Ain't a Rainbow beautiful cuz it has seven colors?.

The attack over Indian communities in Australia has triggered some thoughts in my mind. I would not like to name any particular community, but what I’ve experienced during my short stay in United States, Certain people from certain community confined themselves to either themselves or the community they belong to. Also they think they are intellectually superior to others. These certain Indian communities not only keep themselves distant from the local folks in an alien country but also from the communities from their homeland.


Their behavior was irritating to me sometimes, but since they were neither in my project nor I was left with much time to interact with them, I was least bothered. I already was having few friends over there and made few new ones as well and one of them became a good friend of mine. But there are other problems as well with us, the Indians. We often hate each other and have disrespects for other fellow countrymen. This often surfaces in our conduct.


Lots of hullabaloo had been made over removing the North Indians (mainly from UP and Bihar) from the state of Maharashtra. Similar forces rose their heads in Delhi as well but the hubbub soon fade away as it was not possible the same in Delhi due to various political and geographical consequences. If our own people are scared of someone from other region eating up their jobs, why should we blame other countrymen? No, I’m not justifying their deeds, but first let us clean our own hands before pointing on to others. Beating UPites/Biharis in Maharashtra is no different from and Indian getting beatings in Sydney or Melbourne or for that matter anywhere in the world.


The day we will stop thinking like “a Marathi”, “a Bengali”, “a Bihari”, “a Tamil”, “a Telgu”, “a Punjabi” and start thinking like an Indian most of our problems will be sorted out. We often forget that, our strength lies in our unity in diversity. We’ve forgot the moral values read in the Moral Science books during our school days. Unite as they say “Unity is Strength”.

After all, a Rainbow is beautiful because it has seven colors together, similarly our India is beautiful because of many colors it has. Certainly it has more colors than a rainbow.

“Akhil”

Emotions

Emotions play an important role in our lives. Remember the moments, sport team you were supporting clinched a victory out of nowhere, as a child you topped in some activities, you took the field despite of badly injured index finger and sore foot to make sure that your team wins, when you saw the eyes of you father glittering when you succeeded through a competition, you leave for the hostel and in the bus alone thinking of family back home, when you saw wet eyes of your mom when you were about to leave your home to settle down somewhere else, you got selected in an interview after getting rejected earlier in few others, you shared your feelings with someone you considered special and got rejected by him/her.

In all these incidents you’ll find the emotion taking over you, at that particular moment, you were a different person, sometimes calm, sometimes vulnerable and sometimes childish. In this era, we are so busy that we’ve hardly anytime to even get emotional. We are too busy to listen to our hearts. Mind is getting rid of heart, leaving no room for feelings.

Emotions are what make a human, a human. For me to be emotional is to be humane.

Sign of Change

I’m not a great follower of politics, though my roots are from the part of India where politics is supposed to be in the genes, “Bihar”. I think even if we’ve interest in politics or not, it affects our lives someway or other.

The General elections 2009 of India has shown some sign of changes in the voter’s mental state. This sign is positive. This time the “BAHUBALIs” were unable to find their way to parliament irrespective of whichever parties they belong. This time the voters didn’t vote for separatists. This time the work has taken precedence over caste, religion and negativity. This time a mix of experienced and youth made it to the supreme house of democracy. This time a gentleman retained the post, Yes Mr. Prime Minister, Dr. Singh, is being retained in his office.

The largest rival fought the battle on wrong foot and were ethically wrong this time. Though, many of us are great admirer of the policies set by them, the security policies, foreign policies and financial policies, but the negative campaigning, lack of Leadership figure like Mr. Vajpayee and aggression against a gentleman, so called “Weak Prime Minister” have taken toll on their performances. The reasons are many and since I’m not a political analyst, my words might not be as worthy. But since I’m having the power of one vote, I must have a say.

As a common man, I want politicians fighting over their policies, without throwing dirty comments on each other. I want them to be educated and good enough to prepare planning for the country (whereas in the past the people unable to make budget for their homes were chief ministers, and still there are few holding the post). I want them to be accountable on whatever they do. I want, if they are from poor section of the country, they must not become a millionaire after a tenure of 5 years. A son of poor cannot become a millionaire after 5 years of government job, do they? Yes I want MLAs and MPs as servants of the nation rather than the Kings.

I’m sure; most of us want the same. There is a sign of change, let’s hope the things will get better as the time progresses, and will make INDIA SHINING

“Akhil”

Yester Years Revisited

As many of my friends know, Cricket has been my all time favorite sport. Given a chance, I would love to play it rather than watching. I’ve missed watching quite a few great encounters because of playing; few to name are Independence Cup 3rd final in Dhaka (India-Pak) and Rahul-Sourav Tauntan “Run Feast” during world cup 1999 against Sri Lanka.

