तब ये समा था कि क्या मैं बात करूं तुमसे,
अब ये आलम है कि क्या मैं तुमसे करूं बात ?
I thought then that I should talk to you.But what ?
Now I think that what should I talk to you ? If at all…
~aahang
Management Jargon Demysitified
If you cannot explain it to your 6 year old daughter,you have probably not understood it yourself ~ Albert Einstein
Ram charan,who has been named as “The most influential consultant alive” by Fortune magazine believes that the basics of doing business are not complicated at all and are just common sense. He says :
Business acumen is not an arcane or complicated skill.Every successful business person has business acumen,including unschooled vendors who sell their wares in third world open air markets.
If you think about those business fundamentals in their simplest terms,the way a street vendor selling fuit and vegetables might think about them,I believe that the concepts are easy enough for anyone interested in business to understand.
He adds :
Revenue is the amount of money that comes into a company from the sale of its products or services.For a street vendor it is the money he collects for selling his fruits and vegetables.
Profit is the money left after deducting the cost of those goods.
Profit margin, is the money you get to keep as a percentage of total revenues. 
Sales – $150
Cost – $135
Profit – $15
Margin – 10 % ( $150-$135 = $15 , $15/$150 = 10 %)
Any business is started with an intention to make money which can be expressed as the Profit Margin Target.
The street vendor makes many decisions during the day to achieve his profit margin goal,beginning early in the morning when he decides how much fruit to buy and what to pay for it.This is his sourcing strategy.
Should he buy one variety or several ?This is the “Product Mix”.
He sets up his cart and decides how to price the fruit as it will affect his margin.This is his Pricing Strategy.
I will chip in:
The way he arranges them on the cart is his Visual Merchandising Planogram.
Back to Shri Ram Charan
During the day he takes some tough trade off decisions about what price cuts he should make to unload his inventory so he ends the day with enough cash to buy merchandise tomorrow.These are Mark downs.
He learns to make these decisions through trial and error therefore the clearer his view of his customers,the better his decisions will be.We call it Consumer behaviour.
Just as street vendors need cash,so do companies.A dwindling flow of cash from operations can get them into trouble even if the financial statements show a handsome profit.
The next fundamental that concerns your business is Velocity,what some people call asset turns.
Assets often include buildings,equipment,computers,receivables and inventory.
Velocity is how much annual revenue the company generates for each $ it has invested in assets.
Annual sales – $ 1 billion ,Assets – $ 100 milion, Therefore Velocity – 10
For a retailer If :
Revenue $700 million, Average Inventory – $100 million, Velocity is – 7
Velocity 7 is quite good in retailing.
Margin and velocity can be combined into one measure that most investors use to assess a business,its called Return on Investment(ROI).
ROI – Margin X Velocity.
Retailing ( we are talking about a street vendor selling F & V) is a low margin,high velocity business.a retailer may have a 3 % margin but a velocity of 7 will yield a respectable return of 21 %.If you put the same money in bank the max that you can get is 9 %.
That’s why you are doing the business.
Lets look at growth.A growth that sacrifices margin for revenue is not desirable.A real growth is the one in which the revenue as well as the margins grow.
Finally we will talk about the most important entity – the customers.A growing market share shows that customers are choosing your product over your competitors in increasing numbers every day.
So if you are growing your share of the market, in a market, that is by itself growing then it is a great position to be in.If cellphone market is growing by 30 % and your share has doubled from 10 % to 20 % from last year it is exciting and you are doing something right for your customers.
But if your market share is growing in a market that is on a free fall For example CD’s then it simply means that your competition has moved to greener pastures and you are left to tow away the burden.
Bear in mind that business acumen is not a matter of being able to calculate numbers to the 9th decimal place but about being customer centric, focussed and intelligent.
End quote.
Further I want you to consider this :
Trial and error are called insights from Consumer behaviour in a board meeting and mapping the pschycographic mindscape of purchase decisions executed in a competitive environment by measuring the dynamics of inter relationship between product and price by consultants from Bogus Consulting Group.
All three basically mean that you have messed up with your customers last year and are going to grapple with it in the coming year too.
PBA -Paralysis by analysis is a favorite game played by bored corporate citizens.If you have 2 two rupee coins and you keep counting them till the clock strikes 6 PM and they will still add up to 4 rupees only.You can make them 5 rupees by doing something about it – I will suggest that you go to the nearest signal and beg for it if there is no other strategic or tactical move that you can plan within the limited time constraints.
Will leave you with a powerful thought by Ralph Waldon Emerson :
Common sense is genius in a work man’s clothing.
बेख़ुदी बढ़ती चली है राज़ की बातें करो
शाम-ए-ग़म कुछ उस निगाह-ए-नाज़ की बातें करो 
बेख़ुदी बढ़ती चली है राज़ की बातें करो
About those graceful looks,O sad evening Let’s talk
I am loosing my senses ,about my secrets Let’s talk
ये सुकूत-ए-नाज़ ये दिल की रगों का टूटना
ख़ामुशी में कुछ शिकस्त-ए-साज़ की बातें करो
This graceful stillness,that ruptures my heart’s veins
In this silence,about the loss of music let’s talk
निकहत-ए-ज़ुल्फ़-ए-परीशां, दास्तान-ए-शाम-ए-ग़म
सुबह होने तक इसी अंदाज़ की बातें करो
The fragrance of hair let loose,the story of an evenings sorrow
Till it’s morning just like this, let’s talk
कूछ क़फ़स की तीलियों से छन रहा है नूर सा
कुछ फ़िज़ा, कुछ हसरत-ए-परवाज़ की बातें करो
From the bars of my confinement,something light like filters through
Of the skies,about my ambition to fly Let’s talk
Be the glass or become the chalice..
Ji chahe to sheesha ban ja, ji chahe paimana ban ja
Sheesha paimana kya banna, mai ban ja maikhana ban ja
Be the glass or become the chalice
Why only the glass or chalice ? become the wine,the tavern
Mai ban kar, maikhana bankar masti ka afsana ban ja
Masti ka afsana bankar hasti se begaana ban ja
By becoming the wine,the tavern become the symbol of joy
A symbol of joy now, be indifferent to your existence
Hasti se begaana hona masti ka afsaana banna
Iss hone se is banne se achha hai dewaana ban ja
Being indifferent to existence,a symbol of joy
Be this be that,Isn’t it better that you just loose your senses
Dewaana ban jane se dewaana hona achha hai
Deewana hone se achha khak-e-dar-e-janana ban ja
It’s even better to be mad than to loose your senses
To be mad or to become the dust of the the beloved’s doorstep
Khak-e-dar-e-janana kya hai ahle dil ki aankh ka surma
Shama ke dil ki thandak ban ja noor-e-dil-e-parwana ban ja
Seekh ‘Zaheen’ ke dil se jalna kahe ko har shamma par jalna
Apni aag mein khud jal jaye tu aisa parwana ban ja
At the splendor…….I stared
Jalwa baqadr-e-zarf-e-nazar dekhte rahe 
Kya dekhte hum unko magar dekhte rahe
At the splendor, with an appreciative eye, I gazed
What else could I see- but at her, I gazed.
Apna hi aks pesh-e-nazar dekhte rahe
Aaina ru-ba-ru tha jidhar dekhte rahe
At my own reflection, standing before myself, I gazed
It was me in the mirror everywhere, wherever I gazed
Unki hareem-e-naaz kahaan aur hum kahaan
Naqsh-o-nigaar-e-parda-e-dar dekhte rahe
Before the sanctuary of her grace, I stood nowhere
At the imprints ,at the veil, at the door, I gazed
Aisi bhi kuch firaaq ki raatein guzar gayin
Jaise unhi ko pesh-e-nazar dekhte rahe
Some nights of separation have gone by as if
It were her, in front of my eyes, I gazed.
Har lehza shaan-e-husn badalti rahi Jigar
Har aan hum jahaan-e-digar dekhte rahe
With every glance, the grandeur of beauty changed, O Jigar
At every glory of this transforming world, I gazed.
जब छोड़ चले लख्ननऊ नगरी
जब छोड़ चले लख्ननऊ नगरी , 
कहें हाल के हम पर क्या ग़ुज़्ररी
There is an attachment that each of us has to the places where we were born.Having spent our childhood in wonder running after butterflies and chasing rainbows,playing silly little games with our chums,eating and sleeping at will,getting scolded by almost everyone who got annoyed by our constant flow of energy.There is really no difference in the places and people whether now and then,only we have changed.When we were young everything around us was a posiibility,a dream,a hope,a mystery.As life took us through its myriad lanes of deciet,competition,money,power,lust,information,death,destruction what got killed in us was the simplicity of our heart,the innocence.That is one reason we keep coming back to the time and place where we had felt alive.
Another strong attachment is Family.Father,Mother,Siblings,Uncles,Aunts cousins.You have a sense of getting rooted,a sense of belonging,you don’t just exist here,you live.You make what this place is all about.The people around you are yours.They think,talk,walk,learn,fail,laugh like you.Their actions are similiar and their reactions same.You don’t belong to Lucknow,it belongs to you.You are a part of the landscape not an alien planted from outside .There is no possibility that you can find that level of identification,connect and concern anywhere else.
लखनऊ हम पर फिदा और हम फिदा ए लखनऊ, 
क्या है ताक़त आसमां की ,हमसे छुड़ाए लखनऊ
You can take me out of Lucknow
But you can never take Lucknow out of me.
My love for poetry comes from the city I lived and loved in.When times were bad and friends were not around I found peace in books and poetry.Must be in my DNA as I instantly took to shaayari as it had always been a part of my being,for ages.Majaaz Lucknowi on whose book I have named this blog inspired me and I continue to discover new gems every now and then.I recently saw an old picture of him and found that my father used to look almost like him in his younger days.Both of them belong to a place near Barabanki.I am sure people used to dress that way in those times and looks were inspired by cinema but that’s how a colletive mind is born.A mind that cannot but think similiarly.As I travelled more and more I realized that how different we were from other people and how we got a feeling of calmness when I was amongst my own.In India everything starts and ends with religion whether you are a hindu or a muslim but in China many of the young people do not even have the concept of religion,even God.
जिन से हम छूट गए अब वो जहां कैसे हैं 
वो मक़ीं कैसे हैं शीशे के मकां कैसे हैं
ए सबा तू तो उधर से ही गुज़रती होगी
उस गली में मेरे पैरों के निशां कैसे हैं
Now I am asking for trouble but I will speak the truth nevertheless.The concept and idea of beauty changes from place to place but not really from time to time.I always found women from Lucknow more attractive not only because of their face and form but also their word and thought drew my mind more than the others.The nazaaqat , nafaasat,the values,ethos,whims and fancies belong only to the women born in this beautiful city.Once again enlarging the context you will seldom find westeners getting attracted to African women or Arabs getting attracted to chinese.I am not talking sex but actual relationships.It is very difficult to relate to someone who is very different from you.at least for lesser evolved minds like me.I am not John Lenon.
खुदा आबाद रखे लखनऊ फिर भी गनीमत है
कहीं न कहीं कोई अच्छी सूरत दिख ही जाती है
And lastly you have to come back where it all started
बहुत धूप थी ज़रा सी शाम कर लें
बहुत दौड़ॆ ज़रा आराम कर लें
खुद को खो कर इस शहर की खाक़ में
नए फिर अपने जिस्म ओ जान कर लें
In our parts older women will put it something like this :
अऊते कैसे नाहीं , उनकी नाल हिएं गड़ी जऊन है
( He had to die where his umbilical chord lies buried)
Even Josh Malihabadi has said :
अब्र तक़ रहने ना देना तुम दक़न की खाक़ में
दफ्न करना अपने शायर को वतन की खाक़ में
(Literally translates don’t let me be there in deccan till eternity,bury your poet in the dust of his beloved land.)
Above lines were written by Josh Malihabadi when he was appointed in the royal court in Hyderabad and after almost a century I am writing about the same emotion living in Hyderabad.
So I just hope that one day when all is done and over I will get a chance to pass my days in the bylanes and bazaars of Lucknow enjoying a drink in the evening and a walk in the morning.
What is done with Love
Nietzsche Says :
What is done with love occurs beyond good and evil.
I have found the above not only true but contextual in defining many of our relationships and assignments.
No matter how silly or out of place does your portrait look,you just love it.Why?because your 5 year old has sketched it with Love. 
If you love to write you can keep doing it forever not bothered if anyone likes it or not.But if you are expected to make a presentation you feel like banging the laptop on someone’s head.
Good and evil are creation of our own mind.When we like something it is good when we do not it is evil – at least to the mind which forces the body to act.
There is tremendous change that we can bring to our lives if we genuinely start loving everything and everyone around us.And if you critically examine there is no point in having a relationship in which there is no love or doing something which you do not feel like.The ultimate happiness will come when we are in an environment of our choosing doing what we love to do.We owe nothing to anyone else,but to us.
The situation may not allow you to take a hard choice but it is important to keep working on it.After all ,you have just one life to live.
Am I lovable ?
Why do we love someone else?What makes us do that?
While we constantly crib about the fact that no one loves me ,how much thought we give about why would someone do it.What is so special or what have I done to make me worthy of affection.
Let’s take a look at examples close by. 
All of us love and adore children,Why ?
1.They are made by nature that way.Cute little faces,tiny hands and feet,speech that makes you smile and a smile that just melts your heart
2.They never lie.Say things as they are.You can trust them.
3.You feel strong and they look vulnerable – physically and emotionally.One feels like its their duty and God’s will to protect them
4.If they like you they like you from their heart.If they don’t they will make it obvious with reasons.If you can improve and change you can be their friend.
5.They never hold anything for a long time .One moment they will fight and the next moment they will be ready to play and laugh and run with you.
6.They know nothing about jealousy,greed,hatred,contempt.We call it innocence but isn’t it natural for us to feel that way.If you really look at it these are absolutely unnecessary appendages to our mind.
7.They are always ready to take help as they are always ready to offer it.
As we grow up we loose many of these simple yet powerful reasons so people can adore and like us.The worst part is that instead of consciously working on making ourselves child like we do just the opposite.In the name of growing up and being worldly wise we do everything that we do not want others to.And then we complain.
If you carefully observe a large part of the responsibility even power to make people love us lies with us.
1.We hate everyone around us and then wonder why it’s coming back.
2.Look at others with deceit and contempt.Lie at the drop of a hat.
3.Do not want to take help.Do not want to give it either
4.In marriage we treat our partner with disrespect.Hurt to the extent of being revengeful.Take each other for granted.
5.Hold our feelings as if it is the most important thing to die with a negative emotion or may be it helps you to live longer.Absolutely Wrong.
6.Ridicule,gossip and make fun to alleviate our own insecurity.
7.Blame others to hide our guilt.
8.Almost never use our heart.The tiny calculator keeps working non stop even if it is the closest of relationship.
I have two children and I have been observing their behavior with us,with their friends,with each other.What I have found is that whatever they do they do it with spontaneity,with a natural flow.They are so happy with themselves that you want to enter their world to forget what you have been doing to others or what others have been doing to you.
I have come to realize that it is a mechanism that nature has adopted to ensure growth of species since we can observe a similar behavior in almost all other life forms.If it was not so we would have competed with our own off springs.
Just as you need to be employable to be employed,you need to be lovable to be loved.
So next time you feel that you are getting a raw deal or why no one really loves you ask yourself a question – Am I lovable ?
I am working on it and it’s not that difficult.Trust me.
A million times ….
Says Majaz Lucknowi :
Humdum Yahi Hai, Rah-Guzaar-E-Yaar-Khush Khiraam
Guzre Hain Laakh Baar Isi Kahkashaan Se Hum
हमदम यही है ,राह- गुज़र – ए – यार खुश खिराम
गुज़रे हैं लाख बार इसी केह्कशां से हम
This slow pace,this path of bliss has been my companion
I have passed this galaxy a million times…
Says Marcus Aurelius ;
Even if you are going to live three thousand more years,or ten times that,remember :you cannot loose another life than the one you’re living now,or live another one that you’re losing.
The longer amounts to the same as the shortest.
The present is the same for everyone;its loss is the same for everyone;and it should be clear that a brief instant is all that is lost.For you can’t lose either the past or the future,how could you lose what you don’t have ?
Remember two things :
1. that everything has always been the same,and keeps recurring,and it makes no difference whether you see the same things recur in a hundred years or two hundred,or in an infinite period;
2.that the longest lived and those who will die the soonest lose the same thing.The present is all that they can give up,since that is all they have and what you do not have you cannot loose.
क्या समझती हो कि तुमको भी भुला सकता हूँ मैं
अपने दिल को दोनों आलम से उठा सकता हूँ मैं
क्या समझती हो कि तुमको भी भुला सकता हूँ मैं 
You think I can’t let go of both worlds,I can
You think I can’t forget you ,I can
कौन तुमसे छीन सकता है मुझे क्या वहम है
खुद जुलेखा से भी तो दामन बचा सकता हूँ मैं
It’s your misgiving that you can lose me to her
I can myself be indifferent to that beauty,I can.
दिल मैं तुम पैदा करो पहले मेरी सी जुर्रतें
और फिर देखो कि तुमको क्या बना सकता हूँ मैं
Sow in yourself the same audacity I have
and I will make you someone else ,I can.
दफ़न कर सकता हूँ सीने में तुम्हारे राज़ को
और तुम चाहो तो अफसाना बना सकता हूँ मैं
I can bury your deepest secrets If I will
and I can make them a legend if you want,I can.
तुम समझती हो कि हैं परदे बहुत से दरमियाँ
मैं यह कहता हूँ कि हर पर्दा उठा सकता हूँ मैं
You think that there are lots of curtains that hide
I say I will lift each one of them if I wish,I can.
तुम कि बन सकती हो हर महफ़िल मैं फिरदौस-ए-नज़र
मुझ को यह दावा कि हर महफ़िल पे छा सकता हूँ मैं
Yes you may be the heavenly gaze in any gathering
But I challenge that I can be the life of any party,I can.
आओ मिल कर इन्किलाब ताज़ा पैदा करें
दहर पर इस तरह छा जाएं कि सब देखा करें
Let’s get together and start a a revolution afresh,
and be such that everyone looks at us and says Wow!
~ Majaz Lucknowi
~ interpretative translation By aahang
मेरा भाई अनंत
एक बन्दर सा उछ्ला करता मेरा भाई अनंत 
उठ कर गिरता गिर कर उठता मेरा भाई अनंत
दिन भर मुझसे लडता रहता मेरा भाई अनंत
रात अकेले सोने से डरता मेरा भाई अनंत
पढना लिख्नना उसे ना भाता मेरा भाई अनंत
खाना खाने से कतराता मेर भाई अनंत 
फिर भी मुझको लगता प्यारा मेरा भाई अनंत
सारे जग में सबसे न्यारा मेरा भाई अनंत
यह कविता अनन्या ने अपने भाई अनंत कुमार के लिये लिखी है.अगर आप को अछ्छी लगे तो उसे ज़रूर बताना.
If today be sweet..
Ah, fill the cup; – what boots it to repeat 
How time is slipping underneath our feet:
Unborn tomorrow and dead yesterday
Why fret about them if today be sweet !
March end brings some relief as one can take the unused leaves accumulated during the year.To my delight after the 15 leaves that could be spilled over as encashments I had still got 3 more left.I promptly applied yesterday and the powers that be obliged.
With the managerial instinct that has now become a second nature I ‘planned’ to do nothing and indulge myself.
The first thing I decided was that this tired old body of mine needs some pampering.So I landed at Secunderabad club allowing Solomon Joseph the master masseur to work his magic.A feeling of calm enveloped me as the Worldspace radio played
दिल ढूंढता है फिर वही फुर्सत के रात दिन
बैठे रहें तस्सवुर ए जाना किए हुए …..
I am not sure when the tassavur e Jaana ended , the REM sleep started and I dosed off.The only thing that bothered me was showing my bums to a stranger but then I let it be …..
अछ्छा है दिल के पास रहे पासबान ए अक्ल
लेकिन कभी कभी इसे तन्हा भी छोड दे
Before your imagination yields to fantasy I want to tell you that my massage session lasted as it should have.In true Impireal style the orderly brought a towel along with a soap and shampoo so I can get rid of the oil factory that was me.
A luxurious hot shower bath of 30 minutes infested in me the spirit of a Gora Saheb (quite literally now) and I walked out of the parlor after tipping the staff handsomely.
A good thing about Secunderabad club is that it has a very good library but more than that you can get a cup of English Tea in the Lounge next to it.After borrowing a copy of Dante’s the Divine Comedy I ordered for a cup of finest blend they have.Come on now….stop being Jealous.
Dante is a bit pretentious.Isn’t it ? I did look at other titles but whether vanity gave in to reason or reason gave in to vanity I am not sure.I had always picked up this one at the bookstore and kept it back thinking what if I do not understand a word of it – I will be short of cash for the wisdom I could not acquire.So this was my chance.
I guess 40 minutes were enough for me in the fabled land of Gods and angels so I decided to make my move into the real world.But as they say in Hindi “मुल्ला की दौड मस्जिद तक” so I found myself parking the car in front of Odyssey – the Books and Music store.They had a flat 50 % off sale so I ended 
up buying twice the stuff at half the price.Nice Tag line – will try to remember it when I open my own retail store.Twice the stuff at half the price,twice the stuff at half the price…..shut up !Apart from others I picked up one very interesting book about why genius and hash,heroine and alcohal are inseperable.The book maps the life histories of a number of Poets,thinkers,scholars,Musicians to drive home the point.
I think it will serve as an apt explanation for my psychedelic leanings.The genius in me has the right to be nourished albeit with foods (aka drink) considered unfit by lesser mortals.Have parked it for the late night reading.
Body is done,mind is taken care of and now we must have something for the senses.Again your ugly serpent is raising its head.I am a married father of two with limited means and imagination so nothing sensual for me.I decided to watch a movie all by myself – LCD screen,Full sound,Pop corn,Leather sofa,air conditioner……and me.I chose The Bucket List – a story of two old guys who meet up in a cancer ward.Edward ( Jack nicholson) owns the hospital and Carter(Morgan Freeman) is a car mechanic but they come close thanks to Ed’s policy of 
having two patients in every room.He is not running a spa..he says.As they get to know each other they decide to explore the world and do what they have always yearned but never had the chance.On their bucket list are things such as kissing the most beautiful girl in the world and Diving from the sky.I would say a good watch smiles,tears,compassion but what was uncanny for me was that in one scene Ed asks his board members in a meeting” Have you read Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy?’ No big deal but considering the fact that I wrote half the post before watching the movie, it was weird.
The problem is that it keeps happening with me all the time.Just a few days back I was reading India in slow motion.There was a chapter on Sufism which I really liked.When I came out of my room I was puzzled to see my wife was watching a program on National Geographic that was about Sufis and showing the same places I was just reading about. Strange.
ना जाने नक्शत्रों से कौन
निमंत्रण देता मुझको मौन
Curiously, the most searched and viewed post on my blog is the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra.I never thought it would get any views but I posted it as I wanted to remember the meaning and listen to it whenever,where ever I wanted.Now every time I check the blog stats it appears in the most searched and clicked classification.
I am hearing his call.Is he hearing mine too ?
Sell for the body,Sell to the mind
Bhagwan Krishna tells Arjun “Idam Shariram Kaunteyam” meaning that which dissipates is the body and therefore you must not think too much about it.As retailers we must understand this law.
What we sell is almost always for the body but we must remember that it is the mind that remains constant and governs the body so whatever we do must be targeted at the consumers mind.If you can convince the mind of a 16 year old about your value preposition you can get a customer lifetime value of millions of rupees if she shops with you till she dies.In the process of reduction of the 70 odd years the body consumes large amount of substances which the mind must fulfill.While it does that the mind is always careful and alert and tries to maximize the value in every deal it does and every transactions it takes part in.While the body wears the Jeans the comfort and fit appeal to the mind.While the tongue tastes the food the pleasure is entirely the mind’s.While the body works hard to earn the money ,the mind decides how and when it is to be spent and what is the “value” of a product or service.
By chasing the price a retailer commits nothing but harakiri.Have as look :
1.If you get your customers because of price you will loose them because of price as someone can always offer a lower price than yours
2.You have to pay something for anything so Price can not be a source of sustainable competitive advantage
3.You do not manufacture everything yourself so your competitors can always go to the same suppliers and may be crack a better deal or decide to work on lower margins assuming they got the same price
4.What is cheap for one is costly for another so you will always be “expensive” in the eyes of a group of customers.Just as we say how much is too much we can also say how low is too low.
5.Every pit has a bottom and one day you will hit it.
So what’s the solution ? Sell to the mind.
1.You are cheap,value or expensive depending on how your target customer perceives you.
2.You are what your customers think you are.It has nothing to do with the price on the bar code
3.Quality is in the head and not necessarily in the product.It is up to you how you drive “quality” and “price” in the mind of the consumer.Remember the game we used to play in school.You can always make a line look smaller by driving a bigger line next to it.Similarly you can always make a product look good Quality by by deliberately keeping a bad quality product next to it.
4.And if you can successfully do the price laddering and create value at each step you can compel the customer to do what you want her to do and at the same time make her feel that I made the right choice and ripped the retailer.
5.She loves it when she thinks she has made a fool out of you and this will make sure she keeps coming back.Get them in,sell them up and get them back.Got it ?
I am writing this post as I went to a big box retailer in Sholapur and while everything was done quite well they had completely thrown away the value which could have been captured so easily by doing a better Price laddering,branding and Private label strategy.
The power of category management is not is selling as low as possible but in selling as high as your customer can pay……..and feel happy about it.
Blog as if it will never be seen
I was reading the book ‘Predictably irrational’ when it suddenly hit me.Why the hell do I bother about blog stats.To care about comments is fine but to think too much of cold numbers which may or may not have face to them is madness.
Let us have a peek into my irrational behaviour.Since morning I look at the blog stats twice and by afternoon I am worried that no one has even looked at my blog today.When I click the refresh button as if out of nowhere a number of views appear.This is the point when my blog was on Alphainventions reading cycle.Now out of these views there could be chinese,peruvian,saudi and russin bloggers who have no choice but to look at my blog since it is on thier computer screens.As some of the posts are in English they may even try jumping from one post to another to find something of interest but will certainly leave the blog,never to come back again.
Have you ever counted how many people you met in the market ?How many people looked at you while you were shopping?How many joggers passed by you while jogging in the park ?Or who else came to watch the movie ?
It is irrational therefore to keep submitting your blog and Alpha inventions or Condron in the hope of getting more readership to increase page views.But we are predictable bloggers and will continue to do it again and again.One day we may get a 1000 page views and the other day we may get just 50.
That’s the way we are programed or wired I should say – to measure everything.Even our performance on blogs which are meant to take us away ‘from these things.If your blog not have adequate number of hits or commenst you start getting a feeling of being wasted and a secret voice says don’t do this.This explains the thousands of blogs with just a couple of posts.
You will find 100′s of posts and commenst about ‘How to increase blog traffic’ and how to use technology make your blog better and more attractive but very few which will give you tips on how to post exceptional or unique content .I even came across a personal blog that wanted to make money through adsense the very first month of coming into existance.It may have been an experiment but I found it quite interesting.
For now I have a promised to myself that I will not look at my blog stats for the next 1 month.
But promises are meant to be broken.Are’nt they 
Semi Organized retail will succeed in India
After being in the Indian retail market for close to 3 years now and having some sort of an understanding of this business I have realized that it will be very difficult for Organized business to succeed and sustain in the Indian retail scenario.This has been demonstrated by the recent fall of some of the most talked about stories – Subhiksha,Reliance and now Vishal retail.I am not even talking about scores of others in the pipeline.
The very reason for which the customer shops and makes a choice in favor of a particular retailer is flawed due to the uneven playing field between the organized and unorganized retail – Experience,Taxes,Quality of manpower,customer understanding,relationships all go in the favor of unorganized sector.The fact that they have been there for ages and rule consumers mind adds further to the woes of someone setting shop with neat fixtures,air conditioning and smiling Service associates who know very little about the product.
On some counts the Organized sector does have an advantage -hygiene,ambiance,trust of larger brand names that back the store fronts,courteous and polite staff,transparent exchange policies,promotional schemes,scale and scope of operations and width and depth of merchandise offered,Supply chain etc.The biggest challenge they face however is that while these cost the retailer a good amount of money on a recurrent basis the customer is not ready to pay for them.
She wants the best of both worlds :
- Fixed prices which can be bargained
- Clean ambiance but low prices for F & V
- Smiling CSA’s who know them by name
- Relationship without the CRM cards
- Fashion consultants who don’t cost a fortune
- A personal touch that is not backed by computer data
And that is what we need to give her.Indians are value conscious regardless of their social status and earning capacity and spending money wisely is still considered to be a great virtue.One of the Highest rate of savings( 30 %)explains this behavior to a large extent if one does not already know it from his/her upbringing.Splurging on costly branded merchandise is considered an act of ostentatious stupidity and you always end up congratulating yourself on the ‘graet deal you had at the mall or bazaar as the case may be.
