Random Thoughts

10 defining moments in India's Historic win against Australia

2021-01-20T17:01:00.003+05:30

Hello Friends,

I am sure all of us are over the moon and beyond post the Indian cricket team's series victory in Australia. I want to take a few minutes to pen down what I think are the critical moments in the just concluded series.

Expert opinion

1. Virat's Paternity Leave - Virat not only planned on taking the break but "broadcast" this very early. This led to the team coming a lot closer and have plans in place. From the outside, it led to the lowering of expectations from the fans and the media. In the hindsight, it's perhaps best that Virat was not around as his constant in your face attitude might not have been well received by the debutants!

A mishap inspired Rahane

2. THAT Runout - Yes, friends, I am referring to the runout of Virat in Adelaide in the first innings. The runout was very significant as India squandered the advantage on Day1 and folded up. It caused a lot of anguish to Rahane and taught him what not to do! ( if you don't believe, try watching Rahane's reaction of him being run out in the next test trying to help Jadeja score his fifty )

Losing the toss - a blessing in disguise

3.Losing the toss in Melbourne - Imagine India batting first on a "greenish" surface in Melbourne fresh from a dismal 36. I am glad that India lost the toss and Australia batted first giving time for the team to focus on the job on hand. The team was able to assess the pitch better and adjust to the match situation. This also gave time for Rahane to do what he does best i.e. to stay in the background for a longer time.

Ashwin is ecstatic and why shouldn't he be!

4. Ashwin "neutralizing" Smith - Ashwin has always been known as a thinking bowler and sometimes a maverick. For this tour, he planned ahead and convinced the team management to employ the leg side trap to Smith and the Australian team. It helped him attack the stumps while cutting the runs and put Smith in a lot of trouble early on.

How well these 2 played!

5. Partnership between Rahane and Jadeja - The match was in the balance when Jadeja joined Rahane, India was still behind in the first innings. The two players played well and scored a century(the only one of the match) and a half-century when no other player from either side scored them. The partnership between the senior players pushed India to 300 and gave India a huge lead.

Gill took to test cricket like a duck to water

6. Classy Gill in the run chase - Gill would go on to make 2 half centuries later in the series, but in a tricky run chase, Gill, the debutant inspired confidence. His front foot and back foot stroke play hastened the chase and put him in future star category. He knocked off the runs in the company of Rahane in double quick time whacking the Aussie bowlers.

Tells you a story, isn't it ?

7. Paine drops Pant (twice) - A very achievable win for Australia on a 5th day Sydney test. Pant walks in and throws his bat at Lyon (twice) and both the times Paine drops him. Pant then goes on to score 97 and makes India believe. If only Pant was caught by Paine when he scored almost nothing, we could not have witnessed the drama and the series win later on.

Too numb to even celebrate!

8. Injuries to Vihari and Ashwin - While it is not a joy for any sportsman to get injured, in this case, it worked well for the team. Vihari and Ashwin had both been injured and looked in total pain throughout their gritty knocks. While the injuries restricted their mobility, they also provided them with the single minded objective of blocking everything. Vihari and Ashwin's blockade will be a story that will not be forgotten by this generation of cricket fans.

The Trio played with NO fear

9. Siraj, Shradul and Sundar - One is a story of inspiration, the other a 7th choice fast bowler in the Indian setup and the last a net bowler . However, all of them turned the crisis the Indian team faced into a huge opportunity to showcase their talent. They showed us that they are second to none in talent and reduced Aussies to a very sub-par first innings total. If this was not enough, Shradul and Sundar broke the back of Aussies by putting on the only 100+ partnership and Siraj taking a maiden 5 wicket haul.

Pujara - the ultimate team man!

10. Pujara - Body over the line - Cheteshwar Pujara conquered the Aussies in the previous tour. However, in this tour, he had occupied the crease with not enough returns. But in the last test, he fought like a gladiator and took blow after blow and held up one end. By doing so, he gave enough license for the others in the team to go after the win. He will always be remembered for being the one who refused to give up despite the pain with which he played.

One for the ages....Indian cricket's tryst with destiny

Finally, I am thrilled to relive all these moments as I wrote these down and I am sure you are too. Let's enjoy them as these come very rare and hats off to the entire team and the support staff!!!

Truly Random

2020-02-27T13:55:00.001+05:30

I was walking today in the morning and I had overheard a conversation that made me think and pen this one. There were folks talking among themselves about a person who had died. The questions were on When, How and What caused it etc. But what was not asked was what set me thinking.

Very true...isn't it ?

The question of "Why" - it was not asked or discussed. It seemed that most of us are pretty comfortable and / or sure of the fact that there is death and additionally no one can question it. It invoked inside me some thoughts that might sound existential.

Working diametrically opposite to that situation, again most of us won't know the answer to the question of "Why" when a child is born.

Science has to a certain extent helped us understand the "How" in both the death and the birth - but the Why is certainly in the realms ( at least currently ) outside the scope of science.

So, when I am born and when I die, there is an absolute lack of knowledge of why - I thought about understanding what is that makes me ..."Me".

The identity which is me certainly is not my name as I am sure I existed before my parents decided to name me ( in my case a very long name thanking a lot of Gods 😄). In the same way, it is not my physical body as if it was just that, the tiny cell that first sprouts inside a mother's womb does not have the body. It is not my mind as there are folks who exist who are "brain dead" but are still alive. So, what is the real identity of the "I" inside me?

Of course, I am neither a philosopher nor a scientist to get to the depths with the questions I have. So, I will take the simple way out to say that I am who I am because the power above me decided me to be me 😃

True - but do we think this way?

Switching thoughts, when we really don't know a lot about ourselves to begin with, what power do
we have to think that we can control others ? ( not from a law and order situation as that's a completely different ball game ) The constant battle of matching others' expectations or them performing to meet ours is an uphill battle that no one wins. So, why don't we just get out of this race that we will never win?

At the risk of sounding preachy( which isn't the intention going by what you read above ), I think we should stop making any efforts to holding up others to what we think is right. In the spirit of the "Dharma and Karma" principles, "As you sow, so shall you reap"!

The decade that was.......for me

2019-12-29T13:47:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

I am writing about a topic that seems to be everywhere these days....but this is about how the decade's events both personal and in public space impacted me. So, there might be some deeply personal moments/comments that might not be relevant to all of you.

Here's going down the memory lane....

Nanna - You are always missed!

2010 - 2010 will be an year that will be etched in my memory forever and for not all the good
reasons. This is the year I lost my father and the year taught me many life lessons. The pivotal moment of realization was that nothing is permanent in the world. For a guy who was raised like Siddhartha ( avoiding unpleasant thoughts ), seeing someone who is the closest relative pass away was something deeply unsettling. The year saw me go very weak mentally and with the great help of the familial and friends' support system cope with things again on a better note.

2011 - 2011 is an year that I remember more for the joy that the World Cup victory of India brought about. This year was when I realized that ups and downs are part of life and we just need to move on with what comes our way. In this year, I had changed my career path and chose to go on the road less traveled.

2012 - 2012 brought out a lot of promise and through the course of the year, I learnt a lot about living with the expectations. The year also saw personal upheaval with business changes coupled with anxious moments at home. But by the end of the year, the biggest gift of parenthood dawned upon us and with it of course, the challenges that will continue for the rest of our lives.

2013 - Early 2013 was when I realized that we have way too much negativity around us. I worked on creating a small initiative to spread positive awareness. I am glad that it did work for me and hopefully for the 600 odd who are still on it. Towards the end of the year though, Sachin my favorite cricketer retired proving again that no one can fight the Father Time!

2014 - 2014 was a seminal year for India. After decades of uncertainty, a stable government got
formed at the center with a mandate. The year was indeed very remarkable with many path breaking, economy friendly and citizen oriented schemes being introduced. To finally see a leader (after a decade or more ) representing our country on an equal footing with a clear speech felt liberating. This year was also when the regional divide split our state into two which also wasn't as bad as it initially seemed to be.

2015 - 2015 was an year that I will always fondly look at as I had a chance to meet friends who I met after almost 25 years! It also marked an year where personally I had a small but fatal ( future will tell ) role in a business acquisition at work. One more lesson learnt during the process was not to take anything personally but to focus on task at hand more dispassionately.

2016 - 2016 was an year of big change personally - we had moved from a suburb towards closer to the center of the city. It gave us all a huge change in terms of quality of life and also when I realized ( for a brief period ) how it feels to have a 10 minute commute to work! A big thanks to the Almighty and my mother who had wholeheartedly agreed on the change to move.

2017 - 2017 will be an year which I will look back wistfully. An era ended at work that escalated rapid changes each day and the way people think about my company. It hurt personally and also the pride of the company to see questions being asked of capabilities. Of course, as everything else in life, this was a lesson to stay humble and grounded.

