KID n TRAMP

The Youth of India and their awakening through Social Networking

2012-01-17T02:18:00.000-08:00

Social Networking in India is a happening thing. The best part of it is, one can abuse and assault other(s) on a Social Media like anything. Personal attacks or derogatory comments on anyone, anything are one of the keys to success of Social Networking.

In this context, I tried to do an experiment.

First: I created a snap equating a Monkey with Kalki – the known Bollywood Star – which was nothing but a sheer insult on someone’s look. I shared the snap in a forum on Facebook called ROFLIndia.

And, as expected, the snap’s been Liked by people, precisely the Youth; since, my cheap intention came across as Humour to them!

Then: I just turned the Map of India upside down and posted in the same forum, and the same set of people who had earlier Liked my personal abuse on Kalki found me ‘asshole’, ‘idiot’ and ‘son of a beach’.

Thank god, not of a ‘bitch’ at least! ;)

Why?

Because to the Youth of India, fiddling with the Map or Flag of India is an Insult to the mother nation but fingering into someone or something for nothing is not; it’s rather an entertainment and FREE FUN!

And the funniest part is, if one says something abusive to malign anyone (but to no avail though) others jump into the bandwagon to harass the target / victim just like the jackals that bark in unison. Without even realizing why they are making noise!

Not surprising, India predicts and drools over GDP Growth today, while the nation’s 42% children still suffer from malnutrition and Anna Hazare calls himself the second Mahatma Gandhi to lead the Youth to a corruption free country tomorrow.

Cheers! :D

To beat Australia at the MCG, India needs to wear brains.

2011-12-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

So, the Boxing Day test between Australia and India has begun with all punches as expected from both sides!

If first day’s performance is to be evaluated, it will stand as Australia : India = 50 : 50.

However, the reality is Australia : India = 60 : 40.

Especially, the way the Aussies recovered from the score 214 for 6 to reach 277 for 6 at stumps.

No praise is adequate to acknowledge and appreciate the partnership – Haddin and Siddle put together, while chips were really down for Australia thanks to two dubious decisions by the umpires that undid Hussey first and then Cowan, almost back to back.

From then, when it was expected that India would wrap up the Australian tail soon, the real twist in the tale took place.

And, honestly, it happened more for the Indian’s lack of idea in bowling and field placement than the Aussies’ determined display of batting.

With the course of play it became evident that Siddle had a great defensive technique and he was quite ready to come on the front-foot to negotiate deliveries. Either to play at them or leave.

On the other hand, Haddin was just reluctant to take any risk whatsoever and happy to nudge the ball here and there for singles, twos or threes followed by occasional hits over the rope.

So the situation was, the Aussies were keen to play for the time and had no urgency to dash for runs, where India needed to push things up with more vision and vigour so as to bowl out their opponent, as soon as possible.

But, frankly it didn’t occur, as it should’ve been.

Nevertheless, the things could be sorted out still in order to change the game, if the following points are pondered… rather with an open mind –

1. Asking Umesh Yadav to bowl at fierce pace targeting Siddle’s ribcage mostly, and time to time his toes, with five fielders on leg side. The fielders could ideally be placed at Fine Leg (somewhere in between short fine leg and deep fine leg); Backward short leg or Leg gully; Forward short leg (a bit square and pushed towards the leg umpire); Midwicket (somewhere in between original midwicket and deep midwicket) and Mid on (quite straight, much inside the ring to save quick singles). This ploy might not give Umesh Siddle’s wicket, but the batsman would definitely get softened up to fall pray to another Indian bowler, and this in the process could force Haddin to take some extra responsibilities to guard his partner by playing extra deliveries, bearing extra tension.

2. Keeping fielders for Haddin at Deep point or Deep cover, at Deep midwicket and at Deep mid on, while he played, in fact, not a single adventurous shot in his whole innings actually seemed pretty bizarre. When a team had two new batsmen at the crease and was tottering under some kind of pressure giving away such easy singles to them through wide spread field settings, made no sense to be precise. At that point of time, Haddin should’ve been made to struggle for every run and should’ve been compelled to go for big shots over the in-field.

3. Ishant should be asked to bowl only at good-length or just short of good-length but not away from off stump or short-pitch. Because given the pace, bounce and carry, as provided by the pitch, Ishant’s bouncers are likely to go over a batsman’s head, most of the time. But, Ishant’s in-coming deliveries which just hold their lines after pitching, or go away slightly outside towards off stump, are simply nightmares for any batsman. So, Ishant has to bowl those balls, continuously, as he turns into a wicket taking bowler only when he pitches the ball up.

