Happy new year

Wish each one of you a very very happy new year. Let us reaffirm our commitment to make this world more beautiful and peaceful in whatever we do, whatever we think and whatever we experience!

एक उड़ान ऐसी भी

ऐ ख़ुदा बख्शी है, तूने एक उड़ान ऐसी भी,
मोतियों से पिरोयीं है, तूने ये जहान ऐसी,
कितनी अनोखी है, यहाँ हर एक की कहानी,
ज़िन्दगी कभी लगती, बेगानी तो कभी सुहानी,

बेखबर क्या लिखा, हाथ की टेढ़ी लकीरों में,
ख़्वाबो का पुलिंदा, बाँध लिया मुसाफिरों ने,
मुकम्मल होते ख्वाब, बन गए मील का पत्थर,
अधूरे ख्वाब रह गए, अनकही दास्ताँ बनकर,

अधूरे ख़्वाबो में छिपे थे, कुछ सच्चे मायने,
हौसला और उम्मीद, निखर के आये सामने,
ख़ुदा ने बख्शी थी, रहमत में सिर्फ़ एक ज़िन्दगी,
ख़ुशी और ग़म के धारो में, बाट दी हमने ज़िन्दगी,

दिल तो दिल है, उड़ते रहना इसकी फिदरत है,
मोतियों से ज़िन्दगी को पिरोना एक जरुरत है...

Happy Holidays!

Winter has almost set in. There are festivities around the corner and most of the busy people are looking towards a peaceful and relaxing time. As the clock ticks to another ‘Big Day’ of Christmas, I go down memory lane and am greatly pleased to recall the experiences during this period:

1. In school, Christmas used to stand between a fun-filled vacation and results of annual examinations. Wow, what a wonderful way to start your vacation knowing you have graduated to next standard in studies. Though we did not see much of Santa Claus, vacations meant lots and lots of relief and more and more of play. Badminton was most commonly played sports in winters in our vicinity and what a sport – till day I miss those long hours of play with my cousins. The warmth of sitting with family around the fire was and is so refreshing. Only winters can offer such joy!

2. As school days finished and I moved to one of great cities as far as Christmas is concerned, the whole charm was kind of so alluring. I can easily relate to your feelings if you are right now somewhere in Park Street of Calcutta. Whole street looks like a newly-wed bride. Oh Calcutta! Chocolates, pastries and gifts became order of the day during this part of the life and obviously late night parties and hang-outs were so cool. Somehow, winters did seem to give so much of free time to relax and enjoy time with your own self. Long night chat with roomies was such an important part of day-to-day life and winter nights were more so special because of stillness it offered in each moment.

3. As life moved to working mode, the Christmas meant party time and rejuvenating holidays. Each one of us work hard every day and wait for this nice little break which gives ample space to connect with family and friends and finish other important tasks also. Christmas is a time of fun and excitement for us in India. However, culturally the importance of Christmas is more prominent outside India. Everyone forgets work and submerge in celebrations mode. My heart goes out to all the colleagues anywhere in the world who wait for this moment to come throughout the year.

Indeed, this is the time to refresh, make new commitments, look towards a newer horizons, introspect oneself and bask in glory of offerings of a magnificent life. Wish each one of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May God Bless You with Great Health and Peace of Mind.

P.S. – Do drink a lot if you like to drink and have a great time. Someone told me that beer is the best friend for a chilling night ;)

Performance is not only about intelligence...

They say life is a playground, you are the player and you are ordained to perform on this stage of life which is sometimes so pleasing, sometimes so painful and ultimately indifferent. But no matter what, expectation from you is to play, play and play. This stage could be a school, a college, an institute, an organization or any community for that matter, obviously where a group of people live and complement each other to earn their daily breads. e.g. I go to an organization to earn my piece of bread. Expectations are somewhat different at the place where you earn your bread. Perhaps because you gain greens in return for your work, business or occupation as you endeavour to march towards next level of Maslow’s hierarchy.

As I step back and ponder over what constitutes a good or outstanding performance, I ask a question to myself. Is intelligence enough to get such performance from someone? The answer is plain no. In dying days of his/ her school, a teen thinks of unthinkable and believes in his/ her super abilities which are means to reach greater heights of achievements. Those are the days when dreams and ambitions are more individualistic in nature. But as it happens, earning bread is not only about realizing individual dreams. You become a part of a chain and value creation is more important at all the layers which in turn uplifts the entire mass.

So what are the qualities that are needed to work towards a macro goal and emerge as a great leader of all time? Well, I am yet to learn the nuances of leadership and I am glad that I am in process of learning those nuances. From where I could see is that the leadership has more to do with behaviour, attitude and empathy. Trust me – intelligence takes a back seat here. Behaviour which helps you fill whole ambience with insurmountable joy, attitude that helps you generate undying positivity around your environment and empathy that helps you share happiness and sorrows of your peers, colleagues and subordinates. And the fact of the matter is that it is all the more difficult to harbour high levels of behaviour, attitude and empathy as compared to intelligence. As I continue to discover minute aspects of leadership, I tend to take a pause and salute all those great friends, peers and colleagues who have helped me learn important lessons of life. Thank You All!

The agony of Indian Airports

Growth is good, satisfying and inevitable. In every walk of life, we see, aspire and chase growth. But can growth sustain? The answer is it can and the key lies in how you embrace the growth and how manage the growth. There are leaders who have built the empires, who have broken all the records and who have reached the pinnacle by virtue of a great vision and ability to channelize the resources towards the aforesaid vision timely. They have done so because they managed to sustain the growth on both micro and macro levels. To manage sustainable growth, we need all round plans to support the developing economy such as ours and this includes necessary infrastructure. As for Indian aviation industry, the growth has been great when you look at the dramatic increase in number of passengers, flights and airport bases over past two decades. Sadly, the infrastructure plans to support the growth has been lackluster and untimely. Before the total breakdown happens, there is a need to upgrade all important airport bases in India. Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai have witnessed the much needed upgrade – though little late. Need of the hour is to upgrade Chennai, Kolkata and Pune airports immediately.

The scene at all of these three airports is utterly chaotic nowadays. While reaching and entering Pune airport is not that difficult, the difficulty starts right at the baggage x-ray machines. With very limited number of machines, you can end up waiting for 15-20 minutes in the queue. Another example of mismanagement is having greater no. of check-in counters for the flights which are scheduled to depart most late of them all. Security check and boarding facilities are pathetic. Air traffic is all the more bad. A real bad experience if one had to fly from Pune.

And if you are travelling from Pune to Chennai or vice versa, be prepared for a lifetime experience. Getting out of Chennai airport is one of the biggest challenges. There is unbelievable chaos outside the airport and to get to your destination is even more difficult. Thanks to poor infrastructure of the city. Same is the case when you have to catch a flight from Chennai. Even if you managed to reach the airport just in time after travelling one km in 25 minutes on road, you have to pass through the Babus who are more interested in memorizing spelling of your name at the gate. It will take you ages to locate x-ray machine of the flight you are taking. Check-in kiosks are lesser in number and unorganized in nature. Even worse experience if one had to fly in and out of Chennai.

Kolkata had been pretty good till about 12 months back. The city is most famous for ultimate bureaucrats who are known for changing the procedures for worse or adding wasteful procedure in a otherwise fine working process. So what do they do at Kolkata airport? To manage ever increasing traffic, they put all the security check points at one place which were earlier located at various places to facilitate better usage of aerobridges. And this results into inexpressible chaos. 25-30% of fliers could at least head towards the boarding gates easily but that did not go too well with our famous administrators. They wanted everyone to suffer equally and as a result, all 100% fliers are facing the chaos. What is worse is that you have 70% of morning flights between 6 and 7. It is not so difficult to locate your x-ray machine as they are only a few. Then you have airlines representatives using their rapport with security official to sneak in their passengers first irrespective of boarding time. Chennai and Kolkata are very close in terms of worst airports but if I had to choose, I would choose Kolkata airport as the worst. There is piece of advice for all the readers - simply avoid taking a morning flight (departure time - 6 to 7) from Kolkata. I have done it more often than not in the recent past and hence plan to reach airport before 5 am, if at all there is a need to fly once again.

Who said Growth cannot be mismanaged!

Airport Affairs – Few Hits and Many a Misses

Before I say anything, let me take this opportunity to thank each one of you who visit this page and read the posts once in a while. Big thanks for being part of this very calm space. There have been days when I craved to pen down something and yet could not do so. I feel quite upbeat when someone such as you still come and read pieces such as this. It is indeed a very special community where words are the only medium which ties us together. Raise a toast to blogosphere!

Encouraged by couple of posts on “the bliss of India airports” by one of the great bloggers, I am tempted to (in fact taking liberty to) rank few of the best and worst airports in India as far as passengers and baggage handling is concerned. It took me so long to realize that passengers also need safe and polite handling. Well, if I had to rank our airports three years ago, best airport award would have perhaps gone to an airport like Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi or Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal for the sheer size of the operations. Any airport handling more than two thousand passengers and seven flights a day would have been vying for a spot in worst airport category then. But as they say change is the only permanent thing in life and so life has changed at airports too.