I am presenting below and excellent aricle by William Bissel MD of FAB Indian Overseas which has a similar thought process.It was published on Retail Angle Website on 24th march2009 :
| William N. Bissell: Retailing Indian Style | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Bissell is the Managing Director of Fabindia Organized Indian retail has copied the Western Retail Model at a time when the conditions in India are not developed as in the West. |
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Most Efficient Retail: 1. Self or Family Run. This is a true story – I’ve only changed the name of the person to Ramu. |
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Ramu is the salesman, CFO and the CEO – in the organized sector, our professionals tend to be conscious of their designations and very few feel that shop floor selling is a worthy job. Small family run Asian outlets are doing extremely well in the UK and have survived the onslaught of the large retailers – in fact large retailers have been forced to extend their working hours to compete with the corner shops. ( There is a joke that Asian teams fail in hockey in the UK because every time they got a corner, they built a shop!!). Ramu works 24×7 by 365 organized retail cannot offer him much competition. India is built on the 12 – 14 million Ramu’s and the surplus capital they generate. We just don’t notice them because of the glitz of big retail If the Government could find a way of letting investors invest with Ramu instead of “big retail” Capital would earn a phenomenal rate of return. |
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You can’t escape Big Bazaar
The latest issue of Business world has the cover story on how Biyani is in a bad shape and it will take his company more than innovation to stay in business.
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/Retail-FMCG/The-Burden-Of-Debt.html
The reason cited for the downfall was a high unserviceable debt in a recession scenario.As customers choose to stay away or downtrade(read buy at discounts) profitability will be the first victim.Retailers will try to save face by at least showing some top line growth by either adding stores or increasing top line by giving exceptional value to customers through promotions,deals and offers.
Many analysts have already dubbed Pantaloon retail a Satyam in the making due to their refusal to be transparent and their deftness at creative accounting practices.In the cover story I am talking about Kishore Biyani refused to talk about any Financial details.I fail to understand what’s the big secret.If I have shares or a house that I have to sell to be in business that I built over the years,so be it.
Anyways,you can read all that in the magazine.This blog is to bring to you more sinister secrets of the corporate world.
Just think about the below scenario :
1.Where does your money go ?
a) You Spend it
b) You save it
c) You invest it
d) You give it away but that’s small one so we will leave it
Let us take Pantaloon retail and you as a case.
No matter what you do you will be at a loss just as in Casinos.If you spend your money you will pay Pantaloon a hefty Margin – as much as 40-80% in case of Apparel.That’s twice what the product is worth !I am assuming that you still got value for your money which is not the case else Retail would not be falling apart like it is.The biggest reason why sales and margins are falling is that retailers in India are offering over priced products from a costly platform.Wal Mart is a success for a number of reasons but the biggest one is that when you pick up a product and you think that it should be worth X ,you flip the tag to find out that it is much less.That’s when you are compelled to buy more and more.It is estimated that Wal Mart keeps the US economy in check and saves Americans billions of dollars not only at their own stores but basically by being the benchmark for the retail industry – like a price index.Which retailer in India does that?So much so our friends even jack up the prices in SALE and then give you schemes such as Buy one get one free etc.But ‘customer is no moron,she’s your wife’ as David Ogivly said during a session at Sam Walton Institute for retail.Many of them have realized this Quickly and have decided not be lured by such cheap tricks.
Having established that it does not offer exceptional value and takes away unjustified amount of profit from your pockets let us see what they do with that money.
In a race to have more floor space,roll out faster and borrow more money Big B will be prone to buying products from inefficient supply chains and will have to stock them at stores in expensive malls with crazy rentals.Keep in mind that they have no long term partners and every new factory they walk in will try and fleece them just like they did with the customers.With a highly leveraged working capital position Big B’s ability to pay on time is compromised and suppliers add interest cost to their own margins,making the product costly to start with.Big B is still doing a good job on negotiation partially because it has better reach and scale but it is nothing when compared to ‘Buy, build,own and operate” model of Wal Mart.If the pace of roll out was not an issue even Kishore Biyani will agree that the best way to focus on your retail Model and not worry about shifting value preposition and cost disadvantages is to own the stores.But Reliance came and spoilt the Party.I know that’s another sad story.
Now where does Big B go for money? To one of the Banks.And why would they give him cash? For interest.And whose money was it – Your’s. But there is a small catch here.There is big gap between the interest rate that banks pay you and what they ask from you let us say when you take a Home loan.Now it is fine that you will save money and the banks will lend and give you interest but what will you do when you have a substantial chunk.Buy a house or a car right? Remember Alice in wonderland” Come into my parlor,said the spider to the fly” You will get a loan at a floating rate which will keep going up ap and away.In my case my home loan EMI increased from 9000 Rs 4 years ago to 14000 Rs now even with my term getting increased from 15 to 25 years !
So what ? ICICI bank will make profits .The truth is ,in this particular case it won’t.Remember we are not talking about overall banking but Big B ,you and banks.ICICI Retail Ventures has a huge stake and so do a lot of other Banks in other Retail companies.Venture funds stand to loose if the investment does not yield good results or if the value is not unlocked in an FDI deal or an IPO.Venture capitalists also have a substantial knowledge of the businesses they invest in and nurture good start ups and growing companies.This is not the case clearly in India.
Now how will ICICI bank cover up.You are damn right- by upcharging you on your outstanding loans.That explains their tendency to make a fool of everyone who was unintelligent enought to take a home loan from them like me.
It is for these Venture funds that Enterprenuers get pushed against the wall and not having enough resoures of knowledge,expertise,manpower,merchandise and supply chain go bankrupt like Subhiksha did.Subbu promoted his brand like anything so he can somehow get to do an IPO and get a good valuation so everyone gets a chance to party at the cost of the investor but I guess the Gods were in your favor so he had to walk away empty handed.Had he got a chance even he would have opened his stock at a price of Rs 350-400 just like Vishal retail did and the investors would now be weeping their hearts out while the share languishes at Rs 43 falling further with each bad news.
Sorry I went a little of the story.Well not really I think I was able to set the stage for what comes next.Option c) You invest in Pantaloon shares.The market capitalization of PRIL has fallen from Rs 12000 crores to Rs 2400 crores in just about 18 months.It simply means that a ruppe that you invested in PRIL share has become about 16 Paise only.And all the while you thought that what great saving I am doing by buying at Big Bazaar.The equation is quite simple.You shop for Rs 5000 ,think you saved Rs1000,comes back and invest Rs 2000 in PRIL.It becomes Rs 320. – a net loss !!!!
No matter what you do spend,save or invest you are bound to get jacked.You know why ?There is no real value being generated and so in the long run we are all dead.In hindi they say Jab tak Topi Ghum rahi hai gaadi chal rahi hai.Satyam would have never happened if the ball kept rolling but Raju was pushed into buying Maytas as he had no more money to support operations with the fall in share market.It could be the same for the retail players too. As per Warren Buffet ‘s suggestion we may see a lot of naked folks running around as the tide of high share markets withers away.
Moral of the story -Next time you go shopping please do not bother about this article and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
(wanted to use another word starting with R but my Kapersky blocks my own blog if I did)
मरीना बीच पर
मरीना बीच पर
बरसों पेहले एक ब्राम्हण ने कहा था
तुम में सूर्य का अंश है 
दूर शितिज पर डूबते सूरज से
मैं कुछ केहना चाहता हूं
मगर क्या ?
जो मायने नहीं रखता
उसे केहने के क्या मायने
और जो मायने रखता है
उसे केहने की हिम्मत नहीं है मुझमें
तो बस बैठा हू इस इंतज़ार में
कि कब एक बडी सी लेहर आये
और मैं भी डूब जाऊं मेरे सूरज की तरह
धरती की गोद से निकला समन्दर मुझे ऐसे घेर ले
जैसे मां अपने बिलखते हुए बच्चे को
अपने आचल में समेट लेती है
और तब केहने के लिये मेरे पास
कुछ नहीं रहेगा
~ ब कलम खुद
Traditional wholesale and Organized retail
In my earlier post I had suggested that Semi Organized Retail will succeed in India.To build upon the idea I am presenting another case below.
India is a uniquely different from the west if we consider the following factors :
1.While the Retail stores big and small have been there for almost a century now,Organized chain stores are a new phenomena to the Indian market
2.In the absence of pan Indian chain stores we had bazaars and whole sale and retail markets which catered to the needs and lifestyle of the Indian Public.By virtue of their long innings these have a place of prominence in the mind of the Indian shopper.Their value preposition too is quite clear and each bazaar caters to a different taste and wallet size.This is something that organized retail is struggling with at the moment.
3.While Labor is in short supply and is therefore costly in the west,its in abundance in the country of more than a billion people.This has shaped the Indian wholesale and Retail Market very very differently.
For cash and carry models I believe that they will not be successful unless they target institutional clients and offer door to door delivery.In India if you have cash ,you don’t carry someone else does it for you.Large number of house holds are still serviced by Deliver ‘boys’ across neighborhoods.This service is free of charge and many a times if you are a regular the bill value does not matter.
4.While there may appear to be very little method in the madness and chaos seems to be buzzword if you scratch a little deeper you will find self aligning systems very similar to those found in primitive life forms.They may look like randomly moving around but a pattern emerges as soon as you put them under a scanner and start to study their behavior.
Go to any ‘Mandi’(wholesale market) and you will know what I mean.
They may not be carrying Laptops and have fancy accounting systems but they know their business well partly because that’s what they do 24X7 and partly because it has become a part of their DNA.
5.In Organized retail we work on SOP’s and MOU’s to forge supplier and buyer agreements but in case of traditional retail these are handed over from generations to generations.The buyer and the supplier are not only business partners but they are friends who sometimes even marry their siblings into each others families.
It is very difficult to replicate that level of trust and understanding and the spirit of co creation.The MBA’s in organized retail learn about segmentation,customer focus and value creation but in the traditional whole sale business they KNOW that that’s the only way.Survival to them means continuously reinventing themselves keeping an eye on the pulse of the market.They get their information through informal channels but the actions that follow them are fast and practical.
6.On the other hand the Organized retail lacks many if not all of the above attributes.The systems and processes neatly laid down in SOP’s and charts and tables remain there and very few retailers have been able to drive them down in the organization.The team members are young and new to the trade so while they may not do it deliberately the understanding of the importance of each step of the business process is missing.
7.Organized Retail does offer to its customers a neat and clean ,friendly shopping environment and a certain level of trust of quality as most are backed by big corporates of multinationals.
Another aspect which is important here is that of customer service and window shopping which is a big Grey area as far as traditional retail is concerned.The salesmen are often rude and do not have the finesse to deal with different class of customers.The idea of being confronted and not being able to just ‘have a look around’ does not appeal to many customers especially women.
The point that I am trying to make is that in a way both these entities can not only co exist but they can partner together for creating a unique value for the customer.How ?
Traditional wholesale can serve as the supply chain for modern retailers as they stock bulk quantities which can ordered as per the sales lift on the 
shelves.
For trial runs of new products this could be great idea as you do not have to commit yourself to quantities upfront.A organized retailer can continue buying from wholesalers as long as the quantities become so large and predictable that owning a production line is the best option to enhance and retain higher margins.
This model will work very well for new retailers with young and 
inexperienced buying teams as they can use the skill and expertise of wholesalers who have been in the market for decades.Their understanding of local taste and price points will be far more than someone who has just passes out of college.
In fact what I am suggesting is nothing new.Almost all big retailers in the developed economies depend heavily on importers for their business.The concept of category captains is akin to what I am proposing.
In India we do not have ‘importers’ and also the organized retail market is not so big to support such operators but that gap can easily be filled by wholesalers.Those who have been touted as the biggest adversaries by an ignorant media can in fact bring a lot of value on the table for themselves and for the customer too.
I have been experimenting with the above in my business and it as worked quite well so far.
तब हर सड्क मास्को तक जाती थी
जब मैं छोटा था
तो हर सडक मास्को तक जाती थी 
पेड शाम को पत्ते तोड्ने से जग जाया करते थे
और हर फूल में परियां रहती थी
दोस्त मुझे चिल बिल की दावत पर बुलाते
और मैं उन्हें माचिस की डिबियां उपहार में देता
मैदान में फूट्बाल खेलनें जाते तो बस यूं ही
दरिन्दे के घर में गेट पर लगी घंटी दबा देते
और ळौटते हुए शीशे में उसकी परछाई को देखकर
मन ही मन सोचते कि केह देंगे “हमें क्या पता?”
साईकल पर सवार होकर यूं निकलते
जैसे कोलंबस जहाज पर अमरीका को खोजने जा रहा हो
हर मोहल्ला दूसरे से इतना दूर
जितना हिन्दुस्तान चीन से
कभी ये सब याद आता है तो लगता है
कि हम कितने भोले थे,कुछ नहीं जानते थे
पर जब गहराई से सोचता हूं तो पाता हूं
कि जीवन का विस्तार हमारी कल्पना ही तो है
मेरा दिमाग जितना बडा हो गया है
मेरी दुनिया उतनी ही छोटी हो गयी है
वैसे हम भी होते काश !
आकाश अनंत है
और धरती एक मटमैली
नदी बनकर उसे
छू लेना चाहती है
वो पीछे नहीं हटता
और न आता है आगे
क्षितिज पर मिल तो सकते हैं
पर शायद ये दूरी इन्हें अच्छी लगती है
एक दूसरे से ऊबते नहीं ये लोग
और ना ये कहते हैं कि बस बहुत हुआ
एक दूसरे में ऐसे मगन
कि कुछ और नहीं चाहिये इन्हे
दोनों का ये प्यारा सा खेल
ना जाने कबसे चल रहा है
जैसे ये धरती आकाशवैसे हम भी होते काश ! ~ By aahang
Mom and Me
I can still feel your hands on my forehead
When I am not feeling too well
And smell the hot tiffin 
when hunger calls
I want to run to you
When I get praised
and crave for your lap
when sleep eludes me in that scary moment
I want you to catch my ears
so I know I am making a mistake
And to tell the world
to stop bullying me for not being up to it
You have always been there for me
I am seldom there for you
I know I can look after you
only if I stop looking up to you
Its time for me to stop
begging you to take care of me
I can’t.Its an old habit..
I never grew up
always needed you
for every little thing
You can’t stop crying
every time I take a cab to the airport
And I never ever want to think of life
with you not in it ……..
Or A bird as free..
I will choose my own sky
And how and where I fly
I will make my own road
And near or far I’ll go
I will fight my own battles
And decide if I lost or won
I will sing my own songs
And be soulful or loud
I will speak my mind
And be absurd or astute
I will find my own love
And be chaste or corrupt
I will live my own life
And be man or a bird as free
~ By aahang
Heritage Monument or Hotel California ?
We had just landed in Secunderabad in the summer of 2006 and knew nothing about the city,almost.One evening we decided to have dinner at a famous Chinese restaurant on Park Lane but to our dismay we could not get a table even after waiting for half and hour. With two little children and a parking slot which is as difficult to manage we thought we would settle for something a little less fancy.
Bang opposite to the chinese place we saw a number of boards declaring that there was a restaurant and a bar somewhere.We could not figure out where ?
There was this old colonial structure that looked more french than british but it hardly looked like a restaurant or a bar.
But since the board said that this was the place we wanted to have a dekho at it.As our party of 3 and a Quarter headed in the direction of what looked like the entrance we were accosted by a fierce looking man with a guards uniform and club in hand.He ordered ” You cannot go inside” and put his club in front as in to hold us back.
Surprised beyond belief I confronted him”But why not? We will go.You cannot stop us like this”.His expression had by now turned from mild retribution to anger and he thundered” I am saying you cannot go means you cannot go and certainly not with these people”.It was now my wife’s turn to question him while my two kiddos looked at each other 
and the three of us with a not so amused look.” Have you put a board here that who all can go and who all cannot.India is after all a free country”.The poor guy had given up by now and he said in a very deep tone almost like a whisper”Sir madam does not understand.It is better you first go and check out your self” I had begun to grow suspicious by now as some of the characters coming out of the building did not exactly look like gentlemen.Even they had a weird expression on their faces and they were looking at us as if they had seen some strange ghosts.I asked my wife to wait in a corner besides our car while I went ahead like an adventurer.
Once I entered the hall I could not believe my eyes.The place was straight out 
of the 18th century.I had never seen anything like this before in my life.Rows and rows of tables with two benches on each side,a dim lit bulb over them and all of the occupied by men in various stages of intoxication.Some were chatting or blabbering but most of them were drinking silently and by the look on their faces it was clear that they did not know the person sitting in front of them and neither did they care.There were 3 such halls and together there must have been some 100 tables !!!
Pulling myself up from the shock I got out and told my wife the whole story.Both of us were at our wits end that how could such a place exist almost frozen in time.I could not get over it and wanted to know the whole story so I went back the other day this time alone and all by myself.
What I found out was this :
It is amazing that even after more than 100 years the place is preserved in all its original glory.I imagined how groups of soldiers from the British cantonment would come and spend their evenings at the Monty’s hotel.Many of them would even stay there before their quarters were allotted or something like that.
I called up and checked with some friends who have been living in Hyderabad for years together but no one knew about the place.
I promised to SHOW them Hotel California one day.And if anyone of you are in town I would be happy to take you there too but remember …No women and children please !
Unfortunately The Authorities have decided to delist the Monty’s Hotel from its Heritage building status and soon the place will loose out to a swanky mall or some other fancy and ‘modern’ building.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/hotel-loses-heritage-tag-924#comment-7599
(We’ve) Lost that Loving Feeling
In the year 1977 my father traveled to Europe.He had been awarded a scholarship by WHO to do research at a lab in Malmo,Sweden.I was just 6 years old at that time.It was a 1 year project but I believe he wrapped up a bit early as he was sick of living all alone in a strange land with no one to talk to.Looking at foreign microbes,sashaying along air conditioned corridors,staying in a 15×12 hostel room at the medical college and eating boiled food was not his idea of success ,I believe.
In the year 1978 he returned home.He came back with suitcase load of goodies that he had written about on picture postcards that were handed over to us by the postman day after day and week after week.We were not sure if we were more happy at Papa coming home or with all the gifts and Toys that he had brought us.I remember I felt lucky that we had both.
In his Baggage was strange equipment to play Music.We had so far seen only a tape recorder and a transistor but this thing had all three play back modes available at that time together.It had a transistor,a tape recorder and an LP disc player.We christened it the “3 in 1″.We had a few cassettes that Papa got along with him and the transistor played Vividh Bharti without any options.The problem was the LP player.With a round turntable and a needle to go with it this was the most intriguing part of the 3 in 1.Even my father did not know how exactly it went about churning notes from thin air as the Vinyl disc rotated in circular motion atop the turn table with the silver needle scratching its surface.
One of the songs that Papa had recorded perhaps on a lonely night in his hostel room was a song by Righteous Brothers.It was called ” You’ve lost that Loving feeling”Even though I did not understand the meaning of the song I liked it a lot for some strange reason.The voice of the singers was deep and laden with sadness,the notes were perfectly arranged and I just loved the Saxophone , the drums,the cymbals and the bass guitar which made its presence felt in the background….Tum Ta rum Ta rum Ta rum.
Its a beautiful song.In case you really like it and wish to sing along Pls follow You tube video :
30 years down the line I know exactly what it means when your partner does not close her eyes when you kiss and how the tenderness in her fingers is lost.
Innocence is a great gift and even the most painful facts of life can be enjoyed if one does not understand their ugly nature.I guess that is what keeps taking us back to our childhood.
I wish I never loose that Loving feeling but the years keep adding up and something beautiful keeps dyin‘ within me.
The song is also sung wonderfully by Elvis Presley.Later Westlife came up with their version too.
And here’s the one by Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
मेरे पेड मेरे दोस्त
मेरे पेड मेरे दोस्त
हर रोज़ सुबह 
जब मैं घर से बाहर जाता हूं
अपनी हरी पत्तियों की मुस्कुराहट लिये
तुम मुझे छोड्ने के लिये खडे रह्ते हो
सच पूछो तो बस तुम ही एक साथी हो मेरे
क्योंकि तुम मुझे समझते ही नहीं हो
मेरे साथ बांटते हो मेरे सुख और दुख
जब मैं उदास और निराश होकर
अपनी कार का दरवाजा बे मन से खोलता हूं
तो लगता है कि तुम भी खडे हुए हो चुपचाप
और जब मैं जोश से गुंगुनाते हुए
कार के शीशे में अपने आप को देखता हूं
तो तुम सिर हिला कर कह देते हो
हां भई बहुत अच्छे लग रहे हो
मज़ा तो तब आता है जब देर रात मैं
नशे में चूर कार में चाभी नहीं लगा पाता
और तुम मुस्कुराकर मुझे चिढाते हो
लेकिन सच केहना मेरे यार
कल रात जब मेरे पैर लड्खडाये थे
क्या वो तुम थे जिसने मुझे
गिरने नहीं दिया था …..
My tree My freind
Every Morning when I go out
You are there to see me off
With your smiling green leaves
Honestly you are my only true freind
you not only understand me well
but you are always there for me
To share my Joys and my Sorrows
When I open the door of my car
with an indifferent mind
You stand there in silence
When in a cheerful mood
I hum a song and take look at myself
in the rear view mirror
you smile and tell me
It’s Ok you are looking just great !
In the middle of the night, Inebriated
when I struggle with my car keys
You scoff at me and I laugh with you
Don’t lie to me my dear friend
Tell me the truth
yesterday at night when I stumbled
and was about to fall
Was it not you who reached out
and did not let me hurt myself.
Appraisals can make or break companies
Going through the humiliation of the Appraisal Process one wonders why they needs to be subjected to this barbarous act with tyrannical overtones in which personal dynamics or organizational realities are charaded as performance measurement.
The above can be aptly demonstrated by picking up the data of Good,Better and Best ratings of the last two years.Do employees who were “best” until last year have suddenly lost it to be rated as just OK or even poor this year.It is not the employee but the economy which is under performing and wants to loose excess baggage for a tough uphill climb.
Having been through the grind from either side of the table for a number of years now I have realized that while the purpose of a performance appraisal is to”motivate” the employee for performing better in the coming year it most often ends up as a fault finding mission in which your boss frames you for crimes uncommitted for justifying a rating already conceived.
Data is twisted beyond recognition.If you are blessed , only those numbers will get highlighted which are in your favor and if you have rubbed the powers that be on the wrong side you may suddenly notice that the bars are smaller,the trend lines have a downward slope and you are falling behind everyone else like never before.
Before my motivational speech turns into a personal rant I would jump to the obvious question What’s the solution ?
To answer this we will first have to look at the cause of the problem.While organizations lay down seemingly fair ways of performance appraisal clearly defined by systems and methods it is ‘people’ who have to execute the process.We have to realize that organization is nothing but a group of people and people are humans who will have all the limitations of being one.They have egos when it comes to subordinates,jealousy when it comes to peers, and malice towards anyone who can take up their slot in the short run.I will give you a few examples to demonstrate why and how the system fails :
1.The rating of a yes man is always better than those who speak their own mind even though every official publication will talk about innovation and new ideas.Remember ‘The boss is always right’ .
2.Every time your boss recommends a promotion you come closer to becoming him especially if he is not moving up so he is perfectly justified that you are frozen in time too
3.The organization is visibly owned by nobody and so there is no point in putting too much premium on performance. Underachievers consistently demotivate their team members to under perform so they can never come close them in the hierarchy.Very difficult to prove but easy to to get away with.Appraisal happens once a year but the bosses can slow poison everyone around them every day.
So what should be done ?
OBJECTIVES HAVE TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE
METRICS HAVE TO BE AS NUMERICAL AS POSSIBLE
APPRAISALS HAVE TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
The process has to be fair but more significantly it has to APPEAR to be fair.
It is very important that an employee understands the rating process and agrees to his rating.Unless they own their performance the whole purpose of conducting an appraisal is defeated.It is even more important that the areas of improvement and gaps in performance are well identified and specific measures are outlined to make sure the next years rating can be improved.You are successful as an appraiser only if you can get enhanced results from the Appraisees in the coming year.In fact there should be a penalty on those bosses whose teams ratings keep falling each year.
To ensure the above progress needs to be reviewed every quarter to take away any surprise element at the time of final assessment.
An appraisal that’s fair and well conducted will most certainly inspire the employee to do better.On the other hand an appraisal badly done can ruin the employee as well as the organization.
Some organizations do exceptionally well than the others – now you know why.
It is the Appraisal.
Would leave with parting lines from Marcus Aurelius ;
A man has to stand up straight,not straightened.
Droplets on my window
The train moves
Swift and sometimes restrained
Hopeful , fast ,speeding 
Sad and slow
as my thoughts
The scene outside changes
from parched landscape
seeking rain
To a green patch with paddy
There are large Junctions
crossing paths
and to break the monotony
Some smaller stops
They are all on my way
each with its own role to play
These droplets of rain
on my window
every one a reminder
of a place or a person
The train gathers speed
approaching a new horizon
and the drops fade one by one
with a force that breaks them away
What’s left of them
will be soaked in by the sun
And the promise of a new day
भागती जाती है रेल
कभी तेज़ कभी रुकी रुकी सी
जोश और उत्साह
निराशा और दुख
जैसे मेरा मन
द्र्श्य बदलता रहता है
सूखी धरती
आसमान ताकती है
फिर आ जाते हैं हरे भरे खेत
लहलहाते हुए
बडे जं क्शन आकर
राहें बदल देते हैं और
छोटे छोटे स्टेशन छूट कर
मिटाते देते हैं सफर की ऊब को
ये सब मेरे सफर का हिस्सा हैं
और सबका एक किरदार है
ये जो बूंदे हैं ना
मेरी खिड्की के शीशे पर
याद दिलाती हैं
किसी और वक़्त की
किसी और शख़्स की
तभी रेल बढा देती है रफ्तार
नये क्षितिज को पाने के लिये
ये वेग यादों को ठ्हरने नही देता और
एक एक कर बूंदें धूमिल होनें लगती हैं
जो शेष रह जायेगा इनका
वो कल का सूरज सोख लेगा
रह जायेगी तो बस उम्मीद
एक नये दिन की
~ By Aahang
~ The picture was taken by me en route to Bhopal near Eastern Ghats
मौत से एक संवाद
कल रात
तारों से करता था जब बात
अचानक दर्द हुआ सीने में
सांसे बोझिल हुईं 
और पेशानी पर उभर आईं बूंदे पानी की
देखा तो सामने मौत खडी थी
बोली ‘ चलें ?’
कहां ? मैं अभी कहीं नहीं जाउंगा
क्यों ??
मुझे ये जगह अच्छी लगती है
तो मरने से डरते हो तुम भी
नहीं मैं बिल्कुल नहीं डरता
क्यों नहीं ? मौत ने पूछा
हद है.तुम जीने से डरती हो क्या ?मैंने कहा
नहीं
तो फिर ?
मृत्यु और जीवन तो बस अवस्थाएं हैं,
केवल एक बोध
जीवन का ना होना मृत्यु है
और मृत्यु का ना होना जीवन
पर मनुष्यों तो मरनें से डरते हैं
और तुम तो मनुष्य हो
किसने कहा ? मैं तो खुद को देवता समझता हूं
तो मैं कौन ? मौत बोली
मुझे क्या पता ? शायद मनुष्य !
तुम पागल हो गये हो
पागल ? अच्छा ये बताओ
पागल होना बेहतर है या मरा होना
शायद पागल होना
और मेरे लिये तो तुम मर चुकी हो
तुम मरी हुई मौत हो और मैं तो बस पागल
तभी मौत की परछाई धूमिल होने लगी
मेरे मरने का वक़्त टल चुका था
बालकनी का दरवाज़ा बन्द कर
मैं कमरे में आया और लेट गया
बहुत दूर से एक आवाज आती जान पडी
कोई कह रहा था ‘ ये क्या पागलपन है?’
मैं समझ गया कि मौत
भगवान के पास वापस पहुंच गयी
मैंनें चादर तानी और सो गया
रचनाकार – आहंग
Customer pricing – Price vs value
“A retailer prices a product,a customer values it for what it is worth”
This Quotable quote originated nowhere else but in my own mind after being subjected to several incidences of winning and loosing the customer and getting her nod and nay,not for me.
While doing a presentation on Retail pricing strategy I came across a lot of material Differential pricing,Mark up Pricing,Competitive pricing,Penetrative pricing and so on.
But my experience in real life told me that something was amiss.What about the customer ? You are talking about your business model,Your costs,Your margin targets,Your competitors,The market scenario and all else but what about the actual customer who will shell out money from her pocket and take a purchase decision in your favor.I am sure there will be a lot going on in her mind when she decides to part with that hard earned currency note or gets indebted for the next few months to the bank and pay high interest charges.
Are we even asking her what do you want ? 
How about a customer pricing ? What’s wrong is creating a product and asking a hundred of them what they would be willing to pay.I have no opposition to the pricing strategies traditionally in practice but I am just saying that something is missing specially in the context of retail.
Let’s see and example :
What would pay for a plastic slipper in a hyper market – May be Rs99
What would you pay for the same plastic slipper if it has a good brand name printed on it – May be Rs 149
What would you pay for the same plastic slipper in flea market – Rs 49
what would you pay for a plastic slipper with a house brand of top luxury retailer – Rs 199
The function is the same and it is just possible that all the product is being sourced out of the same factory and the same assembly line but the customer will only pay so much at different locations.
And location is just one on the dimensions that plays in a customers mind.There could be so many others Festive season,Comfort,utility,distance/cost of acquisition etc etc.
Every retailer positions itself to serve a certain niche or target segment and that is perfect as an idea but where we continuously go wrong is that we fail to recognize is that while your customers are saying yes to many products in your store they are also saying no to a lot of products.This may impact profitability through loosing customer preference in terms of reduced shopping trips and increased frequency and intensity of markdowns on your product mix.
I strongly feel that retailers tend to loose the grip in the sense that what they feel is a great product or price turns out to be a damp squib with their customers.What should be transaction by transaction,customer by customer approach soon becomes a game of probability so much so that the buyers start building in for markdown in their business plans.While mark downs may not go away they can be substantially reduced by asking the customers what and how they feel about offerings.
