On the Way to Race Course Road

The race to the seat of President of India has been won by Pranab Mukherjee even before it has begun. The numbers clearly suggest that Pranab Da is soon going to become the 1st Citizen of India, taking over the mantle from Pratibha Patil. He is being opposed by Former Speaker P.A. Sangma, who we all know doesn't stand much of a chance. But still the BJP chose to support him. Why??

There was a small period in between when the BJP would have been smelling blood-Remember Mulayam's 'support' for Kalam or is it to much in the past now!! But, President Kalam is not a politician and there was no way he was going to contest "just to make a point." 


After the Mulayam fiasco, BJP decided to support the candidature of Sangma though it has not been supported by allies like JD(U) & Shiv Sena. There have been arguments that BJP didn't want to lend support to a fledgling UPA, which maybe true. There have also been voices that BJP didn't want to support Mukherjee, because it was not consulted before the announcement. Again, if there is one thing consistent with UPA/Congress, it their arrogance & audacity. So, it wouldn't have come as a surprise. So, why fight the losing battle?


I am not a journalist and don't have contacts in political parties to tell you what the "insiders" say but my own observations tell me that supporting Sangma is the best Political move BJP has made in ages. Who cares that they will lose. Who remembers the person who fought against APJ Abdul Kalam? Who remembers Who supported her candidature? BJP knows that Sangma's candidature and this election would be forgotten pretty soon. They have used this election as a launchpad for 2014. They understand very well that 2014 is the best chance for them to return to power and if not, the next chance may not come in the current leadership's life time. Seriously, CWG/ 2G/ Inflation/ Rupee Falling etc etc. If anyone benefits from all this, it has to be the BJP. And who is the best candidate to get them to 7, Race Course Road? Yes, you got it right- Narendra Modi! One may have any views against him or his politics, but you can't deny that he has become the posterboy not just for "Hindutva" fanatics but for "development" freaks as well. The biggest hurdle in his way is not the opposition from Congress but that from the JD(U). By supporting Sangma, BJP has gained favours with AIADMK & BJD, which in fact double the strength of JD(U). As for Shiv Sena, BJP knows- Jayenge to Jayenge Kahan! 


Also, Supporting Sangma would ensure BJP some traction in the North East where it is non-existent. There is good possibility of Sangma & his supporters joining the BJP after the elections. Though North East doesn't have the strength to play make or break but it could be BJP's chance to make its presence felt in that part of the country as well. Though BJP wouldn't want to depend on it, but chances of support from Mamata Didi would also be very high.



And after all, Sharad Yadav has been the NDA Convener for all these years so you can't except JD(U) to support Congress in the next elections. Although nothing is certain in Politics but such an eventuality looks unlikely. Therefore if the BJP falls a few numbers short in 2014, they can always bank upon the outside support of JD(U)!! Ofcoure, all these calculations are hypothetical in nature and depend a lot on whether or not BJP can set its house in order before the next General Elections. But for the time being, they seemed to have Bypassed Raisina Hill on the way to Race Course Road. 

Is anyone right on Lokpal??

The first time I heard of a person called Anna Hazare was in April this year. Call me ignorant! But when the 73 year old announced his intention to sit on an indefinite Hunger Strike to coerce the Government into acting, he won my heart along with a million others. A lot has happened since then-Joint Drafting Committee, Another fast, some great debating in the parliament, Standing Committee & a lot of mudslinging in the public. Now, we have finally reached a stage when the Lokpal Bill can become a reality after nearly 48 years of having come to light. A lot still needs to be decided and the Government needs to get its act together but given the amount of public pressure, it would be a historic blunder to not fall in line.

Yes, Anyone who has even remotely followed this movement would be able to tell you that the Government has made several flip flops.They have made all attempts to subvert the credibity of the people behind the movement- be it the personal attacks by Mr Digvijay Singh(The less said the better) or be it the IT cases against Arvind Kejrival. Abhishek Manusinghvi could have done his father proud(who introduced the concept back in 1963)  but instead, he decided to please his party leadership. The end result that the Standing Committee came up with was what some people like to call as "Jokepal." 

But, is Government the only party who has made mistakes or rather, shown arrogance??

What about Team Anna or the NDA??

While the NDA & the Left have been saved because of them not being in power and like it is rightly said, only the party in power can pass a bill or make a law. But still, they have not let go of a single chance at Political Opportunism. A specific example that can be talked about here is the curious case of Sharad Yadav. He slammed Team Anna in the parliament, he fully supported them at Ramlila Maidan & then he changed his stance at the All-Party meeting. While Arun Jaitley & Sushma Swaraj got all the adulation for the wonderful speeches during the Lokpal Debate, they have also not taken a clear & specific stand till now. 

Now, moving on to the biggest players in this game. I am, without doubt, talking about Team Anna. I admire the work done by the likes of Kiran Bedi & Arvind Kejriwal in their respective fields, and for mobilizing public opinion on the Lokpal Bill. But, at every step along the way, they have tried to tell the people of this country that the the representatives chosen by them are useless(some of them maybe, but not all). Remember Kiran Bedi's Dupatta act? I am no legal expert but I do tend to watch a lot of TV Debates and from what various experts say, their way in not the only way. Yet, "CBI under Lokpal" is the only solution according to them. The Government's proposition might be absurd, but there are other ways. And last, but not the least, is what my biggest problem with Team Anna is-Lokpal is the "cure-all" solution! A false hope has been developed among the people that an institution called Lokpal will eradicate corruption from this country. Yes, they haven't said it outright but that seems to be the theme. Most of the readers of the blog would know that is not the case. But, what about the common man on the street? 

So, while the UPA Government at large or the Congress Party in specific maybe the biggest spoilers, who has "Rin ki Safedi?"

Open Letter to a "madrasan"

Just came across a blog where the author has given her viewpoint on “Delhi boys” and “Punjabis”. A friend of mine suggested that I write about my own experiences in South, where I have been for the last 3 months but will that solve a purpose?


The writer in question has wrote a brilliant piece of writing if you consider how much it got read or how much it is being shared on facebook. May be that was the motive.

She has made a lot of poignant points like Punjabis’ obsession towards Punjabi music, our love for SUVs and blah blah. Is she right? Hell yea she is.

As a proud Punjabi, I do love Gurdas Mann but as an Indian, I respect each and every south Indian artist who is doing a good job. Just because I don’t get the languages doesn’t give me a right to disapprove of them. If some people do, that is because they are jerks or just because they are talking in good humour.

Would I want to drive a SUV, Why not! Do I love my branded clothes, Sure! Is it a crime to like good things in life??

And who said only North Indians form stereotypes!

I am a vegetarian & I don’t consume pan masala or gutka etc etc. And every person I tell this to down here looks at me with horror in their eyes. Does that give me a right to say South Indians are stupid?

