It has been so long that it seems I have entirely lost my ability of expression. I feel like a batsman who is sorely out of form and attempting to get back to the basics trying to connect ball to bat…so help me, Lord!
It is worthwhile figuring out how I got here in the first place. What has kept me from writing all this time? It certainly was not the good ol' lack of time thing. While time is an oft touted reason for the inability to do something, I have never really believed it to be true. We are always able to find the time to pursue what we really want to. Was it then the 'writer's block'? Hardly. I could never have called myself a writer in the first place so such grand excuses were also not plausible. Truth be told, I have felt a vague and nagging emptiness over the past few months. An emptiness borne out of an inability to contribute my worth to those around me…and some events on the personal front also pushed me further into my literary shell.
So here I am...gingerly retracing my steps back into ViShesh PraRambh and hoping to find a quiet little corner within its confines. I had last dropped in here while I was in the cradle of the gentle Austrian Alps, from where I returned to Singapore rejuvenated and relaxed.
Which was also when I learnt about some new developments in my parent's health conditions…
My father, who had suffered two strokes in December 2007 was experiencing some complications which took him to the hospital on a weekly basis. Once the brain is affected, other body parts soon join the party and play havoc with the system. Also, my mother who had been coping remarkably well with the altered situation at home needed to take care of her own health. Her eyesight had deteriorated and needed a small corrective surgery. So off I went to Delhi to provide assistance and relief to my parents. The global nature of my job (and some very understanding and helpful colleagues) makes it possible for me to pretty much function from anywhere. All I need is a reliable internet connection, a functioning telephone line, and once my calendar is adjusted to the new time zone, I am all set to operate. These have become such essential prerequisites that one experiences extreme discomfort in their absence. What were we like before the advent of wireless technology??
Back to Delhi and the cataract procedure. Surgery performed successfully, scarcely had I brought my mother back home with the intent of providing her time off for the post op recovery, that my father determined we did not have enough excitement in our lives. Early the next morning, he fell unconscious in the bathroom. We would not have known of this at all were it not for a nasty bruise on the upper back. Stroke victims often suffer from short term memory loss, so he had only a vague recollection later of what had transpired. In all likelihood he had suffered a sudden blackout and collapsed on the floor like a heap of bricks. Upon regaining consciousness, he promptly came back to bed to continue his slumber. By the end of the day, his neck seemed to be strained at an angle so we took him to the hospital for a check up. Examinations revealed a fracture in the neck which, if disturbed even slightly, could have caused irreparable damage because of the proximity to the spinal cord. The next few days were spent in the hospital and my mother instantly transitioned back into her role of primary caregiver, notwithstanding her own condition. Over the next few days, our existence revolved around the hospital and we were glad to finally bring him back home with his neck ensconced in a brace.
I returned to Singapore a few days later with more questions than answers in my head. What caused the blackout? Would my parents be able to cope by themselves? Should I get them to Singapore? But travel was out of the question in the immediate term. Should I have stayed on longer? Then what about my work and travel commitments? The biggest question was (and remains) what I needed to do longer term to take care of them...India? Singapore?
In the coming weeks, there was some normalcy as my father recovered from his latest adventure.। traveled around the region. First to the Philippines...a country I love visiting and where I have thoroughly enjoyed my work over the past couple of years. A fascinating visit to Shanghai and Beijing followed...where I spent quality time with several colleagues and also went to a couple of their top business schools. I always enjoy being in an educational institution and was impressed by the clarity of vision of the leaders I met. In China, business education is scarcely seventeen years old, yet they have made great strides in creating high quality programmes comparable to the best anywhere. I can see them gaining ascendancy in the decades to come as leading providers of business education of global relevance. My stay in Beijing was brief, but I did get away one evening to see the world famous Bird's Nest and Water Cube...resplendent under the bright lights. This was not my first visit to China, but this time I felt I had gained some deeper insights. It gave me a chance to strengthen old relationships, and to form new ones. The confidence and purpose in the people was palpable. And despite the developments of the past few years which have catapulted China into global prominence, I did not sense any arrogance among its constituents. Surely, these will be very exciting times for the people of this nation.
November brought with it some hope. Work had gained momentum and I looked forward to getting some initiatives off the ground. We also planned a year end visit to Sydney. I have family there and we have not met for a while. As the year draws to a close, there is a general slowdown...the pace of activity reduces, people wear a relaxed demeanour as they plan for their time with friends and family, Christmas carols play non-stop, and there is an air of festivity all around. At such a time, what better place to be than Australia? And since I anyway carry my office in a backpack, all I needed were the bare essentials – the internet connection and a telephone line! The plan was to spend a couple of weeks working from Sydney and then to take time off during the final week of 2009.
My father, however, had other thoughts. Perhaps he was missing my company. So once again he fell into a sudden faint (thankfully this time was in a shop while leaning over the counter). The drill was repeated...back to hospital in an ambulance, more check ups. A few days later I found myself back in Delhi again doing the rounds of doctors. Once more, there were more questions than answers. Nobody could clearly explain what was causing the blackouts, yet all agreed that it was not a happy place to be. The medication was carefully reviewed and rebalanced. I had another discussion with the doctor who impressed upon me that his brain power was unlikely to return to its previous levels and that one needed to consider a future with his reduced faculties. Perhaps I have spent too long in the corporate sector...but the words 'new normal' reverberated in my head. Was this the future one had to contend with? I looked for other therapies and explored Ayurveda - the traditional Indian medical science which uses natural methods of healing and focuses on addressing root causes behind apparent manifestations. I had been through one such treatment a few years ago. I spoke to the doctors about it. None offered much hope of a recovery. But neither did they say with certainty that it would NOT work. So what was the harm in trying? And as was to be expected, I met with much protest from both my parents on being subjected to more treatment.
But the decision is made! They shall be duly dispatched tomorrow to the Ayurvedic centre in Delhi for a fortnight of oil massages, yoga and a healthy diet of vegetarian food.
Even though my visit was in somewhat dire circumstances, I did get to enjoy the Delhi winter, which I have missed for many years having lived in tropical climates for the past ten years. Having the morning sun upon your back while reading a newspaper and sipping a warm cup of coffee are luxuries of a bygone era! The other highlight was a Saturday evening in the company of some excellent people – old friends and new – who are eagerly devoting their energies to enhancing the lives of others around them. One of them is focused on healthcare for the masses, another on financing the rural poor in north India, and a couple others are actively partnering with social entrepreneurs in their quest for bringing about positive change in the society. The dialogue was engaging, and I was thrilled that some new connections were made as people resolved to join forces with each other. It would give me immense pleasure to be of some assistance in their laudable efforts.
I spent last week in Singapore and then over the weekend went across to Chennai to work with the microfinance organisation that I had been introduced to during the summer. It was wonderful to be back in their office, a quaint old bungalow, where I had working sessions with the management team. Since my last visit, they have inducted fresh people into the organisation and are facing a new set of challenges and opportunities. We discussed a number of issues...like how they would preserve their unique culture of service to the rural poor as they expanded their organisation; or continue to be lowest cost providers of finance to their customers and enhance their social impact. It was exhilarating being with such committed and focused people and I felt privileged to be a small part of their world.
The year end plans for Australia still hold...though it will be a shorter trip than what I had envisaged originally. Thoughts of being with family bring comfort and joy...I look forward to being with the elders and learning about aspirations of the youngsters. I hope to find some time to be in reflection and gratitude for all that has been bestowed upon me. As I look back at the year gone by, there is still a nagging emptiness…but it is not unaccompanied by resolve for the future. I look for the wheels to turn…in hope that they shall lead me to a path of productivity and benefit for others around me. After all, what else is there to really live for?
Besides good single malt, of course.
Of which I hope there will be ample supply down under…
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
A trip to South India
It is my second evening in the Austrian mountains and a new bottle of wine. Tonight it’s a Cuvee – a delicious and smooth blend of different grapes from the region. I don’t know much about wines...just that they have recently caught my fancy and I have decided to explore them during my week in Europe. It has been raining since afternoon and the alpine air is wonderfully invigorating.
And as I sit in the hotel lounge, I again reflect on the events of the past few weeks.
The high point for me this summer was undoubtedly my visit to Chennai and Madurai last month. A visit that gave me an opportunity to see the impact being made by a microfinance organisation that was deeply committed to serving the poor by providing rural women with the means to achieve economic independence. When I visited the villages where they operated, I saw first hand how they had provided people the skills and means to emerge from poverty and attain a sustainable livelihood.
This opportunity arose thanks to a dear friend with whom I have worked closely for several years. She has now moved beyond the security and comfort of a career in the corporate sector and embarked upon a new journey as a social entrepreneur. Recently, she was approached by an acquaintance, a private equity investor in the social sector, whose fund had invested in this company and where he was a board member. They were looking for an experienced HR professional to serve as a strategic advisor, poised as they are for significant growth in the near future and felt they needed to really get the people equation right. She suggested my name and a few phone calls later introductions were made, connections established, and off I was to see how I could be of assistance in their noble venture.
What I experienced over the course of the next two days left a lasting impression on me and I came away with deep appreciation both for the dedication of these people, as well for their creativity and innovation.
I was received in Chennai by their Chairperson, a woman of very impressive credentials, who took me to a charming old house which served as the company headquarters. The private equity investor also flew in and over the next few hours, we had a spirited and absorbing discussion as they brought me up to speed on the nature of their work. By the end of the day, and several copious notes later, I had received my initiation into the fascinating world of microfinance. As I would realize a day later, this was just my ‘theory’ lesson. The ‘practical’ was to take place the following day through a field visit to the villages.
The next morning we took a 7am flight to Madurai, a small town in the very south of India. I had visited Madurai twenty years ago with my parents while on a summer vacation trip across south India and remember seeing the grand Meenakshi temple, which has lent fame to this town as it attracts both pilgrims and tourists from far and wide. This time though, the day was spent touring villages and branch offices of the company in and around the town. I was accompanied by the Chairperson, who also played the role of translator for most of the day as conversations took place in the local lingo - Tamil. I met with Self Help Groups (SHG) – clusters of 15-20 women organized by the microfinance company for the purpose of providing loans – and saw how they were educated and empowered to take charge of their lives. For most of these women, the journey to self-reliance began with an enrolment into a SHG, an entity that would form the edifice for much of their future existence and the foundation for lasting relationships with others united by a common desire to achieve economic independence and well being for their families. Each SHG would undergo months of training in entrepreneurship and basic finance and accounts. When considered ready, they would receive their group loan…which they would utilize to start a business venture. Some would purchase cattle, others would start a tailoring business, or else make trinkets and toys for children. Each month, the loan installment would need to be repaid and the group would be collectively responsible for ensuring timely payouts. The organisation has a quarter of a million women customers across the state, and an astounding recovery rate which would be the envy of mainstream banks. Just goes to prove the transformational power of enlightened and determined women.
One of the truly remarkable aspects of this organisation was their conscious desire to employ people from the very strata they serviced. This serves a dual purpose…of building trusting relationships within their customer base by being deeply etched in their lives; and underscoring their commitment to improving the lives of people in the rural areas by providing gainful employment to deserving candidates. The results - strong trust based relationships, a stellar reputation and a lasting impact on society!
I came across some astounding tales of human accomplishment.
We were accompanied in our field visit by the regional manager, a middle aged lady who oversaw operations across several branches. She spoke to me of her humble beginnings, from the time she had been a beneficiary of microfinance from this company 15 years ago. Starting off from a meager background (her husband was a daily wage labourer with a low and inconsistent income stream), this lady not only found a means to livelihood for her family, she took greater initiative by first becoming an employee of the company and forming more SHG’s, and in parallel pursuing higher studies, eventually completing a Master’s degree in commerce. Her three sons were now based in countries in the Middle East – all gainfully employed, with the eldest enrolled into a Ph.D. programme! This woman has worked tirelessly and risen to the position of regional head with oversight of several of the company’s branch operations. Recently, she has bought a computer and an internet connection and is learning to operate it.
