"How's your wife and my kids?" asked Australian wicket keeper Rod Marsh from behind the stumps to the Ian Botham who had come into bat. "The wife's fine," replied Ian, "but the kids are retarded."
Well aren’t sledging and Ashes like two sides of same coin! Come to think of, Cricket is not just a mere contest between bat and ball, but it’s largely a battle of wits. No wonder players with good temperament and cricketing intelligence become world champions. It is this mental ability and temperament that opponents like to test.
Well as long as this is challenged in a fair manner, Cricket still resembles a Gentleman’s game. But there are times when players use humorous banter to distract their opponent and sometimes tend to cross the line using orchestrated personal abuse and derogatory language. This is generally referred as sledging.
Basically sledging describes the practice whereby players try to get under the opponents skin by provoking, insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The objective is to disturb the opponent's concentration, thereby causing them to make mistakes or underperform.
Sledging, banter, remonstration, abuse, ripostes have been an integral part of the game and like everything in cricket, it also has ancient antecedents. For instance, when W.G. Grace was given out leg-before, he refused to walk and told the bowler: "They came to watch me bat, not you bowl". And the innings continued.
In his riveting book ‘Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps’, Simon Briggs presents a succinct history of sledging. He states that, Englishmen were the pioneers and Dr W.G. Grace was an early leader, and believed they had the divine right to use any methods to beat the colonials. Interestingly in the same age of cavaliers, Warwick Armstrong from Australia gave it back to them. In the modern era, sledging was blatantly practiced by Aussies. Ian Chappell’s mob labelled as ‘Ugly Australian’ were the leaders and later Allan Border, Merv Hughes, Steve Waugh continued this practice. Steve Waugh even coined a new cricketing neologism - Mental disintegration!
Its not just sledging but we have also witnessed players getting into argument with the umpires. There aren’t many players like Gavaskar and Gilchrist who walk even before the umpire has raised his finger. Instead of emulating these legendary players or even for that matter, the batting skills of Dr W.G. Grace, the modern batsmen seem to emulate Grace's ability to stand his ground. Once, when the ball knocked off a bail, he replaced it and told the umpire: "Twas the wind which took thy bail orf, good sir." The umpire replied: "Indeed, doctor, and let us hope thy wind helps the good doctor on thy journey back to the pavilion."
The best W.G Grace sledge was on him, though, not from him. Charles Kortright had dismissed him on few times in a county game - only for the umpires to keep turning down his appeals. Finally, he uprooted two of Grace's three stumps. Grace stalled, as though waiting for a no-ball call or something, before reluctantly walking off with Kortright's words in his ears: "Surely you're not going, doctor? There's still one stump standing."
While many of us appreciate the technical side of cricket, it is equally true that good humoured banter spices up the game and can also be counter-productive. Remember Javed Miandad imitating Kiran More and jumping on the wicket to express his irritation with More’s constant chattering behind the stumps. Who can forget Dravid’s brilliant century against the Proteas when Allan Donald ruffled him? And in the Nottingham test, Zaheer Khan ended up taking nine wickets after he was greeted by the English players with jelly beans on the wicket. Venkatesh Prasad uprooting the stumps of Aamer Sohail immediately after being sledged and clobbered for a boundary will always remain etched in our memory.
Here’s a list of some good cricketing anecdotes, witty banter and sledging … What's somewhat unique is the angle from which one looks at them - mainly, funny or provocative things that were said, and brief looks at the personalities who said them.
Graham Gooch got a chilling welcome to Test Cricket. In his debut test, as he wandered out to bat, Gooch greeted Ian Chappell, the Australia captain, with a polite, “Good morning, Ian.”
“What’s so f**king good about it?” came the immediate reply. Gooch was then dismissed without scoring.
Harbhajan must have slapped his own countrymen, but there are also instances of teammates sledging each other. Now this one’s simply hilarious that involved Fred Trueman and Raman Subba Row. England were playing Pakistan and, at what turned out to be a crucial moment later on, Trueman managed to get an outside edge off a Pakistani batsman after the batsman had been frustrating them on a hot sweaty day. The ball went right through the hands of Raman Subba Row who was standing in first slip and through his legs. After the over Raman heads over to the bowler and says, "Sorry Fred, I should've closed my legs." Fred Trueman, who didn't find any of this amusing, quipped back, "No, you bastard, your mother should have."
Another instance of same team members having fun.
David Gower: Do you want Gatt (Mike Gatting) a foot wider?
Chris Cowdrey: No. He'd burst.
England were set a huge target by Australia and Maurice Leyland batting with a youngster was being made to run hard for singles. Leyland said, "Steady up lad, we can't get them all tonight, you know".
Or savour this - "In my day 58 beers between London and Sydney would have virtually classified you as a teetotaler." - Ian Chappell on being informed that David Boon had consumed 58 beers on team flight to England in 1989. Boon claimed that he was afraid of flying.
Even umpires come up with humorous banter. This is "From the Pavilion End" by Harold "Dickie" Bird.
"Bomber" Wells, a spin bowler and great character, played for Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire. He used to bat at No.11 since one couldn't bat any lower. Of him, they used to paraphrase Compton's famous words describing and equally inept runner; "When he shouts 'YES' for a run, it is merely the basis for further negotiations!"
Incidentally, Compton was no better. John Warr said, of Compton "He was the only person who would call you for a run and wish you luck at the same time." Anyway, when Wells played for Gloucestershire, he had an equally horrendous runner as the No.10. During a county match, horror of horrors.......both got injured. *Both* opted for runners when it was their turn to bat. Bomber played a ball on the off, called for a run, forgot he had a runner and ran himself. Ditto at the other end. In the melee, someone decided that a second run was on. Now we had *all four* running. Due to the confusion and constant shouts of "YES" "NO", eventually, *all* of them ran to the same end. Note - at this point in time, the entire ground is rolling on the floor laughing their behinds out. One of the fielders - brave lad - stops laughing for a minute, picks the ball and throws down the wicket at the other end. Umpire Alec Skelding looks very seriously at the four and calmly informs them "One of you buggers is out. I don't know which. *You* decide and inform the bloody scorers!"
Well this is just the beginning, for the best sledging and banter with some fruity dialect takes place during The Ashes…
1. Bill Woodfull, Australia’s captain in the Bodyline series of 1932-33, responding to Douglas Jardine's complaint that a slip fielder had called him bastard: “All right, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?”
2. “Take a good look at this arse of mine; you'll see plenty of it this summer.” - David Steele to Rodney Marsh
3. Australia fighting for a win nearing the end of a Test Match, Fred Trueman at the crease. The Aus captain has plenty of close in fielders, whose shadows fall on the wicket. Fredie finds this objectionable. 'Ere, if you lads don't back off, I'll appeal for bad light!"
4. Sometimes sledging can be quite subtle. Imagine, for example, how England’s Phil Edmonds felt when he took guard to bat and heard the Aussie wicketkeeper Timothy Zoehrer chirp: "At least I have an identity. You're only Frances Edmond’s husband."
5. Mark Waugh: F**k me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England.
James Ormond: Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family.
6. “Don't bother shutting it, son, you won't be there long enough.” - Fred Truman to incoming Aussie batsman as he opened the gate on his way out to the middle at Lord's
7. Tap that one down you little b*stard. - Tony Lock bowls a bouncer at Richie Benaud following a prolonged spell of gardening
8. You are a damned lot of sneaks.- WG Grace to Midwinter, The Oval, 1877
9. Well bowled Harold! - Douglas Jardine after Larwood fells Woodfull with a ball in the chest
10. Hell, Gatt, move out of the way, I can't see the stumps. - Dennis Lillee
11. Mate, if you turn the bat over, you'll see the instructions on the back! - Merv Hughes to Grahame Hick
12. Merv Hughes: You can't f**king bat.
Robin Smith after hitting the next ball to the fence: Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f**king bat and you can't f**king bowl.
13. Warne bowling to Atherton in Australia during an Ashes series. Atherton nicks one into Ian Healy's gloves but doesn't walk and is given not out. Healy: "You f***ing cheat"
Atherton: "When in Rome Old Boy" said in his best Oxbridge voice!!
14. Derek Randall to Lillee, after taking a glancing blow to the head: “No good hitting me there, mate, nothing to damage.”
15. Ian Healy, placing a fielder yards away at cover when Nasser Hussain was batting: “Let's have you right under Nasser's nose.”
16. Tony Greig, England’s South African-born captain, to the young David Hookes, 1977: “When are your balls going to drop, Sonny?”
Hookes: “I don't know, but at least I'm playing cricket for my own country.” Hookes hit Greig for five consecutive fours.
And its not just England and Australia but even players from other countries resort to such banter.
Gavaskar had decided to relinquish his opening position and come in at no 4 for that test. But, Malcolm Marshall fired out Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar for ducks, setting the stage for Gavaskar to walk in at 0/2. Viv Richards quipped, "Man, it don't matter where you come in to bat, the score is still zero." Gavaskar made 236*
In another instance, during the tour of West Indies, a young bowler was trying to get under Gavaskar’s skin by sledging. Gavaskar, a senior player retorted "Son, don't waste time sledging at me. I have been sledged at more often than you have taken a piss".
Greg Thomas, a Glamorgan fast bowler, thundered in and beat Vivian Richards's bat. "It's red and its round. Can't you see it?" the bowler taunted. The next ball was precisely the same; pitching three quarters of length on middle and off, seaming away and once again Richards was comprehensively beaten. "It's red and its round and it weighs four-and-a-half ounces. Can't you see it?” commented Greg Thomas. The next delivery was right in the slot, and Viv smashed the ball out of the ground and straight into the river that flowed around it. The batsman then said to the bowler: "You know what it looks like... go get it!"
There are also instances when players wait for the opportune moment and give it back.
Ian Botham had long ago remarked, "Pakistan is the sort of place every man should send his mother-in-law, for a month, with all expenses paid."
In 1992 World Cup Final, when Pakistan defeated England, Aamer Sohail said to Ian Botham on his way to pavilion "Why don't you send your mother-in-law out to play, she cannot do much worse."
South Africa’s Daryll Cullinan is famous for being Shane Warne’s bunny. Cullinan was batting, attempting a comeback from a complete bamboozling from Warne in earlier games. Cullinan played the first ball from the kiwi bowler Chris Harris very carefully back down the pitch, and keeper Parore yelled out "Well bowled Warnie!"
There is no doubt that playing against Aussies can be daunting and indeed intimidating. Just check this out.
1. Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath chided West Indian batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan "So, what does Brian Lara's dick taste like?" Sarwan replied "I don't know, ask your wife." McGrath lost his temper and yelled "If you ever fucking mention my wife again, I will fucking rip your fucking throat out!" (McGrath was upset because his wife had just been diagnosed with cancer)
2. Glenn McGrath to Eddo Brandes - "Hey Eddo, how come you're so fat?"
Brandes responds: "Cos everytime I sleep with your wife, she gives me a biscuit!"
3. Shane Warne: “I've waited two years for another chance to humiliate you.”
Daryll Cullinan: “Looks like you spent it eating. Go and deflate yourself, you balloon.”
4. “You convicts are all the same.” - Malcolm Marshall to Steve Waugh after he refused to walk.
5. Ravi Shastri v/s Mike Whitney the Aussie 12th man. Shastri hits it to Mike and looks for a single. Mike stops the ball and says "if you leave the crease I'll break your fucking head" Shastri: "If you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn't be the fucking 12th man."
6. Inzamam-ul-Haq telling Brett Lee - "Stop bowling off spinners"
7. Shane Warne when bowling against Arjuna Ranatunga wondered aloud, what would draw him out of his crease. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up "Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it." Ranatunga not to be out done believed to have said "Then I’m sure Boony here will get it before me" referring to David Boon who was fielding at forward shortleg.
8. Merv Hughes & Javed Miandad: During 1991 Adelaide Test: Javed called Merv a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed. "Tickets please," Merv called out as he ran around Javed. .
9. Merv Hughes was bowling to Hansie Cronje during a tour game in South Africa. It was an especially flat wicket and Cronje was hitting Hughes for fours and sixes all over the place. After the umpteenth boundary, Hughes headed down the pitch, stood near Cronje, let out a fart and said: "Try hitting that for six." It was five minutes before the guffawing stopped and play could resume.
10. Can you ever forget Ian Healy's comment which was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one-dayer in Sydney: "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat beep!"
11. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards - During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me? In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman "In my culture we just say fuck off."
12. Ian Healy asked Arjuna: "Got your legs shivering?"
Arjuna replied: "Yes, I’m tired after sleeping with your wife"
Sledging and abuse is very rampant between Pakistani and Indian Cricketers. And the best way to answer any sledging is demonstrated by none other than the ‘God of Batting’ – Sachin Tendulkar…
Sachin Tendulkar Vs Abdul Qadir - A baby-faced Sachin Tendulkar had just made his cricketing debut against Pakistan in 1989, when he was subject to abuse by his opponents and the crowd alike. Tendulkar was facing a formidable Pakistan bowling attack and the crowds were desperate to break him. They insulted him with banners that read "Hey kid, go home and drink milk", but when Tendulkar sent the then young leg spinner Mustaq Ahmed hiding for cover by smashing 2 sixes in one over, the frustrated mentor of Mustaq Ahmed the legendary Abdul Qadir barks "Why are you hitting kids? Try and hit me". A silent Tendulkar let his bat do the talking and duly obliged Qadir's request hitting 4 sixes in the over, which read 6, 0, 4, 6, 6, 6 - Many cite this incident as the day the legend was born!
Tasteless - The following style of sledging is unacceptable and must be condemned even by those who advocate its practice. Players caught using this style of tactic, risk hefty fines or suspension.
1993 - The Australian slip cordon allegedly greeted New Zealand batsman Chris Cairns with a chant of "Choo Choo" after his sister had just been killed in a train accident.
There is debate in the cricketing world as to whether sledging constitutes bad sportsmanship or good-humoured banter. As long as sledging involves real humour without any politics or racial abuse, it may continue. Ironically that is the kind of humor we are missing in today's cricket when nothing short of a crude family or racist reference and even expletives seems to satisfy few idiots masquerading as cricketers the world over. No wonder Gavaskar talks of severe punishment for those who use personal and derogatory abuse. Ironically sledging is intrinsic to some cultures, in sports like soccer and rugby and even part of daily lives especially in countries like Australia, South Africa, England and perhaps therefore difficult to avoid!.. But, “this ain’t cricket”.
Thankfully the game is always bigger than individuals! Even Robert Mugabe is reported to have said, "I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe. I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen”. Well, so long as you have batsmen and bowlers who will retort to the sledges through their performance, cricket will continue to remain a Gentleman’s game!
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Magic of Indian Ragas - Favourite Hindi Songs !
Music gives character and energy to the film. There are people who watch movies only for its songs even though the film script, its casts and director would be not be of their liking. The songs in the movie resonate various moods, stir emotions, and most importantly play a pivotal role in the narrative. It’s not just the song but even the background score that adds to the narrative. Although few directors have experimented and have been fairly successful to showcase movies without songs, but watching a Bollywood movie without good songs is akin to eating food without salt!
Often film songs get popular even before the film is released. There was a time when people would walk humming these songs in theatres and as soon as the song was being played on the screen, people would whistle and sing loudly. But these days you hardly get to see such acts and unfortunately even the film songs albeit released early are seldom alluring and interesting.
But have you ever wondered why the songs composed before 90’s still appeal to us?
Well most of these songs had amazing lyrics, and were sung by legends. Even the lip sync by great actors on the screen appeared surrealistic. These songs were composed by legendary music directors and many of them were based on Indian Ragas. Although there are cases of few music directors plagiarising music from other cultures, but most of their songs were original and continue to remain etched in our memory forever.
While there are many raga based songs sung by the inimitable Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Suresh Wadkar and other male singers, I have endeavoured to list below some of my favourite songs sung by female singers along with their ragas. These ragas have been borrowed from various blogs. Most of these songs convey various emotions of love, happiness, tranquility, sorrow, lust, longing, devotion, separation, dream etc. These songs transcend not just gender but even generations. Indeed a good song is infectious regardless of language, age, religion, gender, caste and creed.
Before I enumerate the list, let me confess that I know very little about ragas and of course I haven’t even received any formal training in Hindustani classical music. My mother and wife are trained classical singers and whatever little information not knowledge I have gained is through my discussions with them. When I was in primary school, my mother did attempt to teach me harmonium and even introduced me to a Guru who tried his best to teach me classical singing however as a child I preferred the cricket bat and soccer rather than playing with the Tanpura and Tabla. Over the period of time and thanks to Radio and films, I managed to develop a profound liking and appreciation for music including Hindustani classical.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the old songs are still popular is because they tend to liven your mood and this is only possible if the songs are based on Ragas. Whilst the songs are made on many ragas, the most common ragas used in Hindi films are the following:
Pahadi, Khamaj , Pilu, Kirwani, Bhairavi, Yaman , Shivaranjani, , Kedar, Lalit, Jhinjhinoti, Charukeshi, Darbari Kannada, 7. Malkauns, Bihag, Bageshree, Des & Darbari Kanada
Typically Classical music comprises of ‘Sur’, ‘Taal’ and ‘Laya’, based on appropriate 'Raag'. In its simplest form, the Tabla renders ‘Taal’, harmonium/ other instruments - ‘Laya’, while the singer resonates ‘Sur’- meticulously and melodiously bringing the language or expressions to life.
