SanCorp

Baby-steps towards a dream

2009-02-08T14:37:00.016+01:00

As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a music director. Whistling in the toilet sitting on the toilet bowl, singing while taking a shower, creating oral beats on the way back from school and bringing out a concoction that would pump up the adrenaline was how I was living that dream, if I can call it that way. The reason was that I had a huge handicap. I could not play any musical instrument.

But, with computers catching on in a big way, things became more easier to achieve. With the advent of free music maker software, people like me seem to have been given a wonderful platform to vent their ideas.

And here are 6 numbers that resulted out of my intercourse with a terrific tool. Enjoy. And please leave your comments - good, bad, ugly - all welcome!

Here's the link. My band's name, by the way, is Vichitra!

The curious case of Murthy and Obama

2009-01-25T14:45:00.001+01:00

When Barack Obama (or Obama), gave one of the first press conferences inside the White House, it was on Governance. "Transparency and Rule of Law will be the corner stones of my government", he said. At the top, it is always easier said than done. But, in this case, I am, like others, more optimistic - for a reason. Less than a decade ago, a similar promise was made by Mr. NR Narayana Murthy (or Murthy). He did the same for governance of a different kind in India - the Corporate one. This marked a new era in India's Corporate Governance by introducing an unprecedented, at least in the Indian context, level of transparency in Indian business. Quarterly earnings reporting and earnings forecast were unheard of in Indian financial circles till Infosys introduced it.

With this as the trigger, I compared these two gentlemen, their background and actions. If my thoughts are right, then America has found its new FDR, and with it a long period of hope and glory.

Murthy was one of the first entrepreneurs from South India coming from a traditional, conservative Hindu family. Till then, entrepreneurs were equated to Marwaris mostly. Obama is the first African American president of the USA. It is indeed gratifying and humbling to see the great nation vote for a descendent of people who up to forty years ago had to fight for civil rights.

Both have highly qualified and responsible wives willing to sacrifice their professions to take care of the household. Strong men indeed have strong women to support them.

Both have taken great risks and started young. Murthy quit Patni & had to live from his wife's earnings until Infy won its first international project. How he succeeded is history. He too was supported by young and old advisors. But the decisions were his. Obama has made too many promises during the campaign and has only 2 years to effectively put his plans into action (in 2 years, he will have to start campaigning again!). He lacks the international experience that is the stranglehold of McCain or Biden. But, what he brings along is fresh eye, a keen ear, and a decisive brain akin to Murthy's. These are sufficient reasons to expect change from him. His long term perspective is underlined by the fact that he has already started a focus group to prepare for the next campaign and keep up with the pulse of the people. Unprecedented.

Murthy has been steadfast in his idea of responsible and sustainable growth. This one company continues to show the way for governance and responsibility in Corporate India. Obama needs to follow suit. Renewed focus on research (ex. Stem Cell), emphasis on energy independence, transparency in governance are ingredients for sustainability. If he can do to research & energy independence what JFK did for the space program, it will be impossible to shake America's dominance for another century. And it will be really exciting to see how the political equation changes in the middle east, whose oil, America is the largest importer of.

Why can't India be a respectable superpower?

2009-01-24T13:22:00.001+01:00

An African American became the most powerful man on earth today. It is a moment of reckoning for a nation that for more than 200 years could not have a descendent of a slave leading it.

Liberty was promised to the Americans by the great leaders of the past, starting from George Washington, but it was not until Abraham Lincoln that it got its full meaning. Liberty was granted and responsibility was expected. Responsible behavior meant that human life and values were respected, that justice triumphed, that merit trumped influence, but most importantly, that equality prevailed. This is where the American society for the most part was successful.
When people make use of their liberties in a responsible manner and promote equality, then prosperity knocks on the doors of a nation.

Contrast this with India. What went wrong? We too were promised liberty. We still are the most liberal nation in the world. Granted that there are some inhibitions among the religions and their different sects, but for a nation 4 times the size of the USA, with so many cultural differences, we are generally a peace loving nation. So, why are we not prosperous. It is for the lack of the same reasons why America took the path towards glory.

Responsible behavior was and is in short supply. Inequality has been a hallmark of the Indian way of living for time immemorial. Equal opportunities had no definition in the Indian lexicon. Visions of the Mahatma and others followed them to their graves. It is interesting and appalling at the same time to observe that even the oppressed, after being given an opportunity to lead, have not made an effort to improve the quality of life of their people.

It is a psychological problem - a problem of greed. And an insatiable thirst for power while not knowing how to use it.

What we need now is a paradigm shift in mindset, a pragmatic new leadership, a young one preferably - one that is grounded in reality, is responsible, respects human life and believes in and promotes equality. This needs to be supported by people who live the change they want to see. Discrimination should be solely based on merit on a level playing field. One day, prosperity will be ours. And India will be the most powerful super power in the World.

Golden Globe for Rahman...but why so late?

2009-01-14T20:32:00.003+01:00

6 days after his birthday, A.R.Rahman, the Mozart of Madras, received the one of the best gifts he could ever imagine. The ultimate is yet to come. But, there is something strange in this situation. Do remember, before you continue, that I am a die-hard fan of ARR.

Barring Mausam & Escape, none of the other tracks are really fresh or breath-taking compositions. Ringa Ringa has traces of 'Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai' and 'Chamma Chamma'. Gangsta Blues is just a 50-cent or Eminem version of Sivaji's 'Oru Koodai' with a repetitive 'Me no care, Me no stare'. 'Riots' is nostalgic by bringing back images of the re-recording for 'Roja,' especially the scene where the camera judiciously follows the thread size lanes of Kashmir or the riot scenes in 'Bombay'. The worst of the tracks was Millionaire - a run-of-the-mill concoction of music from software mixing suites! 'New York Nagaram' from 'Jillunu Oru Kaadhal' , a very difficult composition with intricately synthesized sounds, is what Rahman should be doing more of.

