Mentations of a Careless Mind

Why I don't support Anna Hazare

2011-04-18T19:38:00.002-06:00

So the entire hoopla and never-ending melodrama of talk shows, opinions and statements that India saw for most part of April doesn't seem to end. While I understand the stature of the man in the center of the entire story, and his seemingly untiring crusade against corruption (a very informative report available at Call of the commons: People vs corruption : report of a CSE media task force to Ralegan Siddhi), I do not agree to the overall semantics of the strike and its fallout. Either the intentions seem too naive, or they seem too politically motivated to play to the galleries.

In any democracy, the only channel for the public if and when all the four pillars fail is to hold themselves true to the electoral mandate. The essential premise of the democracy always remain a peaceful elimination process to remain with the best possible candidate. Bear in mind that "best" in this regard always remain the "least bad" option rather than the other way around simply because of the way any functioning social entity on the earth remains which is allowed to assign leadership rather than being stamped with it. All the functions that a leadership is expected to provide - the legislation, the judiciary, the executive, etc. are just various forms of measured accountability, so that the leadership can be audited in relative terms and hence provide more information to the voting public to make a decision.

Any methods of getting around the system by bypassing it are wrong - protests, non-cooperation, violent agitations, and even hunger strikes. These methods, no matter how moral or peaceful they are presented as, eventually aim to hold a government hostage to its demands, and play on public sentiment and gullible opinion to get the balls rolling in one direction against the other. This is not very different from kidnapping a major film star, or to hijack an entire plane full of passengers - the only major difference being that the notion of hijacking a plane is universally considered an extremist, divisive and generally evil act, but a hunger strike is considered to be a Gandhian, peaceful way of expressing protest. In one way, this is like a small kid telling his dad that I won't eat till you get me the fancy toy I saw at the toy shop, and in another way, this is like a group of terrorists telling a Government that if you don't pardon these convicts, we'll kill all passengers.

Any kind of peaceful expression of displeasure or protest always need to be aimed at drawing attention to an issue. Of course the public is free to have its own viewpoint and opinion about an issue, but the entire landscape changes rapidly when such protests are associated with a warning of do-this-else-i'll-do-this type. If this continues, the entire law and order system of a society can be effectively held hostage by any respected member of the society, and we can bid farewell to democracy. Tomorrow a Sherawat can go on a "peaceful hunger strike" claiming she'll starve herself to death if the Censor Board doesn't allow hardcore porn in mainstream cinema, Tendulkar can go on a "peaceful hunger strike" claiming he'll starve himself to death if the ICC doesn't officially announce him as the best batsman of all time, and Advani can go on a "peaceful hunger strike" claiming he'll starve himself to death if he is not exonerated from all Ayodhya related charges.

Agreed that its a fair argument that the intentions of such a move would and should be questioned before public support can be gathered and opinions be influenced. But clearly the opinion depends on the demand at that point. If Sachin demands a Bharat Ratna for himself, he'd be considered selfish, but what if Bachchhan demands this award for Sachin? At that point, he'd be considered a messenger of righteousness, and clearly make headline news for 6 hours before the Government makes changes to its protocols and bestow the award on Sachin.

In Anna's case, I am also trying to understand the core intentions of the strike. It was perfectly timed, right after the World Cup win for India, and before the IPL marketing takes over, so that the media would provide undivided attention to his "cause". Also, the entire promise of Lokpal bill is false, even in its most progressive form, it does nothing except creating a new office with an officeholder who can act as a glorified auditor for all legislature, executive and judiciary, and still be appointed via the corridors of the same house. How different could it be from appointing a CVC or an Auditor General or a CJI? After all, every political party has its own candidates for these positions, and they end up being ceremonial positions more than anything else. The idea of not allowing mainstream politicians for talking, but letting people like Ramdev and Amir Khan sit alongside when these people have for long mentioned their desires of being "apolitically political" in near future speaks of, as I mentioned in the beginning, either naive intentions or political drama.

To conclude, an electoral mandate should and must remain the only manner for public to express their displeasure. Holding Government hostage undermines the basic values of democracy, and should not be welcomed in any way. Always remember, in a democracy you don't get the Government you wish for, you get a Government you deserve!

Why Women's Quota Bill is bad for Indian Democracy?

2010-03-09T12:25:00.000-06:00

Women's quota bill for reservation in representation to the legislative bodies in India has been the talking point of the entire news media in India in the past 2 weeks or so. With the entire country has been going gaga about the implications of this bill, and what it means for the oh-so-progressive Indian women and how it brings all those self-obsessed feminists a giant orgasm, what most people seem to forget is that such a bill defeats the purpose of having a democratic setup in the first place. Even if the advocates of this bill consider such a reservation to be representative of the growing social importance of women in India, they are forgetting that the universal suffrage, by principle, should imply a right to vote just as much as a right to be voted. This reservation does not hold any merit in a situation where political parties prefer not to give election tickets to women. While a lot of this practice has to do with the typical male domination which Indian women have traditionally been subjected to, it also underlines the fact that Indian democracy has not seen a lot of strong personalities amongst women leaders. To be honest I find it disappointing that I can count almost every important national level women politician in India on my fingers.

Not to claim that this is a big thing, however! India can do a lot better with one less Mayawati and Rabri Devi in politics, and if I were the judge, I’d throw in a Medha Patkar and a Mamta Banerjee into the pile as well. The problem with political polarities in India not allowing for a woman to lead originates in part also from the lack of strong willed, personable and likable women leaders. In fact, from all the leaders today, only Sonia Gandhi fits this bill, and she would fit this bill even in a list made irrespective of their gender. Apart from her, how many women politicians come to mind who are deemed important on the national front, have a national level image, and a message or vision which does not change every season?

Of course, passing of this bill marks a strong political bulldoze on part of the Congress. Feminists all around India are marking this as a win of womanhood. I, however, also would like to consider this as a day yet another part of democracy got murdered.

History has shown us that absolute reservation does not help anyone. Ask those professors in IITs and AIIMS about the difference in standard of students from the reserved categories and otherwise. Ask those students who were in the waitlist for the open categories and could not get a seat, while seats from reserved quotas went waste for better part of a semester before somebody from administration even gave it a word of thought. Consider those students who know, by virtue of their reserved status, that their career path is clearly defined from completing in five to seven years an IIT degree in mechanical engineering which would take a normal student four, to joining as a mechanical engineer in the highest paying pay scale of the public sector, or competing in UPSC to become an IAS or IPS intrinsically compensating his utter lack of talent with the provisions of reservation. How many generations are these politicians willing to sacrifice? And how do they measure the effectiveness of these sacrifices? How many generations continue to live with a question mark? Had I been selected if I were reserved? Had he been able to clear the entrance had he not been reserved? Did he deserve it more than I? How do I prove that I won because I was better not because I was reserved?

Having a quota for women legislators does not help – it just tends to provide a sugar-coated picture since politics is perhaps the only industry in India where nobody has heard of a term called performance evaluation. Hence every situation allows for a different analysis of the same result.

The issue of lack of representation of women in legislature needs to be tackled at the root level – and this should happen irrespective of the gender. Too long has India seen a family-oriented political cycle with generation after generation of political warhorses being born and bred to carry on a legacy that I can only hope someone comprehends. What we need is an educational system which inculcates leadership skills at the school level, which reminds us of political studies not as a means of telling us about the underlying left-right principle of major political parties, but rather by political ideas and their means of achievement in a democratic system. What we need is a performance appraisal for politicians, and a qualification based approach rather than populist pressure based horseplay we see today. The ideas of being able to represent people irrespective of education should always have their subject-to clauses, if we want to stop churning out stacks of Mulayam Singhs and Shibhu Sorens to rob this nation not only of billions of dollars, but also of the very essence of democracy.

Somewhere down the line, people need to realize that any kind of reservation does not assist in intermingling, rather underlines the boundaries – they started with reservation in public sector, continued with reservation in executive and judiciary, went ahead with reservation in education and energy, and now they have done it in legislature as well. My respect for women did not need a law book before this bill, and will not need a law book beyond – however, my respect for women politicians take an irreparable damage today – for the rest of my life, every women politician in India, whether deserving or not, will always be seen with a doubt in the eye over whether she deserved or whether she was reserved.

