A NoMAD - "Brevity is a SIN !"

The Ongoing Race between Intelligence and Wisdom

2011-11-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

The Ongoing Race between Intelligence and Wisdom

Intelligence mindlessly chases things that may not matter in the final tally

[The post appeared first on IndiaWest Paper on November 07, 2011 - Link given above]

The world is becoming a much better place. The death rate has decreased and the life expectancy has increased. Today, we lead a much better life than our ancestors. Take the pre-historic man for instance, who had to spend his time hunting, gathering and worrying about mere survival. Sure, in the process he discovered fire and the wheel – but, they are what they are, discoveries. We, on the other hand have invented the automobile, electricity, the computer and the i-Phone, amongst other things. They may not seem to be absolute necessities for survival (except, the iPhone) – however, they are things that let us lead a more comfortable life. And that precisely is the point – today, we are thinking beyond survival and existential needs. That is progress. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that one first looks out for the basic needs, then progresses through the hierarchy till one cuts through to the spiritual plane and reaches the search for self actualization. Therein lies our destiny. And today, we are closer to that plane than ever. More and more people are questioning why are we here on this planet, fulfilling which cause? What is our raison d’etre? However, the biggest irony is that we could be the biggest enemies who prevent us, and our fellow homo sapiens, from reaching that point of nirvana.

A compelling counter argument lies right in our lifestyles. We no longer have to behave like drones, waking up each morning to a fixed alarm, which starts off a cascading set of tasks. But, we do. A nine-to-five (or, more like nine-to-seven) job then takes over, and before we know, it’s dinner time; followed by time to watch that favorite show on TV. Do some homework for the next day, and sleep, because you have to wake up early the next day, only to go back to work. We live from one weekend to the other. Friday status updates have become the usual fare and so have Monday status updates. But these are small, tactical issues to tackle. I’m a firm believer that what the heart sets out to do, the mind finds a way to do it. It’s time to look above and beyond the weeds, and to see the bigger picture, the larger opportunity for the greater good.

Lets look at our species, and we’ll find that we are constantly evolving. Yes, it’s true that we have reached an all time deceleration in genetic evolution; however that is also responsible for a relative genetic unity across races. Is it just me or have you experienced this as well – that kids these days seem to be much more smarter and aware of their surroundings than we were at that age? This could partly be explained by the ubiquitous nature of Internet permeating all facets of our lives, and thus better accessibility to quench one’s curiosity. But, that cannot be the whole truth. A couple of examples emerged while discussing this topic with friends. My niece, who is about four years old and has just joined school, asked her mom what does the word ‘absent’ mean. Her mother explained that when she does not attend school, she is considered absent. My niece says, ‘Incorrect. When one is not at a place where one is supposed to be, that person is deemed absent.’ At four years, it’s impossible for me to have said that to my mom.

Now, the question is — Will the future generations use this intelligence wisely? So, ‘intelligence’ and ‘wisdom’ are two closely related terms; however they are not the same because ‘education’ and wisdom can have corollary affects, but are different measures. Coming back to our ancestors, while they neither received the formal education that we did and nor did they have the same understanding of civic sense as defined by the modern society, they were far closer to nature and had a sense of wisdom that surpasses many from this current generation. I’m not arguing that we all need to turn off our electric connections and go back to live in the forests. But I’m afraid that the later our wisdom catches up with our intelligence, the more difficult it may be for our species and our planet to do a U-turn to Utopia.

This brings about the point of other evolutionary benchmarks that need to be considered if we are to reach that point of self-actualization as a species. Technological and cultural evolutions today go hand in had with genetic evolutionary traits. On one hand, we are coming up with better guns and bombs that could swipe off countries in a matter of minutes, and on the other hand the world is much better connected and tales of human genocide and dictatorship are met with swift international action. On one hand, the media uncovers the smallest incident of human rights violation, and on the other hand it seems to be obsessed with bad news and feeds of the toxic waste its own society generates. Then, how do we judge and reward progress becomes paramount. As a society, innovation must keep the environmental context alive. Profits should be measured against the ultimate end game, rather than short-term quarter-on-quarter results.

Intelligence versus wisdom — one mindlessly chases things that may not matter in the final tally and the other seeks to establish heaven on earth. We all know that our planet is at the mercy of the Sun and by most estimates we have about five billion years before all gets wiped off. Given that, will our intelligence be subservient to our wisdom and help us cross that mark, perhaps by helping us expand to other planets or by making space-time travel a realistic possibility? Or, would our intelligence race away from the mellow, guided grip of our older counterparts and finally crash?

I am supremely optimistic. After all, gaining intelligence is akin to invention, whereas wisdom is closer to discovery. The tougher part of the puzzle has been solved. We’ve found the acceleration. It’s just a matter of steering the car in the right direction.

And I’m sure someday, someone will come up with an app for that.

- A NoMAD

Computing: The Journey So Far

2011-10-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

An undated file photo shows a of an 1981 desktop IBM personal computer.(AFP/Getty Images)

Computing: The Journey So Far

Many people have asked me to explain cloud computing in layman terms. And as I begin drawing a picture for them, I inevitably find myself first tracing the path of the evolution of computing in general. Partly because, this helps them find a common ground to begin with, but also because it’s crucial to understand the past before you can fully appreciate the present and imagine the future.

The views presented in this article are not attributable to my company and do not represent an official position.

So, let the story begin:

Once upon a time, which was a long time ago, there were no computers in the Kingdom of Earth. The common folks, or “aam aadmi” as we know them today, used age-old techniques invented by ancient Chinese to document almost everything. Using a good old pen and paper, they would write post cards, create accounting journals, draw advertising campaigns, store contacts in a phone book (no, a real paper phone book). They listened to songs using a tape recorder. When the necessity arose to type, they used a typewriter; and eventually graduated to using the hardbound version of the yellow pages to find a neighborhood plumber. Photos used to be shared using a photo-album after putting much thought in to picking the cover since it was not easy to “check” and “uncheck” them.

However, behind the scenes, the International Business Machine, a growing company dealing in high-end research for the government and other large corporations developed The Mainframe. This was a machine, sometimes as large as a room, which was used to perform complex tasks. I remember when my professor introduced me to a microprocessor during my electronics class. It took me a while to programmatically arrive at the value of two multiplications, which for an average kid was a simple mental math exercise. But, pretty soon we would understand the potential of such building blocks.

As things shaped up, somewhere in Redmond, a Harvard dropout wrote a basic language for the common man and built the personal computer (PC), thereby unleashing the potential of these technologies for the greater good of the human race. This was the second milestone, after the mainframe. And soon enough businesses capitalized on the PC by connecting multiple machines to a central hub. As the client-server architecture took shape and companies mirrored the assembly line concept in all departments, Enterprise Relationship Planning (ERP) software became the new standard for running your business. Companies like SAP and Oracle took lead in automating best practices in a software package and the productivity rose by leaps and bounds. Indian software vendors like Tata, Infosys and Wipro started emerging as more skilled manpower was required to deploy, upgrade and support these software systems.

However, these systems were not without their flaws. They were time consuming to deploy, painful to maintain and took a ton of money to support. End users would find themselves playing chinese-whispers with the developers as the end product took considerable cycles before materializing, and apparently, looked pretty different from the initial requirements.

Around that time, an executive at Oracle left the company to start the new way of building CRM solutions – the On-Demand way. Companies like Amazon and Google had used the power of the Internet (or “Cloud”) to do business or democratize tools like e-mail and other apps. Now, Salesforce was taking this concept and extending enterprise solutions to the cloud. It met a lot of resistance early on as people were concerned about security and privacy of their data; however, these and other concerns would be addressed soon. The benefits of cloud computing would convince the world to adopt it faster than ever. In parallel, social networking would connect five hundred million people. Today, people are still finding ways to make these new concepts more cohesive. Cloud computing is no longer just CRM on the cloud. Social CRM and online-gaming are making big waves as well. However, more about Cloud Computing and what makes it so good in the next article. For now, this is where we stop.

Worth The Hurt

2011-07-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

Worth The Hurt

Yesterday, I ran my first ten-mile run. As I sit in my balcony with lovely views from the setting sun, listening to a lively song– my fatigued feet feels much better. The ice pack helps, but it’s not about the physical pain. And I’ve understood all this and more in just one day.

Sunday, July 31, 2011 will be my first official half-marathon attempt as a part of the annual San Francisco Marathon. But, the story doesn’t start here. Neither does it start thirteen weeks back when in a crazy moment I signed up to train for the marathon. It starts way back in the year 2000. The turn of the millennium - a year of great hopes, dreams and the assurance that the millennium-bug will not create any havoc. I had just graduated with a degree in electronics, and was accepted for an MBA program. But the situation of a middle class family in India back in those days was not as flowery as the IT funded homes of today. I remember my father always correcting me that we were in the lower income group and that middle class was way better. Higher education was a bastion of the rich. And the irony was that it was the only way we could break the shackles of poverty.

I took up a job in an upcoming call center and chucked the MBA program. Life took a different meaning as nights became days. The money started trickling in, and so did the laziness of trading dreams for dollars. My dreams kept poking me during siesta, until one day I decided to start training for entrance exams once again. Two years, and some savings later I cleared the entrance once again, only to get admitted to a much better college this time. Somehow, things started falling in place and a combination of luck, grit and tons of support got me a spot in one of the most exciting companies in silicon-valley. Today, when I look at the future and trace the history, it almost seems impossible to connect the dots. Impossible, but true.

Today, it’s my turn to help someone make these dreams come true. And even if I can change one life, it’s Worth The Hurt.

Frankly, when I first signed up for the marathon training, it was just because I saw it as a systematic way to get fit and shape up. But, the long distance runs would give me a sense of clarity. I got a lot of time to think alone without any disturbance. As the battle between the mind and body would intensify, the mind would take over and bring me to the core of my feelings, my experiences, things that have truly transformed me and made a difference to my life. At the end of each run, not only would I be a physically fitter human being, I would be a better person with humility slowly chiseling away my ego. Only the cleanest and clearest of thoughts make it to the end, and in those moments of clarity I started developing an appreciation for the good things in life.

