MUMBAI: Questioning the social work done by businessmen in India, actor and producer John Abraham says there are hardly any billionaires who part with their money to help the needy. The youth, he believes, can play a big role.
“I say the youth should contribute. Contribution is when each one of us is willing to give what is ours, without worrying about how much the other has. If we are all willing to do that, we will have equality,” the 40-year-old said on Tuesday at a press conference organised by actor and philanthropist Rahul Bose.
Citing the examples of Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet and Indian business tycoon Ratan Tata, he asked the people, “Which of our billionaires is parting with his money?”
Rahul and John came together to announce a concert to raise money for the former’s The Foundation, an organisation that works for the upliftment of underprivileged children.
Talking about his own efforts, John said he prefers to live a simple life and gives away most of his clothes and other items.
“I have given my clothes away. I wear very few clothes anyway,” he quipped. “I have two to three pairs of jeans, four to five shirts which you will see are repeated in press conferences and I guess around 20 t-shirts. You will instantly be able to recognise them in fact.”
“I really believe that leading a simple lifestyle helps and I am sure you all can do the same. There’s no use or point or having so many expensive things; you just end up collecting such things and eventually throwing them all out,” he added.
John also endorses the Mumbai Marathon. Rahul told reporters that John “does not charge anything for being its brand ambassador”.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2013.
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