Despair without Hope

2010-02-14T21:42:00.000-06:00

A change I should have seen coming but I failed
Devil song I should have heard humming but I failed
Time evolving convolving now leaves me derailed
How bad I wonder why how I was rendered jailed

Feeling of despair takes over where I see no hope
Taken over by the stoniest tear as I reach out for the rope
My hands are held by some faces and promises unfulfilled
Life feels like sewer waste liquid in times of water distilled

Darkest times loom when I don’t even expect a ray
Dismay remains the last friend who left me betray
Life defecating on me burdening me to stay
I remain helpless in pile whey ash pain decay

Satan salivates poison preparing for the feast
Any salvation hopes resting only on the yeast
I wonder when more than what about the last thoughts

How did I ever come to this?
How did I ever come to this?
How did I ever come to this? .................................................

Why Indian Media Cannot be Respected

2009-09-10T17:54:00.007-06:00

In a world where every business unit and organization is looking for ways to improve quality of service and product, news and media industry seems to be an exception. Ever since its advent from a time when a single broadcast was used to deliver the most essential pieces of information, this industry has today exploded into unimaginable forms of paparazzi, gossip, entertainment, reality, and uncountable other forms of usually small talk and often hearsay kind of broadcasts. What's worse is that more and more news channels are coming up, all vying for the same piece of the 'story' (which, ironically, is the synonym for a true event in media jargon!), and saturating the readers and viewers with trivial, useless, and even frivolous telecast that leaves a blinding impact on mind and senses alike.

However, even within the same industry, different standards are set between different media houses. These differences are more accentuated in inter-country comparisons. For instance, British tabloids have the most notorious reputation when it comes to stalking and eavesdropping in the name of paparazzi. Australian media is believed to the most sore losers, where any loss in sports is followed by a numerous articles on how the team that beat the Australian team played and acted unfair.

It might be fair to say that Indian news media perhaps is the most irresponsible and unaccounted media in the visible world. With the largest consumer base worth soaking its feet in, Indian market has seen a growth in this industry which cannot be matched by any other economy in the world. However, uninhibited growth has its price, and the most unintended consequence has been the lack of quality and responsibility amongst the various channels in the name of 'breaking news' and 'developing story'.

The Mumbai terrorists attacks in November 2008 were perhaps the pinnacle of irresponsible behavior. It was frustrating to learn that the news channels were broadcasting live the strategies and action plans that were being made by the armed forces on ground zero, and horrific to learn that the terrorists were updating their strategies and responses based on the live telecasts on these news channels showing which exits were being blocked, which buildings were being raided first, and what kind of weapons were the commandos carrying. To play an entire nation hostage for the sake of a few TRPs not only defies logic, but also begs to question their allegiance. What's worse, I haven't yet seen even a single news channel or reporter offer an apology to the public for the 'role' these press representatives played in those attacks.

As if being irresponsible isn't enough, their methods of 'creating' news are quickly progressing from being inventive to being derogatory. As a recent example, consider the way they have handled the Harbhajan issue when a cameraman hit him on his patka - any reasonably religious Sikh would find it extremely offensive for the action of cameraman there. Even though there is every reason to believe that it was an honest mistake by the cameraman, the response from Harbhajan was nothing out of the way - merely pushing the equipment away and asking the person to take his shots from not too close does not warrant anything wrong. However, what was shocking was the response not only from this cameraman and his crew, but from every news channel in India, who took no time to brand Harbhajan as a bad boy, and had talk shows and focus groups on the issue. To give an idea of what actually happened, have a look:

Not only does this speak about the double standards and a blasphemy of culminating proportions by the media, but also about the dearth of commitment, professionalism, and attitude from these so-called representatives of the fourth estate - they are creating incidents and stories which demand some kind of action from the governing bodies. For how long can these people keep acting like goons and thugs whose only purpose of existence seems to be demanding an exploitative higher status over everyone else is a question that someone from their guild or association or whatever fancy name they have for their union needs to answer to the nation.

In a stark contrast, consider the way New York Times reported the incident of Joe Wilson shouting during the middle of Obama's speech. Rather than focusing on sensationalism, they focused on the incident, what might have led it to happen, and what might it culminate to if not properly handled. Not only this kind of coverage allows the alleged miscreant to issue an explanation, but also allows the public to form an opinion of their own rather than just reading a severely polarized viewpoint of one individual from the press fraternity.

It is due to incidents like this than Indian media can never match the repertoire, panache, or reputation of major news houses in the world - somebody needs to wake up and realize that the basic principles on news coverage and presentation rather than making it feel like a soap opera. It speaks volumes about their lack of personality and professionalism, not to mention a certain lack of credentials as well. Perhaps why an NDTV would never be seen in the same light as BBC, or for that matter, a Times of India as a New York Times.

After all,

"Respect is Commanded, not Demanded."

Confessions of a Workaholic

2009-07-05T09:21:00.003-06:00

Finding the perfect career or job forms the fulcrum of almost every immigration story that you come across, more so for youth who have high levels of energy, openness and keenness to advance at the right moment and at the right place. However, getting that opportunity is not as easy as it sounds back home, more so in times like today where the recession Gods just won’t go back into hibernation. While everyone understands and notices the differences, however subtle or evident, in work culture and professional space that differentiates Canada, it is never easy to get the necessary advice and support when it comes to learning the mannerisms and etiquette here about how to go about your career.

The forte of a traditional South Asian has always been hard, usually overworked, effort. It is often a keen contrast from the usually laidback (read lazy) approach that we tend to have in other aspects of life, be it spring cleaning, or be it hitting the gym regularly. This difference in behaviour, however, is not difficult to comprehend. Job is the utmost priority, and is valued even more by first generation immigrants from South Asia since they can relate their present to their past and the problems that they faced upon their arrival at Toronto. Moreover, because of the lack of necessary network to fall back upon, they live with an inherent self-realization that it would be much harder for them to reconnect to employers and seek newer opportunities. The result is that they tend to work harder and longer, and often get branded as the workaholics in their workplaces, who would typically arrive early and leave late.

We choose to overwork not because we suffer from an inferiority complex about our skills, but rather because we suffer from lack of recognition. As a culture, we are much more colourful and social than most other communities. From our festivals to our weddings, and from our movies to our social gatherings, we tend to socialize and vie for social recognition in an implicitly stronger way than most other communities where talking about weather and traffic form the fulcrum of any social conversation. At a typical Canadian workplace, however, there are certain boundaries – some which have been created by law, and some which have been created by the way things typically have been done or been seen here for so long.

It becomes difficult at times to leave the cultural baggage we have become used to and blend into the professional environment in a seamless manner. This is why we often lack the synergy that is expected from a community as vibrant and multidimensional as ours is, and why even after arriving in Canada for the first time, almost every one of us experience some kind of culture shock which takes getting used to, even though our sheer numbers here indicate a very prominent and visible group.

What we need is a place where we can learn the tricks of how to become successful in Canadian workplace without being labelled as overworking workaholics. One of the first lessons I learnt at B-school was to under-promise and over-deliver. However, the key is to ensure that under-promising is not viewed as under-performing, and without having the necessary confidence, I wouldn’t want to risk such a prejudice. What we need is a place where we can find the best people for our businesses; a place where we can find the best businesses looking for us; a place where we can be accepted; a place where we can learn beforehand what might go wrong; a place where we can tell others how not to repeat our mistakes; a place where we can indulge in a simple barter system of ideas, solutions, and assistance for the benefit and empowerment of the whole community.

The key to succeed today no longer remains knowledge and skills – it has been universally accepted that technical skills can be learnt easily and mastered with practice. People skills, while considerably more difficult, can also be learnt in due course of time. The essential item that completes the big picture is networking – when we know whom to contact for assistance, whom to help with our resources, and how to contribute towards the community and reap the benefits. Once we establish a repository of sorts in this direction, we can be certain about having the entire package – a recipe for success and progress in the right direction.

This is where forums and initiatives like Generation Next promise to assist us with. As a special and specific channel for South Asian youth, they invite us to convey our message to the community. As heterogeneous and multi-ethnic group as we may be, South Asians also possess the largest pool of knowledge, skills, and human capital. This vast pool, when convoluted with the hard working attitude at office table that we offer, provides us a unique advantage over most people vying for a similar kind of job. Our potential to helping each other becomes greater still at present when we are set to become the fastest growing ethnic group in this region, and with more than 60% of our population being young and energetic. If Hispanics can do it, so can we!

