Blank Pages

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 28; the 28th Edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The topic for this month is 'BLANK PAGES'.

When I was born

I didn’t know nothing

I didn’t know speech

No bitter, No Sweet

What fools, What sages

A book of Blank Pages

When I was born

I didn’t know nothing

I couldn’t even read

No caste, No creed

Just calm, No rages

A book of Blank Pages

When I was born

I didn’t know nothing

Wasn’t able to walk

Life didn’t have a clock

Those were the ages

A book of Blank Pages

When I was born

I didn’t know nothing

Now the times have changed

Life has shifted lanes

Now am caught in the cages

A book of Blank Pages

Not one of the mages

A book of Blank Pages

Same play, different stages

A book of Blank Pages

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

 

The Story of a Young MBA

It has been a year now. That time of your life when you are supposed to have become independent and self sustainable etc etc. Exactly 365 days ago, I joined one of India’s or rather world’s top Telecom companies as a Management Trainee. The plan was to become Marketing Head within 10 years, India CEO in maybe 15 and Global CEO in 20. As John Lennon once said, “You may say I am a dreamer but I am not the only one!”

I still remember having gone to office on the first day, trying to look as dapper as possible. Somewhere deep within, we all feel that looking “good” will earn you brownie points & if you don’t feel that way, well keep your views to yourself!! Just kidding! Atleast I felt that way. The next few days were spent meeting the top honchos of the Indian Opco, as the HR often said! With the number of Top Management crossing 50 in about 5 days and them highlighting their career graph, my timelines were revised. At the same time, I had accomplished the task of checking out all their Linkedin profiles in the quickest time, I believe! Suddenly Global CEO seemed a distant dream. We all ain’t John Lennon after all!

Sales & Marketing!! Those were the only two words that made any sense in B-School. Hence, the choice was obvious when I had sat for placements. But, those were days of ignorance, as I now see. As most MBA grads with S&M as their preference would know, the most dreadful day in a Management Trainee’s life is the day when he/she gets his/her stint location. I still remember mine. All the MTs had been teasing each other with the idea of going to the location they most feared. Chennai for Northies & Punjab for Southies! And then the inevitable started. One after the other, the cards were unfolded and then the HR said those magical words, “Adarsh Sharma- Ubli, Karnataka” or thats what I heard. Turns out, the place is “H”ubli. Call me illiterate but that was the first time I had heard about the place! I don’t even remember what others were feeling at that time, I didn’t care! My life had been ruined, I had been send to the jungles of Karnataka L But I told myself, “There must be answer, Let it be!”

Turns out, things weren’t that bad afterall. Ya, I remember having made a few calls in order to find another job(the initial days) but eventually I settled in. The best part was not having a bad boss, as many other colleagues complained! The majority of the people could speak hindi, the non-availability of which had been amongst the biggest fears. I had also started enjoying the food and had even located a place that served fresh Aloo Paranthas! But still, something was wrong. Friends told me that this could just be the lack of company or common problems one faces in his first job. I just didn’t like the job!! All throughout I had known that I will have to do 2 years of sales (atleast), before the bliss of Marketing appeared and a halo appeared around my head!! I could have done that but for what?? Spending my entire day on a few excel sheets to see how I can reduce call rates and still retain customers? Bunkum! Copy the competitor’s plan and increase/decrease 5 paise/min! No offence to my buddies back there. The job has its own challenges, but it didn’t make any sense anymore. Also, what all we did in the name of sales was something my conscience didn’t allow me. I didn’t want to be a marketing guy who made products according to his (or his boss’) whims & fancies, and tell the Sales guys to sell it (By hook or by crook)!

So, the search began!! 

