aravindan umashankar

If imagination were horses the partriots will be riding them leading us into a resplendent rainbow horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sat, 10 May 2014 03:39:00 +0000

The continuous launch of fusillades from all quarters against each other has ensured that the political discourse has diviated from the primacy of legitimate pro welfare , development and progressive politiking - We had a Anna who woke us up and a Arvind who showed us a way yet were stalled by the larger powers with vested interests.

Politics and the public political debate & dialouge is meant to be & expected to address , solve the challenges and the many mundane realities that militate the bourgeoise of 21st century India.

Power hungry shenanigans congregate every five years to usurp the people representation power to further ones personal political ambition or survival either ways profiting from the process immesurably sans accountability. To some of them it is harvest season and to some others it is seeding to reap a rich yet selfish yeild later.

That a decade of what could have been is a spilt milk opporunity of the past - The critisisim of which and the failures is called for and more needs to be brought to good light that gets unnoticed into public domain. But the very bringing out of these fact does not legitimise the claim of the party or the person of what he is capable of or is intended to deliver to serve the nation- which by the way must be the mainstay & bedrock for the reason for his or her seeking to lead the highest public office in the country.

Six decades since Independence barring the first two every elections have been approached by the opposition party as opposing the regime and abruptly truncating the campaign at the opposing only end without putting out a viable long term vision and execution blue print of the intended governance as a primary criterion of seeking a fresh 5 year term at the hallowed hall of the Parliament's treasury and law making benches.

The present opposition party has made opposing all and sundry as its a main stay and has been at the apex of this unabated destructive practice since a decade so much that any one even mildly protesting the same is disdained as anti nationals or pro dynansty. Their partisan vituperative blockade may have succeeded in stalling what ever little good that the reforminst , economist Prime Minister may have intended to execute.

I believe that the fundamental reason for asking a fresh mandate , must emanate from a foundation of fertile ground inspired by imagination for the nation at large that pans across all sections of society & streaches into the realm of a decade , quarter century , half a century and a century of plausibile vibrant , robust and resilent nation building in a global context .This whilst providing for the poorest of the poor of the nation by the caring and empathetic state which it represents in the truest sense.

That said , there must also be a healthy reach out to the minutest corner of societies to welcome their ideas , aspirations of welfare state. The rhetoric must kindle a spring of unbridled public participation which not just asks the state of an allowance to governance but also steps up to proactively self govern addressing issues that expand and influence both the the society and state in good measure.

Self governance on aspects of public discipline , prudent use and management of natural and public resources , empathetic social living , alert citizens strengthening internal security as it is the only plausible near realm of foolproof way to combat terror , sharing of wealth thru well thought out personal giving to a larger cause of inclusion and serving of the under previledged from all sections of the society.

The greatest areas to exhibit initiative for the common public good is to begin at the ballot box. The voting percentage above 95 % will galvanise the kind of accountablity that the masses can enforce on the elected class. A candle like vigil or a impromptu rally of protests may cause a splutter here and there , yet to leave a lasting impact every person attaining the legal age at the republic must participate in the sacred process of choosing not just the popular but the most competent public servant to the highest office with a defined agenda to govern as well as be held accountable for thru their term at the office.

Respectful coexistence of all Indian's refusing to be polarised by the vest political leaders interests , patriotic ferver that eqvivocally unites us to combat common evils such as corruption , terrorisim , commalisim , anarchisim , feulalisim to state a burning few aside other social ills - And these are some of the basic expectations or lets call it fundamental responsibilities of being a citizen of a democratic society. Not the might but the right , not always the mighty right but the empatetic , kind and understanding milieu that prevails leads to a well intended self governed state. The Statesman must especially reserve their best public service intentions to the uneducated & underpriviledged people who may not have the articulation ability or the voice to forcefully demand the rights provided to them in the constitution.

Only then , therefore the function of the government as the PM aspirant rants often ..that of "Minimum Government and Maximum Governance" can be be brought to frutition and be the harbringer of universal welfare state.

Just by trusting the polling officer to blemish one of your finger nail every 5 years is too much delegation of power to the person who ideally aspires to serve the people is a flawed system of democracy. As much as we seek accontablility from a megerly paid public servant voted to power who looks for minting his elected status for good measure , it is the self governance aspect that I suspect is the main stay of partipative and accretive democracy that lends depth & resilience to a strong nation.

Able people followed by strong and deep ideologies based on proven universsl philosophies , well researched and unbiased yet empatetic understanding of the challenges of the society particularly of the under previliedged must be the genesis of a political plank upon which campaings to have the right to despense the tax collected from people be based on. That Government coffers are filled by public weath is a fact that is seldom in doubt. But the 5 years time line they earn from the ballot is several times more richer in resource to squander if they fail to being an imagination to realisation of adudacious scale in the standards of living of the general public.

Whilst the era of colition is here to stay and grow in influence for the good it represents, it is largely due the influence of local satraps which are in my view best suited to create a grass root level functional fabric of polity closely linked to the masses owing to the proximity to their constituency they seek to serve in a ever evolving federated governance framework being pursued by a few reformist political powers.

The alliances of the startaps with a larger national party , if it isnt enmeshed in the fabric of common minimum program then the very vibrancy they represent shall become a virulent virus to breed post poll corruption unrepresentative of the peoples mandate which sent them to the parliament or assemby office. The systems must be evolved to realise the opportunistic political partys which have joined the powers which they fought against in the elections must find ways to eliminate them or create rules which deter such undemocratic moves which are counter productive and against the decree of the masses.

India must seek to be a land that needs least government , few but very potent laws that are universally applied to all sections of the society irrespective of caste , class or creed , that which restores order justly and timely manner to its citizens. In the century ahead we need leadership as a country not just to influence and impact congenial living for us but also set a global benchmark and create condusive environment as a model state to embrace and set standards for global good and universal citizenship.

We are reasonably adeqate at the moment yet with dwindling natural resources but the biggest resources of our rich nation are yet to be tapped to its fullest potential. The resolve to be the leader at creating renewable resources be it solar , tidal or hydel , the vast coast line , the billion plus ambitious human resource with a huge demographic dividend that needs urgent agumentation on education , health and social consiousness. The large land banks that needs imaginative thinking to make them cultivable to produce more then self sufficient staples along with investments at providing for warehousing and storage is an opportunity that is worthwhile for any regime that comes into play.

Instead of engaging in the future that we can so richly co create with so many low hanging fruits to get quick wins , our leaders are engaged in below the belt crass tirades , low in intellect and regressive political theatrics and glib moutheded are coining acrimonoius acronyms which may make them elicit raptratous claps at their rally but deeply rupture their own finger pointing credibility. They lampoon an elected goverment and its head with often unreasoned partisan aggro to further their own cause. This is a failure as much as the failing of the elected government, the otherside of the soiled coin.

I wish the few brave hearts braving the sweltering summer heat prevail over the might and kindle a tipping point change for there is so much to gain in doing so and so very much that is already being fettered down the drains of history that will reflect rather unkindly to the generation that will inherit this great nation .The humungous and irrecoverble loss defenningly unquantifiable in numbers lest we allow our collective angst to meander towards a non commital society.

State of the Constitution that needs steadfast application with a considered way forward

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sat, 10 May 2014 02:24:00 +0000

Those were the days when men in public life were exponents at reverance and religious application of the tenets of consitution.

They understood law and the societal changes that brought to bear the ramifications of a dated law. Extraordinary long term thinkers who ably lent their intellect with empathy in the process of rendering just ammendments to the constitution and the initiative of law making to expand the ambit of a just society.

Todays self centered , cash rich politicians have scant respect for the consitution and they seldom revisit the living document that needs an application of fresh and congregation of many collective minds at the parliament sessions.Their efforts may lend an influential thrust for fair constitutional framework that desperately craves for speed and fresh avenues for clairvoyant interpretation befitting the demands of a modern just society.

Noise at the podium dominates the days discourse followed by rants at the idiot box by the evening - Thrill a Minute seeded prime time TRP race poses as the representative voice of the nation wants to know notion. The ones with a heaviest purse and the folks who shout the loudest seems to flok togather to pass legislatures benefitting the egalitarian corporate class leaving the poor and underpriviledged in the lurch.

The people too seem to be inspired by the quallity of leadership on offer. Below the belt attacks are the order of the day.Verbal duels have graduated to body blows to showcase intolerance & dissent , be it shoes that get hurled or distaseful personal or inks attacks, these ugly malignant heads pop up every now and then that tarnishes the spirit of free speech and free society.

A majority of the elected repsentatives instead of representing the people who sent them to the treasury benches , represent themselves and their kin with aplomb profiting multifolds compared to the moolah they splurge to get the coveted public offices. An exhibit for one of the highest ROI of any kind. Barring a few who deligently despense the local area development funds the rest do not even know the constituted areas of employment of the MPLADs and MLALADs. Little doubt then that a 3rd of the parliamentarians and legislative assembly members dont spend even 25 % of their funds.

Expecting the elite to debate at the parliament or assembly is a exalted desire when the privileged dont deem it obligatory to attend the law making benches. Yes - There exists a constitution that we all are proud of yet fail miserably in its fundamental adoption and application. Law and Order rules apply only to the down trodden and middle class.

One of the significant parody that played out in the last winter session at the Parliament - A Travesty of the Constitution and democracy - an argument that a convicted person must have the right to represent people was such a tragic yet ludicorous farce.