Indian classical music is based on 'Raga' which is a rhythmic expression of a mood. Raga is not a scale or a tune or a mode. It is more like a framework that binds all these things together. Each raga has a name and generally has an associated time of day when it is best performed, depending on the mood it projects. Ragas ‘induce an emotion’ in the song and can be recognised through patterns.
Identifying or appreciating a raga does not require any formal training. The best way to identify a raag is to listen to a song and ask someone to identify its Raga. Learn this raga, by listening to the song and try humming along with it. Then turn off the song, and try humming along the same tune, but with variations. After some practice, you must start searching for songs that may appear similar or have similar pattern to the song whose Raga you have just learnt. The other method is to listen to the instrumental music.
Pakaad or bandish are the most dominating notes of a given raga. Each raga has its own bandish. If two songs sound similar then they would have same bandish and thus belong to the same raga. It is also said that you can recognize the raga of a song while listening to it from a farther distance rather than by listening to it closer. This is because as you go farther from the source of vocal sound, you do not listen to any words from the song, but you only hear the dominating notes or bandish of the song. Once you hear the bandish, you can easily recognize the raga of the song.
Every Raga is derived from some Thaat or Scale. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi. All the thaats mentioned above are also ragas; and yet a thaat is a very different musical entity from a raga.
Khamaj - Raga Khamaj belongs to Khamaj Thaat and rendered in the late evening.
Bhairav - Raga Bhairav is an early morning Raga and belongs to Bhairav Thaat.
Todi - Raga Todi is a morning Raga and belongs to Todi Thaat.
Bilawal - Raga Bilawal is also a morning Raga and derived from Bilawal Thaat.
Asavari - Raga Asavari is a late morning Raga and belongs to Asavari Thaat.
Poorvi - Raga Poorvi belongs to Poorvi Thaat. It is a Sandhiprakash Raga, and is rendered at dusk, that is the time when the day ends.
Marwa - Raga Marwa is a dusk/ early evening Raga and derived from Marwa Thaat.
Kalyan - Raga Kalyan is an evening Raga and belongs to Kalyan Thaat.
Kafi - Raga Kafi belongs to Kafi Thaat and usually rendered in the late evening.
Bhairavi - Raag Bhairavi belongs to Bhairavi Thaat and is a morning raga.
Exponents of Indian classical music say that an entire life span is too short to learn about Indian classical music. Perhaps that is the beauty of this music. Nonetheless lets not stop ourselves from delving into it and the best way to immerse and appreciate is by listening to film songs based on ragas. Here’s my favourite list of raga based film songs:
1. Piya Banwari - Raaga Bihagda - sung by one of my all time favourite singer Asha Bhosle, Gulzhar’s lyrics, Panchamda’s melliflous music and filmed on the irrestible Diva and Queen of Bollywood- Rekha.
2. Jaise Radha Ne Mala Japi – Raag Bhairavi - Lata’s honeyed voice and Mumtaz looks incredibly beautiful and sensous.
3. Ajeeb dastan Hai Yeh – Raag Puria dhanshree
4. Zulmi Sangh aakh ladi – Raag Pahadi need to be verified
5. Aaj kaal Paaon Zameen Par Nahi Padte Mere – Raag Lalit
6. Rim Jhim Gire Sawan – Raag Pilu
7. Silli Hawa Choo Gayi – Raag Puria Dhanshree
8. Raina Biti Jaye, Shyam Na Aye - Raag Lalit
9. O Sajna, Barakha Bahara Ayi – Raag Khammaj
10. Naa, Jiyaa Laage Naa Tere Bina Mera Kahin - Raag Malgunji – sung by Lata didi in Hindi and Bengali. Salil Choudhary’s masterful composition in both the language.
11. Jaa Re, Jaa Re Ud Jaa Re Panchhi- Raag Bhairavi – Lata Mangeshkar soulful singing. Another Salil Choudhary masterpiece. Also check out original composition sung by Lata in Bengali
12. Tujhse Naaraj Nahi Zindagi Hairan hu main – Lata – Raag Pilu…Although the male version of Anup Ghosal is more soothing.
13. Aja Re, Paradesi - Raag Bageshri
14. Bainya Na Dharo- Raag Charukesi
15. Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saya saath hoga - Raga Nand (or Anandi)
16. Is Mod Se Jate Hai - Raag Kalyan
17. Jane Kya Baat Hai – Lata – Raag Bhairav
18. Aur Kya Ehde Wafa Hote Hain – no idea about the Raga
19. Roz Roz Daali Daali Kya Likh Jaye.... Raag Kalyan.
20. Prabhu tero nam jo gae phal - Hum Dono Raga: Dhani
21. Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye na- Ghar – Raag Kalyani – Duet but Kishore only sings one stanza
22. Mose chal kiye jaye hai re hai hai dekho saiyan beiman – Raga: Jhinjhoti
23. Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam........Raag Pilu
24. Ye Dil Aur Unki – Raag Pahadi
25. Bada Natkhat Hai Re Krishna Kahaiya – Raag Khammaj
26. Jhoothay naina bolay - Raga: Bilaskhani Todi
27. Mora Gora Ang Lai ley – Raga – you should tell me ?
Each song mentioned above is incredibly beautiful. Whilst everyone will have their own favourites, there is a possibility that some of these songs will be part of your favourites as well. There will be many good songs which I may have inadvertently missed but please do let me know so as to add in the list. While it has been little challenging to list down which is the best song amongst all, however based on the some combination like the quality of rendition, the degree of semi classical / classical music, lyrics, singer, the ragas and variations used including the actors on whom the song is screened, I have been able to identify my preference. The main purpose of listing these songs is merely to listen to them again and again ...so as to enhance my knowledge on ragas.
Like movies and books, music is one of those enriching, expensive trans-generational tools that anybody can appreciate. So next time you hear a song, try and hum it and search for a similar song so as to identify its raga.
.
Often film songs get popular even before the film is released. There was a time when people would walk humming these songs in theatres and as soon as the song was being played on the screen, people would whistle and sing loudly. But these days you hardly get to see such acts and unfortunately even the film songs albeit released early are seldom alluring and interesting.
But have you ever wondered why the songs composed before 90’s still appeal to us?
Well most of these songs had amazing lyrics, and were sung by legends. Even the lip sync by great actors on the screen appeared surrealistic. These songs were composed by legendary music directors and many of them were based on Indian Ragas. Although there are cases of few music directors plagiarising music from other cultures, but most of their songs were original and continue to remain etched in our memory forever.
While there are many raga based songs sung by the inimitable Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Suresh Wadkar and other male singers, I have endeavoured to list below some of my favourite songs sung by female singers along with their ragas. These ragas have been borrowed from various blogs. Most of these songs convey various emotions of love, happiness, tranquility, sorrow, lust, longing, devotion, separation, dream etc. These songs transcend not just gender but even generations. Indeed a good song is infectious regardless of language, age, religion, gender, caste and creed.
Before I enumerate the list, let me confess that I know very little about ragas and of course I haven’t even received any formal training in Hindustani classical music. My mother and wife are trained classical singers and whatever little information not knowledge I have gained is through my discussions with them. When I was in primary school, my mother did attempt to teach me harmonium and even introduced me to a Guru who tried his best to teach me classical singing however as a child I preferred the cricket bat and soccer rather than playing with the Tanpura and Tabla. Over the period of time and thanks to Radio and films, I managed to develop a profound liking and appreciation for music including Hindustani classical.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the old songs are still popular is because they tend to liven your mood and this is only possible if the songs are based on Ragas. Whilst the songs are made on many ragas, the most common ragas used in Hindi films are the following:
Pahadi, Khamaj , Pilu, Kirwani, Bhairavi, Yaman , Shivaranjani, , Kedar, Lalit, Jhinjhinoti, Charukeshi, Darbari Kannada, 7. Malkauns, Bihag, Bageshree, Des & Darbari Kanada
Typically Classical music comprises of ‘Sur’, ‘Taal’ and ‘Laya’, based on appropriate 'Raag'. In its simplest form, the Tabla renders ‘Taal’, harmonium/ other instruments - ‘Laya’, while the singer resonates ‘Sur’- meticulously and melodiously bringing the language or expressions to life.
Indian classical music is based on 'Raga' which is a rhythmic expression of a mood. Raga is not a scale or a tune or a mode. It is more like a framework that binds all these things together. Each raga has a name and generally has an associated time of day when it is best performed, depending on the mood it projects. Ragas ‘induce an emotion’ in the song and can be recognised through patterns.
Identifying or appreciating a raga does not require any formal training. The best way to identify a raag is to listen to a song and ask someone to identify its Raga. Learn this raga, by listening to the song and try humming along with it. Then turn off the song, and try humming along the same tune, but with variations. After some practice, you must start searching for songs that may appear similar or have similar pattern to the song whose Raga you have just learnt. The other method is to listen to the instrumental music.
Pakaad or bandish are the most dominating notes of a given raga. Each raga has its own bandish. If two songs sound similar then they would have same bandish and thus belong to the same raga. It is also said that you can recognize the raga of a song while listening to it from a farther distance rather than by listening to it closer. This is because as you go farther from the source of vocal sound, you do not listen to any words from the song, but you only hear the dominating notes or bandish of the song. Once you hear the bandish, you can easily recognize the raga of the song.
Every Raga is derived from some Thaat or Scale. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi. All the thaats mentioned above are also ragas; and yet a thaat is a very different musical entity from a raga.
Khamaj - Raga Khamaj belongs to Khamaj Thaat and rendered in the late evening.
Bhairav - Raga Bhairav is an early morning Raga and belongs to Bhairav Thaat.
Todi - Raga Todi is a morning Raga and belongs to Todi Thaat.
Bilawal - Raga Bilawal is also a morning Raga and derived from Bilawal Thaat.
Asavari - Raga Asavari is a late morning Raga and belongs to Asavari Thaat.
Poorvi - Raga Poorvi belongs to Poorvi Thaat. It is a Sandhiprakash Raga, and is rendered at dusk, that is the time when the day ends.
Marwa - Raga Marwa is a dusk/ early evening Raga and derived from Marwa Thaat.
Kalyan - Raga Kalyan is an evening Raga and belongs to Kalyan Thaat.
Kafi - Raga Kafi belongs to Kafi Thaat and usually rendered in the late evening.
Bhairavi - Raag Bhairavi belongs to Bhairavi Thaat and is a morning raga.
Exponents of Indian classical music say that an entire life span is too short to learn about Indian classical music. Perhaps that is the beauty of this music. Nonetheless lets not stop ourselves from delving into it and the best way to immerse and appreciate is by listening to film songs based on ragas. Here’s my favourite list of raga based film songs:
1. Piya Banwari - Raaga Bihagda - sung by one of my all time favourite singer Asha Bhosle, Gulzhar’s lyrics, Panchamda’s melliflous music and filmed on the irrestible Diva and Queen of Bollywood- Rekha.
2. Jaise Radha Ne Mala Japi – Raag Bhairavi - Lata’s honeyed voice and Mumtaz looks incredibly beautiful and sensous.
3. Ajeeb dastan Hai Yeh – Raag Puria dhanshree
4. Zulmi Sangh aakh ladi – Raag Pahadi need to be verified
5. Aaj kaal Paaon Zameen Par Nahi Padte Mere – Raag Lalit
6. Rim Jhim Gire Sawan – Raag Pilu
7. Silli Hawa Choo Gayi – Raag Puria Dhanshree
8. Raina Biti Jaye, Shyam Na Aye - Raag Lalit
9. O Sajna, Barakha Bahara Ayi – Raag Khammaj
10. Naa, Jiyaa Laage Naa Tere Bina Mera Kahin - Raag Malgunji – sung by Lata didi in Hindi and Bengali. Salil Choudhary’s masterful composition in both the language.
11. Jaa Re, Jaa Re Ud Jaa Re Panchhi- Raag Bhairavi – Lata Mangeshkar soulful singing. Another Salil Choudhary masterpiece. Also check out original composition sung by Lata in Bengali
12. Tujhse Naaraj Nahi Zindagi Hairan hu main – Lata – Raag Pilu…Although the male version of Anup Ghosal is more soothing.
13. Aja Re, Paradesi - Raag Bageshri
14. Bainya Na Dharo- Raag Charukesi
15. Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saya saath hoga - Raga Nand (or Anandi)
16. Is Mod Se Jate Hai - Raag Kalyan
17. Jane Kya Baat Hai – Lata – Raag Bhairav
18. Aur Kya Ehde Wafa Hote Hain – no idea about the Raga
19. Roz Roz Daali Daali Kya Likh Jaye.... Raag Kalyan.
20. Prabhu tero nam jo gae phal - Hum Dono Raga: Dhani
21. Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye na- Ghar – Raag Kalyani – Duet but Kishore only sings one stanza
22. Mose chal kiye jaye hai re hai hai dekho saiyan beiman – Raga: Jhinjhoti
23. Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam........Raag Pilu
24. Ye Dil Aur Unki – Raag Pahadi
25. Bada Natkhat Hai Re Krishna Kahaiya – Raag Khammaj
26. Jhoothay naina bolay - Raga: Bilaskhani Todi
27. Mora Gora Ang Lai ley – Raga – you should tell me ?
Each song mentioned above is incredibly beautiful. Whilst everyone will have their own favourites, there is a possibility that some of these songs will be part of your favourites as well. There will be many good songs which I may have inadvertently missed but please do let me know so as to add in the list. While it has been little challenging to list down which is the best song amongst all, however based on the some combination like the quality of rendition, the degree of semi classical / classical music, lyrics, singer, the ragas and variations used including the actors on whom the song is screened, I have been able to identify my preference. The main purpose of listing these songs is merely to listen to them again and again ...so as to enhance my knowledge on ragas.
Like movies and books, music is one of those enriching, expensive trans-generational tools that anybody can appreciate. So next time you hear a song, try and hum it and search for a similar song so as to identify its raga.
.
Monday, February 13, 2012
SCAMPER For Creativity !...
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
While most people associate creativity with art, design or building complex structures, algorithm and software codes, however being creative really means improvisation. It also means ability to trouble shoot, solve problems and think of innovative ways of doing things.
Problem-solving and decision-making are closely linked, and each requires creativity in identifying and developing options. Generally a problem is a situation, or issue that remains unresolved and makes it difficult to accomplish a desired result. A problem is typically perceived when an individual, group, or organization becomes aware of a significant difference between what is desired and what actually is.
Creative problem solving process is often characterized by the divergent nature of human thought and action. Divergent thinking is thinking outwards. It is the ability to be imaginative, develop original, unique ideas and then come up with a solution or results. Divergent thinking generates numerous creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is based on collection of facts and data from various sources to arrive at particular logical solution. Both divergent and convergent thinking is required to solve problems.
Problem solving is the process by which a situation is analyzed, a workable solution is determined, and corrective action is taken. The common milestones of problem solving
are:
• Define (or clarify) the problem
• Analyze causes
• Generate ideas (identify alternatives)
• Evaluate or Weigh up ideas (assess alternatives)
• Choose or Make a decision (select an alternative)
• Determine next steps to implement the solution
• Evaluate whether the problem was solved or not
To gain Competitive advantage, every organization is striving for innovation, yet very few organizations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Tata, 3M etc are able to come up with breakthrough or disruptive innovations.
There is no dearth of creativity and problem solving training. Interestingly organizations spend considerable resource to gauge convergent thinking - Standard IQ tests, Pattern recognition, testing knowledge, logic thought flow and ability to solve problems etc. However there aren’t any tests to measure divergent thinking process. Since creativity requires both convergent and divergent thinking skills, progressive organizations are now encouraging their employees to undergo various trainings to improve both these types of thinking skills.
Apparently creativity can be learnt. Often it requires a specific or different approach to make us think outside of our traditional thinking patterns. There are various techniques of problem solving, lateral thinking and even developing creativity.
Let me share a simple and yet powerful technique to spark creativity and problem solving abilities. The technique is called SCAMPER.
SCAMPER was conceived by Bob Earle and is an acronym that is made up of the fundamental concepts of gathering additional information:
S - Substitute
C- Combine
A – Adapt
M – Modify/ Magnify
P- Purpose
E – Eliminate
R – Rearrange/ Reverse
SCAMPER is based on the notion that creative work, original ideas and everything you define as "new" is nothing else but a remix of something that is already out there. The SCAMPER method allows anyone to strengthen their ability to question, imagine, and adapt even in situations where it would seem that there are no more creative options available. At its very essence, SCAMPER is a powerful checklist of suggestions that prompts to think and look at things in different ways.