There were more such stories…
The other revelation was the creativity and innovation in the social sector. The network of SHG’s is an extremely effective distribution channel and can be used as a conduit for several other ‘products’ – basic mobile phones, insurance plans, education and healthcare being a few examples. As technological advancements take effect, some of these will have a significant effect on the fabric of rural society. Imagine the impact of people in remote villages with access to information on their fingertips, combined with the ability to transmit it real time anywhere across the world. I feel this can lay the ground for transformation at the grassroots level. Such technology gives power in the hands of people and can help expose corruption, lay bare inefficiencies, and fight injustice…instantly and without censorship from any governing body!
I witnessed one such innovation. We had reached one of their branch offices in a semi-urban area of Madurai. This was in the upper floor of a small house in a narrow street reachable only on foot. On the day I was there, there had been a load shedding – long hours of electricity shut down - in that part of town. As we looked across the office, I noticed a printer on a table…this was their ‘collections’ room where they kept records of loan disbursement and repayment. The standalone printer was unaccompanied by a computer, something one would naturally expect to see in an operation that dealt with finances. When I enquired about how they managed accounts, the answer left me stunned with amazement. The collections officer, a 30 year veteran of the company whipped out his mobile phone and activated an application. Upon punching in a password, the screen came alive with up-to-date information on every SHG supported by the branch and the current status of loan repayment of each individual member! This information was fed and refreshed at the company headquarters in Chennai and all that was needed was for him to jack up the phone to the printer, produce the latest records and issue receipts to the customers every month! In one fell sweep, this innovation had significantly reduced the need physical infrastructure, reliance on electricity, and also the risk of fraud by unscrupulous employees. Grassroots technology at its very best!
My trip was an eye opener. I came away energized and refreshed from my interactions with these wonderful people. I spent the next few days thinking about how this organisation could harness its human potential and further its impact on the society. My past experiences provided some answers, but more came from friends who have immersed themselves to such causes. Today I see capable and highly qualified people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to bringing about sustainable and equitable development, rather than pursue the path of purely personal gains.
The wheels...they are surely turning!
And as I sit in the hotel lounge, I again reflect on the events of the past few weeks.
The high point for me this summer was undoubtedly my visit to Chennai and Madurai last month. A visit that gave me an opportunity to see the impact being made by a microfinance organisation that was deeply committed to serving the poor by providing rural women with the means to achieve economic independence. When I visited the villages where they operated, I saw first hand how they had provided people the skills and means to emerge from poverty and attain a sustainable livelihood.
This opportunity arose thanks to a dear friend with whom I have worked closely for several years. She has now moved beyond the security and comfort of a career in the corporate sector and embarked upon a new journey as a social entrepreneur. Recently, she was approached by an acquaintance, a private equity investor in the social sector, whose fund had invested in this company and where he was a board member. They were looking for an experienced HR professional to serve as a strategic advisor, poised as they are for significant growth in the near future and felt they needed to really get the people equation right. She suggested my name and a few phone calls later introductions were made, connections established, and off I was to see how I could be of assistance in their noble venture.
What I experienced over the course of the next two days left a lasting impression on me and I came away with deep appreciation both for the dedication of these people, as well for their creativity and innovation.
I was received in Chennai by their Chairperson, a woman of very impressive credentials, who took me to a charming old house which served as the company headquarters. The private equity investor also flew in and over the next few hours, we had a spirited and absorbing discussion as they brought me up to speed on the nature of their work. By the end of the day, and several copious notes later, I had received my initiation into the fascinating world of microfinance. As I would realize a day later, this was just my ‘theory’ lesson. The ‘practical’ was to take place the following day through a field visit to the villages.
The next morning we took a 7am flight to Madurai, a small town in the very south of India. I had visited Madurai twenty years ago with my parents while on a summer vacation trip across south India and remember seeing the grand Meenakshi temple, which has lent fame to this town as it attracts both pilgrims and tourists from far and wide. This time though, the day was spent touring villages and branch offices of the company in and around the town. I was accompanied by the Chairperson, who also played the role of translator for most of the day as conversations took place in the local lingo - Tamil. I met with Self Help Groups (SHG) – clusters of 15-20 women organized by the microfinance company for the purpose of providing loans – and saw how they were educated and empowered to take charge of their lives. For most of these women, the journey to self-reliance began with an enrolment into a SHG, an entity that would form the edifice for much of their future existence and the foundation for lasting relationships with others united by a common desire to achieve economic independence and well being for their families. Each SHG would undergo months of training in entrepreneurship and basic finance and accounts. When considered ready, they would receive their group loan…which they would utilize to start a business venture. Some would purchase cattle, others would start a tailoring business, or else make trinkets and toys for children. Each month, the loan installment would need to be repaid and the group would be collectively responsible for ensuring timely payouts. The organisation has a quarter of a million women customers across the state, and an astounding recovery rate which would be the envy of mainstream banks. Just goes to prove the transformational power of enlightened and determined women.
One of the truly remarkable aspects of this organisation was their conscious desire to employ people from the very strata they serviced. This serves a dual purpose…of building trusting relationships within their customer base by being deeply etched in their lives; and underscoring their commitment to improving the lives of people in the rural areas by providing gainful employment to deserving candidates. The results - strong trust based relationships, a stellar reputation and a lasting impact on society!
I came across some astounding tales of human accomplishment.
We were accompanied in our field visit by the regional manager, a middle aged lady who oversaw operations across several branches. She spoke to me of her humble beginnings, from the time she had been a beneficiary of microfinance from this company 15 years ago. Starting off from a meager background (her husband was a daily wage labourer with a low and inconsistent income stream), this lady not only found a means to livelihood for her family, she took greater initiative by first becoming an employee of the company and forming more SHG’s, and in parallel pursuing higher studies, eventually completing a Master’s degree in commerce. Her three sons were now based in countries in the Middle East – all gainfully employed, with the eldest enrolled into a Ph.D. programme! This woman has worked tirelessly and risen to the position of regional head with oversight of several of the company’s branch operations. Recently, she has bought a computer and an internet connection and is learning to operate it.
There were more such stories…
The other revelation was the creativity and innovation in the social sector. The network of SHG’s is an extremely effective distribution channel and can be used as a conduit for several other ‘products’ – basic mobile phones, insurance plans, education and healthcare being a few examples. As technological advancements take effect, some of these will have a significant effect on the fabric of rural society. Imagine the impact of people in remote villages with access to information on their fingertips, combined with the ability to transmit it real time anywhere across the world. I feel this can lay the ground for transformation at the grassroots level. Such technology gives power in the hands of people and can help expose corruption, lay bare inefficiencies, and fight injustice…instantly and without censorship from any governing body!
I witnessed one such innovation. We had reached one of their branch offices in a semi-urban area of Madurai. This was in the upper floor of a small house in a narrow street reachable only on foot. On the day I was there, there had been a load shedding – long hours of electricity shut down - in that part of town. As we looked across the office, I noticed a printer on a table…this was their ‘collections’ room where they kept records of loan disbursement and repayment. The standalone printer was unaccompanied by a computer, something one would naturally expect to see in an operation that dealt with finances. When I enquired about how they managed accounts, the answer left me stunned with amazement. The collections officer, a 30 year veteran of the company whipped out his mobile phone and activated an application. Upon punching in a password, the screen came alive with up-to-date information on every SHG supported by the branch and the current status of loan repayment of each individual member! This information was fed and refreshed at the company headquarters in Chennai and all that was needed was for him to jack up the phone to the printer, produce the latest records and issue receipts to the customers every month! In one fell sweep, this innovation had significantly reduced the need physical infrastructure, reliance on electricity, and also the risk of fraud by unscrupulous employees. Grassroots technology at its very best!
My trip was an eye opener. I came away energized and refreshed from my interactions with these wonderful people. I spent the next few days thinking about how this organisation could harness its human potential and further its impact on the society. My past experiences provided some answers, but more came from friends who have immersed themselves to such causes. Today I see capable and highly qualified people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to bringing about sustainable and equitable development, rather than pursue the path of purely personal gains.
The wheels...they are surely turning!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thoughts from the Alps
It has been a long time since I was here...
A period of intense activity! Intense at work and intense in areas I have wished to pursue outside of my work. Yet, it has not been overwhelming or overly strenuous. I think somewhere my subconscious mind had willed me to act rather than contemplate...which probably explains this hiatus from the blog.
Now, as I find myself in the cradle of the Alps, sitting by the pond in the hotel I have checked into earlier in the day, with a glass of Blaufrankistch wine (I think I got that right!), the mind turns inwards and reflects upon the events of the past few weeks...
To start with, there was concerning news from home. My father, already affected after suffering two strokes in late 2007, had developed some further complications. Living away from one's parents is never easy and at times like this, one faces the eternal dilemma of rushing back home versus staying back. However, after a couple of weeks of diagnosis and treatment, it appeared that the new complication was in remission and I was a bit more at peace. I decided to move ahead with my short vacation which has brought us to Austria…a beautiful and charming country with a long and interesting history. I still plan to go early next month and spend a few days in Delhi from where I will continue to work whilst in parallel seeking further medical opinions.
The relationship with my father has been a strange one and has evolved over the years. During my growing years, I looked upon him as a strong willed man - honest, upright and always upfront. For a long time he remembered how I would refer to him as a 'no nonsense man'. Because of his nature, people would at times find him difficult to deal with…he had a sharp tongue and usually an opinion to the contrary! On the other hand, he was known for his generosity...ever willing and ready to help folks in need. In my earliest memories, I have known him to place the needs of others before his own. Whether it would mean taking someone’s child for a school or college admission, having people over at home from distant lands as they toured India, or taking relatives of an indisposed person to the hospital on his scooter everyday till the crisis was past, he was always at hand when the need arose. His tall and lanky figure was a dominating presence within our family and wider circle of friends. As I came into adolescence the clashes began…perhaps as I struggled to come into my own and he with letting go of his progeny. I rebelled and did several things that did not please him. As the years progressed, the relationship strained further…leading to a flashpoint as I walked out of my house after having made the decision to marry. It was a period of immense emotional turmoil within our small family, which eventually eased a couple of days before the wedding as he was persuaded by friends and family to attend the ceremony and give his blessings. Still things did not completely subside and thereafter began a phase of uneasy calm, which continued into the next decade as my work took me from city to city…leaving Delhi, the place of my birth, for Mumbai, then on to Bangalore, and last year to Singapore. All of this was terribly upsetting for my mother, torn as she was between the father and son. For my wife, this was equally distressing as she tried to come to terms with such strong emotions, the very causes of which were unclear to her. One thing did grow though…and that was the respect my father developed for my professional endeavours. Through all of our arguments and conflicts, he remained proud of the effort and progress he felt I was making.
Morbid as it may sound, I think his illness was again a turning point in our relationship as he underwent two successive strokes within the span of a week, which had a sudden and significant impact on his brain. His memory and comprehension were badly affected. A learned professor of modern European history who had taught in an institution of international repute for nearly three decades now could not even recall the date of birth of his only child. Or read the newspaper and understand the state of affairs around him. Gone also were the obstinacy, the fiery temper and sharp tongue. In the short span of a few days, his entire persona had undergone a transformation… However we are fortunate that physically he has remained relatively unaffected, being able to walk about and take care of his needs without aid from others. It could indeed have been a lot worse. Today he is much more placid and compliant. The dynamics in our house have changed. For years he was the dominant force, and my mother the one in compliance. This has now reversed and she has taken charge. She has learnt to use the mobile, get the groceries, manage the household and finances, all the while taking him for his medical check ups and overseeing his medication and wellbeing. My mother even took a computer course so she could be in touch with me over Skype and email. The strong willed woman, who once gave up her career to rear her child, has emerged from the shadows and started afresh…after a 35 year hiatus and when she is well into her 70s!
I feel that my father and I now share a different equation, entirely devoid of the strife we had experienced over the years. My conversations with him are much like the one’s he may have had with me when I was a child. I check in on his daily routine and the progress he is making on the ‘tasks’ I have assigned him…has he been reading? How many pages written in the last few days? I test his memory with some facts and questions. He sounds upbeat and eager to talk…but then has nothing to say after a couple of sentences. Often, the same questions are repeated. When will I be visiting? How is work? Where did I travel? Are we doing all right? Earlier this year, after much persuasion, they visited us in Singapore for a couple of months…a much needed change of scenery and an opportunity to recuperate in a different environment. It did make some difference. But the progress is really slow and I wonder to what extent a recovery will take place. I don’t expect that it will be the way it was before. Nothing ever is, is it?
