My Conscience

Leadership lesson from Toastmasters

2011-07-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Being a Human Resource professional, one thing that I never failed to do was to talk to my employees about great leaders who inspired the masses to perform well. I used to prepare PowerPoint presentations filled with leadership lessons stirred by great leaders like Dr. Abdul Kalam, Jack Welch and Mother Teresa. Every month my presentations changed but the desired behavioural changes was never evident among my employees. With all doors closed, I quizzed myself if there was any other way to make my employees become good leaders.

That was the time when I took over as the President of Chennai Toastmasters Club and in the next six months I got the answer to my question.

Initially I thought leading a club that brags of more than 80 members and great speakers was always a cake walk.

Soon I was in for a shock. True to the words, that the devil is in the detail, going through the member’s achievements, all I could see was, there were only handful of good speaker’s and evaluators who have played the dominant role and ensured that the quality of club meetings was kept high. We were at times made to feel handicapped by their absence.

That was the time my team identified few good talents who with little encouragement and opportunity had the potential to become great speaker’s and evaluators.
Those talents always existed in Chennai toastmasters but somehow, somewhere along the path they were not made to unleash their potential.

We as a team spoke to them, encouraged them, and helped them to perform better. Things weren’t as easy as I have penned down. People did fail at times. They wanted to throw their hands up and surrender. But we knew that those failures were needed to create better future for the club. Since then, whenever member’s failed, we lend them the helping hand, encouraged them and provided them the opportunity to excel.
That’s how we created better speakers, better evaluators and better leaders in Chennai toastmasters club.

The greatest leadership lesson I learnt from my term was that “Identify talent; provide them the opportunity and conducive environment to excel. Soon you will be amazed by their achievement”.

Today I no longer prepare leadership presentations for my employees instead I put them on the job, create a conducive environment and encourage them to perform well.
Thanks to toastmasters movement which taught me a leadership lesson that I never learnt even during my management lectures.

It’s pleasure waiting for you

2011-06-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

It was 8:30 AM. I walked into South India’s biggest Conglomerate Corporate office to close a deal. My appointment was at 9 AM and felt glad that I maneuvered through Chennai traffic to make it on time. I glanced through few newspapers to while away some time. It was 30 minutes past 10 AM and I was still waiting.. After some time I looked at the watch, now it was almost 12 noon. By now, I had gone through all the papers lying in the reception and was restless. I was totally frustrated with the client for making me wait for almost 3 hours.

I wondered “What pleasure do they get by making me wait?”

That was a Eureka moment for this blog… I have waited for so many things in life and all those waitings have always been a pleasure…

In school, it was a rule that one of the parent must come to pick their children at the stroke of bell. While everyone would leave by 4 PM, my mother always comes late because of her work. She had to transit 2 buses to reach school from my home. The wait for her arrival was filled with irritation then. I used to stand on my feet, putting my head outside the door with my eyes wide open anxiously yearning to see my mother strode to pick me up.. Today as I reminisce that incident I sincerely feel it was a pleasure waiting for my mother :)

During college, we the notorious eight were thick and thin of all the happenings. We used to bunk classes together, play volleyball, strike the snooker balls in Potshot and hang around the city. It was during the 2nd year that one of the naught eight was celebrating his birthday and he treated us in a star hotel. We spoke on various topics which included gossips and confessions {Wonder how all the topics we discussed were always centered around women ;) }.. Over a period of time this star hotel dinner treat was a ritual and we enjoy it to an extent that it cannot be explained but only experienced. Today sitting in this part of the world, I am waiting for one of that dinner to happen. I am not sure if it would be logistically possible for all of us to assemble at one place now but the mere thought of it gives me immense pleasure :)

No two persons are similar, even if so it’s difficult to find them. But Meshak and I have always thought alike atleast in most instances: P. Though being classmates in school, we befriended each other when studying in different colleges. Soon we became close and this 2011, we are celebrating a decade of friendship. Those countless coffee day outings, rambling across besant nagar beach, Cup corns and self depreciating comments we made, ofcourse not to forget those bird-sighting sessions. :) Wow!!! Just too good. He left to US in 2008 and is yet to step into India. Most probably he might be coming this year end for his marriage and I am anxious to see not just him but also his marriage. Surely this wait is a pleasure indeed :)

No one passes by without making an impression in our life. Divya is one among them who has always impressed me. The lady with a sparkling smile, simple yet scintillating dressing sense and a level headed person who always takes genuine interest in me will forever remain special in my life. It took sometime for us to break the ice, but once done we enjoyed each others company. Those little misunderstandings, witty humour sense, exchange of thoughts, little fights, dinner at restaurants and long drives have always strengthened our bonds of friendship. It’s been 4 years since she went for an onsite assignment and I am already feeling her vaccum. I am waiting for her arrival and needless to say this wait is also a pleasure :)

Friends, it’s 1 PM and I hear that the meeting is called off. I am terribly upset with my client yet I think I should thank him for making me wait all along because he has given me a chance to sit back and realize all those worthy wait’s which I cherish and look forward in life.

{Client gives a cock and bull story for not meeting me today}

I shook hands with him and left the place telling “It’s pleasure waiting for you”

What lies behind the Mask?

2011-03-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

A beautiful woman clad in dark red saree, hair decorated with jasmine and a bindi that occupied half of her central forehead walked down the street after enjoying the company of her boyfriend, since her husband was out of town. Seeing her, a person told his friend, “Dude, Have you ever watched goddess lakshmi walking down the street? If not, look at her. Wow! I wish to have a wife like her.. infact I wish she was my wife”

At the same time, a girl was fighting against a man who tried to rape her. She fought with a conviction…used the sand, pebbles, few wooden sticks left in the sea shore to save herself from this butcher, in the process she was drenched in the sea water.

Watching this girl walking down the road with the Jeans and white tops that was totally drenched, the same person told his friend, “Dude, Look at this bitch. She is returning after enjoying the day with her boyfriend. I pity her husband”

Friends, like those poor chaps, how many times we judge people just by their outer look. So many times we form opinions just by people’s appearance, structure, the way they speak, clothes they wear, in the manner they carry themselves and other extrinsic characters. We perceive only their face value and never try to see what lies behind the mask.

I was in a similar situation today and told myself, “Share your thought with all your friends :)”.. and that’s why I decided to pen down this post :P

Letter to Prime Minister on Corruption

2011-02-21T02:25:00.000-08:00

This letter is nothing short of a far cry of a common man who still believes that a Government of the People, by the people and for the people will not bring his confidence down.

When I went to school, people talked about corruption in terms of thousands, when I entered college it was talked in lakhs, few years later it was in crores and today we see corruption interms of few lakh crores.. I wonder if we need another Ramanujam to invent new number systems for representing the corruption levels in our Country.

Your government won extraordinary elections in 2008 and people who termed you as a “Weak Prime Minister” were defeated. Everyone from Corporate houses to Common man rejoiced your victory with an only belief that India’s Aam aadmi will shine thanks to Mr. Clean occupying the Prime Minister Chair.