2018 - 2018 was the year when I decided to take a head long plunge into active learning through classroom. The decision to enroll myself in a premier college to spend all the weekends along with heavy doses of weekdays preparing was tough. But with the help of the understanding wife and surprisingly helpful kid, I enjoyed learning again and realized how it felt to be a student again!

2019 - And now to the present....the year started off on a pleasant note with my graduation. After that the country saw us go back to the "right" with an even more higher mandate. The year clearly made us realize the clear polarization across the spectrum. It made me sad at times to realize how very "us versus them" we have all become. Protests across the country put us in a bad light, but more importantly, the focus that ought to be on priorities moved to something else.

Yet, with all the negativity around, I still believe that we all have our best ahead of us and it takes a collective effort for us to get there! I would like for all of us to have better decade(s) ahead of us and indulge in development of self and communities wherever we live.

Thanks

Pavan

Contradictions, Confusion And Chaos ?

2019-08-01T11:38:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

I have been grappling with a lot of questions that seemed to be contradictory resulting in confusion and chaos.

Perhaps Hamlet had similar thoughts when he said " To be, or not to be, that is the question" !

Acceptance of others - Crucial ?

Living for Likes - The "happiness" seems to be wide spread around the world based on the Facebook/Instagram imagery. Is it Instant gratification or are we as a society moved(ing?) in the direction of living for likes all the time? Will we ever live for ourselves without having to bother about others and their opinion on us? This has become a topic serious enough for books to be written on this topic ( perhaps more reflections on this later ).

Rules are for Fools - Many a time we notice that people follow the rules when in a foreign land and stop doing so when they are back. An example could be standing orderly in a line and pushing each other as soon as the flight lands home to get into a line! Is it true that we follow the rules only when "enforced" and lapse back to our original selves when left to ourselves?

One has Quit and One has Not!

Whither To Go - Of late, there has been a clamor for certain individuals to go ( retire ) and for certain individuals to Not go ( resign ). Will we ever get to a point when we know the right time to go (or not go) without folks prodding?

Who is the real Bully?

Being a Bully is alright - We were asked to avoid the bullies growing up and being a bully was a bad thing that could result in social boycott. However, now very responsible people who occupy high offices seem to encourage and engage in bullying. The daily vitriolic spread is obnoxious and open hostility seems to have willing cheerleaders! Are we watching how kids can get influenced by this? ( MSD / Kohli during IPL, A Red-haired "gentleman" daily)...

Meddle the Middle - Universally, it looks like the Middle class pays for the extravagances of the Rich and the miseries of the Poor. Why do you need to make the middle class the scapegoat -- the rich and the poor don't pay taxes, don't repay the loans taken. Wonder what happens if the middle decides to rebel ???

These and many more such questions are on my mind which can take the shape of future discussions.

Meditation amidst chaos!

For now, I want to leave you with the image of a person who "meditated" in the full glow of cameras and prime-time news!

Perhaps this will give us a hope of how to balance the contradictions in life?

Shiva For Me

2017-11-09T14:43:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

In this auspicious Kaarthika Maasam, I would like to contemplate and reflect on Lord Shiva and share some thoughts with you.

Parameshwara

Let me start off with the naming - Lord Shiva is known as Parameshwara. The meaning of Parameshwara is "Supreme or Highest Lord" per Sanskrit.

The name and the meaning certainly tells us that Shiva is considered the "Highest" of the Lords. This practice is from the ancient time as the Sanskrit dictionary that I mentioned is among the early works of the civilization.

Ardhanarishvara

Ardhanarishwara - State of ultimate equilibrium !

Puranas tell us that Lord Shiva gave utmost importance to His wife Parvati. The picture depicted gives an indication of that where the Lord "splits" Himself into two equal parts and the left half of His body shows Parvati. It has also been portrayed as Prakriti (Parvati) and Purusha (Shiva) co-mingling together.

I would interpret this as the state of perfect equilibrium as the Masculine Transcendent is in combination with Feminine Energy. Adi Sankara tells us the same in Soundarya Lahiri mentioning that Lord Parvati moves Lord Shiva with Her energy. This representation seems to be unique to Shiva in Indian mythology.

Kaamadahana

The legend tells us that Shiva had burnt Manmada (reducing him to ashes) by opening his Third Eye when He was disturbed from His deep penance. Of course we know what happened next with Lord Shiva finally marrying Parvati who had given a boon to Rati Devi that Manmadha will have a body form only visible to Rati.

Forever in Contemplation

Kaama means desire and this can be interpreted that Lord Shiva is above all the desires and He burnt the very source of all desires. This is a very deep statement and philosophical as well - can be reinforced with so many images of Shiva deep in utmost concentration and deep contemplation.

Neelakantha

According to Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana among others, the Devas and Asuras churned the ocean to get Amrutam. During the course of getting to Amrutam, a very dangerous poison called Haala Hala came into being. The Devas and Asuras when faced with no choice rushed to Lord Shiva who swallowed Haala Hala and kept it in His throat earning him the name Neelakantha. He did this as if He let it go to His stomach, the whole universe
( that resides in Him ) would have got burnt.

This instance again can be interpreted as how we should lead our lives. When troubles come to us, we should not drown in sorrow and wallow in self-pity. We would need to be brave, face those challenges head-on and not let those take control of you. Neelakantha is clearly an inspiration for us!

Nandishwara

Nandi and Siva

The images of Nandi and Shiva Lingam are visible in any of the temples we see. Nandi serves as the Mount/Vahana for Shiva and is available at His beck and call. Nandi stays very close to Him so that there is no delay if he gets summoned.

Well, there is again a deep philosophical lesson to be learnt here. Nandi literally means Happiness and it shows that if you are faithful to Him and surrender to Him, all you have is Happiness! We can all learn that quality from Nandi and try to have no gap between us and the Lord! In fact the duality of God and Human only exists if we believe that we don't have divinity inside of us.

There is so much of "Shiva Tatva" that I or anyone cannot possibly look at all the aspects and interpret them. These are for now, my very first reflections and I am sure there would be many, many more in the coming future.

Om Namah Sivaya !!!

Demonetization or Demonization - Much Ado About Nothing?

2016-11-28T17:23:00.002+05:30

Hello Friends,

It has been a few days since the 1.2 Billion Indian population was caught completely unaware with the Prime Minister introducing what is now termed as "Once in a Life Time Change".

A Political and Economic Risk - will it pay off?

There have been reams written about it along with countless hours of electronic media coverage as well. I am here to add a perspective from a "Every Day Indian" as the other word is taken over by a political party.

To start off, I would like to put out a few questions as they seem to bother me the most.

Frustrating to stand in queue to take your own money!

The Timing - Agreed that there never is the best time to take such decisive and "bold" decisions, the timing is not ideal with Rabi season mid-way through in a nation that still depends on agriculture for the GDP. The hard felt impact on the agricultural laborers, farmers and of course the middle-men (who we love to hate) is bound to put things in perspective when we get to the harvesting time. With the marriage season commencing and with seemingly stupid guidelines (marriages only between certain dates)on who becomes eligible for the 2.5 Lakh withdrawal, the move will impact the average middle class citizen.

The Process - With a grand standing and an emotional quotient, the PM appealed to all the citizens to "bear" for 50 days with the promise of fair days ahead! The very first thing that went wrong was the announcement that money will be available from 10th November which did not happen. Each day, the government is forced to react and change rules - 4500 exchange to 2000 with indelible ink and so on. The rules kept changing through out and led to the earlier confused and in some cases frustrated people.

The Assumptions - It was a huge Leap of Faith assumption from the people in power that enough accounts were created under "Jan-Dhan" so that the deposits and exchange can be easy which even by looking at RBI's statistics of March were wrong. The assumption that folks who said Yes on an App on Smart Phones is being brandished as a vindication of the move - does the government truly believes that the rural folks who are suffering the most will have logged a response?

No one is spending - will it impact the Economy?

Accountability - It is widely understood that the PM stands accountable for this huge political and economic gamble, what is not clear yet is the reluctance to do so in the parliament which represents people's elected representatives. This is not the first time that this PM has done that - largely disappointing especially the former PM mocked for not being eloquent stands up and delivers a rousing speech!

The Growth - The long term growth seems to be still on track even with the current turmoil. That alone is still making people like me hope for a better future with the troubles that all of us are going through.

The "Digital" interpretations - The world around has changed dramatically of late - every sane question directed against the people in power is being branded as Anti-National in the social media. Even in the current scenario, questions asked of the actual process followed are ridiculed and jeered. Can't we agree to disagree instead of indulging in loud rhetoric?

Higher Denomination - Easy to hoard in future?

Why not "200"? - This is perhaps one of the biggest questions in my mind - when the government banned the higher denominations and introduces a new higher denomination, it stumps me! It is a nightmare to exchange a tough gotten 2000 Rs note - why did the government not think of introducing a 200 Rs currency instead?

