The Delhi Bloggers Meet # 31 – A fun-filled evening at Old Delhi

Yesterday (12th September, 2009) the “Delhi Bloggers Bloc” (DBB) had its 31st meet at the Jama Masjid of Old Delhi, followed by a solid meal at the “Al-Jawahar” restaurant in that area itself. And wow, what an experience it was!

We, the DBB members were also accompanied by the members of “Eating Out In Delhi” (EOID) – a group that visits or revisits various Delhi restaurants about twice a month, to “experience Delhi's offbeat eating joints, which are low on pretension and high on value for money and dining experience”.

Apart from the meet, last day’s evening will be memorable for me for other reasons, as well. Yesterday was the first day that I visited Jama Masjid. And yesterday was also the first day that I commuted Delhi Metro, after spending 8 years in Delhi.

I was picked up from a spot near “Prakash Hospital” – around 15 minutes walk from my home at Sector 22 of Noida – by my fellow DBB member Sachin Khosla, an energetic and lively Punjab da Puttar from Ludhiana (you talk to him for 2 minutes, and you will feel you know him for 2 years). Sachin, an IT professional, stays at Indirapuram at Ghaziabad, and said that he would pass that way, and could give me a lift. He was also having with him his friend Varun, another Punjab da Puttar (from Pathankot) and an IT professional as well.

We went to Yamuna Bank metro station, where we parked our car, and boarded the Delhi Metro (first time in my life) for the Rajiv Chowk (i.e. Connaught Place) station. The queue in front of the ticket counter, entering the platform, boarding the train, the electronic announcements, everything reminded me of the Metro Rail of my dear hometown Calcutta, and I realized that I was missing the Calcutta Metro Rail. However, the Delhi Metro is also great.

After reaching Rajiv Chowk station we had to change the train. As Sachin explained to me, we were changing from Blue Line to Yellow Line (I did not get it though). Now that train took us straight to Chawari Bazaar station, i.e. the station of Jama Masjid. We came out of the station to be welcomed by the unique ambience of Old Delhi, and stepped on the narrow lane that would take us to Jama Masjid. It was in front of the Jama Masjid that we were supposed to meet other members of our group.

God, I will never forget that short journey on that lane. It was so narrow, and yet so congested. There were two-wheelers, rickshaws, and of course people, and so on. I do not remember whether I noticed any car or auto, but the two-wheelers and rickshaws were enough to make that lane “jam-packed” and crowded. Only I know how “athletic” we had to be to move forward, without having any collision with anybody, whether rickshaws, two-wheelers or human beings.

Well, at last we reached the famous Jama Masjid, one of the landmarks of Old Delhi (rather Delhi as a whole). Our co-ordinator Priyanka Sachar (more famous as Twilight Fairy in the blogging circle) was already there, along with Sanjay, Manish, Sandip, etc. There were also two journalists from Indian Expres, including photojournalist Tashi Tobgyal, whom I later found to be a very interesting person with a bagful of interesting experiences. After some “Hello”/”High” we entered the Jama Masjid.

Entering into the Jama Masjid itself was a thrilling experience for me. It was the first time that I stepped inside a mosque, and at the very first time I entered India’s largest mosque, the one that I have read and heard so much about. And the thrill and pleasure got enhanced by the beautiful environment that I encountered there.

The first thing that impressed me was the beautifully constructed red-stone body of the shrine. If I am not wrong, I found some architectural similarity between Jama Masjid and Red Fort (I may be wrong). It was around 6 pm, and all the pious Muslim ladies and gentlemen had already assembled there for the evening prayer, which was to be followed by the meal to break the fast. There were nice lighting arrangements, which made the mosque look more beautiful and gorgeous. We all were chatting and relishing the grand architecture of the mosque – its dome, pillars, etc, while a few of us like Manish and Sanjay were constantly taking snaps.

I was chatting with Abdus Salam, a new DBB member whom I had just met, when we heard the sound of Azan. Immediately all the people sat down to offer prayers. Hitherto I had seen such scenes only in TV, movies, newspapers and magazines. It was the first time that I found so many Muslims offering prayers together (after all, it was my first visit to a mosque). And they were looking so nice. They were so disciplined. I loved the reflection of devotion on their faces.

After some time we left the mosque, and again set foot on the narrow lanes to go to “Al-Jawahar” restaurant in that locality, where the EOID gang members were waiting for us. We entered the restaurant that was filled up with the thrilling aroma of spicy Muslim dishes, and went upstairs to find the huge and sprightly EOID gang (led by Hemangshu) enjoying their meal.

Very soon we joined them, and were welcomed by a plethora of dishes, like Tanduri Chicken, Chicken Stew, Pakoda, soft drinks (Coke and Pepsi), etc. The ultra-enjoyable meal was spiced up by lively chats, with each of us making a new friend at every minute. In fact, it was probably the first time that I found myself with such a huge group, occupying such a huge portion of a restaurant.

I just do not know how 2 hrs passed. Then came the time to leave. However, there were many who accompanied us till the Metro Station, boarded the train, and came with us till the Rajiv Chowk station. And we made full utilization of the opportunity by retaining our chatting with full gusto, leaving all the co-passengers staring at us in the same manner the people at the restaurant did.

After reaching Rajiv Chowk we found that now it would be again only three of us – Sachin, Varun and myself, who would be going to Yamuna Bank station, while others who were accompanying us would take different routes. I was very busy in saying “bye” to Sandip and other people, only to realize that Sachin and Varun had already boarded the train to Yamuna bank (soooooooo bad!). Actually they did notice that I had not boarded the train with them. Anyways, I called up Sachin, and he said he would be waiting for me at the Yamuna Bank station. So I boarded the next train to Yamuna bank station, and went to Yamuna Bank, and that also became my first experience of traveling alone in Delhi Metro.

At Yamuna Bank Sachin and Varun were waiting for me. We boarded Sachin’s car, and he again dropped me near my home. And I came back home with a refreshed mind.

Thanks a lot for the fun-filled evening, DBB. I will always cherish the memory of this experience.

A special thanks to the EOID group, as well. The evening would not have been so much enjoyable but for their presence. And I liked them so much, and I found the concept of eating out at various Delhi restaurants to be so innovative. The concept of EOID exemplifies how small concepts can make our life much more enjoyable.

Photo Courtesy - Sachin Khosla (www.digimantra.com)

Aniruddha Gupta – The Best English Teacher That One Can Have

Circa 1987. A middle-aged businessman of Calcutta – Mr. Tapan Kumar Basu – was frantically looking for a good English teacher for his only son. The boy, a student at a reputed English medium school of Calcutta, was extremely weak in English. He would fail in the subject – with shocking numbers – in every terminal test, and could somehow barely achieve the pass marks in the annual exams. Any essay written by him – on any topic – would become very enjoyable for the class teacher and his classmates, as it was sure to display a genuinely funny species of English with scanty respect for grammar, accompanied by mind-boggling use of words. And he was so innovative and inventive, forming words like “bedalized” for “bed ridden”, which would leave people absolutely speechless.

Equally “impressive” was his spoken English. Despite being a student of a top English medium school of Calcutta, the boy would regularly find himself at a loss for words while communicating with somebody, leading to sentences with “errrr….”, “ummm….”, etc. And his fluency? Well, the lesser one talks about it, the better. No wonder that the boy would always try to escape any gathering where he was supposed to speak in English. He would even feel uncomfortable in the company of his cousin sisters, whom he was actually so fond of, as they would always converse in English.

Mr. Basu was sure that his son would never be good in the language, which was a must in today’s world. He just wanted the boy to be able to grab the pass marks. That’s all. And so he “launched” a “teacher hunting campaign” looking for a suitable person, who could ensure that the boy could develop the basic command of the English language, just the basic command.

Ultimately he got to know about one such teacher, through his brother-in-law (his wife’s cousin). So who was this gentleman? Was he a teacher of English at a reputed school, with a glossy “M.A. in English” degree under his belt? No, far from that. This 50-plus gentleman, Mr. Aniruddha Gupta, was just a government clerk, working for a crucial department of the West Bengal government. And his qualification? Well, B.A. in English. And that’s all. So what is his credential? Well, he has been in the field of private tuition for a long time, and is known for changing the lives of many a student.

So one fine morning Mr Basu went to Mr Gupta’s office, with his brother-in-law (whom Mr Gupta knew), shared his problem, and sought help.

- “You know, my son Raja is so weak in English….. In the last terminal test he has not only failed, but has scored such a low marks….. I am so worried, Sir, he is so bad in English…. I have heard a lot about you. You have changed the lives of so many students. Please ensure that Raja can secure at least the pass marks. That is all that I want……Please teach him the basic English, Sir.”

- “Mr. Basu, a teacher never teaches something to his students.” Came the calm reply. “In fact, no body can teach something to somebody. A person cannot be taught anything. He learns. I will never teach English to your son. I will just generate a love and passion for the language in his mind. The rest will fall in place.”

Within days Mr. Aniruddha Gupta took the charge of that boy. He started teaching him twice a week, and within days the boy realized the subtle difference in the teaching style of his tutor. Mr Aniruddha did not try to “thrust” the knowledge of the language on his student simply through dry and insipid discussions on grammar and sentence construction (though they were certainly a part of his teaching). His main objective was to generate in his student’s mind a genuine love and interest for English, by enabling the boy to realize the pleasure of writing and communicating in this rich and sweet language.

He introduced the boy to the world of world literatures – the beautiful world of Wodehouse, O’Henry, Mark Twain, Maupassant, and so on. He even encouraged him to read good comics, like Tintin, which is a fun-filled way to learn spoken English. He noticed the boy’s interest in global affairs, and got him to read superb coverage of the same in top English language newspapers and magazines. The boy used to read those editorials on topics that he would like, and would unknowingly get exposed to high quality English writing.