The original thought of Left sitting in the opposition, meant that the minimal interference in policy making will take India to higher levels. Within 3 years of occupying this office, Government has indeed taken India to higher levels in terms of mishandling the corrupts and corruption cases.

India scored 3.3 in the World corruption index on a scale of 0 – 10 (0 being the Most corrupt and 10 being corrupt free). We see the Raja’s, Kalmadi’s, Khan’s and other culprits having a free run. Needless to say they are only the last face and big fishes have had their share in the looting. If not for the backing, these guys will not have audacity to act on their wishes.

Today the corruption level is very high that a common man doesn’t understand the figures involved in it. 2G Spectrum Scam has had its money share spread across various beneficiaries like Politicians, Policy Makers, Corporate houses, Brokers etc. I strongly believe that without the support and backing of Big names, Raja could not have done this. Amidst all these fiasco, all we hear from you is no wrong doing in 2G spectrum allocation. What an irony Prime Minister? I strongly believe that you are a person with impeccable integrity; however hiding facts is equivalent to committing a crime. Your silent is a serious concern for the people of this country.

A leader may be of high integrity but if he doesn’t look into the anomaly in his sub-ordinates work, it’s equal to not discharging your duties properly. Do you want to be remembered for that?

Deccan Herald has released a news item on January 9th 2011 which quotes that the original estimate for CWG was Rs. 618 Crores. However approximately Rs. 60000 Crores were spent (Almost 100 times the original estimates) only to see the foot-over bridge collapse in the CWG venue on the eve of your visit. It’s an irony that a bunch of jokers brought the country of billion people to its knees. Its even sadder to not that all accused in CWG are out in bail and enjoying life lavishly.

To me, it sounds weird that in a country were strict actions is taken against a peon/clerk for accepting bribes in the order of 1000’s, why is that culprits who loot in crores are left free.

Inspite of having the support of other countries, why isn’t your Government taking any action against people who have parked billions in tax havens? Why isn’t Hasan Ali Khan arrested and interrogated? I fear that before even the action is taken the individual might move the money from his bank accounts. What is your Government doing on this issue?

It’s unfortunate to note other instances like Adarsh housing scam, S-Band Deal, P J Thomas appointment issues, Scam in bullet proof procurements (Remember the bullet proof that failed to save Hemant Karkare?)

I don’t want to see myself as problem highlighter but solution giver. Find below few points for you to ponder over,

1. Our law is framed in such a way that a person is innocent until he is found guilty. It’s high time we redefine it as “a person is guilty unless he is found innocent”.
2. Let his/her passport along with their kin’s be confiscated
3. All bank accounts of the accused and beneficiaries be freezed
4. If found guilty, all his material wealth be confiscated by the Government
5. Any Educational degree (Indian or Foreign) obtained by his/her kith and kin be deemed invalid.
6. They should be deemed ineligible to register any property or buy wealth in his/her and their descendant’s name.
7. They should not be allowed to hold any post in future
8. They should be declared ineligible for any benefits that may arise out of their stature during their tenure.
9. They should not be allowed to start any business ventures in future.

This may sound ridicule but somehow I feel these types of harsh punishments will help to reduce the corruption in this Country. Fear of Punishment is required today to save the country from selfish pythons.

Prime minister, you were instrumental in avoiding the collapse of Indian Economy in 1991. You came up with bold decisions and drafted new policies that orchestrated India’s Growth story. After 2 decades, we are today in need of similar bold decisions and new policy to eradicate corruption. I may not be competent to advice but I wish to tell you this, Please do not succumb to coalition politics pressure, we don’t see you as a politician. Listen to your inner conscience, fix the urgent needs of the country.. Else step down. Don’t allow, history to remember you as a person who derelict the voice of billion Indians.

Remember “India is not suffering due to the violence of many people but due to the silence of few people like you”

Evolution

2011-02-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

“You are a tough nut to crack man” my friend said with genuine interest on me…

I have been contemplating over that comment of hers for sometime now…

I am not just happy because it came from her but I feel really proud of myself in the way I have evolved over the last 5 years… Disappointments, betrayals, hurt, Cheating, Embarrassments, back-stabbing – Every time tears roll down my eyes, I asked God “Why me?”.. I seek answers from my friends, loved one’s, well-wishers, self-help books, even under the bottle of whiskey ;) Little did I know the answer lies within me. I recognized, all that made me cry converges to one point.. “MY EXPECTATIONS WERE NOT MET”

That was a Eureka moment. Probably a revelation too.. I realized that expectations led to disappointments. Since then I make it a point not to have any expectations from anyone, even my akin.

At the same time, I ensure that I am available for anyone when they need me, to share their joy with me, to vent out their emotions or to lean & cry because I strongly believe that the poorest of poor are those who don’t have companion to share their feelings. I ensure no one is left poor in my backyard.

You might think “What big deal? It’s a small things”.

All I wish to say is, in life, SMALL THINGS MEAN A LOT :)

Spice to my Life...

2010-12-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

I had spent most of my childhood days in the sea shore. Simply because of two reasons, one it was close to my place and the second was you don’t need money to visit the sea shore..

Building sand castle, shooting balloons and lapping against the waves have always fascinated me. I was even more enchanted to see the flights flying high in the sky above the sea and land. My bro and I use to gape at the flight like a shooter whose eyes are fixed to the target. We jumped, shouted and waved our hands at the flight thinking that someone would respond… In short, the world came to a standstill when I see a flight..

Though the flight journey was making travel easier, exciting and enjoying I couldn’t yearn for it since they were expensive.

Needless to say Flying was a far reaching dream then..

But today, thanks to toastmasters that gave an opportunity to accomplish my age old dream..

I was very proud to take those small little steps to step into the aircraft. Like any other first time flyer I glued to the window seat and seeked the help of my co-passenger to fix the seat belt.

First thing I felt doing then…Guess What? To update my facebook status.. Searched for the internet enabled computer.. Damn!! Air hostess said they don’t have one and smiled. Oh boy! That smile was more than enough to kill the male community in large…

The flight aligned to its trajectory and pierced into the sky.. I was experiencing a feeling that could not be explained in words.. I fixed my eyes to the window and was gazing at the land beneath. Wow! It was a fascinating view of mother earth. Just when I thought there cannot be a better sight, I saw the sun rise from the skies.. For the lack of better word, all I would like to say is it was a zenith of natural beauty.

I was distracted from enjoying the nature’s beauty by this snoring “sound” sleep of my fellow passenger.. I contemplated if not for this spectacular nature’s beauty what else could interest him…

We landed in Mumbai and as I looked back at the flight I traveled with a lot of pride, my friend put his hands on my shoulder and asked “How was your maiden flight journey”…

I said “SPICEJET ADDED SPICE TO MY LIFE” :)

Confession

2010-11-05T03:13:00.000-07:00

Diwali is a festival of lights that symbolizes the victory of Good over Evil. It is on this day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating King Ravan…

Today we are surrounded by so many many evils in the name of corrupt Politicians, Beaurocrats and ills from other section of society who are bringing shame to this country and worst is, I fear if India will ever change..

