Hello Miss Mamta Banerjee! Please accept a bagful of hearty congratulations for successfully driving out TATA’s Nano project (read 10, 000 jobs) from West Bengal.
You have proved yourself to be a genuinely "energetic" and "enterprising" Opposition leader. You are so serious about your role as a member of the Opposition that you do not back out from playing it even when it requires to give a body blow to the interest of the state. Really, what a commitment!
After being looked down upon as an “industry unfriendly” state for a long time, very recently our beloved West Bengal had started gaining a somewhat positive image, courtesy sincere efforts by Mr. Buddhadev Bhattacharya. However, your “sincerity” as an Opposition leader has got us back to the square one. Now every potential investor will think at least for 100 times before investing a single pie in our hapless state.
With “well wishers” like you being there, West Bengal hardly needs any enemy.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Is It Right To Remember "Mahatma" At The Cost of Shastriji?
Every year on 2nd October the entire nation celebrates the birth anniversary of the "Father Of The Nation" - "Mahatma" Gandhi.
It is certainly our duty to remember him on each of his birth anniversaries (in fact, we should remember him and his values/principles everyday, and not only on his auspicious birth anniversary).
But does that mean that we will focus entirely on celebrating Mahatma's birthday, while completely overlooking this fact that 2nd October is also the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, one of the best Prime Ministers that our nation has ever had? Why it is so that the media (both electronic and print) carries just a scanty mention of the latter's birth anniversary, with the entire limelight being hogged by the other occasion (i.e. Mahatma's birth anniversary)?
Nobody needs to be reminded about the contributions of Shastriji, not only as a Prime Minister, but as a national leader as a whole. Therefore, it is not too much to say that he also deserves substantial remembrance on this day of 2nd October.
Let's hope that from the next time onwards we will not forget to offer him his due recognition, instead of having our entire focus on "Mahatma".
It is certainly our duty to remember him on each of his birth anniversaries (in fact, we should remember him and his values/principles everyday, and not only on his auspicious birth anniversary).
But does that mean that we will focus entirely on celebrating Mahatma's birthday, while completely overlooking this fact that 2nd October is also the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri, one of the best Prime Ministers that our nation has ever had? Why it is so that the media (both electronic and print) carries just a scanty mention of the latter's birth anniversary, with the entire limelight being hogged by the other occasion (i.e. Mahatma's birth anniversary)?
Nobody needs to be reminded about the contributions of Shastriji, not only as a Prime Minister, but as a national leader as a whole. Therefore, it is not too much to say that he also deserves substantial remembrance on this day of 2nd October.
Let's hope that from the next time onwards we will not forget to offer him his due recognition, instead of having our entire focus on "Mahatma".
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Good Samaritan I Came Across Last Night
Last night (29th September 2008) I had a great experience, as I came across a Good Samaritan. It was around 2 am (in that sense it took place today, 30th September 2008), and I was returning to home from office.
So what did he do? Well, first let me give some background.
The background
Last night when my reporting head Mr Abhiram Mishra released me for the day, it was 9 pm. I could have easily caught a bus from the Mathura Road bust stop in front of my office, and come back at my Noida home by at most 10:30 pm. But I tried to act smart. My colleague Sachin was also supposed to go in my route (his home is not far away from mine), and he was going to have the office cab. So I felt it was better to wait for Sachin to be through with his work, and go back home with him in the same cab that had been assigned to him. I asked Sachin how long he would take, and he said it would be at most 1 hour (i.e. 10 pm).
I started waiting, and suddenly I realized that it was already 11 pm. Though I was impatient, that time it was not even possible for me to go by bus, as travelling in bus at that hour is not a safe option in Delhi.
So I continued waiting, now as a compulsion. And it seemed to be unending. From 11 pm it became 12 am, then 12:30 am, and then 1 am. And still Sachin was not through with his work.
Now I was completely at my wit’s end. On one hand I could not wait any more (there were constant calls from my home), and on the other hand I had no other option (as the option of travelling by bus had already got closed).
I was restless, I was excited, I wanted using my entire intelligence (whatever little I have) to dig out a solution, when I suddenly found that my boss Mr Abhiram Mishra was still there in his cabin, busy finishing some work. (Oh, I doubt whether I have ever felt so happy after seeing him). I straightway entered his cabin. Stunned, he asked me why I was still at office. I explained everything, and he said that he would give me a lift (incidentally, he stays near my home) while going back home after around 30 minutes.
And ultimately, it was Mr Mishra who took me in his car, and dropped me at a point near my home while on way to his own home.