Mr. Aniruddha enthused (and not forced) the boy to consult the dictionary whenever he came across a new word, thus enriching his vocabulary by learning the meaning of the word. And the objective was not only to ensure that the boy could score marks by using that word during a class test. Rather, Mr. Aniruddha wanted his student to be always able to communicate – even in social gatherings – in a way that would be known not only for its content, but also for the quality of the language. Mr Aniruddha wanted his student to be a communicator par excellence, both in written as well as spoken English.

Very soon the boy fell in love with the language, the same language that had hitherto been his nightmare. Whenever he would get time he would explore the language. No, not out of any “determination” or “dedication” to strengthen the knowledge of English for academic reasons, but simply to enjoy the pleasure and thrill of hobnobbing with the mesmerizing language that he had misunderstood so far. He was now completely lost among all the gems based on this language - ranging from classic novels (Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Lous Stevenson) and short stories (O'Henry, Anton Chekov, Maupassant) to old and modern thrillers (Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Jeffrey Archer), old and modern racy works (ranging from Wodehouse to James Headley Chase), science fictions (like that of Issac Asimov), teenage thrillers (like Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew), comics (like Tintin), autobiographies and biographies (of statesmen, cricketers, entertainers, etc), motivational and relationship books (like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie), management books, travelogues, and so on. The boy also completely discarded Bengali newspapers, and developed the use of reading only English newspapers and following the national and global affairs through the same.

Needless to say that all these habits resulted in an appreciable level of command of the English language, with the boy now being pretty confident in writing in English. And that certainly had a positive reflection in the English language tests, as well, with now his marks in those tests showing an upward trend. He also developed, again as per the suggestion of his beloved tutor, a habit of talking to himself in English, using all the new words that he would learn. He would also try to interact mainly with friends and cousins who were English speaking. And this eventually resulted in a fluency in his spoken English, as well. And this made him much more confident in social gatherings, where he could now find himself freely interacting with English speaking crowds without any nervousness or inferiority complex. And this helped him to have new friends as well, who were really smart and interaction with whom taught the boy several new things about this world.

In a nutshell, the boy simply experienced a complete transformation of his overall personality.


Today that boy is a 30 plus communications professional. He earns his livelihood by preparing communications materials that not only require to be in impeccable English, but also need to display in-depth understanding and use of the various nuances of the English language. In fact, while preparing a document, he needs to play with the language, that5 too in style. And the person, who was once so weak in English, is not doing very bad.

He is also pursuing a host of hobbies – such as discussing various current issues (political, economic, social, etc.) in his blog, writing poems for poetry web sites, making friends across the world through online chatting, and so on. But he would not have been able to pursue any of these hobbies, if he had not been able to develop the more-or-less good command of English that he enjoys today, the command that was once a distant dream for him.

Whether he is preparing communications materials at office, or preparing a blog posting or poem at home, or having an exciting discussion or debate on current issues with his English speaking friends, at every moment the person realizes how indebted he is to his former tutor. That tutor, who was called to enable him to just grab pass marks in English tests, and who ended up with enabling his student to have a satisfactory command of the English language, which eventually opened so many beautiful sides of life for that fortunate boy.

Sir, I am really so lucky that I had a teacher like you. I am grateful to you. And I am also so proud, that I have been your student. Whatever I am today, it is only because of you.

Why Is Congress So Prone To Dynastic Politics?

Even before just 24 hours could pass after the formal announcement of the unfortunate death of Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the Congress party had already been caught by an ugly wave of succession war. Though the state finance minister K Rosaiah has been made the acting CM, it is clearly just a stop-gap arrangement. The party High Command is soon to decide whether Mr. Rosaiah is to retain the position or is to be replaced by a more suitable candidate.

There have been quite a number of contenders, including three Union Ministers, who have been waiting for the High Command's decision with their fingers crossed.

However, there is nothing shocking about all this. These things are very natural developments and are bound to happen after the sudden demise of the CM of a state. But what leaves me (and I suppose many) very disturbed is the emergence of YSR's son Jagan Reddy as a contender.

Sorry if I sound rude. But isn't it utterly nonsense that a person with just 100 days of political experience is being considered for the position of CM, simply because he is the son of the late CM? Isn't it a terribly naked show of dynastic and feudal mindset, smacking of a shocking level of political immaturity simply not expected from the politicos of the world's largest democracy? Is the CM's position equivalent to that of a club president, that it can be filled up by anybody whose only credential is that he or she is the son or daughter of the past president?

Jagan Reddy is a smart and energetic person, and we all know that he will prove himself to be a great administrator, and an asset for this country. But he must be given due time to prepare himself, instead of leaving him crippled with such a tough responsibility when he is just a political greenhorn. Being the son of an astute politician does not establish that you have inherited your father's political acumen, and therefore you cannot straightway inherit his position. First prove yourself, and the position will spontaneously run after you.

Let Jagan first prove his mettle (which he will certainly be able to do), before making him the CM just to carry on the "legacy" of dynastic politics. The Congress party must look at those contenders who have the established credentials, and choose one from them as YSR's successor.

Media Freedom Thrashed in Sri Lanka

The picturesque Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka witnessed a blatant attack on the freedom of media, when the Colombo High Court sentenced the country's noted journalist J.S. Tissainayagam to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

So what is his fault? Well, there are two. Firstly, this Tamil columnist has been found guilty of threatening country's ethnic harmony, as he has written two articles which the Court has found to be detrimental for the same. Secondly, (this is highly controversial) he has reportedly confessed to (in custody, to be precise) raising funds for supporting terrorist activities.

However, what the media fraternity feels (rather, it is sanguine) that all the charges brought against Tissainayagam are pure absurd. Actually he has highlighted the harassment of innocent Tamils of Sri Lanka in the hands of the government agencies, and has criticized the government for the same. And it is this "audacity" that the Sri Lankan government has been unable to digest.

The media fraternity also feels that by getting Tissainayagam imprisoned the Sri Lankan government has also tried to intimidate the other journalists, so that they do not dare to criticize the government on any issues.

We all appreciated the Rajapakshe government's ruthless campaign against LTTE terrorists, who had become a cancer for the beautiful island nation. However, the government is well advised not to show the same ruthlessness against the freedom of expression. The government must realize that it is responsible for providing the Sri Lankan people with a civilized society, and no society can be termed civilized if it lacks freedom of expression, which is one of the pillars of the same.

We all hope that better sense will prevail, and Tissainayagam will be freed as soon as possible. Let's hope for the best.

Pakistan - The Country That Cheats Her Own People

It had been suspected by the Indian intelligence agencies for a long time. And now their suspicion has been corroborated by the US government.

Pakistan has been preparing to use those weapons against India that she has received from the USA for fighting against Taliban activists on her own soil. This has come into light with Pakistan's alleged modification of Harpoon missile - received from the USA - on 23rd April this year. Harpoon is an anti-ship missile that the USA has given to Pakistan to help the latter in her fight against Taliban. However, through the alleged modification (that violates US Arms Control Exports Act) Pakistan has prepared the missile for use against land targets, for potential use against India.

The US government must have been upset that Pakistan has taken it for a ride. The Islamic Republic has taken so many high-powered weapons from the USA in the pretext of fighting against Taliban, and in reality she has used the same to strengthen her military potential vis-a-vis that of India. The Obama administration should seriously think that whether it would continue supplying the Pakistan government with high-powered weapons for fighting against Taliban, when there is no guarantee that those weapons will be used for the right purpose.

However, what I feel is that if the Pakistani government is actually cheating somebody, then it is her own people. The cultured and decent people of Pakistan (who must not be confused with their government) are terribly irritated with Taliban and other radical Islamic groups, and they want their beautiful country to get rid off those nuisance. The Pakistan government is trying to convince them that it is taking strong steps to wipe out those elements, but in reality it is doing pretty nothing to that effect.

Pakistan is probably the only country in the world that cheats her own people even in matters related to internal security. Really, what a country it is!

Change of Guard in Japan – After 50 Years

A historic political change took place in the Asian neighbourhood, when Japan’s main opposition party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) overthrew the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the recent general election, after an almost unbroken rule by LDP for half a century.

For quite some time the Japanese voters had been highly displeased with the ruling party for the strong economic crisis that Japan has been going through for around 20 years, witnessing high level of unemployment and other unpleasant factors that accompany a struggling economy. Moreover, there was no sign of any improvement in the near future, which could encourage the common people to retain faith on LDP. Therefore there is nothing surprising that the Japanese voters got LDP ousted. Rather what may be surprising is how they could tolerate LDP for such a long time.

However, DPJ has no time to cherish the elusive victory that they have at last managed to grab. They are now responsible for bringing back the country’s failing economy back on its feet. They must realize that actually it was not their victory, but the loss of LDP. The actual objective of common people was not to bring DPJ to power, but to get LDP out of power. So, instead of patting their own back for the electoral results, they should swing into action immediately. At the same time they must remember that there should not be any over-enthusiasm, no desperation to bring a sudden improvement in the economy. Any hasty act can result in further worsening of the situation. Rather, they should first make a proper, all-round study of the scenario, identify the loopholes and draw backs, and chalk out a roadmap, and then proceed.

We all know about the resilience of our Japanese friends. The way they bounced back after being demolished by US atom bombs is almost like folklore. And we all believe that the Sun of economic prosperity will again rise in this “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Photo Courtesy - www.newsweek.com

Goodbye Ted

So Edward Kennedy is no more? When I got the news, it was not that I was depressed (after all, he was not exactly a great leader, and certainly not a world leader). But yes, I of course felt a sort of vacuum. After all, who can deny this fact that the phrase "Kennedy Family" rings a music in our ears (though Kennedys, including J.F.K., did have their share of draw backs)? And therefore it was certainly sad to know that an old guard of the family - a legacy - was gone.

