Life in last one month has completely turned upside down as Dad had to undergo complete gastrectomy (surgical removal of stomach) following the diagnosis of Adeno-carcinoma (type of cancer) of Stomach. The silver lining is that the post- surgery CT scan of nodes and adjoining area is completely negative.
The Gastroenterologist tells a good prognosis in such cases.
Dad was admitted on the night of 11th Oct, he still is in hospital (at MAX Hospital, Saket). Though he was at home for a brief period of 4-5 days 2 weeks after surgery, but some complication happened and was again admitted. One feels so helpless in a situation like this as one can't do anything except believing the doctors and praying to god.
He has been showing signs of improvements. He is like to be back home by mid of next week. Apart from few days where he has bouts of weakness and malaise, Dad remains his animated self on most occasions. His will power and strength is really inspiring.
Please pray for his speedy recovery and prolonged quality of life.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
PUMBA Interview
The Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA), University of Pune covered the topic of "Joint Replacements" in their recent gazette. They got in touch with me and following interview resulted.
The Global Players Have Injected A Dose Of Professionalism In Device Marketing...
Mr. Sanjay Lohani, Head, Marketing (India) of Orthopaedic Company – Zimmer (USA), has an experience of nearly 14 years of MNC general management, marketing, sales & business development across medical devices & pharmaceutical sectors. Sir has worked with renowned companies like Baxter Healthcare (Mumbai) as Sales Manager – Western India, Edward Life sciences (Mumbai) ICI Pharmaceuticals (Chennai) at various levels.
The PUMBA GAZETTE team had the opportunity to catch up with Sir and obtain his views on the upcoming segment of biomedical devices.
Q1. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices being similar where do you think the difference lies in marketing strategy?
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices though two seemingly similar fields are actually quite different. Pharmaceutical industry is a huge industry with hundreds of fragmented players whereas the device industry is relatively small and has restricted number of players.
In layman’s terms, devices are often used by interventional doctors or surgeons which are very- very few in numbers while the pharmaceutical industry has the comfort of huge number of customer (doctor) base.
The Pharma marketing relies more on representatives who can effectively communicate the benefits and limitations of the drugs (emphasis mainly on kinetics, metabolism, and eventual disposition in body) they are selling. Medical devices, on the other hand, are more hands-in, as far as both the doctors and the patients are involved, thus it relies heavily on close knit relationships with such few customers (doctors). It heavily relies on hands-on demonstration and in-Cath Lab/Operation Theatre (emphasis on interaction with body and possible failure modes). In other words, technical support and service of the sales person plays a major role as far as the devices are concerned whereas theoretical product knowledge, good communication and ability to differentiate oneself among the clutter plays a major role in Pharma marketing/selling.
Q2. When did you enter into medical devices sector?
I have been associated with marketing of medical devices for last 10 years and have worked for reputed multi national companies which are global leaders in the field they are in.
Q3. From the time you entered the sector and now what is the major difference you notice in this segment?
Ten years back when I entered in the Device segment, big Indian distributors ruled the roost. They were the ones who had close relationships with the surgeons/doctors and would import devices as per their needs.
In last few years, as the market in India is becoming attractive, more and more global players are setting up their own shops in India, slowly taking the relationships away from the distributors. These global players have injected a huge dose of professionalism in device marketing.
Q4. How do you anticipate the future of the medical devices industry by 2012?
India's growing population of over 1 billion presents a great market opportunity for the Life Science or Device companies. With the liberalization of Indian economy and its willingness to adapt to the new technologies, time to market devices in the Indian market is now. Also, India's large pool of talented scientific and technical
manpower, low R&D cost and lower cost of manufacturing has made it an attractive destination for sourcing.
In next couple of years as the affordability, awareness and access of the huge middle class population of India improves, the device industry is all set to relieve the morbidity and mortality of the said population and likely to increase the quality of life as well as lifeexpectancy. The industry will continue to deliver a strong double digit growth in coming next few years.
Q5. With the life span of an individual increasing, orthopaedic surgeries are on a rise however the cost is beyond the reach of an average Indian. What can be done to make medical devices affordable for the average Indian?
In last 5-6 years, the affordability of Indian middle class has consistently been improving which has made the access of treatment involving medical devices within the reach of a large section of middle class. For poor class of patients, I am aware of many Government hospitals which do not charge the patient for the hospital and surgeon fee. For last many years we have been hearing a lot about insurance sector gaining ground, but so far their coverage is way below the expectation. But it surely holds a big promise.
Q6. Medical tourism is gaining a strong foothold in India with more and more people coming to India for surgeries related to replacement therapies. What are the major benefits India offers in this respect?
Good that you have asked this question! It is still more a dream than reality. I believe India is far off than realising the true potential of medical tourism. So far only a few big corporate hospitals have been able to attract patients (that too, from the markets like Middle East and Africa). For India, to be a successful medical tourism destination, we need to have better systems, facilities, results and focus.
Q7. What is the technological innovation you have carried out at Zimmer?
At Zimmer, we believe in making available technologically superior devices to improve quality of life of patients world over. In India, we have strived to make available these technologically superior devices almost at the same time at which they are being introduced in developed world, that too at a price in-line with the existing devices for similar disorders. An example is the Gender Knee which is a knee designed
specifically for women anatomy. We were the first country in Asia to make available this knee for the ailing arthritic women in our country. It has been accepted very well by the Orthopaedic community. Their confidence in us keeps us focusing on our vision which is to be the global leader in enhancing quality of life for orthopaedic patients worldwide.
Compiled by: The PUMBA Gazette Interview Team
The Global Players Have Injected A Dose Of Professionalism In Device Marketing...
Mr. Sanjay Lohani, Head, Marketing (India) of Orthopaedic Company – Zimmer (USA), has an experience of nearly 14 years of MNC general management, marketing, sales & business development across medical devices & pharmaceutical sectors. Sir has worked with renowned companies like Baxter Healthcare (Mumbai) as Sales Manager – Western India, Edward Life sciences (Mumbai) ICI Pharmaceuticals (Chennai) at various levels.
The PUMBA GAZETTE team had the opportunity to catch up with Sir and obtain his views on the upcoming segment of biomedical devices.
Q1. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices being similar where do you think the difference lies in marketing strategy?
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices though two seemingly similar fields are actually quite different. Pharmaceutical industry is a huge industry with hundreds of fragmented players whereas the device industry is relatively small and has restricted number of players.
In layman’s terms, devices are often used by interventional doctors or surgeons which are very- very few in numbers while the pharmaceutical industry has the comfort of huge number of customer (doctor) base.
The Pharma marketing relies more on representatives who can effectively communicate the benefits and limitations of the drugs (emphasis mainly on kinetics, metabolism, and eventual disposition in body) they are selling. Medical devices, on the other hand, are more hands-in, as far as both the doctors and the patients are involved, thus it relies heavily on close knit relationships with such few customers (doctors). It heavily relies on hands-on demonstration and in-Cath Lab/Operation Theatre (emphasis on interaction with body and possible failure modes). In other words, technical support and service of the sales person plays a major role as far as the devices are concerned whereas theoretical product knowledge, good communication and ability to differentiate oneself among the clutter plays a major role in Pharma marketing/selling.
Q2. When did you enter into medical devices sector?
I have been associated with marketing of medical devices for last 10 years and have worked for reputed multi national companies which are global leaders in the field they are in.
Q3. From the time you entered the sector and now what is the major difference you notice in this segment?
Ten years back when I entered in the Device segment, big Indian distributors ruled the roost. They were the ones who had close relationships with the surgeons/doctors and would import devices as per their needs.
In last few years, as the market in India is becoming attractive, more and more global players are setting up their own shops in India, slowly taking the relationships away from the distributors. These global players have injected a huge dose of professionalism in device marketing.
Q4. How do you anticipate the future of the medical devices industry by 2012?
India's growing population of over 1 billion presents a great market opportunity for the Life Science or Device companies. With the liberalization of Indian economy and its willingness to adapt to the new technologies, time to market devices in the Indian market is now. Also, India's large pool of talented scientific and technical
manpower, low R&D cost and lower cost of manufacturing has made it an attractive destination for sourcing.
In next couple of years as the affordability, awareness and access of the huge middle class population of India improves, the device industry is all set to relieve the morbidity and mortality of the said population and likely to increase the quality of life as well as lifeexpectancy. The industry will continue to deliver a strong double digit growth in coming next few years.