Ignominy of South Asian Youth

2009-07-01T04:56:00.004-06:00

South Asian community today has grown and progressed in Americas in ways that was not seen 20 years before – today they represent a very motivated, liberal, intelligent, and diverse group of people who are continuously excelling in fields as diverse as the cultural amalgamation that South Asia represents. From hospitality to technology, and from education to performing arts, it is becoming increasingly common to identify South Asian youth amongst the top performers, learners, and contributors in both major American economies, viz. the US and Canada. They look at New Yorks and Jerseys and Torontos and Vancouvers not only as the most sought after destinations for chasing the American dream, but also as ideal breeding grounds to create a niche for themselves as champion members of societies.

As a community, however, South Asian youth is so polarized and heterogeneous that social scientists and anthropologists have spent years of study into their behaviour and social progressions. Ground realities are easy to observe – despite being a very prominent visible minority in most of US and Canada, South Asians typically have limited themselves to their regional, cultural, lingual, and sometimes religious backgrounds. This is not difficult to understand. Back home, there is an inherent lack of interaction usually due to the prejudices and discords that mark almost every major region of South Asia. A lack of access accentuates this problem, with the result being that a set of prejudices keep getting passed from one generation to another. Incorrect, scandalous and emotion-based information gets repeatedly convoluted to render an inert shell across an overwhelmingly high majority of people. In absence of a channel that the youth can use to forget, eliminate, and correct these prejudices, the youth remains localized in attitude, behaviour, and knowledge when it comes to interacting with fellow South Asians. Moreover, they are missing out on seeking the immense pool of opportunities, support, and assistance which the South Asian community promises.

This lack of interaction has often resulted in a lack of identity as well, with South Asian youth from different regions getting torn between what they have been taught back home, and what they experience here. An average Canadian sees each of them as a South Asian ‘desi’, and has little or no knowledge about the differences back home. Moreover, these so-called differences that South Asian youth has grown learning about as an inherent part of growing up seem too trivial and old-school for regions like Toronto and New York where these differences are strongly acknowledged as constituents of a rich and progressive diversity. However, South Asians tend to compartmentalize each other – Bengalis and Punjabis, Rams and Rafiques, Buddhists and Catholics, Gujaratis and Lahoris, Telegus and Tamils, and almost every possible way of differentiation possible. What is even more startling is the fact that their knowledge of each other is very limited and often incorrect, making the case of a lack of identity even stronger.

What is required is a platform that has been missing so far – a common pedestal for youth from all parts of South Asia to come together, interact, learn, share, grow, and progress. As the more global and more informed generation, we need to garner a conglomerate of ideas, thoughts, and network that we can use for mutual benefit. This may not only be our gift to the future generations who then will not have to face the lack of knowledge and identity that we have grown up with, but also to our elder generations as an attempt to try and correct the mistakes and reduce the protectionism and mistrust that has long hampered the togetherness of a region which represents almost 40% of world’s human capital. We need to give this youth a platform where they can share and understand their weaknesses, inhibitions, challenges, and allow themselves to build a collective and meaningful voice that can be heard more clearly and discretely.

Print media has exceptional powers of reach, impact and result when it comes to delivering a message – it continues to bridge the gap between different situational and social norms, and can never go out of style because of the sheer opportunity for delivery and opinion that it provides. No wonder it continues to be used today even by the most technologically sophisticated and advanced organizations and associations all over the world. We need to draw thought mileage from this medium that can help us live our dream of a truly united and empowered South Asian youth, and promise the next generation a consortium of opportunities as wide in spectrum as the horizon, and a promise of support as powerful in reach as the Sun itself. As we cross territorial boundaries to enter a de-territorialized world, I hope an initiative in the right direction can plug the missing link for an ever-emerging South Asian youth to disseminate and demonstrate itself, and allow a coherent blend of youth with the most competent and complete set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and support system to herald itself in front of the world.

Motivating Employees – Do or Don’t?

2009-05-26T00:32:00.003-06:00

I came across a very interesting article by John Roulet a few days back. An author of critical acclaim who has written a book that I was undoubtedly impressed with, I was taken aback by the underlying philosophy behind the man’s hypothesis.

He talks about the need to not demotivate employees, and how it should supersede the need to motivate employees to such an extent that managers should be concerned only with not demotivating their employees. While certainly an interesting read, I cannot help but disagree with the concept. Different people have different motivators, and this is what makes people management such a dynamic and challenging responsibility at any position. Motivation has long been seen as a concept which has not inherently moved from the different levels that Maslow suggested so long ago – its evolution still revolves about the basic principles of needs, desires, and fulfilment. The whole concept of career anchors revolves about Maslow’s hierarchy as well. In theoretical terms, career anchor changes as a person moves from one level of needs to another.

He claims that desire to do quality work guides us as a species, no less. However, I respectfully disagree simply because desire to do our best does not show itself unless we have reached a certain level of fulfilment. Even if I am a law school graduate and know that I can perform the best as partner to a law firm, the first thing that always guides me is whether I have enough money in my bank to pay for food, rent and gas. For if I don’t have even the bare minimum resources required to do what I ‘desire’ to do, I would be ready to compromise – this compromise is nothing but a simper version of Darwin’s famous ‘Survival of the fittest’ theory – every person is ready to make sacrifices to ensure he remains fit enough to survive. And survival, when it comes down to the wire, depends on resources to afford food, shelter, and health.

I agree that it is very important to ensure that the employees do not lose their motivation to perform at their best levels. However, it is equally, if not more, important to provide them with the necessary motivation – money is a need for everyone, but not necessary a motivation. There comes a point in every employee’s career when money is not the primary concern any more, simply because he has climbed up the corporate ladder high enough to know with reasonable satisfaction that he has sufficient money to afford his needs. At that point, he needs a different motivation – it could be challenging work, it could be an overseas assignment at a picturesque location, it could be a promotion, or it could simply be having a responsive and understanding boss.

To claim that an employee shall find his motivation himself means you are running a great risk as a manager – what if the employee finds that motivation for a position that your business rival is offering? Worse still, what if the employee finds no motivation to get out of his ‘comfort zone’ of performance and remains put on the minimum acceptable performance?

Recognition, as John mentions, is a powerful demotivator for those who didn’t get it. However, this is just taking us back to the simple principles of distributive, procedural and interactional justice – make sure all know the who, how and why about rewards, so that those who couldn’t win them know in which areas do they need to pull up their socks, and those who won know the areas where they were doing the right thing. Clear direction, respectful treatment and resourceful performance are just ways of ensuring it.

In a lot of ways, motivation and demotivation are opposing forces at work. A good manager should always contribute to the weight of the motivating side – you can simply never have a workforce where no one is demotivated. The challenge, however, should be to make sure that every member of the workforce has enough motivators to guide him through towards his best performance.

I am sorry, Mr. Roulet, but the leadership paradigm has always been the same!

A Lost Smile

2009-03-11T04:20:00.000-06:00

Those were times when her smile would make you forget a thousand blues
Those were chimes that would drop nothing yet a thousand clues
A heart that spoke of warmth affection and care for the loved and close
Indeed the best medicine, with always thirst for a better dose

Alas the times change the worlds exchange the cities grange
Alas the winters arrive the failures contrive the past alive
Smile remains but innocence is amiss warmth remain but joy seems a bliss

Such rain pours it would take my heart and soul
Such cold remains it would take my brass and coal
I wander wonder ponder squander looking for that smile once more
A condor waiting for his dove with a breaking heart and a broken core

Mind fails again where the heart feels the pain
Waiting for the train that could lead me to solitude Oh Spain!
Bane of helplessness not arrived yet but sensed near
Blessed be the soul that could help her and let me tear

Winter shall be over soon and the summer sun shall rise again
Smile that guided the day light would flow like golden champagne
Strength will need shall guide me to express hide abstain
Saviour every moment and live with horrendous pain
Excruciating and agonizing yet desired and craved
Depriving depraving yet in love I enslaved

HR Strategy and Google Inc.

2009-02-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

Managing human resources effectively has become vital to organizations within the modern and fast-paced business environment, more so as the economy the world over converge into a synapse of globally connected and interdependent sectors aimed at preserving and creating knowledge rather than products and services alone. The novelty in the market today demands innovation and trust more than mere comparative analysis of sales and market share, and the hierarchy of the centre and periphery model is evolving into a different paradigm.

