I know about napkins, but if I start

Odmah mi je odgovorila: "Znam da postoje ulošci, ali ako počnem

using napkins, then we have to cut our family milk budget."

da ih koristim, moraćemo da prepolovimo budžet za mleko."

Why not make myself a low-cost napkin?

Zašto ja ne bih napravio jeftini uložak?

So I decided I'm going to sell this new machine

Odlučio sam da ću prodati ovu novu mašinu

only for Women Self Help Groups.

isključivo organizacijama za samopomoć žena

That is my idea.

To je moja ideja.

AM: And previously, you need a multimillion investment

Ranije je bila potrebna multimilionska investicija

for machine and all. Now, any rural woman can.

za mašine i sve ostalo. Sada, svaka žena to može.

They are performing puja.

One obavljaju Puja ritual.

(Video): (Singing)

(Video): (Pevanje)

You just think, competing giants,

Samo zamislite, takmičenje sa stručnjacima

even from Harvard, Oxford, is difficult.

sa Harvarda, Oksforda, je teško.

I make a rural woman to compete with multinationals.

Omogućio sam ženama sa sela da se takmiče sa multinacionalnim kompanijama.

I'm sustaining on seventh year.

Držim se već sedmu godinu.

Already 600 installations. What is my mission?

Već šest stotina instalacija. Kakva je moja misija?

I'm going to make India

Za vreme svog života pretvoriću Indiju

[into] a 100-percent-sanitary-napkin-using country in my lifetime.

u državu u kojoj se koriste isključivo higijenski ulošci.

In this way I'm going to provide not less than a million

Na ovaj način, obezbediću najmanje milion

rural employment that I'm going to create.

poslova u selima.

That's why I'm not running after this bloody money.

Zato ne jurim za ovim krvavim novcem.

I'm doing something serious.

Radim nešto ozbiljno.

If you chase a girl, the girl won't like you.

Ako jurite devojku, nećete joj se dopasti.

Do your job simply, the girl will chase you.

Radite ono što znate, devojka će krenuti za vama.

Like that, I never chased Mahalakshmi.

Baš tako, ja nikada nisam jurio Mahalakšmi.

Mahalakshmi is chasing me, I am keeping in the back pocket.

Mahalakšmi juri mene, čuvam je u zadnjem džepu.

Not in front pocket. I'm a back pocket man.

Ne u prednjem. Ja sam čovek koji koristi zadnji džep.

That's all. A school dropout saw your problem in the society

To je sve. Čovek koji nije završio školu primetio je problem u društvu

of not using sanitary pad.

nedostatka higijenskih uložaka.

I am becoming a solution provider. I'm very happy.

Postajem čovek koji nalazi rešenje. Veoma sam srećan.

I don't want to make this as a corporate entity.

Ne želim da se ovo pretvori u korporaciju.

I want to make this as a local sanitary pad movement

Želim da ovo bude lokalni pokret za stvaranje uložaka

across the globe. That's why I put all the details

po celom svetu. Zbog toga sam stavio sve detalje

on public domain like an open software.

na javnom domenu kao besplatan softver.

Now 110 countries are accessing it. Okay?

Za sada 110 zemalja ima pristup. Dobro?

So I classify the people into three:

Ja svrstavam ljude u tri grupe:

uneducated, little educated, surplus educated.

neobrazovani, malo obrazovani i previše obrazovani.

Little educated, done this. Surplus educated,

Malo sam obrazovan, uradio sam ovo. Previše obrazovani,

what are you going to do for the society?

šta ćete vi da uradite za društvo?

Thank you very much. Bye!

Puno vam hvala. Zdravo!

(Applause)

(Aplauz)