Reflections

Chhota Bheem...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:12:00 +0000

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3465216.ece?homepage=true

In the old days, especially in my early years, I would always look forward to Mickey and Donald, Tom n Jerry to lighten my mood. It was a fun occasion, a cartoon with no tension and just pure entertainment. The good thing about those 2 cartoons above were their culture neutrality, which made them easy favourites across cultures. In those days, the only Indian cartoons would be beginners stuff served by Doordarshan, which were liked more because they were a novelty than anything else! It was always a given that Indian Cartoons were no good...

Cut to today, and the scenario has changed quite remarkably. Chhota Bheem seems to have caught the imagination of the nation - at least the majority of kids. Even a good number of adults are getting enamored with the cartoon character of Chhota Bheem!. What was once deemed impossible has been converted into a reality thanks to Rajiv Chilaka (above). The show now has almost a cult following among the kids - it plays nearly all day long on Pogo channel. I know since nothing else is allowed at my home - IPL included. Had to fight my kid for TV time!

Personally, what I like the best about the series is the undercurrent of moral education and the gentle not-so-subtle emphasis on values, morals, right and wrong. This is something that is noticeably absent from western cartoons - Tom'n'Jerry, Mickey & Donald, Bugs Bunny et al. These were all about fun pranks etc. In fact, some of the pranks shown on a few of the episodes are quite frankly a bit too "wise" for my taste! In marked contrast, the Chhota Bheem series is not only fun, it adhers to Indian Values, emphasises right vs wrong. One cannot say with certainty that it builds character - (if cartoons could build character, then all kids would be saints by now!) - but at least it emphasises the right virtues in a manner that kids can relate to. That is the biggest achievement of the series. Every episode has a clear message - forgiveness or honesty etc. The kids learn a little from these episodes - which places the series head and shoulders above any and all animations that have been attempted. There has not been a single episode of the Chhota Bheem series in which I can find anything that is rough, or unacceptable or "wise-guy"ish. The adherence to the underlying values of the series is to be praised!

The other aspect is a no-brainer: the setting is Indian; which makes it relatively easy for us to relate to the cast and get involved in them. The looks, the settings are so close to home that we accept them almost naturally. The background is normally so well done and scenic, with lots of greenery etc being depicted that it adds to the overall beauty. Since the base is a village setting, it seems very natural and comfortable... Each episode has a clear story & message that goes beyond just pranks and fun. That lifts the entire series into a different level entirely! It is this double combination that makes it a cut above most others of its genre...

The movie version has also been deemed a success, which is very heartening. I have seen the movie, and liked it a lot- as did my family, who also enjoyed the experience. I had not expected much of a turnout for a cartoon, but was surprised by the attendance. Obviously, being in a new genre for Indian Cinema, it cannot be expected to run full house for weeks - but the encouraging response bodes well for the Indian Animation industry. The movie was a great one- I rate it beyond any other animation movie for the reasons outlined above - and we can only expect the team to get better from here onwards. The best part of it was the fact that it had a clearly defined storyline, great voice-acting, a message and superb animation. For those who have criticized it, I can only say that having watched most animations I found nothing that was present in them that was not present in Chhota Bheem. The background music was class, and gelled very well with the storyline. If any suggestion can be made, then it is only that I wish the director would make the next Chhota Bheem movie a bit longer, more involved, as we are left wanting for more. That apart, it was a perfect movie. Better than I have seen till date in its genre...

Only feed back for the Director: please dont change the voice-over actors for as long as is humanly possible - we identify the characters as much by their physical appearance as by the voices in a cartoon setting. That is absolutely vital! A definable message, a clear storyline, great voice-characterizations and a lovable cast of cartoon characters are what has made the series a tremendous success... let us hope that it continues to do so.

Crisis times bring an opportunity... esp for the government!

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 26 May 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Current Account Deficit nearly 4%... (or more than 4 now)
High Fiscal Deficit
High Inflation
Policy Paralysis...
Eurozone brouhaha

I could go on and on several real and imagined parameters... but the above should be good enough to underline that we are currently passing through rather tough times. The newspapers are, on a daily basis, full of doomsday predictions, blaming ruling alliance and so on and so forth! Policy paralysis has almost become the buzzword! And it is precisely these thoughts running through my mind - especially the tough times bit - that reminded me of an age-old idiom "Every black cloud has a silver lining".

I dont want - or intend - to sermonize; so let me get straight to the point: there is a clearly definable silver line that has now appeared for the ruling party. From the UPA-II point of view, the important points are:

Indian Economy in trouble
Public up in arms against just about every move the government makes
All time low confidence levels in government
World Economy teetering
Political equations in a fluid state
Mulayam Factor
BJP in disarray as well

It is an environment that is fraught with challenges, dangers for anyone in the seat. And that means, it will take a very brave person indeed to take the risk of sitting on the seat in such times - and run the inadvertant risk of sharing the blame...

The second point is the fluidity in the overall political scenario and the Mulayam factor, which gives a bit of breathing space for the UPA government. The 3rd factor is the problems in the opposition. Put all these together, and the result is a very high degree of certainty that UPA-II might just last the full term. And that brings me to the silver lining!

The silver lining in quite simply the freedom it can afford the powers that be to take some badly needed structural corrections in the systems - as no one is in a situation to take advantage of it. Secondly, even if the opposition sort their house, the chances are very high indeed that they will let UPA-II handle this mess, and wait for 2014! That being the case, the reforms - if they are pushed through - can just turn things around. They have just taken one courageous decision in petrol - they can do more, if only they show the will and the attitude. They have been placed in a unique position - one which affords them the leeway to take tough calls. Yes, it is a 2-edged sword, no doubt, the risk is there that some partner might jerk the rug - but the opportunity is there. and the chances are the allies will scream and shout, but actually do nothing. I agree that Petrol is perhaps the simplest of the decisions to take, as vested interests are not stoked - or identified party positions are not challenged; vote banks are not threatened too much. So everyone makes a hue and cry, but does nothing!

The other steps might not be so simple... but the UPA-II is now undeniably in a position to take some calls... now if only it does do precisely that!

Is it a crime to be honest?

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 20 May 2012 04:50:00 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyendra_Dubey

This post is in memory of all those who have paid the highest penalty in the fight against corruption...

This case was highlighted by CRIME PATROL DASTAK on May 19th, 2012

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crime-Patrol-Dastak/201028023297060

"Satyendra Kumar Dubey could have chosen to keep quiet, like the majority of young professionals of this country. He could have continued doing his job as a deputy general manager in the Centre’s National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and shut his eyes to the variegated ways in which a prestigious project - Instead Dubey opted to do the right thing by alerting the PMO to these developments because he believed the project was of “unparalleled importance to the nation”. He paid with his life for having done so” - Indian Express "

Most of us would have chosen to keep quiet in similar circumstances - and that is what makes the courage of people like Mr Dubey awe-inspriring, and exemplary. Yes, his murder did spark countrywide - and even international protest. But why must it always be so? Why must we, the people of India, be reactive rather than proactive?

In his complaint addressed to the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in confidence, Satyendra Dubey, an IIT Kanpur product working as an engineer in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), pointed out instances of corruption in the project. He also requested anonymity, that his name not be revealed. In complete disregard to the safety of this principled man, the government revealed his name, with the result that he ultimately paid for his life. He could have kept silent, but he didnt. He was a qualified - a highly qualified engineer, a BTech - MTech from the IIT. He could have opted for a cushy corporate life, which he spurned. Instead, he opted to serve the nation - and paid for his life!

There are any number of cases of whisteblowers being victimised - and even killed. This is basic common sense - how can you reveal the name? Are our politicians concerned with the interest of the whistleblower - and by extension - the interest of the nation? Or are they concerned with self-preservation? In this prevailing atmosphere, little wonder then that people do not speak out in any sphere of life, government or private. We are emasculating our own population! We are teaching them that silence is golden even in the face of oppression! Brilliant, great thinking!

And we, the people, are silent.

We have always remained silent - until we scream after the event - this screaming lasts for a few days...

And Then, We The People, Fall Silent Yet Again.

Is it a crime to be honest? There are any number of cases of honest people paying for doing their duty. Why should it be so? What is the lesson that we are giving our children? What kind of India are we bequeathing to our children? What example are we setting our children?

Corruption is the single largest drain on our resources - and not just in terms of monetary and/or capital resources. We are losing our top people- either to the system (as they get converted to the style of functioning), or to other countries - or even to the jaws of death. In either case, it is a loss to the nation... an irreparable loss....

Jago Sonewaalon...

Book Review: The Devotion of Suspect X

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:31:00 +0000

The Devotion of Suspect X by Heigo Hashimo - Translation by Alexander G smith with Elye Alexander

The Characters

1. Yasuko Hanaoka - A divorcee, mother of a teenaged daughter - hard working lady whose entire life is about bringing up the daughter; simple, honest and decent

2. Misato - The daughter; active, simple and tough

3. Ishigami - Highly qualified mathematician; an idealist who loves the purity of the subject; a man to whom life has been extraordinarily tough; a sensitive, intelligent, devoted and totally selfless man...

4. Yukawa - Ex-classmate of Ishigami; equally gifted; assistant professor at a top university and advisor / friend to the police officer Kusanagi

5. Kusanagi - Police officer; doughty; methodic; logical bent of mind; a man who just doesn't give up...

6. Togashi - Ex-husband of Yasuko; wily, rough, uncouth, untrustworthy

The Plot

The story starts in a very slow tempo - so slow, that you wonder how did this book ever garner the fame that it has managed to? At about the 3rd or 4th page, you begin to want to skip words and move on. This lasts all of 8 pages or so... thereafter the book increases its pace - till about the 15-20th page -when it simply explodes into uncharted territory. Hereafter, you forget everything about skipping pages and are glued to the story...for here it becomes a "murder" story in which the victim gets murdered in first chapter; the murderer is known to the reader - and nothing is hidden from the reader!

This unique concept then develops into a battle of wits between the police and the planners... because the evidence is irreconcilable with the physical facts. The evidence is so convoluted that it does not fit any theory; the cover-up by the hapless murderer and the accomplice is so complex in nature that no one is able to crack through the subterfuge. The beauty of the plot is in the fact that you - the reader knows exactly how the murder is committed; you are aware that the body has been disposed off; you are equally aware that every bit of evidence found is fabricated; you are aware that the fabricator of the evidence is extraordinarily intelligent as also aware of police methods, technology and tactics; and yet you (the reader) are up against the inexplicable approach that leaves the police totally confounded; you yourself get confounded since you are unable to explain the evidence despite knowing almost everything that has transpired. Saying anymore will spoil the fun, so read the book to find out more

The Analysis

An eminently readable, unputdownable book that maintains superb speed from about the 10th page till the last page. It is the first book since the Perry Mason series that I have unable to put down after starting it. The pace is relentless; the plot is confounding with several superb and totally unexpected twists towards the end of the book. The story does not resort to the usual tactics of whodunit writers - police chases; constant investigations and interrogations; hunting new evidence; running around from pillar to post etc etc - and yet, it maintains both pace and interest. Instead, the approach used is intense, with frequent indicators and allusions that pique your interest. At every turn, the inexplicability of the evidence is highlighted in sequentially greater detail... I regret not being able to say more, since that will spoil your fun!