After throwing bricks at the aforementioned numbers, I must say something about Mausam & Escape. A true gem from Rahman. An amazing exhibition of the Sitar's power at extracting adrenaline from the listener - this track shows that Indian instruments too can be effectively used to convey some violent emotions. Before the music aficionado can dispose that statement as meaningless, just imagine, can an ensemble of traditional music instruments or Indian classical music complement the scene? I doubt. Only western classical has been successful so far, or at least been used. This track also shows Rahman's capability at mixing a harmonic orchestra ensemble with synthesized music - an art form that another great, Hans Zimmer, is called the Father of.

Anyway, back to my point - what is it that helped ARR despite this not being his best set?

The Movie: Slumdog showed the world, what they wanted to see. Mumbai was fresh in the minds, a dirty India is always fresh in the mind of the western public and most importantly, it was the speed of storytelling. I call it the 'Brit Speed' - these guys have an uncanny knack of racy storytelling. Richard Attenborough's Gandhi panned through the Mahatma's eventful life in true Brit Speed. Hardly has a movie been made by Indians that could be immediately taken to the world audience.

The Language: Were it a movie in any other language, it would have been categorized as a Foreign Film which would have eliminated composers, cinematographers etc. Being an Enlgish movie, and thankfully shot by a British, helped. We do make English movies, but the less said about them, the better. English needs to be spoken by native speakers to strike a chord with the audience and critics abroad. This is understood by the Americans and British, not us, at least not yet. All India based English movies have their protagonists as native English speakers, who have the accent needed. Only the supporting cast is Indian. Eat this - Shah Rukh was approached for Slumdog, for Anil's role. Mahatma Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley. It is time our film-makers understand this.

The Genius: Despite my earlier comments about the tracks not being great, there are still some sparks in each of the tracks where Rahman's signatures come alive. Jai Ho has a brilliant instrumental start, and a tuneful rendering of 'Jai Ho' by Rahman that pull up the otherwise typical Bollywood number. In fact, I can bet that if his compositions for previous movies like 'Dil Se' and 'Bose - a forgotten hero' and selected tracks from others, were riding on good Hollywood or well-made Anglo-Bollywood movies, a Globe and an Oscar should have been in his shelves by now. Pity that it took him 17 years to get one! Hope he completes the run with an Oscar as well!

Politics trumps everything...well almost!

2009-01-14T20:31:00.001+01:00

- Current middle east crisis (Israel Vs. Hamas) - Politics - with elections round the corner, this could be Ehud Olmert's PR effort under the veil of security.

- Crisis between Russia and Georgia - Politics

- US' strikes on Iraq - WMD? Nope - Politics (Oil)

- Russia-Ukraine Gas issue - Ukraine defaulting to pay? - perhaps, but mainly Russian politics as a retaliation to Ukraine's plans of joining NATO

- US's unwavering support to Israel (where 40 people were killed by 6400 rockets in the last 2 years) as against requesting India to show restraint (where nearly 200 are killed on average) every month by terrorists - Politics! - to maintain a balance in the middle east!

- Delay in getting the Nuclear Treaty between India and US signed - Politics - from the enigmatic Left Front!

So, what entity is so powerful as to predate Political influence - Religion!

Why shouldn't India lead the Renewable Energy initiative?

2009-01-14T20:30:00.002+01:00

A spat between Ukraine and Russia has resulted in gas supplies being stopped to the EU exposing the EU's fragility vis-a-vis its energy dependencies. Although Russia's intentions may be good, the fact that the supply is channeled through some troubled nations reveals the problems of supplies via pipelines that pass through different countries.

Similar may be the case with the proposed (now for a long time), Iran gas pipeline to India. And here, it is expected to pass through some of the most difficult regions of the world - Pakistan and Afghanistan! Hurdles that such a mechanism may entail are limited only by one's imagination.

This is where I believe, that India should hasten the process of energy independence. A strong domestic market is the safest way to economic success, especially in a world increasingly subject to the negative effects of globalization. America has sneezed too many times for the world to recover anytime soon. And the turmoil in the middle east just adds more insult to the injury.

India should chart out a clear plan of increasing the share of renewable sources from its current single digit percentage levels. To some extent, we are going well. At 7% (6000 odd MW), we are are the 4th largest country in terms of installed wind capacity. And the third fastest growing behind Germany and the US. Powering more villages through wind and solar is more useful than trying to supply them with hydel, coal or other conventional sources. The 60,000 MW of Nuclear energy that India plans by 2030 should be clearly set aside to cater to the urban population. And the dependence on imported oil and gas, should reduce at a drastic pace. Towards this end, a paradigm shift is called for in the energy sector, as against what the consulting gurus propose.

Expenditures in renewable energy generation has the potential to improve the unemployment scenario too. 'Engineering', and I mean other than software, will again turn out to be interesting subjects in colleges. Balance will return to a society where a software engineer has lost his charm. Mechanical, Electrical and Civil engineers will not be forced to find jobs in TCS, Infy etc.

India has always followed the industrialized world. Leading is a trait that we rarely exhibited, if at all. This is a chance for us to show that rapid growth is possible, whilst maintaining a clean and green environment. Let's do it.

Amsterdam!