Now, the actual drama
My home is just 15 minutes walk from the point where Mr Mishra dropped me. But crossing even that short distance at 2 am (in fact, anytime after 11 pm) is a nightmare for me. Why? Muggers? Ghosts? Nopes. Then? Well, the problem is stray dogs.
Well, you may find it very funny. But honestly, I am terribly afraid of stray dogs. The moment I find a single stray dog in the road I immediately change the route provided I have any alternative. This is even when it is broad daylight (when stray dogs are less tending to be suspicious of passersby) and the road is full of other people (who can ensure that the dog will not have sole attention on me). So you can understand how I felt when I found that I was supposed to pass through a lane which was likely to have a huge number of stray dogs. And moreover the time was late night (when stray dogs tend to be very suspicious of passersby), and there was not a single other person.
And I had no other option. There was another route to go home, but that would make me pass through a similar lane (i.e. full of stray dogs), and would also take more time.
I was wondering what to do, feeling the same helplessness that I was having while waiting for Sachin to get through with his work. I was standing so near my home, and yet ……
The arrival of the Good Samaritan
I was making fruitless effort for mustering courage to proceed, when suddenly a car (a white car the model of which I did not notice) came near that lane, flashing its left indicator that showed that it was going to enter that very lane that I was supposed to enter. I desperately shouted -"Bhaisaab!"
The car stopped, and the driver (the only person in the car) peeped outside through the driving side window. A man in his late 20s or early 30s, the driver was dressed in shabby clothes, and showed every sign of belonging to the so called “lower strata” of the society.
“Will you go this way?”, I asked him desperately.
“Yes, I will. Why?” The man was visibly surprised, understandably.
“Well, actually, I have to go this way. Can you please give me a lift? There are full of stray dogs.”
“Really? Ha ha! OK, get in Sir”.
The man took me inside the car, and entered the lane. We passed through half of the lane, when he said that he would turn left.
“Now I will go left. Where is your home?”
“At the end of this lane.” I said nervously. Then I asked him again, “Can you please drop me at the end of the lane, please?”
“OK, no problem”. The person proceeded again, and dropped me at the entrance of our neighborhood, from where my home is just 5 minutes.
I gave him lots of thanks, and came down from the car, and……
A group of stray dogs are standing there, looking at me with ferocious (so it appeared to me) eyes. And within seconds they started barking.
I had just turned into a statue. I knew that now I could not even ask the person to give me further lift in his car, as there was a huge iron gate at the entrance of our neighborhood. This gate is kept open throughout the day, and is shut down after 11 pm by the local guards.
I was almost in tears, when the man came down from the car and stood beside me. “Come, I will help you”. He held my hand, and started escorting me through that small army of dogs. And what surprised me was that the dogs immediately stopped barking – let alone charging us - the moment the guy came down and accompanied me.
The guy escorted me for almost the entire distance that remained, when there appeared a night guard.
The guy requested him to accompany me for the rest of the road (only few steps were remaining), and now said good bye.
“You are really great!” My voice was chocked with gratitude. “I will never forget your help”.
“Ha ha, it is OK. It is perfectly OK. Good night!” The man turned round, and left.
The guard accompanied me to the gate of my building, and I finally entered home after a memorable day (or shall I say night?).
The final conclusion – the world is not that bad as we often feel it to be
I am genuinely touched by the gesture of that person, who was in every sense a so called ordinary person with very ordinary life and habits. His appearance and way of speaking made it very clear that he was either a driver or a car mechanic or something like that, and by all means not very educated.
But the man has humanity. He did not hesitate to stop his car to respond to my call, though it was 2 am, and the road was completely empty (I myself would not have stopped probably). And he also gave me a lift, and even took the trouble of escorting me through those stray dogs.
I do not know his name. I do not even properly remember his face (I was too excited to notice it properly). But I will always remember the way he helped me at the time of my need. I accept that the situation might not be that serious for everybody. I know that a lot of people would have easily reached home without bothering about the stray dogs. But that is a different issue. It was a serious problem for me, and he helped me at that time.
29th September 2008 (officially 30th September, as it was 2 am). I will always remember the date. No, not because of this so called nocturnal adventure. But because on this day I have met somebody from a rare species, the species we have termed as “Good Samaritans”.
So what did he do? Well, first let me give some background.