Edward Kennedy may have failed to hold the highest political office of his country (except in the Jeffrey Archer novel Shall We Tell The President?, where he was portrayed as the US President). But it must be acknowledged that he proved himself to be a worthy successor of the legacy left behind by J.F. Kennedy (and Robert Kennedy, to some extent), and established himself as one of the most successful Senators that the US Congress has ever had. And that was not a low achievement.

May his soul rest in peace.

Photo Courtesy - www.topnews.in

Dalai Lama's Proposed Visit To Taiwan - Who Is China To Oppose It?

The Chinese government is upset with His Holiness Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Taiwan. The spokesperson of the Chinese government has openly conveyed his government's displeasure to the global media, saying that his government "resolutely opposes" Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Taiwan (the country which China considers to be a part of its own).

Now, what locus standi does the Chinese government have in opposing Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan? Taiwan is a sovereign country (no matter what China thinks about it), and it has full right to invite any person on its soil. And Dalai Lama is also by no means answerable to the Chinese government for his actions. Then from where does China get the right to express displeasure over the issue, in the first place?

“Interested Is Interesting” – The Fabulous Message From The Film “Loser”

The other day I was watching “Loser”, a nice Hollywood movie starring Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari and Greg Kinnear.

It is about an innocent small town boy named Paul Tannek (Jason Biggs) who comes to New York for college studies, and tries to cope up with the big city life while countering huge cultural shocks at every step. A both entertaining as well as thought provoking movie armed with high quality acting.

However, what I enjoyed most in the movie was actually a particular dialogue. There was a scene which showed Paul packing his bags before leaving for New York, when he asks his father that how he could make friends in an unknown city where he knows nobody. And then his father says – “Always remember, interested is interesting.” Puzzled, Paul asks – “What do you mean?” And his father says – “Remember, every man has a story. And he looks for somebody to listen to his story. Listen to peoples’ stories, and they will like you.”

How true! Indeed, lending an eager and sympathetic ear is the key to becoming popular with people. You take interest in people, and people will take interest in you. Simple!

Hats off to the dialogue writer of “Loser”, who has presented this basic truth in such a simple manner. It is not that I did not know this fact. In fact, we all are aware about this basic fact of life. But what I liked was the novel way it was presented. I basically liked the short and simple dialogue that said it all – “Interested is interesting.”

Citizen Journalism - The "Media Periphery"

I appreciate and relish the fact that the concept of Citizen Journalism is fast catching up with the modern society. Lots of interesting incidents are taking place around us, which unfortunately do not make to the mainstream media. And we cannot blame the mainstream media for not highlighting those stories, as the former must adhere to certain guidelines while carrying stories. If a story is interesting but not at par with those guidelines, then it is obvious that the mainstream media will not carry that story.

This is the gap that Citizen Journalism fills up. It is sort of a "media periphery", which accommodates those stories which do not make to the mainstream media, but are interesting all the same. The end result is a huge widening of media reach, thus facilitating our reach and accessibility to a wider range of news. And the benefit? Greater enrichment of knowledge (More information = More knowledge).

The emergence of New/Social Media has provided Citizen Journalism enthusiasts with a plethora of tools, such as Blogs, Twitters, You Tube, etc. And it is really heartening to see how a number of enterprising youths are making a great use of these tools. Our heartiest wishes to all of them.

Undoubtedly, the birth of the concept of Citizen Journalism is one of the best things to have happened in the recent times. It has really enriched the modern human society, and has revolutionized the world of media and information dissemination. I sincerely hope that technology will come up with more tools that will further enhance the reach and strength of Citizen Journalists.

The mainstream media is like our elder brother, whom we both love and respect. And Citizen Journalism is like our kid brother, who was born in front of our eyes, whom we love and adore, and whom we are watching to grow up into a strong and stout gentleman.

10th Anniversary Of World Blogging

23rd August 2009 was an auspicious day for all the bloggers across the world, as it marked the 10th anniversary of the launching of Blogger - world's first free weblog-authoring software. The software - launched by Evan Williams on this date precisely 10 years back - resulted in free blogging opportunities for anybody interested in the same, thus facilitating the spread of blogging across the world like a wild fire. It eventually resulted in the optimum democratization of media, by enabling common people to directly share their feelings and opinions through their own blogs, instead of completely depending on the mainstream media to represent their views, aspirations, etc.

Today blogging features among the top hobbies (read passions) of the world, enabling a wide range of people (from celebrities to nobodies like me) to express their feelings/comments/evaluations, etc. on virtually everything under the sun.

Personally speaking, having a blog of my own has been one of the most significant things to have happened in my life. Through my blog I can share with the world my feelings, views, etc. on such a diverse range of topics (ranging from global affairs to my personal experiences), which is such a thrilling and fulfilling experience. Today I am an active member of the world blogging movement, and it is an identity that I am extremely proud of. Blogging is a revolution in the human civilization, and I cherish this fact that I am a part of this revolution. It is certainly true that I am a very ordinary blogger, and my contribution in the world blogging movement is simply negligible. But I am at least a part of the blogging movement, and that is all for me.

Finally, a message for all my fellow bloggers across the world -

My dear friends, brothers and sisters, I am genuinely proud to be one of you people. I owe a lot to you, as you have helped creating and sustaining the beautiful world of Blogging, of which I am part today. I dearly love and respect all of you, irrespective of the language and the topic of your blogs. Keep blogging, and keep enriching the human society by sharing your valuable thoughts and views. Happy Blogging.

LONG LIVE BLOGGING.

Is “VIP Culture” Really Absent In The USA?

The recent hue and cry over Shahrukh Khan’s detention at a US airport – for security reasons – has highlighted the lack of “VIP Culture” in the USA, which means that the US government officials do not offer any special treatment to anybody, no matter how much big celebrity or VIP he is. While defending its action, the US Immigration Department has said that Shahrukh’s detention was a must in the context of certain rules and regulations. At the same time both the US as well as the Indian media have come up with a list of prominent American personalities (such as Bob Dylan and Al Gore) who were treated by the American government officials in the same manner as they would have treated an ordinary American citizen, despite the fact that both Al Gore and Bob Dylan are noted celebrities, and that too in the USA itself. Once Al Gore – a former Vice President of the USA – was detained at a US airport while boarding a flight, as he had skipped certain security checking formalities. Legendary singer Bob Dylan was detained by cops for questioning while he was wandering in a lonely New Jersey shore (however, the cops were reportedly too young to know who he was).

It is really appreciable that celebrity status or political clouts do not help any person having any preferential treatment in the USA. This praiseworthy American culture gets more prominent when we compare it with the situation that we have in India, where even petty politicians manage to enjoy special favours in various situations, that too in a manner as if it is their natural right. And as far as the undue advantages enjoyed by the celebrities (film stars, cricketers, prominent politicians, etc.) is concerned, the lesser we talk about it, the better. I hope the “Shahrukh” incident will help our celebrities to realize that while they may be “icons” in India, in other countries they are simply nobody. And therefore they should forget about getting any special treatment the moment they step on a foreign soil.

However, while evaluating the incident, a different thought came into my mind. While it is certainly true that the US government officials do not show any special treatment to the celebrities and politicians, does that necessarily mean that there is no “VIP Culture” at all in that country?

After all, isn’t it true that the business magnets and corporate Tsars hold huge influence in the USA, so much so that sometimes they even largely influence government decisions and policies? And is it really believable that the US government officials do not show any special favour to these people?

The US Immigration officials did not show any undue favour to their former Vice President. Fine. But could they have been equally tough if it were Bill Gates in Al Gore’s place? Would any cop have dared to detain Steve Jobs for questioning, if he were found wandering in a lonely street? Well, with due respect to the US government officials, I cannot help having some doubts.

My Thanks To ICICI Bank

Few days back I had made a posting in my blog, in which I complained about some inconveniences that I had faced in two ICICI Bank ATMs in Noida, which are located in the neighborhood where I stay.

I had made that posting just to give a vent to my displeasure and dissatisfaction, and not to inform the ICICI management know about the problem. Because, I had simply not expected that they would be able to track my blog and would thus come to know about my problem.

So I was pleasantly surprised when the other day - after visiting my blog - I found a reply to that posting. The reply was made by Ms. Nazia Sayeed, from the office of the Nodal Officer of ICICI Bank. In that reply Ms Nazia has not only accepted that there was indeed some problem, but has also given an elaborate explanation about the same.


What really touched me is the sincerity of the ICICI management in keeping track of the feelings of the common customers. They have not only successfully marked out an insignificant complaint made by an ordinary customer in his blog (and not in a reputed publication). But has also taken the pain of replying to that customer. It reflects there honesty in serving their customers.

My sincere thanks to the ICICI people. I am touched, honoured, and humbled, in one go.

The Amazing Himachal Pradesh

Gurgling rivers and streams playing on the lap of White mountains

Lush green meadows, that look greener when drenched with rains.

The Gothic buildings, reminding you of the bygone British colonial time

And reflecting the grand lifestyle that our former colonial masters enjoyed during their prime.

Enchanting apple orchards, accompanied by eye-catching potato fields

Simple but hardworking people, who lead a tough life with a dignified ease.

A marvelous and amazing place, where every day appears to be new

Dear all, this is Himachal Pradesh for you.

Jaipur – The City Of Magnificence And Past Glory

Jaipur – the city of magnificence and past glory

Jaipur – the city of gorgeous palaces, each of which has an interesting story.

Jaipur – the city of royals, and an epitome of class and aristocracy

Jaipur – the city for History enthusiasts, and also for those who are Polo crazy.

Jaipur – the marvelous capital of India’s desert kingdom of Rajasthan

A perfectly modern city that retains its touch with the past with aplomb and élan.

What Is Wrong With The ICICI Bank ATMs?

