The Art of Sending Individual Greetings and Invitations

The January 1st New Year Day has no real significance. For me, it is just another day. The Gregorian Calendar, which we follow, is itself unscientific, and a bit of a joke, unlike the lunar based Indian Calendar. And in any case, more than 50% of the World don't celebrate Jan 1st as New Years Day. But that is for another post.

 

This post is about simple courtesies. I still remember, in 1982, when my Sister got married, we printed 2000 Invitation Cards, of which nearly 1000 were for invitation in person, and balance to be posted. Even those posted, many, required personal letters to be attached. Also, one has to write by hand the addresses, a painful experience.

 

We, being a nucleus family, meant me and my mother had to personally visit at least 600 houses, with balance 400 to be distributed to classmates and friends. My elder brother arrived from Delhi only two days before the Wedding, Sister, of course, was not allowed to join the Invitation party, and Father - he would not be bothered to go house to house to invite people. He remained the master strategist, and HQ bound.

 

But the tiring experience taught me the value of human relationship, how much people, whom we have not met for years, really appreciated our visit, and their happiness at being honoured with a personal invitation. No wonder, 95% of those invited made it a point to attend the function.

 

The above was a norm those days, and still is, in rural areas at least.

 

But times have changed. With the advent of modern communication tools, people have lost the old world courtesy.

 

It galls me when I get an invitation attached to a mail, and me being part of a gigantic mail list. It is bad enough that my e mail id is given to all and sundry, and the recipient idiots clicking 'reply all' and sending a 'thanks for invite' reply, further inconveniencing me.  A wedding in the family occurs once in a decade or so. Can we not take the trouble of sending individual mails with names clearly mentioned in the dialogue box, along with the attachment? I do it, and I expect others to do it too. I feel insulted when I am part of a crowd. There is no personal touch.

 

What triggered this mail is this years New Year Wishes I received in Whatsapp. Without exception, none was personal in nature. Everyone just sent a Video (which is bad enough, with each video 5-8 mb in size), or image and used the 'Sent to All' option.

 

I too had a simple image as greeting, but I made it a point to add a message as Caption individualizing each Greeting with the name of the recipient and an additional message.

 

How many contacts do we have whom we want to really wish on New Year, Onam, Vishu or Deepavali? 20? 25? 30? or maximum 50?.

 

Can we not take some time to remember them personally and send individual messages?

 

Or better still, as someone close to me does every occasion - Call them up personally and wish them!

 

That would be great, right?

What I would like the Government of India do in 2017 - 2

Continued from Part 1..................

1. Free the Hindu Religious Places from Government control. Unfortunately Hindus get the rough end of the stick when the pseudo secular parties like Congress are in Governance. They hardly go anything during the Vajpayee NDA Tenure, and they haven't got much during the Modi NDA Tenure so far. The least this Government can do is to give the same rights to Hindus to manage their Religious places, as has been given to other religions.
2. With cultivable land shrinking, it is high time we adopted innovate methods of farming. Modi is an unabashed believer of Israeli type of farming, and a new Green revolution is the need of the hour. We need to move away from water intensive crops to more cash generating crops, that take a less toll on the soil and water, while bringing more benefit to the farmer. Modern farming methods that increases productivity 2-3 times, which is available is to be adopted.
3. Farmers should be encouraged to go for integrated farming, that includes value added production facility. It is a known economic fact that basic farming is not likely to produce high returns. Milk fetches Rs 30 for the farmer, but the products processed from milk fetches him 3-4 times the revenue for a little additional cost. Turnkey SME projects can be offered to farmers at reasonable rates and these units can be integrated with a regional, national agro products/ value added agro products marketing network and/or in a e-marketing platform, which is already in place. Retraining and re-orientation of farmers is the need of the hour.
4. Considerable exploitation of fresh graduates, Engineering or otherwise, occurs in our Manufacturing sector. These graduates are taken in as trainees and asked to do the job of a factory worker for wages less than minimum wages, and discarded at the end of the year. I have no objection to them doing the blue collared work. In fact, I encourage it, and will be a good learning experience for them. But they need to be paid fair wages. Government can agree with Employers and ensure fair wages, and longer tenure with Government bearing a portion of their salary for a period of two years.
5. There is a privileged class of professionals in India, mostly Metro based, who are working in good companies. These people have lost connect with the other India, the rural Bharath. The rural Bharath's children lack exposure, and are at a disadvantage. The professionals can be asked to dedicate X hours of rural/social work with youngsters in rural areas in a year and they could be allowed a rebate on Income Tax for fulfilling their Social Obligation, while the rural children benefit by gaining the much needed exposure.
6. A simple tweaking of School Kids time table, with only three subjects/languages taken per day, instead of all the six, as is vogue now will reduce the weight of the school bag by half. The number of periods per subject per day can be doubled, on those days the subjects are taught. For example, Maths, Science and English can be taken on Mondays, Wednesdays, two periods each. Social, Hindi, and Third language can be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday can be kept flexible to accommodate subjects/languages based on syllabus requirements. Teachers work load wont increase, and children will get an extra day between classes to internalize what was taught in the Classroom. I had forwarded this suggestion to PMO, who in turn forwarded it to Ministry of Education.