The story is intense, as is the translation which is also intense. The translation deserves a special mention - it is rare to find a translation which is so good; having said that I regret deeply my inability to read Japanese script- I would love to read the original. If the translation is so intense, then the real thing must be doubly so. All in all, an excellent book... 5 stars in my opinion

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

NCTC Meet: A Sad Day For Our Beloved India...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:10:00 +0000

1. Chidambaram's speech: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-text-chidambarams-speech-at-nctc-meeting/254998-37-64.html
2. Manmohan Singh: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-text-pms-speech-at-nctc-meeting/254993-37-64.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NCTC-row-Centre-behaving-as-viceroys-of-yore-says-Narendra-Modi/articleshow/13008513.cms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/NCTC-rift-wide-open-Centre-fails-to-woo-dissenting-CMs/Article1-851146.aspx

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/meeting-of-cms-union-of-states-not-state-vs-union/1/184933.html

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/big-brother-uses-his-ineptitude-to-get-bigger/1/179418.html

Why are we thinking of states and a federal setup? Cant any of the geniuses in politics see that terrorism is an external threat? And what is the next step? Localisation of the Army: A seperate Army in UP, Bihar etc etc?

What is most ludicrous that every single non-congress state is shouting without suggesting any credible alternative. Not one person in that list has added anything worthwhile to combat this problem... while the common man continues to suffer. Little wonder then that an increasing number of people are shunning politicians! Shouting is easy, folks... how about some concrete suggestions instead? At least the center has done some brainwork,. while the states are squealing without giving a solution. Fine - NCTC is bad. Then give a solution instead of screaming! This is leading me- and others like me, no doubt- to suspect that this is nothing but mere political posturing.

First of all, let us get one thing straight: The constitution refers to India as a Union of States, NOT a Federation. There is a considerable difference between the two.
Dont Believe Me? Read it in the constitution:
http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/Const.Pock%202Pg.Rom8Fsss(16).pdf
http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/Const.Pock%202Pg.Rom8Fsss(35).pdf

From the states list: "Public order (but not including the use of any naval, military or air force or any other armed force of the Union or of any other force subject to the control of the Union or of any contingent or unit thereof in aid of the civil power)"

First. the Army has been quite regularly called into action against terrorism. Second, we are not a federation. Third, common sense tells us that terrorism has to be a central issue. So why this ruckus?

History tells us that whenever the center is weak.....

Pains me to say this, but there it is!

Book Review: Kargil - From Surprise To Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:10:00 +0000

A definitive account of the Kargil War by the then Chief Of Army Staff General V. P. Malik...

The Indian Army (or rather, The Armed Forces) occupies a special place in India... and this, in my opinion, is unique to our India. The Armed Forces are considered special, inviolate, upright, decent, relatively corruption free - in fact, the last bastion against corruption. Anything that involves the Armed Forces immediately captures the national attention - especially news relating to unsavory happenings, be it war preparedness, military corruption, ex-soldiers etc. The incident of the anonymous leakage of the Army Chief's letter is still fresh in the public memory... which is why this book in particular holds special relevance in the current context.

I am not implicating that the Kargil War is not of central importance - it is, and always will be - but more of that later. The book is not just about the Kargil War - it has a very vast scope. It is an analysis of how the intrusion by Pakistan happened, how it was planned, what were the Pakistani compulsions and strategic objectives behind the plan, the historical perspective of Siachen and its relevance to Kargil & roles of various military and political personnel in Pakistan in the planning and execution. The book details failures on the Indian side- Army, Intelligence, Political, Bureaucratic, Procurement and Planning failures - why were we not able to detect the intrusions. Thereafter, the book describes the war and its implications in terms of strategic and military challenges, improvements, implications for Indo-Pakistani Dialogue & implications of South East Asian security. It examines the Nuclear question in some detail and looks at both sides of the coin.

The author is pretty much brutal, contemptuous and merciless on the bureaucratic and political class when it comes to defence planning and procurement. The disgust is apparent, and the Chief has made no bones about deficiencies as they existed in the Army. No only that, he has also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress on a number of fronts of cooperation with the civilian authorities. "Besides lack of funds, our procedures are unresponsive, cost escalatory, frustrating and demoralizing." "March 1999: Major acquisitions get stymied, a feeling of cynicism is creeping in, the prevailing situation is that nothing much can be done about the existing hollowness in the Army""23 June 1999: We shall fight with whatever we have" The total lack of awareness (as it existed at that point in time) among civilian officials in the Ministry of Defence has been brutally exposed - "The Army does not fight on rifles alone" - in response to a MoD question as to requirement of weapons, noting the thousands of rifles!!!!!!!!!!!

While the prompt political reaction (as can be seen today as well) has been noted, appreciated and highlighted by the General - who seems to be a fair man -the question remains as to the role of the Ministry of Defence officials in procurement. The plain fact is that they are simply not prepared for, have no idea of and no knowledge of a defence setup and its genuine needs. The current problem that the Army is facing is not a new one - it is a very old one! A telling comment by the author: "From then onwards, I found them -Cabinet Committee On Security CCS - and the secretaties of various ministries spending more and more time discussing elections rather than the War Situation" All in all, a blunt, brutal and merciless account that spares no one - Army or otherwise. Yes, where praise is due it has been effusively given -even on MoD or political leadership. But faults - whether systemic or otherwise - have also been equally harshly dealt with .And a no holds-barred approach is precisely what an Indian expects from an Army Chief!

The best part about the book is its transparent approach and blunt statements of facts - even where the Indian side is wrong, The author, in true Indian Military fashion, has not minced words in criticizing anyone- Army or otherwise. Similarly, he has been profuse in terms of praise. It is this balanced, transparent and fair approach - one that gels well with the average Indians' perception of an Officer - that is the hallmark of this book. The book examines Indian shortcomings with brutal frankness. In the same sequence, the author deftly changes the tenor of the prose to detail how the shortcomings were catered to and overcome. The compromises and decisions made as to men, weapons and ammunition; the adjustments made and the decisions taken are so well laid out that the layman reader appreciates both, the problems as well as the decisions taken. The prose almost gives you a ringside seat as decisions are taken - all in a few short pages.

The section on the Armed Forces failures in monitoring has been equally bluntly written, and the decisions taken have also been laid out alongwith relevant reasoning. There is a bit of defensiveness that is detectable, but that is justified in the overall scenario as it plays out. The General has been merciless on everyone in this part, with no one being spared - all in a very few selected words. Similarly, intelligence failures have also been pointed out mercilessly. The General has taken pains to point out that there was no actionable information given at any point of time by anyone to the Armed Forces.

The part on the War.... no comments. Read it for yourself. I can only say one thing, the entire War has been strategically explained with adequate references and maps, reasons of strategic importance of various features, tactics employed and units participating. For those of us for whom Kargil was only about 4-5 Battalions picturised in the movie "LOC Kargil" this part will be a revelation. Further, the narrative is taught and well formed, and does not slacken at any point. The entire war has been covered in majestic detail in about 100 - 120 pages (one third of the book). You can see the situation unfurling right in front of your eyes, which enables a deep understanding of the entire sad episode. You are left breathless with the descriptions of bravery, at times with a lump in your throat...

The second great part of the book is the part covering the diplomatic maneuvers undertaken by various nations culminating in the Pakistani withdrawal, and the reactions of Pakistani Illuminati - both civilian as well as ex-military. The reader gets a ringside seat as the story plays out - you realise that you are getting an inside view of the momentous episode. The China chapter is a classic as it dissects China, its reactions and reasons in detail, enabling a fundamental understanding of the China angle. The Nuclear angle -the threat that Pakistan was preparing its Nuclear arsenal - has also been covered, as also the deterrence factor of the Bomb. This finds space throughout the book, and is a central theme, although covered in a very few short pages. Of interest is the section regarding the Indian Army and Political reaction to the Pakistani Sabre-rattling.

The book concludes with an examination of the India-Pakistan relationship after Kargil. The Agra episode has been well covered, and you have to appreciate the General's far-sightedness as he notes before the Agra Summit "we could expect him to be courteous, apparently honest, and like all of them, good in the art of military and political deception. However, Pakistan's military and Political history tells us that Military Presidents tend to be politically shortsighted" "Would his own mindset, his militray colleagues and jihadi elements allow him flexibility on the J&K issue?"

"There is no alternative to a gradual incremental peace process though political, economic and military confidence building" These are the words of a General of the Army! What more can anyone say? It is only one para in the book, but the closing makes a powerful pitch for peace, and states that building economic bridges will go a long way towards negating the possibility of another confrontation alongwith the normal dialogue... However, in the same tone, the essentiality of dismantling the terror mechanism has also been made...

Samsung Galaxy SIII

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:18:00 +0000

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0152fedc-953a-11e1-8faf-00144feab49a.html#axzz1tntBldji

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9300_galaxy_s_iii-4238.php

Android 4.0
Default User Interface - Custom Skin By Samsung
4.8-inch touchscreen with an HD Super Amoled display at 1280 x 720 pixels
8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a zero-lag shutter speed to provide instant image-capturing. There's also a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
Voice Command Feature S Voice
Eye Movement Tracking
2100mAH battery
16GB internal, 1GB RAM
1.4 GHz Quad Core Chip
Samsung has announced that every user of Galaxy SIII smartphone will get free 50GB cloud storage from Dropbox
Samsung Galaxy SIII is expected to launch in India in June at a price tag of Rs 38,000 approximately.

Turn off an alarm with a voice command.... phone that tracks eye movement while you are reading ebook etc - and adjusts screen brightness when you fall asleep... 2100mAH.... Quad Core... 8 MP Camera....

Wow!

Are our Political Parties listening to us?

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:32:00 +0000

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/your-choice-for-next-president/nextpresidentresult/12951189.cms?prev=2

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Presidential-race-yet-to-begin-all-eyes-on-Cong-s-first-move/Article1-849774.aspx

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pranab-Mukherjee-or-Hamid-Ansari-set-to-be-President/articleshow/12971941.cms

Are our political leaders listening to us? A survey by a national daily (the first link above) shows the following preferences by the internet audiences as president of India: (Figures as of 06:40 am IST 3rd May)

1) Sam Pitroda - 39%

2) APJ Abdul Kalam - 35%

3) NR Narayan Murthy - 16%

4) Pranab Mukherjee - 9%

5) Hamid Ansari - 1%

Admittedly, this survey cannot be said to be a representative survey as it is a random survey of the internet population. Further, demographic checking of respondents is not done, so we have no idea as to the composition of the resultant sample. Even so, one critical factor that is evident here is that the top-3 choices are all non-political, with political names not finding even a 10% choice among the population. Based on the morning updates, it is quite evident that neither the ruling alliance nor the opposition wants a non-political person- despite the choice of the people being so clearly tilted towards an apolitical person.