A period of intense activity! Intense at work and intense in areas I have wished to pursue outside of my work. Yet, it has not been overwhelming or overly strenuous. I think somewhere my subconscious mind had willed me to act rather than contemplate...which probably explains this hiatus from the blog.
Now, as I find myself in the cradle of the Alps, sitting by the pond in the hotel I have checked into earlier in the day, with a glass of Blaufrankistch wine (I think I got that right!), the mind turns inwards and reflects upon the events of the past few weeks...
To start with, there was concerning news from home. My father, already affected after suffering two strokes in late 2007, had developed some further complications. Living away from one's parents is never easy and at times like this, one faces the eternal dilemma of rushing back home versus staying back. However, after a couple of weeks of diagnosis and treatment, it appeared that the new complication was in remission and I was a bit more at peace. I decided to move ahead with my short vacation which has brought us to Austria…a beautiful and charming country with a long and interesting history. I still plan to go early next month and spend a few days in Delhi from where I will continue to work whilst in parallel seeking further medical opinions.
The relationship with my father has been a strange one and has evolved over the years. During my growing years, I looked upon him as a strong willed man - honest, upright and always upfront. For a long time he remembered how I would refer to him as a 'no nonsense man'. Because of his nature, people would at times find him difficult to deal with…he had a sharp tongue and usually an opinion to the contrary! On the other hand, he was known for his generosity...ever willing and ready to help folks in need. In my earliest memories, I have known him to place the needs of others before his own. Whether it would mean taking someone’s child for a school or college admission, having people over at home from distant lands as they toured India, or taking relatives of an indisposed person to the hospital on his scooter everyday till the crisis was past, he was always at hand when the need arose. His tall and lanky figure was a dominating presence within our family and wider circle of friends. As I came into adolescence the clashes began…perhaps as I struggled to come into my own and he with letting go of his progeny. I rebelled and did several things that did not please him. As the years progressed, the relationship strained further…leading to a flashpoint as I walked out of my house after having made the decision to marry. It was a period of immense emotional turmoil within our small family, which eventually eased a couple of days before the wedding as he was persuaded by friends and family to attend the ceremony and give his blessings. Still things did not completely subside and thereafter began a phase of uneasy calm, which continued into the next decade as my work took me from city to city…leaving Delhi, the place of my birth, for Mumbai, then on to Bangalore, and last year to Singapore. All of this was terribly upsetting for my mother, torn as she was between the father and son. For my wife, this was equally distressing as she tried to come to terms with such strong emotions, the very causes of which were unclear to her. One thing did grow though…and that was the respect my father developed for my professional endeavours. Through all of our arguments and conflicts, he remained proud of the effort and progress he felt I was making.
Morbid as it may sound, I think his illness was again a turning point in our relationship as he underwent two successive strokes within the span of a week, which had a sudden and significant impact on his brain. His memory and comprehension were badly affected. A learned professor of modern European history who had taught in an institution of international repute for nearly three decades now could not even recall the date of birth of his only child. Or read the newspaper and understand the state of affairs around him. Gone also were the obstinacy, the fiery temper and sharp tongue. In the short span of a few days, his entire persona had undergone a transformation… However we are fortunate that physically he has remained relatively unaffected, being able to walk about and take care of his needs without aid from others. It could indeed have been a lot worse. Today he is much more placid and compliant. The dynamics in our house have changed. For years he was the dominant force, and my mother the one in compliance. This has now reversed and she has taken charge. She has learnt to use the mobile, get the groceries, manage the household and finances, all the while taking him for his medical check ups and overseeing his medication and wellbeing. My mother even took a computer course so she could be in touch with me over Skype and email. The strong willed woman, who once gave up her career to rear her child, has emerged from the shadows and started afresh…after a 35 year hiatus and when she is well into her 70s!
I feel that my father and I now share a different equation, entirely devoid of the strife we had experienced over the years. My conversations with him are much like the one’s he may have had with me when I was a child. I check in on his daily routine and the progress he is making on the ‘tasks’ I have assigned him…has he been reading? How many pages written in the last few days? I test his memory with some facts and questions. He sounds upbeat and eager to talk…but then has nothing to say after a couple of sentences. Often, the same questions are repeated. When will I be visiting? How is work? Where did I travel? Are we doing all right? Earlier this year, after much persuasion, they visited us in Singapore for a couple of months…a much needed change of scenery and an opportunity to recuperate in a different environment. It did make some difference. But the progress is really slow and I wonder to what extent a recovery will take place. I don’t expect that it will be the way it was before. Nothing ever is, is it?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The 'demographic dividend' in India
It was fantastic to hear from an old friend and colleague some days ago, when she called me wanting to know if I wished to participate in efforts to help address the needs of skill development and training in India. She had recently returned to India along with her husband after spending a couple of years studying in an ivy league institution and pursuing her efforts in global healthcare and other related areas. She was concerned about the issues of youth employability in India and felt that urgent and concerted initiatives were required to help create employbility at scale for the youth of the country. Studies have indicated that India has a "demographic dividend" for the next 25 years or so - the 325 million people in the age group of 15 - 29 years - making India the country with the youngest workforce, with a median age well below that of China and other developed economies. Failure to reap this dividend, she felt, would have difficult consequences for the society over a period of time as unemployed and misguided youth would turn to other means for sustainance.
The conversation with her led to some further research on my part. I learnt how out of the 13 million new entrants to the workforce in India, currently no more than 20% receive skill training. And in our existing workforce, only 2% have skill training. In other developed countries, this figure ranges from 70% to over 90%. It appears that this is now becoming a key priority for the government and they are looking to make policy changes and encourage investment by the private sector as well. This is indeed encouraging. However, the overall picture still appears unclear in terms of concrete steps and action.
I have been privileged to work in an organisation and an indistry which has contributed towards employment of youth in a significant way, not only in India but in other countries around the world. My perspective (as a layman) is that for a country to progress, it requires the articulation of a clear and all encompassing vision which can then be executed by different nodes of the economy, working in conjunction and complemeting each other. An opportunity of this scale cannot be achieved unless various parties are galvanised into action - the government, civil services, educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations, as well as the private sector. The government ought to set the direction and policy, and take away bureacratic hurdles to the creation of new and collaborative models for skill development and employment; the private sector needs to be incented to participate with the promise of longer term benefits rather than immediate gains. Partnerships and helpful networks will lay the foundation of this progress...between each of these nodes. This is no different from how any corporation to operate...first by articulating its vision, and then aligning its various functions to execute to the vision.
But even doing all of that does not necessarily achieve sustainability. For that I continue to believe that in our next generation we need to focus on building Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel...which I consdier to be three pillars of sustainable all round development in society. Sustainability will necessarily require our people to discharge their obligations towards one another and to the society at large. And it is time we inculcated that in our people.
I was grateful to her for having thought of me and we ended the call with a resolve to think further about this and engage with some other like minded people. I hope to contribute in any small and humble way to this cause that I am capable of.
The will surely exists...now to find the way!
The conversation with her led to some further research on my part. I learnt how out of the 13 million new entrants to the workforce in India, currently no more than 20% receive skill training. And in our existing workforce, only 2% have skill training. In other developed countries, this figure ranges from 70% to over 90%. It appears that this is now becoming a key priority for the government and they are looking to make policy changes and encourage investment by the private sector as well. This is indeed encouraging. However, the overall picture still appears unclear in terms of concrete steps and action.
I have been privileged to work in an organisation and an indistry which has contributed towards employment of youth in a significant way, not only in India but in other countries around the world. My perspective (as a layman) is that for a country to progress, it requires the articulation of a clear and all encompassing vision which can then be executed by different nodes of the economy, working in conjunction and complemeting each other. An opportunity of this scale cannot be achieved unless various parties are galvanised into action - the government, civil services, educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations, as well as the private sector. The government ought to set the direction and policy, and take away bureacratic hurdles to the creation of new and collaborative models for skill development and employment; the private sector needs to be incented to participate with the promise of longer term benefits rather than immediate gains. Partnerships and helpful networks will lay the foundation of this progress...between each of these nodes. This is no different from how any corporation to operate...first by articulating its vision, and then aligning its various functions to execute to the vision.
But even doing all of that does not necessarily achieve sustainability. For that I continue to believe that in our next generation we need to focus on building Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel...which I consdier to be three pillars of sustainable all round development in society. Sustainability will necessarily require our people to discharge their obligations towards one another and to the society at large. And it is time we inculcated that in our people.
I was grateful to her for having thought of me and we ended the call with a resolve to think further about this and engage with some other like minded people. I hope to contribute in any small and humble way to this cause that I am capable of.
The will surely exists...now to find the way!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Misfit?
It has been a long time since I went to a party. Really long. And I don't mean cocktails or a social dinner or a small cosy gathering of friends. I haven't been that antisocial. I find myself spending most weekends in reading and reflection. I ponder over what is and what can be. I meet few people and then mostly those with whom I feel I can have a meaningful interaction...which I quite look forward to. It is time, I feel, spent in crystalising ideas that may benefit fellow homo sapiens some day...though the jury is still out on that. So when confronted with the prospects of a party - and I mean a real party ... with music, dancing, drinking, socialising ... The 3am cab ride back home. And rocks in the head next morning. A wasted Saturday. The works! Now that stops me dead in my tracks.
I realised this when recently a friend of mine invited me to one and I got all squirmy and fidgety. I asked her why she would bother calling me. But she still persisted and ... a couple of reminder smses later ... just when my protest would be expected to wane in the face of strong headwind ... I found myself even more adamant and determined to stay away from any form of revelry. Politeness would have meant declining with the usual partyline (pun unintended) "Oh, we would have sooo loved to be there but had this prior commitment to spend an evening with a friend's 88 year old grandmother who has been abandoned by her debauched progeny. She is soooo lonely and it will break her fragile heart if we dont show up. Damn!!"
No sir. I would not lie my way out of this (or for that matter anything else) and plainly stated that I had really no interest in being in a party.
I would rather spend the evening in the company of man's best friend. And here I am referring to Single Malt Whisky. A true companion that ages elegantly and remains ever loyal.
Which is exactly what I am doing right now.
Just when the party must be cranking up .
'Cos the invitation was for tonight.
Guilty?? Hmmm...
After all, it is her son's birthday. She has called her friends in Singapore to provide joy and cheer to the boy who spends majority of the year in a boarding school. I wish him well for a long and fruitful life. I find solace knowing that a recluse like me would anyway not be a great influence on such young, impressionable minds. Let them just meet normal, happy human beings.
What causes me to shy away from such forms of - what would be considered by most - simple joys and pleasures of modern existence??
Misfit, aren't I??
I realised this when recently a friend of mine invited me to one and I got all squirmy and fidgety. I asked her why she would bother calling me. But she still persisted and ... a couple of reminder smses later ... just when my protest would be expected to wane in the face of strong headwind ... I found myself even more adamant and determined to stay away from any form of revelry. Politeness would have meant declining with the usual partyline (pun unintended) "Oh, we would have sooo loved to be there but had this prior commitment to spend an evening with a friend's 88 year old grandmother who has been abandoned by her debauched progeny. She is soooo lonely and it will break her fragile heart if we dont show up. Damn!!"
No sir. I would not lie my way out of this (or for that matter anything else) and plainly stated that I had really no interest in being in a party.
I would rather spend the evening in the company of man's best friend. And here I am referring to Single Malt Whisky. A true companion that ages elegantly and remains ever loyal.
Which is exactly what I am doing right now.
Just when the party must be cranking up .
'Cos the invitation was for tonight.
Guilty?? Hmmm...
After all, it is her son's birthday. She has called her friends in Singapore to provide joy and cheer to the boy who spends majority of the year in a boarding school. I wish him well for a long and fruitful life. I find solace knowing that a recluse like me would anyway not be a great influence on such young, impressionable minds. Let them just meet normal, happy human beings.
What causes me to shy away from such forms of - what would be considered by most - simple joys and pleasures of modern existence??
Misfit, aren't I??