The first step in using the SCAMPER technique is by clearly stating the problem or the idea that is being developed. This technique can be applied to any problems whether its product, service or process improvement or even in personal life.
Consider, for instance, the problem "How can I increase sales in the business?"
Following the SCAMPER recipe, here are a few questions one could ask:
S (Substitute): "What can I substitute in my selling process?"
C (Combine): "How can I combine selling with other activities?"
A (Adapt): "What can I adapt or copy from someone else’s selling process?"
M (Magnify): "What can I magnify or put more emphasis on when selling?"
P (Put to Other Uses): "How can I put my selling to other uses?"
E (Eliminate): "What can I eliminate or simplify in my selling process?"
R (Rearrange): "How can I change, reorder or reverse the way I sell?"
There are many ways to use SCAMPER. For example, one can sequentially go through all the questions or focus on each question until all possibilities are exhausted.
One can generate multiple questions using SCAMPER acronym. For instance Substitution can mean materials, resources, persons, even timelines or facilities. Combination is key when working with objects and creating new items or even an alliance or partnership. Adaptation is working around problems or changing the process or function of the issue to work within the necessary structures. Modifications are changes to the situation that forces you to think of it in a completely different light. You can put the item to other purposes or redirect energies by applying the next step. Eliminating waste and extraneous detail will help you get to the heart of the work at hand. Reversal and rearrangement allows you to more easily wrap your mind around the item and look at it from different angles.
So what are you waiting for, just use this technique and SCAMPER your way to developing creativity!
"The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.” - Danny De Vito (Renaissance Man)
Creative problem solving process is often characterized by the divergent nature of human thought and action. Divergent thinking is thinking outwards. It is the ability to be imaginative, develop original, unique ideas and then come up with a solution or results. Divergent thinking generates numerous creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is based on collection of facts and data from various sources to arrive at particular logical solution. Both divergent and convergent thinking is required to solve problems.
Problem solving is the process by which a situation is analyzed, a workable solution is determined, and corrective action is taken. The common milestones of problem solving
are:
• Define (or clarify) the problem
• Analyze causes
• Generate ideas (identify alternatives)
• Evaluate or Weigh up ideas (assess alternatives)
• Choose or Make a decision (select an alternative)
• Determine next steps to implement the solution
• Evaluate whether the problem was solved or not
To gain Competitive advantage, every organization is striving for innovation, yet very few organizations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Tata, 3M etc are able to come up with breakthrough or disruptive innovations.
There is no dearth of creativity and problem solving training. Interestingly organizations spend considerable resource to gauge convergent thinking - Standard IQ tests, Pattern recognition, testing knowledge, logic thought flow and ability to solve problems etc. However there aren’t any tests to measure divergent thinking process. Since creativity requires both convergent and divergent thinking skills, progressive organizations are now encouraging their employees to undergo various trainings to improve both these types of thinking skills.
Apparently creativity can be learnt. Often it requires a specific or different approach to make us think outside of our traditional thinking patterns. There are various techniques of problem solving, lateral thinking and even developing creativity.
Let me share a simple and yet powerful technique to spark creativity and problem solving abilities. The technique is called SCAMPER.
SCAMPER was conceived by Bob Earle and is an acronym that is made up of the fundamental concepts of gathering additional information:
S - Substitute
C- Combine
A – Adapt
M – Modify/ Magnify
P- Purpose
E – Eliminate
R – Rearrange/ Reverse
SCAMPER is based on the notion that creative work, original ideas and everything you define as "new" is nothing else but a remix of something that is already out there. The SCAMPER method allows anyone to strengthen their ability to question, imagine, and adapt even in situations where it would seem that there are no more creative options available. At its very essence, SCAMPER is a powerful checklist of suggestions that prompts to think and look at things in different ways.
The first step in using the SCAMPER technique is by clearly stating the problem or the idea that is being developed. This technique can be applied to any problems whether its product, service or process improvement or even in personal life.
Consider, for instance, the problem "How can I increase sales in the business?"
Following the SCAMPER recipe, here are a few questions one could ask:
S (Substitute): "What can I substitute in my selling process?"
C (Combine): "How can I combine selling with other activities?"
A (Adapt): "What can I adapt or copy from someone else’s selling process?"
M (Magnify): "What can I magnify or put more emphasis on when selling?"
P (Put to Other Uses): "How can I put my selling to other uses?"
E (Eliminate): "What can I eliminate or simplify in my selling process?"
R (Rearrange): "How can I change, reorder or reverse the way I sell?"
There are many ways to use SCAMPER. For example, one can sequentially go through all the questions or focus on each question until all possibilities are exhausted.
One can generate multiple questions using SCAMPER acronym. For instance Substitution can mean materials, resources, persons, even timelines or facilities. Combination is key when working with objects and creating new items or even an alliance or partnership. Adaptation is working around problems or changing the process or function of the issue to work within the necessary structures. Modifications are changes to the situation that forces you to think of it in a completely different light. You can put the item to other purposes or redirect energies by applying the next step. Eliminating waste and extraneous detail will help you get to the heart of the work at hand. Reversal and rearrangement allows you to more easily wrap your mind around the item and look at it from different angles.
So what are you waiting for, just use this technique and SCAMPER your way to developing creativity!
"The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.” - Danny De Vito (Renaissance Man)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Blunder Down Under !...
Its little strange for a hostile flat continent known for its great barrier reef, hard wickets, hot temperatures, bush fires, floods, dessert, drought, venomous reptiles, kangaroos, koalas and eucalyptus trees to become the world's thirteenth largest economy with one of the highest per capita income.
There is something intriguing about Australia that makes it triumphant in every sport. Almost every test series, you get to see a new fast bowlers and batsmen who continue the legacy of demolishing visiting teams without any remorse. Australia prides itself on being a sporting nation. Such is the value they put on athletic pursuits that various states squabble over becoming ‘sporting capital of the Australia’. Perhaps it is this competitive and hostile environment that makes them dominate not just in cricket but even in hockey, rugby, swimming, rowing and other sports. No wonder the Australian cricket team celebrates its victories by singing …
“Under the Southern Cross I Stand ,
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty..” (while singing the word ‘ little’ gets replaced by profanities)
And by now even the despondent Indian team down under must have learnt this song by heart…
Incidentally, there are some similarities between India and Australia. Both these countries are blessed with natural resources and wonderful bio diversity. The traffic keeps left and people act and think ‘right’ - when it comes to democracy. Both these nations have helped England to win the World War. January 26th is an important date for both these nations. Australia celebrates ‘Australia Day’ that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 while India celebrates it ‘Republic Day’ to commemorate the date on which the Constitution came into force. Moreover both of them have also been champions in hockey and cricket. There could be many such similarities and yet there are many things - unique and different.
Cricket in the late 70’s - 80’s were dominated by the cavalier and flamboyant West Indies. By early eighties, the Packers Circus ceased to exists and soon the legendary Aussies - Greg Chappell, Lillie, Thompson and Marsh retired. Even Kim Hughes was at the twilight of his career. However the 1986-87 series in India saw the revival of Australian cricket under the leadership of Allan Border who had a daunting task of rebuilding a new team. The world cup win in 1987 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata established the Aussie prowess. Later under Steve Waugh and Ponting’s captaincy, the Aussies continued to remain undisputed champions in all forms of the game for more than a decade.
Since the 90’s every team has strived to excel against Australia. It is not easy to tour down under. The sun is fierce under a southern sky, colours stand bold and the afternoon sun casts deep shadows stretching out to the horizon. Shadows tend to trick the eyes in the harsh Australian sunlight and energy sapping heat...but this is where champions emerged. Such has been their dominance that many teams have crumbled and careers got demolished.
During the 90’s, Indian cricket found itself at the bottom of the pile. It was confounded with match fixing allegations, blatant nepotism, inscrutable power play, and politicians vying for membership within various cricket boards. Amidst this turbulent background, the mantle of captaincy was handed over to the young and brave Sourav Ganguly, who like Border, had a tough task of rebuilding a team that would play with passion and pride.
Ganguly lead from the front and was aptly supported by board president and his team mates in Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Srinath and Prasad. In 2001, Sehwag, Agarkar, Zaheer and Harbhajan joined this gang and the wheels turned full circle. Tendulkar’s defiant knock in the first test in Mumbai set the stage but it was Laxman and Dravid’s epic partnership of 376 runs in Kolkata that set the ball rolling. This team went on to create history and shattered Steve Waugh’s dream of winning the final frontier. Coincidentally, the Aussie denouement started at the same venue where they had won the World Cup in 1987.
The tour to Australia in 2003- 4 instilled the belief that India can again win matches overseas. But later under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Australia regained their pole position and convincingly defeated India in the world cup final in South Africa. However it was in 2007 under Kumble’s captaincy and with his immortal comments on the infamous monkey gate episode at Sydney that made India stamp its authority on world cricket. It took us more than twenty years to level the series in Australia and the manner in which the Indian team played was seen to be believed.
Kumble retired and Dravid became the new leader. Under his captaincy India won the series in West Indies and in England. The search for new captain, lead to the arrival of a certain M.S Dhoni. Dhoni represented the new generation – carefree, flamboyant, stylish, talented, articulate and hard hitting wicket keeper batsman. Under his leadership the team ranked no 1 in all formats of cricket.
Dhoni must have realized that like captaincy, the Midas spell and the rankings do come with a shelf life. Barring the Melbourne test, India could not create nor did they seize any opportunity to bounce back in any tests. It’s been only 10 months since India won the world cup and already we have lost our number one ranking by loosing seven tests on a trot and the chances of loosing in Adelaide looks inevitable. Before every test, expectations grew and like Tendulkar’s 100th international ton collapsed. Even the stock markets appear predictable these days. Despite their several tours, it is indeed disheartening that Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman would never again be able to win together a test series in Australia. There is feeling of resentment everywhere. The players look disorientated, hapless and their response to media hides any semblance of sanity. Gautam Gambhir whose batting defines grit made startling comments about preparing ‘rank turners’ for visiting teams and making pitches conducive to home team. Undoubtedly these comments are not just ill timed but prevaricates the truth and clearly reflect the frustrations of Indian players. Instead of focusing on preparing pitches that helps our batsmen to play on bouncy track, Indian players want us to think regressively. It’s not just Gambhir but even during Sydney test, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma passed similar comments to Warner. Instead of involving in verbal banter, its time some of these young players understand, improve their technique and make their bat and ball do the talking.
Remember Dravid once said,” The media lacks perspective” and everyday they are blatantly sensationalizing purported rift and dissent in team. Such innuendoes not only vitiate the atmosphere, but demoralize the players and create misunderstandings. This could only create fissures and suspicions within the team. Such news bytes make the diagnosis appear simple but the cure impossible. India lost because they never played like true champions. The players have vehemently denied the existence of any dissent and even conflict. If at all there exists any difference then it lies in the way the Indians are playing their cricket.
Come to think of, the fall from grace in cricket is merely symptomatic of a much greater issue and almost every senior player resonates with this notion. Former players are not loosing any opportunity of remonstration and are eagerly washing dirty linen in public.
Ideally with a strong batting line up, there isnt any need for Virat Kohli or even the talented Rohit Sharma to be in the playing eleven or for that matter to get a chance to bat. Ideally they must arrive at the crease when the when the scores read 250 or 300 for 4. But Indian captains have always being defensive with a 7- 4 combinations. Its time Dhoni bats up, making way for a fifth bowler. He just has to take a leaf out of Gilchrist or Sanghakara’s batting.
The struggling Australian batsmen have made our bowlers look pedestrian for their lack of discipline, consistency and ability to take 20 wickets. Our fielders are unfit and lethargic. Barring T-20, Ashwin hasn’t made any impact in other domestic tournaments. It will take a while for him to leave his mark as a bowler in test cricket. Ishant is unable to take wickets and lacks swing. Zaheer is exceptional but like other seniors is equally lethargic on field. Umesh Yadav looks promising but it is ridiculous to expect him to run down the opposition single handedly. Instead of playing in IPL, the young pacers should learn from Zaheer and get some exposure in county cricket.
The only batsman who looked confident and compact is Tendulkar but even his runs couldn’t save us from defeat. Instead of castigating Virat Kohli and Laxman for not performing, we must also evaluate the performances of our opening pair and other senior players. As luck would have it, Kohli’s century in Adelaide symbolizes his arrival in Test arena. Barring the first innings of Perth, there is no doubt that Laxman has faltered and so have the other team members. Laxman’s selection has never been very smooth and when Ganguly made his come back in Nagpur, Laxman had to play at number 6.
Often cricket tends to portray the state of a nation. Before 1989, the Indian economy was governed with socialist philosophy, license Raj and the meagre 3- 4% Hindu rate of growth. With the balance of payment crisis in 1989-91, India under the leadership of P.V. Narsimha Rao along with the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh took the correct step of liberalization, privatization and globalization. It was the same time when Tendulkar made his debut and with his scintillating performances spread the game across small towns and villages. Since the time Tendulkar made his debut, the results have been staggering- excluding the Adelaide test, India has played 203 tests with 69 wins and 57 defeats.
It’s a strange coincidence that Manmohan Singh who is now our Prime Minister is grappling with sputtering economic growth, rampant corruption, rising inflation, interest rates and fiscal deficit. Strangely even Tendulkar with his impeccable records is facing problems in playing a match winning knock or even scoring his 100th international Ton!
The selection committee that included India’s top batsmen in 90’s deserves due credit. Young Ganguly and Dravid were able to push Vengsarkar, Manjrekar, Amre, and Azhar out of the team despite being good performers. The time has now come to take hard decisions and induct new talent. The young talent may initially fail but under a good experienced captain and coach the Indian team will be able to bounce back quickly. The next overseas tour is in 2014 and therefore for the next couple of years, the senior players should be picked on rotation so as to mentor the youngsters.
Dravid and Tendulkar would be perfect for this role. More than half of India’s population is below 25 years and since their infancy, haven’t seen an Indian team without Tendulkar. For them and even for the remaining older generation, it will be daunting to imagine a team without Tendulkar. And watching a test match without Dravid is as good as conceding the series even before the coin is tossed. If it was not for their stellar performance, India wouldn’t have become a super power in world cricket. Playing in rotation would also help Indian fans to come to terms with reality and subtly help the senior players to have a graceful exit, which they richly deserve.
Its time we learn from the Australians and avoid procrastination. Their selectors are professionals, passionate, objective and at times even ruthless. The bowlers who get picked must consistently swing and bowl fast. Their bench strengths boast of fearless and talented batsmen keeping even the stalwarts on their toes. Regardless of their age and aura, their players have to work on their fitness and respect tradition. Australian captains have lead from the front and play an attacking game. Aussies relentlessly strives to win and unlike their opponents do not wait for the opponents to lose it.
There is a dire need to emulate these qualities in Indian cricket. This can happen if the selectors start the cleanout and rebuilding process. Consistently high performing players in domestic tournaments (exclude IPL) should get exclusively picked to play in India ‘A’ and test team. Earlier players came to state teams through University and local tournaments. In recent years the trend has changed. Maybe there is a need to induct a separate Ranji Team for all University players. IPL performers can become part of T20 or one day team matches but the number of IPL matches and limited over’s tournament should get drastically reduced. Players must realise whether junior or senior, retention in the National Team should be an honour that requires constant performance to hold onto, not a right.
Immediately after the ignominious loss at Sydney, BCCI announced their favourite IPL tournament schedule. Like our politicians, nothing changes in Indian cricket. Many years ago, Harsha Bhogle had commented that, “It is always the best administered, rather than the best coached, team that wins matches. Good administrators create systems that allow players to do well.” Not surprising that the worst administered sides hail from the subcontinent. Indian cricket needs a reality check; but the selectors seem to be still snoozing.
There is something intriguing about Australia that makes it triumphant in every sport. Almost every test series, you get to see a new fast bowlers and batsmen who continue the legacy of demolishing visiting teams without any remorse. Australia prides itself on being a sporting nation. Such is the value they put on athletic pursuits that various states squabble over becoming ‘sporting capital of the Australia’. Perhaps it is this competitive and hostile environment that makes them dominate not just in cricket but even in hockey, rugby, swimming, rowing and other sports. No wonder the Australian cricket team celebrates its victories by singing …
“Under the Southern Cross I Stand ,
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty..” (while singing the word ‘ little’ gets replaced by profanities)
And by now even the despondent Indian team down under must have learnt this song by heart…
Incidentally, there are some similarities between India and Australia. Both these countries are blessed with natural resources and wonderful bio diversity. The traffic keeps left and people act and think ‘right’ - when it comes to democracy. Both these nations have helped England to win the World War. January 26th is an important date for both these nations. Australia celebrates ‘Australia Day’ that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 while India celebrates it ‘Republic Day’ to commemorate the date on which the Constitution came into force. Moreover both of them have also been champions in hockey and cricket. There could be many such similarities and yet there are many things - unique and different.