1,39,652,00,00,000 – This is the official number quoted by the Auditor General of India to the Supreme Court with regard to the amount relating to the irregularities in the 2G Spectrum Allocation. It’s been almost a year since CBI took over the case and no progress has been made to punish the guilty inspite of many evidences that CBI claims to have. The corruption charged minister still enjoys all privileges of his position and is taking all of us for a ride.

In organizations, when someone is accused of wrong doings they are “suspended pending enquiry” meaning they are relieved from their duties until they come clean. Why isn’t the same applicable to Politicians? A Minister charged with corruption in all possibilities may misuse his position to get rid of the case. Instead it will be wise if they get out of the thrown and prove themselves.. If they do so, people will surely bring them back.

Telecom Minister says he hasn’t done anything wrong but practiced what is predecessors did?.Bull Shit… Mr. Raja, Would you sell your property for the price that was fixed in 2001? Your answers are testimony to your incompetence and inefficient way of running your department.

Moving on, a country with billion people was literally brought to its knees by OC of CWG. Indeed CWG has turned out to be wealthy game for few people. Asusual the probe is on which isn’t time bound and I’m sure the culprits have the option of free run.

Lastly, there has been lot of kidnap cases. Offlate a 10 year old girl was molested and murdered. Day before that, 2 siblings were kidnapped and murdered. I wish these culprits are hanged to death in public without any mercy after the time bound proceeding. No humanitarian consideration should be shown to such inhuman acts.

Instead we are admitting such culprits in hospital, saving his life, conducting the proceeding for year’s together inturn wasting our resources including public money.

I believe Harsh, Immediate and Major Punishments like what it is in the Middle East should be given to these sorts of criminals because the fear of punishment is the only thing that will drive our system clean.

I confess that I am penning down these thoughts with a sense of disgrace, guilt and shame that I am not able to do anything about this singularly but sincerely hope that somewhere someone will rise up to win these evils and I will be glad to join hands with them..

Why few people wish to stay Single :)

2010-08-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Until now I have come across atleast half a dozen ppl who wish to stay single throughout their life.. and this blog is as a result of the conversations(Oops! Sorry. Read it as confrontations) I had with them..

Disclaimer: Utmost care has been taken to avoid male chauvinistic remarks, however any comments that may seem to be biased towards a gender or section of society are not intentional.

While there may be various reasons for one to take this extreme step(Staying Single), my focus is on few reasons that seem to be very absurd to me..

Broken Relationship: While it’s normal for people to get into a relationship, many times this relationship fails to meet the long term commitment i.e. Marriage. I have come across ppl who fall in love deeply, madly that he/she goes to any extreme to make their loved ones happy. Sadly this happiness is short-lived and many times these relationships are treated only as passing clouds by few who do not value the love that’s showered upon him/her.

When they hit reality it looks as though the world has come to a standstill and he/she starts detesting people/world simply because they aren’t able to accept the fact about their failed relationship. While this is normal to many, only few accept the reality while the rest feel that it’s no longer normal life for them and thinkfeel it’s not possible for them to love or accept any other man/woman in their life.

My Comment:

1. If you are the reason for the broken relationship, it’s good that you understand the mistake. That’s the first step toward building bridges in a relationship. Better late than never, speak to your partner and apologize if required without any ego.. Afterall its your life.. Especially for guys, you don’t have to feel ashamed for falling at her feet, since that’s going to be the way of life after marriage ;)

2. Now what if the fault is on your partner and he/she doesn’t want you in their life anymore? I feel there is no point in shedding tears for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Though easier said than done, move on with life.. Take a break, Go for an holiday, Meet your friends, Speak out with your akin, Rejoin those dance classes which you always wanted to attend, colour your wall like an Michael Angelo’s art.. Main idea is to keep yourself busy in something or the other so as to divert your attention. Who knows? You might find your better half in the dance class, music festival or in your holiday.. I can vouch for this..:)

Personal Experience: Many times we come across bad marriages within our family and friends circle. Barring love, inspite of matching horoscopes, background checks and hefty sum as dowry, many arranged marriages fail. Over a period of time we hear 2,3,4 marriages that fail due to various reasons. These external experiences also have a profound impact on our decision to stay single…

My Comment:

Never let other’s experience decide your future. You may not exactly know what happened in their lives. You might have a great opinion on your friend and you thought he is the best husband material and the girl should be lucky enough to get him… But you may not exactly know how your friend handles his personal life. Friendship & Marriage are two different entity that cannot be compared.. Never form an halo effect seeing the few characteristics of your friend.. and last thing you could do is, draw his personal life as an inspiration and decide to stay single. You should be insane. Please friends do not do this..

All said and done what’s important to keep a happy, blissful marriage life going? To answer in one word “COMPROMISE”. I believe nobody is perfect and we have to understand & accept those imperfections to lead a healthy marriage life.

Finally, no amount of reading romance books is equal to the act of falling in love. Similarly you need to get married and enjoy life. It’s always special to live life for that one special person who will not only share your joy, sorrows, happiness but also your credit card.. Lolz.. Kidding ;)

Best Kiss I ever received..

2010-07-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

After playing cricket in the scorching heat, I returned home sweating profusely. I felt disgusted by the heat and told myself “Oh God! I’m stinking”. But at my doorstep my mother embraces me, wipes the sweat in my face with her pallu and kisses on my cheek.

Wow! Those Childhood days were amazing..

While this scene is common to everyone in the childhood days seldom (Not common) it happens now. And that’s exactly I am baffled about.

Why don’t they see us as child even after we grow up….I think the reason in my case is that my parents thought I was too old to get such a reception today. Rather they were conditioned to think so by "ME"…

Yes! Once I entered my adolescent age, kiss from my Girl friend was for more interesting than from my parents. Whenever they tried to hug me, I tell them “Ma.. I’m 17 years, don’t treat me like a child..”, “No Appa, I’m going out with my friends, cannot come with you”..

By those words I slowly kept moving away from them thinking I should behave like an adult and shouldn’t entertain those acts…

All went well until I went to work.. 6 days work, even before you get ready to relax on Sunday your holiday is over…. No longer meeting friends, no night outs, no birthday parties, No time to meet your relatives.. Life became mechanical.. I was entangled with daily routine work and felt a vaccum in my life.. I wanted to go back to those lovely days where my parents showered the unconditional love on me..

Today all I had to do was to ask my mom.. and there it comes.. Kiss on my cheek after almost 10 years… Wow!! This will remain as the best kiss I have ever received in my life :)

Special Person in your life

2010-06-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Rajesh, who is the most special person in your life?

I was flummoxed with this question. So many people’s name ran through my mind. My Parents who even today stand as a rock of our family, My teachers who moulded a rough charcoal into a polished diamond (Tht’s me ;) ), My Professors who helped me to sharpen my management skills, my mentor who coaches me on life skills, my friends who are an integral part of my life, My love who made me realize that it is still possible to forgive a person who hurt you..
So many names cris -crossed my mind…

{Mobile Ringing}….

As soon as I saw the name on the mobile phone I realized who that special person in my life was.

