Posts
In the last post, Gourang Kodical, narrated an incident that occured in his life,when he got carried away by a stranger’s fast one on him, by getting lured by the prospect of being honoured on foreign shores. I can imagine how he may have been CONgratulated by one and all and then CONsoled at being CONned! Most of us may have been experiencing such situations sometime in life, but in a broader sense, I think we get conned all too often - by statisticians, dieticians, news agencies, academicians, insurance agents, marketing professionals, placement agencies, consultants, investment advisors, astrologers, business partners – and even by our own governments! It is only that we dont realise it!
Almost all of them bank on the single most important factor – that one hopes for better times, better deals, better lifestyles and so on and so forth – and would go to great lengths to have it! How often have we been advised, “Lose whatever you may – don’t lose HOPE!”? So we cling to our hope – so one day we will get all that we need! Sure, Sure.
Like we did before the Union Budget was presented recently. News channels went around asking housewives, industry magnates, rickshaw-pullers, dabba-wallas, office-goers, industry bodies, NGOs etc about what they would want to see in the forthcoming budget? We have a budget every year and TV news channels do keep going around posing this question to passers-by each year. But the guy on the street almost always appears to seem to be lost about what he wants from the budget! Lower taxes, lower prices, better roads, faster trains – just top of the mind needs pop up, whilst actually beaming (for what he wants in life really of appearing on a national channel has already been achieved).
The government says in the way the Gods always did: “Tathastu”. Tax slabs are raised – so you got to be happy! Excise duties, petrol prices are raised – couldn’t help it, folks, we had to roll back the stimulus, now that the ‘recession’ is over! So what the revised tax slabs giveth, the higher duties taketh away! We have bureacrats and ministers who can outwit our best magicians with their conjuring acts! “But at least we have some money in our hands, don’t we?”, we say to ourselves and get back to our work and life. Only to wait for the next year, when we will be conned again!
But come to think of it, isn’t it we who are at fault – to expect anything from a budget, that is? Don’t prices rise or fall without a budget? Doesn’t the government change duties mid-way, like they did introduce the stimulus package some time back, which could not wait for the annual budgeting exercise of the government? So the government justifies this tamasha, by saying that it is time when one ought to take stock of what we spend and what we earn as a government and tweak the budget allocations here and there to make sure we are on course. Good enough, then, we have it then each year.
But why in this land of great minds, do we want reforms to be announced in the annual budget, may I ask? Hey, folks, I am not suggesting here that we shouldn’t have reforms! What I am driving at is that reforms are such a crying need of our country that they cannot wait for the celebratory annual event called Union Budget. Social sector reforms, educational reforms, law and order related reforms, land reforms, agriculture sector reforms – the list is endless.
A government who feels obliged to appear before its citizens on a popular live televised show to tell us that toy balloons and battery chargers have been exempt from duties, may also deem it necessary to appear again some other day to tell us when and how the pendancy of legal cases would be cleared, what steps have been taken to deal with terrorists and militants in our country and all such important aspects of governing our nation (that could run into several hundred pages) that the Union Budget cannot and should not address?
The Government of India could begin with one all day session explaining how much of the budget allocations meant for those intended by several schemes actually reach them? They have thoughtfully named these schemes - like NaREGA- which when they dont reach the poor, they call MaREGA, perhaps?
OK. In other words, I am seeking to be conned more often than just once in a year! After all, we’re habituated to being conned by one and all! To each his own choice of achieving CONtentedness!
Blogger’s Post-Script: In future posts, I may dwell in greater detail how we get CONned by statisticians, dieticians and so on and so forth (please refer Para 1). Of course in separate posts – how else would I con you with my double century of posts? So you can expect a "CON-CON" series of posts. The next best thing to Knock Knock Jokes, i hope - NO even better!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Taken for a "Flight" to Singapore!
Dear Friends,
Regular readers of my blog would know about my invitation to contribute as ‘guest-bloggers’ to post their ‘ArTickles’ here.
With great pleasure, I am posting one such guest-post by Shri. Gourang Kodical, an established and renowned Tabla player.
To learn more about Gourang, please click on this link here.
I am sure readers will enjoy reading this piece! Thank you , Gourang!
How we were taken for a ‘Flight’ to Singapore
(Category: NON-FICTION!)
Written (with mixed feelings) by Shri. Gourang Kodical
Being a Tabla player of fair repute and experience, I was no stranger either to foreign travel, or to being felicitated for my many years of services for the cause of Indian classical music.
On 23rd March (2005), when I returned home for lunch from one of my rare visits to the Bank from where I retired, my wife Kusum informed me that one Mr Anant Kumar had called in my absence and wanted to speak to me regarding a function organized to felicitate me in Singapore. Although I was a little taken aback, I did not want to show my elation to Kusum and pretended to look as casual as possible. On second thoughts, I brushed the whole thing aside as a probable flaw in Kusum’s hearing or just a figment of her imagination.
