Alok Bansal, MD of Visionet Systems India and the Global Head of BFSI Business is an ardent animal lover who leads from the heart
Every day when Alok Bansal enters his office premises, he is greeted joyfully by a loving and playful dog he has adopted. The MD of Visionet Systems India says, “Unless I meet him first, my day does not begin on a cheerful note. It gives me great joy to care for him and to bond with him. He reminds me of French poet Anatole France’s words that until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. Animals are not critical, or judgemental and they ask no questions and just offer pure companionship, affection and warmth.”
Alok who nurtures several cats, dogs and rabbits at home, says, “The amount of unconditional warmth, wordless wisdom, empathy, and love animals bring to us humans is immeasurable. He believes that all sentient beings should be equally respected and says, “It is heartbreaking to see the apathy and cruelty they suffer for no fault of theirs even though they have as much right as we do to inhabit this planet. They have been on this earth for longer, yet human greed has decimated so many species and disrupted biodiversity so tragically.”
Alok believes that it takes very little to be compassionate towards animals and says, “I can’t understand how anyone can intentionally hurt and harm creatures who cannot fight back or even articulate their pain and terror. It takes very little to be kind to animals. As humans, it is up to us to create a humane and inclusive society where animal rights are acknowledged and respected by all. “
As a business leader, Alok has imbibed many lessons from animals and cites a 2019 study conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals and Kelton Research, which showed a link between owning a pet as a child and becoming a C-suite executive. He says, “As leaders climb up the ladder, they often need to deal with a gamut of negative emotions like stress and anxiety but my pets, with their mere presence calm me down. In fact, a Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published by the American Psychological Association in 2011 noted that pet owners deal with rejection in a better way than others.”
Whenever he finds some time, Alok loves to observe animals and says, “What I learn every day from them is how to live in the moment and not to carry the burden of the past or the anxiety of the future with me. To paraphrase writer and activist, Pamela Merritt, animals never really forget a panicked past, but they learn to put it in the past. I wish we could learn to do the same.”
