The boy turns 150…

The boy turns 150…

I don't remember when the first time he was introduced to me. I was very little, but was mesmerised by his antics. Though we were quite opposite, I had developed a liking of him. I was a typical good boy, very shy and not much adventurous. He was just the opposite. Very naughty- always did something or the other, got into troubles, challenged all the conventions- in short very dynamic. I used to get very thrilled thinking how exciting his life might have been. I started admiring him and secretly wanted his life. Once I had asked my mom, "why do you scold me for being naughty, while every one goes ga-ga over Byle's naughtiness?"* Mom said, "Because he was very good at studies too". I was left speechless, "Well… In that case, er.. um…"

Today is his birthday. 12^th January. Had he been alive, he would have been 150 years today. Though, I never had the opportunity to meet Narendranath Dutta, who would later be known as Swami Vivekananda, he was an integral part of my growing up. By the time I was 10, I had read a bit more about him, beyond the coloured pages of Amar Chitra Katha or "Shishuder Vivekananda" (Vivekananda for Children). He had said, "Never give up on your dreams. You have all power you need, just be conscious of it and bring it out." Really!!! I was not convinced- but it gave me some reassurance. Luckily, I was in a school that also believed in his ideology. So, double influence of both school and home made sure I take Vivekananda as my ideal at quite early age. I won a district level quiz competition on Swami Vivekananda, organised during his 125^th birth anniversary. I was also an automatic choice as speaker during an inter class celebration on Swamiji. Very soon one of his posters cut out occupied a prominent place next to my studying place.

I started reading the complete works of Swami Vivekananda, when I was in class XI. I could see a new side of his personality. A youth of 25 years- moving from one place to another, meeting people- understanding their life at the same time keeping his quest for truth and god in focus. Soon he realised that talking about religion to half naked, hungry countrymen is not only a waste of time but also rude and inhuman. The letters that he wrote during those days had etched some permanent marks on my thought process.  "Those who are educated at the expense of poor and downtrodden but never bother to look back at them are traitors, not worthy of being called as educated". My neo-socialist mind could not agree more. He had laid a new principle of religion- "Atmano Moksharthe, jagat hitaya cha" (For one's own salvation, and for the welfare of the world). This was essentially an echo of what his guru Ramakrishna Paramahansa had said, "Tui sala keetanu keet, Jeeve daya karar tui ke? Korbi to Shiva gyane- Jeeve seva" (Who the bugger are you to be kind to people? You are nothing more than an insect, If you really can- serve people as god).

When I went to University, his letters were one of the best guiding force behind me. Whenever in doubt some or the other letter of his would throw some light on the problem. His life, writing, speeches had such positive energy, I would feel recharged, reassured and see hope at every disappointment, doubt and hopelessness. "But, my dear boy, no great things were ever done without great labour", "I promise, whoever would read this letter, would get my energy- I can feel it". He himself had faced Himalayan difficulties before and after his now famous speech at parliament of religion at Chicago. He had thought of giving up, but had bounced back. His letters during those days capture the tension of 30 something's mind and make him relatable and human.

Vivekananda has always been with me. Pre-school, University, first job, moving abroad- he never left me. At every success and difficulty- he still stands by me- gives me a reason to stay positive, believe in myself and most importantly stay focused on people- Atmano Moksharthe, jagat hitaya cha. Today at his 150^th birth anniversary I can say only one thing- "Thank you".

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(Note: Not related, but can't resist sharing this incident. When I was seeing Alpa, one of our senior managers, Mukul Lahiri on hearing this, had said, "Ore baba, Vivekananda je dekhchhi Devanand hoye gechhe" (Vivekananda has turned into Devanand (Bollywood actor)). See, Vivekananda had not left me during romancing as well J

* Byle- was Narendranath Dutta/ Vivekananda's pet name at home.

শুভ নববর্ষ

বাঙালি আজ আর ঘরের কোনে মুখ লুকিয়ে নেই | ঐতিঝ্য আর সংস্কৃতির সমজদার হলেও বাঙালি আর পুরনো কে আঁকড়ে ধরে থাকেনা | আজকের বাঙালি জানে, ঘরের স্বাচ্ছন্দের চোরাবালিতে ডুবে যাওয়ার থেকে বাইরের অস্বস্তি জয় করার আনন্দ ঢের বেশি | আত্মতৃপ্তির চোখের ঠুলি সরিয়ে বাস্তবের মোকাবিলায় প্রস্তুত আমরা | দেশে বিদেশে, ঘরে বাইরে, আজ বাঙালি নতুন চ্যালেঞ্জ নিতে আর ভিত নয় | নতুন যুগের নতুন বাঙালিদের শুভেচ্ছা জানিয়ে শুরু করছি নতুন বছর | নতুন বছর সবার খুব ভালো কাটুক | স্বল্পমেয়াদী লোকসানের চিন্তা কে দুরে সরিয়ে দীর্ঘমেয়াদী সাফল্যের উদ্দেশ্যে যাত্রা শুরু করুক বাঙালি |

শুভ নববর্ষ |

অল্পা ও অভিজিত

 

Lokpal movement: Some questions and what do I think are the answers

Never before on Independence Day had a government felt as uncomfortable as it did on 15^th Aug this year. And no- it was not an external force who they were worried about but its own people. Certain Anna Hazare has captured the nation's imagination and people were more than eager to listen to what he said than what Prime Minister had to declare. And to be fair to people, we have not heard much from him in recent months either. The country was rocked by corruption of huge magnitude one after another. It was attacked twice by terrorists across the border; still India did not hear a forceful voice from the top. And whenever he spoke, it lacked empathy, vigour, inspiration or sense of urgency.

