Happy Deepawali

Wishing everyone a joyous and prosperous Diwali

R. K. Laxman

Aged around 50 years or so, a balding head, wearing dhoti and a checked shirt with a pair of spectacles balanced on his nose. Who is this? This is you, this is me. This is the ‘Common Man’ epitomised by the great Indian cartoonist, R. K. Laxman. For years, we have woken up with the cartoon of the common page dutifully occupying his corner of the front-page of newspapers. His uninterrupted appearance has been a source of inspiration for many, a light at the end of dark-tunnel during the tough so cial times. He has been a mute spectator of all events, whether elections, scandals or plain homely domesticity. In his silence, we find an alert individual with endurance and perhaps the helplesness of the larger scale happenings. His voice is never heard. Yet, his presence signifies his attention to all events. He represents us all.

Usually, we associate cartoons with childhood and innocence. The cartoon world is one where humans and animals co-exist, the laws of physics are blatantly violated and humour is a key ingredient. It is a beautiful world devoid of tragedy and pain. For some of these reasons, cartoons have a universal appeal. R. K. Laxman’s cartoons depart from few of these characteristics, in the sense that his world of cartoons is realistic, inhabited by Indians and reflects the everyday situations that we encounter on the streets, market-places and in offices.

R. K. Laxman was born in 1924 in the cultural city of Mysore, the youngest of eight children. He graduated from the prestigious Maharaja College of Mysore. He started off his career as a cartoonist in 1947. He soon joined the Times of India and started the cartoon series ‘You said it’ through which the Common Man became a famed character. He has published several cartoon collections. He has also written few short-stories, essays, travelogues and novels. Lately, he penned his autobiography ‘The Tunnel of Time’.

The rustic fragrance of the TV serial ‘Malgudi Days’ (written by R. K. Narayan, brother of R. K. Laxman) was enhanced by the cartoons accompanying the wonderful song at the beginning and end of the serial. As we got to see Swami playing hookey to laze around and got familiar with his antics, we realised how full of life the cartoons were. I still vividly remember the cartoons. Who can forget them?

R. K. Laxman pays great attention to details. The ambience of a particular situation is brought out magnificently through a few strokes of the pencil. The beauty and humour of his cartoons lies in its simplicity. He conveys the joys, the frustrations and fortitudes of the protagonist through this black and white medium of lines and curves. The humour exuding from a cartoon usually belongs to the protagonist. His most famous protagonist is, however, a mute listener and a spectator to the events (usually political satire), the details of which are expressively brought out. The effort is enterprising and commendable, not only for the choice of the medium (cartoonery) but also for the manner of expression.

R. K. Laxman cannot be called a cartoonist alone. He has played a larger role in awakening us to the social, political and bereaucratic tangles through his quiet humour. R. K. Laxman, has successfully managed to enthuse the people with humour about the mundane happenings. Some us have been numbed by the continuous flow of scandals and corruption to make us pessimists. His cartoons have brought hope and optimism to us. To those of us who have become lethargic, his cartoons have aroused us to play a more active role than be mere spectators. All this with a few curves and lines of a skilful hand and a sharp mind!

Our Identity – Part III

This article in Our Identity series is essentially in response to the following comment we received in one of our earlier posts.

Comment:”The reason why foreigner’s hate about India is still we have typical traditional image. Most of the foreigners complins about overcrowding and dirty places. There are hardly clean places over India. When you go metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Bengalore, first you come across with beggers and pollution. Even though we are progressing very fast these things still keep our ‘Typical Indian’ image. ”