Typically, a buyer will get in a product or a line of products and the DMM’s,the store managers,The operations guys will all sit in a room and decide its fate.They will debate amongst themselves and the guy with the loudest voice and the heaviest weight will win.If you have a ‘yes’ man culture you can kiss your winter 2010 range good bye.The problem is that even if most people will know it they will not say it.
In contrast if we have panel of customers of different hues,age,sex,color,lifestyles and we get their opinion we may just find out to our horror that the so called ‘winners’ did not excite the audience and they ended up picking up stuff from the ‘dumped’ corner.
When a retailer is ‘pricing’ he is building up the stake of the entire company,his business plans,his growth projections,his stock price,his career path and everything else in between into it.His decisions cannot be but colored.
But when the customer ‘ valuing’ a product she is deciding based on aesthetics comforting her eyes,the softness that her hand feels,the freshness that here senses smell,the utility that here mind perceives,the price that she paid for a comparable item some time back.She is not bothered about what the Ex factory price is,how much it cost to get the product from the Jungles of Africa or how much you pay your 26 vice presidents who have nothing to do with her moment of truth.She will just see what’s in it for me and what I need to pay for it.If she fels that the transaction is in her favor she will go for it else you can put it on discount so it is up for revaluation when the second chance comes.
Again she gives two cents for your negative margins,vendor markdown supports,company policy so please be careful in repricing.You may discover that your Buy One get one offer is a cold turkey as no one wants to buy a yellow color T shirt with Parrot green collars with which you wanted to make a fashion statement in your boardroom.
Our customers are our biggest and most valued assests,let not keep them out of our business plans.
सर्कस
हम सब मिल सर्कस को आये
एक उमंग मन मे भर लाये
हाथी दादा कब तक आएंगे
बच्चों का दिल बहलाएंगे
भालू है हम सब का प्यारा
खेल दिखाते बन्दर न्यारा
मोटर का भी करतब होगा
ये तो मेला खूब सजेगा
शुरू हुआ सर्कस का खेला
लगने लगा जीवन का मेला
करतब पे करतब आते थे
आंखों को चौंका जाते थे
बैठे रहे तालियां पीटीं
खडे हो गये मारी सीटी
थोडी देर में मन भर पाया
सब कुछ लगा मिथ्या माया
जी में आया अब उठ जायें
घर को जाएं छुट्टी पाएं
जीवन भी तो ऐसा ही है
एक सर्कस के जैसा ही है
जानवर बन जाता इंसान
खेले खेल समय बलवान
वही है सर्कस वही है मेला
बदला तो बस चेहरा चोला
Wisdom of the rain
An answer to my prayer
The Rain is here
a torrent of hope for the land so dry
In drops big and small,it falls from the sky
As far as eyes can see
the scene is wet, watery
The little boys boat sails afar
The lovers get cosy in the car
The baker looks sadly at his unsold cake
the maid take off for an excuse fake
The poet sings to the passing cloud
the youngsters dance on a music loud
The old man thinks of a time gone by
I give my post another try
Just pause and think ;what’s happening
Does the sky even have an inkling
We pray for rains and it does not budge
and then it pours the streets are smudge
Its natural; sure it is
but even we are progenies
of the same creation
water – hydrogen,oxygen
The nature tells us a lesson
just be like me
Doing what you feel like
not what’s necessary
If you feel like singing ; sing
If you feel like dancing ; dance
If you feel like crying ; cry
No pleasure or pain,No loss no gain
You have no one to please but you
You have no life to live, but yours.
~ By aahang
On Organizational culture
Found this great presentation on slide share.It talks about how to bring about a culture of freedom and responsibility within your organization.Thought would share with everyone who logs in :
Children of a playful god
Have been on the road for a while and did not get much time to post anything.Between airport lounges,boardroom meetings and Taxi rides it struck me that most of the people I met with,looked at or came across were trying to prove a point ,to themselves if not to anyone else.
I am a business Manager 
I am a Vice President
I am a go getter
I am an achiever
What no one seemed to exhibit was a simple statement which perhaps drives whatever we do in Life.All this while I felt a very strong urge to stand up and shout :
I am Happy,I am at peace with myself,I am joyous about the world around me.I am…..just I am.
I guess saying that would mean stepping down from my current status of a harassed,overworked,struggling,upwardly mobile executive.I am none of that and I do not wish to be any of that.I just wish to be me not judged by anyone,not playing to live up to my image,not answering anyone or asking any questions to others.Just existing and being alive,aware.
I have always found happiness to be a very rational and logical choice.There is a lot to be gained if I keep myself amused as the world passes by and there is everything to be lost if I chose to crib and sulk.I am not saying that I do not indulge in those activities but I am always aware that I am doing it for the sake of it.Deep down I am unmoved,unchallenged.
Its Janamashtmi today and sadly enough I will be arriving home well after Lord Krishna is ‘born’. Through his life Krishna gave a message be playful,be joyous,to have nothing to loose or to gain.We have many lives.There IS no hurry.Be patient,enjoy the journey.
I had a debate with a friend who was reading Bertrand Russel’s treatise on religion.He asked me the question : why did God create the world ?And I told him what Tulsidas said when he was asked why did he write Ramcharitmanas : Swantah Sukhaya which simply translates : for his sheer satisfaction/pleasure.There cannot be any other reason.This is why we do most of the things we do and perhaps it applies to our creator too.If you consider it God does not have to go through an appraisal process so he ‘HAD’ to create the world else he will be given a lower rating.There is no one who can force him to do anything.He does not owe anyone of us a favor so what else ?He could not believe it and said it is a silly assumption.Well I believe in it as it is the only thing that gives meaning to my life and all that happens around me.I cannot otherwise explain the death,disease and the misery.Just like in a video game you keep playing for pleasure and do not mind if you loose a life ,being alive or dead cease to have a context when you know that it is just a game in which each player has as many lives as there could be till he gets the perfect score,Nirvana,Moksha or whatever else you may call it !
So what have I done about it ??Nothing just been playful doing things for my own pleasure.
I hanged the showpiece in my company guest house in a funny posture and asked the caretaker to make sure it doesn’t change till my next trip.He thought I had lost it and I loved the expression on his face.
I realigned the basketballs at Reebok Office in a certain manner which I thought was funny while waiting for the meeting to start.Those who worked in that office thought something was weird but could not figure out what.I was amused yet again.
I made faces at a 5 year old riding back from school dressed in Krishna attire…………she teased me back.
I smiled .Both of us were children of a playful God.
** I wrote this post on the free internet connection provided at the Airport Lounge at Delhi and saved Rs.30 worth of internet time
The sky …
There are Images I need to complete my own reality.
~ Jim Morrison
The road goes places
I go with it
The river flows
I flow with it
My mind is numb
words can’t take shape
and give meaning
to the void
they just
float in the air
Its a starry night
I shout at the sky
my words come back
unheard
Vast and silent
the nothingness stares back at me
Its haunting
as my frustration mounts
Is there anybody out there ?
I am tired of living
waking up
going
coming
thinking
working
sharing
caring
trying
hoping
I wish I could take my self away
from me
look at it from outside
so it starts making sense
But for now
I am sure
Its not this……It can’t be.
At the end of the day
In restlessness they roar
the waves strike ashore
Casting an ominous shroud
the sun sets behind the cloud
It leaves without a word
the scene looks so absurd
I won’t give up without a fight
though I dread another long night
Watching my twisted destiny
I am the lonely tree
Its getting dark ; you are so far away
I am all alone , at the end of the day
Sewa Ashram at Wardha
I had the opportunity of visiting Sevagram on the outskirts of Wardha during one of the “store visits” last week.I was not only impressed but inspired by the simple message which Mahatma Gandhi gave to all of us by way of his living.I was left with an impression that while a lot of other leaders just “talk” Gandhiji “did” and that is why there are and there will be no parallels to him in times to come.
To share a brief history,in 1933 Gandhiji donated his ashram at Sabarmati to Harijan Sevak Sangh and moved to a village named Shegaon near Wardha which he renamed as Sevagram or the “Village of service” at that time it had just 1000 residents and the lad for the ashram was donated by Seth Jamnalal Bajaj who a great disciple of Mahatma.
Gandhiji had chosen Wardha essentially because it was at the center of India.Initially he built a kuti or hut for himself and another one for Ba.Later on his secretary Mahadev Desai and other moved in.
The key take aways for me after the visit to the ashram were :
Alpaahar – eating less
We had ordered for a ‘thali’ at the cafeteria which serves home cooked organic food and as the food was tasty we asked for refills which we were denied.Later I learnt that Gandhiji believed that food has to be taken with a belief that it is a medicine which will help my body to get strength and fight diseases so it has to be taken in an amount which justifies this belief – hogging is just not allowed.
I tried o keep my “alpaahar vow” for a couple of days but could not keep up.The good news is that my habit of watching what I eat has got more resolve.
Simplicity-
Another aspect of the ashram that was striking was its simplicity.Today we live in a world that is full of sights and sounds.In fact if you look around you will find that most of us are afraid of being alone with themselves.We need someone or something constantly picking our senses whether its TV,radio,Ipod,cellphone,newspaper or something else.
We have just forgotten to relish our own company.Being by your own self is looked as a sign of going insane.
At the ashram There were none of the above distractions.Just a lot of good books to read and think about.
Dignity of labour
I had seen in the movie how Gandhiji has a fight with Ba and asks her to leave the house if she was not ready to clean the toilet by herself.
At the ashram I learnt that each and every chore was performed by the inmates whether it was cooking or cleaning.Even during the free time they spun the yarn with the famous “wheel”.Even the day I visited I found several of the old disciples of Gandhiji silently spinning the wheel completely immersed in their own self and enjoying what they were doing.Just by looking at them I could see a still mind full of patience,completely at peace with itself.
Interesting bit – The name “Bapu” or father was given to Mahatma Gandhi by Mahadev Desai at Wardha ashram.Soon everyone started calling him the same.
Below are some pictures that would help you capture the experience :
Gandhiji’s reading place.That is where he wrote most of letters and books.
Adi Niwas – Gandhiji’s hut
In a recent interview when President Obama was asked that if he gets a chance to have lunch with one of the great personalities in history who would it be.Obama promptly said that “it would be Mahatma Gandhi for sure”.He added that no other leader has inspired him more or has managed to change the thought of mankind and influence it as much as Mahatma Gandhi.
I think he made the right choice.I would do the same….
लोग
आते जाते सडकों पर
देखो कितने सारे लोग
कल आये थे कल जायेंगे
हैं ये सब बंजारे लोग
काले गोरे मोटे पतले
फिरते मारे मारे सब
एक सी सांसे अलग है जीवन
मेरे और तुम्हारे लोग
सबकी अलग उम्मीदें हैं
पर सबकी एक कहानी है
कभी मुझे ये लगें कमीने
और कभी बेचारे लोग
सारे चेहरे एक से चेहरे
नज़रें किसको ढूंढ रहीं
जैसे भीड मे मिल जायेंगे
मुझको हैं जो प्यारे लोग
रोज़ यही मजमा लगता है
लेकिन आज ना जाने क्यूं
ऐसा लगता है मुझको कि
मर जायेंगे सारे लोग
By aahang
Mountains and a sick man
There are Images I need , to complete my own reality ~ Jim Morrison
The ways of nature are strange but as Marcus Aurelius says we are born out of nature and as we grow in our understanding of things we must find meaning in every single act of nature.If the birds sings its to a purpose ,if the breeze is refreshing it is not without reason, If the sun is shining it is to keep our spirits cheerful.
With the onset of winter I suffer from a seasonal allergy which makes the inner lining of my nose swell making it difficult to breathe.It is manageable for most part but on some days it gets really worse.Last Friday was one such day.I had gone for a tour to north India and the temperature suddenly fell by a 10 degrees.My sleep was disturbed and I woke up breathless at 4:30 AM,gasping for oxygen.With all the medication the symptoms eased a bit but stayed back.I had to catch a flight back to Hyderabad from Lucknow which was making me a bit tense as the closed compartment of the plane does not really help the case.Anyways, I decided to go ahead and took a few more shots from the Inhaler.
As I wanted to catch on some sleep I had taken a window seat.I watched the passengers coming in one by one,the air hostesses doing their chores and ground staff moving about like ants with a purpose.It seemed to me that I was the only sick man around.I just hated the feeling and cursed the weather and the reaction of my own immune system to it.
We were airborne in a few minutes and things started settling down.Someone was listening to an i pod,someone was reading a book,someone was munching on their chicken sandwich and others were chatting away or taking an afternoon nap.To be breathless is nagging ,it just does not let you rest in peace.The restlessness can grow to an extent that you can have a panic attack.I tried doing doing ‘pranayaam’ as it always helps to control the problem.But all said and done I was feeling miserable.
To take my mind off the state I was in, I decided to look out of the window.I always get a sense of eternal peace looking at the expanded horizon,the vast nothingness,the lonely cloud or the setting sun.Somewhere deep down I feel That I am connected with the sky scape, not sure if I am a part of it or is it a part of me. Just as I was looking out I found something white and shiny reflecting the sun where the earth met the sky.It was quite unusual as this meeting point is a dull space usually.I focused a little more as the plane took a slight turn and the object of my attention drew closer. I could not believe my eyes !
They were the great Himalayan ranges I was looking at ,spread point to point across the entire horizon.I wanted to sum it up in a word glorious, magnificent,awe inspiring but nothing could capture my emotions.I kept staring out transfixed by what nature had decided to put before my eyes.
An overwhelming sense of joy took over me.Suddenly I was at peace with myself.My body responded to my mental state.I felt as if a new life is getting into me with the mountains.The fresh air from the pristine landscape was filing my lungs – Oxygen,oxygen and more Oxygen.The Himalayas were calling comforting me that its no big deal – you will be fine.The one who made me and the mountain had decided to make it happen.Filled with fresh energy and a sense of belonging to eternity I wondered if the Himalayas would have felt the same as me.Or did my silent admiration went unnoticed ?
Amused with myself I looked around.
The scene inside had not changed much …..
बाज़ार
लगा है बज़ार 
हो रहा है कारोबार
बिक रहे हैं
झूठ और सच
भूख और ऐय्याशी
दिल और जान
जिस्म , ईमान
वो देखो उस ठेले पर क्या है
शायद कोई प्यार बेच रहा है
या फिर वफादारी
शराफत से बोलता है
जितना है उतना तोलता है
लगता है ईमनदार है बेचारा
कोई अठ्ठन्नी भी ना देगा
और दी तो ये जहर खा लेगा
बैठा रहेगा दिन भर खाली
और खायेगा पुलिस से गाली
कैसा फकीर जैसा है
ना पेट में रोटी है ना जेब में पैसा है
लोग पास से गुज़रते है
और तय नहीं कर पाते शायद
भीख दें या दुआ लें
By aahang
Lessons from Mumbai Dabbawalas
The story of Mumbai dabbawalas who deliver home cooked lunch to 2 lakh customers everyday on time every time has been an inspiring one and is much hyped since the management gurus discovered that there is more sense in their simple ways than there is in all management book combined.
In the last 5 years everyone from Prince Charles to Richard Branson to CK Prahalad have flocked their workspace ( streets of Mumbai) and every organization worth its salt has piled them with certificates on managing quality,supply chain,cost,change etc etc .They have been named as SIX SIGMA organization with 1 error per 16 million transactions.They have lectured at every management school from the IIM’s in India to Stanford and Harvard in the US.The list is endless..
The big deal is that all this has happened without a single computer in place ( assuming human brains are not computers) and more than 85 % of workforce (shareholders) being illiterate.
Without going into the temptation of demeaning the so called MBA’s I will straightway go to the lessons I learnt when I went to hear them out at the ISB last weekend.There are some key takeaways so more than what you read just sit back, absorb what is being said and then try to implement at your workplace.
1.Keep operational costs low – these are cost of doing business and eat profit
2.Do not invest unless it gives you assured returns and you will almost certainly loose out if you don’t
3.Customer is not the Raja but the Maharaja – Prince Charles was asked to met the dabbawalas at churchgate station so that the deliveries for the day are not affected
4.Complexity opposes compliance – workers shun tedious systems and processes and they do no good except bring down productivity and frustrate everyone around.Simplify as much as possible and create processes only when you can’t do without them.
5.Deviation from your core competency can reduce focus and affect current sales and profits negatively.Don’t jump around to the first idea to diversify just because the consultant tells you so.Use your own brain.
6.Technology is to support business and business is not there to support technology.Computers are for helping people and people are not there to help computers.Don’t put the cart before the horse !
7.Keep your organization as flat as possible.Hierarchies boost egos not your business.Let your people take their own decisions as far as possible.The guy who does the job knows best and one does not need to take approvals for going to the loo.That was OK in kindergarten – grow up please !!
8.Promote cooperation inside to take on competition from outside.If your employees keep working on thwarting internal competition they will be weak to take on external challenges.Do not have people within the organisation to compete amongst themselves.
Let the leaders emerge rather than get nominated.
9.Build extra cushion for exigencies and emergencies.The computers may konk off,people can fall sick,debtors can default and suppliers may delay.But it has to be business as usual for your customers. You can bounce back quickly if you are not on a rigid surface.
A word of caution though – the spring in your sofa keeps you comfortable but if its too cushy you can start to spoil your spine.
10.Commitment matters – qualification doesn’t.It should matter what you can do rather than what you have done.
Your most talented and educated people are no good if they keep networking for pastures greener and use company infrastructure for scouting higher paying jobs.Put a question about what you gained during your MBA to any of the Ivy league institutes in India or abroad and they will say ” networking”.There could be nothing more silly and out of place than this.An unfortunate fact is that more than 50 % of fresh MBA’s switch at at least 3-5 jobs in the first 5 years until they find a comfortable place to park their fat ass.
One committed employee can do more for the organisation than 50 educated ones who are looking for options outside.A committed worker will not be afraid to ask for a raise when he feels its due to him while a non committed individual will change jobs at the slightest pretext.I have come across folks who have changed jobs for a 5 day week !
11.Educate employees about the importance of what they do.Once they know they will make sure that errors are minimized and even in the absence of a code of conduct they will strive to deliver better results for their customers – internal or external.
12.Use existing infrastructure – its free ! Look around your self and you may find stuff that you can use rather than buy or build on your own.If you can use Indian postal services at 2 % higher cost to reach out why create a logistics company of your own.When there is milk from the dairy farm why buy a buffalo ?
13.Abandon bad customers – hard to admit but a reality of life.If you have bunch of bad customers who bring down your efficiency,de motivate your people and cost you a bomb to serve you should not waste time in taking the “call”.Dump bad customers before the good ones dump you.
Good money can’t be chasing bad money as simple as that.
14.Promote self discipline rather than discipline and don’t be shy when it comes to penalizing wayward behavior. Bad behavior gets imbibed faster – remember no one taught you smoking but you picked it up just by looking at your friends.Each one of us knows what is the right thing to do and people cannot be allowed to make examples in bad conduct at the cost of organization.
Rules are meant to be broken – surely not in this company.
15. Multi tasking is another name for screwing up a lot of stuff all at one time.Cross fertilization is management bull shit peddled by managers to stay away from taking responsibility of a single task and its outcomes.
Unless proven to be ready for the next level an employee must demonstrate potential rather than flash his fancy degrees.Your customers don’t give two hoots about who delivered the Pizza as long as it was on time.
16.Human beings are emotional and that is what differentiates them from animals.What a hundred HR workshops can’t do can be achieved by a simple lunch together everyday. Money can’t buy love but it certainly can buy lunch once in a while when you want to celebrate the group’s success.
If one man in a team can stand up for the other with a belief that when it comes to my partner even he would do the same, you know that you are ready to take on the world.
17.High salaries can attract mercenaries and pigs but not dedicated,inspired and motivated people.Narayan Murthy of Infosys was once asked that how he retained talented people during initial phases of the company and he said
” Everyone was giving them a job, I was sharing my dream with them”
Money takes care our bodies but it is our mind which moves the body.The choice is clear – a pat on the back at the right time and at the right place can do more to motivate and inspire than a wad of notes in the pocket which no one knows about.
18.The humble improve.Humility has to be promoted as religion in your organization.Fullness is an enemy of growth and one who thinks he knows all perhaps does not know that there so much more.
If you rest on your laurels you are probably wearing them at the wrong place.We all know the hare and the tortoise story but a twist in the tale is that now the hare gets stamped by the bull from the stock market while he is asleep.
In the Jungles of Africa it does not matter if you are a Gazelle or a lion what matters is that when the sun comes up you must start running – If you are lion to catch the gazelle and if you are a Gazelle to outrun the lion.
Rumi Quotes on Love …
The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.
Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.
Only from the heart Can you touch the sky.Let the beauty of what you love be what you do
We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust
In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest,where no one sees you.
My blog is 1 year old
I celebrated my blogs anniversary on the 30th November 09 but kept awfully busy the next 15-20 days so could not get time to even celebrate this glorious moment.
Through the year I have got a lot of encouragement not only from fellow bloggers but also from the public at large – folks who do not know me and still care to read my writing and comment on it from across the world.Cheers !
Actually the people I know including some who claim to be quite close have been a big disappointment but it doesn’t matter.
Few numbers just for the heck of it :
1. Total number of hits – 33349
2.Visitors from across the globe as per clustermaps
3.Google page rank of 2 ( not too impressive but not too bad either for a personal blog)
4.Alexa rating of 3.5
5. 47th rank among all blogs posted by Indiblogger a forum for Indian blogs
6.I have a total of 210 posts in 6 categories and 416 comments
7.Last but not the least the value of my blog is $ 1175.00 , so I can sell it for Rs 50000 to anyone of you ( if you want that is)
Well what do I say ? its a great feeling – something I created ,something my very own ,something very personal has taken a form that not only acts as a sounding board but is also a true and original friend.
Today I promise my blog that I will come back to it at least once a week and post something.I have stopped looking at the stats anyways so it is easier now.
ब्रिजेश जी
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe ~ Albert Einstien
ब्रिजेश जी से मेरी पेहली मुलाक़ात उस वक़्त हुई जब मैं नया नया देहली में आया था. एक प्रतिष्ठित प्रबंधन संस्थान का उत्पाद ना होने का लांछन अपने ललाट पर लिये मैं दफ्तर से दफ्तर धक्के खा रहा था. उन्हीं दिनों एक सज्जन ने मेरी स्थिती पर तरस खा कर मुझे एक बहुराष्ट्रिय कंपनी में मैनेजर के पद पर नौकरी पर रख लिया. मैं वक़्त का मारा था और सही मायने में मैनेजर बननें के काबिल नहीं था और उन साहब की कंपनी को सिवा उनके कोई बहुराष्ट्रिय क्या राष्ट्रिय भी नहीं मानता था. खैर ये तय था कि एक दूसरे के घाव को हम में से कोई नहीं कुरेदेगा और हम परस्पर सौहार्द बनाये रखेंगे.
सो जान में जोश और मन में ललक लिये मैं पेहले दिन दफ्तर में दाखिल हुआ जो कि एक फैकट्री को आफिस की शकल देनें की एक नाकाम कोशिश से ज़्यादा कुछ नहीं था.ज़ो एक वस्तु उस जगह पर अंतरराष्ट्रिय सी थी वो वे सज्जन खुद थे और वो भी इसलिये क्योंकि उनका 25 साल पुराना पासपोर्ट उनकी जवानी का मखौल उडाते हुए ऐसा केहता था. और यहीं मेरी मुलाकात श्री श्री 1008 ब्रिजेश जी से हुई.
छूटते ही ब्रिजेश जी ने नये रंगरूट यानि कि मुझे, गियर में ले लिया. नीली लिखने वाली कलम के अभाव में ज्यों हि मैंने हरी स्याही की कलम से हस्ताक्षर करनें चाहे ब्रिजेश जी उठ खडे हुए और गरजे :
ये क्या कर रहे हो
साइन कर रहा हूं . क्यों ?
नये नये आये हो और पेहले ही दिन नौकरी से हांथ धो बैठोगे
मैं कुछ समझ न पाया और सवालिया निगाहों से उन्हें निहारनें लगा.
यहां सिर्फ नोएल ( कंपनी के मालिक जिनका वर्णन मैं कर चुका हूं) हरे कलम से साइन करता है.
और अगर कोई और करे तो ? मैंने ललकारा.
तो क्या नौकरी गयी.
मेरा मन घबराया पर वैसे ही जैसे बेटे का बाप की जेब से पैसे निकालते समय घबराता है.
कुछ समय यों ही काम करते बीत गया और फिर जैसे बोरियत को मिटानें के लिये ब्रिजेश जी मेरी ओर मुखातिब हुए और बोले :
सुनो
क्या ? मैने ज़रा खिन्न होकर कहा
ज़रा एक गिलास पानी ले आओ
क़्या !!!! गरजनें की बारी अब मेरी थी
अभी नये आये हो ना. मल्टीनैशनल कल्चर नहीं जानते. क्या एक ऐसोसियेट दूसरे ऐसोसियेट की हैल्प नहीं कर सकता ? बहुत छोटी सोच है तुम्हारी.
मल्टीनैशनल कल्चर गया तेल लेनें.अगली बार मुझसे पानीं लाने को कहा तो बोतल सर पे फोड दूंगा
क्या यार आज कल भलाई का ज़माना ही नहीं रहा. मैंने तो सोचा कि तुम्हारा ओरियटेशन कर दूं और तुम तो मार पीट पर उतर आये.खैर जाने दो मुझे क्या ? याद करोगे जब दिल्ली की प्रौफेशनल लाइफ में फिट नहीं हो पाओगे और ट्रेन में वापस जाने के लिये नई दिल्ली स्टेशन पर खडे होगे.
देखा जायेगा पर मुझसे अगर बकवास की तो ….
इस दिन के बाद ब्रिजेश जी मेरा मिजाज़ खूब समझ गये और देखते ही देखते उनका स्वभाव मेरी तरफ नर्म हो गया. इस बदलाव की एक छोटी सी वजह ये भी थी कि वो मुझे ही रिपोर्ट करनें लगे थे.
हम सभी की ज़िंदगी में एक व्यक्ती अती विशिष्ठ होता है – हम. परंतु ब्रिजेश जी में ये भावना कुछ ज़्यादा ही प्रतिष्ठित थी. ना जानें क्यों पर उन्हें हमेशा ये चिंता सताये रेहती कि लोग मेरे बारे में क्या सोचते होंगे. वो अक्सर इस गम में डूबे रेहते कि आज अगर मैं बाल तिरछे काढ लेता तो फलानी पर मेरा इंम्प्रेशन ज़बर्दस्त पड जाता. हम पूछते कि फलानी कौन ? और वो केहते की वही जो आज टैम्पो में सामने बैठी थी. सिवा एक आह के मेरे दुखी मन से और कुछ संभव न हो पाता था.
इसी कडी में एक दिन कुछ बायर ( माल खरीदनें वाले) अमरीका से हमारी कंपनी के दौरे पर आये. उनमें सबसे गणमान्य व्यक्ती को वो केबिन दिया गया जो हमारी बैठने की जगह के ठीक पीछे था. केबिन वातंकूलित था और चारों ओर से उसमें शीशे लगे थे. मैं दिन भर ब्रिजेश जी की गतिविधियों को ताडता रहा.ज़ानता था कि अनहोनी होने को है. दिन भर एक ऐसे आदमी के सामने बैठना जिस पर इम्प्रेशन जमाने की कोशिश हमारी कंपनी का मालिक तक कर रहा हो ब्रिजेश जी के लिये बहुत था. वो परेशान थे ये तो विदित था पर इतने परेशान इसकी मुझे कल्पना भी नहीं थी.
करीब पांच बजे के आस पास वो मेरे पासआये और बोले – मुझे लगता है कि साला अंग्रेज़ मुझसे चिढ गया है.
भला वो क्यों ? आपने कौन सी उसकी भैंस खोल ली है ?
पता नहीं यार हर आदमी को मैं ही क्यों खटकता हूं जबकि एस दफ्तर में सबसे मेहनती और होनहार अगर कोई है तो वो मैं हूं
इसमें क्या शक़ है पर आपको ऐसा क्यों लग रहा है कि वो आपसे चिढ गय है.
कमीना दिन भर मुझे घूरता रहा और अभी अभी मैंने उसे नोएल से धीरे धीरे कुछ केहते हुए देखा है.
मेरे अंदर का शैतान जाग चुका था.
मैं बोला – बडे दुख की बात है कि अपना साथ यहीं तक था. कंपनी का घोर दुर्भाग्य नहीं तो और क्या है कि आपके जैसा टैलेंटेड और वफादार आफिसर एक अंग्रेज़ भेडिये की बिल्लौरी आखों पर बलिदान कर दिया जाये. आखिर भगवान ने आपसे पूंछ कर तो आपकी शकल बनायी नहीं कि साहब को उसे देख कर ही गुस्सा आ गया.
वो तो सब ठीक है पर किया क्या जाये ? नौकरी तो बचानी होगी.
मैंने सुझाव दिया – आफेंस इस द बेस्ट फार्म औफ डिफेंस. आप भिड जाइये ससुरे से.जो होगा देखा जायेगा … सर फरोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है, देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू ए कातिल में है.
मेरा ऐसा ही केहते ही ब्रिजेश जी की आंखों में खून तैर गया और वो अंग्रेज़ के बाहर निकलने का इंतेज़ार करने लगे. शाम हुई और वो समय आ गया जब अंग्रेज़ अपने केबिन से बाहर निकला.मैनें ब्रिजेश जी की ओर देखा … वो सीट पर बैठे बैठे उलट पलट रहे थे.