2009-01-01T16:04:00.005+01:00

The Dutch, I heard, had a policy of naming something the way they saw it. And that’s how this wonderful city came to be named – the dam on the river Amster.

I reached Amsterdam along with a friend on a Saturday evening. It was already dark, thanks to the winter. Thanks again to the winter as this allowed us to view the city in all its glittering glory for close to five hours. Christmas had just bid adieu, and the New Year was about to usher in, giving it a bridal look.

The city is entirely built on the sea. And the highest point is a bridge close to the railway station, the “Amsterdam Centraal”, and is a full 1.5 m higher than sea level. For the most parts, Netherlands is below sea level and hence the British named it so. Although a major portion of Belgium, and parts of France also come under this league, only Holland remained as the Netherlands in recent memory.

The Europeans have a wonderful way of preserving their ancestral properties. Most of the historical edifices serve as hotels, banks, public utility offices or in some cases administrative offices of manufacturing plants! While the façade is not altered, the interiors keep pace with time. So, one can have the latest cuisine under old time charm.

The Tulips at Keukenhof, the windmills on the country side, the Alsmeer floating flower market, the innumerable canals are some of the best attractions of this city apart from the variegated museums – Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Anne Frank, Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Historical. Lined on both sides of any road are a vast number of restaurants serving predominantly Argentine, Italian, Indian and Indonesian cuisine. The second highest population after native Hollanders are people from Suriname. Oliebollen (or Oil Balls) are fried doughnut balls that are Holland’s most famous roadside food along with Vlaamse Frites, a kind of French Fries.

But Amsterdam, as you all know, is famous not just for its architecture, but also for the innumerable “Coffee Shops” and of course, the Red Light District.

There was a purpose as to the existence of these two star attractions. The oldest church in Amsterdam is right in the middle of the Red Light District. Initially, the ships used to land close to where the church was to be established. After traveling for a long period, the usually exhausted sailors tended to eye women and girls on the street for some pleasure. This apparently led the senior members of the society to request a few women from the society to lend their bodies in order to protect the majority of the women. They were promised full anonymity and good support. And to this day, it is illegal to photograph a girl behind the window in the Red Light District. These ladies do it just for the money and live a respectable life outside their shift. Everyone is above 18, youngsters are not allowed and the girls do not pose nude. Some also rank among the richest in Holland! The oldest worker is apparently 75 and still going strong!

On similar lines were the coffee shops established. Drug abuse was a menace. In consultation with doctors it was identified that some drugs had a lower hallucinating effect. And hence the government allowed the sale of these in small quantities in these coffee shops. All coffee shops have trained personnel capable of handling people who pass out. And the licenses are strictly administered. Once caught doing wrong, there is no way one can return to business. At 9%, Netherlands ranks the lowest in drug abuse in the entire EU.

Both of the star attractions are destined to meet the Dodo’s fate in five years. While these have come to symbolize the unbelievably open culture of Amsterdam, it has apparently not worked for the government, especially after the EU formation. My observation was that there was considerably less number of middle aged and old tourists here unlike other places I have been to. These are also the ones tending to spend more and stay in hotels and not hostels, thus increasing tourism revenue for the government. But, the exact reasons are not known to me.

Europe is generally conservative in constructing homes. Netherlands beats everyone to the finish. The apartments literally stick to each other. One can have windows only in the front and back. It is very rare to have it on the sides. The stairs are the steepest in the world with a few cases where you may be forced to crawl up the stairs with your hand! The smallest house in Amsterdam is just 1.5m wide and 3 m in length. The person staying there is 1.5m tall! Dutch, if you did not know, are among the tallest people in the world.

Owing to the fact that the Dutch spoke German (or Deutsch as it is called here) in a crude way they came to be called as Dutch. Amsterdam is the home of the Dutch East India Company, a now defunct organization, but one that ruled from 1600 to 1800 and was the world’s first publicly held corporation and also the first one with overseas trade.

While area around the central station is reserved for the old world charm, the southern part of the city is where the new high rises are. Amsterdam is home to the World Trade Center of Netherlands, and also to the corporate HQs of ABN-AMRO, ING and Philips.

Amsterdam is probably one of the few cities where exists a seamless synergy between the pristine past and a pulsating present. Where else can you find an erstwhile men’s prison that’s now a sprawling shopping mall?

I wonder...

2008-12-30T20:42:00.001+01:00

Last night, I watched Christiane Amanpour's report called Czar Putin on CNN. What intrigued me was the way in which the bourgeois perceives America as a threat. Years after the cold war ended, there still exists a sizeable faction that thinks that Sarah Palin can not just see Russia from her window, but also their natural resources .a.k.a. oil!

Oil. It is amazing what this one resource has done to the world. There is hardly a rival that can challenge the power of this resource. From improving lives to taking lives, oil has influenced history like no other.

I wonder what would happen when this entity runs out and people move towards sun, wind and water for all their energy needs.

* What would happen to all those countries that have oil exports as their major source of income and employment?
* How would the financial markets behave sans oil futures?
* Will there be technology to tap solar energy near the equator and distribute it to countries away from them?
* Will there be an end to all the wars?
* How would classroom discussion change in international finance, specially in trade?
* Will the world be a safer place? Will the ecosystem be restored? Can our children and grandchildren live life to the fullest, like never before?
* Energy independence has the potential to create a new political landscape? So will there be a shift in the global powerhouses?

I hope it all turns positive. But, will it? I wonder...

India is neither Israel nor the USA

2008-12-26T14:52:00.003+01:00

After the recent Mumbai terror attacks, many in my circle of friends and relatives mocked at our level of internal security and said that India could not do what the US did after 9/11 &/or what Israel has been doing for a long time.