Around dinner time that evening, the gentleman promptly called again. He introduced himself as the person who, 10 years ago had come to pick me up and drop me back by cab during an all night music festival arranged by Protima Gowri Bedi in her Nritya Graam. Then again, for two consecutive years when I had participated in the Festivals arranged by the Dept of Culture at Hampi, he had been in the batch of active volunteers who were given the responsibility of looking after the needs and comforts of all us Artistes which included Pandits Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rajan & Sajan Misra, Dinkar Kaikini etc.
He went on to say that he had called to inform me that ‘Kannada Koota’, an active cultural Organisation of Kannadigas in Singapore comprising about a thousand families from Karnataka had planned to honour me during their 4th anniversary celebrations on 30/31 March, 2005. I was absolutely dumbfounded – not because I had to go to Singapore (Oh, I had done it several times!), and certainly not because I was to be felicitated (by now I was a past master at getting felicitated!!) – dumbfounded because it was such a short notice - just one week, can you believe it?
I was told that the Organisers would bear all travel, stay, and sight seeing expenses for me and an escort (who better than my wife? - I thought…, and told him so). As I did not want Anant Kumar to think that the entire operation would be a cakewalk for him, I told him that since my wife had never crossed the Kaveri, leave alone the Bay of Bengal, she did not have a Passport. On this count, he immediately put me at ease by saying that he owned a Tours and Travels Agency and he would do the needful in a jiffy (called ‘Tatkal’ in our country), but that he would require four copies of Kusum’s photographs, her SSLC cumulative record as proof of age and the latest telephone bill as proof of residence. I told him that all this discussion was getting to be a bit too heavy for me over the phone and would he please come home next morning to sort out things?
Anant (observe how I am gradually getting more and more intimate with the bloke – next time around I may call him Anantu or Antu!) was very punctual and landed up at 10:30 as agreed. A tall and handsome chap in his mid 30s, he looked vaguely familiar (maine-aapko-pahele-bhi-kaheen-dekha-hai-sort of feeling). At this point, I must be honest with you and make one thing clear. I have an unenviable reputation for being absent minded – when you have the time, you must come home and listen to Kusum, she has hundreds of anecdotes to prove this, and she really gets carried away sometimes. He very impressively (I was impressed, what i mean) bent down and touched my feet, and asked me if I remembered him ‘now’ -- and I said, Yes of course, why not, and how could I forget and all that one usually says when so asked. He must have secretly gloated that he had won half the battle.
During the small talk that followed, he gave us a ‘lot of information’ about himself…. That he was a Brahmin too (he just had to see our Swamiji’s portrait in the Hall to conclude that we were God-fearing Brahmins), that his Agency office was situated in a massive Apartment complex called High Point, that his house was on Railway Parallel Road (the road is almost as long as the Bangalore-Chennai line), that he had been making travel arrangements for all the music groups which went abroad through the State Government bodies. He rattled off the names of all the Artistes who I knew, had gone overseas on concert tours in the recent past. Our friend was punctuating the narration with dry, uneasy coughs. Kusum promptly went in and brought him a glass of warm water mixed with turmeric to drink – the cough vanished. Later, with tea she also fed him some freshly made banana halwa which he liked immensely and helped himself to his heart’s content.
He then provided us with the details of our forthcoming rapid tour. We were to leave on the 29th night by the 11:30 pm direct Bangalore-Singapore flight. Our stay had been arranged in the Concorde Hotel. The felicitation would be held on the 30th evening. That evening and the next, they would hold the cultural programmes like folk music and dances. On April 1st (does the date ring a bell?) and 2nd, the main Conference would be held, which would be attended by delegates from all over the Far East like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia etc….. If we wished, we were welcome to participate in this, or else we could utilize the time for visiting our friends and relatives and/or shopping (slurp…slurp…). You see, by now Kusum had already made a mental list of the items to buy, ‘gold’ being at the top of course, and I had finished my packing mentally – which Kurta and Chudidar to wear for the main function, which after-shave to carry, and so on.
On the 3rd, the Organisers had very thoughtfully arranged for all the VIPs (not to forget, we are included) to be taken for sight seeing. Anantu (see, didn’t I tell you?) gave us the option of staying back for the entire attractive schedule and returning with him on the 4th, or flying back soon after the felicitation if we were in a hurry to get back. Would a couple who has gone all the way to Singapore (especially with the wife going for the first time) ever agree to return in 24 hours?..... NO CHANCE, BUDDY!!
In addition to my original Passport (which he wanted for getting the visa), we handed over Kusum’s photographs, her SSLC cumulative record (in original), her B A Hons certificate (in original), and – please hold your breath! – one of our wedding photographs (December, 1970) and the Wedding Invitation as proof of Kusum’s change of surname from Padukone to Kodical. And as if this was not enough, he took from me Rs. 1,500/= in cash towards charges for the Tatkal Passport. He promised to return all the originals at 2:30 pm the same afternoon (it was around noon then) after getting them photocopied. We have not seen him since…..