I am a lone runner, and prefer to have my own zone when I’m on the hill. However, yesterday when my legs wanted to give up, I got a pat on my shoulders from some unknown runner egging me to continue. I would continue running with him, and without a word we would run together for hours. Each person drawing from the others spirit when one was down or wanted to give up. At the end of the run, we would simply shake hands, perform the stretch exercises, and part ways. A perfect example of selflessly helping each other without any expectation or pride.

As much as this is a story of my personal journey to this point, it’s also an appeal. It’s an appeal to help me in my cause, by showing your support in any which way you can. It can be by making a small contribution, or writing a few words or making that elusive phone call. All contribution collected in this endeavor will go towards educating underprivileged children, which is the cause I’ve chosen to run for on the marathon day. I know procrastination is the biggest enemy towards progress, so please hit that donate button right now. Consider giving up one meal at that fancy restaurant, or not splurging on that big movie night just one time. Remember, no amount is small – even a dollar makes a difference. The different mechanisms to make donations are detailed in the sidebar. All donations are 100% tax-deductible, under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. You also have the option to keep it anonymous if you like.

However, please don’t procrastinate. Help me, to help others.

Lastly, on my part I promise to run the marathon with full spirit and reach the finish line, even if I have to walk or crawl to the end. After all, it’s Worth The Hurt.

- A NoMAD

Play Review: Naatak’s '8 Ghante'

2011-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Naatak’s ‘8 Ghante’ – A Must Watch: Play Review

8 Ghante (8 hours) is a play about 2 typists and their apparently mundane life as depicted by their predictable 9 to 5 schedule. The play, produced by Bay Area’s premier theatre group NAATAK and written by its founder Sujit Saraf, starts with the opening act where Verma (Abhishek Das) comes to his first day of work as a clerk under the supervision of Pandey (Harish Sunderam Agastya). What transpires in the next 90 minutes of the play is a journey through the workday with a mystic time lapse covering 30 years.

Pandey immediately dons the hat of a mentor and an ostensibly tough taskmaster. Verma not only has to adhere to the professional etiquettes laid out by him, but also has to follow the unspoken rules. In turn, Pandey finds a narcissist pleasure in glorifying a monotonous job to the extent that an erroneous post-card could have an adverse effect on the national economy.

In time, the audience learns more about the bittersweet relationship between Pandey and Verma as they share conversations during work. Verma is married with two kids, whilst Pandey is the quintessential bachelor living with his elderly mother. Both are from middle-income group in the 1960-1970s India, which is governed by the Congress regime. The office is set in the heart of the capital, Connaught Place in New Delhi. References to the state of the economy, corruption, governance and the mindset of the middle class during the ration-era are subtle yet sharp.

As the play progresses, Verma gains confidence as a typist and the working relationship starts striking a better balance. By this time, one starts realizing how seamless are the time transitions throughout the play. References to movies or other significant events give out the details of the year the conversations are taking place. Verma starts aging, and so does Pandey who has now lost his mother. The changes around their families, economy, culture and the national attitude have been depicted through small but snappy observations indiscernibly injected into the play.

One often sees two kinds of people around. One, who seemingly work hard throughout their life and yet don’t appear to get anywhere. Others, who take short cuts and risks and look poised for failure, yet keep rising to the top. The play does a fantastic job in dissecting these flavors and delves into the psychology of the former through the typists. In the end, Verma, who meets Pandey at an impressionable age of 24, is sculpted to be a mirror image of Pandey inspite of the differences in their age and social circumstance.

8 Ghante is a lifelike production comprising of genuine sets, realistic props, and seamless scene transitions. An astute direction and flawless performances from the two actors create a myriad imagery of many characters such that they are unforgettably etched in your experience. A must watch, as Naatak continues to set new standards in theater and delivers to it’s promise once again.

- A NoMAD

Jis Lahore: A Logically Written Emotional Argument

2011-02-13T02:24:00.000-08:00

Jis Lahore Nahi Dekhya, Woh to Jamya Hi Nahi - A Logically Written Emotional Argument

Asghar Wajahat is an extremely logical guy.

When I was first invited for the play reading of Jis Lahore, I lent my voice to the character called Ratan Ki Maa. However, I did not feel any awkwardness mouthing the lines of a sexagenarian female; as all of what she or the other characters around her said absolutely made sense. Guess you could also pass that off as an extension of the creative sensibilities of the play, which made the whole experience so ethereal.

As I got more engrossed in the play and other leads started overtaking the scenes, the rationale just started staring right at my face more blatantly. Every dialogue, thought and sequence is how a civilized creature would process information. With the exception of some goons, who obviously want to ignore what we call is the right-thing-to-do. And this sparks tension, creates the uneasy undertone which make the play more yearning.

As rehearsals progressed and the actors started sculpting the characters on paper with their own quirks and flavors, the horizon of the play started expanding within the realms of my consciousness. Here’s a slice from one of the most important events of history, and when you break it down from a nation to city to family and eventually to an individual level – the whole madness keeps making more sense. I’ve just heard about the horrors of the partition, however I can now vouch that the overall mood wouldn’t have been very different from the riots in Ahmedabad which I’ve been a witness to from a close quarter.

It all begins with ignorance. The root cause.

A Pahalwan has a considerable influence in the society around him due to his ability to exert brute force and a loyal band of followers. He is blinded with what is religion and the implications of partition and hence has lost the broader argument of reasoning along with other enduring qualities of a civilized society such as love, trust and tolerance. Jingoism subtly dawns the veil of the new found definition of patriotism towards a nation which is still struggling to find the right reasons for its existence. What amazes me more though is the mass hypnotism. We have seen a certain irreverence for the nobler values around us in varying degrees. However, when this intensity rises sharply and is accompanied by a widespread loss of cogent dharma; large scale destruction is inevitable. This is what happened in post-partition India/Pakistan.

And there are fewer examples of a threadbare portrayal of the ground level realities in post partition Pakistan than Jis Lahore. Of course, it would have taken an extremely sensitive yet logical mind to deconstruct the chemistry of that era by each molecular mohalla and further break it down to the dynamics and interactions of its various constituents.

So, Is Jis Lahore about India, Pakistan and Partition? Yes. However, it’s much more than that. It’s a journey to the deepest corners of human fear and ignorance. It’s about the personification of the innate radiance which still manages to penetrate the engulfing smog of hatred all around. And at the end it signifies how the extremist forces strangled the tolerant voices of reason leading to perhaps the darkest hour of humanity.

- A NoMAD

Wrote this post as a part of the play Jis Lahore. Originally posted on http://jis-lahore.blogspot.com/

The Elevator Pitch (...A Brush with Destiny)

2010-10-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

"Wat do u do when u c Vijay Mallaya @ da food court @ office? U smile, and walk past.. (Damn!Wat hav I done!! Shud hav at least said - 'Hi')"

And this has happened thrice.

Still remember the day when we were at the second year of b-school. Was in Mumbai to attend a Rural Marketing seminar. The opening session ended with a riveting speech about P&G's (Proctor and Gamble's) innovative attempts at tickling the indian hinterland. Break time, free coffee and cookies time. I excuse myself from the group. And there, at the posh restroom in Taj Lands End, an elderly gentleman came to pee at the barricade beside me. I looked at him and we exchanged a courtesy half smile, turning away quickly as was the unsaid protocol. And I had a weird feeling... have seen this fellow somewhere. Just as quickly as I realized, the adrenaline rush of capturing a whole undisputed minute with the Global Chairman and CEO of P&G.

This is it. This is what every budding MBA needs. The opportunity. Which has knocked at the bathroom door. If I manage to impress this bloke, don't need to worry cramming cotler (poetic effect) for the rest of the semester. No need of wearing a crisp suit at an even crisper zero day morning. No need of worrying about the package, the prestige, the pixie-dust. Oh no, he's done.. and is turning towards the basin. Water's on.. and so is Tambi. Tambi was the general knowledge guru of the batch. He knew a lot about sports, brands.. and well, yeah.. a lot more than I can type. But more about Tambi later.
So, the camera focuses on the three way basin. Tambi, CEO, Me. Tambi and I glance at each other, and he fires the first salvo. "Sir.. When are you launching Crest in India?". CEO smiles a la Buddha, "you'll know.."; and walks off. The door shuts.

And dreams are shattered. The post- match analysis begins. As does the reasoning. "Well, it all happened so quickly. Was a lot of pressure, you know.. couldn't think clearly. Intelligent question" Yeah, right. At least, it gave me the confidence that if and when this kind of a situation was to arise again, I've got it covered.
If and when...

Fast forward - 2010. Salesforce Headquarters. San Francisco, CA.

And I meet Marc Benioff, the chairman & CEO. Again, in the restroom.

I say, "Hi, Howz it goin'?" (that's my typical hallway greeting)
He smiles, and says "Good".

This time, I walk off :)
Well, so much so for an elevator pitch.

- A NoMAD

7 PM

2010-10-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Jalti dhoop mein, halki hawa chal gayi
Mila bharosa yaar ka, jaan phir sambhal gayi
Khwaish saans lein, zanjeerein pighal gayi
Saba umeed ko, mathe pe yoon mal gayi

Soone sehraoon mein hasrat pali hai,
Tofaan mein aaj yeh shamma jali hai

Shaayad hai yeh dosti, ya imaan ka asar
Aage kya likha, humko kya khabar...

Spending a lovely evening at home. The sun’s just about set.. leaving a zillion vermilion hues in the sky. What’s more amazing, is a sharp crescent dotting the horizon. The moon’s following the sun’s footsteps, and is about to say good night.. rather pretty soon! 7 pm, though not credited for a lot of things, is a magical hour tonight.