4. In a vast ground like the MCG, run-choking is just a concept. In reality, there remain plenty of gaps on the filed, exploiting which a batsman can jolly well pile up runs just by taking singles. To prove that point, Australia made 277 from 89 overs with an average of 3.11 per over that can’t be said poor run rate in a test cricket despite Dhoni’s wide-spread field placement. And Dhoni needs not to forget one thing, in such a climate which is offering no such humidity, getting a batsman out by tiring him is not going to work as it does often in India. Therefore, as a captain he needs to think more and better than just going with the flow and hoping that something will happen soon.

To conclude, if Australia crosses 350, it’s likely that India will either lose the test or maximum salvage a draw at the MCG. Because, to win a test match overseas (or a series for that matter), a team needs to play magical cricket based on strategy, tactics and game plan beyond just skills, luck and miracle. And that's why; a captain on field needs to think sound and innovative, and that too, impromptu, applying nothing but sheer commonsense.

To go digital, a brand should trust god more than an agency in India.

2011-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

I was exploring afaqs.com. For some good news, assignments, or jobs… pertaining to advertising or media.

While I clicked on the link ‘jobswitch’, I saw an agency called Water is looking for professionals in several disciplines.

I’m not sure though whether it’s the same Water that operates as one of the SBUs of Mudra.

See the ad below, and also mark the red underline... (click on it to enlarge)

Since they are looking for Creative Director, for the reason obvious, I wanted to know more about it by visiting the link.

Then I landed on this ad… (click on it to enlarge)

And like I did, if you too see this ad properly, you’ll get to know that Water has talked about many things in the text – and creatively perhaps – save for providing you with any contact details where you can send your application and CV, or simply call up!

Even if you click on the ad for umpteen times or keep refreshing the page, you will know that it’s not hyperlinked to their website or any contact page either.

Now, what notion will you develop about such an agency that also used Ogilvy’s name to create interest in their appoint ad through quite a high-voltage gimmick?

However, I won’t be surprised at all, if I find that the agency is claiming to have done wonder for their clients in the domain of interactive ads or digital communications like many other agencies that don’t even have a proper or upgraded company website in place.

Actually, from the ad of Water, it’s evident once again what kind of agencies, SBUs, or creative hot-shops are functional of late across India and trying to leverage the digital communications and social media marketing on web and mobile!

To back my point then I have searched for Water on Google by the URL the agency has provided on afaqs.com. And no wonder I have found the expected result only, as shown in the following pictures... (click on it to enlarge)

Anyway, before I conclude let me remind you, humbly, that the agency’s punch line is: The ROI Attitude and its value promise is: Water Your Brand.

Indeed. :)

Don't let the fire of any AMRI Hospital gut your life again.

2011-12-10T08:33:00.001-08:00

One of my classmates' Aunt is sinking at a Hospital now with multiple organ failure thanks to the choking at AMRI yesterday. Just asking, "Any candle march or Rs. 5 lac+, or the imprisonment of the Todis, Goenkas, etc., will help her live?"

No, right? I know.

That's why tried to suggest you what needs to be done, so as to save your aunt or mother, or wife, or anyone else, you love and really care for...

The fire at AMRI, Dhakuria in Kolkata helps Emami, Shrachi to be trending; no doubt.

Many things will be written and shown about Goenka, Todi, etc, at least for the coming two weeks.

A candle march, or may be a sandal march with Hawai Chappals in hand, is also a huge possibility to mark the aghast citizens' protest against such indifference and negligence of the hospital authority and management.

Rs. 5 lac compensation might be given away, or not, to each of the bereaved families. Plus, some unluckily lucky ones could get a few govt. jobs here and there.

But, what next? Is it going to stop those Todis, Goenkas, Agarwals from taking more human lives in the name of business or corporate culture across India? NO! NEVER.

Because this cluster of businessmen only understands how to make the balance sheet ringing. Therefore, it will hardly matter, even if they are hung till death.

Neither will their attitude change nor will their greed for money reduce.

If anything at all needs to be done to get them corrected and teach a lesson, that has to be full of purpose and resilience sans TRP / GRP jerking or Readership increasing media led gimmicks.

Those fellows need to be hit badly in their balance sheet only, but nowhere else. And to do so, all you need to do is stop buying any product whatsoever from the Brand stable of Emami and purchasing any flats / offices from Shrachi Group.