I suppose something is wrong with the ICICI bank ATMs. More-or-less regularly I have been finding their ATM machines to be out of order. Well, at least that what I have been experiencing in Noida, the satellite town adjacent to Delhi.

Just few weeks back I had found both the machines in the ICICI ATM near Noida’s NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) office to be out of order. This is the ATM near my Sector 22 home, and naturally this is the ATM that I generally visit. Since that ATM was of no use, I had to go to the ATM in Sector 12 (near Metro Nursing Home), which is a bit far away from my home.

Today morning when I went to the ICICI ATM near my home, i.e. the one near NTPC office, again I found both the machines to be out of order. So again I had to go to the Sector 12 ATM. Yes, it was OK, but partially. And what does that mean? It means that it has three machines, but one was out of order. That means, though it was OK, it was certainly not spotlessly OK.

I have been a customer of ICICI for quite some time now, and I am quite satisfied with their service. I will just humbly request them to be a bit careful about the health of their ATMs.

Confidential Mail From Burkina Faso

I got this “confidential” mail from Burkina Faso (a small country in Africa) on 24th July, 2009. The sender is some Mr. Tama Aku (tamank.a97@msn.com).

I just wished to share the content of the mail with everybody who comes across my blog. I feel people may find it interesting.




The Desk of Mr Tama Aku
Audit/Remittance Department of
African Development Bank (ADB)
Auagadougou Burkina Faso
phone: 00226-71 19 15 57



Dear Friend,

(CONFIDENTIAL)

I know that this email will be a big surprise to you, but i want you to calm down and read very carefully.

I have a business which will be beneficial to both of us.. the amount of money involved is ($5,700:000:00 five million seven hundred thousand us dollars) which i want to transfer out of the country to your bank account, all to my financial benefit and yours too. and also to take my wife abroad for treatment of liver damage.

This money is owned by a man called JIN SUN, a business commercialist in west-african regions. he has been dead since four years ago (2005) and since then, no claim has been placed on his bank account balance.

I want to transfer this money out of the country but such fund cannot be transferred without a next of kin attached to the fund. the fund could be transferred in these way; you shall present yourself as a business associate to the deceased person[JIN SUN) as details shall be that you are the care- taker business associate to mr. jin sun and his properties.

I shall make available to you materials and information with which a successful claim shall be placed on the fund. i shall also be your guidiance and instructor throughout the duration of this transaction so as to ensure a swift and sure transfer of the fund to your bank account.

As to your benefits,you shall be entitled to 40% of this fund for your co-operation in this transaction while 5% will be set aside for expences incured during the course of this transaction.

So if you are interested, send a reply to me immediately and in your reply please include your [private phone and your fax numbers] urgency has to be implied and this business must strictly be a deal between both of us.
Waiting for your urgent response so that i can move ahead and give you the indept details concerning this transaction and also the steps to take for a smooth transfer of the fund into your bank account.

Best Regards,
Mr.TAMA AKU





So this is the mail. As you can see, it talks about a business deal which involves a huge amount of money. So if anybody is interested, he may contact Mr Tama Aku for the deal.

PS – Guys, I hope you people have pretty well understood that it is nothing but a fraud. Please do not make the mistake of sending any document to this person.

I shared this mail only to alert those gullible people who fall prey to such frauds. I know all of us occasionally get such mails, and just ignore the same as we know that these are sent by cheats. However, there are some who still get carried away by such mails, and I just wanted to warn them.

News In Pakistani Newspaper – “Naked girls plough fields in India”

I was going through the online edition of the top Pakistani newspaper Dawn (www.dawn.com), when I came across this disturbing news about India with an equally disturbing headline –




Naked girls plough fields in India

PATNA: Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plough parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said on Thursday.

Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar state ploughed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the ploughs.

‘They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains,’ Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar’s remote Banke Bazaar town.

‘This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily.’

The region’s rich cultural heritage and extreme reliance on seasonal rainfall has led to the development of myriad rituals, ranging from wedding frogs to singing elaborate songs to evoke rainfall.

India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states. — Reuters


News Source URL: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/11-naked-girls-plough-fields-in-india--il--01


I would like to know whether this news is at all true. While I have due confidence on the Dawn authorities, I will like to mention that I have not come across this news in any Indian newspaper or news channel.

Nation Salutes the Kargil Heroes

There are some events which fade away from one’s memory within 10 days. And there are events which remain fresh in the memory even after 10 years. And such an event is the Kargil War, which witnessed the height of the Indian army’s bravery, dedication and professional excellence. It is an event which has made a permanent place for itself in the history of India, and will be remembered even after 100 years from now, during the youths of our grandchildren.

10 years have passed. But I still remember the shock, tension and thrill that we all had to go through during those days when the war was going on. The entire nation was following the “live coverage” of the war on TV, with the same tension and thrill that we have while watching a cricket match between India and some other country. The only difference was that it was not cricket. It was a full fledged war, where our brave hearts were fighting not for winning any glossy cricket tournament, but for protecting the territorial integrity of India. And they were doing so by putting their own lives at risk, with smiling faces. And then one day India finally succeeded in saving her land from the clutches of the nasty intruders, who had stealthily entered into our territory and occupied the same.

Personally, the war was a great eye opener for me. That was the first time I found so many boys of my own age to lay down their lives for our motherland. Everyday I would come across news of the martyrdom of boys in early 20s, i.e. in my age group. And this forced me to go for an introspection, a self-analysis. I just questioned myself – “So many boys and girls of my age are fighting for their motherland, by risking their own lives. And what am I doing? Still leading a comfortable life under the shadow of my parents?” It was this thought that inspired me to think of doing something meaningful in life, so that I can be proud of my human birth. Yes, till now I have not been able to do anything worthwhile. And I do not know whether I will even be able to do anything likewise. But at least I had this enlightenment that I had rooms for development in my nature. And I am grateful to the young Kargil martyrs for helping me have that realization.

The Poor Public Image of the NGO Sector

For last few days we have been looking for a new flat for rent, as we are having some problems with the flat where we have been staying for last 3-4 years. Now, other day we came to know from a local shopkeeper that a gentleman – in our neighbourhood itself – was looking for tenant for the ground floor of his house. So my mother went to meet him. The conversation that they had is described below –

The Landlord: “You want to rent the flat? Fine. Who are there in your family?”
Mother: “Me, my husband, and my son. Actually me and my husband will go back to Calcutta, our hometown. My son will stay here, as he is working here. We actually want to rent the flat for him.”
The Landlord: “OK, what does he do?”
Mother: “He is working for an NGO.”
The Landlord: “What? NGO? Sorry, I do not want a tenant who is working for an NGO.”
Mother (terribly shocked): “Why?”
The Landlord: “The NGOs do not pay their employees regularly. I am sure your son will not be able to pay the rent regularly.”
Mother: “No no! His NGO is a good one. A prominent one. Please listen to me….”
The Landlord: “I am sorry madam. Please, do not insist me. I cannot accept your request.”

Shuts the door.


Well, no matter how much shocking it may appear, this is the harsh reality. This is the popular perception of NGOs and NGO professionals. A common man’s idea about an NGO is that it is a sub-standard organization with a sub-standard and unprofessional working environment, functioning from a dilapidated office building located in a shabby corner of the town. And the people working in that organization are all sub-standard people, who have joined the NGO sector only after failing to grab any opening anywhere else.

If only these “socially illiterates” knew the reality.

Let me just say a couple of things about Pragya (www.pragya.org), the NGO that I am working for.

It has its office at Udyog Vihar Phase –V in Gurgaon, one of the most up market areas in the entire NCR (National Capital Region).

We get our salary sharp on 2nd of the month.

My colleagues include IIM MBAs, PhDs, etc., with some of them having degrees/diplomas from prestigious institutes abroad. And yes, there are some who have even worked for prominent organizations abroad, organizations where a person can work only if he can prove himself to be a professional with highest level of competence.

As far as the perception of lackluster and unprofessional working environment is concerned, I must highlight that when a task is assigned to somebody in our office, he is also given a deadline within which he must finish the task.

I know that all that I said about my organization are true about many other NGOs, as well. But, unfortunately, a number of people are still having such a wrong perception about the NGO sector, without even bothering to know the reality. They do not even know about the various commendable jobs that various NGOs are doing in various areas, winning laurels from the government and other prestigious organizations and bodies.

By carrying stupid ideas about the NGO sector, these people are simply proving their own stupidity.

Who Am I?

For me the life of a stray dog is much for valuable than that of 1,000 human beings

For me putting up a fight for the rights of a small fly is one of this world’s most important things.

I can risk the life of a human baby for saving just the small tail of a kitten

I remain unmoved with the atrocities faced by human beings, but cannot tolerate the scene of a single dog tied with a chain.

I have no problem if you abuse a person, but I will not allow it if you refer to an animal as “beast”

Who am I? Well, I am an Animal Rights Activist.

Mayawati’s Landmark Project – Rs. 1,000 Crores For Unveiling Statues

Ms Mayawati may be known for her various “unconventional” and “pioneering” administrative steps. But this one surely outshines all of them.

When the UP government is failing to address a number of administrative gaps and drawbacks for the lack of adequate funds (and for the lack of administrative competence, of course), that time the government has decided to spend (read waste) a staggering amount of Rs. 1,000 for, hold your breath, unveiling statues of 40 “Dalit icons”. And yes, of these 40 statues, 6 will be of Ms Mayawati herself (after all she is also a Dalit icon, right?).

Really, what a great idea to champion the Dalit cause. India’s “downtrodden” are really so lucky to have such a leader like Ms Mayawati. And let’s not overlook the “innovativeness” of the project. The money could have been spent in addressing the infrastructural problems of the dalit villages, like arranging for drinking water, setting up schools and hospitals, arranging for scholarships for meritorious students from backward families, etc. But Mayawatiji, thanks to her fertile brain, identified a far better way to address the Dalit’s problems – setting up statues of Dalit leaders. Congrats!