Q5. With the life span of an individual increasing, orthopaedic surgeries are on a rise however the cost is beyond the reach of an average Indian. What can be done to make medical devices affordable for the average Indian?
In last 5-6 years, the affordability of Indian middle class has consistently been improving which has made the access of treatment involving medical devices within the reach of a large section of middle class. For poor class of patients, I am aware of many Government hospitals which do not charge the patient for the hospital and surgeon fee. For last many years we have been hearing a lot about insurance sector gaining ground, but so far their coverage is way below the expectation. But it surely holds a big promise.
Q6. Medical tourism is gaining a strong foothold in India with more and more people coming to India for surgeries related to replacement therapies. What are the major benefits India offers in this respect?
Good that you have asked this question! It is still more a dream than reality. I believe India is far off than realising the true potential of medical tourism. So far only a few big corporate hospitals have been able to attract patients (that too, from the markets like Middle East and Africa). For India, to be a successful medical tourism destination, we need to have better systems, facilities, results and focus.
Q7. What is the technological innovation you have carried out at Zimmer?
At Zimmer, we believe in making available technologically superior devices to improve quality of life of patients world over. In India, we have strived to make available these technologically superior devices almost at the same time at which they are being introduced in developed world, that too at a price in-line with the existing devices for similar disorders. An example is the Gender Knee which is a knee designed
specifically for women anatomy. We were the first country in Asia to make available this knee for the ailing arthritic women in our country. It has been accepted very well by the Orthopaedic community. Their confidence in us keeps us focusing on our vision which is to be the global leader in enhancing quality of life for orthopaedic patients worldwide.
Compiled by: The PUMBA Gazette Interview Team
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Week in God's Own Country
(Snaps taken by our 7.2 megapixels Sony Cybershot)
Lake Resort, Kumarakom:
House Boat, Alleppy:
Thekkady:
Munnar:
Cochin:
Lake Resort, Kumarakom:
House Boat, Alleppy:
Thekkady:
Munnar:
Cochin:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It could have been us!
Today at 5:15 pm, in an unfortunate incident at Tekkady in Kerala, a Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) boat overturned in the Periyar lake drowning 35 people to death (as per the recent count reported by a TV channel). The boat was carrying 76 tourists.
Tekkady is one of the main tourist spots in Kerala known for spice plantation and wild life sanctuary. It is about 140 Kms from Cochin and 105 kms from Munnar.
To see animals in their natural habitat, KTDC arranges boat rides through the Periyar lake. There are about 5-6 old boats named Jalyatra, Jalraja, Periyar etc. used for the purpose.
In one of these boats today, 76 unsuspecting tourist like us (including foreigners) excitedly started a 90 minute journey expecting to catch glimpse of wild animals. As they were returning, the boat tragically overturned.
As one of the local Kerala channel was listing the names of unfortunate tourists who drowned and died, a shiver ran through me - It could easily have been us! Just 48 hours back, it was me and Gurpreet who had taken one of these boats in Tekkady!
Two days back, even then, we actually feared a stampede - there was absolutely no readiness in handling big crowds. That being a long week-end, people were going one over the other, to board the boats from a small platform (lest they would not get a proper seat to sit). Women and children looked most vulnerable. That evening no more tickets were available and few were even sold in black!
I remember one of our co-passengers commenting to the boat guy- "These boats are very old, why don't you just throw them?" Unfortunately, in India no one thinks much of these comments (as so far nothing untoward would have happened). A tragedy is just lurking round the corner and people just don't seem to see it - till actually something happens and people lose their lives.
Just couple of months back, another person lost his life near Chennai during bungee jumping! One of my friends, who is interested in adventure sports, reported an alarming number of people dying in Goa, until recently, for the lack of safety measures. Just imagine, what all would be happening across India due to 'chalt hai' and 'it can't happen to us' attitude.
But the point is - are you safe as a tourist in India?
My answer is- I am not sure.
It could easily have been us.
Just 48 hours separated us from the unfortunate ones!
Tekkady is one of the main tourist spots in Kerala known for spice plantation and wild life sanctuary. It is about 140 Kms from Cochin and 105 kms from Munnar.
To see animals in their natural habitat, KTDC arranges boat rides through the Periyar lake. There are about 5-6 old boats named Jalyatra, Jalraja, Periyar etc. used for the purpose.
In one of these boats today, 76 unsuspecting tourist like us (including foreigners) excitedly started a 90 minute journey expecting to catch glimpse of wild animals. As they were returning, the boat tragically overturned.
As one of the local Kerala channel was listing the names of unfortunate tourists who drowned and died, a shiver ran through me - It could easily have been us! Just 48 hours back, it was me and Gurpreet who had taken one of these boats in Tekkady!
Two days back, even then, we actually feared a stampede - there was absolutely no readiness in handling big crowds. That being a long week-end, people were going one over the other, to board the boats from a small platform (lest they would not get a proper seat to sit). Women and children looked most vulnerable. That evening no more tickets were available and few were even sold in black!
I remember one of our co-passengers commenting to the boat guy- "These boats are very old, why don't you just throw them?" Unfortunately, in India no one thinks much of these comments (as so far nothing untoward would have happened). A tragedy is just lurking round the corner and people just don't seem to see it - till actually something happens and people lose their lives.
Just couple of months back, another person lost his life near Chennai during bungee jumping! One of my friends, who is interested in adventure sports, reported an alarming number of people dying in Goa, until recently, for the lack of safety measures. Just imagine, what all would be happening across India due to 'chalt hai' and 'it can't happen to us' attitude.
But the point is - are you safe as a tourist in India?
My answer is- I am not sure.
It could easily have been us.
Just 48 hours separated us from the unfortunate ones!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
(K)not Again!
After few years of separation and subsequent divorce, I decided to move on.
Yesterday in a simple function in the presence of few close friends at an Arya Samaj Mandir at South Delhi, got married to one of my colleague Gurpreet.We have known each other for about a year.
Seeking your wishes & blessings,
-Sanjay & Gurprret.
Yesterday in a simple function in the presence of few close friends at an Arya Samaj Mandir at South Delhi, got married to one of my colleague Gurpreet.We have known each other for about a year.
Seeking your wishes & blessings,
-Sanjay & Gurprret.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
a "Thank You Moment!"
As my traveling increased, I took to reading fiction during the flights (there was a time when I used to think reading fiction is wasting time – but times change and so does the taste!). My favorite Author these days has been Agatha Christie with her riveting Murder mysteries.
This was one of the seriously early morning (5.50 am types) flights which all of us in corporate dread but keeps taking once in a while. I took out my Novel (which was gifted to me by my special friend – about whom you’ll hear more in next couple of days) in the hope of catching few pages but with eyelids drooping and sleep seducing, what chances I had? I snored mostly through the flight to Ahmedabad.
Next day while checking out of the Hotel, I realized that I had lost the novel. I asked the reception to thoroughly check my room if I had left it there. Through the housekeeping they got it checked and reported convincingly that nothing was left. It occurred to me that I might have left it in the Flight.
Hmm…another lost thing due to carelessness.
While I was about to board this Indian Airlines Flight to Delhi, the Airline woman looked at my boarding pass and asked, “Sir, did you also traveled with us yesterday Delhi-Ahmedabad?” After I nodded, I was pleasantly surprise to hear that “Sir, you left a book in the flight. It is with us. It is too late to get it now, can you collect it when you’d come next time?” She thus filled in hope and then kind of punctured it. Who would remember next time? Whom would I contact?
Now, it so happened that I was again at Ahmedabad a week later. Before boarding my flight to Delhi, I went inside the Indian Airlines counter and said, “Last week I was traveling through your Airlines and….” the man at the counter interrupted and completed the sentence for me “….and you left your book in-flight, right?” He then rushed to the Almirah dig out my Novel and joyfully handed it back to me saying excitedly, “So many people leave their books in flight, we keep them all, hardly anyone comes to claim them, I am happy you are back….”
It was a genuine heartfelt “Thank You Moment” for me, despite being Indian Airlines, the staff at Ahmedabad Airport is sure doing a great job. Kudos!
This was one of the seriously early morning (5.50 am types) flights which all of us in corporate dread but keeps taking once in a while. I took out my Novel (which was gifted to me by my special friend – about whom you’ll hear more in next couple of days) in the hope of catching few pages but with eyelids drooping and sleep seducing, what chances I had? I snored mostly through the flight to Ahmedabad.