The "Black" Money - The creation of "Black" money is a process and needs to be addressed in a end-end fashion. I am sure that there are concrete steps waiting to be taken which will address the issue (Gold, Property, Benami accounts etc.) as the current exercise subjected inconvenience and hardship to at least 90% of the population and the others listed perhaps will not impact the "White" population. I will hope to see the details on the real black money found during this exercise and the tax earned by the government.

ATM - All Time No Money :)

I will end the note on a positive "note" that the people are waiting to see "Acche Din" and hence are supporting this huge step. However, if those days are not coming soon, the patience on the ground will run out faster!

Here's to wishing to a "Cashless" and "ATM less" economy in the lines that the PM is expecting us to be! Till then, let's stand in the line, hope for the "cash" to show up in the still defunct ATMs and wish for a Digital India to come upon us soon!

Sundarakanda - Interpretation

2015-08-19T15:44:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

Favorite God for kids in India

I was always fascinated by the mythical hero "Hanuman" from my childhood. All the stories about his wisdom,strength,power and dedication to Rama left me spellbound. In fact my name being synonymous with Him made me feel special :)

I remember the countless times I heard Sundara Kanda through M S Rama Rao's immortal voice and it remains to date one of my favorites. I would like to attempt interpreting Sundara Kanda the only chapter where the hero of the epic takes a backseat and Hanuman takes center-stage.

Story

Self Realization strikes Hanuman

Sundara Kanda talks about the journey of Hanuman who sets out to find Sita who is captured by Ravana. Hanuman who does not know his strength; is goaded into action by Jambavan. Once he knows his true worth, sets off on a mission to reach Lanka by crossing the Indian Ocean. En route, faces several obstacles- Surasa who tries to swallow him and Hanuman becomes tiny and gets in and out of Surasa's mouth. He encounters others like Simhika and Lankini and effectively manages to kill/defeat.

In Lanka, he sees tremendous wealth, material marvels like Pushpaka Vimanam among others but does not let his mind wander from his goal of finding Sita. He mistakenly assumes Mandodari who is Ravana's wife to be Sita and celebrates prematurely. Then realizes that it cannot be Sita by discerning that Sita cannot live with Ravana.

Sita meets someone who she can trust

He prays to Rama for guidance and finally locates Sita in Ashokavanam. He is shaken by the plight of Sita and chooses to recite Rama's story as a way to win Sita's trust. He then exchanges the ring of Rama with Sita's Chudamani and assures Sita that Rama will arrive at the earliest to lead the destruction of Lanka and Ravana.

He proceeds to challenge the Rakshasas in Lanka to estimate their strength and leads to the proverb of "Chusi Ramante Kalchi Vachadu" (Burnt down Lanka when He was only asked to locate Sita). Finally, He reaches Rama and provides Him the joy and happiness so much so that the Lord Himself feels He has nothing to offer to Hanuman!

Interpretation

Sundara Kanda means a Beautiful Chapter and that is the first in line of many symbolic inner meanings. The chapter starts and ends with "Tat" which in Sanskrit could mean a river bank. It could be interpreted as Birth and Death for all of us.

The search for Sita is actually the search for Godliness within us. It is not an easy exercise and we will face a lot of challenges in getting there.

Sundara Kanda - In Pictures

The first one would be not knowing the true Self and assumption that we are worthless. Even after knowing the Inner Self, we tend to get distracted by the material desires that tempt us in all possible ways. Hanuman shows us the way in not getting distracted while on his search. The parallel of Surasa can be drawn to the fact that we need to be humble and well grounded. Hanuman also teaches us the importance of time as he refuses to accept an offer from Mynaka mountain to rest before he embarked the journey to Lanka.

Once we find Sita (God who resides in each of us), our duty becomes even more critical as we then need to clear ourselves of the influences of Ravana (every day evils we get caught up with).

So, in the spirit of Sundara Kanda, we will need to embark on the journey of life, realize the true purpose of it, keep ourselves out of evil influences that consume us all too easily and stay steadfast on to the true goal of merging with the Paramatma.

This is just an attempt to interpret a very complex chapter that can be full of deeper meanings and perhaps in the coming years, I might discover a few more with the help of all of you!

A Year That Went By - My Reflections

2015-05-19T15:32:00.000+05:30

Modi creates history

Hello Friends,

It has been a year now that we rejoiced at the sight of a "Chai-wala" sweeping the country's polls and forming the government without really the need of an ally. There have been a lot of media scorecards on the performance of the government and we know the "Prince" has given a 0 out of 10.
Here is my take on the government:

India and Germany - Key Partnership

Brand India: India desperately needed a Brand make-over as the previous government was mired in a lot of controversies over corruption and inefficiency. The world was trying to gauge how a rookie will develop the foreign policy without distancing from the traditional friends like Russia. This year saw the Prime minister embark and to a large extent succeed in building the "investment friendly", "culture of welcome" and "we are here to change" perceptions across the globe. India now has a chance to become the permanent member of UN Security Council, staying close to Russia, yet receiving investments from US, talk (for now) openly about the border dispute with China, head the BRICS bank and finally pitch the "Make In India" for the global investors. I would give a 9 out of 10 for this segment.

Flagship Programs: This year alone saw an unprecedented initiatives being launched in India. Starting off with "Swachh Bharat", we saw a lot of new programs like "Jan-Dhan", "Skill India",

Isn't it funny to see each one pushing the dirt to the next?

"Make In India", "Digital India" and so on. We have to admit that all these have noble intent along with the fact that the party had come to power after a long time and trying to play to the necessary section of voters. It is not enough just have an intent, the content/execution is equally important - this is where the government will be tested in the coming years. As a foundation, these programs will serve a purpose if executed well and not add many more for the sake of names/numbers. There are instances like the "Swachh Bharat" is just a Photo-Op for "celebrities" of the country which makes me give this about 7 this year and will either move up or down based on execution.

Facing challenges in passing legislation

Economics: The government has not done too badly in this sector. This alone is a cause of concern as with the global crude prices being at an all time low, the CAD (Current Account Deficit) did come down presenting an opportunity to kick-start the economy. However, the government was timid in the first budget and by the time the second one came along had to encounter an arrogant opposition bent upon blocking all the legislation. Key bills like GST, Land Acquisition are still languishing without any clear line of sight - no bold decision of convening a joint parliamentary meeting to pass these is mooted. The contradictions of "We will allow FDI in all sectors but not in Retail" will not move us too forward. The MAT tax issues and others have made the FIIs worried and halted the bull run on BSE. The net FDI in this year has not matched to the expectations of the government. Though the growth rate of the country is the fastest in the world, it could have been much better. I would rate about 6 primarily as the reforms have not yet seen the light of the day.

Governance: The government when sworn in gave us all a hope with the nice slogan "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance". It lived up to it's promise by only having 45 ministers and focusing on governance. The initial media reports also covered the fact that the Babus were made to

People voted for this - yet to see this in action

come to work on time and their file turn around times were measured. PMO watching the time each department took to clear the files added to the feeling that we are moving fast. But certain things don't change, we now have 66 ministers and some of who face criminal charges showing us how thin we are on leadership material! The projects in Railways for example needs a professional management team to oversee the progress as we have a backlog that costs us lakhs of crores. So, on the governance factor, I would be inclined to give it a 5.

Controversies certainly didn't help the Govt.

Out of turn speakers: This government had to face a lot of embarrassments with several of it's ministers, MPs and party members speak out of turn. In the current 24X7 world of media and sensational journalism, these senseless acts get magnified and take the eye of the core issues. Be it Sushma's choice of National Book, "Haaramzaada" comment, color of Sonia deciding her role in Congress, MPs wondering if smoking kills etc. are all bad and shows how poorly the leadership handles the "moment seekers". I would rate about 2 on this segment.

Finally, with all the things concerned coupled with the fact that we really don't have an alternative, we will need to put the trust in this government. We will need to watch how it performs and delivers on the programs that it announced. All in all, my scorecard for the PM gives him a 6 out of 10. Here's wishing that he takes this as a reprimand and moves closer to 10!

Prahlada's Story - Interpretation

2014-11-26T15:26:00.002+05:30

Hello Friends,

In continuation with my earlier attempt, I would like to proceed further on interpreting one of the very common tales in Bhagavatam. This one is related to Hiranyakashapa,Prahlada and the emergence of Lord Vishnu in the form of Narsimha to save his devotee.

The Tale

Hiranyakashapa is a demon who performs a penance to get death only in near impossible conditions and hence becomes strong in the knowledge that no one can kill him. He then proceeds to conquer the world and believes he is the Lord of the Universe and makes all his subjects worship him.