In our blind trust, we had not taken his visiting card, nor had we asked him the name and address of his Agency, nor taken his residential address. In the normal circumstances, I am the ‘scatter brain’ in the house and my wife is said to more than make up for my deficiency. But these were not normal circumstances. He had played on our psychology like a Tabla! Kusum had never stepped out of India. This information was given to him by none else but me on the previous day, and he must have figured out how keen she would be to grab the chance. Even though I have mentioned in the opening paragraph that I am no stranger to being honoured getting felicitated one more time would have meant one more feather in my cap – and a Singaporean feather at that!
This young rascal Antu had even timed his move with such brilliant forethought. He called on us on a holiday (on account of Good Friday), followed by a Saturday and Sunday – a long weekend (indeed!). Moreover, with the Indo-Pak second Test match going on in the city, there is a massive deployment of the police force at the stadium and there are only a handful of sleepy, grumpy police personnel to accept FIRs from unfortunate mortals like us. (This is not to say that they accept FIRs on other days, though – only that the degree of difficulty to do so may be lower)
Needless to say, Kusum and I spent the major part of Holi (most lacklustre) in the Police Station today. For want of proper particulars about the person and also because we had handed over the documents to him of our own volition, the cranky custodians of law advised us to file an FIR stating that we had lost the documents while taking a stroll near the Malleshwaram Market (can you beat that?) – and we took their advice.
So, Ant must be freaking about freely somewhere. Putting this experience of ours on paper may be one way of trying to dry our tears, but it sure felt nice while it lasted.
Author's Post-Script
On Wednesday of the following week (30-3-05), we received all the documents (including my passport) by courier, in a neatly and carefully packed calico envelope! So, at the end of the day, you could say that I had lost only Rs.1,500/= in cash, apart from some day dreams that were vanished alongwith the deceiving Antu. On Thursday, I was to go and apply for a duplicate passport paying the charges and penalty amounting to a small fortune. I had kept all the papers and the amount ready.
My good friend, who is the MD of a multi national Travel Agency (genuine!), was astonished when he heard that I had got the passport back. He was saying that this Anant Kumar must be either totally off his rocker or he must have been a novice at his act of deception to have acted this way because, he says, a stolen passport can be worth around 5 to 6 lakhs in the underworld market. Or maybe it was some Divine Powers, which I always believed would come to my help, whenever in distress.
Blogger's Post-Script
A very apt story on the occasion of Holi! After all Holi involves sprinkling colours and allowing your friends to apply colour is symbolic of allowing others to ridicule /make fun of/ you. Akin to the spirit of this account of being ridiculously taken for a "flight"! Wish you all enjoy your Holi!
Regular readers of my blog would know about my invitation to contribute as ‘guest-bloggers’ to post their ‘ArTickles’ here.
With great pleasure, I am posting one such guest-post by Shri. Gourang Kodical, an established and renowned Tabla player.
To learn more about Gourang, please click on this link here.
I am sure readers will enjoy reading this piece! Thank you , Gourang!
How we were taken for a ‘Flight’ to Singapore
(Category: NON-FICTION!)
Written (with mixed feelings) by Shri. Gourang Kodical
Being a Tabla player of fair repute and experience, I was no stranger either to foreign travel, or to being felicitated for my many years of services for the cause of Indian classical music.
On 23rd March (2005), when I returned home for lunch from one of my rare visits to the Bank from where I retired, my wife Kusum informed me that one Mr Anant Kumar had called in my absence and wanted to speak to me regarding a function organized to felicitate me in Singapore. Although I was a little taken aback, I did not want to show my elation to Kusum and pretended to look as casual as possible. On second thoughts, I brushed the whole thing aside as a probable flaw in Kusum’s hearing or just a figment of her imagination.
Around dinner time that evening, the gentleman promptly called again. He introduced himself as the person who, 10 years ago had come to pick me up and drop me back by cab during an all night music festival arranged by Protima Gowri Bedi in her Nritya Graam. Then again, for two consecutive years when I had participated in the Festivals arranged by the Dept of Culture at Hampi, he had been in the batch of active volunteers who were given the responsibility of looking after the needs and comforts of all us Artistes which included Pandits Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rajan & Sajan Misra, Dinkar Kaikini etc.
He went on to say that he had called to inform me that ‘Kannada Koota’, an active cultural Organisation of Kannadigas in Singapore comprising about a thousand families from Karnataka had planned to honour me during their 4th anniversary celebrations on 30/31 March, 2005. I was absolutely dumbfounded – not because I had to go to Singapore (Oh, I had done it several times!), and certainly not because I was to be felicitated (by now I was a past master at getting felicitated!!) – dumbfounded because it was such a short notice - just one week, can you believe it?
I was told that the Organisers would bear all travel, stay, and sight seeing expenses for me and an escort (who better than my wife? - I thought…, and told him so). As I did not want Anant Kumar to think that the entire operation would be a cakewalk for him, I told him that since my wife had never crossed the Kaveri, leave alone the Bay of Bengal, she did not have a Passport. On this count, he immediately put me at ease by saying that he owned a Tours and Travels Agency and he would do the needful in a jiffy (called ‘Tatkal’ in our country), but that he would require four copies of Kusum’s photographs, her SSLC cumulative record as proof of age and the latest telephone bill as proof of residence. I told him that all this discussion was getting to be a bit too heavy for me over the phone and would he please come home next morning to sort out things?