Next day while checking out of the Hotel, I realized that I had lost the novel. I asked the reception to thoroughly check my room if I had left it there. Through the housekeeping they got it checked and reported convincingly that nothing was left. It occurred to me that I might have left it in the Flight.
Hmm…another lost thing due to carelessness.
While I was about to board this Indian Airlines Flight to Delhi, the Airline woman looked at my boarding pass and asked, “Sir, did you also traveled with us yesterday Delhi-Ahmedabad?” After I nodded, I was pleasantly surprise to hear that “Sir, you left a book in the flight. It is with us. It is too late to get it now, can you collect it when you’d come next time?” She thus filled in hope and then kind of punctured it. Who would remember next time? Whom would I contact?
Now, it so happened that I was again at Ahmedabad a week later. Before boarding my flight to Delhi, I went inside the Indian Airlines counter and said, “Last week I was traveling through your Airlines and….” the man at the counter interrupted and completed the sentence for me “….and you left your book in-flight, right?” He then rushed to the Almirah dig out my Novel and joyfully handed it back to me saying excitedly, “So many people leave their books in flight, we keep them all, hardly anyone comes to claim them, I am happy you are back….”
It was a genuine heartfelt “Thank You Moment” for me, despite being Indian Airlines, the staff at Ahmedabad Airport is sure doing a great job. Kudos!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Arrived as poet!
You know you are good when people start "using" your poetry. I couldn't hide my pleasure when friend harsha sent the link below. Some Mr. piyush has been using my trivenis (last two on the page).
pYUSH.....YeH
............
.....main bhi ek gul hoon, mere andar bhi gulzaar hai
kagaz pakda, kalam uthayee aur kaside likh diye
raat khuda ne samjhaya, sirf ek banaya hai usne.
.....aaine mein kuch kharabi thi
dikhlata na tha surat-ien asal
naram-dil tha, bechara aainaa
pYUSH.....YeH
............
.....main bhi ek gul hoon, mere andar bhi gulzaar hai
kagaz pakda, kalam uthayee aur kaside likh diye
raat khuda ne samjhaya, sirf ek banaya hai usne.
.....aaine mein kuch kharabi thi
dikhlata na tha surat-ien asal
naram-dil tha, bechara aainaa
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Uske Aane Se!
Have been away for long. It does happen and will happen. It is one thing to be a blogger and other being a committed "serious" blogger. No point pretending the latter!
As there are reports of 10th Anniversary of "Blog" being celeberated, felt compelled to put something new on the blog. So here is my latest poem - "Uske Aane Se".
Uske Aane Se
berang ghar ki deewarein thi
sooni-sooni, silee-silee
har dastak par darwaze par
ban-ti mit-ti shakalein kori
ghis-ghis kar un deewarein ko
thoda gora rang kharocha
phir rogan aur choona lekar
rang daala kuch, chehre jaisa
dhoop dupahari alsaayee jab
khila wo chehra kaaya-kaaya
maatam waali seelan utari
dahakaya ghar, mehakaya
sisak raha tha ek arse se
lambi, sooni raat-on mein
naach utha man, mor ho jaise
saavan ya fir bhaadon mein
wo hi ghar hai, wo hi dehli
aur deewarein ab bhi wo
badla ye ki, darwaze par
har dastak par hansti wo!
p.s. : It seems about a decade ago, one firang jokingly split another firang's term 'weblog' into 'we blog', that's how the term 'blog' was born!
As there are reports of 10th Anniversary of "Blog" being celeberated, felt compelled to put something new on the blog. So here is my latest poem - "Uske Aane Se".
Uske Aane Se
berang ghar ki deewarein thi
sooni-sooni, silee-silee
har dastak par darwaze par
ban-ti mit-ti shakalein kori
ghis-ghis kar un deewarein ko
thoda gora rang kharocha
phir rogan aur choona lekar
rang daala kuch, chehre jaisa
dhoop dupahari alsaayee jab
khila wo chehra kaaya-kaaya
maatam waali seelan utari
dahakaya ghar, mehakaya
sisak raha tha ek arse se
lambi, sooni raat-on mein
naach utha man, mor ho jaise
saavan ya fir bhaadon mein
wo hi ghar hai, wo hi dehli
aur deewarein ab bhi wo
badla ye ki, darwaze par
har dastak par hansti wo!
p.s. : It seems about a decade ago, one firang jokingly split another firang's term 'weblog' into 'we blog', that's how the term 'blog' was born!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Brick-bat Dhoni?
The knives are out!
Everything looks so familiar. Déjà vu.
The tag of favorites, expectations of a billion, star-studded team and the zing fizzles out fairly early. Unexpected return of an old nemesis – the chin music. It was almost embarrassing to watch our IPL stars dancing, hopping, puffing and finally capitulating to the short pitch stuffed dished to them by a delighted bunch of “foren” pace bowlers on the “foren” bouncy pitches.
The extent of familiarity is such that even the traditional rite of burning effigy is not spared and was adhered to with the same old spirit. For Indian Cricket, life keeps coming back to a full circle every now and then.
This time though it seemed different in the beginning. The players were in a terrific form, they had played more 20-20 than anyone else in the world (wasn’t the early exit of Australians was blamed on to not playing the IPL!). The only seemed obstacle in India’s dream of retaining the much coveted trophy was a strong South African side. We all were at least convinced of a place in the final.
Then it all came back. Even before we reached the South African hurdle, we were beaten by New Zealand, West Indies and England! And as I write this, South Africa has already performed the last rites of this forgetful Indian tour. This time beating the Indians even in their own game – the spin!
In situations like this, when you look at people around you who give a damn to cricket, you feel a deep sense of envy.
But having said that, I would rather go through these familiar and painful failures of Indian Cricket team, to experience bliss when they come on top. Cases in hand would be Kapil lifting the cup, Gavasker’s 10,000th run as he lifted his bat up, Shastri taking the victorious team to ride on his Audi, All the World-cup matches against Pakistan, Ganguly’s bare-chested display, VVS and Dravid batting Australia out of Kolkata, Kumble’s 10 on 10, Yuvi’s 6 on 6, Viru’s 300+ in Pakistan and the subsequent win, Last year’s 20-20 title win and many more such golden moments!
For a nation starving of sporting achievements, it is only Cricket which gives us that pride. One game where we are among the best in the world. When I switch to this longer term view, I feel we should back our team when they are beaten so badly and not burn their effigies.
Philosophically, in any walk of life, you need to go through a lot of grinding including accepting failures to emerge champion. In fact, won’t you agree that failure often teaches stuff that success never can? This loss, I am sure, must have hurt this young Indian team equally and sure each one including Captain Dhoni would be carrying substantial learning from this debacle. Hopefully their bite would become far sharper and as Mahi said, nine months down the line there is another 20-20 World Cup, hopefully then, this team would perform as per the expectations of its fans across the World!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Vaapasi
(one of my bitter poems)
sab kuch badla hua sa paaya
aaj ek arse ke baad
jab main us makaan mein daakhil hua
ajnabi si kuch kitaabein bikhari hui thi idhar-udhar
ajnabi bistar, ajnabi chaadar, ajnabi si silvat-ein
aur un mein baithi hui wo - ajnabi
saath jiske maine ye ghar banaya tha kabhi
meri khusboo to bahut pahle hi ud chuki thi yahan se
ab bas ikka-dukka kuch saaman pada tha mera
sirf gawahi dene bhar ko –
ki yahi wo makaan hai, jo kabhi ghar hua karta tha mera
kuch sukoon tha
ki ek parichit to baki hai abhi- wo aaina mera,
chah kar bhi jo dikhla na paaya
humko hamaari sooratein
bahut pyaar karta hai mujhse – wo naram-dil aaina
jo dekha aaina
to kuchh na dekh paya phir
abke baras usne wo
aaina hi badal daala !
sab kuch badla hua sa paaya
aaj ek arse ke baad
jab main us makaan mein daakhil hua
ajnabi si kuch kitaabein bikhari hui thi idhar-udhar
ajnabi bistar, ajnabi chaadar, ajnabi si silvat-ein
aur un mein baithi hui wo - ajnabi
saath jiske maine ye ghar banaya tha kabhi
meri khusboo to bahut pahle hi ud chuki thi yahan se
ab bas ikka-dukka kuch saaman pada tha mera
sirf gawahi dene bhar ko –
ki yahi wo makaan hai, jo kabhi ghar hua karta tha mera
kuch sukoon tha
ki ek parichit to baki hai abhi- wo aaina mera,
chah kar bhi jo dikhla na paaya
humko hamaari sooratein
bahut pyaar karta hai mujhse – wo naram-dil aaina
jo dekha aaina
to kuchh na dekh paya phir
abke baras usne wo
aaina hi badal daala !
