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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61715155369782316272016-08-01T18:28:48.040+05:30The lost oneSayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-78086884289098176022015-12-05T16:17:00.001+05:302015-12-05T16:17:29.172+05:30The Power of Setting Free"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better" goes a famous saying. Google up freedom and you will get a thousand quotes from famous and not-so-famous people over the ages. It is one of the most used words and most desired states to be in for all human beings. It is something for which we have fought each other through the ages. And yet, in the world as in corporate life, one often gets to see the other extreme. In majority of sectors and organizations today there seems to be an excess of control which is being imposed on employees. Every organization is built around a certain value system which characterizes it, these are manifested to the employees and the external world through vision, mission and value statements. These denote what the organization stands for, what is the image it wants to project to the external world and what is the purpose of its existence. Once an employee joins an organization, this comes across to the employee in the form of organization culture- that soft aspect which one feels while working for an organization. These are propagated and upheld by the central or head office, and flow to the various branches or locations from them, and to do that every organization needs to have systems and processes to standardize practices. There is no disputing the importance of such processes, these are what ensure employees follow a standardized approach towards work, quality standards are upheld and the customer gets to see a uniform face of the organization across locations and service verticals. However there is also a sub-plot here, one that gets played out in the smaller teams in the locations. There is an evolution life cycle for any new employee who joins a team in the organization. He starts off as a rookie, learns about the organization and its processes and policies, gets trained on the job, undergoes skill upgradation (hopefully!) and becomes a fully contributing team member in a particular time frame (typically 6 months-1 year, depending on the job complexity) (I am talking of the middle section of the bell curve here, and not of the extremes). It is but obvious a new joinee would require hand-holding in his rookie avatar, and has to be brought up-to speed by his supervisor. This is the phase where one tends to micro-manage and closely monitor the daily performances and activities. However, the problem starts when this micro-managing becomes a way of life, even after the employee has begun contributing fully, and there is no particular issue on the skill or will front (ability vs willingness, for the framework inclined!). I have observed we are often reluctant to give autonomy to our team members. There are various mindsets at work- not having enough trust on the person that he will be able to do a good job without supervision, insecurity as supervisor (what will I do if I don't monitor him? That is my job!), a know-it-all attitude (I know better, so he needs to ask me about everything!). I believe this has also got to do with the prevailing social conditioning that tells us giving too much freedom is dangerous, and it is important to be able to control! However, in doing so, we don't realize what we are losing out on. From my personal experience I have seen the benefits of setting people free. Of course one will need to have tracking and monitoring mechanisms in place as a supervisor, so as to ensure one sticks to the overall organization mandate. However, as supervisor one needs to take a call on the extent of monitoring really needed, and one also needs to work towards making his teammates autonomous to the extent possible. The factors one needs to consider are whether the person has completely aligned with the organization culture and way of working, whether he has the requisite skill levels and confidence to take on the role independently and whether the basic relationships are in place with stakeholders, and that is the time to set them free. I have seen such team members soar and express their creativity and express themselves freely, and in doing so they have grown as professionals as well as individuals as well as put in high performances within the organization framework, isn't that what all of us should want? And this is not to mention the sheer joy and satisfaction one gets seeing the above take place. Among the many benefits of setting people free, a very crucial one to the organization and team is the sheer number of good ideas people come up with, and we all know the execution buy-in is the highest if the idea comes from the person himself or herself. Of course, we will need to take a call regarding whom to set free, and when. How we do it is also equally crucial. There are also certain high risk jobs which would still require a constant supervision across all levels, purely given the complexity, job demands and high stakes involved. This approach may not also work for everyone, as this assumes that the other person doesn't have any will issue, and has genuine intent on doing well. However, I have a belief majority of employees want to do well for themselves, and value freedom. This is also a journey for everyone involved as different supervisors may have varying confidence levels and the "freedom threshold" might be different and may require more handholding for some than others. But the more we can do this and the more people can be made autonomous (within the overall framework), the more organizations will gain, productivity will be likely to go up and attrition tackled, to whatever extent. Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-72491400326195092462015-10-24T16:21:00.003+05:302015-10-24T16:21:24.668+05:30Simplicity-The Sehwag Way!In his book Simplicity, Edward De Bono talks about how needlessly complex modern life has become, what with super-complex gadgets, smartphones (literally meaning you need to be smart to use them!), sundry electrical and electronic goods that come with manuals looking like rocket science equations, smart TVs and cars and what not! In fact he advocates an international "simplicity movement", that includes setting up of a simplicity institute et al. While many of us may disagree with the extent of complexity in our lives and may debate to what extent this needs a thought, there is no doubt that all of us could do with a little bit of de-cluttering of our lives and minds, and make our lives a wee bit less complex so as to enable us to unearth our full potential and live stress-free, happy and fulfilling lives. No one epitomizes, or has epitomized simplicity as much over the last decade and half as a certain Virender Sehwag- that freak of nature, that one-in-a-generation cricketer and bender of set rules- he answers to all those descriptions and more, but perhaps his biggest impact on thinkers to come will extend far beyond cricket and organized sport, it will lead into territories of the mind, and will embody the fact that simplicity and clutter-free approach can take one places, and enable one to even go beyond boundaries that our minds, latent capabilities and our social and professional circles set for us. Sehwag announced his retirement this week, and while it was along expected lines, and does make one sad remembering all his cavalier knocks against top attacks around the world, it is also a good occasion to take a peek at his approach and understand where it all came from. There were occasions wherein he has let us take a look into his thinking pattern. When asked what he thinks about when facing a bowler, he had famously replied "see ball, hit ball"- a term which has moved into folklore now, and may well be used in future to denote a certain brand of irreverence and uncluttered thinking. Think of all the seemingly ridiculous things he has done- dispatching the first ball of a test for four, scoring run-a-ball triple hundreds, hitting a six while on 297, the list is endless. His record is also phenomenal for someone deemed a slogger when he burst onto the international scene, and one who wasn't technically as gifted like a Tendulkar or as solid as a Dravid. It defies all conventional logic and confounded critics and experts alike, and therein lies the great success of his theory, or thinking if you like. It was not that he didn't think, in fact, his planning was surprisingly effective and intelligent, whether it be targeting an opposition bowler on the field, or unsettling a team with his candid comments in the press conferences, but even that part of his rarely ventured into over-analysing, it was simple goal setting and sharp execution, and being in the moment. He had mastered the art of simple thinking- to the extent that he had successfully removed all self-doubts, all needless worrying which most of us are prone to, by creating anxiety-inducing situations in our minds, it was almost as if he had eliminated the "what if" question from his mind, and this, in a way, had liberated him. It set him free to chase impossibility, cause as they say, impossible is only in the mind, and the only hurdles we have in chasing our goals are the ones we create for ourselves. In removing all that, he, in a way, was free to paint his own canvas, which he did with great joy and elan. Life, really, is quite simple, if we can strip it down to its basics. It's ultimately about being healthy and happy- yes, that simple, if you really think about it. Formal education while creating our bases and foundations also does introduce formal thinking bound by conventional ideas of what is possible and what's not, which in turn adds to the clutter in our minds, and introduces us to conventional notions of success and expectations, adding to our stress and dissatisfaction levels. What use is all of it if we aren't healthy and happy at the end of it all, really? Thus, strangely enough, a rustic man playing cricket offers us some simple idioms to follow in life, most of it unknowingly, I presume! De-clutter your mind, plan simple and effective goals with sharp execution, be in the moment, believe in yourself and your ability to do the impossible, and most importantly, have truckloads of fun while the journey lasts, and spread some cheer around while you are at it! Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-2369527030330396222014-05-28T11:12:00.000+05:302014-05-28T11:12:08.617+05:30India Modified!!"India Modified!" screamed a newspaper headline the day after the election results got announced, bringing down the curtains on one of the biggest and costliest democratic exercises in the world. This was just the start, or rather the culmination of months of over-the-top coverage of the elections by our increasingly partisan electronic, and to an extent, print media. Through these months, the media has taken on various hues and shades in vilifying the hapless foot-firmly-in-mouth Congress leadership and at the same time, falling over each other in promoting BJP, or rather, the Modi persona, with as much vigor as possible. Getting into the right and wrong of it is pointless, and indeed, not the purpose of this article, but the associated hyberbole did make for amusing viewing at times for the country's vast populace, ensuring no doubt a serious gain in the TRP ratings of the channels. This was reality TV at its best! All said and done, we have a new government in place now, one to which we have given a clear mandate, a mandate to take our country out of the doldrums we find ourselves in, owing in so small measure to the apathetic and paralysed government for the last 2 terms. The pattern of voting has been distinct, and to any politically inclined person, a very interesting case study. For the first time in 3 decades, the elections have achieved the kind of unification no other force or event in the country (barring perhaps a world cup win, or a war with Pakistan, or watching Arnab shout like a raging bull in a China shop on TV at 9 PM) can ever hope to achieve. State after state, constituency after constituency, people fed up with the horrific misrule of the last government as well as the strange vagaries of coalition politics, have come out in huge numbers and voted unequivocally for one party- BJP and one man-Modi. They almost seem to be saying- enough of this nonsense! We are giving you a strong verdict, go ahead and take us out of this mess! This election has seen some mind-boggling results- BJP getting vast majority of seats in Assam (where it has never been a force), sweeping across UP, breaking through the complex caste and class based politics in India's political focus state, emerging as a potential force in Didi's citadel Bengal (again, where it has never had any presence) and so on. In a complex country like ours, where elections are mostly about local issues, this time people seem to have voted for a national change- a veritable tsunami of anti-incumbency sweeping across the land! Narendra Modi is a very astute politician, and probably one of the best image managers in the country at present, or at least his team is! He had identified the winds of discontent against the Congress quite early, and launched into a ferocious no-holds barred attack, both the timing and the pitch of which were perfect! This was the best example of marketing one can give to students- the identification of the target segment was bang on, so was the need identification and the resultant pitch, epitomized by the "acche din aane wale hain" campaign, which is exactly what people of this country want to believe at this point! Of course, it also helps that he has a record of good governance and performance to show, it only increases the confidence of the electorate on him. The early noises have all been positive and inspire hope. The stress on minimum government and maximum governance, the diplomatic masterstroke of inviting all the SAARC leaders to the swearing-in, the lean cabinet structure. Good signs, as of now. However, in India, we have a peculiar problem. We have always believed in demi-gods, we always want to believe that there will be someone who will come one day and rid us of our misery. The responsibility is always someone else's, and never ours. The state, the government, the prime minister, the authorities, the organization, the hierarchy, so on and so forth. We ourselves usually come last in the order of accountability, because that is typically the most difficult thing to do. Thus, we see ridiculous images on the so-called national television of Modi in a superhero avatar, with a spectre on his head, with songs of devotion playing in the background! We have anchors eating out of Modi's hands, competing with each other in the dumbness category and asking questions to the new cabinet ministers, "acche din kab aane wale hain?" Expectations have already reached the moon, and very fast will reach the stars, in a way that is unfair even to Modi himself. There are positives to look ahead to- a strong mandate, no pesky allies to hold the policy making back, a strong leader, a team that looks good at least on paper, and so on. However, we would do well to remember there is no magic wand, and the people have voted for one man, and not anyone else, or any party in particular. Plus, there is also BJPs' famous infighting to contend with. There is lot of hope, and a lot of anticipation- basically because of the utter resignation scripted by the last government. However, with some bit of cautious optimism, and a hopefully more sensible media, we may yet see the fruition of the slogan coined for the elections! The wishlist is huge and so are the problems plaguing the economy currently- the ever- rising inflation figures, the rising oil prices, reduction in industrial index and consequent reduction in job creation, the infrastructural issues like roads, power and water, and so on. However, it would not be wise to take on all these issues together. I personally have a prioritized wishlist of three areas for the new government to look at (it is not as if the government is going to consult me on the policy matters, but that's one of the advantages of living in a democratic country!)- improving infrastructure like constructing more flyovers and better quality roads across our major cities as well as pushing the metro rail projects for all the major cities to quick completion, as well as improving last-mile connectivity with the remotest of villages, easing the norms of setting up new businesses- both large and MSMEs- in the country, which should include re-looking at the archaic and cumbersome laws governing currently, including the labour laws, and keeping environment on the forefront of all policy decisions. Enough and more number of cities across the world have come up in a way that takes more from our environment than it gives back, and I see no reason to follow that model. Development need not necessarily be at the cost of environment, they can co-exist and a way needs to be found for that. Of course, the number of areas to look into and the complexity cannot be described in one article, and there are people more equipped than myself who are entrusted with the job. However, all said and done, there is no doubt that this is a definitive time in our country's history, and history has given us a chance at redemption, and whatever be the policies of the new government , and the extent of success and failures in executing the same, one thing is certain- its going to be an interesting time ahead for all of us! And to the new government, all I can say is Godspeed! Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-48045230121772819362011-11-01T21:36:00.000+05:302011-11-01T21:36:33.506+05:30
Some time back I was in one of India's premier b-schools, for conducting summer placements for my organization. The first such experience for me- on the other side that is, and I got to experience and appreciate (not sure if that's the right word to be using!) first hand the madness that's a (premier) b-school placement process!
I being a creature of such a premier b-school myself, the external manifestations of the process were nothing new for me- in some ways it was even a déjà vu, so to say! Those crazy days and nights, with some 40 companies compressed into 3-4 days, last-minute shortlists, checking out your name in the lists and trying to gauge by which day you will get out of this crazy process, and return to a life with a semblance of normalcy. Then of course, those fun-filled 4 days, wherein you are pushed and pulled in and out of processes even as you struggle to remember which company you are appearing for and try to think up some high-sounding fancy about why you want to join the company and how till now every moment of your existence has been spent in ensuring your dream of joining company XYZ comes to fruition. All this even while you try to prevent yourself from blurting out in the Pepsi interview "I want to join Coke because…" (this has happened to someone I know!)
All this brings me to the point I wanted to bring forth and which has been in my mind from the day I was involved in that process as a recruiter. Why have a process compressed in 3-4 days at all? Why cant the entire placement process be spaced out over a period of say 1-2 months, wherein we would have separate companies coming over on separate dates, and students will be able to choose their favorite companies in a saner manner, and be able to perform better! I felt this most acutely while looking at the stressed out, tired and sleepy faces of the students when we were conducting the GDs and interviews! One guy we interviewed, mentioned they had been assembled in the auditorium at 4.30 in the morning, and here we were interviewing him at 2.30 in the (next) morning, almost 22 hours and running for the guy, through which he would have been shunted in and out of countless processes, being part of multiple GDs, some of which he would have cleared and some not, some interviews which he didn't clear- so here was a tired, stressed, sleep-deprived bright 20-something sitting in front of us well past midnight, and we were expecting him to give of his best! How?? Is this another way to test how an individual performs under stress?? And is everyone really getting the best guy/guy they wanted? I don't know.
The same process which seemed so exciting and adrenaline-filled as a student, suddenly didn't feel so much exciting as a recruiter. And then you of course have the senior students acting as company contacts who also feel their share of the pressure having trying to juggle between the multiple (and many-a-times, king-sized) egos of 10 companies all at a time, all of whom want the best candidate, and invariably, there will be a missed feed here, and a resultant bruised ego there. To what avail?? And to imagine- this was just the summers, I could not fathom the amount of stress we make the students go through in the finals, where often a job in a particular company is seen as a make-or-break for their lives (at least on campus, though the fact that that's not the case is only realized once we come out into the corporate world!)
I understand and appreciate the complexities for an institute involved in such a process, having to manage several high-profile companies and ensuring all of them have the satisfaction of being able to look at the top guys (that doesn't always happen- that's another story!). However, that I feel is a small price to pay compared to the monstrosity that we subject our young students to! And everything needs to be got used to- once a new system is put in place by all premier b-schools, all companies will get used to this in a matter of time. Students will also be better able to think logically and exercise their choice as to which companies to target- and not end up in a bank when they wanted to join an FMCG or vice versa(no disrespect to anyone here). We can even have sector-specific days- say 4 days dedicated to the banking sector only, if it gets too difficult to manage company X and convince them to come a day later than company Y! And have only those students interested in banking to appear during those days. Sounds difficult, I know, but why not give it a try?? This might also help in companies actually getting someone eager to join them, and consequently someone who sticks for a longer time.
Currently, I feel its all a result of the competition within our institutes as to how quickly the students can be placed/cleared, but someone needs to call time to this system! After all, wont we all want a win-win situation where the student gets to choose his/her favorite company/sector to sit for, the company gets the right candidate to interview and the student gets to really give of his best performance in the interview, instead of drearily waiting for the next feed and yet another process at 3 in the morning!!
Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-19529537216617327222011-05-18T22:47:00.002+05:302011-05-18T22:47:48.021+05:30Bengal-a political saga
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"- goes the saying. And living proof of this has been the left front government, or erstwhile government which has been in power in Bengal for 34 years, and was recently ousted, no routed by the Trinamool Congress- Congress alliance, and comprehensively booted out of power after 7 consecutive terms- a record by any means!
There are various stages to this story- for those who are uninitiated, misinformed or plain disinterested (which I suspect will be the majority!)- and to begin we must go back to our freedom struggle. During the later stages of our freedom struggle, when Netaji and some other leaders broke away from the ruling section in Congress (Gandhiji et al) owing to ideological differences, and an anti-capitalist anti-establishment feeling (Bengalis are anyways prone to these feelings!) started to take root in the Bengali intelligentsia, was laid the foundations of a Marxist movement, one which was pro-poor and pro-peasants, and which ideologically veered completely away from the primarily elite Congress leaders of the time.
Many decades passed, but this movement was still restricted to a few groups here and there, and would have remained so, but for the emergency imposed by Smt. Gandhi on the nation in the 70's. The period '72-'77 saw an extremely turbulent and violent era in Bengal, where the foundations of the Naxal (present day Maoist) movement was built, and thousands of brilliant and idealistic youth of Calcutta took up arms against the excesses by the then Congress government in Bengal. Hundreds of lives were lost, many more irreversibly destroyed, and from that fire arose the Communist movement- on the premises of equality (which people craved for at that point), justice and power to poor, notable the peasants. Given the times and the background, they got massive public support, and the Congress government was crushed in the '77 elections, bringing to power a CPI (M) government which was to rule the state for 34 long years!
We are talking here of a time when Calcutta was among the most progressive of the metros, leading the way not only in art and culture (which was natural, given the artistic inclinations of the average Bengali), but also in business and investments, which though were mainly state controlled at that time. But then started the stagnation. There was no slide or decline, really, just that the city remained still in time, a poor caricature of its former glorious self, while the others surged ahead. While '91 opened the doors of the country to foreign investments and private enterprise, Bengal kept its doors firmly shut, with a mix of botched up economic policies of the left government and some misplaced ideas of social justice.
But where the problem really lay, and which will also be the legacy of this failed government, is the systematic destruction of the Bengali mind. If you don't like a policy, call a bandh, stall work and force others to come to your terms. The obvious results- businesses started fleeing, and no new businesses entered.
So how did this government survive 7 terms? A very common, and understandable question. Well, the answer is systematic rigging of elections. The magic of the promised land had started to fade by the 90's, but owing to the entire state machinery being in their hands, and grabbing of the rural votes by a mix of coercion, force, blackmailing, empty promises and doling out money, the left front managed to drag on the government. And in the process, with every passing day, they became more and more arrogant, unconnected with reality and indulged in one failed policy after another.
The setting was ripe for a new movement, a new face and so came the rise of Mamata Banerjee. Probably the most ridiculed leader at the national level (right up there with Lalu), it is interesting to trace her rise. She first came into political prominence in 1984, when as a firebrand youth Congress leader, she defeated political heavyweight Somnath Chatterjee, which was the equivalent of Holland beating Australia in cricket! This created huge ripples in the Indian political scenario, and she was spotted and picked up by Rajiv Gandhi, who was entering the fray at that time after his mother's assassination in 1984. thus started the rise of Mamata Banerjee in Indian politics. This entire period saw her transform from a raw, theatrical, emotional leader to a true leader of the masses in Bengal. All through this phase, she was involved in several newsworthy events, but the tide really turned for her one fateful day in the early 90's. She was surrounded by several CPM goons on a Calcutta street, and beaten to within an inch of her life with bamboo sticks in full public view! She survived the incident, and came out as a true rallying leader of the common public, who by now had started losing their faith in the left front government. She rose inside the Congress, broke away and formed the Trinamool Congress in 1998, got into alliances with the NDA at the centre, became the railway minister, came out from the alliance and joined the UPA, became railway minister again. But all through this period, she kept her eyes firmly set on the throne of Bengal and kept plotting the downfall of the left. The chance finally came in the 2009 parliamentary elections, which dealt a decisive blow to the left. The myth of their invincibility was shattered, and 2011 was an event waiting to happen- only the scale of the defeat crossed all expectations! And this was also aided by the Singur and Nandigram incidents. The first where Mamata scored a victory in the eyes of the people by driving out Tatas (whether she was right or not is a matter of further debate, but the fact remains that the fertile land was given away to the Tatas, while there was arid land available at not some great distance away!), the second where the state used violence on its own subjects- a sure-shot sign of nervousness and losing control. What has also mattered in this long battle is the fact that Mamata remains to this day, one of the few politicians in this country who boasts of a clean image!
Now that were done with the elections, and a new government being sworn in, what are the chances of things changing? Well, let me admit, it's a long road ahead- investments need to be brought in, a better work culture needs to be created in this bandh-prone state, infrastructure needs to improve, the impoverished state coffers need some filling, and the right balance needs to be struck between industry and agriculture. Whether the new government can do all this, and how long all this will take, is anyone's guess. But at least a beginning has been made, and what is that saying about you never know how good a person/team/group is unless you give them a chance. And that my friends, is something that the people of this state really deserve- a chance at redemption!

Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-46029504210166848792010-11-18T21:58:00.000+05:302010-11-18T21:58:02.147+05:30Once upon an evening....."Ah, perfect! That's all I need!" muttered Arjun under his breath, as he stepped out of the AC compartment of the Jamshedpur-Kolkata superfast express, the bitter winter night wind cutting into him, like spears tearing into his flesh. The train had suddenly jolted into a halt minutes earlier, and he found out to his dismay that the engine had developed a technical snag, which would take at least a couple of hours to fix, standing as they were in the middle of a dense jungle on the one hand, and a seemingly limitless open field on the other, almost half an hour away from the nearest station on either side.

Arjun was returning from his weekly trip to the Tata Motors factory in Jamshedpur , working as he was in a materials and supply chain project, as a freelance consultant, and he had really relished the opportunity of working with the respectable Tatas brand, as well as the project which seemed quite challenging to him. The company wanted to cut down the materials wastage as well as optimize the entire supply chain process, and one of the managers of the plant had got in touch with Arjun, as he had his reference from an earlier conference which both had attended. Arjun was based in Kolkata, married to his girlfriend of three years, Mithu, and they had a four-year old son- Aryan. Arjun and Mithu loved each other, but urban work-life and its attendant pressures had started to take a toll on their marriage- they were still the same individuals, but somehow things had started to sour. There weren't really any major fights, none that he could remember, but there was a certain distance that had started to develop, the warmth, the spark that was once a part of their everyday lives was missing, and nowadays the only thing they talked about was their son, and matters related to him. Arjun had become a workaholic, and ironically felt at home only at work, at other times he merely went through the motions. The once exciting, fun-filled life had become a mechanical, routine affair, reduced to duties to be performed, and deliverables to be submitted.