He has a son named Prahlada who is a strong devotee of Vishnu.Various attempts by Hiranyakashapa to stop his son from believing in Vishnu fail. Hiranyakashapa finally runs out of patience and has a debate with his son on the all pervasive nature of God, points to a pillar and asks if Vishnu resides in it. Prahlada replies in the affirmative and Hiranyakashapa breaks the pillar only to see Lord Narsimha take shape who eventually kills him. Prahlada is saved by the God who he believed in and in all circumstances.

Interpretation

Let's start our interpretation with the names of the three principal actors though Shakespeare says: "What's in a name? that which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet".

Hiranyakashapa: The name translated means one who is covered with Gold - indicating the person who is is forever obsessed with material benefits and believes in being invincible.

Prahlada: Ahlada means excessive joy and happiness and Prahlada means one who finds happiness anywhere.

Vishnu: One of the many meanings to this word means the nature of being everywhere.

Now, let's return to the tale and the interpretation.

Hiranyakashapa believes his body can remain forever and wants to avoid death. He teaches us the lesson that it is the soul that remains forever and bodily forms come and go.The fact that he thinks he needs to be worshiped can be related to the fact that we want people to adulate us when we think we are successful.

Aristotle too, agrees with Prahlada !

Prahlada on the other hand attributes to his existence and every activity to the supreme and surrenders at His mercy. He believes that the God resides everywhere and the moment we realize the same, we can start seeing goodness and godliness in every one.

The climax of the story admonishes Hiranyakashapa and us who think that God can exist only in certain "designated" places. So, we should start believing that God is omnipresent and not limit His presence just to temples.

Finally, the moral of the story would be to treat your existence as a means towards the End and not the end in itself.

Smart Phones....yes...but are We becoming Stupid ?

2014-10-01T13:38:00.002+05:30

Hello Friends,

As the dust settles down on the reviews of the newly launched iPhone6, I sat down to look at some of the things of the past. All of these are touched by the "smart phones" and made me wonder if we are better off with them or otherwise.

Read on....

1. Memory becomes Touch - Long gone are the days when we used to really "dial" the numbers. When you do that repeatedly to your friends and family, you remembered all the numbers you dial. Now, with the cell phones around, you don't use the grey matter at all - just touch the contact and there you go !

2. Research becomes Google - When you had to buy a product/write an exam/visit a new country etc. you were actually meeting people or reading up books and in general did a thorough research that helped you. Now, you don't need to do a thing beyond typing what you need and leave the rest for your best pal to search.

3. Run becomes Temple Run - All of us grew up by playing with our friends in the play grounds and had to be chided by our parents to ensure that we come back to our homes. Now, there isn't a need to do that - kids are more than happy to spend all their free time (if it exists) by playing on the Tabs/Phones. They probably are learning a lot , but yet at the same time, losing out on the actual physical exertion that's needed at that age.

4. Book becomes Facebook - The time that was perhaps used earlier for reading books of interest is now spent logging on and staying on Facebook. While the die-hard book worms aren't impacted by this, but the casual readers are. The average time spent by an adult on social networking sites is going up each day - but is it at the cost of something important?

5. Social Etiquette - This is more of a perception and only based on observations made. Ever since we have the smart phones, the amount of time we spend in doing a face-face conversation has come down drastically. This has become so widely spread that the places of worship are forced to put up boards of "No Cellphone" ! The family even if together has each of the members updating Status on FB or Messaging on Whatsapp or kids playing games...each of them in a Virtual World and not the Real One.

Time for some introspection....

- Pavan

Gajendra Moksha - Interpretation

2014-09-18T12:44:00.003+05:30

Hello Friends,

Treasure Coves Of Wisdom

I have been listening to Scriptures of late and it has been an enlightening experience. With the rich symbolism, they teach you the pursuit and the actual purpose of life. I know it sounds philosophical - but trust me the teachings are entwined in tales that are relevant even after thousands of years.

In the "Robert Langdon" style, I have picked Gajendra Moksha, a very common tale from Srimad Bhagavatam to interpret based on the inner meaning.

The Tale

Lord Vishnu rescuing Gajendra

Gajendra is a very powerful elephant who has a retinue of wives and kids. Gajendra is revered and feared in the forest near Trikuta mountain. One day he along with his wives and kids gets lost and happens to notice a beautiful lake and gets into the lake to take bath. Once in the lake, he loses control over himself, sprays himself around, ruins the flowers and disturbs the aquatic creatures. Makara, the crocodile gets upset and catches the elephant's leg in a flash and refuses to let it go. A great fight ensues for thousand years and at the end of which, Gajendra realizes that it is no match to Makara inside it's territory. Gajendra's wives leave him to his fate and do not help him. The elephant then prays to the Almighty and puts itself completely at His mercy following which Lord Vishnu runs from his abode and kills the crocodile thereby rescuing Gajendra from his misery.

Interpretation

Bible / Bhagavatam - Not that different !!!

Gajendra is actually a symbol that reflects a human being. Trikuta ( meaning a 3 layered hill ) denotes the 3 states of consciousness - Jagruth (Waking ), Swapna (Dreaming) and Sushputi (Dreamless and Soul conscious Sleep) and it can also indicate 3 Gunas or state of life we go through - Sattva ( Pure and Steady ) , Rajas ( Passion and Motion ) and Tamas ( Darkness and Negativity). It indicates that we go through these phases each day of our lives.

We believe that we are invincible and identify ourselves with the body and material benefits we accumulate. We lose our original path of realizing the real SELF that is inside us and concentrate on the external temptations. We get into the material routine goaded by our desires ( wives in the tale ), feel that it is happiness and forget our true purpose of life. Some of the crocodiles that catch us are the stress, jealousy and ego.

Unfortunately, in the real world, we don't become wise like Gajendra and try to discover ourselves before it is too late. However, IF we are true to the story, we will start to realize that the true bliss / Paramatma resides inside us who will then set us free.

- Pavan

The Great Indian Tamasha....Arriving In a Polling Booth Near Your Home

2014-03-14T12:50:00.001+05:30

Mandatory to be able to vote

Tickets/Voter ID - You must be 18 or above to participate in the elections unlike the theaters which do not enforce the "Adult" rated movies to bar kids. If you think getting your hands on the first day tickets of a Rajani movie was impossible, think again - having a Voter ID card with no mistakes and a valid vote is much more in the improbable domain. Having an online registration helps to an extent - but we still have a long way to go. I am looking forward for the day when people can cast their vote wherever they are in the world.

Up or Down?

Main Star Cast - This year, we have a movie that will see many actors perform and it remains to be seen who will "act" the best! By and large, the country will have 2 Lead Actors head against each other, though in pockets there might be the Mango Man who might play a spoil sport along with the Regional Satraps ( read 3rd Front ) all of who perennially dream of becoming the PM. Ra Ga is a "Leader" courtesy his family name and Na Mo has been accepted in his own party (despite the grand old man, who is still sulking ) only after the clamor became too hard to ignore. So, will it be a family name vs a promise of change...we will have to wait and see.

Shop that sells all flags

Supporting Cast - Growth happens cyclically for these actors who are associated with the polls. They are the Liquor shops, Florists ( who make those giant garlands ), Transport companies (who ferry people to meetings ), Poster/Flex makers, Sport shops (widespread belief that you gift a cricket kit, you are assured of youth votes ), Ad agencies, municipalities that own large public grounds etc.

Dignified Journalism - thing of past

Technical Crew (Visual effects, Action, Drama etc ) - This constitutes of...you guessed it and you guessed it right..the Media. With Electronic Media becoming to what Bond referred to as evil in "Tomorrow Never Dies", it's power to influence gullible public has grown tremendously.The opinion polls, exit polls, pointless discussions which encourage fist-fights, forceful push-down of opinions ...all in all a master class performance from this team of As and Bs ( read Arnabs and Barkhas ).

Let's come out in large numbers

Guest appearance ( Also Starring ) - Yes, you are right again...it is the Indian Voter. He/She who has the opportunity to vote and decide the fate of the country every 5 years. A button on the machine and a mark on your index finger...that's it and you have made your contribution ! While there are debates on what one vote can do, I urge all my fellow voters ( who after all the pain to get themselves registered ) to exercise their vote and not treat the voting day as a holiday.

Producers - Indian tax payer produces this movie to try and reap the benefits of a good administration. While we can debate if the producers had a choice, we need to accept the fact that despite numerous challenges, the EC does release this movie in time each time.

Counting - Can be nail biting at times

BO Verdict/Results - The counting of votes and announcement of results always are exciting and bring back those memories of waiting for my answer sheet to be given to me after my exams. With each name pronounced ( each vote being counted ), you are that closer to knowing your own fate.

Finally, I would like to hope that these elections are going to be held in a free and fair manner and will give us a stable government that can focus on development and not individual agenda.

Happy Voting !!!