Well, this was not the main focus of the topic our article was addressing. But the points raised in this comment are partially true and of great concern. First of all what is our traditional image? Dirty cities? Dirty people? Forget about image, what is our tradition? If you are considering dirty and crowded places as our tradition then it is wrong. So let us deal with them in two different accounts. First our traditional image and our traditions. If the outside people think our tradition is dirty places then it is not their fault, they simply do not know. But it will be our fault if we do not know our tradition. Let me give an example. No body has damaged English language more than Americans did. But we in our country consider speaking US English is being modern. Can you imagine an announcement in say, Delhi station in bhojpuri or Maithili (mind that they are dialects of Hindi not distortions). Most of us will say… ”Kis ganwaar ko laakar announcer bana diya”. Shall we say the same in Los Angles airport for an American English announcement. Traditions do not fall from sky. We make them. What we do today is the tradition tomorrow. And what the rest of the world accepts about us is what we are proud of and not just proud of but the things we practice. A person walking in to flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt wearing a dhoti will be looked upon as a clown by Indians more than foreigners. But at the same time a person walking in the same flight in Bermuda is considered ”Hep”. Ever thought why? Do we ever talk in Hindi or in any regional language when we go to shopping malls in India or places like Westside, Reebok, Nike? People working there, are all Indians and I am sure they talk to their , doodhwallas, sabji wallas, dhobi etc in Hindi or in their regional languages. No, we think if we talk in Hindi across the counter it will be sign of backwardness. We, the people of our beloved India talk to each other in a foreign language. Not because it is better than the Indian language just because we are worried about our image! But just imagine if most of the customers start talking in Indian languages, in few days all the toilets in these shops will have boards in Indian languages instead of ”Ladies” and ”Gents”. When our children see us using an Indian language they will consider it more important and have a affection for it. This is how traditions are formed.

Now about out external image…. dirty and polluted cities. Just try to imagine what we are attempting. Have you seen how the crowded European cities are? Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Brussels…..go on… Where on this earth do you have suburban train system taking more than 6 million people every day from one place to another? That to above ground meaning dealing with people encroaching, crossing tracks etc. Paris metro does less than 4 million per day though most of it is under ground. We have problem, nobody denies. Look at Paris metro station they are as dirty as any of the Mumbai suburban station, why? just because number of people. Go to about 200 km north in France place called Caen it is so beautiful, neat and clean, you will hate Paris. I have been to many European cities and the kind of crowd they handle, Indian system is doing much much better. Pollution, it is the price paid by all the big cities around the world. Question is what are we doing about it? Aren‘t we the one who first take a holiday on the election day and then just shout against the government for not doing anything (Or choose an inexperienced film actor or actress over and experienced politician?)? Aren‘t we the one who throw the garbage anywhere we want? Aren’t we the one who, while traveling in the trains throw garbage in the train? We have problems, many problems but we have one most serious problem. Do you know which one? We sit on the problem and shout about it! How many of us will shout anti government slogans if an extra tax is imposed on the private vehicle owners of the city or say the toll rate for the city flyovers is increased. Have you ever thought how much amount of tax the so called developed country population pays?

Development comes at its cost, we should be ready to pay it. Again I must stress, that what Indian is attempting is near impossible, no country attempted this and more importantly with in 60 years of autonomy. Which developed country have a history like us, with over 150 years of exploitation, torture, oppression and then so called freedom garnished with partition, injection of the poison of the religious hatred in the society, poverty for a huge population and the famous and the most potent slow poison of bureaucracy as icing on the cake? Now to make it happen we all have to push from all the fronts. We have enough people crying over the spilt milk, way too many to actually push the cart. What we need is more and more people being positive about things, because this attitude just gives us a reason and encouragement to fight, fight for a good future. For us and for our next generation. At this moment I can’t see better example than this years Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus who opted to fight rather than sit in the sofa in front of a 29 inch televisions and shout about poverty in Bangladesh. Finally, we are up to making history or I can say we are going to be history of the far future and to achieve this we need all hands. And as the President says we can and we will.