What I would like to see the Government of India do in 2017 - 1

What I would like to see the Government of India do in 2017......................

1. Isolate Pakistan totally. Why are we still giv
   ing Most Favoured Nation status to the rogue country? Enforce a total economic blockade and withdraw our Ambassador, while kicking out the Pakistan Ambassador. Continue the good work on expediting the projects on the Indus, and starve Pakistan of water, and the treaty be damned.
2. Have a rigorous follow up on the demonetization to eliminate black money. The honest citizens have stood by the Prime Minister surviving great hardship, but are a bit upset many black money hoarders managed to beat the system, though they are all worried. Recruit a team of one lakh youngsters and let them loose to check all the bank accounts. ED and IT should work overtime to put the fear of god into anyone who had even remotely laundered the money. And this should be done during the first half of 2017 itself, while the iron is still hot.
3. For god's sake let us have a super efficient Education Minister with a mandate to overhaul our archaic education system in one year. The draft education policy is a joke, and a rehash of things that have failed in the past. Like demonetization, we need a shock and awe treatment in the Education sector.
4. Reduce the income tax and broad base the tax structure. Everyone who earn should pay tax, and those who don't should be penalized heavily
5. Do something about our rotten judicial system. Appoint 100 or 1000 or a million judges, give them infrastructure and let us ensure pending cases are disposed off, and new cases are judged within a year maximum. Stop this ridiculous situation of every petitioner who has a case being heard in district courts, going to High Court and Supreme Court for stay at the drop of a hat. Appeals should be allowed only after there is a verdict in the lower court, and not before.
6. Let the judiciary have a proper set up for scrutinizing Public Interest Litigation. There are far too many frivolous PILs which is wasting the time of the SC. In fact there are professional PIL litigators. Throw the book on them, and encourage only genuine PILs
7. Dismantle all State Road Transport Corporations. The Private Sector is doing a much better job and Government has no business running buses, and subsidizing them..............................................to be continued

Why don't they make teachers and students like them anymore?

Teaching is a passion for me. I have a special feeling for some of my students, and the sentiment is mutual. But good teachers are slowly becoming an extinct species. That is why this particular school teacher's act brought tears to my eyes. This is a rare but true life story

 

This Language Teacher in Semi Urban India retired just recently after more than three decades of teaching. She was invited for a function by one of her old students, whom she taught in early 1990s but was in touch only off and on.

 

She came to the function, opened her bag and carefully took out a bunch of papers which has aged visibly over the years.

 

It was the essay written by the student nearly 25 years ago as part of the Examination, for which the teacher had given 7 1/2 out of 10 (which is a top mark those days, when language teachers give only 60% to the class topper alone). She did it in the presence of all the other guests telling them that this was the best essay she has ever come across in her three decades of teaching, she preserved it all these years and made it a point to show to the students of new batches every year as to how an essay should be written.