Just observing the evening sky, turning on some of my favorite songs on youtube.. and living in the moment.

Realize that I haven’t done this in a long while now.. I mean, doing nothing. Just staring away at the amazing view which nature almost offers us every day. Letting yourself go for five minutes in a day.

Without worrying about emails, statuses, bugs, deadlines, performance reviews, hikes, promotions, life.. or death.

Din mahak mahak gaya, raat machal machal gayi
Chaha zara tha ab magar, niyat badal badal gayi

Bechain zindagi sukoon paye,
Dil ki arzoo lab tak to aaye

7 pm. It’s uncertain. 5 pm, people wrap up work. 6 pm, people are still wrapping up work. 8 pm, my favorite show on tv. 9 pm, dinner time. 10 pm.. well, laptop time. 11 pm, sleep. Where’s 7 pm?

It’s right here, where the magic happens. It usually gets glossed over in commute.. in the train. Or stuck in some bad ass traffic jam.

I’ve discovered my 7 pm today. Will you, tomorrow? If yes, we’ll stare at the same sun, the same skies, the same passing clouds. And feel the one-ness.

That is you, that is me. That is us.

Imaan ka asar

Feel-good stories and Fantasy characters

2010-09-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Risk to spiderman ko bhi lena padta hai, mein to sirf superman hoon
(from the superman diaries)

Quite often the spiritual plane pierces through fantasy to enter the metaphysical realm. Humor brings about joy, joy leads to bliss. The dirty details are side-tracked for a poetic effect, glossed over by camera tricks to focus on the core message. Fantasy makes it digestible, fun and easy to watch; scraping boredom out of the spiritual equation. Things truly worth understanding are seldom spoken; and if spoken, they are seldom understood. If understood, they are rarely practiced. If practiced, they hardly ever form habits or become a part of your character.

These stories open the windows of our heart to the most important messages: speak the truth, seek your destiny, don’t cheat and ‘the secret is, there’s no secret sauce’. In this ever-changing world of harsh facts and numbers, cut throat competition and no-time-to-think-about-such-stuff attitude, watching a movie or reading a good book can be the ‘real’ experience. The experience which truly counts and makes all those numbers fuzzy, meaningless. Because the truth is out there, staring at your face, and the powerpoint slides merely mask it to present a totally bullshit picture.

When is the last time you had a hearty laugh, or saw the sunset without having to worry about the next message on the blackberry?

- The NoMAD

The HAM Theory of Efficiency - A Prologue

2008-09-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Written in a state of complete disbelief!

I want to do a lot of things in life. Play at least one good sport, exercise thrice a week, read some pages of a good book everyday, learn how to sing or play a musical instrument and write a small piece before going to bed - all short term, achievable goals. And everyday I find myself lying on my bed, before that last journey to the depths of sleep, thinking about what I've achieved - and invariably it’s a naught. Yeah, I do the stuff - I work, I earn; I pay my bills, my loans. I have a good name for myself in the social and corporate ladder. Few have traveled like I have - literally and figuratively. So, the world does not perceive me to be an under-achiever. However, in my own eyes, I often feel that am not reaching my everyday potential. Thinking inwards, the root cause is simply laziness. And this laziness is extrapolated when you live alone, without a family. There are some guys I know who are inherently disciplined and focused. They may not think about the bigger picture, or worry about what-if scenarios in five-year’s time. But, they fully live their lives today. And do their routine regular stuff on time. Get up on time, brush on time, go to office on time and eat on time. However, these guys lack what I call a knack-for-creativity. They measure each part of their lives. And that measure brings its share of productivity, but takes away the fun aspect. They seemingly achieve more, but they lack in depth. Let's call these folks Type H (H for hard-work). People like me on the other hand, have grandiose plans. Just plans though. We look at future with a vision - much beyond than the average realm of routine dust would allow. However, we strategize more, and execute less. Nawabi-style, is our way! We are the Type M. (M for complete madness).

And then, there is a third pedigree. The ones who seem to balance both. They are the filmy hero's in real life, without any flaws. They are gifted, and everything seems to be perfect in their lives! They typically belong to the upper middle class or rich families. They are over 6 ft, fair and have a great hair style. They are good at math while they flaunt their guitars. These folks hit the IIM's, go to Stanford and work at Microsoft. Though, at any given time they can quit all this, and return to the safe haven of their family businesses. They are disciplined, and their creative urge reflects in their work. But, nature has its own way of taking its revenge. Most often than not, they are ass-holes. They use their brains to connive and they have their hearts set at the wrong place. If they wanted, they could have done so much more, in a real positive way. They have the potential, and more importantly, their luck has given them the platform to touch people's lives the right way. However most of the time they make a mess of it. They have skewed relationships, and their life's a hell. And they themselves are responsible for all the chaos, because there was no shortage of any resource in any form at any time. Of course, these guys have straight A's all through. But we call them the Type A for another reason.

Today, as I was procrastinating on my sofa, listening to good old songs - I thought that my mom would not have allowed me to sleep in the evenings. She would have given me that hot cup of tea which I so desperately needed to kick some ass in life. And to think of it, I've missed that one cup of tea for almost 7 years now! Imagine, just if my breed had a little more discipline than what we have today, coupled with our other talents, we could have made a huge difference to the world. Today, I've managed to steer my life, and make a difference to the circle of people we refer to as near and dear ones. But just that, in the other case, the circle would have been much bigger. And that's what life is all about. It's about reaching out for more, changing the lives of others by bringing your own stuff to the table. Sometimes people go all out to achieve that fame, and do stuff just for the heck of it. But, what I am talking about is doing your own thing, in a way that it reaches out to more and more souls. Makes sense? I've always been a champion of efficiency (and that's one of the primary reasons I sleep so much or so little - so as to justify my productivity in my own eyes. If I can achieve 'X' even after sleeping for 16 hours, or sleeping only for 3 hours on other days - Imagine what I could achieve if I had a good, regular sleeping pattern?) Strange, but true. I constantly mark and review my own performance. I evaluate my achievements and benchmark them over what I could have achieved, and not what the world believes I've achieved. And I always somehow fall short of my own expectations. Good, in a way if you think it propels me to do more. Bad, because everytime the report card is out, I feel a bit depressed. Aware of my existence for almost three decades on this planet, and yet I've been able to touch only so many lives. I have a lot more to do, lot more to achieve. And this article is precisely about that - A written record of my internal assessment. I've failed, once more. However, as always, at the end of it, and through the moments of depression or solace, I've found a renewed energy, a rejuvenated enthusiasm - To be my best. And here I pledge to put my best foot forward.

Time to move my ass off this couch and have a refreshing shower.

- A NoMAD

Where Sabarmati Runs Right Through...

2008-08-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

Is Ahmedabad a divided city today?

The Link on IBN Live - Weekend edition with Rajdeep Sardesai

Ironically, the river which formed the life-line once, and hosted the ashram of peace by the Mahatma himself, finds itself torn between two identities. The old, walled city is where we used to do our Diwali shopping every year. However, don't remember the last time we went there - feels like ages! Ditto is the case the other side too, am sure! We're a city of 'ghettos' now, defined by boundaries of suspicion and walls of fear. I studied with people from all faiths, shared lunch from every tiffin-box, flirted with any beautiful girl! Not sure, our children can actually dream of the same in this city. They'll always look, behave and feel alienated on the other side of the river.

I don't want to keep pondering on who's right, who's wrong - because it's this blame game which fuels the fire of angst and anger. People kill and are prepared to die for irrational and unfaithful concepts like religion and god. What use is the concept of God if it takes real people's lives - leave apart protecting it?
But this is the city where people feed stray cows, proclaiming them as 'mata' - just so that the same cattle could create some more days of traffic jams, some more accidents which takes more lives! Sometimes, I really feel sorry for the community which has one of the best business acumens in the world - how did they fall for such a cheap trick? How do they fancy ghosts in the garb of religion and faith? How do they tolerate a benevolent dictatorship in the age of ripe democracies? I really believed once, what happens in Gujarat or UP foretells the political future of the nation. But, if this is what Gujarat stands for today (and lets not talk about UP anyways!) - I really pity the future of our nation. There's little optimism left, and almost no hope.

A simple question - If tomorrow the bad guys want to play with crackers, do we believe we have the mechanism to stop them? Serial blasts have become fashionable! After Bangalore, weren't cities like Ahmedabad supposed to be under 'Red alert'?? Still, 16 blasts took place the very next day - mocking the entire system!! What use are our intelligence agencies, if they cannot track blasts of such scales in advance, and that too in two growing cities of the country? If this is what Bangalore is susceptible to, imagine the plight of other B and C class cities, as populous but not as sophisticated or 'developed'. The terrorists must be having a hearty laugh at this self-created mess. We need to clean up our house, else there will be a lot of pests infecting us everyday. This is basic, common sense.

Ah, Ahmedabad - They say the city has grown in its seems, but the reality is that it's tearing apart under its own burden, rotting with its own garbage. The river no longer flows to connect shores, the bridges have been burnt since long..

- A NoMAD

The Unforgettable Tour

2008-07-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Reasons why the Unforgettable tour was actually, ‘Unforgettable’

1. Amitabh Bachchan

Well, do we have to say anything more? The charisma, the personality, the presence. Big B really proved why he is the most famous and the most admired Indian film actor across the globe. Apart from the spectacular stage presence, one had to really applaud his effort – even at the ripe age of 65! He sang his own songs – starting with my favorite ‘Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai’, to cherished numbers like ‘Main Hoon Don’ and ‘Rang Barse’… Truly iconic!

2. The Presentation

Wizcraft really did an amazing job of creating a wonderful stage, full of state-of-the-art props, pyrotechnics and audio-visual effects. The background dance troupe was from the stables of Shiamak Davar. Slick looks, sexy getup, not too-overt; and of course, incredible dance skills. Third was the Oracle Arena itself, with its magnificent aura and reverberating acoustics. Overall, all the aspects seemed to gel extremely well and looked rightly nurtured for the evening. No irritants or squabbles, is half the battle won!