Our Identity – Part II

Continued from Our Identity – Part I…

But then the obvious question is “When so much is happening in India, why are you still reminiscencing the ancient glory at ‘Vande Mataram’? Talk of today’s times”. The answer to this question is, however, in another query. When can you call somebody an Indian? Come on, it’s not a tough question. A man named Fakirchand who is a resident of Kolkata drives a cycle-rickshaw to earn a living. On what basis will you determine whether he is an Indian or not? Will you check his passport (which, incidentally, he doesnt have!) or will you look at the fact that he was born in India? The answer is neither. For Indianness runs in the veins, it is in the heart and mind. Our hero of today, Fakirchand, eats roti and speaks Bengali. If required, he attempts Hindi too. He works very hard to make ends meet as he has a family to support. He works tirelessly throughout the year to collect money for Durgapuja. He even makes Goddess Durga’s idol with his own hands. He likes ‘Machcher-jhol‘ and rice. Now, imagine the same Fakirchand working in a renowned software firm in Kolkata. He spends six months of the year abroad, goes for a vacation every weekend with his wife and kids, and eats in Pizza Hut or McDonalds. Well, his explanation is ‘You see, the kids these days love pizzas and burgers!’ He doesn’t have time for Durgapuja or Kalipuja, everybody converses in English at home and all that the kids know of Bengali is ‘kichchu kichchu’. And not to mention the Pepsis and Colas which form an integral part of their meals. And so the saga continues. Now, dear reader, you decide. Which of these two Fakirchands can be called an Indian?

We must recollect that neither Fakirchand nor his kids are at fault. They are just moving with the times. The progress of India should be accompanied by progressive Indianness. I must stress, that all the products of foreign brands or identities are not bad. However, the decision of what we accept and what we don’t should be ours. I also like pizza. But under no circumstance can it be compared to the ‘khichdi’ and ‘methi ka saag’ (along with Desi ghee) made by my Mother.

Today the term ‘Brand India’ is becoming increasingly common. I feel hurt. For, this country is our Mother. The faith and devotion to her should spring from within. We need to decorate India with the same faith as that we do towards Mother Durga. We needn’t advertise to get the attention of other countries. India has been and is great. And this is because of the respect, that we, her children accord to her. We needn’t put up advertisements and hoardings. We need to clearly comprehend the role of our past glory as well as our present times. If we were prosperous earlier, why is it not so now? What have we done? What mistakes have we committed on the lanes of time?

We must remember our identities, lest we lose the battle after winning. It is possible that McDonalds will be taken over by some Indian company, one day. Nevertheless, it would not become Indian till it served ‘Sarson da saag’ and ‘Makke di roti’ alongwith fancy burgers. The day this happens, my friends, I’ll take a dip in the holy Ganges. And if this doesn’t, damn! I shall give up drinking ‘chai’.

(To be continuted… with inputs motivated by comments on our Hindi and English blogs.)

Our Identity – Part I

I have complaints, complaints against this whole world. What did you say? ”why?” Have you ever stepped outside India and been to another developed country? No? Then you’re saved from notoriety. For these are the developed countried where children, after a certain age, need to take an appointment to meet their parents. And yes, its not considered necessary to meet parents. These are the countries where children, if scolded by parents, file law-suits against them. Yes, so where was I? I have complaints. Complaints that many people of these developed countries do not respect India. Although they do call India ‘A unique country, a colourful country, a country of numerous languages’, yet if you spend some time with them you realise what they truely think of you. At this stage, I’d like to divide the readers into two categories. One, of those who believe that whatever those people (from developed countries) think, we follow our own paths without paying heed to them. To such good people, my sincere request is to kindly stop reading this article. The other category is of those people who have similar complaints as I have been mentioning. So come along, my complaining brethren! Let us probe some of these things in detail. Let us start with a few questions and answers, shall we?

So, the first question. Why,at the first place, should the whole world respect us? Some people would respond with, ‘what do you mean, why? Look at our cultural wealth, look at our temples, look at our unity in diversity! Did you know that the concept of zero was first founded in India? Did you know that the famed Pythagoras theorem was discovered 250 years earlier by Bodhayan? Did you know that the iron pillar of Delhi is standing tall for 1200 years weathering the rain, wind and sun without getting rusted? Scientists around the world have exhausted themselves trying to find this unique metallic mixture. Have you heard of Bhaskara, Aryabhatta, Panini and Sushrut? Centuries ago, Sushrut carried out the first plastic surgery! The rishi Kanaad talks of the ‘anu’ (atom) thousands of years earlier than people from other lands. The Vedas and Gita were written here. The first Universities were founded in the Indian sub-continent.’ Alright, we get the point, but these are ancient things. What is happening now? What are we today? Now, we again divide our readers into two categories. One category of those who say, ‘You are right. The present condition in India is deplorable and it is all owing to our greedy politicians. That is the reason why we have left India to settle here.’ or ‘This is the reason why we are trying our level best to send our son to America so that one day, we’ll be fortunate enough to leave this terrible place. Of course, once we reach there, we’ll begin a blog praising India and highlighting its greatness.’ Such people are requested not to waste their precious time by reading further. Their time would be better utilised standing in the long queues outside the American consulate. If you go rightaway, there is a chance that you might get a visa. Goodbye and good luck. So, are there any folks left in the other category? Yes, there are a few. Thank you. For, you are our country’s hope. Lets move ahead and talk of the present times.