Cricket in the late 70’s - 80’s were dominated by the cavalier and flamboyant West Indies. By early eighties, the Packers Circus ceased to exists and soon the legendary Aussies - Greg Chappell, Lillie, Thompson and Marsh retired. Even Kim Hughes was at the twilight of his career. However the 1986-87 series in India saw the revival of Australian cricket under the leadership of Allan Border who had a daunting task of rebuilding a new team. The world cup win in 1987 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata established the Aussie prowess. Later under Steve Waugh and Ponting’s captaincy, the Aussies continued to remain undisputed champions in all forms of the game for more than a decade.
Since the 90’s every team has strived to excel against Australia. It is not easy to tour down under. The sun is fierce under a southern sky, colours stand bold and the afternoon sun casts deep shadows stretching out to the horizon. Shadows tend to trick the eyes in the harsh Australian sunlight and energy sapping heat...but this is where champions emerged. Such has been their dominance that many teams have crumbled and careers got demolished.
During the 90’s, Indian cricket found itself at the bottom of the pile. It was confounded with match fixing allegations, blatant nepotism, inscrutable power play, and politicians vying for membership within various cricket boards. Amidst this turbulent background, the mantle of captaincy was handed over to the young and brave Sourav Ganguly, who like Border, had a tough task of rebuilding a team that would play with passion and pride.
Ganguly lead from the front and was aptly supported by board president and his team mates in Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, Srinath and Prasad. In 2001, Sehwag, Agarkar, Zaheer and Harbhajan joined this gang and the wheels turned full circle. Tendulkar’s defiant knock in the first test in Mumbai set the stage but it was Laxman and Dravid’s epic partnership of 376 runs in Kolkata that set the ball rolling. This team went on to create history and shattered Steve Waugh’s dream of winning the final frontier. Coincidentally, the Aussie denouement started at the same venue where they had won the World Cup in 1987.
The tour to Australia in 2003- 4 instilled the belief that India can again win matches overseas. But later under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Australia regained their pole position and convincingly defeated India in the world cup final in South Africa. However it was in 2007 under Kumble’s captaincy and with his immortal comments on the infamous monkey gate episode at Sydney that made India stamp its authority on world cricket. It took us more than twenty years to level the series in Australia and the manner in which the Indian team played was seen to be believed.
Kumble retired and Dravid became the new leader. Under his captaincy India won the series in West Indies and in England. The search for new captain, lead to the arrival of a certain M.S Dhoni. Dhoni represented the new generation – carefree, flamboyant, stylish, talented, articulate and hard hitting wicket keeper batsman. Under his leadership the team ranked no 1 in all formats of cricket.
Dhoni must have realized that like captaincy, the Midas spell and the rankings do come with a shelf life. Barring the Melbourne test, India could not create nor did they seize any opportunity to bounce back in any tests. It’s been only 10 months since India won the world cup and already we have lost our number one ranking by loosing seven tests on a trot and the chances of loosing in Adelaide looks inevitable. Before every test, expectations grew and like Tendulkar’s 100th international ton collapsed. Even the stock markets appear predictable these days. Despite their several tours, it is indeed disheartening that Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman would never again be able to win together a test series in Australia. There is feeling of resentment everywhere. The players look disorientated, hapless and their response to media hides any semblance of sanity. Gautam Gambhir whose batting defines grit made startling comments about preparing ‘rank turners’ for visiting teams and making pitches conducive to home team. Undoubtedly these comments are not just ill timed but prevaricates the truth and clearly reflect the frustrations of Indian players. Instead of focusing on preparing pitches that helps our batsmen to play on bouncy track, Indian players want us to think regressively. It’s not just Gambhir but even during Sydney test, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma passed similar comments to Warner. Instead of involving in verbal banter, its time some of these young players understand, improve their technique and make their bat and ball do the talking.
Remember Dravid once said,” The media lacks perspective” and everyday they are blatantly sensationalizing purported rift and dissent in team. Such innuendoes not only vitiate the atmosphere, but demoralize the players and create misunderstandings. This could only create fissures and suspicions within the team. Such news bytes make the diagnosis appear simple but the cure impossible. India lost because they never played like true champions. The players have vehemently denied the existence of any dissent and even conflict. If at all there exists any difference then it lies in the way the Indians are playing their cricket.
Come to think of, the fall from grace in cricket is merely symptomatic of a much greater issue and almost every senior player resonates with this notion. Former players are not loosing any opportunity of remonstration and are eagerly washing dirty linen in public.
Ideally with a strong batting line up, there isnt any need for Virat Kohli or even the talented Rohit Sharma to be in the playing eleven or for that matter to get a chance to bat. Ideally they must arrive at the crease when the when the scores read 250 or 300 for 4. But Indian captains have always being defensive with a 7- 4 combinations. Its time Dhoni bats up, making way for a fifth bowler. He just has to take a leaf out of Gilchrist or Sanghakara’s batting.
The struggling Australian batsmen have made our bowlers look pedestrian for their lack of discipline, consistency and ability to take 20 wickets. Our fielders are unfit and lethargic. Barring T-20, Ashwin hasn’t made any impact in other domestic tournaments. It will take a while for him to leave his mark as a bowler in test cricket. Ishant is unable to take wickets and lacks swing. Zaheer is exceptional but like other seniors is equally lethargic on field. Umesh Yadav looks promising but it is ridiculous to expect him to run down the opposition single handedly. Instead of playing in IPL, the young pacers should learn from Zaheer and get some exposure in county cricket.
The only batsman who looked confident and compact is Tendulkar but even his runs couldn’t save us from defeat. Instead of castigating Virat Kohli and Laxman for not performing, we must also evaluate the performances of our opening pair and other senior players. As luck would have it, Kohli’s century in Adelaide symbolizes his arrival in Test arena. Barring the first innings of Perth, there is no doubt that Laxman has faltered and so have the other team members. Laxman’s selection has never been very smooth and when Ganguly made his come back in Nagpur, Laxman had to play at number 6.
Often cricket tends to portray the state of a nation. Before 1989, the Indian economy was governed with socialist philosophy, license Raj and the meagre 3- 4% Hindu rate of growth. With the balance of payment crisis in 1989-91, India under the leadership of P.V. Narsimha Rao along with the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh took the correct step of liberalization, privatization and globalization. It was the same time when Tendulkar made his debut and with his scintillating performances spread the game across small towns and villages. Since the time Tendulkar made his debut, the results have been staggering- excluding the Adelaide test, India has played 203 tests with 69 wins and 57 defeats.
It’s a strange coincidence that Manmohan Singh who is now our Prime Minister is grappling with sputtering economic growth, rampant corruption, rising inflation, interest rates and fiscal deficit. Strangely even Tendulkar with his impeccable records is facing problems in playing a match winning knock or even scoring his 100th international Ton!
The selection committee that included India’s top batsmen in 90’s deserves due credit. Young Ganguly and Dravid were able to push Vengsarkar, Manjrekar, Amre, and Azhar out of the team despite being good performers. The time has now come to take hard decisions and induct new talent. The young talent may initially fail but under a good experienced captain and coach the Indian team will be able to bounce back quickly. The next overseas tour is in 2014 and therefore for the next couple of years, the senior players should be picked on rotation so as to mentor the youngsters.
Dravid and Tendulkar would be perfect for this role. More than half of India’s population is below 25 years and since their infancy, haven’t seen an Indian team without Tendulkar. For them and even for the remaining older generation, it will be daunting to imagine a team without Tendulkar. And watching a test match without Dravid is as good as conceding the series even before the coin is tossed. If it was not for their stellar performance, India wouldn’t have become a super power in world cricket. Playing in rotation would also help Indian fans to come to terms with reality and subtly help the senior players to have a graceful exit, which they richly deserve.
Its time we learn from the Australians and avoid procrastination. Their selectors are professionals, passionate, objective and at times even ruthless. The bowlers who get picked must consistently swing and bowl fast. Their bench strengths boast of fearless and talented batsmen keeping even the stalwarts on their toes. Regardless of their age and aura, their players have to work on their fitness and respect tradition. Australian captains have lead from the front and play an attacking game. Aussies relentlessly strives to win and unlike their opponents do not wait for the opponents to lose it.
There is a dire need to emulate these qualities in Indian cricket. This can happen if the selectors start the cleanout and rebuilding process. Consistently high performing players in domestic tournaments (exclude IPL) should get exclusively picked to play in India ‘A’ and test team. Earlier players came to state teams through University and local tournaments. In recent years the trend has changed. Maybe there is a need to induct a separate Ranji Team for all University players. IPL performers can become part of T20 or one day team matches but the number of IPL matches and limited over’s tournament should get drastically reduced. Players must realise whether junior or senior, retention in the National Team should be an honour that requires constant performance to hold onto, not a right.
Immediately after the ignominious loss at Sydney, BCCI announced their favourite IPL tournament schedule. Like our politicians, nothing changes in Indian cricket. Many years ago, Harsha Bhogle had commented that, “It is always the best administered, rather than the best coached, team that wins matches. Good administrators create systems that allow players to do well.” Not surprising that the worst administered sides hail from the subcontinent. Indian cricket needs a reality check; but the selectors seem to be still snoozing.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Kiss the Frog – To Zinda Ho Tum!...
You have probably heard this story of a frog being kissed by a princess. There is another story of a young man who also heard a frog calling out, “Please kiss me, I’ll become a beautiful princess and be yours for a day.” He quickly picked it up and put it in his backpack. The poor frog pleaded for a kiss and kept increasing the reward from a day to a week to month to a year, but to no avail. Finally when the young man did not react to an offer of a lifetime of companionship, the frog finally asked as to why it was not being kissed. The young man casually walked on and said “Look I am an engineer … a talking frog is really cool as far as I am concerned.”
‘Kissing the Frog’ to get the handsome prince is a metaphor for all the intimidating opportunities in your life that you would rather avoid than explore. It also implies moving out of your comfort zone.
Undoubtedly, engineering college was one place that made me feel alive, excited and helped shape my character. The auspicious occasion of Indian engineering day is perhaps the perfect time to reminisce some of the student experience.
The initial days at engineering college is like entering a rabbit hole where a different world begins to unfold. You come across some wonderful people and make new friends from various parts who are brilliant, ambitious, opinionated, arrogant and as years go by, they become humble. The stimulating discussions quickly end in debates that generate diverse perspectives. Opinions are constantly challenged and an eternal quest to find scientific, logical, analytical answers for everything including your own existence begins. Students from urban area blame their circumstances, while students from rural areas create circumstances, seize opportunities and even motivate you to study using lanterns.
Life in engineering college is full of surprise. Every week there is a new time table but things rarely happen as per the plans. The lecturer has already started the fourth chapter even before you have understood the earlier chapters. Even before you soak in the new environment, it’s time for submission of term work. Like a chameleon, your grades also change every semester. The professors and staff, who welcomed you with a broad smile, will smile during the valediction ceremony. Each moment reminds you of the immortal quote from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, “Reeling and writhing, of course, to begin with, and then the different branches of arithmetic -- Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.”
By the end of the first year, many students are in a state of shock. The academic probation (read ATKT) induces a change in personality. Extroverts become introverts and introverts are on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Although ATKT provides some respite, students start refraining from attending family functions and marriages. Well Shit Happens! However, failure instills discipline, dedication and determination so as to savour the joy of success. You become resilient and realize that both engineering and life are governed by a sinusoidal curve.
The workshops are an interesting place where you develop skills in filing, carpentry, welding and learn accuracy and precision. You get to experience the hardships encountered by workers in the factories and start respecting dignity of labour. Engineering inadvertently helps to conquer your inhibitions and subtly reminds to continuously improve your own performance. Make many friends Kyunki Har Ek Dost Zaruri Hota Hai. You need their support, guidance and certainly as proxy. The group exercises make you realize that success largely depends on effective collaboration.
The standard books were always out of stock and therefore some of us had to borrow books authored by unknown authors. The atmosphere was so competitive that some of the toppers in the class would ridicule you for referring to unknown books. Some of these unknown books featured wealth of information, replete with beautiful illustrations and incisive research. Instead of generating curiosity, encouraging critical approbation of different books and research papers, the faculty promoted education based on rote. These unknown books do cultivate varied reading habit.
Some of us were overawed with designing various girders, bridges and cantilevers, while the chemical engineering students struggled with Stoichiometry equations and the coulometer measuring various constants – Avogadro, Rydeberg, and Planck. Students from electronics engineering grappled with AM/ FM signals, microprocessors 8080/8085 despite the advent of Pentium. Having friends from different engineering disciplines subtly increases your awareness about other subjects which can be useful while working on multi-discipline projects and especially in today’s knowledge economy.
The word “engineering” is derived from the Latin word “ingeniare” means “to design” or “to create”. Typically final year students prefer to work on conventional projects, but it is extremely critical to work on some innovative projects. There is nothing great in constructing 10,000 litres water tanks made from concrete, but designing and constructing water tanks made from Ferrocement still makes me proud. (Ferrocement structures are composite structures designed and built without using bricks or concrete). By working on innovative projects, you start believing in what seems impossible.
There was one group exercise that I can never forget. The class was divided in groups of six and we had to conduct a topographical survey. The six of us headed out with survey instrument, levelling rod, measuring tape, chain, pegs and hammer etc to the nearby field. One of my good friend and I were in the same group, so we decided to skip and join the group later. The Indian team was playing against England, we decided to stay back and watch the match. After some time we rushed back to the field. By the time we joined the group, the survey was almost done. Based on the survey findings the group members plotted the readings on a sheet and both of us blatantly copied it. In two weeks time, a viva voce was scheduled and students were interviewed in pair. As luck would have it, my friend and I were paired together. The professor asked us questions on surveying, levelling, contouring etc. Both of us replied correctly with immense confidence. The professor then pointed to the drawing sheet and asked us to identify the points from where we took the fore and back bearings of each survey lines and how did we go about it? We were so impressed with our earlier replies that without even looking at each other, immediately our fingers indicated different points on the opposite ends of the sheet. The professor raised his eyebrow and reprimanded us with another grueling assignment. Our answers had generated a hearty laugh but it also brought to fore that engineering and life - its all about execution.
Hostel life teaches you lessons in trust, managing finance, cooking, washing and survival. You find solace in various form of music; emote with ghazzals and bollywood songs. You draw inspiration from the philosophies of Ayn Rand, Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley and rock on with Jim Morrison and Led Zeppelin. Some intelligent students even make notes about their deft moves at bridge tournament. Participation in sports, tech-fest, and various activities provide with enriching experience in event and even project management. All these extra-curricular activities play a vital role in developing your personality.
If you are studying engineering in some village, you also get to witness social entrepreneurship. With engineering college in the village, a gradual change begins and soon the village metamorphosis into a modern town. Local villagers offer their homes on rent, women provide lunch tiffins to students, canteens transform into restaurants, grocery stores supply stationeries, STD booth owners install photocopier machines and lab assistants start part- time computer training centers. Literacy rates begin to improve, villagers get employed in college, and the urban students reverse migration makes few people entrepreneurs.
While the quality of the staff and education could be debatable but in years to come there seems to be some semblance of improvement at these institutes. Regardless of the facilities, faculty and quality of education, contrary to the engineer above, engineering students wherever they study, invariably learn to kiss the metaphorical frog or any anthropomorphic creatures and go on to do well in life. Perhaps these inspiring words, from Imran (movie Zindagi Na Mile Doobara), convey how engineers live their Life to the fullest…
“Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum,
Nazar mein khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum“
Happy Indian Engineering Day!
‘Kissing the Frog’ to get the handsome prince is a metaphor for all the intimidating opportunities in your life that you would rather avoid than explore. It also implies moving out of your comfort zone.
Undoubtedly, engineering college was one place that made me feel alive, excited and helped shape my character. The auspicious occasion of Indian engineering day is perhaps the perfect time to reminisce some of the student experience.
The initial days at engineering college is like entering a rabbit hole where a different world begins to unfold. You come across some wonderful people and make new friends from various parts who are brilliant, ambitious, opinionated, arrogant and as years go by, they become humble. The stimulating discussions quickly end in debates that generate diverse perspectives. Opinions are constantly challenged and an eternal quest to find scientific, logical, analytical answers for everything including your own existence begins. Students from urban area blame their circumstances, while students from rural areas create circumstances, seize opportunities and even motivate you to study using lanterns.