 

Why has this movement caught public imagination?

India has moved miles in recent years. It is now a poised to become a global force. And this surge is led by normal people. Unlike China, government here did not do much or lead this movement. Only thing that they have done is to slow the progress by red tapes. Can India afford to enter into the big league with its 3^rd class administrative system? The answer is NO. Therefore, it is natural that people would revolt against it. Frustrations from all these years stuffed inside had to explode and it has happened.

 

What right do people have to raise voice? After all they are the one who pays bribe.

Most people do not like corruption, they do not voluntary enter into this. The system forces them. Many Indians go abroad and work there. Have we heard many instances where in they tried to bribe a police officer, jumped red light or indulged into any corrupt activity? It is a proof of the fact that people are not corrupt but the system is...

 

But people like to take shortcuts. That's the inherent nature of Indians. How would Lokpal help in that? A law is not effective unless people follow them.

If people do not go by the rules, it is the duty of fellow citizens to find and complain to Lokpal that Mr. X has violated the law and Officer Y has not taken action...  Lokpal would take action then. That's how discipline can be brought into the society. If section of Lokpal does not act, they should also be trailed. A separate body might be required to keep a watchful eye on them.

 

It is not practical to prosecute or investigate 39 lakh central government employees or 2 crore state government employees. Lokpal would be overloaded.

There are two parts of the argument. (1) if we consider all 2 crores or majority of them are in corrupt practices, then it is an admission of a very serious issue and only strengthen the case of a very strong lokpal. (2) even if large part of bureaucracy are corrupt, the moment some of them would start getting punished, it would act as a deterrent and automatically the volume of corruption would reduce, therefore, large number would not remain an issue any more.

 

This movement is against parliamentary democracy and the method is not right. It is like blackmail.

We can either wait for the right methodology to be framed or fight back with whatever we have now. When the house is on fire, we don't wait to find a right methodology; we just put the fire off - by whatever way.

Lokpal is not the answer to everything. But- we have to start from some place. We have good laws- but enforcing authorities are flawed. They have all been taken over by corrupt people

I think govt should be happy that it is going on a peaceful and non-violent way. There is huge frustration amongst people against corruption. Anna Hazare is just channelising it to make an effective body to tackle the issue. If govt doesn't realise that- the frustration can and definitely would at some point, come out violently and that would be neither good for the country nor for the democracy.

 

There are so many issues, illiteracy, people dying of poverty, low quality standard of life, poor infrastructure farmers committing suicides...etc… Why are not you taking these up?

I agree there are 100s of pressing issues. And the combination of all of them is so huge that we think the situation is hopeless. And we think- nothing can be changed. We say, "is desh ka kuchh nahi ho sakta"...

 

BUT- we need to start something. If we do not act at all- it is not going to improve. Anna Hazare has started it. I believe this is not the end of it- once people realise that things can be changed and they need not be accept or get punished for their honesty, things would start rolling for better. When we attempt to solve a puzzle, the moment one piece falls in place, others start looking brighter. In a complex knot when you take one strand out, suddenly all others start looking simpler.

 

This movement should start after all the people become honest.

If we wait for 100% people to become honest in a dishonest and polluted environment, then the wait can be eternal. And by that time, corrupt people would take away everything and there would be nothing to protect (Already 50% of GDP is claimed to be stashed as black money in foreign banks). To take a leaf out of a popular movie (Life in a Metro)- We can not wait for all traffic signals to turn green before we take our cars out. 

 

If people are not happy about the government and MPs, why did they vote for them? They should take part in democratic process more actively and not criticize.

Do we have an option while voting? Till the time EC starts "none of the above" option- I am either forced to vote one of the crooks or abstain. In either way, we lose and corrupts win.

Moreover many people vote for the party and not for individual. Why do political parties give tickets to corrupt people? I have voted in all possibilities. Do I still feel empowered? Have my aspirations been met by government? I guess not.

 

Would end this post with this dialogue from Rang de Basanti. "Zindagi jine ke do tarekke hote hain..ek jo ho raha hai hone do..bardasht karte jao..aur dusra ..Zimedaari uthao use badlne ki !!"

100 years on- still equally relevant: Bidhir bnadhon katbe tumi

Rabindranath Tagore had written this addressing the foreign rulers. Still so relevant-

You can overturn the destiny, are you so powerful?
So powerful!!
You think in arrogance, you can make and break us
So arrogant you are!!

You think you can always drag us behind
Keep us down
But you don't have such force
Can't withstand such surge

How much ever you surround with rules
Even the weak have force
However big you might be
Not greater than god

By suffocating us
You would also not be able to survive.
When your baggage becomes too heavy
Your boat would capsize.

Top 10 IPL 4 moments

IPL 4 is drawing toward the end. As CSK and RCB is preparing for the last match of this IPL, I thought of 10 interesting aspects (Not in any order) of this edition.