Yes. Many people walk into our lives, serve their purpose and walk away but only very few remain with us through out our life. They are the one’s on whom we drench our happiness, Joy, Love, affection, Sorrow, Anger and all other emotions.. They will stand by us during our bright sunny day’s while offering their shoulder for us to lean during our downhill.. Whatever we say, they won’t react but respond. They might be far away from us yet they will have an eagle’s eye on us & monitor the progress we make in our life…both professionally and personally.

I am sure you all will also have a special person in your life but the biggest question is how to identify them.

Well, Very Simple… If their name flashing on your mobile phone brings a smile on your face then they are the special person in your life. :)

Cherish the lovely moments with them.. Its Priceless!!!

The Gas Tragedy

2010-06-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

I never wanted to voice my opinions on this issue but recent developments made me to rethink my decision. I’m writing this not as a Politician or Indian or American but only on the humanitarian grounds and on compassion I have towards my fellow human beings.

Everything takes time in India and 25 years of waiting for justice is no exception to it.

Leak of Methyl Iso-cynate gas from the Union Carbide plant has not just succumbed 25,000 people to death but has caused generations of ill effects on the health of people living in Bhopal. Off Springs are born with birth ailment, Permanent damage has been caused to the flora & fauna, people around the factory inhale air that’s poisonous even today.

I would like to voice over my opinions on different sections of this society.

Politicians

We are hearing a no. of stories on the way the issue has been handled. People who never opened their mouth all these days are letting out sensational news that causes a great concern. Pilot, Taxi driver, Home secretary and District Collector are coming out and saying on record that they were ordered to pave way for Anderson’s escape.

Infact I was dumbstuck to see a footage showing policemen opening the gate and saluting Warren Anderson, 3 days after he was released on bail. For sure many Government departments have tirelessly worked & lobbied to ensure Warren Anderson’s exit from India.

All I would like to ask these politicians is how on earth you can protect the interest of a billion people if you cannot account responsibility for the death of masses? You guys have pledged 25,000 lives who died and 50,000 people who still live with permanent ailments and many generations to come to protect your own interests. These Sufferers are the Aam Aadmi’s who feature in your election manifestation. How is the pain caused to them justified?

Media

All news channels carry some message on this tragedy ever since the verdict came. While it is good for media to bring out issues to catch audience attention, the same media are also responsible for infinite pain. “GROUND ZERO – BHOPAL”, “24 HOURS in BHOPAL” and other stories which cover the victims of the gas tragedy will only make things worse. Questions like How did you feel after the gas leak? How much compensation you received? How many people in your family died in the gas leak?, will only rekindle the trouble, tragedy & trauma they have gone through and cause endless pain to them. Asking such questions is like asking a father who lost his son “How do you feel now?” Oh Please for all the Bakra’s, Rajdeep’s, have some mercy on the people of Bhopal.

When will you guys stop making sensation out of other’s sufferings?

People of Bhopal

While I salute your perseverance and patience for justice, I believe it’s high time we give new dimension to our way of fighting for justice. I may be a fool who is influenced by some radical thinking but I think extreme measures like boycotting the elections and letting the governance know that our fundamental rights/needs are not taken care off will send strong signals to people who govern us. Time has come where these Pandits of Politics cannot take us for granted. Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see” and I believe if things have to change we need to take drastic steps.

Justice Department

25,000 Lives = 2 Years of Jail (or) Rs 1 Lakh Fine.

How is this justified?

All said and done, it’s just a matter of time before the attention shifts from this tragedy to some other news. It may be FIFA World Cup, Elections, Oil Price, Food Inflation or Aishwarya Rai. Who Knows?. We people have to blame ourselves for this short term memory loss that we suffer from.

Parenting

2010-05-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered if the Art of Parenting can be preached, practice or performed by any parents. After due diligence I have come to the conclusion that Yes! It is possible. But most of our parents are so much engaged in meeting the daily needs of the family that they forget the importance of parenting. This subject is close to my heart and so did I decide to pen down my thoughts.

Viktor Lozhkin and Yana Mikhailova were detained by the local police authorities for investigation purposes. Reason being not for charges of Murder, not for assaulting a women, not for peddling drugs, not for burglary, no no not even for theft. Then Why?
Viktor and Yana were detained on suspicion of neglecting their 5 year old child Natasha who was locked in a room with dogs and cats for several years causing her to behave like an animal. She laps her food, drinks with the tongue and walks on all four. So what big deal? It’s just one off incident which cannot be generalized Rajesh. If you think so, then we need to go back and check if it is really a one off incident.

• In December 2008, Lyokha was found in the forests of central Russia. He had been living with a dozen of wolves and has inculcated wolf-like behaviors and reactions.
• In 2007-08, Danielle Crockett was rescued from Florida. She was found locked in a room and deprived of human interaction for the first seven years of her life. She is currently undergoing human conditioning.
• In 2007, Amy was found in the mountains of Bulgaria where she had been raised by dogs. She doesn’t understand the native language and is not able to exhibit human emotions.
• And way back in 1920, eight year old kamala and 18 month old Amala were reportedly rescued from a wolf’s den in West Bengal.

Officially documented feral children’s numbers is almost 130 around the world out of which 27 cases have been reported in India since 1900’s. But the most alarming news is that the act of neglected parenting is unofficially at record high in urban India. It’s happening in our city, our street, our neighbourhood and our home. This is not an exaggeration.

Thanks to the rising standards of cost of living, double income families are at record high today, result being parents have little time to spend with their children. Children are sent to school at the age of 3. What do they teach the children in Pre.K.G? Nothing but children spend time playing with one another. Do you really have to go to school to play? Didn’t you and I play with our friends in our childhood days? Isn’t that possible at home sweet home? It is possible but parent’s feel that they cannot afford the time due to financial pressures at home.

Look at the Ideal child’s schedule. It goes like 9 AM to 4 PM at school, 4-6 Tuition classes, 6-8 will probably be a dance class or music class or some other classes. Parents encourage their children to take up extracurricular activities like never before. Wonderful, kudos to all the parents. But there is selfishness in this generosity shown towards children. Main objective is to engage their children with some task or the other until they get back home. This is a bitter truth.

Even before the school bus arrives parent’s company bus is at their doorstep. What an irony? Everyone in the family holds a duplicate key which facilitates them to come and go whenever they feel. To me greatest invention is Refrigerator & Microwave oven because it serves me left over dinner for breakfast and left over breakfast for lunch. I’m tired of eating re-heated food over and over again. I can’t imagine a life without Refrigerator and microwave oven.

I’m not accusing parents for what they do. I understand they do it to help their children live a better life than what you and I have today. But the ripple effect of discarded love will not serve the intended purpose. We all slog everyday as though we are not going to live tomorrow. We believe that money would bring in happiness at home. I think it is a greatest myth. Money would create an environment conducive for Happiness. But real happiness comes from spending quality time with your loved ones.

If these situations continue there will be a time in future when father, mother and children will be on a conference call to discuss the time to meet over for dinner. There will be a time when your children would respond with a bizarre look as you introduce your blood relations to them. Because the concept of nuclear family has broken the bridge of family interaction & closeness. This is not a hypothetical statement. This has already happened in western world and the day is not far away before it happens here.