Given the influence and power prominent politicians and elected legislators wield, it is rare that FIRs are registered against them. As the police force is largely under the thumb of the legislators, such cases are usually buried without any investigation. Only a small number of FIRs registered against influential persons even result in the completion of investigation and framing of charges by the court, this too is because of the vendetta politics pursued by their bitter rivals. It takes endless years for the courts to try a criminal case. After all this, only six percent of criminal cases end in conviction, unless the accused confesses to the crime. Often it is a case of justice delayed equating to justice denied idiom.

Major political parties wanted even such a rare conviction to be disregarded, and were fighting against the disqualification of convicted legislators. That we had to advance arguments against such an obviously absurd stand was an indication of the precipitous decline in standards of political behavior in the country.

Unless we make constituional reforms and ammendments for example - to make it mandatory to bring in the unblemished , educated , qualified & competent intellectuals and visionaries to the highest offices , we cannot fight such absurdities which get a favorable populist fillip because more than a few rich and famous muscle men prevail with the might of the currency over a reticent educated right thinking aam aadmi class. Untill then Movie stars with mass appeal , caste and communal agendas would divide and plunder the vote banks.

The above may seems an idealistic expectation , yet since we allowed minor deviations and created exceptions , that the wedge of malaise has deepned to corrupt the very core fabric of public conscientiousness. Six decade plus is too small a timeline for one of the youngest nation of a billion that enjoys an envious demographic dividend to give up on the sacred promise of self rule that our forefathers earned with such dignity and difficulty.

The poisounous downward spiral of corrupt governing the masses propogating corrupt ideals and eventually the voters falling prey to corrupt doles during elections to resend corrupt people to the highest offices resoundingly resonates with the old adage of the people getting the governments they deserve.

Lest we let the above rut to decay further there will either be an uprising that will gain uncontrollable ground swell resulting in anarchy like it almost did during the anna ,kejriwal India against corruption movement which lead to an eventual formation of a new political force

or

we may weaken the nation so much that we become vulnerable internal splinters or fall prey to aggresive global capitalistic or military ogiliarch nations.

Constitution constitutes the bedrock for a democratic system to florish and florish it must at rendering good and just governance to responsibly redeploy the tax payer money. Nation building ushers when all and sundry irrespective of caste or class universally heed to complying buy the guided social framework facilitated by the constitution.

Human Capital Management - Must evolve from RTB to CTB | GTB Play Arena

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:15:00 +0000

We have been through the Industrial age and now living through the midlife of Information Age. Knowledge Economy was an alliteration that caught amongst the business leagues post year 2000 has pushed the envelope further as it brought to bear an undeniable influence of Human Capital Assets and the Leaders of Talent Management.

Trend is more than ever before HR leaders are scaling to the peak of corporate echelons as well rounded true blue business leaders. Importantly Women who have been in the HR leagues are breaking the Glass Ceiling. What beckons is whether the powers of talent break new ground to take on both the challenges and opportunities of now and future.

We have seen a mushrooming trend of Entrepreneurs bloom in the Small Business arena picking the HR portfolio in the last two decades than any time in the past. This has plugged the gap as fillers to accommodate the frenetic pace of human capital intensive business albeit with tolerable in competencies.

Often times, HR folks are accused of being stereotypes & reactive support functionalists. Most HR leaders of the yore weren't acquainted with 360 Degree business imperatives while the dynamics of transformation agenda at Organisations expect challenging status quo & innovating against the run of business as a basic necessity to steer corporations in times of dynamic global change & uncertainty.

As Chieftains of the most important strategic asset of the firm - “TalentedPeople”, the imperative is to lend leadership & innovation on how they attract, engage, nurture, develop & retain top talents? This is a big problem areas and a big ticket question that is staring at most leaders.

Technology plays a crucial part in the talent management sweepstakes as is evidenced from the recent large deal acquisitions of IBM, Oracle and SAP. The three giants have admittedly consumed Kenexa , Taleo & Successfactors for their ability to bring in software assets that connect with the talents on the social networking fabric. They seek to listen to what they say & to see whats transacted on the social sites and derive meaning which will then guide their leaders in strategic decisions. Relationship analysis is the job handed to the new breed of employees- Data Scientists!! A Big Data Agenda for sure.

While technology plays a pivotal role, artificial intelligence isn’t yet there to replace the human touch. Particularly so when high touch and soft handle are required at understanding aspirations, limitations along with complex human relationship semantics - be it in the physical work world or the socially connected flat virtual world.

The shifts of global power and influence are certainly getting distributed from west to east. A new economic architecture is being evolved yielding to the pressures and pulls of an interconnected world grappling with change factors of changing political and economic horizon. Post the ushering of third world nations , facebook & likes are heralding a 4th World. They are both growing in enormity as well as in their telling influence.Recent uprising at Egypt have show us how !!!

In these times of uncertainty, change is a constant and predicting the change direction and timing the transformation with agility is the mandate for the Chief Executive of the Global , Glocal Corporations.

Machines and Software can change at the click of the button but to expect the vast talents spread across the chasms of generations, aspiration , cultures & geographies of most Global MNC’s is expectation wish list whose time hasn’t yet arrived.

It is in the above context that the Human Capital Executive is charted with a Premier Challenge of shifting gears from Run the Business ( RTB ) to Change & Grow the Business mandate ( CTB,GTB). Many Corporate Boards have realized this in the recent times. The Vineet Nayar's incredible story on Employees First & Customers Second at HCL Technologies is an example worth emulating.

The challenge presents the biggest realm of Innovation possibility for leaders to renew and redefine the ways they engage in attracting, engaging , nurturing , developing and retaining talented assets. For every talent is different from another and is unique therefore how we plan to accommodate their uniqueness , their life cycle in the companies those hire & engage them , customers they serve is the agenda that is the BIG Game Change at some of the smartest companies around.

These are challenging times , yet very interesting passage of time amidsts the Information Age. Knowing isn’t enough as it seems , predicting is the high stakes play for the future. People loath uncertainty - evolving certainty and delivering innovation & productivity is the sub rule of the big game change. The games have begun , it is the folks who recognize the subtle shifts and transform who will be winners ( importantly survivors ) into the future.

"Cleantech" The Greatest opportunity for India.

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:59:00 +0000

What is CleanTech?

Clean tech encompasses a constellation of environmentally-sustainable technologies spanning multiple value chains in four primary economic sectors - energy, water, materials and transportation. Individually, these technologies are focused on the optimization of natural resources. Collectively, they are the basic elements of a broader systemic response to the systemic challenges of sustainability. The following taxonomy provides a basic snapshot of the core technologies that define the cleantech space:

Energy Generation
Energy Storage
Energy Infrastructure
Energy Efficiency
Transportation
Water & Wastewater
Air & Environment
Materials
Manufacturing/Industrial
Agriculture
Recycling & Waste

Clean tech has also been defined as:

“Clean tech is a diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes . . . [which are] are competitive with, if not superior to, their conventional counterparts.”

–Clean Edge, Inc.

Its widely believed that cleantech is the single biggest investment opportunity of the 21st century. As far as market size is concerned, if you add up energy and transport sector, that’s $6 trillion worldwide. That is massive; it dwarfs sectors like IT. But that does not mean you will have hundreds of companies with billion dollar market caps immediately. The risks and hurdles are also big. The biggest hurdle is obviously that you need more capital.

The 1-2-3 factors driving investors to cleantech are -A Global Conseus on the menace of climate change, followed by a early shape to global policy on carbon pricing & volatile swings of fossil fuel pricings.

Cleantech is not a theory, and people have made money in India. Perfect example is Suzlon which has reported revenues of more than $1 billion. Like India made IT services industry hugely strategic 10-15 years ago, I think the country has a fantastic chance of making cleantech strategic too.

The biggest problem for the country is infrastructure.Mainly energy and transport. We have massive scarcity of power.

India did a complete quantum leap in telecom.We didn’t make investments in wire line, we went straight to wireless. We skipped a generation of technology. Why won’t you do the same thing in energy? Why would you go to 50-60 year old technology of coal and natural gas, when you can go to something new in energy business.

The thought of desalination of sea water for the ever scarce drinking water problem in chennai has been there for some time now. The government needs to create a viable atmosphere for private players to invest in this area as water is going to be all the more scarce with climate change rendering monsoons unpredictable.

India is one of the fastest growing automobile markets in the world.Like in telecom we can afford to skip several manufacturing & engineering bottle necks and leap frog into battery powered auto mobiles cutting down emission dramatically. Think about the opportunity of coding intelligent software to manage power grids and battery hubs from a SW lab at Hitech City @ Cyberabad.

It would be a right step forward if the government assigns a minister of state for Cleantech to channelize investments. Recognizing this sector as a separate industry is a huge step forward. A visionary move that the UPA government will take which can create as many jobs as the IT sector has given the nation. This may not get them the vote bank as did the 60000 cr loan waiver but will surely create greener pastures for a Green Global India as a hub of cleantech source.

It’s a huge opportunity India & the world has to benefit from in a hurry !

New WORK is to THINK

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:46:00 +0000

The new "WORK" is to think ! From workers to thinkers ! Knowledge economy will be powered knowledge workers who dont merely sift tera bytes of data in excel , adobe & word sheets but who think posibilities & solutions by thinking through the data templates.Data are the means to the productivity purpose for the thinkers who energise the economy with their intellect.

But then what are leaders there for..here's the prescription..

Leaders are like conductors of a Symphony @ an Orchestra. Orchestrating the thought streams with meaningful macro templates. Intellect at the knowledge workers end & emotional blend at the leadership end will blend in to a fine brew of way forward.

Way forward to change avenues is critical in many ways.the fundamentals of business it seems today increasingly weighed in cutting costs.Cutting cost most certianly in most cases meant slashing work force. At cases a near nil in intake of new blood to rejuvenate the system.