Human Resources specialists are more important in business strategies today for this very change in market dynamics – more so in the present economic situation of a global recession and downturn across industries and sectors. The focus has turned on HR Department at every organization – the survival lines are running drier with every passing week at the trading markets the world over, and the aim is not only to see through the recession, but more importantly, to ensure employees are still committed to the organization. HR development acts as the mentor to its employees – guiding, training and educating them in the way of the industry and the organization. Well trained and competent employees, who are able to showcase themselves and their organization to the customers in a more effective manner, help in increasing customer satisfaction and overall clientele, by adding credibility and reputation to the business. Effective HR planning and development practices bring quality and loyal workers who are committed and passionate about the success of their organization.

Google Inc., the 9 year old technology service provider based in Mountain View, California, was voted the number one Best Company to Work for in America for the second year in a row by its employees. It is the biggest brand name in the world today – a brand that is built upon a culture that is high on trust, low on politics, great at sharing resources and sharing the wealth, and full of meaning and significance. However, besides the usual and much publicized remuneration package and plush offices, deeper and more thoughtful set of factors have been identified and acknowledged by consulting firms and employees alike on why it is such an attractive organization to work for.

Read and/or Download the complete paper below.

Strategic HR Planning at Google Inc Strategic HR Planning at Google Inc Anurag Gupta A descriptive case study of Human Resource Strategy at Google Inc.

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Business Research planning Human Resources

We Love You, Maria!

2008-12-13T03:58:00.002-06:00

So the latest salty edition of Mexican Playboy is out! and if you can judge a magazine by its cover, it's darn good!

In case you are still reading, this isn't about the titillating erogenous positions or pictures, but the theme of the photo shoot this time around which is creating quite an opinion in some parts of the civilized and (hopefully) fertile world. The apparent similarities to the Virgin Mary notwithstanding, and the interesting timing of the release – same week in which the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe begins for Mexican Catholics, I am actually surprised at the kind of response that the edition has generated.

For a brief idea about the story, please visit here.

There are two schools of thought running inside my head at this point when I try to contemplate the situation. I completely understand the outrage that any devoted Catholic would have if a religious symbol, and that too Virgin Mary, is actually commercialized in a manner reminiscent of one of the seven Sins mentioned in the texts. I also understand, though I may not agree, all the self-proclaimed preachers who demand a line to be drawn between freedom of expression and duty to respect others. I may also accept some merit in calling for an apology from the publisher even though it should be pretty clear that it would only help Playboy’s cause with all the anti-publicity pushing up the sales.

However, I do not understand how an apology would change anything. The fact that even during the holy month there are people who are going out there at the nearest stand to buy a copy of the edition does not indicate the number of people who are adding to their collection – for them, December is just another month, and so this should be just another edition of porn, however tasteful.

I do not understand why suddenly this is a freedom of expression over-use problem. The same argument has defended the publishers in Europe and America for 4 decades now, where Hindu Gods and Goddesses are misquoted or used in a context completely different from their place in Hindu religious texts. How could it be justified to sell lingerie with prints of Hindu Goddesses, but not porn with Virgin Mary? I remember a statement that came for D&G about how their use of such prints on panties showed taste and softness, with the panty being used to cover the tastiest and softest parts of woman’s body. Now suddenly the same argument is not valid?

Now I don’t have any agenda of myself here – my personal viewpoint has always been trying not to offend someone or some group, like Catholics in this incident or Hindus in the numerous previous ones. However, this shows the kind of intolerance that people blame the Americans for – the way they acted dumb in Afghanistan, and burnt their hands so badly in Iraq, even though Viet Nam did not happen so long back that nobody could recall the lessons. Bush might die claiming it was a war on terror, or an average American might vouch about how they have no tolerance for external influences (read terrorism), but the truth is that as a religion which is receding in numbers, devout followers, and semantics of validity with present times, it is easier to relate their response to insecurity rather than to intolerance.

It may be hard to accept, but it wouldn’t matter – I understand what I believe to be true, and if it indeed is, perhaps I would have done the same.

On the hindsight though, I probably wouldn’t have! There are better ways to sell than by offending people, and if I have to do something to offend, I have better ways to do so!

Why Safety comes first

2008-11-27T02:27:00.003-06:00

Just found this video across on youtube which speaks volumes about the kind of disasters which can be avoided by small and simple precautions. I'll be writing more about this later. Check the video for now - I found it more shocking simply because this is no illustration - this is an actual CCTV recording of an accident.

This video shows the probabilities and possibilities of hazards and accidents that are present almost everywhere. Not many would have imagined that a thing as small as a bar stool could do such a major damage. My condolences remain for the family and friends of the waitress who took the dreaded fall.

As a Health and Safety SME, the task becomes more cut out - after all, it may not be possible to foresee this kind of situation, but once something like this actually happens, all the regulatory procedures and inspections have a telling effect on a business, especially if the injuries incurred to the worker are as serious as this accident suggests. While foreseeing and pro-active designing may not suffice to eradicate all accidents at a workplace, there is a strong feeling that the so-called Health and Safety Experts and Consultants are probably not equipped completely to see them in the first place.

The basic problem lies in the essence of the knowledge system, or the educational structure as some prefer to call it. As a student, or for that matter, as an instructor, both the parties are somehow constrained to limit their discussion and thought process to what is mentioned in the text books. However, this is exactly where the idea of having a person with no prior knowledge of this field comes in - someone like a cognitive or lateral thinking expert, or perhaps even a alternative thinker or designer - someone who can see things in a way that is not covered in the books, and then leave it upto the professionals to deal with it. How many companies today are doing it is a matter of guessing. However, if it were upto me, I would surely like to think about this aspect seriously enough to merit a consideration from the executive management.

Women workers still feel they are being paid less

2008-11-15T20:25:00.007-06:00

I found an article on Pay Equity on one of the HRM websites which tells a tale in itself about the state of mental affairs in Canadian workforce. The article presents briefly the results of a survey conducted by Harris Interactive with regard to the ground situation (perceived or real) of pay equity legislation. It points to the strong belief in employees about the difference in their salary packets, and the possible reasons for this difference.

The issue pointed in this article is interesting for many reasons. The biggest among them is that the results of this survey show that even today, a significant proportion of women believe that they are being paid less than their male counterparts. While this may be true in some workplaces that have poor pay equity policies in place, but certainly not as much as the numbers suggest from this survey. This indicates the necessity of having a high level of transparency and accountability in the HR practices at any workplace – not only is it important to maintain pay equity as part of legislative and social responsibility, but equally important to ensure that the process is fair, transparent, accessible, and open to feedback and suggestions from employees. Only then would the employees have enough confidence in their organization’s HR department about the compensation package being offered to them.
One of the principal idea, as mentioned earlier, is that even today, a very significant proportion of women in Canada perceive a sense of being cheated as far as their pay compared to male compatriots is concerned.

Additionally, there are high proportions of female workers who continue to believe that their career advancement and job flexibility opportunities are much lesser than that of men. The article gives an interesting window to look into the minds of those women workers who are or who perceive being paid less than their male colleagues – 30% of women feel that men are paid higher because management tends to show favouritism to members of opposite sex. By this rationale, women should be more densely represented in the management if men are paid higher. However, 19% of women feel that men have more career advancement opportunities, which should not happen if there are more women in the management. Essentially, this points to the lack of information that the women employees may be having about the workplace policies with respect to compensation and pay equity.

As an HR professional, one needs to go back to the basic policies – not only does the pay equity plan needs to be reviewed to ensure that there are no unintended gaps which are proving disadvantageous to women workers, but also the essential corporate policies like employee communication, reliability and fairness scheme, transparency window, etc. The strongest feeling out of this article is that perhaps HR have not yet been able to have policies that are accountable enough to remove any false or unfair perceptions in the minds and hearts of employees – the employees are perceiving possibilities as facts in absence of factual information. As an HR professional, I’d be tempted to correct this issue first.