I only wish Behenji could know about the remarks that my “Dalit” friends have made about her, after reading about this project in the newspaper. Really, they are so ungrateful. The lady is trying to do so much for them, and they are criticizing her. I am ashamed of those friends. And I am really so proud that our country is blessed with leaders like Ms Mayawati.

What Is Meant By INDIAN?

I – Idealist

N- Nationalist

D- Democratic

I- Intelligent

A- Aristocrat

N- Noble-minded

The Kangaroo Land (Australia) – Economically Developed, Culturally Impoverished

No matter how much economic development a country may have achieved, it does not necessarily guarantee that the country enjoys a truly refined and cultured society. This extremely unpleasant fact was again proved by the recent spate of racial attacks on the Indian students in Australia. Every Indian is shocked and disturbed to know about how our children are being thrashed by the raw and rustic Australian youths, simply for having the “wrong” skin colour. Ultra-outrageous! That is the only word that fittingly describes what is happening in the Kangaroo Land.

So this is the true character of the people of Australia, a country that prides itself in being in the league of the so-called “developed nations”? On one hand the Australians are so proud of the economic status of their “first world country”, and the high quality of life that they enjoy. And on the other hand they are so narrow-minded that they cannot accept a foreigner as their equal, simply because that person does not have the “correct” ethnicity and skin colour.

Actually there is nothing surprising about this rustic mentality of the Australians. The nature of a nation is mainly shaped by its origin, i.e. the types of forefathers it had. Australians might be proud that today they are a developed nation. But what is their origin? A huge chunk of their forefathers were criminals and anti-socials from England, who were banished by the English government to Australia (which was then a penal island). Another major chunk of their forefathers was constituted of the illiterate (and naturally uncultured) gold prospectors from various parts of Europe. With such a “genealogy”, it is little surprising that Australians have such an uncultured and ruffian attitude. In fact, rudeness is seemingly part and parcel of the Australian life. A case in point is the on-the-field behaviour of the Australian cricketers, the ones “credited” with the import of “sledging culture” in the “Gentleman’s game”.

It is heartening to see that the Indian government has already launched a strong protest with its Australian counterpart. The latter must be pursued not only to save the Indian students from further racial attacks, but also to take strict action against the culprits of the racial attacks that have taken place so far.

The Indian government is also well advised to bar the Australian universities from holding promotional and marketing campaigns in India, aimed at Indian students eyeing foreign education. India is today a very lucrative market for the education sectors of all the developed countries – the USA, the UK, Australia, Singapore, etc. The moment the Australian education sector will find itself on the verge of losing a huge market, it will create immense pressure on its government to take corrective measures.

The West is never tired of criticizing the various draw backs that the Indian society suffers from – caste system, communal divide, dowry system, etc. All these are certainly disgraceful, and we, the educated Indians, are always keen to shed them off. But has West ever realized that the social disease that it suffers from – the racial prejudice and bias – is as shameful as the social diseases that we have? Rather, in India we are at least aware of the deplorability of those social problems. But our friends in the West seem to be even lacking this realization in the first place.

Photo Courtesy - www.theage.com.au

It Is Time We Thought About “Automobile Explosion”

First, some background. Around 2 months back I was passing through Nehru Place in south Delhi with my friend Sourabh, in his Tata Indica. We were discussing several topics, when our discussion took a turn towards the topic of “Nano” car. I enthusiastically said, “Sourabh, after Nano is launched, every Tom, Dick and Harry will be able to buy a car. So nice, isn’t it?”

“Well, I do not think so dear.” Said Sourabh, while struggling to move forward our car through the heavy traffic that was plaguing the road. “You can see the condition of the traffic, what a mess it has become already. The huge number of cars on the road has made the traffic so slow in all the Indian metro cities. Crossing a half an hour distance now takes almost 1 hour. Now with Nano there will be a huge increase in the number of cars overnight. And you can pretty well understand what type of situation it will usher in”.

Sourabh’s words were ringing in my ears other day while going to my office in Gurgaon. Since I have no direct bus to Gurgaon from Noida (where I stay), therefore while going to office everyday first I have to go to Dhaula Kuan, from where I catch a DTC bus of Dhaula Kuan-Gurgaon route. And everyday what I face, apart from huge crowd (inside the bus) and heat, is extreme jam. The bus takes around 50 minutes to get me at the Udyog Vihar Phase 5 (the stop is “Shankar Chowk”), where my office is located. Whereas, it is actually a distance of just 30 minutes.

But other day it was just an extreme case. We had almost reached the Shankar Chowk stop (i.e. my stop), when suddenly my bus got stuck in a huge jam. And what a jam it was! For 20-25 minutes my bus stood still, without being able to move an inch. Terribly impatient, I was constantly peeping outside through the window. And what could I see? A huge ocean of cars – Santro, Hyundai, Tata Indica, Maruti, Bolero, blah blah blah! And it was at that time when I could fully realize the substance of what Sourabh had said other day. That day I got 15 minutes late in reaching my office, ironically for getting stuck up for 20 minutes virtually at the “doorstop” of the office.

What I strongly feel is that there should be immediately some restrictions on the number of cars on the roads. Till 10-15 years back only a certain section of people could afford to buy cars, thus automatically keeping a control on the number of cars on the roads. But now the situation has changed. The purchasing power of common people has increased a lot. Moreover, now there have been various facilities like Car Loans, etc., which have facilitated the purchasing of cars to great extent. Therefore, at the end of the day, there has been an increase in the number of car buyers, thereby further resulting in an increase in the number of cars on the roads. And the ultimate result is for all of us to see.

So far we have judged the ill effects of the increase in the number of cars precisely in the context of environment, i.e., more cars = more environmental pollution. And that is certainly a very crucial issue. But what I feel to be more alarming is the way the number of cars is affecting the speed of traffic. If it continues, then can you imagine what the situation will be after just 5-6 years? And we must realize that no matter how many flyovers we construct, that can only partially (and not fully) address the problem of increasing number of cars.

So, what I feel is that the government must do something immediately about it. One option can be to ban the use of personal cars in the weekdays. It must be made a rule that people can use only public transport in the weekdays, and can use their personal cars only on Saturdays and Sundays, when in any case the offices are generally closed, and usually people are not in a hurry to go somewhere. Yes, special exemption may be offered to people whose offices are far away from their residences. If a person makes any such application that his office is far away from his home, and he finds it very difficult to reach office in time if he is using public transport, then the government can consider his case, and permit him to use his personal car while going to office in the weekdays. There can be some fixed parameters (in terms of distance, etc.) to consider such cases. But otherwise, the government must be strict about using personal cars in the weekdays.

Of course I am not saying that the suggestion I am making is the only way available to address this problem. It was just a suggestion made by a layman. I know for sure that the experienced government officials can come up with much better plans, more feasible and effective. I am only trying to highlight the seriousness of the problem, and the urgency of doing something to restraint the problem.

Lots of discussions have been made on “population explosion”. It is time we spared some thought for the problem of “automobile explosion”.

Photo Courtesy - borgawker.com

Post LTTE Sri Lanka – The Innocent Tamils Must Not Be Confused With The LTTE Cadres

First, a bagful of congratulations for the brave hearts of the Sri Lankan army, for ultimately achieving (it is now just a matter of time) what they have been trying to achieve for such a long time – the elimination of LTTE menace, thus bringing peace for their beautiful mother land. Having grown up in India, a country so badly affected by terrorism, I have witnessed since my childhood how unhesitatingly our soldiers and other security personnel shed their blood for protecting their countrymen from the peril of terrorism, and thus fully understand the value of the service delivered by the gutsy Sri Lankan soldiers for their beloved countrymen. Our Sri Lankan friends, brothers and sisters must feel proud that they have such a courageous army.

Now, with the LTTE being on the verge of final crumbling, it is time to think over a crucial question - what will be the status of the ethnic Tamils in the post-LTTE Sri Lanka?

While discussing this question, the very first thing that we all must understand is that the innocent Tamils of Sri Lanka have absolutely no connections with the dreaded LTTE. So, any attempt to treat these Tamil civilians as a part of that terrorist group will be absolutely outrageous. Rather, the truth is that they are the most hapless people in that country. On one hand they have suffered due to the LTTE menace in the same way that their Sinhalese brothers have suffered (in fact, the Tamils have suffered more, as there was forced grafting of young children by the LTTE). And on the other hand, ironically, they have faced hatred and malice from the Sinhalese community just for the “crime” of belonging to the same community that Prabhakaran and his followers come from.

Our Sinhalese friends absolutely cannot be blamed for developing an ill-feeling for their fellow Tamil countrymen. When a country suffers from terrorism, it is very natural for the people of that country to develop a feeling of malice against the people of that community from where the terrorist group draws most of its strength. The LTTE, the self-proclaimed messiah of the Sri Lankan Tamils, have sucked the blood of the Sri Lankans for such a long time. And it is quite natural that the ordinary Sinhalese people are not very much fond of the ethnic Tamils of that country. It is just the outcome of a basic human emotion.

However, an emotion can not be justified simply because it is a natural development. Our Sinhalese brothers and sisters must understand that whereas they have certainly gone through a terribly bad phase due to LTTE’s mindless activities, the innocent Tamils of that country were by no means responsible for that. Therefore, under no circumstances our dear Sinhalese friends should channelize their justified anger against LTTE towards their Tamil brothers and sisters, who, I repeat, have been the victims of LTTE menace in the same way as they themselves have been.