The background
Last night when my reporting head Mr Abhiram Mishra released me for the day, it was 9 pm. I could have easily caught a bus from the Mathura Road bust stop in front of my office, and come back at my Noida home by at most 10:30 pm. But I tried to act smart. My colleague Sachin was also supposed to go in my route (his home is not far away from mine), and he was going to have the office cab. So I felt it was better to wait for Sachin to be through with his work, and go back home with him in the same cab that had been assigned to him. I asked Sachin how long he would take, and he said it would be at most 1 hour (i.e. 10 pm).
I started waiting, and suddenly I realized that it was already 11 pm. Though I was impatient, that time it was not even possible for me to go by bus, as travelling in bus at that hour is not a safe option in Delhi.
So I continued waiting, now as a compulsion. And it seemed to be unending. From 11 pm it became 12 am, then 12:30 am, and then 1 am. And still Sachin was not through with his work.
Now I was completely at my wit’s end. On one hand I could not wait any more (there were constant calls from my home), and on the other hand I had no other option (as the option of travelling by bus had already got closed).
I was restless, I was excited, I wanted using my entire intelligence (whatever little I have) to dig out a solution, when I suddenly found that my boss Mr Abhiram Mishra was still there in his cabin, busy finishing some work. (Oh, I doubt whether I have ever felt so happy after seeing him). I straightway entered his cabin. Stunned, he asked me why I was still at office. I explained everything, and he said that he would give me a lift (incidentally, he stays near my home) while going back home after around 30 minutes.
And ultimately, it was Mr Mishra who took me in his car, and dropped me at a point near my home while on way to his own home.
Now, the actual drama
My home is just 15 minutes walk from the point where Mr Mishra dropped me. But crossing even that short distance at 2 am (in fact, anytime after 11 pm) is a nightmare for me. Why? Muggers? Ghosts? Nopes. Then? Well, the problem is stray dogs.
Well, you may find it very funny. But honestly, I am terribly afraid of stray dogs. The moment I find a single stray dog in the road I immediately change the route provided I have any alternative. This is even when it is broad daylight (when stray dogs are less tending to be suspicious of passersby) and the road is full of other people (who can ensure that the dog will not have sole attention on me). So you can understand how I felt when I found that I was supposed to pass through a lane which was likely to have a huge number of stray dogs. And moreover the time was late night (when stray dogs tend to be very suspicious of passersby), and there was not a single other person.
And I had no other option. There was another route to go home, but that would make me pass through a similar lane (i.e. full of stray dogs), and would also take more time.
I was wondering what to do, feeling the same helplessness that I was having while waiting for Sachin to get through with his work. I was standing so near my home, and yet ……
The arrival of the Good Samaritan
I was making fruitless effort for mustering courage to proceed, when suddenly a car (a white car the model of which I did not notice) came near that lane, flashing its left indicator that showed that it was going to enter that very lane that I was supposed to enter. I desperately shouted -"Bhaisaab!"
The car stopped, and the driver (the only person in the car) peeped outside through the driving side window. A man in his late 20s or early 30s, the driver was dressed in shabby clothes, and showed every sign of belonging to the so called “lower strata” of the society.
“Will you go this way?”, I asked him desperately.
“Yes, I will. Why?” The man was visibly surprised, understandably.
“Well, actually, I have to go this way. Can you please give me a lift? There are full of stray dogs.”
“Really? Ha ha! OK, get in Sir”.
The man took me inside the car, and entered the lane. We passed through half of the lane, when he said that he would turn left.
“Now I will go left. Where is your home?”
“At the end of this lane.” I said nervously. Then I asked him again, “Can you please drop me at the end of the lane, please?”
“OK, no problem”. The person proceeded again, and dropped me at the entrance of our neighborhood, from where my home is just 5 minutes.
I gave him lots of thanks, and came down from the car, and……
A group of stray dogs are standing there, looking at me with ferocious (so it appeared to me) eyes. And within seconds they started barking.
I had just turned into a statue. I knew that now I could not even ask the person to give me further lift in his car, as there was a huge iron gate at the entrance of our neighborhood. This gate is kept open throughout the day, and is shut down after 11 pm by the local guards.
I was almost in tears, when the man came down from the car and stood beside me. “Come, I will help you”. He held my hand, and started escorting me through that small army of dogs. And what surprised me was that the dogs immediately stopped barking – let alone charging us - the moment the guy came down and accompanied me.
The guy escorted me for almost the entire distance that remained, when there appeared a night guard.
The guy requested him to accompany me for the rest of the road (only few steps were remaining), and now said good bye.
“You are really great!” My voice was chocked with gratitude. “I will never forget your help”.
“Ha ha, it is OK. It is perfectly OK. Good night!” The man turned round, and left.
The guard accompanied me to the gate of my building, and I finally entered home after a memorable day (or shall I say night?).