I am a hindu and I am a Brahmin but how does it matter. But still half of the people can’t resist but ask me, “What is your caste?” Does that give me a right to say Southies are casteists?

Whenever I am with a bunch of kannadigas, more often than not they start ignoring me and start talking in Kannada. Whenever they laugh, I assume its a joke on me and I can’t even count the number of people who have told me, “First Learn Kannada and then work here.” Does that justify if I hate Karnataka or the language or the people here.

Priyanka Chopra is my favourite actress but then I liked Aishwarya more before Priyanka hit the silverscreen. Does that mean, I turned from being a “south of the vindhyas” guy to a north Indian?

Heard a name-Chetan Bhagat? He is a delhite, He did go to an IIT, He is one of India’s highest selling authors and ironically he is married to a “madrasan.” So what is he?

Heard a name-Kiran Bedi? The woman who has shaken the entire political and bureaucratic class in the country through her utmost bravery? She is a woman and the last time I heard, she was still a Punjabi!

I am not looking for answers to the above questions. We all know them!

I am sure the girl who wrote that stupid blog would have had a torrid time because she met some morons but there are others who face similar situations down south as well. It comes as a package when we live in country as diverse as India. But, what matters is our ability to accept the positives and reject the negatives. After all, someone said very recently, Hate doesn’t kill hate!

What really surprises me even more is that the article here came about from a girl who is talking about “being a writer” or “going to IIT” as a very important point in favour of South Indians. I think before talking about all this, you need to learn the concept of “India” and then you may be qualified to write!

The Curious Case of Ram Jethmalani

Ram Jethmalani can arguably be called one of India's best lawyers, which is a very subjective term so lets call him one of India's most paid lawyers. But he is weird. If you think he is not, wait and read further!

He takes a moral high by fighting against the black money stashed outside India. He joins Anna Hazare against corruption. Then, he defends Kanimozhi?? Do you know he also defended Harshad Mehta & Ketan Parekh. If these names haven't rung a bell, let me remind you that these were the people who were behind the biggest stock market scams in India. Isn't that Black money Sir?

He has also defended some very high profile but infamous names like Manu Sharma & Afzal Guru. Afterwards, he has used excuses like , "Didn't want Afzal Guru to die easily but rot in jail" and "I have some obligations to some peoplE" in Manu Sharma's case.


He has had a very strange Political career as well. He was a minister in the Vajpayee government and then he went on to fight againt AB Vajpayee in the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections and in 2010, he was again a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha. He has also started a couple of political outfits in the past which didn't really pick up.

I am not judging him. He certainly is one of India's top lawyers and everyone has a right to proper defence in a court but for a person taking high moral ground of issues of black money, Should he be taking such cases?

All I am saying is that he seems to be a confused personality.

The Biggest Indian Cover Up??

Some of us may never have heard the names of Kim Davy or Peter Bleach. Well I hadn't till today. But this is all a good cover up is all about.

To bring everyone upto date, Kim Davy & Peter Bleach were the key accused in the Purulia arms drop case. What was the Purulia arms drop case? Simply put, it was one of the biggest internal security breaches that India might ever have had. A air plane carrying ammunition entered India from Pakistan without being tracked and dropped ammunition worth $450,000 at a place called Purulia which is on the West Bengal-Bihar Border. The arms were supposed to have been delivered for an anti-left organisation called Anand Marga in West Bengal. This all was done to help Anand Marga in a armed mutiny against the West Bengal Government. Peter Bleach, who was the arms dealer involved in the case served 8 years in Indian Prison before being given Presidential Pardon. But, he spent those 8 years without ever getting to depose in front of an Indian Court. Kim Davy had apparently fled from India and was untraceble.

An Indian News Chanel(Times Now) today, somehow, got in touch with Kim Davy and Peter Bleach and aired their interviews. The revelations were startling to say the least. Peter Bleach claims that he had informed the British Internal Security service MI5 about this whole plan before going ahead with it and they in turn had informed the Indian Intelligence, not once, not twice, but three times. He also claims that right after having been caught, he had written a 30 page statement where he shared all the details about the plan and gave it to CBI officials who later refuted that such a statement was ever taken.  He claims that he was never even brought in front of an Indian Judge so that he could tell his story. Eventually when he was given the pardon, he was rushed out of the country when he was supposed to appear before a court in a couple of days which was 8 years later and by then NDA was in power with Trinamool Congress as an ally!

Kim Davy, who was & is a Anand Marga symphatiser, alleges that he was helped by an MP at that time(Pappu Yadav) and CBI official JK Dutt to get out of the country via the Nepal Border. He also claims that Pappu Yadav had assured him that he had backing of someone from the PMO. Kim Davy has been living in Denmark after that and he wasn't living a life of hiding, he was regularly talking to the press. Whereas, CBI was telling the court that he is not traceble.

There are a lot of question marks in this whole episode.An patriotic might look at Davy and Bleach as two foreigners and criminals at that trying to defame India but at the same time a critical look at the matter poses many questions, What did the intelligence agencies do about the warnings they received? How could a airplane enter India(from Pakistan) and not given raise an eyebrow? Why didn't Bleach face a court for 8 years? How could the CBI claim to not being able to find Davy when he was in Denmark all this while and living an open life? Why was he rushed out of India, was it British Government's pressure or political compulsions for the NDA? Why didn't the British say anything while Bleach was in court when Bleach claims they knew about the whole plan? Did the British Govt. also had a fishy role in the whole affair? Sceptics may also say that Why has this story seen the light of day when the Left is almost certain to be thrown out of West Bengal?

Lets hope we get the answers someday, and sooner the better!

aLIVE!!

Alive seems to be the perfect title for this post, considering the fact that this blog has been dormant for a long time. But more than that, this heading is appropriate because of the contents that are about to follow.

25th April, 2011, to me, would always be a day of victory for the Indian Media. A day when Suresh Kalmadi was arrested and a day when Kanimozhi was chargesheeted. Not taking the claims of Indian Politicos on the face values and not being bogged down by the threats of certain high profile people, Indian media followed the two cases-2G & CWG with utmost perseverance and dedication. When Mr. Kalmadi thought that he could get away with looting our country of crores of rupees, Navika Kumar from Times Now brought crucial evidence from England that implicated Kalmadi and despite his dozens of attempts to threathen them and dissuade them, Times Now stood ground. Not to take any credit away from other news channels, they soon picked up the story and made sure that the people concerned are not able to get away with their deeds.

Similarly, in the case of the 2G scam, when almost everyone thought that A Raja getting caught was enough, our friends in television and print media kept following it and now we know, (as Subramanium Swami said) , "Raja hai to Rani bhi hogi hi." 

But what has been more heartening has been the efforts of the media itself to downplay the arrests of Kalmadi and Kanimozhi. Rather than trying to showcase themselves as heroes, they themselves have accepted that Kalmadi and Kanimozhi might be people acting as the fall guys and the big fish might still be out in the open.