3. Madhuri Dixit

Yes! Before Aishwarya Rai or Abhishek Bachchan – And for a moment, even before Big B. When Madhuri entered the show, after Big B had already performed, it really didn’t seem anyone could better him. However when she started swaying with Ding Dong Ding and gyrated along Dhak Dhak; I realized how grace always wins over style and sensuality over most skills. She sent a wave across the audience which was palpable yet mysterious, revered yet gorgeous.

4. Abhishek Bachchan

They say, well begun is half done. And boy, didn’t he begin well! Abhishek was the only artist who pierced the stage from the rear and through the audience (I was fortunate enough to be on the center aisle, and had a mild hand shake with him). The point being, he understood exactly what the audience wanted, judged its mood to the T – and gave them all that and more like a true ‘commercial’ artist. His songs were well chosen, upbeat numbers (Dus Bahane, Bluffmaster etc.); and he made sure that he shifted the focus of his two left feet by making the audience dance with him.

5. All other filler junta

Reitesh Deshmukh, Preity Zinta and Vishal & Shekhar. Each one did an ok to good job depending on the items. Almost all the punch performances were good. For example when Reitesh danced on Dekha Jo Tujhe Yaar Dil Mein Baji Guitar (don’t I love that song!); or Preity in Bhoomro Bhoomro. Vishal and Shekhar belted most of their hit numbers including latest ones like Bachna Ae Haseeno; albeit they were a bit too ‘loud’.

6. Aishwarya Rai

The Bachchan Bahurani was decent in parts. Her solo acts lacked the zip-and-zany effect which was the mood of the evening. However, when she performed Dola re Dola with Madhuri, or Kajra Re with the two B’s; some of the co-star magic did rub off! The only act where she stood her own ground to some extent was the piece from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam – also to be credited to the ethereal quality of the music and the setting, more than individual brilliance.

7. Amitabh Bachchan, again!

This time Mr. Bachchan came to the stage – without props, without the jing-bang, without any musical effects. His only company was a microphone and his sharp, deep voice which doled out a set of dialogues from his yesteryear hits. As the first words ‘Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata Hai’ reverberated across the auditorium, he had once again established his supremacy as The Gifted One, amongst other seemingly minor mortals. With ‘Ashru, Shwet, Rakth se Lathpath’ & ‘Naam, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan’ from Agneepath and ‘Aaj Khush to Bahut Hue Honge Tum’ from Deewar, he took away the crown of the best performer from Madhuri. Madhuri excelled in dance and beat him in movements; but he outclassed her just standing there, talking to us, and surpassed her with his stillness. Madhuri stole our hearts, Big B stirred our souls.

8. The Crowd, The City

San Francisco’s junta was as exuberant and lively as it could be that night, and this reflected in the performances too. People enthusiastically responded to every invitation and danced uninhibitedly yet maintaining a poise and decency which is not an easy characteristic to display for any gathering of human souls. Generally we tend to go too slow or soak up too much energy, somewhere damaging the potent cocktail of fun. But this evening, things were good – they were balanced the right way. Except for the delay in the start of the event (which was fully expected, for it was after all, a Bollywood star show!); things were picture perfect. And this did have its own affect on the ‘Unforgettable’ barometer.

9. $$$$$

Of course, any show for which you shell out 150 bucks might as well be mind blowing for its own good! Else, you know what the desi junta is capable off. Torn seats across zillions of cinema halls bear witness to many a bad evening of faltered appeasements. And didn’t the organizers and stars know it well. It had to be a ‘dollar vasool’ show, and you sure do vasool a lot for those many dollars!!

10. Clip, cut, cleave

Costume was best described as above. And no, the reference is not to the artists, but the aunties and their younger versions. By far, it was the largest display of shapes and sizes – and the best part was that it had the desi ‘tadka’ and that familiar flavor all over! ;) I know this sounds as cheap as cheap can be, but boy-o-boy – you bet the show was definitely under-priced!

The show was good in that it hid many things well – Aishwarya’s plastic appearance, Madhuri’s age, Abhishek’s stage-fear (the one I saw in his eyes as he passed across the aisle).

But, it was ‘Unforgettable’ for all that it revealed.

(Of course I mean things like ‘talent’ and ‘skill’ and ...)

- A NoMAD

War & Peace - A Perspective

2008-04-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

War against you, Peace for me!

We all agree that War is bullshit. It is something that can only cause more harm, more pain, and more destruction. We have spent aeons writing about peace. Yet, the world as it stands today is on the verge of many battles, many conflicts. The road to peace has been littered with the wastage of wars.

So, what can one do to put a final full stop to this phenomenon?

By writing such blogs and reading / appreciating poems of peace, are we even denting the prospects of another battle?

Is a Mother Teresa or Gandhi or Martin Luther an answer to all wars?

How many of those noble souls do we expect to walk by, to sacrifice all they’ve got to stop us from living the life of misery? After all, isn’t it my life, our life? Isn’t this too important to grant control to some ‘greater’ soul, however great he/she may be? What do I lack to become someone so noble, so peaceful?

Why can’t the world consist of more Gandhi’s than terrorists?

Do I write one more article here, vent out my frustration and thoughts on an electronic piece of paper, and then switch tabs to address the latest production issue? Is that all it consists of – this meek effort, this literal drop of an argument for peace in the ocean of tension and conflict all around us?

With such questions and many more lurking in the corner of my mind, I was reading a book. Buddha.

They say, when you have a query – open the page of a good book, any random page, and start reading. You shall find your answer there.

Maybe it’s the theory of being positive, the theory that what you are looking out for will be brought forth to you – if you strive with earnestness.

Chapter 19, the last chapter gave me a lot of answers. At least, openings to those answers, which I sought to decipher above.

The first and foremost – and probably the most powerful thought is – We all are ‘Buddha’. The Enlightened One.

But before I go there, let me elucidate why I think we need to believe in the above, and how ‘war’ and ‘Buddha’ are connected.

Consider this – Is War the only malady prevailing upon us? No – if one looks deeply, every war has a supposed ‘cause’. Someone stole my land – I shall wage a war over him. Someone insulted me – I shall wage a war over him. And so on and so forth. Anger results in war. And this anger is again an after-effect of something bigger.

Analyze any statement for which humans have waged a war – and one will find that something precious has been stolen from someone. The old saying cites wine, women and wealth symbolically. So, war is actually an after-effect. It is a symptom of a bigger disease, which in turn has a deep-rooted cause.

Buddha calls this disease ‘Suffering’, and he cites the root cause as ‘Attachment’.

Our ‘attachment’ to things/to people causes misery or dukka when that thing/person is no longer with us. However, if we analyze closely, and understand the roots of our philosophy – it clearly states that we are living in a state of illusion. Various cultures have given this illusion a different name, but probably the Hindu texts came the closest when they defined ‘Maya’.

Do we blindly believe in this philosophy? No! Test it out for yourself.

Ask questions. Seek answers.

Some really tough ones I’ve come across are – Are our parents not someone who we should be attached to? Do I not mourn the departure of a close friend? Shouldn’t one supposed to cry if he/she has lost his/her love?

The answer to all of the above – going by the philosophy of ‘Maya’ is No. The world is an illusion. All these supposed ‘attachments’ are the root cause of our misery. We lose one thing – and we grieve. So, the key is not to be attached to ‘anything’ – including ‘ourselves’. This includes our body, our materialistic identity. And one can do this, only if one starts identifying oneself apart from his/her ‘thoughts’. The mind, they say is a brilliant slave, but a cruel master. For a moment, your thoughts do not desert you. And this relationship is so close, that we become alter egos – we start identifying ourselves with our thoughts. And in the due course of time, we lose ourselves, and start believing our thoughts define us! I know this can be strange to read or comprehend at first, but a closer examination will reveal the purity of the argument.

So, in essence, to end all wars – the first step is to wage a war against your own thoughts – to question what you’ve been ‘taught’, to look beyond and find the truth; which in reality is just within you!

You are Buddha. The moment you shed your inhibitions, attain a clear vision – of peace, of joy; you shall be enlightened.

And a day shall dawn, when a thousand Buddha’s shall walk the face of earth, sowing the seeds of a spiritual revolution. That day, my friends – We shall write about peace, not war.

- A NoMAD

[Read Buddha (Deepak Chopra) and A New Earth (Eckhart Tolle) for deeper insights]

Finding peace at the window sill

2008-04-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am at peace with myself. I am Buddha.

This is beautiful… This feeling of being completely in sync with oneself… Some kind of resonance… The kinds, which oscillates so much – that it gives the impression of being totally still.

I could see the moist in the glass window today. As it faded, and played hide-and-seek with the sun peeking from amongst the leaves, a strange playfulness surrounded me. I would follow the edge of the moist, and land where it would stop. And wait… Wait for that ray of light to emerge again, and draw a vector straight into the heart of the moist figure… The ray would make it melt… Carve designs… As sensuous as a woman dancing on the edge, on the edge of reason…

On the edge is such a wonderful concept, such a heady potion. Completely balanced, as you stand on the edge… You know it’s perfect. That you are not taking up too much space… That you are nimble, agile, astute and alert… You are free… You are adventure… Sans risk! Because you have faith… Faith that you will not tumble, you will not fall…

If only, you may fly from thereon.

- A NoMAD

Cooks, Crooks... Or, Musicians

2008-03-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Cooks, Crooks... Or, Musicians.

As T.N Seshan learnt that I was from Pallakad (southern tip of the Western Ghats in Kerala), he asked me which one am i? I replied, am an MBA - you figure it out!

However, your genes leave you seldom. My great granddad had a restaurant in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar). When Burma and India officially split, a partition not talked about often, as the other infamous one - many families including mine had to leave our flourishing establishments in Rangoon and return to our native in and around Pallakad. Coimbatore, Erode, Gobichettypalayam in today's Tamil Nadu; and Pallakad, Guruvayur in Kerala.