The balancing act was always the forte of the corporate leaders from the finance,marketing , sales quaters.But the seasons initiative & reins should be with the Human Capital managers for more reasons than one. They have the locus standi to shape the culture,make good of the asstes they took in & transform them. Its a cost that corporates need to invest instead of writing them off as write offs. Thats the kind of leadership which will reinstate the faith in the world economy that its all about peoples business & not that of manchines & raw balance sheet datas.

Tha onus of managing , orchestrating & blending the new & freash talents to grew a refreshing culture is with the the Human Capital head. For starters he is entitled to take charge as the tile is already in place.

Next Giant Steps!

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Putting a man on moon was Kennedy's vision to levitate human endeavor. The next giant steps must be walked in our minds impacting the citizens of the globe. Bringing the Berlin Wall was a great mini next step. International borders need to be more porous than they are now.. The borders serve only the purpose of mindless defense spending drained at protecting man made barriers which man kind is better off without.

Instead the next giant steps should be to build impregnable walls of immunity against killer epidemics& pandemics. Thats building with purpose serving a cause of sustaining life.

Moon is still far off. Before which lets secure our ozone layer, the snow peaks. We must realize global warming is just a tip of the iceberg. I am sure there are lot many more natural barriers and more sinister human barriers constituting of global terror & religious fundamentalism which impede & stumble us from moving ahead.

Even as we celebrate 40 years of man stepping his foot on world , the most lasting impact is the beautiful picture of blue earth brought home by the crew. A step forward then would be to keep planet earth as beautiful as it was with its multi hues & myriad uniqueness.A vision of a New,Clear globe!

Decisive Verdict ! Winning Trivia and All !

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sun, 17 May 2009 07:20:00 +0000

Decisive VERDICT!

Manmohan Singh summarized the mandate succinctly “ People of India have spoken and spoke with great CLARITY”

Singh and Rahul were the men of the Circa 2009 General Elections !COMBO - A great blend of the ebullient youth and the rich experience!

Thats one of the reasons that the Akshay Kumar magnum opus "Singh is King" leads track upstaged the AR Rehman Oscar winning "Jai Ho" at all media shops and celebrations.

Jai Ho it was and Singh is King all the way !

A journey into the next five years well begun with Pro Incumbancy and one which in my view will end due to mindless Rahul Ghandhi Sycophancy by Congress Men.

"Rahul Gandhi can become Prime Minister when ever wishes" - Shivraj Chouhan - Senior Congress Leader.

It is in many ways a historic verdict for India. I see this as coming of age of the Indian voter. A mandate decisively won by Congress who contested the election on a broad plank comprising some significant issues such as 1.Secularism; 2. Development; and 3. Populist Agrarian Schemes.

All of these poll plank pillars seem to have connected with the masses that saw the sincerity in execution of the United Progressive Alliance winning them a clear majority.

A clear majority is such a relief to many who always wished not to be in the mire of the convoluted maze of a fractured mandate. A fragmented mandates brings in opportunistic regional parties to the great bazaar of coalition mess in the past.

For the next five years, politically speaking “It is an unbridled long right hand drive on a clear road ahead”; some thing that the UPA government last time was constantly bridled by left and other ever opportunistic deal makers.

A Secular Government is in many ways a harbringer of a Secular Bull Market.

Many passed the electoral test and came through victorious and vindicated.

• Manmohan Singh - Singh Is King!
o Only a second thus far after Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru winning a mandate after a 5 year term. While Jawaharlal got reelected the Sardar got reselected.

• Weak Prime Minister freshly operated with a strengthen heart pumping secular politics and functional, stable economic governance in an unstable world.

• A “Loha Purush” and Prime Minister in waiting will finish as the one in waiting even as he decided to relinquish the pole position of leader of the opposition after the defeat.
o Now, I doubt if he now call for a debate on national television?

• 123 - Nuclear agreement with US was right and left was wrong in pulling the plug from a coalition which was forced to realign with SP to complete the last leg. A nuclear deal which worked for congress and hopefully for India in the long run.
o Left will realize that the pin they pulled from the coalition grenade exploded in Kerala and Bengal.
o Left left behind UPA with Trinamool. Karat and Buddha are no more dada and mamatha is the new didi “mano ya na na NANO”
o The goodies such as NREGA and pro poor policies of the Left influenced UPA benefited the likes of YSR at AP and DMK.

• Rahul – Paving way for the Congress in the largest state influencing the 15 crore Indians there to vote outside caste and communal agendas for pro development.
o The rampaging BSP Elephant, cowed down for now.
o The lawns of SP mowed down, cutting them to size at grass root level.

• The tiger at west is upstaged by it own cub MNS weakening the Shiv Sena and its principal partner BJP.
• Modi’s Gujarat political landscape is modi-fied by a sure stepped UPA. This is one bastion Rahul will love to consolidate. Khemcho ! NAMO !

• Pawar’s quest for Power at IPL 2009 general elections remains unquenched. For Now. He is confined and contended to wielding his clout at IPL-2.

• Winning Bihar with good governance is Nitish Kumar “Chatur Chlaloo” ; Vanquished Lalu will have to settle with the taste of Railway canteens “Samose Mein Aalu” . This too if Madam Sonia ordains so!

• You may ban him from cricket for guilt yet to be proven but the public have voted him into limelight as a part of the success story in Rahul Gandhi’s UP surge. Like his career in cricket Azharuddin has made an impressive debut.

• While Jaya Lalitha finished a close second; Jayaprada and Jayasudha come in as impressive firsts against all odds.

• Severing anti secular ties helped Naveen Patnaik quell the ghosts of “Khandamal”

• Impressive it was indeed for Shashi Tharoor. Transition, transformational from the tall tables at UN to sipping tea at Trivandrum with party workers on campaign trail. What if he can’t speak fluent Malayalam, Malayalees have handed him a thumping 50000 margin victory.

• Lastly Gowda is no God! Jaffer is no Jack! BJP prevailed at Karnataka, the legacy matters of congress and JD flattering to deceive then mattered more than thrashing of women at Mysore.

• Delhi is securely in Congresses belly!

• In Punjab! It turned out sad for SAD  . Not sad at all for Navjyot Sidhu.

• Chiranjeevi failed the screen test! PRP bombed at ballot box office. But opened his counter as a humble beginning at least for now.

__________________________________
Watch this space ..after the initial euphoria dies down , i shall upload pointers dechiphering the verdict and attempt to explain the begenning of an imminent decline of the Congress due to servile flattery of congress junta clamouring for higher post for Rahul. A bane that is a malignant in the form of Sycophancy of Rahul Baba !

Jaago re Maximum City Mumbaikar !

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:10:00 +0000

I was traveling overnight by train from Bangalore to Hyderabad on a chilly 26th November 08 and the train screeched to a grinding halt before time in the wee hours of the morning before day break. Sooner I reached home I happened to switch on TV to see unprecedented video clips of a police vehicle shot at out side the Taj Mahal hotel. A scribe shot at with bleeding hands and a telecast to unfold visuals of smoky clouds bellowing from the historic Taj Mahal.

Soon I sunk into my bean bag with a hot cup of filter coffee only to be confined at the edge of the beanbag as several heart rendering moments unfolded the next full week. Marathon coverage of all leading TV news channels aired the angst of the Mumbaikar aside heart felt tributes paid to some of India bravest officers on police and military duty whose sacrifice in the hour of crisis of the nation unforgettable.

Every Indian in my view would have wept a silent tear and suffered a broken heart bleed considering the enormity of the attack killing so many civilians and brave men guarding the nation. A certain Shobha De kicked of a rhetoric of “Enough is Enough” which unleashed a smoldering hate wave on politicians. Add to it the politicians one after one flabbergasted one an all with their suicidal speak and audacious acts only to add petrol to an already blazing flame of smoldering anger.

I was certain that the Mumbaikar and every other Indian was instigated enough to turn his anger into a wave of sweeping change at the upcoming elections. So many candles burnt and so many abuses hurled on the politicians, it was a forgone conclusion that Mumbai Indians were charged to exercise their adult franchisee and this time for a better person to guard them against dastardly attacks like 26/11 voting a resolute government with the resolve to quell terror in a city ravaged by attacks regularly in the past.

Alas on 30th April 156 days hence, it seems “Enough wasn’t Enough” a long weekend was sufficiently luring for the Mumbaikar to get out of the city for a blast at the sun kissed beaches of Goa. Or it was sufficiently cozy at home to flick TV channels and dig into the hot doorstep delivery of a sizzling vada pav, may be watching highlights of IPL “Mumbai Indians” blaze away against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Only the pigeons at Taj seems to have fluttered leaving their feathers ruffled.Many a stains of the brave blood still remain as scars on the freash wounds of the martyed souls family. Seems like 56 % of Mumbai kars werent moved to wake up to the call of social consiousness..:-(

When every one yelled Vote Kar Mumbaikar, when there was Bomb by the Bay 156 days ago; when time to vote came over half of the population were MuM Bhai! Voting yesterday was a potent chance for you to voice in change. On this Labor Day this is a severe labor pain of a still born democracy. Only 43 % voter turnout is adding insult to 26/11 injury. May be we must heed to the AD vani of making voting compulsory!
!
The Great Abraham Lincoln once opined that “The Ballot was stronger then the Bullet” and yet when all of Mumbai was up in arms lighting candles post 26/11 crying change and accountability from the politicians they elected last time why 57 % percent citizens of the most vibrant and bustling city stay home muted at a time they should have been voicing their vote for change.

“Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man and a nation” – Oscar Wilde.

Why haven’t Mumbaikars channalised the unprecedented discontent into powerful vote bank ringing in change that you so desperately want? Are only 43 % of the citizens of Mumbai owning up to the responsibility for electing the next responsible government?

Has the compassion for the fellow citizens orphaned or widowed and seething anger against the terrorists of the Maximum City dwellers melted away along with the candles in their hand which they lighted with such great purpose weeks after 26/11?

One of India’s best cities and the one aspiring to be the next Shanghai, Mumbai is integral and far too important to the nation to sulk in an attitude of non participants in the democratic process so vital to nation building.

The Financial Hub of the country wails in protest every time goons from MNS thrash north Indians or when self appointed moral police attack women , pub culture and valentine day celebrations. The voter forgot that this very sainiks and goons hardly squeaked on 26/11.

Mumbai to India is a potent and highly visible example and such abysmal voter turnout will certainly mire the urban consciousness in other parts of the country. For now I am relieved and happy that down south of India at Hyderabad the turn out was 70 %!

Candle Light Vigil may be symbolic, but stepping out and respnsibly voting with 100 % turn out is a REAL way to show support to a terror struck maximum city ! Else soon it many become a minimum place of hope !

So next time we go to vote! Let’s usher in a few changes to bring in viable change on deciding who works for us at Parliament.

· Making voting compulsory in India.
· Allow negative votes so that the criminals don’t get in to govern in the first place.
· Don’t hold elections in summers.
· Experiment with casting of voting from home with bio informatics enabled internet voting. ( So much for the sophisticated urban lazy bones)
· Postal voting.

Lets Hope !

aravindan umashankar: Audacity of Malice

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:39:00 +0000

aravindan umashankar: Audacity of Malice

Audacity of Malice

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:12:00 +0000

“The Beauty of a man lies in the way he wields his tongue amongst masses”

“Say not what the other man dint accomplish but what you will when voted to power”

“Berating the opposition leader personally may neither belittle his stature nor elevate yours” but sure does ensure that you stoop low enough to get sullied by the muddle under your feet.

“Barack Obama won an impossible mandate with “An Audacity of Hope” Lal Krishna Advani is failing with “An Audacity of Malice”

This General Election there is an unsavory slug fest engaged between two of the largest national parties, even as the great pageantry of election in the largest democracy braces to a climax. It seems like the anointed leader of the BJP has trained his guns not on the ruling Congress or the UPA in power....but

But ..but on an assuming economist, professional , banker turned politician who has recently added to his rich basket of successful experiences as an able governor of reserve bank, chair of the planning commission , finance minister an assertive prime minister who staked his reputation on line to sign a historic nuclear agreement with the United States.

Asrani Vs Advani :

Which is why I am reminded by the “Seepahio..attention !!!“ line famously delivered by the noted yesteryear comedian Asrani in the legendary bollywood flick Sholay. In Asranis case at least his screen stars took him seriously by standing in attention.

Advani on the other hand hardly has any one faling in line ; no one including the party president Rajnath Singh or chief election strategist Arun Jaitely seems to heed to his decree. Remember the famous tantrum thrown by his disciple and protégé Uma Bharati during the 2004 BJP party meeting?

There are people taking sides in a hurry with in BJP projecting the fire brand Namo! (Narendra Modi) as the next prime ministerial candidate and face of BJP.

Advani has nurtured his prime ministerial aspiration for a long while now. By continuing his vituperative tirade at every opportune occasion at the Sardar he has turned himself into a spectacle and may damage the BJP’s standing as a responsible national party. On the other hand Mr.Singh aside being a thorough gentleman exercised amazing restraint untill now.Mr.Singh is also the present Prime Minister of the Nation. The least one could do is accord minimum courtesy & show respect if not reverence.

Even in spectacle Advani is upstaged by his wards at the BJP. How else can we contend the “Budiya/Gudiya” jab at the Congress by the saffron Namo? How about the night watchman comment by Arun Jaitely?

Namo conveniently forgot that his party’s Prime Ministerial nominee Advani is just a shade younger that the age of the Congress party. Calling Congress a budiya and alluding to Sonia as a budiya; Namo has brazenly attempted to drench himself and his octogenarian leader in the fountain of delinquent youth hood. He is swift as well to defend his sacrilege following a Priyanka comment classifying the Congress party as a “Gudiya”. If not for the clever alliteration it “Budiya/ Gudiya” will not even cheer as a slap stick humor mongering rural masses. Priyanka rightfully on her part refused to be a part of the Budiya /Gudiya tit for tat retort and prevailed to focus on Rahul and Amethi. Sensible isn't it !

As to Arun Jaitley’s remark of “Night Watchman” | Sardar not only managed to score a six with the nuclear deal by also completed five full years at office. Some thing akin to a triple century by today’s challenges of coalition compulsions. A Sardar who has scored several power play wins in the highest tables of global diplomacy and economy? India stands as a stable nation economically, a credit he can partly claim along with your last party leader Atal Behari. Even before the bloodied stains and stitches oh his chest could come off , he is off to G 20 making assertive overtures to world leaders in a fast changing global order of economy. His erst while comrades from the left too seem to agree with his effective persona apart from his foriegn policy.

By the way Arun Jaitley – Who in your view was the night watch man defending?

I am in agreement with Pranab Babu that a Prime Minister isn’t going to contest in a wrestling match? Hence he being weak isn’t a matter of concern as much as his need to be assertive. Some thing he displayed in right proportions during the nuclear issue.

Our democratic frame works also allows the Prime Ministers office to act and work in concert with several state governments, cabinet ministers and coalition partners. Decisiveness then is a consensus forging leadership activity and not a dictatorial plank to asset oneself unilaterally.

The growth of Advani as a leader has been waning. It is little surprise that the Congress does not even consider him as a worthy contender as a candidate. They may be right after all. In the midst of the ragging controversy 5 years ago Sonia Gandhi may well have asserted her self to usurp the seat of the most powerful office in India. An office that Advani so desperately craves that his ranting are almost child like. He may be well served to be reminded that Sonia elevated her self to a standing higher than most when she declined to take up the office when it was hers for the grabs.

Dare the opposition bring up the Italian connection , Quotorocchi and Bofors issues again ? Those insipid remarks of her lineage not being Indian ????

That’s the contrast we talking about Lal Krishna Advani. You keep running after the office and it keeps eluding you. Your ineffective role of a leader of the opposition during last 5 years is proof enough of your capabilities. You conceded every opportunity to engage in a meaningful debate at the floor of the parliament and yet seek a public debate akin to an American Presidential caucus. You seek an angrezi practice when you seek Swaraj from the present Raj. When you were home minister you lead the field to score self goals when you were a mere spectator of your cabinet colleague who hand delivered a wanted terrorist like a father sending off his daughter after marriage. Now that’s what I call “Being Decisive as a mute spectator”

The altar of Indian ballot tests every one and most have a possibility of being a Prime Minister.

The contenders are one to many Manmohan Singh for a second term, Mayawati, Pawar, Nitish Kumar, Prakash Karat or Yetchury, Biju Patnaik or some one else from the third front. You too shall have a chance. Until then do please focus on wooing the citizens for your vote on governance, development and fight recession and terror. Deriding g Manmohan will neither elevate your status as a contender or will win you elections. It will only diminish your aura to a pale shadow of promotion of a personal aspiration of leading India. Time that you realized the great potential of leading with out title Mr. Prime Minister in waiting.

Time you realized this and step aside and there are worthy young turks in the waiting to shore up the fortune of the second best national party. Indian democracy need a decent opposition on the floor of the assembly. Else the opposition will be fragmented in to multiple fronts threatening the very fabric of our democracy being able to throw up decisive mandates from its citizens.

Hope you will do your bit to preserve the Democracy christened by our freedom fighters and your crediting Nehru for strengthening the same !

Jest Done it !

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Jest Done It!

"The slime shall prevail over the cause of the slain"

Points to Ponder –

• Want to get your point thru – Lob a shoe and it is sure to find its mark.
• Fastest way to fame – Let the shoe fly instead of walk.
• Prevail – Mob Rule still does! Irrespective of being the largest democracy.
• Never ever should any party filed persons with tainted past or questionable image.
• Protest we should but not yield to be used by opportunistic scoundrels.
• Massacre – Vehemently condemn and keep the pressure. Not by waking up after 25 years.
• Congress party has as much blood on its hand as the BJP: and both have used caste and creed to foment trouble in a heinous manner.
• Constitution must be Supreme and the Law of the Land needs to take its own course.
• The Wheel of Justice should turn expeditiously. Else delayed justice is a matter of denied justice.
• Political planks should revolve around development and enhancement of a civil society; not by misleading mob and maligning or impeding the function of public institutions.
• Civility should prevail in a civil society and civilians should adhere to the civil code of conduct to the hilt.

“Jab a bada phed girtha hai tho darthi hilt thahai” – Rajiv Gandhi.
( When a big tree falls the entire land shudders )

“Jab jootha phenkthe hai , to bade bade umeedhwar uudjaathe hai” –Your Truly.
( When a shoe is flung mighty contestants get blown away )

Call it Jarnailism, mighty shoe bite or booting your point - The leg which lent the shoe from a gentle Sardar who in a fit of momentary rage vented his disgust; found its mark with the political parties, over enthusiastic media and melee amongst a bunch of trigger happy mob who found the upraising of the 1984 massacre kindling their emotions that they scaled the court wall in protest and Won the Day.