While I am not supporting India's current level of preparedness, it is also imperative that we understand under what circumstances the US and Israel succeeded.

Israel is a very small country but one with a long history of support from the largest economy in the world. Having just one commercial airport and not being a great tourism destination or a business hub has aided the high security at the airports. My visits to some of the busiest airports in the world have shown many inconsistencies. People are not thoroughly checked in some airports, some allow people to walk with shoes, belts and jackets through the detectors, some allow juice bottles etc.

But what really works for Israel & the US is that the people are homogenous in terms of thoughts. There is unanimous support for the government's action. And the government too, acts responsibly. Graduating to this level of sophistication did not happen overnight. It was a long process of trial and error, which probably began with Munich in 1972 or before. Here's an interesting article that seconds my thoughts:

New York Times: From Munich to Mumbai

As for the US, its biggest advantage is its geographical location. Surrounded by ocean for the most parts and by responsible neighbors in Canada and Mexico, there is a lower possibility of infiltration on lines that happens in India. While it was caught napping on 9/11, it woke up with increased vigilance with the necessary infrastructure. Again, with a very small and homogenous population, it is easier to track potential criminals. When there is a problem of national security, the two parties come together. Do Indian political parties do the same?

What India needs is a government that values every life and one that creates avenues to involve the public in decision making and utilize its views for improving the country. But most importantly, it needs people to have a mindset change. One that rallies around national aspirations and not regional aspirations. Indian should trump a Bangalorean or a Mumbaikar.

Bicycle Day - Once a week

2008-12-23T19:25:00.001+01:00

My bosses in Germany love to visit Bangalore, but the only complaint they have is about the traffic. Every time they come back from there, they say that the weather was lovely, the people - friendly, the pubs - lively, but the traffic - lousy! And this, when the Nano is still not in the market. It is impossible to imagine the scale of the problems when that little wonder gets on the roads!

I believe the time has come for everyone in India to bring in some lifestyle changes. If not, the damage to the environment will be irreversible. We would never be able to leave a better world for the future generations.

My idea in this direction would be to stop using motorcycles, rickshaws and cars (not even car pooling) once a week and use buses and bicycles instead.

Think about this, the average city driving speed in Bangalore is 18kph according to a recent survey done by Wilbur Smith Associates. One can easily clock this speed in a bicycle. This will not only reduce traffic congestion, but also bring down the pollution levels and provide much needed exercise. Better bicycles with advanced gear systems will help providing better rides for the people. Companies should allow employees flexible hours so that they can have a pleasant and safe journey to their offices.

Bangalore has 3.5 million registered vehicles. Add a million more from other cities and floating vehicle population and we are talking about a traffic nightmare. 75% of these are motorized two wheelers with the majority of them being driven by youngsters. If they cut their usage, then Bangalore can improve tremendously.

The government should also do the needful in granting subsidies to bicycle purchasers. It should also encourage enterprises to adopt bicycles in a big way. If the whole of India were to adopt bicycles in a big way, it would automatically reduce the oil import burden on the country (thus reducing trade deficits), reduce health care costs & reduce prices of other commodities in general.

A 10-15km ride to the office should not be a difficult task to achieve, I suppose!

Vaccinate India against Terror

2008-12-20T20:43:00.002+01:00

Here are a list of things that India should do to vaccinate itself against terror.

* Stop blaming any country and start cleaning & securing the house. Those countries are useless at dealing with such issues and we will only be wasting time. There is no way we can afford to go to war at a time when we need to concentrate on economic growth. We will only risk the lives of more people by going to war or even talking about it. We need to use this opportunity to unite and increase awareness about internal security and strongly utilise technology to help us combat it. This will in turn create more jobs in this area and further fuel growth. Prevention is always better than cure.

* Partnerships: Government and Private sector partnerships to build better & stronger IT infrastructure for the intelligence agencies in individual cities and link them with international agencies. IT companies can help the government with the latest software solutions while hardware companies can be requested to develop india specific technologies. The government should provide subsidies to any company that sponsors security improvement activities.

* Empower local police: Improve technology infrastructure within the state police departments. Every major city should have stattions with special anti-terror units with the latest gadgets. Pistols cannot answer Kalshnikovs.

* Politics should involve citizens: Every major city should have a council with citizens and business representation to discuss about security issues & actions which is then released this information to the public via internet and newspapers on a monthly basis. For ex, the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) set up by the SM Krishna government helped improve the city's infrastructure to a great extent. All information should be in the public domain.

* Budget for internal security: While we have the third largest army in the world, and a strong one, what we need is the best internal security system tailored for a diverse country like India. So, in the future, a large portion needs to be allocated. This could come from revenues, taxes and private participation.

* Build better cities: Build up Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with better infrastructure to reduce the burden on the major ones. This will allow for better monitoring of Tier 1 cities. Future cities should be designed with security in mind.

* Shorten and strengthen the SSC: The Indian Army's Short Service Commission can be made mandatory for a class of citizens or for future police personnel. A shorter & effective version of the same (1 to 2 years) should be designed and marketed to the general public with possible benefits. For ex: students with a 3-year Polytechnic course (and not the normal 4 yr engg) enrolling for a 2 year SSC can get into good positions within major companies or further career in governmental jobs like defence. Companies benefit in having military trained personnel within their organizations as well. Security training lessons can also be a part of NSC and Scouts activities to make youngsters more aware and vigilant.

* Train the trainers: Tie-ups with international intelligence agencies like Scotland Yard, FBI etc for regular training (yearly) of trainers should be worked out. If the Israeli 6 member team that came felt unsatisfied with the Chabad house work of the NSG, then we need to ask how they would have handled it. This is always done in the IT companies, why not in security.