1) Aa gayle mujhe maar

Chis Gayle remained unsold at the auction. Though speculation was KKR would retain him- he had no takers. Calypso King must have taken huge offence on that. When he was ultimately called in as a replacement for RCB, he did not see cricket balls… he saw SRK's butt and hit that the hardest. In no time- he snatched the orange cap. Resurgence of Gayle and his super hitting was the main highlight of IPL4.    

2) Khe Khe Aar… Khe Khe Aar

IPL matches in Eden gardens and only 20k people watching it!!! Yes- SRK made it happen. With Dada out of the equation and only Manoj Tiwari being the sole representative of local cricketing community- Kolkatans gave IPL a royal miss. Sensing the mood SRK started bring in expensive cheerleaders. There was Hritik- who till the other year was dancing for Mumbai Indians. Then there were Sanjay Kapoor, Karan Johar. But the real entertainer was Piggy Chops. Though she did not know name of any single cricketers, we loved her heavily accented chanting (khe khe aar … khe khe aar [video]).

 

3) Paul Valthaty

Who? Paul what? That was the first response to Paul Valthaty's cyclonic century. He appeared from nowhere- made some big runs, took wickets and then went hiding again. Discovery of Valthaty (and to some extent Raidyu) would not have been possible without IPL. Hope to see more of him in future in a real blue shirt.

4) Never say Never

His 30 ball 30 might not have set the stage on fire, but it showed if you want something badly- it happens. Yes- talking about the eternal comeback man Saurav Ganguly. He was dumped and humiliated in the auction. Even his most optimistic supporters wrote his obituary. Kochi tried to take him on board afterwards and was stopped by RCB, MI and RR. (some say on behest of SRK). We saw him in stands with common supporters watching matches. But that was another shrewd move which was followed by his donning cap for Pune warriors. Yes- at the end, he managed to paint tar on the face of his distracters (read SRK)… Yes- bande mein hai dum…

5) Blank fire

We waited and waited for them to perform. To set the stage on fire. At the end that did not happen at all. Big disappointments of the year: Irfan Pathan, Kieron Pollard, Bret Lee, Eoin Morgan, Mark Boucher, Brendon McCullum, Sreesath, Tilakratne Dilshan, Murli, Graeme Smith, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuff Pathan, Jesse Ryder….

6) Gambhir question

He played 15 matches with his shoulder injury just to earn his 11 crores. Yes that is a lot of money- but is it more than leading the Indian cricket team? Well… I don't see him as Dhoni's successor any more. And his mouthful to younger players of the team during the matches pointed how inferior he is compared to captain cool dude as a leader. To add more spice, the allegation of using banned substances would haunt him for a while I suspect.  

7) Bharatiya cheerleading

Cheerleading in Indian style? Yes- Pune showcased it. All their cheerleaders were in traditional and classical Indian attire and danced to classical tunes. Apparently Tanusree Shankar choreographed them. Though some youngsters would have preferred run of the mill foreign stuff- to me it was one of the highlights.

   

8) Lolaylty never dies

KKR had to defend 21 runs in their last over against MI to qualify as no 2 team. It would have also meant fast lane to the final and qualification for champions league. But Lakshmipathy Balaji did the unthinkable, conceding 23 runs including a huge six of the last ball. Chennai all of a sudden were no 2 team. Yes- their investment on Balaji for last three years has ultimately resulted in some dividend.

9) Sidhu aur Dipu ki amar kahani

Vijay Malya replaced Katrina Kaif with Deepika Padukone as team's glam girl… Guess it was a right move. A picture is worth a thousand words J

10) Shane Warne

He apparently played his last cricket match. And ended in a winning note. No doubt he was the most colourful cricketer ever. Not only a master strategist on field but he was equally great off the field too. His calling names of Rajastan cricket board secretary might have costed him some money- but was entertaining no doubt. And watching Liz Hurley getting bedazzled was a treat beyond question.  

 

Manipulation, Paying heavy price and mass suicide

If someone lacks ability, success comes at a cost. However, it does not mean that the individual has to bear it on his/ her own. At times relatives take care of it, at time friends and at times it is shouldered by unsuspecting unknown people known as mass. In the later case the feeling is the sweetest. Today, when Mamata Banerjee takes her oath as chief minister of west Bengal, she must be feeling the same sweet sensation.

Do any one still remembers Swapan Chakraborty? An ordiney man- who got stuck between stone and crude bomb pelting crusaders and demonic state police in 1992. Mamata quickly played a few popular tricks to politicise the killing. Swapan's wife got a job in Manjusha and slowly went out of public attention and memory.

Same goes with 13 nameless youth, who were sacrificed to get anti govt sentiment rolling on July 21 1993. Yes that was the day Mamata had called for a march into Writers building to get power by force in French revolution style.

Time and again she played the same politics of killing and trying to gather momentary public support. However, soon she realised that this trick would not give her the mileage she is looking for. She needed something big. Something so huge that lakhs of people pay price for her rise to the zenith. Nandigram and Singur gave the same opportunity to her. She was very good in realising that Bengalies had a super inertia. They would do anything to resist the change. That was precisely the reason of CPM clinging to power, despite not delivering anything significant from 1977-2001.

