Viki's Views

Hindu Chini Bye Bye!!

2020-06-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

Nowhere is man freer than on the field of battle, where it is a matter of life and death, wrote Leo Tolstoy. One way of determining people’s morality is by observing their reactions during a crisis. And brave Indian soldiers showed just that during that fateful night of Jun 15^th (which just happened to be President Xi’s 67^th birthday) when they were outnumbered by 3 to 1 and showed the courage that is expected of a soldier.

Relations between India and China have never been comfortable since the unprovoked attack by them in 1962. The root cause of the problem at that time was the boundary and today after sixty odd years, it’s still the boundary issue.

China’s ambitious to become world’s top most power is no secret. India is not only its neighbor but also someone that can, in future challenge its hegemony. China domesticated Pakistan and some other India’s neighbor, who can be used to keep India’s global ambitions in check. A weaker India will do less strategically in its own neighborhood and will engage less in places like Africa & Middle East or in regional institutions, posing little challenge to China’s influence.

This is just a view of an ordinary Indian and I am sure there are larger implications here, but India shouldn’t care about China’s sensitivity to issues like Tibet, Hong Kong & South China Sea and take a firm stand. India should accept China’s rise, instead of questioning it and then recognize the challenge they are facing. India always wanted to have a cordial relation with China, starting from Rabindranath Tagore’s visit in 1924 to the most recent visit by PM Modi. But China never normalized the relationships nor resolved the border issues. It’s time for India’s foreign policy planners to understand that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – World is ONE BIG FAMILY, doesn’t apply to someone whose sole purpose is to grow at your expense.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-china-lac-border-20-armymen-killed-galwan-valley-6471415/

Lucky Lefties

2018-09-19T09:48:00.000-04:00

What do - Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle, Julius Caesar and Charles Darwin, Paul McCartney, Ratan Tata, five of the seven most recent US presidents, four of the five designers of the Apple Mac and most importantly, Rajnikant, have in common? Well, besides being brilliant, successful and lucky (as per New Jersey based right-handed, Viki Shah) they all have one common trait…they are all left handed!!

Left-handed or lefty as we call them in Asian societies, tend to be more privileged than righty, besides having a bigger right side of the brain which helps them when it comes to spatial awareness and mental representations of objects (don’t ask what it means – copy pasted from indy100.com, dated Jun 19 2017) they also have their own day to celebrates (Lefty day – Aug 13^th). Lefty politicians tend to get more votes, they are always fortunate with the umpiring decisions in gully (street) cricket and with ‘activities’ that require left hand. They are the lucky few who can use a mouse and write in a notebook at the same time.

Besides being blessed and shrewd and successful and lucky (did I already mention it!!), they are also attention hoggers. For every time someone passes by a lefty, ‘Oh, you’re a lefty!’ is in order!!

I have always felt that God has been biased against the right handed mortals. And it’s not only me who thinks lefties are fortunate. The Incas believed lefties have special spiritual powers. In Buddhism, the Left Hand Path is associated with a quest for spiritual freedom.

So, all you lucky lefties out there – stop complaining about awkward handshakes, the scissors or the flush being on the ‘wrong’ side of the toilet. Left-handed are in minority but they did, and will always have the upper hand.

Thank You, America!!

2017-11-20T13:28:00.000-05:00

It was 1987 and fall was on the horizon for the US east coast. An Indian guy was walking back to home from a bar. He was attacked by a group of people. He died four days later. It was a hate crime carried over by a group call Dotbusters - the name a reference to the bindi worn by Hindu women on their foreheads. They wrote a hand written letter to the local newspaper, “We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of Jersey City.”*

Times are different now in the United States. A lot has happened since that fateful night of 1987. Today close to 15% of Jersey City’s population is made up of Indian Americans. There is a greater visibility now of Indians on American streets, and also of Indian food and culture. Indian-Americans have the highest median income of any ethnic group in the United States. The bindi isn’t the bulls-eye anymore. But bigotry still raises its awful head. Be it an innocent patron being killed at a bar or an attack on a person wearing a turban. Recent political events have led to Immigrants being painted as job snatchers, drug peddlers & criminals. But the truth is immigrants are moms and dads, honor students and college graduates, they are the entrepreneurs and leaders of the Fortune 500 corporations. They are the future of the United States of America.

I know for sure, the recent unsettling events are limited to politics because the fabric of this great land is tightly woven with love and respect for each other. Believe me, I’m not pretending that America is flawless but even with her paltry shortcomings, we are so privileged to live in such a great land. This thanksgiving, I want to thank this land for giving me and many more like me, an opportunity to purse ‘success’- whatever that ‘success’ might be, in a fair, open, friendly and respectful surrounding.

* "Indians in America" by Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, Mar 15th 2017

Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!

2017-10-05T16:18:00.000-04:00

There are actors who are defined by the era and there are actors who define an era. Sure Bombay film industry has its Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bacchan & Aamir Khan, but there is this one actor who has created his own legacy. He is the one who successfully transitioned from being the favourite of Gen X to the millennials. His walk is confident, his face expressive, his body hairy and his performances intense…Anil Kapoor. He is an actor who has managed to make a career out of reinventing himself in order to evolve with the trends to not only keep himself relevant, but dominate amongst the new generation.

