It looks it was just the other day that I entered the portals of IIMB but the arrival of the fresh produce of the country’s so-called ‘hope-for-the-future’ heralds the beginning of a roller-coaster ride for the first years (Facchas/Facchis as they are popularly known) and marks the countdown for the second years.
Looking back, the year I have spent at IIMB has truly been an ‘experience’. An experience I call it without prefixing an adjective because there are several that fit the bill – memorable, intriguing, exciting, frustrating, fulfilling, de-motivating, out-of-the-world, tiring, inspiring etc. Each of these were applicable in varying proportions at different points in time during the last one year.
Life is a great teacher, they say. Life @ IIMB is like a microcosm that tries to give you a snapshot of the entire spectrum that the complete version called ‘Life’ has in store for you. If you thought you excelled at something, this place throws up people who may not just be equally good but in fact much better at the same thing. If you thought you were a god-send, it doesn’t take too long to realize that ‘up-there’, it was an assembly line after all! Humility is just one of those things that you pick up as a bystander on this highway – There are many more things that we can glean from it – does this highway lead you to where you wanna go, which vehicle will you be most comfortable driving on this highway, how much fuel do you need to take you to your destination, who do you take along with you/drop in this journey and similar such things.
The orientation week, the realization that dawns post orientation week, the 8 AM classes, the soporific lectures, the new found definitions for late nights, the binders, the pulpwood insensitive HBR cases, the surprise quizzes, the announced-but-surprised-with-your-marks quizzes/exams, the farce called open-book exams, ‘my-a**-on-fire’ project deadlines, the section bonding, the inter-section rivalry, the gully cricket, the DC++, the once-upon-a-time BRACKET, the RG-giri, the CP/ACP/DCP, the mail tags, the people who teach you the proper usage of the mail tags, the resume preparation – your achievements that would put the best ever perfomer at your previous workplace to shame - the punch words, the powerful one liners, the placement notice board, the period when pizzas become your staple diet, the ‘hard-on’ one gets when doling out the next big idea to company folks who happen to hang around the audi, the PPT fines, the PPT groups where people still haven’t spotted some team members, the trackers, the offers, the section parties/trips, the L-square parties, the various fests, the talk shows, the panel discussions, the face-to-face interaction with luminaries, the ‘aha’ moments in the class, the summers – The last one year has truly been a wonder ride, with several memories for 'take-aways'.
As my Marketing Prof succinctly puts it, “IIMB is like a railway station and the faculty are akin to station masters – Trains come and go – But what you carry into and out of the train is totally up to you”.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, March 13, 2009
My Tryst with Gaseousness
Here is a summary of what transpired in one of my B-school interviews. Phrases within {} represent the voice of my alter ego.
The process was scheduled to begin at 9.00 AM and most of the interviewees had reached a good half hour before. One of the faculty members came out and split us into batches of 3 and asked us to follow the other faculty members who were designated to our panels. {We were being led to the altar}.
The topic for the group discussion goes something like this:
“You are walking by a railway track one evening when you notice that a certain section of the track has gone missing - a sure act of terrorist sabotage. A Rajdhani express is expected on this line in a few seconds and at least a dozen people will surely die if the train uses the damaged track. You notice a switch gear that will divert the track to an adjoining unused line. The catch – An old couple have built their hut on the unused line. You do not have time to alert the driver of the train or the old couple. Will you switch the line or not? ”
After the initial few minutes by which time most of the valid points where exhausted and the group had more or less concluded that it would switch the line {for whatever reason!!}, it was time for creativity – we still had 8 minutes of talk time left. The suggestions started pouring in (P* being the participants) –
P1 - Let us wave a red flag and warn the driver.
P2 – Where will you get a red colored flag (or cloth) at that time?
P1 – I will look around and I will surely find one {waah!} I could probably be wearing a red colored dress {waah waah!} I could probably be wearing red colored under-garments {Govinda ka judwa bhai!}
P3 – We are talking about a Rajdhani here. At those speeds, do you think the driver will even notice some person making some signals/waving to him? Also, in India, it is habitual that people {let alone kids} wave at any moving object – train, airplanes etc. So how do you think we can warn the driver through signals, even if we want to?
P4 – No, we surely can; He performs a series of mono-acts displaying the posssible ways in which it can be done {A good comic relief!}
P5 – Ya, I agree with P3 that the driver may not understand the intensity of the situation; So, I will stand in the middle of the track to indicate the seriousness {Dude, trains do not have front view mirrors! Are your reflexes quick enough to save yourself from getting killed?}
After some more churning of creative juices {Don’t get me wrong here!} and repetition of points for the ‘n’th time, we were asked to stop. {Ah! What a relief!}
Next, time for the one on ones. I was the last to be interviewed from the list of 10 people in our panel.
Despite the 3 visits to the canteen and the time spent on reading every word from the day’s newspaper {A compatriot even asked if there was so much stuff on the newspaper!}, I was yet to be called in. During this time, I got my periodic shots of gyaan from every dude who completed his interview – about the fundae/aptitudes/probabilities {and what not!} that were being quizzed and the ensuing discussions around those. People even resorted to such barbaric acts as giving out correct {?} answers to the questions that were un-answered or incorrectly answered by the unassuming souls who just came out of the interview thinking they fared well. {People, please learn to live and let live!} In that sense, I was fortunate to be the last guy on the panel.
So that I was not left behind in giving fundaes {which would have amounted to my displaying callousness towards the entire process}, I chipped in with my mite {though purely restricted to the non-academic, the non-technical, the non-gaseous, the emotional kinds}. Here goes:
One of the acquaintances whom I met in the morning and was interviewed by one of the other panels mentioned that at the end of the process, the panelists wished him “All the best!” which he considered as a sign of having not performed well.