She was quick to understand that CM Buddhadeb's attempts to change to work culture, his attempts to bring in Industry would only make the Bengalis feel uneasy. She fanned air to that sentiment. Thousands of people in Nandigram and Singur paid the price. What could have been a prosperous industrial hub was turned into a land of lost opportunity. Bengalis took a sigh of relief. They were not robbed off the opportunity to moan and complain… to discuss in length that how all other states conspire against us… So status quo continued… Intelligently Mamata very quickly named the status quo as "Paribartan" (Change). Top notch comedy indeed. Bengalis thought- whoa… what an idea!!! If I need not actually change but get the claim of a change- that is like getting a free lunch. Or what the corporate try to do- get "new" claim from the same old product.

Very soon people started talking about punishing CPM for doing nothing- when actually they had started doing something meaningful. It is like Keshto kaku beating up Bhombol  for a mischief he had done 10 years ago. Though Bhombol is a changed and refined person now, doing meaningful work- Kesto kaku would still punish him- because he failed to do that 10 years ago.

By now Mamata had started seeing her dream come true. The whole state of Bengal was ready to pay the price for Mamata's hunger for power. And they did the same in two phases in 2009 and 2011.

May be years from now, this moment would not be rejoiced and pages of analysis would be done on how Bengalis committed another suicide. May be it would be too late then. May be our roots of inertia would be so deep that even if we want- we would not be able to move at all. May be I am wrong- May be Mamata would do a fantastic job. But at this moment all I see is another 7-8 years of stagnation and slide backwards. Pray to god that I am wrong in my prediction…

The price has been paid – for one lady's ambition by a suicide prone community.

শুভ নববর্ষ

বাঙালি কি সত্যি পাল্টে গেছে? ফেসবুক  আর টুইটারের ঝড়ে কি বাঙালি ভুলে গেছে তার স্বকীয়তা? জিন্স আর স্কার্ট কি হারিয়ে দিয়েছে সাবেকি পোশাক আশাক? বাংলা তো আজ পরিবর্তন নিয়ে তর্কে ব্যস্ত. তৃনমূল না উন্নত বামফ্রন্ট? এরই মাঝে নতুন বছর আবার উঁকি মারছে তার নতুন সম্ভাবনার ডালি সাজিয়ে.  মনে করিয়ে দিচ্ছে ঐতিঝ্য আর স্বকীয়তা. না বাঙালি আজো স্বপ্ন দেখা ছাড়েনি. শত উত্তান পতনেও আছে বাঙালিয়ানার গর্ব. আজো অন্যাএর বিরুদ্ধে গর্জে ওঠা. ত়া সে সৌরভ এর ওপর শাহরুখের রাজনীতি হোক বা রিজানুরের আত্মহতায়. অমর্ত্য থেকে প্রানব - বাঙালির দাদাগিরিতে কোনো কমতি হয়নি. নতুন বছরে আমাদের আধিপত্য আরো বারুক - এই শুভেচ্ছা সকলকে. ১৪১৮ হোক আরো মায়াবী আর আরো উজ্জল.
অল্পা ও অভিজিত

Why I consider Saurav Ganguly as inspirational figure?

Back in 1995, during a post dinner chit-chat at S-14 (one of the hostel room) some one had asked me- who is your favourite cricketer? My instant answer was, "Saurav Ganguly". By that time his international career was confined to a solitary one-day match and three runs scored back in 1992. Later that year he made a sensational come back with back to back centuries in England. Almost got branded as "test player" by think tank, made to bat at no 8, even after Srinath in one ODI. Got dropped in Sahara cup only to come back year after that with such a dominance that Pakistan saw him as their terminator and we found our new leader. A leader who was not afraid to stare at the eyes of the opponent, a leader who shook off the docile image of the nation and announced that we have arrived in the world scene.

I find him as an inspirational leader. Like all great leaders he delivered stupendous result through his team. He spotted great talents. Gave them comfort and support to perform at the top level, showed confidence in their abilities, planned their growth, supported them through thick and thin, believed in them and tried to make sure that they are successful. He was ruthless with indiscipline (Nayan Mongia episode) and respectful to the super talented (Sachin Tendulkar). He led building of the new Indian cricket. These seem to be a copy book example of a successful remarkable corporate leadership. Lots to learn from him.

Another aspect which I find remarkable is his self confidence and commitment. I had read an article in Anandabazar Patrika quite a few months after he was dropped for the 2^nd time by Chapel. He was down and out by then. Spot light had shifted to some where else. People, even die-hard fans had also resigned to the fact that he had seen his last. He was alone and ignored. At time- he used to practise for hours in Eden Gardens. At times with state or club players or at times all alone. He had taken all the criticism on his running between the wicket and fitness on chin. Even after the dark- he would keep on training and running. He prepared for that one last chance… kept his head down, played the same shot thousands of times… kept himself motivated… told himself that if he gets one chance, he has to make big out of it. He believed in himself and kept focus. Eventually he got a chance and the rest is history.

People often see his comeback and praise him on his determination. I look at the grinding he had undergone to make that comeback. Look at his self confidence and strength of mind. This is an example for all of us- to believe in our ability and keep practicing for that one chance that might come our way… Saurav’s achievements can’t be measured in terms of his personal records. His success lies in the team that he had groomed and developed, his success lies in the inspiration he had provided to the lacs of Indians to come out of mediocrity and make it big in their respective fields.

Commonwealth games- Goals ahead for the betrayed nation….