Pavan

What ails Indian Home Cricket - 5 C Effect ?

2013-02-14T14:55:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

I have been away from this forum for a few months and in the time I was away, Indian Cricket lost it's way losing the first ever home series to England in decades and might do that again to Australia very soon.

England maul India - A sign of times to come ?

It pains an Indian fan to see their team bullied in home conditions and when their team does not even offer a token of fight. While reams have been written about how lucky we were to have great middle order batsmen and a legendary leg spinner playing together and how once the great players retire, the decay inevitably sets in - this article is an attempt to not look at those, but look at a few perhaps (overlooked ) factors that are causing the trouble.

Ever since IPL has ushered in the new era of professional cricket in India, there have been a few un-intended side effects . I am not going to moan about 20-20 and the instant commercial gratification. It boils down to 5 C effect - they are :

Humidity In Chennai - Not a problem !

1. Conditions - India had been a land of mystery for a lot of people till late. For cricketers from outside India, the conditions here were a HUGE factor that they needed to adjust. It could be the humidity in Chennai, fog in Delhi and Kolkata, the road drives in Cutack,the sweltering heat in Jaipur etc. Thanks to the IPL, these are now known and experienced first hand each year. The novelty does not exist and the foreign teams can easily get used to the conditions when they come touring.

Partisan crowd - not a factor any more

2. Crowd - Most of the cricketers outside India hardly have the experience of playing before large crowds. It plays on your nerves when 100K supporters are baying for your blood and appealing or start cheering every run scored by the home team. The "crowd-mastering" art too is now in the foreign players' scrap book based on their experience of visiting India every year.

3. Culture - When you travel across India, you would need to get used to different kinds of culture that might include getting used to local cuisine. We grew up hearing stories of "upset stomach" of English men and others that played a role in their defeats earlier. In this time and age, it cannot happen as perhaps the visiting players are aware of the restaurants that serve their own food thanks to their IPL experience and explorations.

4. Coaches - With every IPL team employing the "No Indian Coach" policy, the foreign coaches have entered the system and have gained very valuable insights of the local conditions, players, emerging Indian players etc. which can easily be tapped into by the national teams.

Watmore and Moody - pass the local knowledge back ?

5. Cricket - Finally, the last and the most powerful C - Cricket itself. The awareness of how to adjust to low bounce pitches ,spinning tracks, diving across the barren outfields, variations that exist within the Indian bowlers (Ashwin's Carrom ball for example ) are no longer theory - the touring players get invaluable match knowledge when playing here.

While I do not claim that this is an exhaustive list, I tend to think that there is some truth in why foreign teams do not mind touring India any more due to some of these factors. BCCI on the other hand imposes a ban on Indian players playing in outside leagues there-by killing any chances of our players becoming better ones. I am all for free trade and players plying their skills before they get to retire, but it should be a mutual experience and not one-way as it is currently where players can only come to India and not vice-versa.

Let me know what you think.

Until next time.

- Pavan

Tolerance

2012-10-25T12:33:00.004+05:30

Hello Friends,

It has been a long time that I wrote something and the recent spate of incidents have made me write this piece. Please try to read this and let me know your thoughts.

A Sign Of Our Times

Tolerance itself means the ability to endure/bear and respect with patience divergent views, thoughts, regions, religions and have a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own.

As you can infer, Tolerance in today's world only exists in Dictionaries and no where else. What it tells you is that we are increasingly becoming a society of "My Way or No Way" !

Is this what Religion has taught us to do?

In a larger context, all religions were created to peacefully co-exist and identify paths to merge with God albeit in different directions. Of late, the fervor and the relish shown in denouncing and issuing death warrants is not similarly shown in following the peaceful missions. It makes me wonder if our faith is SO WEAK that we believe our god/religion is bad just because some one portrays it in the wrong light ? Should we not be tolerant and let the dirty noises scream aloud till their voices become hoarse when they would stop doing it themselves? I prescribe to the tolerant version and I guess the trend however is all about "proscription" !

"Students" Protest -Should we be proud ?

Extending the same logic that I mentioned for religion, the same is applicable to a lot of other aspects in today's world and more so closer home. The tolerance towards people from other regions/castes/books and even movies is at an all time low. When confronted with reality, the only way out seems to be hitting out and indulging in mindless acts of violence in the name of "principles". Every day the media covers the sensational "news" rather than focusing on developmental or otherwise normal things that go on.

Remember this - Change starts with us

The question arises...are we no longer tolerant towards everything in life ? I say, NO. We are tolerant...WE ARE Tolerant towards Corruption, Politicians, Bureaucracy, Corporate Greed and so on. We brook them as if they are here to stay and our faith in them is unshakable ! It is ironic and perhaps funny that these are issues that directly impact all of us negatively, yet we do not choose to be intolerant towards them and try to change or force a change.

My theory on this is because we believe these are too large and can't be achieved by a single man's efforts. We can be easily intolerant and act violently when in a crowd - remember, Man is a Social Animal and can be an "animal" only when in a crowd and not when needed to confront things individually ?

I urge all of us to be intolerant towards the larger evils in life which when tamed will bring greater joy and makes us progress. Let's reject all modes of mob culture that promotes intolerance and inculcates violence on items that really do NOT matter.

Until next time.

Pavan

Of Magical Wrists And A Golden Heart

2012-08-24T15:28:00.000+05:30

On 18th August, 2012 at around 4:35 PM, the test match fan in me died when I heard the words "Effective Immediate". My childhood hero and a legend from my land - VVS Laxman bade good bye to International Cricket and Cricket will never be the same to me.

Laxman's retirement - Leaves a void

Laxman retired with not so great numbers - a test batting average of around 46 , having played 134 tests and taken more than 100 catches. But Laxman has never been a man of numbers or else he would have had many more. If any one can come up with a weighted average of how those runs are scored ( opposition, conditions etc. ), he will have the highest average amongst current Indian batsmen.

Laxman has been the consummate team man when he played and also remains that way at the time of his retirement deciding to listen to his "inner voice" that urged him to quit for the sake of youngsters.

It is very easy to identify people of my time with Laxman - middle class, god fearing and from Hyderabad. Laxman has always been a personal favorite ever since he made his debut for India as he is easy on eyes and gives so much joy to people who watch him play. At times, he frustrated us too as he was not consistent enough with the amount of talent he had and later on sacrificed his favorite position and also his stroke play to stay in the team. In my book, he is the Best Indian No.3 (281 and 108 in Eden and Sydney show why) but since Dravid played in the same era, he didn't have enough opportunities to bat there.

Sights like these were common - Aussies getting hammered by VVS

Laxman's batting was always a treat to watch, you never get tired of watching those supple and magical wrists that come into play. He stood tall in his crease with a perfect balance and used his magic to play those amazing strokes at the very last minute that raced away to the fence. He could play the ball inside out over cover or unleash his flick past midwicket to the same ball. In the most glorious form of his life that lasted from March 2001 through May 2004, he was streets ahead of every other Indian batsmen and perhaps even the best at times in the world.

Laxman during the last five years had played the brand of cricket that has become more consistent that saw his free stroke play being curtailed and him emerging as a key match winner or saviour especially in the 4th innings. Perhaps he was told that his team would be well served if he stayed till the end and bats with the tail, one more item indicating his team ahead of self.

There are many things we can learn from him - the "can win" attitude in ALL situations, calmness in the eye of troubled times,the ability to embrace adversity and coming out on top and being the consummate gentleman without a trace of controversy throughout his career. His career longevity should be admired as he had only his talent to bank on ( compared to others who had Godfathers or Media ). It is very easy to dismiss his achievements by linking them to cricket - but if you can learn to imbibe his qualities in any sphere of life, you would surely be a winner.

I have consciously resisted ranking or rating his innings, all of them remain wonderful memories that made us Indians believe that we can compete with the best and win ! His 281 is a folklore story and will serve as inspiration to any budding cricketer and his century in Pakistan in 2004 in the deciding ODI again talks of how he succeeds when every one failed.

I can go on and on about Laxman, but to end this article or my tribute to him, I would like to wish him all the best in his future and I hope he is at peace with himself post the emotional retirement. His place in Indian Batting Legends is assured and for me, he remains a man of magical wrists and a golden heart.

Au revoir !!!

Pavan

A to Z Of Olympics

2012-08-13T12:09:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

I write again, a day after the Olympics have ended on a high note for India. Statistically, India did a 100% improvement over the last games and got closer to the Top 50 nations in the world. Here is my look back at the last 15 eventful days with focus on Indian athletes:

Our Medal Winners - Hope there are many more in Rio '16 !!!

A for Archery and Athletics- These two events turned out to disappoint all the Indian fans - more so in Archery where we had the World No.1 who didn't do well and instead of accepting defeat gracefully chose to blame everything except her lack of skill/application.