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel
For a while now, my mind has been occupied by thoughts on the nature of leadership we need in society. Perhaps it has to do with my workplace which has given me an opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Or my profession, which in essence is about helping unlock the inherent potential of people. Or, as is likely, it may be a deeper, latent desire to contribute to development of people in a setting in a broader sense than I have been able to do thus far. Whatever be the reason, I often find myself contemplating on this subject. And in an attempt to progress from thought to action, I have decided to put pen to paper and see where that leads me.
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
Monday, May 11, 2009
A visit to India
In one of my previous posts, I had mentioned about the visit of my 20 year old niece from Sydney who stopped by in Singapore for a few days on her way to India. Well, she did a write-up on her experiences and has given me the permission to reproduce it on this blog. So here are the thoughts of Rimmika Shankar from her recent visit to India...
Destination-Barelli Express, Somewhere in North-West India 9:53 am-Thurs.
As I sit here in an AC tier compartment sipping on a Frooti, looking outside at the harsh, barren, arid sprawl of the Desert that lies all around, watching it go by, I've found some time to reflect .
So off I go.
My plane arrived in India 9:30 pm Local time, Sunday.
It is now Thursday morning and the only word I can use to describe the past few days is 'Amazing'.
Everything has literally left me gob-smacked because India is like it has been described countless times before-truly Incredible.
Starting from the lady that cleans our Toilet in ‘Chowki Dhani’( a completely make-belief village) to the man who attended to us in the Institute of Town Planners Guesthouse (who also happened to look like Superman)-Pan Singh.
In all its expanse and what can at times be a fairly depressing amass of population, people seem to from what I could see be happy, or at least complacent to a degree.
There is somewhat of a social Divide where the rich can afford almost anything but there is a large population that can’t.
Living simply is not one concept that the upper middle class accept and living gallantly and flamboyantly is somewhat of a business churning out a profit within the millions. All you need to do is visit the country clubs in Gurgoan and spend a night celebrating a one year olds birthday as I did, where the bar tab easily exceeded a mark of about 50,000 Rs, maybe more.
The traffic so chaotic and loud, the common man has time for little but their own worries-worries so vast I can imagine that it leaves little room for consideration of others, let alone the environment.
Failure to give way to an Ambulance in crowded peak hour and leaving rubbish on the train and even going to vast lengths to conceal the removal of rubbish in a manner that evades prying eyes and looks of disapproval, yields to me a sentiment that reflects a subtle resignation from the need to advance.
Covering your bodies with just the leather band of a seatbelt, laying across your chest -merely expressing the appearance of a fastened seatbelt-although signals a defiance and lack of obedience of the Law, it displays a complete disregard of concepts and ideas put in place for the safety and protection of its own citizens.
This disregard can only stem from what I believe is a 'what’s the point' belief which harbors a deep saddening tone which I can’t seem to grasp-only feel greatly at a loss for, on behalf of all the citizens and well intentions it had first been established to protect.
In a country where people are so vastly abundant, you cannot go for a second without seeing a fellow being, if consideration for others still exists I wonder where this unique and spectacular display of human behavior showcases its colours.
It may be a country of colour and beauty, contrasts and comparisons, constantly confronting and of everlasting entertainment but this great, vast land leaves has a somber undertone and I feel nothing but saturation at each point.
With the Image of the unending rows of motorcycles parked outside the office of Dainik Bhaskar (a Local newspapers' office in Jaipur)-I start to not only grasp the vast number of people that inhibit this greatly overpopulated and dense landmass, I start to sympathize and try to imagine what it must be like dealing with the state of affairs of this nation on a ritualistic basis.
Why should I give way, when my way involved shortcomings, deception, corruption and connivery?
Why should I not spit on the road when I feel like my dreams have been spat on and left on the railway tracks in a drain blocked and cluttered to the rim.
Why should I keep my area clean when regardless of how clean my area gets there is a slum just outside which thrives on the piles of plastic and paper, selling the pieces -making a relatively meager, modest living.
But even in all this, I have the belief (dreamy-eyed as it may be) that hope may prevail.
Victories and triumphs do occur like the fisherman outside Amer Palace, catching fish from what would have at one point been a water catchment area, outside the palace. Now however ashamedly dried up. As he threw his fishing net into the pitch dark , murky waters full of muck and filth harbored by local boars and wild pigs, many stood as I did watching in silence with a slight feeling of victory within us all when he caught amongst the muck a single fish and on occasion-two.
Perhaps at times slivering in disgust not delight, failing to rejoice with a song and dance for his achievement- I do however think on a small scale we were left better assured that the fisherman’s efforts did not go unrewarded and as unhygienic as the fish that he caught might have been, we walked away with the assurance that he had some, if any fish at all.
I should also mention this palace was one where we were denied access, regardless of whom or how far many had travelled, all turned away as the Film shooting of a Salman Khan movie carried on within in enclosures.
In a country where 'The real India' is what I set out to see, my very real experiences although harsh, full-frontal and however immense in nature they might have been, they delighted, surprised, amazed and recreated an image in my head of the India I left behind, the India I have returned to and the India I hope it may or may not transform into.
Till then I wait in anticipation and hope that I might someday be able to contribute and lead this country in the direction of that positive vector.
A venture I hope yields respect for self, thy country and thy neighbor and of course, the Environment.In hope that the innocence captured in the eyes of a child leads this great nation to unleash its vast untapped potential, open its eyes to its beauty and that progress may come to one and all, inextricably.
Destination-Barelli Express, Somewhere in North-West India 9:53 am-Thurs.
As I sit here in an AC tier compartment sipping on a Frooti, looking outside at the harsh, barren, arid sprawl of the Desert that lies all around, watching it go by, I've found some time to reflect .
So off I go.
My plane arrived in India 9:30 pm Local time, Sunday.
It is now Thursday morning and the only word I can use to describe the past few days is 'Amazing'.
Everything has literally left me gob-smacked because India is like it has been described countless times before-truly Incredible.
Starting from the lady that cleans our Toilet in ‘Chowki Dhani’( a completely make-belief village) to the man who attended to us in the Institute of Town Planners Guesthouse (who also happened to look like Superman)-Pan Singh.
In all its expanse and what can at times be a fairly depressing amass of population, people seem to from what I could see be happy, or at least complacent to a degree.
There is somewhat of a social Divide where the rich can afford almost anything but there is a large population that can’t.
Living simply is not one concept that the upper middle class accept and living gallantly and flamboyantly is somewhat of a business churning out a profit within the millions. All you need to do is visit the country clubs in Gurgoan and spend a night celebrating a one year olds birthday as I did, where the bar tab easily exceeded a mark of about 50,000 Rs, maybe more.
The traffic so chaotic and loud, the common man has time for little but their own worries-worries so vast I can imagine that it leaves little room for consideration of others, let alone the environment.
Failure to give way to an Ambulance in crowded peak hour and leaving rubbish on the train and even going to vast lengths to conceal the removal of rubbish in a manner that evades prying eyes and looks of disapproval, yields to me a sentiment that reflects a subtle resignation from the need to advance.
Covering your bodies with just the leather band of a seatbelt, laying across your chest -merely expressing the appearance of a fastened seatbelt-although signals a defiance and lack of obedience of the Law, it displays a complete disregard of concepts and ideas put in place for the safety and protection of its own citizens.
This disregard can only stem from what I believe is a 'what’s the point' belief which harbors a deep saddening tone which I can’t seem to grasp-only feel greatly at a loss for, on behalf of all the citizens and well intentions it had first been established to protect.
In a country where people are so vastly abundant, you cannot go for a second without seeing a fellow being, if consideration for others still exists I wonder where this unique and spectacular display of human behavior showcases its colours.
It may be a country of colour and beauty, contrasts and comparisons, constantly confronting and of everlasting entertainment but this great, vast land leaves has a somber undertone and I feel nothing but saturation at each point.
With the Image of the unending rows of motorcycles parked outside the office of Dainik Bhaskar (a Local newspapers' office in Jaipur)-I start to not only grasp the vast number of people that inhibit this greatly overpopulated and dense landmass, I start to sympathize and try to imagine what it must be like dealing with the state of affairs of this nation on a ritualistic basis.
Why should I give way, when my way involved shortcomings, deception, corruption and connivery?
Why should I not spit on the road when I feel like my dreams have been spat on and left on the railway tracks in a drain blocked and cluttered to the rim.
Why should I keep my area clean when regardless of how clean my area gets there is a slum just outside which thrives on the piles of plastic and paper, selling the pieces -making a relatively meager, modest living.
But even in all this, I have the belief (dreamy-eyed as it may be) that hope may prevail.
Victories and triumphs do occur like the fisherman outside Amer Palace, catching fish from what would have at one point been a water catchment area, outside the palace. Now however ashamedly dried up. As he threw his fishing net into the pitch dark , murky waters full of muck and filth harbored by local boars and wild pigs, many stood as I did watching in silence with a slight feeling of victory within us all when he caught amongst the muck a single fish and on occasion-two.
Perhaps at times slivering in disgust not delight, failing to rejoice with a song and dance for his achievement- I do however think on a small scale we were left better assured that the fisherman’s efforts did not go unrewarded and as unhygienic as the fish that he caught might have been, we walked away with the assurance that he had some, if any fish at all.
I should also mention this palace was one where we were denied access, regardless of whom or how far many had travelled, all turned away as the Film shooting of a Salman Khan movie carried on within in enclosures.
In a country where 'The real India' is what I set out to see, my very real experiences although harsh, full-frontal and however immense in nature they might have been, they delighted, surprised, amazed and recreated an image in my head of the India I left behind, the India I have returned to and the India I hope it may or may not transform into.
Till then I wait in anticipation and hope that I might someday be able to contribute and lead this country in the direction of that positive vector.
A venture I hope yields respect for self, thy country and thy neighbor and of course, the Environment.In hope that the innocence captured in the eyes of a child leads this great nation to unleash its vast untapped potential, open its eyes to its beauty and that progress may come to one and all, inextricably.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A new generation of leaders?
I chanced upon something I found truly thought provoking and enlightening - building leaders of character and calibre.
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
Sunday, April 19, 2009
One Month
That is how long it has been since I last wrote on this blog.
The last 30 days have gone by in a haze and a blur. I spent three weeks in USA traveling to various cities. I started off in Chicago and then went to Detroit. Returned to Chicago. Then off again to Pittsburgh, followed by a weekend in Long Island...and back again to Pittsburgh before making the long flight back home. I had jet lag on the way in, jet lag through much of my stay…and jet lag for a whole week after I was back. I really don’t know why I have such great difficulty dealing with long distance travel. Partly it has to do with insomnia. Just when I thought I had seen the end of it, back it comes with a bang and haunts me for weeks. I could hardly sleep on the 19 hour transatlantic flights, even though the airline does much to make things very comfortable for the long distance business traveler. I tried every trick in the book – switched to the new time zone by staying up during the day time of the destination, ate little, drank little…and that too only a bit of wine hoping it would put me to sleep. But no. Neither would I be able to sleep, nor could I be productive as the brain would be whirring around in circles and refuse to centre on anything of consequence. The haze would envelope me for days…and it is only recently that I feel it lifting. Anyhow, enough whining! Like many other things, insomnia too tests one’s endurance and persistence. It challenges my ability to be productive. As it does my resolve to open the laptop and give a coherent outpouring to my thoughts through the means of this blog. So after a hiatus of a month, I am determined to resume my tryst with myself and a few other people who sometimes drop into this little corner. I feel rusty…somewhat like out of form sportsmen desperately trying to get back their rhythm. But try I shall!
The trip to USA was interesting. I have been a regular visitor there, especially in these last couple of years, and have closely observed changes in the mood and public sentiment. Not very difficult to do in a country of fairly expressive people! A common theme evident to me over the past year has been a sense of resignation, apprehension, stress...even tiredness in the people of the nation. You would expect that in an economy which was steadily sinking into recession. And now, that sense is pervasive across the globe as the vast majority of countries are reeling under the impact of a wave that emanated from Wall Street, spread to Main Street and has engulfed vast portions of the world.