I’ve done few crazy things too to play the game e.g. turning all of the clocks and watches of my home 30 minutes faster (except of my father’s, he is such a cool gentleman that he’d have never minded and he was always to my rescue when mom get fierce over me on over playing, may be the sportsman inside him is much closer to me), riding a by-cycle to reach to play a tournament, which was held 25 KM away from my home and I was unable to grab the bike keys from mom, keeping all my stinking shocks outside my house in the lawn away from my mom’s eyes, keeping my playing kits and gear away from home and wearing it unwashed for almost a month, spending all mine and bro’s pocket money on buying my sports gears (I cannot pay back your debt bro, you are a gem), all those superstitions on match days and many more like this .

Today after a long time I took the field again which reminded me of my yester years. Thou this was not as passionate as it used to be. I thought that it’ll be a better way to reduce my growing paunch. Anyways, no one in the field today had ever seen me playing, so they hardly knew how good or bad player I’m and how affectionate I’m about it. Also I’m a better player of leather ball. That does not mean I’m bad in time-pass tennis ball.

During the weekends all the cricket crazy species flaunts their talent in the parks available to their neighborhood, the parks, grounds are jam-packed and you’ll find many-a-teams playing diagonally, perpendicularly and in all sorts of mathematical definitions possible on two dimensional boards

Waking up early in the morning has never been a big deal for me. I still wake up at 7 AM - 7:30 regularly, which is supposed to be early given the IT professional’s standards. So I woke up early today around 5:45 AM and drove to my nearest park at around 6 AM. I found few of my mates playing in the park and joined them to showcase my talent; thou I got a little chance to do so because of too many players playing a side leave too less for an individual. But I’ve got a chance to meet few of my good friends, who do live just few apartments away from mine, but we hardly get time to meet. Also we (8 or 9 of us) quenched 19 glasses of “Shikanji”, an Indian classical refresher, after the play was over as our bodies were running out of water. The poor chap owning the Shikanji Stall had hard times fulfilling our demands. Today it was less draining as it was relatively cool morning and cloudy one too.

Coming back to my hobby-horse, cricket I mean. It was nice to see I can still hold the bat firmly, I can middle it, I can play few shots but the only point of concern was stamina, I found my agility missing, which is the aftermath of working for an IT software firm. Tomorrow again I’ve planned to play as it is Sunday and to showcase my other aspects of the game as well.

I’ve been regular in writing my blogs these days (touchwood). There is so much going inside my puzzled, baffled, confused, befuddled and sometimes tolerant brain, I need some place to store them all and clear my head ;-). It’s time to move in front of TV. Kings XI Punjab has clinched an enticing victory over The Deccan Chargers, Hyderabad. Now the battle between the last year’s finalists has begun (RR: 42/1 7.1 Overs).

“Akhil”

Of voting, power, rights and many more :-)

Today here in NCR we have a holiday, reason NCR is voting today in GENERAL ELECTION of INDIA 2009. I’m sitting inside my room, thinking of how to kill the time as nothing is open here, cannot go to Delhi, cannot call to other cities to my friends as they must be working, I don't find pleasure in watchin TV except for sports and I cannot vote here, no I’m matured enough to vote but I do not hold a voter ID card for this region. Since, the procedure to vote while you are away from your constituency is too lengthy and many of us are not aware of how to use it, a large number of citizens of India are not able to exercise their supreme right of democracy.

Those who exercise their voting duty also suffer, they feel it difficult to find a choice whom to vote unless they are illiterate enough or dumb enough to think. Today our literacy percentage might have increased according to figures shown in census but we are far more behind to be called educated. Knowing the alphabets doesn’t guarantee that you get the power of understanding things. A large number of populations consist of such dumb people, who do not have an identity and who do not even thrive to get their identity. They are mere follower of few dictators and are happy doing so throughout their lives.

The so called leaders (I hate to call them leaders as they’ve defamed this great word) of today use the religion, caste and power to attract the voters. They even use money, alcohol etc to get rid of the mind of voters who are so dumb to get attracted to these silly things that they misuse their UTMOST POWER. I cannot blame those leaders as we are the real culprits who for few buck, few pecks waste our votes.

Where are the Leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri, who has no house on his name even after he became the Prime Minister of India? Who is going to question the leaders that how they are able to multiple their properties 7 times in 5 years? Who is going to ask them where they are wasting our hard earned money which we pay as taxes to the government?

Yes, we can question them and after every five years we have the power to make them answer, but when the time comes, we start seeing for someone from our religion, caste, sub caste or of our proximity are there to be voted. We forget about our security, our development, our day to day sufferings because of negligence of government, big Pit holes on our neighboring road, corruption. We forget a terrorist is a terrorist no matter which religion they follow, we forget that by electing malicious personality we are actually giving them authority to make the laws…………….. but who cares

May be someday we ourselves will change and hence the system will. Sounds too optimistic, but YES WE CAN.