Life in engineering college is full of surprise. Every week there is a new time table but things rarely happen as per the plans. The lecturer has already started the fourth chapter even before you have understood the earlier chapters. Even before you soak in the new environment, it’s time for submission of term work. Like a chameleon, your grades also change every semester. The professors and staff, who welcomed you with a broad smile, will smile during the valediction ceremony. Each moment reminds you of the immortal quote from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, “Reeling and writhing, of course, to begin with, and then the different branches of arithmetic -- Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.”
By the end of the first year, many students are in a state of shock. The academic probation (read ATKT) induces a change in personality. Extroverts become introverts and introverts are on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Although ATKT provides some respite, students start refraining from attending family functions and marriages. Well Shit Happens! However, failure instills discipline, dedication and determination so as to savour the joy of success. You become resilient and realize that both engineering and life are governed by a sinusoidal curve.
The workshops are an interesting place where you develop skills in filing, carpentry, welding and learn accuracy and precision. You get to experience the hardships encountered by workers in the factories and start respecting dignity of labour. Engineering inadvertently helps to conquer your inhibitions and subtly reminds to continuously improve your own performance. Make many friends Kyunki Har Ek Dost Zaruri Hota Hai. You need their support, guidance and certainly as proxy. The group exercises make you realize that success largely depends on effective collaboration.
The standard books were always out of stock and therefore some of us had to borrow books authored by unknown authors. The atmosphere was so competitive that some of the toppers in the class would ridicule you for referring to unknown books. Some of these unknown books featured wealth of information, replete with beautiful illustrations and incisive research. Instead of generating curiosity, encouraging critical approbation of different books and research papers, the faculty promoted education based on rote. These unknown books do cultivate varied reading habit.
Some of us were overawed with designing various girders, bridges and cantilevers, while the chemical engineering students struggled with Stoichiometry equations and the coulometer measuring various constants – Avogadro, Rydeberg, and Planck. Students from electronics engineering grappled with AM/ FM signals, microprocessors 8080/8085 despite the advent of Pentium. Having friends from different engineering disciplines subtly increases your awareness about other subjects which can be useful while working on multi-discipline projects and especially in today’s knowledge economy.
The word “engineering” is derived from the Latin word “ingeniare” means “to design” or “to create”. Typically final year students prefer to work on conventional projects, but it is extremely critical to work on some innovative projects. There is nothing great in constructing 10,000 litres water tanks made from concrete, but designing and constructing water tanks made from Ferrocement still makes me proud. (Ferrocement structures are composite structures designed and built without using bricks or concrete). By working on innovative projects, you start believing in what seems impossible.
There was one group exercise that I can never forget. The class was divided in groups of six and we had to conduct a topographical survey. The six of us headed out with survey instrument, levelling rod, measuring tape, chain, pegs and hammer etc to the nearby field. One of my good friend and I were in the same group, so we decided to skip and join the group later. The Indian team was playing against England, we decided to stay back and watch the match. After some time we rushed back to the field. By the time we joined the group, the survey was almost done. Based on the survey findings the group members plotted the readings on a sheet and both of us blatantly copied it. In two weeks time, a viva voce was scheduled and students were interviewed in pair. As luck would have it, my friend and I were paired together. The professor asked us questions on surveying, levelling, contouring etc. Both of us replied correctly with immense confidence. The professor then pointed to the drawing sheet and asked us to identify the points from where we took the fore and back bearings of each survey lines and how did we go about it? We were so impressed with our earlier replies that without even looking at each other, immediately our fingers indicated different points on the opposite ends of the sheet. The professor raised his eyebrow and reprimanded us with another grueling assignment. Our answers had generated a hearty laugh but it also brought to fore that engineering and life - its all about execution.
Hostel life teaches you lessons in trust, managing finance, cooking, washing and survival. You find solace in various form of music; emote with ghazzals and bollywood songs. You draw inspiration from the philosophies of Ayn Rand, Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley and rock on with Jim Morrison and Led Zeppelin. Some intelligent students even make notes about their deft moves at bridge tournament. Participation in sports, tech-fest, and various activities provide with enriching experience in event and even project management. All these extra-curricular activities play a vital role in developing your personality.
If you are studying engineering in some village, you also get to witness social entrepreneurship. With engineering college in the village, a gradual change begins and soon the village metamorphosis into a modern town. Local villagers offer their homes on rent, women provide lunch tiffins to students, canteens transform into restaurants, grocery stores supply stationeries, STD booth owners install photocopier machines and lab assistants start part- time computer training centers. Literacy rates begin to improve, villagers get employed in college, and the urban students reverse migration makes few people entrepreneurs.
While the quality of the staff and education could be debatable but in years to come there seems to be some semblance of improvement at these institutes. Regardless of the facilities, faculty and quality of education, contrary to the engineer above, engineering students wherever they study, invariably learn to kiss the metaphorical frog or any anthropomorphic creatures and go on to do well in life. Perhaps these inspiring words, from Imran (movie Zindagi Na Mile Doobara), convey how engineers live their Life to the fullest…
“Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum,
Nazar mein khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum“
Happy Indian Engineering Day!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Debt Trap !....
In a gruesome competitive and capitalist, world, along with top grades one also needs to be a consistent high performer. Apparently, the quest for higher grades, spectacular economic performance and higher credit ratings are also sought by all countries. No wonder when the grades and ratings falls, it creates furore, even panic and all of this was evident last week!
There is a famous aphorism “When the US sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold”. With Standard & Poor downgrading the United States government's credit rating from AAA to AA+, the aphorism has again got triggered sending shock-wave and creating panic across the globe. The decision is based on political situation and therefore the S & P downgrade may appear symbolic but the ratings do not belie severe financial implications to the US economy.
Let me try and list down how this credit rating impacts US and the global economy.
The U.S. debt over $14.3 trillion is the largest in the world and is the sum of all outstanding debt owed by the Federal Government. Nearly two-thirds is the public debt, which is owed to the people, businesses and foreign governments who bought Treasury bills, notes and bonds. The rest is owed by the government and held as Government Account securities. Most of this is owed to Social Security and other trust funds, which were running surpluses. For many decades, the US government had a great credit rating (AAA), making it easier to raise money from other countries at very low interest rates. The US borrowed blatantly that it finally hit the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is a self imposed limit for US Government borrowing. The Government recently decided to increase the debt ceiling but that implied its credit worthiness and weakening of US economy. As soon as the debt ceiling was increased, the S&P downgraded the US long-term debt to AA+.
So what made this debt large?
Government debt is an accumulation of budget deficits. Year after year, the government continued to cut taxes and increase spending. There is still no consensus among Congress as the Republicans are not ready to increase tax cuts and Democrats are still harping on sponsoring welfare measures. One of the reasons for increase in debt is due to the Social Security Trust Fund. Instead of investing revenue from Social Security Trust Fund, which was collected through payroll taxes leveraged on Baby Boomers, the Fund was loaned to Government to finance the increasing deficit spending. This interest-free loan kept Treasury Bond interest rates low and allowed more debt financing.
The other reason for increase in debt is due to Treasury Bonds. The US and China are two sides of a same economy. US have outsourced its production and manufacturing to low cost China and later spends its dollars to buy the produced goods. So, foreign countries like China ($1.1 trillion) and Japan ($ 900 billion) kept on increasing their holdings of Treasury Bonds as a safe haven, at low interest rates and thereby managed to keep their currencies low relative to the dollar.
The debt also increased due to other factors. The two wars dipped heavily into Government surplus. To add to that, in 2008 the real estate bubble followed with subsequent sub-prime mortgage crisis brought down several large banking and financial organisations. In order to bail out the failing financial institutions from becoming bankrupt, the US Government had to dole out huge amount of money. Because of this people stopped spending and that led to economic recession and job losses. With rising unemployment, government found difficult to raise money from taxes and so they reduced tax cuts. It would have also been expensive for US to borrow trillions of dollars from other countries to offer as stimulus packages to failing companies and therefore US decided to print money.
In hindsight the doling of money, coupled with restrictions on immigration appears to have been a temporary respite since it failed to promote industrial growth, attract entrepreneurs, create more jobs and generate income for government. The government also ignored austerity measures to reduce government spending and all these led to widening of the fiscal deficit.
How U.S. Debt Affects the Economy
The US government debt is a benchmark for global financial markets. For the past few months, the US economy has been under severe stress and the GDP growth appears stunted. There is a slow down in industrial production, decline in employment rates and warning signs of so called double –dip recession. A credit rating downgrade will definitely impact the world. Investors will demand a higher return for holding US government debt. This would mean increase in interest rates, increase in asset prices which in turn would diminish demand for US Treasuries, putting downward pressure on the dollar and thus slowing the economy.
By the time Baby Boomers retire, the Social Security funds have to be repaid. Since this money has been already spent, resources have to be identified to repay this loan. That would mean higher taxes.
As an outcome of all these developments, the demand for gold which is seen as safe haven has increased manifold. Clearly the U.S. economy is caught in a debt-trap. Globally there will be clamour for an alternative global reserve currency, but the dollar will continue to hold sway for want of a real contender. Meanwhile U.S. will have to set in structural reforms, increase taxes and control fiscal deficit as a corrective measure. Recovery would be a long-drawn and painful process.
The downgrading is certainly not good for Indian exports with falling dollar. Even imports would be impacted. Companies with higher exposure to developed economies will be more vulnerable and Capex plans will be prolonged.
However as far the Indian economy is concerned, the downgrade would have only temporary impact on the nation's domestic consumption-based and service-led economy. The RBI has acknowledged ample liquidity and market hygiene in India. Baring gold and silver, a slower global economy could reduce commodity and oil prices which may bring down India’s inflation. There could be a possibility of higher inflows of foreign institutional investor (FII) funds which will lead to appreciation of the rupee, and in turn bring down the current account deficit.
But lets not get complacent since we are equally confounded with our own demons of corruption, terrorism, inflation, interest rates and falling industrial production. In weeks to come, the effects of the US crisis would be clearer until then we must aggressively implement reforms and practice good governance.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Women’s Tennis – Grit, Grunts, Grace, Glamour, & Glory !...
Watching Petra Kvitova play against Sharapova in the finals of Wimbledon 2011, reminded me of the historical rivalry between the two legendary players of women’s Tennis – Martina Navratilova & Chris Evert.
Kvitova enchants us with her simplicity, shy smile, calm and composed demeanour. Her tennis is embellished with power, purpose, and perseverance. Sharapova’s beauty goes beyond her long legs, ear-rings, blonde hair and high shrieks. Her tennis is engaged with a silken movement and precision. Like Martina, Kvitova is also a southpaw, while Sharapova, like Evert, plays with both hands. Perhaps it is too early to foretell whether Kvitova and Sharapova may compete often as the two legends. Personally I would prefer the gorgeous and effervescent German Sabine Lisicki play against the unassuming and disciplined Kvitova in future.
The platinum blonde, Navratilova, aptly watching from the Royal box, looked stunning, her high cheekbones giving her a graceful and regal bearing with time. Admiring her compatriot Kvitova’s accomplishment, she must have probably felt nostalgic and overwhelmed with joy
Few rivalries in sports were as fiercely contested as that of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Mohammed Ali fought Frazier 3 times, Borg faced McEnroe 14 times, Sampras faced Agassi 34 times, Federer faced Nadal 22 times - all great rivalries, but Navratilova and Evert met an incredible 80 times over the course of 16 years (with 60 of those clashes coming in finals) with Navratilova edging the series 43-37.
As a child, it was Navratilova - Evert and Borg – McEnroe matches that attracted me to tennis. Another factor that elevated Navratilova – Evert rivalry to an almost celebrity status was their contrasting personalities, their on and off court idiosyncrasies and their playing styles. As Evert puts it, "The beauty of our rivalry was not only that we met so many times, but the contrast: we were night and day, so different in every way and brought our own set of fans to the mix. It was drama."
Evert with a strong baseline game, was elegant, attractive and had an emotionless demeanour which earned her the title of “Ice Maiden”. She was earlier known as "Little Chrissie”, and “Cinderella in Sneakers”.
Navratilova played outstanding serve-and-volley game but due to her sexual orientation was unfortunately cast as the villain. Another legendary player, Billie Jean King once said about Navratilova, "She's the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived.”
Martina was expressive, erratic, muscular, athletic, often giving cold stares to people around the court. Perhaps these traits had a lot to do with Martina’s upbringing and her early life behind the dreaded Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia.
Frank Deford, author and Sports Illustrated writer succinctly described about Navratilova, “How gratifying it must have been for her to have achieved so much, triumphed so magnificently. Yet always to have been the other, the odd one, alone: lefthander in a right-handed universe, gay in a straight world; defector, immigrant; the gallant volleyer among those duplicate baseline bytes. When she came into the game, she was the European among Americans; she leaves as the American among Europeans—and the only grown-up left in the tennis crib. Can't she ever get it right?"
While Evert had the best of their earlier encounters, it was Navratilova who dominated in the 1980s. Though successful on all surfaces; Evert was the ‘Queen on Clay’. Off court they were amazingly close friends and often practiced together, even before the actual matches. Their rallies were all masterpieces of touch, timing, finesse, strategy, stamina, psychology, disguise, spin and intelligence. Thankfully none of these two legends grunted or groaned and it was this blend of grit, grace and glamour that captivated our hearts.
While Evert gracefully retired, Martina had another contender to beat – ‘The Strokes of Genius’, athletic and reticent - Stefani Graf. They had some epic battles fought with dogged determination, emblazoned with blend of youth against old, right hand against south paw, introvert against extrovert, with Steffi finally defeating Martina in style.
There was a certain romance, joy and a sense of elation when Steffi was around. Steffi with stunning legs and a strong forehand was known as ‘Fraulein Forehand’. She displayed intense concentration, energy and versatility across all playing surfaces. Steffi tossed the ball too high, induced pace in the game, and rarely used her backhand. Her footwork looked unbelievable giving her the perfect balance, speed and power to hit a moving ball in air.
Michael Stone in New York Magazine once wrote, “Graf is exciting to watch no matter whom she plays. Unlike Evert whose baseline game is primarily defensive, or Navratilova with her muscular net - rushing tactics, Graf plays an aggressive all court game, ripping ground strikes with an abandon that baffles the opponents.”
Steffi had her epic battles with Evert as well. In the first half of 1990’s Steffi and Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario had one of the more exciting rivalries in tennis, with Graf eventually clinching 22 championships including the Golden Slam.
Steffi was later challenged by Monica Seles who had to relinquish playing tennis after a ghastly stabbing incident. After the retirement of Steffi, Women’s tennis almost lost its charm. Monica played well but it was her grunting that was obnoxious and unbearable. The next decade was dominated by Williams sister’s with strong baseline game coupled with their grunting, athleticism, and attacking strokes. Along with superior tennis, the William sisters are also famous for their fashion faux pas. Between the two they have won nine Wimbledon titles.
From 1990’s, Women’s tennis became a glamorous sport with the arrival of gorgeous Anna Kournikova. Anna’s matches with cute looking Martina Hingis were always looked upon. Hingis gained popularity at a very young age but failed to demonstrate the tenacity required for any champions. Anna never won a Grand Slam but that didn’t stop the slim, oestrogen bomb to secure the title of "Sexiest Woman in Sport" followed with huge modeling contracts. Before Anna, it was Gabriela Sabatini, known as “Pearl of the Pampas” and “The Divine Argentine”, who had the hottest looks and a splendid backhand that made her clinch the US Open.
Wimbledon is a coveted, traditional tennis tournament and that conservativeness is reflected in the white clothing rule. But the color restriction has not stopped the players to express themselves and challenge the rules. Nadia Petrova is famous for her fluffy Ellesse apparels. Bethanie Mattek Sands never fails to attract attention with her looks and the recent Lady Gaga's designer jacket adorned with white tennis balls must have created a furore amongst the organisers. Venus William’s new zipper jumper with an open back is definitely unique, whether you like it or not, only this time in a much better way than her shocking Australian Open 2011 choices and the most of the provocative 2010 season dresses.
The game has changed significantly. There are many fashionistas and grunters around. The purists despair against plunging necklines and rising hems but not the sponsors, media and marketers. For them, women’s tennis is huge business and the celebrity status of players, garners more interest among spectators.
The players today are increasingly focusing on their looks, fitness, and some of them are equally serious about their game. Already the girls have become cynosure of all eyes. Let’s hope these beautiful ladies will continue playing good tennis with similar grit, grace, gumption so as to attract spectators based on their craft and become a model of gracious sportsmanship like Evert, Navratilova & Graf.
Reference: Martina Navratilova - Navratilova Legacy - Voice, Tennis, and Time http://sports.jrank.org/pages/3418/Navratilova-Martina-Navratilova-Legacy.html#ixzz1RAARar13
Kvitova enchants us with her simplicity, shy smile, calm and composed demeanour. Her tennis is embellished with power, purpose, and perseverance. Sharapova’s beauty goes beyond her long legs, ear-rings, blonde hair and high shrieks. Her tennis is engaged with a silken movement and precision. Like Martina, Kvitova is also a southpaw, while Sharapova, like Evert, plays with both hands. Perhaps it is too early to foretell whether Kvitova and Sharapova may compete often as the two legends. Personally I would prefer the gorgeous and effervescent German Sabine Lisicki play against the unassuming and disciplined Kvitova in future.