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Ishq mein......
(one of my better poems)
us roz phir subah
jaga main anmanaa sa
angadaayee leta hua
sheeshe ki jaanib bada
jhaank kar jo dekha
sann rah gaya
seesha kora ka kora
mera aks kahan gaya?
palat kar jab
bistar ki silvaton,
aur silvaton mein us ko dekha
to ek khayal aaya
ki kal raat jab
hum ek hue
wahin usi pal shayad,
mera vajood kho gaya !
us roz phir subah
jaga main anmanaa sa
angadaayee leta hua
sheeshe ki jaanib bada
jhaank kar jo dekha
sann rah gaya
seesha kora ka kora
mera aks kahan gaya?
palat kar jab
bistar ki silvaton,
aur silvaton mein us ko dekha
to ek khayal aaya
ki kal raat jab
hum ek hue
wahin usi pal shayad,
mera vajood kho gaya !
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
R & R of SRK, F & F of KKR
Just a bit of irony - a biographical film on SRK some time back was titled ‘Rise and Rise of Shahrukh Khan’. Today’s Hindustan Times reported another headline – ‘Fall and Fall of Kolkata Knight Riders’.
Of the eight teams, seven have been winning some and losing some, but the KKR has been only losing and losing.
Remember, the beginning of IPL? Which team was most talked about? Which team got best of the sponsors (Nokia!!!)? Which team had one of the most successful captains? Top it with a new bowling sensation of the times (who gave a new meaning to the word ‘embarrassment’ to one Mr. Ponting) and a powerhouse engine behind them – Shahrukh Khan. Every other team looked outclassed even before it all began!
What went wrong? Reams and reams have already been written and much more would follow as it is about two biggest passions of more than a billion people – Cricket & Bollywood! Here is my two penny worth.
To me, this poses a case study of - an attempt to drive very hard (towards your way to success). Contrast this with nurturing, building and slow but deliberate steering. I am an advocate of the latter. In my close-to-2-decade experience in corporate, I have come to this conclusion.
As they say, the ‘whole’ is more than sum of its individual parts. A team is not just only a summation of individual talents of the team-players but is also about their binding. This binding is further dependent on the frame of minds of these players. This frame gets positively impacted by factors such as –a positive (non-threatening) environment, a common (winning) cause, a clear understanding of know how – what’s to be done (what each player’s role is) and finally a feedback loop.
In corporate parlance, one would refer to these as the culture, the vision, the strategy (planning & execution) and the review.
We Indians are emotional people. Our performance varies very strongly based on our emotional mind frame. To me, this is what is being missed out by people who are hard task masters. In order to bring wholesale changes, one often overlooks the acceptability of these changes by the affected individuals (change management).
I think this was the nemesis of KKR. John Buchanan and SRK didn’t seem to do this so well. Their strategy evoked a threatening environment where apprehension was bigger than anything else. To form a “team” in such circumstance itself is a difficult task, forget about performance. The symptoms are then mistrust, sullen-ness and even ‘an insider mole’!
“What can a coach or captain do if team drops so many catches?” asked team CEO Joy Bhattacharya. My question is - you think KKR players have butterfingers? Or dropping catches is just a symptom of a deeper malaise?
A successful captain, who was successful in the first place because he backed his team-mates, became just a caricature of himself as his own existence was threatened. Contrast this with Shane Warne – who had no other big influence on the team except him and who could take his time, could carefully nurture, build and strengthen a real ‘team’. They were slow starters this IPL, but as the time passed, like wine they are back at their winning ways.
In the matrix of task orientation vs. people orientation, in India I guess, it’s better to err slightly on the people side. Hope Shahrukh becomes a bit of builder too, apart from being a driver!
Of the eight teams, seven have been winning some and losing some, but the KKR has been only losing and losing.
Remember, the beginning of IPL? Which team was most talked about? Which team got best of the sponsors (Nokia!!!)? Which team had one of the most successful captains? Top it with a new bowling sensation of the times (who gave a new meaning to the word ‘embarrassment’ to one Mr. Ponting) and a powerhouse engine behind them – Shahrukh Khan. Every other team looked outclassed even before it all began!
What went wrong? Reams and reams have already been written and much more would follow as it is about two biggest passions of more than a billion people – Cricket & Bollywood! Here is my two penny worth.
To me, this poses a case study of - an attempt to drive very hard (towards your way to success). Contrast this with nurturing, building and slow but deliberate steering. I am an advocate of the latter. In my close-to-2-decade experience in corporate, I have come to this conclusion.
As they say, the ‘whole’ is more than sum of its individual parts. A team is not just only a summation of individual talents of the team-players but is also about their binding. This binding is further dependent on the frame of minds of these players. This frame gets positively impacted by factors such as –a positive (non-threatening) environment, a common (winning) cause, a clear understanding of know how – what’s to be done (what each player’s role is) and finally a feedback loop.
In corporate parlance, one would refer to these as the culture, the vision, the strategy (planning & execution) and the review.
We Indians are emotional people. Our performance varies very strongly based on our emotional mind frame. To me, this is what is being missed out by people who are hard task masters. In order to bring wholesale changes, one often overlooks the acceptability of these changes by the affected individuals (change management).
I think this was the nemesis of KKR. John Buchanan and SRK didn’t seem to do this so well. Their strategy evoked a threatening environment where apprehension was bigger than anything else. To form a “team” in such circumstance itself is a difficult task, forget about performance. The symptoms are then mistrust, sullen-ness and even ‘an insider mole’!
“What can a coach or captain do if team drops so many catches?” asked team CEO Joy Bhattacharya. My question is - you think KKR players have butterfingers? Or dropping catches is just a symptom of a deeper malaise?
A successful captain, who was successful in the first place because he backed his team-mates, became just a caricature of himself as his own existence was threatened. Contrast this with Shane Warne – who had no other big influence on the team except him and who could take his time, could carefully nurture, build and strengthen a real ‘team’. They were slow starters this IPL, but as the time passed, like wine they are back at their winning ways.
In the matrix of task orientation vs. people orientation, in India I guess, it’s better to err slightly on the people side. Hope Shahrukh becomes a bit of builder too, apart from being a driver!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Zubaan sambhal ke... ; )
By the next elections, one lot of people would definitely be in major demand – the bollywood dialogue writers of 1970s! They would be the most sought-after people to write speeches for our respected leaders. The types which wrote, “kutte! main tera khoon pee jaunga!” May be in the same breadth, the leader to whom this would be directed may respond, “tera aur mera khoon to ek hi hai (hamne saath hi to janata ka khoon choosa)!”
And sir, you don’t have to wait for 5 years to witness this. It (the next election) would happen sooner than that. Anyway, didn’t you already have had a good laugh in these elections yet? No? Witness this:
Modi, “Congress 300 saal ki budhiya hai”
Priyanka, “Do I look old?”
Modi, “Ok then, congress is a Gudiya!”
Advani, “Rahul is a bachcha”
Priyanka, “If Advani considers himself to be a young man than Rahul has to be a bachcha, naa?”
Advani, “Manmohan Singh is the weakest pm in the history of country and has demeaned my chair (err… PM’s chair)
Rahul, “(look who is talking) Manmohan Singh is sher-e-punjab!
Sonia, “…and it was Advani who released the dreaded terrorist anyway (week, week, week)!”
(He! He! He!)
Leave aside the bigwigs, even apna Shekhar Suman initially roared that Raj Thackerey shall dare go to Bihar and address rallies. Of course Raj wouldn’t have taken it in a sporty way (that’s least of his strengths, anyway), once Suman uncle realised this, he meowed, “I was only suggesting that he should go and explain to people of Bihar why it is not good for them to look for jobs in Mumbai and he should also talk to the Bihar government.”
(Ha! Ha! Ha!)