First, A simple persusal of the data shows that 90% of the respondents are not in favour of a political appointee. This heavy percentage leads to a simple conclusion: when a representative sample is taken, the net result is still likely to be a majority in favour of an apolitical person. There cannot be a completely opposite view taken by the non-internet-connected people of India. This simple truth can also be checked by the extremely simple expedient of talking to people around you!

Second, the nature of the internet population comprise Professionals, Businessmen, Salaried Individuals, Housewifes, Students and Surfers at common access points like digital libraries, cyber cafes, colleges, offices etc. From this setup, we can readily see that the list represents most of the educated strata of society. The point is that these figures tell a story - a story of disenchantment with the political rulers. While this may be evident to all of us, what is most worrisome - or should be most worrisome for the political parties - is the extent of the disenchantment. Furthermore, if these figures are verified by a survey that accounts for all strata, I do not think that the figures will be too different!

I wish some business or current affairs publication does a nation-wide survey on this parameter: presidential candidate. That would put some serious pressure on the political class! While the president is determined by the political class only, the choice of the people should not be ignored by the parties - which is exactly what seems to be happening on any number of issues nowadays. That is why I rate this survey as highly pertinent - for the first time, I have seen a quantified data on the disenchantment among the people of India!

Is anyone in the political class listening? Yes, I think so - judging from the fact that it was a politician that first floated the name of Dr Kalam. The winds of change seem to have started flowing. Now all that is needed is an increase in the velocity of the wind! So maybe there is still hope... this is the first indication I have seen of change, serious change in the powers that be. Maybe I am hoping for too much; maybe I am getting carried away in enthusiasm; maybe I am just plain wrong.... But I hope not... for India' sake!

Book Review: The Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:11:00 +0000

"It was a killer sales pitch - it fooled borrowers into thinking they would actually save money if they paid higher rates. The loan officers called it The Monster...

Michael W Hudson is a staff writer at the Center for Public Integrity, and has also written for the Wall Street Journal. The subject of the book is a true expose of the Subprime Causes - told in breathtaking forceful detail, told at the street level, with customer names, sales managers' names, companies strategies. That is perhaps biggest punch of this book - almost every chapter has interleaved stories of real people, and how they were taken in by the unethical sales practices they were exposed to...The book deals extensively with customer stories, vividly told in painstaking detail, stories that highlight how unsuspecting and trusting customers were taken in by the unethical and sometime downright illegal practices that were adopted by the staff of the companies. That approach elevates the book from one that is a study of why the crisis occurred; instead the book becomes one that offers a human side to the story, and enables the reader to remain connected with the ground realities. This refreshing approach also offers relief from the constant investigations, strategems, growth and fall of the subprime lenders which form the meat of the book.

For that is precisely the main theme of the book: The rise, sustenance and fall of the subprime lenders. Here you will understand in detail specifically what a subprime loan is, who is a subprime customer and did this industry bring about the downfall of the world markets. The story starts with the Saving and Loan industry in the USA, and focusses on Ameriquest Mortgage and its rise and fall... as you can see in the ads given in its heydeys, the settlement it had to offer customers after the crash and the LA Times article - links below (Links provided so that Indian readers, who might never have heard of Ameriquest, can get a feel of the company in the ads, the wikipedia article, the settlement website and the LA Times article; also, on seeing the ads the story becomes less bookish as you establish a connection with the central company of the book)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzzMir7zbN4

http://www.ameriquestmultistatesettlement.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameriquest_Mortgage

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/27/business/la-fi-ameriquest27-2010jan27

The story evolves, and explains how wall street was taken in, how Lehman Brothers got involved, and the subsequent crash of Lehman Brothers that brought down the Wall Markets. While it also covers the other companies involved in the Suprime Mortgage Industry that was the cause of the crisis, these two companies are the ones that that form the focus of the book. The book also interviews ex-employees of various companies - who explain in vivid painstaking detail the tactics used in selling, the falsification of documents, the pressure sales pitches, the fleecing of customers by salespeople who knew that they were doing the customer a huge disservice. The candid admission of salespersons that they did it to keep their jobs, or to grow, or since everyone was doing it; the near-brutal atmosphere of the sales offices, the pressures under which they operated will enable even the most uninformed of readers to understand the scenario.

But most of all, the simple approach used to cover securitsation, its basics and its impact has been very nicely put together; the reader gets a complete picture in his/her mind of exactly how the various forces played out. And when read before (or after, for that matter) Fault Lines, enables a deep understanding of the crisis. But even on its own, the book will enable a fundamental clarity of exactly what transpired to bring about the crash of the markets - and that is its biggest take-away from a business or economic perspective.

The slow buildup of lawsuits against predatory lending, the official investigations; how they were stalled by government, or by big business; the painstakingly slow progress and the frustrations of the investigators and the lawyers; the settlements that served to embolden the companies; and the final collapse have been covered in painstaking detail - here you will find the meat of the book as the author slowly but surely builds up the questions in your mind bit-by-bit. The various compromises made, the mistakes and the plaudits find equal mention... But at the end, the one point, the one single question that sticks out is that brutal fact that the small guy ultimately lost... the big guys moved on, they had limited personal liability as per the law. But the small guy had no recourse - or limited recourse at the most. This is the most powerful question that pops up in your mind.

The book maintains a good pace, with its approach of interleaving human interest stories, corporate moves and investigations - which makes it an enthralling read from start to finish. It also raises questions in your mind: whatever happened to ethics and morality? How can one explain away the falsification of any document for the closure of a sale on a wholesale scale? How did it become a rampant practice to falsify even income documents? How is it that a non-productive asset like land became the center of investment? How far did the diligence processes of various companies fall that they were unable to detect the same? Conversely, in cases where the practice was known to the top guys - whatever happened to plain old common business sense? What is it about Fear and Greed that make them overpowering emotions?

Fear and Greed... the only 2 answers to whatever happened. Fear of a loss of a job made people cooperate; the inability the see the damage to the public as something unacceptable and amoral completed the circle in the salespersons mind. And Greed... well, that term is self-explanatory! Greed, over-reaching ambition, and an attendant lack of morals made for a deadly combination. And this occurs in an atmosphere with macro factors like governmental and societal focus on affordable housing for all....

Book Review: Fault Lines by Raghuram G Rajan

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Raghuram G Rajan is the only economist who had predicted the global crash of 2007 - the subprime crisis - before it happened; At an event where the focus was on Alan Greenspan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Greenspan) Mr Rajan forecasted the crash - and was roundly criticized for this. In his paper "Has Financial Development Made The World Riskier?" the author pointed out skewed incentives in the financial sector, credit default swaps, and the increasing risk profile of banks and warned that the "interbank market could freeze up, and we could well have a full-blown financial crisis"

(Readers' can find any number of blogs and articles that analyse the contents of this book - all of them by qualified economists. I am not one; so my approach is to summarise the achievements of the author; the achievements garnered by the book; and lastly to give readers like me- sales / marketing professionals, students a reason to read the book with the objective of stoking interest in a book I regard as one of the most well-reasoned books I have ever read. One word of caution: if you are totally unaware of the subprime crisis, it would be better if you read The Monster - Michael W Hudson before this book)

Raghuram Rajan is the Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Dr. Rajan is also currently an economic advisor to the Prime Minister of India. Prior to resuming teaching in 2007, Dr. Rajan was the Economic Counselor and Director of Research (in plain English, the Chief Economist) at the International Monetary Fund (from 2003). Since then, he has chaired the Indian government’s Committee on Financial Sector Reforms, which submitted its report in September 2008.

(Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and the Charles M. Harper Faculty Fellow)

Winner of the 2010 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award
Gold Medal Winner of the 2011 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Finance/Investment/Economics category
Winner of the 2010 PROSE Award for Excellence in Economics, American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence
Gold Medal Winner of the 2010 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards in the Business & Economics Category
Finalist for the 2010 TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award
Named one of the 2010 Best Business Books of the Year, strategy+business magazine
Best Crisis Book by an Economist and Named one of the 2010 Top Thirty Business Books of the Year, Bloomberg News (bloomberg.com/news)
Named as one of the 2010 Books of the Year in Nonfiction Round-Up in the Business & Economics list, Financial Times (FT.com)
Finalist of the 2010 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Business and Economics Category
Finalist, 2011 Estoril Global Issues Distinguished Book Prize

It is common to blame the big businesses for any and every financial crisis that takes place; whenever you go through one, the blame always goes to the big corporation - as if this corporation is a living entity who can think and act on its own. Second, there is always an undercurrent of suspicion that things were deliberately done... that every player was out to make a killing at any cost

And this is the attitude that this book seeks to change, it attempts to give the reader a wider perspective of the worldwide economic scenario and the forces that led to the meltdown without absolving anyone of any blame. It is not an attempt to protect any player; nor is the book overly critical or full of praise for any single person or entity. These value judgements have been left to the reader: it is merely an objective analysis of various forces that interacted as well as the several positions that were taken by the participants, It is this objective approach that, to my mind, makes this book such a praiseworthy book. It must have been tempting to do a post-mortem so to speak; instead the author has wisely chosen to analyse the situation dispassionately - and in the process give the readers an indepth perspective of the scenario

The author has highlighted how unbridled credit expansion; focus on affordable housing by the US government; global export-import imbalances; the lack of a safety net in terms of unemployment and social-health benefits; the pitfalls of foreign financing as opposed to internal savings and the various government responses like monetary stimulus etc interacted to create a full-blown crisis. What is most pertinent is that the book highlights how individual decisions taken with the right intentions all were rational responses to the situations as they lay at that point in time; how the presence of some deeper systemic problems led to the scenario. The part on FIs and their incentives dwells on how the inbuilt reward and incentive structures in firms lead a person to taking greater and greater risk - till it reaches a point of no-return.

The book enables a person to get a clear picture of how unchecked risk-taking by organisations combined with a lack of safety nets for people and skewness in the reward structures interacted in a macroeconomic atmosphere where the government of the USA was focusing on housing for all. The presence of easy credit generated the liquidity which put buying power in the hands of citizens - and export surpluses completed the picture, linking the global economy to what was essentially a local matter! The fear of loss of a job combined with the incentives for success to make higher risk-taking acceptable to people, affecting their decisions. The propensity of people to cut corners is universal, and rather than berate anyone on this essentially human habit, the book has chosen to look at systemic flaws. With unchecked risk in an atmosphere where success carries tremendous rewards, the higher risk - higher reward finance fundamental meant that people increasingly took on higher and higher risk... the last straw was the belief of everyone in the system that the government would act as a bullwark in case of a major issue.

