Mr Murthy .. A Study in Contrast

Before I write anything , let me first set the record straight .. I abhor Congress , I detest Manmohan Singh more than Arjun Singh , and Sonia Gandhi is not even worth for my antgonism.

Mr. Narayan Murthy off late has been making judgmental statements sitting on the bench . He is proposing some of the most ridiculous theories and just because of his stature in the media , he is highly being acknowledged. In fact a point to point rebuttal is not even imaginable by the sycophant media.

Though I read a criticism of Mr. Murthy at the height of educational reservations protest, my judgment was too clouded to pay any heed for the person criticizing Mr. Murthy was prophesying reservations as a tool to social equality. It is not that I support reservations, in fact I oppose it more vigorously, the point of reconciliation is empathy as well as diligent attempt to appreciate others concern.

In hindsight I believe Mr. Murthy is too egoistic, too capitalistic and too opportunistic to stand for the post of a public servant. For a person who has worshipped capitalism, practiced one of the most exploitative outsourcing industry albeit ostensibly raising India's stature globally has his own set of limitations to look for society benefit especially in times when IT industry per se is in stress.

He espouses causes which makes him a political maverick, another Ellsworth Toohey in search for that Howard Roark but does not want to get into bad books of any political party. He plays himself to the audience’s desire offering his bits itsy bitsy now and then. On the question of his being in the fray, he dodges the question on the ground that he is too old to take an active plunge. I can see the hypocrisy of the man.

Recently one of the boys from Kolkata joined Infosys and unfortunately succumbed to rigorous academic schedule. In stead of offering any sympathies, Mr. Murthy in his typical sly attitude flicks the question into a news controversy of the efficacy of having independent candidates contesting elections. In fact he goes on to offer his support for them. But is it support for the ideas they or corporate comrade at display is anyone’s guess.

As a seasoned corporate tycoon , does he think the lot of independent candidates will bring about the paradigm shift they profess to bring. Do they have in them, the political as well as human capability to manage the transformation from corporate ladder where the trigger of pink slips which makes people sweat whereas no such terror terms are even heard of in public institutions.

The point is as responsible and fortunately more influential corporate czar, what should be propagated should be practical. After all any maverick will tell you that without the big two of political parties, government formation is not possible. As a man who has his ideology firmly regimented in team culture , it is more surprising that what he preaches is not what he is practicing.

10 Reasons why Elections rule over IPL !

Here we go 

 1) The Suspense : In IPL , players stick to their teams for the tenure of the tournament , while no such restriction applies to political candidates who can switch parties under the garb of secular credentials. They keep the electorates guessing.

2) The Fashion Quotient : Crcket has become regimented in the dress code for players . Can we expect players coming to play with turbans on , in dhotis with zips or even in shorts . In political arena it is all possible.

3) The Money : In IPL we loosen our purse strings to feel the action live , however in electioncampaigns we are paid to bear the ignominy of curse ridden exhortations.

4) The Lure of Filmstars : With filmstars turning into poltical campaigners , the IPL is even losing out on this front. In IPL it will be preposterous , to imagine hand folding shah rukh khan pleading to support his Kolkata Knight Riders , in poltics you can aspire for a jadu ki jhappi with sanju baba for supporting SP.

5) The Audible Verbal Duels : Sledging is what goes on between players while the audiences are left wondering. In politics it is a no holds barred game . What you say is only a starting ground for what will eventually come in tomorrows headlines. 

6) The Moderator : ICC has been relegated , even the much publicised Harbhajan Slapgate has been dumped . However the EC has newly acquired advsory responsibilities and it has indiscriminately exersiced it . So the question will be , who's next in the line of fire, can that be said in certain terms for IPL !! :(

7) Even the much coveted hugs from film stars to players are becoming subjects of media glare . Preity Zinta , Shilpa Shetty no doubt would be delightfully hugged and reciprocated to pump up the  adrenalin or semens levels , but dude they are our paymasters and that too bleeding profusely after season one. Play safe is the best way. And what about the Indian Culture , we are not yo yo , atleast we can prettend to be not ones . In elections there is family drama unfolding which can even put to shame K kween Ekta Kapoor. Where can you see wily Arjun Singh campaigning against his own daughter for the altar of his commitment to party . It is a lesson for all those who have missed shiv khera's inspirational talks , what comes first family or duty ? It is duty officially , actually it is family . (Arjun Singh feels sorry and cries in public and shows a soft corner for Varun G)

8) Modi Vs Modi : It is Lalit Vs Narendra , and as per past results the former is a bigger entertainer as well as impressive rabble rouser though poltically both are left to be on the right.