There is still a lot to be answered and a lot that has to be pursued. But with the kind of  excitement shown by the civil society and a alive & LIVE media, I am sure the Bosses of the Kalmadis n Kanimozhis and Hasan Alis will soon be chakki peesing & peesing in Tihar Jail, which apparently is the latest hotspot for VIPs :P

Knowledge v/s Lenience

Some of them are simply the best, some of them you wish you had never known. If there is one set of people in this world you just can't generalize, they are teachers. And this is that class of people which you just can't do without for about the first 20-21 years of your life. We have all been enamoured by some of our schools teachers( by the teaching part I mean :P ) and we have all just dreaded the sight of some of them. So, as I come to the fag end of my journey in life as a student(in a formal manner) I have, out of sheer abundance of time, tried to define the types of a teacher.

Since we are doing it, Why not do it MBA style! So, I have developed a 2*2 matrix for the same. The quality of teachers, according to me, can be judged based on two factors:-

1. How Good is his/her knowledge of the subject? or rather ability to share that knowledge

2. How Lenient is the teacher with the students?

Now looking at all the categories one by one. 

Tough Taskmasters :-They are damn good in the subject that they are teaching. They will constantly give insights which actually make you think. Since they take their work seriously, they expect the students to do the same. You can't go to their classes, do nothing and come back. You have to work! They are not loved by the students but they get on to you with time and one starts to appreciate them.

Good For Nothings :- They think that they know everything and keep trying to showcase their authority in the class. But the fact is, their knowledge is too limited and they don't know how to teach. So, undestandbly the students don't pay any attention in their classes which they can't digest. Hence, the false aggression and self obsession.

Spoilers :- These are those teachers who don't know a lot and are ready to accept that or they have knowledge but are just not good at dissipating it. But, they don't create a lot of fuss in the class. Students are generaly not disturbed by them when sleeping. They generally have a smile on their face. Students like them despite the fact that knowledge addition is minimal. But they spoil you in the long run as no matter how sweet, a teacher's primary job is to teach. 

Teachers:- I have named this category as teachers as they are my favourites or rather every students'  favourite. They are rarely found but wherever and whenever they are, they have so much information and knowledge to share that they garner a huge fanbase from day 1. But at the same time, they don't bother you a lot with assignments etc and generally don't even bother you in your sleep. They are good and they know it so they don't need any self assurance. As a student you just can't not pay attention to them.

Thats it from my side, Looking forward to some interesting feedback! :)

"Those" Punjabi songs

In January, 2006 came a punjabi singer by the name of Gurinder Kaur Kainth and she became a sensation named Miss Pooja. Her stardom reached a stage where songs in the same genre came to be known as the "miss pooja type songs" even if she was not one of the singers. Off late I have had extensive access to such songs thanks to my dad's chauffeur who aparently has a new CD of her songs every 3 months I go home. 1500 songs in 4 years, how else can you justify that? Because of this exposure, I have had a new look at this genre of songs and my views have changed significantly, and in a positive way. Judge me if you want to, but wait till you read it all.

The so called miss pooja songs have done something which no other singer or genre of songs could do before that-Bringing to light the comtemporary issues faced by the people in Punjab. When I say people, I am not talking about people like you and me but people who are staying in the interior towns and villages of punjab.

Babbu Mann might have sung "Mittran Di Chattri" to exemplify the "married off to Canada" concept but the shayari and nicely written lyrics might make a lot of sense but it really doesnt hit the problem of girls being married off against their will. But when one of "those" punjabi songs come up with the lyrics , "maape kende vihah k kudi torni caneda vicho munda aayuga", it makes a point. Its simple, its straight and hits the issue on the head. If we actually look at the problem and its roots, its more apparent at the lower/mid strata of the society and people from that strata can easily relate to such "desi" lyrics.

Another category of songs which are famous/infamous have been songs related to conversations of lovers and the problems arising from that. There have been innumerable songs where the girl is trying to explain why she can't talk while at home as her mother can listen to the conversation. A lot of us might not have faced this problem but in a society where the concept of girlfriends/boyfriends or rather just guy and female friends is not accepted, it is a genuine problem. When such people hear such songs, they easily relate to them and enjoy these songs at the same time. There also have been some songs where wives complain about the excessive drinking nature of their husbands. It is a big problem and is being addressed through this medium.

Another issue these songs have been able to address is the problems faced by the farmers of punjab. There was an entire series of songs named Jhona in which the songs specifically talked about rice growing in Punjab and problems related to it. This issue is of utmost importance in a state which is one of the highest rice and wheat producing states in the country.

Chandigarh is arguably one of the most overused word in punjabi music. I guess only Bullet & Mobile can compete with it. I often joke with my friends that there is not any other city about which so many songs have been written. But, Whats the reason for that? In marketing terms, I would say ASPIRATION. Chandigarh is an aspirational location for youth living in different parts of punjab and this aspiration is being targetted through the songs which, to me, makes perfect sense. In similar songs, the abuse of power in Punjab has also been well depicted like in one of the songs the protaganist sings " chandigarhon phone aaju wadde saab da, fer marde saloot vekhin sare." This is a very mocking take at the power of "approach" in Punjab.

In all, I think Miss Pooja and other fellow singers have played a major role in bringing forward such issues and at the same time making sure that the common man understands the idea. There are ofcourse non-sensical songs that come along but where not? Or How else do you justify the success of "Munni Badnam Hui" & "Sheila ki Jawani."

And Sold...IPL Auction Day 1

IPL is back or atleast the auction is. After months of speculations and legal battles, all the 10 teams made it to the auction table but there was the last surprise in store with Rajasthan's total budget being reduced to $7 mn instead of  $9 mn as it is for everyone else. The reason is still a bit uncertain.

If we have a look at the teams building up, one thing is for sure-A lot of player and team loyalties are going to be tested as besides Chennai, very few teams have brought many of their ex team members. Chennai, though went all out to buy who were there own-Ashwin,Badrinath,Boullinger & Hussey. To this, they have added Dwayne Bravo and Wridhiman Saha. And remember; they had retained Dhoni,Raina,Vijay and Morkel. So this looks to be a great team with a good mix of domestic players & foreign players,bowlers & batsmen. They will again be one the favourites, like in the previous editions.

Mumbai Indians were the other side who had retained the maximum allowed limit of 4 players which were Sachin, Harbhajan, Pollard & Malinga. Neeta Ambani bid aggresively for Rohit Sharma which was a great buy but extremely affected the overall budget. The other buys were James Franklin, Andrew Symonds & Davy Jocobs. This looks like an interesting side developing here but MI will have to just fill around the other spots because they don't have a lot of money left. But, SRT is known to have a good eye for youngsters and a knack of backing them so that may not be a big problem as they have the master tendulkar who seems to running the show(aggresive bidding for rohit sharma being a proof). Will be interesting to see though, how Bhajji and Symo get along after "Monkey"gate!