But during this visit, I did discern signs of change. Not that anything was fundamentally different– the economic indices continued to point downwards signaling further troubles, the financial institutions were still battered, the iconic automotive industry gasped for breath and unemployment levels continued their upward surge. More and more people – vastly experienced corporate, economic and political leaders - have stated that these are the toughest conditions they have experienced in their lifetimes. However, the pervasive sense of doom and gloom has now given way to something one had not felt in a long time. Hope! Very subtle and not evident at the surface, but I am sure I sensed it. And given that I had visited after a long, harsh winter which had also heralded one of the greatest and historic change in the political landscape of this country, I am bound to attribute this hope to the one man who is looking to chart a new course, not just for the people of his wonderful country, but for much of the modern world. Barack Obama - the man who can do no wrong! He has indeed inspired the people of US to see beyond their troubles of today and strive for a better tomorrow. I wish this new age icon is able to realize his dreams and those of the nation he now leads.
However, as I said before, there is no evidence of this change at the surface. What is visible instead is the effect of recession in daily life. At the airport, passengers are made to pay for their carry on baggage, up in the air they are not served snacks and drinks, restaurants in downtown areas bear a deserted look. And the malls! An endless array of sales with each retail outlet jostling to outdo the other to capture the attention of passers by…but still not much luck! Clearly more people are browsing than purchasing. Not something I had seen at this time of the year and at such scale. So…what few visible effects I could capture digitally found their way onto this blog in the post below.
How long will this recession last? Will things get even worse? When will the stock markets rebound? When will companies offer a positive outlook? When will people be able to stop worrying about losing their jobs? For those that have lost theirs, when will they regain employment? Are we talking months, quarters, years???
All of us have these questions in our minds. And many have predictions…which range from a relatively quick rebound, to what is being referred to as the “long freeze”. Explanations abound on the causes of this recession. As can be expected, there are also a fair number of remonstrations of the “I told you so” variety. For a person that cannot fathom the various complexities and intricacies of this world, all I have been able to gather is that the prevailing climate has been popularly attributed to the unbridled greed of a few. Greed that pervaded the entire globally interconnected economic system which eventually collapsed under its own weight. I do not know which theory is right, what analysis precise or which prediction accurate…but I do feel that all of these are not of much consequence.
What really matters is the lesson we learn from this new challenge. As is the case with any challenge or calamity, this one too presents opportunity for learning. Some challenges that we face in our lives we attribute to our own actions, others to the result of collective actions of people. And then there are those whose causation is beyond our comprehension and we attribute it to the will of the almighty. Irrespective of its cause, adversity can be a great teacher…if only we choose to be keen students. So this recession can be a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations, and even nations to learn, adapt and progress. I do not have the wisdom to make predictions or offer lessons. But I do know that there are those who will emerge from this wiser, some will be wealthier and stronger, and yet others healthier and happier. A few will fade away with shattered dreams and broken wills.
Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)
The last 30 days have gone by in a haze and a blur. I spent three weeks in USA traveling to various cities. I started off in Chicago and then went to Detroit. Returned to Chicago. Then off again to Pittsburgh, followed by a weekend in Long Island...and back again to Pittsburgh before making the long flight back home. I had jet lag on the way in, jet lag through much of my stay…and jet lag for a whole week after I was back. I really don’t know why I have such great difficulty dealing with long distance travel. Partly it has to do with insomnia. Just when I thought I had seen the end of it, back it comes with a bang and haunts me for weeks. I could hardly sleep on the 19 hour transatlantic flights, even though the airline does much to make things very comfortable for the long distance business traveler. I tried every trick in the book – switched to the new time zone by staying up during the day time of the destination, ate little, drank little…and that too only a bit of wine hoping it would put me to sleep. But no. Neither would I be able to sleep, nor could I be productive as the brain would be whirring around in circles and refuse to centre on anything of consequence. The haze would envelope me for days…and it is only recently that I feel it lifting. Anyhow, enough whining! Like many other things, insomnia too tests one’s endurance and persistence. It challenges my ability to be productive. As it does my resolve to open the laptop and give a coherent outpouring to my thoughts through the means of this blog. So after a hiatus of a month, I am determined to resume my tryst with myself and a few other people who sometimes drop into this little corner. I feel rusty…somewhat like out of form sportsmen desperately trying to get back their rhythm. But try I shall!
The trip to USA was interesting. I have been a regular visitor there, especially in these last couple of years, and have closely observed changes in the mood and public sentiment. Not very difficult to do in a country of fairly expressive people! A common theme evident to me over the past year has been a sense of resignation, apprehension, stress...even tiredness in the people of the nation. You would expect that in an economy which was steadily sinking into recession. And now, that sense is pervasive across the globe as the vast majority of countries are reeling under the impact of a wave that emanated from Wall Street, spread to Main Street and has engulfed vast portions of the world.
But during this visit, I did discern signs of change. Not that anything was fundamentally different– the economic indices continued to point downwards signaling further troubles, the financial institutions were still battered, the iconic automotive industry gasped for breath and unemployment levels continued their upward surge. More and more people – vastly experienced corporate, economic and political leaders - have stated that these are the toughest conditions they have experienced in their lifetimes. However, the pervasive sense of doom and gloom has now given way to something one had not felt in a long time. Hope! Very subtle and not evident at the surface, but I am sure I sensed it. And given that I had visited after a long, harsh winter which had also heralded one of the greatest and historic change in the political landscape of this country, I am bound to attribute this hope to the one man who is looking to chart a new course, not just for the people of his wonderful country, but for much of the modern world. Barack Obama - the man who can do no wrong! He has indeed inspired the people of US to see beyond their troubles of today and strive for a better tomorrow. I wish this new age icon is able to realize his dreams and those of the nation he now leads.
However, as I said before, there is no evidence of this change at the surface. What is visible instead is the effect of recession in daily life. At the airport, passengers are made to pay for their carry on baggage, up in the air they are not served snacks and drinks, restaurants in downtown areas bear a deserted look. And the malls! An endless array of sales with each retail outlet jostling to outdo the other to capture the attention of passers by…but still not much luck! Clearly more people are browsing than purchasing. Not something I had seen at this time of the year and at such scale. So…what few visible effects I could capture digitally found their way onto this blog in the post below.
How long will this recession last? Will things get even worse? When will the stock markets rebound? When will companies offer a positive outlook? When will people be able to stop worrying about losing their jobs? For those that have lost theirs, when will they regain employment? Are we talking months, quarters, years???
All of us have these questions in our minds. And many have predictions…which range from a relatively quick rebound, to what is being referred to as the “long freeze”. Explanations abound on the causes of this recession. As can be expected, there are also a fair number of remonstrations of the “I told you so” variety. For a person that cannot fathom the various complexities and intricacies of this world, all I have been able to gather is that the prevailing climate has been popularly attributed to the unbridled greed of a few. Greed that pervaded the entire globally interconnected economic system which eventually collapsed under its own weight. I do not know which theory is right, what analysis precise or which prediction accurate…but I do feel that all of these are not of much consequence.
What really matters is the lesson we learn from this new challenge. As is the case with any challenge or calamity, this one too presents opportunity for learning. Some challenges that we face in our lives we attribute to our own actions, others to the result of collective actions of people. And then there are those whose causation is beyond our comprehension and we attribute it to the will of the almighty. Irrespective of its cause, adversity can be a great teacher…if only we choose to be keen students. So this recession can be a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations, and even nations to learn, adapt and progress. I do not have the wisdom to make predictions or offer lessons. But I do know that there are those who will emerge from this wiser, some will be wealthier and stronger, and yet others healthier and happier. A few will fade away with shattered dreams and broken wills.
Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Our role models
Aamir Khan
Akshay Kumar
Shah Rukh Khan
MS Dhoni
Sachin Tendulkar
Kapil Dev
Amitabh Bachhan
Very famous people in contemporary India! Also some of the most recognizable faces in the world. These are names that every child in our country has grown up loving, admiring, idolizing...even worshipping. They are our country’s great heroes and our biggest role models. Personalities that have excelled at their craft and reached the pinnacle of success. Some started out small and made it very big, at times with very little help and against astounding odds…the stuff that legends are made of. People who have earned tremendous fame and wealth by doing something they were really good at and loved doing. Their primary and often sole focus has been on building and demonstrating their own outstanding talent and abilities. They have been very driven individuals…driven towards achieving unparalleled popularity and wealth. Truly a source of inspiration for a country of a billion people.
Why is it that we are so inspired by people whose lives have centred around achieving fame and success for themselves, rather than by those that lived solely for the good of others? Why do we not find social entrepreneurs, inventers, doctors, writers, army generals, civil rights activists, monks and philanthropists amongst our biggest role models? Not to mention politicians…
These are some thoughts that play on my mind as I fly from one corner of the world to another on an extraordinarily long flight. It is not that I don’t have personal admiration for these personalities. I do. I have immense regard and respect for them and their unique abilities. Neither is this a lament on the current state of affairs in India, or for that matter the rest of the world. I am merely inquisitive about why our present day society values individuals with personal achievement and material success to such an extent. What does this mean for our culture and the values of our generation? What does this say about us?
If we had drawn up a list of the biggest role models in India fifty years ago, would it have looked any different? I was not around at the time, but here is my guess of possible names that would have shown up…
Rammohan Roy
Bhagat Singh
Subhash Chandra Bose
Sarojini Naidu
Sri Aurobindo
Swami Vivekanand
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Reformers, social activists, spiritual leaders, freedom fighters…
What explains this change? Are our values different now and has our culture evolved from idolizing the selfless to worshipping self seekers?
I believe there has been a change.
The first half of the last century produced a generation of leaders that dedicated their lives towards the upliftment of India, and of getting us freedom from foreign occupation. They did this by effecting grass root change through education, empowerment, spirituality, organized protest, upheaval, as well as non-violence. They united a nation of diverse ethnicities towards a common cause. Their lives were characterized by personal sacrifice and even extreme impoverishment…and of espousing the supremacy of common good over personal gain. These people did not even possess much materially, if at all. But they left behind a lasting legacy and a nation that could hope to chart out its own destiny.
However, the next fifty years did not create any such leaders. Now that it was a free nation, our people were no longer unified by a common cause. Nor was this a land of prosperity. So along the way the society turned to seek individual gain rather than the collective good. People migrated from villages to towns and the big cities, looking for a better life. The focus was on one’s family – a secure job, roof over the head and education for the children. Somewhere I feel that we spawned a generation of people with mediocre aspirations, craving a life of little effort and average gain…not to say that there were no exceptions to this. There were several. But in general, that is how I feel about our society. The government became a huge and benevolent employer, giving opportunities to millions but not seeking any accountability for output. We produced lazy bureaucrats, negligent officers and a corrupt and criminalised political system. Even religion was not left behind and crafty godmen completed a compelling picture of a society with a gaping hole in value based leadership. Those with ambition to achieve and to live a life of relative comfort often chose to leave the country in droves…in what was famously referred to as India’s ‘brain drain’.
And for the one billion who continued to reside here… Where could we turn to for inspiration? There were always two places to look towards - cricket and films! We had one shot at global supremacy…and that was cricket. We produced world-class players with regularity and each contest carried with it the hopes of a billion expectant people craving national glory, which would rarely be forthcoming. While we had great players we were never known to be a great team, not until very recently. And so for a people starved of national heroes and tales of glory, all we needed to do was go to the neighbourhood cinema and watch the latest blockbuster. It would have all the necessary ingredients - the rags to riches story, the fairytale romance with song and dance, and the angry young man single handedly taking on the nexus of evil. This is what spawned the next set of national role models - our new idols. Cricket and film stars…who were elevated to demi-god status by an adoring and fawning public.
There are various views and beliefs about contemporary India and us Indians. Mine are one amongst them. I do not claim to have a correct explanation and I may be way off the mark. But I have not written this to invite a debate, nor to prescribe a view. These are my thoughts borne out of introspection and expressed as freely as they have arisen. Critical as they may sound, I believe them to be true. Yet, I am not at all devoid of hope…
I do believe that the wheels of our society are turning again, slowly but surely. I see a new generation of leaders emerging in the not too distant future. A generation which will be as inspirational as it will be charismatic. Which will make its mark by striving for the larger good rather than narrow, self serving interests. Leaders without dichotomy between what they preach and who they are. The Indian ethos is deep and our values are enduring. These values may not always be visible and apparent, but they exist. Sometimes I sense the manifestations of these values in interactions with people when we go beyond the superficial. At other times, I see them alive in people who live the change they wish to see… Yes, there are such people! Today they are not famous and may not idolized, but they will be in due course. And I see others who simply work quietly and without fuss, striving for a better tomorrow for our people, and without any ambition of being in the limelight. These are people who will lead from behind. People we ought to salute in a world where we have only been taught about leading from the front.