* Catch them young: The youth in India are extremely knowledgeable and can develop cutting edge technical gadgets and ideas, if only they had a platform to display. There needs to be a clear plan to help them unleash their potential and such ideas should be quickly realized. The aforementioned local city councils can track these projects and identify potential ones for fruition. This may also help us identify ways in which we can have unobtrusive security checks at bus & railway stations and airports - something that even the western world is grappling with.

* Rotate Personnel: After some time security personnel may tend to get less vigilant, natural for being human. To avoid this, there needs to be a rotation of staff betwen airports and railway stations.

* Constant Feedback: Constant feedback mechanisms should be created to receive information from the public about security lapses that they identify, the suggestions that they may have etc.

* Do not waste Z category security: Using the NSG people on celebrities should come at a very heavy price. It cannot be provided to every celebrity. It is imperative that police personnel be deployed on duties to serve the public. It is appalling to note that 25% of the current police and NSG workforce is used up in protecting a few celebrities in the name of Z category security!

The Return of the Jedi...

2008-06-08T19:04:00.002+02:00

It's been a long, long time since I put something onto this site. There were a lot of flares due to cerebral disturbances, but they could never ignite something here. Blame Time, or the lack of it. Almost a year in GISMA was sufficient reason that this blog took a backseat. Case reports provided sufficient exercise to my brain and fingers.

So, here I go again. On the other side of my MBA, I have a lot more to share than I had previously. For starters, I'll be putting up a lot of blogs on life in Germany, about studying there, etc. So keep watching this space...

Software Engineers for Primary Education

2006-01-03T09:50:00.000+01:00

It is a given for any nation to be highly literate in order to grow. Pockets or clusters of literacy will surely not help in a big way. Instead every nation must strive towards providing basic education to all. In fact it is the birth right of every citizen of the country.

But, we cannot expect this from countries that are poor & rightly classified as the developing or under-developed nations. The governments in such countries will never be able to single handedly achieve the goal of 100% literacy.

India has close to 260 million children. That's around 25% of the population. Only a fraction of this receives quality education. Most of the children do not receive even the basic level of education which costs just $25. But, the government is unable to do much due to a lack of funds, apart from numerous other reasons like corruption etc.

While it is not plausible to think of weeding out corruption, we, as software engineers, can certainly help monetarily. As responsible citizens and the 'haves' of the nation, we must take it upon ourselves to convert the 'have-nots' to 'haves'.

India has around 700,000 software engineers. Let's take a conservative estimate and say that on an average everyone earns Rs.12000 (or $250) every month. If each one of these decides to spend $25 or Rs.1200 (10% of his salary, which is what it takes to provide basic healthcare & education for a child in India for a year!!) once in two months, then the number of children he/she would have adopted would be 6 per year.

Just imagine:
700,000 x 6 = 4.2 million children are being taken care of every year, just by the software engineers of India.

And what is the saving for the government ?
700,000 x Rs.1200 = Rs.840,000,000 (Rs.84 crores!!) or 700,000 x $25 = $17,500,000.

Remember, only software engineers have contributed till now. Moreover, some affluent ones can pitch in with more funds. Add to this, the fact that, had it been left to the government, a major portion of the same would have been siphoned off by the middlemen! Not a single coin is lost if we directly provide it to the NGOs.

Tomorrow, even if 10% of the children who have been educated this way go on to become scientists and business leaders, we would have done our duty.

Just Think. That's the Power of Giving.

Some top NGOs :
www.cry.org
www.giveindia.org

Kasa Kai, Maharashtra?

2005-10-29T17:51:00.000+02:00

"Arre bhau, puday zaa thumi, puday zaa...", said the rickshaw wallah. He was apparently having a tussle with another next to him. The scene was the entrance of the Pune Railway Station.

After a gap of almost 12 years I was venturing out of my native, Bangalore. And venturing, I was, to a place chartered by none of my family members. Maharashtra to me was only Bombay, or Mumbai, thanks to the Shiv-Sainiks. And Mumbai to me till then was just Bhai's Adda. Infact, the lines from Bombay Boys - "bhai ke adde me jo aata hai ik baar, udharich reh jaata hai chhod ke apna ghar baar" was echoing in my ears. Have I entered the adda? Will I get into it? Questions aplenty, answers none. Although, I was going to Pune & not Mumbai, the fact that it was a part of Bollywood's home, made me cringe.

A voracious film buff that I was, and one with a zest for realistic portrayals, I had not missed many of the top Bollywood flicks featuring the underworld operations. RGV was one of the best to canvas such realities. Bhavani in Shiva, still lingers in my mind, as the consummate 'bhai'. And who can forget Beeku Mhatre. What fascinated me were the raw names that he used - Bhavani, Chandu, Malik and, of course, Bheeku.

But these were just movies and my apprehensions had to do with what I used to read in the papers or watch in the crime section of the daily news which starred the who's who of the underworld - Chhota Rajan, Shakeel, Dawood, etc. The fact that most of them were from the commercial capital of India acted as an ice-dagger.

I alighted the train with a shiver in my spine. And started moving towards the exit. Just as I was crossing the tea stall...

"Pakdo saale ko...! Kuthe ki mauth maaro. Jadhav bhai se shaanpana karta hai, saaalaah!!", said an absolutely ferocious homosapien clad in a white kurta with a jean.

A band of ruffians had now caught up with a guy in kurta-pajamas as he had tripped & fallen down as if paying a tribute to all those filmi heroines who judiciously stumble on something when chased by rowdies.