There was a time when I too was quite disappointed with India. But now, things are looking up. In 1991, under the leadership of the prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then finance minsister, Dr. Manmohan Singh started the economic reforms. The people then, were sceptical and believed that we were headed towards slavery again. It was thought that every Indian company would be bought by a foreign company. And this did happen. Look at the examples of brands like, Kelvinator, Limca, Goldspot. But what is happening now, 15 years later? To answer this, let us look at the results of a survey carried out, not so long ago, on 5th Sept 2006. Within a span of 6 months, from Jan-Jun 2006, 255 foreign companies were either taken over or majority of shares were bought by Indian companies. And most of these foreign companies belong to the developed nations. The total cost of this shopping was around 17 billion dollars. Last year, around the same time, Indian companies had shopped for 6 billion dollars. This is a whopping 175% increase in one year. Today, India is ranks third fastest in buying out foreign companies. What does this signify? To understand this let us look at the following instance. When we buy a cold-drink manufactured in India by some foreign brand, the profiting amount doesnt go to India, but into the pocket of the owner situated outside India. Similarly, the profit earned by the Indian companies through the (‘taken-over’) foreign companies will be invested in India and will contribute towards India’s prosperity. Some of India’s biggest problems are turning out to be advantages. Foremost problem: population. Today, the average age of an Indian is less than that of many countries. This means that in the coming 20-25 years, India would have relative younger and more-active hands, whereas in other countries, the old people would outnumber the young. Second problem: doing business in India is a risky proposition. But precisely for this reason, the Indian businessmen can face challenges more easily than their foreign counterparts. For example, in France today in the field of business management, it is considered a plus-point if one has had a work experience from India. Many large companies are managed by Indians. Today, India’s economy is increasing at the rate of 8 to 9%. Not only companies like Tata, Reliance and Videocon but even smaller companies are becoming multinational. Apart from the private companies, the public sector enterprises like ONGC are also spreading out in the world. Of course, one cannot forget the fields of information technology and pharmaceuticals where India is renowned world-wide.

Continued…

Mini Mumbai

Indore – a tier two city in the centre of India has always been like my second home even though no one among my parents & relatives reside here but I always have a special affection for the city for all that it offers to rich and poor alike.

It boast of rich history of Marathas, Devi Ahilya University, Famous Schools, Coaching Centres, its special summer nights, i.e., cool and pleasant. Due to its location on the Malwa Plateau, however hot it may be during the day, a gentle cool breeze (also referred to as Shab-e-malwa) in the evenings makes it quite pleasant.

Due to diverse population of Marathis, Sindhis, South Indians, Punjabi, Marwaris, Rajasthanis along with the local population it is often referred to Mini Mumbai. Apart from the distinct people it also offers various cuisines and food options mixing food from all parts of India.

The cost of living is comparatively cheap and offers plentiful of options for entertainment, Amusement parks/Multiplex/ Restaurants/hang outs joints catering to both urban and rural class for both poor and rich alike.

Within an hour drive you can reach Satpura Mountains, Narmada Valleys and two of the famous Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva (Omkareshwar & Mahakal Temple-Ujjain). Omkareshwar is a fascinating place to visit apart from the religious significance it has, it offers great scenic beauty and is an island in the shape of ‘Om-   ‘ symbol formed my mighty Narmada River.

Indore is also called the commercial capital of ‘Madhya Bharat’ and boast of large markets & Industries catering to different needs. For e.g. there is special market for Clothes and even large market for Hats/Topi. Also a land to large shopping malls it has the reputation of being a mix of urban and rural culture combined. Globus and Radio Mircchi were the first one to set up shops here in India and SEZ and IT Parks also are ingredient part of the city culture.  

