Hi,
It's Christmas and New Year time and as expected, it's a busy week or two for the telecom companies around the world. I usually use USPcard to call people back home in India. They have a decent quality and charge 9 cents a minute which was much better than Reliance's 13 cents. I was excited to see Airtel launching their new service to India and that too for a throwaway price of 7.9 cents and double talk time for the first month! I immediately bought Airtel and I realized that Reliance has also slashed their prices. It's party time for people calling India! Suddenly a thought came to my mind... Wait I haven't heard anything from USPcard yet! What's happening. I analyzed a few things: Service, Cost, Bank Balance, Brand name, Marketing of the product. I realized that USPcard is lacking in all these aspects at this point. Their main selling point was their cost. And now they have lost their cost advantage to Airtel and Reliance. They also donot have deep pockets like Reliance and Airtel to sell their service at a loss to retain their customers. What are the steps USPcard can take to survive the price war and retain/increase their customers? What would you have done if you were a USPcard CEO at this point? Would you have invested in improving the internal processes/customer care/marketing/call quality or anything appropriate? Would that investment have met the cost/benefit analysis? These kind of challenges are supposed to come anytime soon in our careers. So your comments are welcome.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Looking back at 2006
----------------------
I had a chat with a good friend of mine and the subject veered on how good 2006 was. I responded without even thinking that it sucked. I had reasoned that i was left moneyless, jobless and was sick, so it sucked. I also thought it was a year where my life drifted without any direction (not that i was focussed in the previous years of my life). This part of the conversation stuck with me long after i kept the phone down. Was 2006 so bad after all. I started to think.
2006 started in the most unhappening way as it only can in 101-27. It was just another day except for the pleasantaries and formal wishes you get from your friends and your acquaintances. At that time i had extended my graduation by yet another semester, so had one full sem to complete my thesis work and get myself a job. Or so i reasoned to justify my indolence. Had already applied for my OPT, no on campus job, no savings what-so-ever and no job interviews in sight. So there was nothing special to write about with the way 2006 started. Yet, all i had was the gut feeling that inspite of my own fallacies i will come good, for if there is one thing that i can say is my strength is that i don't let my failures and situations affect me for too long. Rather i have learnt to live in denial (of course the truth catches up with you soon enough, but the immense disappointment one might feel at that particular moment is put off to sometime in the future). Sometimes, I feel frustrated and i crib, but i move on.
I started writing my thesis, thanks to my professor who absolutely had no expectations from me , Rahul (one of those few souls i respect in this world - especially for his ability to say things as they are, sometimes much to your dislike) for giving me some timely advice and sometimes reprimanding me. Somehow, I ended up doing it in time to graduate in May inspite of myself. So, after all the self-made trials and tribulations, fighting and struggling with my own mental demons, i managed to graduate. There is one good thing about 2006 i realized. So, 2006 was not that bad academically. i was just reaping the "benefits" (if i can call it that) of my (in)actions of the previous years and yet managed to graduate this year.
In the job front, i did miss those opportunities that one yearns for as a graduate student. I had interviews with many top rung companies - Bloomberg, GE Medical Systems, Qualcomm, Citigroup, but either i was too late to pick up on the new topics i had to learn or was not good enough in my own field (i could have easily written it in graduate student lingo putting the blame on how the job prolife didn't fit my background - the real meaning is that i didn't have what it takes to do that job.), so as i said earlier i was just seeing results of my (in)action during my student years. I don't want to fool myself anymore how with my so called "knowledge" (i can see some of my close friends falling down from their seat laughing ;)) i should be doing something much more challenging. I have come to realize that you reap what you sow, and yet we tend to see those exceptionally lucky ones who make it through for no apparent reason and crib. Also, it was only in 2006 that i got my first job. Whatever i might say about this job not being satisfactory or challenging enough, it will always be close to my heart for being the first (something like the first infatuation we might have had in our early teens - it might be meaningless, but it will always be special). So, i took my first step (professionally, and hence financially) towards building a career this year. So, i cannot complain much in that front either.
In the personal front, I can't complain much. Though i have not been in the best of my health, it has been a good year nonetheless. Throughout my life i have been blessed with some good friends and this was another year in which i met a lot of new people and have made some really good friends, some of which i think will stand the test of time. As some of my friends know, i have a small circle of close friends who have always stood by me. So, if i really think about it, this year has not been so bad after all. Only some of the mistakes i did in the past caught up with me and exposed my vulnerabilities. But they have only made me wiser and stronger if nothing else. Weird isn't it, 2006 is exactly opposite to what i thought it was. All it needed was some thought. Interesting, given the fact that we jump to judge people based on one glance or just after one meeting. But here, one whole year of my own life looks a whole lot different when i sit and think about it.....an eye opener atleast for me!!!!!
Thanks to my job, i have so much time to think about a whole lot of stuff including myself.
WISH EVERYONE A VERY VERY HAPPY NEWYEAR!!!!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Lage raho Munnabhai
I recently read a news story that tirelessly applauds the latest bollywood flick lage raho munnabhai. The story also explains the movie's effect on general indian public. I was surprised that the movie received a lot of praise from people who hadn't watched a movie in years; from management institutes; from school headmasters and from parents. Free tickets were being given out at management schools, high schools and even software companies.
The state government in andhra Pradesh has decided to waive the entertainment tax for the movie. Cinema theater managements are getting ready to screen special shows at reduced prices.
The reason: The movie shows Gandhian principles in a fresh light and it is important for today's youth and children to realize the importance of believeing and following them. The principles of satyagraha and nonviolence, the art of offering the other cheek when you receive a blow on the first one, the point in being truthful all the time and probably many more that I am ignorant of.
First off, who verified these principles?
Do these principles work? Can the basic human nature of retaliating and seeking revenge be curbed? Did somebody prove that curbing basic human traits is safe emotinally and psychologically? For example, (and i might be wrong here) the way priests turn pedophiles and gay just because they curb their sexual desires? Do we really know that Gandhi's principles have brought us freedom? If so, why was he assasinated. What is the assasin's defence?
Did the British just leave the country for reasons other than satyagraha like the second world war or maybe subhash chandra bose or maybe because there was nothing left of India?
Are Gandhian principles India's saving face?
Lage raho India.
I recently read a news story that tirelessly applauds the latest bollywood flick lage raho munnabhai. The story also explains the movie's effect on general indian public. I was surprised that the movie received a lot of praise from people who hadn't watched a movie in years; from management institutes; from school headmasters and from parents. Free tickets were being given out at management schools, high schools and even software companies.
The state government in andhra Pradesh has decided to waive the entertainment tax for the movie. Cinema theater managements are getting ready to screen special shows at reduced prices.
The reason: The movie shows Gandhian principles in a fresh light and it is important for today's youth and children to realize the importance of believeing and following them. The principles of satyagraha and nonviolence, the art of offering the other cheek when you receive a blow on the first one, the point in being truthful all the time and probably many more that I am ignorant of.
First off, who verified these principles?
Do these principles work? Can the basic human nature of retaliating and seeking revenge be curbed? Did somebody prove that curbing basic human traits is safe emotinally and psychologically? For example, (and i might be wrong here) the way priests turn pedophiles and gay just because they curb their sexual desires? Do we really know that Gandhi's principles have brought us freedom? If so, why was he assasinated. What is the assasin's defence?
Did the British just leave the country for reasons other than satyagraha like the second world war or maybe subhash chandra bose or maybe because there was nothing left of India?
Are Gandhian principles India's saving face?
Lage raho India.
Friday, June 23, 2006
United States of India - Year 2147
Since my previous post, i have been chugging along having the same routine everyday. Probably thats the reason i didn't post something for sometime now. Looking back however, I can't quite say that it was totally uneventful. There were few interesting ideas that i came across. One of them, atleast according to me, is pretty revolutionary. In it I see the future of the world say 100-150 years from now. A couple of other things were the arguments that my friend(Shyam mantravadi)and I had over dinner in Saravana Bhavan and a coffee at Starbucks. One was about Gandhi (i should confess i never had a clue when i was back in India, that he could be such a controversial figure) and the other was about how closed we tamils are to people from other states.
I am travelling a bit these days (around 3 hrs). This commute gave me an opportunity to catch up with that reading habit I never quite had. My roomie recommended a book called The Next Global Stage. I started going through the book without too much of an expectation. I thought that it would be one of those books which would ramble on and on about the benefits of globalization and give strategies to succeed in this set up, only to come up with a totally new set of strategies in the name of an update a year later(Stephen covey's The Eighth Habit comes to mind). I was swept off the floor by the way the auother saw the current set up of the world and his views on how it should be. To put is simply, he is totally against the concept of nation-states. His opinion is like this. When we say India is growing at 8% that basically means that regions like Bangalore (and surrounding areas), Hyderabad, Chennai etc., are growing at 15-20% and the rest of India that is not doing anything just piggybacks on the growth these regions have. And these regions don't get the benefits nor all the investments required that they deserve. In his view that makes no-sense and that the world should be reordered into region-states. And like many other economists, he is also for the free movement of capital, goods and labour(atleast in this case, i am quite sure that its a good idea). But think about this, if the countries start becoming region-states (i.e., independent states within a federation where the centre's only job is defence), then a particular region can take advantage of everything at its disposal like geographic location, climate, terrain etc., Since there is no restriction in the movement of capital or goods or labor, the productivity and efficiency will be at its best. In pure economic sense this concept is a winner hands down. Can such a setup be possible or is it pragmatic? I think its an idea way ahead of its time. But just like democracy, there will be no stopping it when its time comes, for no one can stop an idea whose time has come (paraphrasing Victor Hugo). EU can be taken as a very primitive form of the concept he is talking about. To me this idea is pretty revolutionary. It would mean that capital and labor will be put to the best use to produce the best goods. Think about it, this might have serious implications for the future generations.
Since my previous post, i have been chugging along having the same routine everyday. Probably thats the reason i didn't post something for sometime now. Looking back however, I can't quite say that it was totally uneventful. There were few interesting ideas that i came across. One of them, atleast according to me, is pretty revolutionary. In it I see the future of the world say 100-150 years from now. A couple of other things were the arguments that my friend(Shyam mantravadi)and I had over dinner in Saravana Bhavan and a coffee at Starbucks. One was about Gandhi (i should confess i never had a clue when i was back in India, that he could be such a controversial figure) and the other was about how closed we tamils are to people from other states.
I am travelling a bit these days (around 3 hrs). This commute gave me an opportunity to catch up with that reading habit I never quite had. My roomie recommended a book called The Next Global Stage. I started going through the book without too much of an expectation. I thought that it would be one of those books which would ramble on and on about the benefits of globalization and give strategies to succeed in this set up, only to come up with a totally new set of strategies in the name of an update a year later(Stephen covey's The Eighth Habit comes to mind). I was swept off the floor by the way the auother saw the current set up of the world and his views on how it should be. To put is simply, he is totally against the concept of nation-states. His opinion is like this. When we say India is growing at 8% that basically means that regions like Bangalore (and surrounding areas), Hyderabad, Chennai etc., are growing at 15-20% and the rest of India that is not doing anything just piggybacks on the growth these regions have. And these regions don't get the benefits nor all the investments required that they deserve. In his view that makes no-sense and that the world should be reordered into region-states. And like many other economists, he is also for the free movement of capital, goods and labour(atleast in this case, i am quite sure that its a good idea). But think about this, if the countries start becoming region-states (i.e., independent states within a federation where the centre's only job is defence), then a particular region can take advantage of everything at its disposal like geographic location, climate, terrain etc., Since there is no restriction in the movement of capital or goods or labor, the productivity and efficiency will be at its best. In pure economic sense this concept is a winner hands down. Can such a setup be possible or is it pragmatic? I think its an idea way ahead of its time. But just like democracy, there will be no stopping it when its time comes, for no one can stop an idea whose time has come (paraphrasing Victor Hugo). EU can be taken as a very primitive form of the concept he is talking about. To me this idea is pretty revolutionary. It would mean that capital and labor will be put to the best use to produce the best goods. Think about it, this might have serious implications for the future generations.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Hi guys…to the people, who don’t know me, let me introduce myself. My name is Shivaram and I was a classmate of Anand, CK and Raghu back in school.