"Akhil"

We are Human ..... Not Resources

I’ve heard a lot about corporate culture, since the time I’ve developed some grey cells in my brain to understand these terms. Thou still I find myself unfit for the culture. To be in corporate and survive, you always need to use your brain instead of your heart and I’m bad at it. Throughout my life my heart has taken precedence over my mind, thou people say I’ve got a sharp brain. Seldom, I’ve used my brain to deal with people; it’s always the honor of the heart to do so. It has effected in both ways, I’ve earned some great friends and some sore relationships at the same time. Let me make you clear, using heart doesn’t mean that I own a great heart or I’m a good human being, no nothing like that. Going by heart sometimes I ended hurting someone. Sometimes I’m too straight that people think I’m too arrogant.

Coming back to corporate, from the 1st year itself I’ve been keenly observing the culture, but the more I come to know the more the distance between me and corporate increases. I find no room for honesty here, no room for transparency and no room for ethics but they claim HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY and ETHICS will lead you to places.

In corporate human being are mere RESOURCES, those whom the management think has become worthless are thrown out as rotten eggs. The millionaire owners cannot afford to get few bucks lesser, they ask the management to illustrate the growing graphs only in terms of money. Only money matters for them.

Have you ever been inside a butcher shop? If not, let me explain. You go to butcher and ask the butcher to have 2 pounds of chicken meat. He choose a big one, then suddenly you remember it’s recession, you change your mind and ask him for one pound only, he leaves the first and chop up another smaller one for you. The chickens inside the cage do nothing; the only thing at that point of time matters for them is their own survival. But they don’t know they will be the next victim. It’s just matter of time.

I visualize the Customer as the Owner of the organization, the butcher as the senior management and the chickens as the poor employees. Today few survived, watching others going holding pink slips, next day it will be their turn.

It’s time for the corporate employees to stand up and fight for their rights. As an employee they have done their duty with utmost dedication and devotion. Now in bad times the employers also must show some respect and sense of duty towards their employees. The employers must show sense of responsibility. It’s time for all of us to dismiss the word RESOURCE tagged to our names. We are not mere resources, if we are; the organizations hiring us are BODY SHOPS. It’s time to remove the department named HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT to EMPLOYEE WELFARE DEPARTMENT. This change is inevitable; sooner or later it will come. ….. I’m waiting for the GOOD TIMES TO COME.

“Akhil”

P.S. I admire few of the corporate houses, for example TATA, who despite of being the greatest business empire of this country has not produced a single person having wealth to top the chart of Indians with respect to their wealth. The reason, they are the BEST Employers after government and the reason people working for TISCO and TELCO have the sense of belongingness.

The Super Sunday

I’m a keen follower of cricket especially if some quality is attached to it. IPL in that context is even better than the world cup as here almost all the sides have equal strength unlike the world cups where there are many teams of different countries just for the sake of participation. Also since I don’t stay with my family, IPL is good time pass these days during evenings and more on those weekends in which I’m not travelling out. My flat mate, Manas, gets irritated due to my regular stay away from home during weekends, but mate I can’t help it :-).

Today was one of those Sundays in which I’ve to stay back at home, and one good movie plus two of the IPL matches helped me pass the time. Before today’s match started I watched Mr . Viktor Navorsky (Tom Hanks) and Catherine Zeta-Jones starrer “The Terminal”, an awesome movie, followed by two good matches of IPL.

Today’s 1st match was between KKR and Kings XI, and mind you except for luck KKR has matched Kings XI ball by ball today. It was heartening to see the greatest under performer of the Indian Cricket, Ajit Agarkar using all his experiences during the death, but it was equally disheartening to see his efforts going in vein. I firmly believe that the experience is the key in any team game and if it is cricket and that so in South African and English pitches. If KKR would have won the match the table would have been open an extra bit.

Another match of the day was not as close as the 1st was, but since it was between the two teams I’m supporting, It was great for me. The result came out in the order I support them. 1. RCB, 2. MI. RCB because of my favorite Rahul Dravid Plays for them an MI because of Master himself, Sachin Tendulkar. My lovely friend, Sourabh must be hurt today for two reasons, one, his favorite MI took some beatings and two Sachin failed with both bat and ball.

On the other hand, Kalis, Kumble and Dravid, the veterans along with young guns (Robin Uthhappa, Praveen Kumar and DU Preez) managed an easy win. Peiterson’s going back to England seems to be helping out Royal Challengers as the now Captain Anil Kumble is an Indian and must be more efficient to convey the messages to the team, which largely consists of Indians. Thou I’ve lots of respect for outsiders like Shane Warne and Gilchrist for the way they lead their respective teams.

As I was writing the initial parts of this blog one of my friends came to visit my place. Later in the evening few special guests made their way to my home and at last the delicious chicken prepared by Manas, made this Sunday a Super Sunday.