Having taken approx 250 flights in past 36 months, it is a challenge for me to rate the best of the airports in the country. Hence, to help my cause, I am discounting all the tier C cities’ airports which are still in developing stage and where still it take 20 minutes to reach the airport from the city. Though I have been to new airport of Bengaluru only once, I could feel the difference as compared to torturing experience of erstwhile airport at Marathalli. The facilities were really good and on the contrary, security guard was able to locate my name on the ticket very easily. Considering my limited exposure to the new airport, I would rate this as no. 3 in the best category.

If you happen to be from Bengaluru, please forgive me for being biased towards the city where I live now. Not so long ago, Delhi airport was one of the worst airports. Long queue at the main gate of terminal 1B on a winter morning was one horrible experience. Thank God – CWG brought much needed sanity at Indira Gandhi Airport. Facilities have improved drastically and hassles have gone down significantly with onset of first terminal 1D and now terminal 3. The jam at drop off point in the peak hours is a drawback of otherwise a very very modern airport. For the scale of operations and traffic loads, Delhi airport can be rated as no. 2 in the best category.

No prize for guessing the best airport I have come across within Indian Territory. For a very pleasant experience of entry, check-in, security check and boarding procedures offered at Hyderabad, Rajiv Gandhi Airport is the best Indian Airport in my opinion. Once inside the airport, you can enjoy outstanding eating and shopping stalls. Usage of aerobridges is at its best here. Traffic congestion has nothing to do with Hyderabad air space. You have 3 check points as against 7 of many other airports. State of the art infrastructure makes it truly nice place to fly from.

P.S. - If this was about the best, wait for the worst. Readers are highly encouraged to express their individual opinion on the matter.

Old is Gold --------- Anyday!

As you open your television nowadays, there are so many channels awaiting your viewership. In fact so many of them that by the time you zero in the channel, which you would like to watch, half the program is gone. It is actually not the number of channels that turns me off, but the types of programs that are on air put me off. Well, if you are a music freak, do not expect more than a 3.6 minutes entertainment as their contents get repeated after that. If you are a lady in mid 40s, it is more likely that 3-4 channels try to attract your attention by showing some form of family drama which to me seems outdated at the minimum. For youngsters, there are some typical channels who try to show silly reality bites – of course which relate to a boy-girl relationship. Thank God – K-Jo just sips his coffee with renowned celebrities! Then, there are few reality shows which are designed to appeal to masses. Some are good, some are average and some are really pathetic. I mean it – some are just pathetic. None of the Hindi news channels are worth watching. Out of all Indian English news channels, there is only one (perhaps two) which you can watch during the prime time. In my opinion, the Doordarshan (DD) news is still better than those dedicated news channels.

Over the past two decades, the choice on the television has indeed elevated from a single channel DD to multi channel cable network. However, I feel that the quality of information and entertainment broadcasted has deteriorated like never before. They have given us the options – no doubt. But, they have killed the urge for something special. It has become more sort of a pastime rather than the real entertainment. If you were born before 1985, you would definitely remember the satisfying wait of some very good programs – be it Reporter on Mondays, Hamraahi on Tuesdays, Byomkesh on Wednesdays, Surabhi on Thursdays or Chitrahaar on Wednesdays and Fridays with Rangoli setting up the tone on Sunday Mornings. Late night Big B flicks was a nice way to cherish the glory of Hindi Cinema of 70s and 80s. One thing that I know is that we cannot go back in time. However, what we can do is switch on the flashback once in a while and regale in the beauty and reverence of the past. What we can do is refresh our moods with those lovely creations, compositions and collections of the past. Here I present some old romantic songs which used to be aired on DD during those days. The fragrance of these songs is still the same and the joy unparallel.

1. Pal pal dil ke paas

2. Ye shaam mastani

3. Aaj mausam bada

4. O saathi re

5. Dard-e-dil

6. Tum aa gaye ho

7. O Hansini

8. Chhukar mere man ko

9. Zindagi ki na tute ladi

10. Pyaar hua ikraar hua

11. Aasmaan ke niche

पैगाम ये, आप के नाम

खामोश नज़रे, प्यारी हसी है,
आँखों में मेरी, तेरी सूरत बसी है,
मासूम चेहरा, दिलकश अदा है,
साथ ये तेरा, सबसे जुदा है,

बातें तुम्हारी, दिल को लुभाती,
यादे तुम्हारी, दिल को सताती,
ये दिल तो हुआ, अब से तुम्हारा,
कैसे होगा, बिन तुम गुज़ारा,

झुकी सी पलके, सहमी सी साँसे,
ज़हन को हमारे, शुकून दे जाते,
रुठते मनाते, हँसते रुलाते,
होते होते हो गए, हम बस आपके!

Will “propriety and integrity” prevail in Indian politics ever?

Out of curiosity, I googled ‘definition of politics’ and as defined on Wikipedia, Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power" and refers to the regulation of a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Going by this, the politicians must be the people who make these decisions, regulate the political unit and who tactfully and methodically formulate policy.

How the decisions impact the political unit and how the policy is laid down is a subject matter of “propriety and integrity”, supposedly. I am convinced beyond any doubt that that is how the civil governments should be run to uplift the mass to a new level of advancement and prosperity. All the readers of this blog will be convinced about this fact too and many of those who do not read this blog except our own politicians would be convinced too. Over the past two decades, the greatest worm of our politics has been corruption which is not the subject matter of the post at hand. I would like to keep myself to two words only – “Propriety and Integrity”.

The intent of politics has perhaps not gone down very well with as many as 90% (just a rough approximation, could be more) of our politicians. CWG games becomes a hit and here comes a bunch of people in Dhoti-Kurta claiming for its success. Tata wants to set up a factory in Bengal and here comes a 'lady draped in a saree with blue borders' claiming to be the sole protector of rights of 'Aam-Janta'. 26/11 happens and here comes Mr. L K Advani (Leader of Opposition) to the site on that very tragic night blaming government for failure of everything that could have gone wrong. People from Bihar and UP migrate to Mumbai for work and here come a self proclaimed universal protector of 'Marathi Maanus' and his troops beating them up. Obama visits India and statements from the opposition party says why did not he mention the P-word in his opening speech at the Taj. The list will go on and on.

I fail to understand the intent of the acting party in each of the above and many more cases. Where are the “propriety and integrity” elements? Will ever our politicians understand what the 'Aam-Janta' needs and what their cause of concerns are? Can they please take a clue of administration from Narendra Modi-sans-hindutva, Sheila Dixit and Nitish Kumar (yet to be proven, but by many counts he has handled Bihar very well). This will clearly tell what we need as general citizen of this beautiful country. I sincerely hope that we get to see "propriety and integrity" in daily affairs of politics some day.

Happy Celebrations!

It is real amazing how the entire ambience turn into a festival mood all of a sudden and there are so much of vibrancies at this time of the year. Honestly speaking, external drive and passion is so powerful that even the laziest of all cannot but be filled with energy to come forward to make the most of this moment. As the week progressed day by day, preparations picked up all round the corners for a grand Deepawali. Office canteens were almost empty since Monday as all the parents back home waited patiently for their children to join them on this occasion, morning rushes on the roads vanished and it became a joy for those who hit the road during that time, SMS poured in great numbers since late Wednesday, gifts wrapped in bright red cellophanes was a common sight past couple of days, sweets and chocolates have dominated the daily food intakes, sales of C2H5OH (Ethanol) has surged and so on. All in all, entire week shaped up nicely for a wonderful day of celebrations and joys.

Wishing you all a very Happy Deepavali and great new seasons ahead! May God continue to offer each one of us blessings, wisdom and health! May our chase of an enduring happiness never cease!

As I tend to sign off, this song keeps coming to my mind…

Let us play the game of life in highest of the spirits

Life is beautiful, bountiful and jaunty-full. It has more and more in store which leaves more and more simplistic thoughts in the mind. Most importantly, life is a playground where players perform, win or lose, fall or rise, exalt or sadden – but no matter what, players play. That’s perhaps a very simple connotation of “Gita” in my words which is very closely connected to my earlier post. Indeed, I urge everyone to play, play and play. There will be moments of agony, there will be moments of dejection, there will be feelings of non-acceptance, there will be crave for the ultimate contentment – believe me, either of these or some other worries will always be there for this is human. I am not sure how one would or rather one should react in these situations. May be, music is one thread which most of us tend to resort to in distress, strain and loneliness. Here, I present some beautiful Hindi songs of all time which take the soul to a new level and make the life so meaningful:

1. Kisi ki muskurahato pe
2. Jina yaha marna yaha
3. Musafir hoon yaaro
4. Zindagi kaisi hai paheli
5. Diye jalte hai
6. Ek pyaar ka nagma hai
7. Ek din bik jayega
8. Sach mere yaar hai
9. Ruk jaana nahi tu kahi
10. Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata

Commonwealth Games 2010 - Feeling of pride!