Boundaries hardly matter. Your skills stay with you no matter where you head. So, as I spend my time posing as a consultant in the Silicon Valley, am secretly doing what my destiny has in store for me. I cook, and I sing. (The crook part of it is synonymous with the consultant part of it). Today I'm here to share with you The Secret, through a chosen recipe. A Secret which has been protected by Gods (remember, I'm from God's Own Country!?! ;) It has traveled through war and peace, through countries and continents; by air, sea or on elephant-backs. Today, ladies and gentlemen - Is a historic occasion. Not only because a secret is being revealed, but also because a rebel, a Buddha - is born. As you read ahead, traditions will be tattered, and conventions, broken. Free will, a soaring soul shall unleash the power of human choice - a choice which prostrates ancient wisdom, but not without a salman-khan twist.

Recipe of the Day: Corn, Tomato and Spinach curry

(A list of ingredients and quantities can be obtained by posting a comment to the author below. For now, the procedure follows).

Put some tel in a non-stick container with two ears. (Warning: Please note All the minutest details, any miss could lead to a potential disaster. Follow to the T)

Turn on the heat. (Oh ho... come on... don’t always think about 'that thing'. We're cooking here, as in a 'real meal'... As in... ufff... every statement has a loop & a hole it seems... Ohh... Cant help it, perverts!)

Put jeera, heeng (asafoetida, or whatever the angrez call it); red chili powder (of mizo mirchi fame, the kinds which Professor Pillai threatened to put in our arse if we acted naughty in school); haldi (harmless haldi, I like haldi - innocent haldi, not pungent, not sweet, not sour, not hot... helps you recover from cold when mixed with milk, or helps your roop to nikhrao if applied as vicco turmeric ayurvedic cream - twacha kee raksha kare antiseptic cream).

Mix well. Add onions, till brown. (The kind of brown which matches your skin color. Oh ho, No offence. Oh, Who said that that, who used that 'racist' term... Sa%*la.. Fuck#@.. Be@#$@#od, dare you not call me a 'racist'! Abusive, shameless! Using fowl remarks... #$@@#$ (The last word was 'badwaa rascal' - a common malayali swear word, not used anymore in English language)

Add beer (preferably cheap Heineken - Budweiser will make the dish more salty, Corona if you prefer a pungent taste. Trust me, Heineken is mild)

Tip: Take a few sips yourself, as the next part of the journey is darn tough.

Add a can of corn, a can of sliced tomatoes.

Parallely put palak (spinach) in a bowl. (Use of 'palak' was for the poetic effect, alliteration). Add some water, and put the palak (ha ha again, i like it! :) in a microwave for 1 min.

Add palak to the potent dish. (I know, potent was totally not-needed here, but - It starts with a 'P'! - remember, palak, potent - alliteration!)

Stir well, while adding some garam masala.

The art of cooking lies in being on the brim. Not too far, not too close. Not very confident, not too unsure. It's as nimble as a ballet, balancing a thousand stars around a sun in the platform not-as-vast as the universe! Chances of collision are huge, and a spoon of salt more could kill the entire effort. Especially, if you are on the verge of the third Heineken heading towards this last phase. Read on, carefully.

Add water with a bit of tomato puree. Mix well. For the truly brave souls, put some vodka (Absolut, and nothing else). Just a spoon is enough, to give that sparkling effect.

Mix more. (Alliteration with 'M')

Add some cheese. (This twist is not mentioned in the ancient scriptures, it is a direct result of an earlier experiment gone wrong with tortillas, which led us to a surplus of cheese, half micro waved, ready to be rescued)

Mix more. (Ah, I've done it again)

Any dish which is so 'liquid' in nature, needs some binder. Use 'sattu'. Add 1 spoon of sattu to half a glass of water, and pour the concoction to the dish. A healthy alternative to using besan, trust me!

Mix more. (I'm a genius, where's my Nobel!?!)

Put the knob of the burner to Mid-Low, and cover the non-stick container with two ears with its lid.

Let it cook itself for 2 minutes. (My ancient uncle said - The cook feeds himself. What he meant was - The food cooks itself. Burma being closer to China, South Indians of yore were poor in grammar once upon a time) Ah, no.. how dare you bring on the 'racist' comment again! You racist, you #$@@#$

('badwaa rascal').

Ok, now comes the final cut, the last stop. Adding salt. The trickiest part of the art, it’s filled with tension; a la tendulkar in his nervous nineties. You can score 99, but the last 1 run will put your name amongst the greats or the goats. Either you are heard, or you are a part of the herd. That's why, the most expert of cooks too will not give you a measure. Add salt to taste, is all they can say. Cheapsters. When I was a novice, training under the one who cannot be named (you don’t take the name of your ustaads, do you? Just put a hand to your ear, and you know the ustaad was a great soul.) Likewise, when my ustaad used to teach me how to cook, I would put my left hand to my right ear - and always bungle this one. Lifelong, his only comments were - More salt, less salt. Or - less salt, more salt. Never, no more salt, or no less salt. Over the years though, partially as a gift of the gods, as a legacy of the great genes - and partially through my own sweat - I've mastered this art. The secret, literally is to drop two, exactly two drops of sweat into the dish. It's watery-salty nature, lends a perfect blend, the aforementioned balance!

So, there you go. Serve the sabji/curry or whatever 'names' you need to give to the heavenly art - with hot rice. Or roti. Or tortilla-de-patatas. Or devour as soup (If you're too lazy like my room-mates to cook anything more).

The secret, or rather 'secrets' are out. All over the place, through this recipe. For more, please do drop in a 'fan' mail or a comment below.

May peace prevail. (Alliteration with 'P', I cannot believe I don’t have the FedEx # for my Nobel yet!)

- A NoMAD

Feb 22, 2006

2008-03-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

2 Women, 2 Conversations

Watching Music and Lyrics… & Pop, goes my heart………………

As I stand in the queue to get some popcorn for N in the interval, I see this girl... Standing right next to me in the café queue…

Epic Proportions: I exclaim!

What?

I mean, those proportions could start off an epic… I… I didn’t mean they are ‘epic’… As in, no… yes, they are huge… but, that’s not what I probably meant in the first place… or, meant… but…

All you guyz are the same…

Come on…

What? Aren’t you?

Yes, v r!

Earlier in the day, called up D…

D (Panting) (waise, I luv the word… wonder watz its origin?!) :)

‘Oops… Guess I’ll call up later…’

‘Shut up! Am in the gym’

Oh! … Yeah, thought so…

Of course! U did…

Wazzup with u?

I’ll like to stick to what the elders say… One round in the bed is equivalent to six in the park! Ha Ha Ha... No gym whim for me.

(Nah, if you are looking for a 'start' and a logical 'end' to this piece, not quite like it. It's like those intellectual Malayalam movies. As soon as you just start understanding what's going on, in all that darkness... The End symbol flashes. When deeply pondered though, these movies have a lot to say, and eventually go on to win a lot of awards... True masterpieces that they are! ;) :) )

- A NoMAD

About Ghosts…

2008-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ghosts are of various types…

But here, we’re talking about the conventional ones… The RGV ‘Bhoot’ types…

But first, why are ghosts ‘born’?! According to all these movies/stories… Something ‘unusual’ happened in their lives, and they, perhaps met a ‘premature’ death… (Though, still don’t believe ‘death’ can be anything but ‘unusual’…) J

Anyway, considering the above is true, even for the sake of argument, say, we ‘meet’ a ghost…

And this ghost, at worst will be responsible for our death.

(In fact, isn’t that our primary fear anyways?! Who fears ghosts? We actually fear death!

Case in point, ‘friendly’ ghosts! Remember Gayab Aaya, or Bhoot Uncle, or Naseer in Chamatkar… etc etc…)

So, coming back to our base premise, say we meet a ghost, who is responsible for our death…

But then, because we’ve had an ‘unnatural’ demise (come on, dying ‘cause of a ghost is by all means unnatural and unusual!); we ourselves would become an ‘aatma’…

And then, only good lord save that ‘ghost’! Will of course kill him/her again!

Moral of this chataqua: Don’t fear a Ghost! One, we don’t know if they exist, and even if they do, who’ll save them from themselves!?!

- A NoMAD

Love Actually

2008-03-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

Love Actually, is everywhere. (Dont I love this line too!?!)

Is it too late to write about love?

28th Feb. Time to move on. As The Valentine Month comes to a chocking end, let us see what love has in store for us?

The laws of the universe (and Yash Chopra) dictate that there is one soulmate for everyone. Someone, somewhere is made for you.

And there starts the chaos. A simple look at the male:female sex ratio, and the magic gets lost in the logic!
Here to look at the interlock and de-code the ultimate Yash Chopra code (which coincidently made him a millionaire, not a bad myth haan!?!)

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.

Aha, wait! Not so simple. Start attaching live variables to this simple axiom, and you know the real magic behind the scenes...

Re-examined:
Boy A loves Girl A. Girl A loves Boy B. Boy B loves Girl C. Girl C loves Boy D. and so on and so forth.
Other variations to the axiom: The famous love triangle. When superimposed, these triangels integrate, with many common nodes, forming a complex pyramid-like structure. All of us burried souls in the dead-weight of such mind-boggling confusion.

Then why does a spider fall into its own web? Trapped, silly-looking... All set to die. Why does it kill itself, commit a romantic-suicide? Not once, not twice... But time and again, till the time it's so-called attractiveness quotient dies in the romance-market, or it's hormones give away and are unable to respond to the needs of the opposite sex?

No idea. It's something like bungee-jumping. You just love the thrill. The thought. The concept... The wonderful 'feeling' of falling-in-love. Though, you know that the ropes have severed in the past... Only to let you loose in the dark abyss of solitude and tears.