The book is a must read for everyone and anyone in business, as it analyses rational responses and systemic flaws, and stays away form a witch hunt. It gives you a good understanding of international business, as well as the underlying forces and takes your mind to the big picture, teaching you to look at any situation from afar. However, I would recommend that readers' like me also read The Monster, which goes deeper into the specifics of this particular issue which will give you a clear idea as to what Mr Rajan is talking about. That will enable a fuller understanding of the specifics of the international situation.

Retail : Online vs traditional

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:37:00 +0000

Category: Books

I received my first online shipment yesterday - a book titled "The Monster" by Michael W Hudson. Score one for online model, you would think? Not quite - I spotted the book in a bookstore, but purchased online for a price advantage. Therefore, the flipkart site could not have realised this sale without the support of the brick-and-mortar shop. It is the regular shop that sold the book to me by virtue of its display and the facility it provides for leafing through the pages. Without this, chances are I would not have purchased this book at all!

Further, I had occasion to visit crossroads book store, where I spotted 3 lovely books - The Scam, The 2G Spectrum Scam and Building Brand India. In the first 2 titles, I get a 10-20% saving over the traditional model. In fact, on browsing a little more, I noticed price-offs upto 35% in quite a large number of titles. If you look at this transaction, yet again the initial sale has been created by the traditional model - and it is the price factor that is pulling me to the online model. The third book was not available - not just on flipkart - but anywhere on the net. At least, I did not see it. In this third example, yet again we can see that the traditional model holds relevance in the modern context.

If we analyse the above transations, we can spot some commonalities:

The traditional model offers a superior customer interface as you can touch and feel the product. In the book category, this means you can leaf through its pages to help you in your purchase decision. This can be quite easily overcome in the online context by snapshots or teasers or chapter-one pdfs in the online store
The traditional model also enables product discovery more easily. I mean that you can spot a book far more easily in the store- or any other product category for that matter. This is a value addition that the brick-and-mortar model provides that cannot be easily matched. Further, this has nothing whatever to do with familiarity of computer and/or internet usage, seeing as I have been working on computers for 20 years now. You can only find a product on the internet that you know exists - this is an issue with the nature of the customer interface
Online sites can pass on cheaper prices to customers simply because companies save on costs when they tie up with online retailers. That translates into customer discounts
This will, of course be category specific. In categories which offer other interfaces with the customers - durables, for example- where you can contact customers through advertising and build a brand recall and image, the dynamics involved are bound to be very different. Other parameters will also matter- the more distributed the market / wider product choices and lines etc - all this will alter the business model

The point is that you will need both models in the large majority of consumer products. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages - you simply cannot afford to ignore either model in your go-to-market strategy. In order to garner consumer eyeballs, build brand-specific choice you will perforce have to have a physical distribution model, since the customer interface is far superior in the physical model. Not only that, there is only so much you can display on a computer screen - whereas in a store, you can literally have thousands of products on display. Furthermore, there are five senses in operation in a physical store- hence, the cues or stimuli to the brain are much greater and stronger. You pick a book in your hand - and you will recall its name and title even after a day - whereas if you see it online you cannot recall it quite so easily. This might be due to the operation of a variety of cues and stimuli to memory. There is also the addional problem of attracting the customer- in a physical setting you can use packaging innovations, POPs etc to garner eyeballs - which same will be conspicuous by their absence in the online model. And if you fail to garner eyeballs - you will lose out on sales. Physical distribution is not just about generating sales - properly managed, it becomes a vital cog in your strategy. It is a tool for advertising, building brand-specific choice, aiding product discovery, reaching as many consumers as you can. It is a powerful interface that cannot be ignored.

The above does not mean that you ignore the online model. It is a business reality, and you can ignore it only at your own peril. First off. there is already a niche market of consumers who prefer the online model over the traditional one for the convenience it offers- no wasting time going to the mall or the shopping bazaar. In product categories where you build brand choice through other means like advertising - there is already a niche market driven more by value addition & convenience of the new format (as opposed to price driven sales)- as evidenced by the successes of Yebhi, Flipkart and the likes. Next, there is the price differential that consumers gain.

Which brings me to the crucial point: what has the physical book-store gained by displaying the book in his store for me? Nothing! Today, this will not matter to him simply because online sales are in their infancy. But once sales of online stores begin threatening absolute volumes at the traditional models, this is an issue that will need looking into. Perhaps, at that point in time, the publishing houses will most likely stop discounting policies in the online stores. Please note that I say absolute volumes - so long as the new interface is mopping up incremental sales, nothing needs to be done. But once absolute profits start declining at the traditional outlets- the pressure on the system will increase. And the decline does not have to be 40% - even a 10% fall will suffice to bring things to a boil!

It is a most interesting battle that is unfolding here...

The Experience of a Bandh (Strike)

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:15:00 +0000

April 9th to April 11th... 3 days without milk, kirana... 1 day even without medicines.

For 3 days, not a single shop (not of any relevance, at any rate) opened. Only irrelevant immaterial shops opened - apparel etc. That taught me a lesson - if food is not available, then nothing else matters! Seriously, it did cause me to pause and wonder - all the shops that were open with all their customary splendor were not able to attract me, as my eyes searched for the elusive samosa...

Samosa to chhodo, even a cut chai or a paani-puri would have done admirably well. I was 17 kilometers from my residence - and not a single thhelaa gaadi in sight anywhere, let alone shops. And believe me guys, for those 3 days there was not a single thhelaa gaadi on the roads vending samosa-pohaa-chai etc. Most disconcerting, let me tell you. My mind went to the bachelors and students who are dependent on these thhelaas and bhojanalyas for their sustenance... and, with even More, Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh being closed, even the pack of noodles was not available for them. They must have had a tough 3 days...

I do not recall seeing such a stupendously successful strike ever in my life. 100% attendance (if you can call it attendance). Compliance, more like. But it brought the city to a complete standstill for 3 whole days. Only good thing to come out of it was it gave the people normally involved in serving us a 3-days holiday. Unpaid holiday - but still a holiday. Hope they had a good time- we sure didn't, I can assure you. Another good thing was it allowed some nice, decent, upright, law-abiding, caring, soft, gentle "gentlemen" a chance to make some profit. Tons of it, if rumors are to be believed. You don't get a chance to see milk @ 50 a litre every day, after all. And those poor destitute people, why should they be satisfied with only piffling profits if they can earn 20+ a litre? Sach hai. Common Sense. Money is meant to be kept in rotation - ask any distributor, he /she will readily confirm that more rotations mean more money. So, in effect, these profiteers were doing The Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic of India a very great benefit - they were keeping money in rotation. Since they were the only ones trading on those 3 days, they quite logically had to up the prices so that the total money in circulation did not reduce. Besides, they also kept the banks busy!

All the decency, behavioural norms etc were forgotten even by normal residents as we rushed to the milk shops to stock up on the commodity. There was a 6-deep line. (Thinking only 6? Think again. Six in one line, at least 10-15 lines in a shop with an 8-foot front). Every decency was forgotten, every courtesy ignored as everyone scrambled to get milk. You could have dropped a pot of pure 24-carat gold with complete assurance that it would still be there an hour later - no one would have cared to even look at the aforesaid Gold. You cant eat or drink gold, my friend. All anyone cared about was getting milk for I-me-myself - just like those images on television in war ravaged areas, with hungry people besieging a food vehicle. Seriously, everyone should go through one such experience! People with a normal consumption of 3 litres in 3 days were asking for 5 litres and more... it was like pandemonium

Eh? What's That you said? Ethics? Morals? Never heard of these words. Dont speak Greek or Latin, mate. Only Marathi, English and Hindi.

Soldier, state and society - the ever-growing imbalance

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:16:00 +0000

Harsh V Pant: Soldier, state and society - the ever-growing imbalance:

'via Blog this'

Harsh is making a solid point in the article above...

"A state makes a sacred contract with its soldiers: that while they will lay down their lives when called upon to do so, the nation will take good care of their and their families’ needs to the extent its resources would permit. This contract underpins the very survival of a nation, as when its territorial integrity and political independence are under threat, the nation looks upon the only instrument that can protect it — its armed forces. While all governments have to look for a considered bargain between their commitments and power and between power and resources, a responsible government will always be aware of the serious implications of not spending adequate resources on defence."

It is very painful for me to state this, especially since both my Dad and my Granddad were Army Officers, but the fact of the matter is that:

1) The Indian Government has not planned for or allocated resources to the Armed Forces to the tune required, especially considering the range of external threats that confront our country over the short, medium and long term

2) The evidence of innumerable news reports of official apathy towards war-widows etc would seem to indicate that the state has also not done its full duty towards taking care of the families. I say full duties, since by-and-large, various central and state entities have done their bit in this regard.

But the most powerful point in the article is that there is also apathy among we, the people - the citizens of India. Never thought of it that way, but if you ponder over it for a moment - that view of the NRI Mr H Pant does seem to be grounded in fact. Had there been a sincere concern, there would have been much greater pressure on the government to set things right. Further, the dwindling applications for armed forces openings also lay bare this fact.

My question to everyone goes beyond the article - do we take our independence and our Armed Forces for granted? Based on current evidence, this does seem to be the case. Further, why blame the gorvernment? The government is made up from within us. We have to look within our own selves, to accept the malaise that infests us all - the Chalta Hai attitude, the extreme focus on I-Me-Myself. This is evident everywhere - endemic corruption, lack of civic sense etc. Unfortunately, the government is in it for votes. Their steps will be dictated by what sells. And, not to put too fine a point to it, populism sells. Had it not sold, we would not be in such a dire situation on any number of fronts!

Having said that, I can spot the winds of change flowing through the environs around me. The India Against Corruption campaign brought out one fact that was noted by quite a few writers: the activism of the inward-looking middle and uper middle classes. For the first time, this class was involved big-time in something that concerned the society - actively involved. Their are other indicators also - well heeled people quitting prime jobs to come into rural service with various ideas or for teaching etc. Let us hope that this gentle breeze of change turns into a wind of change... where all of us can place our country at least on a par with our own self-interest, if not above!

In closing, I would like to quote from this incisive article: The military exists to serve the state; but a military that lacks societal prestige and the attention of the state will not only endanger the security of the state, but will also pose a challenge to the liberal societal values that we so love to espouse. It has become imperative now to get the balance between the Indian state, society and its military institutions right if India is to avoid the high costs that will inevitably follow if the present turmoil persists. A real dialogue needs to start now.