Let me start. Since Anand brought up the subject, “sense of belonging” and there is a big controversy on caste reservation going back in India right now, I thought this would be a good time to post my first blog. I had a chat with CK a few weeks ago on the issue of casteism and he sounded really pissed off with the so called “stupid” idea. He was questioning me on its purpose but I couldn’t give him a convincing answer. All I know was that something was not right and we were both losing the bigger picture. He was also convinced that a developed India is not possible unless it is eliminated. I am sure that most of the educated Indians here in the US and back in India would agree on that. I agree on it too but are we missing a point here…let me explain my thoughts a little bit…
Anand in your post the point you make is, let me quote your own words.... “One feels happy to see people from same planet in another planet.. people from same country in another country.. people from the same state in another state.. people from the same city in another city.. Now where does this sense of belonging come from? If we think at the level of planet now itself… then in that case will not the problems related to territory/language cease?” The irony Anand, the converse of this idea is the basic root for casteism….it is this SAME narrow-minded sense of belonging that is responsible for segregating groups of people all over the world, including India. So, where does this sense of belonging originate from? It takes its root from an inherent tendency of the human mind. Everything arises from the mind and this idea of segregation or dividing is no exception. The human mind tends to group similar things together to better understand and assimilate it. You name it, we group people in the name of religion or way of life (Christians, Muslims, Hindus,…), colour (black, white, yellow, wheatish brown..), governments based on political regimes (communist, democratic, totalitarianism…), profession (engineers, doctors, teachers…) and a little further…for example, you can subdivide engineers (CSE, ECE, EE, ME, CHE..)….etc, you can keep on subdividing it and group it further and further based on some common qualities all the way to the end. A paleontologist can help us understand this concept a little better. While this human faculty endures on, there are other qualities of the human mind that come into play such as ego, anger, hate, dominance, etc… that tag along and it is here that we begin to discriminate people between these segregated groups. As time grows, the groups begin to overlap and the lines of distinction become blurry making it only worse as we completely lose all laws of rationality ending up pointing fingers at everyone.
So what then, can we eliminate casteism or anything similar in lines to it? Is it a boon or a bane? These questions arise in our minds almost instantaneously. If you ponder about it, you will only end up going around in circles. No wonder it has been a subject of debate for decades. However, in my opinion the answer is simple, you cannot eliminate casteism. Why? As long as the human mind takes up the policy of “divide and rule” or should I say “divide and assimilate” there is no way of getting rid of casteism in India or anywhere in the world (rascism). It is neither a boon nor a bane, it a just a FACT waiting to be accepted and no amount of logic, reasoning and demands of rationality is going to eliminate it. It has been there from time immemorial (refer last chapter in the Bhagavad Gita) and will be there till the end of time or at least I would say till the end of human existence. All we can do on our part is we can strive to attain oneness and practice equality among the existing groups in this world. But I guess that would be an impossible task. Hence, I would say that all the “isms” are here to stay whether you accept it or not. If you are still not convinced and you believe you can eliminate it, then let me give you a small test. Try naming your children with a single name (the idea here is to eliminate discrimination, i.e. treating them as equals ) and if you are successful in calling out the right child every time you shout the name, then you might have a solution. But on the other hand, if you extrapolate this method to higher levels (city, state, country), then you might end up having groups of people segregated based on their different names…hmm….guess then we would all end up with the same problem here too.
Let me start. Since Anand brought up the subject, “sense of belonging” and there is a big controversy on caste reservation going back in India right now, I thought this would be a good time to post my first blog. I had a chat with CK a few weeks ago on the issue of casteism and he sounded really pissed off with the so called “stupid” idea. He was questioning me on its purpose but I couldn’t give him a convincing answer. All I know was that something was not right and we were both losing the bigger picture. He was also convinced that a developed India is not possible unless it is eliminated. I am sure that most of the educated Indians here in the US and back in India would agree on that. I agree on it too but are we missing a point here…let me explain my thoughts a little bit…
Anand in your post the point you make is, let me quote your own words.... “One feels happy to see people from same planet in another planet.. people from same country in another country.. people from the same state in another state.. people from the same city in another city.. Now where does this sense of belonging come from? If we think at the level of planet now itself… then in that case will not the problems related to territory/language cease?” The irony Anand, the converse of this idea is the basic root for casteism….it is this SAME narrow-minded sense of belonging that is responsible for segregating groups of people all over the world, including India. So, where does this sense of belonging originate from? It takes its root from an inherent tendency of the human mind. Everything arises from the mind and this idea of segregation or dividing is no exception. The human mind tends to group similar things together to better understand and assimilate it. You name it, we group people in the name of religion or way of life (Christians, Muslims, Hindus,…), colour (black, white, yellow, wheatish brown..), governments based on political regimes (communist, democratic, totalitarianism…), profession (engineers, doctors, teachers…) and a little further…for example, you can subdivide engineers (CSE, ECE, EE, ME, CHE..)….etc, you can keep on subdividing it and group it further and further based on some common qualities all the way to the end. A paleontologist can help us understand this concept a little better. While this human faculty endures on, there are other qualities of the human mind that come into play such as ego, anger, hate, dominance, etc… that tag along and it is here that we begin to discriminate people between these segregated groups. As time grows, the groups begin to overlap and the lines of distinction become blurry making it only worse as we completely lose all laws of rationality ending up pointing fingers at everyone.
So what then, can we eliminate casteism or anything similar in lines to it? Is it a boon or a bane? These questions arise in our minds almost instantaneously. If you ponder about it, you will only end up going around in circles. No wonder it has been a subject of debate for decades. However, in my opinion the answer is simple, you cannot eliminate casteism. Why? As long as the human mind takes up the policy of “divide and rule” or should I say “divide and assimilate” there is no way of getting rid of casteism in India or anywhere in the world (rascism). It is neither a boon nor a bane, it a just a FACT waiting to be accepted and no amount of logic, reasoning and demands of rationality is going to eliminate it. It has been there from time immemorial (refer last chapter in the Bhagavad Gita) and will be there till the end of time or at least I would say till the end of human existence. All we can do on our part is we can strive to attain oneness and practice equality among the existing groups in this world. But I guess that would be an impossible task. Hence, I would say that all the “isms” are here to stay whether you accept it or not. If you are still not convinced and you believe you can eliminate it, then let me give you a small test. Try naming your children with a single name (the idea here is to eliminate discrimination, i.e. treating them as equals ) and if you are successful in calling out the right child every time you shout the name, then you might have a solution. But on the other hand, if you extrapolate this method to higher levels (city, state, country), then you might end up having groups of people segregated based on their different names…hmm….guess then we would all end up with the same problem here too.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
SAAPAN - The Insider Story
NOTE: This will make sense only to people who are either from POLY or who have lived with SAPAN or know about 101-27.
This is about a friend of mine, who left for California to begin his own tryst with destiny. He is a changed man nowadays,changed in a lot of ways from the one I met first in the fall of 2003. Then he was this thin, wide-eyed, "innocent" desi fob, but not now. He is a changed man indeed. Gone are the days when he was like me or some of my roomies, cracking jokes, taunting others with his inimitable style and of course had everybit of the care-free attitude about studies one gets as soon as the first midterms are over and one realizes that only the place of study has changed(US) and not himself. But now he wants to find meaning in life, order in chaos, light in darkness, melody in the cacaphonous world around him. If you are still not able to appreciate what i am driving at consider this, he even tries to find "sense" in 101-27.
He left to California last weekend, leaving behind a bunch of guys in 101-27, who owe every bit of their unquestionable knowledge of human anatomy (he doesn't discriminate between male and female form) to him. He was such a dedicated teacher in human anatomy that he used to bring up some part of the human body, some of them really vital for survival of humans as a species, in almost every conversation of ours, be it cricket or cooking or studies or something as mundane as weather. He had such a deep understanding of biology, that he used to explain topics as varied as aero-dynamics to engineering drawing to plain physics to even literature using biology, anatomy especially. I myself used to wonder what such a brilliant mind as this with such a bent for biology doing at POLY. I could only envision the presentations he has given over time in INDIA and in POLY for GRADCENTER and i can sense the sudden euphoria (the eureka feeling) people in audience would have got with every intricate detail explained away with HUMAN ANATOMY. Some say Mathematics is the universal language. I used believe it blindly until i met this soul. He is also the one who showed us the joy in calling someone a fatherless child. I used to be very very apprehensive of the word, even a kinda phobia initially, because of societal conditioning, until i met him and moved into 8425, the first stop for almost everyone in POLY during our times. Just like MORPHEUS (MATRIX), he showed me how to free my mind and call anyone any name. Now there is a whole crop of us (the ZION if you will) waiting to unleash the joy upon others by calling them a fatherless child. Anyways, he became a little reclusive of late, and when SUNIL tried to impress him with some of Biology lessons learnt from him he was reprimanded and admonished for even trying to bring up something remotely related to human anatomy. We wondered what on earth has made this soul to revile something that used to be the source of knowledge and joy and which held the key to all the answers in this universe.......It was only a few weeks later that things began to unravel in front of our eyes.
Anyone who has lived with him, or for that matter know him a little would know his love for cooking. This was the guy who used to cook for many persons, multiple dishes in 8425, before the kitchen there was renovated (few know the true condition of the kitchen it used to be). He even invites people (ALEX will know) to cook along with him to come up with exotic dishes that would make anyone to salivate. He is such a brave soul that he used to say that he just saw a mouse run over the stove casually and start cooking as if nothing happened. But recently i heard him say he was against cooking at our kitchen because it is unhygienic. I was confounded to the core, for only the previous night i saw him making a good meal for himself in the kitchen. As usual, the simple mind of ours couldn't fathom what was happening in our kitchen. I was all the more confused because i was in the kitchen cooking at that time.
Everyone in POLY knows how well the POLY BROADCASTING SERVICE(PBS) works. Seconds after you think of doing something, everyone and anyone in POLY knows about it. Thats how efficient and professional the PBS works. But, how many of them know that it was founded single-handedly under the able leadership of our guy. He used to dorn multiple roles, apart from the founder, he used to be the president, Public relations officer, recruiter etc., until PBS had enough people to manage itself (it took like a couple of semesters for a critical mass of desi students to build up). As one of the intial members in PBS i can only attest to the sincerity and commitment he had for this new service. However, one day he said something which made me think i was hallucinating. This is what i heard, and even now i am not able to believe it happened. He came to me and said, "Dude, do you know what I realized?" I as usual gave blank look, for i was sure if it had taken so long for this GUY to realize, it would take a few lives for me to understand. He went on, "Dude we should speak some sense. I realized we should stop talking non-sense." A lot things raced through my mind. The sleepless nights we spent creating an establishment like PBS, the hard work put in by so many people only to be forsaken by the founder himself. And that too in a place like 101-27, the temple of GOSSIP and that which represents all that stands for non-sense. It was heresy. And the founder himself committing blasphemy. My eyes welled up. My anger knew no bounds, and all the biological words he had taught me came to my mouth in an instant, only i couldn't utter even a single one. Thinking i was understanding what he was saying he went on and on...........
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR JOB DUDE....It was fun living with you.
C Karthikeyan
NOTE: This will make sense only to people who are either from POLY or who have lived with SAPAN or know about 101-27.
This is about a friend of mine, who left for California to begin his own tryst with destiny. He is a changed man nowadays,changed in a lot of ways from the one I met first in the fall of 2003. Then he was this thin, wide-eyed, "innocent" desi fob, but not now. He is a changed man indeed. Gone are the days when he was like me or some of my roomies, cracking jokes, taunting others with his inimitable style and of course had everybit of the care-free attitude about studies one gets as soon as the first midterms are over and one realizes that only the place of study has changed(US) and not himself. But now he wants to find meaning in life, order in chaos, light in darkness, melody in the cacaphonous world around him. If you are still not able to appreciate what i am driving at consider this, he even tries to find "sense" in 101-27.