Deccan Chargers seemed to be the team who did the smartest bidding. They didn't go too hard, but stole some gems at a bargain. They now are home to Steyn, Sangakkara, Cameron White, Pieterson, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Shikhar Dhawan & JP Duminy. A perfect mix of bowling,batting, domestic, foreign, stability and firepower. To add to this, they are still the team which maximum amount left in their exchequer. Great Work Chargers.

The schewd and smart Vijay Mallya was calling the shots for Bangalore with some smart advise from Kumble being a bonus. RCB knew the players they just needed to have and went all out for them. Be it Saurabh Tiwary or AB Devilliers. They now have a deadly pace attack with Zaheer and Dirk Nannes, one of the smartest spinners in the world-Daniel Vettori, A dependable and destructive Dilshan,young and talented Chiteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli being the one they retained. Just too good a side to have. But with the budget dwindling, they will have to make smart choices to build the bench strength.

Delhi Daredevils made a slow start to the day with no bids early on. They got aggressive with Irfan Pathan for whom they fought ferociously with Kings XI Punjab. After that they concentrated mostly on foreign players with David Warner coming back to revive the Veeru-Warner deadly partnership. Their other buys were Morne Morkel, James Hopes, Aaron Flinch and Naman Ojha. They still have a lot of money to spend and they will be very aggresive on day 2.

Kolkata Knight Riders were the ones who started the day with a frenzy and paying a whopping $ 2.4 mn for Gambhir, who certainly is worth it. A proven performer and an ODI captain with 100% winning rate(I know it was New Zealand but still-statistics). Gauti can certainly turn the ship for KKR provided he has good company which we now know is being provided by Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Manoj Tiwary, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan & Brad Haddin. This is a great side but a bit lacking in the bowling department as Lee's fitness is always a concern. They will be looking for some steals in the bowling department on day 2. Gambhir and Pathan were incidentatlly the two most expensive players today. SRK always goes hard for whom he wants.

Kings XI Punjab would have been pleased just to be sitting there after all the drama surrounding them in the last few months. They were unlucky that whichever players they pursued were wanted badly by someone else as well so they missed on Pathan as a case but Preity Zinta didn't lose that pretty smile despite, which was good to see. KXIP bagged the services of Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Abhishek Nayyar, Stuart Broad & Ryan Harris. They seem to have gone a bit overboard with Nayyar as he is not really a T20 specialist but he is a stable batsmen and someone who can be banked upon. Whats lacking in this side are big names which seems to be a hige shift from the earlier strategy where Yuvraj, Lee, Pathan being the marketable faces(besides the talent) in the side. A couple of real good buys in Praveen Kumar & Hussey in this side. They need to focus on some domestic players now as they have plenty of foreign talent in the side now. They will be the darkhorse in IPL 4, I guess but I hope they do a Rajasthan Royals(IPL 1). Go Kings XI!!

Rajashthan Royals didn't have the presence of Shane Warne on the table but his word was certainly important in what they did. With the budget being 7 against 9 for others, they needed some smart buys which came in the form of Paul Collingwood and Ross Taylor. They only brought Johan Botha and Rahul Dravid besides these two. They paid $950 mn for Botha which is strange as they already have a world class spinner in Shane Warne. Besides Warne, they have retained Shane Watson. They will be heavily relying on Shane Warne's eye to spot some really good domestic players as otherwise $2 mn deficit will surely be a disadvantage.

Sahara Pune Warriors were one of two new teams entering the fray but they had done their homework well. They bid heavily for Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh, who are explosive when it comes to T20. Yuvraj seems to have been paid well for his capability and allround abilites because his batting in the earlier editions has just not been upto the mark. Kings XI tried to get him back till a point but then they backed off against the aggressive Pune. Angelo Mathews, Ashish Nehra, Grahme Smith,Calum Fergusson, Tim Paine and Nathan Mcullum were the other buys. There strategy was similar to KKR's-Bid heavy for a couple and try to get some cheap buys.

Kochi are the other new team into the IPL, who still havent decided on a name. They were involved in a lot of bidding wars, winning a few and losing a few. Their prized posessions are Mahela Jayawardene and Murali. They also have one of the best opening bowling combos in RP Singh and Sreesanth, who will be the hometown boy. They will also be having Ravindra Jadeja, Brendom McCullum, Brad Hodge, VVS Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Steven Smith and Ramesh Powar at their disposal. They have build a good roster here but they lack some dependable players. Sreesanth, Jadeja, McCullum & Jayawardene can all be amazing on their days but just fall away on others. But they still have decent money left with them so lets see whom they buy on day 2.

These are the teams and all of them look competitive but today will be remembered for the players who weren't bid for i.e. Ganguly, Lara and Gibbs. There were many more but these are names who would have been part of most World XI's a few years back and now noone even wants them. With Lara, its understandable as he has played no cricket for the last 3 years and failed badly in his brief ICL stint but Ganguly and Gibbs must have been more shocked. But, there is till hope left as they come back for auction when all the players available have been put up on auction once.

What could have been

So, the much talked about India-SA test series has finally come to an end and as most would agree, to a fair end. India were thrashed by South Africa in the first test and India came back strongly in the second match to show what they can do, even on green tops.

However, differenciating the 2 sides in the 3rd test is next to impossible.While kallis anD Steyn were out of the ordinary throughout the match, India had the services of SRT,Sreesanth,Harbhajan & Gambhir to thank at different points in the test match. I have been reading a lot in the last few hours about how some people felt that India didn't play as a true champion and how India should have gone for the win etc etc. I, on the contrary, have a new found respect for the Indian side after today's display. I am not a strong believer in the No.1 or No.2 debate. So, I don't feel as a "No. 1" team, India had to try and win the game at all costs. Wouldn't we all have loved to see India winning? Ofcourse we would have, atleast here in India! But being realistic, When was the last time a team scored 340 on the last day to win a test match? When was the last time India did something like that? Infact, India have a very poor reputation when it comes to batting on the final day or the last innings. So, going for the victory is great as it sounds but it invariably means taking the risk of losing. If that had been the case, the same people who feel India should have gone for the "win" would have been writing about how India can't play to save a match.

I feel the entire Indian batting showed a lot of class and composure in the way they batted today. At tea on the 4th day, everyone in the Indian dressing room would be looking forward to a series win but the way Kallis and co batted in the last 2 hours on the 4th day, they just took the match away from India. India knew they had let the opportunity slip away but rather than doing something extravagant and going on a blitzkrieg, they did what was sound and logical-They tried to play for a draw on a pitch where scoring freely was not really an option. But, the way they played to save the match was what caught my imagination. Similar attempts have been made in the past by our national team but invariably they have had to bite the dust as we have never been good at being extra defensive. But the way each and every batsmen applied himself on the field today was admirable. Gambhir did a Kalllis for India when he carried on with an injury to take India to safety, Sehwag did what we thought he just cant-control himself, Dravid was a rock solid wall, Sachin showed that his class is not just in the runs and centuries he has scored but in his capability to adjust according to situations and VVS showed he is what he is.