9) IPL is a struggle based only on regional entities but elections are a struggle on account of caste , age  , urban & rural aspirations  , religion , regionalism , idealogy , fundamentalism , job creation , terror fear , hindutva agenda , personal animosity (not one gandhi vs the other ) , ...

In short it becomes more entertaining.

10) And yeah elections affect our future but not IPL , though it is not a major reason to affect the priority order after all we Indians grow despite the government.

Before he changed the World , the World changed him

Che Guevera (Fuser)  is all over the place atleast photogenically if not idealogically. Whether that be the T- Shirts worn by GenNext always in search of an easy way out or the sensuously revealed denim deprived butts of women with IQ of an amoeba in . He has become more of an icon for the looks which never the less rugged , masculine encapsulate what men desire to inculcate and women aspire when they consummate  : a wild rage. 

Motorcycle diaries is just not another attempt to capture the man and his brave ideas. It is more than that . It aims to capture the philosphy , the enthusiasm , the supreme confidence , the concern and the empathy for the downtrodden. His zeal is at display all through out the film , more so when we account for the fact he criss crosses the country on a rickety motorcycle, THEMIGHTY ONE,  traversing across one of the most rugged terrains , to learn explore the continent he belongs to and to bed as many damsels as possibly possible. 

His honesty , his commitment , his dilligence is commendable. As illustrated , even under the most tiring circumstances , he clings on to the money given to him by his sweetheart for that coveted american frock , that was a rage down south of America . Che however parted his most priced belonging not for his desires but for his cause he so strongly espoused . In fact his queationing of rituals , made him a harbinger of hope , a spark in the darekened lives of people ostracized by society and left to the mercy of few selfless yet human , doctors. I still can vividly play the moments , when on his penultimate night with the leprosy victims , he swam across the dangerously turbulent river to be with his brethren in whom , they a glimmer of hope , an ignition of life towards the fag end of the wig . His simple beliefs of giving joy was a formidable course of action which cultivates in him organizing the soccer match. The mood of the crowd was electric and even IPL spectators would not have matched the enthusiasm that was flowing in the crowd , as well as rubbing on to the players who had just forgotten to walk upright .

Che was not an extra ordianary man . He was an ordinary man with unflinching commitment to his cause . He was an icon who saw hope as the stimulus for his struggle  against oppresors. To him means was not important , the destination was and he openly espoused violence as a medium of change. 

I still vividly remember the unfolding of the events , frame by frame with the doctor who helped him in his march to the southern tip of America . Impressed and pleased with them , the doctor offered them to review a book he had been compiling all his professional life to have it published one day as a work of art . It was an attempt to get the compliments he yearned to listen . Che's friend willingly played to his host wishes yet Che remained unmoved . He criticized the compilation vehemently , did not mince to derate the pathetic grammar usage as well why the reader felt so aghastly once going through it. In effect he spoke what he felt , and whatever he felt , he never kept to himself. I think this was the biggest ingredient in his making of a rebel ,an  anti establishment dude who went to great limits to serve his ideas and philopshies. 

In fact the history will not be replete with instances where a  current state minister goes to the rescue of people pursuing guerilla warfare to actively involve himself in their struggle and be eventually be executed by the CIA, in field  . It is one of the most pertinent reasons to make America ,  a sore for the communists.

