Karmayogi: A Biography of E. Sreedharan Kindle Edition

Simple yet insightful life story of E Sreedharan, popularly known as Metro Man. A life lived on tenets of science and spirituality dedicated to the welfare of common people.

A very good chronicle of one of the best Project managers the country has produced. A good read for all young and new getting into working life .

Brief and precise... The author though didn't dig too much into details, it gives a very good overview of Mr. E. Sreedharan's life.

More such biographies of Indian heroes required

There are some Indian citizens in modern day who make us believe all that India ought to stand for : President (Late) APJ Kalam, (Late) V Kurien...and "Delhi Metro Man" E. Sreedharan. Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro (which has then started up a trend of Metro Trains) in many cities of India owe a lot to E Sreedharan. Everything that could go wrong and the challenges that such massive public impacting projects have in India were in play. And then there was E Sreedharan, who could lead his way through all this, and much more.I was fascinated to read the accounts of the Delhi Metro as was personally involved in a minor capacity in early to mid 1990s when this project was being envisaged in the Public Private Model and being bid out to the Private Sector. The idea was much ahead of its time, and could not gather much steam beyond the corridors of Govt. in Delhi and company files and presentations, but now seems fascinating to think back about it.Some of the early life assignments of E Sreedharan , and his ingenuity in facing all kinds of challenges - both brought by nature and man - right from the word go - display the signs of a career which every public servant in any department in the world can feel inspired with.

This is one of the most inspiring and valuable books that I have ever read. Firstly, it is the story of an engineer, a leader of men, materials, and machines, who has dedicated his life in the service of his motherland, for over half a century. Mr Sreedharan belongs to the breed of highly endangered species of upright, diligent, and capable public servants who discharge their duties with utmost sincerity, highest standards of professional excellence and unblemished integrity.The book traces the life and career of this selfless person, and aptly titled ‘Karmayogi’. There are some distinct traits visible in Sreedharan’s biography, written with reverence, passion and genuine admiration and love for this great man. Excellent work by Mr Ashokan in the original Malayalam book, ably translated in equal measure into English by Mr Rajamohan.The first and foremost building block in Sreedharan’s life is the strong CORE VALUES of a middle-class Indian family. It is very evident that his family led a simple life with high values, with importance of good education to achieve success in life. As a boy, he had to walk several miles to the village school, which had minimal facilities. Sreedharan is also inspired by his brother-in-law who remained an honest government servant, despite being employed at the Registration Office in Kerala, notorious for corruption. (Things have not changed much in these offices but are now fully computerised!!)The next gift in Sreedharan is the outstanding professional COMPETENCE. His education as an engineer at the Kakinada engineering college shows the high quality of engineering education prevalent in those days. With limited colleges and seats, highly competitive selection, these were but institutions of excellence in the true sense.Sreedharan’s CHARACTER is moulded solidly like concrete during his early years, higher education, and the professional training at the Indian Railways under the able mentoring of his seniors. The IRSE was the most prestigious service for engineers and was Sreedharan’s dream career.COURAGE to fight injustice and be honest, despite undue pressures from superiors, vested interests and politicians is the true manifestation of the strength of Character.It is one thing to be honest but do nothing. Many bureaucrats fall in the category of honest non-performers. Sreedharan’s uniqueness is the solid CONTRIBUTION despite all odds. Shenanigans from the dishonest, incompetent, but powerful bureaucracy depicts the shameful state of affairs that pervade our public institutions. The technical challenges of building the Konkan Railway is the pinnacle of Sreedharan’s competence and courage. In addition, he exhibited true COMPASSION with the families who had to be relocated during the project. It is hard to believe that the people were compensated even for the orchard trees and coconut trees that were lost. In addition, the people were given all assistance to move their belongings, including window frames and other items that were valuable during resettlement.Sreedharan’s contribution to CHARTIY touched me deeply. ‘To live we need what we have. We have more than enough…’ says this true KARMAYOGI in the final chapter ‘Amid the Grace’.Sreedharan has received several awards and recognitions from India and abroad. Yet, I get a feeling that this country has not utilised Sreedharan’s potential to the fullest. His classmate TN Seshan is another such example. We appreciate them, but are we afraid of them in roles that can impact the nation in a larger context? That would define our CULTURE.Train drivers salute by blowing the horn in a traditional style. Sir, I wish I were one, on the railways built by you. JAI HIND.