There is hope and there is excitement about the India of the future. I once heard Verghese Kurien, the man credited with turning India into the largest producer of milk in the world…father of the White Revolution of India. He expressed his dream of a resurgent India and he had no doubt that we would become a superpower soon. And he hoped that we would be a superpower with a kind and gentle face. I pray that this vision of India is true and that I get to experience it in my lifespan. I wish to contribute to such an India in my own little way. And as before, the famous words of Rabindra Nath Tagore ring in my head…
…into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!
Akshay Kumar
Shah Rukh Khan
MS Dhoni
Sachin Tendulkar
Kapil Dev
Amitabh Bachhan
Very famous people in contemporary India! Also some of the most recognizable faces in the world. These are names that every child in our country has grown up loving, admiring, idolizing...even worshipping. They are our country’s great heroes and our biggest role models. Personalities that have excelled at their craft and reached the pinnacle of success. Some started out small and made it very big, at times with very little help and against astounding odds…the stuff that legends are made of. People who have earned tremendous fame and wealth by doing something they were really good at and loved doing. Their primary and often sole focus has been on building and demonstrating their own outstanding talent and abilities. They have been very driven individuals…driven towards achieving unparalleled popularity and wealth. Truly a source of inspiration for a country of a billion people.
Why is it that we are so inspired by people whose lives have centred around achieving fame and success for themselves, rather than by those that lived solely for the good of others? Why do we not find social entrepreneurs, inventers, doctors, writers, army generals, civil rights activists, monks and philanthropists amongst our biggest role models? Not to mention politicians…
These are some thoughts that play on my mind as I fly from one corner of the world to another on an extraordinarily long flight. It is not that I don’t have personal admiration for these personalities. I do. I have immense regard and respect for them and their unique abilities. Neither is this a lament on the current state of affairs in India, or for that matter the rest of the world. I am merely inquisitive about why our present day society values individuals with personal achievement and material success to such an extent. What does this mean for our culture and the values of our generation? What does this say about us?
If we had drawn up a list of the biggest role models in India fifty years ago, would it have looked any different? I was not around at the time, but here is my guess of possible names that would have shown up…
Rammohan Roy
Bhagat Singh
Subhash Chandra Bose
Sarojini Naidu
Sri Aurobindo
Swami Vivekanand
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Reformers, social activists, spiritual leaders, freedom fighters…
What explains this change? Are our values different now and has our culture evolved from idolizing the selfless to worshipping self seekers?
I believe there has been a change.
The first half of the last century produced a generation of leaders that dedicated their lives towards the upliftment of India, and of getting us freedom from foreign occupation. They did this by effecting grass root change through education, empowerment, spirituality, organized protest, upheaval, as well as non-violence. They united a nation of diverse ethnicities towards a common cause. Their lives were characterized by personal sacrifice and even extreme impoverishment…and of espousing the supremacy of common good over personal gain. These people did not even possess much materially, if at all. But they left behind a lasting legacy and a nation that could hope to chart out its own destiny.
However, the next fifty years did not create any such leaders. Now that it was a free nation, our people were no longer unified by a common cause. Nor was this a land of prosperity. So along the way the society turned to seek individual gain rather than the collective good. People migrated from villages to towns and the big cities, looking for a better life. The focus was on one’s family – a secure job, roof over the head and education for the children. Somewhere I feel that we spawned a generation of people with mediocre aspirations, craving a life of little effort and average gain…not to say that there were no exceptions to this. There were several. But in general, that is how I feel about our society. The government became a huge and benevolent employer, giving opportunities to millions but not seeking any accountability for output. We produced lazy bureaucrats, negligent officers and a corrupt and criminalised political system. Even religion was not left behind and crafty godmen completed a compelling picture of a society with a gaping hole in value based leadership. Those with ambition to achieve and to live a life of relative comfort often chose to leave the country in droves…in what was famously referred to as India’s ‘brain drain’.
And for the one billion who continued to reside here… Where could we turn to for inspiration? There were always two places to look towards - cricket and films! We had one shot at global supremacy…and that was cricket. We produced world-class players with regularity and each contest carried with it the hopes of a billion expectant people craving national glory, which would rarely be forthcoming. While we had great players we were never known to be a great team, not until very recently. And so for a people starved of national heroes and tales of glory, all we needed to do was go to the neighbourhood cinema and watch the latest blockbuster. It would have all the necessary ingredients - the rags to riches story, the fairytale romance with song and dance, and the angry young man single handedly taking on the nexus of evil. This is what spawned the next set of national role models - our new idols. Cricket and film stars…who were elevated to demi-god status by an adoring and fawning public.
There are various views and beliefs about contemporary India and us Indians. Mine are one amongst them. I do not claim to have a correct explanation and I may be way off the mark. But I have not written this to invite a debate, nor to prescribe a view. These are my thoughts borne out of introspection and expressed as freely as they have arisen. Critical as they may sound, I believe them to be true. Yet, I am not at all devoid of hope…
I do believe that the wheels of our society are turning again, slowly but surely. I see a new generation of leaders emerging in the not too distant future. A generation which will be as inspirational as it will be charismatic. Which will make its mark by striving for the larger good rather than narrow, self serving interests. Leaders without dichotomy between what they preach and who they are. The Indian ethos is deep and our values are enduring. These values may not always be visible and apparent, but they exist. Sometimes I sense the manifestations of these values in interactions with people when we go beyond the superficial. At other times, I see them alive in people who live the change they wish to see… Yes, there are such people! Today they are not famous and may not idolized, but they will be in due course. And I see others who simply work quietly and without fuss, striving for a better tomorrow for our people, and without any ambition of being in the limelight. These are people who will lead from behind. People we ought to salute in a world where we have only been taught about leading from the front.
There is hope and there is excitement about the India of the future. I once heard Verghese Kurien, the man credited with turning India into the largest producer of milk in the world…father of the White Revolution of India. He expressed his dream of a resurgent India and he had no doubt that we would become a superpower soon. And he hoped that we would be a superpower with a kind and gentle face. I pray that this vision of India is true and that I get to experience it in my lifespan. I wish to contribute to such an India in my own little way. And as before, the famous words of Rabindra Nath Tagore ring in my head…
…into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A day of celebration
March 2. A date that now has more significance for me than any other day of the year, birthday included. It is a day of acute and intense realisation. Of acknowledgement. Of bowing to the powers above. Of celebrating this wonderful gift called life...
The year was 2007. Just two years ago. It had been two months since I had returned to work rejuvenated after a four month sabbatical. Time that I had taken for reflection...and to repair the damages caused by thirteen relentless years at work which had taken a heavy toll on the body. It was an opportunity graciously accorded to me by my generous colleagues who stepped in to handle different aspects of my responsibilities so I could focus entirely on myself.
I had utilised my break well. I relaxed, read, began to exercise regularly and walked for hours along the beaches of Goa. I rid myself of unnecessary habits like smoking. I went for long drives. And I undertook extensive therapy for my severe asthmatic condition, including spending a fortnight at a holistic healing centre under the care of a renowned doctor who had treated many difficult conditions. By the time I returned to work on January 1, 2007, I was healed and rejuvenated. Entirely ready to step back and take on work with renewed vigour and energy.
So the events of March 2 came as a surprise, not just to me but also to my family, friends and colleagues who had been delighted to see me back in action.
I was on a business trip to Delhi. My wife had accompanied me this time as the upcoming weekend was Holi - the festival of colours – something we had missed celebrating for years having been away from the city. We were looking forward to catching up with our old friends. As was the norm whenever I traveled now, I exercised at the gym in the morning and proceeded for work to the office. I had a busy day ahead, full of meetings with various people. It was during one such meeting – I was in conversation with a colleague – when I started to feel a constriction in my lungs. Breathing became more laboured and I hastily ended the conversation, leaving him slightly puzzled at the abruptness with which the proceedings had come to a halt. When alone in the room, I broke into a sweat and struggled to breathe. Several puffs from my inhaler followed and I rushed out into the open for fresh air, desperately hoping for relief. Nothing worked. And finally, in a state of dizziness and asphyxiation, I stumbled into the reception and made a plea for medical help. From the corner of my eyes, I saw people converging towards me...and then I passed out. Blissfully unaware of the havoc I had unleashed around me.
Colleagues gathered around my unconscious body. One of them rushed to find oxygen. Calls were made for an ambulance. The first one to respond did not have an oxygen tank installed inside. Another call was made. I was lifted and taken down six floors in the elevator. A decision was being debated – should we wait for the ambulance or take him in a car? Will the ambulance with oxygen show up in time? Someone get a car quick!! Which is when, to everyone's relief, the ambulance containing oxygen pulled into the porch. Some colleagues jumped in. Others followed in cars. Needles and tubes were inserted to inject life into my body. I am told I fought valiantly to keep these off and needed to be forcefully pinned down to allow for the emergency treatment. The nearest hospital was a massive government institution not too far away. A call was made to my wife. She had gone to meet a close friend who had recently been blessed by twins. As I was wheeled into Emergency, a decision was made to move me to the ICU at the other end of the building. Colleagues and hospital staff ran alongside the stretcher, someone ahead paving way through the mass of people milling about so I could be reached there quickly. Another one holding up the transparent bottle containing precious life fluid. They ran a long way. And somewhere during this journey, my heart collapsed. By the time I reached the ICU, I had suffered a cardiac arrest – the breath was gone and heartbeat had stopped. Doctors put a machine on my chest to revive me. Unfortunately our public institutions are not always well equipped and the resuscitator did not start. Several doctors jumped in for CPR and with coordinated movements, they pounded on my chest. The medical report states that my heart had stopped for two minutes. The maximum it can last, someone said, was three. Finally, I breathed again.
When I regained consciousness it was past midnight and I found myself lying on a strange bed covered in a torn green sheet with needles and tubes all over my body. There was frenetic activity around me. Doctors were rushing from one bed to another. Shouting instructions at the nurses. What was I doing here?? I finally managed to get the attention of one doctor. I requested to be handed back my clothes so I could go home. I was ignored. A second attempt – more pleading than arguing now - and I was stonewalled again! No you may not go home. No you cannot meet anyone. Yes, your wife is outside. No you may not see her. STOP ARGUING!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH?? YOU HAD ALMOST DIED AND ARE LUCKY TO BE BACK. THIS IS AN ICU AND WE HAVE PEOPLE TO ATTEND TO!! SO PLEASE JUST LIE DOWN AND SLEEP. By next morning, I realised that some co-patients in beds around me were gone...
The next couple of days were a blur. I was transferred – this time in a high tech ambulance – to a private hospital in the other end of town. It took a while for me to be able to see clearly. When the fog cleared somewhat, I got to look into the mirror...and could not believe it was me I was seeing. There was a bloated face with puffed up and bloodshot eyes. The blood vessels in my eyes had ruptured during resuscitation – not an common occurrence when you are subjected to that kind of a physical assault to breathe life back into the body, as I was informed later. My doctor in Bangalore joked that I should have had a couple of cracked ribs as well.
In the days that followed, I underwent a battery of tests. Everything turned out to be normal. I could talk, walk, see and hear. My brain functioned as before. The chances of escaping unscathed from such an ordeal are slim. I was incredibly lucky to have been returned to this world in the same condition as I had almost left it. Those that had been with me through this time said it was a miracle that I was back the way I was. My colleagues – people who till then I had seen in a different life - had saved my life. And they stayed to help with whatever else my family needed. My organisation rallied to provide support. The outpouring of concern, love and care that I received was overwhelming. Colleagues, friends and well wishers called and sent messages from around the world. Friends and relatives came in and out of the hospital all the time, helping with everything from meals for my family to researching the emergency equipment I would need to carry with me once I was out of the hospital.