"So, we are in for a long wait now!" his train of thoughts was broken by the middle aged man travelling with him, one of the few passengers on the train, which was surprisingly empty today, as they looked out into the dark night outside, a silence interspersed with the occasional buzzing of some unknown insect in the jungle outside. Arjun thought for some time, he had a late night dinner appointment in Kolkata with a prospective client- a deal he couldn't afford to miss. He did a quick mental calculation, he was roughly one and half hour away from Kolkata, and waiting for two more hours would certainly mean pissing off the client, and consequent loss of business. He took only a moment to decide. "How far is the highway from here?" he asked the train attendant. "Well, it should be across the jungle, on the other side, but why? Wait, you cant be serious!" he blurted out, as he realized what Arjun was thinking. "Why not? I need to reach Kolkata by 9 p.m. I will definitely get a lift from someone on the highway." Arjun was a daredevil in college, and was delighted he hadn't lost touch with his old self. "But sir, the jungle isn't safe. Plus, this is a Maoist infested area. Why take such a risk?" "Nothing doing, once I decide something, I carry it out!" saying so, Arjun picked up his laptop bag and jumped down on the tracks, skipped across them and headed towards the jungle. "What am I doing, I hope I haven't lost my mind" he spoke to himself, as he nervously entered the jungle. He had just started to think to himself this had all the ingredients of a horror movie, and managed a smile to himself when he felt a drop of water on his shirt. Thinking it to be from some tree, he continued along the beaten path of the jungle, which he guessed would lead to the highway, since it is common for villagers to cross the jungle using a fixed path, which typically is made keeping in mind the wild animal density in and around. Another drop came down, he looked up nervously, and to his horror, realized that it had started to rain now! "Shit, this rain will make the cold unbearable" he muttered as he continued, faster, as the rain came pelting down on him, making a deafening sound as it crashed down into the jungle leaves and trees. This actually increased his danger, since he wouldn't be able to hear any approaching footsteps, whether it be of any wild animal or a human being, as he had the Maoist danger in mind as well.

Arjun had started shivering, he realized the cold was as much a reason as fear- pure, primal fear, fear of the jungle, of the wild, of the unknown, as he quickly traversed the jungle path, occasionally running along. Crash! Came a loud sound, Arjun turned round with a start, to discover a fallen branch from a tree, he was running at full speed now, and was panting from the effort, when he discovered a light in the distance. Encouraged, he found new energy in his lungs and sped across the jungle. The light started becoming larger, and eventually saw a flicker of paved road! "Thank God!" he muttered, as he dragged his tired body out from the jungle into the wide national highway, which was glistening from all the rain. He also thanked his stars for the waterproof bag, as he realized his laptop was safe from water outside.

Now came the next part, getting a lift from someone going towards Kolkata. The highway was strangely deserted, and vehicles seemed few and far between. A couple of cars went by, not bothering to stop at Arjun's insistence. He was giving up hope when a third car came along. Not hoping for anything, he loosely held out his thumb, and to his surprise, the car screeched to a halt a few feet ahead of him! Thanking God again, he rushed towards the car, and peeped inside, to look at a stunning young woman in her late twenties. She was wearing a black top and blue jeans, fitted perfectly well on a well-endowed figure, and her long black hair fell smoothly on her shoulders. "Once you are done checking me out, would you mind telling me where you want to go?" the question shook him out of the trance, and feeling suitably embarrassed, he managed a smile "Kolkata". "Well, then, hop in!"

"You do seem desperate to meet the client!" she nodded towards Arjun with a wink and a smile, he smiled back in return. "Well, yes, sort of. Business is business, you know!" "Ah yes, of course, you are the typical workaholic male, aren't you? Sacrificing family life and love for your near and dear ones for career and money!" "Umm…its not really like that you know! It's just the priorities you set for yourself- planning is everything!" Arjun repeated his favorite quote. She made a strange face at him "Booringgg!" This made him laugh out loud, and he suddenly realized its been a long time he had done that- laugh out loud at something. "So, tell me, don't you plan?" he asked. "Well, I tried few times, but I failed to execute my plans, or stick to them. That's when I decided not to plan, to live every moment, and take care of things as they happen!" she replied cheerily, with a smile and a wink.

"What do you do, miss….", "Call me Ms. X" "Sounds suspicious" "Sure is, but it adds to the intrigue, what do you think?" Arjun was getting more and more curious about this stunning young happy-go-lucky girl, who so easily offered him a lift, and now was unwilling to even share her name. He liked systems and processes, he liked certainty and cause-effect correlation, this ambiguity about the entire situation started bothering him, Arjun started to feel a bit uneasy.

"What are you thinking?" she shot a sideways glance at him. This stunned Arjun, for there was something about this woman which seemed very familiar to him, something about the way she spoke, her sideways glance, her wink, he had seen it all before, and yet….."I don't feel comfortable with ambiguity, you see" "Has it always been like this?" "Not really, in fact, I was quite the opposite in college, very outgoing and used to live for every moment" "So, what happened, why this change?"

This took Arjun back to his early days as a professional, the day he was given a severe feedback by his superior of his first job. "Arjun! You really need to pull up your socks! You cant make it in this industry with this easy-going manner. Try and adapt yourself, become one of us, we don't want an exception in our midst. This is the last chance I am giving you!" he still remembered those words. He had forced himself to change, to adapt, to become one of them, and in the process, lost touch with himself, slowly and gradually, he became a different person. A successful and unhappy person, something which had taken the spark out of his marriage as well. He had started to live for goals and deliverables, and anything which didn't lead to any goal being achieved had no meaning for him.

"But, that's awful! Why would you change who you are just to fit in, man! I am surprised at how you have forgotten who you actually are!" her deep eyes were locked into his for some moments, and he felt he was looking at a soul-mirror. There was a lot of other talk, but he was immersed in deep thought throughout the journey.

"Mister planner, here we are! You can take a taxi from here, this is where my road deviates from yours" that same smile and wink. Arjun offered a smile, a shake of the hand, and getting out of the car, turned back and asked "I am deeply troubled by a question- who are you?" She smiled, looked into his eyes, "I am you, Arjun! I am the Arjun that existed 10 years back, the actual Arjun, undiluted and pure. I am your mirror, and just offered you a peek at your soul, some thing which is there in the deepest recesses of your mind, that's all I am……"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"Hello sir! Where do you want to go?" a startled Arjun looked at the taxi driver next to him. He had a vague recollection of events in the past 2 hours, but wasn't really sure how he got to Kolkata. He felt a slight shiver in his spine, a tingling sensation.. "Garia please" he hopped on. The taxi sped off into the Kolkata night, Arjun looked at himself in the rear-view mirror, and did something he hadn't done for a long time- he smiled and winked……..Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-11982008573590942052010-08-04T23:34:00.002+05:302010-08-04T23:34:40.249+05:30Traffic Jam- A Short Story28th July 2010, Airport Road, Bangalore, 10.00 a.m…..

"Damn! Another red signal- another 3 minutes lost! That too on a day when I am already late for office! Murphy loves me!" muttered Ashok under his breath, as his car lined up in the huge Bangalore traffic pile-up on Airport road, resembling a snake lying lazily on the ground, with its coils wrapped in a hap-hazard fashion on the ground. He was working for a telecom engineering firm, and was one of the stars for his company. Bright and energetic, he was an integral part of the R&D team which churned out products according to client specifications, as well as developed new products for the market. Ashok had joined the firm 5 years back straight from engineering college, it was the place he had always wanted to be in, and where he could fully use his engineering knowledge and had a free hand in a product development environment.

Today morning was a chaos at home- Radhika, his wife of two years, had her cousin sister come over at their place, along with her family of her hen-pecked husband, and hen-pecking kids, and their normally calm and quiet house was resembling a madhouse, what with the brattish kids screaming and dancing around right from early morning, Ashok having woken up to their piercing shrieks and mournful wails, interspersed with each other rhythmically! The entire morning, set meticulously to every minute of the clock, had gone awry, and Ashok somehow managed to squeeze out of the house half an hour late, Radhika having decided to take the day off from her bank HR role.

Ashok was cursing his luck and those stuck around him in the jam, when a black Santro pulled up in the minutest of gaps alongside him, narrowly escaping scraping his car. He shot an irritated glance sideways, and was about to deliver an obscenity to the rogue driver, when his eyes fell on the driver- and he couldn't speak another word- it was Sonia!

3rd June 2001, SVCE, Bangalore, 9.00 a.m.

"All fuchha boys stand on the left, with one hand in the air, another holding your ears, and girls, stand on the right, one hand holding your ear, another on your mouth! Good, now girls, blow kisses to the boys, and each boy will catch one kiss from the air, and tell which girl's kiss he caught. If he is wrong, which we seniors will decide, the boy has to run around the ground in his undies! Now start!"

And thus started the strange spectacle of a group of first year engineering girls blowing kisses to the boys, who started catching them as if catching flies from the air. After the acrobatics ended, the fun started with the seniors singling out the boys, and taking their turns at ragging them. "Hey you! Yes you, with the spectacles, come here!" A shy, gangling boy hesitantly stepped forward, afraid to make eye contact with the seniors. "You look like you have stolen something! You pathetic creature! Come here and undress!" The boy was by now close to tears, and hearing this, they came streaming down his face. "Why don't you leave him alone! Can't you see he is crying? What kind of behavior is this? Or do you want to impress the girls by this stupidity?" Everybody turned their heads to see where that came from, and found a petite girl, with ponytailed hair, a pretty face and defiant eyes, seething in anger, standing among the first year girls group. "And who are you, Rani Lakshmi Bai?" bellowed the senior guy. "Who I am is none of your business, but if you don't want me to go and complain to the hostel warden right now about this, let him go!" This did the trick, all the seniors were afraid of the strict warden, who only last year had expelled two from their senior batch owing to complaints of ragging. They let the boy go, but the others had to stay back for some more treatment. He looked up at the girl, with a shy smile on his lips, and their eyes met, for the first time. "Thank you" he murmured, and she replied with a sweet smile, and thus they met- Ashok Shaw and Sonia Fernandes, first year telecom engineering students at the prestigious SVCE.

5th June 2001, SVCE, Bangalore, 9.30 a.m.

First class of the first semester, and that too Quants, Ashok was thrilled to bits, this was what he had chose engineering for- he adored mathematics, and wanted to be a telecom engineer and use his mathematical acumen in developing more and more improved products. He rushed to class, only to find to his dismay it had already started! "Sorry sir" he mumbled to the teacher who gave him a stern look, and told him to come in and sit down. He looked around, all seats were taken except one- the one next to Sonia. He quickly moved over and took the seat, smiling nervously at her. "Hi" she flashed her smile at him. The class started. This was the first time in his life he was sitting next to a girl, studying that he had in an all-boys' school. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable, and started shifting in his seat nervously. "Are you feeling okay?" she whispered over to him, leaning across, making him catch a wisp of her sweet fruity perfume. "Ah, yes, am..am.. fine", the perfume, the smile, the girl next to him, were taking his mind away from the exciting quants problem being solved on the board. "Steady Ashok, you have come here to study!" he told himself, and sternly looked ahead towards the board, making an expression that made Sonia giggle out loud. "Who is that?" shouted the professor, "Is that you, young lady? Please leave my class right now!" Sonia looked at Ashok, sadness in her eyes, and got up slowly. "Um, wait, sir, it was me who was talking to her" blurted out Ashok. "What am I doing? Have I gone mad?" But it was too late, both were sent out of the class.

"Sorry Ashok, it was my fault. But why did you have to say that to sir?" Sonia looked at him. "Anyways, now that we're out, and we have almost an hour to go, lets go to the canteen and have some coffee and pakoras. What say?" Ashok was hesitant, "Oh come on" she pulled his hand along with her, making him feel extremely awkward, but something inside him pushed him along with the girl. That day, they chatted for two hours, missing the next class in the process, but Ashok's guilt was overtaken by his desire to be with this bubbly girl, who was in every way his polar opposite.

The next two months saw their friendship deepening, and gradually they became the best of friends. They started hanging out together everywhere, all of Ashok's boundaries were simply washed away by this sweet talkative girl. He started enjoying things he never thought he would enjoy, he began to live, laugh and run, he began to enjoy every moment of life!

21st April 2002, SVCE, Bangalore, 4 p.m.

"What are you looking at?" asked Sonia, with a smile adorning her sweet face. "Uhh, nothing, think there's something on your face", mumbled Ashok, as they sat on the steep rockface near to their college, on the highway. "Oh really? What is it?" she asked, mock concern in her voice. "You know, Sonia, there is something I have been wanting to tell you for some time", "Ok, what is it Ash?" only she used this name for him, and it made him feel special. "Umm, well, nothing, leave it", "Oh come on Ash, I know when you want to say something important, stop tweedling your thumbs and say it". "Ok Ashok, here you go" he thought to himself, took a deep breath, looked at Sonia's deep eyes, and as usual, got lost in them! "Ah Sonia, eh, umm, would you, I mean, would you like to, umm, would you like to….", "Yes, Ash, I would love to be your girlfriend!" she shouted out, holding his hand, they looked at each other, with the sun setting behind them, it seemed the entire world had come to a standstill, they had forgotten who they were, where they were, everything around them had ceased to exist. Their lips met, and for the first time in both their lives, they kissed.