(Me enters) I tell him how wishing “All the best!” does not equate to “Better luck elsewhere” or “Better luck next time”. It’s just a formal way of ending an interview just as you would have said “Thank You!” and some such gyaan….. {Please make note of this. For those of you who have watched Schindler’s list, this is the equivalent of the scene where a girl dressed in red is seen walking beside the troops}
Finally, I am called in. After the initial exchange of pleasantries, thus goes…
[P1 – gentleman , P2 – lady]
[P1] - Tell me something about yourself
[Me] - Blah..Blah..Pause after some time. Is there something specific you wanted to know? {Yeah, I read interview guides too :) especially after I was not interrupted during my 10-minute monologue for the same question in one of my previous expeditions!}
[P2] - Why did you switch your board after tenth? From ICSE to ISC?
[Me] - It is in fact the same board maam. It is just named differently.
[P2] - Why should it be named differently?
[Me] - Gave some answer. {Excellent! The tone for the interview has been set – It is called ‘arbit’}
[P2] – What is the difference between a firm and an organization? {At this point, she has not even looked at my transcripts – so she does not even know that I could have studied some management related subjects. What a question madam ji?}
[Me] – Tried to put some educated {?} guesses.
[P2] – You are not giving me the text book definition.
[Me] – Oh ok! {Textbook? What? }
[P2] – Oh, you studied IT. Tell me the policies that the government has introduced for IT development in India.
[Me] – Answers
[P2] – Oh, you are from Karnataka. Tell me what are the health care policies that the government has introduced and who introduced them.
[Me] – Gave some policies introduced by the contemporary government.
[P2] – Give me the specifics of some ‘X’ policy
[Me] – Blah..Blah
[P2] – I want more specifics
[Me] – Hmmn…I am not aware maam {I am still surprised that I knew these blah..blah things that I just mentioned. Let me soak in the pleasure!}
[P2 asks P1 to grill. I am just bundling all these questions as the answers to those are better left un-revealed :) ]
[P1] – Why should an NGO be called an NGO? What is the difference between Reliance and an NGO? Why is NGO not a firm? Is Reliance a firm or an organization? Do you work for a firm or an organization? Arbit unlimited....{Was the distinction between firm, organization etc the breaking news of the day? Were some new laws introduced on that? Did I miss that in my long rendezvous with the newspaper this morning?}
[Me] – bow..bow..bow..
[P1] – Do you know something from your acads atleast?
[Me] – Sure. Will give it a try {No! No! Don’t get lured into the trap!}
[P1] – Few statistics related questions
[Me] – Answered
[P1] – Give me a real world (not mathematical) usage for determinant. Give me a practical usage for {something..I don’t even remember}.
[Me] – meow..meow..meow..
{P1 interrupts while I am talking..Brings to an end my extended stay in gaseousness}
[P1] – All the best! (with a sarcastic look of course) You may go!
[Me] – OK!
[Walk out with the sound of 'All the best' still ringing in my ears]
{Back to Schindler’s list – This is the scene where the girl dressed in red has been killed. Now I know what that other guy must have felt like in the morning! Lesson Learnt - Never give unsolicited fundae! It may come back and haunt you earlier than you expect!}
The process was scheduled to begin at 9.00 AM and most of the interviewees had reached a good half hour before. One of the faculty members came out and split us into batches of 3 and asked us to follow the other faculty members who were designated to our panels. {We were being led to the altar}.
The topic for the group discussion goes something like this:
“You are walking by a railway track one evening when you notice that a certain section of the track has gone missing - a sure act of terrorist sabotage. A Rajdhani express is expected on this line in a few seconds and at least a dozen people will surely die if the train uses the damaged track. You notice a switch gear that will divert the track to an adjoining unused line. The catch – An old couple have built their hut on the unused line. You do not have time to alert the driver of the train or the old couple. Will you switch the line or not? ”
After the initial few minutes by which time most of the valid points where exhausted and the group had more or less concluded that it would switch the line {for whatever reason!!}, it was time for creativity – we still had 8 minutes of talk time left. The suggestions started pouring in (P* being the participants) –
P1 - Let us wave a red flag and warn the driver.
P2 – Where will you get a red colored flag (or cloth) at that time?
P1 – I will look around and I will surely find one {waah!} I could probably be wearing a red colored dress {waah waah!} I could probably be wearing red colored under-garments {Govinda ka judwa bhai!}
P3 – We are talking about a Rajdhani here. At those speeds, do you think the driver will even notice some person making some signals/waving to him? Also, in India, it is habitual that people {let alone kids} wave at any moving object – train, airplanes etc. So how do you think we can warn the driver through signals, even if we want to?
P4 – No, we surely can; He performs a series of mono-acts displaying the posssible ways in which it can be done {A good comic relief!}
P5 – Ya, I agree with P3 that the driver may not understand the intensity of the situation; So, I will stand in the middle of the track to indicate the seriousness {Dude, trains do not have front view mirrors! Are your reflexes quick enough to save yourself from getting killed?}
After some more churning of creative juices {Don’t get me wrong here!} and repetition of points for the ‘n’th time, we were asked to stop. {Ah! What a relief!}
Next, time for the one on ones. I was the last to be interviewed from the list of 10 people in our panel.
Despite the 3 visits to the canteen and the time spent on reading every word from the day’s newspaper {A compatriot even asked if there was so much stuff on the newspaper!}, I was yet to be called in. During this time, I got my periodic shots of gyaan from every dude who completed his interview – about the fundae/aptitudes/probabilities {and what not!} that were being quizzed and the ensuing discussions around those. People even resorted to such barbaric acts as giving out correct {?} answers to the questions that were un-answered or incorrectly answered by the unassuming souls who just came out of the interview thinking they fared well. {People, please learn to live and let live!} In that sense, I was fortunate to be the last guy on the panel.
