a failing state....

In a paper titled, "Is India a Flailing State? Detours on the Four Lane Highway to Modernization", economist Pritchett of Harvard Kennedy School had said, "India is today a flailing state — a nation-state in which the head, that is the elite institutions at the national (and in some states) level remain sound and functional but this head is no longer reliably connected via nerves and sinews to its own limbs. In many parts of India, in many sectors, the everyday actions of the field level agents of the state: policemen, engineers, teachers, health workers, are increasingly beyond the control of the administration at the national or state level."

Case in Point

1. July 25, 2008: Bangalore, India - A series of nine bombs exploded in which two people were killed and 20 injured. According to the Bangalore City Police, the blasts were caused by low-intensity crude bombs triggered by timer. Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, SIMI and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba were the prime suspects behind this.

2. July 26, 2008: Ahmadabad, India - A series of 21 bomb blasts rocks the city within a span of 70 minutes. According to sources 56 people were killed and over 200 people were injured. Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami has claimed the responsibility of the blasts.

3. September 13, 2008: Delhi, India – The national capital was rocked from its slumber when five bombs went off in succession in Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, and Greater Kailash I, killing at least 18 people and injuring over 90. Two live bombs were reportedly defused. The relatively new Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for these blasts….sending an e-mail to media channels minutes before the first blast.

Well the media flooded the common man with coverage of these news items 24/7 on live, print and other media – well for a short period albeit. After a couple of days it was all back to square one – redundant politicians, insensitive media and the equally numb common man on the streets getting back to normalcy in quick time. Many will advertise this occurring as the general disposition of Indians to resume normalcy even in midst of appalling circumstances but have we as human beings and Indian have turned so numb that we are not cognizant of the fact that we need to sensitize ourselves of this situation. Its been 7 years to the date when the US was shaken by the terror strike at NY – its still draws emotional responses from almost every other American that I have come across. I am yet to come across an average Indian who feels the same way about the people and the blasts that rocked Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi recently. Or the Parliament attack or the blast in Varanasi or Delhi (Sarojininagar earlier)? Have we all stopped caring?

It is almost nauseating, the repetitiveness of the words that the reporters and politicians keep parroting after each incident. Wish they stopped telling us about how ‘high’ are the spirits of the people in affected areas after these incidents. Whose spirits were high anyway? The people who lost loved ones? The people who were maimed for life? The people who were left in a vegetative state or coma because of the injuries they suffered in these blasts? The children who were orphaned? The families who were left without their wage earners? Who are they trying to kid? Who are they trying to convince with these statements? It is easy to stand outside the hospitals and near the bomb blast sites after the incidents have occurred already.

The media should have presented the news in a sensitive manner – bringing out the real emotions, the pain and the anger and that in reality the police were helpless in the face of such organized terro even in the state capital Delhi. Unless the truth is revealed, no serious effort will ever be made in this country to try and end this series of terror strikes unleashed with monotonous regularity by the terrorists. For too long we have been in a state of denial about this cancer that is eating our country from within. It suits our politicians to keep us in this state of denial by feeding us stories of ‘heroism’ and ‘stoicism’ in the face of these terrorist created situations. It is time now to stand up and say we are hurting, to admit that our lives are being cruelly affected, to show and share our pain and our tears.

Solutions can be devised only if we admit that there is a problem. So let us shame and force our leaders into acknowledging that terrorism is a real and serious problem that needs to be tackled now.

While the common man in India (especially Calcutta) debate for hours whether POTA or a new law be enacted with fervor by the govt. all in while in the middle of whether TATA should quit Singhur - we fail to realize that it is us who are indirectly responsible for the terror that is spreading within. The so caller “war-on-terror” if it exits should involve all. The Gandhis and the Mulayams and the Lalus and the Advanis should come together and form a time-bound terror elimination program. To resolve the petty differences and to liberate India from the dreaded scourge of jihad and all other kinds of terror we feel shy and instead keep ourselves busy in attacking each other, facilitating the country's enemies. Their dictates must show an impact on Islamic terror outfits (or any other for that matter), otherwise its papers and faxes would remain nothing more than a crude PR exercise. It's the bounden duty of Muslim leaders to make it sure and visible that those involved in jihadi barbaric attacks are condemned as un-Islamic and are practically declared non-Muslims like they have done with regard to many others in the past. And the common man should be equally responsible about the citizens duties ( I wish the common man was cognizant of the differences between a civilian and a citizen)

I do not wish to draw any analogies here – I do not believe that Muslims or any other community can be held responsible for such attacks – there were, are and probably will be people in any community who will fall out with normal social ideologies and norms.