I hope my thoughts would trigger your minds. I would be happy if even one among you realizes spending time with family is very important. Remember friends, you are a reason for your child’s existence in this world. Give them life by spending time with them because those few hours you spend playing with them, appreciating them for what they are, listening to whatever they have to say, can have a great impact in both you and your children’s life.

Points to note before you Quit your Job

2010-03-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

Signs of economic revival are being welcomed by the Government & Corporate Community around the world. Employees who settled for ZERO HIKES, No Promotions and in certain cases taking voluntary pay cuts to avoid layoff are updating their resumes and getting ready to move ahead. For all you guys floating around your resumes in Job Portals & with Ex-Bosses, Previous Employers and Friends consider the following factors before you quit your present Job.

1. Learning Opportunities – Adding experience to years is better than adding years to your experience. Read the previous line carefully. Does the organization provide enough learning opportunities to you? Do you have access to Journals / Internet to keep you updated on the latest developments in your Domain space? Does your organization giving importance to training? It is very important to learn, unlearn & relearn and keep ourselves abreast on the knowledge front.

2. Empowerment – As we move up the Ladder we are driven by the Power of Authority. You would want to take decisions of varied nature even though they are not related to the Organizations financial performance. For example bring out a change in the way of working, Developing/Modifying the Policies and Procedures, Granting leave to your sub-ordinates etc. Are you empowered to take such decisions? Magnitude of decision making doesn’t matter until Empowerment exists in some form or the other.

3. Voice out your Opinion – You may be working in a company which boasts of best of policies & procedures. You understand that the Policies and Procedures should have flexibility. You feel that you have not been treated fairly in the organization. Are you able to voice out your opinion to your Boss? Are you free to highlight your concerns to your Boss? You may not see any outcome but at least you would feel better that you let out your emotions freely. Believe me withholding your views creates a frustration which will do no good to you.

4. Flexibility – Most of your personal work would take a maximum of 1 - 2 hours. However you would not want to talk a full day leave from office. Are you allowed those two hours permission to complete your bank work, attend a family function, reach your loved ones who suddenly fall ill or to complete your household work.

5. Work Life Balance – Extended work hours for completing a Project, Preparing a Proposal, Meeting the deadline is unavoidable. See to that it doesn’t become a way of life. After all there is a life beyond your cubicle and the conference room. Maintaining a work life balance is imperative to taste success in both Personal & Professional life.

The above list is not exhaustive but it includes few factors which I feel are important. Before you quit an organization list down the Pro’s and Con’s of your Present Employer and Future Employer, see if it makes sense to move to a new employer and then take a decision. Do not see compensation has the only driver to quit. Remember it’s always wise to forego short term benefits for long term gains.

Wishing you a great year ahead! :)

Life's Mantra

2010-02-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

60 year old man resting his arm on his wife (Hopefully:) ) and sharing light moments, Newlywed couple enjoying their private moments in public place, lovers playing in the sea water and two guys expressing their affection for each other.

I noticed Shravan noticing all those acts with a lost look. I sat beside him and could sense that something was wrong. He wasn’t the same person he used to be. Those rib tickling jokes, his sense of humour, pulling friends leg was all missing. He thought how good it would be to have a company like those lucky one’s he was looking at. Be it in any form-friend, lover or wife. He said “Machi, I experience lot of emotions like Happiness, Joy, Love, Sadness and Anger in my life yet I don’t know to whom I can express it. It feels really bad when you don’t have anyone to lean and cry out your emotions machan…..”. Soon I came to know his problem. He was feeling aloof.

Often while chasing our own paths in life, we forget to catch up with our old friends or likeminded persons-no more birthday parties, no more night stays, no more discussions on so called forbidden acts and no more chatting over the phone till midnight for nothing. In doing so, we detach ourselves from those selfless creatures who brought smile to our face, who stood by us during all the odds we faced and now complain of not having a company to spend time with.

I told Shravan “Before you desire, spare your shoulder for others to lean, who knows your purpose of life may be complete with them. There are certain things in life that happens for a reason. Don’t question its logic. Just move on with life and be like water that embraces everything that comes by. Good, Bad, Cheat, Hate, Disasters, Tragedy or Betrayal. These all are a sojourn. Tell yourself “This too shall passby… Eventually you will experience serenity in life. This is a time tested technique that works perfectly well. That’s the secret of my life too.”

Love deeply & passionately, you might get hurt but that’s how you live life completely!

AO – Next Frontier of Growth in Tamil Cinema

2010-01-15T02:55:00.001-08:00

I don’t remember the last time I woke up before the sunrise. But today I got up at around 5 in the morning, took bath and got ready. Reason, not being Pongal. I was leaving home to watch the first day first show of the most awaited movie “Aayirathil Oruvan”.

Being an ardent fan of Selvaraghavan, there is always something in his movie that attracts me to the theatre. Be it unfolding a love, describing the delicate relationship between a boy and a girl or scanning through a life of a gangster, Selva is exemplary in showcasing it to the audience.

A lot of hype has been created by the film fraternity & media about this movie especially because it is a Selvaragavan’s movie and the numerous delay's in releasing the movie. Now I have all the more reason to get excited about watching this film.

I would like to move away from the storyline and talk about the few aspects of the movie. First and foremost is CINEMATOGRAPHY. The camera angles and the lightings are brilliant. The mountains, Thick Forests, Streams and Deserts of Jaisalmer are all a visual treat.

Second is the ART DIRECTION. Most of the film depicting the lives of the Chola Dynasty has been shot using the sets. These sets look so real that it takes us to their world.

Third is the SHADES used. Early mornings, late evenings, Mountains, Desert, Chola Hideouts have all been shown with great colour.

Stunts have been pictured wonderfully. I guess few sequences have been emulated from Hollywood flicks yet they are appealing.

If you shoot out a question like who is the hero of AO? In split seconds I will come up with two names. Selvaragavan & Reema Sen.

Even though the film seems to test one’s patience for 3 ¼ hours, I think selva had little control over it.

As I was dumbstuck with Selva’s daring efforts to present such film, I overheard few people leaving with disappointment. I understand perceptions are different yet I feel we need to encourage these films which takes us beyond the mundane tamil films and keeps us flummoxed every minute.. After all we all love a Titanic, 2012, Avatar for its extravaganza but simply do not appreciate Tamil Films of same magnitude(Not literally) and sensation.

Needless to say AO is one movie that belongs to the elite group of films that takes Tamil Cinema to the Next frontier of Growth.

Kudos to the entire team of AO.

The Best ever Drive

2009-11-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

My Dad is very special to me. Today I reminisce all the selfless sacrifices he has done for me. He doesn’t drive a car, Motorcycle or even a bicycle. To put it this way, he never attempted to learn driving.

All he knew was work and me. He considered me to be his world. I recall the days when he used to carry me on his shoulders to my school which was 5 kilometers away from my house. I have always asked him to get a vehicle for himself but he refused. Not that he couldn’t afford it but for reasons unknown he never owned one.