He started his career in early 80's. In his first decade in the industry he played everything from a street thug in a comedy (Chameli Ki Shaadi) to an idealistic lawyer in a courtroom drama (Meri Jung). From an obedient son (Saaheb) to the lover boy (Janbaaz). This movies cemented his status as a talented actor. While most debut actors of the time developed an image, and leveraged that same image into as many films as possible, Anil was never satisfied doing the same thing repeatedly.

He is constantly heralded as being one of Bollywood's most adaptable actors. His touted versatility became more pronounced as his career advanced. From playing supporting role to Salman (Biwi No. 1) to teaming up with Nana as a sleazy gangster (Welcome). Viewers love him when he plays an old patriarch of a dysfunctional family (Dil Dhadakne Do) to an unmarried half Brit-half Punjabi uncle (Mubarakan).

As an ardent fan of Anil Kapoor, Lamhe & Tezaab will always be his crowning glory. I think his most impressive achievement is to be relevant throughout his career. His is one career where we can confidently say…Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!

Navratri - The Art of Dancing

2017-09-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

As fall descends upon the east cost of United States and makes people cringe at the thought of summer getting over, there is a community that is waiting all year just for autumn to begin. For autumn means Garba season is about to start. Garba is one form of Indian folk dance that has kept up with the times and have added flavor from the present era. From heart surgeons to hip hop kids, all ascend to the area school gyms or convention centers over the weekend to dance at the beats of the Dhol.

Navratri is nine nights of garba, but we non-resident Indians have adjusted Navratri as per our schedule. Instead of nine successive nights, we celebrate it over four weekends. The working women and men, dressed in business casual clothes from 9 to 5, toss them aside as soon as they get home to garb themselves in stunning ghaghra/choli, kurta/pyjamas and head to temples, school gyms and arenas. Navratri is a medley of dance, fun, festivities, bonhomie and religious devotion. The resounding drumbeats, the chimes of the bell, the synchronized claps, everything comes in the perfect rhythm.

Garba’s are so electrifying, and mood is so contagious that spectators become performers. Being an ardent garba fan, I manage to shake a leg or two whenever I get a chance. It’s unfortunate that my passion for garba doesn’t reflect on my steps. A few of my friends & family have tried to teach me over the years and have lost hope. There is a famous Amitabh Bachchan dialogue, “Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi se shuru hoti hain.” In my case, it’s the otherway round…”Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi pe samapt ho jati hai.” But I don’t let my Sunny Deol syndrome stop me from enjoying the beats of the dhol.

This Navratri, let’s all bask in the glory of music and dance. Let the nine nights of Navratri pulsate with positive vibes and high energy.

Time for India to Bite the Bullet!!

2017-09-16T00:56:00.000-04:00

Japanese PM was visiting India to lay the foundation stone for India’s first High Speed Rail (HSR) or Bullet train project. Does a country that can’t even maintain its 150 year old railway infrastructure, need an ultra-luxury, super-fast train?

I was struggling to find a justification for this project and then I read about a comment made by Chairman of Railway board in 1969 – “India does not need a Rajdhani Express. In a poor country such air conditioned trains are luxuries, best avoided”. Have Time brought us back to the same crossroads where a nation has to decide on a path breaking project to lead the way for the following decades? Thankfully the Chairman was overruled, and today we have Rajdhanis, Shatabdis, Durontos, Gatimaans and many other AC express trains.

That was not an isolated incident, Delhi Metro project was criticised for being very expensive and elitist. But today ridership of Delhi Metro is at a record level and it is world’s fourth largest network. It will jump to second, after completion of Phase IV. Advent of Metro has expanded the reach of Delhi by creating jobs and development of the whole NCR (National Capital Region). Even the Maruti Suzuki project and the Bombay-Pune Express highway was seen as an elitist project during the inception. But today both those projects are seen as a turning point in their respective sectors.

Expectation from Bullet Train project is to see an entire ecosystem come up around manufacturing of bullet trains, creation of value-chain, with thousands of suppliers. Most significantly we will be able to climb the value chain for infrastructure projects and in future might export the same knowledge to other developing countries.

Just as an Aam Admi is riding on a Delhi Metro for a daily commute and travels cross country on one of the AC trains, in a few decades, we hope they will be riding one of many high speed trains crisscrossing the nation.

Business of Faith

2017-09-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

In Hinduism, Heart is declared as the resting ground for Faith. Faith, has a great significance in Hindu culture. Faith, also known as Shraddha in Sanskrit is the central pillar to spiritual practice. Faith depends upon neither proof nor reason but belief in something that you feel is true. May be this aspect of faith or blind faith creates an enduring fascination for hordes of people in India towards Godmen and their miracles.

Blind faith, as proven many a times in India, knows no religion or class. Pop up dargahs under trees, a saffron cloth tied to an idol in the middle of nowhere are the symbols of flourishing business of superstitions in India. Even India’s upper class are obsessive followers of Godmen, as if they need constant re-assurances of their wellbeing - fingers full of rings, adding vowels to their name and dropping them at an astrologers scare.