So, I dont see this as having let go of a possible win because we did that on the 4th day. I see this as a beautiful display of craft by what is often defined as the best batting line up on paper.

England-Bad losers or FIFA-corrupt rulers

FIFA Executive Committee handed over the hosting rights of Football World Cup 2018 & 2022 to Russia and Qatar. This much is fact and rest we have heard and read are opinions and claims.

You must already have read and heard a lot about these claims being made by various parties concerned from the British, American and Australian bid teams. I chose not to write about it as almost everything was already sadi but when I read a press statement by Sepp Blatter about England being Bad losers, I couldn't help but read between the lines.

I would like to bring up to date those who have not been following this controversy closely. England were being considered the favourites to win the 2018 World Cup hosting rights and they turned no stone unturned with David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron as the face of the bid. But Russia was being seen as a close competition because of FIFA's vision to take the game to far fetched corners of the World. England were supposedly promised votes by as many as 7 members but in the end they got 2 votes. This after England were rated as the best techical bid by all assessments and the promises ofcourse. Similarly, Australia and USA had bid for the 2022 World Cup and they were also rated as the best bids. In the final votes, England got 2 out of 22 out of which 1 was there own representative. Australia and USA got 4 votes together. So this accounts to 6/44 votes for the BEST bids.

BBC carried a story against corruption in FIFA few days prior to the vote and this seems to have played its role. There have a lot of voices since, many accusing FIFA of having sold the rights to the "Highest Bidders." Well, Russia and Qatar-makes sense. Sepp Blatter reportedly reminded ExCom members about the BBC story before the vote and the same man comes in front of press and says that England are bad losers. I am not trying to portray the English as Gods, they have done there share of blunders in the world but in this case, they seem to be right. 

Now reading between the lines. Sepp Blatter's exact words were, "What can be wrong if we start football in regions where this sport demonstrates a potential which goes far beyond sport?" What I understand from this statement is, :-

1. I gave them the World Cup
2. I gave them the World Cup because I want the game to spread
3. There is nothing wrong in doing this

Well, this statement is in noway an acceptance of corruption, We Wish! But it certainly seems to be an acceptance of the fact that the vote is a joke and the World Cup Hosting Rights are given by the whims and fancies of FIFA ExCom Members or rather Sepp Blatter himself.

The Greek Tragedy

K had said it a hundred times by now but decided to repeat it once again,” I am going to settle down here. The girls are so damn beautiful.” The second part of the statement was hard to argue and the first, well K is known for exaggerating. 

Greece was turning out to be as beautiful as or rather more beautiful than we had imagined it to be. Ofcourse Greece had its own set of problems-Illegal immigrants being one of them. A Pakistani shopkeeper warned us right on our arrival that we should keep our passports safe as they are the most stolen thing in Greece. But it was not a problem to our travelling as long as we paid heed to his advice, which we did. We had planned to visit Athens, San Torini and Olympia (if time permitted). Our first stop was Athens which was living lesson in history-the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Ancient Olympics stadium and so much more. The two days we spent in Athens were a treat if we ignore the incidence when M & A were stopped on the street by SWAT type police officials and asked to lean against the wall with hands up. They were left alone after passport verification etc. Though A remained in shock for some time but he got relief from the fact that they were policemen and not muggers.

As we took a ferry to San Torini we were all super excited to have a look at the trademark white houses of the island(Remember Tauba Tumhare Ye Ishare) and the beaches of Black and Red beaches of the island. For anyone who has been to San Torini would know that it is impossible to explore the island unless you rent a car or a bike. We chose All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). That is when things started to go a bit wrong. ATVs are not the easiest thing to drive and M soon realised that as he banged into a car whose driver started shouting stuff in Greek which made no sense to M but he did catch the word “Police” to which M’s only response was “No Police!” The driver agreed to that bit but only after M paid him 300 Euros.

Things became smooth after that as M,G,H & K got comfortable with the rides. After having seen arguably the most beautiful sunset in the world, all of them headed back and returned the ATVs. Next day started off with a visit to the Nea Kameni Volcano but we were free by around 3 PM and our return ferry was to leave at 10 PM so we still had a lot of time so we decided to head off to the Red Beach on the island. Hence we again rented the ATVs which was not an altogether unanimous decision. As we reached the destination, we parked our ATVs and were about to walk towards the beach when A, who had been riding pillion to M all this while asked H if he could drive his ATV. So A took a very small round at incredibly low speed with H following him throughout to make sure nothing unwanted happens. Watching this, B, who had been pillion to K throughout asked H if we could also ride the ATV? So this was B’s turn. B also took a small round and he decided to test the ATV a bit more and took it straight which was slightly uphill but it was fine. The problem was the journey downhill. As B brought the ATV downhill, He didn’t realise the road had a slight curve towards the cliff and the ATV slowly kept moving in that direction. H shouted frantically and asked B to press the brakes but B had lost control by then and he went off the cliff along with the ATV. Meanwhile, G & M were being photographed by J on the other end of the cliff and hence they saw B and the ATV flying. After the initial shock of a couple of seconds, everyone ran towards the cliff. Underneath there was a sea of sharp edged rocks and water was constantly gushing against them (SEE: Bandra Bandstand). A fear gripped everyone and we shouted B’s name and were relieved to see him not his head. K & M headed down to bring him back. M made a brave attempt to bring the ATV back as well but it was not the easiest task in the world. M immediately headed for a doctor alongwith B. J & G left to look for a pick up van whereas K, A & H waited.

A lot happened in the following 3 hours but it was nothing compared to what had happened just now. Otherwise, a dog getting on top a scooter and being up against G’s chest and G&J escaping after letting the dog get on top of the person who tried to help them would have been a story in itself. 

As the night set in, we were feeling better as the doctor assured that B was fine but having paid 1800 Euros for the ATV, who could have been fine. To top it all, one of us lost his phone.

As hours went past, we started to get a bit relaxed again. Everyone was trying to cheer up everyone else. It felt great to be with a bunch of people all of whom were standing up for each other in the times of trouble. We headed for our ferry with a hope that the bad luck may get over with San Torini but the sadly, it was the Greek Tragedy not the Tragedy of San Torini.

As we got off the ferry at Phireaus, we decided to get our tickets for Italy booked and that is when it dawned upon H that he does not have the Eurail Passes of himself and two others he was carrying. As everyone searched their bags, calls were made to the hotel guy in San Torini if something was found in our rooms. We made efforts of getting a replacement but the stupid Eurail rules don’t allow that.