After lot of persuasion, in the summer of 96, he got me a bicycle. No longer, I required the services of my Herculean father because Hercules MTB was there to serve me. I considered it to be the ferrari’s of the world and used to zoom across streets giving tough time to the street walkers.

One fine day, I fell down from the cycle and went home weeping. I explained whatever happened to my mother. She applied Pain balm and put me to sleep. At 1 A.M., I felt an enormous pain when someone touched my hand. It was my Father. He enquired about what happened and knowing the seriousness of the injury he didn’t wait for the dawn. He put me on his arms and marched towards the hospital which was 8 kms away for treating my fractured arm. During my stay in the hospital too, dad used to shuttle between house and hospital getting me good food. He never let my mother do those stuffs. My mom at times used to shout at my dad for being over sensitive towards me.

Even today he makes sure I’m not put into any botheration for getting his work done. I don’t know if I can refer his behaviour to be egoistic but I simply love him for what he is.

For past 25 years those legs have been working round-the-clock for me.

Today I intend to make his travel easier with this car which I have bought for him.

As I drove the car I could see smile on my dad’s face. I can make out what it means. He felt happy that I lived up to his expectations.

I will continue to do so in future too.. Love you Dad:)

Beautiful things in Life:)

2009-11-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

If I say I wish to play hide & seek, sleep in my mother’s lap, you would feel that I am being kiddish. But for a second, give it a thought. Those were the beautiful moments we enjoyed in our life when we were ourselves. Today, our life has become very monotonous & mundane, that we don’t have time to spend with our family, friends & loved ones. So I thought to pen down few things which I consider to be beautiful in life that I am missing so much.

To me,

1. Joint Family was beautiful,
2. Playing with my dad was beautiful,
3. Dad’s food is beautiful,
4. Mom feeding me was beautiful,
5. Midnight tea was beautiful,
6. Beaches were beautiful,
7. Bird Sighting was beautiful,
8. Long chat over the phone was beautiful,
9. Speaking to the loved one was beautiful,
10. Long walk with her was beautiful,
11. College tour was beautiful,
12. College bunking was beautiful,
13. Commuting through train was beautiful,
14. Night stay was beautiful,
15. Getting drenched in rain was beautiful,
16. Snooker was beautiful and
17. Birthday dinners were beautiful,

I reminisce all these moments which had been an integral part of my life and take this opportunity to thank everyone who were part of these wonderful moments. I know those days will never come back but those memories will always be etched to my heart.

56 Tonnes in 7 days!!!

2009-10-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

Newsprints are never tired to fill the columns with articles on Financial Crisis, recovery signals, Inflation etc.. Amidst all these reports one distinct report caught my eyes. It’s about the yellow metal. Yes! You guessed it right.

According to reports, India has consumed 52 tonnes of Gold in 7 days i.e. from October 11th to October 18th 2009. The total worth of this is somewhere around Rs.8706/- crores.

Now tell me. Where is Recession or Slowdown? :)

Not a "Nobel" Act

2009-10-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

As millions of Americans look up to their President for saving the Country from the biggest financial crisis, Barack Obama will boast upon his outstanding contribution to International Diplomacy & Peace Keeping that has helped him to secure the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace, another Feather in his Cap. Oops! Did I say that? What’s startling is that he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in less than 2 weeks of taking charge of office & before the February 1st nomination deadline. Conversely it looks like the Nostradamus syndrome has been worked out foreseeing him to excel in bi-lateral talks, peace keeping measures & reaching out to the world to curb Nuclear Proliferation. All this comes at a time when US spends nearly $ 1 Billion every year on its soldiers fighting in the borders of Afghanistan. As US cries on nuclear proliferation it is to be noted that it spends more than $2,600,000,000 for ballistic missile defense system and total spending of $35,100,000,000 on all US nuclear weapons and weapon related programs. Amount quoted was spent until 1998. I leave it to you to judge the total money spent on nuclear program as on date. His propaganda for peace hasn’t taken shape and lot of concrete work is still left. Considering all this it is really funny to know that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He surely deserves an award but it is too premature to award the President with a Nobel Prize.

Purpose of Life

2009-09-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

I came across an article “Purpose of Life” in a news column and decided to explore it on my perspective.

What is Life? This is one question which would baffle everyone. It may mean different things to different people.
Every time someone’s born, there is a meaning to their existence on this earth but seldom do they realize it. To me there are three types of people,

1. People who take life as it comes. These people are so called fun loving person who enjoy life to the fullest. They are around us and in large numbers too.

2. There are few others who challenge life and stream their destiny towards what they want. They fight the odds in their life and add meaning to others life by setting an example, being a source of inspiration to this world. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Lance Armstrong are few names I could think off.

3. Finally the most important category of people are those who try to understand the basic reason for their existence. They manage this by trying to understand themselves and speaking to their consciences. These people are very special and are hard to find. Acts of Discovering themselves, Meditation, forgoing worldly pleasures are some of the characteristics I could associate with them.

To my limited knowledge I could associate only one living person to this stage. He is none other than Resident hero of Tamil Nadu RAJNIKANTH. God has showered upon him abundant Wealth, Fame, Love, Respect & Power yet he is searching for his trueself. I don’t think it’s a Sanyasa stage but it is characterized by the search for inner peace.

It is difficult to practice this stage but surely achievable. Individuals of type 1 & 2 are controlled by their life whereas type 3 people have the ability to control their life. This is a special characteristic that sets them apart.

I Feel if anyone reaches that stage then the purpose of their existence is Justified. What do you say?

He Deserved a Better Life!

2009-08-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

As I was rambling across Hyderabad bazaar, I bumped into this child named Dharsan. He was busy selling flags and other accessories related to Independence Day. As India gets ready to celebrate 63rd Independence day, Dharsan is one among millions of children who are deprived on their right to education. He was hard selling the flags to me but I was just thinking about the extreme conditions we live in. As the debate on brain drain is never ending, India is wasting many intellectual brains like Dharsan. Finally I offered Rs 10/- to Dharsan and told him I didn’t require the flag. He bowled me over with his response, “In that case I don’t want your money sir” told Darshan. With my jaws down I picked up couple of flags from him and started to move on thinking “HE DERSERVED A BETTER LIFE”.

Think before the ink

2009-05-03T09:14:00.001-07:00

With 15th lok sabha elections round the corner in Tamil Nadu I would like to share my thoughts with you all.

Tamil Nadu created history in the last election by voting to DMK led UPA and made them victorious by sweeping all 39 constituencies. Golden projects like free television sets, 1 kg rice for 1 Rupee, free gas stove came into existence for the past 3 years. Unfortunately these schemes have made people of Tamil Nadu lazy as never before. According to Maslow’s theory of hierarchy, man strives; sweat it out for his basic needs of food, clothes and shelter. My point is if a government satisfies his needs for free is there a need for him to work hard? I certainly believe No. A saying which fits perfect to this situation is termed in tamil as “Moolai illathavanai Muttal aakara kathai ithu”. Do you guys have any idea of what’s the next freebie from the Government. Check out the picture below.