So that I was not left behind in giving fundaes {which would have amounted to my displaying callousness towards the entire process}, I chipped in with my mite {though purely restricted to the non-academic, the non-technical, the non-gaseous, the emotional kinds}. Here goes:
One of the acquaintances whom I met in the morning and was interviewed by one of the other panels mentioned that at the end of the process, the panelists wished him “All the best!” which he considered as a sign of having not performed well.
(Me enters) I tell him how wishing “All the best!” does not equate to “Better luck elsewhere” or “Better luck next time”. It’s just a formal way of ending an interview just as you would have said “Thank You!” and some such gyaan….. {Please make note of this. For those of you who have watched Schindler’s list, this is the equivalent of the scene where a girl dressed in red is seen walking beside the troops}
Finally, I am called in. After the initial exchange of pleasantries, thus goes…
[P1 – gentleman , P2 – lady]
[P1] - Tell me something about yourself
[Me] - Blah..Blah..Pause after some time. Is there something specific you wanted to know? {Yeah, I read interview guides too :) especially after I was not interrupted during my 10-minute monologue for the same question in one of my previous expeditions!}
[P2] - Why did you switch your board after tenth? From ICSE to ISC?
[Me] - It is in fact the same board maam. It is just named differently.
[P2] - Why should it be named differently?
[Me] - Gave some answer. {Excellent! The tone for the interview has been set – It is called ‘arbit’}
[P2] – What is the difference between a firm and an organization? {At this point, she has not even looked at my transcripts – so she does not even know that I could have studied some management related subjects. What a question madam ji?}
[Me] – Tried to put some educated {?} guesses.
[P2] – You are not giving me the text book definition.
[Me] – Oh ok! {Textbook? What? }
[P2] – Oh, you studied IT. Tell me the policies that the government has introduced for IT development in India.
[Me] – Answers
[P2] – Oh, you are from Karnataka. Tell me what are the health care policies that the government has introduced and who introduced them.
[Me] – Gave some policies introduced by the contemporary government.
[P2] – Give me the specifics of some ‘X’ policy
[Me] – Blah..Blah
[P2] – I want more specifics
[Me] – Hmmn…I am not aware maam {I am still surprised that I knew these blah..blah things that I just mentioned. Let me soak in the pleasure!}
[P2 asks P1 to grill. I am just bundling all these questions as the answers to those are better left un-revealed :) ]
[P1] – Why should an NGO be called an NGO? What is the difference between Reliance and an NGO? Why is NGO not a firm? Is Reliance a firm or an organization? Do you work for a firm or an organization? Arbit unlimited....{Was the distinction between firm, organization etc the breaking news of the day? Were some new laws introduced on that? Did I miss that in my long rendezvous with the newspaper this morning?}
[Me] – bow..bow..bow..
[P1] – Do you know something from your acads atleast?
[Me] – Sure. Will give it a try {No! No! Don’t get lured into the trap!}
[P1] – Few statistics related questions
[Me] – Answered
[P1] – Give me a real world (not mathematical) usage for determinant. Give me a practical usage for {something..I don’t even remember}.
[Me] – meow..meow..meow..
{P1 interrupts while I am talking..Brings to an end my extended stay in gaseousness}
[P1] – All the best! (with a sarcastic look of course) You may go!
[Me] – OK!
[Walk out with the sound of 'All the best' still ringing in my ears]
{Back to Schindler’s list – This is the scene where the girl dressed in red has been killed. Now I know what that other guy must have felt like in the morning! Lesson Learnt - Never give unsolicited fundae! It may come back and haunt you earlier than you expect!}
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
RAJNI- The Superstar
I initially wanted to call this piece -‘Sivaji-The Boss’. But lest people misunderstand and come to their own conclusions about whom/what I am talking about and for the underlying fear that I have developed for Airtel since the Lakshmana Kailash episode, I have referred to the protagonist of this piece by his popular name. (Airtel - Please note that I do not use your internet service :) )
Since my childhood, I have grown up on a staple diet of Rajni flicks. It is mind numbing to imagine the craze, excitement and euphoria that this man can generate among people (within and outside of both his fan community and our country).
I was in Boston when his latest blockbuster - ‘Sivaji’ was released. I was amazed when I learnt from one of my colleagues (who is a native of Boston) that even 15 days into its release - he could not get a ticket to the movie and that the first few days saw tickets being sold in black for about 5-10 times its cost! I was also surprised at the amount of national press and air time that was devoted to his movie. No wonder that the movie’s release was termed a festival of sorts in Tamil Nadu and his fans went into a tizzy.
Rajni is a mega brand. He sells across all ages, genders and continents. You do not need to understand the language to understand or enjoy his movies - his gravity defying stunts, fire power in his shoes, feet that possess tornado creating abilities, a bullet that retraces its path/ a bullet that can be sliced into two by a razor, the flick of the cigarette, the tossing of the coin, the revolver changing hands ala a Hrithik dance routine, his muscle power, his dance sequences are enough stuff to keep you hooked to him. And for those who understand the language - his dialogues, his action and his comic timing is enough feed for entertainment.
I still remember the goose bumps :) that I got while watching one of the scenes in his movie - Padayappa. It was the post-interval scene where Rajni goes to meet Ramya Krishna (the antagonist) to ask her nephews hand in marriage to his daughter. Before he comes into the living room, she has all the chairs removed. The director evokes a momentary sense of anticipation/suspense as to where would Rajni sit. Then, Rajni enters the room, looks around, walks a couple of steps, uses his shawl and pulls down a bundled up “joolah” and sits on it like a king on his throne (all this accompanied by an exhilarating background score by Rahman).
One of the other things I enjoy in his movies is one of the first slides - where the letters ‘RAJNI’ come flying by accompanied with stars and a theme that sounds straight out of a ‘Bond’ movie.
I also remember a fellow student who distributed sweets in our hostel mess on the occasion of the release of one of Rajni’s movies.