Tired and gloomy, we headed for Patras to head back to Italy. After having reached Patras, we relaxed for sometime at the port. Just when we thought that the worst is over, H realised he had lost his sunglasses in the bus. But ironically even H himself didn’t feel very bad about it. After all that had happened it just seemed like a drop in the ocean.

As we were heading into the ferry, we were asked by the port authorities to wait as we were required to be checked by the port police. We waited for some time patiently but soon anger and anguish started to grip us as all the fair looking people were being let into the ferry without any checking whatsoever and we saw this as a racial discrimination without a shadow of doubt. We tried to argue with the port authorities, asked them check our passports but to no avail. M & A went and talked to some official inside the port who finally checked our papers and let us go. But this was after we had been standing there for a good 2 hours. By the way, another fellow who was not even European and was let inside by the captain of the ship despite a couple o people asking him not to. A few Euros must have been exchanged there. Alongwith us another person was let in who later told us that he had a fake passport. If this is how they check, Why Check at all!!

And hence ended THE GREEK TRAGEDY!

And who am I you must be thinking. I could be anyone of A,B,G,H,J, K or M. We all suffered the same, just the money that got burnt differed.

With love & Peace

“Kal tak tan ji khatte hi si, o tan ena ne aiven hi vand te”

Or

“We were One till yesterday, they divided us for no reason”

These were the words used by a Pakistani national when I met him in Greece and I couldn’t have agreed more. 

After having spent around 3 months in these foreign lands, I have experienced the love Indians and Pakistanis share for each other.  Sitting at home, in India or Pakistan, there can be anger and disgust towards each other for various reasons but in the end, we are the same. It has been just 60 odd years till nothing of this stupid rivalry existed.  The love and affection of thousands of years can’t just evaporate in such a short period and the fact is, it should never evaporate.

Being a punjabi, I feel elated when I meet someone speaking punjabi in Europe. In a lot of cases, that person is not an Indian but why should that matter when he speaks the same language, wears the same clothes, has the same culture. If you come to think of it, India's history is incomplete without Lahore and Pakistan's history is incomplete without Delhi. 

The funniest part to all this the fact that those who are responsible for separating us and those who have tried to make sure that we don’t see eye to eye are often offering to act as arbitrators in Indo-Pak talks.  I think we can manage without them, rather we can progress without them. 

Diwali of 2010 would always be etched in mind for what happened that day. We were in Athens and we wanted to have some Indian food and hence we headed to a Pakistani restaurant we had been to the previous day as well. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we saw a jam packed hall with Pakistanis watching Pak play SA in an ODI match. We were about to turn back when the owner saw us and recognised us from yesterday. He came running towards us, got some tables and chairs vacated for us and served us in the best possible manner. He indulged in a small chat with us when he discussed the bad economic condition of Greece which was forcing loads of Indians and Pakistanis to go back home. When he was talking to us, it never felt that he belongs to a different nation because deep within, there are 2 countries divided out of the same nation. I don’t think there could have a better diwali celebration than watching cricket sitting amidst separated brothers and having your own food.

                                     

This is just one of many examples that I have of how I have enjoyed and relished the company of people from our neighbouring nation. In my college in France, we have loads of Pakistanis who are studying as full time students. They have been more than willing to lend a helping hand if it came to searching for accommodation, advising where to buy groceries from and even invitations to play cricket.

The person whose quote I used right at the start of the article met me in San Torini, Greece asked me after observing me and my friends for some time , “ Punjab to?” I had made out from his accent that he is from the Pakistani side of Punjab so I replied, “ Hanji India wale Punjab to han.(Yes, From the Indian Punjab)” And he was quick to add,” tan ki ho gaya ji. Punjab tan Punjab hi hai.(So What, Punjab Is Punjab)”

I quoted this instance to my dad and he said,” waise dona punjaban nu chahida aape khade ho k koi reunification movement chala den.” Or “Both Punjabs should themselves start a reunification movement.” Though he said it in a light mood, this may be the only hope we have. Some fanatics, who don’t belong to any religion or any nation have created all these unnecessary problems and some politicians are not letting this die. Reunification is a far fetched dream but the least we can do is-Live like two brothers should, with love & peace.  

Naraz to tum bhi ho

Naraz to hum bhi hain

Galtiyan kuch hamari bhi hain

Galtiyan kuch tumhari bhi hain

Par kum tak yun roothe baithe rahenge

kab tak ik dusre se kuch na kahenge

kab tak yun dono taraf aansu bahenge

bhula do gile shikwe

do kadam tum chalo, do kadam hum chalenge

The Indian Problem

Travelling from Paris to Aix-En-Provence (a city in south of France) in a TGV train is an amazing experience. 800 kms in 3 hours-Well o Well! Having a look at the French country side that accompanies you on this journey, or for that matter on any train journey in this beautiful country, brings a whole lot of positive energy. You can’t help but say-This is the place to be!

Coming to France is my first trip outside India and I think it is a country that just has so much that I wish we had in India. You step on to the roads and you will realise that there is not a single piece of waste lying outside. You try to cross a zebra crossing and you will realise the respect people give to people travelling on foot. Look at the light turning red and HALT! Ask anything, say anything and whatever the conversation be; it will always end with “Merci” or “Thank You” as we know it in English. Visit a museum and look at the way the masterpieces have been preserved.

The first thing one looks out for at traffic lights in India is the traffic police, so that you can break the rules at the first given opportunity. People travelling on foot live a nightmare when they just can’t cross the road as no one will stop the car/bike/bus/truck for them. Someone asks you something weird and your reactions vary from “Kya!” to “I am in a hurry” to “Pagal lagta hai” to “Idiot” etc etc. I am not saying everyone does this, but most do.

And I think, France is heaven and India is so far away.
But in the same train, looking at the same country side, I find myself listening to Hindi/Punjabi songs on my phone. Then I start to think on opposite lines. Is it possible that the problem is not with the nation but with our attitude towards our nation? What is it that we have that some of the so called modern countries don’t? My language, my music, my movies and a whole lot of other things will be lost if I ever settle outside India. This makes me introspect-This is something I just can’t have here

Step onto any street of Delhi or Mumbai at any point of the day and you will see a world of activity going on. You find so much energy in whatever we Indians do. The loud music, the high pitch of our speech etc can be taken as us being loud but I think it just shows us to be expressive and passionate. Ask an Indian mother, who is the son of her sister’s brother-in-law’s nephew (not the sister’s son ofcourse  ) and in most probability she won’t take more than a second to answer. We love our relations and these relations are a chain that has no end. I don’t remember when was the last time I had food and someone didn’t take a bite of two from my plate. This is something unknown in this part of the world. Isn’t it amazing to share your food with friends and family, it just shows so much love and affection.