It took a few months and eventually I was lucky enough to have a couple of job offers in hand .While many thought that I gave up because of sales, I think it was a bit more complex. Probably I just couldn’t fit into the so called “corporate” culture. So, when a decent enough Consulting Company made me an offer, I politely refused.  Ya, the consultant through whom I cracked it started crying when I informed her about my decision! Apparently, it was the first job she had ever cracked. I actually felt sorry but I did what I had to do. So after 8 months of selling SIM cards,  I decided to join a Quick Service Restaurant Chain based out of Pune & Mumbai. The company is small (startup as many say) and I directly report to the CEO(makes it sound cool, doesn’t it :P )! While my mom still thinks that I have become a cook, all I do is sell food to feed myself. We have plans to become the biggest QSR Chain that India has ever produced, and why not! Right now I head South Mumbai operations and the next step will probably be heading/launching a new city. Suddenly, the timelines have shortened significantly! Gives some satisfaction at the end of the day J

Sometimes I Wish

Sometimes I wish I could fly away
To a place I don't know
For sometime I will stay
Then again Fly away

That place will be new
Like nothing seen before
That will be some view
That place will be new

Or it could be the same
Like just any other day
A rose by another name
It could be the same

But still I want to see
Crowds of people
Or mountains overlooking the sea
I still want to see

Sometimes I wish I could fly away
To a place I don't know
For sometime I will stay
Then again Fly away

When I hear a melody

When I hear a melody

I take my ear close

The beautiful rhythmic tone

Takes me into a zone

Its not something new

Something that has always been

Something we all love

And love we all do

When I hear a melody

I just close my eyes

Dive into the voice

Causes a different joy

We all love a song

When it talks of love

But ain't it the same

Melody,Love's other name

When I hear a melody

I just think of love

The beautiful rhythmic tone

Takes me into a zone

Something we all love

And love we all do

Moving On?? What moving on??

Its been 10 years since Gujarat Witnessed one of the most horrific and unfortunate carnage in the history of modern India. I have not used the word "Riot" as some claim that the violence was state sponsored and therefore, a massacre. The other side claims otherwise. 

Many years have gone by and we still don't know the truth and I fear we never will, Call me Pessimistic! Many people died back then, from all religions. Many were left homeless, again from no specific religion. Many commissions have been set up and a lot of different findings have come to light. While HIS supporters want to believe Mr. Raghavan, the detractors swear by Mr. Ramachandran. 

I have heard many a times that Narendra Modi is a polarizing figure and that you can either hate him or love him but you can't ignore him. Well, I don't think ignoring him is an option since all news channels are always busy advertising him-one way or the other. But, strangely I feel myself a bit neutral towards Mr. Modi. There is no denying that Gujarat has had unprecedented growth in the last 10 yrs but there is also no denying that the Chief Minister could have done better to the control the riot. So, I find it difficult to fit him in one bracket.

Today again, a court verdict seems to have given him a clean chit and thus the news channels are all on about him. The question they ask is, "Is it time to move on?" Well, the sad reality is that many have moved on and the others might never be able to. I still can't shed the tumultuous images of the madness on the streets of Gujarat from my mind. Many commentators have articulated that the 24*7 coverage of the riots have ensured that no riot will ever take place in India again as the concerned Government will not make the same mistakes it did 1984 or 1993 or 2002. I think that maybe right. But while the Coverage was a part of it, the media also became the de-facto judge by declaring Modi as the Villain. For years, almost every news channel in this country treated Modi as the only one to blame for the carnage.I can't claim that I understand the feelings of those who have suffered but my elementary knowledge of human psychology tells me that when those who suffered were literally "told" that Modi was responsible, they believed it! And when the same thing was hard bound after years of media trial, it became a "fact" for them. So no matter how many reports come, Modi will always be the villain for them, and they are not to be blamed for it. 

I don't think that Modi is 24 carat pure, oh No! But the fact remains that nothing substantial may ever surface against Modi but his treatment as "Maut ka saudagar" by the forth pillar of our democracy will never leave our minds. So, "moving on" is something they made sure will never happen!

Khwabon ki Udaan

Another attempt in Hindi (written in the English alphabet )

Khwabon ki udaan hai meri

Koi patang nahi jo kat jayegi

Hum to udte rahenge umar bhar

Lehrate, Lehrate

Jo kisi ne pech ladane ki koshish ki

Jo kisi ne haemin harane ki koshish ki

Uchayi aur badh jayegi

Ye zindagi ka safar ik udaan hi to

Ik tere saath ki zarurat hogi thodi

To jo kabhi main thak jayun

Ladte ladte ak jayun

Baith jayun

Tu mujhe uthana

Aur jo main na uthuun

To bas thoda sa muskurana

Khwabon ki udaan hai meri

Koi patang nahi jo kat jayegi

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?"