The Sikhs prevented the yet to be proved guilty from contesting a contest he has successfully contested and never lost in the past. Every contest where a few lakhs of Sikhs voted in favor of Tytler than a few hundred and one who protested and caught on media today. The one who gently lobed his sneaker at the Union Home Minister.

The issue – Clean Chit given to the Tytler by the CBI where sections of the community and opportunistic political opponents smelt rat.

The angst isn’t the issue in contest! The delayed and opportunistic angst is the one in contest; Angst unfounded as those very Sikhs voted the man in question to power with resounding mandates in approval of these very candidates.

It was also a day when the mighty Congress turned meek, thwarted a seasoned 4 time parliamentarian to assume cold feet and step back in an effort to quell the angst, lest they lost more than their reputation for fielding two gentlemen with questionable past since 1984.

The prism of paradox is an interesting looking lens as it projects a vision of multicolor blur and keeps changing to every minute tilt in the degree of the viewing angle. Paradox of a party headed by a Sikh Prime Minister fielding its candidates for a forth time.

A 60 plus year democracy with a reasonably well articulated, functional yet in some parts sell by date constitution should and must be the yard stick to prevent, absolve, resolve and deliver justice to its citizens.

It is this constitution which when wielded by the able institution of the “SUPREME” Court, the laws of the land prevails ensuring justice. And that the person isn’t guilty unless proved so in a court of law and has his right to innocence in the eyes of public and life at large.

I am no authority of law or constitution, but the above is what I believe which should apply to a civil society we sought 60 years ago. If there is an institution of CBI, then we should wait for them to play their part with conclusive finality. A country we built brick by brick to call it our own where “We the People” “By the People” is sacrosanct.

Elsewhere in the deserts of Africa, streets of Baghdad, foot hills of the SWAT and the FATA region, mountains of Afghanistan mob rules rule the roost. A provocation and a biased view can polarize the masses to take up untoward incidents where the rule of the stick prevails over any thing else.

In that context, we as a nation stand defeated today as a man at a presser sought justice for an incident which happened in 1984, a time when he would have been a pristine toddler or a kid using an unacceptable manner of protest alien to a civil society. The reason – “the Bloodshed of his community he shed ample hatred, a shoe as protest” which triggered a frenzied media to blow it out of proposition hence influencing a bias in the people to sweep the institutions of constitution and Supreme Court under the carpet and yielded to Mob Rule dictate.

We stand defeated as Jarnailism caught the vivid imagination of the sensation loving television media bring disrepute to the profession of journalists of a free nation.

The country also failed to realize that it yielded to another theater of poll politics to an incident that regretfully took place 25 years ago. The people of New Delhi where a visible majority are the Sikh community voted a party represented by Jagdish Tytler to office every time he stood the election test after the incident.

The very folks now were made to respond with urgency that “Justice Delayed is justice denied” by the dramatics of Jarnail Singh , the SAD and BJP in concert rallying to nail the squabble of a few who may not have been born in 1984 into an outrage of the community.

Why on Earth don’t we see that these very Sikh voted the man Jagdish Tytler (who by birth is Sikh as well) to office the last three times in the past. Now I am not pronouncing Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Singh Tytler guilty or innocent but shall wait until the constitutional machinery to pronounce the verdict of them being Sajjan purush. I also hang my head in shame of being a citizen of a country where 3000 innocent brave hearts massacred succumbed to a mindless carnage a quarter century ago.

Why on earth don’t we revolt against the slow turn of the wheel of justice? Why hasn’t the carnage of Godhra not evoked the angst that the Sardars at Delhi woke up to? Why hasn’t there been angst by the lakhs of Kashmiri Pundits who bore the brunt of the ethnic cleansing drive?

Are we as a nation waiting to be triggered by another flying shoe to “Just Do it” or waiting for an opportunistic political theater to convene and trigger mob rampage and justice.

Sure the mob is supreme. More supreme than the Supreme Court? But process of exercising the mob strength is at the ballot box in a civil society. Not by scaling court walls or lobbing shoes at elected representatives.

If this prevails then the one with the loudest voice will win. The one with the strongest arm will wrestle to gain an upper hand. The one with the maximum riches will buy a decree by the dozen.

Reverse Social Security delivery in India by ChandraBabu Naidu

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:43:00 +0000

The devastating years of the recession years began from 1937-38 under the Roosevelt era . The Social Security Act was drafted by President Roosevelt's committee on economic security, the act was an attempt to limit what were seen as dangers in the modern American life, including old age, poverty, unemployment, and the burdens of widows and fatherless children. By passing this act, President Roosevelt became the first president to advocate the protection of the elderly. The act aside addressing several factors of old age , retrials , health care etc also took into account reaching out to the unemployed with assistance from the government.

At many countries the ability of the government to take care of the citizens in their hour of need and create humane conditions where basic necessities of people are taken care of have become the gold standard that developing and third world countries aspire for in todays times. Tax paying people in the third world countries yearn for a layer of protection, insurance , providence etc when they face dire situations like the impending deep recession looming large and yet to hit with impact in countries like India.

While Roosevelt 's government made provisions and created the social security act by well thought of public policy , India seems to be heading towards providing social security to a certain sections of the vast billions of people in a peculiar manner.

Even if i were to word this phase of the blog as a satire there is an icing on the cake as the poor often times are exploited are at the receiving end of the goodies during the great general elections.

Free soaps like the record load waiver dished out by the ruling UPA or prevention of increment in petrol and LPG ( In Andhra ) prices giving the much needed cover to the common man against steep inflationary pressure is a respite indeed. At least to some. And these are always welcome.

Be it color TV's or 2 rupees rice schemes or loan waivers or free power or free laptops (as promised by the ever in waiting PM ) people have come to benefit greatly and surprisingly some of the prepoll promises have been kept and delivered by the elected representatives.

What Chandrababu Naidu has done by announcing a cash transfer pre poll soap is some thing unprecedented!!! It might defy logic as to how the exchequer will bear the expense but if looked at differently i see a glimmer of hope for the poor who brace them selves every 5 years at the great carnival of general election. If their stars are shining bright then when an government comes down crumbling mid term the goodies come their way earlier than the 5 year wait.

Imagine , Down South of India you cannot afford to put up a poll plank with out the de facto goodies which have become the benchmark manifesto of sorts. If the party i s not offering free power , two rupees rice , loan waivers , COLOR TV's then the party isn't a serious political force. As to daru or local liquor those have been flowing freely at elections since the last 60 years.

Therefore imagine when the political parties are forced to follow Chandrababu Naidus prepoll soap like the 2000 rupees he is promising as cash transfer to women in the family below the poverty line, It is akin to delivering social security in reverse order. Knowing Naidu he is sure to pull of this trick with a commendable degree of aplomb and accuracy of execution. Delivering cash to the poor directly in there ATM at the neighborhood.

At least the we can push the tyranny of the political goons to the back stage. Tyranny of caste , religion and the marathi manoos and ram sene brand of politics played by the present opportunists.

And the cash for votes is lot better than the cash for votes witnessed in lok shabha last year during the debate in nuclear deal times or what happens when several horses are traded to amass numbers to prove majority at the floor of the house.

Be it cash or lap tops one thing is sure , Diebold , NCR , Wincor , Seimens , HP , IBM,Dell , Microsoft et al will get a lot of business , thanks to Advani and Chandrababu :-)

Let there be more elections in India and let there me more free beeies reaching the poor and needy..can we call this democratic innovation in reaching social security to the poor in India.

Until our politician aren't able to tell our citizens ask what they can give the country and not what the country can can give them or until they tell what the can give the nation and not what they get to loot when in the seat of power the poll rigmarole shall continue...jab that the end nahi hoga ......abhi picture baki hai mere dost !!!!

PROFANITY OF POLITICS WITH THE SACRILEGE OF SECULARISM

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:11:00 +0000

The onus of being the world’s largest democracy with the added concoction of being a rich cauldron of myriad set of representations from a multitudes of cultures, social sects, religions and economic demography’s make India’s trysts with the upcoming elections a massive fan fare even if the functional side of democracy is in a state of rigor mortis.

Such is a convoluted state of coalition that even the demonic spectre of the 14th Lok Sabha seems like a serene plausibility in hind sight.
Only last year we saw a year long campaign of the democratic primaries and then the campaign between the Republicans and Democrats play out in such organized manner on global stage. Yet as when we look forward to seeking a mandate from the electorate in India we are hardly certain on who is in bed with whom. More so who is with whom, why?

This will be a watershed year in Indian politics where the party's will focus their energy no as much on winning on their own , rather preempting the opposing party to come to power by forging illicit and irrational coalitions.

It will be intriguing to read the election manifestos and furthermore quizzical to decipher the ideologies. More than ever the citizen of our country will be recipients of tasteless overtures and jarring tunes played by the corrupt pied pipers seeking a seat of power in today’s changing times. To ad to the authenticity one party has secured the rights of the “Jai Ho” Number while conveniently it left partner for 90 % of last term at office.

Even in the quagmire of choices of electoral mandates there are obvious lynch pins which will gravitate attention of the voter and the (umeedwar) aspirant. Secularism, Terrorism and Recession.

A responsible national party will play sacrilege of secularism with unashamed chutzpa. Again. A temple that they will conveniently remember to build even as the temples of commerce and financial institutions world over crumble like a pack of orchestrated cards triggering the worst recession of our times.

The party chronic in ailment of dynasty politics awaiting for a righteous son to rise to the occasion even as the wont of the masses is to see the dance of the charming daughter in the ragging ring of politics. Yet the combative Italian widow who emulated a five years a coalition towards a successful full term what was managed by a seasoned octogenarian last time around remains the czarina in charge.