They went back to their hostel hand-in-hand, not to their respective rooms, but to Sonia's room, which was empty as her roommate was away for a week. That night, they made love, two young adults discovering their sexuality and their bodies, how they reacted to each other's touch and that night, they lost their virginity. It was the best night of their lives, and they went to sleep in each other's arms, looking out of the window at the moon, her head on his chest.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

The next few years were the best in their lives. They literally stayed with each other every minute of their lives, they ate out of the same plate, sat together, studied and exchanged notes, went for long bike rides and walks with each other. The world had become beautiful, seasons brought with them different colours, rain drops falling on the thirsty soil created music, there were dreams in their eyes, love in their hearts and music in their souls. Life was complete.

3rd February 2005, S.V.C.E. Placement Office, 3 p.m.

"Hey Sonia, I have got through Telecom Solutions, my dream company!" "Oh Ash, I'm so happy for you!" she gave him a bear hug. "Where will you be placed, Ash?" "Bangalore" A glum look came over her face. "Ash, I have got through IT Horizons, location will be Delhi". "What? Sonia, how can you do this to me? Cant you give this up and try some other company for Bangalore?" "Ash, just like you have got through your dream company, so have I, I didn't know they were going to give me Delhi as the location" "So what, Sonia? Come on, we love each other. Why should we live away from each other? Plus.." he hesitated. "Plus what, Ash?" "Plus, I was going to ask you to marry me, Sonia" he blurted out. "What! Are you out of your mind Ash? We have not yet started earning! And why does everything need to end in marriage? Why ruin this perfect relationship?" Ashok looked at her incredulously. "Ruin? What better culmination can there be to this than marriage?" "Oh come on Ash, grow up. We aren't kids anymore, and anyways I never had the intention of marrying you. I don't believe in marriages, Ash. I have seen that of my parents fail, I don't intend to go through all that!" and she stormed out of the room, leaving him shocked. He couldn't believe what had just happened, his entire future life, which he had planned so meticulously with Sonia in it, had just shattered around him. He slowly left the room, forgetting the joy of having got through his dream company.

He left S.V.C.E. next evening, for his hometown Bhilai, from where he left for Bangalore a month later to join his dream job, minus of course a large portion of the dream that was once Sonia. He never heard from her again.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Three years later, his parents, after undertaking an extensive matrimonial search, finally zeroed in on Radhika, the beautiful, homely daughter of one of their family friends, and they got married after two months of courtship.

28th July 2010, Airport Road, Bangalore, 10.05 a.m…..

"Move, you idiot, and stop day-dreaming!" shouted out the cab driver from behind. Ashok realized he and Sonia were looking at each other for the last few minutes, and his entire past life was playing out before his eyes, on flashback. He steadied himself, started the car, shot a smile and a nod at her, which she returned duly, and looked at the road ahead. The lights had turned green, and it was time to move on………Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-32127200596756035362010-05-28T21:56:00.000+05:302010-05-28T21:56:39.125+05:30C'est la vie- A short story"Can a day get any worse?" wondered Priya, sitting in her recently purchased air-conditioned Maruti SX4, one of the thousands of cars standing still on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, which as usual was totally clogged with office-returning traffic, being 8 p.m. on a Wednesday evening. Of course, she had gotten used to this horrible traffic by now, and had given up even feeling sorry, and she continued with her usual routine- changing the FM channels randomly and eventually, gave up as there was nothing interesting on any of them.

All this couldn't, however, take her mind off the events of the day. It had started like any other typical office day, the same events that had characterized her life for the past 5 years playing out as if on a recording machine playing a film on infinite loop. Getting up at 7 in the morning, taking a quick look at Akash who was still sleeping soundly- his job as a writer allowed him that liberty, much to Priya's envy- getting ready for office, trying to wake him up which of course he ignored and kept on sleeping, quickly having her regular breakfast of corn flakes and milk, taking a quick glance at the papers, and rushing off to work, attired in her most impressive black suit. After all, today was a special day, when Priya Singh, the youngest vice president in the investment bank she was in for last 5 years, was to give a presentation to a top-notch institutional client for an upcoming merger deal. It was the sort of opportunity Priya had in her dreams ever since she had passed out of her premier B-school. Always the ambitious girl, she had her sights set on the plum I-bank jobs on campus, studied hard for it and being the topper as well as having an excellent profile, she had charmed her way through her interview, and had bagged the most prestigious & high-paying job on campus. She was the type of girl guys fell for in a flash- tall, slim and extremely attractive, she was naturally the target of quite a few advances and proposals, however she always handled herself with dignity and demonstrated a certain coldness which eventually used to lead the guys to give up.

Priya had prepared her slides with great attention and care, going through each point multiple number of times, and having all her bases covered as to the queries that might come her way. Having stayed up at office till late nights for last 2 weeks, working on the presentation, she was quietly confident of getting the deal through. "Hi Priya! Good Morning" greeted her boss, who had developed quite a liking for this ambitious and aggressive girl, and depended on her for most of his targets. He knew this was a big day, and if they could crack this deal, this would take care of his targets for the quarter and beyond, by a margin. What he liked most about Priya was her extremely high focus on her work and ability to put work before family, which many women often grapple with. But Priya was sure in her mind what she wanted, and had this single-minded dedication towards that.

The clients had arrived 45 minutes late, owing to a flight delay and subsequent heavy traffic, and were in a foul mood. However this didn't deter Priya, as she was confident of her abilities. She quickly welcomed them, made them feel at ease and started off with the PPT. However, she sensed something was wrong today. The clients seemed to be in an aggressive mood, and started to shoot down her points. At one point one of them made a derogatory remark about her and the accuracy of the market data she was presenting, she felt a flash of anger but maintained her cool, knowing the importance of this deal. She saw her boss from the corner of her eye, his features getting sterner by the minute. However he didn't intervene. The PPT was going haywire, and some among the clients had stopped listening. Priya felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she kept on at it. Eventually the CFO of the client stood up, "I am extremely disappointed at you bringing us down from Mumbai, and then presenting this shit. A waste of time!" And all of them got up, and left the room. Priya was shattered, feeling her entire world crumbling around her. Everything that she had worked for had come to naught. Her boss got up, looked at her angrily and shouted "You have let me down! You have just undone all your good work over the last few years. You are worthless!" and stormed out of the meeting room. Priya felt numb, not being able to comprehend what was happening, how everything had come apart in the last half an hour. Slowly she closed her laptop, picked it up and left the room.

She was jolted back to the present by the incessant horns bellowing around her, she couldn't see ahead, seemed a little blurry- then she realized she was crying silently in the car. The signal had changed, and cars lurched ahead around her, forcing her to move ahead, towards her apartment in the swanky new residential colony that they had purchased last year.

"Oh welcome, maam", Akash, her husband of four years, was sarcastic as usual. "Looks like you had a long day at office, suddenly remembered you even have a home and husband? Wonderful!" Normally Priya used to respond to all these jibes with a few of her own, but today she was too tired, both physically and mentally to even respond. Well, these days they barely acknowledged each other's existence- things had fallen apart so much in the last 2 years. Priya still remembers the day she had met Akash- a shy, young man lost in his own train of thoughts. She was hunting for the latest crime fiction bestseller at Crosswords, mumbling the name to herself when someone called out to her from behind her shoulder "Its in the third rack to the right", she turned around and came face-to-face with a shy, awkward looking guy holding a book in his hands. "It's a great book, especially love the part when the wife confesses murdering her husband, oh shit, sorry!" Priya calmly put the book back, turned around and looked at him in anger, they kept looking at each other for ten seconds, then both burst out laughing. "Coffee?" asked Priya, "Sure", and thus started the 6-month romance that culminated in an unusual marriage- that between an ambitious successful investment banker and a struggling writer. Her parents had warned her against it, saying she was thinking with her heart, but would soon realize they weren't the right match. She had ignored them, going ahead and marrying Akash.

The first year was a dream, their lives had been full of romance and love, those long nights of chatting together, those love-filled glances, that magic touch, the laughing for no reason- it was the marriage they had wanted. However, problems started to arise soon after that, and it had come exactly as her parents had predicted. Akash started getting insecure about her being more successful, she was the one who used to pay all the bills, for the dinners and movies out, and his male ego started taking a beating. He had thought his love for her would not let anything else come into their lives, but slowly the insecurity grew in him, spearing him like an arrow. He started throwing temper tantrums, behaving roughly with Priya. She tried to overcome it through her love, but eventually started losing the love and respect she had for Akash. Meanwhile she had started climbing the ladder in her organization, and had to spend more and more time in the office, leading Akash to suspect her having an affair with her boss. This had made her extremely angry, and she had silently chosen to cut Akash out of her life, rising as she was towards the top and her corporate dreams getting fulfilled.

That evening Akash was more rough than usual, "Hey do you really want me to believe that you work all this time in office?" he shouted. "What do you mean" she yelled back. "I mean I was checking your mobile last night, and saw your boss's SMS late night".

"How dare you check my mobile? What I do in my office is none of your business!"

"Oh yes, it is! I am still your husband, legally at least!" "Oh really, you have lost that right long ago, you know!"

"You know something, I have realized today, I have made the biggest mistake of my life marrying you!" yelled Akash, "And another thing, you will never be happy, and neither will you make anyone happy around you, because the entire point of your existence is only for yourself and your ambitions! Your life is pointless Priya!"

The words echoed in her ear long after they were said, it just added on to her pain from the day's events. Is he right, after all? I have stopped loving my husband, stopped feeling, laughing, I even decided not to have a child ever for that would lead to a break in my career. And all that, has come crashing down today, made pointless by the presentation failure. She suddenly had a feeling she did not ever have- the world stopped around her. Everything was an empty vacant space around her.

It was then that she made the decision. She slowly got out of her apartment, closing the door behind her, and climbed the stairs towards the roof. Once there, she went over to the edge, peered down, Gurgaon was a blinding stream of lights from the 20th floor rooftop. She felt the wind crashing into her face. She had stopped thinking, stopped feeling. Slowly, she inched forward, and suddenly her feet gave way. She was falling, towards the ground, however, she felt like she was flying, she felt light, had not felt this light for a long time……..

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts! We are about to land in Goa!" the sharp announcement on the PA system of the flight awoke Priya with a start, that's when she realized she was dreaming, covered in sweat even inside the flight. She was looking forward to this vacation with Akash for a long time, as they had finally decided to work on their marriage, with Akash getting his first book published. She looked at him, sleeping soundly as usual he was, seated next to her. She leaned over, kissed him softly on the cheek, held his arm tightly, resting her head on it, and for the first time in a long time, she smiled…………………..Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-91852977125532119502010-04-18T23:36:00.000+05:302010-04-18T23:36:00.946+05:30Change Management & Allied Stuff....They say marriage changes lives- for better or for worse- well, that depends on which side of the fence you are on! That also depends, to an extent, on your definition of better or worse. However, as I near the completion of 3 months into my marriage adventure (yes, that's what I call it, replete as it is with twists and turns that seem Hitchcockian at times!), and I look back on the last few months, all I can say is- another chapter is being written in the book of life that we keep reading all the time. And as far as the better or worse bit is concerned, the jury is still out on that one!

Management jargon that we read in our courses and keep throwing with distressing regularity at our workplace to appear uber-cool, have a funny way of finding its way back into our lives! One such all-encompassing jargon is change management. Of course, when you take off your suave management hat and think of it simply (as we all know, management fundae often complicate simple matters), we do it all the time! I mean, managing change, and how you do it, is often the primary indicator how our lives are being led. Marriage, my dear friends (this is for those who are yet to climb the poison ivy!), is all about the same- change management! How you deal with the unfamiliar notion of sharing your life, to often the minutest detail, with someone else, how you think of two parties while making a decision that used to seem a no-brainer earlier, how you adjust to a myriad range of emotions swirling about like a turbulent whirlpool with you at the centre, often will go to determine how your life shapes up. However, all said and done, to all the marriage naysayers (the number of whom is growing by the way!), based on a three month experience window- I would say, its always better to have someone to share your ups and downs with, rather than trying to deal with it all on your own!