A nation's collective will is the biggest weapon against fissiparous tendencies. The US and China have shown that. They too faced Islamic terror, but handled it with a resolve that got united support by the people and all shades of political colours. Indians can fight each other on a hundred issues of political programming or power grab. But on the question of our sovereignty and security we must stand united, as one – and it must be visible too. After all, where would all these leaders take their money and enjoy it if India doesn't survive? Even to enjoy the loot they must have a station to leisure and be free of threats. To say this is too rude and crude, yet, seeing the Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmadabad blasts, what can a citizen pray for? Security and a collective will to converge on national interest.

Act fast and act now should be the core mantra - r else just like Pritchett the entire world would be looking at us as a flailing state thereafter.

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righteous marketing.....

Innovation of something useful = Priceless

Repetition of something inherent = 100$

Repetition of the something ineffectual = 1$

Delivering the same message through different viewpoints = sometimes totally worthless

Well I have come across some many colleagues of mine starting up a blog airing their views about some function related to business like finance, cash flows, sales, innovative rules in marketing, HR and so on. Barring a few exceptions I am seldom to come across a blog which effectively delivers truly a new message of sorts with respect to a particular subject in question. Some relate to effective marketing techniques while others to transformational human resources practices. Sound as they might on paper from a internal point of view rarely have they been used efficiently in practice.

So when a friend of mine suggested that why not come up with some interesting concepts in the art of marketing - I was (albeit sheepishly I must admit) considered some sort of guru in marketing when I was in B-school and though the first experience in a job situation changed my views for the better, still amongst a close circle of friends that concept lingered on. Coming back my only answer was – marketing is a whole lot crap these days, media blowing in out of proportion and the hapless common man (atleast in India) not knowing the difference between sales and marketing. Well not many would believe that marketing is an art which we try to deliver in concrete action after comprehending the theory in demand creation somewhat unsystematically in the mind.

Marketing is a matrix – we all have our own definitions; some delivering a sense and expected outcome while others biting the dust. Well what is marketing then – try defining that. Try defining the matrix. While our very dear guru Kotler gives the definition as “Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others”.

Try making sense out of that – while many of my friends got away with random A’s while quoting the definition the question yet remained in my mind whether they understood the true essence of this. I am sure though Kotler did but the interplay of words was something to my mind avoidable.

Anyway marketing is not always about a demand creation and meeting it successfully – as most of the common mortals might be led to believe; it might be even educating and providing changing benefits to the changing needs and demands of the target audience. SHREEEK………..read the line again.

Well if change is constant (which is debatable but mostly acceptable in the end), this definition holds ground. Another point is sensitivity and sensibility. It makes more sense in today’s “’CONNECTED” environment. Online social media has opened up new avenues of marketing – the new age gurus predict transformational strategies to deliver content and open up avenues thorough web2.0 and so on, while the purists bay for blood, I for once tend to side with them. While I would go to a facebook or a orkut to check out messages from long lost friends, post pictures etc, essentially I would not want to click or check out advertisements posted on the site. The success of marketing lies in delivering the key message sensibly, to the target masses without putting a shroud of glitterati on it – the message must deliver and set a tone in the customers mind, effectively and efficiently, not necessarily immediately. While the story of Mozilla Firefox, an Apple iPOD or a AOL winamp can be brought in to support this viewpoint – net net marketing must meet the changing needs of the environment to meet the changing needs of the customer. If that is understood the effective strategies to mastermind a effective marketing strategy in the next step. More on that later.

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Calcutta in my heart.....

the story goes back more than 2 decades back to a small family settled in the heart of a bustling city we now know as Kolkata. A young boy was born on a fateful day of Sankranti - reminiscent of the fact that it marked also the day of the creator read “Karthik” of Hindu mythology. While he grew up knowing his alma-mater as Calcutta he took pride in the fact that Calcutta was unparalleled in its own sense – neither vast nor lonely as the capital Delhi and never ever on the move 24/7 like Mumbai. Warmth of its people and the cultural heritage it entailed (that was debatable by random acts of foolhardiness by its people) – always made it stand out amongst the contemporaries. While the education he received through the best schools and colleges in the state made him a little impulsive of performing the Herculean task of taking the world by its horns and bringing it down like the dreaded serpent in Greek mythology – its was few years later spending time away for further education and job life made him realize that there was lot more to life. And a lot more to what Calcutta had led him to believe – the naïve mind was in turn for a big jolt.