Stock Markets and Human Psychology

2008-11-15T08:29:00.000-06:00

While the world around has been keeping a fervent eye on the stock markets the world over and trying to recalibrate their investment portfolios with a hope to minimize the bear run at the trading floors, I have found it very difficult to understand the basic mentality giving way to this virtual free fall. The various market conditions notwithstanding, and even not ignoring the predictions of the biggest recession since Great Depression, it is difficult to comprehend how stock markets react when I try to couple it with the human psychology. In a way, stock markets probably present the biggest paradigm that defines the most innate human nature of being mistakenly social in its very mindset – a creature for whom it is probably more important to observe what others are doing than actually doing something of his own!

As an analogy, take the example of a simple goods market – let’s say a grocery store. What one buys in a grocery store depends on the need, utility, value, and of course the price of the product available for sale. If the first three factors remain constant, it is the price of the product which drives the market – if Wal-Mart can sell you the same product for 20$, you won’t go to Holt Renfrew to buy it for 35. This is one of the basic principles of economics – the lower the price, the more the demand; and vice versa.

However, switch to a stock market and the situation is completely opposite. People buy more when the prices are high, expecting the prices to go higher; and start selling as soon as the prices begin to fall! The basic idea of cashing in when the prices are low and cashing out at the highest possible prices for maximum profits is completely inverted in stock markets – people buy more when the prices are high, and sell more when the prices are low.
This whole situation gives an interesting preview into the human psyche, which is probably more valid in today’s situation than it ever was, simply because stock markets are in news almost everywhere in the civilized world. Rather than going on a buying spree right now because the stock prices are at an all time low, most people are selling their stocks to get whatever value remains of them. However, not many have woken up to realize that selling at 20% loss would only make it more difficult to come out of this phase at the macro level – as more people keep selling, the prices will keep dipping further. Hold the shares you already have. If possible, buy some more – after all, if the price quoted in the market today is lower than what you paid for them, or would have paid for them during “good” times, it makes sense to invest more money if you could remember the Wal-Mart analogy.

How does this link to the human nature? Simply put, it shows how much the behaviour of others affects my own. Everyone else is losing money, and selling to recover whatever is left, so I should do the same, else I might be the biggest loser at the end of the cycle. Perhaps not easy as it seems, but the whole downslide of the trade cycle can be negotiated, if not completely avoided, only if someone is prepared to forget the gross worth of portfolio, and simply look at what could materialize once the sun gets brighter.

Easier said than done, of course! But this is where perhaps one needs to know whom to look up to. I always remember the famous principle given by Warren Buffet to invest in stocks only the money that I could afford to lose, and once invested, forget about the money unless you need it badly – this is perhaps the reason why he made a fortune out of stock markets - he would buy stocks at low prices during times like now, and keep put unless he needed money to buy something else. After all, a good deal is where you buy at the lowest possible, and sell at highest possible. The way the regular investors try to look at markets is a recipe for failure, and probably the reason why trade cycles are becoming shorter and deeper now than they were 30 years back.
I completely agree that it is one of the toughest times for those investors who need to cash out their money for a primary need. But I am also very sure that the proportion of such investors is much lower than those who are tearing their hair out every day on the trading floors. I’d still advice to use all extra cash you have to buy some good and prospective stocks rather than going for a selling frenzy. As for me, how much do I wish I had the money with me today to invest in markets – I would have invested up to my last penny of savings into the markets and waited for this to get over.

Thanks for the memories, Dada!!!

2008-11-09T08:31:00.004-06:00

If anyone were to call me too stupid or immature to be having watery eyes right now, I probably wouldn't have cared for the world. The last giant of Indian cricket had his last bout today, and the hero who never quite became a God signed out at last. Sourav Ganguly played his last test innings, and takes with him a career which will be remembered for so much more than just the numbers!

To remember Ganguly one should not look at the averages or the number of hundreds, or the number of controversies or the number of wins. Remember Ganguly as the captain who taught his team to be as arrogant and ruthless on the field as the team you would want to avoid! Remember Ganguly as the batsman who brought a grace to hitting spinners over long on that was orgasmic in every sense of the word! Remember Ganguly as the wizard who was able to bring down a mountain by just showing up late or tightening his shoe laces every 2 overs! Remember Ganguly as the competitor who had the courage to survive more than 100 tests and 300 ODIs looking as awkward as he looked trying to play the short ball!

There are people for whom results and numbers don't matter - they bring a whole theatre and carry an aura around them that you can sense with every action noticeable or otherwise. These are people who are remembered for their memories and influence over their ability, and for their genius over their talent. These are people who are remembered for the memories that they leave. These are the people who give hope and set example for not one team or group, but for an entire nation of over a billion.

And then, there is Ganguly!

I won't remember him as much for his 18,000 international runs as I'll for the way he looked the most likely international wicket taking bowler. I won't remember him as much for his almost 450 international appearances for India as I'll for his ability to annoy the opposition in almost every single one of these matches. I won't remember him as much for the number of boundaries he was able to make on the off side even when in an 8-1 field as I'll for how long he was able to carry on and succeed even after being so helpless against the short ball. I won't remember him as much for being the captain who won in Pakistan, Australia and England as much as I'll for his shirtless act on the Lords' Balcony. I won't remember him as much about the number of wins he brought to India as much as I'll for the captain who taught a whole nation how to be a bad boy while on the field. And of course, I can never forget the effortless charge down the track to a spinner for a six.

Never been a Dravid in his poise or a Laxman in his ability, Ganguly still had an air about him which would give a hope that a Laxman or Dravid have never managed in their careers. Rarely has a sportsman caught so much imagination of his opponents that they write about him more than they do about themselves in so called autobiographies. Rarely has a cricketer rose to levels that have inspired a whole generation of men and women to take a hit and yet march on.

And then, there is Ganguly! One man I'd love to name a city after if I could even though the whole world knows his state by his name!

Dada!!! You are the Royal Bengal Tiger!! and you'll remain!!! Thanks for the memories!!!!

10 Lessons from Sri Lanka

2008-08-04T23:13:00.001-06:00

With the ongoing series between cricket teams from India and Sri Lanka going on, there has been sufficient action on field so far to learn some valuable (and some obviously evident) lessons about the state of cricket affairs in India - and that of Indian cricketers in particular. The series seems crisply poised on the paper, and given the kind of feeble approach both teams have shown when it comes to grinding and surviving in unhelpful conditions, it may well turn out to be a lot closer contest than the apparent form of certain players from both sides.

However, certain chinks and gaps are quite evident. I've picked up a list of some of these.

1. Old or Young, India needs Dravid and Tendulkar for a longer and heavier stay on the wicket. India never looked assured against the spinners, or during difficult sessions when one of these 2 were not facing up, if you take one Sehwag special out of the way.

2. Mystery or Thrill, Mendis is nowhere in the league of Warne or Murali, at least right now. It was pleasing to see how easily Sehwag countered him in the second test, even though Murali was as great a challenge as his records show. I doubt if any of the other batsmen in the present Indian test squad though have the courage, stamina and audacity to continue planking the ball whole day.

3. Harbhajan needs to sort out his bowling style and mentality pretty quickly - pitches like Galle happen once in 30 tests, and he would like to be remembered for something more than a 32 wicket hall against Waugh's men. He cannot be bowling the one day line in a test match and expect returns with flat top spinners.

4. Sangakarra can be dismissed - the trick is to keep his quiet outside off stump for 30 minutes.

5. Its time India start the phasing out of the older players and including the younger ones in the team - my call? Start out with Ganguly and Laxman. Both have looked jaded and tired even though they have played the least amount of cricket in recent times. I'd recommend replacing Ganguly with Sharma, and Laxman with Yuvraj in not more than next 3 tests.

6. Dhoni is as irreplaceable an asset in the test format as he is in the shorter ones - Karthik has looked as inadequate behind the stumps as in front of them.

7. Sri Lanka needs to find a replacement for Vaas, and look towards options beyond Malinga. With Vaas already past his expiry date, and Murali nearing it, they'll struggle in grounds and in tournaments where it matters.

8. Kumble needs to add more variety to his bowling as well as his captaincy skills - his bowling has been rendered ineffective although spinners have been making hay everywhere on the Sri Lankan grounds, and his captaincy has been unimaginative when the opposition has been on offensive.

9. Technique or no technique, run making and wicket taking counts - Sehwag and Mendis have been successful even with their questionable approache, while purists like Dravid have generally struggled.