 

The student and the guests at the function were astonished that someone took pains to preserve an exam answersheet all these years. The papers were in excellent shape, but for the colour change due to ageing.

 

The student asked the teacher to keep it with her, but the teacher insisted that it is the only gift she can give to the finest student she ever taught, and forced the student to accept it, which was duly done with moist eyes and a lump in the throat.

 

Why don't they make teachers and students like them anymore?

"I am not a Rajya Drohi, I am a Rajya Snehi"

We elect our Government with the hope that there will be Change. No one wants status quo. They want improvement, and visible ones at that.

 

There are two basic types of change that are polar opposites: Radical change and  Incremental change. There has been a surprising amount of debate over which kind of change is better, though the context is an Organization, and not a Country.

Some people  promote the idea of innovation, or Radical change. Others, such as the proponents of  Kaizen, believe that smaller, gradual improvements at regular intervals are better. People who believe in Radical change often think that Incremental change is too slow. Those that believe in Incremental change often believe that Radical change is too risky and isn’t sustainable.

 

But what both sets of people accept is that Change is required and it should be for the better.

 

Unfortunately, in India, over the past few decades the Change has been for the worse. Honest people, who constitute 90% of the population, had seethed in anger at their Governments working only for the Corrupt and Anti nationals, and thinking of them only at the election time. Fake Currencies and Black money ruled roost. Land purchase became a dream for the common man, as the black money guys inflated the price many fold. Too much money was chasing too few goods, leading to double digit inflation. The honest tax payer got nothing in return and was resigned to cursing his fate.

 

Then came Modi in 2014, with a promise to change their lives drastically. He promised fight against black money, and extended hope that there will be development. He delivered a lot on the latter during the past 30 months - new roads, toilets, bank accounts for all, direct cash transfer scheme, lower inflation, overall digitalization, allowing self attestation of documents, better railways, and no corruption at higher levels. But it was not enough for the honest voter. He viewed it as Incremental Change and that was not why he voted Modi to power.

 

He bayed for Radical Change. He wanted Pakistan to be taught a lesson. He wanted black money to be eradicated from the system. He wanted a level playing field, and not scoffed at by the corrupt, rich and famous.

 

Time was running out for Modi. UP, Punjab elections are round the corner, followed by Gujarat and Karnataka elections. And then the 2019 General elections will be at the door steps.

 

During the past one month, he took on Pakistan, let the Army loose on them and started isolating them globally. The Voter was happy. This restored his pride as an Indian, but did not make any material difference to his day to day life.

 

And then, on Tuesday, 8th November 2016 at 8 pm, Modi came on Television and declared a war on the Fake Currency and Black Money. He demonetized the Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes with immediate effect, and asked people to co-operate.

 

The corrupt, including the media, cried hoarse. The bottom has gone out of their castles built on corrupt money. Pakistanis couldn't believe it. Their entire eco system created to destroy Indian economy through fake currencies, apart from funding terrorism, collapsed in one second.

 

But the Common Man cheered. This was the Radical Change he wanted.  He knew he will have to face inconveniences for a few days, but it doesn't matter. This is for the greater good. Modi, bypassed all rogue media, and addressed the common man directly. He sought their co-operation. People listened to him, stood up and cheered, and then vowed to make this a success. They recognize leadership when they see it. They are patriots. They know it is for the country, it is for them, for their children and for the next generation. They were happy, as I was, that at last, at last, someone cared for the majority - the honest guys who always were at the receiving end all these years. And they did not miss the chance to gloat at the squirming of the distributors of fake currency and the hoarders of black money.

 

Even in the far off Muscat, their sound reverberated. I was in the Super market counter waiting for my turn. A low level malayali worker, was talking to the malayali cashier about the demonetization. His words summed up the situation perfectly

 

"I support this decision by PM wholeheartedly, because I am not a Rajya Drohi, I am a Rajya Snehi", and people around him concurred.