He left to California last weekend, leaving behind a bunch of guys in 101-27, who owe every bit of their unquestionable knowledge of human anatomy (he doesn't discriminate between male and female form) to him. He was such a dedicated teacher in human anatomy that he used to bring up some part of the human body, some of them really vital for survival of humans as a species, in almost every conversation of ours, be it cricket or cooking or studies or something as mundane as weather. He had such a deep understanding of biology, that he used to explain topics as varied as aero-dynamics to engineering drawing to plain physics to even literature using biology, anatomy especially. I myself used to wonder what such a brilliant mind as this with such a bent for biology doing at POLY. I could only envision the presentations he has given over time in INDIA and in POLY for GRADCENTER and i can sense the sudden euphoria (the eureka feeling) people in audience would have got with every intricate detail explained away with HUMAN ANATOMY. Some say Mathematics is the universal language. I used believe it blindly until i met this soul. He is also the one who showed us the joy in calling someone a fatherless child. I used to be very very apprehensive of the word, even a kinda phobia initially, because of societal conditioning, until i met him and moved into 8425, the first stop for almost everyone in POLY during our times. Just like MORPHEUS (MATRIX), he showed me how to free my mind and call anyone any name. Now there is a whole crop of us (the ZION if you will) waiting to unleash the joy upon others by calling them a fatherless child. Anyways, he became a little reclusive of late, and when SUNIL tried to impress him with some of Biology lessons learnt from him he was reprimanded and admonished for even trying to bring up something remotely related to human anatomy. We wondered what on earth has made this soul to revile something that used to be the source of knowledge and joy and which held the key to all the answers in this universe.......It was only a few weeks later that things began to unravel in front of our eyes.
Anyone who has lived with him, or for that matter know him a little would know his love for cooking. This was the guy who used to cook for many persons, multiple dishes in 8425, before the kitchen there was renovated (few know the true condition of the kitchen it used to be). He even invites people (ALEX will know) to cook along with him to come up with exotic dishes that would make anyone to salivate. He is such a brave soul that he used to say that he just saw a mouse run over the stove casually and start cooking as if nothing happened. But recently i heard him say he was against cooking at our kitchen because it is unhygienic. I was confounded to the core, for only the previous night i saw him making a good meal for himself in the kitchen. As usual, the simple mind of ours couldn't fathom what was happening in our kitchen. I was all the more confused because i was in the kitchen cooking at that time.
Everyone in POLY knows how well the POLY BROADCASTING SERVICE(PBS) works. Seconds after you think of doing something, everyone and anyone in POLY knows about it. Thats how efficient and professional the PBS works. But, how many of them know that it was founded single-handedly under the able leadership of our guy. He used to dorn multiple roles, apart from the founder, he used to be the president, Public relations officer, recruiter etc., until PBS had enough people to manage itself (it took like a couple of semesters for a critical mass of desi students to build up). As one of the intial members in PBS i can only attest to the sincerity and commitment he had for this new service. However, one day he said something which made me think i was hallucinating. This is what i heard, and even now i am not able to believe it happened. He came to me and said, "Dude, do you know what I realized?" I as usual gave blank look, for i was sure if it had taken so long for this GUY to realize, it would take a few lives for me to understand. He went on, "Dude we should speak some sense. I realized we should stop talking non-sense." A lot things raced through my mind. The sleepless nights we spent creating an establishment like PBS, the hard work put in by so many people only to be forsaken by the founder himself. And that too in a place like 101-27, the temple of GOSSIP and that which represents all that stands for non-sense. It was heresy. And the founder himself committing blasphemy. My eyes welled up. My anger knew no bounds, and all the biological words he had taught me came to my mouth in an instant, only i couldn't utter even a single one. Thinking i was understanding what he was saying he went on and on...........
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR JOB DUDE....It was fun living with you.
C Karthikeyan
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Musings of an idle Mind
Now that the elections are over, here are some of the thoughts i have had over the past few days. I have not tried to analyze any of these thoughts, but merely seeked to walk through these lines of thought just like a traveller who knows the destination knows not the path he is going to take. I tried hard to find a conclusion, my logical mind trying hard to reason with some of the facts that was staring right into my face, only to find myself standing with more questions than i started with. Never did i realize that there are occasions when the mind tends to lose the forest for the trees. I was running behind the minute details, instead of looking at the bigger picture. When i realized i was just chasing my own tail, i convinced myself i should stop analyzing and just record my thoughts, for there might be someone with a deeper insight and a clearer mind who with the detachment of a Tibetan Monk can reason it for me. It is with this idea that i am recording this. Please don't think i was thinking about some profound idea, chanced upon when walking through the miles and miles of unmarked cerebral territory, which in my case has been a like a ghost town, long abandoned with few houses of thought, which from the outside sometimes gives a look of a haunted house where I myself find it hard to venture into. But i am confident that one day I would find my treasure trove in this country of mine.
I will just give one thread of my thought, for not all my thoughts are correlated. What do we all think of as success in life? It might differ from person to person, but only in shades just like the color of skin, but basically it will all boil down to financial independence, a safe and fulfilling life and in some cases fame. We all base our career decisions and look twenty or thirty years down the line based on our experiences which if it has any value, in most cases, is merely nostalgic. We all want to settle down with a big house (sea facing preferably), a few cars (luxury models will make them that much more special) and a good dose of travelling to break the monotony. But how many of us pass to think that all this is based on one big assumption? And that item has been a reason for concern for almost a century. Just as with any of Nature's gift, instead of finding reasons to celebrate over it, we humans have come up with every reason to fight over it. Every instrument, however benign has been turned into a weapon, which only a human mind with its own ingenuity and perversity can do it. If there was ever a natural resource which has been more of a bane than a boon for the people, it is this. CRUDE OIL is one which every country in this world craves to get as cheaply as possible and as much as possible.
Civilization as we know it is fundamentally dependent on this. And there are reports informing us that we have already peaked in the production of OIL and it can only go down. How many of us think a little more deeply when we say we are running out OIL? Car pooling, a higher use of public transportation, alternate source of enery like SOLAR, WIND etc., come to our mind, just because we think of OIL as a source of energy (for transportation and power generation). But how many of us realize that there is more to Petroleum than just that. Right from the plastics, to pesticides, to fertilizers, to synthetic clothes, to most other things that we take for granted are by products of refining CRUDE OIL. With over 6 Billion humans in the world, will there be enough food produced in this world to support this population (without enough pesticides and fertilizers)? Even if enough food is produced, can they be transported to every part of the world at a cost that is affordable? Are the governments around the world working even thinking on these longterm aspect? How can we expect the politicians to think long term when we ourselves cannot think about anything other than our immediate needs, typically material and about creature comforts? I tried hard to see if we as a people would be able to overcome this big transition which might come during our own lifetime and as i said earlier, i ended up with more questions than when i started.
I will record more of this in my next post.
C Karthikeyan
Now that the elections are over, here are some of the thoughts i have had over the past few days. I have not tried to analyze any of these thoughts, but merely seeked to walk through these lines of thought just like a traveller who knows the destination knows not the path he is going to take. I tried hard to find a conclusion, my logical mind trying hard to reason with some of the facts that was staring right into my face, only to find myself standing with more questions than i started with. Never did i realize that there are occasions when the mind tends to lose the forest for the trees. I was running behind the minute details, instead of looking at the bigger picture. When i realized i was just chasing my own tail, i convinced myself i should stop analyzing and just record my thoughts, for there might be someone with a deeper insight and a clearer mind who with the detachment of a Tibetan Monk can reason it for me. It is with this idea that i am recording this. Please don't think i was thinking about some profound idea, chanced upon when walking through the miles and miles of unmarked cerebral territory, which in my case has been a like a ghost town, long abandoned with few houses of thought, which from the outside sometimes gives a look of a haunted house where I myself find it hard to venture into. But i am confident that one day I would find my treasure trove in this country of mine.
I will just give one thread of my thought, for not all my thoughts are correlated. What do we all think of as success in life? It might differ from person to person, but only in shades just like the color of skin, but basically it will all boil down to financial independence, a safe and fulfilling life and in some cases fame. We all base our career decisions and look twenty or thirty years down the line based on our experiences which if it has any value, in most cases, is merely nostalgic. We all want to settle down with a big house (sea facing preferably), a few cars (luxury models will make them that much more special) and a good dose of travelling to break the monotony. But how many of us pass to think that all this is based on one big assumption? And that item has been a reason for concern for almost a century. Just as with any of Nature's gift, instead of finding reasons to celebrate over it, we humans have come up with every reason to fight over it. Every instrument, however benign has been turned into a weapon, which only a human mind with its own ingenuity and perversity can do it. If there was ever a natural resource which has been more of a bane than a boon for the people, it is this. CRUDE OIL is one which every country in this world craves to get as cheaply as possible and as much as possible.
Civilization as we know it is fundamentally dependent on this. And there are reports informing us that we have already peaked in the production of OIL and it can only go down. How many of us think a little more deeply when we say we are running out OIL? Car pooling, a higher use of public transportation, alternate source of enery like SOLAR, WIND etc., come to our mind, just because we think of OIL as a source of energy (for transportation and power generation). But how many of us realize that there is more to Petroleum than just that. Right from the plastics, to pesticides, to fertilizers, to synthetic clothes, to most other things that we take for granted are by products of refining CRUDE OIL. With over 6 Billion humans in the world, will there be enough food produced in this world to support this population (without enough pesticides and fertilizers)? Even if enough food is produced, can they be transported to every part of the world at a cost that is affordable? Are the governments around the world working even thinking on these longterm aspect? How can we expect the politicians to think long term when we ourselves cannot think about anything other than our immediate needs, typically material and about creature comforts? I tried hard to see if we as a people would be able to overcome this big transition which might come during our own lifetime and as i said earlier, i ended up with more questions than when i started.
I will record more of this in my next post.
C Karthikeyan
Sunday, April 23, 2006
And the Comedy Continues......
This is the lastest update i got regarding the elections....Here are some of the promises made by Vijaykanth in chennai.
1) 15 kgs free rice (one up on JJ -- suddenly TN is becoming the breadbasket of India, don't know where they will go for all this free rice - and we hear that farmers in some parts of TN are eating rats just to survive).
2) Rs.500 everymonth for every household (don't know if they have any fine print) for grocery expenses -- ppl in TN are goin to be spoiled by our politicians no matter who comes to power, just look at the promises made by each party, forget about giving uninterrupted power supply, clean water and good infrastructure. He thinks if he gives 500 everymonth then everything in TN will be fine.
3) For three years, every mother will get Rs.500 a month (for upto 2 children) for proper nutrition. ( i am getting dizzy......)
4) This is THE ELECTION PROMISE i ve seen in my entire life. Here it is. Relate this with the first one. To help all the poor households, he will give one free MILCH COW. (Man i am stumpted....does he think that giving a cow will bring all these families out of misery.....i know that politicians are myopic in their thought, but maaaannnnn our politicians make my jaws drop with their stupidity.......
it would be fun to hear the promises of the other parties....
This is the lastest update i got regarding the elections....Here are some of the promises made by Vijaykanth in chennai.
1) 15 kgs free rice (one up on JJ -- suddenly TN is becoming the breadbasket of India, don't know where they will go for all this free rice - and we hear that farmers in some parts of TN are eating rats just to survive).
2) Rs.500 everymonth for every household (don't know if they have any fine print) for grocery expenses -- ppl in TN are goin to be spoiled by our politicians no matter who comes to power, just look at the promises made by each party, forget about giving uninterrupted power supply, clean water and good infrastructure. He thinks if he gives 500 everymonth then everything in TN will be fine.
3) For three years, every mother will get Rs.500 a month (for upto 2 children) for proper nutrition. ( i am getting dizzy......)
4) This is THE ELECTION PROMISE i ve seen in my entire life. Here it is. Relate this with the first one. To help all the poor households, he will give one free MILCH COW. (Man i am stumpted....does he think that giving a cow will bring all these families out of misery.....i know that politicians are myopic in their thought, but maaaannnnn our politicians make my jaws drop with their stupidity.......
it would be fun to hear the promises of the other parties....
Friday, April 21, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Mindless Pandering
As usual the election campaign has brought with it the mindless pandering of the public with freebies, a potent weapon used by politicians of every ilk. Our politicians show their ingenuity in finding new ways to keep the state coffers empty. The promises made my the two main parties DMK and AIADMK is laughable at best. Consider this, one is offering free rice (10 kg) per family a month. The other is offering rice at Rs.2 per kg . DMK has gone a step further. They are offering a free COLOR TV, free GAS STOVES, free land to poor farmers and top it all free cable television (check here). Don't think about whether these promises can be kept or not. Think how ridiculous these promises are. What do they think of the people? He promises all these freebies from tax payer's money and not from the crores he and his family has amassed. Remember when DMK last left office, TN's coffers were virtually empty and it took a couple of years before the fiscal situation was set right. Why not spend the money he is spending on COLOR TVs and cable connection to equip the GOVT schools with the $100 computers that MIT is coming up with or even the simputer.Atleast this will bring more people to the better side of the digital divide. Why not provide free internet connections to GOVT schools and people who cannot afford it, instead of giving free cable connections which will make the people even more stupid with the endless number of soaps.
