Equity analysts, newspapers, especially the pink papers, and the general public at large have been talking a lot of Water as the next big investment idea. In the last few days, I have received many calls from investment advisors and friends asking me to add stocks of companies in water or related areas to my portfolio.
That set me thinking. Wasn't water in the first place supposed to be for free? Isn't water a basic necessity for life on earth? Then how come this life saving commodity has turned into a great investment opportunity?
As in everything else, I found the answer in greed. Twenty years ago when I was in college, the concept of bottled water had just hit the market. We friends used to laugh at this concept and call the companies engaging in this business as fools.
I won't be too harsh on myself for then dismissing this idea as twenty years ago there was no cable television and our fathers did not have disposable incomes that could enable us to take off on European and American holidays every year or at least every alternate year. Isn't that the norm now?
Twenty years ago, which I would call the beginning of the era of unparalleled opportunism, we hadn't yet start mapping all successes in life with material possessions and gains. Hence, we never thought of water as the next big "opportunity".
We were wrong and how I wish that this one instance our judgment wasn't so off the mark. The reason: India as a country is already groaning under the weight of its own people. Hence, resources are scarce. Governments are talking about alleviating poverty and uplifting the "aam aadmi". Businesses are spouting gyan about coporate social responsibility or CSR.
And on the ground, these very politicians and businessmen are getting together to cash in on the next big thing, WATER. I have just one question: If governments can't ensure the supply of at least free potable water, forget food, for its people, then why should they be in power. If businessmen are trying to make their billions by capitalizing on people's thirst, how different are they from common criminals.
Many common criminals we may argue are driven to stealing by abject poverty. Agreed, but is that what is driving politicians and businessmen to sell water and fill their coffers? I say no. It's simple and plain GREED.
We as a people look up to politicians and businessmen with the vast power and wealth in their possession to help their fellow countrymen live a life of dignity. Is building water cartels and profiting from this unholy trade the way to serve people?
Politicians are meant to help the country grow, take the people forward, while businessmen are meant to help society enrich their lives even as they grow. However, when politicians and bussinessmen collude to benefit from the miseries of this very people, then forget 9.5% GDP growth, even 20% GDP growth will not lead to much change on the ground.
And after water, I believe AIR would be their next big opportunity even as they first parch the land and then quench your thirst for a few silvers. Don't be surprised if the government if not today but five years down the line says that India will need to import water to meet its needs. It's possible, if we as a nation can import wheat after a year of bumper in-house wheat production, anything is possible.
Now coming to Air. I may sound paranoid, but I have every reason to be and so should you be. What guarantees do we have that this politician-businessmen nexus would not pollute our environment to an extent that air in its normal form becomes a killer, unfit for human inhalation?
Then we will see business houses with their CSR spouting masters sitting in some part of Europe or America, sell oxygen tanks and gas masks, and launch millions of related businesses. They will open oxygen bars, already common in places such as Tokyo. Who knows, Oxygen could be the next big outsourcing opportunity. Only here, we would be procuring Oxygen. A huge outsourcing opportunity for th Western world.
The logic would be: those who can pay will live. The others will perish. An extremely efficient way of population control. What say friends?
I know people will say what's the use of writing? What are we going to do to counter this problem.
For starters, we can all decide not to buy bottled water. Promise to carry water bottles from home when we travel. Didn't all of us carry five-liter cans when we took long journeys not so long ago? So what's so wrong in doing so now? Promise to ensure that our vehicles are maintained well so that they do not add to the pollution. Promise to car pool, and wherever possible use public transport. Promise to use less polluting fuels like CNG, LPG over petrol and/or diesel. Promise to not smoke and for those with this habit, try and kick it.
Now, it's in our hands friends to defeat these opportunists who are trying to profit from human miseries. Maybe we can't prevent them from exercising their right to earn a decent livelihood. But we can at least not buy from them. They can only sell if they have a market for their products. Friends, it's time for noncooperation. Unfortunately, this time not against the British, but our very own.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Giant Spitoon Called India
What's is it with us Indians that we think the whole country is a huge public toilet or one large spitoon? Many may have written and spoken about this topic in length, but little seems to have changed on the ground. Most of our brethren continue to defecate, urinate, and/or spit as, when, and where they choose.
And believe me it has got nothing to do with being rich or poor. I have seen beggars have a go on our compund walls and I have seen guys owning Mercedes cars open the door or roll down the window and splash the ashpalt with red or brown paint, depending upon what their gutters, oops mouth, is masticating at that point of time. I just have one question: Why eat anything that is so inedible that you need to spit it out?