The platinum blonde, Navratilova, aptly watching from the Royal box, looked stunning, her high cheekbones giving her a graceful and regal bearing with time. Admiring her compatriot Kvitova’s accomplishment, she must have probably felt nostalgic and overwhelmed with joy
Few rivalries in sports were as fiercely contested as that of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Mohammed Ali fought Frazier 3 times, Borg faced McEnroe 14 times, Sampras faced Agassi 34 times, Federer faced Nadal 22 times - all great rivalries, but Navratilova and Evert met an incredible 80 times over the course of 16 years (with 60 of those clashes coming in finals) with Navratilova edging the series 43-37.
As a child, it was Navratilova - Evert and Borg – McEnroe matches that attracted me to tennis. Another factor that elevated Navratilova – Evert rivalry to an almost celebrity status was their contrasting personalities, their on and off court idiosyncrasies and their playing styles. As Evert puts it, "The beauty of our rivalry was not only that we met so many times, but the contrast: we were night and day, so different in every way and brought our own set of fans to the mix. It was drama."
Evert with a strong baseline game, was elegant, attractive and had an emotionless demeanour which earned her the title of “Ice Maiden”. She was earlier known as "Little Chrissie”, and “Cinderella in Sneakers”.
Navratilova played outstanding serve-and-volley game but due to her sexual orientation was unfortunately cast as the villain. Another legendary player, Billie Jean King once said about Navratilova, "She's the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived.”
Martina was expressive, erratic, muscular, athletic, often giving cold stares to people around the court. Perhaps these traits had a lot to do with Martina’s upbringing and her early life behind the dreaded Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia.
Frank Deford, author and Sports Illustrated writer succinctly described about Navratilova, “How gratifying it must have been for her to have achieved so much, triumphed so magnificently. Yet always to have been the other, the odd one, alone: lefthander in a right-handed universe, gay in a straight world; defector, immigrant; the gallant volleyer among those duplicate baseline bytes. When she came into the game, she was the European among Americans; she leaves as the American among Europeans—and the only grown-up left in the tennis crib. Can't she ever get it right?"
While Evert had the best of their earlier encounters, it was Navratilova who dominated in the 1980s. Though successful on all surfaces; Evert was the ‘Queen on Clay’. Off court they were amazingly close friends and often practiced together, even before the actual matches. Their rallies were all masterpieces of touch, timing, finesse, strategy, stamina, psychology, disguise, spin and intelligence. Thankfully none of these two legends grunted or groaned and it was this blend of grit, grace and glamour that captivated our hearts.
While Evert gracefully retired, Martina had another contender to beat – ‘The Strokes of Genius’, athletic and reticent - Stefani Graf. They had some epic battles fought with dogged determination, emblazoned with blend of youth against old, right hand against south paw, introvert against extrovert, with Steffi finally defeating Martina in style.
There was a certain romance, joy and a sense of elation when Steffi was around. Steffi with stunning legs and a strong forehand was known as ‘Fraulein Forehand’. She displayed intense concentration, energy and versatility across all playing surfaces. Steffi tossed the ball too high, induced pace in the game, and rarely used her backhand. Her footwork looked unbelievable giving her the perfect balance, speed and power to hit a moving ball in air.
Michael Stone in New York Magazine once wrote, “Graf is exciting to watch no matter whom she plays. Unlike Evert whose baseline game is primarily defensive, or Navratilova with her muscular net - rushing tactics, Graf plays an aggressive all court game, ripping ground strikes with an abandon that baffles the opponents.”
Steffi had her epic battles with Evert as well. In the first half of 1990’s Steffi and Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario had one of the more exciting rivalries in tennis, with Graf eventually clinching 22 championships including the Golden Slam.
Steffi was later challenged by Monica Seles who had to relinquish playing tennis after a ghastly stabbing incident. After the retirement of Steffi, Women’s tennis almost lost its charm. Monica played well but it was her grunting that was obnoxious and unbearable. The next decade was dominated by Williams sister’s with strong baseline game coupled with their grunting, athleticism, and attacking strokes. Along with superior tennis, the William sisters are also famous for their fashion faux pas. Between the two they have won nine Wimbledon titles.
From 1990’s, Women’s tennis became a glamorous sport with the arrival of gorgeous Anna Kournikova. Anna’s matches with cute looking Martina Hingis were always looked upon. Hingis gained popularity at a very young age but failed to demonstrate the tenacity required for any champions. Anna never won a Grand Slam but that didn’t stop the slim, oestrogen bomb to secure the title of "Sexiest Woman in Sport" followed with huge modeling contracts. Before Anna, it was Gabriela Sabatini, known as “Pearl of the Pampas” and “The Divine Argentine”, who had the hottest looks and a splendid backhand that made her clinch the US Open.
Wimbledon is a coveted, traditional tennis tournament and that conservativeness is reflected in the white clothing rule. But the color restriction has not stopped the players to express themselves and challenge the rules. Nadia Petrova is famous for her fluffy Ellesse apparels. Bethanie Mattek Sands never fails to attract attention with her looks and the recent Lady Gaga's designer jacket adorned with white tennis balls must have created a furore amongst the organisers. Venus William’s new zipper jumper with an open back is definitely unique, whether you like it or not, only this time in a much better way than her shocking Australian Open 2011 choices and the most of the provocative 2010 season dresses.
The game has changed significantly. There are many fashionistas and grunters around. The purists despair against plunging necklines and rising hems but not the sponsors, media and marketers. For them, women’s tennis is huge business and the celebrity status of players, garners more interest among spectators.
The players today are increasingly focusing on their looks, fitness, and some of them are equally serious about their game. Already the girls have become cynosure of all eyes. Let’s hope these beautiful ladies will continue playing good tennis with similar grit, grace, gumption so as to attract spectators based on their craft and become a model of gracious sportsmanship like Evert, Navratilova & Graf.
Reference: Martina Navratilova - Navratilova Legacy - Voice, Tennis, and Time http://sports.jrank.org/pages/3418/Navratilova-Martina-Navratilova-Legacy.html#ixzz1RAARar13
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Clash of Generations !....
Generation gap exists and it is getting wider at workplaces !
For the first time in modern history, we are challenged by having to recruit, retain, motivate and manage up to four generations in the workplace all at once. In India and emerging economies, this gap is increasing everyday. The diverse perspectives, attitudes and needs of these four generations have changed the dynamics of the entire workforce.
Perhaps a little insight into the differences and preferences among the generations can help us understand our colleagues in an age-diverse workforce. This will also help to leverage the talents and capitalize on the diversity within our teams.
Although there is no consensus of the exact birth dates that define each generation, they are generally broken into four distinct groups:
Traditionalists – Born between 1927 and 1945 – Patriotic, loyal, hard-workers and self reliant. They grew up in the shadows of the World War, Great Depression, India’s freedom struggle, feudalism, Partition and all these must have shaped their mindset. They respect leadership and aren’t concerned about career development. This generation is less tech-savvy and prefers personal interaction.
Boomers – Born between 1946 and 1964 - In the West, they are optimistic but in India, they are idealist, cynical and conservative. Partition, Wars (Pakistan/ China) coupled with JP movement, nationalization of industries and green revolution played a significant role in shaping their mindsets. Boomers worked in Government and manufacturing organizations. They feel their youth and almost better part of their career was wasted following egalitarian pursuits and Nehruvian socialism. Their career opportunities were stifled due to license raj, emergency, violent industrial relations and abysmally poor Hindu rate of growth. The Boomers therefore link “sacrifice” with “success.” Interestingly the youth in 60’s managed to twist, jive, shake and rebel.
Boomers demand job security, title, plush corner office, seniority, follow protocol and respect for hierarchy. It is starting to shift however to the value of time. They value face time in the office, respect for organisational hierarchies, and often detest work flexibility and / or even work/life balance trends.
Gen X-ers (Nexters) – Born between 1965 and the early 1980s - Optimistic and competitive. Gen Xers are academically brilliant, highly qualified, have filed several patents and the main culprits of brain drain in India. They saw the world changing rapidly with Indira’s populism, Gaddafi’s terrorism, Regan’s policies, the rise and fall of Thatcherism, Gorbachev’s Perestroika and Glasnost. Either you like these politicians or hate them but you could never ignore them.
Gen X in India developed a mental model patterned on a rich, rambunctious, violent and yet a vibrant democracy - comfortable with many views, perspectives, and voices. They have seen tremendous media inventions from cable TV, micro-waves, video games, pagers, cell phones and the most significant being the personal computer.
X-ers tend to look for career security rather than job security, focus on employability than just employment and prefer frequent global and varied work assignments . They dislike rigid work requirements and thrive on freedom, autonomy, diversity, challenge, responsibility and creativity. They want flexible leave policies, paid time off, accelerated career paths, relaxed dress codes, and continuous training. The end of license Raj in India followed with liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation immensely benefitted this generation to leap frog in their career and also become entrepreneurs.
Gen Y (Millennial’s) – Born in 1980 or later - Smart, practical, tech-savvy, outspoken and brand conscious. They believe, “It’s better to have a live-in relationship rather then having a divorced life!” They are just arriving and it is a little too early to really know what they will bring to the workplace.
Gen Y has been pampered, nurtured and programmed with a slew of activities since they were toddlers, which means, they are both high-performance and high maintenance. They communicate through emails, Facebook, YouTube, texting, and Instant Messaging giving them a reputation for being peer oriented and seeking instant gratification. However clear thinking, crisp communication, some what free spirited and restlessness are what defines Generation Y. They know what they want, desire instant gratification and have no qualms about it. They constantly need to know that what they are doing is making a difference and prefer the shortest and often quickest route to success. They expect to be recognized and rewarded more frequently even for mere participation!
Generation Y demands recognition, work/life balance and flexibility. When working with or supervising Generation Y, it’s wise to frequently communicate, reassure, reward and at the same time impose structure, stability and cultivate a team-oriented environment.
A generation's personality is determined by events and conditions that influenced its members during their formative years. These varied influences results in generational differences also known as “Clashpoint” and that is why generations collide. (Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman have coined the word Clashpoint in their book, ‘When Generations Collide’.)
ClashPoints frequently erupt around feedback, rewards, role change, and training. Organisations who are unprepared to deal with Clashpoints -- or worse, ignore them -- risk everything from reduced profitability to wasted human potential and attrition.
The keys to managing generational conflicts are awareness, empathy and flexibility. Apparently a one-size-fits-all career path, structure, reward programmes and HR practices will not work within a three or four generation workforce. Is it any wonder many companies are dealing with hiring challenges, job mismatch, managing expectations, increasing employee attrition, increasing usage of social network, communication challenges and low morale?
By 2020 the workplace in India will be known as ‘Youngistan’ and its time all four generations learn to adapt. To conclude, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin
For the first time in modern history, we are challenged by having to recruit, retain, motivate and manage up to four generations in the workplace all at once. In India and emerging economies, this gap is increasing everyday. The diverse perspectives, attitudes and needs of these four generations have changed the dynamics of the entire workforce.
Perhaps a little insight into the differences and preferences among the generations can help us understand our colleagues in an age-diverse workforce. This will also help to leverage the talents and capitalize on the diversity within our teams.
Although there is no consensus of the exact birth dates that define each generation, they are generally broken into four distinct groups:
Traditionalists – Born between 1927 and 1945 – Patriotic, loyal, hard-workers and self reliant. They grew up in the shadows of the World War, Great Depression, India’s freedom struggle, feudalism, Partition and all these must have shaped their mindset. They respect leadership and aren’t concerned about career development. This generation is less tech-savvy and prefers personal interaction.
Boomers – Born between 1946 and 1964 - In the West, they are optimistic but in India, they are idealist, cynical and conservative. Partition, Wars (Pakistan/ China) coupled with JP movement, nationalization of industries and green revolution played a significant role in shaping their mindsets. Boomers worked in Government and manufacturing organizations. They feel their youth and almost better part of their career was wasted following egalitarian pursuits and Nehruvian socialism. Their career opportunities were stifled due to license raj, emergency, violent industrial relations and abysmally poor Hindu rate of growth. The Boomers therefore link “sacrifice” with “success.” Interestingly the youth in 60’s managed to twist, jive, shake and rebel.
Boomers demand job security, title, plush corner office, seniority, follow protocol and respect for hierarchy. It is starting to shift however to the value of time. They value face time in the office, respect for organisational hierarchies, and often detest work flexibility and / or even work/life balance trends.
Gen X-ers (Nexters) – Born between 1965 and the early 1980s - Optimistic and competitive. Gen Xers are academically brilliant, highly qualified, have filed several patents and the main culprits of brain drain in India. They saw the world changing rapidly with Indira’s populism, Gaddafi’s terrorism, Regan’s policies, the rise and fall of Thatcherism, Gorbachev’s Perestroika and Glasnost. Either you like these politicians or hate them but you could never ignore them.
Gen X in India developed a mental model patterned on a rich, rambunctious, violent and yet a vibrant democracy - comfortable with many views, perspectives, and voices. They have seen tremendous media inventions from cable TV, micro-waves, video games, pagers, cell phones and the most significant being the personal computer.
X-ers tend to look for career security rather than job security, focus on employability than just employment and prefer frequent global and varied work assignments . They dislike rigid work requirements and thrive on freedom, autonomy, diversity, challenge, responsibility and creativity. They want flexible leave policies, paid time off, accelerated career paths, relaxed dress codes, and continuous training. The end of license Raj in India followed with liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation immensely benefitted this generation to leap frog in their career and also become entrepreneurs.
Gen Y (Millennial’s) – Born in 1980 or later - Smart, practical, tech-savvy, outspoken and brand conscious. They believe, “It’s better to have a live-in relationship rather then having a divorced life!” They are just arriving and it is a little too early to really know what they will bring to the workplace.
Gen Y has been pampered, nurtured and programmed with a slew of activities since they were toddlers, which means, they are both high-performance and high maintenance. They communicate through emails, Facebook, YouTube, texting, and Instant Messaging giving them a reputation for being peer oriented and seeking instant gratification. However clear thinking, crisp communication, some what free spirited and restlessness are what defines Generation Y. They know what they want, desire instant gratification and have no qualms about it. They constantly need to know that what they are doing is making a difference and prefer the shortest and often quickest route to success. They expect to be recognized and rewarded more frequently even for mere participation!
Generation Y demands recognition, work/life balance and flexibility. When working with or supervising Generation Y, it’s wise to frequently communicate, reassure, reward and at the same time impose structure, stability and cultivate a team-oriented environment.
A generation's personality is determined by events and conditions that influenced its members during their formative years. These varied influences results in generational differences also known as “Clashpoint” and that is why generations collide. (Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman have coined the word Clashpoint in their book, ‘When Generations Collide’.)
ClashPoints frequently erupt around feedback, rewards, role change, and training. Organisations who are unprepared to deal with Clashpoints -- or worse, ignore them -- risk everything from reduced profitability to wasted human potential and attrition.
The keys to managing generational conflicts are awareness, empathy and flexibility. Apparently a one-size-fits-all career path, structure, reward programmes and HR practices will not work within a three or four generation workforce. Is it any wonder many companies are dealing with hiring challenges, job mismatch, managing expectations, increasing employee attrition, increasing usage of social network, communication challenges and low morale?
By 2020 the workplace in India will be known as ‘Youngistan’ and its time all four generations learn to adapt. To conclude, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Democracy, Elections, and the Power of a Single Vote!
Since 2004, low voter turnout in India and especially in city like Mumbai has become a norm. And yet, when it comes to comparison between the previous poll results and the current exit poll results, these dismal attendances do not seem to display any significant bearing. Isn’t that little strange?
Is it because of the new de-limitation, or because of the rise in regional parties or simply due to political apathy that results in poor voter turnout?
Delimitation has shrunk the constituencies and over the years even the quality of our political class has deteriorated. Barring few, none of our leaders personify the qualities of visionaries and colossal leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak and Patel just to name a few. Although our population hasn’t shrunk, nor the number of voters but people who actually turn up for voting have definitely reduced. And this is evident from the recently held Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra, known for its rich social, cultural, sports and economical contribution with several national leaders, industries, educational and research institutions, flourishing textile mills, educated people, multiple communities and religions and indeed an inclusive, progressive state has considerably deteriorated. Regular load shedding, farmer suicides, rampant corruption, poor infrastructure, increasing slums, inadequate water supply, illegal and unauthorized constructions, rising unemployment, uncontrollable naxalism coupled with international terrorism and the mad clamor for political power has almost destroyed this once glorious state.