Today is a Sunday and indeed, what a relief! It has been crazy travels past four weeks for me. I got a chance to visit Pune, Chennai, Madurai, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli during this time – all for work. Hence, very little time to write anything and do some sightseeing. But, all is well that ends well. Though there are some pending items on the agenda, I am hoping for less travels in the near future.

I had a wonderful time following the commonwealth games. What a games for Indian contingent! I felt proud to watch my countrymen perform with such passion and determination. What gives more pleasure is that we eventually pulled it off as hosts. I would really question the role that the media played in the whole episode. Even on the day of closing ceremony, media could not have done a worse job of running a prime time program which least relished the success of we as a nation and of our athletes and players and instead invited few lesser known celebrities to pinpoint the individual behind the controversies surrounding the games. A young writer (who himself has been part of a controversy off late) went on air saying it was 10 days party. Yes, I was also disheartened to see the way the finale was projected as the platform of taking credits for a good show by a few of our own politicians. Yes, there is more than reasonable chance of money laundering at all the layers. In our system, it has always been there. But, for God sake, let investigating agencies do their work. Let us not take a single bit of appreciation and accolades away from people who have made us proud. It has been so disappointing to see the deteriorating quality of sensation that has been created in the name of news. Yet, there are a few good journalists like Vikram Chandra who invited many of our athletes to organize an interaction with general people.

Having said this, the games did offer some of the great memories that will itch in the mind forever. Few of those are:

Gagan Narang’s smiling face with four golds.
Unassuming reaction of Deepika Kumari on winning the gold.
Focus of Rahul Banerjee and Dola Banerjee as they got ready to shoot the arrow.
Geeta Rani, Alka Tomar and Anita Kumari fetching gold in women’s wrestling.
Composed and calm Sushil Kumar well supported by a full house and Rahul Gandhi.
Clean sweep by our ladies in discus throw. Oh, what a moment!
Hat-trick of golds by our boxers.
Women’s relay team – the noise of the entire JN Stadium is still echoing.
Jubilant Sharath Kamal and Jwala Gutta on final day of the games.
Ashish Kumar giving India its first gymnastics medal.
And one that was most assuring of all – The great Saina winning the most important gold. I was so fortunate to see all her matches after round of 32.

Have you seen the God at work? I have seen - many a times.

One of my colleagues exclaimed “he is master once again proved!” I thought that is there anything left to be proven? Is there any form of greatness on earth that eludes one of these legends? Can anything get bigger than this gentleman in this crazy cricket loving country? Absolutely no, no ways! This person needs no introduction and keeps on redefining the definition of greatness. Yet another milestone and the same gesture, off goes the helmet and up goes the eyes, one could sense immense tranquility around his proximity and the batsman on the other end could feel infinite level of assuredness on the crease. Few months ago, I read a collection of tributes paid to our master blaster by several contemporaries, greats of the game, journalists and few more. Here is what has been said over the years:

"We did not lose to a team called 'India' ... we lost to a man called Sachin." - Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)

"Commit all your sins when Sachin is batting.They will go unnoticed cause even the GOD is watching." - A hoarding in England

There are 2 kinds of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others. - Andy Flower

"I have seen god, he bats at no.4 for India " - Mathew Hayden

"Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it." - Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight

"Sometimes you get so engrossed in watching batsmen like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar that you lose focus on your job." - Yaseer Hameed in Pakistani Newspaper

"To Sachin, the man we all want to be" - Andrew Symonds wrote on an Aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin

“Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their lives." - BBC on Sachin

"Tujhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" - Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch in 2003 World Cup

Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal. - Brian Charles Lara

"The more I see of him the more confused I'm getting to which is his best knock." - M. L. Jaisimha

"The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with which he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate humility - all make for a one-in-a-billion individual" - Glenn McGrath

"I can be hundred per cent sure that Sachin will not play for a minute longer when he is not enjoying himself. He is still so eager to go out there and play. He will play as long as he feels he can play." - AT

Question: Who do you think as most important celebrity ?
Shah Rukh Khan: There was a big party where stars from bollywood and cricket were invited. Suddenly, there was a big noise, all wanted to see approaching Amitabh Bachhan. Then Sachin entered the hall and Amitabh was leading the queue to get a grab of the GENIUS!! - Shah Rukh Khan in an interview.

"India me aap Prime Minister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte hain... Par Sachin Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte..."- Navjot Singh Sidhu on TV

"He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also." - Waqar Younis

Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the world. I was bowling to Sachin and he hit me for two fours in a row. One from point and the other in between point and gully. That was the last two balls of the over and the over after that we (SA) took a wicket and during the group meeting I told Jonty (Rhodes) to be alert and I know a way to pin Sachin. And I delivered the first ball of my next over and it was a fuller length delivery outside the off stump. And I shouted catch. To my astonishment the ball was hit to the cover boundary. Such was the brilliance of Sachin. His reflex time is the best I have ever seen. Its like 1/20th of a sec. To get his wicket better not prepare. At least you won’t regret if he hits you for boundaries. - Allan Donald

"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!!!" - Peter Rebouck - Aussie journalist

"Cricket was not there in ancient ages, otherwise Cricket would be the God's game, and Sachin be the 11th incarnation in India." - Hari Patnaik

"Sachin cannot cheat. He is to cricket what (Mahatma) Gandhiji was to politics. It's clear discrimination. " - NKP Salve, former Union Minister when Sachin was accused of ball tempering

"Even my father's name is Sachin Tendulkar." - Sachin Tendulkar's daughter, Sara, tells her class her father's name after the teacher informs them of a Restaurant of the same name in Mumbai

Oh Calcutta – the memories bring joy, joy and joy!

The City of Joy is more than special to the boy (wonder if I would fall in that bracket now) in many ways. Imperious views of the city, timeless sweetness of food and people, pride of having a resemblance to London, infinite charm of festival fun, adda with friends – Oh Calcutta! To top this all, the vibration that goes inside lungs and heart with every breath makes one feel ‘the soul of the city.’ Yes – I have yet to feel that kind of connection anywhere else in the world. An amazing pace is internalized within you once you set out to do something. An unprecedented serenity awaits you as you return from work.

I suppose I am the same shy and reticent boy somewhere deep inside even today. But for an outsider like me, it was a greatest learning of them all just being in the city for most of his student life. Watching the beauty of life very closely, understanding the ways to overcome obstacles on the path, meeting great people and making great friends for a lifetime – I could not have asked for more.

I could not have asked for more, indeed!

Amidst this beautiful journey, I happened to bump into a very very special person in the dying days of the year 2002 in Bhawanipore area. Never could I imagine where this meeting would lead to. Never could I witness purest form of friendship on earth. When I was right up there on the escalator, there was incessant push from all quarters. When I was down and dusted, almost about to give up everything for anything; this very special person showed me the way, this very person provided much needed cushion and this very person made me rejuvenate myself to pass most important hurdle. It has been almost eight years since then. To my delight, the love and the friendship between Hum-Tum grow every day, every hour and every minute. Seldom did I think how all those teenager’s dreams would converge to one relationship.

Oh Calcutta – thank you for everything! There is a part of yours that will never leave me, there is this part of yours in me that will never leave me!

A tiny step towards the biggest cause

When I started “the ride to the City of Joy” few weeks back, I expected it to get over by end of August. However, I resisted from doing so because of my immeasurable love for poetic verses and hence I tried to pen down few “कविताये” also in between. As I geared up to write something this evening, several memories of Calcutta kept coming to my mind. However, at the end I decided to defer it for some more time and write about something that is fresher in mind and powerful in intent.

My colleagues were interested to do something on the social front for quite some time now. But, none of us were able to break through towards this cause till Yesterday. Thanks to one of my cousin-cum-friend – Prem, who is actively involved with NGO activities for upliftment of underprivileged children since his MBA days. I spoke to him about the interest our group had and we managed to organize a small workshop at "Bal Shikha Kendra" run under the flagship of "LEU Foundation" yesterday in the first half.

After several round of conversations, seven of us managed to reach the school on Saturday morning for this activity. There is this small "basti" in sector 53 which is flanked by tall buildings from all sides. Many of the high salary paid associates living in these buildings would not have slightest of the hint that approx. 4000 people are living in this "basti" in not so hygienic conditions. It was startling to note that over 1000 kids live here bereft of higher education and prosperous future. As briefed by Prem in the kick-off discussion, this school was set up some 18 months ago to help them prepare for admission into primary schools based on their age group and readiness. In fact, they have managed to push 78 such kids into mainstream education system through government schools in nearby localities. We did a tour of school with him after the debrief. The entire structure is made of wood and tarpaulins with a wooden fence to protect the school against invasion of cows, dogs and pigs. There are two classes and two whole time teachers who control the operations. There are about 100 odd kids who come to the school on a consistent basis.