10. The Umpire review system is a shame - please take it off!!! Enough Said!!!

The Haunted Times at Humber Lakeshore

2008-06-27T23:10:00.001-06:00

While surfing around for blogs on Humber College earlier today, I came across a blog on the haunting history at Humber Lakeshore campus. Intrigued by a connection that I had not even imagined so far, I decided to have a look into the blog and on more information on this. What I found was not as hair-raising as the initial impression from the blog, claiming many a professional ghost huntings in the Toronto area, and had tips about where, when, and how to find ghosts. However, the stories and the backdrop of the building definitely draws a strong parallel to the movie Asylum that I saw a few months back. There is a certain causal relationship between the movie and the history of Humber Lakeshore - but I don't know yet whether the movie is the cause or the effect. The information I found on the internet does not suggest a haunted present or past, and the evident stance of the College authorities to prohibit any investigations on the alleged hauntings should not be an alibi for a skeptic anyway. However, this is one space I am going to look out for when I go there.

Customized Involvement: New Fad in Social Networking

2008-06-21T23:08:00.000-06:00

Social networking has grown exponentially in the last few years. MySpace, Facebook, orkut, hi5, Bebo, and many others sites have generated remarkable growth and revenues in the last few years – some of them even seeing a substantial period of 40 to 50 percent growth. The advent is attributed to a long a factors, from the internet penetration in homes to the delocalized nature of friends today, and from the easy connectivity to the overall ease of maintaining friends’ list and profiles. However, with the number of such sites increasing, the redundant features, and the expanded revenue expectations, the pressure to retain users on such sites has also increased. This has led developers to look for new options and features for their sites, as they try to provide a slightly different experience for their users to keep themselves hooked onto the site.

One of the easiest ways to keep any user connected to a site is to make him feel not alone. All the features like messaging, scraps, communities, forums, etc. which these sites provide are actually an effect of the same theory – I can be sitting in a shabby and cold place when I login to orkut, but when I get a reply to a scrap from one or the other of my friend, or get a response on a message posted on a community, there is a sense of “presence” that automatically brings a sense of warmth somewhere. On a social scale, all other features like profile, albums, videos, testimonials, fans, communities, groups, etc. are just a package of marketing tools – from the look of it, they help one user learn more about the other, but actually, they just help a user to promote his profile and activities in order to being accepted by people yet unknown. This is precisely the reason that when a user doesn’t see a reply or a scrap for a time slightly longer than usual, you can usually observe a profile update – perhaps adding a new album, a simple method to “help” your friends remember you.

However, such methods always have a shelf life simply because the basic principle is connection – a user needs to feel connected to someone on the site for him to continue using it. That’s where most of the sites have felt a roadblock because there is a limit to the new features they can add, even with the constraint of time and money hanging around the neck. In a way the Facebook idea to have users and organizations add their own applications for others to use has been a defining moment in the field – with so many different modules that are added every day to the site, the users always have something new to do – from writing on walls, super walls, and special walls, to playing chess and poker with other users, and from taking quizzes about their favorite movies to voting how hot other users are, Facebook provides a list of applications that users can simply add to their profile, and become involved. While this is still an extension of the groups and communities feature as far as the connection part is concerned, the very fact that users can actually play poker with other users rather than only writing about the game actually brings in a very complete experience.

The other special aspect of this feature is the customization – users can add only the applications that they want to. So if I don’t want a “super wall” on which others can write, I can choose not to add this application to my profile. Better still, if I don’t like a particular feature after having a look for some time, I can simply delete it without any approvals or dependencies. This adds a specific level of customization I can bring on to my profile as a user – a sense of power that is fast becoming a wet dream for both the male and female demographics.

A lot of other networking sites have also woken up to this customized content for their users. OpenSocial platform is another praiseworthy initiative, though it may take some time for its effect to be seen. However, the overall attraction curve for social networking certainly has picked up the upward path on the popularity scale, and till the next fallout, I’d suggest the developers to focus on such content and upcoming usage trends equally.

The Gender Gap

2008-06-18T23:14:00.000-06:00

One of the biggest changes that Indian society has seen in the last 15 years or so is the advent of female empowerment, so to speak. Access to education has opened up the avenues for the fairer sex that were almost impossible a generation ago, and certainly so any earlier. Women are quickly becoming competitors in almost every professional and social section of life. From being the unpaid maid and baby-sitter at home, the Indian woman has surely come a long way.

However, I do believe that the transition to a liberal, 21st century woman as is usually seen in more evolved cultures is not yet complete in the Indian context. The biggest problem is the generation gap. The present generation's woman is more aware about her rights, and is supposed to be a better judge than her grandmother in most situations - this has simply increased the depth of trough between the two generations of women. This gender specific generation gap has convoluted the already existing problem of generation gap, with dire effects on the overall stability and value structure of the Indian society as a whole.

One of the most common observations today in new weddings is the turmoil that happens immediately after the wedding. The bride, with her fancy education and plush job, is not ready for even small compromises – compromises which used to be considered an implicit and done deal as early as about 10 years ago. One of the classic examples is dressing up in traditional Indian ‘Dulhan’ attire for a certain period after the wedding. My male genes immediately would point to the adamant and don’t-care attitude of the girls; however, there is another angle to this situation. The bigger problem is the uneducated mother of the bride. This mother has lived most of her life trying to buy a way out of problems because she never went to college, and never brought a salary home. However, in more ways than one, she wants her daughter not to undergo the same – she wants her daughter to be special, and begins to think that education *alone* can make this happen. Once the daughter finishes her education, and has a couple of fancy degrees and diplomas to flash to her in-laws, the empowerment cycle starts. It finishes with a complete training on creating an emotional shell towards everyone else, keeping your own priorities on top of the list, and using your education to play the new-age ‘bahu’.

What all this pre-wedding ‘education’ does it that it creates a huge gap between the newly married couple. Contrary to what most women would say, men usually don’t care about how much money their wives earn, and what position they hold in office – as long as this is not in conflict with men’s own life. The man is supposed to be earning the bread, and the woman is supposed to be serving it – this has been the kind of environment that almost every Indian has grown up in, and would have this iron-printed at the back of his or her mind. The problem is that while men have learnt to make peace with this norm, the new-age Indian women have suddenly started questioning this. This creates a huge imbalance in the family fabric – an Indian male is not taught to be submissive to any mother apart from his mother, and surely not so immediately after his wedding. Indian female finds herself in a completely alien territory, with a new set of people to call her family, and a sudden rush of nerves and excitement. Mother’s training suddenly brings out a very impersonal facet in front of the husband and in-laws, and a make-break situation arrives sooner than later – where either the husband would be submitting to the wife for the rest of her life, or the vice versa. The overall charm and simplicity of the arranged marriage, by the time this happens, surely eroded away.

It does not mean that either one of them is wrong in their outlook or mindset – it’s just that the transition is nearing its terminal stage – I don’t see the Indian weddings to remain as stable and separation-free as they have been thus far in another 10 years or so. What I would like to watch though is the social graph of the next generation – whether the present set of conflicted couples end up rearing healthy kids, or some grudge carriers for their own misery.

A Bonzer Race? or a Racist Bonzer?

2008-01-19T00:16:00.000-06:00

Just because you are a character does not mean you have a character.
- Mr Wolf, Pulp Fiction

So, all the hype over the much awaited cricket tour down under has taken the ugliest turn for so long as I can remember. Perhaps the only time Indian Cricket was so much languishing was when Azhar wept in front of a match fixing probe while admitting to have 'made' matches. But what about the Australians? It seems yet another home series for them, isn't it? I can't remember the last series in Australia where the arrogance of hosts is ignored for the slumbering guests to return home licking their wounds, and perhaps a couple of seniors hanging their boots!!!

But the last week in Sydney has seen perhaps the most spirited performance by an Indian bunch touring Australia, willing to carry on despite all the setbacks, honestly and sincerely trying to match an unbeatable Australian team, and moving on despite all the appeals being turned down repeatedly and all the fingers being raised at all the wrong occasions. Perhaps that remains the biggest message from this match, that I would like to take pride in.

There are a lot of news making rounds after the events in Sydney - horrendous umpiring, the on-field conduct, and the way the basic rules and instincts were exploited to quench the thirst for another win, blatantly killing any spirit of the sport and ripping apart any notions of being a sporting team. The problem? Only Indian team seems to be having all the problems. Well, the tough guys from Australia don't complain, they trudge and move ahead - or so they'd like to claim their wet dreams on. A simple message for those beer gulping big bellied creatures - bad umpiring is bad for both the teams, but when there are 9-10 decisions in your favor and 1-2 against, you'd like to ignore blissfully! sledging and using curses like bastard, mother fucker, and what not are acceptable because they are a part of the Australian urban dictionary, but Monkey is not because it is racist and derogatory! your batsmen have the right to wait for the umpire to actually judge you out even when you know you are, but it is alright for you to deliver the verdict when you are taking catches!!

