Tag: India

Seven Days in Rangpur

More than a decade ago, way back in 1995, I was a graduate student in my final year at St. Xavier’s College, Bombay. As a part of our Honours’ project, we embarked upon a 7-day field trip to the interiors of Gujarat, thanks to the good graces of our Professor – Dr. Vlidakar – who had worked extensively in the Amba Dongar region. Soon, five young students (including myself) found ourselves in a location that was 100 kms from the nearest big city, armed with nothing but a map and a compass! It was on that trip that I first encountered Rangpur and the “Ashram”…

A Glorious Past!

A weekend discussion with my (catholic) wife on different religions led me to an unusual quest. A quest for answers to all the intriguing questions that came up in our conversation… How did the Sindhi community come to be a part of the Hindu religion? Why do Sindhis follow an Arabic script? Why do Sindhis regard the Guru Granth Sahib as their holy book, and visit gurdwaras instead of temples?! I realized I hardly knew any thing about the origins of the community I belonged to…

Internal Affairs

I have personally dealt with some of the biggest and most successful organizations of the country, as a customer. Time and again, I have come to the realization that reducing variation and inconsistencies in internal processes is the key to successful organizations and happy customers…

Magic or Mayhem?

It’s that time of the year, again. Rainy season will soon be here. Even in metro towns like Mumbai, the monsoons play an important role in addressing the burgeoning needs of its citizens and migrants alike. As I was preparing myself for the onset of the monsoons, I was reminded of the times when the “rainy season” used to have a magic of its own…

Safe or Sorry?

This building is fine in most respects, except for the fact that the lifts/elevators are in a pathetic condition. As a result, going up and down from my desk on the fourth floor takes a lot of waiting. And, when the good ol’ lift does arrive, it takes only four people without a groan. Add a fifth one, and the “overload” siren starts its routine. In a building that employs more than a 1000 people, that can add up to a lot of waiting time! That is perhaps the reason why, earlier today, one ingenious member of its workforce found a way to “beat the system”, as it were…

Gandhi and a Goon

It may not have drawn as many crowds as it is pulling today, if the Gandhian element was promoted more actively. After all, who would want to go see a ‘preachy’ movie that promised a discourse on antiquated Gandhian ideals in today’s modern world ?! But pulling crowds, it certainly is. More successfully than most. Yes, I am talking about Munna Bhai Lage Raho – That much awaited sequel of the original Munna Bhai MBBS !

Bouncing Back

4 days of incessant rain bring the city to a standstill. The city’s Disaster Control Plan is a disaster. Even one year after the 26/7 experience, and several million in relief budget already spent (or down the drain!), Mumbai gets flooded with just a few hours of heavy downpour…

An Unseen Future

The year was 1947. I’m not sure if it was before or after India gained independence. There lived a man in Karachi that went by the name of Roopchand. Roopchand was an administrative clerk in the Indian Railways. He had a large family that lived on his government salary without much complaint. Life was quite alright, until the “partition” happened…

We Don’t Need No Reservations

If you are in India, and have been reading the newspapers or watching the tele over the past month or so, you couldn’t have missed all the action on the subject of “reservations” (read: quotas). Enough and more has been said on the issue already, and I don’t have much to add to it. But, I could not resist sharing with you my good friend Atanu’s insights on this controversy. Atanu is also an economist of repute, so it helps to have an informed opinion!

Forgotten Roots

A 700-page novel (Roots), first published in 1975 (the year I was born!), made me think : Who am I? Like the book’s protagonist, Kunta Kinte, I too come from a long line of descendants that lived in a time rich in culture and heritage. Unlike Kinte, I did not have the good fortune of growing up with “family elders” in a community village where every knew every one, and also knew what their ancestors had taught them, one generation to the next. All I have are snatches of history… narrated by wrinkled uncles at family gatherings… fast diminishing into oblivion as fragile memories begin to fade…

Getting In Line

Over 200 years of colonial rule in India ensured that, even today, more than 90% of our citizens will show exceptional regard for “the white man”. A local daily recently carried an interesting article on this subject, outlining how almost every sphere of our lives demonstrates this peculiar behaviour. The doorman will stiff his back a wee bit straighter for a fair-skinned guest… the waiter will first serve the table with the whites… no matter where you go or what you do, you will see “unfair” treatment meted out to those who look like the British that ruled us for years. It’s in our genes, now. As I read that article, I am reminded of another peculiar trait of almost all Indians : Queueing Up!

Good for Nothing

As it turned out, I was slated to travel from Bombay to Hyderabad just one day after the commencement of an impromptu strike by the employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) which threatened to bring major Indian airports to a standstill, unless their demands were met.  Their demands?  Basically, they were opposing the move by the Government (pending for two decades!) to privatize the airports of Mumbai and Delhi!

If Only I Could

As I settled onto the sunken seat of a 15-year-old taxi cab, my eye caught a colourful dangler hanging from its rear view mirror : It was entitled “Atithi Devo Bhavah”…

A Policeman with a Blog !

For those of you who don’t know me well, I live in India. Some of you know India as the land of elephants, snake charmers and cows-on-the-street. Others view India as an emerging economic powerhouse. Still others, only know the Infosys angle – a nation that is very rapidly evolving as an IT hub and software giant. Whatever be your perspective, I can bet my bottom dollar that you don’t presume policemen in India to have a Ph.D !!!

Give And Take

When I look back on the year that has gone by, I cannot help but wonder if I was able to make any difference to the world around me. If I was able, at all, to give any thing back to the society I inhabit…

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