The icing on the cake is the one from our home-grown, son-of-soil shri Mulayamji. His Party’s manifesto popped many eyeballs out! No computer!! No English!!!
Clearly our man believes that if he can’t uplift the poor masses, he can always bring the rest of the world to their level. Isn’t it a brilliant stroke anyway to counter bete noire Mayaji in wooing the poor masses (read vote bank)?
So guys out there in UP villages, be happy. You don’t have to learn any new skill anymore to move up. Stay where you are, just chill – soon whole of India would come down to your level. Why work hard? By next election, few of these villagers would have been a proud owner of a Nano and boom would come another manifesto – “Don’t have to learn driving folks. I would ban petrol and all cars henceforth would be bullock-cars!”
It was no less funny to see a sincere attempt by other-wise-intelligent Aruna Asaf Ali (SP candidate) to defend her boss in a press interview to an English Daily. What could she have done? She tried hard to achieve what seemed impossible right-from-the-word-go and sure, made a mess of it. Now come on guys, let’s not be harsh on her – is it her fault that our Mulayam Singhji sent his both sons to best of the English schools? Now that they are perhaps educated, their pappa can sure ban English or Computers or whatever. Unke baap ka kya jaata hai? Hai naa?
(Ho! Ho! Ho!)
And sir, you don’t have to wait for 5 years to witness this. It (the next election) would happen sooner than that. Anyway, didn’t you already have had a good laugh in these elections yet? No? Witness this:
Modi, “Congress 300 saal ki budhiya hai”
Priyanka, “Do I look old?”
Modi, “Ok then, congress is a Gudiya!”
Advani, “Rahul is a bachcha”
Priyanka, “If Advani considers himself to be a young man than Rahul has to be a bachcha, naa?”
Advani, “Manmohan Singh is the weakest pm in the history of country and has demeaned my chair (err… PM’s chair)
Rahul, “(look who is talking) Manmohan Singh is sher-e-punjab!
Sonia, “…and it was Advani who released the dreaded terrorist anyway (week, week, week)!”
(He! He! He!)
Leave aside the bigwigs, even apna Shekhar Suman initially roared that Raj Thackerey shall dare go to Bihar and address rallies. Of course Raj wouldn’t have taken it in a sporty way (that’s least of his strengths, anyway), once Suman uncle realised this, he meowed, “I was only suggesting that he should go and explain to people of Bihar why it is not good for them to look for jobs in Mumbai and he should also talk to the Bihar government.”
(Ha! Ha! Ha!)
The icing on the cake is the one from our home-grown, son-of-soil shri Mulayamji. His Party’s manifesto popped many eyeballs out! No computer!! No English!!!
Clearly our man believes that if he can’t uplift the poor masses, he can always bring the rest of the world to their level. Isn’t it a brilliant stroke anyway to counter bete noire Mayaji in wooing the poor masses (read vote bank)?
So guys out there in UP villages, be happy. You don’t have to learn any new skill anymore to move up. Stay where you are, just chill – soon whole of India would come down to your level. Why work hard? By next election, few of these villagers would have been a proud owner of a Nano and boom would come another manifesto – “Don’t have to learn driving folks. I would ban petrol and all cars henceforth would be bullock-cars!”
It was no less funny to see a sincere attempt by other-wise-intelligent Aruna Asaf Ali (SP candidate) to defend her boss in a press interview to an English Daily. What could she have done? She tried hard to achieve what seemed impossible right-from-the-word-go and sure, made a mess of it. Now come on guys, let’s not be harsh on her – is it her fault that our Mulayam Singhji sent his both sons to best of the English schools? Now that they are perhaps educated, their pappa can sure ban English or Computers or whatever. Unke baap ka kya jaata hai? Hai naa?
(Ho! Ho! Ho!)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Great Indian Political Bandwagon!
His name was Deodutt Singh. He was my next door neighbour at Rhea Hostel in Allahabad during my final year of graduation. Deodutt was a keen student of Political Science and though he was one year my junior, I was awed by his political thinking.
The time was latter half of 1990. That was the time of mighty ascendance of BJP. LK Advani was all ready to set off the "Rath Yatra" to Ayodhya to champion the cause of the construction of a Ram temple on the disputed site there.
There was this new found excitement among most Hindus. They believed it was time for them to assert themselves and fight against the opportunistic appeasement of Muslims by Congress, for long.
It was also a time people were looking for some freshness, some change, some new ideology and BJP was able to capitalise on it. It had an array of learned leaders with a relatively cleaner and intellectual image – Vajpayee, Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and many such.
I was not the only one affected by this Euphoria. I remember, like Hindus all-over in the cow-belt, we (Hindu) Hostelers too rallied behind BJP. In fact, most of us - except one!
Deodutt Singh used to take lots of pains to explain to us that BJP’s ideology is a flawed one. He was such a critic that he would equate it with Fascist philosophies as existed in Europe in the times of Hitler & Mussolini.
He used to explain to us that in this process of identifying "goodness" and "superiority" with "us," there was a tendency to identify "evil" with "them." And if the “us” was a majority – one could imagine the plight of the minority “them”. It was like Aryan vs. Jews!
He would say that it would lead to never-before polarisation of society and would lead only to destruction in both groups. We didn’t believe that. We just thought that BJP is trying to bring back the balance, which had skewed towards the Muslims. He warned us that we would realise this after many years that it was not a done thing.
How right he was! In hindsight, it exactly happened the way he said. Attacks and counter-attacks. Ayodhya, Mumbai, Gujarat and then whole of India. Result – mass destruction and hatred. This hatred was initially exploited by Politicians and then worst, by Terrorists!
I now feel sad that at one time even I supported the harbinger of hatred – The BJP. Today its allies are taking it to a new low where women are being attacked for going to pubs and North Indians are beaten up just for aspiring to live in metropolis like Mumbai.
Enough of BJP. Let’s talk about the players in the so called “Third Front”. Yesterday I watched a so-so movie called “Coffee House” which had its moments and a message. At one point in the movie, the agitated Hero puts up a rhetoric question, “You know who are the minority community in India?” In the same breath he replies, “It’s a small group of people who first call themselves “Indian” before being referred to as Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali etc!”
How true! The Third Front ideology falls too short, here.
That just leaves Congress.
Congress too has its own share of Nepotism, Corruption, and a record of Hatred Mongering (The 1984 riots against Sikhs). I see a difference though. This hatred was not a result of any ideology. This was a handiwork of some opportunistic politicians (which thanks to Jarnail Singh’s shoe throwing episode, have been removed from the poll fray, this time) trying to use mass hatred to get more votes!
Congress is secular, thinks National and is capable of providing stable governance.
But what about Dynastic Rule? I wouldn’t lose too much sleep on it. Would you pick Rahul because he is a Nehru-Gandhi scion or because he is young and comes across as a non-conventional, optimist neta? Think of George Bush, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Chris Cowdrey etc etc - where it doesn’t happen that the children get more exposure and a kick-start than others (an undue advantage!) in their parent(s) field. But can we choose our parents? No.
But we can sure choose a Government.
And shouldn’t we?
p.s. :
- Deodutt Singh is now an IPS officer in the Orissa Cadre.
- Thanks to Ajay for asking me blog into the troubled waters of Politics.
The time was latter half of 1990. That was the time of mighty ascendance of BJP. LK Advani was all ready to set off the "Rath Yatra" to Ayodhya to champion the cause of the construction of a Ram temple on the disputed site there.
There was this new found excitement among most Hindus. They believed it was time for them to assert themselves and fight against the opportunistic appeasement of Muslims by Congress, for long.
It was also a time people were looking for some freshness, some change, some new ideology and BJP was able to capitalise on it. It had an array of learned leaders with a relatively cleaner and intellectual image – Vajpayee, Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and many such.
I was not the only one affected by this Euphoria. I remember, like Hindus all-over in the cow-belt, we (Hindu) Hostelers too rallied behind BJP. In fact, most of us - except one!
Deodutt Singh used to take lots of pains to explain to us that BJP’s ideology is a flawed one. He was such a critic that he would equate it with Fascist philosophies as existed in Europe in the times of Hitler & Mussolini.
He used to explain to us that in this process of identifying "goodness" and "superiority" with "us," there was a tendency to identify "evil" with "them." And if the “us” was a majority – one could imagine the plight of the minority “them”. It was like Aryan vs. Jews!