Anant (observe how I am gradually getting more and more intimate with the bloke – next time around I may call him Anantu or Antu!) was very punctual and landed up at 10:30 as agreed. A tall and handsome chap in his mid 30s, he looked vaguely familiar (maine-aapko-pahele-bhi-kaheen-dekha-hai-sort of feeling). At this point, I must be honest with you and make one thing clear. I have an unenviable reputation for being absent minded – when you have the time, you must come home and listen to Kusum, she has hundreds of anecdotes to prove this, and she really gets carried away sometimes. He very impressively (I was impressed, what i mean) bent down and touched my feet, and asked me if I remembered him ‘now’ -- and I said, Yes of course, why not, and how could I forget and all that one usually says when so asked. He must have secretly gloated that he had won half the battle.
During the small talk that followed, he gave us a ‘lot of information’ about himself…. That he was a Brahmin too (he just had to see our Swamiji’s portrait in the Hall to conclude that we were God-fearing Brahmins), that his Agency office was situated in a massive Apartment complex called High Point, that his house was on Railway Parallel Road (the road is almost as long as the Bangalore-Chennai line), that he had been making travel arrangements for all the music groups which went abroad through the State Government bodies. He rattled off the names of all the Artistes who I knew, had gone overseas on concert tours in the recent past. Our friend was punctuating the narration with dry, uneasy coughs. Kusum promptly went in and brought him a glass of warm water mixed with turmeric to drink – the cough vanished. Later, with tea she also fed him some freshly made banana halwa which he liked immensely and helped himself to his heart’s content.
He then provided us with the details of our forthcoming rapid tour. We were to leave on the 29th night by the 11:30 pm direct Bangalore-Singapore flight. Our stay had been arranged in the Concorde Hotel. The felicitation would be held on the 30th evening. That evening and the next, they would hold the cultural programmes like folk music and dances. On April 1st (does the date ring a bell?) and 2nd, the main Conference would be held, which would be attended by delegates from all over the Far East like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia etc….. If we wished, we were welcome to participate in this, or else we could utilize the time for visiting our friends and relatives and/or shopping (slurp…slurp…). You see, by now Kusum had already made a mental list of the items to buy, ‘gold’ being at the top of course, and I had finished my packing mentally – which Kurta and Chudidar to wear for the main function, which after-shave to carry, and so on.
On the 3rd, the Organisers had very thoughtfully arranged for all the VIPs (not to forget, we are included) to be taken for sight seeing. Anantu (see, didn’t I tell you?) gave us the option of staying back for the entire attractive schedule and returning with him on the 4th, or flying back soon after the felicitation if we were in a hurry to get back. Would a couple who has gone all the way to Singapore (especially with the wife going for the first time) ever agree to return in 24 hours?..... NO CHANCE, BUDDY!!
In addition to my original Passport (which he wanted for getting the visa), we handed over Kusum’s photographs, her SSLC cumulative record (in original), her B A Hons certificate (in original), and – please hold your breath! – one of our wedding photographs (December, 1970) and the Wedding Invitation as proof of Kusum’s change of surname from Padukone to Kodical. And as if this was not enough, he took from me Rs. 1,500/= in cash towards charges for the Tatkal Passport. He promised to return all the originals at 2:30 pm the same afternoon (it was around noon then) after getting them photocopied. We have not seen him since…..
In our blind trust, we had not taken his visiting card, nor had we asked him the name and address of his Agency, nor taken his residential address. In the normal circumstances, I am the ‘scatter brain’ in the house and my wife is said to more than make up for my deficiency. But these were not normal circumstances. He had played on our psychology like a Tabla! Kusum had never stepped out of India. This information was given to him by none else but me on the previous day, and he must have figured out how keen she would be to grab the chance. Even though I have mentioned in the opening paragraph that I am no stranger to being honoured getting felicitated one more time would have meant one more feather in my cap – and a Singaporean feather at that!
This young rascal Antu had even timed his move with such brilliant forethought. He called on us on a holiday (on account of Good Friday), followed by a Saturday and Sunday – a long weekend (indeed!). Moreover, with the Indo-Pak second Test match going on in the city, there is a massive deployment of the police force at the stadium and there are only a handful of sleepy, grumpy police personnel to accept FIRs from unfortunate mortals like us. (This is not to say that they accept FIRs on other days, though – only that the degree of difficulty to do so may be lower)
Needless to say, Kusum and I spent the major part of Holi (most lacklustre) in the Police Station today. For want of proper particulars about the person and also because we had handed over the documents to him of our own volition, the cranky custodians of law advised us to file an FIR stating that we had lost the documents while taking a stroll near the Malleshwaram Market (can you beat that?) – and we took their advice.
So, Ant must be freaking about freely somewhere. Putting this experience of ours on paper may be one way of trying to dry our tears, but it sure felt nice while it lasted.