Anyway, this is something I am sure a lot of people have read and spoken about already - I am also pretty sure that the conduct of 11 people on the field should not be taken as a measure of the conduct of a whole country. Even though it is widely accepted that as a culture, Australians are more aggressive than Indians or Englishmen, I'd still like to believe that those 35 year olds playing in saggy baggy are perhaps the worst who have ever represented Australia in an international event of any importance at any level. I may be wrong - but it doesn't hurt to believe what is to come is only better than today!

But what has made me get up in the middle of the night and write this piece tonight is the whole Racism slew - apparently Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey and this was taken as a racist abuse by all the people up there in Sydney who look like monkey and who don't, who like monkey and who don't, as long as the person is wearing a green cap, has a beer belly of a 5th month pregnant woman, and has a skin that is a little lighter from the so-prejudiced colored. My first reaction? Preposterous!!! if I know anything about the culture of India in general, and Punjab in particular, I can tell you right now that Harbhajan may have abused Symonds - he may have called him an ass-licking son of a bitch, a horny pimp for a bastard sister, a punishment from Satan to the world, or a creature carrying both male and female genital parts - but surely not a monkey! A monkey is not an abuse anywhere in India. I don't know why Australians feel it insulting and racist to be called a monkey. On a lighter note, perhaps they want to acknowledge that they have not evolved from the Neanderthals, and are not, in fact, Homo Sapiens!!

Perhaps the guy who called them Bonzers actually meant Bonkers!!!

Here is what the easiest explanation I have - Ponting and company realized on day three that they could be embarrassed, Ponting realized that if Harbhajan continues to play, his captaincy might come into scanner with talks of moving over to Clarke, umpires had a bad game because they were not used to seeing an Australian team being in trouble for so long in a session of play, the players started their seemingly patented 'mental disintegration', and match referee, on his part, wanted to get out of the room, and decided to walk along with the shouting and jumping kangaroos rather than the pleading and mewing tigers. After all, free Fosters on the house is always better than a glass of milk!!

Almost everyone in India seems to believe, or so the SMS polls here suggest, that the tour be called off, Indians should return, the ban on the Sardar be revoked, the umpires be suspended, etc. etc. etc. As for me, I don't believe in most of it - yes, the ban on Harbhajan should be appealed against, and the prejudice be fought against and defeated. But for the others, I cannot agree - the tour should continue, better to return home as heroes who stood for their honor and played with all the integrity than being seen as 8 year olds who run and hide in their homes as soon as the playground quarrel with the bully next door gets out of hand. Play, fight hard, and try to win - I'd prefer to see 10 more Sydney like performances as an Indian fan than as an Australian one! I am sure there are millions who believe likewise here (well, with the kind of population we have, any idea has millions backing it!!!). Umpiring? Well, leave it to the right people to decide if Bucknors and Bensons have a future in the game - I am sure the answer will converge to a No sooner than later.

The Great Indian Coach Hunt

2007-12-29T00:16:00.000-06:00

So its official!! The next Indian coach is to be Gary Kirsten... wow!!! I don't know if I should be congratulating BCCI or should be waiting for something masaaledaar to happen. From the look of it, it does seem like a good choice, and if I go by my gut feeling, a guy like Kirsten is actually the right choice by far. As a batsmen who was known for his khade khade shots, and a will power to make most of his limited abilities that was second only to Steve Waugh, Kirsten is expected to, or at least I expect him to, bring some much-needed mental toughness in the team.

As a player and as a batsman, Kirsten has always been a nearly man for South Africa - a dependable and big match batsmen, a reliable fielder, and someone who always played in the shadows of legends like Donald and Cronje. Just the right ingredients which this Indian team miss - squandering big stage situations, youngsters getting awed by the aura surrounding a Tendulkar or a Kumble, and of course, the amazing ability to pressurize itself seeing the over sized Australians and speaking-from-their-asses quicks like Nel.

I did a little search on Kirsten at cricinfo and found a lot of facts about him that I never knew about him while he was playing - perhaps it'll be difficult to forget his vintage twin hundreds at Eden Gardens, or his gritty knocks at Leeds, or for that matter, the sight of him facing Shoaib and company in Lahore - 10 stitches on his face, 3 days in hospital, and there he was, facing a raw and fit Shoaib!!! But facts do not matter a lot in India - we have seen this already with the success of Wright, and the abysmal tenures of Kapil and Greg. This is where I somehow would like to applaud BCCI - finally a good decision!!! lets hope they don't come up with another addition to an ever increasing list of idiotic rules, perhaps this time banning Kirsten from talking to the guys who do not want to listen to him, and are too close to some of the Shahs and Pawars up there.

The Big Fat Dollar Idea

2007-12-19T00:17:00.000-06:00

Its no wonder most geeks and techies working in India have a dream of getting a dollar pay cheque - if not a temporary posting with the client, then the H1b. After all, one of such pay cheques is enough to solve most of the short term money problems, right from buying a fancy bike to visiting Hollywood, and from arranging for sister's wedding to down payment for that dream apartment. Of course you keep on reading here and there about people returning home due toe better opportunities and growth in India today, the basic fact still remains that even those who actually claim a sort of self-acknowledged glory in preferring a Bangalore over Boston and a Gurgaon over LA seldom say no to a short term posting. It may be about the family and about the 'motherland', but eventually, its about the money, baby!!!

I myself have no qualms about this - its completely an individual choice to prefer Redmond to Noida, or for that matter, Toronto to Pune. After all, everyone has a different qualification to quantify various aspects of a situation, and I have better things to do that passing judgments over others and their decisions. But what sometimes baffles me is the change that a situation brings in people. I have quite a lot of friends out there in the home of the 'brave' - and everyone has a different experience to share - some are happy. some are not, some believe moving out was their best decision, and some are having second thoughts, and a lot of them have plans to return in 10 years with substantial savings for an avenue in India. However, its how most of them like to take liberty in confusing the 'lesser mortals' when it comes to giving advice and guidance, that I fail to understand.

One example that strikes the mind right now is that of a person who went to US last year. To begin with, she said she was going on a F1 visa to pursue an MBA, and had taken study leave from office just to have a safety cushion. Then, after 2 months, she said she got her H1b cleared - how she managed to by-pass the consulate guys who would have noticed an active student visa issued a quarter earlier, I don't know. And as if that's not enough, she is doing a Full Time MBA from a state university, and working 40 hours a week for a big and reputed corporation. I never knew that the days are almost twice as long up there! If all this is not enough, she called up her manager in the company she was on a study leave from at Bangalore, and resigned over phone. Wonder how she was able to bypass the whole HR and payroll formalities, and more importantly, return all the company assets like laptop, access cards, and other hardware over phone! And there she is, having a different story to tell every time, and perhaps laughing within herself about how 'easily' she made me 'believe'.

This is not an isolated case - there are so many of these 'stories'. Wonder if it is the climate up there, or the high of being in the bay area, I don't know. I don't know either if I'll change like this as well when I go there, but Gosh!! I wish I don't!!!

Reach for your love

2007-12-09T00:20:00.000-06:00

Always gaps to be filled, holes to be plugged
Dreams to be fulfilled, shoulders to be shrugged
A paradox called life, a vengeance called society
A twin-edged knife, an authoritative propriety
Run for money, stall for family
That perfect house, rewarding career
View of the beach so sunny, health love Emily
Such helpful spouse, covered is every frontier
But the dreams are called dreams for a reason
Not every difference be termed a treason
Goals and priorities don’t change but paths with situation
Not every decision be termed as an alteration
Wonder why such lessons are long forgotten
Same ones who we need to learn and memorize till we feel sick and rotten
Bite an iron bullet when told all time to stay away from it
An iron-clad irony, if deemed to be called fit
Why can’t we try to fill the gaps the way we know we should
Why can’t we try to complete ourselves if we know we could
Why a need to be socially accepted become a liability none are ready to admit
Why double standards ready to bite like a bloodhound in a fit
Life won’t stop but it won’t be complete either
Stop for a drink, a rest, a breather
A cup of finely brewed coffee, a glass of ’61 Latour
Run hard not cheat, have conviction be sure
Love the ones who love you back – and love the ones you can
The first frost, the rain, the breeze, the beach, and the tan
Seek out the ones who complete you – reach for them all
It’s not about the bats or balls – life’s no baseball!!!