Book Review: Mathew Reilley - Scarecrow and The Army Of Thieves

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:18:00 +0000

The Plot

Dragon Island is a Russian Outpost in the Arctic Sea region housing one of the most diabolical advanced weapon laboratories devised by mankind. Unfortunately, Dragon Island is also the home of one of the deadliest weapons ever devised. And even more unfortunately Dragon Island has been captured by a renegade group of thugs calling themselves the Army Of Thieves. Their Agenda: World Destruction, which the thugs prefer to call the revenge of the disenfranchised and the downtrodden. The weapon is set to destroy everything in a matter of five hours – and the good guys have 5 hours to save the world. A small matter of travelling several thousand miles in 5 hours, overcoming the “gentlemen” and disarming the weapon. Enter Scarecrow – the hero. Scarecrow is Captain Shane Scofield, a battle hardened marine who is ideally placed a few hours away from the target. With him is a motley collection of people – a few soldiers and a few civilians. The rest of the book deals with how these handful civilians and soldiers save the world. There are more than a few twists and turns along the way that fundamentally alter the way things proceed, which makes for interesting reading.

The Characters

The book has only 2 real characters that have been properly developed: one directly and the other by inference. The direct one is Scofield, whose rugged nature, tough outlook and character is well brought out by references to the ugly past as well as by his actions in the novel. He comes across as frankly too good to be true, almost a superhero. His quick thinking abiities, toughness are all believable in that he is a highly decorated marine, and a battle hardened veteran. The disbelief is only in the exploits described in the novel, which leave you shaking your head in utter disbelief. The second character is the chief villain, who reigns over this novel by sheer brilliance and brutality. This is in keeping with the intentions of the novelist, who wanted an antagonist who was a match for the main protagonist. In this, the author has achieved success.

There are several other characters – Gena Newman, who has been reasonably well developed as a tough sergeant, Zack Weinberg, Corporal The Kid Thompson, Lance Corporal Puzo, Emma Dawson, Vassily Ivanov, Veronique Champion and Bertie the robot. Among all of these, you end up remembering only Bertie The Robot, who turns out to be a useful companion thanks to his armaments. Among the others, Emma, Zack and Newman share space occasionally with Scofield as supporting cast in various scenes.

The Analysis

First, the good. The book is a good read, written in a fast and racy pace – almost hectic, a page turner. The lack of character development is in keeping with the story, which is only about 2 people. Further, the constraints imposed by the time-span as well as the need for a racy speed meant the character development had to be sacrificed. The entire plan of Scofield's party has been described well, making their progress almost believable. It is almost like reading the graphic, shot – by – shot description of a battle, which is only to be expected if one is travelling a few hundred miles on arctic ice to save the world. Not only that, if you have also managed to hold reader interest while you are describing the battle, then you can pat yourself in the back. And most important is the cliff-hanger climactic scene, which is a real humdinger and a genuine surprise, and totally in keeping with the quicksilver thought process of Scofield.

Next, the bad: at times, it gets a bit monotonous – battle after battle. Next, the entirely avoidable use of profanity which takes a bit of the fun away. Third, the needless torture scenes which could have been avoided.

In summation a good novel, a racy read. Ideally suited for journeys as it is a page-turner!

Facebook Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Circa 1998... I am in my first job - and get a call from the Director-Marketing's cabin. I reach the cabin with all sorts of good, bad and ridiculous thoughts racing in my mind... Mr Khardekar says - "Come in, Vishal. Meet your brother!!!!" Great. Except for one tiny detail.

I had never even seen the guy in my life - this brother of mine! (Sorry, Atul Dada)

We got to know each other that day, then met quite a few times till we drifted apart again in due course of time. What has this got to do with Facebook? Plenty - Have patience! Well, time passed - and then, one fine day, I receive a friend request from Atul Kale on facebook. He had since shifted to England, and we rarely - in fact, never spoke to each other. But then, thanks to technology and facebook, we got in touch again. Score one for facebook!

I myself am a late convert to this platform... rejected many, many requests - till one day, in an idle moment, I decided to see what it is all about. And, that has proven to be one of the better decisions I made. People from all periods of my life came back into my life - classmates from 1984/5 onwards; my closest friends from college - just by the simple expedient of a received request in my inbox - or a simple friend search. And, if that friend has his phone number updated... all the better. The branch commercial manager of my second job; the ex-colleagues; the extended family in the form of Shirish and Milind Dada who I met through Atul Dada.... I could go on and on. Not that I hadn't tried hunting on other websites before - but never with any great success. Facebook is in a class of its own.

And there is more to it... I found, to my great delight that, by the simple procedure of clicking like on my favourite websites - Hindustan Times, Times Of India, Business World, Business Today, The Economic Times, The Business Standard etc - I could stay updated with news from around the world on my wall. Product Updates from Cakes India, Peter England, Allen Solly etc added spice to it. It all depends upon the consumer - you can configure your wall the way you like it. Share important articles -it gets recorded on your wall - return to read or refer at your leisure! The uses are myriad in number - and perhaps that is what makes it so ubiquitous.

And that, my dear friends, is why I have classified these personal ramblings of mine into Business category. Note the word ubiquitous... the business possibilities are innumerable. From reaching consumers with product updates - Peter England - to staying in touch with consumer sentiment - Perfetti Van Melle, whose wall was updated with comments on consumers who found their soldier ad offencive - the business uses offered by this platform span a veritable cornucopia of avenues. Like CakesIndia, with their mouthwatering cake snapshots, and ordering possibilities, for one example. Each month (maybe more) I find one or two innovative measures...

These opportunities are based in one simple fact: this is a medium through which you can target almost the entire online population of the nation. Two, most of the regular facebook users are young- 15 - 25. Three, 25-45 age group is also getting into the act (Fact- I just checked the number of my family members who have gotten onto facebook over the past 12 months). Three, the addictive nature of the medium means a large number of users regularly check in. This can be readily seen from the number of old connections who got in touch with me, and vice-versa. Four, you are directly addressing an educated person. Five, it offers a chance to interact with consumers directly. Six, the users span the entire spectrum of product target markets. Point is, it is a ubiquitous medium composed of an educated, and by and large earning people - or related to earning members. At least at this point in time....

The icing on the cake? Yup. You got it!

Games!

Book Review: You Can Sell

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:58:00 +0000

The Genre

The self-help category has, for some reason never attracted me... it always seemed to me that such books would be holier-than-thou, full of lots of advise that may or may not be very practical. In other words, I thought they were, well, pretty well useless. And when it came to books on my core profession - I always looked down upon them with condescension. Even if I thought there was some good to be had, the very thought of reading a book on my profession would fill me with dread... I relaxed by reading, and the reading of a self-development book never crossed my mind. My constant refrain: I stay updated with all industry trends, business magazines and newspapers, internet and blogs, and classmates and colleagues - all of which serve to keep me in touch with the latest trends, while my friends and especially colleagues would update me on my development areas. Further, since I actively sought and gave tips among my close colleagues, wherein we would regularly share everything - successes and failures... so why a book? Read On!

Why The Book?

For starters, the answer to that is that the current book is not just on sales per se. It is also on personality development, client relationships, communication, job basics. The book goes deeper than any discussion with colleagues etc can ever take you. Next, it goes straight to the gut: the absolute basics. As you grow and acquire experience, there is a tendency to acquire some unsavory or unhealthy habits and mannerisms. Not only that, with experience a person tends to focus more on the strategies of selling: who to sell to, and tends to forget to concentrate on the basics. This is only natural, since some mannerisms tend to become ingrained, for one. Two, people wont point them out to you - those who do understand and observe, that is. And, these basics are applicable to every one in every situation and department. Sample this:

Who is not selling?
Listening is caring
Goal setting
Fear of failure
Sincerity
Mental toughness
Confidence
Communication
Time Management

All the above are central to any functioning person in society, and a re-visit to the core basics can identify areas where you as a person might just have slipped a little.

For sales personnel at any level, it is a must read, simple as that. How many times have we- all of us- seen an ill-groomed counter person? How many times have all of us borne the brunt of an ill-mannered company professional? The minor points covered in the book are not each for all. That is, each person will find large parts where he or she does as the book says, or better. But then you come across an area where you could use some improvement... and that is the biggest takeaway. Sure, in some parts it does sound a bit high-handed, and tends to make generalisations all too often. Also, one might think that factors external to the individual have been totally ignored - but please remember that the book is totally focussed on the person rather than on the organisation. It is entirely upto the individual as to what he or she takes away from this book

For people in direct sales of any sort - dont even dream of missing it. The entire art of prospecting, client relationship building has been gone into quite well. It will prove a good pointer for beginners in the field who want to analyse their pluses and minuses. It wont teach you to sell - but it will help you increase your effectiveness - . The take-aways for people in channel sales are a lot less, but even so the parts on grooming, negotiation and relationship building will add some value. Sure, almost all of you in sales of any sort will shrug and say "I knew that". But do you actually practice it? And if you can learn only one thing - any one thing - you will be a more effective employee!

Special mention needs to be made of the questionnaires and work-book portions in the book. While I did not fill them on this first reading - but on glancing through them and answering them in my mind, one thing shone through crystal-clear: if honestly done and answered, they will highlight the pluses and the minuses in no time flat. They are a tremendous value addition. Especially the self-analysis questions- they will immediately highlight your pluses and areas where you need to focus

All in all, a good book - worth more than a read. It needs to be read once first, and then internalised in a subsequent reading.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review: Is Paris Burning

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:48:00 +0000

IS PARIS BURNING

Dominique Lapierre / Larry Collins

A great book by the authors, but a very difficult one to review, as it is set in a scenario with which not many Indians are familiar. Secondly, it is a largely fact-based interpretation of historical events, and requires an understanding of the underlying events. Therefore, before getting to the book per se, it is essential to get a feel of the underlying situation in France in 1944, and how it got there. This novel is set in a World War 2 scenario, centering on the liberation of Paris in August 1944

BACKGROUND

In May of 1940 the French surrendered to the Germans, who installed Marshall Phillipe Petain as the “head of the government” and gave under his control 2/5th of France {mostly the interior regions}. The regions on the coast and the along the Siegfried line remained under German control. This titular government reigned from “Vichy”, and was known as the Vichy Government

{This was by no means the only altercation: France and Germany have a long history of war behind them, the most notable being the Franco – Prussian war of 1870 in which the Legendary Count Bismarck won for Prussia [modern Germany – history class 10th]. The result led to establishment of the Third Republic in France, which was not a very popular government from its start in 1870 to its finish in 1940}

The Vichy Government { June 1940 to August 1944} of France was not very popular, as it was collaborating with the Nazis. Thus, it was a very divided nation that was fighting for its independence from the Nazis, a nation that had for the past 150 years not had a notable period of unity and peace, what with the French revolution, Napolean Bonaparte, the Second republic, Napolean III…. Even the third republic was beset with problems throughout.

This is important to the book, as will be understood from the review that follows:

REVIEW: IS PARIS BURNING

The book starts with the appointment of General Deitrich Von Choltitz as the chief of the German Army in early August 1944. The orders for Choltitz are crystal clear: hold Paris, or destroy every building before leaving. Simple and straightforward!

The logic for these is explained in the first few pages in the book, as the germans are expecting a push to liberate Paris by the Allied armies, who were moving inwards from the coast of Normandy {D-Day landing: June 1st week - 2nd week}.