In case you can stick to this non-cooperation for a year at least; you will be able to help them experience, actually, how it feels when the balance sheet turns into 'balance shit'.

Once it's done, you can witness the change, hopefully, rather realistically in a positive way, because money matters to them more than it matters to you or anyone else.

HENCE, DO IT. Or do nothing, to silently wait for more such fire takes place, gradually, even in your bedroom.

So, happy burning, in advance! However, getting rid of such man made calamities is still in your hand, provided you wish to lead from within being high on motivation to act more and better than just reacting, instinctively, to forget the issue on the very next day or moment.

MiD DAY closed editions in Delhi and Bengaluru with CHEERS!

2011-12-10T05:36:00.001-08:00

Why the face-u, hide-u, hide-u…
Why these Kolaveri Dis
Why the camera-u, click-u, click-u…
Why this Kolaveri Da

Well, if you are only singing this song… seeing the above picture, and thinking nothing great or big, you sure are not a visionary or management level employee, or CEO of a tabloid like MiD DAY!

“Janam Samjha Karo,” as Choli ke pichhe something exists, Burqa ke niche bhi something exists.

And if you could see what exists, you have the foresight and vision, the business acumen and, for sure, a template-MBA degree or diploma to capture Sunny Leone, Poonam Pandey, Rakhi Sawant, Mallika Sherawat and Liz Hurley in a single frame with just a click.

Probably Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL) had possessed such a business vision under the stewardship of Mr. Manajit Ghoshal, MD & CEO, MiD DAY Infomedia, when the group acquired MiD DAY in May 2010… to bring Inquilab (revolution) through sensational news, raving up the tabloid culture across India.

However, with time, it became evident that MiD DAY could only incur loss thanks to its Delhi and Bengaluru editions despite the tabloid’s best of titillations for ‘producing’ news besides covering the same.

This, as usual, created a situation where finding scapegoats was mandatory to pass the buck on and make them sacrifice, eventually.

For the reason obvious, the management of MiD DAY under the canopy of JPL found the best possible solution, and that was to close the editions in Delhi and Bengaluru on and from December 06, 2011 and thereby compel all its journalists and other employees go jobless in those two cities.

And that too, notwithstanding the fact, as quoted by a MiD DAY insider, “Midday shut down for loss of Rs 2 lakhs by Jagran whose quarterly profit is Rs 30 cr. is this ridiculous or what?”

Funny, no? Yes, it IS!

Actually, the fun just began.

Now, please take a look at the CEO’s internal email, which Mr. Manajit Ghoshal sent to the employees in Delhi and Bengaluru in order to let them know that they were laid off.

Full Transcript of the great man’s great mail –

Dear colleagues,

It's with a heavy heart that I have to announce the closure of Mid-Day Delhi and Mid-Day Bangalore editions. Tomorrow's issue will be the last issue for both the editions. This has been necessitated by the prolonged losses we had to incur on these editions.

The idea behind starting these editions was to establish these brands in these cities and make a difference in the lives of the citizens there. We had begun well and were appreciated for the quality of product we put out. However, in a corporate scenario the books need to be balanced.

Due to the ever increasing competition in the print media space, the funds required for breakeven in these cities kept escalating. Finally, we had to take this call. We will however, continue to maintain a news bureau in Delhi and our sales offices in Bangalore and Delhi.

But, every dark cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining in this is that Mumbai Mid-Day now will have the strength to soar to greater heights. By cutting our losses in Delhi and Bangalore editions, we will be able to bolster our circulation in Mumbai.

Apart from the plan to channel these investments, Jagran group (our parent company) will invest a large sum in boosting Mid-Day's circulation in Mumbai. This will give our sales guys across the country to pitch Mumbai Mid-Day to clients and agencies in a new light.

We need to now concentrate on building brand Mid-Day in Mumbai and monetizing Mumbai Mid-Day's large increase in circulation and in this our sales colleagues in Delhi, Bangalore and Pune will have to play a significant part.

Gujrati Mid-Day and Inquilab continue to go from strength to strength. We are increasing the circulation of GMD at a brisk pace and will continue to do so. Inquilab has flourished in the north and we now have 14 editions in all and are far ahead of any competition in the Urdu space.

Mid-Day Pune is an extension of Mid-Day Mumbai just as the Pune city is an extension of Mumbai. Mid-DayPune will continue to run at an ever increasing pace and we will be monitoring the Pune media market keenly to spot opportunities to improve the circulation of Midday Pune.