While on the topic of adventure, I cant but not mention the great Indian circus going on- the tamasha that goes by the name of IPL! Each and every character involved in this drama appears straight out of a theater group- the megalomaniac owner (Modi), the suave-looking-but-naivete-personified minister (Twitteroor), the customary romantic angle (Pushkar)- all contributing to raising the TRPs of the sensation-loving Indian media, and capturing public consciousness as well. In fact in this age of any publicity is good publicity, one wonders whether the entire episode was stage –managed behind the scenes in order to whip up some eyeballs! Of course, all this is being helped by the comical commentary expert team comprising of the hyper-excitable Danny Morrison, the completely crazy Sidhu, the shouting-at-the-top-of-his-lungs Ravi Shastri, the screechy Sivaramakrishnan, and a lot more jokers. Of course, one does miss Mandira Bedi, but then, you can't have everything you want in life!

And while ridiculous events like the IPL & Shoania (Shoaib-Sania) episode are busy making headlines, the reprehensible massacre of the CRPF personnel has got the expected treatment- one day of headlines, two days of analysis and off it goes into the sidelines, to make way for more "worthy" news items! Of course, it doesn't mask the criticality of the current scenario- having a trigger-happy irresponsible neighbour is bad enough, now having to deal with a group of men who have been bred out of systemic apathy and ignorance of successive governments just adds to the woes of our already-stretched, underpaid and ignored security forces. The fact is, viewing the Naxal/Maoist issue through a single lens might not be a long-term solution, for as with any other militant group (I would call this outfit by no other name), the resentment of a large vulnerable populace is being exploited by a small group of men for their selfish interests. Something the government should have noted long back, but they didn't, which is what has led to the current situation. Unfortunately, time has run out for a soft approach, and the only way out currently would be an intensive operation aimed at obliterating this menace. However given our traditional soft approach to security issues and the prevailing democratic set-up, whether the government will be able to carry this out is anybody's guess.

Of course, even in depressing times, there is always Navjot Sidhu to fall back upon, and just to quote one of his gems to finish this off: "There is always light at the end of a tunnel, but the light may be that of a speeding train"! Ahem!Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-32593182919732362902010-01-16T21:03:00.002+05:302010-01-16T21:03:31.374+05:30Holy Matrimony!!"We cordially invite you to be a part of our marriage ceremony and share our happiness"- reads most of the marriage invites- those colourful, sometimes tacky-looking, invitation cards that are such a part of our custom. The families of the bride and groom invite all and sundry to be a part of the holy matrimony their children are about to be a part of, and which builds up to the mega event grandiosely called the Big Fat Indian Wedding!

As I sit alone in my rented apartment this Saturday evening and spend my last weekend as a bachelor, there are multiple thoughts streaming through my mind, in multiple directions, like dry leaves being blown around in an autumn afternoon by the breeze. I cannot still fully comprehend the fact that I am getting married, that I am going to share my life with someone else. I had left home 9 years back, and lived all these years as a true-blue bachelor, you know, things like, coming home when you please, eating out wherever (including the most unhygienic places) and whenever you want to, watching the crappiest movies in town and guffawing through them, spending money on the flimsiest of causes and excuses, but most importantly, not having to answer to anyone on anything! Now that all that is going to change, I can't but feel a tinge of regret and a wisp of nostalgia, all the fleeting images of the last 9 years rushing back to me.

But experienced (I mean, married) people often say it's a mix of both- the sharing of your life with someone else can be exasperating and uplifting at the same time, it can make you fight with your spouse over small things as well as give a whole new meaning to every day of your life. Well, I choose to believe them (not that I have an option!), but I guess it's a quantum leap for me (or, for that matter, anybody who has been living as a bachelor outside his home for a long time)- from not sharing your room with anyone to sharing your entire life with someone! Guess this is a part of the change management situations that confront us in life every now and then.

The entire experience is once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully!). It all started with seeing my parents giving advertisements in the papers, me opening a profile on Bharat Matrimony, to going to meet girls to check (and be checked!) if they are the right match for me and my family, all in the matter of one hour! After the second interview (both-sided), I had developed a fixed set of questions, and in a fixed order, and the interview often resembled two wary boxers circling each other, waiting for the next blow from the opponent, and trying to duck under it and coming out with a reply of your own. It's a difficult thing, and I'm sure those of you who have gone through arranged marriages would vouch for this, I mean, how can you really know who is right for you and vice versa, in a matter of an hour? Of course, after we got tired and selected each other more to get out of this infinite loop than anything else, came the courtship- short demure conversations slowly metamorphosing into endless talkathons, and understanding the person behind the face, a couple of meetings, and finally, the stamp of approval! The deal had been signed, and the project was underway! Of course, the final culmination of it all, the final act is still to be played out, but we are almost there….

What is it actually, I still don't know. Whether we really complete each other, how it will feel like to wake up next to someone, to come home to someone, to know there is someone who you cant take for granted (like we do with our parents), and that whether the knowledge that I will not be coming home to roommates but my lifemate will make me want to reach home earlier than usual. But one thing is for sure, everything I know is about to change (for better, hopefully!), and as they say, end of one journey always indicates the beginning of another,……….

-An apprehensive soon to-be bachelorSayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-70923617273393278772010-01-05T20:46:00.000+05:302010-01-05T20:46:21.609+05:30The Decade That WasA decade- the term itself sounds heavy and laden with possibilities. And so it has been, the last decade- the 2000's- and as we stand today on the threshold of the old decade giving way to the new, one can't help looking back at the decade gone by, and stop and think of the significance of the same.

It seems only yesterday that we were celebrating the arrival of the 2000's, which was heralded with the y2k (anyone remember that?), which for many of our generation, was the first introduction to technology (quite an irony, isn't it?). Of course, that bubble burst, like many others did during this decade, but there is no questioning the fact that this decade has probably seen more changes in the lives of people, in the perceptions that we held about life and society and indeed, in society itself than the last many decades put together.

It was during the beginning of this decade, that most of our generation were given wings to fly- we stepped out of our protected home environments into the big, bad world outside, left our cities, states and in some cases, countries and had the first taste of independent living. Some of it was good, some bad, we made mistakes and we learnt, we interacted with new people, learnt about new cultures and many of our long-held ideas and perceptions were fundamentally challenged. In a way, for us, this decade has been the defining one of our lives, it has given us an identity of our own, it has shaped our personalities, and made us who we are (of course, much of it is work in progress, but the process has started). We have gone to graduation college, undergone ragging, failed exams, bunked classes, fallen (and risen to fall again!!) in love, fought with our parents and friends and teachers, decided on our careers only to change track later, but overall, it has been a learning curve (quite a steep one at times!), one which has helped us in knowing who we really are, and for that reason alone, this decade assumes larger significance.

Looking beyond ourselves, this decade has been riddled with events that have shaken us, and often led us to lament the state of affairs in the world around us. A decade that started with 9/11, followed by America's failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which in turn contributed to the rise of terrorism in a form much more deadlier and more sinister than we had ever known, so much that it has now become (unfortunately) a part of our daily existence worldwide. A decade that saw the burst of the dotcom bubble, as well as a global recession of the scale last seen 70 years ago, and amidst all this the rise of India as an economic superpower and a global player in major political decision making, even as malnutrition, poverty and rural health remain some of the most challenging issues we continue to face. A decade where telecommunication has reached our villages faster than primary health care and education, it has been one of tremendous ironies existing side-by-side with major achievements in various fields.

It has been a good decade for Indian sports, which has been long coming for a race fundamentally averse to sports and exercise, we have managed to win an Olympic gold medal after a long time, chess, tennis, badminton and boxing have been disciplines where Indians have shown their mettle, and of course, this has been the decade when our cricket team has transformed itself from being a bunch of talented individuals to a feared unit worldwide, a process started by Sourav Ganguly, continued by Dravid and Kumble and given fruition by Dhoni. Indeed, this decade has made us a better sporting nation, even if only by a small margin.

Politically, this decade has been one of numerous upheavals and change of guards, with regional parties acquiring a lot of prominence and consequently bargaining power. But most significantly, a new lot of young leaders have entered the fray, giving rise to the hope that some of the current muck in the system can be cleaned up with time, for without youth participation, no process is complete.

This decade has also seen the rise of a new breed of urban, well-educated professional, one who has moved beyond merely running after wealth, status and possessions, to the next level of questioning the meaning of his existence, and consequently, we are seeing a lot of young professionals giving up lucrative corporate careers and venturing into the social sector. This probably indicates the societal change that has come about in this decade. This has indeed been a decade of experimentation, be it in business, movies, politics or any other field, and this trend is likely to continue into the next decade.

Of course, for our generation, this decade has been one when many of us have bitten the poison fruit of marriage, or are going to in near future, thus changing our lives forever, for better or for worse, only time will tell!

Finally, as we stand on the cusp of a new decade, it is time to take stock, of ourselves as well as the society and the world at large. There are many evils existing, shameful episodes like the Ruchika rape case which anger us to no end, but as with any other major milestone, it is always best to look ahead with hope and optimism and dreams. The next decade is going to define what we would be doing with our lives, and more broadly, with our society and country, and thus is equally, if not more significant as the one going to end. And so I end with the immortal lines by Robert Frost:

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
 But I have promises to keep,
 And miles to go before I sleep,
 And miles to go before I sleep"

Happy new decade to everyone, and peace and joy to the world!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-2670066746388534412009-11-05T23:29:00.000+05:302009-11-05T23:30:44.170+05:30GreatnessI am heart-broken, absolutely heart-broken! I don't know how many of you guys saw the just concluded cricket match between India and Australia, I just finished watching it, and we lost by 3 runs, that too chasing a mammoth 351 to win! (Warning: This post is meant for cricket lovers)

Very sad indeed, but that's not the only reason I'm heartbroken, in fact that's the lesser reason. The greater one is because I probably watched one of the greatest ODI innings of all time and still saw the hero ending on a losing side- a tragic hero of mythical proportions. Yes, I'm talking about the man himself- Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!! I always thought I would write a post on him the day he retires (Yes, guys, I know it's a blasphemous thought, but something that's a matter of when, not if!). Those of you cricket lovers who missed today's match, or gave up watching after Australia got 350, you have probably missed probably the greatest, and the most poignant innings of all time, by the man most people consider the greatest cricketer to have walked the cricket field after Sir Don.

I saw Sachin brushing a teardrop when he was called to speak after gathering his man of the match award, and that in itself told me a lot about the man. This guy has been playing cricket for 20 years, holds every record conceivable to mankind, demands and commands awe and respect from the entire cricket fraternity, makes millions a year and yet a loss in a one-day game in a bilateral series prompts him to shed a tear! A lot has been spoken about this man, there are still some morons existing who are quick to point out his deficiencies and failings. Sure, he is human after all! But not a mere human, a first among equals, and that too by quite some margin!

We live in a cynical world. A world where, strangely, we have forgotten to find passion in our lives (A small exercise: When was the last time any of us jumped around with joy, or cried with happiness?), where we don't trust each other or sometimes even ourselves, where we seem to have internalized a lot of the negativity we see around us, where the erosion of values (its situational at the best of times, and thought to be totally unnecessary at the worst) is matched only by the lack of heroes and idols- someone we can truly look up to. It is in this world that the importance of people like Sachin increases, for this guy epitomizes all that people strive to achieve in their lives, in whatever field, and still retaining the humility and simplicity as well as love for one's motherland that is a lesson for every one of us. A lot of us tomorrow are going to be successful in our lives, to attain wealth and power and status in society. But we would do well to look carefully at this man and understand the importance of keeping a level head on our shoulders, and at the same time living with passion and believing in ourselves as well as the world around us.

I would end this by observing that we, the cricket-loving junta, are a lucky lot. We have seen a lot of great Indian players at their prime over the last 10 years- Kumble, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag. But nobody has given us greater pleasure, nobody has taught us to believe more in ourselves, and nobody has evoked greater passion in our hearts than a certain Mr. Tendulkar. Its been a privilege, sir! Rock on!!Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-83816150291645375582009-09-23T23:54:00.000+05:302009-09-23T23:55:58.539+05:30The Magic of Durga Pujo"Ya devi sarvabhutesu saktirupena sansthita, namastasai namsatasai namastasai namoh namaha…."- its that time of the year again! Yes, I'm talking of the Durga Pujo- the opium of Bengalis all over, especially in Kolkata, and a time and occasion which is to be seen to be believed!