Loads of dirt is being thrown around for the commonwealth games. It is not only about the dirty toilets and filthy condition of the games village, it is also about the cheap talk done by officials. "What is clean to me and you is not clean to them", Lalit Bhanot had put the hygiene standard of the nation next to the drains at Kanpur. This is a complete failure on behalf of organising committee. They not only did a very poor planning of events, but also kept fooling the people. Widespread corruption only adds icing to this cake. Government of India can not shy away from its responsibilities too. They have singlehandedly tarnished India's image at the world stage beyond repair at short term at least. All of them have collectively betrayed us. Betrayed the nation… betrayed our belief and pride.

We all feared inside or suspected that something like this is coming. When I went to India last time, the games were less than 300 days away. I could sense with my very limited knowledge of construction and building that it is going to be a massive task. Still we kept on hoping and praying. Unfortunately Shiela Dixit, Delhi chief minister, did the same. Instead of taking hard action, she kept on praying that some magic would happen to salvage the game. My personal experience shows that whenever some one relies on luck and hope for something to happen correctly, rather than strong action, it often happen otherwise. To make her a laughing stock, after the foot over bridge was collapsed, Dixit said, "It was not for athletes, it was for common people". As if common people are there for her to get killed by accidents. Such a shame….

I still believe, India might still pull through a great game. Make it partial success atleast. As a nation, we have been practicing the "Last minute" stuff for a while. And, truly speaking, we have the flexibility, self belief and capability to make apparently impossible tasks a success. Talking from a FMCG product development perspective, I have seen instances where in eight colour printed laminate got developed, printed and delivered in less than a week (Standard lead time- 30-45 days). I have seen complex multi cavity mould getting into commercial production in a month (standard time 4 months). I have seen presentations written and delivered in conferences within 3-4 hours. Yes, I believe, we can still do it- if we get serious, if we take it as a matter of our pride, if we take it as if our existence and reputation would depend on this event.

Looking ahead, even if the event is not a success, it is not the end of the road for India. Yes, our Olympic dream might get ( I think has already got) a severe threat. Yes, we would face uncomfortable questions at global stage. Yes, stereotypical west would snub us for many more years to come. But we would claw back. We would have to work even harder. We have to put even more effort. As a nation, we have to run that extra mile or two, which would slowly but steadily erase this stigma. This disaster has thrown us a new challenge, a new task, more uphill and more difficult- but achievable by entrepreneural citizens of out nation.

Government by its inaction and bureaucracy has negated large part of the equity we had developed over the years. We can not to anything about it at this stage. Only options are to get over the setback, take learnings and move ahead. Let the fight back start now. Let the fight back start with ensuring a great game of sports during 3^rd-14^th Oct. Indian army would re-build the fallen bridge within 3 days. Let rest of the nation follow their footstep and rebuild the image of the nation in the shortest time possible. Life at times is more thrilling than the final overs of a T20 match.

শুভ নববর্ষ

শুভ নববর্ষের অভিনন্দন

দেখতে দেখতে কতই না পাল্টে গেল বাঙালি. ধুতি থেকে এলো জিন্স, উত্তম কুমার থেকে সৌরভ গাঙ্গুলি, পিঠে পুলির বদলে পিজ্জা, পটাটো চিপস থেকে মাইক্রো চিপস. রবীন্দ্র সংগীতের সঙ্গে চায়ের আড্ডা ভুলে ব্যান্ড, চ্যাটিং আর ফেসবুক. পাড়ার ঠেক থেকে ডিস্কোঠেক. দুর্গাপুর থেকে সিঙ্গুর, ইস্টবেঙ্গল- মোহনবাগান থেকে নাইট রাইডার্স. গতকালের অপসংস্কৃতিই আজকের ফাশ্যন. বাবাও তো আজকাল ইমেল লিখছেন নিয়মিত.
তবে এত রদবলের মাঝেও রয়ে গেছে অনেক কিছু. সেই স্বপ্ন - 'সকল দেশের সেরা', সপ্তসিন্ধু ডিঙ্গায় চড়ে বাঙালির বিশ্বজয়... হয়ত সে দিন আর বেশি দুরে নয়. সেই নতুন ভবিষ্যতের দিকে তাকিয়ে সকলকে জানাই শুভ নববর্ষের অভিনন্দন.১৪১৭ সবার ভালো কাটুক.
- অল্পা ও অভিজিত

Revolution of a different kind

Revolution of a different kind

Recently something revolutionary happened in India. Something that was never though of. Something- no other country in the world has been able to implement. Something- which once again proved that India is thinking about day after tomorrow. If you have not got it yet- I am talking about women reservation bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha this week.

Cut to 1999. We were in 3rd Semester of IIP. It was the time when junior batch representatives would take over as hostel president and secretary from our batch. There used to be an election. However- since the seniors were more in number- it was kind of academic. Whatever collectively senior students used to decide, would have happened. On the eve of the election, I proposed let a girl be Hostel secretary this time. And my my… it was opposed with all vehemence. “A girl? Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind? Do you have any special feeling? Etc etc”
Except a few of us, every one opposed it. People who claimed to be progressive opposed, people who had girlfriends thought it was a bad idea, people who used to talk about progressive thoughts said girls are not competent. Every one opposed it. I had thought- I would be able to get it through by a strategic supports from some sections. My friends would definitely understand my logic. Girls in the hostel would support and I would be personally influence a few opposers. Surprisingly- I was wrong. Apart from Kousik Saha most of others took it as if ut was a personal humiliation and a challenge to their masculinity. Even some of the girls were also tentative. “How can a girl face IIP management?”
At the end- I had to give up. What followed was also bitter. But it had opened my eyes on how we still doubted ability and competence of women.