We will continue to invest aggressively in our digital properties as we believe that this is a medium whose time has come.

5th December, 2011 is an important day in the history of Mid-Day. Today, we will have to halt and think. Think about many of our colleagues who will have to move on.

It's a testing time for them as it is for us. Right now it might look dark but I am sure both of us will come out of this with flying colours. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors. We also need to think about the added responsibilities for all of us who remain in this great organization and who have to carry its legacy forward. Let's begin this phase of our journey with renewed vigour and conviction.

In conclusion, I can only say that all dreams may not fructify but that will only encourage us to try harder and bring us closer, marching forward with a vision which only we can realise. We strive for continuity and absolutes but are reminded time and again that change is the only constant.

In this time of great pain and heavy responsibility, I am sure God will give us the tenacity to walk on-and then to break into a run-and once again soar to live our destiny.

Cheers!

Manajit Ghoshal

When a MD cum CEO of an organization starts a retrenchment email with a ‘heavy heart’ but ends with ‘cheers’, it speaks a volume of the person’s mental stability. And while such a person is at the helm of a business operation, no wonder MiD DAY turned MiD NIGHT in Delhi and Bengaluru where media war has been fierce, always, given the number of quality competitors.

Plus, from positioning and content point of views… trying to draw an analogy or a parallel between MiD DAY Delhi / Bengaluru and Inquilab / Gujrati MiD DAY has not only been weird but also made no branding or marketing sense to say the least.

It was like telling Harbhajan Singh that he was dropped from the team albeit Vidya Balan acted brilliantly in the Dirty Picture!

Keeping sales offices in Delhi, as well as in Bengaluru to bolster the media space selling for the Mumbai edition with an ambition to invest heavily in the digital space to proliferate the brand MiD DAY… so as to leverage the maximum, is yet another jive that only ridicules the concept of branding and marketing.

For a simple reason, to exploit the digital space, precisely the web and mobile, distance hardly matters. So why keep sales offices in Delhi and Bengaluru where you can’t keep the journalists and other staffs?!

Apart from that, it was also bizarre the way the management at MiD DAY literally enforced resignation on the employees in Delhi and Bengaluru, and used bouncers to drive the employees out of the office premise who were reluctant to leave.

See the termination – NOT RESIGNATION – letter below, as drafted by the management.

There was no mention of any statutory compensations but a mere assertion of dues.

If some eyebrows were raised to inquire into ‘why compensation’, answering to that, because no prior intimation or notice was circulated to any of the employees in Delhi and Bengaluru before this sudden retrenchment.

Whereas, giving at least one month’s prior notice to lay off an employee is an absolute must, unless and until the employee has committed any criminal offense, or serving a probationary period. And, even if he has committed a crime, it needs to be proven first either by an internal committee and then at court.

In this context, the following facebook wall posts of Ms. Promita Mukherjee, Feature Editor, MiD DAY, Delhi should be sufficient for you to understand the malpractice, based on which, the management at MiD DAY offered pink slips and insulted its employees –

“Sachin Kalbag's msg to me: Note, he still hasn't addressed the team:

Promita, I am sending this message in private. We are trying our best get those Delhi colleagues who have not been retained for the Delhi bureau absorbed in Jagran Prakashan's publications such as City Plus, iNext, Jagran Digital and Jagran itself. I understand your anger, and I understand your pain. I would also request you to call me directly in case you need ANY clarification. You may have my number, but in any case it is +919820199551.

Thanks,

Sachin”

“For those who came in late, this is not against the shutting down of MiD DAY delhi shutting down or abt usz getting sacked. It is abt the way we were all dismissed thru an insensitive email. The editor Deep Halder, who is entitled to the highest compensation felt it is not abt money, it is abt our dignity. Neither the CEO, nor the executive editor Sachin Kalbag met us or addressed us over a video conference. We were okay with that also. But today, they were forcing us to sign an illegal document saying we are voluntarily resigning. The truth is, the edition is closing, we are not leaving on our own”

It’s also heard that the management at MiD DAY showed red eyes and tried to bully the employees in Delhi to accept the fabricated resignation, and prior to that the employees were duped to sign on an illegal agreement, which said that the employees were willing to not accept the Majithia Wage Board or Commission’s report / suggestions.