We might be pardoned for expecting a young Turk at the helm of you heard “the prime minister in waiting” until you realize that it is all about the old mans cherished dream to lead the nation in its 60th year of independence with a fading vision and misplaced ideology of divisive and religious vote bank strategies. One hopes that the protagonist in chief tires from the temple tirade and mellows to be the inspiring statesman he could well be with those over 5 decade in parliament.

Vote bank strategy it seems which will give birth to a third front - Yet Again!! professing secular and protective economic future even as the contours of their coalition may be as thin as lines drawn with erasable markers on the white board. Essentially anti NDA and anti UPA. Effectively ineffective.

Even as the regional and national parties engage in a slugfest there seems to be no distinct platform for them to anchor their political campaign. None seems to have a manifesto congruently addressing the triple challenges posed by Secularism, Terrorism and Recession.

Another feather in the Indian politics is the impeccable alacrity shown by most party’s to anoint bollywood stars and crest fallen cricketers reincarnating their public life with a fresh taint that they can add to their rich repertoire of chronicled blasphemy. Add to those an assorted set of genial criminals cherry picked with an enviable track record murkier than molasses to have a chance to extend their period of self service from the people now – with an office of profit and an authority of a parliamentarian.

Amidst all this a star impostor shamelessly professing change = chiru and likening him to Obama campaigns tirelessly to get a toe hold in the political stage. Along side the matinee idol there seems many more insipid aspirants throwing their towel in the heat of an Indian summer contest.

Indian have forever lived in the audacity of hope and the country; I believe has progressed in spite of the governments at large.

A representative look at two of the possible leaders who will work for a new India in spite of their failings.

The very hopefuls will try and see a pepper bearded reformist and a once darling of the industrialists in one of the largest south Indian states back at the helm. The only irony being that this time he is bed with the left and a bunch of political urchins seeking a new state. An effective king maker , he can steer clear of the muck and lend stability if he has a sizable mandate. A plausible alternative.

Another bearded messiah from the saffron brigade, the now darling of the economists will attempt to shrug his eerie train of the past and focus on the economic express, in the role of a political in charge in the state of India’s financial capital.The masses are only waiting for his nod for anointing him to the country s top job. May be the callings of sanitized secular leader.

Even as we expect these minor mandates, as it rolls up we as Indian must vote for a decisive ballot so that a single largest party emerges with a comfortable lead. Else a fractured mandate will fracture the very spine of the greatest possibility of what can be India’s century of world leadership. Now this is what I call the “Audacity of Hope”. – Jai Ho ! Vote Karo !

Celebrating the Mozart from Madras

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:59:00 +0000

I have always wondered why the best and the brightest from the east folk to west to seek intellectual legitimacy . In India a brilliant prospect at School would it seems
Being a self professed Oscar maniac following the gods delivering acting and directorial performances.I always found that it is very very hard to convince the members of the academy for an Oscar recognition. Even if you are one of the worlds biggest stars | Tom Cruise or Will Smith with a towering performance like the one from "In Pursuit of Happiness" only the deserving discerning next performance captures the academy's eyes. And a cult/star or next gold standard is anointed. Unarguable and well accepted across the globe thereafter.

How else do we explain the fact what most of whom who including yours truly consider Robert De Niro as the greatest living actor to have been nominated 5 times and won only two oscars in a 6 decade career. Or the legend of Merlyin Streep nominated 15 times yet only winning twice. Be it Brando, Pacino,Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn,Dustin Hoffman,Tom Hanks etc were not successful convincing the academy not more than twice or rarely thrice.

Against this backdrop just imagine the enormity of the accomplishment by the man with the midas touch from Madras. Two Oscars . And Boy he belongs rightup there in history books forever.

But there are a few lakhs of Indians like me who always knew this right from the 1990's that this lad will rock on brighter as years pass by. Yes we are happy that the spotlight is on the chap from chennai today. We will just add to say "This was long over due" Dont you agree ?

There inst a particular genre that you can bracket the works of the musical genius. He revels and enthralls us in every genre with the same impact.

As a person he seldom gets swept by the adulations and has always kept his feet firmly on Terra fer ma.

So here are a few strains from A R Rehmans factory which came out long back but failed to conjure the madness what a "Jai Ho " did so famously in the recent days.Brace your self here goes the list from my biased mind:-

1. Yeh Jo Desh Hai Mera , Swades hai mera - SWADES.
2. Yunhi Challa Hum Rahi - SWADES.
3. Ishwar Allah - 1947 Earth
4. Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai - 1947 Earth
5. Mitwa - Laagan.
6. O Palanhaare - Laagan.
7. Suna Nahi - 12KA4
8. Khamoshiyan Gungunane lage -12KA4
9. Bharath Humko Jaan Se Pyara Hai - Roja
10.Yeh Hasin Wadiyan - Roja.
11.Roja Jane Mann - Roja
12.Desh Mere - Legend of Bagath Singh
13.Sarfaroshi Ki Tananna - Legend of Bagath Singh
14.Mein Albeli - Zubeida
15.Piya Haji Ali - Fiza
16.Aaware Bhawre - Sapnay
17.Khabi Neem Neem - Yuva
18. Khuda Hafiz - Yuva
19. Dil Se Re - Dil Se
20. Aye Ajnabhi - Dil Se
21.Chaiyan Chaiyan - Dil Se
22.Ishq Bina - Taal
23. Luka Chuppi - Rang De Basanti
24. Aarziyan - Delhi 6
25. Azeen O Shaan Shanehshah - Jhoda Akbar

Yes- the above is a very limited showcase of the Genius while several numbers dropped out with the paucity of cramming them under best 25 list. I haven't also taken into account the treasure work AR Rehman created for Tamil Cinema.

A R Rehman, You truly are a Shahenshah a Shaan from our dear mother land India. I am glad i have chosen your genius two decades earlier than the world did. To motivate and conjure the patriotic spirit of the country. Realize the lilting tunes to ignite and fulfill a feeling of mushy romance during my youth. Dwell in the depth of history with the deep strains of your classic scores.

After close to two decades of joyous times behind me following your generous craft and I look forward to the next three decades with bated breath.

An essay -Reprising CAPITALISM & Entrepreneurship.

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:33:00 +0000

I graduated during the early part of what was a glorious surge towards a close of a century. Economy was bustling around the globe. Big Blue was powering its way from a deep rut and every one agreed that "elephants could dance". The bricks crumbled not only uniting Germany but also bringing global barriers which usually ended at ones shores or sea ports. Portals opened up and capital was jetting furiously exhibiting its prowess of being ever so liquid.

Amongst assets the most liquid of them all "Equities" were powering bourses around the BRIC countries and all of a sudden Hang Seng, Kospi, Sensex began outperforming their peers NASDAQ,FUTSE and DAX indices. Oil prices were soaring to astronomical highs threatning to cross the 100 $ a barrel mark.

Every one thought what heralded a boom time for the IT czars "Y2K" will dawn a similar euphoria across businesses in a new century. That’s when George W Bush in company with Tony Blair went in search of "weapons of mass destruction". Outside of the zeal to quell Islamic fundamentalist forces using a absurd ploy for which the world would pay in great deal later along with republicans and Tony Blair losing their seat of authority another "weapons of mass destruction" was beginning to run amok.

Call it greed , over leveraging or derivatives, mortgages, sub prime et al the elements were all put together growing in enormous propositions to pull down the good work done by centuries of blood sweat and toil put in by legendary entrepreneurs, brave heart investors and a creative spirit called capitalism. "Black Swans" and "being fooled by randomness" by Nissim Taleb made sense like a slap on every foreteller and economist predicting future based on the past.

Add to that we had sterling and shameful examples such as Enron, CA , Worldcom, Satyam and BT who cemented the conviction of the downturn albeit for reasons created by greed of another kind. Sterling in their raise and shameful in their fall.

Oil Prices came dowm to as low as 40 $ per barrel after touching 140 $. So did institutions like Lehman Bros, Fannie and Freddie, Meryll Lynch . They came down and crushed several 100 billions of investor wealth. A few lucky ones like Citi got bailed out to survive.

Barely had the world won over the communist block which dithered away braring the indomitable Fidel Castro and a few isolated folks in India, all and sundry believed that capitalism promised what its practioners believed in. Capitalism an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned and controlled rather than state-owned and state controlled.

Now that what as a graduate from Osmania University that I witnessed. In 15 short years the pcyhe from being bullish changed to a sombare summer today.An environment from being such a great promise to today when many pundits compare the times to the great depression.

Economists, Financials analysts and the other player in the capital market “Bears” are today piling up reams of rhetoric and their contribution to the forth estate being a gloomy treatise bereft of hope and sunshine are adding to the pessimism.

Remember Capitalism as we know is systems where the state need to limit and expressly play the role of a facilitator; largely take on the onus of responsibly creating an environment conducive for global trade/ free trade.A step further put in place regulations and create resilient infrastructure and ensure peace times are always the kind of times we get to live in.

But the state starting from Capitol Hill or shall I say a “Changed Capitol Hill” seems to have rather seriously began to realize and act as though they were in a righteous place to anoint the messiahs and orchestrate the conduct of business after having absolved the guilty with behemoth bail out packages.

Did I hear that they are going to start with a focus right at the top? The paycheque of the Chief Executive? And did we hear that we going to cap their draw for the element of risk that they undertake to manage ( or mismanage when this para gets superfluous ) ? In times those are as challenging as they come by? Will these state artists also start putting a cap on the profit margins that gets charged from their customers? Will the state start to curb businesses with stringent regulatoty road blocks hindering a rebound of capitalistic forces.