अंग्रेज़ हमारी ओर बढा तो मैं सच्मुच थोडा घबरा गया कि पता नहीं ब्रिजेश जी ने इशारों इशारों में ही देश के मेहमान के साथ कोई अभद्र व्यवहार तो नहीं कर डाला. पर ऐसा कुछ नहीं था. अंग्रेज़ सज्जन आगे बढा और ब्रिजेश जी के कंधे पर बडे प्यार से हाथ रख कर बोला -
यंग मैन कैन यू प्लीज़ शो मी द लू ( टायलेट) ?
ब्रिजेश जी के अंदर मानो करंट सा दौड गया और वो एक्दम उछल कर उस्के साथ हो लिये. आधे रास्ते पहुंचने पर अग्रेज़ बोला – हे आई कैन सी थे साइन इफ यू आर नाट प्लानिंग टु कम अलांग.
ब्रिजेश जी हर्ष और विस्मय का मिला जुला भाव लिये मेरी ओर आये और बोले – बच गये दोस्त.मैं गुंगुनाने लगा ” दिल के अरमां आंसुओं में बह गए…… “
अनेकों चमत्कारों से भरे हुए हमारे मित्र ब्रिजेश जी के बारे में एक बात जो और खास थी वो थी उनकी बिना बात चापलूसी करने की अदा. एक तो उनके द्वारा की गयी तारीफ अत्यंत ही प्रकट तौर पर होती थी पर उससे भी भयानक थी उसकी टाइमिंग. किसी ने कहा है :
जिसे दिया था गुलाब का फूल कल मैंने , उसी के हाथ का पत्थर मेरी तलाश में है.
और यही गुल ए गुलाब ब्रिजेश जी खींच कर सामने वाले के मुंह पर मार देते थे.
मिसाल देखिये :
दफ्तर में एक थे मिस्टर क्रिष्नामूर्ती . यथा नाम तथा गुण काले इतने कि हंसते तो ब्लैक ऐंड व्हाइट पिकचर याद हो आती. मोटी सी तोंद इस लूक को काम्प्लिमैंट करती थी और उस पर से उनका ड्रेस सेंस – एक्दम कातिलाना. अगर मौत से बचने की आखरी सूरत उनकी शान में चंद लफ्ज़ केहना होता तो शायद मैं खुशी से खुद्कशी कर लेता.
एक रोज़ जब सुबह सुबह जब क्रिष्नामूर्ती शायद अपनी बीवी से लड कर आफिस में घुसे ब्रिजेश जी उनके निकट गये और बोले – सर आज आप बहुत हैंडसम लग रहे हैं !!
डर के मारे मैंने आंखें बंद कर ली थी पर जो कुछ मेरे कान में पडा वो अद्भुत था. मिस्टर क्रिष्नामूर्ती खडे हो गये और अपना इंस्पैक्शन कराते हुए बोले :
तो बाकी दिन क्या मय ( मैं इन मलयालम) तुझे शाकाल लगता हूं ??
ब्रिजेश जी किंकर्तव्यविमूढ से एक टक देख रहे थे. शायद उन्हे एहसास हो चुका था कि ईश्वर के द्वारा किये गये काम मे टांग नहीं अडानी चाहिये.
एक और पात्र जो ब्रिजेश जी के अनचाहे गुलाबों से अक्सर घायल होता था वो थे हमारे जी एम साहब श्री सुरेन्द्र चावला. बात बे बात ब्रिजेश जी अपनी लगावट की अदायें उन पर बिखेरा करते और मैं हमेशा सोचता कि धन्य हैं चावला जी जो सिर्फ मुस्करा कर रह जाते हैं …..या हो सकता है कि मन ही मन उन्हें अपनी झूटी तारीफ सुनने में मज़ा आता हो.पर ऐसा होना अविश्वनिय था.
लेकिन वो केहते हैं ना कि बार बार अपनी तकदीर को आज़माना नहीं चाहिये , पता नहीं कब जवाब दे जाये. ऐसा ही एक दिन ब्रिजेश जी के साथ हुआ. चावला साहब के जीवन में एक कांटा था – नोएल. सब जानते थे कि जब भी चावला जी उसके कमरे में जाते हैं उनमें हीनता का भाव ऐसा भर दिया जाता है जैसे कि गुब्बारे में हवा. कमरे से बाहर आने के आधे घंटे तक उनसे कोई भी बात करना इस फूले हुए गुब्बारे में सुई चुभोने से कम नहीं था. उस पर कुछ ही दिनों पेहले चावला जी के पिता का देहांत हुआ था और वो बैठे बैठे ही अपने बचपन की यादें ताज़ा कर इमोशनल हो जाया करते थे. कुल मिला पर स्तिथी नाज़ुक पर कंट्रोल में थी.
इन्ही दिनो एक रोज़ जब चावला जी नोएल द्वारा प्रताडित हो कर अपनी सीट पर आकर बैठे ही थे कि ब्रिजेश जी ने उनकी इमोश्नल नीडस को एक्सप्लोएट करने की ठान ली. अपने मुखारबिन्द पर अत्यंत लुभावने भावों को प्रोजैक्ट करते हुए बोले :
सर आपसे कुछ केहना था ..
क्या ??
सर आपके पिताजी मर गये तो आप छुट्टी पर गये थे ना ….( वो ये भी तो कह सकते थे कि पिताजी नहीं रहे पर शायद ब्रिजेश जी शाक थिरैपी का इस्तेमाल करना चाहते थे सो बोले कि पिताजी मर गये)
हां तो ? चावला जी सर उठाये बिना कुछ लिख रहे थे
तो सर हमारा मन आपके बिना बिल्कुल नहीं लग रहा था
अबे उल्लू के पट्ठे !!!! मैं तुम्हारा दिल बेहलाने के लिये दफ्तर आता हूं क्या ??मैं कोई नौटंकी हूं कि मुझे देखे बिना तुम्हारा मन नहीं लग रहा था ? मैं यहां काम करने आता हूं तुम्हारा दिल बेहलाने के लिये नहीं … आपके बिना मन नही लग रहा था ईडियट !!
मेरा मतलब वो नहीं था सर .. मेरा मतलब था सर की जैसे . ब्रिजेश जी बैक फुट पर आ गये थे.
मैं तुम्हारा मतलब खूब समझता हूं मिस्टर .भाग जाओ नहीं तो …
बेचारे ब्रिजेश जी – चले थे चौबे छब्बे बनने बन के रह गये दूबे.अपना सा मुंह लिये सीट पर आ गये और सैम्पल पैक करने का नाटक करने लगे.
ब्रिजेश जी की एक और खास बात थी.
आप सोचते होंगे कि इतने कमाल एक ही शख्स में कैसे घुस सकते हैं पर घुस गये थे तो मैं क्या करूं ? मैं तो ठहरा सूत्रधार कथावाचक - ऐसा कैसे हुआ ? वैसा कैसे हुआ ये सब पूछना मेरे अधिकार की परिधी से बाहर है. खैर वो बात जो कि खास थी वो था उनका संगीत प्रेम. उसे वो सबसे छुपाते थे पर ऐसे कि सबको पता चल जाये -
फूल गिरता है उठाते नहीं हो, प्यार करते हो बताते नहीं हो.
य़े शेर ब्रिजेश जी ने नोयेडा की ब्लू लाइन बस के पीछे पढा था और बहुत प्रभावैत हुए थे. मुझे बाद मे पता चला कि उन्होंने इसे संगीतबद्ध करने की चेष्टा भी की थी.
सो एक रोज़ मेरे निकट आये और बोले आओ चलो बा्हर चलें. कार तो लाए हो ना ?
मैने सर हिलाया और अनमना सा उनके साथ चल पडा.
कार में बैठते ही उनके हांथ में एक कैसेट उग आया और उन्होंने उसे मेरे डैक में घुसेड दिया. देखते ही देखते ” घंघरू की तरह बजता ही रहा हूं ” के स्वर पूरे वातवरण को झनझनाने लगे.मैं समझा कि मेरे मित्र का मन आज क्लांत है और वो मुझसे अपनी भावनाएं शैयर करना चाहाता है.पर गलत ……. एक दम गलत. मैं भावनाओं मे बह कर ये भूल गया कि कलेश फैलाने का एकाअधिकार सिर्फ और सिर्फ ब्रिजेश जी को है और कोई अन्य उनकी इस कर्म भूमि में प्रवेश कर ही नहीं सकता .
थोडी देर ये पिटा हुआ गीत सुन कर मैं ऊब गया और मेरे चेहरे पर उभरे भावों को भांप कर ब्रिजेश जी बोले – कैसा लगा ?
मैं बोला – ठीक है. शाम को सुनते तो अच्छा लगता.अभी मूड अलग है
अरे वो नहीं गाना .गाना …
गाने के बारे में ही कह रहा हूं यार
अरे मेरा मतलब गायकी , सिंगर , आवाज़ !!
सिंगर ? अरे किशोर दा हैं तो अच्छा ही गायेंगे ना
वही तो . ये किशोर दा नहीं हैं
मतलब ? तो और कौन है ? ये 100 % किशोर ही हैं
नहीं ये किशोर दा नहीं कोई और है.
कौन ?
इस पर ब्रिजेश जी ज़रा लजा गये और झुकी हुई नज़रों से अपनी तरफ इशारा करने लगे
मैं खेल के मूड में आ गया. अरे नहीं मैं मान ही नहीं सकता. लगी सौ सौ की … क्या बात कर रहो ?
यही तो बात है मेरे दोस्त. आज इंडस्ट्री में कद्र्दान ही कहां हैं ? किशोर दा लकी थे कि सही समय पर इडस्ट्री में आ गये नहीं तो वो भी मेरी तरह कोई थकी हुई नौकरी बजा रहे होते. साला हां जी कि नौकरी ना जी का घर .
आप सोचते होंगे कि इसका क्या मतलब ?? मैंने भी सोचा था. पर ब्रिजेश जी ऐसी बातें कह जाया करते थे कि आदमी जीवन भर सोचे और उनका मर्म जाने बिना ही पंच तत्वों में विलीन हो जाये.
कहने की ज़रूरत नहीं कि उसके बाद मैं कई दिन उनके हुनर को तराशता रहा और यहां तक कि कुमार सानू की खास पेशकश पर ब्रिजेश जी बम्बई भी हो आये. ये बात और है कि मैंने उन्हें ये कभी नहीं बताया कि उस दिन जो बीस आदमी जो उनकी गायकी का शिकार बन चुके थे वो मुझे उनके जाल में ना फंसने के लिय आगाह कर आये थे .
मेरे फैरवेल में ब्रिजेश जी ने दर्द मे सराबोर हो कर – चलते चलते मेरे ये गीत याद रखना गाया और वक़्त के मेले में हम दोनों कहां खो गये पता ही नहीं चला.
आज बरसों बाद मेरे एक निर्यातक मित्र का फोन आया. वो बहुत ही विचलित अवस्था में थे.
केहने लगे – यार पियर वन ( अमरीका का रिटेल स्टोर ) से एक इंसपेक्टर आया है. बडा ही बद्तमीज़ है.
मैं बोला – सो क्यों
अमां मुझसे से कह रहा है कि ज़रा एक गिलास पानी ले आओ.भला ये क्या बात हुई. वहां किसी को जानते हो ? ये बद्तमीज़ी तो मुझसे बर्दाश्त ना होगी.बिजेनेस रहे या जाये.
मेरे चेहरे पर मुस्कराहट आ गयी और मैंने कहा – उनसे पूछो कि सर पानी गिलास में लाऊं या सीधा बोतल से पियेंगे ?
यार मेरी जान मुश्किल में है और तुम्हें मज़ाक सूझ रहा है. इसका क्या मतलब ?
अरे तुम पूछो तो . फिर आगे बताना.
थोडी ही देर बाद मेरे निर्यातक मित्र का फोन फिर आया. चेहकते हुए केहने लगे – यार कमाल हो गया. वो तो केहने लगे कि मैं तो यों ही मज़ाक कर रहा था. अभी अभी तो कोल्ड ड्रिंक पी है.और हां मज़े की बात तो ये है कि अचानक तुम्हारे बारे में पूछने लगे . तुम जानते हो क्या ?
हां शायद थोडा थोडा – मैं हंस रहा था .
**ये कहानी पूर्ण्त: मेरे खाली दिमाग की पैदवार है. इसका किसी भी व्यक्ती या वस्तु विशेष से कोई सरोकार नहीं है. बस पढें और मज़ा ले … जैसा मैंने लिखते समय किया है.
~ By aahang
एक और शाम
We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust ~ Rumi
एक और शाम
खालीपन , मैं और जाम
कल से फिर ज़िन्दगी वही
घर, दफ्तर …. काम
पैसा , रुपया, रिश्तेदारी
जीना भी एक ज़िम्मेदारी
कैसी मोहब्बत कौन सा प्यार
खुद को है लम्हा दुशवार
रोज़ रात को तुम आते हो
सपना बन कर छा जाते हो
तुमको छू लूं ओ मेरे तारे
तुम लगते हो सच , और प्यारे
~ By Aahang
अनवरत
मद्धम गति से बेहती नदी
चीर देती है पहाड का सीना 
उंचाई से गिरता झरना
पत्थर मे बना देता है
सरोवर मीठे पानी का
समन्दर की छोटी लेहरें
चट्टानों से टकरा टकरा कर
उन्हें रेत में बदल देती है
नन्ही कोपलें जो कल हवा से कांपती थीं
आज विशाल व्रक्ष है जंगल के
निर्जन धरती जो सिर्फ सूर्य के पीछे भागने पर बाध्य थी
आज मोक्क्ष प्राप्त कर ईश्वर बनने वालों को पालती है
हम बंधें हैं मन और शरीर के बंधन में
आशा निराशा रात दिन जीवन मरण
पर प्रक्रुति इस चक्र के परे है
गलत है जो केहता है कि प्रक्रुती निष्ठुर है
वो तो धैर्यवान ,निष्पक्ष , निर्लिप्त , अडिग है
स्व्धर्म रत है, अनवरत है
~ By aahang
मेरे बेटे के नाम ..
सात समन्दर पार से 
दुनिया के बाज़ार से
जब मैं कल अपने घर आया
देरे रात थी सब सोये थे
तुमको भी सोता पाया
यूं तो हमेशा यूं होता है
मैं तुमको दुबका लेता हूं
पर उस पल ना जाने क्यों
लेट तुम्हारे पास लग यूं
कि मैं तुम में सिमट गया हूं
छोटे से सीने से लग कर
मेरी आंखें भीग गयीं
एक एक पल में ही जैसे
कितनी सदियां बीत गयीं
उठती गिरती सांसों का
एक अजब एहसास थे तुम
मैं ही तुम से दूर गया था
मेरे कितने पास थे तुम
वक़्त का चरखा डोलेगा
और निर्बल हो जाऊंगा मैं
पास तुम्हारे मेरे बेटे
खुद को पाने आऊंगा मैं
~ By Aahang
Making (Fab)India work
I am currently reading ” Making India work” by William Bissell( MD of Fab India). I have always been a big fan of the FAB India concept and have patronised the store for a long time.In the late nineties when there were just a few stores (first one being in the GK Market) I used to take foreign buyers there and they just loved the stuff – I wondered why ? After all it was just cotton and that too kind of very plain and simple.I guess somewhere down the line I got hooked to the casual comfort and comfortable pricing.It also made me look more intelligent than I actually am.
And then whenever I visited Lucknow and went to buy stuff for my parents from the Khadi Gram Udyog outelt I found the concept very similiar to that of Fab India.Khadi Shirts,Home made Pickles,Shampoos,Kutir Neem Soap, Herbal Medicines,Home linen etc…The only big difference I found was that of customers who frequented these two places promoting Gandhian Way of life and Community based enterprises.While Fab India was thronged by the Firangis and the Elitist intellectual types the visitors at Khadi Gram Udyog were more rustic in appearance and represented people with limited means, at best the middle class.
Over a period of time Fab India has grown to be a profitable chain of stores across the country, the Khadi Gram Udyog is languishing in its semi comatose state surviving on life support provided by the government.Well the reasons for its failure are multiple but the most prominent ones :
Lack of Focus on Bottomline
Positioning and value preposition
And Of course the midas touch of Babus who literally mess up with anything that they ever lay their hands on.They should be actually prohibited to bless children else they would stop growing.
Anyways , what pains is that while Gandhi has caught the fancy of the world in a big way as more and more have realized the non sustainable nature of the material pursuits , his ideas are still being promoted in his own country by an American who has made India his home.Even the Organic line of products at Fab India comes from a company promoted by Bharat Mitra who is an Israeli settled in Lucknow.
In a way it epitomizes how we are.Years of colonial baggage has ensured that the Indian Psyche keeps looking for affirmation from the white skin.Unless reaffirmed our faith in our own self and our own knowledge keeps flickering. I do believe in Globalization and have tremendous respect for both gentlemen but this attitude needs to go.
Coming back to the book.The central idea is how India can grow and join the league of developed nations without putting pressure on an already bursting at the seams and fragile planet.The book argues that we must put a value to all natural resources and the communities that live in these habitats must be able to command a price for the clean air and fresh water.
While I agree that a self sustaining community might be an answer to a happier and more content world around us I found the ideas presented in the book simplistic in their approach.
For Example – If Reebok starts pricing its shoes at the product cost + distribution + profit + the cost of getting rid of the pair in an environmently friendly way it can then be called the real cost of the pair.But I understand that Reebok already prices its products at 6 times the cost of production so how come ? and then would not the same logic be applied to a Paragon chappal ? So what do our villagers with fresh water and air do ? The chappal is already beyond their reach as it is now a sustainable chappal.
There is lots of bibliography and Mr. Bissell goes on to propose a new system of Taxation ,Politics, Govenment. To me the ideas will never go beyond the drawing board even though they are simple to understand and execute.India is much more complex a nation and what makes it even more so is the fact that for 70% someone else needs to tell them what’s good or bad for them.How else do you explain Mayawati becoming chief minister the third time.Politics and Government in India is a 2nd class game played by third class people for those who belong to the 4th class.And unless my vested interest of building a nation is same as your vested interest of providing for next 3 generations things will never change.
In all this I see a ray of hope for me – with everyone imagining their own India may be its time for me for think of my own version and publish it.As it is my poems and short stories are not going anywhere…
Let me start :
Aisa hoga sab log Ice cream khaa rahe honge …samjhe.Itte mein mercedes se bhikhari utarenge aur golden bowls mein bheekh maangne lagenge.Aur tab main ek dialogue boloonga ‘ saala nagar basa nahin kangal aagaye.Goli maar do sabko.’
Chote chote bachche apni guns nikalkar chalayenge.Usme se Gems choclate nikaleingee goliyaan nahin aur sab log khushee khushee apne ghar jaane lagenge ye gaate hue ki saare jahan se achchaa hindostaan hamaara ….
Not bad. hai na ?
Smile…You are in Lucknow !
Domes of Asafi Masjid at Bara ImamBara as seen from Teele waali masjid. Asafi ,as it was built by Asif ud Daula.
Teele Waali masjid stands next to Laal Pul(Red Bridge)on the banks of Gomti river.
The girl looking at you is Mushrat who is getting trained in the art of chikan kari under the expert eyes of her mother who is sitting besides her.
Chikan work is painstaking and tedious.Typically the girls will work for 6 hours every day for 26 days and they get paid just Rs 1000($25) for this.
A saree with intricate work on chiffon can take as many as 6 months to complete ! Several artisans work on the same piece day in and day out till it gets completed.I am sure that by the time its ready to be given back they form a kind of bond with the piece of clothing on which they have worked ceaselessly together.
The monotony of the job at hand is broken by friendly banter and chit chat among the women folk who will discuss their family woes and financials with their co workers.
Chewing Paan ( betel leaf and nuts) adds flavor and color to an otherwise dull scene.
The motifs are printed with Indigo blue so they can be washed off after the embroidery is done.They say that Chikan pieces face most testing conditions and travel from one place to another , much more than they would ever, once they are sold off.
Happiness is a state of mind for this poor Zardozi worker who takes pride in his work even though his remuneration is a pittance.
The back side of Roomi Darwaaza.The Rumi Darwaza, which stands sixty feet tall, was modeled after the Sublime Porte (Bab-iHümayun) in Istanbul.Made by Asif ud daula it has now become an icon for Lucknow.
Rumi gate as seen from Asafi mosque.The Rumi gate is named after Rumi the great Sufi saint of Turkey.The landscape around the gate was once very beautiful. In fact this was once the entrance to the walled city area of Lucknow. The gateway has been mentioned in various sources but the most famous one is considered to be the report published by one George Russell who worked as a reporter of The New York times in mid 19th century. Russell, who accompanied the victorious British Army in 1857 had called the stretch of road from Rumi Darwaza to Chattar Manzil the most beautiful and spectacular cityscape that he had ever seen, better than Rome, Paris, London or Constantinople.
That’s the Symbol of Oudh Kingdom which has now been adapted by the UP government as its official State Emblem.
Legend has it that during Akbar’s time Sheikh Abdur Rahim went to Delhi to seek his fortune.He returned to Lucknow as the Governor of Awadh and on his way back encountered the lucky sign of Mahi Muratib, while crossing the Ganges.Known as the Order of the Fish (“fish dignity” in Persian and Arabic), an honorary badge or dignity, shaped like a fish it is said to signify youth, bravery, perseverance and strength. Since then it was to be found on all great buildings and official documents as the royal insignia of the Nawabs of Awadh.
Second of the two gates which lead to Bara Imam bara.Notice the 4 balconies which are quite similar to those found at hawa mahal in Jaipur.
The front facade of Bara Imam bara built by Nawab Asif ud Daula who is buried here too.The design of the Imambara was obtained through a competitive process. The winner was an architect Kifayatullah, who also lies buried in the main hall of the Imambara. It is rather interesting that the sponsor and the architect lie buried besides each other.
The building was instituted to provide work to the famine stricken subjects of the Nawab.It is said that in day time ordinary people would construct the building and in the night kings and Noblemen would demolish the structure.
During this time the saying became famous :
जिसको ना दे मौला उसको दे आसिफ उद दौला
( whom the Gods don’t provide for is looked after by Asif ud Daula)
When courtiers brought this to the notice of Asif-ud-Daula, he was not very exactly pleased. His take was :
” आप मुझे मेरे मौला से ऊपर का दर्ज़ा नहीं दे सकते.ये गलत है.करनेवाला तो खुदा है, इंसान तो बस एक ज़रिया है.गर केहना ही है तो कहिये : जिसको दे मौला , उसी को दे असिफुद दौला (Asifud Daula provides for those whom the God looks after)”
The Hussainabad Clock Tower, the tallest Clock Tower in India, is one of the finest examples of British Architecture in India. The 221-foot tall structure was erected by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider to mark the arrival of Sir George Couper, 1st Lieutenant Governor of United Province of Avadh in the year 1887 at a cost of Rs. 1.75 lakhs. The contract for constructing the clock tower was given to James William Benson, the royal clock maker in England who made clocks for the queen of England.
The Clock Tower in Lucknow reaches upto a staggering height of 221 feet and is the tallest Clock Tower in India. The Clock tower also has the biggest fitted clock . Roskell Payne designed this lofty structure of 67 meter high and it reflects Victorian-Gothic style structural designs. Gunmetal is used for building the clock parts. It’s gigantic pendulum has a length of 14 feet and the dial of the clock is designed in the shape of a 12-petalled flower and bells around it. Sadly the clock has been dysfunctional for decades now.
Notice the Swan Bird at the very top which was probably a weathervane and gave the direction of the wind. Recently the head fell off and it is said to have weighed 13 Kgs !!
On a clear day one can see the city of Cawnpore (Kanpur)from atop of this tower !!
The Chotta Imam baara was a place of worship for the begums who resided in the near by Chattar Manzil palace.As you enter from the elaborate gate there is the Shahi Hammam where the begums performed Wuzoo ( cleansing before namaz).The Water came through pipes from Gomti River to the Husainabad Tank from where it was fed to different areas of the royal residence.
If you are wondering about the Chain in the hands of this statuette ,its for conducting electricity in case of a weather storm so the buildings are safe.
The gate of Chotta Imam Bara.Notice the Anglo Gothic and Turkish design elements in its architecture.The arches are Turkish as found in the Taj Mahal and the Spires are Gothic as you would see in churches.
The Husainabad pond.It is said that when cornered by the british forces Sultana Daaku(bandit) jumped from the 67 meter high clock tower into this pond and escaped.My guide told me that these were stories concocted by the servants of the Noblemen to put the kids to sleep.Another version holds that he jumped straight away to his horseback from the top of the tower and escaped.I believe in both of them !
Wajid Ali Shah..the grandest of the Nawabs of Oudh.Known for his interest in fine arts he was himself a great poet and composer.Here are the lyrics of his famous thumri composed in raag Bhairavi:
बाबुल मोरा, नैहर छूटो ही जाए
बाबुल मोरा, नैहर छूटो ही जाए
चार कहार मिल, मोरी डोलिया सजावें (उठायें)
मोरा अपना बेगाना छूटो जाए | बाबुल मोरा …
आँगना तो पर्बत भयो और देहरी भयी बिदेश
जाए बाबुल घर आपनो मैं चली पीया के देश | बाबुल मोरा …
It was predicted that he would become a jogi and his poetry deeply reflects this state of mind.Another one of my favorite from Shatranj ke Khiladi :
तरप तरप सगरी रैन गुजरी , कौन देस गयो सांवरिया
भर आयीं अंखियां मदवारी , तरस तरस गयी चुनरिया ,
तुम्हरे घोडन मोरे द्वार से जो निकसे ,सुध भूल गयी मैं बांवरिया
तरप तरप सगरी रैन गुजरी , कौन देस गयो सांवरिया….
Another gem that he recited to his friends and followers at the time of leaving Lucknow for Metia Burj in Calcutta :
दरो दीवार पे हसरत से नज़र करते हैं , खुश रहो अहले वतन हम तो सफर करते हैं
With a yearning gaze I look at the doors and the wall
I have to leave now but may God bless you all….
Noted Columnist Amaresh Mishra writes -
Wajid Ali Shah was an unusual man of an unusual time – when everything was possible he did the impossible.He preserved for posterity what it meant to be a true Asian in th best and worst of periods.Beneath the rapidly spreading tentacles of Western might and culture he upturned the very meaning of tradition to create a concept of Asiatic freedom.This was freedom that followed the mind and the heart according to the need of the situation.It did not take anything for granted believing in transitory nature of all phenomena.And yet it captured every moment in its entirety.
Wajid Ali Shah, in this form and content , was the greatest enemy of the British.He was the exact opposite of their puritanical,positivist, pugnacious and metaphysical value system.When they called him indolent , he involved the people in his sensual pleasures.When they termed in capricious,he shamed the British with his Humanism.Charged with over indulgence he institutionalized his love for Music,dance and Women.( The Parikhana was a hostel for girls training in Music and Dance)
The below conversation between Resident Outram and Captain Weston gives us a flavor of the paradox Wajid Ali Shah was.Not only his friends but his enemies too liked him.
Wajid Ali Shah gave Kathak its present form,invented several new ragas,wrote and composed Khayals and Thumris which his subjects embraced as their own and sang them in the streets of Lucknow.
He also invented Rahas a blend of Urdu and Raas Lila of Brij which became the basis of the Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb.During his time the Hindus and Muslims blended together as One and it would have been difficult to convince either of them of a different way of life.
When his Mother the Queen of Awadh left for London to plead with the Queen of England to give his Masnad back, the streets and lanes of Awadh cheered and prayed for their Jan e Alam ( one who is loved by the whole world) :
हज़रत जाते हैं लन्दन , हम पर क्रुपा करो रघुनन्दन
( Our king is going to London,Help us O lord Rama)
The socio cultural fabric had Hindus and Muslims as its warp and weft interwoven in a manner that the hues of differentiation simply diffused to create something wondrous and Joyful.Holi and Diwali were Occasions of celebration and so was Id.Muslims composed Bhajans and Geets while Hindus wrote Ghazals and Nazms , quality and Bhaav being the only creteria.Same was the case of trade and commerce – Brahmins made sweets as they were good at it and making Itr was a Muslim domain as they did it better.Pandit and Maulvi engaged in debates on Ethics and religion not in a duel for one upmanship but to understand the true nature of creation and the beings in it.
Chattar Manzil palace by the banks of Gomti river which used to the abode of the Queens of the nawabs of Oudh.It now houses the prestigious Central Drug research institute which was inaugurated by PM Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1951 to pioneer drug research in India.
The famous Begum Hazrat Mahal resided at Chattar Manzil Palace and led the revolt against the British from here by appointing her 10 year old son as the Monarch.Her tomb is still there at Begum Hazrat Mahal Park which is home to many an event especially the Lucknow Mahotsav which has now moved Venue to a place outside the city.
I am sorry for not being able to capture many other monuments of this great city and also for the random nature of narration.You may enjoy being an aimless wanderer as much as I have while taking pictures and talking to folks on the city streets.
** All Pictures from my SONY cyber Shot
NREGA – Good politics Bad business
While the government is basking in the success of the NREGA (National rural emaployment Guarentee Scheme) and the opposition is crying fowl from the rooftops,the real impact of this scheme on the economy is something no one seems to be bothered about.
Many years ago IBM computers was in the dumps and it had to do something drastic to turn around its dwindling fortunes.They had a huge workforce which they could neither fire right away nor could keep for always in its current form.Driven to the wall the team at IBM told its employees that we would like to retain everybody so long as they can prove themselves to be employable.This simply meant that there are no free lunches and whoever contributes can be a part of the party.This simple idea turned out to be one of the most important case studies in HR history as it brought back IBM computers from the brink of bankruptcy to the centre stage of IT revolution as we know it.