Author's Post-Script
On Wednesday of the following week (30-3-05), we received all the documents (including my passport) by courier, in a neatly and carefully packed calico envelope! So, at the end of the day, you could say that I had lost only Rs.1,500/= in cash, apart from some day dreams that were vanished alongwith the deceiving Antu. On Thursday, I was to go and apply for a duplicate passport paying the charges and penalty amounting to a small fortune. I had kept all the papers and the amount ready.
My good friend, who is the MD of a multi national Travel Agency (genuine!), was astonished when he heard that I had got the passport back. He was saying that this Anant Kumar must be either totally off his rocker or he must have been a novice at his act of deception to have acted this way because, he says, a stolen passport can be worth around 5 to 6 lakhs in the underworld market. Or maybe it was some Divine Powers, which I always believed would come to my help, whenever in distress.
Blogger's Post-Script
A very apt story on the occasion of Holi! After all Holi involves sprinkling colours and allowing your friends to apply colour is symbolic of allowing others to ridicule /make fun of/ you. Akin to the spirit of this account of being ridiculously taken for a "flight"! Wish you all enjoy your Holi!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Just another milestone
How often have we seen cricketers look up in the sky, raise their bats, wave out to the cheering crowd and walk across to the batsman at the other end to celebrate having crossed a century? It is a celebratory moment for having batted on in the face of a hostile bowling attack, of having survived the competitor’s efforts to dislodge the player with the help of some guile and technique, of waiting for that one mistake that would do him in and send him back to the pavilion!
Though it is only the metric system which has bestowed the importance to this magical figure of 100, the penchant for measuring performance of a cricketer makes this a milestone - by their number of centuries that are worthy of a celebration with joyful fervour at each occasion. And rightfully so!
Unlike cricket, or the performing arts, writers are those kind of creatures, who toil alone and keep wondering what to write about and how to emote those thoughts into something the reader would relate to, connect with and appreciate the work so doled out in the spirit and intent of the writer. Agreeably, there is no Brett Lee charging down the pitch with the intention of hurling his fastest delivery at us (though one may have one’s spouse do something similar, which I had written about – read it here) nor do we have our competition appealing to the umpire (there isn’t one) seeking that we retire to oblivion wherefrom we sprang up, in the first place! So nobody out there really gets us out from our stance at the crease!
So if we can keep the spouse busy at what he/she (in my case, she) enjoys doing without noticing the excessive amounts of time we spend with our laptops keying in whatever nonsanz one can think of, while ignoring the leaky tap which has almost caused a deluge in the house, we can easily post that 100th blogpost with utmost ease.
So now that you all know how easy it is for bloggers to post their hundredth post, it may not interest you that this indeed is my 100th post here at the ArTicKles Blog.
So did I hear some loud cheering roar in the crowd or see a Mexican wave out there? Naah! We writers can’t expect all those visual or audio treats from our readers can we? But, it’s ok I guess, because, after all it was those several encouraging comments and feedback that compelled me to continue on my journey here on the ArTickles blog.
Thanks, folks! Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have carried on writing whatnonsanz after whatnonsanz.
My efforts to tickle the reader with some humorous posts with my rubber sword, eventually found myself being tickled by one and all – more importantly, by life. I found some inspirational real-life stories to write about; found some lovely blogs; read some marvellous write-ups; shared thoughts and opinions; had intense debates; became wiser by the comments of one and all. Most importantly, I made several blogger-friends - without whose support and admiration, I would not have been still at the crease!
Did I hear someone say “Issko out kaise karneka yaar!” ?
Let me assume I didn’t and just say this once again to one and all,
THANK YOU!
Though it is only the metric system which has bestowed the importance to this magical figure of 100, the penchant for measuring performance of a cricketer makes this a milestone - by their number of centuries that are worthy of a celebration with joyful fervour at each occasion. And rightfully so!
Unlike cricket, or the performing arts, writers are those kind of creatures, who toil alone and keep wondering what to write about and how to emote those thoughts into something the reader would relate to, connect with and appreciate the work so doled out in the spirit and intent of the writer. Agreeably, there is no Brett Lee charging down the pitch with the intention of hurling his fastest delivery at us (though one may have one’s spouse do something similar, which I had written about – read it here) nor do we have our competition appealing to the umpire (there isn’t one) seeking that we retire to oblivion wherefrom we sprang up, in the first place! So nobody out there really gets us out from our stance at the crease!
So if we can keep the spouse busy at what he/she (in my case, she) enjoys doing without noticing the excessive amounts of time we spend with our laptops keying in whatever nonsanz one can think of, while ignoring the leaky tap which has almost caused a deluge in the house, we can easily post that 100th blogpost with utmost ease.
So now that you all know how easy it is for bloggers to post their hundredth post, it may not interest you that this indeed is my 100th post here at the ArTicKles Blog.
So did I hear some loud cheering roar in the crowd or see a Mexican wave out there? Naah! We writers can’t expect all those visual or audio treats from our readers can we? But, it’s ok I guess, because, after all it was those several encouraging comments and feedback that compelled me to continue on my journey here on the ArTickles blog.
Thanks, folks! Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t have carried on writing whatnonsanz after whatnonsanz.