India’s politicians are again at fault here. They are the ones who legitimize this Godmen by bringing them in the public domain by taking their blessings and attending there extravagant shows. Politicians have right to follow their faith but it should be kept private. The moment it becomes public, the faith turns into superstition, the followers become vote banks and devotion becomes a lucrative business.

I don’t feel bad for the elite class who spend their fortune at a jeweller or donate it to a Godmen, but it hurts when poor become victim of this heinous crime. It feels even worst when women and underage girls are raped in the name of religion. It’s a pity that modern, globalized, educated, cultured India is still obsessed with a fellow human being, who portrays him/her selves as a supreme being by doing outlandish things.

We are a nation that prides in its culture, heritage and education but all of this comes with a caveat…we are ridiculously superstitious!! It’s high time we find faith within over selves instead of immature spirituality based on superstitions and rituals offered by Godmen.

What is America?

2017-08-19T01:32:00.000-04:00

I am sure this question have been asked many a times since the most recent Presidential elections ended. Answer to this question was lot easier to explain before the current administration came to the power. Now, answering this question in the midst of nationalist chants is understandably, very difficult.

For me America is not only a country, it’s an idea. An idea of freedom, an idea of achieving the impossible, an idea of giving opportunity to all, an idea of no one is above the law. One does not need to have grown up in America in order to appreciate what America is. Unfortunately, the greatness of this idea has lately been tarnished to achieve small time political gains. America is too often criticized for its actual and perceived shortcomings. But critics seem incapable of appreciating America’s exceptionalism including its multiculturalism. This was the brilliance of the founding fathers of this great nation. They understood very well that freedom, (both political and economic) was the fundamental element of a successful nation. They gave us a Constitution that would allow the American people to pursue and achieve happiness, irrespective of their background, and in the process build a nation that would flourish to become a beacon of hope throughout the world.

Seems like the events of the last couple of months have made America a prisoner of its past. But whether you are from southern states or western, whether you like country music or hip hop, America is more than anything a place where people believe in freedom. They feel like they have the power to make their lives better and impact the world around them. That’s real freedom… the ability to decide what you want to make of your life and the opportunity to go out and do it.

As the summer ends and political elite is busy igniting another crisis, we should remember and be thankful for the freedom which we so often take for granted.

The Ambani's

2017-08-16T10:02:00.002-04:00

The grand spectacle that is the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) annual shareholder meetings have always been like a big fat Indian wedding. 40^th in the series was no different. Dhirubhai Ambani started in Naroda in 1967 with the philosophy of ‘Think Big, Think Different, Think Fast & Think Ahead’. Thanks to this thinking, RIL has been a beacon of India’s private sector progress since last four decades.

Dhirubhai’s greatest achievement was that he showed Indians what was possible. With no degree from any exclusive schools and no family capital to bank on, he achieved what the elite sahibs of New Delhi could not- he built a modernistic, profitable, global enterprise in India. What's more, he detached millions of middle class Indians from depending on crony state socialism and brought them to the world of can-do capitalism by convincing them to load up on Reliance stock.

The 40^th meeting of RIL shareholders was celebration of the four decades of success and steady progress. Mukesh Ambani – first born son of Dhirubhai, following in his legendary father’s footsteps went over the company’s performance and gifted JIO to India. It’s not surprising that the company that launched the equity culture in India is disrupting the telecommunication landscape by giving aam aadmi access to an affordable high speed internet…a whole lot of it.

Among many things, Mukesh shared a video paying homage to his late father. One noticeable element about that 30 minute video was how subtly, in RIL style, Anil Ambani – younger brother of Mukesh, didn’t appear in a single clip. It seemed like Dhirubhai only has one son. It’s true that after the split between the two brothers, Mukesh is scaling new heights every year, on the other hand Anil is selling his entities to pay off his corporate debt.

So how is it that since 2005, Anil’s personal net worth is depleted to one tenth of Mukesh’s? Does this proves that Mukesh was ‘right’ in asking for the control of the combined RIL entity as a first born son? From this 12 years of separation, one think I can say is that Mukesh creates trends & Anil waits for them. Following 12 years might be different but for now, thanks to Mukesh, a JIO customer is surfing the web at high speed for peanuts. Mukesh, can at last say that he has changed India. And when you are Dhirubhai’s son that is what is expected of you*.

*Own ‘non-market moving’ stakes in RIL & Anil’s entities.

Happy 70th Independence Day

2017-08-14T08:15:00.000-04:00

This independence day I will be celebrating it with my new office colleague. Even though we both are away from our motherland, we both share the same sense of belongingness to our homeland. We both want a nation that is far far away from violence, we want our kids to go to better schools, elders to get better healthcare facilities, youths to get better employment opportunities, families to get better environment to live in. We don’t want our future to be the prisoner of our past. We want religion to bind us together and not be the reason for separation.

This independence day, we both will have our Gulab Jamun…and eat it too, although at different times. My colleague will celebrate on 14^th and me on 15^th!!

India and Pakistan, both will celebrate their 70th Independence Day in next few days. 70 years of hostilities from both governments, 70 years of family separation, 70 years of violence on both sides in the name of nationalism.