His movies may not necessarily appeal to the artistic, thoughtful or critical set of movie goers; the underlying theme in all his movies may seem similar, some may have no element of logic or may not be realistic. But all this not withstanding, he still is the ‘Superstar’ - he can influence thousands, entertain millions and ring crores at the box-office.
Let me end this piece with a typical thalaivar style punch dialog- “Rajni is an experience that you don’t want to miss. You have got to feel it to know it!! “
or "Pera keta chumma adharadhu ille!" :)
I initially wanted to call this piece -‘Sivaji-The Boss’. But lest people misunderstand and come to their own conclusions about whom/what I am talking about and for the underlying fear that I have developed for Airtel since the Lakshmana Kailash episode, I have referred to the protagonist of this piece by his popular name. (Airtel - Please note that I do not use your internet service :) )
Since my childhood, I have grown up on a staple diet of Rajni flicks. It is mind numbing to imagine the craze, excitement and euphoria that this man can generate among people (within and outside of both his fan community and our country).
I was in Boston when his latest blockbuster - ‘Sivaji’ was released. I was amazed when I learnt from one of my colleagues (who is a native of Boston) that even 15 days into its release - he could not get a ticket to the movie and that the first few days saw tickets being sold in black for about 5-10 times its cost! I was also surprised at the amount of national press and air time that was devoted to his movie. No wonder that the movie’s release was termed a festival of sorts in Tamil Nadu and his fans went into a tizzy.
Rajni is a mega brand. He sells across all ages, genders and continents. You do not need to understand the language to understand or enjoy his movies - his gravity defying stunts, fire power in his shoes, feet that possess tornado creating abilities, a bullet that retraces its path/ a bullet that can be sliced into two by a razor, the flick of the cigarette, the tossing of the coin, the revolver changing hands ala a Hrithik dance routine, his muscle power, his dance sequences are enough stuff to keep you hooked to him. And for those who understand the language - his dialogues, his action and his comic timing is enough feed for entertainment.
I still remember the goose bumps :) that I got while watching one of the scenes in his movie - Padayappa. It was the post-interval scene where Rajni goes to meet Ramya Krishna (the antagonist) to ask her nephews hand in marriage to his daughter. Before he comes into the living room, she has all the chairs removed. The director evokes a momentary sense of anticipation/suspense as to where would Rajni sit. Then, Rajni enters the room, looks around, walks a couple of steps, uses his shawl and pulls down a bundled up “joolah” and sits on it like a king on his throne (all this accompanied by an exhilarating background score by Rahman).
One of the other things I enjoy in his movies is one of the first slides - where the letters ‘RAJNI’ come flying by accompanied with stars and a theme that sounds straight out of a ‘Bond’ movie.
I also remember a fellow student who distributed sweets in our hostel mess on the occasion of the release of one of Rajni’s movies.
His movies may not necessarily appeal to the artistic, thoughtful or critical set of movie goers; the underlying theme in all his movies may seem similar, some may have no element of logic or may not be realistic. But all this not withstanding, he still is the ‘Superstar’ - he can influence thousands, entertain millions and ring crores at the box-office.
Let me end this piece with a typical thalaivar style punch dialog- “Rajni is an experience that you don’t want to miss. You have got to feel it to know it!! “
or "Pera keta chumma adharadhu ille!" :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
HEY RAM!
A few months ago, Bangalore played host to an event where a congregation that was a few lakh strong had convened. Ram Bhakths from various localities of Bangalore had to take out a procession from their respective zones towards the meeting area. The city was abound with saffron flags and banners as well as life size cut outs of the Lord. But the ‘RAM’ I saw in those cut outs were not the ones I am accustomed to seeing in temples: the one with his consort and brother on either side and his devotee at his feet. This was “RAM-The Warrior”, well armored, prepared to avenge the wrong doings of his enemies and his façade replete with anger and restlessness. I happened to witness the procession that was winding through the main streets in my locality and this is what I noticed. The so called devotees, their foreheads resplendent with vermillion, sporting saffron headbands, with high decibel chanting of ‘RAM’ and occupying the entire road were being led by a ‘sword brandishing’ zealot. The procession made me feel terribly insecure. The militant aggressiveness that was wrought on the faces of the people taking out the procession produced an air of uneasiness and tension. If I, an entity who according to this society, happens to belong to the same clan as ‘RAM’ could feel so insecure, what about my brethren who do not belong to the same tribe as mine? How much more insecure should they feel?
Now, let me present the context. Saddam Hussein, the erstwhile dictator of Iraq was executed in his homeland. In a place called Bangalore in the distant lands of India, political activists belonging to Saddam’s community had organized a meeting to condemn his killing. After the meeting, enraged and saddened by the fate met out to their hero-Saddam, his followers vent their anger by destroying the saffron flags/hoardings/banners that were put up by another community for their conclave scheduled to happen a few days later. The “maa-ke-doodh piya hua” people that we all are, retaliation is a part of our natural instincts and we never seem to let go of any such opportunity that may come our way. So, fight back it was. The deal that was settled for was - a reply to every burnt/destroyed saffron flag/banner/hoarding would be a burnt vehicle/a ransacked shop/a terrified household of the other community. Well, the vicious cycle of attack/counter attack by the two communities in question continued for a few days until a combination of the iron fist of the law (really??) and the upper hand of the saner elements of both communities brought things to a relative state of stability and control. Nevertheless, tension and anxiety were writ large on the faces of people belonging to both communities.
Given this context, how could the establishment (Government/Police et al.) allow one of the communities in question to continue with their planned procession/conclave to be executed as scheduled? Why should the procession be allowed in those areas that were communally tense just a few days ago? Common sense would tell us that this would open another Pandora’s Box. But the procession, with all its vigor and communally/emotionally/fanatically flared tempers did happen and no surprises in the end result - another series of attacks and counter-attacks.