My efforts to tickle the reader with some humorous posts with my rubber sword, eventually found myself being tickled by one and all – more importantly, by life. I found some inspirational real-life stories to write about; found some lovely blogs; read some marvellous write-ups; shared thoughts and opinions; had intense debates; became wiser by the comments of one and all. Most importantly, I made several blogger-friends - without whose support and admiration, I would not have been still at the crease!
Did I hear someone say “Issko out kaise karneka yaar!” ?
Let me assume I didn’t and just say this once again to one and all,
THANK YOU!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The BT Maha Government
The recent launch program of the BT Brinjal undertaken by the Hon. Minister for Environment, Shri Jairam Ramesh met with several protests from NGOs and social activists, who alleged that genetically modified (GM) crops like BT Cotton had wrecked the lives of farmers with its poor yields, high cost of seeds and rendering of the farmlands infertile for other crops, and so on. So they did not want the BT Brinjal cultivation to be ushered in without properly addressing the side-effects involved. If it wasn’t for protestors, we would have been served with the BT Baingan Bharta by this weekend, I guess!
Had the Government of India been armed with sufficient research data, showing no harmful effects caused by the GM crop, it would not need to put a hold on its launch. Apparently, the protestors’ fears have not been allayed through sufficient clinical tests. So now that we have got the BT Brinjal issue out of our way, it is time to look at another BT issue on our hands today:
The BT Maharashtra Government issue.
Incidentally this Balasaheb Thakarey-run Maha Government is also a GM variety of governance – not genetically modified variety, but a Goonda-giri Mara-mari variety of governance. No matter who is in power, there is always this threat of a ban from the self-appointed, extra-constitutional, parallel ruling power that one has to deal with in Maharasthra, more so, Mumbai, followed by acts of vandalism in public places. This scenario is not new. It is here for several decades.
Did we not learn about MNCs like Enron seeking the blessings of the Sena chief? Or for that matter any rising entrepreneur, sportsman or political aspirant of either party, who has not sought his patronage or support? Did that not make bigger headlines than the same distinguished achiever receiving a State award or honor from the CM of the state in power?
It always did! So why then this huge outcry and questions from the media now, when NCP Leader Sharad Pawar seeks the Tiger’s nod for Aussie players in the IPL, one would ask? I guess it is because the pitch and frequency of the scathing attacks on celebrities, who are worshipped like god in their own fields, like Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Amitabh Bacchan etc. has been on the increase, of late.
Avdhoot Gupte, a popular music director in the regional Marathi film industry, who ventured to direct his first Marathi film “Zenda”, sought clearance from a couple of Senas and some Maharashtra politicians, he explained, in a television channel talk show that it was because the story was based on the political scene in the state and wanted them to clear it to avoid disruption and inconvenience to the lay public. Whether it is this concern for one’s customer or just plain business prudence, this sort of interaction and feedback is certainly better than vandalism and loss to public and private property, besides grievous injury.
In fact, I am a strong advocate of talks and debates, rather than violence on the streets or in cinema halls or the cricket pitch. It is very important, today, for us to know the thoughts of folks like Sachin, SRK, KJo or Big B as much as we need to know the thoughts of Balasaheb. I am convinced over the years, that, though the Senas have resorted to the wrong means, the issues raised have always been important, noteworthy and deserving of attention and solutions. Issues such as immigration, job creation, price rises, lack of infrastructure, incessant building activities carried out by builders, land-grabbing, etc. are real issues, which need to be discussed and resolved and not neglected.
We need to change the approach to our problems and their possible solutions. Take the issue of jobs in Mumbai or Maharashtra. While the Senas are trying to impress the local folks that they are fighting for a better share of the job-cake for them (for political mileage, everyone understands), no one is addressing the real issue of enlarging the cake itself, by increasing the jobs by bringing in investment into industries in the city and state. No thought is being given to the political climate conducive to setting up of new industries! There is no healthy debate involving the Govt in power or these battling senas about why are industries not coming in and instead going out to other states? Why are foreign investors more comfortable with setting up their industries in Gujarat or AP or Karnataka or TN instead of Maharashtra?
Maharashtra is the only state with Octroi imposed for incoming goods in 22 cities of the State right now. It used to be 37 cities until last year and after a decade long tussle that the industry associations had with the bureaucrats in Mantralaya, the abolition of octroi in 2008, was effected only in 15 smaller cities in D Zone, hesitantly.
[Incidentally, Octroi is prevalent only in the State of Maharashtra and in Ethiopia as on date]
Yours truly had the privilege to be part of these discussions. So once, after a high-powered committee meeting, I asked a state government official over a cup of tea, “When will we abolish Octroi in Mumbai?” “Never!” he whispered on terms of confidentially. As he explained to me, the state’s policy is to discourage industry in the Mega-City, so that the MIDC areas in remote areas of Maharashtra become attractive and several incentives are also available for setting up industries there. So we have a carrot and stick policy! A carrot that is not so juicy, so people prefer other states. And several such sticks that are so hurtful that one would even settle for other options. The industrial policy of the state, perhaps does not take into account the existence of other states in India!