As you laugh think about it. Everyone talks about free television, gas stove, land etc.. but seldom they talk about creating jobs. I adore ADMK supremo for her courage, conviction she has to stand by her words. Veeraanam is an example of it. If not for her, we would be longing everyday for the metro water lorry to drop by our home. Law & order was far better in her times. I’m not trying to be pro-jayalaitha too. It’s just the comparison of two sides of the weighing machine.

Every one of us are partly responsible for what Tamil Nadu is today. So when you cast your vote on May 13th be sensible and vote for the person who would do good and misuse his power to the least degree. Afterall everyone are part of the dirtywater called Politics.

For people who wants a change, vote for Mr.E.Sarath Babu, an example of rag to riches story, IIM-A lad contesting in South Chennai constituency. For more info about him visit http://sarathbabu.co.in/in/

For cynics I would like to clarify that he may not win but a few thousand votes will make good for two reasons. One, existing politicians will get to learn that no longer you can fool around with people (atleast I believe they will). Second, it will send a strong signal across youth population who desperately want a change but doesn’t know how to go about it. It would encourage them to play a larger role in politics which will inturn foster the growth of India.

Do not waste your vote. Remember one thing, if there is a 90% voting in a particular constituency then there will be a phenomenol change in the result.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be a change you want to see”. Im trying to be a part of it by triggering your thought process.

Bengaluru Trip

2009-05-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I had been out of town. I desperately needed this break and Rajiv's marriage was a blessing in disguise. As I was reaching my destination the cold winds passed shivers in my body just to say "Welcome to Bengaluru! :)". Hotel Brindavan was a great place to stay. Their hospitality gave me a home- away home feeling. I enquired the route for few destinations and proceeded to meet my friends. As I said Rajmahal Vilas to the Auto Driver, he immediately acknowledged and turned the meter ON (unlike chennai autowalas who have it for ritual purposes:) ). Well laid wide roads, Green wherever you turn, disciplined driving and a smooth traffic is what I experienced in the Silicon Valley of India otherwise known for its so called bad infrastructure. Probably business day stress was not on the roads I guess. I had a sense that the auto driver was not seasoned with the area but somehow took me to the right place. I had an altercation with him on the meter charge since I doubted that he would have taken the longest route. Guess what would have been his reply? He politely said, "Sir, I shall stop near the sergeant. You can enquire him if you have doubts on me." I was dumbstuck with his innocent reply. He returned me the change not withholding even 50 paise. I was impressed with him. Truly for him "Customer is king". Brigade road was happening as ever and hasn't lost its charm. CCD, Barista & Pizza corner have filled their presence throughout MG Road & Brigade Road. Perfect place to do window shopping and spend time without spending money;). Meeting Priya's mom was special and her "CARROT HALWA" was amazing. This trip would not be complete if I hadn't met this revered person Rashmi, My Close Friend. Overall if you ask me if I would love to live in Bengaluru, my answer would be a big No..No.. because of some nagging incidents that happened as I passed the streets of bengaluru which made me feel that bengaluru was not a safe or rather great place to live in. Thanks to the migrated population and the blend of various cultures thats has agitated the Youth's mind.

Happiness

2009-03-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

Is it winning a lottery? (or) Closing a Multi - Crore business deal? (or) Accomplishing the dream house, Expensive Car and servant maids who would act upon our wish?

What is happiness?.. I questioned myself.

I am sure most of us like kids. There may be various reasons why we all like kids of which most common would be its cuteness. It is not only because it is cute but the smile which a child adorns symbolizes the happiness within the child which has a great power to melt anyone’s heart. This happiness within the child attracts every one of us. But as the child transcends through various stages of life like Child, Adolescent, Adult this smile for some reason or the other is not the same. What I mean is that the definition of happiness becomes more materialistic as we grow. We feel we are not the controller of Happiness but it is derived or defined by possession of Money, Materials, Muscle Power etc.. Of course Money, Material & Muscle Power may give us happiness but it is never sustainable because once you achieve something we are no longer happy with the same. We tend to look for something else and then else and then else.. Finally we are left with everything we desired but for happiness. This may look exaggerated but this is a fact of life.

Let me explain the same with an anecdote.

Once there was a king who was jealous of his servant maid, for simple reason being he was always happy. Every time the servant maid passed by the king was nonplussed thinking to himself “I have abundant wealth and I control this entire kingdom but I am not happy compared to what the servant maid is” The king called the servant maid and asked him how he manages to be so happy when he himself with all his wealth was not feeling contended in life. The humble servant maid replied to the king “Your Excellency! I come from a poor family and my requirements to run the life are minimum. I am able to meet this with the salary you give. My wife is responsible enough to run our family with my salary and my sons do not spend unnecessarily. Hence I am happy.”

The King not convinced with his answer called for a meeting with his ministers. He asked the same question. After hearing to the King, one of the Minister said “Your Excellency! I am not sure how he is happy. But if you desire I can make him feel disappointed in life”. The king gave a thought and said “Go Ahead”. In a week’s time a bag dropped from the roof of servant maid’s hut. He opened the bag and was surprised to see the bag full of gold coins. He started counting one by one. Soon he found out the bag contained 99 Gold coins. He was searching for one more coin to make it One hundred. He went around the hut, on top of the roof, scanned the floor but couldn’t find one. He wanted to make the total count 100 Gold Coins. So he decided to save money to buy one more gold coin. In doing so he became very stingy, he didn’t like his wife spending even to meet the daily requirements, he was angry with his children too for spending money. He felt everyone in his family were irresponsible. And consequently happiness never turned back in his life.

The essence of this story is that for a moment if the servant had thought of living with those 99 Gold coins he and his family would have been happier. But like many of us, he went on to search for something without appreciating what he had for the present and in turn lost his happiness.

Happiness is not having what we want. It is wanting what we have. Happiness is within us. We are the controller of happiness. We are the co-creator of happiness.

You don’t have to do anything extraordinary to be happy. We need to follow simple rules of life like,

- Free your heart from hate.
- Free your mind from worry.
- Live Simple.
- Give More.
- Expect Less and see happiness engrossed throughout your life.

To conclude, People are to be loved and things are to be used but my dear friends there is so much confusion in this world that things are being loved and people are being used. It is a small curve that straightens many things in life. It is within us. We seldom use it. Smile:). Smile from your heart and be happy. Make everyone happy.:)

Jai Ho Rahman!

2009-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

When Rahman composed for “Roja” in 1992 no one would have thought this lad would create so much waves among Music Fraternity. After the success of “Roja” there was no looking back. Truly Rahman’s music has not only transcended regionally or nationally but also internationally. Slumdog Millionaire is one such example of it. From a humble start from his backyard to setting up One of India’s best recording studio & Music teaching School his contribution to music has been phenomenal. I often wonder what makes his music very special?. I guess it should be the sheer diversity in sound tracks he comes up with in every film. Seeing him winning two Oscars, I feel as though I have won it for myself. So much connection he makes with his fans.:)

Slumdog Millionaire is not the best of his work. If he wins 2 Oscars for this itself, I think the Academy jury should take a look at his best works like Roja, Uyire, Bombay etc. I guess everyone would agree with me on this point.