Nah. But there you are... Ready to jump again. Shahrukh features in his 400th romantic flick at the age of fourty... And you're all set to whistle the love song, set it as your caller tune.
From tujhe dekha to, to aankhon mein teri... From Kajol to Deepika... The romantic love stories are the same. But what happens when the movie ends? The popcorn's over. The theater is empty, dark, ravaged and stinking.

You make promises to yourself.

And you break them. Only to get set for a new show. With a new audience. A new hero, a new heroine.

I'm ready to fall in love. All over again. Hopefully, this time - I'll soar. And fly. Nevertheless, I'll take this chance. And even if someone cuts my rope, strangles my belief - I know it's worth dying for!
Isn't Yash Chopra smiling?

- A NoMAD

Just saw The Shawshank Redemption

2007-08-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Hope – a powerful word, an even powerful feeling.

In life, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. No matter what! There will be a thousand things that may be wrong. Unjust. Unfair.

But you’ve got to have a way of getting back at things. The right way. Your way.

Not all battles are won on the ground. Some, are won here, right in the mind.

Have a dream. Chase it. Win it. Move on. Live life at the seam. Live life for the moment, at the moment – because of the moment.

Stop for a while, pause. See the blue sky, stare at the ocean. Watch the birds fly. Listen to the silence.

Read. Watch good movies. See a good game. Listen to melody, a beautiful voice, soothing… Strings playing at perfect tandem. Beats, rhythmic. Dance to the tune. Freely.

You are not a slave if you dance to the tune of life. You are the king. You’ve made the choice. You are enjoying. Know, that the music is for you. You are the centre of your universe.

No guilt. No remorse. No harsh-feelings.

You are free. If you think you are.

Even if you think you aren’t.

Perceptions don’t change the truth. Truth is one. Dual are perceptions.

Be strategic. Take small steps, but know where they’re headed. Look ahead. Look beyond. Know what might be in store. Prepare. Don’t worry. Just be calm, and work. Work smart. Work with attention. Focus. Work freely, without straining your brows.

Know that money is in the mind. It’s just a ‘concept’ - floated to make lives better. Don’t lose your life for money. Don’t lose your peace, your love, your conscience – for money.

An old boat by the sea, a sleepy house… comfortable bed, warm food, affectionate people to live with – are much more worth than all the millions you gain to lose them. Don’t live to prove something to ‘people’. To someone, who does not even care if you live or die? Really. People may repent losing you, but life moves on. No one really bothers, until it affects them the most. What still bothers people is how would they live? Or, the memories – past and future. The time we spent together was so wonderful. I could have done much more. I needed to tell him that I loved him. I never got the chance to tell her how beautiful she looks when she smiles. I always wanted to hug her. I always wanted to say you are the best ever. “I”, I, I.

Live life for yourself. Take care of the people who truly care about you. Give them the small and big joys of life. Because in their eyes, you will meet your reason to live. You will meet your happiness. You will find the inspiration to work, the reason to create and contribute. But don’t get carried away. Greed is bad. Anything which poisons the positive ‘happy’ status quo, is bad. We tend to find solace in status quo.

But, if you are happy about it, and strategically – it works for you in the long run – Boy! You’ve found your reason to live. You’ve found your heaven on earth. You’ve found your moksha. The next time, you may never ‘live’. Because, you know how to live, you don’t need a second chance to improve.

- A NoMAD

Shastri's Shastra

2007-08-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

Shastri's Shastra...

These are some dialogues of Prof. Shastri (Rama Shastri) of Symbi fame. Anyone who has passed through the annals of any Symbi b-school; can never forget this amazing Marketing Prof, and his unique style of teaching the fundas of Mr. Kotler's book!

Dedicated to the one and only, Shastri! (a thread can be found on Orkut, where all his devotees congregate and discuss the sermons)

=========

Arey baba don't compare 'myercedess' with maruti

This boy/girl is like a dog trying to catch its own tail!!

U pig headed engineer, U r not getting anything...

This girl is like a candle...only good to c but no light when burnt...

How will choose a wife among many girls? Will u test all of them will u compare all? How can u compare different girls having different qualities, so how can u compare whirlpool with godrej

Arre baba you want to marry Aishwarya Rai...tell me frankly u want to or not? But are you able to satisfy all her needs...have you thought whats going to happen to you after that....?!!

Success makes a man jump like a monkey!

HLL is a bad boy

Don’t give a diamond necklace to ur girl friend on first date. Give her a flower.

This joint venture is like two gay fellows trying to make babies"!!

How can u compare a donkey wid a horse ....similarly how can u compare Nirma wid HLL

If a lady is pregnant, how long can she hold...
she has to deliver, she cant hold more than 9 months...
… so what are u waiting for ...come and give ur presentation... ;)

Ur value proposition statement should neither be a bikini nor a skirt

Look at this angry man... look at this mad illiterate woman....

Accha!!! Now Sardarji will tell... Khade ho jao... You know sardarji is very intelligent ... you know whet is your target market segment?

“This is just like mixing of a drop of cyanide in the barrel of apple"
This he says at the time of Brand erosion.

When rambha menka and urvashi will dance in front of u and all naked, will u close ur eyes and if yes then u r not a boy

This boy has got no brains... a perfect yerwada case...

If brand building would be so easy then every Tom Dick and Harry will open their companies

Would u like a Virgin brand which haaas no unnecessary line extensions r would u like a brand which is not a virgin.....

These students r like "little hanumans"! They have tremendous potential but r themselves not aware of it!

Why don't you do one thing GO and jump into mulla mutha river

Look at this buoy...hes talkin like a Hindi filim hero...just beatin around the bush nt cmin to the puoint...

This booaauuuy is traaying to be a man and a woman at the same time ... is it possible

Girls having a gud geography always had a bad history.........

If u marry a fatty lady, and have 4-5 fatty kids, which car will u buy.... u will need a tata safari!

Some guy in our class was telling Rama his own view point...to tis he replied...."I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME LADY...I M LOOKING FROM THE FRONT AND UR LOOKING FROM THE BACK"....

You have jumped into the pool full of hungry crocodiles.....!! (Presentation time)

All fresh girls are not beautiful and all beautiful girls are not fresh.......

How will you convert a company image from marketing slut to marketing stud?

Be number conscious of figure and figure conscious of number

This sardarji is Double BUddhoo

Girl: sir, i met a young entrepreneur by the name of 'Rajeev' who said that he just jumped into entrepreneurship and is very successful today. He did not all the calculations that u talk about. Then isn’t that a better way to start a new venture??
Rama sir: this pooor girl doesn’t know that for every successful 'rajeev' there are 200 'sanjeevs' who fail. Arre baba what i m saying is that these method can help redushe the rishk.

A manager should look for virgin market & then exploit it...

Why r u aal making so much noise? Do you want me to use the "f" word? tel me!

You can’t satisfy two women at the same time, there must be a trade off between them

(Trade off concept! :)

A perfect balance sheet is like a beautiful and sexy girl
Heavy top (revenues)
smaaalll middle (costs)
Heavy bottom (profits)

Perfect promotional offers are like mini-skirts
show a lot still hide the actual content

This Girls says --- She would put Cherry Blossom on her lips

Hard Working MBA's Drink “Old Monk”

Marketing is like katte kotte tecche... (Telugu)...
Explanation is as follows...in our telugu we say that… which means in ramayana...hanuman built the bridge(katte).....Ram killed ravan(kotte).....and brought back sita(tecche). Just like Ramayana marketing is also the same

(Probably used as an example to regain lost market share… :)

- A NoMAD

The Concept of a Nation

2007-08-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

This is a popular post called The Concept of a Nation, featured in Haftamag.

Just to keep the continuity, I'm adding the relevant comments which flowed in with the post.

The Concept of a Nation:

“How will you show affection for you country publicly”? : Shouts TOI, on the eve of our Republic Day.

This day, I stand to examine my thoughts on Nationhood. How relevant, important, misrepresented or misunderstood it is.

When was the first nation born?

How did the concept of a Nation take shape?

Which was the first ‘country’ to divide earth?

How many lives have been lost till date protecting these imaginary lines on a map?

How many times have these lines changed, many a times belittling the so called ‘sacrifice’ of humans?

Is the death of a soldier not just another surrender at the alter of our bloated and imaginary egos? – Egos which are as imaginary as the lines on paper.

In fact, while examining the concept of a nation, two allied thoughts cross the mind. The concept of Religion and that of The Armed Forces (or the concept of a soldier).

We take great pride in concepts of Religion, Nationhood and The Armed Forces.

So much so, that these three concepts are considered sacrosanct, holier than the holiest grail. To question them, their origins, their purpose and if they are in fact serving their true raison d'etre is extremely sacrilegious.

We shall inspect these associated threads in the next couple of parts of the same post.

But first, let’s just talk about The Nation.

Various perspectives that run through the mind while examining the concept are:

Nationhood versus individuality:

Nationhood versus individual identity

Nationhood versus individual progress

Nationhood versus individual excellence

Nationhood versus individual sacrifice

Nationhood versus The State; And Forms of Government

Nationhood versus Individuality

Ayn Rand was supposedly the first proponent of the concept of objectivism.

If everyone lived up to ones utmost potential, being completely devoted to oneself and ones capabilities, only then, would the world witness uninhibited and quintessential progress.

This also spelt liberation.

Liberation from so-called norms set up in various forms by numerous structures involving multitudes of congregating people.

These structures could be given various names – societies, unions, organizations and of course – countries.

And the most common argument for the formation of such congregations is that humans are in-fact, ‘social’ animals. So, taking this as a birthright and forming a universal premise out of it, we could build any number of groups, give them various names and shade them according to our level of convenience - and mediocrity. Anyone, who wishes to tear that invisible cover, is well, challenging the ‘righteous’. To go against what is essentially ‘right’ is downright foolish, downright evil.

However, setting up this background, let us narrow down to what my reservations are against the concept of a nationhood in this regard.