We have some of the most hard working and smart people in the world. An average Indian shop runs from 9 to 9 against 11 to 7 in France. As lovely as the Louvre might be, I can’t help but think-If we had not been stolen from umpteen times by people all across the world, we would still have all our relics and the resources to preserve them. If we had not been the victims of fate, we would still have been the “Golden Bird” and people would have had food to eat and the energy to take care of the surroundings. With 40% of the country not getting proper nourishment, a clean and crisp surrounding is a bit too much to ask as people have a lot more serious issues to worry about.

I am in no way trying to demean any other nation. Ofcourse there is a lot that is there to learn for us from the West. Every country, every society has quite a lot that it can teach the world. We Indians ourselves have started to think that we don’t have anything to share which is totally false. Let us not be critical, let us try to change!

DCET & The Changing Face of Student Politics

One of my first memories of Panjab University, Chandigarh is Ankit Malik & Puneet Rooprai, two 2nd year seniors coming to my room and giving me my first lesson in Panjab University Politics, in process making me a SOPU member for life. But I also remember me having thought at that time, “ I have not come here for politics, I will study!” That might have been the case with most of the people entering Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology as politics is perceived as a thing for the law or arts guys. But PU is a place where you just can’t stay away from SOPU-PUSU or INSO & ABVP & SOI as well some may say. Looking at it all in hindsight, I don’t think I regret having been an active supporter of SOPU or being “involved” in politics. I think it in reality, it lead me in discovering a totally different side of myself.

I was as staunch a supporter of SOPU as one could be but I was good friends with a lot of people who didn’t support my party. There used to be a tradition in our hostel that some seniors were baptised as fathers of some juniors, based on how close they are to each other. Ironically, my “godfather” was Rahul Ravi- a PUSU member and so were most of his friends. But that never was a bone of contention in our relations. We did our best to make sure that we bring success to our parties but we never fought our such stuff. I don’t remember having seen any Senior-Junior alternations because of politics during my first couple of years in DCET. Now that I am no more enrolled as a student in the University and am not directly involved in the elections or any related activities, I realise things have drastically changed. Or were they changing when I was there?

Panjab University Campus Students Council elections have recently concluded and PUSU won 3 out of 4 seats in the council. I am myself disappointed by the result, but what pains me even more is the Facebook wars going on between various supporters of both parties from my department. What hurts me even more is the fact that in majority of the cases, it is a case of seniors(in some cases- passouts) and juniors having a full frontal attack on each other. Something that was unheard of in “our times.” I don’t know what is the reason for it-It can be the sudden rise of Facebook which has given wings to people’s thoughts, It can be the fact that now “ragging” is banned unofficially as well as officially so juniors probably have no real nor apparent respect for the seniors, it can also be due to our dedicated efforts in making our juniors loyal to our party more than anything else or it maybe due to some other reason or maybe due to a mix of reasons. But, I know it is not good for the future batches of my beloved DCET( can’t get used to UICET).

So just a heartfelt request to my fellow DCETians, support your party as much as you want to, just have some respect for your fellow batchmates, seniors & juniors even if they support some other political outfit. I think you will enjoy your stay in the university much more.

Cracking MBA interviews

“Why do you want to do an MBA?”

“Tell us something about yourself”

“What are your views about the current Indian cricket team”

“How did Punjab get its name?”

These were some of the opening questions I was asked during my interviews for admission into various top b-schools of the country. As you can see, some are clichéd questions whereas some are a bit off the course and there is no way you can be sure of what you are going to be asked. The best you can do is to be well prepared.

You may come across a lot of experts who tell you different things about how to crack an interview. A lot of the things might be true, but always take them with a pinch of salt. A lot of times their judgement is based on the past experiences of themselves or of others. The experience of others can surely give you a good idea of what can happen but it won’t be what will happen. Once I met a so called expert who told me, “ I will give you the answers to the questions like Why MBA and you just have to put them in your own words and present them.” Frankly this seemed totally absurd to me. In the end it is you who is going to be interviewed and it is you who knows about yourself, about Why you want to do an MBA! Being yourself is of utmost importance in any interview. If you don’t believe in what you are saying, how can you convince someone else about the same?

Confidence is the key when it comes to cracking an interview. Remember that most of the questions that you will be asked in the interview are going to be very basic and generic in nature. So, what the panel looks for is whether you can answer those questions with confidence and conviction. If an interviewee says that he wants to be entrepreneur, the panel invariably asks whether he has any business idea in mind. This counter question is just to check whether you are bluffing or are you actually serious about it. They also know that you won’t be having a fool proof business plan because otherwise what would you be doing there!

The question that gave me sleepless nights was whether or not I will be asked questions regarding my academics. I didn’t have a very good academic background which means less marks in graduation which made me doubt my own capabilities in answering those questions. This has been a query pointed at me by a number of aspirants as well. Again, like I said right at the start, you can never tell what you will be asked. For a fresher, you can generally expect at least a couple of academic questions as lack of work experience takes away one dimension of questions that can be directed at you so the odds increase. But this is not something that should worry you much as the panel more often than not will try to bring the best out of you and if you don’t seem to comfortable with your academics they will shift to other questions and you should try to answer them well.

Generally there is a lot of buzz about stress interviews. This is the case when the interviewer is trying to judge how bad your worst is. In such interviews, always remember, a smile never harmed anyone.

Sometimes the panel can also ask you current affairs or general knowledge questions. These questions are never the make or break questions. Whereas knowing the answers can give you some brownie points for sure, not knowing them will not end it for you. The bulk of your interview will be on the basis of the form that you will be asked to fill. Do take that form seriously as the form in itself won’t matter in your selection but the form is what can drive your interview in a certain direction. Try not to express extreme views as that shows you as being stubborn and less room is there for you to change your answer in the interview if you feel necessary.

A lot of times you can end up being your own interviewer. The questions you will be asked can be the loose ends in your previous answers. This can be to your advantage and also to your disadvantage. So, try not to leave loose ends and if you want it to play to your advantage, be extra careful as it can backfire as well.

All said and done, don’t forget that it is just an interview- One among many you will appear in this “MBA-season” or for that matter in your life. It will be good if you make it but won’t be the end of the world if you don’t. It may just be a blessing in disguise as who knows, You may get much better opportunities in the future.

At the airport

What does a person do when his or her flight gets delayed and he/she has to wait agonizingly long hours at the airport? Some people start reading a book, some start working on their laptops, some go to the food court and eat something, some decide to do some shopping and some like me decide to do a bit of all this and observe other people doing whatever they are doing.