B for Badminton and Boxing - 2 determined women from diverse backgrounds made us proud. Saina who already was a superstar won in unfortunate circumstances and Mary Kom galvanized the nation with her never-die spirit, winning a medal and united the fighting groups within Manipur.

D for Devandro Singh - Devandro Singh was the Indian boxer who impressed me the most - nicknamed "Chota Tyson", he did well but lost out controversially, but I believe his time would come soon.

F for Football - Brazil missed the gold again, lost out to Mexico this time at the final hurdle. Perhaps serious introspection time for them as they currently stand at 13 on FIFA rankings.

G for Gymnastics - Gymnastics always fascinated me ever since Nadia epitomized human perfection. The reality shows in India that masquerade as "Dance shows" portray folks twisting their bodies - can they be encouraged to do this and represent India and also some of the tribals who do amazing stunts on roads?

H for Hockey - The worst ever result for a 8 time Gold Medalist - 12th among 12 countries tells a story so strong that the Sports Ministry declared that Hockey is no longer the national game for the country.

J for Judo - For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia allowed women athletes to compete and though Wojdan lost her match in less than a minute, it was a huge step forward for Saudi women.

M for Michael Phelps - The greatest Olympian ever bowed out after collecting 18 gold medals - an amazing athlete with loads of talent backed up with hard work. He is a perfect case of going out on a high - our Mumbai man...is he listening? ;-)

O for Officials - This is the greatest news - only 20 officials travelled with the team this time compared to around 165 in Beijing. A pat on the back to Ajay Maken and team - taxpayer's money well spent.

R for Rio - Rio is going to approach us in 4 years time and the passing of baton/torch during closing ceremony reminded Brazil of the high standards that it needs to meet and the long road ahead.

S for Shooting - India continued the tradition started by Bindra and ended up with one silver and one bronze. Vijay and Gagan made us proud and Joydeep missed the medal by a whisker. Hope this continues.

T for Tennis - If only there are medals for "Verbal Volleys", India would have won Doubles and Mixed Doubles ! It was a disgraceful performance from the so called "stars" who simply could not win and were happy to project their egos instead of focusing their attention on their sport.

U for Usain Bolt - The fastest man on earth and a true legend who successfully defended 100m and 200m with record timings and also won the team relay event twice. Despite the huge expectations, he emerged strongest amidst the doubters - a lesson to learn in managing the expectations and performing.

W for Wresting - India's flag bearer- Sushil shone on the concluding day and along with Yogeshwar delivered the nice finishing touch. Sushil especially was magnificent and lost out on Gold but became the only Indian to win in successive Olympics.

Well, to conclude what has been an amazing odyssey, I urge all of you to continue following all other sports and not limit yourself to Cricket. Only then the sponsors would come forward and support our ailing athletes and we can dream of more medals from them. Let's not focus on Olympics only once in 4 years, but start it right now and support them who go through a lot despite the system that gives them little.

Jai Hind !!!

Cheers

Pavan

An Olympic Dream

2012-07-26T14:18:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

A day before the 30th Summer Olympics are launched that would see a record number of countries and athletes contest , I would like to reflect on what I would like to see achieved over the next couple of weeks.

Olympics - A Symbol Of What Is Possible !

Olympics as an event has grown in stature and size from a mere 17 countries participating in the first Modern Olympics of 1896 in Athens. Now, it has come to symbolize the very essence of human triumph against the physical/mental barriers we have set for ourselves. On the other side, it has become to mean huge economic investments for the host nation that would reap the rewards through Economic growth (Greece seems to be an exception so far), Tourism and Cultural exchanges that might positively impact the society at large.

What I would like to see

We all have our favorite Olympic moments ranging from Jesse Owens silencing Hitler with his performance, Nadia Comăneci with her perfect 10, Bubka burying his Olympic jinx, Bolt's celebration after 100 and 200m victories and so on. All these have epitomized human endurance limits and have pushed the boundaries of impossible much further. Below are my wish list for this Olympics :

Oscar Pistorius - An Inspiration for everyone !

Sub 9 second sprint of 100 metres
10 metre long jump
Oscar Pistorius, ("Blade Runner") the first Double-Amputee winning a medal in 400 m in the able bodied competition
India winning a medal in Hockey after 32 years
Michael Phelps doing a repeat of 8 gold medal

Indian Expectations

From an Indian perspective, I do believe that there is a lot of optimism in the air as always. With the media coverage, sports like boxing, wrestling, archery are getting their fair share of air waves and the sportsmen do feel recognized like never before.

Here are my medal hopefuls for India:

1. Deepika Kumari in Archery

Deepika - A small town girl might bring us back Olympic Glory

2. Mary Kom in Boxing

3. Saina Nehwal in Badminton

4. Leander Paes and Sania Mirza in Tennis (not withstanding the ill-will)

5. Vijender Singh in Boxing

6. Sushil Kumar in Wrestling

7. Gagan Narang and/or Abhinav Bindra in Shooting

8. Indian Hockey Team

Bindra - The Man With The Golden Finger !

For decades Indians have been poor competitors and believed strongly in Pierre de Coubertin's theory of "participation being

more important than winning". We have had many near misses and heart burns like Milkha Singh in 1960 and PT Usha in 1984. Since Atlanta 1996 when Leander gave us our first medal in decades, we made steady progress and reached the gold with Abhinav breaking the mental blocks of under-achievement. The new age Indian athletes are blessed with immense self-belief and "I can" attitude and along with better infrastructure (though archaic compared to giants like China, US and Europe) do make us feel that they have it in them to win and not just compete.

I am sticking my neck out and my prediction for this Indian contingent is to win 5 medals across the disciplines I mentioned. I hope my prediction is wrong on the lower side and we win much more. What are your predictions ?

Here's wishing the Indian Olympic Team all the success and saluting the spirit that they represent of fighting against all odds in a "non-sportive" ( read non-cricket ) country like India.

Cheers

Pavan

Between The Lines

2012-07-11T12:42:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

After having watched one of the closely contested Wimbledon's finals which threw up a 7 time Champion and made all the English fans wait for another year, I wanted to write something on "between the lines".

The lines - teach you to be accurate and exact ?

The lines do play a huge role in whether a player wins or loses! Tennis like a lot of other sports actually conducts itself strictly "between the lines" - Cricket, Badminton, Athletics, Basketball etc. all operate between the lines in some form or shape.

The lines - predict your future ?

Our fascination with the lines do not end with Sports alone. There is a very popular "science/art" of judging our future based on the lines on your hand. Palmists across the world rely on the lines and claim to predict accurately our past, present and the unknown future. I heard some one say that "Your destiny is in your hands" - meaning the way we work makes our lines form in certain way and it is left to the palmists to make predictions based on that.

The Line - A key definition of Morals

One other instance that comes to my mind that highlights the importance of "lines" - the defining "Lakshman Rekha" that Sita had crossed. That line was more symbolic in nature that told us that however virtuous you might be, there is a moral line that you should not cross even in the times of distress. If you do so, then you are bound to land up in peril like Sita did.

So, all my friends - let us be aware of the lines we have around us and try to play within them, build our future well and finally do not cross the moral lines that we know for any immediate short term needs.

Till next time.

Cheers

Pavan

Dial L For A Leader

2012-07-05T15:47:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

I have asked a few of my friends/colleagues who do they identify as The "Leader". The responses have been mostly uniform - some one who can inspire you, some one who you can look up to, some one who unites people for common good, some one who you can trust and so on.

Great Leaders Of Recent Past - Can any one match them now ?

The next question I had was who do you think is that Leader in the current times. The answers I got were shocking (?) - none of them had replied immediately that indicates that we are in a short supply of the leaders. Even when they did answer, the answers were qualified with "With no clear choice of a great leader, I am prepared to say this is the one for now". We are in a generation of pygmies and it is increasingly becoming difficult to find a tall leader.

Polity

The most natural leaders are found often in the field of polity. The current generation of leaders are bereft of ideas, morals, conviction and the ability to connect with the common man. TINA ( There is no alternative ) is what is making them survive and pile on the agony across the globe. No wonder why we are facing crisis situations repeatedly with no real permanent solutions that are thought through - mostly inaction combined with vain hope is in vogue.

Do you think they collectively represent the global leadership ?

Economy

For a long period of time, no matter which side you belonged to ( Capitalist or Communist ), the world was making progress in making people economically stronger. With the free market regime firmly in it's place, economic diseases are easily contagious and the old adage of "When Greece sneezes, the rest of the world catches the cold" is very true. Again, there is no clear thinking leader or nation that has come out with a plan on how do we come of this deepest financial mess in which all of us are locked in. The rate cut scandals and the case of high flying CEOs at the cost of profitability of the companies leaves a bad taste in mouth.