By now the crowd had gathered closing all exits for the victim to escape. I was stunned to see them do that, "how could they watch instead of helping him?", I said to myself, diligently stepping & becoming one with the onlookers!!! You see, I am after all a lesser mortal.

The leader had a wonderful stone face, enough to put some 'bollywood sitarein' to shame. In a second he swirled his hand back to pull out a knife whilst the guy on the ground was struggling to get away from the kicks of the other ruffians. "Mujhe chhod do, mi asa nahi karnaar...koi mujhe bachaao..." shrilled the young man. He was surrounded by 6 goondas and another concentric circle which featured me amongst the others in the crowd. Sweat beads were all over the faces in the crowd. Not a single man, even the one who looked like a 'pehelwan', dared to go near to help. Prudence pulled me back.

"Kisse pooch raha hai bachaane ke liye, kutthe? Yeh saaley, sab hijre hain. Kisi ek mein kya himmat hai ise bachaane ki..aaah?", yelled the handsome goonda leader. His comments almost made me clap my hands, for it was inch perfect by any dialogue delivery standards. But, thank god, I stopped for I would have proved his words right!!!!

"Tu gaya aaj", said he & pulled out a deadly designer knife. It was a chrome plated knife, beautifully carved. The leader must be the right hand of Jadhav bhai, I thought. "Kitni baar... kitni baar bola tujhse, bhai se panga nahi lene ka", said he slapping the now half-dead victim, & repeated the lines slapping as many times. I could not watch the proceedings & closed my eyes with both palms, but the devil in me made me peep through a pin hole from my "hand made" blanket.

The poor soul begged on his knees saying "Nahi bhai, nahi.. aise kabhi nahin karoonga...mujhe maaf karo..mujhe maaf karo, bhagwaan ke liye....mujhe maaf karo". His face was thoroughly bruised & smeared with blood. There was nothing more left in him as he cried & cried till his voice turned low. All these fell to deaf ears, or atleast everyone was pretending to be deaf. My heart went out for the poor chap, but my mind pulled it back & placed it in the rib cage.

Sonu bhai was in no mood to listen. With the dagger shining under the station's lights he swirled his hand and....

"Aiiiga...maaar daala, is kameene ne. 14 take hue, par yeh item abhi tak is shot ko khatam nahi kar paaya. abe yede, teri tho...", yelled the director. The brilliantly crafted dagger had escaped Sonu bhai's sweaty palms & fallen on the railway tracks. The victim got up in a fit of anger & blasted at the now half-dead Sonu! "Aaj tak, ek kaam theek tharah se kiya hai kya tune, yede! Isko kis jungal mein pakda yaar aap logo ne? Mera poora paisa, lagta hai is ek scene me chala jaayega. Hat saaley!" It was obvious to me that it was the producer & his anguish was justified. The crowd was amused & so was I. Boy, that was something close to live of what I had thought about the Maratha land!

I picked my luggage which by now had gotten into a nap amidst the hullabaloo. I came out of the station to see the two rickshaw drivers in a war of words.

Mercara Musings - Trip to India's Scotland

2005-10-05T19:24:00.000+02:00

Butterflies in the stomach - an apposite explanation to the scene that was our stomach on the evening of our departure. Departure, after a rubber-band wait, to what is rightly called as the Scotland of the East - or more succinctly India's Scotland. Yap, we were heading to the land of Coffee - Coorg.

Prem came home that night with a couple of knapsacks. "Jerkins are imperative. The weather is such that cows serve chilled milk, or probably ice cream!!" he exclaimed. I had just finished my evening prayers & came out of the puja room. Anbu, our chellam, was euphoric, karaoke-ing to a song playing in Radio Mirchi, only that the song was the funny jingle - "bestu, kanna bestu...Kungumam vaanga..."!!

Just then there was a big hoot from the road. It resembled the sound of a Pulsar. We heard it a second time. I was now sure that the hero had made his entry. Manoj had arrived, and in true Telugu hero style. But the idea only tickled us. Why? What else would you do, if a person wears sunglasses at night & clads himself in a winter jacket - and all this in Chennai ??? But, he had a digestible reason though. Space constraint in his bag. We acquiesced without much ado.

Our hall resembled a cloak room. Each one picked up his luggage. I cut a set of Sudoku puzzles from the newspapers & dumped them in my purse, just to keep myself engaged when in solitude. We had a sumptuous meal in Bharani & hopped into a three wheeled contraption to Central. Rs. 100 seemed to be a decent figure to give the rickshaw driver. He floored us by giving an "Aadi thallupadi" of 30%!!! I have started to expect much more from Pothy's!!

And was he fast? Fast is an understatement, for he was rash. Thalaivar Rajni seemed to have permeated him, for his flirtations with a neighbouring Kiny was nothing short of what the superstar can deliver. The difference was that while the latter generally gets into a duet in the next scene, our hero got into a duel - verbal albeit!!! It stopped soon. Our hero did not know that he was flirting a damsel, into whom lady-Amitabh-Bachchan, Vijayashanthi had permeated!!!!

The rest of the journey was better. We were discussing about everything from girls to.....well....er....girls!!! But, I must confess that I was very loyal & limited my thoughts to the girls I saw in TCO!!! Anbu, was as usual, waxing eloquent about Asin, the actress - someone whom he likes for a reason that is privy to me!!! Nope, sorry. I can't reveal. But I can bet that it'll be an absoulte stunner, if revealed!!! Amidst such banter, our loaded bellies provided bass effects through constant hyperventilative eructations(belching, for the uninitiated)!!