Now this is certainly going to be the beginning of the end of the idea capitalism as we know it? If we allow the state to take control of business and call the shots. If only we fail to assert our self now and pledge that a short span of lull and a few rotten eggs wont fail the great promise of capitalism.

Yes there has been a time lately when certain elements have undermined the good work done by an army of value creators. Yes Japan has been in the dumps over a decade now due to complexities yet to be deciphered? And oh yes the West is aging and the youthful east with zest is bustling with enthusiasm only to be rapped time and again by terror perpetrators and the infections from NASDAQ , FUTSE and bourses from the west. Every time there is a sneeze in the west the east catches cold.

But then capitalism is unquestionably powered by consumers .Who will disagree the growing influence of two of the most populous nations on planet earth? More than every before the consumer demands value at a fair price. Savings ecomonies are changing to spending economies. Capitalism thrives due to imaginary entrepreneurs who take on daunting risks and audacious challenges. Entrepreneurs excel in an environment fostering free trade devoid of STATE interventions. Capitalistic forces create jobs and jobs create consumption and then an upward spiral tornado which has the potential to wake up the slumbering bulls.

Raise my dear capitalists, bulls and that breed of untainted entrepreneurs whose eyes gets glazed by the sight of an opportunity even in time of depression. The brand of entrepreneurship from the Valley which was folk lore only a decade ago needs to be rekindled.

This time around there are no bricks and no shores inhibiting businesses. Portals are conducive to trade across borders with a click of a mouse.The world today is hot and flat.Halt the state today , their say in business. Pegging Pay cheques and cap in H1B's and vote them to power for what they do well. Preserving democracy and creating a stable environment.Ensuring freedom for all.Opportunity to all as equals.

The onus of conducting capitalism should be with the entrepreneurs and the choice with consumers. This is going to be an uphill trek, there is a peak to be scaled every day. A few of us will fall by the way side, but will create a certian path ahead in doing so. But some day in the near future every one risk taker and investor will hoist flags of capitalism high.

For that to happen we need new age beacons like IBM,HP, Microsoft,Google,Apple,Toyota,eBay,Amazon, to emerge from the lows of today. These beacons and champions will emerge from all round the world. BRIC world, EU, APAC and US as well. They may be microfinance companies helping the poorest raise up to a level playing field, social networking players desseminating positive influence faster than what Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King , Nelson Mandela or a Che Guevara could achieve. The world will in fact be flatter because of the waning of the superpowers or G8 countries, but also because of the raise of the Individual and the voice of the individual combined with the power of the community.

Capitalist will find ways to create markets and rainmakers will find business which hitherto remained unaddressed. Web 2.0 will increment the profound impact on business and societies and IT will become mainstream in every walk of life. Capitalism will spawn new businesses on charters addressing global warming or saving a green planet from over heating. Markets will get seamless and yet remain decoupled and financial services will undergo a transformatioal change.

A Global economic architecture will emerge challenging status quo of certian archiac norms and way of life. Business leaders will grow younger and corporate boards get more diverse , independent and accountlable. Lines between business will overlap and newer competition , coopition , cooperation models will be evolved. Global Delivery will become a common strategic fabric for most companies and talent capital will become the most significant capital.

For the above to happen the state need to responsibly understand the limitations of the statesmen and recognise that the business of business is best handled by capitalists and entrepreneurs. Boderless business and common currencies are what state actors should strive to provide as environment.

Curbing terror in many ways be achieved by equitable distribution of wealth and pursuing plural agendas to execute inclusive mandates ebracing all forms of society elements.

The terror perpetrators feed on some undesirable situations like poverty. In an event capitalists and state leaders disolve the borders and embrace a global and inclusive charter than the cess pool of terror camps will dry up naturally.

Greed is an obnoxious social evil. If corporate citizenry is built on a value systems of organic or inorganic but ethical values then issues emanating from greed will natutally be not proliferated.

There is a lot of promise and a lot to be gained from our uphill journey from the present down turn. I am an optimist and hence i wont ascribe the situation as downturn, rather call it a phase in correction. The Statesmen and Capitalist are both distinct and have specific roles to play. Both need to work togather rather than cross swords at cross purpose. For evey Raju & Madoff from corporate there was a Bush and a Blair from polity.

If everyone understands and applies the macro consensus to work on a future agenda and execute then the road to recovery is just round the corner. Lets not spend too much time understanding the turmoil, Japan hast yet figured out. Lets be the part of the solution and chase a future good for all of us.Gobal Citizens. Lets all turn atheists if it helps our children live in a clean and green and peaceful planet. The graduates to be churned out of varsities need a lasting legacy that we can afford to leave behind us. Lets take on the responsibility sincerely.

MUMDOGS and BILLIONS OF THEM not doing more than their BIT.

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:34:00 +0000

The opening shot captures children playing cricket at the airport even as a flight takes off. The scene to me sets the tone of the movie as it unfolds revealing the many gut wrenching moments captured on celluloid so very effectively yet representing a work of brilliant cinematic expression.
For someone like me who used to stay at the Bandra East area in Mumbai a few years back every time I look out of the jetairways window as the flight glides over the slums of Santa Cruz and Kalina into the concrete airstrip I used to wonder how the lakhs of people dwelling in the slums would cope with the deafening sound of the 500 plus Aircrafts landing and taking off from India’s busiest airport?

The film maker, cast and the music irrepressibly capture the naked truth of the darker side of the great city of Mumbai. Film making is a medium to entertain, communicate or kindle thought or perspective or influence people depending on the genre the film caters to.

The movie reflecting on the promise of rags to riches and the treacherous turn of life which the human beings living in the slums is an eye opener and brings a lump in ones throat and cheer in ecstasy to even someone like me who has seen these very scenes so very often live.

Every time I stroll from the posh Bandra east through Bandra station to walk into the ultra posh Bandra west you just cannot avoid the “In your face visuals “ which are harsh reality and is what which got captured in the movie so well. With Telling Effect.

In the busy life of a Mumbaikar (or other Indians )these images do not even generate a sigh in agony. Simply put in other words one gets so immune to these Bare, high decibel placards of poverty crying out for help along with the glitzy giant hoardings featuring bollywood stars or TV soap ads.

Slumdog Millionaire in its 2 hour long cinematic influence brings out the kind of sensitivity and empathy that it evokes in you and bares the a thick skin urban animal that we have so shamelessly got to being. Even as the movie kindles a spirit of triumph against all odds and bares the raw open wounds, there are a section of the elite society who live in a state of denial.

Even in denial these ultra urbane intellects that worry of India being wrongly represented or the “West getting entertained by showing the reality of the slums of Mumbai” are so arrogant to speak in a derogatory manner condemning a humble work of cinematic brilliance.

If they so cared about the very image which stares at your face in every major metro bustling with economic progress , they could do a lot to save the lives of at least half a dozen “Salims , Jamals & Latikas” . If they cared so much they could have done quite a lot in fueling the indomitable spirit of the slum dweller. For the several heartless egalitarians who have an issue of the title SlumDOG , will be surprised to know that their Labradors and Pugs gets a spa visit a week and two sessions of proteins supplement a day and an air-conditioned car ride to the nearby bandstand of Juhu beach every day .

If only we cared as a society , if only our banks lent a helping hand as micro finance , if only we had an ounce in compassion , we only we saw and reacted to their eerie cries of despair , if only we saw them as innocent children , if only we knew what hunger was , if only or hearts bleed even as street kids eyes are burned , if only the sex manic not crave for that barely matured virgin , if only they dint use them to kill , IF ONLY WE TREATED THEM LIKE HUMANS , I would never have an issue of on their protects of naming the film “Slum Dog “ or India being showcased as regressive.

I am doing my bit every time I walk up the steps of Bandra station by doing away with the coins giggling in my pocket. Worked with events conducted by my ex employer reaching out to street children. Donating to the Lions club buying books for the slum children or even parting with warm clothes when I am actually doing away with my out of fashion clothes and freeing up my wardrobe. So are several thousands of us whose eyes get moist at the sight of a underprivileged soul.

But is doing our bit and is bit just enough. We should care more and more than ever before now and today as the problems are still manageable if we have open eyes and caring hearts.

A few of us .No.This isn’t enough and won’t be. There isn’t an iota of pride in having the world largest slum in one of the fastest growing economy. The slums exist and are growing by the day. Hence films will be made if they made by films makers like Danny reflecting reality. If we cared for they being called dogs and worry about west entertaining themselves on our state of poverty then do more than your bit to support in elevating the standard of their life. Lend them hope, and stop complaining about the west or the films they make reflecting reality. Stop living in denial. I am doing it from today and I hope my friends will too join in for a better India. DO A BIT MORE THAN YOU DO TODAY. If you haven’t yet started START NOW.

IT as a tranfomation catalyst and an enabler to challenge "Status Quo"

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:06:00 +0000

Blog posted in response and as an extention of thought to Vineets blog pasted here under FYI !

Vineet, Changing "Status Quo" is very appropriate a title for the today’s times. Your thought starters do raise a few important questions. Here are some of my view submitted for consideration.
The IT industry for long has been viewed as a productivity enhancing industry supplemental to the other core businesses. The offshoring services business has created a service model where cost imperatives have been taken care of and global supply of talent effectively leveraged.
Though we are seen as information industry dwelling in knowledge far too often the army of human talent who form the prime capital of the business is at the receiving end during recession. Human capital is often times seen as a cost rather than an asset base even if umpteen annual reports carry the cliché “People are our biggest assets”
As an industry we have the onus on us to drive significant belief amongst corporations that knowledge services along with information and people assets will form a core component of any business and agendas like transformation, value creation, globalization, turn around et al have a significant bias toward IT messiahs.