Cut to present- The bill has been passed. From next election onwards- 33% of our law makers would be women. I am sure they would focus much more on development and wellbeing of the neglected half of the country. Once this fairer half starts standing tall, overall progress of India as a nation would definitely get huge acceleration. To echo what Swami Vivekananda had said 100 years back- India would only raise when women power would get completely developed. A bird can only fly only when both the wings are equally strong.
Yes- we are at the brink of that flight. The journey, which had stared in 18th century by Raja Ram Mohan Roy through abolishing of “Sati”, which got strengthened by Ishwar Chandra Vidysagar’s “widow re-marriage” and “women education” movement, has gained optimum momentum. While anticipating the grand flight with all excitement- I am happy to forget the temporary setback, which I had 11 years back, on my attempt to empowering women.

Mahi to Monster... Monster to Mahan cricketer???

Life has come to a full circle for Mahendra… I mean Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Indian cricket captain. Even since his dramatic debut to Indian team he has only seen things going from good to better. And like most of the mortal beings, success has made him wary of loosing it. He lost touch with his fearless mind. Flawless instinctive decisions gave way to overcautious mistakes. “Captain Cool Dude” became rude hot headed arrogant. Like the eternal story of Bengali crabs, Indian media tried to pull him down. And once, he was disarmed by the pathetic losses, knives came out. He had experimented with Yoginder sharma during last world cup. It paid off and he became Captain courageous. Suresh Raina did magic with balls during the death in IPL T20, Dhoni became master strategist. But the moment gambles started going the other way, his historical win at New Zeeland, just the other day were forgotten like a bad dream. Media pained a “monster” out of “Mahi”.
Now, would be the real test for him. It would be interesting to see how he comes out of this mess. He had opened too many front, had taken fight against too many… selectors, celebrities, team mates, media, ex cricketers… His personal form is down in dumps… his confidence is shaken. It is very easy to slide to obliteration, get caught into this web of failure or run towards resigning to fate. However, if he has the essence of true greatness, he would fight back. We have seen similar turn around from Saurav Ganguli in the past and I am quite sure Dhoni is also capable of one.

Few hours before India got out of world T20, during the national anthem- the camera had focused on Dhoni, there were a sense of pride in his posture and a drop of tear at the corner of his eye. That gave me a feeling- Dhoni is not going to take it lying low. He would again stand up from the ashes like a phoenix… We would be waiting for that moment Mahi…

Saas bahu Aur Saazish…

And you thought it happens only in Saas Bahu serials…

Yes I am talking about the latest S***M*** drama. I had never heard of her before she was arrested. Initially I thought this as another page 3 masala. However since every press report hinted about “family conspiracy”, thought of doing a small internet search on what is this drama all about… and OMG… this is even more chatpata than any serial running on TV. Here goes the story….


A***a, heir of then famous M*** group was engaged with P***B***. Now- who is P***? She is the elder daughter of a very influential (and rich) Pali hill resident. All were going well till they came to know that P***’s sister is having an affair with A***a. Yes, this younger B***t girl is S***l. Her family quickly disowned her so did A***a’s family. A***a got married to some one else but only to get divorced after a while. Soon after that ; A***a got married. S***l was never welcome in the M***l family, she was too modern and used to eat non-veg . However, she managed to do things her way and A***a preferred to follow his wife than his other family members.

After senior M***l died, A***a got all his properties. However, his mother made a police complain stating that A***a and S***l are ill treating her and are trying to capture houses illegally. To make matter more complicated, A***s’s elder sister did a sex change and claimed that since she/ he is the eldest son, property should be assigned to her/ him. A***a however, won the battle in court. Meanwhile S***l became head of M***l L***y and tied up with V***e for their franchise in India. She also had became quite famous page 3 celebrity. Meanwhile M***l textile business sank and factories got shut. Workers claim that they have not yet got the compensation promised to them.

Next we hear about M***s when A***a complained to police about theft of family jewellery worth crores. However his mother informed that the jewellery was with her and she would hand them over to A***a and s***l. Well after all these, I didn’t feel remotely surprised to hear the speculation that M***l family members only tipped off Customs about the jewellery S***l was carrying.

Now what happed to P***m? While S***l was busy in trying out latest fashion, throwing parties and fighting domestic battle with in-laws, P***m got married to one Mr. S***f after a relationship of four years.

He incidentally had two children aged 9 & 11 at the time of marrying P***m. Yes the children were from his first marriage. The marriage which ended in a divorce before his tying knot with P***m…. Huff… confused!!!! and you thought such complications only happen in TV soaps????

(Source of all information in this article is internet news articles and blogs… author is not responsible if any of the information is not authentic)

Change & Suicidal Bengali

I checked with dad, “How many seats do you think Mamata would get this time around?”