This malaise cuts across religious lines. I guess it mainly has to do with lack of ownership. You don't see this happening in most parts of the Western world and the Middle East. However, off late the bug seems to have bitten many in Sweden. But wait before we jump in joy; studies show that it is people from our part of the world who have decided to fertilize Sweden.
No wonder we find it extremely difficult to get visas to any country remotely Western. This reminds me of a Lalu joke that used to do the rounds a few years ago. It went like this: A Japanese prime minister on his visit to Bihar told Lalu, the then CM, that give us Bihar for three years and we will turn it into another Tokyo. Pat came Lalu's reply: Give us Tokyo for three days and we will turn it another Bihar. To my Bihari brethren, no offence meant.
As I said, it has to do with ownership, or lack of it. To me, we as a people don't think that anything that is not registered in our names is ours. Hence, roads and public infrastructure are not ours. So why bother about keeping them clean. It's the government's job, right?
The problem to this solution lies in people understanding that though it is public property and we do not own it, we do pay for it. For those smartalecs who believe that since I do no fall into the income tax bracket, I can deface public property, here is the answer. Dear friends, you also pay for the building and maintenance of public property. Remember the VAT and local taxes extra that you pay on almost every item that you buy?
Yes, that's right. It's your property too. So people take ownership. Even if you feel it's a waste of time advising people against it, you can refrain from doing so individually. That's all we need; if every one of us acts individually, we can and will make a difference collectively. The point is do we think strongly enough that we own more than our homes; we own India and India makes our home.
And believe me it has got nothing to do with being rich or poor. I have seen beggars have a go on our compund walls and I have seen guys owning Mercedes cars open the door or roll down the window and splash the ashpalt with red or brown paint, depending upon what their gutters, oops mouth, is masticating at that point of time. I just have one question: Why eat anything that is so inedible that you need to spit it out?
This malaise cuts across religious lines. I guess it mainly has to do with lack of ownership. You don't see this happening in most parts of the Western world and the Middle East. However, off late the bug seems to have bitten many in Sweden. But wait before we jump in joy; studies show that it is people from our part of the world who have decided to fertilize Sweden.
No wonder we find it extremely difficult to get visas to any country remotely Western. This reminds me of a Lalu joke that used to do the rounds a few years ago. It went like this: A Japanese prime minister on his visit to Bihar told Lalu, the then CM, that give us Bihar for three years and we will turn it into another Tokyo. Pat came Lalu's reply: Give us Tokyo for three days and we will turn it another Bihar. To my Bihari brethren, no offence meant.
As I said, it has to do with ownership, or lack of it. To me, we as a people don't think that anything that is not registered in our names is ours. Hence, roads and public infrastructure are not ours. So why bother about keeping them clean. It's the government's job, right?
The problem to this solution lies in people understanding that though it is public property and we do not own it, we do pay for it. For those smartalecs who believe that since I do no fall into the income tax bracket, I can deface public property, here is the answer. Dear friends, you also pay for the building and maintenance of public property. Remember the VAT and local taxes extra that you pay on almost every item that you buy?
Yes, that's right. It's your property too. So people take ownership. Even if you feel it's a waste of time advising people against it, you can refrain from doing so individually. That's all we need; if every one of us acts individually, we can and will make a difference collectively. The point is do we think strongly enough that we own more than our homes; we own India and India makes our home.
The Great Mumbai Auto Ride
I am a creature of the three-wheel autorickshaw. For some strange reason I simply love travelling by them. It doesn't matter that the four-stroke Re has given me lumbar and cervical spondilosis.
Everytime the wobbly tricycle runs over a pothole, my back and neck sink deeper into my body. Maybe I am a masochist, maybe plain stupid. But a rickshaw ride for me is akin to the little pleasures that one waits for in daily life.
They come in all types, new old, big, small, some even come with music systems attached, dishing out music of the DhinChack variety. They have pictures and/or idols of God near the handle. And as if to balance it, they have pictures of one or more Bollywood actors and actress in the back.
I guess the logic is when the ride gets rough, the traveler can lose himself or herself in the imaginary arms of these gorgeous looking women or handsome looking men. Now who prefers what, I leave it to the reader. It's a democratic country and it's getting increasingly difficult to determine who swings which way.
Another interesting part of the autorickshaw is the driver. I call them pilots because most of them do not drive fast, the fly low. And most engage their customers in conversations on topics ranging from the condition of the roads to their client's or their own sex lives.
On one such journey, I had a pilot who wanted to know if I was married. I said yes, least suspecting the next logical question and the jam I was about to get my self into. The next prompt question, How many children?
I said none. Immediately he asked, Just married? I said No and before he could ask I obliged, I have been married for 11 years. Immediately he looked back, as if to ascertain if all the right things were in the right places. He was driving at around 50 KMPH and my fear was he was going to crash into something. I told him to look ahed and drive to which he said, I have been married for 5 years and I have three children.
To me that sounded like if I can have three children in five years, I have the basics right. Hence, even if I go to sleep while driving, there is no way I will crash. Skill you see can be extended to all facets of life, provided one is skillful.
Next question, Have you seen a doctor? I didn't have the heart to tell him that may wife and I do not have children by choice. So I said yes, and both of us are fine. Immediately popped the next query, What's your profession? I asked him what does that have to do with not having children? He smiled and said, it's the age of the BPOs you see. If you work at night and your wife during the day the chances of getting into the act are non-existent.
Brilliant, I said to myself. Must talk to my friends who run BPO organizations and tell them to esnure that their employees get time to enjoy sex. Could hurt productivity otherwise. As I just got off that thought, he took off again.
Have you tried alternative methods. I said, pardon me, what do you mean by that. He sheepishly said, different positions. I chose to ignore that comment. But he was not one to give up. He said tongue in cheek, have you met Shri Shri 1008 Bababoothnath? What creature is that, I asked. He chided me for showing disrespect and said he was a man of great powers and has helped many a couple beget children.
I immediately thought, yeah I know how he must have done that. Some virile baba I thought. But kept that thought to myself to avoid a confrontation. That by the way is another middle-class trait, avoiding confrontation under the garb of nonviolence. The fact of the matter is I did not feel strong enough to get into an any kind of physical altercation with that guy though he was half my size.
I politely told him I do not believe in babas. I was expecting him to get aggressive, but luckily he changed track. He asked me if I have ever visited Ajmer Sharif? I said no and was hoping the conversation would end as I had almost reached my building gate. But no such luck.
I asked him to stop and paid him the money. As I was about to turn into my building, he stopped me and said, you must visit Ajmer Sharif. It will work. Within a year you will have a son. I just looked at him and said sure. That's all the energy that was left in me after 70 minutes of education on how to get my act right.
As I walked into my building, I had a silly grin on my face as I recapped the conversation. And as I reached the enterance of my wing, an aunty who lives on the groundfloor asked me, Haven't seen you wife in sometime. Is there some good news?
Everytime the wobbly tricycle runs over a pothole, my back and neck sink deeper into my body. Maybe I am a masochist, maybe plain stupid. But a rickshaw ride for me is akin to the little pleasures that one waits for in daily life.
They come in all types, new old, big, small, some even come with music systems attached, dishing out music of the DhinChack variety. They have pictures and/or idols of God near the handle. And as if to balance it, they have pictures of one or more Bollywood actors and actress in the back.
I guess the logic is when the ride gets rough, the traveler can lose himself or herself in the imaginary arms of these gorgeous looking women or handsome looking men. Now who prefers what, I leave it to the reader. It's a democratic country and it's getting increasingly difficult to determine who swings which way.
Another interesting part of the autorickshaw is the driver. I call them pilots because most of them do not drive fast, the fly low. And most engage their customers in conversations on topics ranging from the condition of the roads to their client's or their own sex lives.
On one such journey, I had a pilot who wanted to know if I was married. I said yes, least suspecting the next logical question and the jam I was about to get my self into. The next prompt question, How many children?
I said none. Immediately he asked, Just married? I said No and before he could ask I obliged, I have been married for 11 years. Immediately he looked back, as if to ascertain if all the right things were in the right places. He was driving at around 50 KMPH and my fear was he was going to crash into something. I told him to look ahed and drive to which he said, I have been married for 5 years and I have three children.
To me that sounded like if I can have three children in five years, I have the basics right. Hence, even if I go to sleep while driving, there is no way I will crash. Skill you see can be extended to all facets of life, provided one is skillful.
Next question, Have you seen a doctor? I didn't have the heart to tell him that may wife and I do not have children by choice. So I said yes, and both of us are fine. Immediately popped the next query, What's your profession? I asked him what does that have to do with not having children? He smiled and said, it's the age of the BPOs you see. If you work at night and your wife during the day the chances of getting into the act are non-existent.
Brilliant, I said to myself. Must talk to my friends who run BPO organizations and tell them to esnure that their employees get time to enjoy sex. Could hurt productivity otherwise. As I just got off that thought, he took off again.
Have you tried alternative methods. I said, pardon me, what do you mean by that. He sheepishly said, different positions. I chose to ignore that comment. But he was not one to give up. He said tongue in cheek, have you met Shri Shri 1008 Bababoothnath? What creature is that, I asked. He chided me for showing disrespect and said he was a man of great powers and has helped many a couple beget children.
I immediately thought, yeah I know how he must have done that. Some virile baba I thought. But kept that thought to myself to avoid a confrontation. That by the way is another middle-class trait, avoiding confrontation under the garb of nonviolence. The fact of the matter is I did not feel strong enough to get into an any kind of physical altercation with that guy though he was half my size.
I politely told him I do not believe in babas. I was expecting him to get aggressive, but luckily he changed track. He asked me if I have ever visited Ajmer Sharif? I said no and was hoping the conversation would end as I had almost reached my building gate. But no such luck.
I asked him to stop and paid him the money. As I was about to turn into my building, he stopped me and said, you must visit Ajmer Sharif. It will work. Within a year you will have a son. I just looked at him and said sure. That's all the energy that was left in me after 70 minutes of education on how to get my act right.
As I walked into my building, I had a silly grin on my face as I recapped the conversation. And as I reached the enterance of my wing, an aunty who lives on the groundfloor asked me, Haven't seen you wife in sometime. Is there some good news?
The Guru
My daughter is a doctor, son an MBA, . Many times a day I keep hearing these words. Parents proudly talking about their daughters and sons. It warms the heart to see parents speak so lovingly of their wards. But never have I heard a parent who talks about the contribution of teachers to the success of their children, not even as an afterthought.
That's a sad tale in a country which traditionally places the teacher immediately below the parents and just above God: Mata, Pitah, Guru, Devam. We are a race that prided on the Gurukul system. A race that to this day proudly tells the story of Eklavya the archer, who readily offers his thumb to his guru, a person who did not teach him, but in front of whose idol he practised to become an ace archer.
I was traveling by the local train when I heard a man tell his companion: Arre sir, do you know how greedy teachers of today have become? They are charging Rs.2000 a subject for private tutions. I turned around and asked him, have you bothered to find out why they have to give private tutions in the first place? He replied, how does it matter. I tell you these teachers are plain greedy and money crazy.
Before I could reply, he got up to disembark. I sat thinking. Are our teachers greedy as the gentleman in the train and many parents like him think? If they are, then why? It took me just a second to get the answer to my question.
Teachers are underpaid, and their contributions in building and molding society unrecognized. That's what drives them to give private tutions. It's our apathy towards our gurus that is driving them to turn the noble profession of teaching into a commercial venture.
I asked myself whether we as a society have treated our teachers the way they should be, with respect? No, was the answer.
We don't see anything wrong in making money, and our children making more money. But we certainly have a problem if the Teacher wants to make money. We proudly take credit for the success of our children, and only remember our Teachers should our children fail.
Like us, Teachers are human beings too. Like us, they too have families. Like us, they too have children. And like us, they too want to do well in life and want their children to succeed. And as a society what have we done to alleviate the problems of teachers? Nothing.
No wonder Teachers are slowly turning into businessmen and teaching is turning into a commercial venture. As a society what we should do is ensure that the needs of the Teacher is taken care of, the teacher is wellpaid and his future secure. Only then will the future of our children and Society be secure.
The Ambanis of the world can run International schools for the rich. I have no problems with that. But I do have a problem with the general population not treating Teachers with the respect they deserve and to add insult to injury, expecting them to be miracle makers.
So people, if we value the future of our children, then we must learn to value our Teachers. Reward them and recognize them. Believe me, you will be helping India write a new chapter. A country where people will learn to respect one another. Our children are what we make them. And if we are not going to repect our Gurus, we can't expect our children to do the same.
That's a sad tale in a country which traditionally places the teacher immediately below the parents and just above God: Mata, Pitah, Guru, Devam. We are a race that prided on the Gurukul system. A race that to this day proudly tells the story of Eklavya the archer, who readily offers his thumb to his guru, a person who did not teach him, but in front of whose idol he practised to become an ace archer.
I was traveling by the local train when I heard a man tell his companion: Arre sir, do you know how greedy teachers of today have become? They are charging Rs.2000 a subject for private tutions. I turned around and asked him, have you bothered to find out why they have to give private tutions in the first place? He replied, how does it matter. I tell you these teachers are plain greedy and money crazy.
Before I could reply, he got up to disembark. I sat thinking. Are our teachers greedy as the gentleman in the train and many parents like him think? If they are, then why? It took me just a second to get the answer to my question.
Teachers are underpaid, and their contributions in building and molding society unrecognized. That's what drives them to give private tutions. It's our apathy towards our gurus that is driving them to turn the noble profession of teaching into a commercial venture.
I asked myself whether we as a society have treated our teachers the way they should be, with respect? No, was the answer.
We don't see anything wrong in making money, and our children making more money. But we certainly have a problem if the Teacher wants to make money. We proudly take credit for the success of our children, and only remember our Teachers should our children fail.
Like us, Teachers are human beings too. Like us, they too have families. Like us, they too have children. And like us, they too want to do well in life and want their children to succeed. And as a society what have we done to alleviate the problems of teachers? Nothing.
No wonder Teachers are slowly turning into businessmen and teaching is turning into a commercial venture. As a society what we should do is ensure that the needs of the Teacher is taken care of, the teacher is wellpaid and his future secure. Only then will the future of our children and Society be secure.
The Ambanis of the world can run International schools for the rich. I have no problems with that. But I do have a problem with the general population not treating Teachers with the respect they deserve and to add insult to injury, expecting them to be miracle makers.
So people, if we value the future of our children, then we must learn to value our Teachers. Reward them and recognize them. Believe me, you will be helping India write a new chapter. A country where people will learn to respect one another. Our children are what we make them. And if we are not going to repect our Gurus, we can't expect our children to do the same.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
One India?
Arunachal Pradesh is back in the news. The Indian government has claimed Chinese incursions. Jammu & Kashmir has been repeatedly bombed for over two decades. There is uneasy calm in the Punjab; we will never know when Khalistan will up its ante again. The North-East believes it is a separate zone and most feel anything but Indian in those parts of the country. The south of the country stands isolated from the North, led by huge language and cultural differences.
Yes, this is the reality of India, today's India. Looks like we are all bound together more by political compulsions than by choice. As a country we stand divided in thought by geography, religion, caste, culture, and a feeling that we are all partners in a coalition country that is sticking together for economic reasons than for the love of being one.
Every state blames other states and the Central government for its troubles. So who is to blame? Or should we fall back on our favorite enemy, the British. Blame the British for all our ills; we are saints and if not for the Brits we would still be living in a land of peace and prosperity.
I am sorry to be writing this but that is as far removed from the truth as one end of a black hole from the other. In fact, we have the British to thank for a country called India. If not for the British, we wouldn't have been a country. But I don't think most of us would want to buy that argument. That is our problem. We are jingoistic in our feelings toward India, but living in the country most of our thoughts are antinational.
We have politicians who thrive in dividing the country along religious and caste lines to retain power and fill their coffers. We have businessmen who indulge in all kinds of trickery to make their billions and are happy as long as their glass castles are not stoned. We have the Babus who think it is their birth right to rape the country, and watch in glee at the illegal children of corruption, greed, and sloth that they sire sucking the country dry.
And how can one forget about the aam aadmi, including me, who will watch all this is mute submission and dance to the tunes of the corrupt politician and religious zealots. Little do the people of the country realize the power that they hold. They unfortunatelty are bound by the rope of inaction, and so strong is that rope that the powers that be know they can get away with bloody murder.
These conditions set me thinking about the logic behind being a nation called India. Is there a rationale in being herded together like cattle by a few people whose motive is to profit from this mess called India?
It's fashionable to be Page 3 patriotic and loot the country under that garb. It's fashionable to blame Pakistan, Bangladesh and everyone else for our troubles but ourselves.
If we were united in thought and actions would any other country have been successful in creating chaos and leaving a trail of destruction here? I say no. But the sad part is we would prefer to be divided, align with enemies to bring down our own house, and shamelessly seek asylum in someone else's home and ideologies.
My question to all of us so called Indians is, is there any point in being bound together if we at heart do not feel one? I know that all those who benefit from the chaos called India will oppose my argument and call me antinational. I don't have a problem with that, because I know that a dog's tail cannot be straightened. The only way to keep the tail from curling is to amputate it.
For us Indians, I think it is time to decide. Do we want to amputate that portion of the body that thrives in profiting by dividing us? If yes, then it's time for collective action against the forces of antinationalism. If no, then it is better that we disband as a country and live in isolated glory, waiting for another Great Britain to come and rule us. Maybe we are not fit enough to self govern. May be we are only fit enough to be servants to foreign masters.
I know that people may call me an irrational fool and dismiss my arguments. My only request to all is just for a second think and then cross your heart and say that what I think if wrong. If you can do that, then I will know what ails India. It, dear friends, then would be nothing but the virus of selfpreservation at any cost. That would explain why we prefer to keep our homes clean, but show no sense of responsibility toward keeping our surroundings clean.
What we need to remember is our homes will only be safe if the country is safe. And the nation is certainly not going to be safe through selfpreservation. Hence, it's for all of us to decide whether we wish to live as one country or as colonies of slaves to alien masters.
Yes, this is the reality of India, today's India. Looks like we are all bound together more by political compulsions than by choice. As a country we stand divided in thought by geography, religion, caste, culture, and a feeling that we are all partners in a coalition country that is sticking together for economic reasons than for the love of being one.
Every state blames other states and the Central government for its troubles. So who is to blame? Or should we fall back on our favorite enemy, the British. Blame the British for all our ills; we are saints and if not for the Brits we would still be living in a land of peace and prosperity.
I am sorry to be writing this but that is as far removed from the truth as one end of a black hole from the other. In fact, we have the British to thank for a country called India. If not for the British, we wouldn't have been a country. But I don't think most of us would want to buy that argument. That is our problem. We are jingoistic in our feelings toward India, but living in the country most of our thoughts are antinational.
We have politicians who thrive in dividing the country along religious and caste lines to retain power and fill their coffers. We have businessmen who indulge in all kinds of trickery to make their billions and are happy as long as their glass castles are not stoned. We have the Babus who think it is their birth right to rape the country, and watch in glee at the illegal children of corruption, greed, and sloth that they sire sucking the country dry.
And how can one forget about the aam aadmi, including me, who will watch all this is mute submission and dance to the tunes of the corrupt politician and religious zealots. Little do the people of the country realize the power that they hold. They unfortunatelty are bound by the rope of inaction, and so strong is that rope that the powers that be know they can get away with bloody murder.
These conditions set me thinking about the logic behind being a nation called India. Is there a rationale in being herded together like cattle by a few people whose motive is to profit from this mess called India?
It's fashionable to be Page 3 patriotic and loot the country under that garb. It's fashionable to blame Pakistan, Bangladesh and everyone else for our troubles but ourselves.
If we were united in thought and actions would any other country have been successful in creating chaos and leaving a trail of destruction here? I say no. But the sad part is we would prefer to be divided, align with enemies to bring down our own house, and shamelessly seek asylum in someone else's home and ideologies.
My question to all of us so called Indians is, is there any point in being bound together if we at heart do not feel one? I know that all those who benefit from the chaos called India will oppose my argument and call me antinational. I don't have a problem with that, because I know that a dog's tail cannot be straightened. The only way to keep the tail from curling is to amputate it.
For us Indians, I think it is time to decide. Do we want to amputate that portion of the body that thrives in profiting by dividing us? If yes, then it's time for collective action against the forces of antinationalism. If no, then it is better that we disband as a country and live in isolated glory, waiting for another Great Britain to come and rule us. Maybe we are not fit enough to self govern. May be we are only fit enough to be servants to foreign masters.
I know that people may call me an irrational fool and dismiss my arguments. My only request to all is just for a second think and then cross your heart and say that what I think if wrong. If you can do that, then I will know what ails India. It, dear friends, then would be nothing but the virus of selfpreservation at any cost. That would explain why we prefer to keep our homes clean, but show no sense of responsibility toward keeping our surroundings clean.
What we need to remember is our homes will only be safe if the country is safe. And the nation is certainly not going to be safe through selfpreservation. Hence, it's for all of us to decide whether we wish to live as one country or as colonies of slaves to alien masters.
Friday, September 14, 2007
President Bush, Osama is Winning
9/11 made a hero of President George Bush. He proudly stood before the world and proclaimed death to the terrorist Osama bin Laden. Six more 9/11s have passed and the world awaits Bush to deliver on his promise. Osama is believed to be alive if not kicking, and Bush is kicking ass but hardly alive.
9/11 gave Bush the license to declare war on terror. The only problem, it was Bush's definition of terror. And believe me it varies hugely from the dictionary meaning of terror. What Dubya failed to realize was fighting terror with terror was what the terrorist wanted.
9/11 saw Bush play into the hands of Osama. I say that because I do not believe conspiracy theories that argue Osama is of Bush, for Bush, by Bush. Yes, Osama was a US plant in the country's fight against the Soviet's in Afghanistan. But I don't think Bush has the gut to use Osama against his own people.
9/11, yes, Osama was the mastermind. But by openly declaring war against Osama, Bush accorded him legitimacy. A nation as powerful as the US was talking of waging war against one man. Either the US overestimated Osama or lacked belief in its own power.
9/11, anyway one looks at it, Bush's actions post the World Trade Center carnage smacked of the machismo that prevailed in the Wild West of the early twentieth century. First Afghanistan, then Iraq, Bush blundered his way through leaving behind a trail of terror and destruction.
9/11 and actions that followed saw hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent civilians lose their limbs if not their lives. All because Bush woke up on the wrong side of the bed on 9/11.
9/11 if used rightly could have helped Bush emerge as a man of peace. Instead he chose to make terror his ally. What followed is more terror. For thousands of years one has seen that when humanity fights evil with evil, it becomes a part of the very evil that it set out to destroy.
9/11 saw history being repeated. Bush fought evil with evil, and has now emerged a larger evil. His actions have garnered greater support for Osama and his ilk among the Muslim world and fed his cause with dedicated children brainwashed to trade their lives for the luxury of knocking up beautiful women in heaven.
9/11 offered Bush a chance to lead the world to a new beginning. He instead chose to narrowly think of America first and humanity second, if he ever thought of it. So President Bush six years and billions of dollars down the line, Osama is winning and Americans are feeling no safer than they felt on 9/11. And yes, the world ain't feeling very safe either.
9/11 gave Bush the license to declare war on terror. The only problem, it was Bush's definition of terror. And believe me it varies hugely from the dictionary meaning of terror. What Dubya failed to realize was fighting terror with terror was what the terrorist wanted.
9/11 saw Bush play into the hands of Osama. I say that because I do not believe conspiracy theories that argue Osama is of Bush, for Bush, by Bush. Yes, Osama was a US plant in the country's fight against the Soviet's in Afghanistan. But I don't think Bush has the gut to use Osama against his own people.
9/11, yes, Osama was the mastermind. But by openly declaring war against Osama, Bush accorded him legitimacy. A nation as powerful as the US was talking of waging war against one man. Either the US overestimated Osama or lacked belief in its own power.
9/11, anyway one looks at it, Bush's actions post the World Trade Center carnage smacked of the machismo that prevailed in the Wild West of the early twentieth century. First Afghanistan, then Iraq, Bush blundered his way through leaving behind a trail of terror and destruction.
9/11 and actions that followed saw hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent civilians lose their limbs if not their lives. All because Bush woke up on the wrong side of the bed on 9/11.
9/11 if used rightly could have helped Bush emerge as a man of peace. Instead he chose to make terror his ally. What followed is more terror. For thousands of years one has seen that when humanity fights evil with evil, it becomes a part of the very evil that it set out to destroy.
9/11 saw history being repeated. Bush fought evil with evil, and has now emerged a larger evil. His actions have garnered greater support for Osama and his ilk among the Muslim world and fed his cause with dedicated children brainwashed to trade their lives for the luxury of knocking up beautiful women in heaven.
9/11 offered Bush a chance to lead the world to a new beginning. He instead chose to narrowly think of America first and humanity second, if he ever thought of it. So President Bush six years and billions of dollars down the line, Osama is winning and Americans are feeling no safer than they felt on 9/11. And yes, the world ain't feeling very safe either.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Impatient Worker
Nothing succeeds like success, and what better proof to back that statement than India. But with success comes its own set of unique niggles. The Indian workforce is a huge example of what could rein in India's march.
People are in a hurry to rise the corporate ladder. Ask them where, and they will look at you as to what kind of a foolish question is that. Gone are the times when one joined a company and most likely retired from that same company.