If you closely examine this industrial location policy, the logic is great, it is highly effective - in driving out potential investors, though. One thing the Govt of Maharashtra forgets – that such policies may succeed in driving out polluting industries out of cities, but cannot be sure it will not go to other states like Gujarat or even to another country like China! MERC’s (Maharasthra Electric Regulatory Commission) tariff fixation methods are equally responsible for the flight of industry from Maharashtra to the neighbouring state of Gujarat. One has learnt of several instances of power-intensive industries that had been paying Rs 7-8 per unit of electricity moving to Silvassa in Gujarat, which offers electricity at Rs. 2.5 per unit or so! Labour Trade environment and ease of doing business are other factors challenging the state.
One wonders if we need another Sena to highlight these issues or will folks wake up to reality before they find their youngsters leaving to some other state! By which time, the Senas will become redundant, as all the Marathi Manoos would have left the State for greener pastures and there won’t be any living in the Maha State, to fight for! That may be too far-fetched. Let us hope for a better turn of events through some Maha efforts on the part of the Marathi Manoos, by working towards building a better state with the right approach to make Maharashtra the leading destination for industry and investors.
Had the Government of India been armed with sufficient research data, showing no harmful effects caused by the GM crop, it would not need to put a hold on its launch. Apparently, the protestors’ fears have not been allayed through sufficient clinical tests. So now that we have got the BT Brinjal issue out of our way, it is time to look at another BT issue on our hands today:
The BT Maharashtra Government issue.
Incidentally this Balasaheb Thakarey-run Maha Government is also a GM variety of governance – not genetically modified variety, but a Goonda-giri Mara-mari variety of governance. No matter who is in power, there is always this threat of a ban from the self-appointed, extra-constitutional, parallel ruling power that one has to deal with in Maharasthra, more so, Mumbai, followed by acts of vandalism in public places. This scenario is not new. It is here for several decades.
Did we not learn about MNCs like Enron seeking the blessings of the Sena chief? Or for that matter any rising entrepreneur, sportsman or political aspirant of either party, who has not sought his patronage or support? Did that not make bigger headlines than the same distinguished achiever receiving a State award or honor from the CM of the state in power?
It always did! So why then this huge outcry and questions from the media now, when NCP Leader Sharad Pawar seeks the Tiger’s nod for Aussie players in the IPL, one would ask? I guess it is because the pitch and frequency of the scathing attacks on celebrities, who are worshipped like god in their own fields, like Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Amitabh Bacchan etc. has been on the increase, of late.
Avdhoot Gupte, a popular music director in the regional Marathi film industry, who ventured to direct his first Marathi film “Zenda”, sought clearance from a couple of Senas and some Maharashtra politicians, he explained, in a television channel talk show that it was because the story was based on the political scene in the state and wanted them to clear it to avoid disruption and inconvenience to the lay public. Whether it is this concern for one’s customer or just plain business prudence, this sort of interaction and feedback is certainly better than vandalism and loss to public and private property, besides grievous injury.
In fact, I am a strong advocate of talks and debates, rather than violence on the streets or in cinema halls or the cricket pitch. It is very important, today, for us to know the thoughts of folks like Sachin, SRK, KJo or Big B as much as we need to know the thoughts of Balasaheb. I am convinced over the years, that, though the Senas have resorted to the wrong means, the issues raised have always been important, noteworthy and deserving of attention and solutions. Issues such as immigration, job creation, price rises, lack of infrastructure, incessant building activities carried out by builders, land-grabbing, etc. are real issues, which need to be discussed and resolved and not neglected.
We need to change the approach to our problems and their possible solutions. Take the issue of jobs in Mumbai or Maharashtra. While the Senas are trying to impress the local folks that they are fighting for a better share of the job-cake for them (for political mileage, everyone understands), no one is addressing the real issue of enlarging the cake itself, by increasing the jobs by bringing in investment into industries in the city and state. No thought is being given to the political climate conducive to setting up of new industries! There is no healthy debate involving the Govt in power or these battling senas about why are industries not coming in and instead going out to other states? Why are foreign investors more comfortable with setting up their industries in Gujarat or AP or Karnataka or TN instead of Maharashtra?
Maharashtra is the only state with Octroi imposed for incoming goods in 22 cities of the State right now. It used to be 37 cities until last year and after a decade long tussle that the industry associations had with the bureaucrats in Mantralaya, the abolition of octroi in 2008, was effected only in 15 smaller cities in D Zone, hesitantly.
[Incidentally, Octroi is prevalent only in the State of Maharashtra and in Ethiopia as on date]
Yours truly had the privilege to be part of these discussions. So once, after a high-powered committee meeting, I asked a state government official over a cup of tea, “When will we abolish Octroi in Mumbai?” “Never!” he whispered on terms of confidentially. As he explained to me, the state’s policy is to discourage industry in the Mega-City, so that the MIDC areas in remote areas of Maharashtra become attractive and several incentives are also available for setting up industries there. So we have a carrot and stick policy! A carrot that is not so juicy, so people prefer other states. And several such sticks that are so hurtful that one would even settle for other options. The industrial policy of the state, perhaps does not take into account the existence of other states in India!