Spending Power of Indian Youth: blurred fact, or confused mindset?

2007-08-18T23:21:00.000-06:00

So the great Indian youth has finally come of age... Why shouldn't he, after all, India is 60 now, and the midnight children have officially retired! But what makes the youth so special? The oh-so-special growth and prowess in almost all fields of life today, the so-called booming economy, and the so-glorified never-give-up attitude - what is it all about if not a reason to cheer up and celebrate? After all, a 25 year old today earns almost 10 times what he would have earned 25 years ago, or to put things in perspective, earning 10 times more what his father used to earn at the same age! The young suave, metrosexual Indian male doesn't have any inhibitions about buying a Nike, shaving his chest, going on a vacation to Bali, eating out twice a week, going for a movie twice a month, and of course, preferring Guy Ritchie over Satyajit Ray; The young thriving Indian female doesn't have to worry about her parents' approval when living alone, going for a bikini wax, a breast enhancement, a vacation to Goa with her live-in boyfriend, discussing the girth, libido, and style of her partner with her friends, flirting in the office to get the next big promotion, and of course, proudly declaring that she would kill to have an affair with a Yuvraj Singh or a Tom Cruise!

But what is the substance that should make me proud in doing all this? The fact that I am able to earn a 6 digit paycheck, or spend money as and when I wish to, or that I can do more things to realize that I am closer to the Atlantic than I am to Indian ocean? What is it that should make me feel, and acknowledge, that I am the face of India, and that its me who should be termed as the torch-bearer of India, as against my father, who being on the verge of 50, has seen the worst and the best of times this country has seen so far?

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled out was to convince the world He didn't exist.

The shortcomings of our social and educational mindset are present for all to see - too bad though that the agents of capital are doing whatever they can do to ensure that the blinding feeling of ecstasy remains in the mind - after all, how is it that none of those fancy chat shows, and debates, and futurologists, who and what not have not been able to see this for us, not been able to warn us, to stop us, to guide us?

Lets begin with the spending capability - yes, it has increased - it has increased because there are things available in the market today at a price which used to be considered astronomical 30 years back - for me, it is easy to buy a television today since it is available for less than 10% of my monthly paycheck, while for my father, it would have meant more or less a month's salary to watch how to grow carrots on Doordarshan. This is precisely where the difference is - since there were no feasible means of spending like multiplexes, shopping malls, and Pizza Huts available, they learnt their own innovative ways of saving for a rainy day, and planning for the future - saving for my education, which is helping me reap what he sowed.

What is lost in this generation is the limit - yes, it seems like a good feeling alright to have enough confidence in him that he will be able to stand the test of time even if he is acting like a self-obsessed Russian spendthrift at the moment, it is a fact that today's youth is not planning for a future beyond the next 5 years. Typical interview questions help, of course - ' what do you want to be in the next 5 years'. Whatever happened to looking ahead and thinking beyond the obvious, out of the box!!!

Science - the biggest asset we seem to have - but how many research works are published from India, how many patents are granted in India, how many Nobel prizes have been won by oh-so-special IIT passouts?

Money - the next biggest asset we claim - but how many are able to buy a house without a 10 year installment with all of their teeny-tiny savings till date going as down payment?

Age, manpower, fountain of exuberance - how many have been able to rise to the positions of CEOs or Directors in a Microsoft or an HP, with the extra 10 years we seem to have since we start working early?

Largest Democracy, lengthiest Constitution, most well-defined Civil Code - how many vote?? how many choose to enter politics?? and of those who do, how many manage to stay young with their enthusiasm to work well and work for good?

Cricket - the largest passion - how many have been able to bowl at 90 miles an hour? A county like Sri Lanka, which reduces to 80% every year due to the civil war, and probably less than 10% of Indian area, has 3 bowling right now against India on the field, and God knows how many at the training nets.

How come there hasn't been a single gold in Olympics since that last hockey final? How come there hasn't been a single attempt to take back from McMahon Line or the LoC? How come there hasn't been a single attempt to clean the bureaucracy and legislature of the blacks and the dirt? How come there hasn't been a Guy Ritchie or an Al Pachino in India? How come still the biggest dream of every guy in IT is to have an onsite posting for an year at Miami or Amsterdam? How come there hasn't been the classic Robert De Niro poker-faced frosty-nosed meet-you-in-the-eye attitude when replying to a Britisher, "Hey, you talking to me?"

Stand up India!! Wake up!!

A Date with the magical gallows

2007-07-18T23:22:00.000-06:00

The big day is finally decided
Apprehending a prided proud divided
When the love for life loses to life for love
With a hooded being waiting, no gun no glove
When the dreams are shattered the ambitions drained
When the glory sun rises shining, how I wished it rained

When the meaning is lost translation overthrown
When out of a crying heart all that comes out is a painful ironed moan
When the blames are received humiliation found mortification incurred
When the very mission statement of life for 25 years is displayed absurd

Dreams may get shattered but conviction shall prevail
Ambitions may get drained but desire shall prevail
Love may get lost but life shall prevail
I may get lost but I shall prevail

a Politician, a Dictator, and a Gentleman

2007-07-18T23:21:00.000-06:00

"Some people are born leaders, some people achieve leadership, and some have leadership thrust upon them."

So, the drama has finally come to an end - an end of a saga it might be for the pressmen who are doing everything to tap the TRPs thanks to the general feeling of support for Dr Kalam, and of course that of resentment (however hush-hush affair it might be) against the political consensus which led to a common sense and goodwill fiasco. Everyone seems to have his or her own view - after all, we are all part of a usually free nation, so to say!!! and taking cue from the departing speech of Dr Kalam, I decided to invest some time which otherwise would have been spent reading the 'Cowboys of R&W'.

I do not think its as much the love for Dr Kalam as much a hate for political strategies to sell anything and everything possible on part of the Congress - I would not have mind had a Manmohan Singh (however inert he might seem, he surely has the credentials and the qualifications to come on his own in the power corridors of Raisana Hill), or an Amartya Sen (perhaps the only Indian intellect known globally and beyond his core competence), or a VV Kurien (doodh doodh doodh doodh... remember Amul??), or for that matter, even a Kiran Bedi (if you doubt her, I can't and won't even try to help) or a Chandrababu Naidu (whatever the verdict of the elections may say, he still is the father of the oh-so-progressive IT buzzword). Perhaps someone like Maran too, after all, the money he brought to India has not been matched by all of his predecessors, and successor, counted together.

But there the problem lies - its the Grand old party which goes by the name Congress, and its the first family of Indian politics, which goes by the name Nehru-Gandhi, which comes into picture here. Little do people know that when Sanjay had died, this Patil used to cook food and clean dishes in Indira's house! The lust for power has taken over this family like none other example in the history of any democracy anywhere to my knowledge - sons, daughters, grandsons, grand-daughters, daughters-in-law, grand-daughters-in-law, and when the family tree can expand no further - the maids, the cooks, the butlers, the drivers, the plumbers, the janitors, the tramps, the chowkidars, and what not!

While there is nothing mentionable at all about the possible glimpse of leadership qualities in Dr Kalam which was seen during the last 5 years, there is no argument as well about the essential formality that the post holds in practice - after all, there is really nothing much that a President can do in India. Dr Kalam did something, not much, but it got exemplified 'coz his predecessors did exactly what was they were expected to do - nothing. I am taking nothing away from Dr Kalam, its just that there isn't a lot to anyway!

But one aspect that none of us can argue is that Dr Kalam was and is a perfect gentleman - a person who suited the office he held, and deserved to continue if there was no other candidate who could present himself the same way he did - no controversial comments, no talks of uncontrolled libido, no argumentative approach to authority, and of course, the futuristic optimism that perhaps shall always be linked to him more than anyone else in 21st century India.

All said and done though, what matters is that there is some Patil as the President of the largest democracy in the world - a politician wins due to a dictator, and a gentleman returns to his roots with his head held high!