And from this point unfolds a tale of political ambition, sheer callous and brutal planning on both parts, the fragmentations on the resistance side and the status of the german army. The rest of the book concentrates on the the 7 day period from 19th August 1944 to 26th August 1944, giving a blow-by-blow account of the sequence of events that led to the liberation of Paris.

It describes the allied plan of attack with respect to Paris {which was actually brilliant}, how the said plan was forced to be abandoned, how the resistance – fragmented and ridden with rivalry – planned a last resistance. It describes the leaders of the segment and their motives, with one segment focussed on ostensibly gaining independence even at the cost of 200000 civilian lives, while the other focussing on the fastest possible independence while securing the safety of the civilian population

It describes the german army, its state of demoralisation and fragmentation from the higher levels to the lower levels, the german planning for the destruction of the city. All of this is given, but not in the form of words – which would have made it a history book – but in the form of the actions of the principal characters. That is the reason why you need an understanding of the background.

It is evident in the fragmentation of the resistance, their behaviour, their insistence that Paris be liberated before De Gaulle reaches {even if 200000 french are slaughtered in the process}. It is evident in the unilateral offer of peace by a german general defying the orders of the wehrmacht and the fuhrer. It is evident in the desperation of De Gaulle to get to France {being aware of french history helps here... }. It is evident in the serial disobedience / neglection of orders by a series of german officers- and many, many more instances spread throughout the book

It is not a war story, but rather 2 stories – one a story of naked greed and political ambition set in a war scenario, the second a story of the liberation of Paris. Both of the stories are told in bone-chilling detail. It is the story of the race to save Paris both from the germans as well as from itself. If you can coin one phrase, it is the story of the creation of modern France....

Judging anything of such a book would be a capital folly, as it is all in the past, and it is all documented. The interpretation of the same is upto us. But this book has many take-aways that need to be highlighted- like getting an insight into the reasons for the stunning german collapse that started in 1943, the ugly face of politics, how one man can change the course of a nation, how a few determined people can save the day...

This review first appeared on my previous microblogging effort on www.mouthshut.com.

Defence acquisition mess; Media and Citizen attitudes

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:25:00 +0000

The Hindu : News / National : Inside India's defence acquisition mess:

'via Blog this'

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3253952.ece

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/Popup/2012/3/29_03_12-metro8.htm

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indus-calling/entry/save-army-s-honour

Continuing from my previous post, a simple perusal of the morning papers revealed an expected but nevertheless interesting scenario: Most news coverage was concentrated either on The General or on the Congress / UPA. Here we are- faced with a nearly 1962-like situation in terms of Defences, sitting on a powder-keg situation, nearly naked (if the Chief's letter is 100% accurate - which I dont doubt, judging from a series of critical articles in various sources over the past few years) - and the entire Media is focussing on anything but Defence. Most newspapers are sticking to their market positioning - which is fine under normal circumstances. If you are known for reportage, your readership will be of that kind. Similarly, if you have a market position of in-depth focus, then that will be reflected in your product. Being a sales & marketing professional I both understand and accept these realities. But this situation is anything but normal - it is exceptional, anyway you look at it! Rather than build pressure on the government to take immediate remedial measures to correct the scenario (as well as restore the morale of the Armed Forces) the Media is just doing routine reportage.

None of us can say that this development has come as a complete surprise: there have been any number of articles in magazines highlighting the increased level of problems in the Army. Admittedly, none were as serious in tone: but the fact remains that murmurs of something of this kind were rife in some magazines which questioned delay in fighter aircraft procurement, tank procurement etc. What makes this different is that this is coming from the head of the Army - which is an infinitely more serious development, as it impacts the morale of the forces, saps their energy and exposes its underbelly. More is expected from the Media at this juncture: and I hope that this particular development is not consigned to the back pages with time. A concentrated pressure is needed to ensure follow-up action! We need to gavanise the bureaucracy and the government to respond to this serious threat to national security - and if our Armed Forces are indeed so underprepared, then this is a threat to security. As it is we are facing serious threats from terrorism - and an Army unable to respond is the last thing we need at this point.

Some good can still be had from this - if we can get the bureaucrats and the government to act on the weaknesses highlighted rather than do a witch hunt. Judging from the happenings in Parliament, this does not seem to be happening- with various speakers waking eloquent on the state of our Armed Forces as being ship-shape. Who are you trying to fool? By covering up, you are only fooling the people, some of whom will believe in your mumbo-jumbo. The more knowledgable (including enemies) probably already have an excellent idea of the state of the Indian Army. What is more, the fall in morale can only be good news to enemies. Rather than mere statements, the need of the hour is a white paper than either gives specific rebuttals - or gives a plan to plug same.

This is not a problem that can be wished away - it needs a clear strategy to be managed. And it is the absence of a strategy that is bothering me. No witch hunts now, please- at least, not in public. Present a common front. For one thing is clear: given a choice, I would rather believe the General than the Government. The credibility of the government is lesser as compared to the General, simple as that. And that is what the government also needs to address. As for the rest, please rise above party lines and affiliations... that is the need of the hour!

It's The Army Now....

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Army toothless: General VK Singh drops letter bomb on govt - Hindustan Times:

'via Blog this'

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3254276.ece?homepage=true

http://www.hindustantimes.com/editorial-views-on/Edits/Not-all-quiet-on-this-front/Article1-831721.aspx

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_time-to-clean-up-army-but-who-ll-do-it_1668276

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-chief-vs-govt-Tension-escalates/articleshow/12443490.cms

I am beginning to wonder what is required for the people of India to wake up from their abhorrent stupor... Institution after institution is collapsing with monotonous regularity due to abject neglect! School performance is the lowest in the world; rampant corruption; inefficient policing; falling economic indicators; Telecom tangle; FDI in retail imbroglio; Judicial activism; Satyam....

And now the Army.

One point shines through this entire episode: The Media is more concerned with the Government's continuance / Fate of the Army Chief / How the letter leaked / political reactions / Army's politicization. What about the security of the nation? Rather than criticize the Army Chief, why has no one from the Media (judging from the coverage so far seen on various websites) critically examined the issues highlighted in the letter? What is more important: The Government, The Political Parties, The Letter - or The Nation? That should be a no-brainer: the nation should supercede all other considerations. And yet, I have not seen any reaction in print on any website so far. Let me see what the morrow brings - I am keenly waiting for tomorrow's newspapers to see if there is critical analysis of the contents and their truth; as also how much pressure there is on the IAS lobby and the government to come clean on this matter.

I, for one, want to know the extent of the truth in the letter: has our Army indeed been rendered powerless for want of Modern Equipment and Ammunition? I very much fear this might be true- judging from the delay in finalising the Fighter Aircraft deal. The time has come for all of us to demand from the powers that be in New Delhi - Bureaucrats and Politicians alike - that they come clean on the state of affairs in the Army. Further, this matter should be dealt with without accord to politics- for we have now been rendered powerless as the respect of the Indian Army will have taken a severe beating across the world. This is also going to have a serious effect on the "India Shining" image. There was only last bastion that was left untouched at the altar of power games and corruption - The Armed Forces.

We have been hearing rumblings of dissatisfaction in the Armed Forces over the process of procurement of arms, over the control of the bureaucrats, the increasing politicization of the process. We have also read quite a few snippets of news highlighting the urgent needs of the Armed Forces... but nothing quite as serious as this. And in my opinion - the blame lies at our own doors - our carelessness, our I-Me-Myself-First attitude, our how-does-it-effect-me syndrome. Corruption, Bad Governance is eating away steadily at all of our achievements - and this is being compounded by our total lack of concern on this issue. For this is what this is: Corruption & Bad Governance!

Retail: Survival Strategies of the Kirana Retailer

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:41:00 +0000

ICRIER Report on Organised Retail: http://www.icrier.org/pdf/Working_Paper222.pdf

Knight Frank Report: http://my.knightfrank.com/research-reports/india-retail-market.aspx

I have been arguing in my writings that the threat to kirana stores in India does not exist, and that the 2 can co-exist.... interested parties may refer the above researches that have been conducted in India circa 2008 & 2010. I admit that these are a bit dated, and might need to be re-validated. However, I have not observed any difference in any of the cities in which I have made queries and observations; the trend seems to be the same as before. Not one of the small retailers I have spoken to in any city has told me of a decline in business volume or profit.

The key finding of the report are encapsulated below:
1) An initial fall of 23% in terms of volume. This loss is made up in the subsequent years
2) No evidence of a decline in overall employment in the organised sector
3) Closure rate of the small kirana store @ 1.7% due to the Organised Retail Phenomenon. Total Kirana closed were @ 4.2%. Out of this 4.2%, only 1.7% were due to organised sector factors
4) Competitive response from traditional retailers through adoption of technology and improved business practices
5) Extension of credit to customers

Far more interesting is the anaylsis of the impact of / on customers
1) Increased Consumer Spending
2) Proximity is a major advantage of the small retailer

Increased Consumer Spending
This is something all of us should have observed! We do tend to pick up far more items when the full range is displayed in front of our eyes: that 10-rs pack of chocos; those cakes and tit-bits; small tinkers that we spot on shelves; the odd item with a deal too good to refuse; the latest kitchen gizmo; that shiney kitchen aid; that bunch of hankies we dont need; all those lovely toys for the kids... the list can be endless.

Proximity
An Organised Outlet will be at least a km away - if not more. The very fact that the local kirana store is right next door is in itself a powerful advantage. This is particularly important since needs arise in a normal household practically everyday. Further, quite a few items are usually forgotten in our trips to the mall - or the brands we need are not available.

Both the above do not explain why is it that kirana concept is not only surviving, but also thriving. The adjustments made by this category can be said to be:

1) Convenient Timings
2) Credit Facility
3) Lower wait time in-store
4) Personalised Service
5) Smaller Pack Size Availability
6) Consumer Goodwill
7) Home Delivery
8) Facility of open goods: loose sale of packaged goods
9) Local Brands Stocking
10) Knowledge of Consumer Preferences
11) One-stop shop concept, with a wider range of products being stocked - viz. stationery, batteries, bakery items, snacks and sweet meets, ice cream, soft drinks,
12) Friendly replacement and return policies
13) Innovative new products especially in impulse categories
14) Perishables like milk - esp home delivery on coupons
15) Bill payment support to nearby households and other services
16) Stocking of all new product launches - faster than even the chains

The above small items, taken together, are creating a powerful force that is retaining the customer profile. On the customer front, what is happening is that the share-of-wallet, which was earlier 100% to the local kirana market, is now being shared between the organised retailer and the kirana merchant in a few segments of the market. For the lower segments of the population, the facility of smaller pack sizes, loose goods and credit are together ensuring stickiness. In fact, these last 3 factors are powerful strategies, given India's demographic and income profile. As an example, I have frequently found that a 100g pack of my brook bond herbal variant of Red Label is not stocked by malls. I can think of quite a few other similar cases...