Central looked more resplendent than ever. The reversal to its original maroon was a welcome move by the administration after its initial experiment with a color that matched cow dung. The thalaivar within our hero was fully visible when he parked his to-me-it's-a-yamaha-to-you-it-may-be-an-auto. We alighted & briskly sauntered into Platform number....I think...it was 6. 6 it was. The aroma that lingered in the air was a deadly, repeat deadly, combination of fresh coffee & fresher ***. It's a pity that even after reading the boards in the lavatories, people desecrate the platforms. Can they not do it once the train moves?

The first person that I noticed was...hold it...wait...Balaji. But was it the same Balaji that we saw in the morning. It WAS him...but not yet. He stunned us with his maroon topless...I mean…collarless top... and... lo & behold....shorts!! But soon this sense of exaggeration dampened as many had come in shorts. I must admit that I too had ideas, but was properly advised by my room-mate not to give into it! He probably felt that I would be more...ahem...okay, okay, I'll stop it.

As we crossed him I could see a bunch of RSA figures (pun unintended)!!!! Madhan was the first ( the figures must make more sense now ) - as usual, nothing short of "Manmadhan". Hey, I generally hum this tune Manmadhan...manmadhan from the film of the same name whenever I see this charismatic fellow from the other arm of RSA. It suits him perfect. What say? He too was in his chaddis. "Arey bhai, kya ho raha hai? Koi fashion show hai kya?", I asked myself.

I got an answer immediately. Each one was begging to make a statement or two. Avishesh sported a brilliant red Man-U tee with a pair of Nike to boot! Subhashini's sartorial elegance needs no further explanation than that she was wearing a neat churidar. Deepa Jr., strolled in just as I was taking account of the haute couture near our compartment. Devdas would have cringed at her swagger. Upon interrogation, she said she was thinking about the return trip to Chennai! Amidst this garden of youth, I could spot two old people, standing next to whom was Anita. The genius in me quickly deciphered them as her parents! “Take a bow, Sandeep. Your ingenuity is unprecedented”, said my angel patting me simultaneously!

Some people missing in action were Deepa Sr., for her "tryst" with a motorcyclist & a subsequent "twist" in her leg. The other was Sandeep for obvious reasons. After a lot of persuasion Deepthy seemed to give into our whims, but pulled out at the last moment & decided to go to Palakkad - she never misses a chance to go there. Enda Guruvayoorappa!!! The other boys including yours truly were more down to earth in plain T-shirts & jeans / pants. But, why the hell am I delving into such details ? Let me think.......carry on reading, I'll explain once I get the reason.....

People started occupying their places. My grey cells seem to have lost the seat numbers, but I know for sure that we were placed closed to the lavatories. The lovely stench was ticking our noses! The Madisons & the Charlottes took their places diligently. I was asking myself whether this gap would ever bridge. Madhan replied to my thoughts in the negative. It surely is a pity, said I, again thru telepathy.

…continue….I am yet to get a reason….

The horns blew, the engines started & slowly the bogies followed in tow. Off we were on our journey. Arun & Vijay took upon the coordination work for the trip & handled it very well, I must admit. The TTE came & checked the tickets. The boys got into a lively chat session & I went to my berth & dozed off much to the anger of the others. You see, I have this complex policy – When it comes to sleep, I just….sleep. Sounds more like one of Murphy’s laws.

Day One

“Dei vennai, endhri da” was my wake-up call. I dunno from where it came. But, you betcha, I would kill that fellow for ruining my dream, where I was running around trees with Gayathri Joshi, the Swades lass – and one of my all-time favourites. Speaking of her, I had this funny incident. My parents were in the US with my sister when I sent them a mail saying that I was in love, deep love, with a girl & would like to marry her, if they permitted. I had attached Gayathri’s photo. Since, it was her first film, none of them knew that she was an actress & the matter turned serious to the point where they called me up that “very same evening”. While my father was sort of okay that I had chosen a beautiful Brahmin girl, my mother wouldn’t relent! I goaded her to accept, & when she relented, it was time to surprise them with Gayathri’s true identity! Boy, was it funny. Take my work for it, it was. OK, let’s carry on.

The Colgates & the Pepsodents were out & the drains were flush with minty foam. It was pretty cold in Bangalore. We all got down to board another train to Mysore. We walked to Platform No.5. We waited for the train to arrive. The team got treated to some good Hindi & Kannada tunes from the TVs. It was absolute fun watching their faces recoil. Hindi & Kannada were greek & latin or may be just hindi & Kannada to them!! The train arrived & we took our places, with due respect to the Madison-Charlotte class differentiation. The biting cold called for a hot cuppa tea. I got down to get a cup. Less the milk in tea, the better it is and the tea-wallah was only too happy to oblige! Nonetheless, it was eligible to burn our taste-buds. We finished it & quickly got in.

….thinking….

Up to to a certain distance, the tracks run parallel to the road to Mysore. It takes almost the same time, 180 minutes by road or rail to Mysore. Even though the sun was in full shine by now, it was chilly...er...I mean....pretty chill around. The feeling was nostalgic as I stood near the door way waiting to have a look at my alma-mater.

I studied at the R V College of Engineering, the best-est college in Bangalore. Yacku! It ranks as the third best in Karnataka after NIT, Mangalore & SJCE, Mysore. In Karnataka, people are not concerned from which university you are, as is the case in Tamil Nadu or Andhra, where eyeballs pop out if some one is from Anna or Jawaharlal Nehru Universities. You are Google material, if you are from NIT, deified if you are from SJCE, given a patient-hearing if you are from RVCE and so on.The four years I studied here (yes, I had no arrears although I came close to flunking in Math in the fourth semester, but passed with 2 full marks as margin!) were pretty interesting. But, I still like my school days the most. Always, anytime. Okay, let's get on with it. But you'll be treated to such things time & again. Call it...Being Sandeep!