I often wonder what this experience was meant to be...is there a message for me? I feel truly privileged to be here on earth, and blessed to experience such love and warmth of people. I also can't help feeling that I am on a journey someplace. After all, this was not the first such experience of my life. I have had close calls before. These have shaped the way I perceive the world and my responsibilities towards others. Many things that occupied mind share have entirely ceased to matter...and others have taken their space in my thoughts. More than anything else, I feel an intense desire to make a contribution to the world around me. A desire to not waste this precious life which has been gifted back to me. I am certain that there is a purpose for my being here. A purpose beyond what is evident. And I need to find it and do justice to it. I do not feel the urge to abdicate what I have – my job, my surroundings – as I seek that purpose. I feel they are intrinsically linked to my existence. So I try to discharge my responsibilities at work with sincerity and readily undertake any work that comes my way. I feel thrilled to have an opportunity to contribute. And I don't sweat the small stuff. Not at work and not in my personal life. I look to make moments count. Moments when people approach me for help or advice. Or when I am in the presence of talented and hard working people from who I could learn. I get a nagging feeling that I have a lot to accomplish to do justice to my existence. At such moments, I turn to write so I could at least express my wishes hoping for someone out there to hear and show me the way.
The second anniversary draws near, memories come flooding back and thoughts turn inward again. I remember with immense gratitude all the people who came close to me and my family in that one moment. I hope I will be able to do for others what they did for us.
I did not get to celebrate Holi that year with my friends. Nor have I since then. But we did get to celebrate life itself...this most precious gift of God!
The year was 2007. Just two years ago. It had been two months since I had returned to work rejuvenated after a four month sabbatical. Time that I had taken for reflection...and to repair the damages caused by thirteen relentless years at work which had taken a heavy toll on the body. It was an opportunity graciously accorded to me by my generous colleagues who stepped in to handle different aspects of my responsibilities so I could focus entirely on myself.
I had utilised my break well. I relaxed, read, began to exercise regularly and walked for hours along the beaches of Goa. I rid myself of unnecessary habits like smoking. I went for long drives. And I undertook extensive therapy for my severe asthmatic condition, including spending a fortnight at a holistic healing centre under the care of a renowned doctor who had treated many difficult conditions. By the time I returned to work on January 1, 2007, I was healed and rejuvenated. Entirely ready to step back and take on work with renewed vigour and energy.
So the events of March 2 came as a surprise, not just to me but also to my family, friends and colleagues who had been delighted to see me back in action.
I was on a business trip to Delhi. My wife had accompanied me this time as the upcoming weekend was Holi - the festival of colours – something we had missed celebrating for years having been away from the city. We were looking forward to catching up with our old friends. As was the norm whenever I traveled now, I exercised at the gym in the morning and proceeded for work to the office. I had a busy day ahead, full of meetings with various people. It was during one such meeting – I was in conversation with a colleague – when I started to feel a constriction in my lungs. Breathing became more laboured and I hastily ended the conversation, leaving him slightly puzzled at the abruptness with which the proceedings had come to a halt. When alone in the room, I broke into a sweat and struggled to breathe. Several puffs from my inhaler followed and I rushed out into the open for fresh air, desperately hoping for relief. Nothing worked. And finally, in a state of dizziness and asphyxiation, I stumbled into the reception and made a plea for medical help. From the corner of my eyes, I saw people converging towards me...and then I passed out. Blissfully unaware of the havoc I had unleashed around me.
Colleagues gathered around my unconscious body. One of them rushed to find oxygen. Calls were made for an ambulance. The first one to respond did not have an oxygen tank installed inside. Another call was made. I was lifted and taken down six floors in the elevator. A decision was being debated – should we wait for the ambulance or take him in a car? Will the ambulance with oxygen show up in time? Someone get a car quick!! Which is when, to everyone's relief, the ambulance containing oxygen pulled into the porch. Some colleagues jumped in. Others followed in cars. Needles and tubes were inserted to inject life into my body. I am told I fought valiantly to keep these off and needed to be forcefully pinned down to allow for the emergency treatment. The nearest hospital was a massive government institution not too far away. A call was made to my wife. She had gone to meet a close friend who had recently been blessed by twins. As I was wheeled into Emergency, a decision was made to move me to the ICU at the other end of the building. Colleagues and hospital staff ran alongside the stretcher, someone ahead paving way through the mass of people milling about so I could be reached there quickly. Another one holding up the transparent bottle containing precious life fluid. They ran a long way. And somewhere during this journey, my heart collapsed. By the time I reached the ICU, I had suffered a cardiac arrest – the breath was gone and heartbeat had stopped. Doctors put a machine on my chest to revive me. Unfortunately our public institutions are not always well equipped and the resuscitator did not start. Several doctors jumped in for CPR and with coordinated movements, they pounded on my chest. The medical report states that my heart had stopped for two minutes. The maximum it can last, someone said, was three. Finally, I breathed again.
When I regained consciousness it was past midnight and I found myself lying on a strange bed covered in a torn green sheet with needles and tubes all over my body. There was frenetic activity around me. Doctors were rushing from one bed to another. Shouting instructions at the nurses. What was I doing here?? I finally managed to get the attention of one doctor. I requested to be handed back my clothes so I could go home. I was ignored. A second attempt – more pleading than arguing now - and I was stonewalled again! No you may not go home. No you cannot meet anyone. Yes, your wife is outside. No you may not see her. STOP ARGUING!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH?? YOU HAD ALMOST DIED AND ARE LUCKY TO BE BACK. THIS IS AN ICU AND WE HAVE PEOPLE TO ATTEND TO!! SO PLEASE JUST LIE DOWN AND SLEEP. By next morning, I realised that some co-patients in beds around me were gone...
The next couple of days were a blur. I was transferred – this time in a high tech ambulance – to a private hospital in the other end of town. It took a while for me to be able to see clearly. When the fog cleared somewhat, I got to look into the mirror...and could not believe it was me I was seeing. There was a bloated face with puffed up and bloodshot eyes. The blood vessels in my eyes had ruptured during resuscitation – not an common occurrence when you are subjected to that kind of a physical assault to breathe life back into the body, as I was informed later. My doctor in Bangalore joked that I should have had a couple of cracked ribs as well.
In the days that followed, I underwent a battery of tests. Everything turned out to be normal. I could talk, walk, see and hear. My brain functioned as before. The chances of escaping unscathed from such an ordeal are slim. I was incredibly lucky to have been returned to this world in the same condition as I had almost left it. Those that had been with me through this time said it was a miracle that I was back the way I was. My colleagues – people who till then I had seen in a different life - had saved my life. And they stayed to help with whatever else my family needed. My organisation rallied to provide support. The outpouring of concern, love and care that I received was overwhelming. Colleagues, friends and well wishers called and sent messages from around the world. Friends and relatives came in and out of the hospital all the time, helping with everything from meals for my family to researching the emergency equipment I would need to carry with me once I was out of the hospital.
I often wonder what this experience was meant to be...is there a message for me? I feel truly privileged to be here on earth, and blessed to experience such love and warmth of people. I also can't help feeling that I am on a journey someplace. After all, this was not the first such experience of my life. I have had close calls before. These have shaped the way I perceive the world and my responsibilities towards others. Many things that occupied mind share have entirely ceased to matter...and others have taken their space in my thoughts. More than anything else, I feel an intense desire to make a contribution to the world around me. A desire to not waste this precious life which has been gifted back to me. I am certain that there is a purpose for my being here. A purpose beyond what is evident. And I need to find it and do justice to it. I do not feel the urge to abdicate what I have – my job, my surroundings – as I seek that purpose. I feel they are intrinsically linked to my existence. So I try to discharge my responsibilities at work with sincerity and readily undertake any work that comes my way. I feel thrilled to have an opportunity to contribute. And I don't sweat the small stuff. Not at work and not in my personal life. I look to make moments count. Moments when people approach me for help or advice. Or when I am in the presence of talented and hard working people from who I could learn. I get a nagging feeling that I have a lot to accomplish to do justice to my existence. At such moments, I turn to write so I could at least express my wishes hoping for someone out there to hear and show me the way.
The second anniversary draws near, memories come flooding back and thoughts turn inward again. I remember with immense gratitude all the people who came close to me and my family in that one moment. I hope I will be able to do for others what they did for us.
I did not get to celebrate Holi that year with my friends. Nor have I since then. But we did get to celebrate life itself...this most precious gift of God!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A word of advice
Last week my 20 year old niece visited us from Sydney. She was en route to India where she would spend the next few days traveling and meeting with relatives. It was her first break since passing out of high school and she intended to explore the country of her birth.
As was to be expected, both of us received a set of instructions from her mother (my dear elder cousin sister) who is hopeful that her daughter finds her way to a meaningful and rewarding career. The young lady received her share of do's and dont's...as did I. She on what she ought to do, or otherwise. And mine were to behave like a responsible "uncle" and give her some advice and coaching. Receiving such instructions from my sister was not new for me. Many a time during my teenage years, when she felt I was going astray, she would patiently sit me down extolling the virtues of hard work and urging me to study diligently. How the exertions during one's formative years would pave way for life of comfort and ease. She had been a role model in our family...consistently achieving top ranks during her school, college and university years, even going on to obtain a Ph.D. Much to my sisters dismay, I never came anywhere close to the standards set by her. So it was strange to me that she felt her daughter had something to gain through exposure to me.
Whenever I am asked to give guidance or advice to youngsters, I feel overwhelmed by the expectations from me. The burden of responsibility seems heavy for my shoulders. I am a tad awkward and out of place. After all, how could anyone benefit by listening to me?? For one, I dont feel very grown up myself. And my life is hardly the story of conventional success. A quick glance would make it obvious that
...there are no academic achievements to boast of. I have attended institutions of reasonable repute and performed above the norm, but nothing that could be considered a sterling example for others to strive for
...my work life while in India is a study in sheer imbalance. During a substantial part of my career, I have worked to the detriment of everything else, neglecting even my health to an extent that I very nearly lost my life a few times and was subsequently required to undertake considerable repair work
...I have not achieved exceptional financial success. In fact, I cant even recall my salary and I would be quite clueless about my assets or net worth. After having worked for close to fifteen years, I still do not own an inch of land anywhere on the planet leaving people to wonder what actually motivates me to work
...I have some weird notions about life which most sane humans cannot comprehend. Even my closest friends have not understood them, much less accepted. Some have wisely suggested that I ought to visit a psychiatrist and have my brain rewired. For example, I am unable to fathom why men and women feel compelled to reproduce. Like we do not already have enough human beings on the planet! And this discomfort takes extreme forms including an inability to be in the presence of pregnant women...and I dont even feel an affinity towards children
So it is indeed curious that people would want advice from me. But despite all my shortcomings, and unmindful of the risks to their own sanity, sometimes they still insist on it! And at such times I feel equally compelled to be of assistance as I hate to let people down when they reach out for help. However, my thoughts on giving and receiving advice have changed over the years. I have now come to believe that we are utterly incapable of giving meaningful and genuine advice to another individual. Hence, I try to refrain from doing so. Instead, I seek to understand the person...their life and experiences, their desires and dreams, their failures, shortcomings and heartaches. Which is exactly what I did with my niece.
One night after a long day at work, I sat and listened to her story. How she had got to where she did. What she had struggled with. She spoke lucidly about herself, her successes and her failures. And expressed confusion about the choices of career to consider. Which is when she turned to ask for my advice...and I had none to offer. Instead I gave her some homework...I was the uncle after all, and had some authority over this captive audience in my house! I asked her to list down - at a very granular level of detail - everything she was good at and everything she was not. She was not to give her own opinions or attempt any interpretations. Rather, she needed to delve into her childhood and think about what her friends, family, teachers and co-workers had told her over the years. She could take as much time as she wanted, use as much paper as she needed, and no amount of detail would be excessive. This was to be a long list! When she completed it, I gave her another assignment. Which was to review the list as if it were someone else's and to think of possibilities. What was the message in the list? How could she draw upon her strengths and interests? What was she likely to excel at? What would she love doing? What pitfalls must she avoid? What ought to be the story of her life? And then, as we got into the cab to go to the airport, she was leaving for India and I was off to the Philippines, we talked about whether the path she was currently on would provide her joy and fulfillment. Was it building on her strengths, interests and passions? Or did she need to change course and look afresh for a new one?