I am not going to comment on rice for 2 rupees, coz there are millions who might be able to feed themselves with that scheme. But you can be sure that acres and acres of land is going to go into DMK cadres in the name of landless farmers. I am not totally against freebies. There are ways and places where freebies can work wonders. Kamaraj brought in free lunch. That was amazing. He brought in ITIs and other educational institutions to TamilNadu. I can say for sure that I wouldn't have been able to do my masters in the US if not for him, coz my father wouldn't have left his village for chennai but for Kamaraj. Guess its time the Mr.Karunanidhi retires from politics before his own senility becomes his undoing.
C Karthikeyan
As usual the election campaign has brought with it the mindless pandering of the public with freebies, a potent weapon used by politicians of every ilk. Our politicians show their ingenuity in finding new ways to keep the state coffers empty. The promises made my the two main parties DMK and AIADMK is laughable at best. Consider this, one is offering free rice (10 kg) per family a month. The other is offering rice at Rs.2 per kg . DMK has gone a step further. They are offering a free COLOR TV, free GAS STOVES, free land to poor farmers and top it all free cable television (check here). Don't think about whether these promises can be kept or not. Think how ridiculous these promises are. What do they think of the people? He promises all these freebies from tax payer's money and not from the crores he and his family has amassed. Remember when DMK last left office, TN's coffers were virtually empty and it took a couple of years before the fiscal situation was set right. Why not spend the money he is spending on COLOR TVs and cable connection to equip the GOVT schools with the $100 computers that MIT is coming up with or even the simputer.Atleast this will bring more people to the better side of the digital divide. Why not provide free internet connections to GOVT schools and people who cannot afford it, instead of giving free cable connections which will make the people even more stupid with the endless number of soaps.
I am not going to comment on rice for 2 rupees, coz there are millions who might be able to feed themselves with that scheme. But you can be sure that acres and acres of land is going to go into DMK cadres in the name of landless farmers. I am not totally against freebies. There are ways and places where freebies can work wonders. Kamaraj brought in free lunch. That was amazing. He brought in ITIs and other educational institutions to TamilNadu. I can say for sure that I wouldn't have been able to do my masters in the US if not for him, coz my father wouldn't have left his village for chennai but for Kamaraj. Guess its time the Mr.Karunanidhi retires from politics before his own senility becomes his undoing.
C Karthikeyan
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
If there is something man made that can come close to being divine, its music - not the variety we hear in tamil cinema nowadays. I am a great fan and admirer of Bharatiyar and when his songs are rendered the way they should be, man you are closer to heaven. I happened to come across this in musicindiaonline website (some songs are from the movie 'Bharati'),
Bharatiyar songs
It was just too good and you just have to marvel at the genius of our own Mahakavi, be it for the use of language or for the profundity of his thought. But i still had one reservation with the album. The music for 'ENDRU THANIYUM' is too mellifluous for its meaning. I am sure, Bharatiyar would not have thought of it that way, it should have been more like the song 'AgniKunchondru'.
Watched V for Vendetta last week. One of those movies that would leave you thinking long after the movie is over, though it had its share of cinematic excesses. But this guy Hugo Weaving brings the character to life without ever showing his face. Beware this movie might not interest you if you expect an action flick based on the trailer. But all in all, a movie worth watching (though not sure if it was worth the 15 bucks i paid for).
Now that campaigning for the assembly elections have begun, it will be interesting to watch what all crap the parties come up with to garner votes. We have already seen how Vaiko shifted his alliance with AIADMK. Quite funny when you realize that this was the same guy who was pounding and shouting at the top of his voice about the dictatorial ways of JJ when he was put behind bars. To get an idea about how silly the whole issue of elections have been made by these scumbags, check out vaikos interview in rediff
Vaiko Interview
He shamelessly contradicts himself throughout the interview. Asked why he joined with JJ after being put in jail for 19 months, he gives an answer that does not refer to JJ even once. Read through the interview, either it will be incredibly offensive or outrageously ridiculous based on the perspective you see it from. So much for the democracy that supposedly would take us over china in the long run. Anyways, i had told in one of my earlier posts that JJ would win. This alliance will only make it that much easier for her to win.
C Karthikeyan
Bharatiyar songs
It was just too good and you just have to marvel at the genius of our own Mahakavi, be it for the use of language or for the profundity of his thought. But i still had one reservation with the album. The music for 'ENDRU THANIYUM' is too mellifluous for its meaning. I am sure, Bharatiyar would not have thought of it that way, it should have been more like the song 'AgniKunchondru'.
Watched V for Vendetta last week. One of those movies that would leave you thinking long after the movie is over, though it had its share of cinematic excesses. But this guy Hugo Weaving brings the character to life without ever showing his face. Beware this movie might not interest you if you expect an action flick based on the trailer. But all in all, a movie worth watching (though not sure if it was worth the 15 bucks i paid for).
Now that campaigning for the assembly elections have begun, it will be interesting to watch what all crap the parties come up with to garner votes. We have already seen how Vaiko shifted his alliance with AIADMK. Quite funny when you realize that this was the same guy who was pounding and shouting at the top of his voice about the dictatorial ways of JJ when he was put behind bars. To get an idea about how silly the whole issue of elections have been made by these scumbags, check out vaikos interview in rediff
Vaiko Interview
He shamelessly contradicts himself throughout the interview. Asked why he joined with JJ after being put in jail for 19 months, he gives an answer that does not refer to JJ even once. Read through the interview, either it will be incredibly offensive or outrageously ridiculous based on the perspective you see it from. So much for the democracy that supposedly would take us over china in the long run. Anyways, i had told in one of my earlier posts that JJ would win. This alliance will only make it that much easier for her to win.
C Karthikeyan
Sunday, March 19, 2006
What makes one think that he is superior to others around him? Is it because of the money he has, the political power he wields, the influence he has to determine the lives and death of others, the ability to get away with whatever one does or just because he supposedly belongs to one caste just by the accident of birth? This kind of reasoning pervades our thought, except for some real good souls. Why are men ready to demean, belittle or for that matter stereotype others based on just about anything from "CULTURE", "CIVILIZATION", "SKIN COLOR", "ECONOMIC STATUS", "CASTE", "GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION", "LANGUAGE"? And this list could go on and on of course. Few events that's been happening over the last few weeks have made me think along these lines.
The doctor's strike in Maharastra to me is a classic example of a group of people in position to decide the fate of other people exploiting their power, which is basically derived from the responsibility that is placed on them, at the cost of life of the poor. How else can one explain the doctors across the state going on a strike for such a long time on what can be explained as an unfortunate incident? For those who don't know what i am taking about, here is the gist. A doctor was beaten up by a man and some of his relatives when his mother died in the hospital. However regrettable the incident might be, is it worth putting so many lives at risk by going on an indefinite strike? Can you imagine this happening in Apollo or other big private hospitals? Why is it easy when it comes to poor people who cannot go anywhere else but the govt hospitals? How can people take a moral high ground just because they take up some profession? Was it not their choice to take up that profession? Anyone who knows a little about any ecosystem will recognize that for a society to perform well, it needs a certain number of doctors, certain number of engineers, certain number of people in every other profession. So, how can one profession be better than the other when the society needs each one of them as much as the other? And in a highly populated, poor developing country like ours (alas, some people tend to live in denial that just telling that India is poor offends them, however true it might be), where the number of doctors to population ratio is so low, going on a strike is pathetic to say the least.
Or let us take Justice. Take Bihar. Over two months back, there was an absolutely horrendous crime that was committed which hit the headlines. But as usual the news lost its value on the same day. So, i never heard of it since then. The news was this. I will give the act first, and the reason next just to show the level of social injustice prevailing in India right now. There is this guy in Bihar. A group of people came to his hut, beat up this guy, pulled him out and burned his family (wife and five children) with the hut. All for what? This guy was supposedly from a "lower caste" and he gave a complaint in the police over a dispute on some buffalos with a fellow from a "higher caste". How can one even begin to contemplate the magnitude of this crime over such an inconsequential dispute? Does ideas as specious as caste and religion warrant killing another human being just because he might not share your identities? The other case is that of the murder of Jessica Lal. Murder in front of so many, in a public place and for what? And what does the justice system do? The killer is let off because there isn't enough evidence. But one can be optimistic from the fact that people have started demanding justice and the police have opted to have a relook after the protests. The media will still make it an issue only if its sellable. Jessica Lal was and the poor guy from Bihar was not. Hence the difference in coverage and hence the difference in outrage from the public varied between the two cases. However this is just the beginning and one cannot do away with the injustice that has pervaded all walks of life in our society for millenia. I hope the public outcry in the Jessica's case have a trickle down effect and the poor man in Bihar will get justice sometime soon in the future........
With all this, just ponder over how great and revolutionising the following is,
"Thani Oru Manidhanukhu OOnavillaiyenil Jagathinai Azhithiduvom"
" Lets destroy this world even if one man goes without food"
- MahaKavi Bharatiyar
The doctor's strike in Maharastra to me is a classic example of a group of people in position to decide the fate of other people exploiting their power, which is basically derived from the responsibility that is placed on them, at the cost of life of the poor. How else can one explain the doctors across the state going on a strike for such a long time on what can be explained as an unfortunate incident? For those who don't know what i am taking about, here is the gist. A doctor was beaten up by a man and some of his relatives when his mother died in the hospital. However regrettable the incident might be, is it worth putting so many lives at risk by going on an indefinite strike? Can you imagine this happening in Apollo or other big private hospitals? Why is it easy when it comes to poor people who cannot go anywhere else but the govt hospitals? How can people take a moral high ground just because they take up some profession? Was it not their choice to take up that profession? Anyone who knows a little about any ecosystem will recognize that for a society to perform well, it needs a certain number of doctors, certain number of engineers, certain number of people in every other profession. So, how can one profession be better than the other when the society needs each one of them as much as the other? And in a highly populated, poor developing country like ours (alas, some people tend to live in denial that just telling that India is poor offends them, however true it might be), where the number of doctors to population ratio is so low, going on a strike is pathetic to say the least.
Or let us take Justice. Take Bihar. Over two months back, there was an absolutely horrendous crime that was committed which hit the headlines. But as usual the news lost its value on the same day. So, i never heard of it since then. The news was this. I will give the act first, and the reason next just to show the level of social injustice prevailing in India right now. There is this guy in Bihar. A group of people came to his hut, beat up this guy, pulled him out and burned his family (wife and five children) with the hut. All for what? This guy was supposedly from a "lower caste" and he gave a complaint in the police over a dispute on some buffalos with a fellow from a "higher caste". How can one even begin to contemplate the magnitude of this crime over such an inconsequential dispute? Does ideas as specious as caste and religion warrant killing another human being just because he might not share your identities? The other case is that of the murder of Jessica Lal. Murder in front of so many, in a public place and for what? And what does the justice system do? The killer is let off because there isn't enough evidence. But one can be optimistic from the fact that people have started demanding justice and the police have opted to have a relook after the protests. The media will still make it an issue only if its sellable. Jessica Lal was and the poor guy from Bihar was not. Hence the difference in coverage and hence the difference in outrage from the public varied between the two cases. However this is just the beginning and one cannot do away with the injustice that has pervaded all walks of life in our society for millenia. I hope the public outcry in the Jessica's case have a trickle down effect and the poor man in Bihar will get justice sometime soon in the future........