What bowls me over about Rahman is that even after reaching the pinnacle of success his humility is simply amazing.

Hope to see the Mozart of Madras in Madame Tussauds:)

Whatever it may be born in a country where this lad was born or to be more precise being in a city where he lives I feel really proud…

Aella Pugazhum Iraivannukae!!!

Get-Together

2009-02-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

As my watch tickled 7 P.M. I left my home to attend the marriage reception of my School Friend. Initially I thought of saying him a Hi! and depart from the place immediately. But thinks turned out to be otherwise.

I reached the reception hall only to feel alien. But soon couple of our friends came in and we engaged in casual talk. Slowly numbers increased and suddenly I felt as though I was in my class. Sooner the marriage hall turned out to be a Get-together party. Most of our conversations were hovering about how different people were from what they were in School. They have transformed unimaginably. Few were grown in size, couple of fatso looked as though they underwent liposuction. ;) The group had people from all walks of life like Entrepreneurs, Veterinarian, Software professionals, Bank Employees, Celebrities, Housewives etc..

It was great pleasure to meet friends who left school midway, people with whom I confide with, people with whom I had silly fights, who helped me in exams & puppy loved ones. It was all nostalgic. We revived our contact information’s and parted with a smile:)

After all a Smile costs nothing but enriches both the Giver & Receiver.

(Mobile Reminder Beeps)

Ouch! Have an alumni meet tomorrow. Have to start early. Good Night!

The Bengal Baadshaa

2008-11-15T09:36:00.001-08:00

November 10th 2008, It’s a memorable day in world cricket as the curtains come down over Ganguly’s Cricketing career. Over 18,000 runs in both forms of cricket,38 Centuries,111 50's accolades for his batting skills. The Prince of Kolkata is one of the best captain India has ever had. He never believed in board room meetings rather was aggressive on field. As a person who never felt shy of talking anything under the sun, his audacity against BCCI about team selection is something that speaks for himself. He needs to be credited for shaping the future of Indian cricket in the form of Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virendar Shewag, Vijay, Yuvaraj Singh etc.. Everyone where identified by him.

It is often said that one’s strength is not in his failure but how well he learns & rebounds from his failure. This suits on the dot to Dada’s career. The way he impressed everyone with his comeback is commendable. Retiring on high note has worked well with him and is a lesson for other Indian cricketers to learn.

We Hail you Dada!!!

R Eddy-Case-On

2008-10-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

For all those who feel my blog is boring I’m sure this will be yet another boring stuff for you to read but you better put up with me cos you have entered my space on the internet and you bloody well read whatever I have to say… he he.

Got to wear my favorite T-shirt today.. If you think how does that interest you? Well, This blog has its origin from it.. My t-shirt read “Education ruined my intelligence”. Oxford’s quote the word “intelligence” to possessing sound knowledge. If that is true then how come education ruined it? Or did I screw it up? Neither are to be blamed.. Culprit is our Education System guys.

According to me, the outdated British system of learning that we follow is Bull Shit. This system has taught us to be bookish and mug up stuff. Our society judges us on our marks alone. Certainly I agree that these marks will get us a seat in a good college & job in our placements but it doesn’t guarantee a professional life.

Most of you would agree with me that what we learn and what we do in our job are totally different. An evident example would be the “n” no. of Civil, Electrical engineers in IT companies coding for the software’s to be exported mostly to US of A. Irony is that the vocational training that plays a key role in work situations is given the least importance in classrooms. Teachers call the teamwork (or) group work in classrooms as “cheating”. (No! I’m not talking about the teamwork in exams;)

The 11th Plan Commission has allocated Rs 31,000 crores towards National Skill Development Mission to make our youth Employable. Millions of dollars are spent by corporates for training their new joinees since they do not match the skills the job demands. And the numbers are only to increase day by day since the working population in India is/will be the highest in near future.

How long are the children going to learn the same stuff “Ashokar maram valarthar.. Pari Thaer koduthaan.. Pisir Anthayaar, Koperunchozan natpu….Neil Armstrong nilavil mudhalil kaal vaithaan..”

Public Private Partnership is still at the nascent stage in the field of education. Although Infosys’s “Campus Connect” program is well appreciated it is just not enough to reach the entire nation.. Serious measures have to be taken by the bureaucrats to revolutionize our Syllabus, Delivery system, Structure across various horizons of education like School, Engineering, Management, etc..

Last but not the least it is said that the next few decades belong the those who innovate (not that we don’t innovate now but I think we are acting as a contract manufacturer for the western economies), if India needs to top the list of world largest economies then the lateral thinking, creativity has to be well appreciated, harnessed and encouraged right from School to make them employable..

Let’s revolutionize our education system for a better India!

Lessons from Life - Part 1

2008-09-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to try out blogging long time before. But somehow was lazy to pen down. Then why suddenly? The inspiration has been a proverb that I read in my friends blog. It goes like this…

“A stitch in time saves Nine” – Crux being never postpone things.

Here goes…

My parents didn’t let me do what I wanted(Education)?..
I do not like what I am doing in my Job..
or my pay rise is low.. I wish I had a car similar to that..
why does this happen to me in life?

This is what most of us feel in life day in and day out.. Its not wrong to aspire or desire to have some thing. But in doing so, we forget how lucky are we when compared to others in this world.. A recent trip to Down south made me feel this..

We have been there for a recruitment drive. As we drove towards the destination we fairly understood the socio-economic factors of the town.. Huge acres of bare land which were not suitable for cultivation, lack of infrastructure, I.T.I’s with very minimal facility were more than a evidence for our eyes.. “Nothing as changed here for the past 20 years except the white washing of houses” my manager added..

Finally we reached our destination. As we were welcomed by the local authorities, few were helping the candidates with their resumes. Finally after an hours time all the categorized resumes came to our table. Oh my God!! The mere no of resumes moved my jaw down. Now to avoid the boredom I will write about the interaction I had with ashok.

Ashok lost his father when he was 10. His mother sold fish in the market to make a living. He has just passed out of 12th with 1012/1200(Very high compared to my scoreJ) and has applied in a Govt. I.T.I hoping to get some scholarship. This made me to sit at edge of the chair. Intrigued to know why he wants to work after getting good marks his answer made me dumb stuck.

“Whats the use of getting these marks sir. This doesn’t give my family food to eat. We are starving every day. I would rather go to work than studying. I do not want my mother to suffer anymore…” said innocent Ashok

“I will get you a seat in ITI with monthly stipend. Will you be interested” said my boss

“How much will they pay me” asked ashok

“Rs 3000/ month + Food + Accomodation.” Said my boss.

Now hesitantly ashok “I would rather work for Rs 5000/ in your company sir”

After repeated counseling too ashok saw a future in the extra 2000 bucks. Not to blame him, he like many others in that part of the state were not aware of the scope of opportunities available.. For them an I.T.I qualification was a big thing..

“God save him” my manager whispered as we selected him.

No wonder there is this absence of inclusive growth in India. Access to good education, infrastructure, industry is still a dream for many.

The point I’m trying to drive home is that many of us are so much fortunate to have many things in life that the next time you complain about something think of Ashok..