Now why am I writing a blog entry on Durga Pujo, you might ask. Especially given the fact that 90% of the people who will read this (hopefully!) are not Bengalis. But, I would say to that- hardly matters! In fact that's more of a motivation for me to get typing and share my feelings with everyone here, because I truly and honestly feel everyone should come to Kolkata once in his/her lifetime during Durga Pujo. Yes, everyone, irrespective of region, religion, caste, creed, sex, sexual preference, culinary disposition etc. etc., and why exactly would be my endeavor to get across to the readers in the next few paras, as I look forward to going home tomorrow for the pujas!

What is so special about Durga Pujo? A friend had once asked me "I don't understand what you Bengalis like so much about Durga Pujo. I find it hard to believe that an entire city can come to a standstill for 4 days continuously, suspending all activities!" Yes, that's exactly what happens during the 4 days. Huh, big deal you might say, Kolkata comes to a standstill half of the year, owing to reasons ranging from trade unions agitating against their employers to employers agitating against their trade unions, political parties agitating against each other, auto rickshawalas agitating against the government who ironically once paid them to agitate, and common people in general agitating against all these agitations! Its an agitated city, I say! Yes, all this does happen, but the suspension of work for these 4 days is different, and very so.

Well, let me help you picture this- streets decked up with lighting of various hues and shades, colorful puja pandals depicting handicraft works from various corners of Bengal vying with each other, inside those pandals huge idols of Maa Durga and other gods and goddesses prepared and painted in a beautiful way, lakhs of people walking the streets day and night for a glimpse of the pandals and idols, small kids staring with wide-eyed amazement at the crowds around them to elders who have seen it all but still somehow come back every year for the experience, the best dresses being brought out and worn around by everyone, furtive glances thrown by the desperate neighbourhood romeo towards the pretty lass standing in front of the idol (and vice versa as well!), songs playing in numerous mikes around the city-right from the melody of Rabindrasangeet to the nasal cacophony of Himesh (somehow most of his songs always remind me of a hungry cow mooing away) , the smell of camphor in the air, the occasional noise of cap pistols being used by small kids in the neighborhood pandals…well I can go on and on, but by now you get the point!

Durga Pujo, especially for someone like me, who has been brought up in Kolkata, is very much a part of our childhood memories, our growing up and an integral part of our soul. Its actually a bit like being in love - you feel it inside you but its difficult to describe it to others! Its actually much more than a puja, and extends much beyond religious affiliations. It's a celebration of life- of everything that's good around us, and a reminder of the simple pleasures of life. When you walk the streets of Kolkata during this time, whoever you are or wherever you are from, you just cant escape the mood, the music in the air, the swaying of the "kashful" (a white flower) to the wind, the purity everywhere in the atmosphere and the overall feeling of joy, happiness and colour around you that is bound to bring a smile in your eyes, lips and heart!

Of course, in recent years, pujo has become more of an industry, with politicians getting actively involved in setting up huge pandals in their constituencies in order to garner votes, and budgets of pujas often looking that of a mid-size company, the entry of corporate sponsors into the pujas, and the consequent commercialization of the entire thing.

However, that doesn't take anything away from the feeling I have right now when I am preparing to go home for the pujas, because, like a bioscope, I can see fleeting images of a ten-year old boy playing and running around in the puja pandal of his family home, holding a small cap pistol in hand, with his friends and relatives and family around him, and a beautiful idol of Maa Durga watching over him. The boy looks up, laughs and starts running again- he is still running, to reach home tomorrow in time for the most magical place on earth during these 4 days- Kolkata! And while doing so, he invites everyone he knows over to Kolkata for these 4 days to feel the experience, to get a slice of life, to see Durga Pujo!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-44263472567845117262009-08-22T18:52:00.001+05:302009-08-22T18:54:11.185+05:30Every Second Counts....I just finished reading "Every Second Counts" by Lance Armstrong, the sequel to his widely acclaimed (and extremely inspiring, I may add) book "Its Not About The Bike", and have this insatiable desire to talk to people right now, because what I read in these two books, a lot of it found resonance with me and my thoughts. I would urge everyone of you to pick up these 2 books and go through them, not because they offer some heavy management fundae about life & success, but because they have a quality most books of this genre rarely have- simplicity and uncluttered thought!

For those of you who don't know, Lance Armstrong is a 5-time winner of the Tour de France, supposedly one of the most ardous and demanding sporting events of the world- a cycling course that takes the contestants 21 days to cover entire France- with all the hills and plains and countrysides, eventually ending in Paris. Lance is a cancer survivor, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, and given by many doctors a 20% chance of surviving. He survived, defeated cancer and his opponents to become the undisputed cycling great of all time. And in these books he has taken the reader through his journey through his entire process of being diagnosed with cancer, going through the painful journey of chemotherapy, coming out of it and winning the tour.

But its not only about that, in fact, that is only the backdrop, the wider message is what he lays more stress on, and what led me to get typing. How many of you remember that line from the Spider-man movie- "We all have a choice"? Never was a truer word spoken, and a simpler one at that. But, being simple as it is, it also gets one thinking, thinking about life in general and the way we live our lives.

We all do have a choice, and that applies to every moment and every occasion of our lives. We can choose to feel good or bad, to be rude to someone or nice, to keep standing on the sidelines and not care about things, or roll up our sleeves and jump in and make a difference.

It's a bit risky to offer advice, or lecture about how we should live our lives. Someone famous or successful can do that, but I can always be told to mind my own business, or asked what have I done about this, but the problem with being a thinking person is that there is something always knawing away inside us somewhere, something that keeps asking us if this is the life we want to live all our lives? This waking up every morning and counting down to the weekends (come to think of it, if we keep living for the weekends our whole lives, we would be alive for only 2/7th of our lives, for the rest, we would be barely existing!), bitching behind someone's back, complaining about our bosses and colleagues, feeling jealous of our friend who has a better car/house/wife/husband than us, etc etc. Well, I sometimes feel, the best answer to this can be got by asking yourself a simple question: "How would you like to be remembered?" The scariest thought for me is the thought that when I am old and look back at my life, I don't want to get the thought "What might have been, if I had decided to live my life that way".

The problem that most of us (and it includes me!) face in these situations, is that we become so ensconced and comfortable in our daily lives, so taken by the luxuries this life has to offer, that it becomes a difficult thing to comprehend taking a risk. It's a comfort zone we move into, and human beings, by their very nature, are averse to change, there is an inertia inside us that always tries and keeps us where we are, irrespective of what we might think. Or, like many of us learn to compromise with our dreams, because of circumstances, or a multitude of reasons.

They say there are two options: love what you do, or do what you love! The only problem, according to me, with the first option is that it somehow represents a non-fulfillment of our potential or the purpose we have come into this world for, and is thus, to a degree, unacceptable to me. Of course, many of us might already be doing what they love (and I count those souls blessed!) or have learnt to love what we are doing, or at least learnt to put our lives in a kind of a comfort-inducing pattern which somehow fills up our days with activity, and helps provide for our comfortable lives.

But, for the rest (which includes me), we need to keep looking, keep searching for that one thing we have been sent here for, and keep searching for some more meaning in our everyday lives, as well as keep searching for that courage to take the plunge when the realization dawns! But till the time we get there, I have a few suggestions to make our lives feel better, and to feel more alive (I have tried this and this works!). In fact, its simple really- be nice to people! Yes, ridiculous as it may sound, it's a great way to feel more alive. And here, I mean anyone you come in touch with, it can be your driver, your servant, the traffic policeman, the cafeteria boy in office, absolutely anyone! Give them a smile when they look at you, and you will see the impact! Trust me, its much easier to be nice to people than to be rude, and when we are nice to someone, we are actually being nice to a part of us, and that's why you will always feel bright and happy when you help someone. Its actually yourself you are helping- small things, join an NGO in the weekends, spend an hour of your week's time with poor kids or old people, sponsor a child's education, and I promise you, you will instantly feel more alive. You know why? Because this is precisely what distinguishes us from animals, the ability to feel/care for someone else apart from ourselves!

And of course, meanwhile, we will keep looking for that answer that eludes us for the time being, and which will ensure we live everyday of our lives, and don't just exist, and when time comes to walk into the sunset, we do so with the satisfaction of a life well-lived! God bless!Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-75501773557641428912009-08-15T12:06:00.000+05:302009-08-15T12:11:29.955+05:30Mile sur mera tumhara!Some years back, when we were in school, there was this lovely jingle on tv (Doordarshan then), "Mile sur mera tumhara, to sur bane hamara". I don't know how many of you remember that, but it left an indelible mark on my mind, it was one of those innocent ideas we grew up with. All those people from different parts of India, walking and running together, singing songs in their own languages, and eventually everyone joining together and singing the above lines, it was a beautiful piece, and if you ask me, nothing has managed to capture the true essence of our country better than that 5-minute long song. It somehow told me that I am a part of a country whose strength lies in its diversity, and that somehow, in some strange manner, the diverse parts come together to form a beautiful homogeneous whole! And somehow, the whole always manages to exceed the sum of parts in this union.

Today, on the 62nd birthday of our young nation, this is the first thought that comes to my mind. Think of it, in how many countries on this earth would you find such an amazing range of diversity, starting from the 28 states and numerous union territories, to the amazing number of languages being spoken there, the diverse set of customs, the huge range of food habits (ranging from the mouth-watering paranthas & chicken butter masala in the north, to the dal-bati-churma in Rajasthan, to the hilsa & sweets in Bengal, to the vada-pav and pav-bhaji in Mumbai, to the spicy Chettinad chicken & biriyani in Andhra, right down to appam and stew in Kerala!), the amazing dance forms (like chou, bihu, kathak, bharatnatyam, garba, bhangra to name a few) that are as diverse from each other as salsa, tango and jive, the different dress materials, the different weather patterns in different areas of India! Think of the geographical diversity, ranging from the Himalayas up north, to the gangetic plains down below, to the Thar desert in the west and the lush green paddy fields in the east, the beautiful hills of the "seven sisters' of North-east, to the huge coastline along the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, well I can go on and on, but you get the point!

Before leaving home, I, like many others, believed anything south of the Deccan is South India, and therefore, similar. Little did I know that Tamil Nadu and its people are as different from Karnataka and Andhra as Punjab is different from Kerala! Truth to say, I got a feel of the real diversity that exists in this country only after I left home, and that is when I truly fell in love with the idea of India! Its mind-boggling, to say the least, and if you take some time out to think of the diversity that exists, and inspite of which we manage to function as one country, united at our heart, you know why an author once proclaimed that "knowing India fully can take a lifetime, and that knowing India is like taking a peek into your own soul".

There is a file line between nationalism and nationalistic chauvinism, a line I don't intend to cross even given my love for my country. There are a lot of ills that plague us today, ranging from terrorism, both internal and external, the ever present spectre of corruption, which some people claim has become an inseperable part of our daily existence. There is of course, the ever-present threat of poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy & unemployment, which in turn give rise to a host of other socio-economic-political issues.

But, the eternal optimist that I am, I see scope for hope and positivity. Economically, we are ever improving, and do have sound fundamentals, we have an effective judiciary in place, and most importantly, I see the political scenario changing, slowly, but still, changing and for the better! I have always maintained that the politico of any nation is its most important section, if only for the sheer reach and scope of its influence. And herein, I see more and more sections of youth taking an active interest, more political parties realizing that they need to cater to this demanding vote bank, and I foresee a gradual cleansing of our political system in years to come (well, this bodes well for me too, given my own political ambitionsJ).

So, I end this on a positive note, with a hope and prayer, and a call (as always) to every one of us to keep the faith in our country, and start taking active interest in the goings-on of our country and our system, and I promise you guys, tomorrow is always gonna be brighter! Jai Hind!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-15800435070876783162009-07-05T21:06:00.000+05:302009-07-05T21:07:27.567+05:30Getting it straight!It is kind of unfortunate that in a vibrant, thriving democracy as ours, which stands on the three pillars of legislative, executive & judiciary, making important decisions and keeping harmful & divisive elements at bay is often left to the last of the three-our courts! And have they delivered over the last few years- think of all progressive judgements coming out of our courts and it makes one thing clear- judiciary is probably the only institution that has worked well for us post-independence.