After the tour, we were asked to conduct a survey in the "basti" on the health awareness. We marched inside the "basti" and began the survey filling the questionnaire given to us. Few common problems surfaced in the process were related to usage of untreated water in the households, absence of toilets in the area and ambiguity about importance of education for children. All the volunteers did their best to cover as many families as possible. All of us did a fair job and came back to school after half an hour.

Next activity was to clear the grass away from the school yard. Though we did not have automatic lawnmower to do this, we took the job very seriously and started clearing the grass with manual tools such as hoe and spade. About half of the grass was removed from the school area within 20 minutes. Since we were planned to do other activities, we had to stop at this stage. They are in process of constructing the third classroom and the floor level has to be equal so that it is comfortable for the kids. Hence, we were supposed to carry soil bags from outside the school premises and fill the floor of the class with the soil. The added advantage of this activity was that the level of soil at the gate of the school could also be reduced substantially as heaps of hard soils made the entry uneasy. This seemed relatively easy to do initially but turned out to be a sweating exercise as we carried those bags several times. We continued for another 35 minutes before settling down with kids.

Then, we spent some time with kids who were eagerly waiting for the biggest event of the day – “The Magic Show”. We had arranged for a magician to do some tricks and entertain the kids. All the kids were so upbeat about this and turned silent like obedient students at the instructions of their teachers. The magic show began and all of us dispersed among the kids during the show. It was really fun to see them interact with magician wittily and intelligently. Some of the tricks were really breathtaking. After the show was over, we distributed drawing books, crayons and fruits to the kids. All the kids were so cute and disciplined that I could just remember my school days. It was such a wonderful experience that I can hardly think of anything else एवें now.

This was indeed a tiny step towards a noble cause which in no way is comparable to what can be done to uplift the awareness and progress of poor people in our society. Although a very tiny step but worth a heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers and members of this foundation, as these are a tiny steps which once collectively undertaken at a larger level possess the ability to reform the entire society. Thanks to all of you – LEU founders and Members for giving us the opportunity to be a part of reform we all would love to see!

P.S. – Here is a link to few of the photographs that were taken during the event.

Tryst with Earthquake

Had a shocking experience of earthquake one hour ago in Gurgaon area... entire consciousness went for a toss and tremors jolted the mind. 20 seconds of oscillation - felt like never before. Horrifying experience! Hope everything is alright in other part of the affected area.

God Bless Everyone!!!

एक स्पर्श...

माँ के ओझल होते ही नन्हा शिशु व्याकुल हो उठता है,
एक स्पर्श के लिए घुटने बल पीछे पीछे चल पड़ता है,
नहीं चेतना होती उसको वातावरण में घटती गतिविधियों की,
माँ के आचल में ही उसको अपना संसार सवरता दिखता है...

ऐसे ही माँ के मन में भी उमड़ती सहश्त्रो तरंगे है,
नवजात की अठखेलियो से तृप्त होती अनेक उमंगें है,
किलकारियों की ध्वनी में जब वो आँगन गूंज पड़ता है,
माँ का ह्रदय ममता के संगीत में मानो झूम पड़ता है...

नि:स्वार्थ भाव का परिचायक होता ये प्यारा बंधन,
करुणा की परिधि में पलता बढ़ता ये मधुर सा बंधन!

A tribute to unique love of moms and their babies...

Oh Calcutta – the uniqueness captivates…

Dandiya may be a form of traditional dance in Western part of India mainly in Gujarat, but it does also appeal to the people in Calcutta big time. Dandiya nights are famous during the Navratri (Durga Puja) and the best part about these nights are that people from all castes come to the fore to celebrate the grand festival season. “The boy” is a great fan of those memorable nights and craves to indulge in the cultural richness once again around same time every year.

The revelry of the grandest celebration gives way to Deepawali, another big festival celebrated across India. While the rest of India adores the Goddess of wealth – Maa Lakshmi on this day, Bengalis worship Maa Kali. Kalighat Temple is the center of attraction on this day. Red hibiscus flowers are offered to Maa Kali. Animals are also sacrificed and offered to the Goddess. This night is unique enough to be captured as a specialty of the city of joy.

Just when others tend to think that the festival time is over for the year according to Hindu calendar, Santa Claus ensures to uplift celebration mood once again at Calcutta. Several ancient churches are visited by thousands of people on Christmas Eve as well as on the day itself. St. Paul’s Cathedral at Maidan in particular is a place of worship for many of them. And to top all this, a walk on the glittering Park Street makes the day even more wonderful. The street does not look any lesser than a bride. Wonderful experience this one! Oh Calcutta!

Birla Planetarium, Science City, Birla Temple, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and Bhootnath Temple at Nimtolla Ghat are other unique places of devotion, belief and joy in the city. Ramkrishna Temple at Belur offers great display of architectural work and is absolute joy to visit and cherish for a long long time.

Talking of uniqueness, it is impossible to leave out the Metro Trains that connects extreme north part of the city to the extreme south. True, Delhi and Mumbai are catching up rapidly in terms of Metro Trains, but the first always remains special in the heart and... in the mind. Metros are perhaps biggest lifeline for commuters in Calcutta. Over several years, it has made sure that traffic is still better than other big cities and office goers reach office in shortest possible time. Leave aside the days of Bandhs and Strikes that Calcutta is notorious for. Leave aside the greater contentment quotient of Aam Janta that is prevalent in their day to day life. Metro remains special to everyone who has lived in Calcutta and embarked on that journey from Dumdum to Tollygunge or from Shyambazar to Rabindra Sadan. Special Indeed!

What about a coffee at The Coffee House! I fail to describe in words the joy of having adda with friends at this place. Recently, one of my friends shared this link to a song sung by Manna Dey… just says it all :-)

चित्त की अभिलाषा...

वह भी एक समय था, वह भी एक युग था,
जब इस समाज में केवल सुख ही सुख था,
कोई द्वेष नहीं था, नहीं था कोई भेद-भाव,
प्रेम और सौहार्दता से सुगन्धित था प्रत्येक गाव...

विधाता की चाक पर ये कैसा परिवर्तन आया,
"मानव" के तन से क्यों लुप्त हुई स्वयं की काया,
इसे प्रकृति का नियम कहू या "मानव" का अभिमान,
भगवान् का अभिशाप कहू या दानव का वरदान...

धर्म के नाम पर हम परिजनों से क्यों लड़ते है,
रुढ़िवादी विचारों को क्यों हम स्वीकार करते है,
द्रव्य की कामना में चरित्र से समझोता करते है?
लोभ और स्वार्थ के खेतों को लहू से सिचते है?

मेरे पूर्वजो ने कभी नहीं की ऐसे भविष्य की कामना,
क्या उत्तर दूंगा उनको जब होगा उनसे मेरा सामना,
ए मनुष्य, हो सके तो समझ ले "गीता" की भाषा,
धरती को स्वर्ग बना दे, ये मात्र है चित्त की अभिलाषा...

Oh Calcutta – the festivities electrify…

While the joy of Monsoon continues across the country, “the boy” prolongs his nostalgic memories of the city of joy by taking a festive route.

Festivals are perhaps one of biggest celebrations for Indians. Unlike our western counterparts, we are fortunate to have so many festivals on our calendar. That may be a reason why the concept of a perfect vacation is still not prevalent in India as we get enough time to spend with family and friends. While Onam, Ugadi and Pongal are typically celebrated in South India, Ganesh Chaturthi is famous in Western part of India. Bihar and UP have their share of regional festival named as Chhath Pooja while Punjab regales in excitement of Baisakhi.

Amidst all these regional festivals, there are a few national festivals also which are more or less uniformly celebrated in India. One of them is Dussehra which is more prominent in West Bengal than many other states. There are many mythological backgrounds asto why it is celebrated, but people in West Bengal regard it as nine days of home-coming for "Maa Durga" ("Maa"). People earnestly wait months for these nine days of continuous devotion and joy. The city of Calcutta in particular is flooded with large wooden structures known as Pandaals which are decorated based on various traditional as well as innovative themes. Artists spend days to build such massive structures and statues of Maa. During first five days of this period, the statue of Maa is set up inside the Pandals and adorned with clothes, jewels, garlands and flowers.

As the Pujo (worship) commences from sixth day, the whole city comes to a standstill with four days of declared official holidays. Every night thousands of people step out to do a pandal-hopping and all by foot. If one wants to cite the longest queues of devotees, this is perhaps the time. The city glitters with unprecedented lights on the roads and streets. The atmosphere basks in the uninterrupted spells of holy chants. Innumerable roadside food-stalls appease the hunger and thirst of hoppers. Thousands of specially appointed cops take care of law and order situation. Metro trains run the whole night, yes whole night. It is one crazy experience even for a local resident by any standard. In the middle of all this craziness, the worship and the devotion, the grace and the belief, the perseverance and the respect is what lingers with the mind and heart over the days to come. Indeed, the love for goddess is unparallel and the belief indissoluble. A grand salute to the Spirit of Durga Puja!