Well, we have seen similar drama unfold in its various avatars and intensities at various times and places in our country. Looking back at these events, I thought that there could be several reasons for this - lack of education, decaying moral fiber, bubbling resentment on the lookout for a vent, inequality or political motivation.
You don’t need to go to school to learn that you should not hurt another living being; No scripture teaches you to hurt others; Your abject situation will not improve by causing harm to others; Those who use you as pawns in their games will have the last laugh - it is you and people who are similar to you who will suffer.
Our constitution proclaims that we are all alike in the eyes of the law-irrespective of race, religion, caste, color or gender and we boast of our secular credentials to the external world. If this is the case, why do you have a column that reads “Religion” in most application forms; including that for admissions to a nursery class? Why do you have to publish census results that divide people on religious lines? Why should religion be a basis for anything at all -except for the fact that you are born into a family that believes in a certain celestial force with a certain identity?
RAMA or AMAR - we are all alike; Let us be human’s first, religious followers next; If the Lord were to be amidst us and looks at what we have done to ourselves, he himself would exclaim ‘HEY RAM!!’
A few months ago, Bangalore played host to an event where a congregation that was a few lakh strong had convened. Ram Bhakths from various localities of Bangalore had to take out a procession from their respective zones towards the meeting area. The city was abound with saffron flags and banners as well as life size cut outs of the Lord. But the ‘RAM’ I saw in those cut outs were not the ones I am accustomed to seeing in temples: the one with his consort and brother on either side and his devotee at his feet. This was “RAM-The Warrior”, well armored, prepared to avenge the wrong doings of his enemies and his façade replete with anger and restlessness. I happened to witness the procession that was winding through the main streets in my locality and this is what I noticed. The so called devotees, their foreheads resplendent with vermillion, sporting saffron headbands, with high decibel chanting of ‘RAM’ and occupying the entire road were being led by a ‘sword brandishing’ zealot. The procession made me feel terribly insecure. The militant aggressiveness that was wrought on the faces of the people taking out the procession produced an air of uneasiness and tension. If I, an entity who according to this society, happens to belong to the same clan as ‘RAM’ could feel so insecure, what about my brethren who do not belong to the same tribe as mine? How much more insecure should they feel?
Now, let me present the context. Saddam Hussein, the erstwhile dictator of Iraq was executed in his homeland. In a place called Bangalore in the distant lands of India, political activists belonging to Saddam’s community had organized a meeting to condemn his killing. After the meeting, enraged and saddened by the fate met out to their hero-Saddam, his followers vent their anger by destroying the saffron flags/hoardings/banners that were put up by another community for their conclave scheduled to happen a few days later. The “maa-ke-doodh piya hua” people that we all are, retaliation is a part of our natural instincts and we never seem to let go of any such opportunity that may come our way. So, fight back it was. The deal that was settled for was - a reply to every burnt/destroyed saffron flag/banner/hoarding would be a burnt vehicle/a ransacked shop/a terrified household of the other community. Well, the vicious cycle of attack/counter attack by the two communities in question continued for a few days until a combination of the iron fist of the law (really??) and the upper hand of the saner elements of both communities brought things to a relative state of stability and control. Nevertheless, tension and anxiety were writ large on the faces of people belonging to both communities.
Given this context, how could the establishment (Government/Police et al.) allow one of the communities in question to continue with their planned procession/conclave to be executed as scheduled? Why should the procession be allowed in those areas that were communally tense just a few days ago? Common sense would tell us that this would open another Pandora’s Box. But the procession, with all its vigor and communally/emotionally/fanatically flared tempers did happen and no surprises in the end result - another series of attacks and counter-attacks.
Well, we have seen similar drama unfold in its various avatars and intensities at various times and places in our country. Looking back at these events, I thought that there could be several reasons for this - lack of education, decaying moral fiber, bubbling resentment on the lookout for a vent, inequality or political motivation.
You don’t need to go to school to learn that you should not hurt another living being; No scripture teaches you to hurt others; Your abject situation will not improve by causing harm to others; Those who use you as pawns in their games will have the last laugh - it is you and people who are similar to you who will suffer.
Our constitution proclaims that we are all alike in the eyes of the law-irrespective of race, religion, caste, color or gender and we boast of our secular credentials to the external world. If this is the case, why do you have a column that reads “Religion” in most application forms; including that for admissions to a nursery class? Why do you have to publish census results that divide people on religious lines? Why should religion be a basis for anything at all -except for the fact that you are born into a family that believes in a certain celestial force with a certain identity?
RAMA or AMAR - we are all alike; Let us be human’s first, religious followers next; If the Lord were to be amidst us and looks at what we have done to ourselves, he himself would exclaim ‘HEY RAM!!’
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Mixed Doubles
Feature these events that have unfolded over the last couple of months…..
Shilpa Shetty goes to the reality show ‘Big Brother’, a certain ‘Goody’ gets “jaded” with her and throws tantrums at her with a liberal sprinkling of “beeped” phrases;
Subsequent Action --> An entire country awakens from its slumber, cries “foul” and “racism” gets a makeover.
A bomb explodes in the Samjhauta Express killing scores of people and leaving hundreds injured and devastated.
Subsequent Action --> A probe is ordered; Countries hurl/deny accusations; Compensation given to the kin of the dead; the world joins in the ‘We hate terrorism” chorus;
Now compare the above events with these…
Members of a family are brutally raped and burnt down at Khirlanji village in India, the biggest democracy on the face of the planet for the sole reason that the family belonged to the so-called ‘out-castes’ or Dalit fraternity.
Subsequent Action --> A probe is ordered; The remaining members of the family are threatened of dire consequences; The guilty are still at large.
The students from backward sections of the society are shunned by the other classes at even premier institutions like the AIIMS;
Subsequent Action --> The Dean orders a probe; Students confuse their anti-reservation feelings with this; The student from the backward class is left to fend for himself.