Rather, I will request them to welcome their fellow Tamil countrymen with cordiality and warmth, helping the latter to overcome the unnecessary complex and guilty feeling that they are suffering from for being from the community that LTTE has claimed to be fighting for. As I have already said that the Sri Lankan Tamils have actually been worse sufferers in comparison to the Sinhalese, because they have faced the double blow of being the victim of LTTE menace and also being suspected of collaborating with the same. What they now need (and rightfully deserve) is sympathy and love of their Sinhalese friends, and not malice and hatred.

Our Sinhalese brothers and sisters must ensure that their fellow Tamil countrymen can continue to live in their mother land with equal dignity and status, without facing any unjustified discrimination or malice. Let us not forget it that while nobody can justify what LTTE has done in this beautiful country for so many years, it did get a space to grow because there were indeed some discriminations against the ethnic Tamils. The Sri Lankan history is replete with proofs and evidences that for long the ethnic Tamils had been treated like “second class citizens”. And it was this constant discrimination that resulted in a strong grievance among the community, which eventually resulted in the monster called LTTE.

Therefore, our beloved Sinhalese friends must ensure that there is no more such discriminations and injustice against the ethnic Tamils, and that they are treated absolutely at par with their Sinhalese brothers. Now with the long elusive peace being there in the horizon, the Sinhalese and the Tamil communities of the country must start working hand-in-hand for the utmost development of this beautiful gem on the Indian Ocean, a spectacular country that I will love to visit someday.

Photo Courtesy - www.daylife.com

Tytler Case: A Small Specimen Of Social Justice

No, I have nothing personal against Mr Jagdish Tytler. Neither I have anything personal against Mr. Sajjan Kumar. But honestly, I could not help warmly welcoming it when they were forced to withdraw from the Lok Sabha elections.

With due respect to Mr. Tytler, it would have really been a matter of disgrace for the Indian democracy if he got the opportunity to contest, and then could manage to become a Minister later. I am saying this not only because he was accused of a particular crime. Rather, I am trying to highlight the nature of the crime that he was accused of. It was not extortion. It was not a forgery. It was not a scam. It was rioting. It was carnage. It was a crime that was associated with the massacre (mainly spontaneous, but somewhat planned as well) of a huge number of innocent people. And no such person can be permitted to be a member of our national legislature who has been accused of being involved with such a heinous crime, even if he has been given a clean chit by the court.

Surely, Mr. Tytler has a very valid point to make. We cannot be sure about a person’s involvement with a crime or misdeed simply because he has been accused. There are lots of instances when a person is wrongly (or even falsely) accused of being involved with an unlawful act. Therefore, we cannot be absolutely sure that Mr. Tytler was involved with the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 simply because he was accused to be.

Fair enough. But then, as per the same logic, we cannot be sure about a person’s innocence simply because he has been acquitted by the court of law. While a person can get wrongly accused because of some circumstantial factors, similarly a person can get wrongly acquitted because of some factors like absence of witness, absence of strong evidence, etc.

While we cannot confidently say that Mr. Tytler’s acquittal was wrong, can we be confident that it was a correct decision? It is significant that the court has acquitted Mr. Tyler of the charges not because it has got some strong evidence in favour of his innocence, but because it has not found any strong evidence against him. And yes, that does make a difference!

There is another aspect of the story. We all know that our Sikh brothers and sisters have not yet been able to overcome the trauma of 1984, for pretty understandable reasons. Even the Sikh youths born after 1984 are aware of the carnage (they have heard about it from their elders), and are as sensitive about it as are the ones who experienced it personally. The gravity of the community’s pain and agony can be understood by what Mr. Jarnail Singh did other day. It must be remembered that Jarnail is not a hot-blooded teenager. He is a 30 plus educated professional, an experienced journalist for that matter, and a family man. If a person from such a background does something like this, we can pretty well understand what a terrible pain this community is suffering from.

Now, while their entire pain cannot be cured overnight, some steps can surely be taken to bring at least some partial healing. Something that will help them have this consolation that “OK, we have got some justice, at least a little one”.

And this forced withdrawal of Mr. Tytler from the Lok Sabha election will certainly provide such a partial healing to the Sikh community (of course, it is much less than satisfactory). After the level of anguish the community has gone through for such a long time, even such a partial healing is highly precious. And even if we accept that Mr. Tytler is innocent, his candidature cannot be more precious than the faint healing touch that his withdrawal will offer to our Sikh friends. It would have been a terrible emotional blow for the community if Mr. Tytler were permitted to contest the election. And that could have snowballed into some larger problems. Let us not forget that nothing can be more dangerous for a country than a long-suppressed feeling of anger and frustration in a community.

Mr. Tytler, you are an educated and decent man. And you certainly give more value to the emotional feelings of a community than your own political career, right? Then you should be happy that you are not contesting this time. While you are a nice person (at least apparently), you are not known to be a great administrator or leader. So India will not lose anything if you do not become an MP and do not become a Minister. But a community will get some partial satisfaction that you are not contesting this time. And that is really valuable. So, be happy! Whatever has happened, it has happened for good.

Photo Courtesy - news.outlookindia.com

The Recent Disturbances in Pakistan – Is The ISI-Army Combination Behind It?

It may sound a bit outrageous, but somehow I cannot help having this feeling that the ISI-Army combination might have been behind all the recent disturbances in Pakistan, which started with the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers, and had the latest development today (4th April 2009) with explosion in Islamabad.

It is very much possible that by engineering all these disturbances the ISI-Army is trying to send this message to the Pakistani mass that the elected civilian government is an extremely weak and incompetent one, which is completely unable to offer minimum security to the citizens. The image of the Zardari-Gillani government has already been in tatters, with the government hardly enjoying any public confidence.

Under these circumstances the ISI-Army combination is probably trying to give the final touch to the “funeral” of the civilian government. It is probably trying to push the common people to the end of their patience. And then, when it will feel that the time has come, it will go for a military coup, thus bringing back the Army into power (I mean, bringing back the Army into power officially. It is already the de facto ruler of Pakistan, right?).

This doubt is getting momentum as I find that the Pakistani investigative agencies are directly or indirectly trying to frame RAW (the Indian secret agency) for these unfortunate developments that I am referring to. It is after all a common knowledge that enhancing the anti-India feeling of the common Pakistanis will ultimately help to enhance the war hysteria, which will significantly facilitate any attempt to revive the Army’s official control on the government.

Finally, my heartfelt condolences for all the bereaved families of Pakistan who have lost their dear ones in all these attacks.

"Slumdog Millionaire" – Such An Enjoyable Movie

I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" today (29th March 2009) with my dear friend Sourabh Sinha and his wife Ranjana. And man, I really loved watching the movie.

While I will not say that the storyline is very innovative (though certainly imaginative), what was really innovative was the presentation style. “Narration through flashback” is nothing new in movies. But usually it is a “continuous flashback”. What was really new in this movie was the “situational flashback”, the way every flashback scene was being presented in the context of another scene.

The quality of acting in this movie is really startling. While there is nothing surprising about the world class performance of Anil Kapoor (we all already know his class), I am simply floored by the acting delivered by Dev Patel (Jamal), Freida Pinto (Latika), Madhur Mittal (Salim) and even the child actors – Ayush Khedekar (youngest Jamal), Tanay Chheda (middle age Jamal), Rubina Ali (youngest Latika), Tanvi Lonkar (middle age Latika), Azharuddin (youngest Salim) and Ashutosh Gajiwala (middle age Salim).

Dev Patel has a beautiful command of facial expressions, which shows that he is a natural actor. Some effective pieces of facial expressions (and eye expressions) have been displayed by Freida Pinto as well. And little sweet Rubina and Ayush are also quite strong in this context. Tanay Chheda and Ashutosh Gajiwala have impressed me with their natural body movements and dialogue delivery. In a nutshell, it was a superb teamwork.

At the end, all the best for Freida and Dev. Hope they will have a great career, and will keep entertaining us for many more years.

Have you watched the movie? If not, then please watch it. I bet you will love it.

Photo Courtesy - www.firstshowing.net

I have resumed my physical exercise, and enjoying it

One good thing to have happened recently in my life is that I have resumed my Yoga and free hand exercise after a long break. And you know, I am really enjoying it.

I started Yoga and free hand exercise in high school, and continued it till my college days. I was, honestly speaking, quite serious about my daily exercise routine, determined not to miss it for a single day. Even after college I retained the habit while pursuing the post-college professional courses (like PG Diploma in Public Relations).

Then ultimately came a time when I entered the professional life. Life became tough, demanding and strenuous. I slowly started finding the daily routine of exercise to be an unpleasant burden, and eventually I gave it up.

My professional life has already seen seven springs, and it has so far been a “sans exercise” period. Sometimes I have missed my fitness regime, and have started to resume it. But just after 3-4 days again I have found it to be burdensome, and withdrawn myself from it. This has happned for at least 4 to 5 times.

Then, after a long time, few days back again I got “bitten by the fitness bug”. This time I was determined that I would not only start it, but would stick to it. Yes, I used some common sense this time. I realized that now it is impossible to do a host of exercises every morning, as I used to do during my student days. Because now I do not have that time. So I decided to mark out a handful of exercises (both Yoga and free hand exercises), which would not take much time, and stick to them.

That precisely I have done. I have marked out certain exercises, and have been doing them every morning for last 2 weeks. And I am really enjoying my life. I am feeling fit, feeling energetic throughout the office hours and less exhausted after the office is over, and also happy. People may say it is psychological. May be. But how can one deny the fact that I am feeling better?

I have realized what we all actually know – No matter how much work pressure we have, we must have due time for two important aspects of our life – a.) Family and b.) Health.

I Am Grateful To Bollywood

I am really grateful to Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world and one of the objects of pride for us, the Indians.