He would say that it would lead to never-before polarisation of society and would lead only to destruction in both groups. We didn’t believe that. We just thought that BJP is trying to bring back the balance, which had skewed towards the Muslims. He warned us that we would realise this after many years that it was not a done thing.
How right he was! In hindsight, it exactly happened the way he said. Attacks and counter-attacks. Ayodhya, Mumbai, Gujarat and then whole of India. Result – mass destruction and hatred. This hatred was initially exploited by Politicians and then worst, by Terrorists!
I now feel sad that at one time even I supported the harbinger of hatred – The BJP. Today its allies are taking it to a new low where women are being attacked for going to pubs and North Indians are beaten up just for aspiring to live in metropolis like Mumbai.
Enough of BJP. Let’s talk about the players in the so called “Third Front”. Yesterday I watched a so-so movie called “Coffee House” which had its moments and a message. At one point in the movie, the agitated Hero puts up a rhetoric question, “You know who are the minority community in India?” In the same breath he replies, “It’s a small group of people who first call themselves “Indian” before being referred to as Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali etc!”
How true! The Third Front ideology falls too short, here.
That just leaves Congress.
Congress too has its own share of Nepotism, Corruption, and a record of Hatred Mongering (The 1984 riots against Sikhs). I see a difference though. This hatred was not a result of any ideology. This was a handiwork of some opportunistic politicians (which thanks to Jarnail Singh’s shoe throwing episode, have been removed from the poll fray, this time) trying to use mass hatred to get more votes!
Congress is secular, thinks National and is capable of providing stable governance.
But what about Dynastic Rule? I wouldn’t lose too much sleep on it. Would you pick Rahul because he is a Nehru-Gandhi scion or because he is young and comes across as a non-conventional, optimist neta? Think of George Bush, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Chris Cowdrey etc etc - where it doesn’t happen that the children get more exposure and a kick-start than others (an undue advantage!) in their parent(s) field. But can we choose our parents? No.
But we can sure choose a Government.
And shouldn’t we?
p.s. :
- Deodutt Singh is now an IPS officer in the Orissa Cadre.
- Thanks to Ajay for asking me blog into the troubled waters of Politics.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sakharam Binder
Morality is relative.
What is perfectly moral in one society can become immoral in other. The marriage among first cousins is a good example of this. So there is no right or wrong in morality. It seems what a society views by and large as acceptable becomes its moral boundaries.
Now what happens if an individual views his/her morality differently than what the society he lives in, believes?
I guess if he is weak and meek he might have to behave in socially acceptable norms even if he doesn’t believe in it and may face an eternal internal conflict. But this doesn’t seem to be a possibility in the first place. It’s an oxymoron. As weak and meek would have been tamed very early by the people around him (parents, teachers etc etc) and would have internalised the moral norms as defined by his society.
The interesting situation would be if a strong willed individual defines his moralities differently than the society he lives in and goes on to defy the social moral fabric with I-don’t-care-a-damn attitude. Wouldn’t it upset the society big time? Today with our awareness of the concept of individual freedom as borrowed from the West – this may still seem possible but what about of India 35 years back?
That’s the kind of dilemma Playwright Vijay Tendulkar’s Marathi play ‘Sakharam Binder’ would have presented in 1972 when it was first performed. The result? It was banned in 1974!
I guess better sense would have prevailed soon and the ban would have taken off. The play has been in circulation since then and still is a favourite pick among the Theatre groups. This week-end I had got this great opportunity of watching its Hindi adaptation at Epicentre, Gurgaon.
Sakharam, a book-binder in a small town in Maharashtra doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage and picks up other men's discarded wives who would otherwise be homeless and destitute - and takes them in as domestic servants and sex partners. He rules his home like a tyrant and the woman brought-in is given an option of living by his rules and be treated like a servant and sex-object or to leave whenever she likes. He even promises to give her a sari, 50 rupees and a ticket to wherever she wants to go.
As far as Sakharam is concerned, this is absolutely moral as long as he is truthful and upfront about the arrangement. However, what he doesn't anticipate are the complications that arise out of this arrangement, which proves heartbreakingly ruinous to everyone involved.
Sakharam Binder was initially acted by Neelu Phule. Those who have seen Neelu Phule in few of the Hindi films he did, would know what intensity he would have brought to this role of a Rural Marathi strong-willed person. It seems there is also a Marathi video available which has Sayaji Shinde in the lead role.
In 2004, it’s English adaptation was showed in New York too and after it got rave reviews in ‘The New York Times’, it needed to be extended by another week. Girish Karnad, who once inaugurated the Tendulkar festival in Pune, called Sakharam Binder the finest Indian play in a thousand years!
The play depicts Sakharam’s time with two women (out of seven or eight he brags about) – Lakshmi and Champa. The contrast between these two women is stark and also highlights a point that you can be oppressed only to the extent that you allow yourself to.
What is perfectly moral in one society can become immoral in other. The marriage among first cousins is a good example of this. So there is no right or wrong in morality. It seems what a society views by and large as acceptable becomes its moral boundaries.
Now what happens if an individual views his/her morality differently than what the society he lives in, believes?
I guess if he is weak and meek he might have to behave in socially acceptable norms even if he doesn’t believe in it and may face an eternal internal conflict. But this doesn’t seem to be a possibility in the first place. It’s an oxymoron. As weak and meek would have been tamed very early by the people around him (parents, teachers etc etc) and would have internalised the moral norms as defined by his society.
The interesting situation would be if a strong willed individual defines his moralities differently than the society he lives in and goes on to defy the social moral fabric with I-don’t-care-a-damn attitude. Wouldn’t it upset the society big time? Today with our awareness of the concept of individual freedom as borrowed from the West – this may still seem possible but what about of India 35 years back?
That’s the kind of dilemma Playwright Vijay Tendulkar’s Marathi play ‘Sakharam Binder’ would have presented in 1972 when it was first performed. The result? It was banned in 1974!
I guess better sense would have prevailed soon and the ban would have taken off. The play has been in circulation since then and still is a favourite pick among the Theatre groups. This week-end I had got this great opportunity of watching its Hindi adaptation at Epicentre, Gurgaon.
Sakharam, a book-binder in a small town in Maharashtra doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage and picks up other men's discarded wives who would otherwise be homeless and destitute - and takes them in as domestic servants and sex partners. He rules his home like a tyrant and the woman brought-in is given an option of living by his rules and be treated like a servant and sex-object or to leave whenever she likes. He even promises to give her a sari, 50 rupees and a ticket to wherever she wants to go.
As far as Sakharam is concerned, this is absolutely moral as long as he is truthful and upfront about the arrangement. However, what he doesn't anticipate are the complications that arise out of this arrangement, which proves heartbreakingly ruinous to everyone involved.
Sakharam Binder was initially acted by Neelu Phule. Those who have seen Neelu Phule in few of the Hindi films he did, would know what intensity he would have brought to this role of a Rural Marathi strong-willed person. It seems there is also a Marathi video available which has Sayaji Shinde in the lead role.
In 2004, it’s English adaptation was showed in New York too and after it got rave reviews in ‘The New York Times’, it needed to be extended by another week. Girish Karnad, who once inaugurated the Tendulkar festival in Pune, called Sakharam Binder the finest Indian play in a thousand years!
The play depicts Sakharam’s time with two women (out of seven or eight he brags about) – Lakshmi and Champa. The contrast between these two women is stark and also highlights a point that you can be oppressed only to the extent that you allow yourself to.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Behind the Bars at Allahabad
Who would have thought that a guy like me would take such an extreme step? But extra-ordinary situations often bring out the ‘not-so-apparent’ part of you; the one which you never thought even existed. How else my experience of that day be explained? The day I ended up behind the bars at the Naini Central Jail at Allahabad!
August 31st, 1990. Moti Lal Nehru Hospital, Allahabad.
A large gathering of over a 1000 students was keenly watched by 100 armed policemen. The policemen had orders – not to allow the March. The then Central Government had decided to come down heavily on protestors against its prized decision to implement “The Mandal Commission Report”.
The report (which most urbane, educated and mainly upper-caste youth saw as flawed) talked about giving reservations in jobs to people not on the merit but on their caste. The logic being that the lower caste people have been oppressed for a long period of time and they need this crutch to share better opportunities.