A 4 year old kid gets mauled by a pack of dogs at Bangalore and is killed.
Subsequent Action --> The BMP goes on a stray dog culling spree.
****************************************************************
Each of these events seem to portray a character that is inherent in most of us- what i prefer to call ‘Chameleonism’ – the trait of having double standards in things that we profess and things that we do. What is applicable to another man – another family – another race – another country – another species is not applicable to you – your family – your race – your country – your species.
Casteist feelings are still prevalent in 21st century India – more so in the rural hinterland than the urban localities; Haven’t we often come across situations where a person is identified/recognised by his caste/religion/class/profession rather than his name/individuality?
Our pseudo patriotism/ solidarity seems to find no bounds…We tend to become hyper sensitive for trivial issues (the Shilpa episode being a case in point where she ended up as the sole winner – richer by a few million pounds along with global empathy and recognition) while serious issues seem to be getting a miss (the problem of immigrant workers in UK, the Khirlanji killings, the Godhra’s, the Ayodhya’s and the like)
A few stray dogs kill a kid and the repercussions are felt by the entire population of stray dogs;
A few terrorists/ anti social elements kill a few hundred people and the repercussion being the rhetoric, “We shall teach these anti social elements a lesson”. Well, when/how is it going to happen, if at all?
If Shylock were to be alive today and if he were to be a victim of these terrorizations,
this is what he would have probably said
“Do I not have eyes? Do I not have hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Am I not fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a terrorist is? If a terrorist pricks me, do I not bleed? If a terrorist tickles me, do I not laugh? If a terrorist poisons me, do I not die? And if a terrorist wrongs me, shall I not take revenge? If a dog wrong a human being, what is the human being’s humility? Revenge! Cull the species out!! If a terrorist wrong a normal human being, what should his sufferance be by the example of the dog? Why, revenge it will be!
The villainy the terrorist teaches me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”
Well, when we can take a tough stance against the menace of dogs, why cannot we do the same against terrorists? Its simply because the resistance you might face or the effort/will required to eliminate the dogs is negligible when in comparison to weeding out human irritants from our society.
All this is a manifestation of the larger attribute inherent in the human personality – the capability to play “Mixed doubles” – where we have multiple facets to our personality – choosing to highlight that facet/ mix of facets that is most beneficial to us in a given setting while the rest go into hibernation.
Feature these events that have unfolded over the last couple of months…..
Shilpa Shetty goes to the reality show ‘Big Brother’, a certain ‘Goody’ gets “jaded” with her and throws tantrums at her with a liberal sprinkling of “beeped” phrases;
Subsequent Action --> An entire country awakens from its slumber, cries “foul” and “racism” gets a makeover.
A bomb explodes in the Samjhauta Express killing scores of people and leaving hundreds injured and devastated.
Subsequent Action --> A probe is ordered; Countries hurl/deny accusations; Compensation given to the kin of the dead; the world joins in the ‘We hate terrorism” chorus;
Now compare the above events with these…
Members of a family are brutally raped and burnt down at Khirlanji village in India, the biggest democracy on the face of the planet for the sole reason that the family belonged to the so-called ‘out-castes’ or Dalit fraternity.
Subsequent Action --> A probe is ordered; The remaining members of the family are threatened of dire consequences; The guilty are still at large.
The students from backward sections of the society are shunned by the other classes at even premier institutions like the AIIMS;
Subsequent Action --> The Dean orders a probe; Students confuse their anti-reservation feelings with this; The student from the backward class is left to fend for himself.
A 4 year old kid gets mauled by a pack of dogs at Bangalore and is killed.
Subsequent Action --> The BMP goes on a stray dog culling spree.
****************************************************************
Each of these events seem to portray a character that is inherent in most of us- what i prefer to call ‘Chameleonism’ – the trait of having double standards in things that we profess and things that we do. What is applicable to another man – another family – another race – another country – another species is not applicable to you – your family – your race – your country – your species.
Casteist feelings are still prevalent in 21st century India – more so in the rural hinterland than the urban localities; Haven’t we often come across situations where a person is identified/recognised by his caste/religion/class/profession rather than his name/individuality?
Our pseudo patriotism/ solidarity seems to find no bounds…We tend to become hyper sensitive for trivial issues (the Shilpa episode being a case in point where she ended up as the sole winner – richer by a few million pounds along with global empathy and recognition) while serious issues seem to be getting a miss (the problem of immigrant workers in UK, the Khirlanji killings, the Godhra’s, the Ayodhya’s and the like)
A few stray dogs kill a kid and the repercussions are felt by the entire population of stray dogs;
A few terrorists/ anti social elements kill a few hundred people and the repercussion being the rhetoric, “We shall teach these anti social elements a lesson”. Well, when/how is it going to happen, if at all?
If Shylock were to be alive today and if he were to be a victim of these terrorizations,
this is what he would have probably said
“Do I not have eyes? Do I not have hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Am I not fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a terrorist is? If a terrorist pricks me, do I not bleed? If a terrorist tickles me, do I not laugh? If a terrorist poisons me, do I not die? And if a terrorist wrongs me, shall I not take revenge? If a dog wrong a human being, what is the human being’s humility? Revenge! Cull the species out!! If a terrorist wrong a normal human being, what should his sufferance be by the example of the dog? Why, revenge it will be!
The villainy the terrorist teaches me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”
Well, when we can take a tough stance against the menace of dogs, why cannot we do the same against terrorists? Its simply because the resistance you might face or the effort/will required to eliminate the dogs is negligible when in comparison to weeding out human irritants from our society.