Professionals like us have no issues with sharing our destiny with our less fortunate brethren but the only worry is that can we sustain it for long.If the dog starts biting the hand that feeds or in softer words if we cut the branch on which we are perched its going to be sad tale of foolhardy for all of us.On one hand the money is being ill spent and on the other the sources from which it came are being attacked at the same time.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-opposition-camp-too-delays-mismanagement/259701/0
Lets look at some very compelling situations which I am putting here not for starting a debate but to sound a red alert for ‘fools’ who keep living in their own paradise :
1.Today you go to any of the Industrial cities such as Ludhiana , Moradabad, Tirupur ,Kanpur,Cochin etc and there’s one thing you will find common on all factory gates – a sign declaring labour required for packing,polishing stiching,cutting,weaving and so on.So what’s new ? well there is no labour !
And where have they all gone ?? Nowhere.They have just not turned up.Who would bother to lead a harsh life of hard work when you can enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor for free at home.A share has to be given away in bribes but that’s OK.I did not do anything do deserve it anyways.
2.NREGA may be a great scheme but its implementation is seriously flawed.Has the government come up with a white paper on how the country has benefited by keeping the nations working hands tied up to their place of origin.Displacement to urban centers could have been a problem but is this the right solution.What are the metrics applied and how the performance of the workers,supervisors and babus is being measured.NREGA is supposed to build check dams,community roads,wells etc but how have the parameters for achievement been set against the work being done by a private contracter.
3.In order to be ‘employable’ by world markets our industry needs to be competitive.But we have floating exchange rates compared to China’s fixed ones,we have all kinds of industrial policies that hinder free flow of men and material,we have excise duty which encourages export of raw material and discourages export of finished goods,We have labor laws that were fit for the 1950′s but no one has bothered to change them,we have the lowest productivity of workers and highest cost of transport and duties.
4.India is touted to be on the growth path as more than 70% of its population is under 35 years of age and we have the largest pool of working population.But with schemes like NREGA we must question if the working hands are getting utilized optimally.Whats the differential when you have a skilled tailor work on a machine producing merchandise for exports vs. the same guy working in his village and digging a canal.
5.Those who earn much more that what NREGA offers and have skills which are far beyond will continue to rise on the economic path but what is the government doing to upgrade the skills of those who work for NREGA ??What about those who have under utilized skill sets.I am sure their numbers far exceed those of the few software engineers we keep talking about.
6.If the factories cannot produce goods for shortage of labour or become uncompetitive in world market place who will take the responsibility and how will the deficit in export earnings be made good.What are our options and what are we doing about mechanizing processes that are labor intensive.Is the government giving incentives to SSI’s and Exporters so they do not suffer due to lack of cheap labor which has been their competitive advantage for so long.
I am not predicting a doomsday scenario here but if you go to one of the centers of export excellence above you will be as aghast as I was when I saw half the units either closed already or on the verge of it.
When last season our supplier in Ludhiana told us that he can’t supply the goods due to shortage of labour we went to an importer and bought Chinese sweaters.I wonder what will hold the buyers in other countries to act any differently if we in India continue on this path of self destruction.
The Link below to NREGA website does not measure any of the stuff I have mentioned but interestingly shows the lowest levels of Funds utilization and sanctioned in states like Goa,Himanchal and Uttarakhand which have done far better on the industrialization and improving quality of life for their people.
Sourcing – India or China ?
Off late there has been a lot of debate as to which is a better sourcing destination – India or china.Going by just volumes China is far head of India in both value and variety of products shipped ,especially to the US market, but India is emerging as a strong contender with recent changes that shift the balance in its favor.
While India will not be able to overtake china as a sourcing base it will be able to take away a major share in low technology manufacturing such as apparel,shoes,Handicrafts and the such while China will continue to lead in high tech goods.India will emerge as an “alternate source” for those looking for a more stable,quality conscious and environmentally freindly supply source with a long term horizon.
A few compelling reasons for retailers to develop a sourcing base out of India :
1. A stable supply base governed by democratic economic policies which are linked to the world unlike China where demand is artificially created and supply is pegged to control price and consumption.
2.Almost all regions in china have raised labor wages.The rise is varied from 20 % in coastal china to 65 % in cities like Shenzhen.They now range from $150 to $300 where as they are low and stable at about $100 to $ 150 in India.At most they go up to $ 200 for skilled labor in some of The Indian Factories.
China has done this to lower the income gap which was giving rise to frustration among the working class and also to boost domestic consumption.
Being a free market economy Domestic consumption in India has always been high which is one reason for poor export outlook.Companies can make a lot more money by selling to Indians and they only go for export for engaging spare capacities or for securing bulk deals.With an increased focus on world markets this manufacturing base will drive the export growth.
3.Chinese currency Renminbi which was pegged again in 2008 to help the exporters fight recession , may be allowed to free float under pressure from IMF and other world bodies.
Indian Rupee has always been free floating and remains stable at about Rs.45 to a dollar with maximum 10 % fluctuation on either side beyond which the government may need to intervene.It has not happened so far except during the 2008 economic crisis when Rupee became too strong effecting dwindling exports negatively.
4.As customers ask for products which have been produced in more environmental friendly and sustainable manner the retailers will be forced to ask for questions such as chain of custody,effluent treatment,carbon footprint,labor friendliness etc.With strong laws governing Indian Manufacturing it will have a definite win over China which has ignored these for a long time.
If China pushes for the environmental compliances now they will most certainly scar the low cost image it has created for itself.I understand that many Chinese provinces are pushing environmental issues which is adding cost to the manufacturing bases there.Many others may follow soon.
5.Infrastructure has been a major concern for India for a long time.But the last few years have seen the strengthening of the rail road network and development of sea and air ports.Today India can boast of some of the best airports in the world and soon the number of sea ports with container handling capacities which are many times over their current capacities will be a reality.Public Private partnership model has not only brought in the required investment but has also ensured before time completion of projects as most projects have a severe penalty clause for overruns.
6.Last but not the least – India today has the largest pool of skilled English speaking manpower which is below 35 years of age.As they work hard and play harder a new consumption pattern is beginning to emerge which will fuel domestic consumption and thus attract huge investments in manufacturing of goods and services.The rise of the “Indian middle Class” which is as big as the US population is now a reality.
Manufacturing industry in both SME and large scale industries has to gear up to keep up with the rise in demand.Most of the MNC’s which were earlier importing are now having their own manufacturing bases in India now.This will help in raising the production and quality standards of Indian enterprises as they will have to compete with International competition.It will certainly help in making the “made in India” label more valuable than ever before.
पथिक का प्रेम गीत…
मेरे आने पर देखो कैसे तुम्हारी आखें चमक गयीं
लगता है जाने पर मेरे सबसे ज़्यादा तुम रोओगे
मुझको बाहर तक पहुंचाने सब ही आए तुम ना आए
लगता है तन्हाई मे मेरी मेरे साथ तुम्ही होओगे
मेरा गीत सुना सब जागे तुमको कैसे नींद आ गयी
लगता है अब इंतज़ार में सारी रात नहीं सोओगे
सबने मुझसे पूछे किस्से और तुम थे चुपचाप खडे
लगता है मन की मेहफिल का अंतिम गीत तुम्ही होओगे
रामअवतार त्यागी जी रचना ’ सबसे ज़्यादा तुम रोओगे ‘ के भावों को मैंने अपने स्तर से प्रस्तुत करनी की कोशिश की है. आशा है आप तक पहुंचेगी …… आहंग
What’ your suggested epitaph ?
Mine will be – AT LAST if I die in foreign land.
and it will be अब आगे…. if I die in India
The reason for this change is that I will look forward the end in a foreign land and in India I will look forward to be reborn.
and I want it to be written in Hindi because I do not want the Indian angels to waste their time in getting my message to them translated.
If you want to suggest your epitaph please comment and I will post it.
some ideas -
Oh no not again
Excuse the dirt please
Going down.Wanna Come along ?
I was looking for you Dear.
I’m here…. you fool !!
If you can read this then you are too close
Dead and buried.Finally.
In God’s own country….
Can we switch places please ?
Who’s behind you ?
अपना ही इंतेज़ार किया है मैनें कई शाम
वाह री बेखुदी कि तेरे पास बैठ कर ,
तेरा ही इंतेज़ार किया है मैनें कभी कभी ….
I heard this couplet a few days back and I am not able to get it out of my mind for some reason.While it suggests missing someone else at one level, to me it is more of an expression of losing touch with your own self in the midst of all the commotion that our lives have become.
My version will come something like this :
खुदाया ये बेखुदी कि खुद के साथ बैठ कर
अपना ही इंतेज़ार किया है मैनें कई शाम …
तमाम चेहरों में कौन सा चेहरा है मेरे यार
खुद से ये सवाल किया है मैनें कई शाम …
Between work,home and everything else in between there’s hardly any space or time left to connect within. All you do must be done and all relationships are your own asking but really how or what justifies existence itself.Time and again I ask myself : is this something I want to do ? Is this something I like to do ? Is this my calling ? and cautiously avoid the answer.
इतने हिस्सों मे बट गया हूं मैं , मेरे हिस्से में कुछ बचा ही नहीं
To continue in this state is madness and I know it. But I somehow participate in it for lack of sanity….trudging the endless road to nowhere.
Waiting ,perhaps looking forward, for the station where I can offload myself .
Off I will go to a land where it all makes sense finally or may be not !
~ आहंग्
Fortune at the top of the Pyramid…
A few months back I had a chance to meet up with a friend after a long long time.We decided to catch up somewhere convenient and since New Delhi can be a nightmare during peak hours I checked if my friend could make it to my hotel.” I was parked at a 5 star courtesy my company but was it a good idea to pay through the neck for the drinks which would probably cost 5 times less at home.After all we just have to get sloshed.
My mind started racing at the options – ask my friend to buy a bottle on the way, go and fetch a bottle myself and ask for room service for the glasses and ice.I could probably afford soda from the mini bar.
As I checked the guest services folio I found something- a gift coupon which announced that the hotel had a buy one get one policy for house guests during happy hours from 6-8 PM. So that’s half the price already and I get to show ff the free thing as a smart move from a regular.Both of us drank like fish did not occur to me and the ‘free’ part will probably bring out the animal in us even more.Anyways there was hardly any time..
My phone rang.It was Ashwin my friend – the NRI venture capitalist.I directed him to the hotel’s pub ” wellington”.
As soon as we were seated Ashwin waved to the steward and before the poor guy could offer any greetings he ordered – two Glenfiddich large please.we resumed our conversation thereafter which basically went around good old days…
The steward returned and I was surprised to see that he had just got two drinks.
” where are the free ones??” I asked.
” of I am so sorry sir.That offer is only for the weekdays and today it’s a saturday” He answered.
I picked up my drink and put in a bunch of ice cubes eager to taste my favorite drink just the way I liked it.Ashwin did the same. We were bottle buddies.
We had a good time and after 4 – 5 large Glenfiddich’s when we could barely stand up we asked for the check.It was some 8 thousand rupees including the snacks.Both of us offered to pay and finally after a lot of argument I managed to snatch the folio from Ashwin and shoved my credit card in.At that point I did not even register what the bill amount was.I did not even want to show off or proove anything to my partner.We had grown up together and wouldn’t have cared if either one of us had bought over the hotel at that point in time.We went to the parking singing a Jagjit Singh loudly and promised to meet again soon.We knew “soon’ would be a couple of years.
Next morning when I woke up there was a nagging feeling apart from the hangover.I could nail it down to ‘why the hell did I spend so much money?When I could not get it off my mind I decided to analyse my behavior :
1.I had decided to host Ashwin at the hotel bar because I wanted to do it or because of the free drink offer ?
2.If I was sure so sure I could not afford 8000 bucks I should have let Ashwin pay. It was just a couple of hundred dollars for him after all.
3. Did I really bother that I had spend all that money.The fact was that even I was making enough to do this once in a while if not everyday.
4.Did I have a good time and was it worth ?
So what was it that was bothering me ?
As I recalled the events of last evening I got stuck with a line from the Ghazal we were singing last night :
हमने माना कि कुछ नहीं गालिब ,मुफ्त हाथ आए तो बुरा क्या है …
I know for sure that Ghalib is worthless, but what’s the harm if I can have him for free.
That was where my answer lay.I was feeling cheated !! No it was not the hotel but I was feeling cheated that something that was rightfully mine for free had been taken away by putting up technical barriers.How the hell it mattered if it was a Friday or a Saturday – I was entitled for a FREE drink which I did not get.I was lured into the trap by careful fine print.It was a privilege that was taken away unjustifiably.You don’t get to drink single malt at a five star for free all the time.It was foul play and nothing else.
Should I stay back till Monday and take revenge ?? I laughed at myself but a big lesson in pricing had been learnt :
1. Not having to pay up for a product or service is something etched deep inside our psyche.It is a measure of our “privilege Quotient” and our smartness.
2.While the service provider wants to get paid X , the customer wants to pay nothing for it.
3.Nothing is worthless as long as it is free.
4.We are as much gullible as our greed and we will see what we want to see not what we should see.
5.The “want” for freebies has nothing to do with our economic or social status.When it comes to paying as close to nothing as possible we are all the same.
6.There is no price for anything , only cost. You can sell anything for any price staring from zilch and taking it upwards with the customer’s aspiration or need.
These tenets do not simply follow the laws of supply and demand as has been proved by the sultan of Retail Sam Walton.He had mastered the art of creating exponential demand with the least drop in prices, keeping the supply angle out of picture for his customers.More than keeping the products at Wal Mart cheap, it is their ability to keep their customers feeling that they are cheaper everyday as compared to their competition that makes them the world’s largest and most successful retailer.
CK Prahlad proposed that there is a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.In terms of increased accessibility due to a low cost of acquisition it might be true.A company can therefore make money by profiting not so much on per transaction basis but on a bulk of transactions which are undifferentiated , with the low cost of delivery and last mile.
I have been thinking – Is there a fortune at the top of the pyramid too ???
Does God play dice ??
Its a long weekend so I picked up the Original text of ” special and general theory of relativity” which had been pushed back in the Que of “to read” on my table because each time I picked it up I found the contents too abstruse for my tired and drained out mind to comprehend.
I grappled with the text trying to read it from beginning to the end and vice versa.Then I picked up the chapters randomly but the only thing that I could understand was that the concept of time and space and space time has to be clear to understand the general and special theory of relativity to a certain degree.
Also I admit that I was intrigued more by time than by space so I began to read more about how human consciousness has dealt with this invisible fourth dimension that’s just an a priori concept etched deep within our minds or even in our DNA as Robert Persig says in his classic ‘ Zen and the Art of motor cycle maintainence.
In terms of defining time I sifted through numerous statements and the one that best explains the idea comes from science Fiction writer Ray Cummings :
Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.
This is a very pertinent definition and explains a lot of stuff about time from spiritual, religious,philosophical as well as scientific standpoint.Newtonian concept of linear time assumes that events happen in a sequence so that the ones that are observed first are ‘past’ and the ones that will be observed later are ‘ future’ taking the observers current position as present.Time travel is therefore a possibility.
Opposed to this view are Leibniz and Immanuel Kant who propose time to be part of our intellectual perception framework just like space, numbers etc within which we organize and sequence our thoughts so it cannot be measured or traveled for that matter.
In the Critique of Pure Reason , Kant describes time as an intuition that allows us (together with the other intuition,space) to comprehend sense experience.
We think of time as an absolute,flowing and measurable entity because of the inherent notion that ‘our’ time is limited and we exist only between our beginning and end.Just as we don’t say ‘ your space is running out’ we would not say ‘ your time is running out’ if we stop thinking of it as something exaustible with a unidirectional and irreversible flow.
While Christianity believes in Linear time with the beginning at the start of creation by God the other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism etc state that time is cyclical with the wheel of time turns for each individual between birth and extinction.According to the Vedas the universe goes through repeated cycles of creation, sustainance ,destruction and rebirth called the yugas Treta , Dvapar, kaliyug and satyug.Each complete cycle lasts for 4320000 years.
The Concept of Time in Physics :
We have already read Newton’s definition so let’s jump to Einstein.
Einstein, postulated the constancy and finiteness of the speed of light for all observers in his special theory of relativity. He proved that distances appear shorter and time interval appears longer for events associated with objects in motion relative to an inertial observer.
Einstein showed that if time and space is measured using electromagnetic phenomena (like light bouncing between mirrors) then due to the constancy of the speed of light, time and space become mathematically entangled in the Minkowski space where time is added as the fourth dimension.
This in turn results in Lorentz transformation , which explains how, according to the theory of special relativity, two observers’ varying measurements of space and time can be converted into each other’s frames of reference. It reflects the surprising fact that observers moving at different velocities may measure different distances, time inetrvals, and even different ordering of events.
In the late nineteenth century, physicists encountered problems with the classical understanding of time, in connection with the behaviour of electricity and magnetism. Einstein resolved these problems by invoking a method of synchronizing clocks using the constant, finite speed of light as the maximum signal velocity. This led directly to the result that observers in motion relative to one another will measure different elapsed times for the same event.
According to Einstein, the concept of time depends on the spatial reference frame of the observer, and the human perception as well as the measurement by instruments such as clocks are different for observers in relative motion. The past is the set of events that can send light signals to the observer, the future is the set of events to which the observer can send light signals.
Einstein notes : “Two events taking place at the points A and B of a system K are simultaneous if they appear at the same instant when observed from the middle point, M, of the interval AB. Time is then defined as the ensemble of the indications of similar clocks, at rest relatively to K, which register the same simultaneously.”
In Chapter 9 he adds that simultaneity is also relative, i.e., two events that appear simultaneous to an observer in a particular inertial reference frame need not be judged as simultaneous by a second observer in a different inertial frame of reference.
Schrodinger’s Cat paradox :
Quantum physics presents a complex view of the universe. Erwin Schrödinger criticized the theory by posing one of the most famous thought experiments in modern physics.
The quantum model of reality explains particles in terms of probability using wave equations. Instead of a particle being a bouncy ball, it is a described in terms of a superposition of waves that represent its probable states. Erwin Schrödinger complained in his 1935 paper that “the classical concept of state becomes lost,” citing the famous Heisenberg uncertainty principle. To highlight this problem, he posed his now legendary “cat paradox.”
Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrödinger purposed to put a fictional, but no doubt loveable, cat into a box shielded from any outside interference. Inside the box, he also places a radioactive substance, “so small,” says Schrödinger, “that perhaps in the course of an hour one of the atoms decays, but also, with equal probability, perhaps none.” Finally, he inserts a mechanism consisting of a Geiger counter connected to a bottle of poison. If the counter detects the radioactive decay of the atom, the mechanism breaks the flask of poison and poor kitty dies. If the counter does not detect the decay, then the cat lives.
What is the point of this experiment? As Schrödinger explains, the quantum function describing the state of the system would “express this by having in it the living and dead cat (pardon the expression) mixed or smeared out in equal parts.”
Most Physicists resolve the Schrodinger’s Cat paradox by making distinction between microscopic phenomena which are described as a strange mixture of atomic states as regards to their position in time ( Hiesenberg’s Uncertainty Principle), and macroscopic objects, in this case a cat.The standard resolution of the paradox assumes that the crucial difference between microscopic events ( collision of atomic particles) and macroscopic events spreading of smoke in a room is that microscopic events are reversible in time , while macroscopic events are not.While a film of two atoms colliding looks normal whether it runs forward or backward in time , a film of smoke coming out of an incense stick will makes sense only if the smoke is spreading out not collapsing back into the incense.Thus , macroscopic events fix “the arrow of time” in a direction that increases disorder.Physicists say that the entropy of macroscopic events ( the measure of disorder) fixes the direction of time and also makes the distinction between reversible microscopic events and irreversible macroscopic events.
It is important to understand that Consciousness is not the essential feature of making an observation.The transfer of information which implies an increase in entropy and irreversibly of time is the basis of observation.The irreversible transfer of information can be in the form of memory cells in our brain or photographic film.
But how do we remember the sequence of events in our consciousness is a mystery as unlike the Photo film the brain cells are again like atomic particles and follow random motion where time can be reversed or it certainly does not have the arrow of time associated with the macroscopic systems ???
There are other paradox which exist with respect to our interface with time apart from the effect of psychotropic substances such as the kappa effect wherein the journey that covers more distance will appear to take longer than the journey covering less distance, even though they take an equal amount of time. Practically speaking, a faster journey over more distance will still appear more time-consuming than a slower journey over less distance.
It is a known phenomenon that long periods of time appear to pass faster as people grow older. Stephen Hawking, suggests that the judgement of time is a function of age, according to a ratio – Unit of Time : Time Lived.
For example, one day to an eleven-year-old person would be approximately 1/4,000 of their life, while one day to a 55-year-old would be approximately 1/20,000 of their life. According to such an interpretation, a day would appear much longer to a young child than to an adult, even though the measure of time is the same.
Time Travel,Temporal Paradox and Parallel Universe’s :
Time travel is the concept of moving backwards and/or forwards to different points in time,just as we do in space, and different from the normal “flow” of time to an observer on earth. It hypothesizes that all points in time – in past and in future “persist” in some way. Time travel at different rates into the future, known as time dilation, as predicted by the theory of relativity, and has been experimentally verified for small amounts of time. Travelling forward for larger amounts of time is, so far, physically difficult, requiring large amounts of energy. Travelling backwards in time has never been verified, presents many theoretic problems, and may be an impossibility.
A central problem with time travel to the past is the violation of causality , should an effect precede its cause, it would give rise to the possibility of temporal paradox.Also known as time paradox , it presents a paradoxical situation in which a time traveler causes, through actions in the past, the exclusion of the possibility of the time travel that allowed those actions to be taken.
The typical example is that of the grandfather paradox, wherein a time traveler goes back in time and kills his grandfather before his mother or father is conceived. It is a paradox because if this occurs, he will never be born, and therefore never be able to travel back in time to kill his grandfather, thus allowing himself to be born.
One hypothesis is that there are an infinite number of universes, one for each possibility. Here, should the time traveller kill his grandfather, one universe would have a live grandfather, and another universe would have a dead one. Failing that, the universe would annihilate itself, for such a paradox would defy its laws.
I think it’s time for me to go get a drink and alter my perception of time – slow or fast , past or future I shall let you know once I come back to consciousness.
The Atlas will Shrug and there will be trouble…
I was on a flight from Phledelphia to Atlanta when the story of widespread corruption at CWG first broke out.I was reading the in flight copy of Wall street journal which carried the story of horrendous misadventure of Kalmadi and sons.Needless to say I was aghast at the contents of the story but what was more disturbing was the fact that I felt as If all passengers in the flight were sneering at me and saying ” India is a super power and a developing country.Ha! Ha ! Ha!
I really felt ashamed for being an Indian for an act of sheer betrayal committed by my fellow beings.India has failed as a state long time before the CWG happened.This is just a symptom , the cancer has already eaten half the country.Today India is divided very clearly into the have’s and have not’s.The Have’s are the ones who have showed to the government that it is not required and they will continue to flourish with or without it.They have private electricity, private water, private security, private Schools, Foreign holidays, Private places of worship and basically live like aliens in India.Just like you pay ‘hafta’ to the local mafia they shell out the 30 % Tax once in a year so the government and its dogs stay away.They are so agnostic and indifferent that 90 % of them do not even bother to vote.
The trouble is with the ‘other’ India which is supposed to be taken care of by the largess from their rich half brothers.The loot begins as soon as the moolah is in staring at the top of the pyramid.By the time it reaches the bottom just 10 % is left out as per statistics conjured up by none other than Prince Rahul Gandhi.
The Naxalite movement which has spread in half of the country is nothing but a struggle to reclaim natural resources from the Government which has snatched away the right to live ‘naturally’ and has given nothing back. The Naxals with their own organizational issues are widely supported by the people as they represent a cause – why should we bother about the government, its rules and policies when the Government has not bothered about about since freedom.The officials only come back when they are given order to plunder and almost never to keep the promises of their masters.One half of the country on the North east to the south is on the verge of anarchy.
It will be disastrous if the other half from north west to south realizes that we fund our own existence anyways after paying a third to a government that is non existent. Why should we do that ?? Why not upgrade from private security to a private army and break loose from the Indian State.It is not going to happen so easily only because the ‘richer’ half has larger personal stakes but it’s only a matter of time when a ‘messiah’ like me shows them the way.Like so many identities being exploited in India of 21st Century – Hindu, Muslim,Kashmiri, Marathi, Telugu, Bodo and so on being ‘affluent’ too is an idea which can bring people together and unite them for a cause.What will give this group an edge will be its superior thought process, stronger networks and access to resources to gather strength in the form of men and machines which will come easily with money.They have build a nation within a nation already….
The Altlas will shrug and there will be trouble.
200 years of Hazratganj
On my recent trip to Lucknow I was on my way to chowk for some Chikan work shopping.I decided to take the route via governer house to hazratganj and then onwards to clarks awadh hotel, residency and medical college.
Hazratganj is usually crowded in the evenings but I have never seen anything close to the legendary traffic jams of bangalore.I was surprised to see the traffic stuck at the same place for some 15-20 minutes.The reason for this snarl… Hazratganj is getting a face lift for its 200th birthday.A welcome change for all of us who grew up in Lucknow and for whom ganjing was as special as going to Time Square in NY.
Papa’s car has no music system so waiting there for the traffic to make way ,I got carried back in time when this stretch of 1 km represented all that was hot and happening. Hazratganj was not only a market place , it was something to talk about and even flaunt to the poor cousins who visited from not so hep parts of the country.
Personally I have lots of memories and a few of them are quite vivid as if they happened just yesterday. It’s difficult to rank what I liked best but yes what comes to mind quite readily is my monthly, fortnightly and sometimes weekly visits to Mayfair. The cinema hall was a craze among movie lovers in Lucknow as it showed the latest English Movies in the Morning show.You could bump into almost anyone or hope to bump into almost anyone as you put your hand into the ticket window to collect tickets of “Pretty Women’. Another favorite haunt for college goers especially from the science department in Lucknow University was the Marksman restaurant. In those days it had the distinction of serving some of the best Burgers,Pizzas and Omelette’s.Any given day you could see youngsters pooling in for a ‘dutch’ party to celebrate the last day of exam or some equally important occasion.And yes how can I forget Rovers cafe ?? For 10 bucks you could buy yourself a hot burger with a potato pancake and a slice of onion and cucumber stuffed carefully between the bread. If you were not broke already you could ask for a fanta or a thums up to go along watching the chicks as time stood still.Janpath was another place that allowed a casual stroll and plenty of window shopping.There was a magazine shop at the corner that sold the latest issues of Debo and all my friends would make sure to have a dekko before their Ganjing trip was over. My entire collection of ‘rock’ music was put together at shop called the Rhythm centre which was on the left side as you entered the Janpath premises.They used to record @ rs 2 per song for Hindi and Rs 5 for English.I guess the bias was still there from the times of Britishers and the snob shopkeepers had found a novel way to differentiate the sahebs from the Pariah.I cared for neither.One place that I used to frequent in the evenings was the Chat stall on the upper deck of Janpath. The genesis of being and the power of free will were debated for hours till it did not make sense anymore – I am not sure if it was the depth of the discussion or the high of Old monk but that’s what it was.
The traffic started moving and I was transponded back from my reverie. As I sped past the DM’s residence I reminded myself to take the turn and stop by to have Paan at SBI…..somethings will never change.
And it is for these things which will remain ‘unchanged’ I will keep coming back again and again and again !
जो मैंने जाना है ……
इस मोड से जाते हैं 
कुछ सुस्त कदम रस्ते
कुछ तेज़ कदम राहें
इन तेज़ सी राहों पर
हम दौड्ते रेह्ते हैं
और जान नहीं पाते
क्या हमने खोया है
कभी सुस्त से रस्तों पर
मेरे साथ चलो तुम भी
और देखो वो सब कुछ
जो मैंने जाना है ……
~ आहंग
अपना ही इंतेज़ार किया है मैनें कई शाम …
खुदाया ये बेखुदी कि खुद के साथ बैठ कर
अपना ही इंतेज़ार किया है मैनें कई शाम …
तमाम चेहरों में कौन सा चेहरा है मेरे दोस्त
है खुद से ये सवाल किया मैनें कई शाम…
इस आग के दरिया की मैं भी तो लहर हूं
सोचा है साहिल पर खडे रहके मैनें कई शाम…
ये कैसी कशमकश है ये कैसा जुनूं है
समझा तो नहीं पर सोचा है यही मैनें कई शाम..
एक चांद को तारों से करते बात देखकर
ढूंढा है अपना भी आसमान कई शाम …..
- आहंग
My blog in 2010
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
Crunchy numbers
The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2010. If each view were a shipping container, your blog would have filled about 3 fully loaded ships.