With all this, just ponder over how great and revolutionising the following is,
"Thani Oru Manidhanukhu OOnavillaiyenil Jagathinai Azhithiduvom"
" Lets destroy this world even if one man goes without food"
- MahaKavi Bharatiyar
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Hez Here
Now that George.W.Bush is on his way to India, i felt its time to write something about the Nuclear Deal that has been discussed by every major media outlet and strategic think tank. Though I don't have much of an idea about this topic, often i found myself coming up with the knee-jerk reaction (very typical of us, desis) of opposing this idea just because it involves the US. I am not sure if my reaction would be the same if it had been with Russia or any other European state. But, I also understand that i was not being paranoid. After all, the US does not have such a great record in dealing with countries around the world. It had such a close relationship with Saddam Hussein until he became expendable in the larger scheme of things. No one can forget the support it gave to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan until the Soviets were thrown out. It didn't care to bring back the country into the international mainstream; the rest as they say is history and we know what Afghanistan stands for today. All the so called allies in Asia are either its client state or its vassal with a form of quasi-sovereignity. Let me get back to the topic instead of digressing. Is the Nuclear deal really good or bad for India? I read through some articles to find what's the fuss is all about. I will give the essence of what those articles say (at times just parroting what they say) and also give the links at the end (for those who are interested).
What's the deal to begin with? To say in simple terms (the following has been repeated in so many newpapers and website, it may sound like cliche for those who follow the news), the deal is that India will follow the procedures and take the responsibilities of other Nuclear powers (which in essence means, all its civilian reactors would follow IAEA safeguards and are subject to inspection by IAEA) and in turn India will get civilian reactors from the US. The problem as all of you know is that Indian reactors are not separated as civilian and military. So, Indians and Americans are locked horns in the list of reactors that should be classified as civilian and military. The bone of contention is the Fast Breeder Reactor (the ProtoType Fast Breeder Reactor) in Kalpakkam ( the CIRUS reactor near Bombay is another case where the US and India have a disagreement). For the uninitiated, the Fast Breeder Reactor produces more fuel (a very simplistic explanation) than it consumes. Also, the Fast Breeder Reactor uses Thorium , of which India has one of the largest reserves in the world. Apparently, the process leaves a large residue of weapon grade Plutonium (or is it Uranium ?) with which India can have as many weapons as it wants. It is this reactor that the US wants to bring under inspection. But, Scientists are dead against it (PM has also issued a statement today that fast breeder cannot be included in the civilian list). Another important reason why the scientists are against this is that India has probably one of the most advanced Breeder Technologies. Opening it up for inspection would be like opening up this technology to others without getting our due. From the perspective of the military strategists, putting too many reactors in the civilian list would curtail the amount of fissile material India could have for its strategic uses. If there are so many reasons for opposing the nuclear deal, why did India even go in for a deal with the US?
1) It would come out of the Nuclear Pariah status (a tacit acceptance of it as a nuclear power).
2) It would get to buy URANIUM (India has a very little reserves of Uranium) from the NSG.
3) It needs Uranium immediately in the short term for the Tarapur Reactor.
4) Once it is accepted as a Nuclear Power, obtaining of the Permanent Seat in the Security Council would be easier (or so some people in the Govt think).
Are these considerations enough to go in for a deal with a country like US which is so well known for breaking a lot of interational treaties (remember how India would always be told why it should sign CTBT until the US Congress failed to ratify it)? I don't want to say an absolute No to the deal, but given the secrecy with which the Govt is handling the issue, every bit of news typically comes out US media, I am very apprehensive about the deal. Why so much secrecy? Also, the number of reactors to be classified should also be nominal; right now the numbers floating around 12 to 17 of the 22 reactors India would have. My apprehension arises not merely because of what the deal gives India, but also from the noise that is emanating from Washington. Bush only a few days back changed his stand and said India was a nation with developing nuclear technology from a nation with advanced nuclear technology. Robert Blackwill said that if the deal does not go through then it will paint a very bad picture of the ruling elite and the people of India. Mulford says what is credible and what is not in selecting the reactors. While Americans are well known for arm-twisting, i don't find any reason why we as nation of a billion would have to bend over backwards to sign this deal.
Note : US last built a reactor in 1979. So, they are lagging behind in this area. This is all the more reason for thinking twice. Also, the western nations (except i guess France) had given up on Fast Breeder Technology long back. So, if US is asking us to open up the PBFR, you can understand that something is not right.
C Karthikeyan
P.S. Anyone with more foresight and knowledge please leave your suggestions. I request all to leave a statement on where they stand on this issue.
References:
Whomsoever thought the infrastructure back in India is still in the stone age must be joking. An official trip recently to the Noida-Delhi-Gurgoan belt was an eye-opener. The region is developing extremely fast. They say that Noida and gurgoan were forests in the early 90s. Just one look at it now gives the impression of a silicon valley in the making. The entire region is being divided into sectors. Some sectors are allocated to industries, some to schools, many to residential and the like. One who lives there must have the feeling that he must be in california. Cars are everywhere, well connected metros (in the making), and huge huge malls (even a haldirams has a builing like walmart with vast car parkings and wide area). No wonder the region is the home of such biggies like IBM, Alcatel, freescale, conexant (and a countless others) . With the central government backing up well , the region might very well turn out to be the silicon valley after Bangalore (If one is adament about it). Also the region is very close to best tourist destinations in the country. One has to apreciate the previous BJP government for initiating the golden quadrilateral project. The quadrilateral not only connects the four metros byepassing all the state capitals but also is state-of-the-art. Contructed with 3 main lanes and 2 service lanes on either side, with plants (mainly roses) in between the dividers, the interstate highways must be jealous. Strategically located, geographically well connected, abundant water and food, one can only dream of the regions future.
But nothing comes free of cost. A car has to pay a toll of 55Rs to entering the golden quadrilateral and 18Rs entering noida from Delhi. The cost of living is extremely expensive for indian standards (which is not totally unexpected) and dont even bother to check the real estate prices there !!
Raghu.
But nothing comes free of cost. A car has to pay a toll of 55Rs to entering the golden quadrilateral and 18Rs entering noida from Delhi. The cost of living is extremely expensive for indian standards (which is not totally unexpected) and dont even bother to check the real estate prices there !!
Raghu.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Question:
Mr. O’Connor is a 35-year-old man who has lost higher-brain functioning (the ability to think, experience emotions, or perceive sensory information). He has been in this condition for 10 years. He is able to breathe on his own, but depends on a feeding tube for nutrition and hydration to stay alive. He has left no information in writing as to what his wishes would be in such a situation. At least in theory, the basic options are: (1) prolong his life as long as possible, (2) prolong his life using tube feeding, but do not attempt to save his life in the event of cardiac arrest, life-threatening infection, etc. (3) do not prolong his life (stop the tube feeding) and (4) cause his death by an overdose of medication. Which options are permissible? Which options are permissible? Which are good or bad? Are any of them morally required or morally prohibited? (Leave legal considerations out of your discussion, for the time being.) Is there anything else you would like to know before you could make your decision?
Answer:
Before entering into the ever ongoing debate of euthanasia, we need to ponder over some concerns that have surfaced in my mind. Who decides when a life no longer has any value? Is it the doctors, patients, spouses, parents or the insurance companies? What if there are differences of opinion? Are doctors ever motivated by cost factors? Are patients sometimes in an emotional state that makes good judgment unlikely? Are parents ever motivated by unreasonable hope, spouses by an understandable need to move on? Might insurance companies possess a narrower view of what “value” means than most of us would be comfortable with? These are questions that affect not only end-of-life issues, but also quality-of-life issues for persons with disabilities in general.
In my opinion, it is about placing the lives of the weakest among us in the hands of people other than themselves who often have self-serving agendas. Once society gives a group of people the right to end life, our right to life disappears behind red tape. The value of life diminishes when it can be taken away by others.
Considering the above factors, in my opinion, the only person who has a right to decide if a life no longer has any value is the person whose life is in question. At this point, there is a fork in the thought process: A case when the person is conscious of his/her plight and has the mental ability to take a decision about his/her life and another, when the person is in a vegetative state.
The main reasons for a person who consciously wants to end his/her life are unbearable pain, a relief of emotional trauma for the loved ones and in general, the right to choose a better way to go. Lets us consider those reasons in moderate depth.
The question of unbearable pain: In my opinion, the question here is about the competency of medical technology and knowledgeable doctors to contain the pain. Does every bout of uncontrollable pain find a solution in death? Is it really that difficult to contain pain in the modern era where mankind is making giant leaps in medical technology? The solution here, might lie in exploring ways to contain the pain. The solution here is to make sure that no stone is left unturned in administering pain killers to the patient. The solution here is to make sure that doctors or insurance agencies have not tried to slant the truth in a effort to contain medical expenses.
Pondering about the mental trauma that loved ones go through, are we sure that decisions are being taken in an illogical manner without letting people decide in a fit of emotional excitement? There are a lot of cases of depression where medications and counseling are employed to make the patients life more enjoyable. Are we sure that the loved ones might not change their stance when such methods are employed for them? Are we sure the loved ones and relatives are the best judge about the patient’s life? The solution here is to explore ways of helping loved ones cope with the trauma.
Considering the right of the patient to choose a better way to die, how many of us make rational decisions when in pain or trauma? The solution here is to alleviate the pain and kindle hope for positive thinking.
When a person is in vegetative state, there is no question of pain. This is more pertinent to Mr. O’Conner’s case. The only motive for euthanasia is to end the emotional trauma for the relatives and to cut down on medical costs thus taking a laid back attitude which culminates eventually in giving up. Who gives the right to the loved ones to decide about the life of the patient? What use do the billions of dollars spent on medical research come to when doctors give up on a challenge? When billions of dollars are spent on wars, why would the cost of medications be an issue? Who knows what a patient in vegetative state might have wanted for himself? Has technology advanced to an extent where doctors can delve into the minds of the patients and see what they want? When there is even a slightest chance of hope, why should the innocent, unknowing patient not given a chance to cling onto it? In the era of rapid advancements of medical technology, how would anyone know how long it might take for a cure to the disease in question to be discovered? Who decides if the patient wants to wait for that long a time or not? A cure could be right around the corner, or it could take decades.
Options 3 and 4, I feel, should be ruled out until these questions are answered.
Option 2 suggests that special efforts should not be taken to save the patients life in the event of any complications. As put forward above, the only motive here is to facilitate nature to take its own course of action in an attempt to remove guilt from the minds of doctors and loved ones and save on medical costs. If we let nature take its own course of action, how is this society different from a prehistoric one? Almost all societies - even non-religious ones - for thousands of years have made euthanasia a crime. When pain control medicines and procedures are far better than they have ever been any time in history, why should our commitment towards nurturing life diminish?
Considering my points of view, Mr. O’Conner should be allowed to live and option 1 should be chosen, even if he were in immense pain and conscious of his disease. I would choose option 1 for Mr. O’ Conner, unconditionally.
Mr. O’Connor is a 35-year-old man who has lost higher-brain functioning (the ability to think, experience emotions, or perceive sensory information). He has been in this condition for 10 years. He is able to breathe on his own, but depends on a feeding tube for nutrition and hydration to stay alive. He has left no information in writing as to what his wishes would be in such a situation. At least in theory, the basic options are: (1) prolong his life as long as possible, (2) prolong his life using tube feeding, but do not attempt to save his life in the event of cardiac arrest, life-threatening infection, etc. (3) do not prolong his life (stop the tube feeding) and (4) cause his death by an overdose of medication. Which options are permissible? Which options are permissible? Which are good or bad? Are any of them morally required or morally prohibited? (Leave legal considerations out of your discussion, for the time being.) Is there anything else you would like to know before you could make your decision?
Answer:
Before entering into the ever ongoing debate of euthanasia, we need to ponder over some concerns that have surfaced in my mind. Who decides when a life no longer has any value? Is it the doctors, patients, spouses, parents or the insurance companies? What if there are differences of opinion? Are doctors ever motivated by cost factors? Are patients sometimes in an emotional state that makes good judgment unlikely? Are parents ever motivated by unreasonable hope, spouses by an understandable need to move on? Might insurance companies possess a narrower view of what “value” means than most of us would be comfortable with? These are questions that affect not only end-of-life issues, but also quality-of-life issues for persons with disabilities in general.
In my opinion, it is about placing the lives of the weakest among us in the hands of people other than themselves who often have self-serving agendas. Once society gives a group of people the right to end life, our right to life disappears behind red tape. The value of life diminishes when it can be taken away by others.
Considering the above factors, in my opinion, the only person who has a right to decide if a life no longer has any value is the person whose life is in question. At this point, there is a fork in the thought process: A case when the person is conscious of his/her plight and has the mental ability to take a decision about his/her life and another, when the person is in a vegetative state.