We need no introduction to this great man of Indian History. He is Popularly known as the ‘Metro Man‘ of India, by whose vision and under whose leadership the most advanced metro network system in India, i.e. the Delhi Metro was conceptualized. Also, we don’t need any explanation of how successful of the Delhi Metro nowadays is. But there are several things we didn’t know about this man. We, the common people of India, most of us are not aware that the famous Pampan Bridge was created, rather I should say that it got it’s life back under the leadership of this person. Also, the Konkan Railway, which is one of the brilliant engineerings works in this country was also completed under his leadership. A country, where corruption is everywhere. Where a small task like signing a simple certificate from a Govt. Official meant like a headache, this man proved that Govt. employees also can deliver works on time, sometimes before the deadline also, if governed by right leaders. We also come to know from this book that this man is a devoted follower of the Bhagavat Geeta & other Indian Sacred Texts like Upanishad etc. At the age of eighties, his hunger for knowledge has not yet gone, as he is now learning advanced Sanskrit. Truly speaking what I learned from reading this book, following the journey of this great man that “If your morale is high, if your devotion to your job is perfect, then there is nobody out to stop you to reach your destination.” When controversies appeared, he dealt with them in a formidable way. When few people tried to stop him from reaching his destination, he blew them off in a hardened way. The author, Mr. M.S.Ashokan clearly portrayed the life of E.Sreedharan in a brilliant way and for this My, Rating is: 4.5/5

The work been worship is known to some people. One such was my father who worked with the Indian Railways. I have seen several engineers in railways who are karma yogis at their own might. I had first heard of Mr Sreedharan from my father. His accomplishments were rather known to my father from then. He was very happy when the konkan railway was opened. Konkan is a place from where my ancestors belong. Today travel on konkan railway will take me to a few relatives.The descriptions or explanation cannot be bigger than the personality itself. The aura and greatness of Mr Sreedharan are so high that the book is doing justice.The way the author takes liberty to swing and switch times from early history to the present day make an interesting read. Just like we are speaking about it. A must read for all employees who believe work is worship. Inspirational.

I have been a great fan of Mr Sreedharan and wanted to read about him, I couldnt keep the book down till I finished reading it.Mr Sreedharan's carrier is a great inspiration for all Indians.A true technocrat and leader par excellence in all senses redefining the public transportation in India single handedly and proving to the whole world that India also is capable of forming a world class , service oriented , corruption free , efficient and profit making Government Organization . Hats off to you Sir , you truly deserve to be honored with Bharat Ratna.I wonder the plight of DMRC if it was headed by common wealth games organizers. About the book itself ,in my opinion at times book was slightly confusing for example page 214 & 215 talks about Reliance infra page 214 states operation began on 2011 and shout down was enforced on Jul 2011 and reliance was forced to reopen the line on 22 Jan 2003.....Abhilash

The book felt too fast paced. It sometimes jumped from one timeline to the next. The most detailed part were the chapters on Sreedharan's role in the Konkan railways and the Delhi Metro. The rest of the chapters sometimes felt vague, and not enough information given. The biographer does attempt to trace Sreedharan's life from his childhood, early days and eventual destiny into the driving seat of the DMRC but as I point out, the information isn't detailed, and just pushes the entirety of Sreedharan's life in a nutshell. Perhaps it's because it's an English translation from Malaylam and the narrative got altered in translation. It would have been good if more details were provided on the working style of Sreedharan and the work culture he established that became known for brutal efficiency. That is the key to understanding the mind of Sreedharan and how he came to be known for his supreme time management skills