The state once boasted of educated leaders like Gokhale, Dadabhoy Naoroji, Ambedkar, Kriplani, Pherozshah Mehta, Dinshaw Wachha, Phule, Savarkar, Achutrao Patwardhan, P.K. Atre, S.M. Joshi, N G Gore, S.A. Dange, Prabhodhankar Thackeray, Y.B. Chauhan, Vasant Dada Patil, Madhu Dandavate, Datta Patil, Mrinal Gore etc who believed in having healthy discussions, debates and non-violent politics.
Today, politics has become a lucrative family business and electoral seats are exclusively offered to close family members regardless of their competencies and achievements. Little wonder, we get to witness several rebels and defections. The educated middle class and the poor find it increasingly difficult to contest in elections.
With less than 60% of voter turnout across the state, coupled with rebels and division of vote banks, the various exit poll results tend to belie the anti-incumbency factor. Invariably it speculates to bring back the earlier government by default. Psephologists and experts prognosticate a marginal difference between the ruling UPA & the opposition NDA and predict the possibility of a hung assembly. In such a situation, UPA and the NDA have no choice but to lure MNS, other parties and the independent candidates to support from outside or join the government. Moreover with several contenders among every party vying for the chief ministerial position and various ministerial berths, would it then come as a surprise to see the rise in defections once the poll results are announced.
The beauty of our democracy is that every election gives birth to new political parties, various alliances and fragile third / fourth fronts that promote new ideology, promise change and print new colourful manifestos selling the same old wine in a new bottle. Since 1995, hung parliament and assemblies have almost become a routine. And this is largely due to political, ideological and voter indifference.
Perhaps we should learn a lesson from Americans who battled for over 100 years, for their right to vote, but then seem to ignore it when they have received it. In India, we were lucky to get our right to vote immediately after independence but like Americans, we also continue to abstain from election. While American politicians strive hard to fulfill whatever they have promised during elections our politicians simply forget their promises made during polls.
Having said that, seldom do we also miss any opportunity to criticize the government and fight for our rights. No wonder voting is merely looked as a constitutional right but not considered as our moral responsibility and duty. Often lower voter turnout indicates a growing apathy for political parties and politicians. It often indicates the growing indifference, laziness, an unwillingness to deal with all this politics, which make people stay away from the polls. People are more concerned about their personal issues, problems that affect their lives; these become the top priorities and therefore don't give a damn about elections. These people would not even bother to learn about the candidates, nor about their parties and their election manifestos. Moreover people don’t find any trustworthy and competent candidates and therefore prefer to abstain from polls.
Apparently, voter absenteeism also suggest that the average Indian still does not understand the power of excercising their adult franchise. The most often heard excuse for not voting in an election is "a single vote won't make any difference." Yet History is replete with instances about the incredible power of single vote. In many cases, the course of nations has changed because of this single vote. If you think that your vote won't make a difference, please consider the following:
Remember it was one single vote of Saifuddin Soz that toppled the Vajpayee government in 1999. In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England. In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I of England his head. The vote to behead him was 67 against and 68 for — the ax fell thanks to one vote. In 1714, one vote placed King George I on the throne of England and restored the monarchy. In 1844 in Indiana on Election Day, a farmer named Freeman Clark lay seriously ill in bed. He begged his sons to carry him to the county seat so he could vote for David Kelso to become a state senator. The old farmer Freeman Clark got to vote for Kelso but Freeman Clark died on his way back home. Kelso won the election by one vote of Freeman Clark. One vote granted Texas (1845) and California (1850) admission into US as a state. In 1875, a one vote margin changed France from a monarchy to a republic. In 1923, by a majority of one vote, they chose Adolph Hitler to become the NAZI Party leader. In the 1960 presidential election, it was one single vote per precincts that made John F Kennedy the President of USA.
If a single vote can make such a difference, do you feel we must make voting mandatory just like they have it in Australia?
Well, this requires some serious discussions and changes in our law. As per election rules, Section “49-O" provides an opportunity to every voter to abstain from election. In such case a person must go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone! Unfortunately there is no provision for counting such votes and protecting identities.
Come to think of, we simply cannot afford to sit back and blame the politicians, parties and the system. In time to come we might see few reforms in election rules, but until then, its time we take responsibility and vote in various elections at every level - national, state, district and local and believe in the power of our single vote!
Is it because of the new de-limitation, or because of the rise in regional parties or simply due to political apathy that results in poor voter turnout?
Delimitation has shrunk the constituencies and over the years even the quality of our political class has deteriorated. Barring few, none of our leaders personify the qualities of visionaries and colossal leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Tilak and Patel just to name a few. Although our population hasn’t shrunk, nor the number of voters but people who actually turn up for voting have definitely reduced. And this is evident from the recently held Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra, known for its rich social, cultural, sports and economical contribution with several national leaders, industries, educational and research institutions, flourishing textile mills, educated people, multiple communities and religions and indeed an inclusive, progressive state has considerably deteriorated. Regular load shedding, farmer suicides, rampant corruption, poor infrastructure, increasing slums, inadequate water supply, illegal and unauthorized constructions, rising unemployment, uncontrollable naxalism coupled with international terrorism and the mad clamor for political power has almost destroyed this once glorious state.
The state once boasted of educated leaders like Gokhale, Dadabhoy Naoroji, Ambedkar, Kriplani, Pherozshah Mehta, Dinshaw Wachha, Phule, Savarkar, Achutrao Patwardhan, P.K. Atre, S.M. Joshi, N G Gore, S.A. Dange, Prabhodhankar Thackeray, Y.B. Chauhan, Vasant Dada Patil, Madhu Dandavate, Datta Patil, Mrinal Gore etc who believed in having healthy discussions, debates and non-violent politics.
Today, politics has become a lucrative family business and electoral seats are exclusively offered to close family members regardless of their competencies and achievements. Little wonder, we get to witness several rebels and defections. The educated middle class and the poor find it increasingly difficult to contest in elections.
With less than 60% of voter turnout across the state, coupled with rebels and division of vote banks, the various exit poll results tend to belie the anti-incumbency factor. Invariably it speculates to bring back the earlier government by default. Psephologists and experts prognosticate a marginal difference between the ruling UPA & the opposition NDA and predict the possibility of a hung assembly. In such a situation, UPA and the NDA have no choice but to lure MNS, other parties and the independent candidates to support from outside or join the government. Moreover with several contenders among every party vying for the chief ministerial position and various ministerial berths, would it then come as a surprise to see the rise in defections once the poll results are announced.
The beauty of our democracy is that every election gives birth to new political parties, various alliances and fragile third / fourth fronts that promote new ideology, promise change and print new colourful manifestos selling the same old wine in a new bottle. Since 1995, hung parliament and assemblies have almost become a routine. And this is largely due to political, ideological and voter indifference.
Perhaps we should learn a lesson from Americans who battled for over 100 years, for their right to vote, but then seem to ignore it when they have received it. In India, we were lucky to get our right to vote immediately after independence but like Americans, we also continue to abstain from election. While American politicians strive hard to fulfill whatever they have promised during elections our politicians simply forget their promises made during polls.
Having said that, seldom do we also miss any opportunity to criticize the government and fight for our rights. No wonder voting is merely looked as a constitutional right but not considered as our moral responsibility and duty. Often lower voter turnout indicates a growing apathy for political parties and politicians. It often indicates the growing indifference, laziness, an unwillingness to deal with all this politics, which make people stay away from the polls. People are more concerned about their personal issues, problems that affect their lives; these become the top priorities and therefore don't give a damn about elections. These people would not even bother to learn about the candidates, nor about their parties and their election manifestos. Moreover people don’t find any trustworthy and competent candidates and therefore prefer to abstain from polls.
Apparently, voter absenteeism also suggest that the average Indian still does not understand the power of excercising their adult franchise. The most often heard excuse for not voting in an election is "a single vote won't make any difference." Yet History is replete with instances about the incredible power of single vote. In many cases, the course of nations has changed because of this single vote. If you think that your vote won't make a difference, please consider the following:
Remember it was one single vote of Saifuddin Soz that toppled the Vajpayee government in 1999. In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England. In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I of England his head. The vote to behead him was 67 against and 68 for — the ax fell thanks to one vote. In 1714, one vote placed King George I on the throne of England and restored the monarchy. In 1844 in Indiana on Election Day, a farmer named Freeman Clark lay seriously ill in bed. He begged his sons to carry him to the county seat so he could vote for David Kelso to become a state senator. The old farmer Freeman Clark got to vote for Kelso but Freeman Clark died on his way back home. Kelso won the election by one vote of Freeman Clark. One vote granted Texas (1845) and California (1850) admission into US as a state. In 1875, a one vote margin changed France from a monarchy to a republic. In 1923, by a majority of one vote, they chose Adolph Hitler to become the NAZI Party leader. In the 1960 presidential election, it was one single vote per precincts that made John F Kennedy the President of USA.
If a single vote can make such a difference, do you feel we must make voting mandatory just like they have it in Australia?
Well, this requires some serious discussions and changes in our law. As per election rules, Section “49-O" provides an opportunity to every voter to abstain from election. In such case a person must go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone! Unfortunately there is no provision for counting such votes and protecting identities.
Come to think of, we simply cannot afford to sit back and blame the politicians, parties and the system. In time to come we might see few reforms in election rules, but until then, its time we take responsibility and vote in various elections at every level - national, state, district and local and believe in the power of our single vote!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A Walk Through Wilderness !
A hill station is a perfect place to unwind as it provides ample solace, quietude and takes you closer to nature. Out there, the stars appear closer and the moon remains happily perched over your shoulders. Dawn breaks and somewhere in the hills, an orange ball begins to rise. Imagine walking slowly on a beaten track over the slopes, covered with shrubs and dried leaves. The whistling wind clears your path, blows little spec of dust on your shoes and the dead leaves whisper loudly. Thick yellow rays pass through the branches and lit your path. In the next moment, the sun plays hide and seek with the trees.
You slowly wade through the misty clouds, serene, salubrious weather, and pollution free atmosphere. Almost every hill station boasts of quaint shops, gabled houses embellished with wooden decors and brightly coloured sloping roofs with dish antennas. Once in a while you come across charming facades, immaculately painted picket fences surrounding dark colonial stone structures overlooking courtyards, neat little orchards with cleverly laid driveway made from broken bricks, pebbles and gravel.
You stroll further and end up at a turn that offers a breathtaking view. The joy of watching the ground below and the splendid panorama in front is simply unbelievable. You feel rejuvenated and for a moment forget the regular grind of drudged city life. Every object in distance appears smaller and several waterfalls become visible. Somewhere near the horizon, you see a shinning river becoming wider, zigzagging across valleys and intersecting the lush green plains. Suddenly the plains look more attractive and alluring.
People often share their experiences of visiting various hill stations but seldom do we enjoy the beauty of foothills and the nearby plains.
Last week it was fun traveling everyday between Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. Little did I realize that the place where I was headed to would be so picturesque!
Watching the resplendent blue -green Shivalik hills from Baddi situated in the Solon district of Himachal Pradesh was an amazing experience. Almost every pharmaceutical company whether large or small have built a factory here. With tax incentives schemes and plethora of benefits offered to investors this place seems to be cropping up with reputed Indian and foreign FMCG companies.
I was lucky to spend my time in a place called HIMUDA Educational hub, Barotiwala (20 minutes away from Baddi) located at the foothills of Kasauli hill station. This place promises to become educational hub in Himachal Pradesh with several prominent Universities coming up in the area. It already has Chitkara University, one of the leading educational institutions in North India. With state of the art infrastructure and over 700 students pursuing various courses in engineering, general studies and management, the entire area seems to be a perfect place for emerging and growing companies in HP, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to attract talent.
The 90 minutes drive from Chandigarh takes you through Haryana via Panchkula and the famous Mogul gardens in Pinjore. The road is surrounded by lush green meadows, maize and wheat fields. The vehicle stops and with it also the clock, making way for the cattle to majestically cross the street. You can see the hand pumps fixed near the plastered brick water tanks. You see men toiling in the fields behind, women carrying water and children sometimes waving and running on the street. Small garages and shops on the road display various wares. The biggest shop in every village is liquor and wine theka (shop) and these shops are well decorated. There are separate shops for country (Tharra – local brew) and Angreji (foreign or branded) liquor. There are tiny Dhaba’s (food joint) with enviable parking space.
Throughout the journey, you see magnificent contours of Shivalik hills, HMT colony and various villages. Several brick kilns greet you as soon as you enter Boratiwala. The tall chimneys remind you of Qutab Minar. Every chimney indicates the religion of the owner as it displays Hindu and Sikh religious symbols with pride. I was glad to find the end product i.e. the bricks similar. The place is abuzz with excavation and construction activities.
The Shivalik hills are also known as sub- Himalayas or foothills and are created due to the rise in Himalayas. The hills run from southwest Kashmir, to North India, into North East in Sikkim and finally end up in Southern Nepal. Their altitude varies between 900 to 2300 meters. These hills are the source of the rivers like Saraswati, Ghaggar, Tangri and Markanda. The hills cover some parts of Haryana viz; Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts. The hills consist of layered rocks with beautiful Chir pine, Sal and oak forests. The entire topography has a shallow erodable soil; unsuitable for agriculture however irrigation makes it easier to cultivate paddy.
Lord Indra was extremely benevolent last week. It rained heavily, the hills were no longer visible and a thick fog engulfed everything. After 3 days of incessant rains, the sun came back from its Hammam break (Turkish bath). The meadows glossed in greenery reminding you of golf courses in Ireland. Somewhere up on the ridges, a lone white cloud happily tangoed with the wind. The atmosphere suddenly changed and everything looked pristine.
From the foothills you could clearly see the famous tall imposing Television Tower at Kasauli (6400 feet) and further up, a faint silhouette of the ropeway cable became visible. The rains made the houses in Kasauli look fresh, white washed and inviting. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to identify the famous Lawrence school at Kasauli or perhaps it lies on the other side of the hill.
Kasauli was hardly 35-40 kms away from my work place. From the foothills, it is easier to gauge that Kasauli promises to offer unspoilt natural beauty, lots of options for nature trails, and a refreshing climate. Kasauli is a good detour between Shimla and Kalka, and is often called lesser Shimla. My driver tells me that tourist generally prefer the bustling Shimla which is 3 hours away over this sleepy hill station but Kasauli is fast becoming one of the favorite weekend getaway.
Late afternoon, a leisurely walk around the foothills takes you through stunning flora and fauna. Don’t be surprised if a weird thought of discovering a shortest route to Kasauli crosses your mind. You enter the woods. The birds are mellifluously singing. You come across a dry river bed, and walk in the direction of the hills. Few moments later you begin to enjoy the sound of silence. A cool breeze caresses your face and your hair gently jives in rhythm. The pine–scent gets thicker and everything around you appears brown, dark brown, green and dark green.
You discover a small stream rapidly moving towards the river bed. The clear water forcefully hits the stones, producing greater turbulence and a wonderful symphony. Like a child, you are tempted to pick up the colorful pebbles lying around. Soon you stumble upon an area mushrooming with small weeds, shrubs, plants, wild flowers and carefully avoid trampling it.
The river bends and a ravine begins to unfold. You muster some courage and enter this ravine. Near the sloping edges, you could distinctly see several dusty paths in various directions. Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken” begins to play in your mind.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;…”
Suddenly you hear a voice followed with a loud echo. Someone from the group reminds you, “The sun is about to set.” The twilight hue makes the sky dusky, brownish –orange, scattered with light blue pigments. The chirping gets louder and flocks of bird head towards the hills. You halt.
Next moment, you turn around, look in the direction of ravine, your eyes move faster following one of the beaten tracks that quickly disappears in the woods and hopefully leads atop. Slowly and reluctantly you return to the familiar construction site where a car is waiting to take you on that dreadful highway to Chandigarh. The car gathers some speed and the hills move further and further away. It gets dark, the lullaby wind blows, and you quickly fall asleep only to wake up with a sudden jolt. You again shut your eyes; smile because next morning, the Shivaliks would again beckon you.
The road from Chandigarh to Baddi goes through Panchkula, Pinjore and extensively cuts across the state of Haryana. The entire stretch is full of potholes, ditches and craters bigger than those found on the moon. Don’t be surprised if you experience therapeutic manipulations in the car.
Everyday almost hundreds of vehicles ply on this road and yet no one seems to be bothered to repair the road. This is the shortest road to the industrial belt in HP. According to locals, Haryana government does not receive any economic benefit and therefore is least interested to mend this road. I don’t think the locals would object if Haryana government levies and collects toll to maintain the road.
Having said that, the road from Kalka is long and little better. Let’s hopes this road and the spectacular topography of the plains do not detiorate quickly! … But then don’t all economic development, construction, towns and cities sprung and flourish near the foothills!...