The main reasons for a person who consciously wants to end his/her life are unbearable pain, a relief of emotional trauma for the loved ones and in general, the right to choose a better way to go. Lets us consider those reasons in moderate depth.
The question of unbearable pain: In my opinion, the question here is about the competency of medical technology and knowledgeable doctors to contain the pain. Does every bout of uncontrollable pain find a solution in death? Is it really that difficult to contain pain in the modern era where mankind is making giant leaps in medical technology? The solution here, might lie in exploring ways to contain the pain. The solution here is to make sure that no stone is left unturned in administering pain killers to the patient. The solution here is to make sure that doctors or insurance agencies have not tried to slant the truth in a effort to contain medical expenses.
Pondering about the mental trauma that loved ones go through, are we sure that decisions are being taken in an illogical manner without letting people decide in a fit of emotional excitement? There are a lot of cases of depression where medications and counseling are employed to make the patients life more enjoyable. Are we sure that the loved ones might not change their stance when such methods are employed for them? Are we sure the loved ones and relatives are the best judge about the patient’s life? The solution here is to explore ways of helping loved ones cope with the trauma.
Considering the right of the patient to choose a better way to die, how many of us make rational decisions when in pain or trauma? The solution here is to alleviate the pain and kindle hope for positive thinking.
When a person is in vegetative state, there is no question of pain. This is more pertinent to Mr. O’Conner’s case. The only motive for euthanasia is to end the emotional trauma for the relatives and to cut down on medical costs thus taking a laid back attitude which culminates eventually in giving up. Who gives the right to the loved ones to decide about the life of the patient? What use do the billions of dollars spent on medical research come to when doctors give up on a challenge? When billions of dollars are spent on wars, why would the cost of medications be an issue? Who knows what a patient in vegetative state might have wanted for himself? Has technology advanced to an extent where doctors can delve into the minds of the patients and see what they want? When there is even a slightest chance of hope, why should the innocent, unknowing patient not given a chance to cling onto it? In the era of rapid advancements of medical technology, how would anyone know how long it might take for a cure to the disease in question to be discovered? Who decides if the patient wants to wait for that long a time or not? A cure could be right around the corner, or it could take decades.
Options 3 and 4, I feel, should be ruled out until these questions are answered.
Option 2 suggests that special efforts should not be taken to save the patients life in the event of any complications. As put forward above, the only motive here is to facilitate nature to take its own course of action in an attempt to remove guilt from the minds of doctors and loved ones and save on medical costs. If we let nature take its own course of action, how is this society different from a prehistoric one? Almost all societies - even non-religious ones - for thousands of years have made euthanasia a crime. When pain control medicines and procedures are far better than they have ever been any time in history, why should our commitment towards nurturing life diminish?
Considering my points of view, Mr. O’Conner should be allowed to live and option 1 should be chosen, even if he were in immense pain and conscious of his disease. I would choose option 1 for Mr. O’ Conner, unconditionally.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
This week the BSE Sensex crossed yet another landmark. While the confidence that the world (judging from the number of articles that get printed everyday on India and China - how good it feels when we are at last getting de-hypenated from Pakistan (a country which is still confused about its nationhood)) exudes on the potential of India to be an economic Superpower in the long run is great, i do have a few reservations about the way the Government is opening up some of the really important sectors at such a fast rate. Here are some of the events in the last 15 to 20 days that i find interesting.
1) ManiShankar Iyer thrown out of the cabinet ( I found this very interesting, since this is the second minister (the other is Natwar Singh) to be thrown out who was very supportive of the IRAN pipeline to India).
2) BSE Sensex crosses 10000 mark which is really a very good sign (beware that a high value need not necessarily mean a healthy economy) about the confidence people have in the performance of the economy.
3) The Govt allowed 51% FDI investment in the retail sector (though with many conditions and regulations, I still cannot stomach the fact that a big retailer like Walmart can set up shop and make a lot of local groceries and small time businesses bankrupt. I might be wrong in my assessment, but i would have been happy if atleast initially the percentage allowed was kept below 50%. I don't want to sound like the communists, but for me the livelihood of a lot of Indians (as a large percentage of indians are either self-employed with their small businesses or in the unorganized sector) is much more important than how well Walmart can do business in India). In this respect, India should learn a few lessons from China. This is one country which is able to make the Americans (who take the moral high ground when it comes to preaching others about human rights and respecting international law) to change their ways when it comes to operating in China. The GOOGLE episode (this particularly shows that when it comes to business, ethics and human rights are indeed the last things that matter - think about the noises the Americans made about the poor working conditions in India and China when both the countries were not as big as now) is one in the long list of Chinese assertion that if you are doing business in China, its according to Chinese Laws.
4. It was really heartening to see the way India promoted itself in the DAVOS Economic Forum. If you went through the Business columns during that period, it was India Everywhere (which was the title for the PR campaign).
I had a few more stuff in mind, but i forget them now. I will post them maybe in the next one.
Now for some other stuff.
I watched an Iranian movie 'Two Women'. An awesome movie, which was realistic (a welcome respite from the crap that pass of for a movie in Tamil Cinema) in its depiction of the trials women go through in a conservative society. Please don't immediately imagine a society where women are beaten and have to live within their burkas (the images we get from Afghanistan). Its about two Architecture students who fight against the social structure that does not let them chase their goals and how they give up some of their ambitions for family etc., (a scene which is typical in every conservative society including ours). In this respect, I find TamilNadu to be the worst among the better developed (the four southern states, Maharastra, Punjab, Bengal, etc.,) states in India. Atleast in Afghanistan it is the Mullah who tells women what to wear and what not to wear. You can atleast expect that from an illiterate or one with education from a madrassa at best. In TamilNadu, the Chancellor of Anna University tells people who are old enough to vote (and thereby determine the destiny of the country) what to wear and what not to wear. I could only hang my face in shame when people here bring up the Kushboo episode or the fact that a college going student cannot wear a bright colored shirt to his class. Or that a college student cannot take his cell phone to his class. If you see the way some of the Engineering colleges (i dont know about the other streams) are run with rules that are as ridiculous as they are demeaning, you wouldn't want anyone you know to even step into that college, let alone study in them. If this is the case with the supposedly educated and emancipated part of the society, you can't begin to imagine what is happening on the other side.
C Karthikeyan
1) ManiShankar Iyer thrown out of the cabinet ( I found this very interesting, since this is the second minister (the other is Natwar Singh) to be thrown out who was very supportive of the IRAN pipeline to India).
2) BSE Sensex crosses 10000 mark which is really a very good sign (beware that a high value need not necessarily mean a healthy economy) about the confidence people have in the performance of the economy.
3) The Govt allowed 51% FDI investment in the retail sector (though with many conditions and regulations, I still cannot stomach the fact that a big retailer like Walmart can set up shop and make a lot of local groceries and small time businesses bankrupt. I might be wrong in my assessment, but i would have been happy if atleast initially the percentage allowed was kept below 50%. I don't want to sound like the communists, but for me the livelihood of a lot of Indians (as a large percentage of indians are either self-employed with their small businesses or in the unorganized sector) is much more important than how well Walmart can do business in India). In this respect, India should learn a few lessons from China. This is one country which is able to make the Americans (who take the moral high ground when it comes to preaching others about human rights and respecting international law) to change their ways when it comes to operating in China. The GOOGLE episode (this particularly shows that when it comes to business, ethics and human rights are indeed the last things that matter - think about the noises the Americans made about the poor working conditions in India and China when both the countries were not as big as now) is one in the long list of Chinese assertion that if you are doing business in China, its according to Chinese Laws.
4. It was really heartening to see the way India promoted itself in the DAVOS Economic Forum. If you went through the Business columns during that period, it was India Everywhere (which was the title for the PR campaign).
I had a few more stuff in mind, but i forget them now. I will post them maybe in the next one.
Now for some other stuff.
I watched an Iranian movie 'Two Women'. An awesome movie, which was realistic (a welcome respite from the crap that pass of for a movie in Tamil Cinema) in its depiction of the trials women go through in a conservative society. Please don't immediately imagine a society where women are beaten and have to live within their burkas (the images we get from Afghanistan). Its about two Architecture students who fight against the social structure that does not let them chase their goals and how they give up some of their ambitions for family etc., (a scene which is typical in every conservative society including ours). In this respect, I find TamilNadu to be the worst among the better developed (the four southern states, Maharastra, Punjab, Bengal, etc.,) states in India. Atleast in Afghanistan it is the Mullah who tells women what to wear and what not to wear. You can atleast expect that from an illiterate or one with education from a madrassa at best. In TamilNadu, the Chancellor of Anna University tells people who are old enough to vote (and thereby determine the destiny of the country) what to wear and what not to wear. I could only hang my face in shame when people here bring up the Kushboo episode or the fact that a college going student cannot wear a bright colored shirt to his class. Or that a college student cannot take his cell phone to his class. If you see the way some of the Engineering colleges (i dont know about the other streams) are run with rules that are as ridiculous as they are demeaning, you wouldn't want anyone you know to even step into that college, let alone study in them. If this is the case with the supposedly educated and emancipated part of the society, you can't begin to imagine what is happening on the other side.
C Karthikeyan
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The last couple of weeks there were a couple of times I ran into an argument on the issue of faith. Both the times, my friends claimed that people in general were losing faith in God because the world as we know it is becoming more unsafe with every passing day. The examples they gave varied from the unknown suicide bomber who might be standing next to you in a crowded bus stop to the monster that is capable of raping 3 year olds. And each of the examples were more horrendous than the other. But, the question that keeps creeping up in my mind is whether the world as a whole is becoming unsafe to live in. Even if that is the case, why do people lose faith in God when most of the reasons for the world being unsafe is manmade? First lets examine if there is any truth in the conclusion about safety.
Everyone of us who live in big cities are worried about a terrorist attack striking us. But, do these terrorist attacks make this world more dangerous than it was at some point in the past? Or, do all these terrorist attacks happen because some people are not happy about the freedom we have or the economic progress we make? But leaving all the moral and political reasoning aside, do these terrorist attacks make this world a dangerous place. Though it may be counter intuitive I personally feel, that the world is now the safest than ever it was in recorded history. When I say dangerous I don't talk about the possibility of physical injury alone.
Today we have institutions in place which keeps in check the forces that are controlling (ruling elite) the world. Think about a world without a UN, or an IAEA. There are the human rights commissions that are fairly independent in the developed countries and to some extent in our country. And today, think about how many people have come out of the hold of caste system by moving to the cities and getting themselves a decent way of life. Some parts of our country is still under the spell of this vicious system which is based on utter nonsense. Today there are more avenues for the common man to express himself, to voice his concerns and demonstrate against the ruling class if need be than ever was.
Coming back to the problems that face us, we have to realise that each one of them is man made. Say if I am from Bihar and I see the sorry state of Bihar under Laloo Yadav. If i feel sad and decide I cannot do anything about it (which may be the case for very many) and expect God to do something about it, its not going to happen. Reason number one, Laloo is a product of a system designed by us. He is a product of a long history of exploitation of one caste by another. Reason number two, by putting the responsibility on God (whose very existence is questioned by a few), we are excusing ourselves of any culpability. In any case, until someone comes around to create an awareness among a critical mass of population, the problems afflicting Bihar will not disappear. And Bihar is just one example. The same reasoning can be applied to most of the man made troubles we might have.
The practice of Sati did not go away until RajaRam Mohan Roy came around to create awareness about this atrocity. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi created the necessary awareness among the masses about our need for independence. So are the examples of Periyar, Bharatiyar, Jesus, Buddha etc., They all created a mass awareness about a cause and in some cases have tried to show a way to deal with it. Terrorism is again a problem and it has to be dealt with. The cause is human and the one doing it human and I don't see any reason for losing faith in God just because we are not ready to face the problem and deal with it. When i say deal with it I mean to go to the root of the problem and stop the menace from growing. Not nuke all the places that you might think terrorism originates from.
The way I see it, faith in God is on the rise (except maybe western Europe whose population is shrinking anyways). And since most of the problems facing us are human, there is no reason calling GOD to make amends for them. Lets try and do our part to make our system better and leave everything that is not in our hands to GOD.
C Karthikeyan
P.S. My special thanks to Rahul, Subbu and V Karthik for their ideas.