“They are saying it would be 50-50 this time. 21 seats each for CPM & Mamata”

Indrajit, a CPM sympathiser, said- Max to max 16 for TMC + Congress. While Drupad, a Mamata & kabir Suman die hard fan did not comment- but kept pleading in Orkut for voting for them…

At the end, the bell for the end of CPM has ringed. They are confined only to 9 seats (15 including CPI, FB & RSP). With assembly elections just two years away, knowing the Bengali Sentiment, End of CPM is all but certain. Only one person can save them and that is Mamata, by doing another self injuring blunder.

But how does it stack up for Bengal as a whole? Not good at all according to me.
Firstly- CMP in order to win back people, would not push Industrialization at all for next two years. Secondly- TMC, if voted to power, would not talk about it since this very anti-industry stance would see them home.
Lastly- With all other states pushing rapid industrialization, we would have no takers after 6-7 years. (I am sure Bihar would get the special status soon and most probably start attracting more industries than any other state in eastern India).

I am convinced that Industrialization is the only answer Bengal has to all the problems of unemployment, development and work culture. I have pointed this out in all my previous posts on similar subject. With Industry shying away, we would miss the tide Buddhadev tried to bring in and mess with the state.

But why committing this hara-kiri? The answer lies in N C Chaudhuri’s comment- Bengalis are suicidal. We love to live in the past, want to relish the glory of yester years while keeping a blind eye to the present realities. For long, we have been romanticizing - how others are envy of us and how they want to pull us down. We want to continue that. Even slightest hint of a temporary hardship for a better future, makes us nervous. We don’t mind turning into group of self destructing souls.

The main slogan for TMC in this election was for Change…

Ironically results show what we have pushed away is exactly that… CHANGE… The inner change.

Form Many to one

When I switched on the TV it was almost 6-30… About 11 am in India. The first words I hear was, “This is a setback for BJP & NDA”… I knew the significance of those words among the speculation of a hung parliament… For the rest of the day, the same message was replayed and retold by several personalities and several different ways… Yes, verdict on the general election 2009 was out. People had (almost) decisively accepted Congress and UPA as the choice for running the country for next five years.

When I look at the result, more than the loss of BJP & CPM, what strikes me is the annihilation or diminishing importance of the fringe players. SP, BSP, RLD, INLD, RJD, LP, TDP, NCP all had suffered embarrassment to the core. Ram Vilas Paswan, who once had a record for the winning margin, was grasping for words while commenting on his loss. Lalu Prasad was never seen during the day to comment on his party’s shameful performance. He is the lone MP and that too after loosing from one constituency.

Now that is a story to follow. Are the days of fragmentation getting over? Are the nuisance makers on their way out? Would this lead to a consolidation among politicians along well defined ideological line? Too early to speculate on that. However, emergence of Congress as a power in UP & Bengal (I consider TMC as a congress only- as all the leaders are old congressmen) & partial polarization of votes across two major axis is a good sign now doubt.

One more observation. Arun Jetly and Prakash Karat, while accepting defeat, were graceful in their speeches. Mayawati & Jayalalitha were not. These ladies had the blame every one but themselves. There were no congratulatory words towards the winning combination, no mention of self introspection. A sigh of relief … these nuisance would be out of business… at least for a while… “Jai Ho” to a stable central government.

PS- News channels in UK (BBC & Sky) treated election in India as low priority news. It came much later news on a local politician being caught for a misappropriation of a few thousand pounds got more importance. BBC’s 96 second coverage made sure that a fat ugly looking congress supporter, making funny moves gets to British households… So predictable from BBC…

A Saturday and A Wednesday

Fanatic phone call from baba “Where are you?” I was surprised. “What happened?”

I was told that there has been a serial Bomb blast in Delhi. Five blasts in three places including Karol Bag, a place where I was about to go that evening but had changed the plan at the last moment. “Sinners (papi) like you would not die that easily” Sandeep da grinned after listening to this.
But what about those, who had been there??? They were less papi, I guess. Life of commoners has no value now a days. A blast or two, here and there, seven days of TV footage, politicians and intellectuals screaming at the top of their voice and go back to normalcy till the next blast is an acceptable cycle. I guess the terrorists enjoy the TV shows a lot. For them, it is like replaying the same old comedy movie. Blasts after a few weeks and the show begins again…

The time has come to put an end to the show NOW…

A movie named “A Wednesday” had hit the theaters a few days back, unnoticed mostly. It had dealt with this problem and one probable solution. Don’t spare even a single miscreant. VAPORIZE them. No need for trial and waste public money. To hell with Human rights for those who do not care for human life. A few of executions here and there would be enough to inject fear to these cowards. Cowards that’s what they are. Or else they would not have attacked helpless, name less, commoners who only wanted to had a peaceful Saturday.

Time has come… to put and end…
India has long be run by spineless creatures… people who scrap laws like TADA, who fight against Supreme Court order of banning SIMI, who equates Sarabjit and Afzal, who spends more time in changing suits rather than standing by the bereaved.