This might be an opinion of an aam aadmi, but I think this 70 years has shown that the Two-Nation theory was flawed. The unnatural geographic division based on religious backgrounds has failed. Understood, the situation in British India was hostile but a united India might have been better equipped to deal with those problems. Partition only multiplied the problems by two. Both countries remain crippled by the narratives built around memories of the crimes of partition. But in spite of that, it is important to remember that the division of what is modern day India, Pakistan and even Bangladesh, is chillingly unnatural. Remember, the communities that were divided in 1947 had coexisted for almost a millennium.

This independence day, I wish we celebrate our independence from British and not from each other.

The ‘Jugaado’ Genius – MS Dhoni

2017-01-05T04:46:00.002-05:00

From a small town, thrill seeking cricketer to the trademark calm, Mr. Cool has come a long way. Almost all modern era famous cricketers remind you of others from the past. In Dhoni, I could see no other. There is something about Dhoni’s sixers that advertise power.

It was just over the weekend I had watched MS Dhoni’s biopic. I was more stirred by the opening scene set in Wankhede Stadium during the 2011 World Cup final, than I had been by the actual match five years earlier!! In real life, Dhoni is one of the supreme one-day cricketers, a chillingly calm, calculating batsman for whom a run chase is a mathematical equation. It is a game he understands totally, in command of the nuances and strategies, capable and confident of making difficult decisions.

In the shorter (ODI) and shortest (T20) format of the game there is no greater genius than him. Street smart does not even begin to describe him. He is galli smart…alley clever…bylane canny. He is the shrewdest, most ingenious man on the ground. In fact English terms don’t do justice to his ingenuity. The right word to describe him is Jugaado. He can drive through a cul-de-sac & can bring democracy in China. Ok I stretched a little, but the fact is he always has a Plan B. And most of the times it works.

He smiles, he advises, he shows displeasure, he communicates with umpires, but while his messages are clear, no one could bet on what his thinking is. Dhoni is nothing if not practical. He stumped everyone once again (first being the Test retirement) by his announcement, preventing media speculations & BCCI’s conundrum about his future following Virat Kohli’s successful captainship in Test.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s greatest legacy will be his spirit of a champion, a spirit that believed in carving out victory when defeat seemed imminent. His cool is now legendary, but has there ever been a captain with greater situational awareness than him? I would say, Never!!

Part of second paragraph adopted from Mike Selvey’s column in The Guardian (Dec 20^th 2014)

My Fellow Countrymen

2016-11-15T08:25:00.001-05:00

My fellow countrymen, I urge you today not as a non-resident Indian but as a common man of my motherland. We as a nation have faced gravest of challenges since our independence. From poverty, to illiteracy, from socialism to corruption, one decade after the other we have seen our dream of prosperous India fading away. And yet we keep on hoping. Hoping for an India that gives equal opportunity to all, for an India were justice is equal for all, for an India without any corruption.

This is one of the rare occasions in independent India were benefits of a policy are going to be visible to the common man. Abolishing the 500-1000 bills can right many wrongs for our country. But some pain has to be shared. The intentions of this policy are very clear; it is for the national good. I don’t belong to any political party, but I am aligned to a leader who works for the betterment of our nation.

Through all the chaos that is our history, through all of the pain and suffering, through all of our times, there is one thing that has always kept us going and that is our hope, our hope for believing in the future of India.

This is a very rare occasion where the dreams of an entire nation are focused not on a politician or a leader but on the ‘patience’ of a common man.

America got Trumped by Americans!!

2016-11-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

“So what now?” is the question on everyone’s mind? Including Donald Trump.

48% of Americans decided to make one of the most polarizing figures in recent history to be there 45^th President. You are right Mr. Obama, Sun did rise today, but for some the warmth might not be the same as yesterday. What happened on the night of Nov 8^th 2016 in America, says a lot about the 48% Americans. It says that it’s totally fair to trade nebulous promises of economic success for racism, sexism, and xenophobia. I am no economic or social expert, but would love to see how the rust belt will get their jobs back and why will Mexico pay for building the wall.

Last night was hard, and I certainly didn’t sleep much. But I like almost all working class Americans are at work this morning and we need to do the best we can to address the issues deep within our society that led us here. The idea of ‘America’ can’t be lost because of one election cycle. Remember: There was no perfect time in American history. America is a work in progress. This great democracy always had problems and hardworking Americans have always been working towards fixing them.

There are many Americans across the United States who woke up this morning and are apprehensive because of their skin color, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. They might feel that their political voice is lost. I will urge to those Americans, please don’t give up, for America needs you more now, than ever before.

This time its different – 2016 US Presidential Elections

2016-11-08T09:28:00.001-05:00

It took almost 80 weeks & over a billion dollars for America to arrive on the ‘2016 Election Tuesday’. The world’s greatest democracy is going to exercise their right to vote in the 58^th quadrennial Presidential elections. 146 million will be lining up in the polling booths or sending in their choices via mail.

These elections have been anything but cordial. Election is all about presenting different ideas and perspective so they tend to be heated, but this one went to the extreme. These are my fifth US elections that I am following and it has been definitely unlike the previous four.