As always, Maa has to go back to her abode after the brief period of home-coming. Tenth day (popularly known as Vijayadashmi or Shubho Bijoya) is the time to bid a heartfelt farewell to the Maa. Sindur Khela (A play where women greet each other with vermilion) and Bisarjon (Immersion) are the key highlights of the day. Many poignant faces on the banks of the Ganges say it all. The cry of “Maa Jaache” (Mom is going away) stimulates the heart as the eyes turn moist and watery in the parting pain. With a heavy heart and trembling body, each one of them says “goodbye” only to see the Maa again next year.

Oh Calcutta – the festivities electrify…

बारिश और हम तुम...

ऐसा क्यों होता है जब तुम याद आते हो,
ऐसा क्यों होता है जब भी हम मिलते है,
जाने क्यों ये अनमने से बादल घिर जाते है,
जाने क्यों फिर ताज़गी हवाओं में घुल जाती है,

बारिश की ये बूंदे तन को छू कर य़ू गिरती है,
दिल में कैद तेरी यादों को मानों जगा जाती है,
कभी सोचा के बंद कर लू मुठी में इन बूंदों को,
हर कोशिश पे क्यों बेशुमार बूंदे फिसल जाती है,

ऐसा क्यों होता है जब जब बारिश होती है,
क्यों होती है ये बारिश जब जब हम मिलते है,

बारिश में गुज़रा हर एक लमहा कुछ ख़ास होता है,
वो कहते है प्यार करने वालो का ये अंदाज़ होता है,
हम कहते है ऐसे में ही प्यार का आग़ाज़ होता है,
जाने क्यों इस मौसम में हम तुम का परवाज़ होता है,

जाने क्यों, जाने क्यों, ऐसा क्यों होता है हर बार,
क्यों होती है ये बारिश जब जब हम मिलते है...

Oh Calcutta – the game never gets better anywhere else…

Babu Moshay is what easily connects one to Calcutta and Bengalis. One more thing that easily connects one to Calcutta is their love for sports. Cricket lives in each and every pada (locality) of this city. People are crazy about this game here. The sight of a man in his 50s walking with transistors to get the score update brings back those golden memories of 1980s. Dada is still loved by the people equally if not more than Sachin. Believe me, there are thousands of people who miss those lofted shots of Dada against the left arm orthodox. They back Knight Riders team every season they take the ground in golden jerseys. To the fans’ delight, most wonderful stadium in India finds it home at Calcutta – “The Eden Gardens” – situated on the banks of Hooghly between two sister bridges. Watching a day & night cricket match live at Edens is out of the world experience. Simply outstanding! Wo shamaa kuch aur hota hai, jab Eden me dudhiya match hota hai!

While cricket is the most passionate sport amongst people over here, football is no less. Perhaps, the only metro city in India where people play professional football to this extent. That the Calcutta Football League (CFL) is the oldest league in Asia would come as a surprise to many. That the city has hundreds of football clubs would appeal to the fans who want India to do well at the international level. Mohan Bagan and East Bengal are the famous clubs and Salk Lake Stadium at EM Bypass is a famous venue for football matches. If you happen to stay at Calcutta for a reasonable period of time, you ought to develop the soft corner for Brazil and Argentina, not to mention why.

Their love for sports is evident from the fact that they have pada-level clubs across the city. They watch matches together at the clubs. They analyze each and every match like an expert – be it football, cricket or tennis. They play Carrom Board at colleges, clubs and homes. They play tennis and badminton too. Their joy has not limitations when Leander Paes keeps on winning those doubles title. They get greatly disheartened when team India loses a match. They get equally upset when Brazil gets defeated. They maintain the legacy of sports month on month, year on year, decade on decade. They embrace the heroes, they crucify the heroes, but the game wins at the end. It never gets better anywhere else!

63 Years of Rejoice “Will Last Forever”…

64th Independence Day (“The Day”) just concluded with crowning of a Hyderabadi Guy as “Indian Idol” by the hands of a UP born superstar in a show where two out of three judges were Muslims (third one being Gujarati) and the guest of honor was a leading bollywood actress (Punjabi). This perfectly reflects the thoughts of Mr. Ramachandra Guha on “why India survives” which is so beautiful and heartening to witness live in action. Yes, India does survive and has actually survived 63 years of an unprecedented journey which – as most Britishers thought – would last only a decade. The Idea of India has taken in its stride all the challenges right from “The Day” itself when “Father of the Nation” was on a fast in the city of joy to appease one year old riot.

Though, the excitement of surroundings this morning seemed very familiar, the mind went back in time once again as always. I re-opened the relevant pages of one of my favorite books which made me cry, which brought lumps in my throat and which left me totally shattered. I tried to visualize the chaos and bedlam of 1946-1949 but never got anywhere near to even 1% of actual scenes in my imagination. The scale of operations and the nature of complexities still leave me speechless. I tried to find answers to "why" part of the question and read this on the very first page of the book:

I have no doubt that if British governments had been prepared to grant in 1900 what they refused in 1900 but granted in 1920; or to grant in 1920 what they refused to grant in 1920 but granted in 1940; or to grant in 1940 what they refused to grant in 1940 but granted in 1947 – then nine-tenths of the misery, hatred, and violence, the imprisonings and terrorism, the murders, flogging, shootings, assassinations, even the racial massacres would have been avoided; the transference of power might well have been accomplished peacefully, even possibly without Partition. – Leonard Woolf, 1967

Probably, the time has gone by now to look for the answers to what went wrong, what could be have been done differently or whether impact of the loss could have been lesser. However, there still exists a pain in the heart – pain of partition, pain of loss of million lives and pain of re-building India block by block. The world would not have been better when Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Ashraful could play international cricket for the same country. I get the utmost sense of secularism when I imagine my brothers from Lahore paying visit to Ajmer Sharif without any hindrance. The fusion of Indo-Pak music would have been a delight for the fans across the entire universe. Alas! That was not meant to be. Alas!

True, that was not meant to be. But can both sides take a step back and ponder on the learning of these 63 years? May be. Will this lead to a sensible solution on the current animosity? May be. Can the peace be restored in the valley? May be. I sincerely hope that this is possible and this will open a new chapter in the history whenever it happens – to reinforce survival mechanism of both the countries and above all humanity. Amen!

Oh Calcutta – the sweetness stays forever…

“This is worth coming across to see!”

As you drive down slowly towards Park Street through Brabourne Road, you can sense the scale of business that is generated by those narrow streets of Burra Bazar. Name of the streets which are mostly in English catches the attention immediately at least to an outsider. Somehow, names like Canning Street, Ezra Street, Middleton Row, Orient Row infatuated the little boy also. Two of the most noticeable buildings in Dalhousie area are the dome-shaped GPO (General Post Office) and the historical Writers. It was hard for the boy to realize for long that the dome-shaped giant structure is a GPO and not a museum or an assembly. Charm of first big city perhaps!

As you enter Red Road, those broad roads await to take you towards glamorous South Calcutta. It took more than six months for that boy to figure out why it is called South Calcutta. Fhadka (style) of a metro city perhaps! While Brabourne Road houses several business offices in the heart of the city, Park Street houses corporate offices and branch offices of many big companies. The sight of Chatterjee International and Tata Steel building distantly from Maidan is what many people who lived in Calcutta can relate to quite easily. Maidan is indeed famous for what its name says. From trade fair to book fair to notorious rallies, it is a host to every big event in the city. What could be said about those Morning Walks at Maidan! Walking your way to the monumental Victoria Memorial from Maidan is the best way to start your morning at Calcutta. All of a sudden, a different air is what you breathe in that refreshes your inner self to the core.

If you are fond of having jalebis in the breakfast, you can follow that morning walk with a visit to Russell Street. The boy is too old to recollect name of that dhaba but the street is small enough to locate it. Bengal and Sweets are almost impossible to separate. While macher jhol and lucchi are the most preferred food, vegetarians can relish and submerge in the ras of sweet dishes on offer. Rossogullah, sondesh, abar khabo, mishitdoi, chom chom – just to name a few. Coupled with sweet nature of people, these sweets will leave you yearning for more and more. If you want some crispy and spicy taste, you must not miss roadside jhal muri which is available everywhere in the city. After all, muri chai is the favorite evening snack of babu moshay!

The boy was fond of a lovely song which is synonymous with Babu moshay! Oh Calcutta, the sweetness stays forever…

Oh Calcutta – the joy revitalizes…

Calcutta – the very name of the city fills the heart with immeasurable joy. The moment you come out of the huge Howrah railway station, a mere glimpse of renowned Rabindra Setu (Popularly known as “Howrah Bridge”) is enough to stimulate the belly. There could have been no better gateway to the city than this 67 years old bridge. The bridge is probably the world biggest in terms of traffic and symbolizes the city itself. It is just mind boggling to know that over a million pedestrians and over hundred thousand vehicles cross the bridge every day. One needs to see the ocean of people to believe it.