Time has come… to do “A Wednesday”…

Indian Turnaround- Nuclear Deal Approved

Turnarounds are always admirable. It not only sets fire to the imaginations, but also set a benchmark for others to follow. The basic principle for turnaround is relentless efforts, believing in oneself and the ability to make it at the end. We have seen quite a few turnarounds in the recent past. As for example- Amitabh Bachchan’s return with KBC, Saurav Ganguly’s comeback at Lords and again at South Africa, Coming back of Indian Railways into black from red etc…

However, one turn around that is really amazing and much more mammoth is Indians emergence as a Super Power in reckoning from the brink of isolation. Just about 124 months back, with the Pokhran blast, India risked to be isolated from the rest of the world. But with the guts to challenge the world, almost seamless finance and foreign policies across two governments and unmatchable effort from the young resurgent talent pool, India announced arrival at world stage. With NSG announcing and accepting India as a responsible Nuclear state, we have done the unthinkable.

Credit goes to each and every Indian and the way they believed in their own capability. This newfound self confidence and high self esteem would see India surging past all other nations in next 124 months… We are at the mid way now. From Isolation to Acceptance. Next step is from Acceptance to Leading.
We are coming :)

Suicidal Bengali

Nirad C Chaudhuri had once commented “Suicidal Bengali” (Atmaghati Bangali).

As a youngster, I did not like that at all… I had thought that He was unjustifiably too harsh on the community. I had thought, he is one of those who does not care about the heritage, culture and the potential Bengalis had. I hated him. This was in 1988.

However, today, after 20 years, I have started believing his word more than ever. Only Bengalis can snatch disaster from the lap of prosperity and happiness. Consider the Singur fiasco that Mamata Banerjee and her mindless gang is doing as of now. Almost unthinkable is about to happen. After investing more than 15k Cr, TATAs are all set to pull out of the prestigious Nano project. This project was so important for the economy of the state. This could have turned the fortunes around of the state. Not only it would have generated HUGE employment opportunities, but also transformed the landscape in and around Singur.

But NO… Mamata almost single handedly has put a halt to the project. It is called snatching doom from almost a winning position. Only Bengalis can do this… yes… This is called Suicide… Atmahatya…

Some Tagore Songs

"tobu mone rekho, jodi jol ase ankhipatejodi puratono prem dhaka pore jaay, nobo premo jaagetobu mone rekho"

Do remember me, even if that thought moist your eyes…even if old memories fade away to newer ones... do remember me…

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"Ei kothati mone rekho, tomader ei hansi khelay .... ami je gaan geyechhilemjirno pata jhorar belaay..shukno ghase, shunnyo bone, aponmone onadore obohelaayei kothati mone rekho”

do remember that I sang for you when you were happy…If some day you wander among dry falling leaves, yellow grasses and barren forest… unaccompanied and neglected… do remember that I sang for you…

All About Air Conditioners

When Should I buy an AC?


In winter you get them for a lesser rate. However, effective warrantee gets reduced. Also new upgraded models generally come out in summer. So as per me the best time is April- May.

What are the type of AC? Which one should I buy?

For use in normal household there are two choices 1) Window AC 2) split AC. Cooling capacity is not dependent of the type of AC you buy. Split AC s are more stylish and often less noisy. But window ACs are cheaper. My suggestion would be go with window AC. If you don't have window at correct places, consider split AC.


I get confused by the technical terms. What are the key parameters

Cooling capacity is expressed in terms of BTUs and Tons. The explanations are as follows- A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a common unit used for measuring heat output, equal to the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One ton equals 12,000 BTUs/hour-a term derived from the amount of energy required to melt 1 ton of ice in a day.

EER or Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of how efficient a particular air conditioning unit is. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit and the less it will cost each year to run. Typical EER is between 8-11

What cooling capacity would be okay for me?

Don’t go by what sales man or company websites say. I have checked several articles and have developed a simple worksheet. (Check the calculation page). Normally for a Room size of 150 sqF, 1 Tn should be sufficient. It also depends on the insulation, other appliances, no of people staying in the room etc.


What if I buy a oversized or undersized AC?

An undersized unit won't cool adequately in extremely hot weather.
An oversized air conditioner would also adversely affect your comfort. The compressor unit would switch on and off too often (every 3 min), without running long enough to dehumidify the room properly or cool the space uniformly. And it will consume more energy than necessary. Further Higher BTU ACs consume more electricity. I have read that an undersize AC is better than an oversized one. Unfortunately in India most of us have oversized AC and we get matching electricity bills.

What are the aspects, I should look for in an AC?

First calculate the capacity you need (0.6 Ton- 1.5 Ton or more)
High EER, low power consumption
Don’t go for a local made. Go for a branded one. Make sure that the AC has rotary compressor.
The AC should have a wide range 18 deg- 30 deg
It should be digitally controlled (you can set them more accurately for lesser billing)
Be sure that your air conditioner comes with at least a one-year warranty that covers labor and parts on the entire unit. Warranty on compressor is normally 5 years.
Variable Fan speed setting
Filter is removable from the front side. If you don't clean the filter, cooling efficiency would come down.
Sleep mode or energy saver mode- These would help to cut energy usage by 25%

What are the aspects I should keep in mind while installation?

AC should be preferably placed in the middle of the room.
Direct Sunlight on ACs should be avoided. (If you have a choice- don’t install on the west side)
Seal the room properly for more efficient cooling.

Which brands are the best?

It is said that Hitachi and carrier are the best. But they are expensive too. I have done a comparison for 1 Ton Ac and the same can be seen in the "comparison" worksheet.


Information compiled by Avijit Das, Plot- 67, Sec-32, Gurgaon- 122001, Ph- 0124-4125114, e mail avi0826@gmail.com