· The level of anxiety among ordinary people is palpable. For some reason almost the whole voting population of US is aware of everything that both the candidates have said or believe in; And strangely everyone whom I have spoken to have extreme views about the one that they dislike. Some dislike the ‘two faced’ Hilary while the rest don’t trust Trump’s ‘right leaning’ views.

· Another jarring thing about these elections is the ‘outside’ influence. This would be the first time when news networks in America are mentioning Kremlin with US election night. There has been convincing proof of Russia being involved in STEALING (not leaking) internal materials to damage one candidate.

· Not to mention the involvement of the Federal Bureau of investigation - An unprecedented bungling of public handling of the (legitimate) Clinton email investigation by Director Comey.

· Finally the ‘slowness’ of the traditional media to learn about candidate’s inaccurate statements and how to handle candidates during national debates that are supposed to be focusing on their future policies and strategies. Instead the three debates became a slugfest of personal attacks.

These elections almost became a ‘reality TV drama’. I strongly believe in the democratic institution and hope that after all of this United States of America will begin to heal starting Nov. 9^th. But one thing is for sure (& this is very unfortunate) 2016 US Presidential elections will go down in history as the one were in people voted for the candidate they ‘disliked’ less !!

Kashmir Conundrum

2016-09-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

It’s been almost ten days since the Uri attack. I wanted to wait so I can get over my impromptu patriotic emotion. Needless to say, first thing that crosses mind after repeated attacks is to enter Pakistan, guns blazing. But that won’t bring an end to this decades old crisis. Pakistan is almost a failed state and I won’t be surprised that these attacks are the brainchild of fundamentalist groups that don’t align with Islamabad. But just as during the partition, India needs to act like a responsible, elder brother. We are at the cusp of becoming an economic & political powerhouse and we shouldn’t let this issue derail our hard earned progress.

So what needs to be done? We can’t just be sitting ducks for the next attack.

To tell you the truth, I am not sure. But I know this…

* We need to accept the fact that Kashmir is a ‘problem’. We can’t just keep stashing the social, economic & political issues under the article 370 blanket. Kashmir is not like other 28 states.

· * We need to recognize that India is still one of the poorest countries in the world, we still struggle to provide adequate food, decent shelter, basic healthcare and enough clothes to almost one third of our population and we are spending an enormous portion of our meager resources on military confrontation.

And so, on behalf of frustrated Indians, Pakistanis & unlucky Kashmiris, this is my appeal to all the ‘so-called’ foreign policy experts, local & foreign, figure out something before it’s too late.

Enough blood has been shed to shame the human race!!

Once upon a Cricket!!

2016-06-14T18:31:00.001-04:00

I think it was George Bernard Shaw who once alleged, ‘Cricket is game played by 11 fools and watched by 11000 fools’. Well, that 11,000 has grown to hundreds of millions. Simply put if its soccer which makes one half of the world go crazy, then the other half is full of cricket fanatics.

I have matured enough to acknowledge it now, it’s sad but as a kid growing up in 90’s India, mediocrity was synonymous with Indian cricket team. Team as a whole was feeble, but individuals were sound. Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and brilliance of many others, on a given day, would often be undone by a serious lack of support from rest of team India. India’s home record was decent but away record was a pity. In case of Test matches we would pray for the game to be drawn. Nonetheless Cricket gave us all something to look forward to.

In the land of multiple religions & cultures and hundreds of languages & dialects, if there’s anything that rises above the differences, it’s Cricket. It’s a bit funny but the best foreign policy tool to gauge India-Pakistan relationship is cricket - if they play together, all is well; if they don’t, there’s obviously a crisis!

For most of us, one of the fondest memories of growing up in India is being part of the India – Pakistan cricket frenzy. It had always been such a huge event. Who can possibly forget being together with the entire family and neighbors, frightening the sh!# out of the street dogs and cows, with the loudest screams at the fall of every Pakistani wicket.

Times have changed and so has cricket. The advent of IPL has placed India on the world’s professional sports map. Tremendous amount of wealth has been unlocked because of the IPL. Cricket has finally become a game that is played, just for entertainment!!

Is “Patriotic Non-Resident Indian” an Oxymoron?

2016-06-02T16:17:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend I was catching up with an old acquaintance of mine who is based out of India. We were talking about how things have changed with time in India and how much potential India has. During our casual conversation he briefly raised a sensitive topic of patriotism of people who have left their motherland. Our conversation ended but his ‘almost’ questioning the patriotism of immigrants made me think, is “Patriotic non-resident Indian” an oxymoron? Just like “Dancer Sunny Deol” or an “honest Indian politician”?

We go crazy cheering for India in Cricket, in-fact we become more Indian than the 1.25 billion resident Indians when we beat Pakistan. We become angry on hearing multi-billion dollars scams, and feel proud with ISRO’s successful launches. We feel sad when India performs poorly in sports on world stage (ex-Cricket) and hate how sometimes India is portrayed as a snake charmer country. We absolutely disgust communal violence.