If you opt to walk across this distance of 1500 feet in the evening, you are treating yourself with one of best experiences ever possible. Cool breeze flowing over the serene and sacred Hooghly River (One of the arms of the Ganges) offers unique refreshment. The respect for the river can easily be noticed when local people upon entering the bridge make a gesture as if praying in the temple. Equally thrilling is a ferry or boat ride beneath the bridge that takes you to the sister bridge (Vidyasagar Setu) also. The enigma of this ride can perhaps be best felt by this song.

Once inside the city, you are bound to experience warmth and respect by the people. Don’t be surprised if someone calls you as “Dada/Didi/Kaaku/Bhaiya”. It is simply a howler not to know these terms. It is a common saying that if you call someone’s name added by these words, half you work is already done. Such is the culture that the city carries. Here, the people still respect each other and greet everyone with loving and caring attitude. Though, it will be wrong to say that there are no local invectives in vogue, their usage is not as prevalent as in other northern Indian cities. Fortunately, the city is still aloof from any bad influence and rightly so.

It is so heartening to hear the bus conductors shout “aashte ladies, bachcha” whenever females or kid are about to get down from the bus. It is simply superb to borrow their dialect while speaking our own Mother Tongue. It is so wonderful to note the way they explain any address so meticulously. The humility can be widely observed in temples where people hold their ears (begging for forgiveness from God for any wrongdoing) before leaving the temple. Who said the human values are diminishing with more and more urbanization! Visit Calcutta and you would feel it. As Rudyard Kipling says –

Calcutta holds out false hopes of some return. The dense smoke hangs low, in the chill of the morning, over an ocean of roofs, and, as the city wakes, there goes up to the smoke a deep, full-throated boom of life and motion and humanity. For this reason does he who sees Calcutta for the first time hang joyously out of the ticca gharri and sniff the smoke, and turn his face toward the tumult, saying: ‘This is, at last, some portion of my heritage returned to me. This is a city. There is life here, and there should be all manner of pleasant things for the having, across the river and under the smoke.’

The litany is an expressive one and exactly describes the first emotions of a wandering savage adrift in Calcutta. The eye has lost its sense of proportion, the focus has contracted through overmuch residence in up-country stations—twenty minutes’ canter from hospital to parade-ground, you know—and the mind has shrunk with the eye. Both say together, as they take in the sweep of shipping above and below the Hughli Bridge: ‘Why, this is London! This is the docks. This is Imperial. This is worth coming across India to see!’

Watch out this space for more on the city of joy…

A ride to the city of joy...

I know of a boy who used to be very shy, reticent and ignorant. Ignorant of modern lifestyle, ignorant of variety in life and probably ignorant of how beautiful life is or rather could be. With all his little knowledge, the boy paid a short visit to the city of joy in the setting winters of 1999. He met several people in five days time. Although, this was supposed to be just another family function, the charm and joy of this very city stuck to him beyond his own imagination. His ignorance encountered an intangible spark which reignited his dreams and propelled volumes of fuel in his sinking plane. Upon return, he begged one last chance from his loved ones to migrate to the city of joy to pursue his career interest. As destiny would have it, the boy boarded a train to Howrah (Gateway to Calcutta) with heaviest of the hearts as soon as within sixty days of the aforesaid trip.

A different journey had begun; a bird had flown away from its nest and a test of grit had commenced for survival. The city of joy had turned the city of battlefield for this lad. Slowly he started going out, meeting more and more people that helped him sustain nostalgic moments of his serene hometown and a loving family. The clock seemed to tick a little faster every passing month and the place seemed to become friendlier every passing year.

Ten years on, having visited almost a dozen countries and more than 50 cities as this very boy (no longer a boy, I guess) sits back to reminiscence the vivid glimpses of this ride, the charm of the city of joy still flashes across his eyelids somehow. There is something over there in the “Mini London” that has created a magical bond in the bottom of his heart which gets stronger and incredible with every sojourn to the city. To be continued...

P.S. At this juncture, the boy takes a pause, salutes all his friends and wishes everyone a very happy friendship day. You all are too special!

“Jugaad” – Is it really worth it?

Well, Jugaad is a word very common in northern part of India. There might be regional synonyms for this in southern part of India also, though I have not heard of any. In some parts of eastern India, this is called “setting” too. If you are working in Government set-up, it is more likely that you will hear this more often. If you are working in a private set-up, you would still hear this word. Let me explain what this really means.

It is basically a shortened way of getting something done by deviating (read violating) from normal course of well documented procedures. Using this particular technique, the doer of the job supposedly achieves higher efficiency in the process and thwarts any significant loss to the parties involved. It may also be described as the process of utilizing one’s close relationships with others to build yet few more relationships and thus the process goes on and the web spreads on. The process of Jugaad is best suited in situations when there is no documented process and there is no one to assume the onus of performing any task.

I often hear people saying “main apne jugaad lagaata hu (Let me use my Jugaad)”. I do agree that this technique offers higher efficiency but then there is a huge cost associated with this process. Perhaps, sometimes one violates policies, rules, procedures or even law in this process. The end user does get the benefit out of this Jugaad but the conscience of Jugaadofier (the one who offers his help by applying Jugaad) would definitely know the quantum of risk assumed and the cost of this risk.

Coming back to reality, I often wonder did I really need a Jugaad to get something done which was a matter of significance (may be urgent or important or both) to me. I have seen people using Jugaad technique even in the matters which are unconditional rights of the end user. Why would a person really need to flatter a few babus, chamchas or secys when he/ she is rightfully eligible for a particular act? It is indeed a sad story for a spectator like me. I do understand that one needs enough social networking to solve day to day problems. I do understand that sometimes there are gaps in the current process and it can be interpreted in more than one way.

But does this really give someone a chance to follow a path thereby endangering all the concerned parties? Does this really drive the efficiency in this process? Does this really make oneself at ease with his/ her own self? The next time we know someone using Jugaad, we really need to question – is it really worth it? Are we doing enough to disallow a parasite to implant its roots in a society desirous of surging ahead with unparallel levels of integrity?

ख़ामोशी ज़ज्बातो की...

मेरी तन्हाईयों में तेरी यादों का पेहरा है,
जिसने नींद उड़ाई वो मासूम सा एक चेहरा है,
जाने क्यों पल पल परछाईँयों में देखता हूँ मैं,
क्या यही प्यार है जो सागर से गहरा है,

वक़्त इन वादियों में आके इस कदर ठहरा है,
मानो बर्फीली चादर के बीच कही हमारा डेरा है,
तुम्हारी एक मुस्कान से पिघल क्यों जाता हूँ मैं,
क्या यही प्यार है जो सोने से सुनहरा है,

दूर होके भी रहते तुम हरदम दिल के पास पास,
खफा सी फिजा को भी रोशन करते तुम्हारे एहसास,
सोचा कभी खुदा से ज़ाहिर करू अपनी नाराजगी,
शायद हां शायद यही प्यार है जो धनक से रुपहला है!

Untagged from football ... just to get tagged to chauvinism!

Last Sunday, one month of entertainment came to an end with Spain emerging as World Champion for the first time and rightly so. It was not so because they played like champions throughout these 31 days. It was more so because no other team was able to give them a run for their money. In a nutshell, this was a world cup of limited individual brilliance and intermittent collective performances. For me, Diego Forlan, Iker Casillas and of course before I forget - “The Gorgeous Shakira” were stand-out performers. They really offered plenty of catchy moments for avid football fans including me.

As the biggest FIFA event starts its journey to the greatest football country – Brazil, it is time for me to take a step back and thank a wonderful person who has been like a guiding star throughout these 50 days and inspired me to write as many as eight posts on this carnival. His support and passion kept me going and I never felt out of energy. Thank You TKT! :-) Recently, this very person was tagged by few “begums” and one of his own style – “Gils” to write about at least 10 Sins against Gender-Stereotypes. And boy, he ducked so beautifully and thwarted the tag requirements so intelligently.

When I visited the blog of the very unique Gils, I thought he has tagged all the readers of his blog very smartly (though I could not understand Tamil properly, but I could make out). Hence, I decided not to let this opportunity go and write a few things which may quite naturally qualify as a sin for my gender. So here it goes:

---- Home alone – Oh yeah, striking similarity to one of Gils’ attributes. One could just give me a grand collection of melodious and inspiring songs and I could spend hours within those walls. A phone will add flavors to my idea of passing time so lazily.

---- Rare in late night parties – If I take out few of those late night parties during my stay at Kolkata, I am not really a party animal which is so unlike a typical Delhiite. Tempted by friends many a times and gave in a few times. But that is it, I guess.

---- To add on to those late night parties, boozing is not my cup of tea – Started drinking quite late as against many of my contemporaries… but could never go beyond one or two. Really, this so called manly stuff is not my cup of tea. Just enough to accompany in a party or group.

---- Fond of riding bicycle meant for girls – Well, this one is from my school time. There used to be different kind of bicycles for girls and we had one at home. I remember fighting with my cousins for a ride to school.

---- Fear of Lizards falling down while sleeping – I think that this is more common with girls. With due respect to girls, I am really one of those who still do not like lizards crawling around in near vicinity.