While in this years away from Calcutta which was later re-christened to Kolkata – the charm was probably lost with the change in name and maybe the change of heart. Maybe the alma–mater did not want a change – perhaps the name itself had come to epitomize its uniqueness. Somewhere yes the city seemed to have a change of heart with a change in name – the spirit of Calcutta was lost.

Coming back to the boys story – most of his friends had left a lot earlier post school or after college – either in other states of India or in the US. And most of them never came back – probably they in hindsight realized that the city was a lost cause. Inefficient politics and a care-not attitude of people – basically meant that the city was taken for granted. Seeing all the boy felt that he was alienated – the lakes, the streets and the skyline though apparently similar had somehow lost their calling – the glitzy malls and the glitter of people seemed to have drowned the voices of lil children playing in the parks, an odd couple sipping on a cup of coffee in coffee house or the cheer of boys fighting it out in the mud and drizzle in maidan.

The boy in between his years away from Calcutta had grown into a man – looking life from a much different angle that most of his age. Experience had taught him to be cautious and at least sometimes politically correct at certain situations. While all these years the family and his love – were the only reason for him to rush back once in a while – the city’s cold arms took the heat of his hearts emotion away, leaving love was so difficult. But what he realized much later – the love was lost long time back, the city’s cold menace has drowned his love in depths where his voice could not reach. The city he could no longer call home – he chose to remain aloof at times – not wanting to return at times conscious of the fact that the pain inside may not have subsided enough. The family back in Calcutta – was the only light at the end of the tunnel for which he made an occasional trip home. He visited many place throughout the years – saw the length and breadth of many and soaked in the cultures of many places – yet none could he call home. None where he could cuddle up in a monsoon afternoon after a round of khichdi and ilish mach – none where could look at the skyline and imagine going back all those years – those wonder years where life could be anything, you could challenge the world and dream to win, where the world was your oyster – where you had not actually grown up. Growing up sometimes takes away the romance in life – the city might have actually grown up – Calcutta might have been a uncanny teenager trying to find its feet in this world and ultimately found its feet – but I wonder how many of us would want the old Calcutta back.

Oh Calcutta – we want you back, to the glorious.

And coming back again to our story the lil boy was me – it’s the collective stories of millions of people that have shaped the story of Calcutta – the city is wired up with the collective emotions, the tribulations of its own citizens.

One of the biggest exponents of the talk show bizz in the States once commented, “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams”………….. – I wonder if we all tried a bit harder maybe our lives could have a lot better and the city could have taken a different shape over the years. But then again its normal human tendency to take the easy way out.

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soul searching

Well after a break - and posting humour toons on my blog i decided it was time that i got back to my writing self. Creating toons was probably not my cup of tea - but probably writing comes more easily to me. Mostly because I can let my mind wander with ease and pen down the thoughts as soon as they occur - easy like 1-2-3. So here it goes........

How do you tell yourself, “no, don’t do it”. Is it even possible to just tell yourself no? How do you explain to another person that there impression of the situation isn’t what your feeling? Can they see something that you don’t?

Last night I goofed up. Actually totally f###@ up. I listened to the negative voices inside. Instead of thinking about things in a positive way, trying to say some affirmations or an affirmative prayer, I let the negative feelings rule my thoughts. How is it that you try so hard to keep on the sunny-side of life, but always end up going back to the dark clouds. This is the way that you give up control in everything. Then life and the people in your life take you on a roller coaster ride. Instead of just using the tools at hand, it’s like you hand yourself over to low self-esteem, depression and negativity. And then you end up here.

I guess I need to look for a change in life as my wife feels that it is time to walk away. I can understand that as life hasn’t been easy for the last several months. After the ups and downs of various anti-depressants and the crazy that some meds bring about - my irrational behaviors and her inability to let a little light shine through - I guess we are in troubled times now. It’s hard, though. This is the first time that I have really felt what a great relationship feels like.

When it all started I was very determined to not do all of the things that I had done in the past. I WAS SIMPLY NOT going to make the same mistakes. I’m sure you can see where all of this is going….you get confident, comfortable and lazy. The layers peel back and I started taking it all for granted. Then suddenly this realization dawns upon you – and you end up there. It sucks, the realization that you have once again done all those things you swore you would never do. Look to that person for all of the things that you can’t give yourself. It’s like this false sense of self.

Now the question is, how do I live with myself? How many times do you mess up and move forward? How much of your own self-destruction can you take? God, when is enough just ENOUGH?

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reality bytes

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price of genius.....

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analyze this.....

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laughter is the best medicine...

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managment perils....

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tech support.....

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bpm.....what was that again??

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changing times...

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star..........struck !!!!

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and the winner is.....

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ration of our times.....

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inflation woes

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the clueless Indian...

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the board announces again..........

Update: I have decided that sometimes pictures convey a thousand words..........while i have received a lot of feedback and sometimes flak for the subjects i have been posting recently, i have decided that i will try to convey the same with comic strips.

A little bit of me and a little bit of everything around me has helped me conceive of the comic strip. Hope you find it a good read........

PS: I will be posting more on my ramblings on a less frequent matter maybe in the near future.....

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the heights of smartness.........

class 10 - i thought i was smart

college - i thought i was very smart

mba college - i thought i was the smartest

job – enlightenment !!!! I thought I was definitely not one of the smart ones especially with the kind of smart illustrious colleagues and seniors I was working with in the medical devices & life sciences arm of a top Indian IT company.

Well then again a man sometimes needs a boost to flap up his flailing ego……….i got my chance of retribution taking a few IQ tests online. Well my score read 135-142 on an average………..and sure I could find ways like reading more often into previously discarded pieces of algebra, trigonometry and geometry and especially pure maths.

However one such quiz that gave me intense satisfaction of cracking (well almost……….and no there was no cheating involved) was that of http://www.impossible-quiz.com/

My scores are given below. See how you score………. (mostly this quiz is based on your hold on geography, logic, mathematics and current affairs)

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the fall guys......

I took my seat on a shared auto (a three wheeler of complete fun and joy – akin to a bike but slightly safer………..well almost) in Pune the other day as I was traveling from Hadapsar to M.G.Road. Well there was probably a strike called in by one auto union probably as a measure to counter the govt’s decision to increase fuel prices. I got into a an auto whose driver warned me beforehand that he would probably pick up some more people on the way – his way of making more money that eventful day. As a hapless consumer in India – little could I do in protest but to say humbug and continue to be lost in my thoughts. Everything was fine and the driver turned down some old folks because of the fact he had to take a detour of maybe a mile. Anyway I was pretty happy that in some 30 mins or so I will reach my destination but alas – my joy was to short-lived. This quietness was soon to be destroyed.

As the posh area of Hadapsar became a distant memory the first actual public transport users on the route got on, unfortunately a group of female friends – 3 to be precise decided to wave their arms in unison and get in – the driver was more than happy to oblige. Quite regrettably I had to show my chivalry (not that I have loads of it J ) I had to shovel my way trying to find a nook on the driver’s seat in the front. The auto posed an ugly site, one man against a crowd (read three) of women. I was never going to be the same again, I had no choice but to surrender, my punishment was to have to listen to them cackle on about women's things for the remainder of the journey. My ever rambling thoughts were still not enough to shield my innocent little ears and the junction at M.G. Road near camp seemed like a transatlantic flight at this stage.

Anyway, I'll get on with it. They were going shopping – probably first Laxmi road to pick up some cheap (read inexpensive) stuff and then probably flaunt their goods at the mall. And the description of t-shirts, lingerie and the works left me bewildered – how could these women spend so much time discussin such trivial issue – but then again I was but a mere mortal here trying to survive the journey. One of the birds shouted to her mate (translated in English it goes on………) "Kiran was at this last night, she was trying desperately to fit into size 30 jeans – but the binge at a couple of weddings left her in a plight with the improbable reality of not fitting in", while another went on “ The guy at college who she was seeing was probably two-timing her and hence she decided to do the same”. Then it started – the fact that mankind (read men) was probably the most inexplicable, untrustworthy, species on the planet – this was blatantly sloganized ( I coined the term from the innumerable rallies called by the Left Front Govt. that had become a way of life in Calcutta) by the chicks (read girls) in the back.

And no I for once did not complain – surprisingly. It was then I realized that age & experience gives us the realization and the vision to see things in different light – things which are important and those which are irrelevant. Thank God – I did not get into a discussion with those beautiful ladies regarding their beliefs – I let nature take its own course of action.

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