In 2010, there were 46 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 258 posts. There were 66 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 10mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was September 8th with 125 views. The most popular post that day was Smile…You are in Lucknow !.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were google.co.in, en.wordpress.com, networkedblogs.com, facebook.com, and indiblogger.in.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for waterfall, aghori, शिव स्तुति, aahang, and gulzar poetry in hindi.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
Smile…You are in Lucknow ! April 2010
15 comments
2
Lucknow Chikan Work March 2010
17 comments
3
Aghori January 2010
13 comments
4
अनवरत March 2010
2 comments
5
Rumi Quotes on Love … December 2009
2 comments
Unexplained……
You seem know all the answers, I am not sure of the question
You want to know the truth, I am OK with the lies
You want to get to the destination, I revel in the journey
You want to see the light , I explore the darkness as well
You want to be in control , I have lost my sense of bearing
You want to do what’s right, I don’t know what went wrong
You want to be loved by friends, I like my enemies too
You want to be the favorite of Gods, I am devil’s confidant
You want me to be there always, I may or may not be
You want to believe in yourself, I can’t trust my own mind
To you I am arbitrary, to me I’m just unexplained
~aahang
नवाबी तलवार…
एक मर्तबा लखनऊ शहर में एक उजडे नवाब हुआ करते थे. नाम था मिराजुद्दौला. उनकी तारीफ यूं तो क्या थी सिवा इसके कि बाप दादों की रियासत का मज़ा लूटते थे पर हां यही बात अगर आप हमसे उनके सामने पूछ्ते तो हमारा जवाब ज़हिर तौर पर ये होता कि साहब जितनी की जाये कम है !
अब नवाब कह दिया तो ये तो साफ ही हो गया कि कोई काम काज तो मियां मिराजुद्दौला क्या ही करते होंगे पर हां इसका ये मतलब कतई नही निकलता उनकी मसरूफियत में कोई कमी थी. नसीमो सुबह से गुफ्तगू करने और गुसल फरमाने के बाद नवाब साहब बाकयदा दीवानखाने में तख्तनशीं हो जाया करते और शाम होने तलक कौम के तमाम इखलाकी और तम्यद्दुन्नी मसलों में दखल दिया करते. चूंकि उनकी नसीहतें ज़रा ओछी और कमतर हुआ करती थी सो वो आलिम फाज़िल कम किस्सा गो के तौर पर ज़्यादा मशहूर हो गये थे.खैर बद्नाम हुए तो क्या नाम ना हुआ…..
अरे हां उनकी मकबूलियत कि एक वजह ये भी थी उनके बावर्ची जैसे लज़ीज़ कबाब और पराठे सारे लखनऊ शहर में और कोई नहीं बनाता था.एक बार तो हमारे पर दादा जान की किस्मत का तारा भी चमका था ,क्या बतायें आज तलक हमारे खानदान में सबकी उंगलियां पतली हुआ करती हैं.
हुज़ूर यूं तो नवाब मिराजुद्दौला की करामातों के तमाम किस्से आप चौक की गलियों में गोलियां खेलते लौंडों से सुन सकते है पर जो किस्सा हम आज आपको सुनायेंगे वो सबसे अलग और अहम है.लीजिये संभालियेगा…
तो जनाब हुआ यूं कि एक रोज़ नवाब साहब ज़रा हवा खाने को निकले तो उनकी सवारी का रुख नख्खास की तरफ हो गया. लखनऊ शहर में नख्खास जो था वो पुरानी और नायाब चीज़ों के लिये मशहूर हुआ करता था. दबी ज़बान में तो लोग ये भी केहते थे कि वहां बहुत सा मालो असबाब वो होता है जिसके मालिक का कोई अता पता न हो. आप चाहें तो इसे चोर बज़ार कह सकते हैं पर हम नहीं कहेंगे. अब जिस जगह पर नवाब साहब की आमोदरफ्त हो उसे हम कैसे कह दें कि वो चोर बज़ार है.आखिर शराफत भी कोई चीज़ है.बहरहाल घूमते घामते नवाब साहब की नज़र एक ऐसी चीज़ पर पडी जिसका इस्तेमाल उनके बाप दादों ने भी नहीं किया था पर हां वो चीज़ ऐसी थी कि उनके रुतबे और मिजाज़ केमुताबिक थी. जी हां वो थी एक तलवार. आप सोचते होंगे कि कौन सी बडी बात है ,पर थी बडी बात और नहीं थी तो बनाई जा सकती थी.
सौदा हुआ और आनन फानन में तलवार नवाब की कोठी में आ गयी और दीवानखाने की दीवार पर सजा दी गई. कहा गया कि ये बडी नायाब और बेशकीमती तलवार है जो नवाब साहब को अपने पुर्खों से मिली है. अब तलवार लोहे की और नौकर नवाब के कौन केहता कि नहीं ऐसा नहीं है या ये सरासर झूट है.नवाब साहब के वफादार नौकर चाकर एकदम इस खबर को मशहूर करने में लग गये कि कोठी में एक ऐसी नायाब चीज़ है कि जिसके देखे बगैर अगर अल्ला मियां को प्यारे हो गये तो समझो गये दोनों जहान से. लिहाज़ा लखनऊ की गलियों में एक वलवला सा उठ्ठा और तमाम लोग कोठी की ओर रोज़ कूच करने लगे. तलवार जितना देखने की नहीं उतना सुनने की चीज़ थी और वो इसलिये कि नवाब साहब खुद उसके जलवों की दास्तान आने वालों को पेश किया करते थे. देखते ही देखते तलवार लखनऊ की शान बन गयी. ये वो तलवार थी जिसमे बेश्कीमती हीरे और जवहेरात लगे हुए थे, ये वो तलवार थी जिससे नवाब साहब के मरहूम दादा जान ने कम से कम सैकडों दुशमनों को मौत से जलवागर करवा दिया था,ये वो तलवार थी जिसे मलिका ए इंग्लिस्तान किसी कीमत पर हथियाना चाहेती थीं, ये वो तलवार थी जिसने ना जाने कितनी बार लखनऊ की इज़्ज़त और अस्मत को लुटने से बचाया था, ये वो तलवार थी जिसे आखों से लगा कर होठों से चूमना हर शहरी और सच्चे वतन परस्त का फर्ज़ था. ये तलवार पुर्खों की विरासत और आने वाली नस्लों की अमानत थी.
बस यूं समझ लीजे कि दीदार ए काबा के बाद अगर कुछ था तो वो था दीदार ए तलवार ए मिराजुद्दौल.और इसके लिये कहीं दूर जाने की जहमत भी नहीं उठाना थी.
पर अनहोनी को भला कौन टाल सकताहै ? वही हुआ जो ना होना चाहिये था – नवाब की तलवार चोरी हो गयी.
सुस्त शहरों मे सनसनी जल्दी फैलती है और ये तो लखनऊ था. चोरी की खबर ऐसी बिजली की तरह चमकी कि तमाम शहर के बाशिंदों मे करंट दौड गया. एक एक करके लोग मिजाज़पुर्सी के लिये नवाब की कोठी में आने लगे.
सबसे पहले तशरीफ लाये लाला गनपत राय. मुंह लटकाये कुछ इस तरह से दीवानखाने में दाखिल हुए कि जैसे अभी अभी समूची रियासत अंग्रेज़ों के नाम कर आये हों.खैर लखनऊ में गम मनाने का भी एक सलीका हुआ करता है. ये नहीं कि लगे छाती पीट पीट के चिल्लाने. आहिस्ता से करीब आकर अपने पानदान से निकाल कर तम्बाक,ज़र्दे,केसर और ज़ाफरान वाली गिलौरी पेश की जाती है और जब आप बाकायदा यूं शरीक़ हो जायें तो हाथों में हाथ लेकर पूछा जाता है कि ‘ मियां ये कैसे हुआ ?’
यही नफासत है जो हम लखनऊ वालों को दूसरो तो बेसलीका, जाहिल और गवांर समझने पर मजबूर कर देती है.
बहरहाल ये बातें सीखने में तो आपकी की कई नस्लें गुज़र जायेंगी सो हम किस्से को आगे बढाते हैं. तो लाला ने जब रसमन नवाब का हाथ अपने हाथों मे लिया और इस हिमाकत का हाल पूछा तो नवाब की आंखे डबड्बा आईं. ये भी ज़रूरी था वर्ना लाला को लगता कि हमारे हाल पूछने में वो गर्मी वो शिद्दत नही थी जो होना चाहिये थी.रुंधे गले से पान को कोने में दबाते हुए नवाब ने अर्ज़ किया:
अमां कल रात जब सोने गये तो यहीं इसी दीवार पर टंगी थी पर जब सुबह उठे तो क्या देखते है कि तलवार गायब है.
यहीं तो चूक गये आप ” लाला ने फरमाया.” हम तो आपको निहायत ज़हीन और काबिल समझते थे पर आपने तो हमें अपनी राय बदलने पर मजबूर कर दिया.अब देखिये ये कोई मामूली चीज़ तो थी नहीं कि दीवार पर खुला टांग दिया और सो गये.पुर्खों की अमानत को भला यूं संभाला जाता है. पर वही बात है कि जो नियामत इंसान को नाहक़ मिल जाती है वो उसकी कद्र नहीं समझ पाता.काश ये विरासत हमें बक्शी गयी होती तो आखों से चूम कर माथे से लगाते .बंदर क्या जाने अदरख का स्वाद…….
अब नवाब खामोश न रह सके और ज़रा तुनक कर बोले ‘ लाला आप अपने जामे से बाहर आ रहे हैं.’ लाला ने बात संभाली ‘अरे आप तो यूं ही खफा हो गये ,हम तो चोर के लिये कह रहे थे. जाके बेच देगा किसी ऐरे गैरे को औने पौने कहीं नक्खास वक्खास में’. नवाब सोचने लगे बला जहां से आयी थी वहीं पहुंच जायेगी,कौन बडी बात है.
खैर लाला को जैसे तैसे रवाना कर के अभी नवाब ने एक गिलास खस का शर्बत तलब ही किया था कि मुंशी टेकचन्द की आमद हुई. आते ही सबसे पेहले तो हजरत ने शर्बत पर अपना हक़ जमा दिया और फिर दाग दिया वही अशलील सवाल – मियां ये हुआ कैसे ? नवाब के जी में तो आया कि कह दें कि खुदा का शुक्र है कि तलवार चोरी हो गयी नहीं तो आप का कत्ल तो आज हमारे हाथों तय थे. पर क्या करते लखनवी तेह्ज़ीब का बोझ नवाब के दिल ओ दिमाग से होते हुए अब उनके वजूद पर् कुछ इस तरह भारी हो चुका था कि चाहते तो भी उसे उतार कर फेंक नहीं सकते थे. मुस्करा कर बोले ‘ साहब क्या बताएं बुरा वक़्त बता कर तो आता नहीं और हमारी फितरत भी कुछ यूं है कि सब पर यकीन कर लेते हैं. इतना एह्तियात तो हमनें बरता था कि शाम को सोने से पेहले तलवार जो यूं तो दीवार पर सजी रेहती थी हमनें अपने सिरहाने रक्खी और सो गये. हकीम साहब ने फर्माया था कि लोहा तकिये के नीचे रखने से बुरे ख्वाब भी नहीं आते’. ये कह कर नवाब ने सोंचा कि अगर मुंशी मेरी कहानी के कायल हो गये तो बस कल नौकरों एक एक रुक्का लिख कर जारी कर देंगे और कह देंगे कि भई ये रहा किस्सा ए तलवार अब हमारी जान छोडो.
पर वो गलत थे एकदम गलत …
मुंशी बोले – अमां ये क्या हरकत कर दी आपने हुज़ूर ! हम तो आपको तमाम लखनऊ शहर की दिमागी तरक्की का मुहाफिज़ समझते थे और आपने तो बस हमारा सारा भरम ही तोड दिया. मियां इतने सयाने तो आज कल चौक के लौंडे हो गये हैं , जानते हैं कि तिमारदारों कि कौम अब भरोसे के कतई काबिल नहीं रही. वो ज़माने हवा हो गये जब वफादार मालिक की एक नज़र पर जान पेश कर दिया करते थे. अब तो ज़रा चूक हुई नहीं कि ये लोग आखों से सुरमा उतार लें. और् फिर ये तो तलवार थी वो भी खानदानी – हीरे जवाहेरात उसमें जडे हुए , मशहूर औ मारूफ , बच्चा बच्चा जिसके किस्से बयान करते नहीं थकता और आप हैं कि बस यूं ही सो गये तकिये के नीचे रख कर ! अरे हकीम साहब का दिल रखने का इतना ही शौक़ था तो बावर्ची खाने से कोई चाकू – वाकू मंगवा लिया होता या फिर गुलाम को जहमत को जहमत दी होती.आपकी जेहनी खैरियत के लिये हम तोपखाने से किसी मरियल घोडे की नाल ले आये होते. दरोगा साहब हमारे जानने वालों मे शरीक़ होते हैं और हम अगर आपकी दिमागी हालत का वास्ता देते तो हमें यकीन है कि वो हमें मायूस न करते’. नवाब बहुत झुंझलाये , समझ गये कि मुंशी भिगो भिगो के जूती साफ कर रहे हैं पर क्या करते तलवार और तेह्ज़ीब का मामला था.
डांट कर नौकर तो ललब किया – ‘अमां फुक्कन मिया मुंशी साहब कोई खाली बगैर काम काज के नहीं हैं कि सारा दिन आपका इंतेज़ार करते रहें. अगर काहिली छोड कर कुछ पका लिया हो तो लेते आइये वर्ना कम से कम एक कप चाय ही पेश कर दीजिये जो हम सीलोन से लाये थे’. फिर वो धीरे से बोले – ‘क्या करें सब कम्बखत मुंह लगे हैं सुनते ही नही. ना बात का ढंग है ना काम का सलीका.’ मुंशी समझ गये कि तीर निशाने पर लगा है लगा है और ये बातें नौकरों की जानिब से उन्हें सुनाई जा रही हैं. शराफत और खैरियत दोनों के मद्दे नज़र उन्होंने ये ही मुनासिब समझा कि वहां से फूट लिया जाये. वैसे भी चौक में लस्सी के ठेके के लिये बहुत मसाला जमा हो गया था.
नवाब खुश थे.ऊपर वाले के करम से दोपहर के खाने के वक़्त लोगों ने उन्हें तन्हा छोड दिया. पर असलियत तो ये थी कि छ्ज्जू की लस्सी की दुकान पर नवाब का मखौल उडाने वालों की जो महफिल जमी वो दोपहर के खाने तक चलती रही. और आप जानते हैं कि खाने के बाद तो लखनऊ वाले अगर क़यामत बर्पा हो जाये तो भी ना उठ्ठें. हाल फिलहाल झुटपुटे तलक नवाब को परेशान करने कोई ना आया.
बुरा वक़ बता कर नहीं आता ये तो ठीक है पर ये बात भी दुरुस्त है कि बुरा वक़्त आसानी से टलता भी नहीं.अभी कारिंदे श्म्माओं को रौशन कर ही रहे थे कि आगा मीर की ड्योढी से मिर्ज़ा असलम बेग तशरीफ ले आये. उनके चांद से चमकते रुख्सार से ये साफ बयां हो रहा था कि दिन भर किसी मटरगश्ती से चूर होकर कुछ ऐसा सोये होंगे कि ख्वाब में में भी ज़ोर ज़ोर से हंस रहे होंगे.ना जाने क्यों पर नवाब को यकीन था जो नूर मिर्ज़ा के नूरानी चेहरे से टपक रहा था उसमें उनकें खिल्ली का कतरे खून बनकर तैर रहे थे. मिर्ज़ा को देखते ही वो एकदम चौक्कन्ने हो गये और कुछ ऐसे बैठ गये जैसे कि मिर्ज़ा के वार करते ही उनपर टूट पडेंगे. मिर्ज़ा ने दीवानखाने में घुसते ही पान पेश किया और बहुत ही अफसोस भरी अलबत्ता रोनी सूरत बना कर कहा -’हुज़ूर ये क्या कर दिया. अब लखनअऊ का क्या होगा ‘?
नवाब अब सब्र की इंतेहां तक पहुंच चुके थे. उन्हें एक पल ऐसा लगा कि वो मिर्ज़ा का मुंह नोच लेंगे. पर इसे अंजाम देने के लिये ज्यों ही वो हरकत में आये आसमानों से उनकें लखनवी पुर्खों की रूह उन्हें सदाएं देने लगी. कहने लगी कि मिराज़ जो शराफत के पुतलों का खिताब हमारी नस्लों को अता किया जाता रहा है उसकी तौहीन मत करो. इसे मिर्ज़ा की नादानी और अल्ला की मर्ज़ी समझ कर जज़्ब कर जाओ. जन्नत में तुम्हारी जगह हम पक्की किये रहेंगे. मरता क्या ना करता नवाब ने खुद को खुदा के लिये संभाला और बोले -’अमां लखनऊ तो तब भी बलंद और क़ायम रहा जब फिरंगी जाने ए आलम ( नवाब वाजिद अली शाह का एक खिताब) को श्हर की सडकों पर लिये घूमते रहे जैसे कि बंदर का खेल हो , ये तो बेचारी एक बेजान , बे जबान तलवार थी.’ नवाब के मिज़ाज़ की तल्खी को मिर्ज़ा भांप गये मगर अब जिस काम को आये थे उसे तो अंजाम देना ही था. सो बोले – ‘हुआ क्या था ???’
नवाब को ऐसा लगा जैसे वो गश खाके गिर जायेंगे – झूटी तलवार के लुटने की सच्ची दास्तान जिसमे वो आधे अहमक़ थे और आधे शैतान अब उनसे और झेली नही जा रही थी. हाथ कत्ल करने पर अमादा थे पर दिल उन्हें उनकी शराफत का वास्ता देकर रोक देता था. अपनी सारी हिम्मत तलब करके बोले – ‘अरे साहब अब क्या कहें हम तो ये बात अच्छी तरह जानते थे कि तमाम ज़माने की , खास कर कि हमारे नमक हराम नौकरो की नज़र हमारी पुश्तैनी तलवार पर है सो हमने बडे एह्तियात से मयान मे डाल कर तहखाने में तिंजोरी में सात तालों में बन्द करके रक्खा था. ना जाने कहां से सुल्ताना डाकू के अंडे बच्चे शहर में आ गये है कि वहां से भी उडा ले गये.हम तो केहते हैं मिर्ज़ा अब ये शहर हमारे आपके जैसे शरीफों के लिये महफूज़ नहीं रहा. ज़रूरी है कि आप भी ज़रा संभल के रहें.’
मिर्ज़ा गहरी सोच में डूब गये और कुछ देर बाद दाढी पर हाथ फेरते हुए बोले -’ नवाब साहब अगर हम आपकी जगह होते तो कभी इतनी ज़ाहिर सी जगह पर इस कदर नायाब चीज़ ना धरते. हम तो साह्ब ऐसी जगह छुपाते कि सात पुश्तें भी सुराग ना लगा पातीं कि तलवार शाम होते होते ही जाती कहां है.रख देते चावलों के गोदाम में किसे बोरी में छुपा कर. किसका दिमाग इतना चलता कि हमारी होशियारी के आगे अपनी चला पाता. वो तो ठहरे अकल के पैदल.मुल्ला की दौड मस्जिद तक, तिजोरी का ताला तोडते और अन्दर मिलता हमारे हाथों क लिखा पर्चा – मियां अभी बादाम खाओ, तुम्हारे जैसे लौंडे तो जेब में मोमफली के साथ रखते हैं और गाहे बगाहे चबा जाया करते हैं.’ असलम बेग के चेहरे में शैतान की सूरात साफ दिखायी दे रही थी.वो आगे बोले -
‘अब क्योंकि आप हमारे साथ कंचे खेले हैं और पतंग बाज़ी के पैंतरे भी जानते हैं हम समझे कि आप भी हमारी तरह ही तेज़ दिमाग से सोचेंगे.पर हम गलत थे लडकपन की मुराही जवानी की मुकम्मल दिमाग मे तब्दील हो ये ज़रूरी नहीं है. खैर जो हुआ सो हुआ, हम अब रुक्सत चाहेंगे … बडा अफसोस हुआ.’
मुंशी ने तो फिर भी जूते भिगो भिगो कर मारे थे मिर्ज़ा ने तो मारे दस गिने दो. “या अल्लाह ये कैसा फसाद पैदा कर दिया.इससे कभी निजात मिलेगी भी या नहीं.”
अगले दिन सुबह सुबह दरवाज़े पर फिर दस्तक हुई. नौकरों ने आकर बताया कि कोतवाल साहब हाज़िर होना चाहते हैं कहिए तो लिवा लायें. नवाब क्या केहते – जान गये कि अभी उन्हें जल्दी मौत नहीं आयेगी.कुछ ही देर मे कोतवाल साहब नवाब मिराजुद्दौला के हुज़ूर में तशरीफ फर्मा थे. सवाल वही – तलवार कैसे चोरी हो गयी !!!!!!
नवाब मिराजुदौला फरिश्तों जैसे तो थे मगर फरिश्ते नहीं थे. उनमे वो सब कमियां मौजूद थीं जो अक्सर इंसानों में पायी जाती है मसलन गुस्सा , खीज, बदसलूकी,वहशत, दीवानापन ……. नवाब का चेहरा तमतमा गया और वो जैसे बिराते हुए अपना बयान देने लगे. चिल्ला कर बोले – ‘कोतवाल साहब हुआ यूं कि हम तलवार से बहुत तंग आ चुके थे सो हमने सोचा कि लाओ आज अपना काम इसी से ताम किये लेते हैं. आव देखा ना ताव तलवार को अपने सीने में घोंप लिया और बिस्तरे पर लेट गये. सुबह देखा तो हम तो थे पर तलवार ना थी. अब बताइये कि क्या करें ?’
दरोगा जी ज़रा देर तो सकते में आ गये फिर सोचने लगे. थोडी देर बाद तफतीश के लहज़े उन्होंनें कुछ यूं दर्याफ्त किया – ‘आप गलती कर गये , हुआ यूं होगा कि जब आप तलवार को सींसे में घुसेड कर औंधे पडे होंगे तभी चोर आया होगा. उसने आपको बेहोश देखा होगा और सोचा होगा कि देखें सो रहे है या जग रहे हैं.ज़ैसे ही आपको पलटा होगा उसे तलवार की मुठ दिखायी दे गये होगी. उसने सोचा होगा दुनिया भर की चीज़ें लादने से अच्छा ये बेश्कीमत नगीना ही क्यों ना हथिया लिया जाये.तलवार को मुठ पकड कर खींचा होगा और ये जा वो जा.आपने अपने जांबाज़ पुर्खों का नाम लेकर ज़रा ज़ोर और लगाया होता तो आज आप भी शहीद हो चुके होते और आपके मरहूम दादाजान की निशानी भी रह जाती.’
नवाब अब कुछ और सोचने समझने के काबिल ना रह सके थे.आस पास का माहौल सुन्न सा हो गया और दूर किसी कोठे से रियाज़ की आवाज़ आने लगी. गालिब का कलाम था शायद :
ये कहां की दोस्ती है के बने हैं दोस्त नासेह्, कोई चारागार होता कोई गमगुसार होता
हुए मर के हम जो रुसवा हुए क्यों ना गर्के दरिया, ना कहीं जनाज़ा उठता ना कहीं मज़ार होता……
~ आहंग
** ये किस्सा बहुत अर्सा पेहले किसी दोस्त नें एक लतीफ के तौर पर शार्ट में सुनाया था. हमें लगा कि लखनऊ के मिजाज़ के साथ ज्यादती हुई है सो यहां अपने ब्लाग पर तफसील से बयान करने की हिमाकत की है.उम्मीद है कि आपको पढ कर मज़ा आयेगा और जो ना आये तो मेरी बला से….!
Googled forever !
It was 1995. We were passing out of our MBA class and getting a job offer was top on everyone’s mind.The problem was how to know what company’s to approach and also how to approach them all at once.Some bright kid came up with the idea of email.What’s that ? all of us thought.Don’t be surprised sending a message through a computer and not through your friendly neighborhood post office was still something weird.I won’t say we were alien to the concept but it was a concept at the end of the day.
Emails were sent out and each day we waited closely by the side of the only computer with a dial in connection which was set up in the Dean’s office.Some companies did respond back and for the first time I got convinced that folks do exist in cyber space and our ‘email’ just doesn’t get lost into oblivion.
Once this miracle happened it threw a challenge as to how do you find more email addresses of more companies so they don’t get deprived of our managerial talent.So we set ourselves a task of going and meeting ‘potential’ managers and then taking their email ID’s to start the dialogue.It sounds primitive alright but believe me in those days of vsnl.net.in it was the most happening stuff you could do.We did back up all electronic communication with physical ones just to be sure.After all sending out emails was more a measure of our smartness than a means of getting a response.
Finally I found a job but my tryst with tech ended quite unceremoniously as the company I joined was a government organization. They had some 486 desktops but they were mostly there to keep the 4th grade employees gainfully employed.Each morning or sometimes each week the plastic covers were removed in a ritual only to be put back in place after the customary cleaning had been performed.Seeing this ceremony everyday I got curious I asked my manager who put these ‘ things’ here if no one knew what to do with them and he came up with an equally interesting explanation.According to him these things were procured under a UNDP grant so that the idle funds could be utilized.If this was not done there was a lurking danger that the funding would get reduced by that quantum.One day I got really catty and so I unveiled the shroud on one of the monsters to see what was inside. I quickly realized that the only trick it could show was a ‘welcome to UPEC Ltd.’ screen which zoomed in and out gyrating while it did so.
I might be failing in memory here but it was sometime around 1998 that hot male Sabeer Bhatia sold his innovation to Microsoft. Till hotmail the only way you could communicate via email was through your organizations email or through an email provided by your Internet service provider. What was exceptional about hotmail was that it was web based and so it freed you of the clutches of the organization and ISP. By 1999 everyone who could switch on a computer had an email account. A web based email account meant an ability to communicate without the barriers of time and space.For the very first time it also gave us an option of faking/hiding our cyber identities and having multiple ones if we so desired.
The web based and cheap hotmail opened a world of opportunity for those in the export business and even I got the idea of exporting some stuff out on my own to a friend in the US. Email was not the driver but it was a motivator, an enabler -If I could communicate almost for free across 16000 kms there was something to be done about it right. My luck didn’t shine and my fledgling ideas died their natural death but I still know of a few friends who would owe a large part of their success to hotmail if not all of it.Of course Sabeer became a millionaire leaving all of us awed, inspired even feeling cheated as to why the hell I didn’t get this simple idea.Its been happening ever since first with google and now with facebook.The only respite on the facebook idea is that I have taken refuge in a moral high ground of not looking at pictures of females while sloshed out of your mind.If my character is the price I have to pay for not being able to invent facebook the so be it.
I can clearly recall that till about 2000 Internet explorer was the only popular web browser and it was almost magical to see the globe at the top right corner of your computer screen go round and round once you pressed the ‘enter’ key.Some smart ass told me that the faster it rotates the quicker the website will load itself and I always used to get confused and ask myself ‘ faster than what?’. I knew that faster meant faster than itself but each time I though I had figured it all out the website would load faster even if the globe was moving slow or vice versa so that my calculations would fall through. Then one day a geek friend of mine enlightened me that speed is not the only thing and it depends a lot on the how ‘ heavy’ the content of the website you are loading is. Now what’s ‘ heavy’ about something that shows on your computer screen I wondered.And thus began my endless race to keep up with all the mysteries of the ‘ INTERNET’ which I still seem to be running to full strength of my intellectual stamina.
Sometime around 2000 someone gave a 100000 $ cheque to 2 young guys out of stanford.No one knew at that time that how ‘search’ would get much bigger than mail.Curiosity has led the way to human civilization and this was no different. An angel investor wanted to know where his bet on the google boys would take him and suddenly the whole world wanted to know where all they can go on google. The ability to search websites for most relevant information gave the power to WWW as we knew it. Everyone had figured out by 2002 that things will never be the same again except the google team in the valley who were still trying to figure out a way to make money without being evil.
Unaware of the strife on the west coast here was me happily typing away in the box at the top end on an empty page finding out everything from flights to hotels to jobs to cures for allergies…….Wow with this new genie I was omniscient and so was everyone else across the globe.I am convinced that google was the turning point of our relationship with the internet and what it could do for us.The websites and the information were there but without a trusting way of knowing if I am looking at the best possible information , one piece of it was as good as the other.
My next big association with the internet happened when I was at a low point in my life and career.Things were not looking up either ways and I needed to reinvent probably re produce myself before I lost my sanity.Someone told me about blogging and wordpress.My posts offered me a medium to express myself to the unknown, to think and write about stuff I never thought I would think or write about.In fact I never knew I had so much or even anything to say.Initially I would post something and look at stats every day sometimes twice or thrice a day.I used to wait for comments from strangers.Somebody had to clip the wires around them and reach out to me from cyber space.They did until one day when I realized my catharsis was complete and stats were just a set of numbers.Still my blog is and perhaps will remain one of my closest friend ever.
In between the world changed many times over and we started doing almost everything on the net.So much so that we were ‘skyping’ each other from one bedroom to the other !!!
Finally facebook happened and friends, colleagues, acquaintances and even adversaries got a new lease of life. Dead relationships got exhumed although some skeletons remained in the closets.
My status today is not the house or car or the designation it is a line or two in the rectangular box next to my smiling picture on the fb page.That’s how the world knows me and that’s what I keep updating.My physical existence in a 6 foot frame today is perhaps much less precious or popular than my digital footprint reaching out to places and people who were otherwise completely out of bounds.
When I look back the last 15 years and ask myself if I have gained more or lost much because of my relationship with the wi fi the answer is never black and white but a shade of grey just like the screen of my laptop…..
4/172 Vivek Khand….
This is about 25 years back when Life was simple without the internet and the gadgets.My world was like an episode out of the “Wonder Years” in which life constantly presented itself in all the myriad shades of growing from a child to a young adult.
On a chilly January evening after coming back from work, my father announced that we would be moving out of our official quarters to a new house in the suburbs.Well the very idea of leaving our home of 16 years seemed quite alien but we were excited about the fact we will be moving to a larger place with a park in the vicinity.