I prepared everyone for a peep at my college. Slowly the trees moved away & I could see the cricket field. I sprinted towards these fellas who were discussing all things under the sun & shouted,"Look, that's my college. Ingedhaan, na padichen". But, no one seemed to be interested. I ran back to get a good look at it. I could see the main gate, the office block & finally the canteen. It was a moment similar to Dil Chahta Hai. I could see the spiral & my friends on the other side of it. But, today, I have lost contact with almost every one. Sad.

It was a pretty mundane journey. Someone had bought the day's newspaper. We got down to solve the sudoku. A seasoned player that I am, I left it to the novices! Manoj, Madhan, Rajesh & Vijay got down to work. I left for the other bay where all these guys, Gautham, Avishesh, Karthik, Jayamani, Anbu, Prem, Hari, Balaji, Arun et al were playing dumb-c. The theme was Movies. Gautham was the coordinator. Any questions...huh...anyone?

"Ille, inge 2 irukku, so inge 3 dhaan correct", said Madhan. Manoj nodded in affirmation. "Place 4 here", said Vijay. The scene bemused me. Four heads taking a crack at a simple puzzle. "Ungala ella nenecha enakku, paavama irukku", I told myself, in true Vadivelu style. I strolled back to the dumb-c area. Avishesh had opened hi box of Marwari sweets & savories. It was mouth watering. One resembled something like macaroni-shaped biscuits in caramel & the other was powdered papad. But, the taste was ecstatic. I had my fill & returned to help the fledglings. "Naalu peru irukkeenga, innu solve panliya?", said I. Rajesh retorted in a jiffy "Aah...vandu pannu theriyum". In true Vadivelu style, I said," Pechu pechaadhaan irukkanam, andha paper kitta naanum varamaatten, neengalum adha vittu varakkodaadhu" and moved away. Ultimately, they gave up finding it too diffuicult. Pity!

I moved away from there to another place where Deepa, Devi, Bala, Avi (he had moved here by then), Shankar & Quarter Jana were sitting. I suggested we play Antakshari & no one revolted. I started out with "Vaadi Vaadi" from Sachein. It went on in a very secular fashion as songs from all languages were accomodated. A cute kid from another bay also joined with his camera. Vijay too visited with his camera & it turned into a good photo session with the cute customer. As always, I got bored & came back to the sudoku area. But the paper was not to be found.

Meenakshi was having it. It was now her turn to solve it. But, instead of continuing from where the guys had left, she started from scratch - literally scratching off whatever the guys had done! And in a few minutes, she yelled, "It's done", much to the dismay of the boys! I was ashamed of my disciples!

The train reached the station & all of us alighted and walked to the gate where two mini buses were standng. We reached Hotel Gayathri (not Joshi, this time - but I felt that there were some waves between us!!!). The rooms were small, but the bathrooms were huge. Hot water was available. I treated my friends and neighbours to some of the latest tamil songs whilst bathing. You see, with due respect to Jeeves, I endeavor to give satisfaction. I took the longest to finish. We all went to the nearest hotel for the breakfast. All of us ordered a Masala Dosa first. I asked for a double roasted one. The dosas simply melted in the mouth. Heavenly tastes. We took a dig at the ones served in Chennai & especially the ones in TCO. They don't even come close, do they?

After draining the food stuff with Coffee & Ginger Tea, we came back , packed our bags and waited for the usual slow-pokes, the girls, to finish. And were they late? The less said, the bettert. Till then, we had a photo session as all the boys had assembled in our room. Somehow, I seem to have fans wherever I go! At last, it was time to start for our first destination. We got to know that it was the Golden Temple in Kushalnagar, some 80 kms from the place. It was a bumpy ride. The roads in Karnataka are notorious, I must confess. Adding fuel to the fire were the mini buses which hardly come with any shock absorbers.

The scene looked green on either side of the road. We could see ponds with beautiful lillies alternating with huge trees surrounded by bushes. The climate was brilliant with the sun rays providing just enough heat to keep us feeling more than comfortable. The leaves looked fresh & crisp. There were some absolutely stupendous scenes like pastures in different shades on green dotted with white storks, a small road with gigantic trees providing a canopy whilst allowing only a privlieged lot of the sun's rays. Spellbinding. I had never seen such beautiful images live. It's time our directors & producers explored such lanscapes instead of expending tonnes of hard-earned money for foreign locales. We got down to have a small rendezvous with the cameras.

The buses took a left turn from the highway & crossed a big gate that had something written in a language of the Mongoloids. I yelled, "We have entered the Tibetan region". Not a single mortal resembling the Dravidian or Aryan culture was present there. Every one looked like a Dalai Lama. The names of shops rhymed with all sorts of sounds you can get when you strike a metal - Ting tong, Ping pong, Jing jong. You name it, we saw it. Here too, I saw a one-derful scene that was picture perfect. As the bus took a right turn, I could see through the window on the other side, a mother holding her baby & looking with a Monalisa smile. The face was partially covered by the shade of the roof under which she was standing. Alas, I did not have my own camera! All places within this region were very clean. The buses came to a halt in front of the gate.

Lord Krishna

2005-08-25T16:01:00.000+02:00

That's Lord Krishna, one of my favorite gods. He is one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the second in the list of three most important gods in Hindu Mythology - Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva.