Care and Concern for Environment is Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is the buzz word of present time. At a time when the developed countries are feeling the heat of financial tsunami, India has come out unscathed, growing at an unprecedented rate of above eight percent.  India Inc. is shining. But, there is huge constrain on the natural resources to sustain this high rate of growth. Companies are increasingly looking for natural resources and they are ready to pay premium for raw materials security. 

In this scenario, it becomes very important to ascertain whether the corporate sector has any obligation towards the environment or not. There is no doubt that protection of environment is primarily a job of the government. But, when so many companies are reaping the dividends of higher growth, it is expected from them to contribute something back to the society. The existence of industry is dependent on the existence of people. Any mad scramble or the bungling of resources will create future problems for the industry. The corporate sector will have to understand this in very clear terms. 

Any development that occurs, keeping concerns for the environment aside, is not sustainable.  In recent times, numerous instances have come into light where the green norms were not followed in setting up a plant. The Vedanta episode is a glaring example of this. The Industry appears to have taken the short sighted approach where there is too much emphasis on profit booking and less on the concern towards the environment. There is little brain storming on ‘how industry will secure raw materials supply for the days ahead’. The unholy nexus between the government and the business houses is a big obstacle in implementing tougher environmental laws. When the whole world is talking about global warming and the need to save mother earth, this kind of approach from India Inc. is very frustrating.

 The corporate social responsibility should not be restricted to donation towards charitable trusts only. Rather, the policy of business houses should be to take an inclusive approach where development occurs not at the cost of environment. The companies engaged in mining, manufacturing and other polluting activities should follow environmental laws strictly and emulate the best practices of their counterparts in other parts of the world.  They can also spend money on development and utilization of green technology. This will reduce pollution and help them in earning carbon credits. The government should think of making corporate social responsibility mandatory for organizations, a certain portion of their revenues or profits to be spent on environment protection. The environmental laws enforcement agencies need to be free from political interferences so that they can take an impartial approach during appraisals of different industrial plants.

 All such efforts will be effective only if the corporate sector sincerely understands its responsibility. If the industry does not show genuine concerns and engages only in cosmetic acts, it will bear the fallout of environment degradation. Remember, the environmental catastrophe is not very far away. The earlier India Inc. understands this, the better they will be equipped to handle its effects on the Industry.    

   

Global Warming: Just a Possibility or a Proven Eventuality

Global warming refers to increase in earth’s temperature due to increase in the concentration of green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor etc. in the atmosphere. At present, it is one of the hotly debated topics around the world. Developed and developing countries both are assessing repercussions of this man-made problem. Even among the different societies across the world, there is renewed awareness about its fallouts. Still, from certain quarters, we hear that this problem is not as acute as it is being projected and some predict that it might actually be helpful in agriculture and forestry. Such kinds of assessments are creating doubts in the minds of the people and the governments. There is concern somewhere down the road that global warming might only be a possibility not an eventuality.

It is easier for the people to fall for the fancier arguments which advocate status quo i.e. making no efforts to counter global warming because it saves money and efforts.

Humans have been indiscriminately exploiting natural resources, producing waste in the process. There is a limit up to which the nature can itself repair the damages due to human activities. Unfortunately, we have crossed this threshold. Now, it is our responsibility to protect nature otherwise the future generations will be in danger of extinction.

The biggest obstacle in the expedition of human efforts towards countering global warming is the slowness of changes occurring in the environment. When scientists say that in the next hundred years, the earth’s temperature might increase by 2-6 0C, people don’t understand the implications of such minor change. Besides, the recent controversies surrounding IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), an apex body of U.N. on climate change, have only dent the credibility of efforts towards mitigating climate change. Also, the propaganda of various multinational organizations all over the world which would be hit the most by the implementation of efforts against global warming has created suspicion in people’s minds.

Global warming is for real. There might be arguments about the severity of its harmful effects and the period over which it will be a full-fledged problem, but there shouldn’t be any doubt about it being the worst problem for us and our future generation. Even, at present, the climate change is causing huge devastation to human life and property all over the world. Untimely rainfall, drought, tsunamis, earthquakes, these are indications of an impending danger ahead. Polar ice cap and glaciers are melting fast resulting in increased sea levels. The island cities and countries might drown in the near future.

Different summits have taken place all over the world to discuss global warming, UNFCCC at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Kyoto, Copenhagen etc. to name a few. Still, nothing concrete has been achieved. Economists have predicted the cost of countering global warming which runs in billions of dollars. This cost might also be a region why countries all over the world are reluctant to take actions. But, it should be clearly understood that life on this planet is more valuable than anything else. It has to be saved at any cost. If we want our future generation to prosper, we have to act now.

CAMPUS SELECTION: WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Human nature is very unpredictable. No matter how intelligent we have become, we still cannot read human minds. Many intelligent people have tried but failed. So, when engineering students reach final year of their courses, reading recruiters’ minds become the most daunting challenge for them. Different theories go round the hostel regarding campus selection process. While some students assert that sound technical knowledge is the main criterion for selection, for few others better command on communication skills is a must for getting through. But, in truth, no one can firmly stand on his assertion.

In my college, placement season is in full swing and every day I hear news of companies visiting the campus and recruiting students. The excitement is at its peak. Students can be easily seen discussing current events, HR round questions and exchanging technical notes. From my personal experience and whatever I have understood from others’ views, I deem myself qualified enough to express my thoughts over the selection process.

The task of selecting students lies generally in the hands of Technical and HR managers. They are expected to remain impartial and above board during the entire process. But, the recruiters generally carry baggage of their personal experience, good or bad, while visiting campuses and the process fails to remain objective. By personal experience I mean ‘the attributes they think successful people should have’. However, one thing is very clear regarding selection: All companies want people with long term prospects and it is reasonable too. Nobody would like to make an investment whose return is not guaranteed. But, sometimes, during this entire trade off between ‘potential’ and ‘stability’, stability gets the upper hand. This case is mostly evident with small and mid size companies although a few large ones also behave in the same way.

Regarding selection methodology, now-a-days, almost all companies use the same technique i.e. written test followed by GD and personal interview. In some companies, each of these rounds is equally important but in many others different rounds carry different weightings. For students moving into final year, it is always helpful to talk to seniors.

In general, cracking written test is the easiest part in the entire process. Group discussion is where most students falter, few good ones too. This problem is largely related to a student’s upbringing. Most of the students of govt. engineering colleges come from rural background. For them, communicating in English becomes Achilles heel. Personal interview, more or less, varies with the interviewee personality. Interviewers judge him on technical as well as non technical parameters. Mentioning extracurricular activities in CV is always helpful. But, remember, if you have not performed them, in that case, you will be exposed easily. Also, it has been observed that an interviewer frames an opinion about the interviewee initially within few minutes and use rest of the time to justify it in his mind. Therefore, it is always important to perform well right from the start.

Although, this selection process is somewhat flawed, it has generally produced satisfactory results. In present world where so much emphasis is on relationship building, people with better personality are more likely to succeed. Personality includes everything right from appearance and dressing sense to communication skills. Even, the way you behave during the entire selection process can be used to assess you. In short, the entire selection process is more complex than it seems and sometimes the lady luck may also be the reason behind selection.


If you want to know more about the selection process, write to me at: shashank273@gmail.com

OBSCENITY: IS IT IN SOME GODDAMN SERIALS OR IN OUR MINDS?

Big Boss on Colors and Rakhi Ka Insaaf on NDTV Imagine, two of the highly
successful reality shows of winter 2010, are in constant news now-a-days albeit for some bad reasons. They have been accused of presenting vulgar content to the audience including children. It seems that they have stirred the hornet’s nest. The government has directed them to air their shows after eleven PM. But, the real question is: Is this solution appropriate? In the name of protecting the young generation from depravity, are we doing the right thing?

The answer is perhaps a big NO. It seems nice to hear that by censoring contents we can prevent our children from getting access to them. But, the rot lies deeper somewhere and through this action we cannot reach there. The million dollar question today is: Even if we censor content on the television, can we stop our children from gaining access to adult materials through other media such as Internet and magazines or even through their friends? It’s pretty clear that it’s not possible. Some way or the other, children are going to have them. In most of the Indian families, parents do not discuss adult life with their growing children. In those circumstances, friends, cheap books and Internet are children' biggest teachers. This generation of MTV and Facebook is pretty fast in gathering knowledge about sex although the quality always remains doubtful and this is where the problem starts. I remember, I was 15 years old when I watched porn first, quite late by present standards. For someone who had not even watched a B-grade Hindi Movie before, it was a totally different experience. It had a lasting effect on me and it didn’t in any way made me less moral. In fact, I became more aware about my feelings afterward. My parents know nothing about this and I don’t want to tell them too. I smile when my father suggests me to change the bikini girl’s wallpaper of my computer for little he knows that I have seen much more than this.

Then, what is the way forward? Some people suggest that we should revert back to medieval era of keeping everything behind the curtain. For them, I remember what a great man wrote about how his father imparted him sex education. He wrote, “When I was 14 years old, my father took me to a brothel and told me to learn things there.” Although, this might be quite a radical idea for us, a little opening up of society is always better. It should be clearly understood that obscenity is not in the shows that we watch. Rather than, it is in our psyche, in our minds. Rapes happen even in the countries where women cover themselves from top to bottom. Women living in open societies feel safer than those living in closed ones. In open societies, women remain vocal about their rights. If anything wrong happens, they get justice easily and subsequently lead normal lives. On the other hand, in closed societies, cases of women harassment are never registered and the victims never overcome the trauma.

For opening up of society, imparting sex education in schools might be the best possible way. In this way, it won’t be a curious topic among the children. It would also make them aware of their physical needs and protect them from STDs in future. The only thing in this to be taken care of is the method of implementation. We need highly trained teachers who could do this job without compromising their integrity.

Enough we vowed to protect ourselves through abstinence. Now is the time to be more vocal and to have greater exchange of ideas on subjects that have remained taboo so far. Don’t let your child suppress his feelings. It will lead to frustration only. Psychological studies have proved it time and again that sex offenders are mostly people without troubled sex history. It’s in the human nature that whatever he is forbidden to do, he tries to do that. Eve did this and we are no different. Talking sex is not bad. Only when we do it with wrong intentions, it becomes ugly. So, don’t ban serials because it will make matters worse only.

Movies!! Boom.......I want loads of them!!

My friends keep asking why I watch so many movies when I have other important things to do in my life like taking care of study, preparing for the competitions, planning for a bright future and so on. Many people also laugh at me when they see me devoting large part of daily life to movies. Even the HR head of the company where I’ll be working in the next few months asked me, “What is it in the movies that you like when most of them are not real and you claim yourself to be a very practical man?” To all of them who are curious to know why I do this, here is the answer:

I watch movies because they take me to a different world. They tell me that there are sufferings but also the people who have conquered them. They urge me to believe in the self and that even I can change the world. They teach me to be happy, take life as it is and above all love it. I think, whatever makes you happy is always good for you. I don’t care if they are just movies. At least, they give hope and what is better than hope. I know I’m quite pragmatic. But, don’t I have the right to enjoy, get lost in the dreams? I’m too a man made of flesh and blood and I can’t be mechanical. I’m ready to trade a million dollar for a single ray of hope and I feel most of you will do the same. Living life is not an easy job, at least in this cruel world where everyone else is your competitor and there are people out there ready to take your place at your single mistake.

So, watch movies and have fun because there is nothing more beautiful in life than happiness and nothing more valuable than the moments of selfless fun. They will be the real treasures for you.

Do write to me if you think this article in any way has rekindled your passion into movies. I’m available at: shashank273@gmail.com

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BE MARRYING

In 2011, I along with my batch mates will be graduating from NIFFT, Ranchi. The few years spent here have been the best of our lives. The year 2011 will bring a smooth transition from academic to professional life for most of us. Life would also be a lot more enjoyable as we would be earning then. But, this transition will also bring with itself the trickiest question that everyone faces in adult life: ‘whether to marry or not?’

Most of the people seldom think before taking a decision on it and the end results have been disastrous for them. Prima facie, their judgments seem myopic and constrained by short term benefits. They simply do not understand that ‘marriage’ and ‘prosperous life’ are two mutually exclusive terms. Also, with the kind of society we live in, it becomes imperative for everyone to raise children after marriage thus further making difficult the already critical situation.

In general, the fantasies associated with marriage have been huge in people’s minds and I witness them every day in the eyes of some of my friends who are eagerly waiting to get placed so that they could marry as early as possible. At a time when they should be thinking about career, they are thinking about wives and children.

Life becomes difficult from the day a man gets married. A cost-benefit analysis of ‘married life’ unambiguously supports this proposition. I have always suggested my friends to think clearly before taking a decision on marriage. I have shared some of my observations with them and I think it would be worth to share them with you too.

These ten reasons strongly support the bachelor life and will act as the invaluable guidelines to lead a normal, tension free life…………………

1. Freedom of lifestyle- An unmarried person has the freedom to choose his lifestyle….. He can decide for himself things like when to sleep and wake up, what to eat and what not, what to wear and what not etc…

2. No need to raise children- Perhaps the most important benefit of staying single is that you never have to worry about children. All your resources and energy that would have been consumed in raising children can now be utilized in productive works.

3. You would be contributing vitally towards controlling population thus serving a national cause………….. A tribute to your country.

4. Freedom from emotional torture and daily melodrama of a typical marriage life.

5. There will be no division in your family as you would not be fighting with your brothers and sisters over some petty issues if you are unmarried. You will live happily with your brothers, sisters and parents throughout your life…… What an ideal situation!!!!!!

6. You will have all your money to spend the way you want… Whether you want to spend it on ‘the African safari’ or on stay at ‘The Taj’ hotel, all decisions will be yours.

7. As there will be no distractions of married life, you will be able to focus on your career and thus will have better prospects of reaching to the top.

8. No need to save money. You will earn and spend thus enjoy life to the fullest extent possible.

9. There will be no need to earn too much. This will help you to lead a good life even on less salary. Since, it has been observed that corruption generally stems from the unethical demands of the family members which a man cannot fulfill with his salary, you will be less corrupted if you remain unmarried.

10. No need to take life insurance cover and cough your hard earned money as premium……

In a nutshell, you will be more humane, honest and happy if you decide to stay unmarried. The onus is on yours friends…………………..
THINK CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY

Reminiscence: BSP@BHILAI

Introduction: FROM 12TH JUNE TO 12TH JULY

I along with my friends went to Bhilai to undergo vocational training at BSP(Bhilai Steel Plant).Before the start of the journey, I thought the stay would be enjoyable. We would visit new places there and make friends. But, right from the start of the journey nothing went smooth. We lost our tickets. With great difficulties, somehow we reached Bhilai. During my auto journey from Bhilai station to the vocation trainee hostel, I was thinking that all our problems would end once we reach the hostel. I reached the hostel and..............................


12th June at 8:47 PM

"Is this the hostel we're supposed to come?"
"What is this? A hostel or a Bhutaha Haveli that we see in Hindi movies? Are we gonna live here and that too after paying Rs 1500 per bed?"
"Oh no, this can't be true."

After some time.............
"Where will we eat today? Is there any restaurant around?"..........
"Only South Indians selling Dosa, Idli and vada."

"No.. Are we supposed to return back from Dosa corner before half past ten?"

"Oh God! What is this place! The snakes move all around the hostel. Have we come in a zoo?"

10:00 PM
"How will we sleep? It's so hot and the fans are not moving. My mobile is not charged and there is only one electric port that too engaged. I have to talk to my mom. She will be worrying............ What! India's largest network AIRTEl has
pathetic network here."
Somehow we managed.


13th June- In the morning........

"The toilet is hell and no proper arrangements for shower.... What kind of people live here?" We cannot live here.... Today we will search an apartment and rent it no matter how costly it is."

But before that where will we eat? The mess is not running and food available is not worth eating. We will also have to make arrangements for food.....

"Bhaiya, Is there any restaurant around?"...... "Yes, a pure vegetarian: Annapurna."

Annapurna: A pure Rajasthani veg restaurant. Cost: Rs 50 per plate. Food quality: spiritual.

Hostel warden- Sardarji: An unusual one. I will talk about him some other time.

13th June ended. We couldn't search a proper apartment.
Regarding food we thought Annapurna might be a temporary arrangement till we find the subsidized canteens of BSP(Another fallacy).

14th JUNE: Our first day @ training section of BSP

"Who knows about this person?", A man carrying a picture in his hand asked. A new drama was going to unfold.......


................WILL BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART

WHAT DOES A MAN WANT?

What does a man want? Whenever I ponder over this question, I get the same answer. Freedom! freedom is what a man desperately wants no matter how costly it is. Freedom to live according to own choice is something mankind has always cherished.

But, we do not realize perhaps how costly freedom is! Ask those who have made sacrifices for this. Only they are worthy to answer. Palestinians, Blacks of South Africa, Iraqis... they know the real cost they had to pay or are paying still for freedom. Salute to them who sacrificed their lives to make this world free and equal to all humans irrespective of their race, religion and status. I feel indebted to our freedom fighters for dreaming the impossible.

Fellow countrymen! preserve the dignity of freedom. It didn't come free. Live in harmony with others and respect different cultures for they are the treasures of our own country. We are one nation and everyone of us deserve the same respect no matter from which part of the country we belong to. Let us build together a better, stronger and united India.

A LADY ON THE TRAIN

A lady on the train
Whirling here and there in the lane
Leaning loose over the window seat
To take a view of the beautiful terrain.

Alluring she was, like the bright full moon,
Pristine like the rainbow after the rain,
Her golden hair blowing in air
Caressing in gentle admiration
Her face half draped in cloth
As if preserving the essence of universe.

Resplendence redefined by the charm of her face
What an angelic body she had to compliment the best.

CASTE BASED CENSUS: SHOULD WE FALL INTO THE TRAP?

Date- June 6,  2007

Time- 10:30 PM

Good evening gentlemen!  Well this may sound too formal and mature; isn’t it? But, discussing a topic as contentious as the ‘caste based census’ requires such mature state of mind which is free from presumptions and prejudices and willing to incorporate new ideas, ideas which are pertinent to take ourselves to an altogether different  path of prosperity, but might be radical and unacceptable to the present narrow minded society.

Friends, we have to unfortunately live with the fact that casteism runs deep into Indian society and has its roots everywhere. It is not a new age phenomenon. It was present thousands of year before and it is still prevalent, albeit with greater acceptance.

I remember an incident from my childhood. When I was in class three, I had a group of friends, mostly belonging to upper castes. One day we heard that MCC had killed a number of Bhumihar Brahmins in Jahanabad district of Bihar.  We were discussing this. Suddenly one of my friends’ brother who was elder to us told that Ranbir Sena would take the revenge by  killing all those bastards who had committed the heinous act. He also told that Ranbir Sena was savior for the upper castes’ people. Unaware of all these facts, I was puzzled. At that time I didn’t realise the gravity of situation. Now, when I reflect on this, I feel, even the immature minds of our children are not spared when it comes to casteism. This venom is fed into their minds right from their childhood by their own family members and the members of society. By the time they reach adulthood, they no longer remain unaffected by casteism.

Many of you might be wondering that I have diverted from the topic as  our topic is ‘caste based census’ not casteism. But, to understand the cries and hues surrounding the census, we will have to know what the ground realities are. One of the most blunt truth is that we all practise casteism, consciously or subconsciously. A few of us being intellectually more nuanced, filter out the feelings. This census is generating so much controversy because it is being perceived as an asset by a few people while a few others view this as a threat. Those who are against the caste based census (the list includes me too), feel that it is another attempt to widen the gap between people and create rift in the society which has already become fragile.  For the supporters of this census, it is an honest effort to strengthen the identity of socially deprived. According to them, it will also be a basis for distributing the benefits of various social schemes effectively. But a nice intention is one thing and understanding the consequences of one’s action is another. I do not doubt intention, I doubt the narrow outlook that the supporters of the census are taking in relation to this. They are unable to foresee the problems that will arise in the future.The census will futhur the divisions in the society. Do we want our children to fight for castes!

I have few questions in my mind and I would like their answers from the census' supporters.

§  If this is so important, why was it discontinued? Remember, the last such census was done in 1931.

§  How much is this going to help in uplifting people from backward communities through social schemes when the real problem lies not in ‘whether we know the exact number of people belonging to different castes or not’ but in the delivery mechanism?

§   Isn’t it just another attempt by our politicians to take the political mileage for advancing their career?

Friends, we must not fall into this dangerous trap. At the time when INDIANS should be discussing about the ways and means to take our country to new levels of development, we are made to waste our resources and energy in such hypocritical acts. It’s high time that we think how much is ‘caste based census’ advancing our developmental goals.  We all have one identity. We all are Indians. All the rest should be inconsequential to us.

Caste based census is a politically motivated attempt to garner more votes; another instance of the divide and rule policy being followed by the current politicians to keep power in their hands. I once again emphasise the point that this census is not a panacea to our problems. The losses far outweigh the benefits.  THIS SHOULD NOT BE PUT INTO ACTION.

WHAT LIFE IS!

Jinks’ 10 is gone. But, reminiscences are still floating in air. They are now integral parts of our lives. One of the most interesting things that happened to me during JINKS’ 10 was participation in Mr. JINKS’. Initially, I thought about it ten times. Should I participate, shouldn’t I? At last, I decided to try. In order to qualify in the main round of Mr. Jinks, participants had to fill a form which asked to define what life is. When I saw that question, I thought, "May be the space provided is not enough for such a big question". But, when I started writing, I felt as if I had no words to define life. Anyhow, I managed to write something. But, my definition of life didn’t see the dawn as the judges were not convinced by my answer. And so, I was not selected for the main round. But, this experience gave me a very beautiful topic to write about.

Well, It is almost impossible to define life in words. Still, as a writer, I can take such liberty and when I define life, I see it as a flow. Life is a journey and it goes on. We rejoice we grieve. But, life never stops. It just flows. Life has no destination. It can never be a destination. Those who define life by aims either underestimate themselves or life. I remember when I was small, I used to think about too many things. I thought of becoming engineer. Now, when I‘m on the verge of being an engineer, I think to be anything but engineer. Such is life and such is life’s mystery. Life is an exploration. We do not know what it holds. Only when we unearth it, we find the true face of it. The real joy of life lies in its uncertainty. Hope, Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption says, “ Hope is a good thing, may be the best of things and no good thing ever dies” has its genesis in life's dubiety and no one can deny there is ever a thing as merciful as hope. Many people spend their entire lives in anticipation of something, may be on some kind of hope. Those who are alone live life in search of friends, those who are poor do so in hope of prosperity. Life is also about memoirs we have of our past. People, come & go. joys, sorrows too pass. But their memories always remain with us. They blend with our soul and remain alive until we are.

But,friends, Life can never be about making money or fulfilling some dreams. Life is not an end too my friend. Life is all about living. If you could live it well, you will be worthy of it. In a nut shell, life is what life is! So, stop worrying and enjoy it because life is a beautiful dream and we are fortunate to have it.

Let’s Speak Out

Words have always been like the ice in scorching heat solacing the weakening soul burdened through the ages. If we could have said a few things we wanted, we would have been happier than what we are at present. We all feel this but do not express. But, when someone starts preaching this, we call him saint. All of us are humans made of flesh and blood which manifests in itself some feelings we want to share with others but few have the courage to do so. The beauty of life lies in its uncertainties. How would it be when we know all the future things? Life would lose its charm and so the living.

We all have moved so fast in our lives we do not have time to sit and look back. We do not want to cherish whatever little we have done in our lives. We always run for something more and when we realize this was not what we aimed for It has always been too late. Why don’t we accept the life as it is and enjoy whatever happiness comes in. Do we need someone to teach us what we must do when someone shows love to us? This is so natural but still we go to some priests and Pujaris to teach us how to live which the whole life of us has tirelessly tried to tell.

Long story Cut Short

“Mom, Where is Saumya?”, I asked as I entered into the house. “She is in her room son but why do you seem to be in haste”, she replied. Nothing Mom. It’s just I have got a surprise for her. I went inside the room. She was reading something.

“Saumya, come here I have something to show you”. I said.
“Hey Bro when did you come?” , she said and ran towards me. she was elated. I gave her a box decorated with coloured plastic.

“What is it?”, she asked. She was beaming with joy like a small child. I opened the box. It was a small aquarium having four coloured fishes. It was my sister’s 12th birthday and I knew how much she was interested in fishes. Every day she used to ask me about fishes. Sometimes it was too difficult to answer her questions. I had to search on Internet to answer his questions. Nevertheless, It was so much pleasure replying to her questions. My sister was the best thing I could have in my life. “We were to celebrate her birthday at night” and I had to make arrangements for that. Suddenly I heard a scream. It was my sister’s voice. I Ran towards her room. She was lying on floor unconscious. I and my mother took her to the nearest nursing home. After a few hours she was normal again. I asked doctor about her condition and he told me not to worry. We took her home. Days passed as usual but there was a marked change in her behaviour. She was less cheerful now. She had started confining herself into her rooms. She remained silent most of the times and It was me who always tried to cheer her. Most of the times she was irritated. She also started bunking classes. It seemed she was not interested in anything.

I was unable to understand what had happened to her. I Was perplexed in fact. I thought of helping her. But how? Finally we took her to a psychiatrist who told us that Saumya was suffering from Schizophrenia. It was a big shock for me and the family. We all loved her so much. How would she cope with it. This was the first question that came to my mind.

Her condition was deteriorating day by day and one day that happened which changed my life. She committed suicide! I don’t know What forced her to do so? . It was so painful. Perhaps, she couldn’t bear the stress and how could she! She was only fifteen when she did this. Ever one was weeping in the house. But, I was silent. My soul had been taken away and I was now just flesh. I was shattered from inside. I took refuge in alcohols and drugs. My mother carried herself somehow but I knew she was dying everyday. My father tried to convince me. But I know he had no more interest in life. We all had lost hope in life. One day when I was away, I don’t know where I was because I was drunk, my father shoot my mother and then himself. When I reached home, I saw a suicide letter again. It was jointly signed by my mother and father. Every reason for my existence was finished.

Today is 26th Jan 2010, Our 60th Republic day. I have decided I would drink less today. I don’t know how many more days I have in my life. But, I won’t suicide. I won’t let circumstances rule over me. I’m a strong man, very strong.
There was a loud noise. Neighbour rushed to my room to see what happened. I was lying on floor with a revolver in my hand and blood flowing everywhere. I was dead.
Perhaps, I was not as strong as I thought.

!Perplexed!

I do not understand bullying others to gain,
I do not understand helping friends to cheat
I do not understand taking treat for this,
I do not understand the need for majority
When even one can be right.

I understand the need to protest
When our elders are wrong
I understand the need to help
The downtrodden and the weak
I understand why we do not understand
It’s we who can change
The society, the country and the world.

No one wants to be Chatur!

Chatur chamatkar, no one wants to be like him. Everone is in love with Phunsuk Wangdu, the holder of five hundred patients. And why not? He is the real educationist, the show stealer. He taught the right way to study.  But, did we even analyse what was Chatur’s fault.Forget about his physical habbits and concentrate on the rest.  He was born a child like anyone else and perhaps was intelligent too. But, he was afraid, afraid to take on the world, a world which appreciated continuity over innovation. He preferred to carry on himself in the way the entire world wanted from him. It was a systemic failure which encouraged him to follow the traditional lines of learning and eventually made him the culprit.

Do we ever realize there is a Chatur and a Wangdu both residing in all of us. But, most of the times it is Chatur which prevails in our mind over Wangdu and this is not so because we want it. But, because we are too afraid to do things differently. I suspect those who criticise Chatur, are perhaps in  actual like him or are forcing someone to be the same  for otherwise they would have known the root of the evil. Remember, no one is born Chatur. It’s the system that makes someone so.

Instead of criticizing Chatur for the way he is, we must work to revamp the system. Let’s conquer our fear and make this world a better place for the innovators and the unconventional thinkers. Shiv Kheda was absolutely right when he said, “Great people don’t do different things. They do things differently”. One day,the world will be full of Wangdus if we start acting like him, that is, working differently.

Ram............ Forrgive me if You Can

Ram and Anit were good froends.. Both of them liked each other. They had a very similar thinking. They wanted to do something for the society,  for the country where they were born. Ram used to say, “I would make my country a living paradise”. Shyam always nodded in agrrement. They went to the same school and again to the same college. Infact, they had to leave their hometown for study but they also lived together at the new place. Ram was a little aggressive kind while shyam was always cool. Whenever Ram engaged in any duel, It was shyam who controlled the things preventing the situation from getting blown out of proportion. But, one day Shyam left Ram. He went without saying anything. Ram searched him everywhere but couldn’t find him. Ram was very upset. A few days passed and one day he got a letter. It was addressed to him but nowhere the name of the sender written on it. He opened it and read. Tears fell from his eyes. He couldn’t stand up any furthur. He read the full letter numb. The letter was like.............

Dear Ram

You would be wondering who has sent you this letter. I won’t strain your mind and without any gusseses you should know It’s me, Shyam. I’m sure you would have been searching me frantically. But, you must stop because I’m far from your world. I’m at a different place. I left you because I couldn’t bear the pain your love brought to me. You were so caring. You were like an angel to me, protecting always from the adversities. I remembered when I was hurt playing football. It was you who looked after me all the time, preparing food, bringing books  and tendering me in all the possible ways one can. I cannot forget the anger you felt towards Raj, your cousin, when he had abused me. You wanted to hit him hard but stopped when I asked you to forgive him. How could someone be so nice in this world. I always wanted to be like you, free and joy loving. Your love to me was pure, unconditional free from any predisposition.

We shared all our joys, our sorrows and there was nothing that I didn’t know about you and the same you thought about me too. Still there is something I didn’t tell you. Infact, this is something I hid even from myself. Five years ago, My brother who was just a few years elder to me had passed away. He was suffering from brain tumer. You wouldn’t have forgotten the day when I had gone to my home after quarelling with you. You were surprised, why was I going home. You apologised several times but I didn’t care. I went. I know you consider yourself responsible for that. But, let me tell you, you were never the reason behind my decision. I went because my brother was living his last days. Doctors were exhausted treating him. I couldn’t stand to see my brother. I was crying like a new born.He was the most precious to me. How could god do such things! But, my brother was smiling. He said, “Bro, what if I would be dying in a few days. I would always be with you, in your heart, in your memories. He kissed my forehead. My brother was my life. God was preparing himself to take my life away. I asked ma to allow me to return. I told her, If I stay here I won’t be able to sustain the pain. I had returned after four days and you were so glad to see me back. You were almost weeping when you asked me to forgive. My brother died a few days after. But, I didn’t go to my house. I was happy with you. Your presence never let me think of my brother. You made me laugh, made me happy. I never felt the agony. But, my brother’s memories were inseparable. I wept when you were not around. I tried to forget everything associated with him but they kept coming back.I used to wake up in the dreams.

After a few years to my surprise my dreams stopped hounding me. I almost forgot my brother. It thought, I would be happy again like I used to be. But, Oh, god! You can’t be so cruel to me. It was the start of another misery, a tormenting ache in my soul. Oh! I forgot my brother because my heart accepted you as my brother. You took his place. I statred viewing you like him. Your care, your affection your everything to me was like my brother’s way. But, Ram I wanted to forget my brother. I wanted to move on and living with you never let me do so. Everyday, It brought me closer to my brother, closer than I could think. I’m a human and I couldn’t bear so much love. I had heard that too much love sometimes become unsurpassable. I never thought It could happen to me. I told my mom about you and she asked what did I want. I told her I wanted to forget my brother. I was weeping and she was too. I decided I must go home. I must take care of my mother, my fathert. I never thought how much painful It would have been for them to lose their young son.

I can’t fight with my destiny. Still, I can try. By the time you would be reading this letter, I would have already left my old home and shifted to a new place. Forgive me for what I did to you. I know I am your culprit. I’m a sinner but plaese do me one more favor. Never try to find me or try to contact me for any such attempt on your side will break the fragile determination that I have to look things beyond. I hope you will always be happy.

Yours Brother in diguise

Anit

Ram stood up and looked here and there. On the wall, there was a photograph of Anit. He smiled and said, “May god always keep you happy and help you find your peace”. He opened the door of his house and went to address his friends. It was his first speech after winning the college President’s election.

Education & Health: the Pioneers of Any Future Transformation

When I was studying economics, I was always fascinated by macro economics. The fiscal policy, the monitary policy, international trade all this seemed like heaven to me. But, micro..... I didn't give a care. And, why? because it doesn't have scale! For me, the Trickle Down Theory was the most exciting. I had always this belief that growth would tricke down to the lowest strata of the society. But, never I bothered about the duartion in which it would occur.  But, life is not so easy and so is Economics. Otherwise, India would have been the world leader by now.

There is nothing wrong in the theory but a country like India can not wait to see things happening in due course. Rather, It has to make things happen for otherwise discontent would grow and assume dangerous proportions. we are already witnessing this to some extent  in the form of Maoism in large parts of our country.

If change is to be brought about early and fast in this country, we need to focus on micro aspects of the economy. Here, I see the role of education and health in  vivifying the economy. Now-a-days, we talk about demographic dividents our country is enjoying over the others. Population explosion which was a curse a few years back is now a benefit for us. But, do we think about the fact that India still has a large percentage of illiterate people and had we educated them in the past  our demographic dividents would have been much better by now. It sounds nice to hear that India is a big consumption market, our middle class is earning much to spend and most of the companies are heading towards it. But, won't this demographic divident be a problem if we do not decelerate the rate of population growth. Is anybody pondering over how India would be able to feed  and provide shelter to the 1.5 billion people in the next 30-40 years!

An average Indian do not care about where the stock market is headed towards. He cares about food prices, healthcare services and  the quality of education available. Yet Indian government spend a meagre proportion of GDP on health and education. The primary aim of any government is to provide basic amenities to its citizens. How much wealth our economy  loses due to poor health conditions in our country? Remember, these are indirect costs but they do override the total expenditure the government bears on providing the healthcare services. I ask, what does it take to develop quality schools, universities, medical colleges and hospitals for I have a strong feeling that It's really possible in our country.

There was one article recently written by a Professor of MIT Sloan school of management about education as the real differentiating factor between Indian and Chinese growth. He strongly advocated for a greater emphasis  on basic amenities by India. Very few people know that in the 1980s Chinese infrastructure was poorer compared to that of  Indian. But, they focused on eduaction and this led to the demand for infrastructure growth. The ultimate result, everyone knows. Few may argue it was because they introduced reforms in the 1980s where we started almost a decade after. I  agree with them but education did really play a vital role in making China what it is at present.

            

Imagine India starts providing better and inclusive education and healthcare facilities to its citizens. Education would remove People's ignorance and superstions and make them competitive. Better healthcare facilities would ensure they do not suffer from decrease in productivity due to bad health. The country would be able to tackle population explosion effectively due to greater awareness among the people about its negative fallouts. Although, some legislative measures like fixing the number of children would still be required for stricter emphasis on population control. Good education and healthcare facilities will be a win-win situation for the government too because it would help in increasing their vote banks as satisfied people would naturally vote for the ruling party.

The real essence of this article is not to assess which policy is right and which is wrong but to emphasise the fact that countries who have given greater preference to health and education sector have outgrowthed those who haven't. The onus is upon the policy makers to decide what do they want, a country taking decades to make its citizens happier or a vibrant and dynamic India within a few years from now!!!!
 

TEN QUESTIONS THAT HOUND ME EVEN IN THE DREAMS

Why is India unable to find 545 people out of 1.2 billion population to run the country who are honest, secular, decisive, broad minded, incorrupt and without any criminal rcords?

Why do we still believe in killing in the name of religion?

 Why don't we follow 'One child policy' strictly?

Why is India so slow in reforming healthcare and  education sector?

Why do we resort to corruption?

Why don't we promote sports other than cricket in our country?

 Why do we discriminate against women?

Why is government reluctant to tackle Maoist problem?

Why do we hesitate to talk about AIDS?

why is there such a hype over our projected transformation in the next ten years based on some assumed data  when we still have millions of people below the poverty line?

'QUOTES' Our Own or .......................

Most of the one liners frequently encounterd on social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook, Myspace etc. are quite catchy. They instantly grab attention. But do we ever think from where have they come from? Perhaps none of us. We actually feel they are conceived by the persons using it. But the truth lies elsewhere. They are actually the creations of poets and authors who died  years before. The advent of social networking sites has popularized their quotes but unfortunately not them. For e.g. "Common sense is not so common" is a quote from Voltaire, a great Frencn philosopher and writer. We use it so many times without  knowing the person who actually said this!!!!

There is nothing wrong in quoting other's materials but we must admit the original creator. It would help in popularizing those who though were creative geniuses but are unknown to the present generation.  Social Networking sites may play a pivotal role in doing this and we all must work together in this endeavour. 

Below are quotes of some of the famous person-

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE  

                                                                                                               

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet".

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players".

"Brevity is the soul of wit".

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once".

"Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made For kissing, lady, not for such contempt".

OSCAR WILDE

“I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.”

“A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her”

“Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.”

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.”

“Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.”

“To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.”

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

“We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.”

“Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear other men's imperfections, and conceal your own.”

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

“Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”

“People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got: everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them.”


VOLTAIRE

“Common sense is not so common.”

“Prejudices are what fools use for reason.”

“He who thinks himself wise, O heavens! is a great fool.”

“Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.”

“It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.”

 EINSTEIN

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

“You can't blame gravity for falling in love.”

“Women marry men hoping they will change. Men marry women hoping they will not. So each is inevitably disappointed.”

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

“There's a Genius in all of us.”