When we parted there was a sparkle in her eyes and a spring in her step. She was energised and felt she had rediscovered aspects of herself that had gotten lost over time. Perhaps, she had been heading down a path more suited for someone else... And needed to pause and reflect whether it was what she really wanted or would excel at. This young lady has talent. As do we all. Her talent is for her to find, to exploit and to develop. She needs to chart out her own path and to do so she needs to explore. Her explorations may take her to different places. And at times she may trip and fall. Often, it may not lead to a destination at all. Challenges and barriers will come...some quite early and from unexpected quarters. They are hers to accept and overcome.
My niece boarded her flight without receiving any pearls of wisdom or valuable words of advice from me. Had I let her mother down yet again?
It is my fervent hope that while she was here, she was able to discover a little bit of herself. And that as she travels in the coming days, she finds out a lot more. If new thoughts have arisen, I hope they will be elevated. If an idea has been triggered, may many more germinate. I wish her success and I also wish her struggle. As I would wish anyone I care about.
As for my advice?? I am clear that I ought to keep it to myself. Most people are better off without it...
As was to be expected, both of us received a set of instructions from her mother (my dear elder cousin sister) who is hopeful that her daughter finds her way to a meaningful and rewarding career. The young lady received her share of do's and dont's...as did I. She on what she ought to do, or otherwise. And mine were to behave like a responsible "uncle" and give her some advice and coaching. Receiving such instructions from my sister was not new for me. Many a time during my teenage years, when she felt I was going astray, she would patiently sit me down extolling the virtues of hard work and urging me to study diligently. How the exertions during one's formative years would pave way for life of comfort and ease. She had been a role model in our family...consistently achieving top ranks during her school, college and university years, even going on to obtain a Ph.D. Much to my sisters dismay, I never came anywhere close to the standards set by her. So it was strange to me that she felt her daughter had something to gain through exposure to me.
Whenever I am asked to give guidance or advice to youngsters, I feel overwhelmed by the expectations from me. The burden of responsibility seems heavy for my shoulders. I am a tad awkward and out of place. After all, how could anyone benefit by listening to me?? For one, I dont feel very grown up myself. And my life is hardly the story of conventional success. A quick glance would make it obvious that
...there are no academic achievements to boast of. I have attended institutions of reasonable repute and performed above the norm, but nothing that could be considered a sterling example for others to strive for
...my work life while in India is a study in sheer imbalance. During a substantial part of my career, I have worked to the detriment of everything else, neglecting even my health to an extent that I very nearly lost my life a few times and was subsequently required to undertake considerable repair work
...I have not achieved exceptional financial success. In fact, I cant even recall my salary and I would be quite clueless about my assets or net worth. After having worked for close to fifteen years, I still do not own an inch of land anywhere on the planet leaving people to wonder what actually motivates me to work
...I have some weird notions about life which most sane humans cannot comprehend. Even my closest friends have not understood them, much less accepted. Some have wisely suggested that I ought to visit a psychiatrist and have my brain rewired. For example, I am unable to fathom why men and women feel compelled to reproduce. Like we do not already have enough human beings on the planet! And this discomfort takes extreme forms including an inability to be in the presence of pregnant women...and I dont even feel an affinity towards children
So it is indeed curious that people would want advice from me. But despite all my shortcomings, and unmindful of the risks to their own sanity, sometimes they still insist on it! And at such times I feel equally compelled to be of assistance as I hate to let people down when they reach out for help. However, my thoughts on giving and receiving advice have changed over the years. I have now come to believe that we are utterly incapable of giving meaningful and genuine advice to another individual. Hence, I try to refrain from doing so. Instead, I seek to understand the person...their life and experiences, their desires and dreams, their failures, shortcomings and heartaches. Which is exactly what I did with my niece.
One night after a long day at work, I sat and listened to her story. How she had got to where she did. What she had struggled with. She spoke lucidly about herself, her successes and her failures. And expressed confusion about the choices of career to consider. Which is when she turned to ask for my advice...and I had none to offer. Instead I gave her some homework...I was the uncle after all, and had some authority over this captive audience in my house! I asked her to list down - at a very granular level of detail - everything she was good at and everything she was not. She was not to give her own opinions or attempt any interpretations. Rather, she needed to delve into her childhood and think about what her friends, family, teachers and co-workers had told her over the years. She could take as much time as she wanted, use as much paper as she needed, and no amount of detail would be excessive. This was to be a long list! When she completed it, I gave her another assignment. Which was to review the list as if it were someone else's and to think of possibilities. What was the message in the list? How could she draw upon her strengths and interests? What was she likely to excel at? What would she love doing? What pitfalls must she avoid? What ought to be the story of her life? And then, as we got into the cab to go to the airport, she was leaving for India and I was off to the Philippines, we talked about whether the path she was currently on would provide her joy and fulfillment. Was it building on her strengths, interests and passions? Or did she need to change course and look afresh for a new one?
When we parted there was a sparkle in her eyes and a spring in her step. She was energised and felt she had rediscovered aspects of herself that had gotten lost over time. Perhaps, she had been heading down a path more suited for someone else... And needed to pause and reflect whether it was what she really wanted or would excel at. This young lady has talent. As do we all. Her talent is for her to find, to exploit and to develop. She needs to chart out her own path and to do so she needs to explore. Her explorations may take her to different places. And at times she may trip and fall. Often, it may not lead to a destination at all. Challenges and barriers will come...some quite early and from unexpected quarters. They are hers to accept and overcome.
My niece boarded her flight without receiving any pearls of wisdom or valuable words of advice from me. Had I let her mother down yet again?
It is my fervent hope that while she was here, she was able to discover a little bit of herself. And that as she travels in the coming days, she finds out a lot more. If new thoughts have arisen, I hope they will be elevated. If an idea has been triggered, may many more germinate. I wish her success and I also wish her struggle. As I would wish anyone I care about.
As for my advice?? I am clear that I ought to keep it to myself. Most people are better off without it...
Friday, February 13, 2009
A hectic week draws to a close
I have traveled and worked hard. Been in meetings from morning till night. Teamed with delightful colleagues and friends from different nationalities...some of whom have traveled further, and most who have worked even harder! We have focused on issues to solve, value to deliver, things to do in the near term, and stuff to focus on in the longer term. I have been privileged with the opportunity to meet with upcoming generation of HR professionals, to listen to their views and share thoughts from my experiences.
I have read reports on the global economy and noted steadily deteriorating conditions the world over. The big seven economies in recession. Emerging markets in a downturn. Every subsequent week brings in a bleaker picture. This week I learnt of the Australian economy feeling the heat...and not just of the bush fires that killed a 130 people and caused untold grief to the nation. No optimistic news, other than India's victory over a small island nation which produces lion hearted cricketers.
There is a strong and continuing urge to do more. I feel the need to remain focused and grounded. A need to team with people and to create value. To be of assistance to whoever approaches me. There is no desire for rest or recreation. Perhaps somewhere there is a fear...fear that I will not be able to do enough??
I have read reports on the global economy and noted steadily deteriorating conditions the world over. The big seven economies in recession. Emerging markets in a downturn. Every subsequent week brings in a bleaker picture. This week I learnt of the Australian economy feeling the heat...and not just of the bush fires that killed a 130 people and caused untold grief to the nation. No optimistic news, other than India's victory over a small island nation which produces lion hearted cricketers.
There is a strong and continuing urge to do more. I feel the need to remain focused and grounded. A need to team with people and to create value. To be of assistance to whoever approaches me. There is no desire for rest or recreation. Perhaps somewhere there is a fear...fear that I will not be able to do enough??
Friday, February 6, 2009
Eighty years of progress
Times change...and yet they dont! Mankind takes tremendous strides forward...but then again, here we are! 80 years on, it is difficult to fathom what has changed and what remains the same. Some images of the great depression of the 1930's along with some recent pictures. To me, the only real difference is that the earlier one's are black and white.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My early years in JNU
I was born into a family of academics. My parents had met while pursuing their doctoral degrees in a city then known as Leningrad and in a country that no longer exists - USSR. After spending five years earning their PhD, they returned to India and were married. Such a marriage was a first for both families at the time, my mother being a Bengali and my father a north Indian who was born and raised in Lucknow. And with surprising lack of opposition from either side - especially considering that this was middle class India in 1970. Soon after my birth, at the tender age of 2, I was diagnosed with severe bronchial asthma...which perhaps led to my mother giving up her professional career and devoting her life entirely to my well being and upbringing. Till today, I consider that the academic world lost a talented lady.
My father then joined Jawaharlal Nehru University to teach modern European history and we moved into the beautiful campus, which in those days was still an upcoming institution comprising a small number of clustered buildings. These included the academic block, hostel accommodations for students who came from far and wide, living quarters for the teaching staff...and 400 acres of wild open space! I say wild because that is exactly what it was. JNU is situated on hilly terrain at the southernmost tip of the Indian capital and is amply endowed with nature's bounties - both the flora and fauna. It has a forested feel with thick shrubs and dense foliage. And lots of animals. As kids, we saw all kinds within the campus. Like the majestic peacock dancing to herald rain early in the morning. Or the stately Neelgai (asian Antelopes known for their blueish colour) who would get startled and disperse if you chanced upon them. Sometimes there were packs of foxes, and in our early years we heard wolves howling in the night. We have seen large monitor lizards. These reptiles are known for their distinctive ability to get "stuck" to surfaces. I am told their services were called upon by the fierce Marathas who would scale walls of fortresses by tying ropes around the lizards and climbing up behind them...a unique form of guerilla warfare in those days! And of course there were snakes!! During my growing years, I got to see them at close quarters. It was not uncommon to chance upon one while strolling along a secluded path. Once my dog, a brave little dachshund named Zulu, kept guard against a cobra in a barking and hissing battle that lasted over three hours. It is said that these snakes go in search of their dead mates. This one had slithered into our house a month after its mate had been discovered by the same trusty friend in our garden. Unfortunately for them, both were executed by gardeners who were adept at handling such situations. Once we even had a black scorpion scampering across our corridor.
Set as it was in such beautiful natural surroundings, and cocooned from the big, bustling city...yet it never felt far enough for one to lose touch with cosmopolitan realities. On the one hand I came in close proximity to nature. On the other, I grew up amidst learned academicians. Simple people with surprisingly strong views. Views ranging from the far left (JNU was a socialist bastion in the 70's and 80's and may still be to some extent) to the liberal...and at times even the far right! Many an evening were spent listening to debates on matters concerning the nation, the economy, and of course everyone's favourite - politics! As the evening would progress, so would the decibel level with everyone vociferously holding forth their points of view!
Growing up in JNU has had a profound effect on me...and memories of my childhood and teenage years are deeply engrained. It has now been a decade since my father retired and we left the campus. And almost everybody I knew there has since moved on and are in different corners of the planet. The university has also grown - both in prominence and in size. Buildings have sprouted and there are fewer secluded spots around the campus. Yet, I scarcely need to close my eyes and am transported back to the tranquil environment of my childhood. I vividly recollect every aspect of life on the campus. The rock on the park outside my house where we spent countless hours playing and chatting. The lovely smells that would emanate from trees during rains. And the winters!! Waking up in the morning and peeping out of the window in anticipation of a cold, foggy day. Long walks along the road that encircled the academic block, with hands thrust deep inside the jacket. And the new year parties when my friends and I would go around collecting firewood for the bonfire... Even today, my visits to Delhi are incomplete without a drive into the university campus. I go there to spend a few quiet, solitary moments...driving on the same roads, walking the same paths. On my last visit, I went and sat on the rock outside my old house, maybe after 20 years. It was strange how it now seemed much smaller. Either I had outgrown it, or somewhere it had assumed larger than life proportions in my imagination.
Is this an escape from current reality? Am I craving a life long gone? Of a chapter closed forever. Maybe it epitomises an existence that I seek and have not yet achieved? Or does the past always seem glorious in comparison to the present?? I do not have answers to my own questions. What I do know, however, is that I have been truly privileged to have spent my formative years in such a wonderfully charming, warm and cosy world, the likes of which I might never experience again...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