In fact the the other highlight of the movie is the learning that at times the destination is not of much significance if in the course of journey one starts deriving pleasure from the process. Though at the begining of his adventure , the overridding feeling in Che must be to reach the rendzvous , safe nd sound to retract to his family eagerly waiting for him. However once there , the urge to start the return journey just does not seem to exist. The journey has bought mutationary changes , the man is not the same anymore , things are the same but the perspectives have developed . The infancy of beliefs has given way to an idealogy of belief, resounding faith in oneself and a fire within to be the medium of change. 

Motorcycle diaries is not just the story of Che. It can be the story of every one of us if we imbibe the lessons that nature has conspired to teach us.

 "Wandering around our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me any more. At least I'm not the same me I was." ~ Guevara at film's end.

In every threat , there comes an opportunity , and an opportunity comes only to those who are ready to grab it. And grabbers are those who cling on to any low hanging fruit before anyone else does . Naturally question comes how to identify the timing  , pat comes the reply why stop jumping ! :)

Kolkata Diaries !

The city of joy has infectious things about it. Besides being lazy , a perfect anti thesis to the enterprsing spirit that surges across the southern states and an air of antiquaty , it is unlike any other metro . With marwari and bengali community dominating the demographic profile it reperesents an eclectic culture that imbibes the best as well as the not so best from what they have to offer.

Culturally, Kolkata is second to none. With magnificient architectuaral marvels standing across the landscape , it lends credence to the raj that once manifested in all its grandeur. The tuk tukkia , ferrying passengers while emitting the obnoxious smoke is an environment's nightmare. However the emergence of cab service souldering the dead man's burden  , primarily serviced by modified maruti van is a perfect example of car pooling , the benefits of which we are preached but never as a practice pursue. And how can one dare miss out the trams and metro . Trams though have long outlives their utility are still chugging along as if they have the mandate to carry the legacy of jams , ill planning and honesty of tram conductor forward.

For a person from north india , another striking feature is the level of pseudo intellectualism at display. It seems like the city is at war preserving what  indeed does not belong to it. The past however splendid , whatsoever glorious it may be cannot be a substitute for the present. Coming lasltly to the men and more importantly the women , you see and you awe , why the bounty of beauty is bestowed on them . No wonder bong babes rule the roost in bollywood . My judgement is the perfect mingling of modernity with a rich culture is what makes them so attractive . Even the weather , in all its monstrosity , makes them bong babes smokingly appealing over the baking earth .

However despite what Kolkata is , reality is the city is sinking . May be the citizens will deny the fact , a rudimentary analysis brings to fore the lack of success stories of signifance. 

Though CPI might have done good work in implementing the utopian ideas of equity , with a strong land distribution movement , now is the time to move over . Capitalism has to be embraced . The noose of trade unions has to be broken  albeit not completely. Work as an ethic has to be promulgated  only then we can see kolkata on the move again. It not only has to carry the burden of itself but of the entire north eastern region that somehow has been delinked from the mainstream. Concepts like Salt  Lake , need to be replicated . 

The problem as i can see electorally is that there is too much of a disconnect between the rural and urban cenrrs. With the numbers favoring the rural brethren , what suits them runs the show in urban centres creating a highly disillusioned society , highly dissatisfied and gruntling along. 

The stronghold of red flag is so severe  that nobody raise its voice . It has unleashed a terror for it empowers people at the cost of fear of law . The amount of helplessness you see on the face of a policeman makes us remember MMS . 

Undoubtedly the city is yearning for a change and whether it be Mamta or some crooked politician ,it is not bound to be a another red flag bastion. 

The Uncertainity over Certainity !

We have been conditioned to objectivity. Whether that be while writing the MBA  entrance exams  or the IIT JEE exams in the new avatar as single stage selection process . We have been made to believe that numbers are the most definite way of making your point . They leave so scope for ambiguity and reflect the intellectual as well as the depth of the person making the point. 

But that was before we entered B Schools, before we listened to endless debates on the economy prior to elections. All the valid arguments of objectivity stand upside out . Why is it so ? Why a practics that has so well stood its ground , become so ineffective.