Having said something on the gender specific items, it is time to turn to some chauvinist sins in a corporate environment irrespective of genders:

---- First and foremost has to be FB-ing and Orkutting incessantly during working hours. This one really leaves me open mouthed. How could one do so especially when one is a part of vision/ promises that the leaders see/ make inside those large glass halls/ rooms. Networking is good and fair but not at the cost of your duties, please!

---- The Attire – Well, it really turns off when one kind of comes to office with any “chalta hai type attire". In a profession world, you need to dress smartly and neatly. Sometimes, it is so uneasy to talk to people who are not so tidy and carry bad smell. Bad smell yucks. :(

---- Cribbing about that canteen food – Yes, there are people who will just crib about any type of food that has been arranged – sometime special depending on the occasion. Just spare a moment for administrators – how could they satisfy taste of few hundred associates.

---- The last one could be altercations on matters of trivial importance over the emails – Well, I have personally learned from my experience that this brings no good to anyone involved. The subordinates, the colleagues and the managers. The only fair way to deal under such situation is to pick up the phone and do what is needed to resolve the matter.

Well, since there are not many bloggers that I am aware of who write frequently, I tag a few people who could share their experience – Kapil, Manu and Sean. :-)

Time to embrace a new champion

A wait of less than 26 hours from now separates one of the two most valiant, consistent and talented teams from scripting a glorious history. Indeed, a history is what beckons to be made tomorrow at Johannesburg. A journey which started at the same stadium some 30 days ago will reach its climax when the Dutch and Spanish Armada battle it out to claim the most prestigious trophy for the first time.

These 30 days of absorbing football have witnessed 62 matches being played and 30 teams being eliminated from the race of the championship. European Teams have one again demonstrated their dominance in world football after a poor show in league stage, although the teams leading from the front are not the ones who have always done well at the event. Spain has done wonderfully for past 2-3 years and they deserved to be in the final match. I thought they were the underdogs as one expects big teams to put a good show. But I was proved wrong partly due to dismal performances by Brazil, Argentina, England and Italy. Germany also could not produce the great skills in the semifinals against Spain and surrendered meekly in front of Villa & company. Spain’s strength is perhaps their capability to produce a goal from anywhere and impeccable ball passing game. They also have a very good goalkeeper in the form of Casillas who saved for them quite a few goals at critical stages. Should everything go well for them, all Spanish fans and countrymen are likely to savour an unprecedented celebration which will go on for days to come.

Netherlands on the other hand has silently made their way through to the finals. There has not been much hype around their players and their game but they are the only team (obviously with exception of Kiwis who bowed out with three draws in the first round) in this tournament who are yet to be beaten. Though they did not face many challenges except the game against Brazil, they have remained consistent and dexterous throughout. Their semifinal match against the depleted Uruguay turned hugely in their favor with two back to back goals in the second half. Dutch strength lies in individual brilliance of Kuyt, Sneijder and Robben. They complement each other very well and are capable of hurling severe threats to the opposition one after another. If their defense could contain Spanish midfielders for a while, there is every possibility that the trio could chip in with that golden goal. After all, they would not like to squander the opportunity (at any cost) which has come to them after 32 years.

Amidst all this, spare a moment for a lone warrior – Diego Forlan. A great leader, fast mover and immaculate shooter who almost did it for Uruguay in the semis. Having said that, their fate was almost sealed with that “golden red card” which ruled Saurez out of the semifinal match. With no one to rally around him, it was too much to ask from Forlan. Thanks to his excellence that Uruguay made it to top four! Simply outstanding! Take a bow!

किस्से अरमानो के...

रास्ते नहीं थे आसान पर, असर के दायरे थे बेहद खूबसुरत,
कश म कश भरे हालातो में भी, छोड़ जाते हलकी मुस्कुराहट,
गिरता संभलता उठ पड़ता, राही सुन कर मंजिल की आहट,
खड़ी उस मोड़ पे सुहानी ज़िन्दगी, रुबरू करती ख़ुदा की रहमत,

रहमत की भीनी भीनी महक से, जगमगाता हर पल ये शामियाना,
सैकड़ो हमसफ़र की नेक दुआओं से, टिमटिमाता कशिश में आईना,
कैसे शुक्रिया अदा करे ए ख़ुदा, तेरी खुदाई का तेरे अंजुमन का,
चलती जाती बेनज़ीर सी ज़िन्दगी, गुलज़ार करती रंगों से आशियाना!!!

दास्तान ख्वाबो की...

कुछ ख्वाब सहमे सिमटे थे, मदरसे की चार दीवारों में,
हज़ारों हसरते जमी हुई थी, हर एक ऊँचे मीनारों में,
शुकून का एहसास सा था, मुकम्मल सपनो के नजारों में,
खड़ी उस मोड़ पे मतवाली जिंदगी, नए सफ़र के नए किनारों में,

तूफ़ान था दिल में उमंगो का, बेकरार थी साँसे नए सफ़र को,
तैयार होके निकल पड़ा था, राही गले लगाने इस भंवर को,
परवाह नहीं थी तकलीफों की, चीरते जाना था गहरे समंदर को,
खड़ी उस मोड़ पे निराली जिंदगी, इंतज़ार में फिर एक नए असर को!

Fever almost gone – Thanks to European Antibiotic!

No team is a definitive favourite! Most consistent and outrageous show can only guarantee a step closer to the beautiful trophy. Indeed, that is what I thought. But, never did I think that most consistent and outrageous would come from teams that were not the hot favourites.

As expected four South American teams battled it out with one African and three European teams in the quarter finals. First of these four matches was tipped as a cakewalk for the giant Brazilians. I had the opportunity to witness this match on bigger screen – thanks to my employer. By half time, we all were gung-ho about what was in the offing. Least did we know that a storm called Wesley Sneijder had other plans for the night. He contributed to both the goals that kept them separated from Brazil till the end. They really played outrageous and aggressive football and ripped apart Brazil’s defence. What could one say about Brazil? They were the better team on the day and before too. But, that is life. Sometimes, outcomes are not so pleasing. Brazil’s defeat definitely let me down and my fever was more dependent on the next day’s clash between two giants again, as I wanted to suffer from this fever till 11th July.

But, then it was not meant to be again. This time around, Argentina definitely were not better than Germany. I had the feeling that Germany was indeed capable of doing this. The way they thrashed England was enough of a dosage to send my fever in disarray. I was hoping Argentina would further inject few exciting viruses to prolong my illness. But a dismal performance from one of the most consistent and powerful teams meant I should better give up the fever. Worst of the performance if I could say. Buoyed by the youth’s exuberance, Germany played it flawlessly. Friedrich, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose, Mueller and Lahm – they are playing outstanding as a team with Schweinsteiger as backbone of their attack. I put my money on them for the title now.

But spare a moment or two for Ghana and Paraguay. While Ghana was denied a certain victory by Suarez, Paraguay found a special Spanish at the nets – Casillas. Villa did the rest for Spain as usual. Uruguay on the other hand ensured a semis berth on a penalty shoot out. Though there are many stories being made out of “God of Hand” of Saurez, I thought they played well enough to be at the position where they are.

All in all, the great entertainment and excitement still continue. Heartening to see that Germany, Spain and Netherlands are keeping European flags high at South Africa. It seems like Germany is almost ready to clinch their fourth title. Let us keep our fingers crossed!

PS – Fever also suffered a major setback when Fedex bowed out of Wimbledon paving way for Berdych’s first major finals.

Greatness Lies in YOU

It has been more than ten years since I left my sweet home (of course the home where I spent all my childhood) and joined thousands of those teenagers who leave the comfort zone in pursuit of a career in professional education. Initially, it seemed like a very cool experience – yes, there was this so called independence to lead you daily life and there was no one to instruct you as to how to go about a particular work. But sooner or later, I had to realize the purpose of leading such a life and the silent commitment that I owed to my father.

Believe me, this was the time that had all the charm in it – good or bad, beautiful or painful, perseverance or pastime. It was like choosing your way amongst several paths that were on offer. Every young lad was so different from each other and their objectives altogether different. Some were just hanging in there for sake of it while some were trying so hard only to know that destiny is not what they can control. There were some also who had uncanny knack of dating with one girl after another. Yes, make-ups and break-ups did become a part of college-goers’ day to day life as early as those days.

Coming from a very conservative social background and the type of person I made, I had little knowledge of all these things. Somehow, I kept focusing on my commitment of extracting the best from the opportunities available and waited patiently for my dream to come true. Though, little knowledge I had of what a dream is and where the contentment is. I would be greatly satisfied if I could explain their meaning even now also. But then one could call these a teen’s way of looking at things. Gradually, my focus started paying off and I was on course to complete the education successfully which seemed more like a destiny for me since day one. While it was so easy to distract yourself from the worldly matters to create a magical bond with those books, it was equally challenging to balance oneself on the spiritual, physical and emotional quotients.