It seems that I am going off the track and will probably describe ‘Indore’ in another series of our Articles on Tourism Categories.  Coming back to the article which I had intended to write and it has become the highlight of Indore -

I wish to narrate another story where Indore offers the solution to public transport problems in Metros. Like public transport offered in developed Europe nations, Indore now has a fleet of more then 50 modern Tata Starbuses equipped with GPS and computerized ticket-vending machines, the bus stops also are fitted with electronic sign boards to show the status of the buses. All comes with same tariff of old ‘Nagar Sewa’ buses. The municipal corporation has made Rs. 1 crore profit since it started 3-4 months back.

The rude staff and overcrowded earlier buses have been replaced by new Tata Star buses with a separate seating and exit for Women. The buses are on time and are colour-coded according to routes, the staff is trained in etiquette by a management agency, the buses run from morning to midnight and are thoroughly washed, cleaned and air-dried everyday after being inspected by ICTSL staff.

Delhi has been contemplating this scheme for four years and just about managed to sneak in six buses last November. And it took Indore just nine months to put the scheme on tracks.  The project was initiated by Vivek Agarwal, District Collector and Executive Director of Indore City Transport Services Limited (ICTSL) and he promises that there will be lot more buses to join the existing fleet.

There will soon be more lessons for big cities from Agarwal’s Indore. Next in line is a dial-a-cab service to replace the tempos on the Indore roads. The word is spreading fast, Indore model is now being consulted by lot of other cities who want to implement on the same lines and Ahemdabad is about to start the same scheme and it is learnt that a team of World Bank team will be here to study the scheme.  I am sure India is changing; rather say transforming, sizzling and vibrating ever then before.

Happy B’day to the King of the sky

Today Indian Air Force is celebrating its 75th birthday. One of the top four air forces in the world, IAF is able to show its capability in the time of war, as well as peace. We already have the best fighter aircrafts in the world – many versions of MiG, Sukhoi and Jaguar, and soon our very own indigenous Tejas will be there.

To celebrate the day, the main venue was air force station Hindon, at Ghaziabad. There were some “firsts” associated to this celebration:

It was the first time in the world that the Chief of the air force arrived in an air force parade through air! Yes, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, aged 61, reached the venue not by a car, but parachute!

After the usual parade, there followed a (musical) drill parade, first of its kind, which clearly displayed how co-ordinated are our air force personnel. Sukhoi and MiG, along with the pilots showed thier world class talent! For the first time four Sarang helicopters were used together in the aerobatics exercise. Co-ordination in this exercise requires immense amount of practice and capability. There was also a display on how the air force acts in saving injured soldiers.

In the end, the Surya Kiran team showed its skill by drawing Tiranga in the air in different shapes.

All these things not only make us proud, but also make us feel secure – in deed we are! We all Wish they break all the limits and touch the sky, as their motto and the Chapter 11, Verse 24 of Bhagavad Geeta says – nabhah sparsham deeptam!

Here you must see over a 2 hour long video recording of the event if you did not see on Doordarshan today. Worth watching!

Puchhkad Riddle – 6

We are back with our riddle…   Saurashtra, Hyderabad, Mysore, Patiala, Travancore, Indore, Bikanare, Jaipur……it incorporates parts of Northern, Central, Southern, Western India… though it seems that we have missed Eastern part : ( ok then lets start from Calcutta … will it make a difference … not at all… as a matter of fact the answer to our question started from the same city..  Ok here’s the question  

—What is the common thing that unites regions/cities mentioned above. Naahh!!! Its not the highways but its an institute and the biggest of its kind in India ….Time for you to answer