Culture and Sports

Often, the general public takes a refuge in Culture and Sports for emotional relief and sometimes inspiration. A case in point was the triumph of the Afghan cricket team when their country was going through it's worst civil war. However, we no longer have countries across the globe that are unique in language, culture and traditions - we have rapidly lost our identities to please our global partners. With our deep rooted culture rapidly vanishing, there is nothing that truly bonds or creates an identity of which people can be proud of.

In the urge to "integrate", do we lose these very soon ?

I will end this by saying this :

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥७॥
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥८॥

This is from Gita that says that whenever there is a true need for the right to win over the evil, we would have a Leader (God's incarnation) - if there is any time for that to happen, this surely is the time !

I am dialing hard for the Leader - are you too ? :)

Cheers

Pavan

Of Reds, Blues, Pinks....Whites and Blacks

2012-06-26T12:35:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

As I sit on a gloomy day and turn around for a "colorful" inspiration, I do not find it anywhere. That made me ponder about a topic I didn't really think before - the issue of Colors. Every one around me is dressed in "somber" colors and the ones that blend in and not stand out.

Wimbeldon - Players In Whites

As Wimbeldon starts yet another year seeped in traditions where the players are supposed to be only in Whites and the umpires in Green, it looks amazing how conditioned we get mentally based on the colors we are supposed to wear!

Let's now get to the color Red - it is surprising that this color is interpreted in multiple ways - can mean Danger/Stop and when associated with Roses takes a romantic tenor. If a man wears Red, he is branded to be a comrade and if a lady wears it, then it must be a special occasion - a wedding (true in most Indian Weddings).

A typical "Girly Store"

Blue is always associated with Boys and Pink with girls in the West and this is really catching up as a trend globally. If a boy likes wearing Pink - he is constantly mocked at and told that Pink is feminine. In the same way, girls are fed with the consistent message that "Pink is your only color" through media, fashion world and market. It has grown to such an extent that, now, there is an anti-pink campaign in UK that's called "Pink-Stinks" that the women there have started. Color cannot and should not be a gender stereotype.

Black is usually worn in the case of public mourning in the west and White is the color preferred to do the same in the east. So, again a case of type-casting the occasion when a certain color is used. At work place, any one who comes in dazzling Orange/Purple are definitely made aware that this is not welcome and the advice pours in from every one that "faded" colors like Grey, Brown etc. are the ones that pass acceptability!

"Fairness" - An societal obsession that is a boon for product makers

For every Govinda we have in a generation, there are millions of people who conform to the "unwritten color codes" we have in the society.What is not surprising is that our color "sense" extends beyond the dress we wear and gets to the skin as well. Umpteen advertisements are shown ( originally for women and now more so for men ) of "Fairness" creams/gels etc. that will make us miraculously change the skin color in a matter of minutes ! The obsession to be "fair" stays just on the surface and not beyond :-) .

Till the next time.

- Pavan

Of Bails and BailOuts !!!

2012-06-11T15:27:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

Of late, the most common word that is found in the news is the "Bail". It's distant cousin "Bail-Out" is often heard too in the economic circles.

Is he coming out of a jail or a victorious campaign ?

The recent spate of "Leaders" from all walks of life entering into jails is growing at an alarming rate in our country. The taxpayers' money is spent on treating the VIPs in a royal manner when they are behind the bars. The money trail is irrevocably lost and the investigating agencies put up a token fight only to let all of them get away. The "Bailing" out of these people will create news the first day and a few days later, another news maker gets to the prison only for us to forget about the earlier people. How many of us still remember the Software CEO is out on bail cooling off his heels and can totally be out of his woes once the white collar crime period ( which is 7 years for any Corruption charges ) gets over in a few years ? Public memory is short and it is bound to be so when the media tries to sensationalize events that suit them.

A Culprit accorded a Hero's welcome - Do we care ?

The moral fabric if it exists has become so thin and irrelevant that I have heard people mention that every one is corrupt...so, how does it matter ? It is really a sad commentary on how comfortable we have all become in the knowledge that we do not care any more and we take it for granted that this would continue.

Hopefully the situation won't continue for too long or otherwise the next generation kids will learn B for Bail ( instead of B for Ball ) !!!

The other word I wanted to tackle is the "Bail-out". We have seen nations like Greece and Spain being rescued by IMF, Euro Bank and other financial organizations. In a global economy, we were told that unless you are competitive and be a visionary, you cannot survive. But these examples of countries being bailed out when they have done the reverse is not a good sign at all. Again, like the leaders on bail, the countries on bailout would move on as if nothing has happened and continue to blow their money instead of trying to work harder, spend wisely and most importantly be responsible with fiscal situation. In this case too, the money spent is all lost and no one really makes an effort to understand how to recover the money and how to ensure that it does not happen again ! So, who is next in this list ?

A Scary Ride For Non Passengers who will pay for those who are inside !!!

In an economy that thankfully still grows at a rate that is impressive compared to others in the world (despite all the corruption, analysis-paralysis ), I would like to believe that the best time is still ahead of us.

Till next time.

Pavan

IPL - eh...it's over !!!

2012-05-31T17:28:00.001+05:30

Hello Friends,

Last weekend, we finally saw IPL (the league that always threatens not to end with meaningless matches) end in which a new team emerged winner.

KKR - SRK's Team finally makes it !!!

I want to use IPL- Cricket League and compare it with the other "league"- Indian Politicians. So, IPL can stand for any of the 2 : Indian Premier League or Indian Political League.

Chaos Is The Key

For the IPLs' listed above, one of the common success criterion is absolute chaos that would make them "viewer/voter" friendly. T20 is a format that thrives on constant chaos - there is absolutely no time for any niceties of "settling-in" or "setting-up" for a batsman and a bowler respectively. What happens is a constant slam bang that is lustily cheered.

Similarly, the politicians take a lot of delight in creating a chaos and try to create confusion amongst the public in this democratic nation. While people were told that we made great progress in the 3 years of UPA, the next day we get hit with an all time petrol hike which was inevitable.

Politicians celebrate - Are people happy ?

Deliberate Diversions

The money involved in IPL - cricket version made it a prime candidate for match/spot fixing from it's inception. Open Conflict of Interest issues ( BCCI President owning a team and Chief Selector being a patron etc. ) / "Fixed" Auctions/ Backroom deals for Uncapped Indian Players/ Dual methods of payment ( Gayle's example of being the brand ambassador ) are the sort that can make any cricket enthusiast view it with suspicion and revulsion at times. Instead of tackling them, IPL (read BCCI) chooses only to punish the young players ( Jadeja, Manish Pandey and 5 others this year ).

Similarly, when the Indian Parliament is in session, instead of acting on critical legislative items like Lokpal, NCTC and others, we have the HRD minister apologize about a Cartoon published in 1949 ! Did any one need that at all ?

Does he inspire confidence in handling corruption?

Brand Power

It is not all bad news actually :) IPL is now a Global Brand - though it is in it's infancy compared to EPL and other leagues in US, IPL does provide good return on investment. For the owners of franchises that were originally part of IPL, it provided them a good return based on the amount of money Pune and Kochi had to shell out to be part of IPL last year. The media companies do hail it as a "consistent media phenomenon" that provides TRPs and Internet/Twitter following that is difficult to be matched.

Looking at younger politicians like Jr. Scindia, Sachin Pilot and others, the brand India is certainly on the upward trend. India and it's successful democratic experience is always viewed with awe across the globe given the complexities Indian Politics provides.

Numbers don't lie - Do They ?

We The People

Finally, like always - We The People are given the last chance to be represented. We, as passionate Indian Cricket Fans would continue to support any cricket matches that are played in India. We know for sure that when CSK plays against KKR, there is no chance for India to lose :) That's partly why people flocked the stadiums to watch IPL despite India's drubbing in England and Australia. We need to be treated with respect and we demand a transparent league that gives a fair opportunity to compete irrespective of the owner base ( ban the franchises in case they are in the wrong like the Italian examples ), do not over publicize the money part on player auctions and finally, do not make IPL the yard stick for Indian Cricket Team selection and yet in the same coin impugn players like the Pathan brothers who only want to play IPL for financial benefits.

Indian Fan base - We need a more Transparent League

Well, on the political front, my wishes for the people are end-less. I would only state that we want people to be given the right to elect and recall the political brass we have so that there is a fear of rejection that can act as a tonic - well, if wishes were horses :)

Till the next time.

Pavan

The Years That Went By

2012-01-02T17:59:00.002+05:30

Hello Friends,

Wish you all a very bright and prosperous new year 2012 - may this year bring all the happiness and joy and bring out the best for all of us. As we move forward towards the new year, here is a look back of some of the memories that some of us must have experienced while growing up.