The problem is that numbers alone are not enough. At another level , it is the relative comparison that reveals the true picture . And from here things start to get as messy as possible. What should constitute a standard comparison measure , what yardstick b used to make the comparison and in case of conflict what needs to be given precedence . These are the questions of intense delibrations as well require exersicing of our discretion that makes the thing so very subjective . Can yardsticks be developed to replace the ambiguity . The answer is objectively a big no but subjectively it is worth attempting for.

Even in the most dreades field of market research , the reports , the forecasting and the prediction are all an interplay of objective as well as subjective decision making . And as is  The chain is as strong as the weakest link , it cannot be denied for this too. So why bother with all this . Why not let the world take its own course . If success had been ours , then why were we not able to predict the financial crisis  , the magnanimity of the greed played out by erstwhile coveted i bankers. 

The flaw dear is not in them but in us that we play into their tricks. What they show , we believe without bothering to check the precedents . We cannot have only positives , it is life and there can be nothing without its share of vulnerabilities. In our endeavour to flaunt our smart decison making , we bury the associated risks and when the risks stare glaringly in face we take refuge in the invisible hand.

From the stable of Certainly Yours,

Samarth Gupta

Slugfest or SlugFeast

This is pure exhilarating stuff. For the past week or two , a dramatic paradigm shift has taken place where the celebrities have been relegated to the hermit . What Shah Rukh Khan is saying about IPL , whom Shilpa Shetty is marrying , is Preity Zinta  single or ready to mingle with Santwal , what tactics our publicity hungry Rakhi Sawant is upto would have been headlines grabbing stuff. Debates , Experts would have jumped in to lend perspective . But not now , it is not their time , for it is Elections 2009.

 It is the most colorful affair in the political itinerary studded with choicest leg pulling , allegations , accusations and frivolous emotional rhetoric. It is the Dance of Democracy where russle and tussle of politics , the good , the bad and the ugly is unleashed before us. 

I am told by my mother , that in olden times , for our grandparents especially grand mothers it was an occasion , a festival where the trip to the election booth was studded with folk songs recitation , bridal wear as the dress code . It might look a bit apologetic now , but what it highlighted was the true emancipation of women . The women confined to the four walls found an expression to make themselves count , have their say in the selection of the supreme CEO of the country.

Now that Uncle Sam has smitten us , how can we be far behind in eulogizing the benefits of presidential type of debate between the two prime ministerial aspirants. It is in the interest of democracy that it should happen so that the people can decide whom should they vote for. The argument put forth by the weakest prime minister ever to rule a country , is admission of the fact that the debate is not tilted in his favour. By putting forth arguments such as Advaniji is a great public speaker , the prime minister has sent a message that only garnishing matters , the content is all farcificial . Does he think the electorates of India to be so gullible. Nowhere people judge debates on the oratory skills especially on political platform . Had that been the case the world's best debaters would have been rooling the roost. It is the content and the structure that decides  the course of debate . Good public speaking does not precede substance but follows it . 

And even if assuming , MM Singhji does not match the oratory prowess , is it not his duty to make himself capable enough to compete. As a PM , you are not supposed to do the manual work but lead the nation , build public opinion . Is it not a hindrance  which the MM Singhji is openly unaashedly flaunting.

I see a more sinister design in his campaign. I see that by highlighting his wekness , he is trying to create a sympathy wave to counter the the volleys of the opponents. 

As for priyanka , what an immaturity she reflects ? Is congress only designated by her ? Is she anywhere in the electioneering but for campaigning for his brother whom she sees a potential  PM material . It is a this lacuna between power and accountabilty that has severely crippled the country.

As for Rahul gandhi , the dude is proper dud. You just got to hear his speeches . The content , the ehortations are so decadent , that it smacks of lack of substance , lack of innovativeness . For how long you can keep praising your family and enlisting its virtues of having laid their lives fighting terrorism ?  Does the argument stand ground considering the fact they never went to the battlefield , lived in the most protected or cloistered surroundings . I think this (Con)gress is just the antonym of (Pro)gress.