And added to the impressive list of judgments is the recent ruling by the Delhi HC pronouncing the legality of gay rights, and saying in the process that article 377, which says homosexuality- even consensual sex under the same- is punishable by law. Now this law was drafted around 150 years back by the British- a lot has changed since that time! Without going into the good and bad of the changes (for that debate is a never-ending one, one best done on a rainy holiday afternoon over tea and pakoras), it is clear to everyone that times they are a changin', and however much it might put some of us into discomfort, we need to clearly draw a line between personal and public space, something which doesn't come easily to us Indians! Honestly, what someone does in his/her bedroom is best left to that person, without getting unduly nosy/judgmental about the same. If you ask me, that's the main disease that plagues us- we are too judgemental as people, jumping to conclusions is almost second nature to us.

For a long time now, society has perceived those of a different sexual orientation in a particular stereotypical fashion. What has also not helped is the portrayal in our films- the most influential medium if you talk of reach and penetration. This has only reinforced the stereotypes already existing, and frankly we all have been equally guilty of the same, forgetting that its purely a personal choice to be straight or gay.

Which is why the judgement, coming as it has from a high court, is a pleasant surprise, a landmark one at that! That the court has realized that we need to be more mature as a nation that is striving for, and may even achieve, superpower status in the new century, and also one which has always stood for plurality in society, and states equality and liberty as the paramount values that our society should stand for, is a momentous occasion.

Of course, given the peculiar political compulsions that exist in our country, with smaller parties having to pander to their particular vote banks, and our religious leaders who wield considerable clout socially and politically, getting the law repealed will still take some doing. But there is no doubt about the fact that we have taken a crucial, if small, step towards showing the world what Indian society truly stands for- freedom of choice!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-28582292614936483012009-06-08T11:14:00.000+05:302009-06-08T11:16:26.558+05:30Sometimes...Sometimes, life has this strange habit of throwing up perplexing issues and questions before us, questions which we often don't have answers to, and on these occasions one has to wonder about what is right or wrong, and whether what happened was right or wrong.

A lot usually gets spoken about and written about love, over the centuries poets, writers and philosophers have put forth various views about this, many a story has been written, many a memorable character created, but at the end of the day, there still are a lot of questions left unanswered.

Of course, love in itself is a beautiful thing, weather changes pattern, colors seem brighter, people seem better, that sound of falling raindrops outside, that cool breeze, that holding hands with your loved one and walking in the rain, forgetting all your troubles and issues, and just that feeling that life is beautiful, that music in your soul, that look in the eyes, its all….magical! Something that every person should experience at least once in a lifetime, for it makes us a better person.

But, it would have been fine and perfect if it was limited to only that. Unfortunately, it doesn't, and like everything else in life, there are two, or rather, many sides to this coin as well! Things become complicated, issues arise when you thought everything was perfect, and often things don't end up the way we had envisaged. Sad, but I guess that's part of what life teaches us, part of something that completes us as individuals.

They say that true love is not holding on to something/someone dear to you, true love is about letting go. Well, easy to say, but very very painful to do. I mean, you cant just overnight let someone go who was a part of your life and dreams till the other day, right? It tears you apart. But, again, part of life I guess. But the question that really arises is at what point do you let go? When do you decide that things have come to an end? Is there any end? Can you really end love? I don't know, don't have the answers to that one….

But, in any case, I think the best thing for us is to realize that its all part of a greater plan, and if we have undergone this pain, its for our own good. It's a chapter added to the book of life, which we keep reading till the last day of our lives. At times we do feel a tinge of regret about what happened, we think what if I had acted that way and said that thing? Maybe things would have been different. Maybe, but that wasn't part of the plan, that's why that didn't happen.

Maybe the best way to live is to live in the present, and not have any regrets about the past. We would still face those bends and crossroads of life where we are face-to-face with someone we held dear once, and we would still feel a sharp pain somewhere, but I guess that pain purges us, it makes us feel alive. And as for love, that's something that never ends, it's a part of who we are, and true love also doesn't restrict us or constrict us, it actually does set us free, free to experience this beautiful world, free to love someone again, in that same passionate way, free to spread this feeling, and to see the goodness inside each and every one of us, to help the helpless, to love the shunned, and to lend a healing touch to the suffering, and to make this world a much much better place to inhabit! God bless!Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-59343101590852782832009-06-03T17:07:00.000+05:302009-06-03T17:11:58.036+05:3010 things I want to do before I die ....I just thought about all those lists people draw up about the things they want to do in their lives, and so came up with the 10 things I want to do before I die (I am pretty serious about this list):
1. Write a book
2. Get a 6-pack
3. Jump off a plane
4. Go to North/South pole
5. Form a band, perform on stage
6. Open a shop/company
7. Shout at someone
8. Learn as many dance forms as possible
9. Enter politics
10. Meet MadonnaSayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-7838300381171913292009-05-13T18:34:00.000+05:302009-05-13T18:36:27.886+05:30A Complete Citizen- Finally!Yes, you guessed it right- I cast my first vote today, and, though many of you would have exercised this before, its giving me a good feeling- no, this wouldn't change the wrong things around me, or make this world a better place, but this at least makes me feel like a complete citizen today, and gives me the right to raise my voice when I see something wrong happening, without feeling like I haven't done my bit!

The last few days for me, at home, have been electorally charged. Happens when you have a politically aware household, and live in the perhaps the most politically charged city (Kolkata) in the whole country.

No kidding, guys! For those of you who have been following the election process for the last month (at least I have, and trust me, it's a hundred times more interesting than the contrived IPL DLF maximums & Citi moments of success- ugh!!), we have been treated to voter turnout percentages of 40-60% around the country, with supposed politically aware cities like Pune registering an abysmally low (and extremely disappointing) 45%, the Mumbai glitterati in posh South Mumbai finding electoral similarities with the illiterate poor of the dusty interiors of Bihar, from the communally charged Gujarat to the extremely passionate Andhra, it has all mostly been a sorry tale of low voter turnouts. A lot was to blame, with excuses ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous- public apathy towards the continual non-governance by their elected representatives, the mid-summer heat, the IPL circus, people leaving town to take advantage of the 4 day weekend, people staying in town but refusing to leave home from fear of another Tsunami (ok, I made that up!), etc. etc. etc.

But if any of you have kept tab on the voter turnouts in West Bengal, it has been an astonishing 80% (and that is the average figure, at places it has been higher!)!! Yes, with all the attendant problems we talked about, and some more- Maoist threat and violence, non-Maoist threat and violence- I mean that unleashed by the political parties. The elections here have been violent to say the least, the usual complaints of booth jamming, rampant rigging, threatening voters with dire consequences have all been present, but all this have not been able to keep voters inside their homes. And today, when I was standing in the voter's line for one and a half hours, the atmosphere there itself said a lot. People talking to each other, discussing politics, who will win and who deserves to rot in hell, I realized the satisfaction people derive from casting their vote, for it makes them feel powerful & relevant, even if once in 5 years! And that, my friends is the power of democracy!!

Now comes another interesting part- the post-poll analysis, the exit polls, and finally the D-day- 16th May when the results are going to be announced, and politics and arithmetic will blissfully be married time and again, for that shot at forming the government, or at least being a part of it, or even if that's not possible, issue-based support from outside which can be withdrawn at a convenient occasion! And we would do well to keep a keen eye on the same, for even in these issueless elections, this probably is the most critical election in a long time, and who occupies the important positions at the helm might have more bearing on our lives than we care to imagine. So, let the credits roll, and the show begin!!Sayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-21123020142352521422009-03-07T12:32:00.000+05:302009-03-07T12:35:19.374+05:30Why we should vote, at least this time!!So, the once in five years circus is in town again. Yes, I'm referring to our very own dance of democracy- the general elections- the month long tandav that captivates a billion people, on which crores are spent by our mighty political parties, and the sure-shot short term TRP boost for all our news channels! April and May are going to add to the already unbearable heat of the Indian summer, thanks to the high-octane election action.

Now, and this is something I firmly believe, this election is different, or rather, should be treated differently, by both the ruling class as well as us- the 'Youngistaan' generation. Traditionally, as far as our generation is concerned, and by this I mean the city-bred middle class youth, we have been least bothered by the outcome of elections, and who comes to power, and the primary reason behind that has been the fact that most of us have not cared to vote at all. And for good reason, I mean, who do we vote for? The thoroughly inept and corrupt politicians almost seem a mirror image of each other, and would it really matter who comes to power this time as well?

It will. And there are reasons for that. First, rarely has the country, or indeed the world (still, I'm restricting myself to the country level for the time being) been faced with such a two-pronged trouble as it is being faced with now- terrorism and recession. The last 4-5 years have seen a march by India inc. towards a stronger economy and a louder voice on the world fora, due primarily to our companies performing creditably on the world stage, and another factor which we often tend to overlook- our being a successful democracy is something a lot of countries around the world look up to. However, all that has been briefly halted by some unfortunate events in the last 5-6 months- the shameful Satyam saga, the Mumbai attacks as well as the global recession the effects of which are being felt in India as well.

Now, what will any one who comes to power do about all this, you might ask. A lot, actually. Lets go one by one on the issues discussed. Terrorism, a critical issue at the quietest of times, is living amongst us, hatching devious schemes, and the fact that we are living in a dangerous neighborhood, as the recent SWAT deal has demonstrated, only adds to the criticality of the issue. Thus, the need becomes paramount of having the right people in power who would be able to look after internal security as well as frame pragmatic realpolitik policies, which is always a fine balancing game. Next, the recession. The past few days have demonstrated to us the importance of governments having to step in to bail out sick private sector behemoths, and having a good bunch of policy-makers and economists at the helm is all too important and can never be over-stressed to see us through this current crisis.
 Of course, all said and done, first we don't know if our politicians would actually be upto scratch to take care of all these issues in an effective manner, and even if some of them are, we are not sure if we know who they are. Of course, the perennial grouse is always there as an excuse- what difference will it make if I vote? Will the right guys come to power? Well, they will certainly not if we don't vote, and the final argument, similar to all youth who use it against there parents when arguing in favour of love marriages, if I choose my life-partner (read-policy makers), I know I will be responsible for the state of my life (read country), now isn't that a feeling worth having?Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-36459932466716736372009-01-18T20:44:00.000+05:302009-01-18T20:50:31.956+05:30A (half) marathon experience!My feet are aching, lower legs especially, and am feeling a bit drowsy, even after sleeping for 2.5 hours in the afternoon. That pretty much tells you what I was up to today (please, no mischievous guesses!). yes, I ran (and walked) and somehow completed the half-marathon (21 kms) along with 20000 other Mumbaikars & some foreigners as well, and am glad to say this, am feeling a sense of satisfaction and happiness when I look back at the entire experience of about 3.5 hours!

I won't go into the usual suspects when it comes to describing the experience, namely the Mumbai spirit (though I cant leave that out as wellJ), or even more broadly the human spirit, but it would suffice to say that I, and am sure everyone who had taken part or even watched it from the side, had a whale of a time!

Right from reaching the starting point at 6.30 in the morning after waking up at 5, to starting off with resonant cries of "Bharat Mata ki Jai!", all the contestants and non-contestants (like me!) poured out into the South Mumbai streets in the slight early morning chill, and we saw the sun rise on us as we traversed the Marine Drive (doing so, I fulfilled a long-standing wish of mine- running on Marine Drive!). I realized after 4 kms of running that its prudent not to overestimate my fitness, and combined running with walking for the rest of the course.

Sorry guys, but am feeling a compelling need to come back to Mumbai and human spirit, because, at the end of the day, those are pictures that stay with you- Old couples running together, a group of autistic people being led by the volunteers, their eyes all the while displaying their enthusiasm and happiness at being able to be part of something our so-called 'normal' society indulges in, disabled people on wheelchairs pedaling away with gusto, strangers calling out and waving to each other while walking/running, people cheering from the sidelines with words like" Come on!", "Run!", "There is always hope!", a little bespectacled child standing on the sidewalk with a wide grin on his face, holding a beautifully painted India flag on a piece of paper with the words "Chak de India!", groups of volunteers offering water and ice packs, people coming out from their homes with bottles of water, packets of biscuits and fruits for complete strangers, smile on their faces and encouraging words on their lips- and many many more!