We celebrate all the festivals with the same zest and passion as resident Indians. We organize Garba’s in football stadiums and basketball courts and play our hearts out during the weekends. We as a community take special permission from local authorities to celebrate Diwali with fire crackers. We have successfully exported the festival of colors - Holi to be part of the American culture (color runs). We build ‘Little India’ in foreign land to resurrect the feeling of our Galli’s. And yes, we do feel proud when an Indian is in a C suite, in our company J

We felt proud when Nina Davuluri won Miss America and became furious of the backlash that followed. We boast of the record that Indians have created in the US Spelling Bee - winning since last nine years. We might be naïve but we love to think that we are an expert on Indian Politics. Most of the weekend parties end with potential solutions for India’s corruption problems.

Lack of opportunity might be one of the reasons why some of us left the homeland, but it never meant that we are less patriotic towards India. Today we might be speaking with an accent, celebrate other festivals, sing different anthem but our love towards India has not changed. So call us NRIs, PIOs, or the most recent label, OCI - Overseas Citizens of India, we have one thing in common with resident Indians, we still shed a tear or two when we listen to “Sare Jahan Se Aacha…”

Happy 25th, Liberalization !!

2016-05-25T19:10:00.002-04:00

It was the summer of 1991 and before the Choli and the Chunari conquered the Indian cinemas, the Chumma, with Amitabh Bacchan (doing his pelvic thrusts) and Kimi Katkar (her seductive allure) was the craze of the nation - The nation that financially & economically was going through its toughest phase since independence. India was on a brink of default and there was a sudden need of bail out. Reserves were down to 30 days of import and government had started transferring part of its gold reserves as a guarantee to IMF. This dire state of affairs led to what we all know now as the Big Bang reform of India’s economy, by the then finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. (Back then he was actually walking his talk…yes, he was talking then!!)

This summer is the silver jubilee (25 years) of the Big Bang reform. The calamity of 1991 led to liberalizing reforms that ended decades of stagnation and allowed a spurt of fast growth. India has changed in ways unimaginable in the last 25-years and the momentum favored economic reformism. For those who have lived long enough under the oppressive license/permit/quota raj, it would be ludicrous to even compare the pre-1991 India. I just hope that we don’t wait for another catastrophe to trigger reformist policies. I like how Anand Mahendra puts it, India has been pregnant with potential since the Big bang reform, but we are still waiting for the potential to enter the real India.

The present Indian government won a historic mandate two years back. Expectations were very high and all of them might not have been converted into reality as yet, but it’s safe to say from what we have witnessed…Aache din are ‘almost’ here!!

If you want to learn more about what life was like before 1991, please visit IndiaBefore91.in

What you wish for...

2014-05-02T17:15:00.003-04:00

Its May 2^nd today, two weeks before the results are announced in India’s elections. People are excited, both the ones who have already exercised their right and the ones who are still waiting (voting goes on till May 12^th). ‘Excited’ might not do justice to describe what Indians are feeling. It’s not only the 100 million new voters who will be voting for the first time these elections. It’s Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first voter, it’s the daily wage earner, it’s the corporate honcho, it’s the recent graduate, it’s the housewife, and it’s the elders in the family. All are spirited.

On the other end of the planet, Brazil is getting ready for hosting the World cup of soccer next month. Not too long ago on October 30th 2007 FIFA officially confirmed that Brazil would host the 2014 event. Brazilians who are famous for partying got one more reason to drink and dance. The world famous Copacabana beach which was hosting the ‘watch party’ to witness FIFA’s decision live became the largest party venue. Brazilians were living there dream.

Well, it didn’t take long for the dream to become a nightmare. World cup is only a few weeks away and preparations are still going on. Stadium’s and hotels are behind schedule and protests are growing at the amount of public money spent. Public protest in Rio and Sao Paolo became a weekly thing. Army had to be called in many instance to control the violent protests in the favela’s (slums).

I am not comparing the two situations, but am trying to capture the public sentiment. I am just a little nervous with all the excitement and bullishness in people’s tones when they talk about elections. I understand stakes are high but…I guess it’s my wariness about very optimistic outlooks.

I guess we will find out soon.

In the meantime, I wish all the best to Brazilians for successfully hosting the world cup and then the Olympics. And to India, keep your hopes alive…Ummed par hi Duniya Kayam hai!!

The Great Election Tamasha

2014-03-20T12:05:00.000-04:00

In India, we celebrate Diwali, Uttarayan, Dussehra, Janmastmi, Navratri, Idd, New Year, Nowruz and a lot more but the ostentatious of them all is the General Election!!

That’s right; elections in India are nothing short of a huge, magnificent, dynamic celebration. Celebration of boosting the local economy by bringing out all the black money that was collected over the past election and spending on gathering people for rallies and late night parties. It’s a celebration of making a mockery out of a common man. It’s a celebration of a coming out party of a candidate with shady background into the main stream public life. Oh! And yes, it is also a celebration of Democracy…or whatever we have it these days.

In a developing democracy like India, different classes of people will have different expectations from their elected politicians (they are far from being a leader!!). The ‘haves’ will expect a leader who is willing to make deals. The ‘intellectuals’ will hope to have a leader who is a university graduate and who does everything ‘right’ and then there are ‘poor’s’ who make sure India remains democratic by coming in masses to vote and in turn our politicians make sure that they remain poor, so our grandeur history of being a democratic society continues.