The Flaw -
Downtrodden, oppressed – yes, they are. They also need an additional support and understanding. But they need self-esteem and dignity too (which definitely have taken a hit over centuries of oppression).
How would this happen? Wouldn’t it by “enabling” them through education? Education is the key. They should be provided free education, free books, and free meals as they attend schools. If we fail here, we would keep failing to enable them. No matter how much and how long you reserve jobs for them. Providing out-of-turn reservations in jobs at best would incentivise kids to take up studies but at the same time it would dent their sense of equality, the thing for which they all have been striving for centuries!
But the leaders who look at them as “vote-banks” wouldn’t agree. They would keep doling out short-term measures to woo the community. So what if these measures can only be enjoyed by select few who already had the opportunity and means to reach till college!
Coming back to that day, the procession of 1000 students which even had a representation of 30 odd women was finally allowed to march - but for only 50 metres! This of course was not in the mind of all of us who had decided to do something about the issue and led by our leaders, we kept walking. As the police resistance grew, the leaders started lying on the ground to protest. Soon most of us were lying on the Civil Lines road.
The message went through to the police and soon the police-vans arrived to take us to the big jail – The Naini Central Jail. While we were taken, we were routed through the posh and happening areas of Allahabad like Civil Lines, High Court, C.S.Azad Park, Hindu hostel etc – this enabled us to shout slogans through-out these areas. May be, there was a tacit support to us from some unexpected quarters in the Police!
Roughly 500 of us reached Naini Jail where our leader Ratan Dixit (a Sabhasad, Editor of “Pragati-Manjusha” and also the Organiser of “Nyay Morcha”) told us to give voluntary arrests. It would have been a tough decision for most students as they were concerned about their parents’ reaction, but for a Hostler like me, it was easy.
103 of us got arrested.
We were taken to barracks which were ear-marked for “B” grade prisoners. We were given a dari, a blanket, a bed-sheet, a surahi and a mug. We were free to do anything inside the barrack except whistling (as it was one of the ways in Jail by which people alert the inmates in case there is a fight or a jail-break).
The officer who was assigned to us seemed to be a helpful one and provided us tea on our request even at an odd hour. His kindness extended further as he provided us with a Colour TV set! We ate Poori-Bhaji, watched some TV and retired for the day. It was a real jail, I was a real inmate and yet -I had a sound sleep!
Morning saw some of the guys managing “Neem-Datoons” for us. Then there was a ‘sad’ breakfast followed by discussions of hunger-strike over the food quality. But it was concluded that it isn’t a major issue when we were there for a bigger cause.
The romanticism of fighting for a cause was there but then there were hard realities too and I confess, like many others I too was worried about the forthcoming exams.
Mr. Dixit suggested that we give application and he would persuade the higher officials to allow us to take exams, in case our stay extended in the jail. So far, we had no clue how long we’d be imprisoned.
As the day progressed we were informed that a group of visitors is out there waiting for us. We were taken into a huge compound with high-rise boundary walls and as the gate opened, imagine our joy as hoards of students, parents, university officials rushed inside – most of them bringing with them bunch of bananas!
Soon the compounded was full of anti-mandal, anti-establishment slogans and also - banana peels!
It was a sentimental moment as the parents including mothers applauded our action and encouraged us to stick to the cause. This was the ultimate satisfaction.
We were then all taken back to our barrack where after lunch we busied ourselves in cultural activities – few in the group displayed their talent. Done with it, we had a meeting on how to carry forward our movement. As often happens in life, people were split between using violent measures and non-violent ones. The final decision reached was to stick to a non-violent protest.
Before the evening could set in, we were taken by surprise when we were told that we are being released! It seems someone had taken a bail for all of us. That finally drew curtains on my one day jail-yatra and arguably on my small few moments of glory.
One of the things which I particularly liked about Naini Central Jail was that there were certain life-term prisoners who after their good conduct were given authority to maintain discipline in the jail. These people referred to as “Pukka” were even given a uniform and played a big role in maintaining law and order right there, among their fellow hardened criminals. Strange are the ways of life, sometimes!
(An autobiographical account)
August 31st, 1990. Moti Lal Nehru Hospital, Allahabad.
A large gathering of over a 1000 students was keenly watched by 100 armed policemen. The policemen had orders – not to allow the March. The then Central Government had decided to come down heavily on protestors against its prized decision to implement “The Mandal Commission Report”.
The report (which most urbane, educated and mainly upper-caste youth saw as flawed) talked about giving reservations in jobs to people not on the merit but on their caste. The logic being that the lower caste people have been oppressed for a long period of time and they need this crutch to share better opportunities.
The Flaw -
Downtrodden, oppressed – yes, they are. They also need an additional support and understanding. But they need self-esteem and dignity too (which definitely have taken a hit over centuries of oppression).
How would this happen? Wouldn’t it by “enabling” them through education? Education is the key. They should be provided free education, free books, and free meals as they attend schools. If we fail here, we would keep failing to enable them. No matter how much and how long you reserve jobs for them. Providing out-of-turn reservations in jobs at best would incentivise kids to take up studies but at the same time it would dent their sense of equality, the thing for which they all have been striving for centuries!
But the leaders who look at them as “vote-banks” wouldn’t agree. They would keep doling out short-term measures to woo the community. So what if these measures can only be enjoyed by select few who already had the opportunity and means to reach till college!
Coming back to that day, the procession of 1000 students which even had a representation of 30 odd women was finally allowed to march - but for only 50 metres! This of course was not in the mind of all of us who had decided to do something about the issue and led by our leaders, we kept walking. As the police resistance grew, the leaders started lying on the ground to protest. Soon most of us were lying on the Civil Lines road.
The message went through to the police and soon the police-vans arrived to take us to the big jail – The Naini Central Jail. While we were taken, we were routed through the posh and happening areas of Allahabad like Civil Lines, High Court, C.S.Azad Park, Hindu hostel etc – this enabled us to shout slogans through-out these areas. May be, there was a tacit support to us from some unexpected quarters in the Police!
Roughly 500 of us reached Naini Jail where our leader Ratan Dixit (a Sabhasad, Editor of “Pragati-Manjusha” and also the Organiser of “Nyay Morcha”) told us to give voluntary arrests. It would have been a tough decision for most students as they were concerned about their parents’ reaction, but for a Hostler like me, it was easy.
103 of us got arrested.
We were taken to barracks which were ear-marked for “B” grade prisoners. We were given a dari, a blanket, a bed-sheet, a surahi and a mug. We were free to do anything inside the barrack except whistling (as it was one of the ways in Jail by which people alert the inmates in case there is a fight or a jail-break).
The officer who was assigned to us seemed to be a helpful one and provided us tea on our request even at an odd hour. His kindness extended further as he provided us with a Colour TV set! We ate Poori-Bhaji, watched some TV and retired for the day. It was a real jail, I was a real inmate and yet -I had a sound sleep!
Morning saw some of the guys managing “Neem-Datoons” for us. Then there was a ‘sad’ breakfast followed by discussions of hunger-strike over the food quality. But it was concluded that it isn’t a major issue when we were there for a bigger cause.
The romanticism of fighting for a cause was there but then there were hard realities too and I confess, like many others I too was worried about the forthcoming exams.
Mr. Dixit suggested that we give application and he would persuade the higher officials to allow us to take exams, in case our stay extended in the jail. So far, we had no clue how long we’d be imprisoned.
As the day progressed we were informed that a group of visitors is out there waiting for us. We were taken into a huge compound with high-rise boundary walls and as the gate opened, imagine our joy as hoards of students, parents, university officials rushed inside – most of them bringing with them bunch of bananas!
Soon the compounded was full of anti-mandal, anti-establishment slogans and also - banana peels!
It was a sentimental moment as the parents including mothers applauded our action and encouraged us to stick to the cause. This was the ultimate satisfaction.
We were then all taken back to our barrack where after lunch we busied ourselves in cultural activities – few in the group displayed their talent. Done with it, we had a meeting on how to carry forward our movement. As often happens in life, people were split between using violent measures and non-violent ones. The final decision reached was to stick to a non-violent protest.
Before the evening could set in, we were taken by surprise when we were told that we are being released! It seems someone had taken a bail for all of us. That finally drew curtains on my one day jail-yatra and arguably on my small few moments of glory.