Typewriter - End Of An Era

Typewriter - Symbol Of Anachronism

Typewriter manufacturing got stopped last year and that marked an end of an era. I grew up at a time when most of the folks after passing out 10th Standard learnt Typing in their summer vacation. It was considered a necessary skill set to have.The typing institutes at the time made their living typing others' letters ! The typed letters were expected to have no spelling mistakes with the correct grammar. So, the typists served as the Modern Spell and Grammar check specialists as well. With the PC revolution, the current generation need not be worried about getting the words and the grammar right as the settings take over. It also brought the careers of typists to an abrupt end and their careers took alternate routes..

"Analog Camera"

Camera Rolls - Limited Number Of Pictures

One other item that has seen a sea-change is camera. Photography was an expensive hobby till mid 90s and early millennium. Cameras used to be run on Rolls that were expensive and one had to be perfect with clicking the pictures with the limited technology available to them. There were perennial challenges of the light,zoom and other critical elements of taking a picture and then "developing" the pictures in the right studio etc. With the Digital age dawning upon us and the mass manufacture of digital cameras, photography has reached a WIDE penetration not known earlier. Nokia has taken it to the next level and it is a little known fact that Nokia is the largest seller of cameras in India ( via cell phones ).

Telegram

Telegram - SMS of the bygone age

Telegrams remained the most preferred way to communicate an emergency or convey a greeting on important occasions for a long time. Due to the costs involved in sending telegrams, words used in a message were a premium. Sending a telegram was an exercise in itself, going to a telegraph office, filling up a form and paying which then initiated the cycle of the other end receiving the text and printing the text out and finally dispatching the telegram to the receiver. With the great strides we made in communication sector, the cost involved in communication has come down drastically - this is one area we see consistently the cost has come down. Telegram became a casualty to the hi-tech world and lost it's relevance in the SMS/MMS world.

Banking

Queuing in front of banks - not any more

Most of us have had our first experiences in going to a bank along with our parents. The number of counters along with the forms to fill-up and the procedures to draw/deposit cash or create a draft for our competitive exams were a nightmare. The bankers had a sense of high-handedness and a clear sense of disgust when it came to help new customers. I still can recall those tough encounters when the cashiers left their counter for a LONG tea just when it was my turn ! With the revolutionary changes all around, I am glad that Banking changed for good - ATM is my best friend now and Online transactions make our life so simple. All this took the sheen off the banking jobs and they seem to lose the societal symbol of the stable job "holders" and the most eligible of the lot when it came to marriages :)

There are a lot more than these handful, but these are the ones that stood out in my memory for now..feel free to share your memories as well.

Once again, wish you all a happy year ahead !!!

- Pavan

Incredible "India"

2011-11-04T13:58:00.001+05:30

Hello,

I would like to comment on the curious case of one-sided ness of "Indian" culture. India being a large country does not always represent all regions or culture and can marginalize some people. Of late, this has become more and more pronounced and let's see how...

Incredible India - Is It Representative Of All Indians ?

Food

Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture. If we observe the popular trend both in India and overseas, Indian Food means "Punjabi/Tandoor" Food. How many of us have noticed any dishes that originate from North East or Western parts of India in a "Standard" Indian restaurant outside India ? All the South Indian Weddings have exclusive "North Indian/Punjabi" Dishes - but is it reciprocated? There might be a day when the various delicacies of other parts of India just don't get to be part of any menu anywhere even in India - marginalization evident pretty much strongly in this area.

Tandoor Food - Is this alone "Indian" ?

Dressing

In the "Roti-Kapada-Makaan" trilogy, I pick the next one. The dressing styles of India have evolved over time and I would like to focus my attention on the conservative attire of most Indian women today - Salwar Kameez. The popular name for Salwar Kameez down South used to be "Punjabi Dress" - now it has become a de facto standard. It's universal appeal across the country made the state of Punjab a trend setter and the regional specific choices of dressing are probably going to be out of window very soon. Even for men, the "traditional" wear has come to mean Kurta Pyjama which can trace it's roots from the same Northern state !

Salwar Kameez - Un-Official "Indian" Women's Wear

Cinema/Bollywood

The biggest import from India to the World that has registered tremendous growth in the last decade and a half has been Bollywood Cinema. With the number of Indians settling outside India growing each year, Bollywood cinema becomes their connection to India. With the popular Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that had a plot centered around a Uber Rich Punjabi family, the Bollywood cinema changed forever. More and more movies with Punjabi families as background and a heavy dose of Punjabi songs started to become a regular trend in "Indian" Movies.No effort was made to be inclusive in terms of including all the regions in the plot - the latest case of Ra One trying to create a caricature of a typical South Indian. The focus that was on Bengali and Malayalam movies that had a strong content along with excellent technical values has now moved to the popular sector that have heavy budgets with the focus on specific areas of the country.

DDLJ - A Trendsetter - Movies for Not All Indians !!!

Television Game shows

Though this might not be a real yardstick, but I would like to mention that the "National" shows hardly ever think that they need to be representative. For example, KBC which is hugely popular in it's season 5 featured only ONE participant from Southern India and NO one from North East. The participants are no longer selected through random picks like before but a carefully "auditioned" process with an eye on TRPs makes it a clear choice that Rural North/West make a better "story" for public consumption. The same is the case with any other game shows on other channels and there are cases of marginalization.

Can any one from India really sit on the "Hot Seat" ?

Polity

Our National Anthem calls everything South as "Dravida" and stops there while it mentions most of the other "popular regions". It has been 64 years that we attained independence from the British and out of all these years, there was only a tenure of 5 years for PV Narsimha Rao and ( very briefly Deva Gowda ) who were from the South. All the other prime ministers have been from either UP or Punjab and all the Congress leaders are either part of the "dynasty" or following their "orders". PV who showed tremendous vision and courage to liberate Indian Economy is often forgotten and does not have a memorial in Delhi tells us a sad story in itself.

Tells us a story...isn't it ?

While my intention is not to portray any one as a bully, I would like to mention that we can do a lot better in terms of inclusiveness. The media covers heavily items that suit their interest and makes them a case of National Agenda - Anna Hazare's fast for a few days receiving more coverage than Irom Sharmila from Manipur who has been on a "fast" for years now ! We need to make every effort to include all sections of the community instead of focusing and promoting a certain segment as "Indian" culture. Let's not forget the Real Diversity that truly is Regional and still remain the Integrated to the Larger Indian Notion and contribute in every way possible to the country's progress.

One India For All Of Us !!!

Jai Hind !!!

- Pavan

When Less Is More !

2011-10-14T19:57:00.000+05:30

Hello Friends,

I was "Channel-Surfing" a few days back and was lost on what to watch. That is when I thought that having Less Is More at times ! I want to share a few of my thoughts on this.

At Super-Market

Choices - Too Many Of Them ?

Our choices at the market place are tremendous for any given product. Let's say we want to buy a shampoo, you are hit with hundreds of brands. The composition that make them up makes us wonder if it is something to be applied to hair or if they need to be eaten ( Almonds, Cucumber, Mint and so on ). Compare this to the time when we were growing up, shampoos were hardly used and home made solutions served the purpose with perhaps better results ! We can go on similarly for any products you see on any of the shelves on any super-market.

In front of TV

Surabhi - Had a cult following and gave the viewers a cultural education !

The number of channels we now have through Cable TV is mindboggling - the Regional Channels alone are about 200 if not more and new ones are getting added constantly. Inspite of this choice, how many of us stick to watching a single channel/program consistently? Feeling nostalgic, we used to look forward to Spiderman, Chitrahaar etc. that were telecast once a week along with the News that was also telecast only once in a day on the ONE and only Doordarshan ! Was life not very simple for us when we were growing up with limited choices that gave us anticipation around each of these items ?

First Salary

First Salary - Always Memorable!

All of us who are working understand and must have experienced the thrill of receiving the first ever salary for a job done ! The feeling is difficult to explain in words - the first time you are truly independent, you feel nice about yourself, you know the value of earning and finally you believe you can do it ! The first salary obviously is far less than what we earn today - but the Less gave you a feeling of MORE ! Even if you earn much more currently, the freedom and the free spirit that we had with our first salary cannot be matched. Then, none of us had to worry about the ever-rising EMIs' for the mortages and perhaps the feeling that we live for the banks !

Cricket

Sachin and Dhoni - Swapped Indian Jerseys to IPL ones right after the World Cup !

All my blogs will have a cricket connection, so does this one :-) The amount of cricket that's played these days is mind-numbing - right through the year, there is cricket being played - be it IPL, Champions League or the two nation series. The fans are left with no time to savour the victories and mourn the losses ! It has come to a point where the genuine cricket fan wants lesser cricket to be played and I hope the administrators take a note of the fact. Cricket surely is making a clear case of Less Is More !

I do know that there is no way for us to go back to the age of less choices - but let's try to do what we can and do what we think is right for us. You can exercise your choice too by not reading this one :-)

- Pavan