If you closely examine this industrial location policy, the logic is great, it is highly effective - in driving out potential investors, though. One thing the Govt of Maharashtra forgets – that such policies may succeed in driving out polluting industries out of cities, but cannot be sure it will not go to other states like Gujarat or even to another country like China! MERC’s (Maharasthra Electric Regulatory Commission) tariff fixation methods are equally responsible for the flight of industry from Maharashtra to the neighbouring state of Gujarat. One has learnt of several instances of power-intensive industries that had been paying Rs 7-8 per unit of electricity moving to Silvassa in Gujarat, which offers electricity at Rs. 2.5 per unit or so! Labour Trade environment and ease of doing business are other factors challenging the state.
One wonders if we need another Sena to highlight these issues or will folks wake up to reality before they find their youngsters leaving to some other state! By which time, the Senas will become redundant, as all the Marathi Manoos would have left the State for greener pastures and there won’t be any living in the Maha State, to fight for! That may be too far-fetched. Let us hope for a better turn of events through some Maha efforts on the part of the Marathi Manoos, by working towards building a better state with the right approach to make Maharashtra the leading destination for industry and investors.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
My Perky Tweets
Twitter has been one microblogging platform where one can post one's thoughts and views about various incidents taking place as they happen. So it isnt surprising to find so many of us bloggers getting on to the Twitter bandwagon and posting their tweets - all of 140 characters, besides of course, reacting to each other's tweets and sharing their blogposts and published articles by providing their links (shortened with the help of url-shortening websites like tinyurl.com or bit.ly
Since many of my blog followers havent yet come on to the Twitter platform yet,
I would like to share some of my recent Perky Tweets and fun Tweets here. I am sure this will prompt readers to follow me on Twitter! My Twitter Id is @gopinathmm
Tweeters use indexing by using hashtags #tags like #perkytweets #justasking #mumbai #india etc
My #perkytweets
International Lunar Geographic Society names lunar crater after SRK. So we now have evidence why crazy guys are called lunatics #perkytweets
One can now Tweet from Space! With workplaces blocking Twitter and FB, are folks hoping they'd rather be in space than at work? #perkytweets
Activists cry hoarse when they hear about children and women being sold. Why nobody minds cricketers being sold? #justasking #perkytweets
Some deemed Universities are now doomed universities #perkytweets
Tilgul Ghya god god tweeta, Tilgul sandoo naka, Twitter/FB var bhandoo naka! Requesting all tweenoos - tweeple in #marathi #perkytweets
Tiger Woods thanks NDTiwari, who in turn is thanks SPS Rathore, who is waiting 2 thank someone 2 take it forwrd - media pl help #perkytweets
From now on, will NDTV mean ND Tiwari Videos? #perkytweets
Tiger Woods voted Associated Press best athlete - for running from one girl to another, i guess? #perkytweets
#KillingEnglish
You always make the wrong mistake! #killingengish
Teacher calling punished students: "You outstanding students come in" #killingenglish
Fun came, Rain fell, Night went talk went - translated from indian languages #killingenglish
I hope you have no mind #killingenglish
I have a couple of multiple problems #killingenglish
Now time for some phototakeouting! #killingenglish
All these #killingenglish tweets should have been #indianwayofkillingenglish don’t you think?
Follow me on Twitter! Twitter Id is
@gopinathmm
Since many of my blog followers havent yet come on to the Twitter platform yet,
I would like to share some of my recent Perky Tweets and fun Tweets here. I am sure this will prompt readers to follow me on Twitter! My Twitter Id is @gopinathmm
Tweeters use indexing by using hashtags #tags like #perkytweets #justasking #mumbai #india etc
My #perkytweets
International Lunar Geographic Society names lunar crater after SRK. So we now have evidence why crazy guys are called lunatics #perkytweets
One can now Tweet from Space! With workplaces blocking Twitter and FB, are folks hoping they'd rather be in space than at work? #perkytweets
Activists cry hoarse when they hear about children and women being sold. Why nobody minds cricketers being sold? #justasking #perkytweets
Some deemed Universities are now doomed universities #perkytweets
Tilgul Ghya god god tweeta, Tilgul sandoo naka, Twitter/FB var bhandoo naka! Requesting all tweenoos - tweeple in #marathi #perkytweets
Tiger Woods thanks NDTiwari, who in turn is thanks SPS Rathore, who is waiting 2 thank someone 2 take it forwrd - media pl help #perkytweets
From now on, will NDTV mean ND Tiwari Videos? #perkytweets
Tiger Woods voted Associated Press best athlete - for running from one girl to another, i guess? #perkytweets
#KillingEnglish
You always make the wrong mistake! #killingengish
Teacher calling punished students: "You outstanding students come in" #killingenglish
Fun came, Rain fell, Night went talk went - translated from indian languages #killingenglish
I hope you have no mind #killingenglish
I have a couple of multiple problems #killingenglish
Now time for some phototakeouting! #killingenglish
All these #killingenglish tweets should have been #indianwayofkillingenglish don’t you think?
Follow me on Twitter! Twitter Id is
@gopinathmm
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