There was a point in time when I used to sit back and think that does the aspiration needs such high degree of struggle. In other words, it seemed as if I have been bestowed with all possible sets of variables which would possibly take me towards the function of my dreams. Yes, it was almost impossible to put a formula to my f(x). How naïve I was! Perhaps, a teen’s another way of looking at things.

The story of ten years may go on till the cows come home. But the moot point that I want to make is that every life has been attached to a unique and continuous string which travels on its own path. There are several intersections and many deadly knots on this thread for everyone. Some have more of those deadly knots while some have fewer intersections. It is just the pre-determined permutations and combinations that decide the type of journey one would have to lead. Not that this can be controlled completely but then one could at least control internal characteristics to better understand the uniqueness of his/ her own thread and lead a wonderful life. As said by George Bernard Shaw, “Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness.”

This post was instigated by one event that happened in 2008 but I came to know about this only yesterday. An inspirational story from very close quarters. She is my classmate’s sister whom I met once or twice in the mid 1990s. May her soul rest in peace!

Down with World Cup Fever!

Another eight days have gone by since I last penned down few thoughts on the FIFA world cup. The results of these eight days have been mixed and more than surprising, especially when one looks in the history.

When I look at the line-up of final 16, I am certain of one fact for sure i.e. only three European Teams are going to qualify for quarter finals. Even since the concept of quarter finals has been introduced in the world cup, European teams have been in the thick of stuffs and always dominated the listing of final 8. Never ever their performance has gone this low. This just goes on to prove that African and Asian countries are on a rise and they really believe that they can match up the standards set by European League teams. A factor for downfall of European Teams could be preference of overseas players to local players in their country leagues.

Most disheartening performances have been from France, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland. While Denmark showed Great Spirit in their game against Cameroon, Switzerland also raised the bar higher in their tie against Spain causing first upset of the tournament. They lived up to my expectations early on which were encouraged by the fact that other teams in their groups were less competitive than them. But, then final games of the league round sent them packing which meant that Chile and Japan qualified to the next round. If this was not too much, champions and runner up of last world cup disappointed every football fan around the globe. Their team composition did not let one believe for once that their campaign would end so early. Credit must go to Mexico and Slovakia for aggressive and confident show.

England, Germany, Portugal and Spain on the other hand raised the level of their games after a shaky start to the tournament. Rooney played a great final game to help England ensure a berth in final 16 and Portugal trounced North Korea with a whopping 7-0 score. Germany and Spain surged ahead with the win in their final games to meet England and Portugal in the final 16. Wow! What can be said about these battles – definitely pulses will see maximum oscillation during these two encounters.

Netherland, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina continued fantastic performances and moved to next round with ease. Argentina and Netherlands were the only teams who could manage to win all the league matches. Brazil and Portugal battle turned ice cold which had no significance on the fate of either team. Phew, Uruguay on the other hand has been surprise pack of the competition. They have already eliminated South Korea in knock-out stage and are all set to meet Ghana in quarter finals. Ghana on the other hand is playing outstanding game of football. Led by Asamoah Gyan, they ended USA’s dream of making it to final 8. Finally, USA ran out of all the energy which they always demonstrated in last minutes of all three league matches.

It has been a great world cup for South American teams with at least four of them likely to qualify for quarter finals. Raise a toast for their magnificent performance and raise one more for Ghana for keeping African hopes alive!

Anything can happen now… No team is a definitive favourite! Most consistent and outrageous show can only guarantee a step closer to the beautiful trophy. Sayonara for now! Waka Waka!

Ye safar...

Ye safar,
Kabhi tanha sa lagta hai,
Dil ko bechain sa karta hai,
Har pal ek imtehaan leta hai,

Ye safar…
Apno se apno ko dur karta,
Anjani raaho me bebas karta,
Anchaahe sawaalo ka ambaar lagaata,

Ye safar…
Parchhaaiyo ki giraft me baandhta,
Aaine me sachchaiyo ko samet ta,
Gahraaiyo ko chaadar se chhupaata,

Ye safar…

Fir bhi anmol hai, ye safar…
Mushkilo ka kitna bhi ho kahar…
Gham bhale hi kitne ho par…
Duriya kitni bhi ho magar…

Ye safar…
Zazbaato ko dil me mahfus rakhta,
Yaado ko zehan me samete rakhta,
Zindagi ko pyaar se sambhaale rakhta,

Ye safar…
Bepanaah khusiyo ka samandar hai,
Sapno ka aur armaano ka basar hai,
Maahi ke saath se mahakta ek asar hai..

Haan ye suhaana safar!!!

The fun continues…

Today is just the ninth day since the fun began. The fever is yet to soar and the drama is yet to reach the pinnacle! As the carnival continues, I thought of recalling the vivid memories thus far through few noteworthy remarks:

1. Brilliant hat-trick by Gonzalo Higuain in their match against South Korea. Though the goals came from Higuain, it was again the Lion-el Messi at the helm of affairs playing artistic football. The victory just reaffirms the prowess of Argentina this time around and virtually seals for them a place in the second round. While Nigeria is almost out of the tournament, Greece and South Korea will battle it out for second team to qualify from this group.

2. Spain losing its first game against Switzerland was first of major upsets. More upsets followed when France and South Africa lost their second group matches in Group A and Germany lost their match to Serbia in Group D. This essentially means that teams to go to next round from Group A could very well be Uruguay and Mexico. Surprise, surprise, surprise! Group D on the other side is still wide open.

3. Excellent form of Netherland continues which has taken them to second round. Cameroon really played well, but I am afraid they have to say “Goodbye South Africa”. If Denmark at all would want to make a point, they need to drastically improve their defense line.

4. Brazil is off to a great start with all the players looking in great touch. They displayed their typical deft style in their opening match against North Korea. Quite insipid performance by Portugal in another match of this group which led to a tie against Ivory Coast. This group is wide open too.

5. Few more insipid performances by Italy and England. England indeed struggled against the minnows Algeria. On the other hand, USA has shown great character to draw both their matches after trailing for a fair amount of time during the match. I am shocked to see the way Rooney has played. He is not at all living up to expectations.

6. Except a few games, there have been a lot of draws and bigger teams are lagging behind in the race to final 16. There have not been too many goals either. Teams are defensive in their approach and injury to some key players has not helped much either. A lot of penalty strokes have been awarded to the teams which is so unusual. Messi, Robinho, Forlan, Sneijder, Blanco, Hernandez, Higuain, Gyan, and Kyut have sparkled brilliantly through their individual performances.

The Vuvuzela Roars when Hips Don’t Lie and The Carnival Begins…

As the clock slowly ticked its way to 18.00 hours (GMT) this past Thursday, the world witnessed one of the most enthralling evenings straight from Orlando Stadium at Johannesburg. “Waka waka” is what everyone chanted with the gorgeous Shakira. She had the audience going crazy and the vuvuzela going even crazier with the most popular number of this century - Hips Don't Lie. The tempo picked up when stars like K’naan, Khaled and Kuti added vivacious flavor around the entire ambience. The celebrations continued till late night. The very next day saw terrific sky activities and Mr. Jacob Zuma’s address to mark the beginning of the excitement and captivation.

By the time one could come back to normalcy after such eventful time, real field action set the pulses racing and swaying. Opening day was scheduled for two matches from group A and would you believe that! The vuvuzela roared and roared even more when Tshabalala opened the goal account for this world cup by capitalizing on a wonderful pass from Modise and gave the hosts a dream start. The hosts played beautifully throughout the match but a very poor defense at the late stage of the game cost them the win. The match ended as a draw but both the teams had reasons to smile especially when other match of the group finished the day with a dull 0-0 score. If France fails to up the ante in its next two games, I am afraid it may be a repeat of 2002 for them. Uruguay, fourth team in the group, as it is did not show much of a prospect.

Two games from group B and one from group C were completed in day two yesterday. The gear suddenly jumped several notches up when two main contenders of the competition took the field. Something roared too on this day but not the vuvuzelas. The real lions were roaring on the field led by artistic and magical Lionel Messi. Watch out for Messi – he is going to be a hero if Argentina at all manages to lift the cup. Though he found a super goalie in the form of Enyeama inside the Nigerian D-box, Heinze’s header sealed the match for Argentines. South Korea in other game of group B made a mockery of Greece and won comprehensively by 2-0. Argentina and South Korea are likely to make the cut easily from this group unless Nigeria produces something out of the world in their next tie.

I wish I could have watched third and last match of the day from group C (though I did not watch earlier matches too). The match was supposed to be one of the high voltage clashes between USA and UK. Playing without Ferdinand and Beckham, England is still a force to reckon with and it was evident from Gerrard’s right-footed shot within minutes of start of play to give England an early lead. England played an absorbing game of football and should have had USA trailing by many goals. But destiny of the game was decided by the blunder from English goalie Green. I wondered how he could let the ball go inside the net. It was absolutely dismaying for English fans. England took their points tally to only one after this draw, but they are here to stay for long. They seem to easily qualify for next round, as other two teams in the group Algeria and Slovenia lock the horns in today’s game. Group D teams will also be opening their tally later tonight.

The fun continues...