There is one Marathi song which has become a rage across the internet. Sung by Shreya Ghoshal and composed by the geniuses – Ajay and Atul, Baharla Ha Madhumas has been topping the charts since a few months. The song seems to have struck a chord with audiences worldwide. This explains its wide adaptation into reels and videos.
The movie is even better. A biopic covering the journey of Shahir Sable – the renowned folk artist. His contribution to the rich culture of Maharashtra is noteworthy. Available on Amazon Prime Video, this movie is a musical treat. Through his life stories, the movie takes us through the critical moments in history of Maharashtra.
Likewise, Rishabh Shetty’s Kantara for instance, opened up a new world for many of us. With its rich, nuanced, narrative covering various conflicts – class, environmental, gender – it can be quite thought provoking. And with every regional movie you watch, you end up celebrating varuo
What makes celebrating diversity easier over these platforms?
Accessibility.
Themes which surpass language barriers, Subtitles which are contextual, ease of access – anytime, over any device and of course – the role played by social media in creating awareness.
Seeking inspiration from this model, organisations can take a similar approach.
Common Ground – The different but same approach
Building a common ground, which unites diverse groups is important. It could be the purpose of your organisation, a business crisis or even a new exciting opportunity. This creates a reason to come together. This is the prime role of any leader trying to build on the strengths of a diverse crowd.
Education
Once this is achieved, the next step is crucial – encouraging everyone to bring themselves to work. This means educating everyone about the kinds of diversity present. Creating safe spaces for everyone to raise their voice, express themselves, especially for minority groups is important.
Make Interaction Easy
A true celebration of diversity is when there is an exchange of ideas. Most of the times, two groups view each other differently. This is because of the pre-existing beliefs that they hold about each other. Enabling easy interactions can go a long way, open mics, open dialogues – panel discussions, workshops and even team building exercises can help break barriers.
Even smaller initiatives such as celebrating local and regional festivals at a small scale, organising language classes, food festivals and movie screenings can help diverse groups to feel part of one big whole.
Diversity, of all kinds – gender, linguistic, regional, is India’s strength. And every organisation is like one mini India. Celebrating this diversity, nurturing and preserving it can bring incredible returns. But most of all it can create workspaces where every individual can bring their whole self to work.