These are the things I'll take away with me, and when I sit back and wonder what it was that kept me going, I can only think of these images, the entire atmosphere and the whole lot of people who kept going. In a way, I guess that's what life is all about, right? Keeping going, keeping the flagging body going with the help of an indomitable sprit and will of mind, despite setbacks (Sorry guys, getting a bit carried away here, but you get the point!)

I have made a commitment to myself to keep running every year, and every time I'll feel down or depressed at what life is dealing me with, or things around me seem unfair, or there is despair all around, all I need to do is to think of the face of the autistic and the wheelchair-bound people, the sheer hope and happiness radiating from them, and I'll know, as in that recent song, "Everything's gonna be all right!!"Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-14480915215425735072009-01-02T23:32:00.000+05:302009-01-02T23:33:23.551+05:302009- A wish-list!!!Hmmm, well, so its 2009! 9 years into the new millennium and it just feels yesterday we were caught up with the y2k problem, which incidentally was the most memorable reminder of the new millenium, yes, such are the ironical times we live in!!

So, my hyperactive idle brain thought (well, I'm at home sweet home, you see!), why not ramble on something about the coming year, and what would we want from it. I initially thought I'd write something heavy, which I like doing, but then realized I'm not angry enough at this pointJ

So here goes, my own wish list for 2009:

Ø Starting with cricket (I'm a fanatic you see!), would love to see Dhoni send Zaheer & Bhajji to open the batting, given his penchant for surprising his opponents, & maybe bring himself on as the opening bowler, and have Venky Prasad with his super-slomo bouncers at the other end, which will dip on the batsmen with the speed of a lawn-mower, and the batsmen would get out bored of waiting for the ball at the wicket
Ø Coming to the other great Indian obsession- Bollywood, I've heard from reliable sources that Sanjay Dutt is building 12-pack abs (!!) after the 8-pack blitz we have had to endure from boy-man Aamir Khan. I wish Sanju baba and his packs well, and hope for the perennial no-hoper and woman-groper Shakti Kapoor to gun for 16 packs (not sure where the other packs would fit in one's body, maybe a couple at the back and a few on the legs!)
Ø How can I forget the greatest Indian obsession-politics? Of course, given the current lot of rock stars we have in office, nothing much remains to be said, but with the general elections slated for this year, how about wishing for the great Dalit hope and messiah Mayawati to play the king-maker in an expectedly hung parliament and wrest the post of the prime minister of our country! That way we will soon have her statues adorning all important and critical public institutions like Nirmala(for the uninitiated- chain of super-clean and comfy public toilets), barber shops (given her stylish mane) and we would have only one national holiday- her birthday which would be celebrated with much pomp and prominent guests like Michael 'Whacko' Jackson, Bappi 'the gold plated' Lahiri & Samantha 'thunder-thigh' Fox would be asked to perform for the stunned audience!!
Ø Of course, how can I forget all of us, I mean all of you readers, many of whom have either already bitten the forbidden passion fruit, the eternal poison ivy, undertaken the mother of all battles- marriage, or are about to do so this year! Yes, I know there are many of us whose heads are on the chopping block, and the hour that would define our future is nigh, but fear not my friends, for we will fight till the finish, what say??

Well, enough of rambling on, and for those of you who have managed to reach this point without losing your mind, and are searching for me to beat me up, I'm not reachable currently, because I'm working on developing a half-pack stomach, which will be unveiled shortly!!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-13018587899488569442008-11-30T01:14:00.001+05:302008-11-30T01:17:48.361+05:30Numbing images, numbed thoughts!!I thought of writing this some time ago, when I was watching the news channels which were showing the images that have numbed our senses for the last couple of days, and when there was a heated debate raging on what went wrong, and why things came to this turn that a few young boys rode across the open seas, landed in our midst and caused havoc with our lives. But in hindsight I'm happy I didn't write it then, as I was in such a state with anger and helplessness that nothing sensible would have come out of my mind.

Honestly the events over the last few days have made a deep dent into our psyche, whether you guys agree or not. My roomie summed it up best when he said that the menace suddenly felt so close to us, for the first time perhaps we felt weak, vulnerable, helpless. What does one do in a time like this? Keep watching the news channels? Switch on some music/entertainment channel in the false hope that we are pushing the issue to the back of our minds, and life is normal? Pray for the safety of our loved ones, and wish that the entire operation ends quickly and all the perpetrators are caught/ killed? Or wish that they had taken a couple of cabinet ministers hostage instead, as if that would help wake up our ever-sleeping and thoroughly incompetent bunch of jokers we call our politicians?

Well, I guess we will tide this one over too, owing to our now-over-abused and over-stretched "resilience", and normal life will resume again. Just as it has every time over the last 15 years that we have been bombed, shot at or targeted! But guys, seriously, when we talk of our so-called 'spirit', what choice do we have than to get back with our lives and pretend everything is normal? I mean it's a question of survival after all, right? To me, its not spirit, its just our resignation to the fact that since we have a useless bureaucracy and even more useless politico, its no use expecting anything from them, better go back to work and forget everything. Sometimes I feel its this "resilience" that's harmful for our own good, we resign to everything, and we just don't demand enough/protest enough, which can at least make our great politicians take some notice. I guess that's what being ruled by foreigners (and this goes back much before the British era) for centuries has done to us!

Spare a thought for the amazing rulers we have for us- a home minister who's more in the news for changing his bandhgalas between meetings than for framing forward-looking policies (I heard a rumor there is an Indian attire fashion show being planned somewhere in his name!), a railway minister who has more scams in his name & more cows in his shed than the years he has spent on this earth, a prime minister who, notwithstanding the fact that he is an earnest man, sounds as threatening for the enemies as Venkatesh Prasad bowling a bouncer at a batsman, and most of all, a president who has decided to cut short her very important trip to far east (which was to my guess more of an effort in the direction of her improving her culinary skills in the sea-food category) more because another former superstar V.P. Singh has passed away (no disrespect intended at a person who has died, but you get the comparison!). Well, with this and more as a list to look up, its anyone's guess that our enemies won't really be quivering in their boots or even expecting an aggressive diplomatic real-politik stance from us!

Well, I don't mean to sound entirely pessimistic, so lets dwell on some positives as well. And nothing can be more heartening for an Indian than the way our security forces, the NSG & the MARCOS have risked their lives in saving ours, and in the process we have lost some of our bravest citizens. My heartfelt salute goes out to all of them, for inspite of being poorly paid & shabbily treated, they have stood up for us when we needed them the most, and shown us what true bravery is all about, and who our true heroes are! God bless, gentlemen!

What now? Well, some points that keep coming up after every such incident so much so that they have become a tad rhetorical, though that doesn't take anything away from their importance. First, reforms in the way our security forces are treated and improvement & more investment in their equipments and modernization of the same, on a war-footing. Creation of a central body on terror that will, most importantly, be an autonomous body and be answerable only to one person at the top(this looks a bit difficult, though!). Drastic and immediate improvements in the pay scales of our security forces, I mean this is so elementary that it's a shame to even mention it! Reaching out to every community in our country through regular programmes, making sure every complaining voice is heard, and no situation is created wherein few people can take advantage of the feelings of injustice/hatred people may foster for each other.

Last but not the least, more involvement of our generation in politics, & what I mean by that is at least making sure each one of us votes. I know you will say they are all the same, but at least it has to be made clear to the politicians that the educated class cares in how the country is run, and if its not done properly, it will ask questions.

Let this be the turning point in how we deal with terror, and how we look at taking our country ahead, and I would end it on a positive note, quoting Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption: "Hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies!"

Smiles,
SayanSayanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-71797788349888673642008-11-02T20:19:00.001+05:302008-11-02T20:20:50.448+05:30So long Jumbo!I was spending the perfect Sunday afternoon, after a satisfying lunch at home thanks to our caring Maharashtrian cook, curled up on the drawing room sofa watching the India-Australia test match, when the news filtered in of Anil Kumble hanging up his boots. Well, not a surprising piece of news you might say, not even one that would evoke a lot of emotion among someone who doesn't follow cricket.

However, I'm and always have been, an ardent cricket fan, and always believe test cricket is the ultimate test of a cricketer's skills, and there is something about test cricket that mirrors life, that is so eerily similar to life itself! And it is with this background that I thought it fitting to pay tribute to a monumental cricketer, and man.

The last few days have been bringing along bad news by the galore, TV channels falling over each other to bring us news of the entire manoos-bhaiyya drama (I call it idiocy), the Assam blasts (of course, it's a different matter that we have become completely de-sensitized to these by now, as along as we are in one piece, its cool!), not to mention the economic meltdown, courtesy which an entire breed of professionals seem to be losing their value in the matrimonial market! Amidst all this negativity, it was a welcome change to see some positive words and comments today in the channels, that's the power of good old-fashioned goodness of character, integrity and dedication, words that are as alien to modern day society as politicians not indulging in regional vote-bank politics. And that's what brings me to the man called Anil Kumble!

There is something very great about someone who refuses to give up, someone who stands tall in the face of adversity and still retains the strength of his character and doesn't give up on the way he has decided to live his life, someone who is humble and modest often to a fault, someone who, even in these troubled and confused times, pursues his goal single-mindedly and without resorting to cheap gimmicks, low tricks and in a manner reminding everyone the way sport should be played, and indeed, life should be lived- with head held high! Qualities like these warm the cockles of our hearts, because deep down, we all nurture this goodness, and want to live life that way (trust me!), but most of us are too weak to resist the temptations, or we give in to our circumstances, as we love to say. The truth being, there is always a choice (quoting Spider-man), and its upto us to make it.

That's Kumble's legacy, not his 619 test wickets, or his nearly un-playable top-spinners or googlies, or his impeccable line and length, but to be able to demonstrate true leadership and be able to be a true champion, someone worthy of emulating and making a role model out of, whichever field one might belong to. Who can forget his bowling in West Indies with a fractured and heavily bandaged jaw, so much as he could hardly open his mouth even to appeal!

The farewell scenes were poignant, and brought a lump to my throat. But more than anything I realized what a true champion can do, he rises above the game or his own field, and gives us some pointers as to the way life should be lived, and unites us in a way which no politician or other hate-agents can ever dream to undo!

Well, I might be getting a bit emotional here, but I guess this is the vent I needed to pour out my feelings about the crap that has been happening lately! Guys, we all have a responsibility of behaving in the right way in the present circumstances, and to use an old chiche, spread the cheer!

And as far as Mr. Kumble is concerned, I guess it will suffice to say:

Well played sir!Sayanhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6171515536978231627.post-11743280942366269532008-09-20T15:40:00.000+05:302008-09-20T15:41:08.522+05:30A little help!Hi guys,

How many of you have noticed what happens to the food that is laid out for us for lunch in our companies, after we finish? We dont normally notice, even I wouldn't have, until one day when I happened to go into our canteen for water at around 2.30 p.m., and to my horror, found quite a lot of food that was left over in the containers (and Im not talking of leftovers here), was being thrown into a plastic bag for disposal. What a sheer wastage of food in a country where there are so many people who dont even get a square meal a day!

I decided something needed to be done about this, and then I recollected reading somewhere there were some NGOs who voluntarily collected extra food from places and distributed it among the poor people. I did a quick net search, uploaded my query to karmayog (an NGO listing site), and sure enough, got a response from a gentleman who knew quite a few of these NGOs, and put me thorugh to one of them. I talked to them, and they were more than happy to enter into an arrangement whereby they would come to our office every day around 2.45, with their containers, and take the food to feed children who they took care of. This NGO is quite close to our office in BKC, so it suited both parties, and though only one week has gone by with them collecting extra food from our office, and the economic feasibility of the same is yet to be ascertained from their side, but at least some hungry children are getting to eat with a little help!

The reason for me telling you guys is not self-promotion, indeed, thats the last thing on my mind. But what I really want to achieve is bring about an awareness among our privileged generation that there are lots of people out there who are not as privileged, and that all it requires for you guys to start the same in your respective offices is, believe me, one hour of effort one day in googling for an NGO near your offices, and 15 minutes to talk to your office admin guys, trust me, there are always people willing to be associated with a good cause, they only need to be shown the way!

So, a humble request to all of you, try and implement the same in your offices. If you want, Ill share the number of the person who had contacted me initially, and also help you with the process. But only if you are interested!

Trust me, its a huge satisfaction to be got, particularly for those of us who keep complaining of not having job satisfaction!Sayanhttp://email@example.com