Sizzling India

I vividly remember my childhood days when all my cousins used to go to US and European universities for higher education. Their tales of the land far far away used to be really ‘Cool’. I used to ask them so many questions that they always commented ‘You will too experience the land once you grow up’. I had always wanted to know what made the other countries click making India a secondary or a non choice country. The answer was inevitably was ‘India is atleast 50 years behind and land of missed opportunity’. Once I came to Europe and saw most of the north-western Europe, I did not found it strikingly different than a any major city of India. I instantly called my sister and discussed how thing are almost similar to India and that leaving alone the climatic conditions and Caucasian breed of homosapiens there was not any difference. She told me in the exact words ‘Kiddo, we used to be there 15 years ago. Now things have changed and changed for good.’ I was so proud of the thought that I told the reporter taking my interview for a computer magazine that any major city in EU is almost comparable to Indian city . He was so impressed by the confidence in my speech and I gained my confidence from the truth that is on the ground. India’s transformation from land of missed opportunities to the land of great opportunities is not fiction. ‘India Everywhere‘ started by IBEF at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland six months ago portrayed the vibrant economy (GDP: $ 726 Bn, Growth@ 8.4%) and opportunities for everyone in this global community. India has all the ingredients that add up to become a developed nation by 2020. India right now offers the world’s best VFM (value for money) package for any organization or an individual with intention to setup business in India.

Now my colleague (a very good friend almost family ) and I have opened a IT/ITES company recently and have already started to reap the benefits of the rapid growth in India.

Entrepreneurial mindset of the new generatioan will be interested to explore ‘the land of plenty for all’. Be it IT, ITES, Bio-Tech/Pharmaceuticals, Space, Science, Manufacturing, Logistics, Fashion Designs, Gems, Retail, Banking or Finance/Accounting Indians have worked hard to establish themselves as a quality brand. Not only the Indian and MNC powerhouses but small, medium and individual players like us too are making merry with the growth factor involved in India. It is not only the apt human resource pool that favors India but also the cultural, socio-political and natural factors that enhance India as a brand. According to McKinsey’s Michael Fernandes the retail market size in India could grow to $500 billion in next 5 to 6 years. Whoa! Who wants to miss that.

I welcome all to explore endless options with India.

Chanakya

The tunes of the song was resounding in the hall. The fast-paced patriotic song had the audience tapping. The words as well as the music was entralling, one could see. The song being sung was: Hum karen rashtra aaraadhan!

The song also appeared in the televised serial ‘Chankya’ in the early-90s. Chanakya was one of the foremost political thinkers of India. Yet, little is recorded about him. The television serial did a commendable job of portraying the life and times of this magnificent larger-than-life character. He is hardly known outside India although the political thinkers of other countries, like Machiavelli and others are well-known.

Chanakya or Vishnugupt (also Kautilya) rigorously studied The Vedas in the University of Takshashila. Isn’t it surprising that we had the first Universities in the world, Nalanda and Takshashila. And remember readers, we are still talking of nearly ~ 500-400 BC! Takshashila was very well-established as a centre of learning and Panini is believed to have written the Sanskrit Grammar here. Chanakya, in his later years, was a Professor of Political Science at this University (brilliant student, eh). He is believed to have taught with practical examples too. He is of course, most famously, remembered for his role as a king-maker (he was the mentor of Chandragupt Maurya). This was in Magadha, where he was forced to relocate after the political turmoil in Takshashila due to the approach and invasion of the Greeks. His strategic approach in observing and exploiting the weaknesses of his enemies always gave him an edge over them. He wrote three books ‘Arthashastra´, ‘Nitishastra’ and ‘Chanakya Niti’. ‘Nitishastra’ deals with the Indian way of life and ‘Chanakya Niti’ deals with the policies that he believed in and applied.

‘Arthashastra’, the most well-known of his works, is a treatise on economics, national policies, war strategies as well as international relations. It can be considered as the first organised book on economics. The role and duties of the king as well as the administration of the kingdom in terms of management is elucidated here. This book covers a very wide range of aspects regarding the efficient governing of a kingdom. For example, it not only explains how to deals with vices and calamities but also talks about discipline as well as planning of treaties! A book on similar subject yet very different in treatment is ‘The Prince´ by Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a Florentine political philosopher in the 15th century. This book, however, deals with the methods that should be adopted by an aspiring prince or by an ascended prince to maintain his reign. His views were believed to be quite extreme since he propagates the view that tyranny is the best way to maintain stability in the state. Attaining power is given supreme importance, even above morality. Isn’t it interesting to compare these two works spaced by nearly 2000 years!

Yet the world knows Machiavelli. The least we as Indians can do is to bow and remember the legendary personality – Chankaya.