GIMP & ORKUT

                  

This is an amlgamation of an Orkut application and the GIMP use. The orkut application tells the meaning of one's name while GIMP is an image manipulation programme like Photoshop although it is free unlike photoshop which comes with an associated cost. GIMP is a product of OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY and is in the public domain for use. Let's promote GIMP and the OPEN SOURCE.

नव वर्ष की अभिलाषा

अज्ञानता मिटायेंगे, ज्ञान का दीपक जलाएंगे

शिक्षा का होगा प्रसार, खुलेंगे विद्यालय नए बार-बार

स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं का अभाव मिटायेंगे

हम नव वर्ष भारत का खुशहाल बनायेंगे ।।

महिलाओं को करेंगे जागरूक,

हरित क्रांति पुनः लायेंगे

गाँव-गाँव खुशहाल करेंगे, आपसी भाईचारा फैलायेंगे

हम नव वर्ष भारत का खुशहाल बनायेंगे।।

नेताओं को नैतिकता सिखलाएंगे,

अच्छे शासन के पाठ पढ़ाएंगे

भय, लोभ, तृष्णा सब त्याग करेंगे

हम नव वर्ष भारत का खुशहाल बनायेंगे ।।

होगी शांति चारो ओर,

न होगा कोई अनुचित जोर,

सामाजिक क्रांति लायेंगे, दीन-दुखिओं का दर्द मिटायेंगे

हम नव वर्ष भारत का उज्जवल बनायेंगे ।।

BOOM BOOM MOVIE TIME: My last Days of 2009

 Movies and movies only: this is how I spent my last days in 2009. An awakening experience indeed, I learnt why is it important to watch movies. Movies are reflection of society. Basically, hollywood movies truly depict the prevailing conditions and the upcoming situation. While there were movies like The Great Debators, the inglorious basterds, 3 Idiots, Fire and the Shawshank redemption made with delicate precision and asking serious questions on the other hand movies like the terminal and American Pie- The book of love were full of fun.

I would categorise these movies according to their genre:

*Fun & Romance- The terminal, American Pie- The book of love, The Twilight saga, 500 days of summer, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, HUm Tum, Sathiya, Pulp fiction

*Suspense and thrill- Silence of the lambs, The departed, Sin city, LA confidential, Godfather

*Intellectual- The Great Debators, The Shawshank Redemption, Gandhi, The hurt locker, The inglorious basterds, Fire, 3 idiots, V for vendetta, Good Will Hunting

*Weired- Mulholland drive, Savage grace

Their Ratings are-

9-10: Silence of the lambs,The Great Debators,The Shawshank Redemption, Gandhi, 3 idiots, The terminal, Godfather

8-9:  Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, The departed, LA confidential, V for vendetta, The inglorious basterds

7-8:  Good Will Hunting, HUm Tum, Sathiya, Fire, Pulp fiction, Mulholland drive, The Twilight saga, The hurt locker

6-7:  American Pie- The book of love, 500 days of summer, Sin city, The hurt locker, Savage grace

The last week of 2009 was the most entertaining week in my life. There are however lots of works ahead and I would miss this week badly in my life.

!!DEMANDING RESPECT!!

  Respect is a mischiveous thing. I have been taught for years to respect my elders. But, most people say I am not good in showing respect to others. I do not wish them properly and talk to them like an idiot.  'ARROGANT' is what they say I have become. Well I do not deny this fact completely but who else is not!!!!!!  I  have a  quote for them: "Respect is not demanded, it is commanded".

Few days back I was chatting with a relative (Name & identity withheld otherwise I don't know what would happen). I asked him a few things and suddenly he became furious. He told me that I had been trying to be oversmart and disrespectful. I was  perplexed. I thought what the hell did I do to let him think so. But then, I realised It was not his fault. Although there was nothing vulgar in my talk he assumed the other way because it was a perceptual error on his part. He had already framed a negative  perception about me and whatever culminated in his mind was a result of it.

It's not that I am worried about what he thinks of me. So many people think lots of  things about others. I cann't be an exception. But I am definetely worried about the reasons he cited for the dislike he  has for me as these are the reasons cited by most of the immature elders as an excuse to curse their youngers. It's my duty to tell them to correct their stands, stands which have been founded on medieval world principles and which have no significance in the present day world.

I have always held this belief, "The way you think, the way you become." If you live in a conservative environment, It is most likely you will become conservative. You will start thinking about the trifle things like why someone doesnot bend his knees to touch your feet everytime he meets you. I always wonder there are so many topics to think about for these elders but all they care about is that why ain't a woman covered his head when she is in front of them. Such people try to act like  moral police telling others what to do and what not to do in life. They try to take charge of our lives thinking as if we are the puppets and they can dictate us in any way.  But all I say to them is why don't they care about global warming, illiteracy, healthcare, hunger deaths, women emancipation, criminalization in politics. etc.  for these are the burning problems in front of us and if they contribute, we all would be more prosperous and happy in the days ahead.

But,Will they ? No way man. They will tell us not to stand for the rights because they have never stood themselves. They will tell us to let other children suffer the curse of illiteracy because they are not ours, let the women in other houses suffer because it is their fate and let the earth warm up because It's not our job to take care of it. In their views the only noble job they have  is to find faults in the youngsters and they do it with full precision.

 Well, all I can say to such people is to wake up. The world has moved very fast in the last few decades. If you do not catch up with the rest you would soon become irrelevant. The coming generation is not going to listen to  the hypocrites.

                   My Dear Elders: When would you grow up!