 

Never before has a PM of India done so much for our Country with this much Intent.

 

Let us be thankful for that, and take a moment off to pray for his long life.

Risk Taking leads to Success

Rohit Brijnath is perhaps one of the best Sports Journalist around. In his article about the Golfing Legend Arnold Palmer, who died a few months back, he writes;

The second thing sport should take from Palmer is risk taking. No doubt we admire those who play the percentages, reduce error and embrace consistency but sport isn't an Accountancy Exam. It also needs the gambler, the heart-attack giver, the "you're-kidding-me" athlete who has the lunatic spirit to roll over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

 

One of the reasons football is turning dull is because no wants to lose but Arnie would try any shot to win. If the high stakes of today's sport is suffocating the adventure out of coaches and athletes, then he was golf's version of the guy who did handstands on a high wire. Of course, he fell. His refusal to play safe cost him - he wrote in his book A Golfer's Life - "three or four US Opens, perhaps a Masters or two, and the PGA Championship on at least two occasions".

 

Yet as he risked he also soared and said that "if I hadn't had the instinctive desire to attempt those shots, regardless of the outcome, almost without thinking, I wouldn't have won half the tournaments I did".

 

This is so true of Management. I am into New Ventures and Investment. And I have seen most of the Companies, Financial Institutions and their Management playing ultra safe. No one wants to take risk.

 

You go to a Financial Institution with a New Venture, and they expect you to cover all the risks five times over, want to see an off take agreement, solid contract, 200% collateral security etc etc. I went to them with all of the above, and still they refused, because they felt the project doesn't meet the Risk profile of the Bank, whatever that means.

 

Every single Top Manager I know, want to have risk free and preferable investment free projects. They want a return of $ 1 Million by investing $ 10,000. If I knew that magic, I would be a Billionaire  by now!

 

I am yet to see an Investor or Manager who says "This project has the potential and looks great. Let us give it a go. I will back it"

 

And when their Companies are facing a melt down with low oil prices in the Middle East, they crib and blame everyone except themselves.

 

Their Companies are in trouble because they did not take adequate risk or show the entrepreneurial spirit when the going was good.

 

Play safe will help them perhaps to sustain, but will ensure they remain mediocre.

 

It is the risk taker who makes it big. And the thrill one gets when one pulls off the impossible is a fantastic feeling.

The Sad Fall of our Judiciary

Much as I hate to pick on Supreme Court of India time and again, I am afraid the SC is fast losing its respect. And I hope the judiciary don't lose the respect.

 

A series of verdicts, which defies logic and borders on absurdity is threatening to erode SC's credibility. It is fair to say that the SC under the current Chief Justice has been on an emotional adversarial path with the legislature and is overstepping their brief.

 

Their stand on the appointment of Judges, and how they decided a case where they themselves were a party should be the lowest point of our judiciary, inclusive of their pathetic stand during the Emergency period 1975-1977. It was only fair on the part of the SC to ask for Arbitration from an independent panel, while recusing from the case. That there was one judge, out of five, who had the integrity to dissent is the only salient feature of the whole sordid saga.

 

The allegation raised by Justice Chalameshwar that the Collegium system is not transparent in its functioning has not been addressed to yet by the cry baby Chief Justice. This is akin to how corruption allegations against 8 of the former CJIs by Bhushan was brushed under the carpet by the SC till date. Less said about SC inaction on K G Balakrishnan, the better.

 

Thus, we have a situation, where the judiciary appoints itself, is accountable to none, and encroaching into the domain of the Executive. This is dangerous for the Country.

 

Take the case of the Sahara Chief Subrata Roy. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was involved in one of the biggest money laundering exercise of recent times and needs to be punished. His case has been with SC for the past half a decade, and he was sent behind the bars for only 'Contempt of Court'. And he was given 5 Star facility in the jail, and Office with infrastructure to work and finally let out on parole on compassionate grounds, which was extended on one pretext or other. Now he is ordered back to jail not for his crime, but because the CJI led bench took offense at the attitude of his lawyer! The legal and logical thing that should have been done ages ago was to attach the Sahara properties, appoint an Administrator and then punish Roy if he has violated the law. The Administrator should have been asked to auction the properties and not Roy.