Once the house number 4/172 Vivek khand was allotted to us , my father started the work for making some extra rooms and a staircase to the terrace.Sometimes I would accompany him on his Lambretta Scooter all the way to the site to oversee the work.He said he wanted me to know the ways of the world and to learn how to deal with all the contractors, electricians and plumbers.I was not sure about the idea and if the skill set ever came handy but nevertheless those trips were quite interesting , almost filling me with a sense of accomplishment each time we rode back after a hard days work. May be he wanted me to just tag along for some company.Whatever may be the case ,it kind of bonded me to my father like no other time as Fathers were tough those days unlike now.
One thing that I distinctly remember about those early trips to 4/172 is the heavenly taste of puris and salted pumpkin pudding that my mom used to pack with us for lunch.I have never felt more hungry and nothing has satiated my pallate better.I think it was the sheer pleasure of building our home to be along with the physical labor involved which created such a magical feast.
Another vivid memory is that of me and my friend cycling all the way from Nirala Nagar to Gomti Nagar taking the longest route that went through the cantonment.Cantonment was our favorite detour with its greenery ( pun intended),wide open roads and a burger at Rover’s cafe thrown in.Cycling was our best past time and we wondered as clouds anywhere and everywhere that we could pedal to.Roaming around 10 -12 kms everyday was piece of cake.Our parents were not aware of our escapades but that’s the way I learnt most of my human qualities – being by yourself, endurance, patience , a sense of wonder and most of all companionship without dialogue.That’s the thing about living – you get your real education from things you are refrained from doing.
In a span of 6 months the house got ready and after the customary puja we moved in around the summer time.The house was nothing opulent and it would qualify as a rather humble place to live.Those days there were no fancy names to the apartments and they were classified based on the social strata they housed.We had a mini MIG which meant that the house just felt short of us being in the middle income group.It was a contradiction in terms as my father used to fall in the top slot of Gazzetted officers in the central govt. Somehow we never questioned this at that time as most of my friends had similar abodes.
Gomti Nagar was a deserted place back in 1987 and we were the 5th family to have moved in into what was pegged as Asia’s biggest colony.Later when I traveled to other parts of Asia I figured out why ? It had got nothing to do with the superior vision of the creators of Gomti nagar but it was just that the other countries had a culture of multi storied apartments structured differently to let Gomti Nagar bask in the glory. Now for the last so many years summers had been one of the most active periods of the year for us with food,friends,thums up et al.But the new house had only food and thms up , no friends.Thankfully my old friends came to my rescue and they started dropping in from the city quite frequently.Soon our house in Gomti Nagar became a destination by itself for friends looking for a drive out of the city and a quite place with lonely spots to smoke.
I have no particular memories of anything bad about 4/172 except that when my grandfather passed away.Soon after we moved in he had started feeling unwell and was keeping low grade fever for some time.I didn’t know at that time but he had been diagnosed with cancer.I was always very close to my grandfather and the memory of his body kept on the floor in front of our drawing room is still quite fresh.The place had black and white marbles placed next to each other as in a chess board and I had this weird feeling of loosing out. The smell of roses and Incense mixed with chants of the Geeta is something that got so deeply etched in my senses that to date I relate everything sacred to it.That’s perhaps the only time I have seen my father crying like an inconsolable child.I guess we grow up one last time when we loose our parents and that’s it.Now that I think of why I never took this incident as something that disturbed me is perhaps that my grandpa had lived a full life and had passed away at a ripe old age with friends and family by his side.He had his ups and down but then c’est la vie.
Life always finds newer way of manifesting itself and within a few years , the plants in front of our house became trees.There was a Gulmohar and a bottlebrush which I particularly loved .And yes there was another Blue Bells creeper which grew so thick and lush that it covered the entire facade of our house including the balcony of the first floor and my rooms window. I would not be completely wrong if I compared my house of then to some fairy tale dwelling in the woods with blue and orange flowers hanging upside down or may be downside up.Each time my mom wanted to chop off the trees or the creeper for want of sunshine all three of us kids would stand in the way.Finally she got so flustered that she said fine if that’s how you guys want it then so be it.
4/172 had a small 10 X 10 room on the way to the terrace and I had rightfully occupied it for the convenience and solitude that my youthful experiments warranted. I had a big poster of OSHO at the back of the door which was soon given company by another one of Jim Morrison.I imagine what they would be telling each other when I wasn’t there – Jibberish ???. To this date both continue to shape my being but in those days I used to just idolize them like a stony eyed believer.Through this room opened the vast vistas of the terrace which was our own after everyone went to sleep and the doors downstairs were locked.At the pretext of “combined” studies me and my friends would stay put so we could smoke our heart out and have swigs from the ‘tadka’ beer bottle laced with whiskey so it gave a faster and stronger kick.When you are almost loosing consciousness,gazing at the infinite darkness with the stars twinkling through represents such a twilight zone I tell you !! Most of the times we would get incoherent trying to impress each other with some half cooked philosophy of life.If rebel is the word then I was every bit of it I believe.I feel I am still quite a renegade except having been tied down to the certainties of a gathered past.
Huh ! We had the best of times and we had the worst of times in 4/172.There are so many memories of celebrating holi with our friends on the terrace – Roadhouse blues, Colors, Beer and pure madness.I am sure our neighbors too can recall those days with fondness now as the horror of seeing ghost like half naked young men running wildly has gone past.We were two of us brothers and with just a couple of years between we shared a lot of common friends.In fact when I ‘dropped’ for appearing in engineering exams we started sharing the same class for certain subjects in the University.His friends became my friends and my friends became his pals so that the dividing line became thinner until it disappeared completely.For 4/172 this was something very special as given our ‘friendly’ disposition it became the unofficial hostel of the Science department of Lucknow University. Things grew so informal that during exam time when we got completely engrossed to figure out ‘what was which’ that people would’nt even mind cooking and cleaning the kitchen when my mom was doing Puja or had gone out.Sounds of ‘ abe Chandu chai bana be’ or ‘ Pilav mast bana hai dost, thoda achar dena’ still reverberate in my head when I think of it.The phone oh how can I forget the phone ! The Black Plastic thing used to ring just incessantly.Most calls would have the caller answer at the other end but not always.We figured out that everyone in Botany Department was not so open about their identity when it came to strangers ! My father got completely harassed with this situation and started wondering ‘who’s line is it anyway’ quite literally !! His warning of plugging out his sources and disconnecting the phone went unheard so he finally charted out a treaty that aimed at not only bringing peace to the household but also to limit the bill to a minimum.
From the command station at 4/172, where at any given time a multitude of vehicles of all shapes and sizes were parked were governed most of the social activities for the youth of Lucknow.From rock concerts to fashion shows to youth festivals and even election campaigns were planned and executed with precision and finesse. Debates were practiced, songs were rehearsed, ammunition was smuggled in and romance was given a patient hearing …all under one roof. My room on the terrace became the nerve center of activity and after sometime our parents stopped bothering themselves with who came in and who went out.
As we passed out of the university things became a little serious as we started to think about stuff such as jobs and a career.But they didn’t become as dull till I had to go out New Delhi in search of work .I realized very soon that life was tougher than what we had thought and to survive in a metro one would need a little more than a golden heart and some smart chips.The innocence of childhood and the rebellion of youth died as they were sacrificed at the harsh and cold altar of reality.I am sure a similar transformation happened for all my friends too.As they say in hindi movies ” Munna aisa bhaga ki bhagta hi raha,bhagta hi raha….”
I feel 4/172 stopped being itself as we moved out of Lucknow even though we continued to visit as frequently as we could. Our marriages were performed, kids were born and festivals were celebrated on the fast track of limited days of leave so I could never feel the same peace of being at home and 4/172 distanced itself from being a participant to being a mere spectator of events.The nag of leaving ‘home’ that was 4/172 always lingered.I would compare it to a relationship that you know is dying either due to lack of proximity or the absence of togetherness or both.
Over the years the frequency of my visits has gone lower and the duration of my trips has become shorter, but each time I am at the doors of 4/172 I wonder how life would have been if my relation ship with it had not changed.
I guess both me and my ‘permanent address’ will have to live long enough to know the truth.Until then I guess these lines from Wajid Ali Shah would hold true :
दर ओ दीवार पे हसरत से नज़र करते हैं, खुश रहो एहले वतन हम तो सफर करते हैं…
अब तो पथ यही है
जिंदगी ने कर लिया स्वीकार,
अब तो पथ यही है
अब उभरते ज्वार का आवेग मद्धिम हो चला है,
एक हलका सा धुंधलका था कहीं, कम हो चला है,
यह शिला पिघले न पिघले, रास्ता नम हो चला है,
क्यों करूँ आकाश की मनुहार ,
अब तो पथ यही है |
क्या भरोसा, कांच का घट है, किसी दिन फूट जाए,
एक मामूली कहानी है, अधूरी छूट जाए,
एक समझौता हुआ था रौशनी से, टूट जाए,
आज हर नक्षत्र है अनुदार,
अब तो पथ यही है|
यह लड़ाई, जो की अपने आप से मैंने लड़ी है,
यह घुटन, यह यातना, केवल किताबों में पढ़ी है,
यह पहाड़ी पाँव क्या चढ़ते, इरादों ने चढ़ी है,
कल दरीचे ही बनेंगे द्वार,
अब तो पथ यही है |
Life has accepted it
This will be my path now
The ferocity of rising tide has faded away,
The fog which was there somewhere is no more,
This stone may melt or may not, but at least its softened,
Why should I beg from the skies,
Why should I beg from the skies,
This must be my path now
This vase made of glass is but fragile,
leaving the ordinary story untold
the bond I had with light looks bleak
and the stars seem so small
But , this will be my path now
leaving the ordinary story untold
the bond I had with light looks bleak
and the stars seem so small
But , this will be my path now
The fight, which I have fought with myself,
It’s suffocation, it’s pain, is heard in books only,
I have made the climb not with my feet
It’s suffocation, it’s pain, is heard in books only,
I have made the climb not with my feet
but with my conviction,
And these windows are poised to be my doors soon,
I know this is my path now
And these windows are poised to be my doors soon,
I know this is my path now
~ By Dushyant Kumar, interpretative translation by aahang
T Shirts……..
T Shirts…..
The first time I heard the word(s) T shirt was back in the 70’s when I was in standard 1. One of my classmates had migrated from the US and he wore this strange colorful vest on top of his knickers scandalizing all of us. When we asked him what was he wearing he said that it was a T shirt ,Me and my friends wondered why they called it a T shirt and not A shirt or B shirt. Finally our US pal clarified that it was a shirt that he wore in the morning when his Dad was having his tea so it was called a Tea Shirt. His simple explanation satisfied our curiosity at that time.
Many years later I figured out that a T shirt essentially meant crew neck T shirts which without the collars looked like a T so they got their name accordingly.
My fascination with the T shirts continued and though it might be difficult to digest for you now, very few people wore T shirts in India till the late 80’s. I remember that when my father travelled to Europe and theUSin the late 70’s and early 80’s we were the only kids to have T shirts. Everyone else was pretty much dressed in the good old shirts with characteristic 2 pockets and funny Dog collars. Our colorful T shirts with their bright colors and catchy prints were the envy of every eye that was set upon them. So much so that one day one of my friends Mom dropped in to ask if she could buy a couple of my T shirts as her son was not having his food ! Unfortunately my mom did not capitalize on the opportunity and gave one new T shirt to her from my closet causing great discomfort to me in the process. I didn’t care that she had given her something from my wardrobe but I was concerned struggling not to tell everyone that the T shirt Sunny was flaunting was actually mine. And my fears were not unfounded – in a fit of rage after loosing out a hand cricket match to Sunny I did blurt out “ Hey Sunny boy don’t think of yourself as Gavaskar , you don’t even have your own clothes to wear.” After that I was explained in great detail by my parents that what I did was wrong but didn’t I say that I knew it would happen to start with. Anyway time went by but still when we refer to Sunny we call him “oh that T shirt Sunny yup yup” and I want to ask my folks what do they have say about linking someone’s persona to the clothes that you once gave away in charity. Huh !
Then as India caught with the rest of the world our school realized how this new kind of uniform could be used to differentiate between students belonging to different “Houses” and we were given Red,Blue,Green and Yellow T shirts for Johns, Peters, Gabriel and Monfort house respectively. Soon the T shirts became part of our second identity as sportsmen and many a T shirt were sacrificed in the wars that ensued for the supremacy in the game of football. Those who thought that a T shirt was just a piece of clothing were wrong , the yellow color symbolized all that was great and honorable and the red was damned to be a color of weakness and cowardice. The universal brotherhood of MBIC written on all our T shirts was dwarfed when it came to our loyalty towards Monfort and John house. We lived and died for the honor of our football team till I passed out of the school and kept the T Shirt safe from all evil for a very long time to come.
By the time I started going to college for my degree T shirts were quite in vogue and they became part of the mainstream haute couture. A T shirt that stands out in my memory was my “Doors” T shirt. It had the face of our God of those days – Jim Morrison painted on it in bright psychedelic colors against with a deep black ground of the T shirt body.And yes it read – there are things known and there are things unknown, in between are the doors. I put it on firmly believed to be every bit of the rockstar I wanted to be. With my tight hip hugging Blue Jean and my long boots the Doors shirt somewhat increased the swagger in my stride. With dark ,gold rimmed Ray Ban Aviators I thought of myself as the rider on the storm gazing curiously at the lesser mortals who would take their sweet time to understand the deep philosophy of life I had already mastered. I loved the T shirt also because many of my ” fans” had said that it suited my attitude to the T.
And how can I forget that special T shirt!! We had gone on a field trip to Mumbai and fashion street was a must stop. The locals told us that most film stars shopped at Fashion Street and everyone started combing the footpath with stalls on both sides for cool stuff and cooler bargains. I was also sifting through a bunch of T shirts on a 4 way hanger when someone tapped on my shoulder. It was her ……I think this would look good on you. I found the yellow and green stripes just awful but I immediately mocked the T shirt on me for her to have look. She just smiled and I knew that I will have to live with this garment for the rest of my life. Mumbai shopwallahs are smart or may be they watch too many movies. The bugger sniffed that love was in the air and doubled the price. She haggled and complained like all girls do and told him that he was a thug.We left the place. She would never know that I spent a fortune coming back to the place in the evening all the way from Andheri on a cab to buy the T shirt. I hated the way the shopkeeper looked at me…I even think he sneered and joked about it after I left but couldn’t care less. What the idiot didn’t realize that any price was less for the treasure I had in my hand that day.
The next big thing in my T shirt world happened when I joined Wal Mart. Having struggled for 4 years in my career I had stuck to my belief that I was born to be a merchant and travel the world- an idea that many of my friends who had switched to pastures greener in the domestic business had not exactly cherished. A company with the scale and scope as Wal Mart broadened my horizon like nothing could. We talked million dollars and met up with the shrewdest brains in the business. Being a big Box retailer, Wal Mart sold everything under the sun and we could pick and choose any business or product that fascinated our imagination. Not before long I knew how diamonds are traded and televisions manufactured, why India had an inward looking economy with a hindu rate of growth and why China was poised to be the shop floor of the world, Why Quality was more in the mind than on paper and why child labor was stigma for the rich but optimal utilization of resources for the poor. My Wal Mart T shirt was specially cherished also because I had flown half way across the world to attend the Manager’s meeting only to be on a flight back the next day or so as I had to attend to something really important. Each time I look at the Wal Mar T shirt I can recall the thunder of 5000 voices chanting the Wal Mart cheer in Unison. While it seems funny now it was even funnier when I realized that I was shouting the loudest in my group and how a tear rolled down my cheek in excitement !!
Another T shirt that I love a lot is my “ Auroville” T shirt. Each time I wear this one I get transported to a world full of peace and contentment. A calm descends upon me and I am very much the spiritual seeker that I was roaming about the streets of Pondicherry. It’s a simple T Shirt with a deep blue background but the special thing about it is that the word Auroville is hand painted along side a very misty pink lotus flower symbolizing enlightenment. I remember I had picked it up ‘oven fresh’ while the paint had still not dried from a European resident of Auroville who looked like Bob Marley if he would have been born in England of white parents. I had asked Joe how much should I pay him and he had answered back saying” how much do you think it’s worth my friend?” I had given my Rs. 300 to be on the safer side but he returned me a 100 Rs back. For a brief moment I had thought that what if all commerce was conducted with the trust and honesty as we had just did. I realized I was being wishful ……customers are not me, sellers are not Joe and the world was not Auroville.
The last T shirt I want you to know about is my GOA T shirt. It’s a bright Sky blue background the kind that my 10 year old would wear on a sunny day and has something very interesting written on it. It says “ Man made Booze, God made Grass. Whom do you trust?” While at the face of it the statement epitomizes the flower child attitude of Goa, I found the statement to have a very special and profound meaning for me. Man made booze means all the material stuff that we have created around us as human beings to keep ourselves continuously engaged in the so called pursuit of happiness while God made grass symbolizes everything natural woods, the mountains, the streams, the rivers, the sea. All of us find asking this question to ourselves some time – whom do you trust ?? Which is the path that’s going to take us to the destination we know nothing about…. if it is a destination or a just something frivolous we are so habituated to. Every time I wear this T shirt and get into the Goa spiritI can’t help but ask myself –
Whom do you trust ???
John the madman….
मैं यहां हूं यहां नहीं हूं मैं, जिस जगह हूं वहां नहीं हूं मैं
कौन आवाज़ दे रहा है मुझे , कोई कह दे यहां नहीं हूं मैं
I am here and I am not here, at all places but nowhere
to that which calls me always, someone just say I am not there…
The Varca beach was quite a deserted place when I reached.The two shacks fondly called Mama’s Kitchen and Joe’s Place had a few takers so they hummed some soft tunes from the time when I was young.It was a night full of moon and its stars and the sea was surfing on the beach casually,its waves silver and dark.
I lit up a smoke and checked the scene to find a place which was alone, yet not too far away from the world. I could find a good one.There were two chairs looking up to the vast Arabian sea with a table that had a T light in its mosaic holder. With the breeze the flickering light played an interesting game of survival dodging the lethal blows to stay alive. All was set and It was time for a drink….
A couple of hours down ,The Moon, its stars and the sea had a life. I sang to the them with a voice that failed in words but was high on passion :
Before you slipped into unconsciousness
I’d like to have another kiss
Another flashing chance at bliss
Another kiss, another kiss
The days are bright and filled with pain
Enclose me in your gentle rain
The time you ran was too insane
We’ll meet again, we’ll meet again
A voice broke the session and called : Jim Morrison.Right ?
I came back from my reverie to respond ” Yup, Crystal ship”
Hey me Jose, Jose Faria and you ?
I didn’t answer trying to stay with the daze.
Jose understood my silence and tried again : Alone ?
“We all are ” A smirk flashed on my face.
“Can I sit here if it doesn’t bother you ?”He asked and I gestured him to take the seat next to me ” You can try bothering me my friend but I didn’t come all the way to Goa on a beautiful night like this to get worried .”
Jose laughed and I gave him company.We were strangers no more.
So what brings you here ? I enquired.
Oh me ! Nothing big, just wanting to dig a bit on my roots.
I glanced at Jose signalling him to go on…
“Well I am Portugese and my father’s father was living here in Goa. I just came to see the house where my father was born. It’s called Casa Bandiera, and its there near Palolim beach.”
Did you find it ?
Yes I did but I guess they have turned into some kind of a museum.
No one lives there ?
Some locals but it’s under the government in some way.
But it’s your house.Isn’t it ?
It was our house, now it’s no more.But I had a good time here looking for it and I saw it like all the other visitors so no regrets. OK let’s just kill this. You were singing when I came.
Really? I thought I was reciting poetry.
You had hurt in your voice.Miss someone ?
No, just me.I miss myself a lot, all the time. And I like to sing to the stars when I am high. They seem to like it and they kind of come close to hear me out. No one else does that…
I think we are ready for a party Man !! Jose had enthusiasm of a kid as he pulled out a pouch and started to roll the cigarettes.
I don’t know if I should have trust a stranger offering grass but I guess I was beyond suspicion and other such things – a man on the beach with nothing to loose.
Let it roll baby roll ……I shouted at the deep silence of the night hoisting my hands to the sky seeking to touch the stars. Everything was so weird. The world before my eyes was stuck and moved in ripples going up or going down when I wished. There were too many colors around and gold was just one of them. With each breath I inhaled life and exhaled death. They had never seemed to co exist so side by side. I was not sure about Jose but I knew he was around as his shadow ran up and down the beach, splashing the waves.When he knew the words, he joined in the chorus otherwise he just kept quite and listened to me like an ardent fan.It’s unbelievable how you can feel so good in the company of strangers when you are trying to run away from those you know so well.
I was on a different plane, completely aware of myself and of everything around me. I was like a self satisfied madman with his own version of reality -
I had less questions but more answers, less control but more freedom,I had less of the world but more of me. I felt complete – like a wave which has just come to know of its vast expanse in the form of the ocean.
It was almost dawn and the sun looked pretty in it’s new day when I woke up still lying on the beach. Jose must have checked if I am still alive and left.The warmth comforted me and brought me to life as I tread the path back home.
By the time I got ready it was noon. The cab was there and Raju(the cab driver) was waiting for me. I had no plans to do anything. I asked Raju ” So where do we go today ?” He suggested a number of places and I picked a 400 year old Portuguese house called Casa Bandiera ! We were on our way in the next 10 min.
It was a perfect day with blue skies and a few clouds to fire the imagination of the child in me – I counted a magician, a cake and lots of balloons and candies. Our car waded through the lush green coconut groves and paddy fields as we moved inland away from the sea. On the way I saw a lot of old houses with curious names.Most had casa or villa added to the family names of the occupants.What I found a bit strange was that most of the houses had the ‘old look’ as if it was carefully preserved.Most tourists find Goa’s old world charm mesmerizing but it was unlikely that the residents would go all the way to be lost in time however Sussegad they might be. I checked with Raju ” Why do most houses look old almost antiquated in Goa even though they are not exactly dilapidated”
The tourist guide in Raju took over ” Well there are two reasons for this – one obvious and the other not so obvious one”
“Ok don’t tell me any ghost stories now” I set boundaries to his imagination.
“No No..it’s nothing like that. The first one is natural and the second is official.You see due to the salt in the moisture filled breeze from the ocean its difficult to maintain the paint year after year especially for the old structures.And the other reason is that many of the houses do not exactly belong to their owners.In 1961 when Goa was liberated the Portugese flee the country leaving everything behind.Many of them had lived in Goa for generations and had built magnificent houses and villas.There was no proper government for a while and the locals just occupied the houses left behind by the Portugese. The government has let them live and own these places but with a condition that the original look and structure must be kept intact.The government pays a certain renovation allowance every year for such houses.”
” Wow that’s some education for me.These houses are almost frozen in time !!” I was sure I would keep coming back just like Jose , looking to find something that got lost in history.
We passed the Zuari and for the first time I saw a ship being built , waiting for the bottle to be broken so it can unleash its voyages to far away lands.It was majestic when I looked at it from the window of my car but it looked puny when I saw it in the backdrop of the never ending ocean.Perspective changes the way we look at a lot of stuff around us. Isn’t it ?
By about lunch time our car stopped in front of an old building. In the first instance it did not look like something awe inspiring but when I thought that it has been standing at the same spot for over 300 years and has housed some 8 generations ,I was filled with a sense of respect. The facade of the house was divided into two portions the east and the west with a central entrance that was common. As I took the flight of steps and stood in front of the door which of what must have been the east wing I was taken by a sense of calm – the kind you have when you sit next to old people. They have seen the uselessness of it all and have no urgency to either please you or themselves. The house was certainly a peaceful place.
Before I could knock on the door , it opened almost magically. I was greeted by a man in his late 50′s with balding hairline and thick black specs the kind they stopped wearing since the 70′s. I knew that I was going to witness history today. There was something disturbing about the man who had introduced himself as John. First of all in a weird almost frightening move he had latched the entrance door as soon as I entered and now he was staring at me as if waiting for a sign to start. I was not sure if he was a guide as I had been told that the family still lives in one part of the house but which I didn’t know.Finally I broke the impasse and said ” well John I suppose you live here ? ” A faint smile played on his face and he nodded ” I was waiting for you to ask this question. The answer is yes and no. While I show the house to visitors I do not live here and neither am I a member of the family. But I am not a tourist guide either. You can think that I am a mix of all three” He had figured out the question in my mind ” one who lives in the house as that’s what I do for most part of the day, two not a member of the family who own the place and three the tourist guide as I am the one who shows people around”
” OK You confused me.Let’s get going ” I mumbled.
” Do you smoke ” John asked offering me a cigarette. ” No I don’t” I said. Actually I was not too sure.The slur in his voice had become pronounced from the time I had met him and his expressions clearly showed that he was completely drunk. However, it was quite strange that he did not smell a bit of alcohol.
We went along from one room to the other and John carefully kept explaining to me various aspects and historical trivia about the house. The chandeliers were Belgian, while the marble came all the way from Italy. The ballroom could hold 500 guests at one time and the red candle stand that looked to be made of plastic resin was actually a priceless piece made of real ruby stone !!
After a while John was completely in his elements. He asked me to sit on a antique looking arm chair and guess what was so special about it. I sat on it and tried to put all kind of logic and reason that would have made it something special – may be it was gifted by the king of Nepal, May be this was not made of wood but some stone, may be even that the chair had some magical powers !!
John was in splits at my suggestion. He asked me to disembark my thrown which I had held on tightly to feel the mystery it seemed to be hiding within itself. ” you are completely wrong, my friend” said John as he lifted the seat of the sofa. ” This is no ordinary chair like I said.It is a commode !!”
” Oh shit” was my spontaneous response and I could tell from John’s face that he was not at all impressed with my choice of words.
“Its OK. don’t worry it has not been used since it came into being.I just use it to play tricks with unsuspecting travelers like you.”
I was growing fond of this man who looked stoned, talked like drunk , did not smell of alcohol, knew his stuff well and was gifted with some whacky sense of humor. The tour was coming to an end and I was so glad I had made this trip. History has always enamored me and there was so much of it in this place. I had checked with John as much detail as possible about the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the paintings, the chapel,the people who lived in the house at different times and also about those who didn’t. Having such a vivid mental picture gave me such joy that only one who dwells in the past to visit the future would know.
I looked at my watch as a sign to leave and John understood. He stretched out his hand for a handshake and said ” Are you sure you don’t want to smoke ?” I looked into his eyes and said ” you know I do.right ?” He flipped open his pack of navy cut and lighted my cigarette. ” John you knew I smoked or you just guessed ? “
” Well the moment you hesitated when I offered you a smoke the first time I knew it.You see people say that I am mad but I think I am just different.20 years ago when they thought I had hallucinations they sent me to the asylum.The Doc there was a good guy but he thought I needed to behave myself so he gave me shocks 3 times. I lost a part of my speech but they said that I started making more sense .Tell me Sir – how did I do today ? Did I make sense to you or you thought I am just a waste.Please don’t say something if you don’t mean it.I beg of you.”
I was shaken not only by his story but also by the manner in which John had asked me for feedback on his act. I was speechless…..words were failing me completely. The events of yesterday night and today morning just flashed in front of me like a movie. While I had made all attempts last night to alter the reality this man was fighting so hard to remain real. I had struggled to let myself loose and here was a man so eager to find himself. The world that I had wanted to let go so pompously was slipping through his fingers like dust while he desperately wanted to hold on to it.My heart became heavy and there was no way I could have passed a judgement. I took his wrinkled hands in mine and said to him -
“John I sincerely feel you were great company. I don’t know about others and what they say but if you are different , may be mad ,then so am I.The fact is that all of us are searching for some unknown truths which may perhaps never reveal themselves.It was a pleasure to have met you and I mean it from my the depth of my heart”
John waved at me as my car took a turn around the corner and I waved back at him. It was not ”good bye” wave but a wave that says – We shall meet again !!!
The Nawab’s Sword
Once upon a time in the city ofLucknow, was a Nawab named Mirajuddaula. Now nothing much could have been said in his praise except that he had inherited the riches of his forefathers ( as with most Nawabs) but if you would have dared to ask me about his credentials in his esteemed presence my obvious answer would have been – the more I tell about his majesty’s grace the little it will be.
Now that I have told you about his Nawabi Lineage you would have guessed that Mairajuddaula was far detached from the bindings of work and livelihood.However, no way does this imply that there was any dearth of business for him. After a walk in the gardens conversing with the morning breeze and a session of massage in his personal Spa Mairajuddaula ensconced himself in his Meeting room where he took upon himself to resolve all sorts of moral and ethical problems facing the society. It’s a matter of minor consequence that no one paid heed to his advice and people used to visit him as a means of entertainment and past time. Being infamous has its share of fame and this was the guiding light for our Nawab.
And yes ,One of the reasons for his popularity were the sumptuous Kebab’s made by his master chef – Sakhawat Miyan. It was said that the chef used to prepare for 3 days before and the elaborate arrangements consisted everything from picking up the most tender meat, to some 56 kind of exotic spices and even soaking the raw material in the moonlight for 8 hours !! Once my great grandfather had the good fortune of tasting the Kebab’s at Mairajudaula’s Kothi – since then all our generations have been bestowed with slimmer fingers than they would normally have.
To hear about the tales of our famed Nawab is not a big deal and you can hear them from any lad playing marbles in the narrow by lanes of Lucknow but the one I am going to tell you now is not only most interesting one but is also quite significant. Here its goes …..