So while doing the same, I decided to start off with the people sitting just next to me. My immediate neighbour seemed to be totally engrossed in his digital camera-taking pictures and looking at the clicked pictures. His utmost interest in the same made me guess that he had recently purchased that camera. As he started to notice that I am noticing him, I looked for someone to observe, a little boy of 4-5 yrs made it easy as he came running to me, passed me a smile and offered me a sachet of tomato ketchup. I, trying to be a sport, smiled back and took forward my hand to accept the offer and he suddenly took back his hand. He again extended his hand to offer me the ketchup. I, knowing his intentions very well, decided to play on with him. As he took back his hand once again, he started laughing and ran back to him mother shouting, “Mummy,Mummy” probably hoping to recite the whole incident to her.

The next person I set my eyes on was totally immersed in his laptop. Observing a bit closely, I realised FRIENDS was the thing that was keeping his mind and his head still. He was totally unaware or rather not bothered about what all was going around him. You must be thinking that this isn’t something new. You always find people lost in FRIENDS no matter what the place is. I thought the same and couldn’t hold back a smile. In the meanwhile, I noticed a lady in her mid 40’s sitting at the back of that person staring at me in disgust. I think she was of the opinion that I trying to make a pass at her daughter sitting alongside her. To make myself clear, I wasn't!

Now I decided to move around the airport and explore some other areas. As I moved into the shopping arcade, I saw a couple of girls busy in their shopping. Moving from jewellery to clothes and back. One of them received a call from someone, I suppose, close to her. This supposition is based on the way she addressed him( I am sure about this). But the poor guy soon enough realised that nothing can come between a girl and her shopping when the girl frantically kept saying, “ Bye, Bye, Bye. Let me shop.”

I started feeling hungry and went to a eating joint inside the airport. As soon as I entered the cafe, I saw a couple trying their best to explain to their son that their flight was ready for departure and they had to leave. The son, on the other hand thought finishing his sandwich was higher on the priority list. After much persuasion, the child agreed to carry along the sandwich but not without a pout on his lips.

As I moved towards security check, I saw S. Sreesanth( Indian Cricketer) walking a few steps ahead of me. As we moved towards the escalator, Sreesanth preferred stairs over the escalator. Whether for fitness reasons or for the fear of escalators, I am wondering the same myself.

A tale of 3 cities

Over the last 3 weeks I have had the good fortune of spending one a piece in arguably the 3 most important cities of India-Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore. All three have been the pillars of Indian economy over the last 50 years but beyond that, all three of them have a unique identity.

Mumbai, the city of dreams is a city which never sleeps. This was something I had just heard from people till I realised for myself when I visited Juhu beach at 2 am and found hundreds of people present there and enjoying the sea. Ofcourse the same thing has a downside, finding hundreds of people late at night means you will find thousands in the day. The city becomes a nightmare if you have to travel from one place to another between 7 in the morning and 10 in the night. You won't find place to drive your own vehicle and you won't find air to breathe in public transport. But then a walk at marine drive or sitting at the Bandra bandstand in the evening/night makes all the sufferings of the day worth it.

Dilwalon ki Dilli/Delhi has its own charm. Being a north indian myself, Delhi is much closer to my heart. A city which is the power centre of the country, a city which is of utmost historic importance to the nation is also a city where construction is an on going process which means dust and pollution make you sick. Delhi has that unique ability to look like the place to be and at the same time a place never to be at. Go to most of the localities in Old Delhi and you just want to get out but then driving through the Akbar roads of Delhi on a sunday morning is an experience in itself when one cant stop thinking-What do these ministers do in such big houses!

Moving down south to Bangalore was something I was circumspect about. I had never been into a southern indian city which worried me as to how I will cope up with the language barrier but Bangalore turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Bangalore seems like a bigger and a populous version of my own Chandigarh. A city which is undoubtedly the IT hub of the country has retained its Garden City status thorugh the years.Bangalore is a place where you can still breathe fresh air, something that is not very common these days. The rains and windy weather have been a fresh change after experiencing the heat in Delhi and Mumbai. Banglore has its own negatives ofcourse-the auto-wallahs are ready to drain your pockets the moment they realise you are not a local and would ask for money that would shock even a Dilli-wallah. Bangalore has its own traffic problems wherein you will be stuck in a jam and you won't move for a good 15 minutes unlike the traffic jams of a Delhi or a Mumbai where you keep crawling.Besides this, I don't have much to complain about this city as of now though spending more time might bring out a few more things to lament about.

So all you have to do to have a good time in any of these cities or for that matter any place in the world is to mend according to it because there was a reason when St. Ambrose said "When in Rome, do as the romans do."

The Panna Story

I spent the last week in Panna District of Madhya Pradesh as part of the Govt Immersion Programme started by IIM Indore. I must say the experience was amazing and I learnt a great deal. Though it was a lot of fun, it was eye opening as well. I saw how a boon can be a bain as well!

Panna can be a perfect example of how a city suffers from its own resource. Panna is a city having about 45 % area covered under forest land which includes the famous Panna tiger reserve but by admission of the people of the district and the local administration that is the biggest problem for Panna. The forest covers Panna from three sides which makes a rail link impossible as the forest authorities won’t let a rail link be brought in through the forests. This is one of the biggest reasons for Panna to be featuring among some of the most backward districts in India according to some surveys. The presence of Panna tiger reserve, Panna Diamond mines, Pandva Falls, Chaumukhnath(a 7th century old temple with the main attraction being four idols of Bhagwan Shiva in different moods) and also being only 50 km away from Khajurao makes Panna a potential tourist destination. Tourism seems to be Panna’s only hope at this time and non availability of good connectivity to the place makes industry a distant possibility with certain units having opened and closed in the past having faced transportation problems. Though it may be argued that Tourism also requires connectivity, which is true, but if we look at it from a different angle- Panna tiger resere is just 30 kms from Khajurao and the Pandva falls 10 km from there and the city 10 km further which is a sort of tourism corridor so road connectivity can do good for it. Panna is a beautiful place with beautiful people, you can admire this statement better only after you see the cleanliness in the city. All it needs is some help so that it can fully utilise its potential. This help has to be both from the government and the private sector. Spending a week with the government officials made me realise they are trying to do a lot but a bit more is desired.

Yes or No

Often in life one confronts situations where he or she has to make a choice or a decision to take or just state what he or she thinks of the situation. Ofcourse your beliefs can lie on either side of the line. There are two types of people you can come across, one who believe in what is called 'opinion' or others who believe in things existing as 'Yes or No' e.g. a person may have a different political lineage in comparision to another, now one may not see it as a problem as he believe its a matter of personal choice whereas the other may see his compatriot in a negative light as according to him what he believes is truth and all rest is farce. Now again, whats your perception of these two persons is governed by if you are a 'opinion' person or a'Yes or No' person. A Opinion person would consider both of them to be holding different kind of beliefs and are two different human beings whereas a 'Yes or No' person would be in favour of one or the other depending on what his believes are. Thats human behaviour. No ones wrong and no ones right, its just your perception. I guess you know what kind of a person I am...lol

Adios