 

Less said about the Arunachal Pradesh Government fiasco, the better. It was known to all and sundry that the Congress speaker did not give a level playing field and suspended MLA's when there was a no confidence motion against him, and a Finance bill was not passed, which automatically means the collapse of the Government. The SC interfered needlessly, ensured that only a Congress Government was possible, restored status quo without taking into cognizance all the facts. The Result? The deposed by SC, CM Puli committed suicide and within two months, the whole Congress party barring the original CM defected to form a new party, leaving mud on the face of the honorable Justices of SC.

 

The next disaster was the judgment on Cauvery water. Again the SC took arbitrary decisions, changing the quantum of water released every day, without rhyme or reason, and two states burned. Finally, the Karnataka legislature had to take the extreme step of virtually telling SC that it will defy its orders and pray what did SC do? They virtually begged Karnataka to release a minimum quantity of water for 3 days just to save their faces, all the while spewing phony, un-implementable threats at all and sundry.

 

SC doesn't understand that they are still respected but are just being tolerated. One day, people will start defying them, and SC cant do anything about it. For example, what can SC do if Karnataka don't release water? Nothing. It can order the arrest of the Chief Secretary. But who is going to arrest them? No one. Then what happens? Nothing.

 

This is the result when the SC thinks a bit too much of itself and its powers

 

I am no great fan of BCCI. But there are far more worse associations than BCCI, which at least does a lot for the game. But the SC wont touch any of those rogue associations as they wont get any publicity. Our boxers are suffering because the national boxing association is split into two and derecognized by the International Boxing Council. Have you heard SC appointing a Committee to solve this. No.

 

SC appointed a committee headed by former Justice Lodha, who recommended sweeping reforms. What was the qualification of Lodha to decide the tenure of office holders, or fix an age limit, or to decide there should be only 3 selectors? None. His opinion is as good or bad as yours and mine, and quite a few are down right dumb. BCCI is one of the few associations, where past players are very active in promoting the sport, and of course they make money out of it. No one does anything for charity or for the love of the game. There were conflict of interests, but these could have been easily taken care of. When SC decides a case where it was the Aggrieved party in the issue of Judges appointment, which is a clear Conflict of Interest, how can they morally ask someone else not to have Conflict of Interest?

 

Today, they have threatened to enforce their decision by BCCI. Now, how are they going to implement it if BCCI refuses to pay heed? Frankly, many of the recommendations are illogical and by no means perfect. All it is doing is to shackle perhaps the only decently run sports federation in India, which has contributed immensely to the growth of Cricket and Cricketers not only in India, but world over.

 

The SC, which has mountains of cases to clear, is picking and choosing high profile cases filed as PIL to be in the limelight, and issuing orders left, right and centre. It made a laughing stock of itself with its ban of Diesel cars in Delhi, support of the absurd Odd-Even Scheme, Reversing the ban on Diesel cars and imposing a Cess (for which it has no authority), and their silly comments on all matters under the sun.

 

For many, judiciary is their last hope. Instead of ensuring speedy justice to the poorest of the poor, the judiciary is wasting time on cases which are of no great consequence to majority of the people like the BCCI case.

 

SC also sermons various Governments and Ministries on getting their act together, but is absolutely silent on the rot inside it. Delayed justice, poor infrastructure, corruption of judges, unnecessary adjournments, out dated functioning (Why do we still follow the old British way of dressing in courts and a bailiff announcing the arrival of the justice? Ridiculous), a confrontanist attitude with the Government that pays its salary, and stone deafness to the voice of the people, apart from rampant cronyism, opaqueness in functioning,  are some of the ills afflicting our judiciary.

 

I dread the day people turn against it finally as this could lead to anarchy.

 

Will our Judges ( I wont call them Honourable, why should they be addressed like that at all?) wake up and get out of their ivory tower before it is too late?