The final conclusion – the world is not that bad as we often feel it to be
I am genuinely touched by the gesture of that person, who was in every sense a so called ordinary person with very ordinary life and habits. His appearance and way of speaking made it very clear that he was either a driver or a car mechanic or something like that, and by all means not very educated.
But the man has humanity. He did not hesitate to stop his car to respond to my call, though it was 2 am, and the road was completely empty (I myself would not have stopped probably). And he also gave me a lift, and even took the trouble of escorting me through those stray dogs.
I do not know his name. I do not even properly remember his face (I was too excited to notice it properly). But I will always remember the way he helped me at the time of my need. I accept that the situation might not be that serious for everybody. I know that a lot of people would have easily reached home without bothering about the stray dogs. But that is a different issue. It was a serious problem for me, and he helped me at that time.
29th September 2008 (officially 30th September, as it was 2 am). I will always remember the date. No, not because of this so called nocturnal adventure. But because on this day I have met somebody from a rare species, the species we have termed as “Good Samaritans”.
Monday, September 29, 2008
www.visitjordan.com – An ideal example of destination marketing effort
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting http://www.visitjordan.com/, the official web site of Jordan Tourism Board, i.e. the organization responsible for promoting Jordan as a tourist destination. And man, it was a real pleasure!
The site exemplifies one of the best specimens of Destination Marketing that I have come across so far. What I liked most was not the comprehensiveness of information displayed by it, but the innovative way by which those information were disseminated. For example the way the Hollywood connection of the Nebataean city of Petra was discussed. The innovative and racy language used in that description immediately catches the visitor's attention, eventually making that otherwise moderately interesting information sound like a thrilling one.
The site reflects a superb command of Web Marketing domain, while also reflecting a sound knowledge of the Marketing Communication field as a whole.
And, as I already said, the site has established itself as a gem of Destination Marketing initiative.
Loads of congrats to each and every person behind this beautiful site.
The site exemplifies one of the best specimens of Destination Marketing that I have come across so far. What I liked most was not the comprehensiveness of information displayed by it, but the innovative way by which those information were disseminated. For example the way the Hollywood connection of the Nebataean city of Petra was discussed. The innovative and racy language used in that description immediately catches the visitor's attention, eventually making that otherwise moderately interesting information sound like a thrilling one.
The site reflects a superb command of Web Marketing domain, while also reflecting a sound knowledge of the Marketing Communication field as a whole.
And, as I already said, the site has established itself as a gem of Destination Marketing initiative.
Loads of congrats to each and every person behind this beautiful site.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Virtually An Orphan, 5 Years Old Rimi Is Fighting Thalassemia Singlehandedly
5 years old Rimi Sardar is suffering from Thalassemia. Worse, she is forced to fight it singlehandedly.
Why singlehandedly? Because she is now virtually an orphan. The only elder she has beside her is Padma, her 50 plus maternal grandmother. And Padma herself is physically disabled, with her right hand amputed.
The sweet girl hails from a small village called Talda in eastern India, in the South 24 Parganas district of the state of West Bengal. The village has witnessed some bitter political struggles between two local political parties, and these struggles often turn violent with the indiscriminate use of fire arms and other lethal weapons.
Rimi’s mother was shot dead in the month of May. She was casting her vote in a local “Panchayat” election, when she was shot by a miscreant. It was in this same incident that Rimi’s granny Padma was also shot and injured, virtually losing her right hand.
On the other hand Rimi’s father and some other members of the family – all accused of being involved in a political clash - have been awarded life terms. They are all now in jail.
The end result - Rimi and her granny have been left in the lurch.
The almighty is now the only hope for Rimi.
Why singlehandedly? Because she is now virtually an orphan. The only elder she has beside her is Padma, her 50 plus maternal grandmother. And Padma herself is physically disabled, with her right hand amputed.
The sweet girl hails from a small village called Talda in eastern India, in the South 24 Parganas district of the state of West Bengal. The village has witnessed some bitter political struggles between two local political parties, and these struggles often turn violent with the indiscriminate use of fire arms and other lethal weapons.
Rimi’s mother was shot dead in the month of May. She was casting her vote in a local “Panchayat” election, when she was shot by a miscreant. It was in this same incident that Rimi’s granny Padma was also shot and injured, virtually losing her right hand.
On the other hand Rimi’s father and some other members of the family – all accused of being involved in a political clash - have been awarded life terms. They are all now in jail.
The end result - Rimi and her granny have been left in the lurch.