You slowly wade through the misty clouds, serene, salubrious weather, and pollution free atmosphere. Almost every hill station boasts of quaint shops, gabled houses embellished with wooden decors and brightly coloured sloping roofs with dish antennas. Once in a while you come across charming facades, immaculately painted picket fences surrounding dark colonial stone structures overlooking courtyards, neat little orchards with cleverly laid driveway made from broken bricks, pebbles and gravel.
You stroll further and end up at a turn that offers a breathtaking view. The joy of watching the ground below and the splendid panorama in front is simply unbelievable. You feel rejuvenated and for a moment forget the regular grind of drudged city life. Every object in distance appears smaller and several waterfalls become visible. Somewhere near the horizon, you see a shinning river becoming wider, zigzagging across valleys and intersecting the lush green plains. Suddenly the plains look more attractive and alluring.
People often share their experiences of visiting various hill stations but seldom do we enjoy the beauty of foothills and the nearby plains.
Last week it was fun traveling everyday between Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. Little did I realize that the place where I was headed to would be so picturesque!
Watching the resplendent blue -green Shivalik hills from Baddi situated in the Solon district of Himachal Pradesh was an amazing experience. Almost every pharmaceutical company whether large or small have built a factory here. With tax incentives schemes and plethora of benefits offered to investors this place seems to be cropping up with reputed Indian and foreign FMCG companies.
I was lucky to spend my time in a place called HIMUDA Educational hub, Barotiwala (20 minutes away from Baddi) located at the foothills of Kasauli hill station. This place promises to become educational hub in Himachal Pradesh with several prominent Universities coming up in the area. It already has Chitkara University, one of the leading educational institutions in North India. With state of the art infrastructure and over 700 students pursuing various courses in engineering, general studies and management, the entire area seems to be a perfect place for emerging and growing companies in HP, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to attract talent.
The 90 minutes drive from Chandigarh takes you through Haryana via Panchkula and the famous Mogul gardens in Pinjore. The road is surrounded by lush green meadows, maize and wheat fields. The vehicle stops and with it also the clock, making way for the cattle to majestically cross the street. You can see the hand pumps fixed near the plastered brick water tanks. You see men toiling in the fields behind, women carrying water and children sometimes waving and running on the street. Small garages and shops on the road display various wares. The biggest shop in every village is liquor and wine theka (shop) and these shops are well decorated. There are separate shops for country (Tharra – local brew) and Angreji (foreign or branded) liquor. There are tiny Dhaba’s (food joint) with enviable parking space.
Throughout the journey, you see magnificent contours of Shivalik hills, HMT colony and various villages. Several brick kilns greet you as soon as you enter Boratiwala. The tall chimneys remind you of Qutab Minar. Every chimney indicates the religion of the owner as it displays Hindu and Sikh religious symbols with pride. I was glad to find the end product i.e. the bricks similar. The place is abuzz with excavation and construction activities.
The Shivalik hills are also known as sub- Himalayas or foothills and are created due to the rise in Himalayas. The hills run from southwest Kashmir, to North India, into North East in Sikkim and finally end up in Southern Nepal. Their altitude varies between 900 to 2300 meters. These hills are the source of the rivers like Saraswati, Ghaggar, Tangri and Markanda. The hills cover some parts of Haryana viz; Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts. The hills consist of layered rocks with beautiful Chir pine, Sal and oak forests. The entire topography has a shallow erodable soil; unsuitable for agriculture however irrigation makes it easier to cultivate paddy.
Lord Indra was extremely benevolent last week. It rained heavily, the hills were no longer visible and a thick fog engulfed everything. After 3 days of incessant rains, the sun came back from its Hammam break (Turkish bath). The meadows glossed in greenery reminding you of golf courses in Ireland. Somewhere up on the ridges, a lone white cloud happily tangoed with the wind. The atmosphere suddenly changed and everything looked pristine.
From the foothills you could clearly see the famous tall imposing Television Tower at Kasauli (6400 feet) and further up, a faint silhouette of the ropeway cable became visible. The rains made the houses in Kasauli look fresh, white washed and inviting. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to identify the famous Lawrence school at Kasauli or perhaps it lies on the other side of the hill.
Kasauli was hardly 35-40 kms away from my work place. From the foothills, it is easier to gauge that Kasauli promises to offer unspoilt natural beauty, lots of options for nature trails, and a refreshing climate. Kasauli is a good detour between Shimla and Kalka, and is often called lesser Shimla. My driver tells me that tourist generally prefer the bustling Shimla which is 3 hours away over this sleepy hill station but Kasauli is fast becoming one of the favorite weekend getaway.
Late afternoon, a leisurely walk around the foothills takes you through stunning flora and fauna. Don’t be surprised if a weird thought of discovering a shortest route to Kasauli crosses your mind. You enter the woods. The birds are mellifluously singing. You come across a dry river bed, and walk in the direction of the hills. Few moments later you begin to enjoy the sound of silence. A cool breeze caresses your face and your hair gently jives in rhythm. The pine–scent gets thicker and everything around you appears brown, dark brown, green and dark green.
You discover a small stream rapidly moving towards the river bed. The clear water forcefully hits the stones, producing greater turbulence and a wonderful symphony. Like a child, you are tempted to pick up the colorful pebbles lying around. Soon you stumble upon an area mushrooming with small weeds, shrubs, plants, wild flowers and carefully avoid trampling it.
The river bends and a ravine begins to unfold. You muster some courage and enter this ravine. Near the sloping edges, you could distinctly see several dusty paths in various directions. Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken” begins to play in your mind.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;…”
Suddenly you hear a voice followed with a loud echo. Someone from the group reminds you, “The sun is about to set.” The twilight hue makes the sky dusky, brownish –orange, scattered with light blue pigments. The chirping gets louder and flocks of bird head towards the hills. You halt.
Next moment, you turn around, look in the direction of ravine, your eyes move faster following one of the beaten tracks that quickly disappears in the woods and hopefully leads atop. Slowly and reluctantly you return to the familiar construction site where a car is waiting to take you on that dreadful highway to Chandigarh. The car gathers some speed and the hills move further and further away. It gets dark, the lullaby wind blows, and you quickly fall asleep only to wake up with a sudden jolt. You again shut your eyes; smile because next morning, the Shivaliks would again beckon you.
The road from Chandigarh to Baddi goes through Panchkula, Pinjore and extensively cuts across the state of Haryana. The entire stretch is full of potholes, ditches and craters bigger than those found on the moon. Don’t be surprised if you experience therapeutic manipulations in the car.
Everyday almost hundreds of vehicles ply on this road and yet no one seems to be bothered to repair the road. This is the shortest road to the industrial belt in HP. According to locals, Haryana government does not receive any economic benefit and therefore is least interested to mend this road. I don’t think the locals would object if Haryana government levies and collects toll to maintain the road.
Having said that, the road from Kalka is long and little better. Let’s hopes this road and the spectacular topography of the plains do not detiorate quickly! … But then don’t all economic development, construction, towns and cities sprung and flourish near the foothills!...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Lord Ganesha – The Benevolent and Vighnahartha …
In the Hindu mythology, there are innumerable stories about various God and deities. However there is one Hindu God that is immensely popular across the world. No wonder this God is worshipped and loved by people of all ages and race. Wherever you travel, you will certainly come across shops selling photos, pendants, idols, wall hangings, and even decorative pieces of the Elephant God – Lord Ganesha or Ganpati. The combination of man and animal in the same form is also seen in the history of other countries as well.
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesh and falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad (somewhere falling around August - September).
Lord Ganesha represents the power of the Supreme Being is also known as Vighnaharta (the divine destroyer of obstacles) and ensures success in human endeavors. He is the chief deity of all the deities representing wisdom and intellect. Hindus therefore worship Ganesha first before beginning any religious, spiritual or worldly activity.
Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum (ॐ, also called Om). The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound.
There are innumerable stories about Lord Ganesha and especially about his marriage. It is said that Lord Ganesha wanted his wife to be as beautiful as his Mother Parvati. Since there wasn’t anyone as beautiful as his mother, he decided to stay (celibate). So in South India, Ganesha is a celibate but in other parts of India they say Lord Brahma created two beautiful girls Riddhi (Abundance. Opulence, Wealth) and Siddhi (Spiritual Prowess) / Buddhi (Intelligence) and they were married to Lord Ganesha. In Bengal he is married to Kala Bo and linked with banana tree. It is said that if one has Riddhi but doesn’t have Siddhi / Buddhi then it is worthless. Possessing only Siddhi without Riddhi is also futile. Lord Ganesh bestows both these blessings to His ardent devotees.
If you look carefully at the Lord Ganesha, you will see a small mouse that act as his transport (Vahan), large ears, a big belly and four hands. If the trunk of 'Ganesha' is curved to the right, He is called 'Sidhi Vinayaka' and requires special and strict rituals to be followed during worship. Normally people get Ganesha idols with trunk curved to the left. Lord Ganesha sits with one foot on the ground and the other folded up, above the ground. This posture indicates that while we must operate in the world, one must be constantly aligned to our spiritual nature.
On Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh idol (made of special clay) is brought home. Chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Moorti Morya' rents in the air as the idols of Ganesha known as the 'Vignaharta' (remover of obstacles) slowly inches its way into the homes and hearts of his followers. These idols are kept for 1 ½ days, five days, 7 days, and 10 days and in some exceptional cases even for 21 days. During the days of India’s freedom struggle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started public Ganesh pooja to bring people together and spread awareness about our freedom struggle.
Whether we witness green shoots or yellow weeds i.e. economic recovery or recession, nothing stops us from making more and more bigger idols and installing them in artistically decorated 'mandaps' ( large stage) across Mumbai, Pune and across the country. Thankfully people have started to get eco-friendly idols and observe eco friendly practices during immersion (Visarjan). Let’s hope in time to come we are able to eradicate the crass commercialization in Mumbai and allow free access to devotees to see the various beautiful idols.
Keeping the traffic congestion in mind, there are many who bring the idol a day before and next day devotees formally welcome the arrival of Ganesha and do the 'sthapana' (installation) of idols in sacred corners of their homes. Almost a fortnight before all preparations begins. Young and old assemble together and decide upon various contemporary themes and began decorating mandaps and even their homes. Family gatherings, entertainment programmes and meetings with people make this festival truly a cultural and social affair. Interestingly the old recordings of Lata Mangeshkar’s mellifluous rendition of Ganesh bhajan and songs are still enjoyable and are avidly played in various homes, radios, TV channels and in various housing complex and mandals
The best part always comes after the prayers and aarti (devotional songs) when the Lord's favourite 'Modak' (sweets) and ‘Laddoo’ are offered as Naivedya (Bhog or Prasad) is an offering to God. There are lots of fruits which are also offered and even used to decorate the place where the idol is installed. After the pooja is over people are served lunch on banana leaves.
It is difficult to resist delectable, mouth watering ‘Ukadiche Modak’ (Sweet stuffed rice flour dumpling - momos). You will find them in many Maharashtrian households. The pleated shape is called as-Modak shape!
The dough is given the shape after filling it with a stuffing that usually comprise of grated coconut mixed in sugar or jaggery with additives of spices like cardamom, clove, and roasted Khuskhus (poppy seeds), cashew nuts, salt etc.
A restaurant called Diva Maharashtra in Mumbai innovatively serves Khima Modak i.e. Modak stuffed with minced lamb and equally tasty Paneer Karanji.
Modak is very easy to make and the recipe is available on the net. Ask any women and she would claim that her mother’s recipe is the best. You can also enjoy deep fried Modaks- the external coating is prepared out of Maida (flour). In market you will come across shops largely selling modaks made from Khawa ( Mawa) and available with Kesar (Saffron) Modak, Chocolate Modak, Malai modak, Pista (Pistachio) Modak and so on..
The 'Shlok' or Prayer for Lord Ganesh:
Vakratund mahakaay suryakoti samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kurume deva sarvakaryeshu sarvadaa
Its English translation reads as: “O mighty God with a trunk, your brilliance is like that of a thousand suns; free my path of all obstacles in all auspicious works that I undertake.”..
May Lord Ganesha bless you and your dear ones with health, wealth, intelligence and clear away all the obstacles from the path....
Ganapati Bappa Morya!!...
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesh and falls on the 4th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad (somewhere falling around August - September).
Lord Ganesha represents the power of the Supreme Being is also known as Vighnaharta (the divine destroyer of obstacles) and ensures success in human endeavors. He is the chief deity of all the deities representing wisdom and intellect. Hindus therefore worship Ganesha first before beginning any religious, spiritual or worldly activity.
Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum (ॐ, also called Om). The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound.
There are innumerable stories about Lord Ganesha and especially about his marriage. It is said that Lord Ganesha wanted his wife to be as beautiful as his Mother Parvati. Since there wasn’t anyone as beautiful as his mother, he decided to stay (celibate). So in South India, Ganesha is a celibate but in other parts of India they say Lord Brahma created two beautiful girls Riddhi (Abundance. Opulence, Wealth) and Siddhi (Spiritual Prowess) / Buddhi (Intelligence) and they were married to Lord Ganesha. In Bengal he is married to Kala Bo and linked with banana tree. It is said that if one has Riddhi but doesn’t have Siddhi / Buddhi then it is worthless. Possessing only Siddhi without Riddhi is also futile. Lord Ganesh bestows both these blessings to His ardent devotees.
If you look carefully at the Lord Ganesha, you will see a small mouse that act as his transport (Vahan), large ears, a big belly and four hands. If the trunk of 'Ganesha' is curved to the right, He is called 'Sidhi Vinayaka' and requires special and strict rituals to be followed during worship. Normally people get Ganesha idols with trunk curved to the left. Lord Ganesha sits with one foot on the ground and the other folded up, above the ground. This posture indicates that while we must operate in the world, one must be constantly aligned to our spiritual nature.
On Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh idol (made of special clay) is brought home. Chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Moorti Morya' rents in the air as the idols of Ganesha known as the 'Vignaharta' (remover of obstacles) slowly inches its way into the homes and hearts of his followers. These idols are kept for 1 ½ days, five days, 7 days, and 10 days and in some exceptional cases even for 21 days. During the days of India’s freedom struggle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started public Ganesh pooja to bring people together and spread awareness about our freedom struggle.
Whether we witness green shoots or yellow weeds i.e. economic recovery or recession, nothing stops us from making more and more bigger idols and installing them in artistically decorated 'mandaps' ( large stage) across Mumbai, Pune and across the country. Thankfully people have started to get eco-friendly idols and observe eco friendly practices during immersion (Visarjan). Let’s hope in time to come we are able to eradicate the crass commercialization in Mumbai and allow free access to devotees to see the various beautiful idols.
Keeping the traffic congestion in mind, there are many who bring the idol a day before and next day devotees formally welcome the arrival of Ganesha and do the 'sthapana' (installation) of idols in sacred corners of their homes. Almost a fortnight before all preparations begins. Young and old assemble together and decide upon various contemporary themes and began decorating mandaps and even their homes. Family gatherings, entertainment programmes and meetings with people make this festival truly a cultural and social affair. Interestingly the old recordings of Lata Mangeshkar’s mellifluous rendition of Ganesh bhajan and songs are still enjoyable and are avidly played in various homes, radios, TV channels and in various housing complex and mandals
The best part always comes after the prayers and aarti (devotional songs) when the Lord's favourite 'Modak' (sweets) and ‘Laddoo’ are offered as Naivedya (Bhog or Prasad) is an offering to God. There are lots of fruits which are also offered and even used to decorate the place where the idol is installed. After the pooja is over people are served lunch on banana leaves.
It is difficult to resist delectable, mouth watering ‘Ukadiche Modak’ (Sweet stuffed rice flour dumpling - momos). You will find them in many Maharashtrian households. The pleated shape is called as-Modak shape!
The dough is given the shape after filling it with a stuffing that usually comprise of grated coconut mixed in sugar or jaggery with additives of spices like cardamom, clove, and roasted Khuskhus (poppy seeds), cashew nuts, salt etc.
A restaurant called Diva Maharashtra in Mumbai innovatively serves Khima Modak i.e. Modak stuffed with minced lamb and equally tasty Paneer Karanji.
Modak is very easy to make and the recipe is available on the net. Ask any women and she would claim that her mother’s recipe is the best. You can also enjoy deep fried Modaks- the external coating is prepared out of Maida (flour). In market you will come across shops largely selling modaks made from Khawa ( Mawa) and available with Kesar (Saffron) Modak, Chocolate Modak, Malai modak, Pista (Pistachio) Modak and so on..
The 'Shlok' or Prayer for Lord Ganesh:
Vakratund mahakaay suryakoti samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kurume deva sarvakaryeshu sarvadaa
Its English translation reads as: “O mighty God with a trunk, your brilliance is like that of a thousand suns; free my path of all obstacles in all auspicious works that I undertake.”..
May Lord Ganesha bless you and your dear ones with health, wealth, intelligence and clear away all the obstacles from the path....
Ganapati Bappa Morya!!...
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