First and foremost, let us put down why would a line be drawn on the face of the earth to give birth to a nation?

Guess, it started off from humans trying to protect what they felt is just their own. The first farmer, would perhaps have built a boundary across his land, and claimed his/her stake on it. Anyone who wanted to utilize that resource would have to be essentially stronger than him/her. It obviously did not matter, if they could in fact collaborate, and perhaps get more by sharing that piece of land. Driven by part insecurity, part ego, partly the instinct to secure his and his family’s survival – he would live to protect his land – and perhaps die in that endeavor as well.

As people live in groups, this concept extends to form a community. A community forms a village. Villages form states and nations.

But what drives these formations – in the root of it all - is that sense of insecurity, an ersatz ego.

However, it does not stop there. Somewhere down the line, greed takes over.

‘What is necessary?’ is no longer the question.

Accumulate all that your might lets you own becomes the mantra. Wars are waged. People die. And all this then becomes a part of what is called ‘culture’. Our values are twisted and it is taught to us in a synchronized, yet sinister framework, that it is glorious to die for them!

Land becomes one of the leading causes for man to abandon his ‘animal’ instincts. Animals kill only when they are in dire need. Humans begin to build false edifices in their collective conscience, and slowly, this entire system becomes – a norm.

Everything after that is structured. Everything is given a legal name, a moral justification.

Human beings are grouped and trained to kill. An Army is formed. It is now glorious not only to be a part of that structure, but the more you kill, the better. You are in fact a protagonist, if you have ‘sacrificed’ YOUR life for the sake of that structure. You are given incentives to do so. We form awards, we give medals.

Slowly the structure evolves, to levels where many brains are being consumed and devoted just for its betterment.

We build more sophisticated weaponry. In fact, people who help in advancing the capability to more demonic levels are greater heroes.

A nuclear scientist becomes the nation’s icon, its first citizen beyond compare.

I remember a run-of-the-mill flick once posing the question, why did someone design and build a bullet? After all, it is only capable of taking a life!

But such scientific advances are given more grants. The ‘nation’ spends 2/3rds of its GDP in ‘defense’ related expenditure.

Guess this is a good spot to introduce the other major perspective:

Nationhood versus The State; And Forms of Government

Bimal Jalan in his book, The Future of India: Politics, Economics, Governance, makes a distinction between ‘The State’ and ‘The Government of the day’.

The State, he says, is a utopian concept designed to extract the best out of a given pool of resources. These resources, be it land, the people or other raw materials such a minerals etc., would have to be consumed in such a way that it is beneficial for the society as a whole. This would require a framework to be built around the land which The State governs, and most often than not, this framework advocates generally accepted and universal principles of goodness. We could call The Constitution a representation of this framework.

However, how elegantly are these principles applied in real-life, depends on The Government of the day.

It may often twist and tweak the rules, bend, and sometimes blatantly break them!

How many times have we seen injustice meted out? How many times have ‘tainted’ ministers continued to rule? How many times have people greased their way through the so-called system? How many times!?

And this is where the difference between The State and The Government becomes stark.

This is where the very purpose with which a nation was formed is defeated.

To further poke my point, let me cite an example.

What comes to the mind when we hear of the word ‘Servant’?

Etymologically speaking, a servant is one who ‘serves’. Simple, right?

Now, append the term, ‘Government’ to the above.

Government Servant.

Now, what comes to the mind?

Typically, a babu with unlimited rights? Rights to obscure your own fundamental rights! Generally, he/she is supremely powerful in his own bastion. Impregnable as they are, you would have to grease the palms of the entire hierarchy before you are even deemed fit to have an appointment. In fact, it becomes such a way of life, that people have started making comic and sarcastic serials around them… Anticipation of the next episode of Office Office, brings ‘humor’ as its primary expected ingredient, rather than ‘apathy’ or simple, plain ‘abashed-ness’.

Nehru, in his now-famous Tryst With Destiny speech, made a reference to the ‘seva-bhaav’ which he hoped and expected out of the government servants. However, what we now get is only ‘bhaav’… The concept of ‘seva’ is buried somewhere deep inside the maya of ‘meva’. Service, as an attitude, as a way of life, as a philosophy to be practiced is out of question!

Don’t quite know where things went wrong.

Concepts were formed with a noble intention.

But their execution has been abysmal at best, forcing us to question the very existence of that concept in the first place.

As I said, they’ve become so sacrosanct now, that questioning them itself is an act of blasphemy.

We all applaud a Rang De Basanti.

It is cinema. Controversial, but at least it forces us to think differently.

When will the reel-life ‘shift in thought process’ reflect in real-life?

Or, is it doing so, already?

===

Comments for the Concept

A well written article.

Boundaries only serve to do one thing- divide. These days, the concept is, boundaries give you freedom to do what you want in your area; as long as you can sustain the area, that is. Look at what Saddam did while he made those boundaries. And then, someone meaner and stronger came up and took it all away from him, only making things worse.

On another topic, we have indeed forgotten what the word "service" means. So right when you say "only "bhaav" remains while "Seva" has lost itself somewhere in this huge milling crowd where humbleness is considered as a sign of weakness.

Cheers to the author on his thoughts. Wish there were more people thinking. They say, greatness comes to you when you start thinking, along with wisdom. Keep thinking and act upon it. You'll make it big in the world.

We'll ask the ETs to take you away and bring back more like you.

Felicia | Homepage | 03.28.07 - 4:32 pm | #

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Kudos to the Author. Thoughts reflected in the article,are signs of a'free mind' that all of us are endowed with at subtle level.It is just because the "conditioning" that various societies have imposed on us, since ages, that too many layers are formed in our consciousness to see the right perspective behind formation of any concepts that have been formed. I do agree with the statement " Concepts were formed with a noble intention,but their execution has been abysmal at best,forcing us to question the very existence of that concept in the first place."

By digging deep inside us and realizing our individuality first, only can we get rid of overlapping layers that has 'Conditioned' us from generations.No wonder,this Conditioning presents lot of confusions and contradictions in front of us ,be it any concept,theory or belief..Just by keeping the awareness about our true nature and by keeping the focus shifted towards honing up our individual growth,we would see ,by being in any nation theory of "Vasudaiv Kutumbkam" is actually working.

Points raised in the article create lot of ripples in the mind and provoke us to think more.For this 'Sriram' really deserves the applause.

Anjani | 03.28.07 - 8:03 pm | #

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hey, was a real good post...ya really made ourselves think of something which we hadn realised all this time..like this was within us somewer but it is now being questioned good that u made the point of all coming down to rage over imaginary stupid lines on the map...and yaa sense of service right on that note as well..having said all this hope i can do something towards the positives of it although i doubt it still something to think off..anyways kidos dude nice post..

Gaurav | 03.29.07 - 12:12 am | #

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Kutta, i must say.. gud work..! esply dat state and govt of da day one...kewl presentation in a simple way.. yet i must say..i disagree wid one line..."To go against what is essentially ‘right’ is downright foolish, downright evil."

well i was under da impression dat... there exists a very narrow line btw right and wrong..as the right and wrong boundaries vary wid each person..nyways...u hav xpressed ur thots very well...abt da line drawn on the face of the earth to give birth to a nation? ..indeed as i always hint to u..u r an ET!!

Neelima | 03.29.07 - 2:23 am | #

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I like what you have written. World is a projection of an individual - an individual is not because of the world around. One should be brave enough to argue with what is considered to be 'correct' by the folks of the community. This is possible only if a man thinks for himself what is right and wrong by going deep within his self and ask basic questions. Sometimes there would be answers, at other times there would be none, sometimes right answers would appear wrong and wrong would appear right. Finally a balanced mindset would be reached where patiently one would wait for the truth to reveal itself, without any hurry to agree to an answer to reach a fleeting state of satisfaction where one thinks that one knows, but that is only self deception. Right and Wrong & Correct and Incorrect are marks on sand that fade away and are redrawn with the movement of waves of time and people. It is important to be kind, patient, loving and peaceful without any concern for what is right and what is wrong...

'Outside the arena of right and wrong, there is a big field where you and i and hopefully the whole world would meet to celebrate our lives. '

Anshuman Singh | 03.29.07 - 3:40 am | #

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Thats what we call 'A Whack on right side of the mind'.

You thought very different. Much different than what we kept thinking since last 1000s of years. Your article can spark a global debate on the way this planet life is organized. Its not just a human, but there will be many entities who are affected. Talk about animals, trees, water or the land itself. The variety created by nature itself may cause a question of 'why?'.

The sense of 'Ownership' may be questioned !! The sense of ruling may be questioned. Oops... I am leading towards a famous saying in Gajarati language:

Jar, Jamin ne Joru, traney kajva na chhoru.

Means: Gold, Land and Female; all three are mean for greed.

Is this the golden rule working since 5000BC till today?

Atul Thakker | 03.29.07 - 4:04 am | #

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wow...u started off with Ayn Rand moved to the first citizen....to bimal jalan & ending with rdb.....this is variety.....this is way of life.....this is sri...

nice articles & it is very difficult to put the thoughts in the words...bt must say very good effort...

will definitely keep coming back to you for more.

himanshu

himanshu | 03.29.07 - 4:58 am | #

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Let me start by putting some abstract question… what really brought the whole concept of nationalism in your mind? More importantly, had anyone ever thought like you before or not and if they have, what have they done about it and why or why not?

As I understand it, you are partly right about concept of nation is based on part ego and might.. which may be true.. my only reservation is if it is really wrong.. until someone works for it ppl would not value the assets they own… it is correct that noble thoughts of sustenance and protection would drive this demarcation initially and is finally corrupted by power and convenience. But what I think now is whether there is any other way human kind could have alternatively evolved and would that be better.

I think that it is still the animal instinct that governs our emotions and it is this emotions that lead to concrete decisions that shape the concepts of nations and any other concept. Why a group of ppl cannot take collective decision has more to do with inability to do so rather than choice. Since we ‘feel’ differently we can never arrive at the same decision which would more often than not lead to anarchy. And thus nature came out with a unique concept of hierarchy.