All this is a manifestation of the larger attribute inherent in the human personality – the capability to play “Mixed doubles” – where we have multiple facets to our personality – choosing to highlight that facet/ mix of facets that is most beneficial to us in a given setting while the rest go into hibernation.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
A Lesser World
Recently when a Karnataka bandh was announced in connection with the Belgaum dispute, the local papers read something like this “All the cable operators in the city have extended their support to the bandh and have agreed to block all channels except those in Kannada. Theatres, Malls and Restaurants will stay closed. So, it is the best opportunity to spend time with your family and catch up with relatives and friends”.
I was kind of surprised at the order of precedence that the paper chose to give to the various activities that an urban dweller commonly indulges in.
Again, when I was watching the latest blockbuster ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ the other day, the film talks about how things have changed over the last few decades, how fast paced our lives have become, how materialistic our lives have become and the like…
These raised several questions in my mind.
Have things come to such a pass that we need a newspaper to remind us to spend time with our families?
Where are we heading? What is our ultimate goal – Wealth, Power, Fame, Prestige?
We are perennially chasing something (or are we being chased?). What is that?
Why do we do certain things and not do others? Do we “really” know what we are doing and for what reason?
What has happened to our lives? Have our lives changed – For better or for worse?
Are we happy? What is happiness?
What am I trying to tell? Am I cribbing? Am I insane?
Are you still with me?? If yes, read ahead…..
We live in a global village where there are virtually no boundaries and 24*7 instant high speed connectivity. But do we connect with ourselves internally? With the people around us?? During my childhood, we would acquaint ourselves with any family that set up home in our street. The street was like an extended family. Today, I do not even know who my immediate neighbor is, what he does..etc. Why this phenomenal change?? Some of the possible answers are that the people keep shifting at regular intervals…in about 3-4 months, they work in a call center...so, our timings don’t match, I am not a kid anymore…running around houses to find if I have got a new playmate etc.
One of the more pertinent reasons is that “I don’t care. I am not bothered who is around me, what is happening around me. I have enough personal and work related tensions. I have better things to do. When I cannot find enough time for myself, what is it to me about people living in my neighborhood?
Technology has undoubtedly made our lives comfortable. But does comfort equate to satisfying?? Has technology or modern way of living enslaved us? How many of us can imagine a holiday without electricity or television? How many of us have been mesmerized by the rising sun, the starry night, the full moon, the rainbow, a butterfly or the rain? How often?
We live life in the metaphorical fast lane, eat fast food, travel at jet speeds, make quick bucks, look out for quick solutions and of course desire instant ‘made to order’ happiness.
A few days back during a typical early morning rush hour, a car in which just the husband and wife were traveling had broken down in the middle of a busy road. The man was desperately calling out for help to move his vehicle to the sideway but help did not seem to come easily. The people passing by had enough courtesy though to sympathize with him through their unrestrained honking and swearing. I do not imply that we live in a big bad world where everyone is callous. It is just that the population that would go out of its way to help a person in distress is dwindling.
Many of us have good friends, a job that incites our interest, sufficient wealth or other “like to have” features. All this notwithstanding, how many of us feel incomplete? Is there a void within us? Is there a craving within us which we have not been able to either identify or satisfy?
What is the solution? Is there something like that? Am I supposed to go back to the woods- live like a saint - have no desires (material or physical) or go back to the Stone Age?
I cannot think of a definite or satisfactory answer to any of the questions that have been raised but all that my inner self tells me is that I need/want to live in “A Lesser World – A world that has enough for everyone’s need, where your pleas for help are heard, you are able to make a difference in the lives of people other than your family, where there is a feeling of oneness, tranquility, brotherhood, mutual trust and unconditional, unblemished love”.
Recently when a Karnataka bandh was announced in connection with the Belgaum dispute, the local papers read something like this “All the cable operators in the city have extended their support to the bandh and have agreed to block all channels except those in Kannada. Theatres, Malls and Restaurants will stay closed. So, it is the best opportunity to spend time with your family and catch up with relatives and friends”.
I was kind of surprised at the order of precedence that the paper chose to give to the various activities that an urban dweller commonly indulges in.
Again, when I was watching the latest blockbuster ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ the other day, the film talks about how things have changed over the last few decades, how fast paced our lives have become, how materialistic our lives have become and the like…
These raised several questions in my mind.
Have things come to such a pass that we need a newspaper to remind us to spend time with our families?
Where are we heading? What is our ultimate goal – Wealth, Power, Fame, Prestige?
We are perennially chasing something (or are we being chased?). What is that?
Why do we do certain things and not do others? Do we “really” know what we are doing and for what reason?
What has happened to our lives? Have our lives changed – For better or for worse?
Are we happy? What is happiness?
What am I trying to tell? Am I cribbing? Am I insane?
Are you still with me?? If yes, read ahead…..
We live in a global village where there are virtually no boundaries and 24*7 instant high speed connectivity. But do we connect with ourselves internally? With the people around us?? During my childhood, we would acquaint ourselves with any family that set up home in our street. The street was like an extended family. Today, I do not even know who my immediate neighbor is, what he does..etc. Why this phenomenal change?? Some of the possible answers are that the people keep shifting at regular intervals…in about 3-4 months, they work in a call center...so, our timings don’t match, I am not a kid anymore…running around houses to find if I have got a new playmate etc.
One of the more pertinent reasons is that “I don’t care. I am not bothered who is around me, what is happening around me. I have enough personal and work related tensions. I have better things to do. When I cannot find enough time for myself, what is it to me about people living in my neighborhood?
Technology has undoubtedly made our lives comfortable. But does comfort equate to satisfying?? Has technology or modern way of living enslaved us? How many of us can imagine a holiday without electricity or television? How many of us have been mesmerized by the rising sun, the starry night, the full moon, the rainbow, a butterfly or the rain? How often?
We live life in the metaphorical fast lane, eat fast food, travel at jet speeds, make quick bucks, look out for quick solutions and of course desire instant ‘made to order’ happiness.