Everyone of us who live in big cities are worried about a terrorist attack striking us. But, do these terrorist attacks make this world more dangerous than it was at some point in the past? Or, do all these terrorist attacks happen because some people are not happy about the freedom we have or the economic progress we make? But leaving all the moral and political reasoning aside, do these terrorist attacks make this world a dangerous place. Though it may be counter intuitive I personally feel, that the world is now the safest than ever it was in recorded history. When I say dangerous I don't talk about the possibility of physical injury alone.
Today we have institutions in place which keeps in check the forces that are controlling (ruling elite) the world. Think about a world without a UN, or an IAEA. There are the human rights commissions that are fairly independent in the developed countries and to some extent in our country. And today, think about how many people have come out of the hold of caste system by moving to the cities and getting themselves a decent way of life. Some parts of our country is still under the spell of this vicious system which is based on utter nonsense. Today there are more avenues for the common man to express himself, to voice his concerns and demonstrate against the ruling class if need be than ever was.
Coming back to the problems that face us, we have to realise that each one of them is man made. Say if I am from Bihar and I see the sorry state of Bihar under Laloo Yadav. If i feel sad and decide I cannot do anything about it (which may be the case for very many) and expect God to do something about it, its not going to happen. Reason number one, Laloo is a product of a system designed by us. He is a product of a long history of exploitation of one caste by another. Reason number two, by putting the responsibility on God (whose very existence is questioned by a few), we are excusing ourselves of any culpability. In any case, until someone comes around to create an awareness among a critical mass of population, the problems afflicting Bihar will not disappear. And Bihar is just one example. The same reasoning can be applied to most of the man made troubles we might have.
The practice of Sati did not go away until RajaRam Mohan Roy came around to create awareness about this atrocity. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi created the necessary awareness among the masses about our need for independence. So are the examples of Periyar, Bharatiyar, Jesus, Buddha etc., They all created a mass awareness about a cause and in some cases have tried to show a way to deal with it. Terrorism is again a problem and it has to be dealt with. The cause is human and the one doing it human and I don't see any reason for losing faith in God just because we are not ready to face the problem and deal with it. When i say deal with it I mean to go to the root of the problem and stop the menace from growing. Not nuke all the places that you might think terrorism originates from.
The way I see it, faith in God is on the rise (except maybe western Europe whose population is shrinking anyways). And since most of the problems facing us are human, there is no reason calling GOD to make amends for them. Lets try and do our part to make our system better and leave everything that is not in our hands to GOD.
C Karthikeyan
P.S. My special thanks to Rahul, Subbu and V Karthik for their ideas.
Friday, January 13, 2006
With Tamilnadu General Elections coming up everyone of us will have our own ideas about who should come to power and have our own reasons. My vote in this election goes to JJ. Even though most of us have grown to hate JJ for her high handed approach in almost every sphere of her political life, I would like to see her come back to power for the following reasons.
1. This term has not been as bad as the first one (thought this is not reason enough for her returning to power).
2. The strong action she took against the Government employees for going on a strike (though my opinion can be controvertible, i was impressed to see that she means business. Its a different issue that it backfired badly and she reverted most of her decisions.) ( I find it unfathomable when professors and bank employees go on a strike when their pay is pretty decent compared to the other Govt employees and if i am not wrong the fifth pay commission increased the professors base pay a lot (if some one knows better please post your comments)).
3. The DMK has started to act like a dynasty, as if ruling Tamil Nadu is their birth right just like the Nehru family of Congress. (This in any way does not mean I support the BJP, its a party that is just as detestable as the Congress if not more). Here is an anectode to show the thinking within the DMK family. When i was in india in summer, Dayanithi Maran came on NDTV profit for an interview. When asked about something related to doing more on some sector, he told that the Indian public is very greedy and how much ever they are given, they ask for more. Amazing it was to see an elected MP talk about the people who elected him like this. For a minute take the public out and put in begger, it would make a lot of sense. Moreover Karunanidhi might retire from active politics anytime soon and I don't think Stalin is good enough to be a CM (personal opinion). JJ is a first timer in Politics and after her someone else from a different family will take over AIADMK.
4. Inspite of all the corruption, she has brought in more investment into the state. Everyone will agree that Chennai is one of the most happening places in terms of investments (though one can argue that this is inspite of JJ being in power, not because she is in power.)
http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1489/ASIAN_CITIES___REGIONS_OF_THE_FUTURE_2005_06.html
Here is an article that shows TN's place as an FDI destination.
5. She took some bold decisions by bringing in the anti-conversion law and law on animal sacrifice. (this is a highly controversial decision and she did back off.)
6. She is dead against the LTTE (we can sympathize with the Srilankan Tamils, but not with LTTE and its ways).
7. Any power that can keep the PMK in check is absolutely welcome. The worst thing that has happened to TN is the PMK. Instead of doing what is required for the state, these guys go around moral policing in the state. From tamil names to Tamil movies ( i don't get the logic, if i am producer and i invest in making a product, i should have the right to name it in whatever way that will help me market my product better. After all the investments, if i have to follow some idiots diktat to name my product.......i don't understand) to talking about safe sex to smoking on screen to creating problems in screening of a Rajini's film to clashing with vijayakanth they are more interested in gaining political mileage by targeting the film industry. Although most parties do caste based politics, this is one party which is primarily based on caste.
8. JJ is the only politician i have seen who is not taking the issue of TAMIL, TAMIL MAKKAL (tamil people) , TAMIL INAM(tamil race) , TAMIL PANPADU (tamil culture), blah..blah..blah... to gain political advantage. In that respect she is far better than most of the scum that make up the political spectrum in TN.
These are reasons enough for JJ returning to power. This does not mean that JJ is the best CM to happen for TN, rather she is just a lesser evil. If one of you guys have a differing opinion and reasons for them, please write in your comments.
C Karthikeyan
1. This term has not been as bad as the first one (thought this is not reason enough for her returning to power).
2. The strong action she took against the Government employees for going on a strike (though my opinion can be controvertible, i was impressed to see that she means business. Its a different issue that it backfired badly and she reverted most of her decisions.) ( I find it unfathomable when professors and bank employees go on a strike when their pay is pretty decent compared to the other Govt employees and if i am not wrong the fifth pay commission increased the professors base pay a lot (if some one knows better please post your comments)).
3. The DMK has started to act like a dynasty, as if ruling Tamil Nadu is their birth right just like the Nehru family of Congress. (This in any way does not mean I support the BJP, its a party that is just as detestable as the Congress if not more). Here is an anectode to show the thinking within the DMK family. When i was in india in summer, Dayanithi Maran came on NDTV profit for an interview. When asked about something related to doing more on some sector, he told that the Indian public is very greedy and how much ever they are given, they ask for more. Amazing it was to see an elected MP talk about the people who elected him like this. For a minute take the public out and put in begger, it would make a lot of sense. Moreover Karunanidhi might retire from active politics anytime soon and I don't think Stalin is good enough to be a CM (personal opinion). JJ is a first timer in Politics and after her someone else from a different family will take over AIADMK.
4. Inspite of all the corruption, she has brought in more investment into the state. Everyone will agree that Chennai is one of the most happening places in terms of investments (though one can argue that this is inspite of JJ being in power, not because she is in power.)
http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1489/ASIAN_CITIES___REGIONS_OF_THE_FUTURE_2005_06.html
Here is an article that shows TN's place as an FDI destination.
5. She took some bold decisions by bringing in the anti-conversion law and law on animal sacrifice. (this is a highly controversial decision and she did back off.)
6. She is dead against the LTTE (we can sympathize with the Srilankan Tamils, but not with LTTE and its ways).
7. Any power that can keep the PMK in check is absolutely welcome. The worst thing that has happened to TN is the PMK. Instead of doing what is required for the state, these guys go around moral policing in the state. From tamil names to Tamil movies ( i don't get the logic, if i am producer and i invest in making a product, i should have the right to name it in whatever way that will help me market my product better. After all the investments, if i have to follow some idiots diktat to name my product.......i don't understand) to talking about safe sex to smoking on screen to creating problems in screening of a Rajini's film to clashing with vijayakanth they are more interested in gaining political mileage by targeting the film industry. Although most parties do caste based politics, this is one party which is primarily based on caste.
8. JJ is the only politician i have seen who is not taking the issue of TAMIL, TAMIL MAKKAL (tamil people) , TAMIL INAM(tamil race) , TAMIL PANPADU (tamil culture), blah..blah..blah... to gain political advantage. In that respect she is far better than most of the scum that make up the political spectrum in TN.
These are reasons enough for JJ returning to power. This does not mean that JJ is the best CM to happen for TN, rather she is just a lesser evil. If one of you guys have a differing opinion and reasons for them, please write in your comments.
C Karthikeyan
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Amongst the four dravidian languages (tamil, telugu, kannada and malayalam) which one was the first to be patronized,
There is an old tamil aphorism,
"Kal thondri man thondra kalathae mun
thondri mutha kudi thamizh kudi"
(Before rocks and stones, before mud
was born a race, the thamizh race)..
speaks volumes of the age of the language. These kind of writings may be misleading. These may be only to eulogise the language or more so to spread the language amongst the people. Its been said that tamizh is the oldest and purest of the dravidian languages. It may be true that it had its own literature (esp the sangam literature) which stood firm even while the vedic literature was dominating other pre-aryan literatures in other languages. The sangam literature dates back to 500 AD when the eight-tu-thogai ( 8 collections) and the pathu-p-paatu (10 Idyls) along with the athi-chu-vadi which laid the grammar for the languages. It is important to note here that even though the last of the four vedas in sanskrit was itself complete by the 10th century BC, it was difficult to converse and a lot of modifications had to be done. The Buddists were the first to branch off from prakrit (the language resulting from the mix up between sanskrit and dravidian languages) and re-christen them into pali. By the time of 600-1000 AD prakrit was the base for churning out a number of indo-aryan languages (Amongst them is Hindi, the national language of India). During this phase between 500AD-1000AD when the indo-aryan languages were born, thamizh was more or less steady. It is also well known that thamizh is the only language which has not borrowed from sanskrit.
Kannada has literature which dates back to 700 AD. A lot of bits and pieces information is only available of the origin of the language and the dates that come along with it. The kannada speaking belt was concentrated more towards present day karnataka and a significant population drifted across to maharashtra as well. But the language was unable to spread beyond karnakata primarily because of its topography. They were being drifted off or pushed out from the north by the aryan-marathi and had innumerable conquests from the tamizh cholas who wanted to spread their own philosophy. Even today a number of other languages like thulu, konkini use kannada scripts and owe their existence to kannada.
The last of the four vedas mentions the name of "Andhra" in its writings meaning to present day Andhra Pradesh. This was around 700 BC. But the actual script came centuries later around 1000 AD mostly influenced by kannada. Telugu initially borrowed from sanskrit and later developed its own dictionary with a strong kannada influence. Usually termed " Italian of the East" for its very mellifluous words, it became quickly attractive for literature and classical music. Innumerable literature and huge classical compositions have always been its forte and helped to grow the language (or has it ??)
Present day, telugu is demographically widely spoken dravidian language and the second most spoken language in India (After Hindi).
Tamil Politicians today wrongly claim that tamil is the truest and purest of the Dravidians. In fact those people who claim this are infact are from other languages. Look at the people who arose to power and have become successful chief ministers in Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi and Annadurai (Both telugu), Jayalalitha (Half Kannada/Half tamil), MG Ramachandran (Malayalam) and the list goes onn.
How has telugu spread into Thamizh Nadu to this extent ? It is said that 30% of the population in Chennai are telugu speaking people?? How did this happen ???
Coming Next ...
RAGHU
There is an old tamil aphorism,
"Kal thondri man thondra kalathae mun
thondri mutha kudi thamizh kudi"
(Before rocks and stones, before mud
was born a race, the thamizh race)..
speaks volumes of the age of the language. These kind of writings may be misleading. These may be only to eulogise the language or more so to spread the language amongst the people. Its been said that tamizh is the oldest and purest of the dravidian languages. It may be true that it had its own literature (esp the sangam literature) which stood firm even while the vedic literature was dominating other pre-aryan literatures in other languages. The sangam literature dates back to 500 AD when the eight-tu-thogai ( 8 collections) and the pathu-p-paatu (10 Idyls) along with the athi-chu-vadi which laid the grammar for the languages. It is important to note here that even though the last of the four vedas in sanskrit was itself complete by the 10th century BC, it was difficult to converse and a lot of modifications had to be done. The Buddists were the first to branch off from prakrit (the language resulting from the mix up between sanskrit and dravidian languages) and re-christen them into pali. By the time of 600-1000 AD prakrit was the base for churning out a number of indo-aryan languages (Amongst them is Hindi, the national language of India). During this phase between 500AD-1000AD when the indo-aryan languages were born, thamizh was more or less steady. It is also well known that thamizh is the only language which has not borrowed from sanskrit.