Some of the significant challenges which needs to be addresses with telling impact and influence are the stuff discussed here under:
Oil, metals with other commodities has with the help of Finance hogged prime capital consumption. Not for a moment I am I negating their significance. But consider the use of silicon at IT and Solar energy creation and the prowess of deploying them in tandem to help global companies depend less on oil and create stronger currencies out of the burning sun.
It is a time when IT can ill afford to be seen as a electric power devouring giant to being an enabler of a greener world. IT as an enabler to designing world class energy efficient cars. Being able to effectively mange the emerging global financial markets and economic architecture. Crunching data to get break through in bioinformatics, drug discovery and deciphering the DNA for healthcare benefits.
IT as a platform to support education and micro finance is reached to the remotest village. Ensure that the produce at the fields reaches the dining table by maximizing value to the customer while ensuring highest profit to the tiller.
Help reach new and entertainment in real-time and allow the pleasure and power of the content chosen by the consumer. Importantly create an information democracy where quelling terror with global partnership becomes the order of the day. Predict climatic changes and save, prevent or minimize the impact of today’s unforeseen climatic disasters.
Support democracy by effectively aiding psephology so that popular peoples government are elected and help governance in policy execution, revenue collection and plan expenditure.

All those and many more are what we should as IT professionals deliver today more that just profess the potential we have as an industry . Not that we don’t do it today. That not enough is been done for the IT industry to be acknowledged as a player with a changed “Status Quo” and helping other change their “Status Quo”. And importantly people wont go under the axe every time there is a dip in NASDAQ or SENSEX or other bousers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Vineet's Blog from HCL Technologies
November 20th, 2008
Challenging the Status Quo

All around us, the rules of engagement are being rewritten. Perhaps the term ‘rules’ itself is inappropriate in this age where Wikipedia, Linux, Facebook, Napster and eBay are new flag bearers. These live laboratories of the human mind are governed not so much by rules as by the power of collaborative thinking.

In a process-driven world, the quest for efficiency and productivity through best practices of the past often inhibited innovation and evolution. Yet, today an ostrich-like approach will not be able to withstand the winds of change. In order to find solutions to some of the unprecedented challenges being faced by business, we need to challenge the status quo and break mindsets with a fresh approach.

Outside our business silos, we see traditional structures of creation tumbling as an unstructured collective of individuals become the new custodians of power and choose, create and destroy according to their needs. This process of co-creation and innovation is an exciting new territory as it multiplies synergies and has a disruptive impact on existing thought process.

In business as well, there is a compelling need to challenge the status quo. And there is an important lesson here staring us in the face: a need to “unstructure” the highly strait-jacketed world of business and technology today.

The changing mechanics of the human thinking is intrinsically linked to the future of business – and in turn linked to the future of technology.

As an instance, for the large part today technology plays a key role in enabling businesses – rather than businesses defining how they wish to leverage technology. But the individual has power over technology – and when business and the individual come together – and define the future of technology – structures will be broken, and the true power and ubiquitous nature of technology will set individuals free to run powerful businesses.

We need to bring business, technology and people together to unlock thought by raising questions that reveal new perspectives.

Existing thought leadership platforms, however, tend to structure the thinking upfront stating the problem and a suggested solution. Instead, the need of the hour is free-flowing discussion on the interlinked future of business and technology. Thought leaders, who play the role of the ‘thought provoker’ rather than problem solvers; who become a catalyst that creates other thought leaders without a care for hierarchy.

This will help bring alive communities rather than organizations, stimulating thought with the power to transform technology and business. It is only through such unshackling of ideas that the world will emerge more creative, collaborative and empowered to deal with tomorrow.

Trekking uphill from a Downturn.

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0000

In his 2007 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Al Gore pointed out that in Chinese and Japanese, the word “crisis” is written with two symbols. The first symbol stands for “danger,” and the second stands for “opportunity".

Politicians, business practitioners and investors wake up. Wake the sleeping bankers and the high paid business head honchos as well. For if you are wide-awake you will make sense of the lines below. They are not inspired from the notes of Wal Street pundits or Management gurus from Harvard, Stanford or Oxford. I am not even referring to any economic messiah foretelling the future of the world reading from past data. Only flattering to deceive every 99 times a 100 predictions!.

In the wide world of economy for every downturn there is a boom time in the anvil. If we stop for a while and consider neither is a downturn or a boom time hitting business from extra terrestrial sources. They are an out come of the business leaders and investors unable to manage risks or some times qualify them or forsee.

The reason for every downturn and boom time is than an entrepreneur who takes on a bunch of assets and a source of qualified and a bit of unqualified risks along with opportunities. A great leader is one who binds the business with ample guts and viable vision not to mention loads of prestine integrity . More importantly understand the assets as wel as the risks and set about the balancing act diligently.

Todays chieftains of the corporate world have found it convenient to run to the government like cry babies seeking bail out packages to make good of their errand judgment in understanding the risk element or ignoring the risk element or plain and simply not having skill to manage the risk as they show up.

Its a fact that there aint any business with out risk and no business worth its while if it is not taking on an element of risk. Else every thing will be non profit organisations.

In my view it is the best time for the uncut diamonds, leaders with substance, conviction and character to stand up and be counted. Vitally important is to remain positive while understanding the risks as much as you understand the opportunities and deploy assets to business play with a lions heart. Speak out truth about business and its operations all the time. These are the men and women who will bail the global businesses out of the trenches and pave a path trekking the uphill uncertian journey ahead ...not the government ...cause at that rate the governments are blowing up taxpayers money..very soon all of us will be bankrupt polically as well as financially .

In boom time every one can attempt to be a Henry Ford , Alfred Sloan , Bill Gates , Recardo Semler, Narayana Murthy , Ambanis or Tatas. Its is now who attempts and wins in a downturn stands tall as a turn around atrist who will be revered for a lasting time . For now there are mega business and mighty leaders turning turle by each day belly up :-( Lets turn it on , turn it around ..Yes We Can !! If we want to.

Get a Wire from Burning Sun and Plug it on to Earth !

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:44:00 +0000

Seems like a paradox when some one says the above when the earth is getting hotter by the day and snow peaks are melting away eating into the Sun kissed golden beaches on Rio, Goa and Gold Coast ?

Think Again ? How on earth can we use the Sun to help us stay cool !!! Think solar panels atop automobiles plying in the tropical countries like Brazil , India , China , Australia and all over the world during summer. About 70 % of our time on the road is when broad daylight is bright and sunny !!!

If only we channelize our present R&D dollar spend more toward converting solar energy to create products and power services for common men then we would do a great deal of favor and leave a valuable legacy to the children who will live in the years to come.

On a basic level "Darwinism" should come to play and why not today. The flora and fauna today get their energy from Sun . Why cant we use this powerful source of abundant energy to meet our energy requirements.

Why have we abandoned the famed Sails powering the marine lines . How much oil can we save if 40 % of cargo carriers around the world go back to use wind to power the cargo carriers ? May be we have to sacrifice a day or a week before the produce from one country reaches another , but it can go a long way in depletion of shorelines and help ships reach destinations sooner. I am referring to the miles of shores we can protect by slowing down the heating of earth process. (Inserted above is a picture of a prototype with computer controlled wind sails)

Think, Looking forward to your thought exchanges.

cheers !

Hybrids fostering a better place to change blue earth to a green planet

noreply@blogger.com (Aravindan Umashankar) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Barack Obama seems to be the flavor of the seasons to come. One of the policy spring boards has been that of Energy Self Sufficiency of the USA and the desperate urge to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

A sneak peak into the policy looks like this :
• Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
o Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
o Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.

Toyota has already usurped the market leadership with the hybrid model Toyota Prius and already developing a beta model of plug in hybrid.

Most significant is the founding of www.betterplace.com by Shai Agassi , the erstwhile raising star at SAP. It is very interesting to take a look at their audacious business model. Much of the innovations those spring up in the Information Technology are sprung from paradoxical situations and importantly by companies who question the status quo of established industry giants pedaling legacy systems.

I just can’t help by admire the temerity of Shai and his team to take on the most inspiring charter to free the earth of the banes of Ozone depletion and show a path of freedom from the reliance of fossil fuels.And that too in an sector infested by oil mafia from ME and legacy of the auto empires like GM and Ford and their chieftains running to Capitol Hill for a bailout package!!!!! Read on :-

Biz Model !!!

It’s simple. The car has evolved. Gas guzzlers have gone the way of the dinosaur - there’s a reason they call it “fossil fuel.” In their place we have electric versions of our favorite makes and models being developed by established car companies.
And the evolution of the car means the evolution of the entire transportation model. When we eliminate the dependence on oil, we eliminate the environmental and economic damage that came with it.
The good news is we’re evolving into something very familiar. The Better Place business model is one most of us already experience every day - with our mobile phones.

Think of it like this: we pay mobile providers for minute-by-minute access to cell towers connected together in cellular networks. Truth is, we pay comparatively little - or next to nothing - for the phones themselves. After all, what you’re really buying is air time, not a box with buttons.

The same model works for transportation. Just replace the phone with an electric car, replace the cell towers with battery recharge stations, and replace the cellular networks with an electric recharge grid. Now you’re buying miles, not minutes.

Imagine the impact of the success of the above plan with the support of the already successful hybrid car business which is so successfully launched by Toyota. Imagine the importance of the vision of the man leading world largest super power and the patronage young entrepreneurs like Shai Agassi will get ? – Hope , Dream On ..A better world is in taking shape NOW.

Cheers !

Ara