The almighty is now the only hope for Rimi.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Kolkata Guy Marries Two Sisters
Something interesting has happened in Kolkata (or Calcutta) in eastern India, the city where I grew up. I just felt I should share the incident with my friends who are unaware of it.
A Kolkata guy, named Kaushik Dutta has married two sisters – Jhuma and Shoma. And now these three (one husband and his two wives) are staying together in a single house.
All three of the “dramatis personae” are reportedly well educated and belong to the so-called upper class of the society. Jhuma is a post-graduate, while the younger sister Shoma holds a doctorate. The three jointly own a publishing house that brings out text books.
Quite naturally it has caused sensations in the city, with various prominent personalities (sociologists, authors, etc) expressing different views. Apart from being against the Hindu Marriage Act, this marriage is also being accused of being unethical. However, there are some who are supporting what Kaushik has done, saying that his act reflects the basic human nature.
I will not like to express any personal view, as I feel I am not intelligent or knowledgeable enough to make any analysis of this exceptional incident. Rather I will leave it to my friends to make their own analysis.
The link to the news is given below –
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1192396
A Kolkata guy, named Kaushik Dutta has married two sisters – Jhuma and Shoma. And now these three (one husband and his two wives) are staying together in a single house.
All three of the “dramatis personae” are reportedly well educated and belong to the so-called upper class of the society. Jhuma is a post-graduate, while the younger sister Shoma holds a doctorate. The three jointly own a publishing house that brings out text books.
Quite naturally it has caused sensations in the city, with various prominent personalities (sociologists, authors, etc) expressing different views. Apart from being against the Hindu Marriage Act, this marriage is also being accused of being unethical. However, there are some who are supporting what Kaushik has done, saying that his act reflects the basic human nature.
I will not like to express any personal view, as I feel I am not intelligent or knowledgeable enough to make any analysis of this exceptional incident. Rather I will leave it to my friends to make their own analysis.
The link to the news is given below –
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1192396
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My apologies to my friend Shanti Khumukcham
I am writing this diary to apologise to my colleague (read my friend) Shanti Kumar Khumukcham.
We have been working in the same organization for more than 1 year, and Mr Shanti Khumukcham has been such a nice friend to me. He was always there for me, trying to cover my deficits and weak points.
And I am such a scoundrel, other day I got him into such a big trouble in the office, simply due to my extremely irresponsible and callous behaviour. It was such a development that got Shanti's loyalty and credibility under scanner, while I myself know that he is one of the most loyal persons at our office. And all this happened only because of me.
I am so ashamed and repentant. I have just proved myself to be somebody completely unworthy of friendship. I have proved myself to be a scoundrel, who has caused such a harm to a friend who was so supportive.
Shanti has stopped talking to me, and I know he will never forgive me. I have been repeatedly apologising to him, but he is unmoved. And I know I would have done the same thing if I were there in his position.
I am sorry for sharing such a personal issue here. But the weight of repentance is constantly getting heavier. I just cannot carry it anymore. I have never had so much hatred for myself. This is the first time that I have disappointed a friend so badly.
An online counselor has suggested me to make the confession to somebody, so that I could feel a bit relaxed. And so I am sharing it here.
I know that I have made a mistake, in fact a serious mistake. But I am happy that I have been able to confess it.
Let the almighty always be with Shanti, and give him genuine friends.
We have been working in the same organization for more than 1 year, and Mr Shanti Khumukcham has been such a nice friend to me. He was always there for me, trying to cover my deficits and weak points.
And I am such a scoundrel, other day I got him into such a big trouble in the office, simply due to my extremely irresponsible and callous behaviour. It was such a development that got Shanti's loyalty and credibility under scanner, while I myself know that he is one of the most loyal persons at our office. And all this happened only because of me.
I am so ashamed and repentant. I have just proved myself to be somebody completely unworthy of friendship. I have proved myself to be a scoundrel, who has caused such a harm to a friend who was so supportive.
Shanti has stopped talking to me, and I know he will never forgive me. I have been repeatedly apologising to him, but he is unmoved. And I know I would have done the same thing if I were there in his position.
I am sorry for sharing such a personal issue here. But the weight of repentance is constantly getting heavier. I just cannot carry it anymore. I have never had so much hatred for myself. This is the first time that I have disappointed a friend so badly.
An online counselor has suggested me to make the confession to somebody, so that I could feel a bit relaxed. And so I am sharing it here.
I know that I have made a mistake, in fact a serious mistake. But I am happy that I have been able to confess it.
Let the almighty always be with Shanti, and give him genuine friends.
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