The other major factors in the equation are
1) Increased Consumer Spending
2) Increased Prices
3) Increasing Households and Population
4) Increase in Per Capita Income
These factors are growing the overall market: which is creating space for all the players!

Honesty can get you killed: CBI Ex-director

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 11:15:00 +0000

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Honesty can get you killed:

'via Blog this'

" It has been openly acknowledged that a sizeable number of candidates, who were recently put up or elected to the State Assembly, at least in one State, had a known criminal record. There is no public outrage over it."

"What is the practical course of action to prevent the mafia in Madhya Pradesh from striking again? The Chief Minister has ordered a judicial enquiry. This is the best way to ensure the truth about those who were behind the gory incident does not emerge, at least for a long time."

" Things have now reached such a pass that you can speak and stand for honesty and adherence to the law only at your peril. Physical harm to you and your family are normally to be expected, and it is your luck if that does not visit you. This would not have been the case if these rapacious elements in society have not been lent unholy support by some of our elected representatives."

"Finally, is it not time for the Apex Court to steamroll the reforms it had so eloquently pushed in 2006, in response to the PIL of former U.P. DGP Prakash Singh? Many former and present IPS officers are disappointed that the pace of reforms ordered by the Supreme Court has been painfully slow. Here again, the truth is that a number of Chief Ministers are opposed to these monumental changes, changes that are aimed at freeing the Indian Police from the stranglehold of small time street-level politicians."

These are the words of an ex-director of the CBI.

If the Director of the CBI can state this so bluntly and in print... it is time to be worried with the state of our nation... seriously worried. Apparently, even the police is not in a position to stem the rot. First I was just concerned...

But Now?

I am worried- deeply so. I am seriously worried- and I cannot forget that even a man as powerful as a CBI Director feels completely hopeless and helpless.

WAKE UP, INDIA!

Whither Law and Order: Another IPS officer attacked in MP

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Another IPS officer attacked in MP - The Times of India:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/MadhyaPradesh/Tractor-crushes-IPS-officer-to-death-in-Madhya-Pradesh/Article1-822603.aspx

'via Blog this'

Circa 2007

It is truly amazing how the simplest of experiences leads one to a train of thoughts transcending a multitude of subject-domains, as happened to me yesterday night. The event in itself was mundane, were it not for the extenuating circumstances: A motor-bike drive between 2 cities 44 kilometers apart. But what happened on that route has set my mental rollers rolling something fierce! I would like to enumerate these diverse thoughts, and justify my connection to and rating of the above topic.

The time was 9:15 PM at night when I left Bhilai for home, 44 kms away on NH-6 towards Nagpur. This is usually a very safe track, with hardly a policeman or checkpoint visible along the way. I have made this drive on bike as well as by taxi several times at night, but yesterday was different, in that the entire last 24 kms were policed – and very heavily policed at that! I noticed around 4 major checkpoints along the way. At each point, I naturally stopped, but to my amazement, was informed at all except one– exteremely politely: “Aap Jaayiye”. The entire stoppage at each point was not exceeding 10 – 15 seconds at the most – no hassling, nothing! The 4th point was rude, very rude. It was that, and one other observation, that has set my mind racing.

The police and the babus are known to be rude. Rude? This wasn’t my experience in 75% places. In fact, they were quite gentle. Furthermore, no senior officer was in sight, so it cant have been that they were behaving for brownie points! Secondly, there was a complete absence of visible gun-men or gun-toting policemen at any place. Consider this: you are driving a bike on a highway on which all vehicles except 2-wheelers have been halted. It is nearly 10 at night, pitch dark, and you are the only vehicle on the road…

Had I noted a gun anywhere, my reactions would have been fear, for between checkpoints, there was no traffic! But, as it happened, I traversed the distance safely and without any untoward worries. This caused my mind to go back in time to circa 1994 – district Jhabua in MP. We were in the first car in a convoy escorted by the police across a particularly dangerous track of highway, and we were roadblocked by thiefs… the policeman in our car jumped out and started shooting.

In both cases, I was glad the police was around. Note that point – I was GLAD to have the much-maligned police officer around. When it came to the crunch- when my life or property was at risk all those years ago, I was glad to have the police around! And it was that realisation that came as a jolt to me yesterday.

(The above is an extract from my previous blog on mouthshut written in 2007)

Circa 2012

When the apparatus of the police itself seems to be targeted and vulnerable, what would happen to the morale of the people? To the sense of security and safety? In both the case above, I was thankful for the presence of the police, who lent me a feeling of safety and security. I was able to carry on and complete my task because of the police... and that is precisely why they are so central to a society.

It may seem far-fetched to equate 2 incidents with a breakdown of law and order, but remember: it wont take long for 2 incidents to reach 20 - and then 200 and so on... then what would be the difference between MP and Bihar? Or between India and Palistan or Afghanistan? Whatever be the reason behind the incidents (there is suspicion of accident, of deliberation, of.... ), it is suspected that a nexus is behind it - probably a politician - criminal - law nexus behind the mining. It is difficult to state with certainty, but this is a commonly stated suspicion. Several instances of these have also been brought to the public attention over a period of time. We citizens have to make but one contribution for sure-fire long term success: use our vote responsibly. Either that - or Section 49-O of the constitution:

Section 49-O is a section coming under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. It has nothing to do with the Constitution of India. It reads as follows:

“49-O: Elector deciding not to vote. – If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49-L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.”

This is only a provision for abstaining from voting or at the best negative voting. It does not provide for cancellation of polling if the 49-0 votes are more than the candidate’s majority or provide that the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them.

In fact in the PROPOSED ELECTORAL REFORMS by the Election Commission of India, which was forwarded to the Prime Minister of India on 05/07/2004, the following reform was proposed;

“7. NEGATIVE / NEUTRAL VOTING

The Commission has received proposals from a very large number of individuals and organizations that there should be a provision enabling a voter to reject all the candidates in the constituency if he does not find them suitable. In the voting using the conventional ballot paper and ballot boxes, an elector can drop the ballot paper without marking his vote against any of the candidates, if he chooses so. However, in the voting using the Electronic Voting Machines, such a facility is not available to the voter. Although, Rule 49 O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 provides that an elector may refuse to vote after he has been identified and necessary entries made in the Register of Electors and the marked copy of the electoral roll, the secrecy of voting is not protected here inasmuch as the polling officials and the polling agents in the polling station get to know about the decision of such a voter.

The Commission recommends that the law should be amended to specifically provide for negative / neutral voting. For this purpose, Rules 22 and 49B of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 may be suitably amended adding a proviso that in the ballot paper and the particulars on the ballot unit, in the column relating to names of candidates, after the entry relating to the last candidate, there shall be a column .None of the above., to enable a voter to reject all the candidates, if he chooses so. Such a proposal was earlier made by the Commission in 2001 (vide letter dated 10.12.2001).

(A petition by the People.s Union for Civil Liberties seeking such a provision filed at the time of the recent general elections is pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court)”

This, combind with the right to recall as demanded with Team IAC, can indeed be a powerful lever on the political class of India. For there is only one thing that the politician is scared about: Loss of power, and the vote. This lever - if used legally and effectively - can indeed by a solution....

Think.... just think. Wake Up, India!

India a superpower? Unlikely, says London School of Economics study - The Economic Times

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:24:00 +0000

India a superpower? Unlikely, says London School of Economics study - The Economic Times:

'via Blog this'

As per the London School Of Economics, the 7 reasons identified that we cannot become a superpower are:

The Challenge Of The Naxalites
Hindutvawadis
Degradation Of The Center
Increasing Rich-Poor Gap
Trivialisation Of The Media
Unsustainable Resource Consumption
Instability And Policy Incoherence Of A Coalition Government

The first point regarding Naxalites can and should be extended to include terrorist threats that sap the energy from the atmosphere and prove to be a real impediment to development. Why state only Naxalites? India is facing a range of internal threats to peace that go far beyond the Naxalite problem. What is more, the threats are not showing signs of waning. We are nowhere in sight of a solution - and without a solution, this problem will continue to be a dead-weight around our legs as we strive for progress. The second point is, in my opinion, simple ignorance on the part of the LSE. Yes, increasing fundamentalism is indeed a cause of grave concern - but it is not just the Hindutva factor at play. What is more to the point is the fractured nature of our societies - our divisions along Language and Religion - and especially the mutual distrust that this engenders. As an excellent example: Marathi upsurge led by the Thackereys. Such incidents drive a wedge into society - if repeated often enough, they can prove to be extremely divisive!

As for the rest, I have to say that I find it hard to dispute the claims of the London School Of Economics. The Rich-Poor gap is very evident; as is the instability and policy incoherence of a coalition government. Being a superpower means a more equitable distribution of wealth. for only then the full potential of the demographic dividend - so eloquently extolled by Nandan Nilekani - can be fully exploited; and conversely, it will prove unsustainable if everyone were not able to share in the development. Such a lop-sided growth can never be sustained for any length of time. Similarly, a coalition government can never have the freedom of polcy making that a clear majority government can have. We do have a long way to go!

It is in the rest of the 3 factors that the punch lies: namely, Degradation of the center / Media / Resource Consumption. In fact, I would term it as a near collapse of most of our institutions due to rampant and endemic corruption. It is impossible to do anything without paying something in the form of a bribe - that is indeed the hard truth. It has become an endemic problem - and this is exacerbated by public apathy as evidenced by our civic behaviour, our penchant for paying bribes to cops, ticket-checkers, government officials as well as in our day-to-day behaviour. As for the Media- as I have previously argued, they seem more concerned with profit and reporting what sells. The Media can- if it wants to- play a stellar role in leading change; it can be both the bulwark as well as the Rallying Point of positive change. Paradoxically, The Media is perhaps the only point in the seven which offers a ray of hope: at least there is credible evidence of change in the Media.

The most critical point is Resource Consumption: and we need only look at our core sector for confirmation of the same. All in all, a superbly argued article... we need to act on corruption, internal threats, resources, spreading the wealth. So far, it seems doable. But what do we do about the problems of coalition politics? Do we have a solution? We citizens can bring about change through means such as India Against Corruption in the sphere of corruption: but there is little we can do about the political setup as it exists today. There are vast differences in culture, regional development status, languages, aspirations, problems from state to state. In such a scenario, perhaps the coalition system is the best as it ensures local participation - and this acts as a safety valve!

Book Review: The Day Of The Jackal

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:44:00 +0000

The Day of the Jackal was penned around 1971, and was set in the French Republic of the early 1960’s. The story is based partly on fact, and partly on fiction, and revolves around a plot to assassinate the then French President Charles De Gaulle. The fact part is an attempt on the presidents’ life by a French army officer {Bastien-Thiry}. The rest of the book is fiction.