So why am I grateful to Bollywood? Because it is only by watching Bollywood movies that I have got to know a lot about my community (the Bengali community) that I myself was unaware of.

a.) It is only by watching Hindi movies that I have come to know that the Bengalis are always dressed in Dhoti and Punjabi. It was a fact that I was unaware of despite being a Bengali myself.

b.) It is only by watching Hindi movies that I have come to know that the Bengalis always comb their hair midway. I am really so ashamed that I myself did not know this interesting fact about my own community.

c.) It is only by watching Hindi movies that I have realized how terribly bad our Hindi is. While I always knew that our Hindi accent and pronunciation are not up to the mark, I never knew that our Hindi is really so funny. And yes, I am not even counting the Hindi spoken by the Bengalis brought up in places like Delhi and Mumbai, who speak really good Hindi (at least I feel so, the Bollywood people may think otherwise). Watching the archetypal Bengali characters of the Hindi movies and listening to their smattered Hindi was really an eye opener for me.

d.) It is only by watching Hindi movies that I have realized that all Bengalis are so obsessed with Rasogollah. I never knew that all of us are so obsessed with sweets, and that too precisely with a single type of sweet (i.e. Rasogollah, while we have so many other types of sweets as well).

e.) It is only by watching Hindi movies that I have realized that all Bengalis have the bad habit of saying “Uribaba” at every 5 minutes. This is really a news for me. I have never said “Uribaba” in my entire life. And now I am really doubtful whether I am really a Bengali.

Bollywood, I am really grateful to you for making me know so many interesting things about my own community, that I myself was unaware of. Hats off to your knowledge base. Keep it up. Keep typecasting the Bengalis, the Biharis, the South Indians, the Gujaratis, the Sindhis and the Sardarjis. Good luck to you.


French Translation

Je Sais gré A Bollywood

Je suis vraiment reconnaissant à Bollywood, la plus grande industrie de film dans le monde et un des objets de fierté pour nous, les Indiens.

Donc pourquoi sais-je gré à Bollywood ? Parce que ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de Bollywood que je dois savoir beaucoup de ma communauté (la communauté bengalaise) que je m'ignorait.

A.) Ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de hindi que je suis venu savoir que les Bengalis toujours sont habillés dans Dhoti et Punjabi. C'était un fait que j'ignorais malgré est Bengali me.

B.) Ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de hindi que je suis venu savoir que les Bengalis toujours peignent leurs cheveux à mi-chemin. Je suis vraiment si honteux que je me n'a pas su ce fait intéressant de ma propre communauté.

C.) Ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de hindi que je suis rendu compte comment terriblement mauvais notre hindi sont. Pendant que je toujours ai su que notre accent de hindi et la prononciation ne sont pas jusqu'à la marque, je n'ai jamais su que notre hindi soit vraiment si drôle. Et oui, je ne compte pas même le hindi parlé par les Bengalis a amené en haut à sa place comme Delhi et comme Mumbai, qui parlent vraiment bon hindi (au moins je me sens alors, que les gens de Bollywood peuvent penser autrement). Regarder les caractères bengalais archétypiques des films de hindi et écoutant leur smattered hindi était vraiment un ouvre-boîtes d'oeil pour moi.

D.) Ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de hindi que je suis rendu compte que tous Bengalis sont si obsédés avec Rasogollah. Je n'ai jamais su que nous tous si obsédions avec doux, et cela aussi précisément avec un type seul de doux (c.-à-d. Rasogollah, pendant que nous avons tant de types autres de doux aussi).

E.) ce n'est qu'en regardant les films de hindi que je suis rendu compte que tous Bengalis ont la mauvaise habitude de dire d' « Uribaba » à chaque 5 minutes. Ceci est vraiment une nouvelles pour moi. Je n'ai jamais dit « Uribaba » dans ma vie entière. Et maintenant je suis vraiment douteux si je suis vraiment Bengali.

Bollywood, je suis vraiment reconnaissant à vous pour faire que me sais tant de choses intéressantes de ma propre communauté, qui je m'ignorait. Les chapeaux d'à votre base de connaissance. Le maintenir. Garder cataloguer les Bengalis, le Biharis, les Indiens du sud, le Gujaratis, le Sindhis et le Sardarjis. La bonne chance à vous.

I Am An Indian

Neither Bengali nor Punjabi nor Tamil nor any other Indian community

I am an Indian who identifies himself with the entire Indian fraternity.

I love and respect every Indian community, and identify with its customs and culture

And know for sure that we all are same, except some apparent differences in our nature.

I believe in a pan-Indian identity, and identify myself with every region of this land

I am quite proud of my so-called own community (the Bengali community), but on any day I will prefer to carry an “All India” brand.


LONG LIVE INDIA! I LOVE MY MOTHERLAND.


French Translation

Je Suis Indien

Ni Bengali ni Punjabi ni Tamoul ni l'autre communauté indienne

Je suis Indien qui s'identifie avec la fraternité indienne entière.

J'aime et respecte chaque communauté indienne, et identifier avec ses douanes et cultiver

Et savoir exactement que tous sommes mêmes, sauf quelques différences apparentes dans notre nature.

Je crois en une identité casserole-indien, et m'identifier avec chaque région de cette terre

Je suis tout à fait fier de ma soi-disant propre communauté (la communauté bengalaise), mais sur n'importe quel jour que je préférerai porter un "Toute Inde " marque.

INDE LONGUE DE VIE ! J'AIME MA PATRIE.

Human Blood

I am the same inside James Brown, a Roman Catholic American

I am the same inside a Buddhist Chinese, named Miao Chan.

I am the same inside a Muslim Arab named Amir Muhammad

And I am again the same inside a Hindu Indian named Akash Chand.

Yes, I am also the same inside you, no matter which religion or country you are from

Who am I? I am that precious red liquid present inside everybody – the Human Blood.


French Translation

Sang Humain

Je suis le même dans James Brown, un Américain catholique romain

Je suis le même dans un Chinois bouddhiste, Miao Chan nommé.

Je suis le même dans un Arabe musulman a nommé Amir Muhammad

Et je suis encore le même dans un Indien hindou a nommé Akash Chand.

Oui, je suis aussi le même intérieur vous, n'importe qui religion ou le pays que vous êtes de

Qui j'est ? Je suis ce présent liquide, rouge et précieux dans tout le monde – le Sang Humain.

We Salute You Rahman, The Crown Prince Of Music

A.R. Rahman, the Crown Prince of music, and the King of our (Indians) heart

Your music is as refined as your nature, and precious like a rainfall in a desert.

You had already conquered India, and today you won the world

Trust me, “Oscar” itself is honoured that you have won the award.


French Translation

Nous Vous Saluons Rahman, Le Prince Héritier De Musique

A.R. Rahman, le Prince héritier de musique, et le Roi de notre (Indiens) le coeur

Votre musique est comme a raffiné comme votre nature, et précieux comme une hauteur des précipitations dans un désert.

Vous aviez conquis déjà l'Inde, et aujourd'hui vous avez gagné le monde

Me fier, "Oscar" lui-même est honoré que vous avez gagné la récompense.

My Key To Immortality

All living beings in this world are mortal, and so am I

There is no way to permanently elude death, no matter how desperately I try.

There will come a day, when I will have to say goodbye to all of you

And will be forgotten by most, while being remembered by just a few.

But……

I will ensure that my link with this world remains intact even after my death

Years after my death people will remember me, you bet.

I will remain “alive” through all my creations – like my blogs and poems

Which are so insignificant for the world, but for me they are like precious gems.

Every time one will read my poems I will get “alive” for that moment

This way my entity will remain alive, even after my mortal self meets its end.
(22nd February,2009).

French Translation

Ma Clef A Immortalité

Tous les êtres vivants dans ce monde sont mortels, et donc je suis

Il n'y a pas de façon d'une façon permanente pour échapper à la mort, n'importe comment désespérément j'essaie.

Viendra là un jour, quand je devrai vous tous dis au revoir

Et sera oublié par, pendant qu'est plus rappelé par juste quelques-uns.

Mais……

Je garantirai que mon lien avec ce monde reste intact même après ma mort

Les ans après mes gens de mort me rappèleront, vous pariez.

Je resterai « vivant » par toutes mes créations – comme mes blogs et comme les poèmes

Lequel est s'insignifiant pour le monde, mais pour moi ils sont comme les gemmes précieuses.

Chaque temps l'un lira mes poèmes j'obtiendrai « vivant » pour ce moment

Cette façon mon entité restera vivante, même après mon mortel rencontre automatiquement sa fin.

(22e février, 2009).

The Cost of One Shahtoosh Shawl? At least Three Tibetan Antelopes

You must have heard of Shahtoosh shawls, right? Apart from being a work of art, a Shahtoosh shawl is also a perfect symbol of your status. Quite understandably. After all it is so costly. And you know the cost? At least three Tibetan antelopes.

A unique member of the global wildlife, the Tibetan antelope is native to the Chinese part of the Tibetan Plateau region. Considered to be an endangered species, the estimated population of this strikingly beautiful animal is less than 75,000, and even that number is fast declining.

And why is it so? Well, it is because of the skin of the hapless animal, which the world knows as Shahtoosh, and which is the raw material for the world famous Shahtoosh shawl.

Reportedly around 20,000 Tibetan antelopes (also called Chiru) are killed by poachers every year, to ensure that the worldwide Shahtoosh trade is never short of raw materials.

Since the Tibetan antelope or Chiru never sheds its skin, therefore the only way to obtain Shahtoosh is to kill the animal. Generally three to five Chirus need to be killed to gather enough raw materials for a single Shahtoosh shawl.

After killing, the dead animals are skinned, after which the skin is used to manufacture the world famous Shahtoosh shawls (and other Shahtoosh products). Then these Shahtoosh products are illegally transported to fashion capitals worldwide, where they are sold at astronomical costs.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – which controls the trade in endangered species products – has completely banned international trade in Tibetan antelope products (including Shahtoosh). It is illegal to import Shahtoosh into many countries, including the USA (ironically, Shahtoosh products are so popular in the US fashion industry).