The young generation of Indians, or GenX, are a confused and hard to please lot. On the surface, they come across as being sure of what they want. Probe a little and all the insecurities surface. Gone are the times when you rejoiced with your friend when he got a promotion or raise and patiently waited for your turn the next year or maybe the year after.
Today, logic dictates that if my colleague is good enough to receive a raise or a promotion, so am I. Damn the performance appraisals, the progress chart that tell a different story; the reason why your colleague and not you moved ahead.
That I guess is a factor of demand for skilled workers outstripping supply. It's an employees' market out there and companies are bending backwards to hire and retain talent, no matter how mediocre they be.
It's a classic case of a ball bearing, inconsequential by itself, but significant when part of a well-oiled machine. If that ball bearing falls out, the whole machine could stall, or function at maybe below 50% capacity. And that no company wants.
Patience is no longer a virtue, and staying put at one place for more than 18 months is equated to a person's lack of capability and inability to find better opportunity. Ask what is wrong with what they are doing or where they are working at present, and 9 of 10 times the answer will be, there's nothing wrong, it's just not in line with what the market demands.
The constant fear of being left behind in the rat race is all consuming. The mantra of the time is Rolling stones gather no moss. Wasn't that a negative 20 years ago? Yes, certainly, but no longer so.
This thought mirrors lifestyles in today's times. Everything, every decision is near term or in the immediate term. The virtue of investing time and energy in a venture and reaping the rewards as that investment blooms is history.
Employees now want the rewards first with no guarantee of deliverables. Freshers walk in for interviews and their first question is what's the package? We shall discuss other things only if the figure quoted is up to expectations.
No matter how fast the economy grows, not matter how times change, the golden rule of patience pays remains. People who fail to realize that may reap benefits in the near term, but in the long term their lack of loyalty to a cause will come to haunt them.
Another argument is there ain't much creativity in what I am doing. Ask them what's creativity, and they will sidestep that question. Ask them to be honest with themselves and say that they have done justice to the tasks on hand, most will be noncommital.
The logic is there is easy money to be made, so go ahead and make it. Tomorrow is another day, so why worry about it today. It's this attitude that could trip India and delay its transition from a developing country to a developed one.
People are in a hurry to rise the corporate ladder. Ask them where, and they will look at you as to what kind of a foolish question is that. Gone are the times when one joined a company and most likely retired from that same company.
The young generation of Indians, or GenX, are a confused and hard to please lot. On the surface, they come across as being sure of what they want. Probe a little and all the insecurities surface. Gone are the times when you rejoiced with your friend when he got a promotion or raise and patiently waited for your turn the next year or maybe the year after.
Today, logic dictates that if my colleague is good enough to receive a raise or a promotion, so am I. Damn the performance appraisals, the progress chart that tell a different story; the reason why your colleague and not you moved ahead.
That I guess is a factor of demand for skilled workers outstripping supply. It's an employees' market out there and companies are bending backwards to hire and retain talent, no matter how mediocre they be.
It's a classic case of a ball bearing, inconsequential by itself, but significant when part of a well-oiled machine. If that ball bearing falls out, the whole machine could stall, or function at maybe below 50% capacity. And that no company wants.
Patience is no longer a virtue, and staying put at one place for more than 18 months is equated to a person's lack of capability and inability to find better opportunity. Ask what is wrong with what they are doing or where they are working at present, and 9 of 10 times the answer will be, there's nothing wrong, it's just not in line with what the market demands.
The constant fear of being left behind in the rat race is all consuming. The mantra of the time is Rolling stones gather no moss. Wasn't that a negative 20 years ago? Yes, certainly, but no longer so.
This thought mirrors lifestyles in today's times. Everything, every decision is near term or in the immediate term. The virtue of investing time and energy in a venture and reaping the rewards as that investment blooms is history.
Employees now want the rewards first with no guarantee of deliverables. Freshers walk in for interviews and their first question is what's the package? We shall discuss other things only if the figure quoted is up to expectations.
No matter how fast the economy grows, not matter how times change, the golden rule of patience pays remains. People who fail to realize that may reap benefits in the near term, but in the long term their lack of loyalty to a cause will come to haunt them.
Another argument is there ain't much creativity in what I am doing. Ask them what's creativity, and they will sidestep that question. Ask them to be honest with themselves and say that they have done justice to the tasks on hand, most will be noncommital.
The logic is there is easy money to be made, so go ahead and make it. Tomorrow is another day, so why worry about it today. It's this attitude that could trip India and delay its transition from a developing country to a developed one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)