Come April and 814,591,184* registered voters in India will celebrate democracy by going to the polling stations and voting. Or watching/reading about the exit polls and complaining about the outcomes. Each and every election cycle brings with it the ‘new crop of politicians’ who think about changing the system. Alas, they become the part of the same system by the next general election. General election, we are told, is the celebration of the power of people. But in India it has become the celebration of the power of politics!!

Although a true democracy fails to exist, religious and provincial issues continue to be used for political promotions and criminalization of politics has become the modus operandi, a Common man continues to believe that the upcoming elections will bring the Change they are hoping for.

…to the Hope!! to the Change!! to Democracy!!

*NYT op-ed – ‘Old Fantasies are distorted in Indian elections’. Mar 5^th, 2014

Baroda the Beautiful

2014-02-28T19:25:00.000-05:00

Flyovers and wide, flat streets have replaced the narrow pot holed filled roads of yesterday. Bare open spaces have been replaced by residential high-rises. The nightly groupings at paanwala’s have been shifted to Barista’s. An unorganized galli cricket has taken shape of an official league. School auto rickshaws have been replaced by vans. All night Garba’s are now restricted till midnight during Navratri.

Life or should I say time, has changed Baroda. But has it really?

The flyovers and broad boulevards have not stopped Barodians from going on the wrong direction instead of taking a long u turn!! Stray Cows and dogs still wander the streets and cause traffic jams. Even though there are long waits in Coffee shops, paanwalas’ also command the same popularity. Cricket, politics and movies are still the favorite topics of discussion. So what if roadside cricket is not as popular now a days, Sports academy’s and organized leagues are garnering the same level of interests. Cricket is still played with same passion. Rickshaws are not a common school vehicle now a days but just as in yester years, kids constant chattering is still responded by drivers bawling and more importantly there is always space for ‘one more kid’ in a packed school vehicle!! 12 am deadline during Navratri has failed to put a dent on Garba crazy Barodian’s enthusiasm.

When I walk at midnight on VIP road, crossing the new flyover, I can’t help but wonder if it is the time that has changed or is it our perspective? The city, as I see, has been the same since I left. Traffic rules are still broken, cricket experts and international relations gurus still gather at the roadside paanwala’s, school vehicles are still flooded with kids and their backbreaking backpacks, the famous roadside food vendors are still packed till late night with food junkies. Navratri is still the best time of the year.

Here’s to one of the best things that ever happened to me…I spent my school years in Baroda.

To the city that gave me more than I bargained for, it gave me an identity…Thank you!!

Adieu 2013

2013-12-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

And so one more year goes by…

Adieu to the year that gave us the hope in Anna Hazare’s Andolan, Arvind Kejriwal’s triumphant win in New Delhi elections, timeless moment of watching the cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar for one last time, actor Aamir Khan’s quest to bring social issues in front of TV audiences with Satyamev Jayate, Business friendly Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi became the opposition candidate for next general elections in India, Anil Kapoor showed his golden touch on TV with his Indian version of 24 (you guys knew it was coming!), President Obama’s legacy defining Obamacare came into effect, Dow Jones and S&P 500 touched record highs (nothing makes a Gujarati feel better than a sky high stock market J), Main street America witnessed the upturn in the economy, Edward Snowden’s pursuit of privacy, Peyton Manning broke the single season touchdown record, President Putin reinvigorated the cold war era antics by granting asylum to Mr. Snowden, the world stopped to welcome the newest English royalty George Alexander Louis, Greece and other EU outliers survived one more year with Euro, the rise of Tesla & Space X founder - Elon Musk, the release of iphone 5S & 5C, Samsung’s hastily release of Galaxy Gear Smart watch and a glimpse to the future of logistics with Amazon Prime Air.

A year that was filled with promises, a year full of opportunities, a year that achieved the impossible, a year that gave rise to the new ideas, a year that also witnessed broken pledges, missed goals, shattered hearts and botched projects.

Simply put, just as in all other years gone by, 2013 was a year filled with bliss top with sprinkle of woe!!

Happy New Year.

The last of Tendlya

2013-11-14T16:30:00.002-05:00

Many, many words have been written about the great Sachin Tendulkar, especially since he announced his retirement from International cricket. There is no more a naïve dude like me can add. But then there is always something to magnify!!

Just like Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar has always been a phenomenon for India and Indians. Both of them have achieved a legendary status which is above and beyond their cricket and box office records.

Coming back to Tendulkar, I feel that he was a true representative of India, both literally and emblematically. He was a young, immature but talented player when he first started in 1989, same as India- fledgling, capable but adolescent economy. Tendulkar was intimidated by his opposition. He was hit, he was bruised, he was hurt, he went down…but then he stood up and he scored and boy did he scored!! India of late 80’s was scared, non-confident, hassled by her neighbors and world community. India was badly hurt because of the political chaos and financial collapse, but then she also got back on her feet and challenged the status quo. Today Tendulkar is proved over and over again that he is once in a generation marvel. He achieved this thru all the adversities a player could face. Today’s India too has achieved what many believed to be impossible. From economic bedlam to economic miracle- India grew at almost a double digit rate for over a decade ridiculing the Hindu rate of growth. Today’s India has achieved the rightful place on the world stage.