Unfortunately, despite such laws being in place, the Shahtoosh trade is going on in full swing. This is because it is not enough to have laws. There must also be a strong public protest across the board against every person who is by any means related to the Shahtoosh trade. There should be a widespread public sensitization campaign to educate the common people. People must be discouraged from using Shahtoosh products, and the ones who use these products should be publicly taunted and humiliated (so that they are forced to stop using these products). The fashion crazy (read status crazy) morons must realize that the life of a single Tibetan antelope is much more precious than their so called social status.

Also, we must stop purchasing any product from the shops and retailers which sell Shahtoosh products. I mean, we should not only refrain from purchasing Shahtoosh products, but should also refrain from purchasing any products from the shops who sell Shahtoosh products. In a nutshell, they should be boycotted. Only then they will be forced to mend their ways.



Information courtesy: http://www.earthislandprojects.org/tpp

Photo courtesy: www.gov.cn

Congrats to Japan for launching Ibuki

Japan has done a really appreciable job by launching Ibuki – the satellite meant to study greenhouse gases concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Ibuki will take readings at around 56,000 locations, across land and sea, thus facilitating accurate predictions on the future of global warming.

With the global warming being a burning problem for the modern world, such a step was long overdue. Loads of congratulations to Japan for taking a significant step in this regard.

Hopefully countries across the world will now start sharing their technical expertise to counter the global menace that global warming is. And yes, it is not enough to identify the sources of problems. Such initiatives will be meaningful only when, after identification, the reasons for global warming will be properly eradicated. If that somehow hampers the business interest (or other interest) of country, even then the latter should not hesitate to cooperate with the rest of the world.

Arjun Dev Gandhi – Simple Effort, Big Impact

Whenever we think about social initiative/entrepreneurship, we always love to think about it in terms of enormousness and a catchy focus area – that it must be a more or less huge organization with a number of committed people, working on a sensitive issue like street children or environment. While it is heartening to think big, that sometimes makes us overlook the simple ways through which we can provide apparently simple but actually valuable service to the common people.

And one such person who so successfully personifies it is Mr. Arjun Dev Gandhi of New Delhi. It was such a pleasure to read about this man and his initiatives in The Times of India, New Delhi on 25th January.

A former officer with CRRI (Central Road Research Institute), Mr. Gandhi regularly lights up candles at a newly renovated subway three times every single evening. He has been spending money from his own pocket to buy candles to light up a “powerless” subway at Masjid Moth in South Delhi. A sudden spurt of nobility that will soon fade out with time? No dear. He has been doing this for more than a year now.

So how did this idea of lighting up the subway come into his mind? Well, one evening he was walking through this subway. It was as dark as anything, causing huge inconvenience for all the pedestrians including Mr. Gandhi. He thought about the problem for few days, trying to identify a possible solution. Finally he decided to light candles in the subway every evening. Since then he has been regularly lighting candles in the subway three times in the evening at an interval of one hour.

Mr. Gandhi’s initiatives seemed to be successful when lights were installed at the subway. However, the power connection has been disconnected more than three times in the last six months. So, ultimately it is this enterprising old man that the pedestrians find to be their only refuge.

What a nice lesson for all of us. No big plans, no catchy focus area. Just a simple effort powered by civic consciousness. And what a big impact. It is an eye opener for all of us, who only waste our time in complaining without trying to do something ourselves.

We do not need to be larger than life to do something constructive. We can do a lot despite being just common people. Let all of us take a leaf out of Mr. Gandhi’s book.

Bengali TV Serial Actor Kunal Mitra Dead

Though I am not a huge fan of modern Bengali cinema (and I have no disrespect for them, either), I am more or less appreciative of the Bengali TV serials, some of which are genuinely good in terms of over all quality. And there are some actors and actresses in the Bengali serials whom I really love watching.

And I am really sad that two of these actors, both just in their 40s, passed away recently.

Just a couple of months back we lost Shiladitya Patranabis. An MBA from Calcutta University, Shiladitya appeared in the world of Bengali TV serials way back in 1986 (if I remember correctly). That time he was still a student, and virtually a “boy”. And I was certainly a kid. I grew up watching him playing so many characters of so many colours. And he was a smart actor, though a bit confined to a specific type of roles (that of an audacious young man).

Of late he had become very flabby, and I was shocked to learn after his death that he had already been to rehabilitation centre for a couple of times thanks to his heavy drinking habits.

It is seriously heart breaking to find an actor dead whom you have grown up watching, even if you are not a great fan of his acting skills.


And just recently we lost Kunal Mitra. A versatile actor, this handsome man with an elegant personality was equally comfortable in playing diverse characters – ranging from the one of a sober doctor to the comic character of a funny politician. I was just dumbstruck to learn about his death from my mother after I was back from office.

It has become a cliché to use phrases like “His death has caused a huge vacuum…”, etc. However, I am confident that Kunal’s death is a serious damage for the world of Bengali TV serials. I have seen him portraying difficult characters with élan, and despite being a layman I understand the value of such an actor for the world of films and TV serials in any language.


My sincere condolences to the deceased families.

The Mad Maruti Driver of Noida

Date – 13th January, 2009.

Venue – Sector 22, Noida, i.e. the area where I stay.

Time – Around 4:45 pm.

I had just gone down at the 12/22 bus stop of Noida, and was going to my home in the pocket G of Sector 22 of Noida. I was in front of the “Federal” bank branch of Sector 22. I was about to enter the lane that is located just opposite to the lane where the bank stands.

It was precisely at that time that I heard the sound of a car, or better to say the sound that one hears when a car moving in high speed suddenly applies the brake (kiiiiichhh). I turned round to see a white coloured Maruti Suzuki Alto (UP 16 R 7286), that was traveling in a speed extremely high in comparison to that narrow lane, and had to suddenly stop to avoid running over a cycle that came into its way. All the guys present there were as shocked and confused as I was, with the man on the cycle sporting a pale face, reflecting the shock of having a close shave.

However, the driver, a well built man in his 30s, was unapologetic. He was chewing something (probably Pan Parag, or something like that), with a defiant face clearly showing his callousness to other peoples’ convenience. He again started his car, took the lane that I was going to take, and crossed that narrow lane in a speed that I will use while traveling in a highway.

“Has he gone mad?” That was the first question that I asked to the man standing just beside me, after the car was gone. The man gave a smile that contained irritation, shock and displeasure, everything rolled into one. The same mood was being reflected by the body language of all the bystanders.

An uncultured family can overnight become rich through a stroke of luck (or may be by own caliber), and can immediately arrange for all sorts of status symbols – costly clothes, latest gizmos and gadgets, flashy cars, etc. Unfortunately, culture is something that cannot be bought from any shop, no matter how much rich you have become. It is something that a man from an educated family is born with, with the seed of culture and decency running in his blood. This explains why the “neo rich” people from uneducated (or semi educated) families are always so devoid of culture, even though they have all the apparent glossiness in the forms of costly homes, latest cars, glamorous life style, etc.

But do these neo rich elements at all try to develop some culture, in the first place? Do they at all understand the value of culture?

The Satyam Fallout – Is The India Inc’s Image At Stake?

While the Satyam incident is certainly an extremely unfortunate and disgraceful event for the India Inc in general (and the Indian IT industry in particular), is it really an image tarnisher for the former?

This question struck into my mind after coming across the plethora of reports/views/comments, etc that the Satyam incident will rob the India Inc as a whole (and not precisely the Indian IT industry) of the faith and confidence of the foreign investors.

First, I fail to understand why the India Inc as a whole should be judged in the light of the financial irregularities practiced by a single IT company.

Secondly, I also fail to understand that why even precisely the Indian IT industry is likely to suffer an overall image backlash for this Satyam fiasco. The Indian IT industry has been holding a prestigious position in the global business scenario for quite some time now, with a host of Indian IT companies like Infosys and Wipro having successfully curved a niche for themselves across the world. A number of global players across business domains and industries are well familiar with not only the quality of service provided by the Indian IT players, but also with the high level of corporate ethics practiced by them. How can these existing and prospective stakebearers lose all their confidence and faith overnight for what has been done by one Satyam, no matter how much shocking the Satyam incident may have been?

In case the Indian Inc’s international credibility at all has suffered any setback, then I feel all the concerned parties and other influencers (the top Indian companies, government, the media, etc.) should launch a well crafted Public Relations campaign, aimed at ensuring it that the world does not get a wrong message about the India Inc as a whole for what they have seen in Satyam’s case. Did the world lose confidence on the US Inc as a whole when Enron happened? No. Then why should the world misunderstand the entire India Inc because of one Satyam?

A Very Happy And Prosperous 2009 For The Entire World

Through this blog I express my love and hearty wishes for all the cultured and peace loving people of this world, who value a civilized human society and are always ready to do their level best to achieve and preserve the same.

The world population is a motley crowd of people of diverse nature, ranging from genuinely innocent and harmless people to the ones who can stoop to any level for their murky interests. And it is just taken for granted that while the people of shady characters will keep trying to pollute this world (as such a world is most suitable for them), the rational people will relentlessly try to counter those evil forces, thereby protecting the sanctity of this world as much as is possible.

Let all of us – the rational people across the world – join hands to make this world a much more beautiful place to live, putting a final end to all the evil forces. Let us achieve a human society where the driving forces are ethics, love, empathy and camaraderie. Let us turn this world into the heaven that we hope to visit after death.

I LOVE THIS WORLD. I LOVE THE HUMAN SOCIETY. I LOVE EACH AND EVERY RATIONAL SOUL OF THIS WORLD, IRRESPECTIVE OF COUNTRY/ETHNICITY/RELIGION.