The beauty of this book is in the way it offers 3 windows into the same story: offering the reader a look from 3 view–points, which makes for fascinating reading. The 3 view points are the 3 parts of the book: The Motive of the perpetrators & the planning of the Jackal {The Anatomy of a plot}, The French investigation: How the plot is discovered and stopped, {The Anatomy of a Manhunt} and the final climatic moments, {The Anatomy of a Kill}. This approach actually enhances your understanding, takes you deep into the plot, and gives you a 360-degree view of the the story.

But what takes the cake is the narrative: by that I mean the way the story moves forward at a rapid pace, not stagnating anywhere even for a page- throughout the book. And this is despite the triple-change in perspective. That is the real beauty of this book. This stye has enabled a complete understanding of the entire plot in the mind of the reader, with every angle being well explained and covered appropriately. The changes have been deftly handled, with not an iota of momentum being lost along the way

The Characters

The Jackal: The quintessential enigma; Brilliant in conceptualisation & execution; Unfortunately task-oriented

Lebel: Methodical, Sincere, Intelligent, Brllliant

General De Gaulle: Making his presence felt by his absence!!!!

Thats it. This book is about these 3 people, and no one else. There are supporting characters in plenty, but mentioning them would take away from the frontispiece of the story: Jackal Vs Lebel. De Gaulle makes his presence felt in the book more by inference than by actual presence, an approach that is far more effective than showing his presence as head of state.

Another hallmark is the refrain the author has shown in the book in dealing with the central character of the Jackal, and his growing enmity with Lebel. The way his identity has been built with a minimum of sensationalism is a thing to behold. That is the central point of the book: the Jackal, his identity, the style of operation and his mystery – all of which have been built not by excessive description but rather by limiting references to his past, and by his style of working, which was a master-stroke! Secondly, the other masters-stroke was in not having an equally well-developed character as his opponent. Indeed, while his opponent – Lebel - comes out as a professional equal to or better than the Jackal, the frontispiece of the book remains the Jackal

And last but not the least: this book is about 3 characters only: Lebel, De Gaulle, and above all The Jackal. Nothing else. The book starts with that and ends with that, concentrating on that theme, with not even a single sub-plot of note. No pages have been wasted in developing sub-plots, which has made the narrative taut and rapid. Of note is also the way the persona and charisma of Charles De Gaulle looms over the book, even though his appearances are limited and far-between.

The Story

The first part – the Anatomy of a plot – explains the motives as well as the planning in detail: Who wants to kill De Gaulle and Why, How is the Assassin hired, How the Assassin gains knowledge of his intended target, The exact steps of the planning including passports/multiple identities/Gun/Target/Site. These are covered in exhaustive detail - such that you can visualise the scene in front of your eyes. The second part – The Anatomy of a manhunt, deals with how the French discover the plot, and the hunt for the assassin across France and Britain, the manhunt in both countries leading to the ultimate foiling of the plot. The story picks up from the first suspicions of a plot, and methodically covers police routine, highlighting their failures and frustrations, the pulls and pressures in brilliant detail, going on to successes and the ever-increasing speed of the investigation. The book continues its relentless pace in the third part: The anatomy of a kill, which is hectic and describes the way the police realize the exact date of the attempt {by gaining an understanding of the president – something the Jackal has already done!}, and how they save the day in the nick of time…

The parts are written in three styles of writing {from the intense descriptive style in Part 1, to the urgent and hectic style in Part 2 and ending with the rapid pace in the 3rd Part, with the beauty being in the way the tension, the pace and the narrative builds through successive pages, never slackening in between right through to the fitting finale makes this book one of a kind. Such is the attention to detail in the book that it is beyond my capabilities to even begin to write about the story beyond the broad parameters outlined above. This is a book that concentrates on detail - and has done so without slackening the pace, without compromising on the story and keeping reader interest alive throughout.

The Conclusion

This book is about the Jackal - and, despite your realisation that the Jackal is a criminal, a killer, you are caught in 2 minds in more than one point in the story. You feel a tinge of some undefinable regret at the defeat of the Jackal - for the story is about the Jackal. The Anti-Hero of the book, man without any scruples, ends up as the centerpiece. The rapid pace of the narrative - despite its concentration on detail - gives you no time for value judgements. Lebel has intentionally been left underdeveloped, so that the Jackal can be emphasised - which takes this book beyond the ordinary killer-chase, and elevates this into the stuff of legend that it has become!

Personally, I cant think of a single book of the Spy / Thriller Genre that quite matches it. Most other books have interludes where the pace relaxes for a bit, with romantic by-plays or scenario description- not in this one! No romantic by-plays, dilly- dallying of any kind anywhere, which makes for frantic page-turning, as the tension builds up relentlessly page after page, making it a book which you will not be able to put down till the last page..

This review is an edited and expanded version, which first appeared in my previous blog site www.mouthshut.com http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Day-of-the-Jackal-The-Frederick-Forsyth-review-nqpmuqmpom

Book Review: Scammed: Confessions Of A Confused Accountant

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 09:35:00 +0000

A book by an Anonymous writer, with a title such as "Scammed - Confessions Of A Confused Accountant" - is a book most of us would be attracted to, given the spate of revelations that has kept the media busy and working overtime! It also conjures up images of numbers, balance-sheets, convoluted cross-holdings and such like, given the word "accountant" in the title. So it was that I picked this book with a combination of eagerness and doubt - I was frankly in two minds, more so since the previous two books (Akbar and Tamasha) were fabulous - and I didn't want to break the run! But I was in for a pleasant surprise, as the book exceeded expectations, turning out to be refreshing light and quick read!

Your first impression on picking up the book is the slick binding and superb cover - sleek elegant and stylish. Rarely have I seen a book that is so stylish. The binding is excellent but firm, and the font used is simple and very easy to read. All in all, it is a stylishly finished classy product. This does deserve special mention - and the publishers (Grey Oak Publishers) have really done a great job. It will stand out among its peers in a book stall, that is for sure

The Main Characters

Hitesh Patel - Not as confused as he is claimed to, or seems to be!

Payal - Surprise Package!

Sushma - An Attractive Package!

Venugopal Reddy - Wants to make a killing!

Varun Rao - "Capable" Head of marketing of Super Cabs, if you get my drift!

Saahil - Rises fast up the corporate ladder - using a rope (or anything else he can) to move up!

Mr & Mrs Patel - Want their son to succeed, period!

These are supported by a variety of supporting staff - GS Rao, Mehta, RV Suresh, Mohan Babu - the evil villains from Supreme Motors; Mahinder, Sohail, Rajesh: Die-Hard supporters of our anti-hero

The character of Hitesh Patel takes shape very early in the story, and is exceedingly well defined and well developed. He comes across as someone you can identify with - a capable person, not promoted in his career, with a yearning for the high life; a person with a relatively weak will combined with a sharp intellect - thus susceptible to pulls and pressures. A person who thinks, nay knows that he is as good as his boss and wants to prove himself to himself, and to his family. This character-sketch is further buttressed by his family, who constantly nag and needle him as to his career. It is noteworthy how the supportive cast- his parents and colleagues and acquaintances have been used to develop his character. This is central to the story - for this explains Hitesh's character, his willing collusion in some matters and the compromises he agrees to make for success

Payal, on the other hand, stays largely in the background and grows slowly in stature; she comes across as a solid dependable person that everyone would like. Payal warms your heart, and you feel for fer... Then there is Varun Rao - rough, can and will use any trick in the book, a maverick person utterly without scruples; Venugopal Reddy - wants to exit both Super Cabs and Supreme Motors and make a killing in the process - and never mind about bulls & bears & sebi & sensex & legalities, thank you very much; These are the 4 principal characters around whom this book revolves, and who shape the story

I have just one grouse here: while Hitesh, Varun & Reddy have been well developed, Payal and Mahinder have been left underdeveloped. I personally felt that the Author could have developed Payal a little more - this would have added a lot more substance to the story, while not taking away from the pace too much.

The Plot

This story is about a bitter young accountant working as an auditor in an audit firm. The start of the story - with the annual performance appraisal coming up; Hitesh expecting a promotion - only to find someone else with contacts has made it - captures your attention. To the credit of the Author, once the guy has your attention -he keeps you riveted to the story, which takes a rapid and racy pace from that point forward. To cut a long story short, it is a page turner! In this phase it has everything that will grab your attention - the fast-thinking and street smart "friend" who does any- and every- thing to become your boss; office politics et al. This sets the background for the story, as well as defines Hitesh and his character.

Hitesh comes across a fleece operation in a company - the failing Supreme Motors wherein 4 "gentlemen" are taking the company for a royal ride. In highlighting this to the management, he puts in an idea of a Cab Service. Supreme Motors, with outdated models, could supply cars to the Cab Service, which would create a market for the Auto Maker. This idea is liked by the management, who see in it a chance to push up the stock prices and thus make a killing. Hitesh is taken on as CEO to run this "operation", and driven to scale up very fast. The fast scaling up is critical to generate orders for the Auto Maker, improving its order book and this its market prospects.

Thing go wrong since the 4 villains in the piece -a few of whom having lost their jobs and their ill-gotten gains as well, the rest smarting from the insult, are forgotten. One of those who retains his job is on the staff of the new Cab Service, and in an increasingly stronger position - being the marketing head, and responsible for all the lovely orders that Supreme Motors need. He seems to have it made - but they (the villainous 2) are, however, waiting for a chance to strike back.... and when it comes, they strike back - bringing the house of cards crashing down! The rest of the story deals with how Hitesh loses everything - and is indeed faced with arrest. Does he strike back? Or does he go scot-free, especially since he is also responsible for the scam, having turned a blind eye to many irritants and outright violations? Read the book for that!

At times, you do get a feel of the plot being a bit far-fetched: would the normal auditor have thought up a business plan - especially an auditor who is under extreme pressure not to investigate the company too much? A man who is under deadline pressure and working a tight schedule? Would an accountant have the knowledge to not only dream up an Idea, but also implement it in today's competitive market, attending to franchise issues, talking with franchise, making advertising suggestions and plans? Or would the villainous 4 have been able to pull off the audacious fleece operation at Supreme Motors? But again, such is the pace that these doubts vanish almost as soon as they arise!

The Analysis

As you turn the last page, you get a sense of satisfaction at a logical ending. A split second later, Mr Brain - the soft gentlemen who resides in your upper story - kicks in with a different assessment; the Author could have fleshed out the story a little more by developing Payal, by giving a few more details about the scam-in-the-making, about making the transition from accountant to CEO more believable, about the inter-relationships. Still, you decide that you have had a great time, and shrug Mr Brain off - for realistically, had the Author fleshed out the story, he would have had to compromise on the pace of the story. The objective was to tell a racy, fast-paced story and going into relationships or gory scam details would decidedly have slackened the pace. Best of all, the book does not give you the time to make any value judgements about the actions of the central character in the story - before you get to judgements, the story ends "almost" logically. (Shant spoil the "almost" with an explanation: find out in the book!)

All in all, a good book that you can finish off in a couple of hours on a Sunday or on a journey!

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!