Kannada has literature which dates back to 700 AD. A lot of bits and pieces information is only available of the origin of the language and the dates that come along with it. The kannada speaking belt was concentrated more towards present day karnataka and a significant population drifted across to maharashtra as well. But the language was unable to spread beyond karnakata primarily because of its topography. They were being drifted off or pushed out from the north by the aryan-marathi and had innumerable conquests from the tamizh cholas who wanted to spread their own philosophy. Even today a number of other languages like thulu, konkini use kannada scripts and owe their existence to kannada.
The last of the four vedas mentions the name of "Andhra" in its writings meaning to present day Andhra Pradesh. This was around 700 BC. But the actual script came centuries later around 1000 AD mostly influenced by kannada. Telugu initially borrowed from sanskrit and later developed its own dictionary with a strong kannada influence. Usually termed " Italian of the East" for its very mellifluous words, it became quickly attractive for literature and classical music. Innumerable literature and huge classical compositions have always been its forte and helped to grow the language (or has it ??)
Present day, telugu is demographically widely spoken dravidian language and the second most spoken language in India (After Hindi).
Tamil Politicians today wrongly claim that tamil is the truest and purest of the Dravidians. In fact those people who claim this are infact are from other languages. Look at the people who arose to power and have become successful chief ministers in Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi and Annadurai (Both telugu), Jayalalitha (Half Kannada/Half tamil), MG Ramachandran (Malayalam) and the list goes onn.
How has telugu spread into Thamizh Nadu to this extent ? It is said that 30% of the population in Chennai are telugu speaking people?? How did this happen ???
Coming Next ...
RAGHU
Friday, January 06, 2006
Here are some thoughts for the weekend to munch. Before we all get gung ho about the rapid strides Indian economy is making, let us try to be a little objective. I am happy about what is happening in the service sector though in its current form it is only for the UEM (urban, educated, middle class). But, as a lot of commentators have pointed out there is the other India that has been left untouched. Here is an article which throws in a different perspective about the reform process right now.
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20060105&fname=prashant&sid=1
He talks about the misplaced priorities of our politicians, who in their zeal to open up the economy don't think about the really important and immediate concerns. Talking about misplaced priorities, Chandrababu Naidu comes to mind. The self-proclaimed CEO of Andhra Pradesh, who in his burning desire to project himself to be the most hip of CMs failed to do even the most basic of duties as a CM. This is the guy who was going around to bring the F1 Formula racing to Hyderabad when farmers in his state were committing suicide in the tens of thousands. Probably he didn't realize that the much publicized video conferencing he had with the district collectors was to prevent something like this from happening through faster access t0 and dissemination of information from across the state, instead of showing off infront of the cameras and discussing about the latest Balakrishna movie.
On a lighter note, this is a question that has been nagging me for quite sometime. The question goes something like this. Why is it that among homo sapiens (i.e., us) a fellow being from the opposite sex has to be hot while one from the same sex has to be cool? Is it because we see the physical attributes of the opposite sex, but with the same sex we see the attitude (unless of course you spend most of your time in the closet). But then, why associate hot with body and cool with attitude. can someone throw some light?
Another very interesting thing i came across this week is about Zoroastrianism. We all know about devas and asuras. According to our mythology, devas are the good ones and asuras are the demons. It will be interesting to know that all the stuff in our mythology are not myths after all. Apparently, the people of ancient Persia were called asuras and the people in our side were the suras. And in ancient times, asuras were actually equated with good things just like the devas. But over time, the devas got predominance in the religious scheme of things and asuras were made to be demons. Guess what, the persians had the same idea, but in the other way. In their scheme of things, Ahura ( this is how they call asuras) are the deities and Daevas (devas) are the demons. Talk about perspective.
C Karthikeyan
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20060105&fname=prashant&sid=1
He talks about the misplaced priorities of our politicians, who in their zeal to open up the economy don't think about the really important and immediate concerns. Talking about misplaced priorities, Chandrababu Naidu comes to mind. The self-proclaimed CEO of Andhra Pradesh, who in his burning desire to project himself to be the most hip of CMs failed to do even the most basic of duties as a CM. This is the guy who was going around to bring the F1 Formula racing to Hyderabad when farmers in his state were committing suicide in the tens of thousands. Probably he didn't realize that the much publicized video conferencing he had with the district collectors was to prevent something like this from happening through faster access t0 and dissemination of information from across the state, instead of showing off infront of the cameras and discussing about the latest Balakrishna movie.
On a lighter note, this is a question that has been nagging me for quite sometime. The question goes something like this. Why is it that among homo sapiens (i.e., us) a fellow being from the opposite sex has to be hot while one from the same sex has to be cool? Is it because we see the physical attributes of the opposite sex, but with the same sex we see the attitude (unless of course you spend most of your time in the closet). But then, why associate hot with body and cool with attitude. can someone throw some light?
Another very interesting thing i came across this week is about Zoroastrianism. We all know about devas and asuras. According to our mythology, devas are the good ones and asuras are the demons. It will be interesting to know that all the stuff in our mythology are not myths after all. Apparently, the people of ancient Persia were called asuras and the people in our side were the suras. And in ancient times, asuras were actually equated with good things just like the devas. But over time, the devas got predominance in the religious scheme of things and asuras were made to be demons. Guess what, the persians had the same idea, but in the other way. In their scheme of things, Ahura ( this is how they call asuras) are the deities and Daevas (devas) are the demons. Talk about perspective.
C Karthikeyan
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
In an article on Building a Learning Organization, David Garvin speaks about how inspite of investing a lot of money on Continuous Improvement programs by businesses, most of them fail. This according to him is because of rigidity of the organizations, which are not able to unlearn some of the stuff they have learnt over the years when they were successful. And, when the going gets tough, these organizations try to apply the same rules in a different game. As they invest more on the improvement programs, without unlearning or begininning to open up to radically new ideas, they only become adept at applying the old rules more efficiently, which take them nowhere.
The psychologists term it as conditioning. I am sure everyone of us have read about Pavlov's experiment with his dogs. Just as the dogs were conditioned to react in a particular way to a particular situation, out reactions to most of our daily situations doesn't say much about ourselves. Do we condition ourselves to react in a particular way for any given situation? Our reaction might not be as simple as that of a dog's, its still a reaction nevertheless. Or, do we think about stuff rationally before coming up with conclusions? I believe not many of us fall into this category. Isn't David Garvin taking about the Pavlovian Behavior, but with respect to an organization?
Physicists term this as inertia. Inertial force can be a very powerful one. I for one know personally, what it can do? Its again the same when you think about it. We have our own set of ideas and notions about things. Whatever new situation might come up, we try to come up with an explanation that satisfies all the axioms that we might have. If we further think about this, any natural phenomena becomes supernatural when we don't have an explanation. Again, when a person does something that defies logic, he is either elevated to the level of God (this still happens in our country) or ostracized. It takes a whole lot of effort to break out of the ideas that we have. Or is it just the enery required to come out of our mental inertia? Isn't David Garvin talking about the same Inertia that might have built up in an organization.
Most Eastern philosophies talk about this in one form or the other. Take our own aphorism,
'Aynthil valaiyathathu Aymbathil valaiyuma'
'That which doesn't bend at 5 won't bend at 50'
'Thottil pazhakam sudu kadu mattum'
'Old habits die hard'
Isn't this the same principle that David Garvin is talking about? We can again call this inertia or conditioning or whatever one might come up with. Isn't it interesting to note that everything is the same though we call it by different names. Wait, am i talking about Inertia or GOD? If we can have so many names for a force like inertia and see it in so many different forms, how do we even try to package GOD within one religion or one form and fight over it? Think about it.
I don't have enough time to post all my thoughts. Will post the remaining in the next post.
C Karthikeyan
The psychologists term it as conditioning. I am sure everyone of us have read about Pavlov's experiment with his dogs. Just as the dogs were conditioned to react in a particular way to a particular situation, out reactions to most of our daily situations doesn't say much about ourselves. Do we condition ourselves to react in a particular way for any given situation? Our reaction might not be as simple as that of a dog's, its still a reaction nevertheless. Or, do we think about stuff rationally before coming up with conclusions? I believe not many of us fall into this category. Isn't David Garvin taking about the Pavlovian Behavior, but with respect to an organization?
Physicists term this as inertia. Inertial force can be a very powerful one. I for one know personally, what it can do? Its again the same when you think about it. We have our own set of ideas and notions about things. Whatever new situation might come up, we try to come up with an explanation that satisfies all the axioms that we might have. If we further think about this, any natural phenomena becomes supernatural when we don't have an explanation. Again, when a person does something that defies logic, he is either elevated to the level of God (this still happens in our country) or ostracized. It takes a whole lot of effort to break out of the ideas that we have. Or is it just the enery required to come out of our mental inertia? Isn't David Garvin talking about the same Inertia that might have built up in an organization.
Most Eastern philosophies talk about this in one form or the other. Take our own aphorism,
'Aynthil valaiyathathu Aymbathil valaiyuma'
'That which doesn't bend at 5 won't bend at 50'
'Thottil pazhakam sudu kadu mattum'
'Old habits die hard'
Isn't this the same principle that David Garvin is talking about? We can again call this inertia or conditioning or whatever one might come up with. Isn't it interesting to note that everything is the same though we call it by different names. Wait, am i talking about Inertia or GOD? If we can have so many names for a force like inertia and see it in so many different forms, how do we even try to package GOD within one religion or one form and fight over it? Think about it.
I don't have enough time to post all my thoughts. Will post the remaining in the next post.
C Karthikeyan
Sunday, January 01, 2006
This is my first post. I would be posting regularly from now on. Though had the idea of doing this for sometime now, it required a New Year and one of the resolutions we take every year to push me into doing it. I intend to record my thoughts which vary from mundane stuff to outright controversial.
My New Year began with calling home and friends around the globe, wishing them a happy and successful newyear. But then, more than a happy and successful newyear, what everyone will be hoping for this New Year would be a peaceful and safe one. 2005 had been quite eventful, to put it mildly, with both Nature and man trying to out do each other to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. Though its said we can do little (though i believe we can do much by cutting down our energy consumption and being conscious about our environment) with Nature's fury, think about the kind of atrocities that are being committed across the world in the name of Civilization and Freedom. I leave this topic for another day, but think about one of our very ancient mantras and its profound meaning. It can only make you proud that our fore-fathers have had such an open mind and attitude towards life. More than me saying, just ponder over this.
Sahanaa Vavatu
Om Saha Naavavatu Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Veeryam Karavaavahai.
Tejasvi Naavadheetamastu
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih.
May the Lord protect us together.
May he nourish us together.
May we work together uniting our strength for the good of humanity.
May our learning be luminous and purposeful.
May we never hate one another.
May there be peace, peace, and perfect peace.
Karthikeyan C
My New Year began with calling home and friends around the globe, wishing them a happy and successful newyear. But then, more than a happy and successful newyear, what everyone will be hoping for this New Year would be a peaceful and safe one. 2005 had been quite eventful, to put it mildly, with both Nature and man trying to out do each other to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. Though its said we can do little (though i believe we can do much by cutting down our energy consumption and being conscious about our environment) with Nature's fury, think about the kind of atrocities that are being committed across the world in the name of Civilization and Freedom. I leave this topic for another day, but think about one of our very ancient mantras and its profound meaning. It can only make you proud that our fore-fathers have had such an open mind and attitude towards life. More than me saying, just ponder over this.
Sahanaa Vavatu
Om Saha Naavavatu Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Veeryam Karavaavahai.
Tejasvi Naavadheetamastu
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih.
May the Lord protect us together.
May he nourish us together.
May we work together uniting our strength for the good of humanity.
May our learning be luminous and purposeful.
May we never hate one another.
May there be peace, peace, and perfect peace.
Karthikeyan C
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