"Most Of You Have Not Experienced Hunger. I Have...": Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy (X image@ABVPPunjab)

NR Narayana Murthy, the Infosys founder said he once “experienced hunger” for 120 hours non-stop. Murthy said he experienced hunger when he was hitchhiking in Europe, 50 years ago. Murthy made the remarks while addressing a special event at Achievements in Food Security: India’s Strides Towards Sustainable Development Goals, which was hoisted by the Permanent Mission of India to UN at the UN headquarters.

While addressing the audience consisting of UN diplomats, academia, civil organisations, and members of Indian diaspora, Murthy said, “most of you have not experienced hunger. I have”. He said, “I experienced hunger for 120 hours non-stop when I was hitchhiking in Europe and at a place called Nish, a border town between Bulgaria and what was then Yugoslavia, and today Serbia”.

He said as a civilised people one must show gratitude to India and help the future generation of “helpless, poor children to get good education”. He further added that success is bringing smile to a helpless person’s face, he said, Akshaya Patra is hugely successful, and that if the poor children lose hope and faith in the society, they will turn to violence and destroy all the good that India has achieved so far and hoping to achieve.

The 77-year-old also said India has been making good economic progress dure to the success of the government’s economic policies. He said visions and hard work of Indian entrepreneurs and citizens as well as the investment from the foreign multinationals also played a key role in uplifting India.

Murthy praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and added that the government of India runs the world’s largest food security programme.