One of the things which I particularly liked about Naini Central Jail was that there were certain life-term prisoners who after their good conduct were given authority to maintain discipline in the jail. These people referred to as “Pukka” were even given a uniform and played a big role in maintaining law and order right there, among their fellow hardened criminals. Strange are the ways of life, sometimes!
(An autobiographical account)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Nature Unfair?
First a little poem of mine :
Uska Kasoor?
signal par
wo bheekh mangta bachcha,
haddi-haddi nang-dhadang jism
bahti naak aur
registaani zameen sa rookha
dhool se sana sar
khel-khilaune
aur basta uthaane ki umr mein
bojh dho raha hai
apne kutumb ka!
nischal, kaatar aankhein uski
maano poochhti hain
ki kasoor kya hai uska?
kyun zindagi ne uske
bachpan ka gala ghontkar
kafan ki tarah daal di hai uspar
chaadar gareebi ki?
The nature is so perfect that even the Scientist like Stephen Hawkins in his book "The Brief History of Time" came close to the acceptance of a divine power for such an extraordinary ideal situation for the "life" to begin on this planet (though he denied it as a work of God) and the great Einstein talked about "the necessity for a beginning" and eventually to "the presence of a superior reasoning power."
If the nature is so perfectly balanced that it seems almost flawless, why there would be unfairness towards the like of the child discussed in the poem?
I have a theory about it :
Apart from our physical existence, each of us, I believe, basically is a bundle of impressions which get shaped by our actions (shall we call it soul?) and then when gross body expires these impressions still linger on in the environment and take the shape of new life forms, these impressions may be good or bad or evil, and based on that they may face differing outcomes as decided by the nature. Hence we see someone fortunate and someone with misfortune - without seemingly obvious fault of there own! This may happen right from the begining as to how and where and to whom they are born and may keep happening thereafter.
This is my take on Karma, Soul and Re-birth. Because I don't believe the nature which is so perfect can fail when it comes to the core value of equality or fairness.
What say?
(No feedback now-a-days makes me feel sad)
:(
Uska Kasoor?
signal par
wo bheekh mangta bachcha,
haddi-haddi nang-dhadang jism
bahti naak aur
registaani zameen sa rookha
dhool se sana sar
khel-khilaune
aur basta uthaane ki umr mein
bojh dho raha hai
apne kutumb ka!
nischal, kaatar aankhein uski
maano poochhti hain
ki kasoor kya hai uska?
kyun zindagi ne uske
bachpan ka gala ghontkar
kafan ki tarah daal di hai uspar
chaadar gareebi ki?
The nature is so perfect that even the Scientist like Stephen Hawkins in his book "The Brief History of Time" came close to the acceptance of a divine power for such an extraordinary ideal situation for the "life" to begin on this planet (though he denied it as a work of God) and the great Einstein talked about "the necessity for a beginning" and eventually to "the presence of a superior reasoning power."
If the nature is so perfectly balanced that it seems almost flawless, why there would be unfairness towards the like of the child discussed in the poem?
I have a theory about it :
Apart from our physical existence, each of us, I believe, basically is a bundle of impressions which get shaped by our actions (shall we call it soul?) and then when gross body expires these impressions still linger on in the environment and take the shape of new life forms, these impressions may be good or bad or evil, and based on that they may face differing outcomes as decided by the nature. Hence we see someone fortunate and someone with misfortune - without seemingly obvious fault of there own! This may happen right from the begining as to how and where and to whom they are born and may keep happening thereafter.
This is my take on Karma, Soul and Re-birth. Because I don't believe the nature which is so perfect can fail when it comes to the core value of equality or fairness.
What say?
(No feedback now-a-days makes me feel sad)
:(
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Joyous Vegas!
A week at Vegas did well to my fraying nerves. Was there to attend a congress with my colleague Surya Kiran. Unlike many other cities of US (and I have seen quite a few of them now), Vegas vibrates with energy. As is true of most Tourist Havens, Vegas is full of activities, more so after the sun sets in and the innumerable lamps with dancing lights take over each and every part of Vegas.
For good times don’t we use the phrase “har din id aur har raat diwali”?
Id or no id, but Vegas does boast of a diwali every night with whole of the strip decorating itself in magnificent, all pervasive lights and like a true diwali, engulfs folk in “juaa” or gambling!
Every Hotel worth its name in Las Vegas boasts of a battery of slot machines - inviting, seducing and captivating the tourist. To ensure you can’t escape its charm, the casino begins right at the entrance of the Hotel to greet you even before you can reach the lobby. Even much before that, as soon as you enter the Airport, you know you have arrived at Vegas as the omnipresent slot machines are right there smiling at you in a fashion that would give even a seasoned seductress a good run for her money!
But the Hotel where we stayed didn’t progress beyond the evening. It has captured a nice romantic Venice-like evening and doesn’t allow it to slip at all! Well, how they do is - they have created a sky on the roof of a huge compound which even has canals like Venice where people even ride Gondolas! The sky, the lighting, the ambience is such that you feel you are in Venice (and I can certify that since I’ve been to Venice). No wonder the hotel is called Venetia. The concept of “open-air” given a twist doesn’t make the restaurants here any less enjoyable than the open-air ones at Venice on a lazy, laid-back evening.
As usual, I lost money while Surya Kiran pocketed a clean $ 50, winning his way through the slot machines. I even didn’t have a comfort of the cliché saying– “unlucky in cards, lucky in love”. Do I?
The conference over, gambling over, shopping over, we then moved to Grand Canyons on a Bus Tour. It was a whole day affair but that’s the best we could manage as the chopper tours either were all pre-booked or were a bit too expensive. The Canyons are such a vast expanse of natural high and low formations around the Colorado river that one can understand the flirtations of adventure-seeking men with them over many years – even before the days of wild wild western cow-boys.
Mackenna’s gold or no gold - they stand tall as one of the seven natural wonders on the earth.
The world may be big but it still is small as I bumped into my cousin’s family at Chicago Airport! They were travelling in the same flight and my sister-in-law was visiting India after 2 years and they were to return same day, same flight, and same airport as I flew – what co-incidence!
To be back in India as the plane touches the Airport still feels great, I am happy, content and at peace being back at home. Only flip side is as I think of the work that would have piled-on by now, I get frayed nerves.
For good times don’t we use the phrase “har din id aur har raat diwali”?
Id or no id, but Vegas does boast of a diwali every night with whole of the strip decorating itself in magnificent, all pervasive lights and like a true diwali, engulfs folk in “juaa” or gambling!
Every Hotel worth its name in Las Vegas boasts of a battery of slot machines - inviting, seducing and captivating the tourist. To ensure you can’t escape its charm, the casino begins right at the entrance of the Hotel to greet you even before you can reach the lobby. Even much before that, as soon as you enter the Airport, you know you have arrived at Vegas as the omnipresent slot machines are right there smiling at you in a fashion that would give even a seasoned seductress a good run for her money!
But the Hotel where we stayed didn’t progress beyond the evening. It has captured a nice romantic Venice-like evening and doesn’t allow it to slip at all! Well, how they do is - they have created a sky on the roof of a huge compound which even has canals like Venice where people even ride Gondolas! The sky, the lighting, the ambience is such that you feel you are in Venice (and I can certify that since I’ve been to Venice). No wonder the hotel is called Venetia. The concept of “open-air” given a twist doesn’t make the restaurants here any less enjoyable than the open-air ones at Venice on a lazy, laid-back evening.
As usual, I lost money while Surya Kiran pocketed a clean $ 50, winning his way through the slot machines. I even didn’t have a comfort of the cliché saying– “unlucky in cards, lucky in love”. Do I?
The conference over, gambling over, shopping over, we then moved to Grand Canyons on a Bus Tour. It was a whole day affair but that’s the best we could manage as the chopper tours either were all pre-booked or were a bit too expensive. The Canyons are such a vast expanse of natural high and low formations around the Colorado river that one can understand the flirtations of adventure-seeking men with them over many years – even before the days of wild wild western cow-boys.
Mackenna’s gold or no gold - they stand tall as one of the seven natural wonders on the earth.
The world may be big but it still is small as I bumped into my cousin’s family at Chicago Airport! They were travelling in the same flight and my sister-in-law was visiting India after 2 years and they were to return same day, same flight, and same airport as I flew – what co-incidence!
To be back in India as the plane touches the Airport still feels great, I am happy, content and at peace being back at home. Only flip side is as I think of the work that would have piled-on by now, I get frayed nerves.
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