Tomorrow might be the last time we see Tendulkar on the pitch before he walks into the sunset. But future of cricket is in good hands. And India? Well it’s all upon us (next general elections), do we want India to walk into the sunset or towards a new dawn.

Lets 'Hope' a little...

2013-08-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

Let’s celebrate India’s Independence Day, let’s cheer, let’s feel proud, let’s rejoice, let’s forget our Troubled Today and let’s Hope…

…that Tomorrow will be splendid than today, that Politicians will someday actually serve the nation, that Mr. Dhoni will win the world cup again and Sachin will be part of the team, that BSE Sensex will hit 30,000, that It rains enough to curtail summer heat, that There is no flooding during monsoon, that Antilia, the Ambani residence (more specifically, Mukesh Ambani) is open for visitors, that Urban nightlife is not restricted by the authorities, that All the terrorists in Kashmir are caught and Kashmir becomes an integral part of India, that Women roam the city streets any time of the day or night without any fear, that Naxalites and respective state governments sign a peace accord, that Rest of India knows the names of the North-eastern states, that China’s economic progress implodes because of domestic issues, that The Group of two, G2 comprises of US & India, that Wireless broadband services is offered all across India, that Pakistan becomes a responsible nation and starts long term peace conversation, that India’s hockey team wins the Olympic gold, that India’s soccer team makes it to the final round of the South Asian Federation games (competing with the likes of Maldives & Bhutan), that Shri Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister and Mr. Manmohan Singh the Finance minister, that the rights of the religious minorities are respected and they play a constructive role in our democracy, that Rahul Gandhi enrolls in an undergraduate program at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), that A six lane ring road is constructed circling the length and breadth of India (including the North-East), that Steven Spielberg directs a Hollywood blockbuster staring top Indian actors (Anil Kapoor, definitely being one of them!!), that Baba Ramdev’s weight loss medicine works and results are visible to others within a month, that All the politicians who are involved in corruption are sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, with financial penalties and their family members forbidden from participating in any democratic process, that there is an un-interrupted flow of electricity and clean water, that India at last emerges out of the Emerging market category and becomes a developed nation, that ‘the somebody’, ‘the nobody’, ‘the somewhere in between’, 'the common man', 'the lowest denominator of our social class'- the peasant and the poor, have equal say in our great democratic society. Amen.

Aristotle once said…Hope is the dream of a waking man. Well Mr. Aristotle, I am a dreamer, for when today is – 10% inflation; pitiful politicians; murdered soldiers; insecure women; unprotected school children’s, ‘Hope’ is the only light that guides me to a thriving tomorrow.

The Royal Bengal Tiger

2013-07-17T19:36:00.003-04:00

Since winning the ICC Champions trophy, media and social networks are abuzz with MS Dhoni’s lasting cricketing legacy. When it comes to the captain, who changed the face of the Indian cricket there is no doubt that MS Dhoni is at the top and his trophies prove that. India’s 2013 ICC Champions Trophy is the third ICC trophy earned by Dhoni after the 2011 World Cup and 2007 20-20 World cup. He is the only captain to have won all 3 major ICC titles. His glorifying triumph doesn’t stop there, he has also won a Champions League 20-20 and 2 IPL trophies thus consolidated himself as India’s most successful captain. Koi Shak (Any doubts!!)

But I think Sourav “the Royal Bengal Tiger” Ganguly shouldn’t be forgotten for his contribution. He was the one who planted the seeds of revolution in Indian cricket. He didn’t garner the silverwares but he did inject a sense of a self-confidence inside the team, a never say die-attitude, under him the team never gave up.

Late 90’s was described as Indian cricket’s darkest hour, the reason being the match fixing scandal involving prominent Indian cricketers and Sachin Tendulkar’s disastrous performance as captain. Enters Sourav Ganguly- He constructed Team India into a fighting unit- a force to reckon with. He created a passionate environment and a killer instinct to fight till the finish. A desire that today’s generation has taken to an entirely new level. He infused the previously lacking aggressiveness in the team.

In the classic Natwest series of 2003 Ganguly behaved in a way which was symbolic of a new mood in India. Until Ganguly, India was a great talking nation, but when he took off his shirt in the Lord’s balcony, cricketing world finally knew that India and Indians can walk the talk. Ganguly took over a side that was reeling under the cloud of the match-fixing controversy and turned it into a team that fought till the very last ball.

It might sound cliché but this was a man who by his action said I was an Indian and I am as good as anybody else. His actions were very liberating for Indian cricket fans. He made us all believers again. As his arch nemesis, Steven Waugh once famously said that he saw in Sourav a committed individual who wanted to inject some toughness and combativeness into a side that had often tended in the past to roll over and expose a soft underbelly.*

Since he belongs to the Tendulkar era, his statistical records might be diminished (and this goes for all the other great players during the T-era), but in terms of bringing change to the underlying values and attitude of a cricket team plagued by low self-esteem, he will perhaps be the greatest.

*www.scganguly.com