About Mr Arjun Singh, he has mastered the art of shirking commitment in any of his statements. The statements are open to interpretation  reflection of the rebel in him as well as intrerpreted by some of his sychophants as his statesmanship. Remebering AS, one thing comes to my mind. At the peak fervour of Reservation agitation , the media  hifglighted that MM Singhji was not a party to the Central Educational Institutional , 2007 just as Mrs Sonia Gandhi. It was his personal agenda to manoevre his political career. What a lie , What a lie ! If this guy cannot get tickets for his son and daughter and yet go to the extent of campaigning against his own blood citing himself as a true guardian of his coomitment to Sonia, would that have not stopped him from pursuing the most divisive agenda of reservation if vetoed by MM Singhji.

It is a matter of fact that India's largest hindu majority has been relegated by the heads of the government who happen to be from the minority one a sikh while the other at least by faith a christian. 

The Shivraj Patil of Delhi : Shiela Dixit

It is strange that for continuously 11 yrs , Mrs Shiela Dixit has been running the government and emerged stronger after every election. To a naive it might seem like the victory of the development politics while to the uninitiated it may be attributed to the fault of the opposition of not being able to provide a viable alternative.
Lets try to put things in perspective and dispassionately analyzse where she has struck the nail . To begin with Delhi , the capital of India always had the first mover advantage. For it represented the pride of India and any foreign dignitary carried the impression that Delhi left on the indelible memory. Successive governments therefore never reined in the purse strings to make Delhi a truly world class city. Infact it acted as a magnet for the whole of North India, where the Human Development Index is such abysmally low that people immigrate to Delhi in search of menial jobs and even worse inhuman living conditions.No wonder the the civic infrastructure was bound to crumble and it did. So why is Mrs Dikshit still a favorite ? This is where the messy politics comes in ... it is deflection of the responsibilty to MCD which is being run by the opposition.
Coming to taking credits , she can even put to shame the left leaders who attribute the financial thawing rather than fearful meltdown to their adamant aggressive agenda while being an outside supporter of UPA. Mrs Dikshit , without blinking takes all the credit for Delhi Metro whicj is unjust considering the fact it is a corporation that is solely out of the purview of government and is run as another corporation. On the issue of transportation , sh undoubtedly has done a good job of constructing one flyover after another and following it with one over the other. But the essence of flyoever is smooth traffic flow and despite her best claims it is not the cure to the problem. Turning to security , she has been crying hoarse of granting Delhi complete statehood to solve the policing issues. One minute .. who is stopping you when you have your very own government at the centre ? Has the delhi assembly even taken the first step to make the recommendation?
Coming to amenities like Electricity , Water and Sanitation, the situation is just not upto the mark . Privatisation of distribution and transmission at the heavy cost of subsidization is not eliminating wastage but transferring annual losses to annual subsidy grants to the private players.
On public transportation front , Bluelines still continue to be meance and despite her rhetoric of banning bluelines they continue to play havoc with lives of road user. DTC , supposed to be the public carrier is not even in the fray of being near a probable alternative to private vehicles. Though new busues are being bought for the government is flush with funds , thanks mainly to VAT , Service taxes , and Income Tax fear that the government has been on a splurging spree.
Housing problem still remains acute with satellite towns the only option to buy flats as the DDA has not lived upto its duty of constructing dwellings to fills the increasingly widening demand supply deficit. Even the much hyped Commonwealth Games is turnig out to be a farce . The preparations are grossly inadequate , the misaapropriation of funds in anyones's guess and the damage to the environment is irrevocable. On the environment , the credit goes to supreme court for sticking to its stand and making all the public transport vehicle srun on CNG. I will tell you something intersting , you just take a Bluline bus , get into a convival consersation with the consuctor and the startling facts start revealing. The owners of blueline buses operate as proteges politicians and police officers which is refelcted in their utter disdain for the law.
On the edcation front , the government might be making big promises but the ground reality remains shak a laka. If you just keep in mind the small geogriphical area , the massive funds generated and correlate the commensurate development you can realize the enormity of the sham. And Delhi voters being the most gullible , naive , scoring lowest on the maturuty index just play subservient to the cunning ways of Mrs Dikshit.