If we look at any other organism (except humans and viruses) over many centuries hierarchies would appear. Leaders are chosen based on power and then the others follow the leader. This saves the situation where different emotions would exercise different actions which would windfall into an uncontrollable situation.

NOW FOR THE GOLDEN QUESTION? Being educated and having more understanding are we behaving differently. I think we are. As I understand it now there is no correct line of thought. You think in a way because you have had a different line of events which affected you differently. And having different views battling each other would slow the pace of development which would give the more weak more time to adapt else they will perish without a chance. I don’t think it is wrong. And nature still has ways to correct the wrong ‘developments’ in humankind. They take shape of wars (which often happens because the demand for resources surpasses that are available), natural calamity or even disease.

And that’s the way it is. The way government thinks also change over a time. Different agencies or bodies would become powerful if there function becomes relevant for eg. as AIDS becomes widespread (read ‘relevant’) the smaller agencies have become powerful enough to command concrete steps being taken by governments.

In course of such development there are losses and like I said that’s the way it is.

I like to believe that if there is a better way to live it will find its way into our lives. The differences will be ironed out if it is so required for the survival of mankind. Till then everyone has a role to play. However I am still unable to answer who or what decided that role for you…

Rahul | 03.29.07 - 6:14 am | #

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Kudos Buddy..good one...

Well well well... too many pointers... but i feel its all a matter of one thing "CONTROL" ... one wants to take control .. one accepts..other denies...one finds happiness in the controlled environment .. some revolt against it ... and some find a way out of it... whatever it is land...to..thoughts.. and what comes between is everything from man to man made things... thats what i feel... I guess its the matter of striking balance on controlling and getting controlled ...

Yuvaraj | Homepage | 03.29.07 - 8:32 am | #

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World Cup Finals Nite......

2006-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

HAS BEEN A LONG LONG TIME INDEED...

It's one of those promises I made to myself, but like most of them, couldnt fulfil it.

To write a blog a day.

Anyways, as they say, Jab Jaago Tab Sawera (When you wake up, then morning)

So, today, as the Azzuris take the place as the Football's latest Champions, I'll take this solemn oath, all over again... Much in the Italian style, with flair, without repent or remorse over past faliures! I shall indeed strive to write more regularly. (Politically correct statement, I guess ;)

Kuch bhi kaho, whatever the Italians do, they do have a style statement associated with it.... As a friend of mine put it aptly... Be it their food (pizzas to pastas...), or culture, or architecture or cars.....

Personally, every world cup game so far, has been a battle of dil vs. dimaag... Though the heart would support one team (usually, the underdogs), the mind would say something totally different! This was no different...

Italy were on a roll all through... Amazin performances... and enroute to the finals they had crushed teams like Argentina and Germany...

However, the heart went out for Zinedine Zidane... The 34 year old came out of nowhere, to lift his country to the final stage of grabbing that all coveted golden trophy!

But what promted him to hurt the opponent in such a brutal fashion, prompting even his ardent fans to agree that that act certainly deserved a red card?! Its still a mystery to me... France gave up, they gave in... Perhaps, they deserved to lose........

Ofcourse, before I end this piece, cannot but mention my personal favorite, Shakira! performing live at the event opening-As the wise one said-Hips dont lie... What a way was that to set the stage on fire!?

- A NoMAD

Bekhudi...

2006-06-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Kamal Sadanah and Kajol flick... 1.50 am - the song- 'Ayegi meri yaad... dil poochega sawaal, to dekhke yeh rumaal, mujhe yaad karna!"... wat a thought!

Am kinda drunk, as i post this... had a party thrown by all the new-commers in the Crm team...

Also, kinda happy, as L - a team member, but more of a friend - announced his marriage today! 3rd of next month... and this post is dedicated to him!
His dreams... his wishes... his happiness....!!

Comin back home... turned on the TV, and chanced upon this movie... Kajol at her naive best... and unforgettable songs like 'Mujhe kya pata, mera ghar hai kahan... Jahan teri marzi, tu le chal wahan!'... : )

All for the good ol' romance... the innocence... the happy-fairy tale-ending!

- A NoMAD

Duty Free Dubai !!!!!!!!!!

2006-05-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Duty Free!

Posting this piece from Dubai Airport. My flight has been announced...

Have just shopped for chocolates... Lotsssss of em! :)

Samsung has provided this wonderful service here... Amazin 21 inch flat screen PCs... where ppl waitin for their flights can simply log in, and post such time-pass pieces!

Kuch bhi kaho, Dubai mein kuch baat hai... want to write a lotttt about it... So, coming soon... Destination Dubai - My experiences...

Till then,,,

Khuda Hafiz!

- A NoMAD

02 May, Tuesday

2006-05-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

What is So Good about this Morning?!!

Woke up at 7.30 (a good achievement and feel-good factor to start off the day). Thanks to Bai's persistent efforts at ringing the door bell with such unflinching dedication and a rhythm so chaotic that in a somnambular action, my feet themselves dragged on, my hands unintentionally reached the latch to open the door. And then, as they say, the rest was history!

All the technically correct things were to follow. Read ET. Folded the bed-sheet. Switched off the alarm from the snooze mode. Got half a liter of milk and three bananas for breakfast (had purchased Bournvita a couple of days ago, anticipating this day).
Brushed my teeth.

Then came the hideous part. Took up TOI and switched on CNN IBN with breakfast.

Story No.1: 32 killed in Doda. Army summoned. People helpless. Vouch for Hindu-Muslim peace (The news room person greets the reporter Good Morning . Pls. brief us on the ground realities.)

Story No. 2: Protest march in Delhi. Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh to join in. (RDB revisited?) (Again, the conversation starts with a Good Morning greeting.)

Story No. 3: Suryanarayana cremated. Before time, like his rendezvous with death. Without state honors, because the family was concerned about the second wife’s tantrums. Could not live in peace. Nor could he die with it. (Good Morning greeting, continues)

Story No. 4: Violence in Baroda. Curfew imposed. City tense. A Dargah (along with a lot of temples, houses, shops… basically whatever came in the way of the court-orders) razed. Communal hue given to the episode. Will Gujarat burn again, and again, and again… (Good Morning, I told you na… its customary)

Shut off the TV. Switched to ET from TOI.

Reached office, well almost on time, weathering a bad traffic jam because of a dim-witted truck driver, taking reverse on a one-way! Felt the heat. Pollution. Felt hopeless.

One of the first mails of the day, a Congratulatory one. My friends who had joined from the same college completed one year at Satyam today. Truly, a great achievement in this ephemeral world of IT.

Second one, again a Congratulatory mail. My first onsite-implementation project in Thailand goes live today!! Got an expressive mail from the boss appreciating the efforts of the entire team. Priceless!

Of course, got a mail from Sidin, someone I look up to in the field of blogging.

Have added a couple of new friends on Orkut, going for the third cuppa chapi (chai-coffee for the uninitiated). Took a credit-card call. So much so for the other achievements of the day.

Life moves on, and we find solace in status-quo. Wondering, what is so good (or so bad) about this morning?

- A NoMAD

May Day

2006-05-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

One more bites the dust...

Outrageous is not the word. After a couple of days of high drama and tension, Suryanarayana was finally beheaded. May his soul rest in peace.
Saw this news yesterday night, and could not put down the remote for a long time.

There were apparently a lot of gainers too. For one, the media, which so indecently covered the entire story, not even letting his wife cry in peace.

But the biggest sham and shame lie in the way the Indian beurocracy has handled this episode.

The day when the news broke out, Shyam Sharan - India's Foreign Secretary, issued such a bland and indifferent statement from his car as reporters were making a bee line to hear his reaction. His face almost bore a nonchalant look, and he said something which tantamounted to the fact that Surya (and his likes) should be taking care of themselves... (Oh ho, they have put Me into trouble once again!) He grossly laid the blame on the company deploying workers in such sensitive areas, and put the entire responsibility of ensuring the workers' safety on the company's shoulders.

Yes, the people and organizations working in such areas do earn their share of profit. However, how fair is it to totally pin the responsibility on them? Is the government not earning any amount of 'goodwill' (an important intangible asset) in the entire transaction? Statements like we-will-not-give-up-supporting-Afghanistan can come only on the back of facts like there are 3000 + Indians working in that country (and a lot of them are in private firms), helping the reconstruction of Afghanistan by providing invaluable service in sectors like Telecom, IT, Agriculture, Education and other Infrastructure areas. Forget the private sector, the government could not even prevent the slaughter of Muniappan, who was an employee of the Border Roads Organization.

India does not have a clear-cut policy on terror. On one hand, it firmly says that there is no question of negotiating with the terrorists, while on the other; there are incidents of the release of dreaded terrorists. The first such incident was that of Rubaiyya Sayyed, daughter of Mufti Mohammed Sayyed. Even in the Kandahar episode, three international terrorists were released against 150 passengers. But for every such 'soft' approach, there are cases of a Muniappan, or Surya - who were willfully sacrificed at the alter of dualistic policies.

While the State (including Mr. Sharan) today glorifies Surya, as a son-of-the-soil, who was a dedicated and fearless employee, there is no doubt in the fact that they have let down so many of Indians risking their lives in such perilous regions. Just by giving an ex-gratia of 5 lakhs (which was a request made by the PM to the CM of AP), the government cannot be absolved of the sheer lackadaisical attitude it has displayed in this case.

The simple question to be asked is, whether the terrorists even think twice before beheading an Indian, vis-à-vis an Israeli or a US citizen? Is the life of an Indian so cheap? How long will we continue to adopt a 'soft' or dualistic approach?

Today is May Day. For one, it stands as a mark of respect to all the Workers who toil for their people. May Day is also a symbolic cry for help in a dire situation.

- A NoMAD