A few days back during a typical early morning rush hour, a car in which just the husband and wife were traveling had broken down in the middle of a busy road. The man was desperately calling out for help to move his vehicle to the sideway but help did not seem to come easily. The people passing by had enough courtesy though to sympathize with him through their unrestrained honking and swearing. I do not imply that we live in a big bad world where everyone is callous. It is just that the population that would go out of its way to help a person in distress is dwindling.
Many of us have good friends, a job that incites our interest, sufficient wealth or other “like to have” features. All this notwithstanding, how many of us feel incomplete? Is there a void within us? Is there a craving within us which we have not been able to either identify or satisfy?
What is the solution? Is there something like that? Am I supposed to go back to the woods- live like a saint - have no desires (material or physical) or go back to the Stone Age?
I cannot think of a definite or satisfactory answer to any of the questions that have been raised but all that my inner self tells me is that I need/want to live in “A Lesser World – A world that has enough for everyone’s need, where your pleas for help are heard, you are able to make a difference in the lives of people other than your family, where there is a feeling of oneness, tranquility, brotherhood, mutual trust and unconditional, unblemished love”.
Friday, December 02, 2005
“Ganapati Bappa Moriya”
It is a common practice to undertake any new activity by invoking Lord Ganesha. Keeping with this tradition, here is my first blog dedicated to him.
Long gone are the days when festivals in India were a time for families to spend quality time with friends and relatives, a time when children understood the significance of the customs and practices followed in their religion, a time when people sought the blessings of the elderly and the Almighty. Today, festivals are reduced to times when you get to view the best programmes on TV with your favourite stars visiting your drawing room, a time to demonstrate your buying capacity, a time to flaunt your latest wares, a break from your daily grind and not to forget, a time when you observe rituals more for the heck of it than the love for it. I would like to illustrate the same with an experience that was bestowed upon me during Ganesh Chaturthi this year.
As always, I had been to Ulsoor Lake on the evening of Ganesh Chaturthi to bid goodbye to the Lord whom I had brought home that morning after some hard bargaining. With the morning papers carrying advertisements of the City Corporation giving instructions regarding idol immersion and the arrangements that were claimed to be made for the same, I thought I would be able to give a honorable sendoff to my Good Lord. On reaching the venue where thousands of people had assembled, I found idols that were probably revered a few hours back as Gods being dumped on the roadside and to make things worse, people were virtually walking over them. I always believed that it was the human body that was made of dust and will finally be converted into that form but I realized that God was no exception. To add to all this, the saffron headband clad disciples of the Lord who appeared to have treated themselves to a generous dosage of ‘heavenly drinks’, kept swaying to the tunes of the latest item numbers chanting ‘Ganesha Bappa Moriya’ and bumping into anything that resembled a female.
Having witnessed all this and escaping a near stampede, I managed to get to the the edge of the lake where young boys on the other side of the protective grill were helping God reach his final destination. I was in for a surprise here too as the immersion of the idol was dependent on the amount that the Bhakta was ready to shell out for his God’s sake. A twenty rupee note would mean that the kid would handle the idol with care and immerse it in the lake with utmost devotion while anything less than that would mean that God would have to perform a bungee jump right into the lake.
God would have felt more honorable if I had immersed him in a bucket in my house and used that for watering my plants.
It aches to see such acts being performed in the name of religion. This festival, conceived with the notion of fostering communal harmony and building a sense of social bonding has now turned into a festival where the local hooligans pester households for donations weeks ahead, blast loud music, block all roads with pandals and indulge in drunken revelry.
What else can I say but “Ganapati Bappa Moriya”
It is a common practice to undertake any new activity by invoking Lord Ganesha. Keeping with this tradition, here is my first blog dedicated to him.
Long gone are the days when festivals in India were a time for families to spend quality time with friends and relatives, a time when children understood the significance of the customs and practices followed in their religion, a time when people sought the blessings of the elderly and the Almighty. Today, festivals are reduced to times when you get to view the best programmes on TV with your favourite stars visiting your drawing room, a time to demonstrate your buying capacity, a time to flaunt your latest wares, a break from your daily grind and not to forget, a time when you observe rituals more for the heck of it than the love for it. I would like to illustrate the same with an experience that was bestowed upon me during Ganesh Chaturthi this year.
As always, I had been to Ulsoor Lake on the evening of Ganesh Chaturthi to bid goodbye to the Lord whom I had brought home that morning after some hard bargaining. With the morning papers carrying advertisements of the City Corporation giving instructions regarding idol immersion and the arrangements that were claimed to be made for the same, I thought I would be able to give a honorable sendoff to my Good Lord. On reaching the venue where thousands of people had assembled, I found idols that were probably revered a few hours back as Gods being dumped on the roadside and to make things worse, people were virtually walking over them. I always believed that it was the human body that was made of dust and will finally be converted into that form but I realized that God was no exception. To add to all this, the saffron headband clad disciples of the Lord who appeared to have treated themselves to a generous dosage of ‘heavenly drinks’, kept swaying to the tunes of the latest item numbers chanting ‘Ganesha Bappa Moriya’ and bumping into anything that resembled a female.
Having witnessed all this and escaping a near stampede, I managed to get to the the edge of the lake where young boys on the other side of the protective grill were helping God reach his final destination. I was in for a surprise here too as the immersion of the idol was dependent on the amount that the Bhakta was ready to shell out for his God’s sake. A twenty rupee note would mean that the kid would handle the idol with care and immerse it in the lake with utmost devotion while anything less than that would mean that God would have to perform a bungee jump right into the lake.
God would have felt more honorable if I had immersed him in a bucket in my house and used that for watering my plants.
It aches to see such acts being performed in the name of religion. This festival, conceived with the notion of fostering communal harmony and building a sense of social bonding has now turned into a festival where the local hooligans pester households for donations weeks ahead, blast loud music, block all roads with pandals and indulge in drunken revelry.
What else can I say but “Ganapati Bappa Moriya”
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