It so happened that one day while the Nawab was on a jaunt his Buggy turned towards the direction of Nakhkhas. InLucknow, Nakhkhas was believed to be the treasure trove of antiques and other rare things. In private, the grape wine was that most of the stuff being traded in Nakhkhas was actually such which had no trace of its owners. You may want to call it a ‘chor bazaar’ but I won’t dare to.It will be blasphemous to relate theft and other such follies of human nature to a place which was often graced by the august presence of our great nawab. Chivalry might be dead elsewhere but not inLucknow. Anyways, going around the place the Nawab’s eyes fell on something that was of no use not only to him but also his forefathers and yet it was quite an interesting find. It suited his pride and his self image. My dear friends it was a Sword !
You must be thinking What’s the big deal ? but inLucknowit was and if it wasn’t it could have been made a big deal.
The money changed hands and in a jiffy the sword travelled from Nakhkhas to find itself adorning a wall in the meeting room of the Nawab’s Kothi .It was proclaimed that the sword is a most valuable and rare piece of armory which the Nawab has inherited from his ancestors. Now the Sword was of iron and the servants belonged to the Nawab so who would have said that no this is not true , in fact a white lie .The faithful servants of the Nawab immediately took upon themselves the assiduous task of informing the general public in Lucknow that the Nawab’s Kothi has the honor of housing such a unique thing that if one was to perish without having a look at it one would face the possibility of losing it out on earth as well as in heaven. Very soon the bylanes ofLucknowsaw an exodus of sorts and people in great numbers start pouring at the Kothi. It is said that the sword was not something to just see but it was something to be hear about and especially so since the Nawab himself used to narrate the greatness of the sword to the believers. It was within no time that the Sword became the Honor of the City ofLucknow. This was the sword with most precious Gems and Stones, this was the sword with which the great grandfather of the Nawab had made many an enemy face the angels of hell, this was the sword for which the Queen of England was willing to let go of her left eye, this was the sword which had saved the grace of Lucknow many times, This was the sword which was meant to be touched with the forehead and to be kissed with the eyelids. It was therefore the duty of each and every true citizen ofLucknowto treat the sword with utmost reverence. After all it was not only a sword but a legacy of the past to be safely preserved for the generations of future.
All and all if there was anything as pious as the sighting of the Holy Kaba it was the Nawab’s Sword and thankfully one need not travel far distances for availing this ticket to heaven.
But no one can defer destiny. What everyone had dreaded may happen , happened. The Sword got Stolen !!!!
Sleepy communities crave for sensationalism and on top of that this wasLucknow. The news of the theft travelled with lighting speed and shocked each and every inhabitant of the city. One by one folks started dropping by the Nawab’s Kothi to offer solace and to do their bit to alleviate the Nawab in his hour of grief.
The first one to arrive was Lala Ganpat Rai. He entered the meeting room with such great dejection as if he had donated all his assets to the Britishers. Now there is a way that sadness is celebrated inLucknow, unlike some other places where they will start screaming and thumping their chest at the slightest pretext. With great care one is supposed to come close to the aggrieved and then offer a ‘paan’ for upliftment of the spirit. Only when one has been done with such basic courtesies, one is supposed to take the hand of the aggrieved and ask “How did this happen My friend?”
It is because of this etiquette that’s so deeply engrained in us Lucknow Wallahs that we are forced to think of others as uncultured, illiterate and downright naives.
Now it will take many of your generations to learn these fineries so I feels it’s better that we go on with our story.So customarily, when Lala took our Nawab’s hand in his own and asked about this great misfortune, the Nawab’s eyes got all wet. If you consider, this was a necessity from our Nawab’s side too or else Lala would have felt that there was something missing in his gestures of comfort. The Nawab stashed the Paan in a corner of his mouth and with a choked voice offered the details :
“Oh Sire When I went to sleep yesterday night the Sword was right here on the wall but when I woke up I was surprised to see that it wasn’t there…”
“Good Lord ! That’s where you made a mistake.” Said Lala. I always thought of you as a very intelligent and erudite man but to my great disappointment you have proven me otherwise today.You should have considered that the sword was no ordinary thing that you just put up on the wall in full show and slept peacefully. This is certainly not the way to look after your ancestral belongings ? But that’s how it is – that which we get without deserving we are never able to value for ourselves. If only I had been blessed with this great fortune I would have kissed the sword with my lips and rubbed it on my forehead. But as they say – A monkey will never be able to know the taste of Ginger”.
Now that was just too much for our Nawab. Visibly irritated he admonished Lala “ Sire you are jumping out of your stature !!” Lala immediately retracted “ Oh my dear lord you are unnecessarily getting perturbed. I wasn’t talking of you, I meant the thief. The buffoon will sell it for some lowly price at the Nakhkhas.” The Nawab thought – well good for him and good for the sword.The God damned thing will reach where it rightfully belongs.
Anyways, after seeing off Lala as soon as our Nawab had ordered for a Glass of ‘ khas’ Sherbet Munshi Tekchand announced his arrival.No sooner had he seated himself, he gulped down the Sherbet meant for our Nawab and fired the sleazy question “ My Lord ,How come this happened ?” The Nawab thought of telling him that “it’s Allah’s kindness that saved you and my sword got stolen , else I would have had to wash my hands with your dirty blood.” But alas this was just a thought. Grace and gentlemanliness had found its way from the Nawab’s heart to his soul and into his very being in such a way that even if he wished he could not have done away with them. Sporting a smile upon his face he said “ What to tell you Mister, bad times come unannounced for and then its my grave fault to trust one and all. The great Hakim Saheb had advised me that if I keep a piece of Iron beneath my pillow then I won’t be subjected to nightmares so I had taken this much precaution that the sword which was usually hung up on the wall, I had removed from its position and kept it under my pillow and slept..” The excuse was good and our Nawab thought at if the Munshi bought his story he would immediately write an official note and hand it over to the servants. He would tell them that here’s your “Sword Story” and now please do let me live in peace.
Well he was Wrong. Totally Wrong…..
The Munshi got exasperated and said “ Oh My dear Lord What a blunder you committed ! I always thought of you as the custodian of the intellectual pursuits of the people the of Lucknowbut you have completely changed my perception. Sir, even the lads playing in the streets of chowk have become wise enough to know that the ranks of servants are no more trustworthy. Those days are dead and gone when the faithful would offer their life for the sake of their masters. Nowadays if you blink an eyelid these rascals will steal your eyeshadow.And we are talking about a Sword that too ancestral – decorated with Gemstones, Famous and accomplished, the tales of which are on the lips of every child ! How could you just keep it beneath your pillow and sleep ? If you had willed to please the wretched Hakim so much you should have asked for some knife or something from the royal kitchen or you could have just summoned this humble slave of yours. For the sake of your mental well being I would have knocked off the shoe of some weak and good for nothing half dead Horse. Daroga sahib is an acquaintance of mine and I am sure if I had pleaded for the sake of your mental health he would have most certainly obliged.” Our Nawab got utterly frustrated, he was well aware that Munshi was having a good time at his expense but what was to be done – it was after all a dual between the Sword and suavity.
The nawab summoned his servants – “ Miyan Fukkan, Munshi Sahib is not some abandoned idler that he will just stay put the whole day here. If your sluggishness has given way for you to be able to cook something then please get it for us or at least get a cup of tea that I had brought all the way from Ceylon.” Then as if trying not to get overheard he whispered “ What to say of these scoundrels. They won’t listen to anyone, and then they have no manners either of their profession or of speech.” Munshi understood that his arrow has hit the bulls eye and the Nawab is trying to ridicule him on the sly. Thinking of his life and limb he judged that its better to flag off from there. And anyways he had enough gossip with him for the Lassi shop in chowk.
Our Nawab felt blissful. By the grace of good heavens people ofLucknowhad left him alone. The truth however was a little different. The congregation of folks who had gathered in the late morning at ‘Chajju’s’ lassi shop kept itself busy till late afternoon. And you know very well thatLucknowwallahs won’t disturb their siesta even if all hell broke loose. Whatever might be the case, no one came to bother the Nawab till about dusk.
While its true that bad time comes unannounced for but even this is fair to say that when it does come it has a tendency to linger on. It was when the servants had just begun to light up the lamps that Mirza Aalam Begh from Aga Mir ki Dyodhi came along. His face which sparkled as the moon suggested that he would have laughed out loud even in his dreams. Somehow our Nawab had a feeling that the shine on Mirza’s face had its source embedded in his own ridicule. Upon seeing Mirza, the Nawab put himself on high alert mode mentally readying himself for an offensive as soon as he was provoked. Mirza offered a ‘paan’ upon entering the room and in an heart wrenching tone questioned “What have you done My Lord? What will become ofLucknownow ?”
Our Nawab had reached the height of his patience. For a moment he felt as if he will reach out and scratch Mirza’s face. But the very instance he put himself into action the souls of his Lucknowi forefathers started to beckon him. They reminded him of the culture that had been the hallmark of his Nawabi legacy. They advised him to treat this episode as Mirza’s foolhardy and God’s will and assured him of a place in heaven for this gesture. As there wasn’t much choice left our Nawab got a hold on himself and said “ What to say Mirza ? Nothing happened to your Lucknow when the British forces paraded Jan e Alam ( a title of Wajid Ali Shah) in the whole city as if in some circus and we are talking of just a lifeless and unfortunate Sword here” Mirza guessed the sarcasm in the Nawab’s words but he had an incomplete task at hand so he said “ So what Happened ?”
Nawab felt a bout of Giddiness as he heard these words again – He was tired of telling the true tale of a fake sword in which he was a fool and a devil at the same time. His hands wanted to kill someone but his heart stopped him in his tracks. He summoned all his courage and said “ My dear friend I knew very well that the eyes of the whole world and especially those of my unfaithful servants were on my ancestral Sword therefore I had kept it locked in seven chains with utmost care and precaution.I am not sure from where these off springs of Sultana Dacoit have come who dared to steal it even from such great safety. I must warn you Mirza that this city is no more safe for God fearing people like you and me. You must tread with caution now onwards.”
Mirza went into a deep thought and scratching his beard spoke after some time “ Nawab Sahib if I were you then I would have never kept such a precious thing at such an obvious location.I would have hidden it in such an innovative place that the thieves would have kept wondering where the hell does the sword go after the evening. Would have kept it in the grain warehouse, hidden within a sack of rice or something. Who would have thought that I would have kept it there. Those morons cannot think beyond the obvious so they would have gone and broke the locks of my safety locker only to find a note written by me – Mister have some almonds for the development of your brains. I keep idiots like you in my pocket and sometimes gobble them up along with other nuts.” Aslam’s face had malice written all over it. He went on -
Now since you have played marbles with me and you are quite deft at handling the kites as well I assumed that someohow even you would be as smart as me. But I was wrong – Kiddish pranks can no way help one evolve to an intellect of a high order. Anyways whatever had to happen has happened.I would like to take your leave now but I must submit that I am greatly shamed.”
If Munshi had disgraced the Nawab , Mirza had gone a step further and completely vandalized the Nawab’s vanity.Our Nawab looked at the heavens and pleaded “ O Allah will I ever get a respite from this predicament?”
The next morning someone again knocked a the Nawab’s door.The servants informed that the Kotwal wanted to have an audience with the Nawab. They would bring him over if the Nawab wished to see him. What could our Nawab say – he knew that he wasn’t destined for deliverance yet. Very soon the Kotwal was seated in front of the Nawab posed the same old query – How did the sword vanish !!
Nawab Mairajuddaula was angel like but was not exactly an angel. All human follies had found their way into his being for example Anger, desperation, hate, even madness…..his face turned fiery and he started to give a statement in an almost taunting manner. He screamed “ Mister Kotwal it so happened that I had had enough of the sword and I therefore thought it would be good if I can kill myself with it. In the heat of the moment I forced the sword into my chest and lay down on the bed. But when I woke up in the moning I found that while I remained the Sword had gone. Would you kindly tell what should be done now ?
The Kotwal was dumbstruck for a while and then he started pondering over the matter. In an probing tone he told the Nawab “ Sir I think you made a grave error of judgment by trying to kill yourself in this manner. The thief must have come in when you were lying slayed on your bed. To figure out if you were you were unconscious or asleep he would have upturned your body only to find the Sword’s gleaming handle jetting out of your good self. Now he was no nincompoop , not aware of the value and glory of the sword. He would have judged that it’s better to get away with just the sword than to try and steel all the other petty and cheap stuff around your place. He would have pulled the Sword out and ran away thus sparing you your life.I sincerely believe that If only you would have put in a little more effort not only you would have been liberated but your ancestral legacy would have been saved too.”
Our Nawab was numbed by this piece of investigation.He felt as if everything around him had frozen in time. All he could hear was a faint voice of a courtesean from some far away place.It was probably Ghlaib’s poetry :
ये कहां की दोस्ती है के बने हैं दोस्त नासेह्, कोई चारागार होता कोई गमगुसार होता
हुए मर के हम जो रुसवा हुए क्यों ना गर्के दरिया, ना कहीं जनाज़ा उठता ना कहीं मज़ार होता……
What friendship is this that offers just advice, would rather have someone wipe my tears or share my sadness
It would have been better if I had drowned to death, at least there wouldn’t have been a trace in the form of my coffin or grave
~ आहंग
**Someone had narrated me this incident as a joke in short. I felt that justice needs to be done to the attitude of Lucknowites and so thought of presenting the longish version. I would be glad if you liked reading it and if you didn’t I don’t really care !!
I had the time to stand and stare….
- What is this life if full of care,
- We have no time to stand and stare.
- No time to stand beneath the boughs
- And stare as long as sheep or cows.
- No time to see, when woods we pass,
- Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
- No time to see, in broad daylight,
- Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
- No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
- And watch her feet, how they can dance.
- No time to wait till her mouth can
- Enrich that smile her eyes began.
- A poor life this if, full of care,
- We have no time to stand and stare……
- While going on a leisure trip with W.H Davies, all of us would have their own versions of what this idyllic place may just be like.Fortunately for me I found one such place – the Honeypot Bread and Breakfast, in the charming little village of Husbands Bosworth in England’s Leicester County.
- I had work at Lutterworth for about 2 weeks and while looking for stay options I came across this Bread and Breakfast place that was just something I was looking for. All of us do mean to spend sometime in the famed English countryside at some point in life having read about it right through our childhoods. And I thought that this was a perfect opportunity as usually my travels take me only to large cities.
- The weekdays were a little hectic and there’s no point boring you with shop talk, so I would like to take you through a leisurely weekend that I spent exploring all the little things that makes this place so special.
- Morning 8:00 AM
- You have heard of the famous English breakfast. Haven’t you ???
- The break fast was a choice of hot and cold with Cereals, Fresh cut fruit as in Kiwis, Pineapples, Melons, Strawberries and even Mango if you were lucky. You could choose from a variety of fresh juices in case you were uncultured enough to say no to the Queen’s favourite drink – tea.
- I am quite a standard , cut and dry kind of chappie when it comes to food so it was butter and toast with hashbrowns most of the time for me but one could surely experiment with egss in all shapes and form – Ommlettes, Poached Egss, Half Fried, Hard boiled, Scrambled and even something called Egg Benedict. Probably there are more ways to cook the egg but I registered just these few. You could surely check with the lady of the house and I know you will get the version you want….
- By the way did I tell you that the Breakfast table is laid out overlooking the vast Welland grasslands and rolling hills as far as your eyes can see. Sounds Inspiring. Isn’t it ?
- Aha ….and how can I miss the Honey pot. I am sure the house has one of the largest collection of these.
- 10:00 AM
- After this treat of a kings break fast I wanted to relax a bit and a wonderful collection of books in the library was just what I needed. I picked up a book of poems by RL Stevenson and was pleasantly surprised to note that it was gifted by someone to the Houselady’s father in the year 1924!
- Sunshine and fresh air with a playful chirping of birds set the mood as I lay on my bed browsing through some exquisite pieces of poetry. Well, to be honest the fresh breeze had a bit of a smell from the nearby cowshed of the farmer next door….but I guess it just added to the authenticity of my ‘Village’ experience.
- By 11:30 am
- My tryst with Mr. Stevenson was over.I decided that to be up and about would probably be more becoming of me than to waste a bright and sunny morning lazying around within the four walls of my room. Although the warm and cozy bed did tempt me to quit my industrious thoughts. Actually a Quote from the book I was reading motivated me :
- It is the season now to go, about the country high and low
- Among the Lilacs hand in hand , and two by two in fairyland….
- So here I was all ready to explore the countryside at Husband’s Bosworth.
- To give a little history of the village,its a settlement that dates back to 409 AD but the oldest living building in the community had its tower built around the year 1300 AD. I was curious about the word Husbands prefixed to the name and checked with the locals to know if there was a Wife’s Bosworth as well. To my amusement I was told that the word Husband comes from the word husbandry as most people in the village raised farm animals like cows,sheep and horses. Carolyn,the lady of the house proudly told us that all her dairy,Meat and Poultry needs were met locally within the village as Husbandry is still quite popular with the village folks.
- There were a lot of places for sightseeing mentioned on the village website.http://www.husbandsbosworth.info which were nearby but I settled for just a walk around and a visit to the Grand Union Canal.
- The canal did not have much water at this time of the Year but the folks I was staying with shared some interesting instances about their picnic with the kids on the Canal.It was a pleasure to imagine a boat parked out in the front yard where our car was and the whole Goffe family getting ready for a day out on the canal maneuvering all the twists and turns, even the locks at the gates !
- On my way back from the canal I saw the waterworks and had to step back and forth to avoid the farmers trucks carrying all kind of stuff to and fro from their farms.Once in the village I thought of exploring the two mainstays of any English village – The church and the Pub. It is my strong belief that the whole world exists between the gates of the Masjid and the Maiqada( Tavern). You are closest to your own reality when you have lost yourself – Peg or Prayer is just something you choose per your state of mind.
- The village church was a beautiful building and resembled most churches in England although I fell in love with the Daffodils. While learning the classic form Wordsworth in my school days I had never imagined that I will be looking at a host of them in the English countryside. It is rather amazing how we can shape the consciousness of each other in different epochs of time ; Wodsworth would have also never imagined that his poem would have such an effect on a native Indian of all the souls!
- I loitered around aimlessnessly for another couple of hours checking the Inventory at the local post office that doubled up as a convenience store, watching the sheep Graze on the endless rolling hills and waving at the numerous gliders from the nearby flying school.
- I came back at about 1 PM to grab lunch which was nothing great so I will skip the details. With my tummy full dozing off for an afternoon siesta was just the thing to do. I read a few more poems from Stevenson’s book and slept like a baby….although I am sure that baby’s don’t snore as much as I do !
- When I woke up it was 5 PM and it was perfect time for a cup of tea. Carolyn an expert home maker had this wonderful selection of teas which was kept in each room ; you could choose from the regular English Breakfast to a mint flavored one to ease your sinuses to a more relaxing version of Chamomile Tea. The butter scotch cookies went just so well with any of them although my personal favorite was the freshly baked cakes that were always kept in the foyer. You could take as many helping as you want ! I sincerely believe that I probably ate half of it myself during the day even though it was meant to be shared with all the guests. Wasn’t really my fault you see – I have a sweet tooth and the cake was just so Yum and full of chocolate.
- Refreshed I knew that it was time to hit the Pub. I had read on the notice board that they were having a Quiz there in the evening and the Rajpedia in me was just raring to race against the local Englishmen or women
They had a great selection of draught beer at the Pub but I felt like indulging in some French Wine that would go well with the melted Cheese Pasta I was planning to feast my self on. By the time the Quiz started I had had half a bottle and was in no mood to pick my brains , not that much was left in there anyways. With me were few of my friends and we laughed and talked ( read shouted) about the usual office stuff. - I don’t smoke much ( tobacco I mean) but with all the grape juice flowing though my veins I figured it was a damn good idea to indulge in this one last sin before hitting the bed once more .So we stood out there outside the B and B taking long drags to beat the punishing cold. I don’t know if any of you have smoked a full cigarette in -20 degrees temperature , I have once and it is just an out of the world feeling , I mean it feels like any moment you would go out of this world .This was much better than that…
- I came back to my room and thought before go into a deep slumber once again it would be nice to see my kiddos on the Skype ( Wi Fi is free and the connection is good). My son Anant insisted that I tell him a story as this is my duty when I am at home. I did not have to go very far for getting inspiration and quickly weaved a tale of love and honour having Andy and Dora , the donkeys as the main characters(Andy and Dora were the pets of the house and I had met up with them during the day)
- Thankfully the story was so boring that more than my kids I started feeling sleepy so I quickly wrapped up the climax by saying that in the end Andy the Donkey met the She donkey of his dreams and both of them did the stupid dance forever !
- Now, those of you who are beginning to think that what a great life the consultants have, I must tell you that you are absolutely wrong. Its only once in a while do we get to enjoy the day as stated above, its actually much better most of the times…..
- So don’t just feel jealous.Choose to move to pastures greener …….
LSD – looking at life with a 25 X zoom…
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience ……
The term LSD(Lysergic Acid Dyethylamide) or Acid as it is popularly known has come back into debate since Steve Jobs claimed in his autobiography that taking LSD was one of the most profound experiences of his life. This is not the first time that creative people or those who have changed the world around us have used Psychedelics as a means of expanding their consciousness. Google founders Sergey Berin and Larry page visited ‘The burning Man’ festival before they founded Google as a company. The decision to hire Eric Schmidt was also influenced by the fact that he had been to the ‘burning man’ while others had not. Whether any of them used psychedelics while at the burning man is not documented. We all know the penchant of artists and musicians for psychotropic substances so I will just take it for granted.
While the name LSD instils wonder and mystery may be even fear in most of us in India it has been used for over 40 years in the west as a street drug for so called ‘trips’ and even for exploring its various medical uses. It seems that the scientists are all for it but the governments across the world stand on the opposite side of the fence.The inventor of LSD Albert Hoffman argued that his invention if used improperly could make one go crazy but it used correctly it has the power to make us what we are supposed to be. The fact that he died a perfectly healthy man at the ripe old age of 102 testifies the claim the physical side effects of LSD use are negligible. A year before his death in 2008 Hoffamn had reached out to Steve for funding of his research.While nothing concrete came out of the half hour chat Steve summed up saying ‘ Lets just put it in the tap water and get everybody turned on’.
There are several documentaries on You tube that you can browse to know more about the subject. I am embedding one from the National Geographic channel in case you don’t want to waste your time.
Now that brings me to the larger question that if such a potent means of experiencing your self, dissolving the ego and raising your level of awareness/consciousness exists why put so much time and effort to get realized as per Hindu or Buddhist philosophy. The answer comes in the form of an anecdote shared by Ram Dass ( born Richard Alpert and raised to be Harvard professor of sociology who inspired Steve to visit India as a backpacker in the early 1970′s) in which he says that one day his Guru Baba Neem Karori told him that he wanted to have LSD. While Ram Dass was surprised he knew that there is no point in trying to hide anything from his Guru who knew everything about everything. He got his bag of pills and wanted to offer just one thinking that it would be enough for the old man. Baba on the other hand selected several of them and popped them into his mouth.To his great surprise nothing seemed to happen to his Guru who just kept looking at him in a a very transparent way as if saying – It is all within you !
Now this is easier said than done to the point of being cliched. You see a guru on one of the religious channels giving gyan and you think to yourself – Oh Yeah, really. We are conditioned to believe stuff that we can see and experience ourselves not something which is surrogate and second hand.It’s like someone trying to tell you that the chocolate was just sooooo good but you want to know how good and the other person can’t really explain it to you. Now in the case of a chocolate you have the freedom to break the bar and take a piece to share the experience but what about self realization ? You don’t even know what it is supposed to be and even more whether the Guru telling you about it has experienced anything by themselves. That’s when faith becomes blind or you start drifting apart into the so called material world which is at least real and genuine to your five senses.
Trying to delve deeper into the subject I have tried to understand the phenomenon of the ‘trip’ and what it does to us I have come to an understanding that the LSD probably helps us to break down the barriers hat we have built around around our mind and spirit. Our sense of being emerges in a self image that results in an ego or what we think we are while in reality this is just a hoax created by our conditioning and orientation, even a sense of insecurity to hold on to what I love to call the gathered past.As soon as the magic molecule fits in the right place in the cortex our ego starts to melt and with it goes away our self image and sense of being. We start to have ‘ a beginners mind’ as per the Zen philosophy ready to look at the world around us in a new light, in a fresh way. Creativity becomes the obvious by product of this process. We are like the child who experienced the world for the very first time. To put it into perspective how magical it is when you fall in love for the first time, how sensuous to make love for the first time, how wonderful to be with friends and discover but then you get into the ‘loop’ mode and the experiences cease to have the novelty they did before boring your mind and making life mechanical and uninteresting. Again as you grow bad experiences such as death, disease and decay stare you in the face and cause another kind of conditioning that aims to block your reaction to these as far as possible. You continuously struggle to break free but you don’t know how and even from what ?? LSD and other such stuff helps you to become a child again roaming about in the wonderland of new experiences,breaking down the barriers of conditioning that does not allow you to see things as Aldous Huxley says ‘They Are’.
LSD does not actually alter the reality it just makes it more ‘real’ by enhancing our brains capacity to process sensory information. In a state of expanded consciousness you tend to see things as they happen not depending upon your data bank of past knowledge supporting the vision by assuming what would have happened.
Now you must be thinking about the obvious question – what about me ? Well I will let the fact that whether I have had LSD or not remain a mystery in your mind I will tell you that I do know the ‘high’ that lets the red become really red and when the flower looks more beautiful than it used to. The pupils get dilated and you get goose bumps for nothing. You are just plain amused and the happiness stems from nothing but just pure existence.
I have looked at life with a 25 X zoom ….. and there is no other way but my method and my tools are different. I am convinced that my orange bus might be slow and needs more maintainance but the destination its going to take me will be real and final.
Meanwhile I am just enjoying the ‘trip’ …….
Time Pass
It was a lazy sunday morning and I was a bit free from the daily routine of the week days.My son Anant who had taken his own sweet time to get up was now lounging on the bean bag playing with his Nintendo DS. In a casual tone I admonished him ” your exams are starting monday and here you are wasting time.” Without bothering to turn back he replied” I am not wasting time I am doing time pass” I said “what do you mean?” He said ” Papa if I am not doing anything then I am wasting time but if I am playing then I am doing time pass”
I thought to myself – Anu( my wife) must have been reading Emmanuel Kant when this guy was in the womb. My fatherly instincts took over so I snatched the Video game and asked Anant to leave immediately and be seen with his books.He looked at me as a philosopher will at some ignorant fool but I put up a brave face nonetheless.
The video game was now in my hands so I started fiddling with it. It was a game called plants and Zombies wherein the target was to save the house with the help of plants who had special powers to destroy the Zombies who kept barging in from one end trying to reach the other end unless stopped by the plant. The catch was that all Zombies were not the same and so were the plants.Some were more stronger than the others and some had special characterstics so they could b destroyed only with the special features that only some of the plants had. I thought I will give it a try…..
After playing for about half an hour I realized that the game was not as simple as it seemed to be. The moment you reached to the next higher level the frequency and speed of the Zombies increased making it almost impossible for at least someone like me to check their misadventure. I could barely reach the level 2 but was quite pleased with my performance until I exited the game to see that the top performers led by Anant Kumar were all at least above the Level 5, a feat I could perhaps never achieve!!
I put the game aside and started thinking about the original quote by the Guru (Anant). Perhaps the not so obvious meaning in his morning discourse had to be decoded to understand the true depth of the statement. The difference between wasting time and passing time solicited closer scrutiny. Wasting time as per Anant was when you are doing absolutely nothing and passing time was when you were doing something which had no material value but was done solely for the purpose of self gratification or you may even say for the sole purpose of Soul entertainment. Now here’s where the catch lay….my education in Vedanta and subsequent studies on meditative techniques defined meditation as the state of ‘nothingness’ or ‘Shunyta’ where the mind is absolutely free from any agitations – a thoughtless, speechless, non sensory condition in which you felt one with the silence and nothingness of the universe to realize that you are the part of the same whole and therefore limitless and free.
But on the contrary when you look at the interplay of the Jeev and the Atman as prescribed in the same Vedantic texts the Jeev is supposed to have been separated from the Atman and due to its ignorance cannot realize its true nature which is sat chit anand i.e all pervading,all knowing and ever blissful. The creation of the world for Gods happiness or playfulness is also explained with the help of above phenomenon. It is said that the God created the whole Universe and everything within it for his own happiness as there is nothing else which could have forced him upon this endeavour , after all he doesn’t have annual appraisals !
So if we look at God creating the entire Universe and everything in it for the sole purpose of soul entertainment which is nothing but time pass then Anant’s time pass theory is well justified. But if we consider man’s not doing anything an act of meditation leading to self realization then there is probably more value in wasting time than in passing time.
Now if I take the same argument to Anant I know what his answer would be – do you consider God to be superior or Man to be superior. I would say God Of course ! and he will therefore win the argument saying that since he was indulging in a ‘godly act’ of time pass and I had committed a serious error of judgement by breaking his concentration. To which my only humanly response could be that wasting time which qualifies as meditation is the right thing to do for us Jeev’s to meet with the Atman but then Anant might lose the argument but stop doing anything.
The above put me to a larger question of human existence – if we do something for the purpose of pleasing the spirit do we come closer to being God or if we strive towards non action in thought and deed do justify the purpose of our being.
Whatever might be the answer I don’t see the place for work in any of the two positions. And I think this is one thing that Anant will completely agree with me…..