See this link http://labour.nic.in/wageboard/PressNote/OrderPublishedGazette.pdf and you will understand why no employee is a fool to refuse extra or more wages as per the Board or Commission's suggestion! That means MiD DAY has somewhat lost its way even on the legal front in line with Majithia.

Finally, if Promita’s tweet, “#MidDay, real intentions revealed. Shutdowns part of CEO's plan to devalue group so that he can buy it himself, sources confirm” is to be taken into serious consideration, it clears everything why MiD DAY needed to close down editions in Delhi and Bengaluru in such a manner, with ‘Cheers’, of course!

Dev Anand and I.

2011-12-04T10:30:00.001-08:00

When I came to know Dev Anand – ‘god of happiness’ – demised, I went literally numb for a while. The feeling was more of sadness than shock. Then experienced a nerve wrenching vacuum deep inside, as if I lost someone very close to my heart. Notwithstanding the fact we’ve hardly known each other.

So, the obvious question arises, “Why am I getting so sentimental?”

No, I’m not getting sentimental; I’m actually getting very emotional, reminiscing those songs on Dev Saab that have always been instrumental to help me grow up, shape up, and build up an image... to wear and carry for the world, outside.

It’s a different issue altogether though, whether the said image's been right or wrong, but it keeps on providing me with the spirit of life, till date, to LIVE… always with a hope that tomorrow is different and will be better.

I won’t cower to confess that it's from Dev Saab only, I've learnt many things like: ‘how to love’, ‘how to flirt’, ‘how to gamble’, ‘how to tease’, ‘how to booze’, ‘how to care’, ‘how to pain’, ‘how to motivate’, ‘how to mentor’, and ‘how to pack-up’… to ‘roll and act’ again and again... even without a gain, relentlessly.

And this process of learning has always been very enriching for me and my creative existence.

Just the reason, to celebrate his journey to a greater world, I'm trying to revisit my association with Dev Saab, muse-ically and musically, song by song, exactly the way I’ve consumed HIM since ages...

To love

http://youtu.be/p_rjAglZ8I0

To flirt

http://youtu.be/ZIrhbZIwEFs

To gamble

http://youtu.be/ZaEAHon2VN8

To tease

http://youtu.be/o_hvm-rQGWM

To booze

http://youtu.be/J1Y09x4EZp4

To care
http://youtu.be/pC45vxZtdgk

To pain
http://youtu.be/4ZKLJg6nk1s

To motivate
http://youtu.be/xgL6jeeSqYQ

To mentor
http://youtu.be/ZLAytTJFwiY

To pack-up, and roll again to act
http://youtu.be/9V-wefxMxDY

And finally to say, with misty eyes, R.I.P. Dev Anand, my friend (if I may say so), philosopher and GUIDE!

Confusion in marriage starts with even a matrimonial ad

2011-12-03T00:19:00.001-08:00

Ever thought, why you need to get married? Precisely, if you are an Indian and still delve into the concept of family first and arranged marriage.

If yes, great! If not, never mind. Let’s have a tête-à-tête on this.

You: “Because I want to settle down.”

I: “That means, unless you get married, you aren’t settled but unstable?”

You: “No, not like that. My parents are aging and they want me to settle down.”

I: “Cool, so you should get married for your parents and their age and wishes?”

You: “No, no, you’re getting me wrong. Actually you need a partner to share your life with.”

I: “Fair enough. Can you be a bit specific on the sharing part?”

You: “Well, sharing your happiness and grief; smiles and tears; joys and frustrations… you know.”

I: “Yes, I do. But you can do so even with a good friend, who understands you like anything. No?”

You: “I can, but you know, there are more things to it. I mean you can’t share everything with your friend na!”

I: “Everything means? You mean sex?”

You: “Ah, well, yes! Not only that but also many things… you know.”

I: “No, if I had known, then of course I wouldn’t have asked you, right? However, for sex you can have many other ways, and frankly I couldn’t understand your many things.”

You: “Many things like having your own child(ren), getting someone for your old age…”

I: “Okay, but to have a child, you can also adopt an orphan and for your old age care, there are so many good old-age homes of late, so…”

You: “Oh ho, you’re not getting me. Marriage is necessary, and you’ve to understand that.”

I: “I’ve never said marriage is not necessary. All I wanted to know is why it’s necessary.”

You: “I don’t know. You please stop. And don’t forget, if your parents hadn’t been married then you were not born either.”

I: “I own your words. So, broadly speaking, marriage is an affair from which you expect your child(ren) and old-age security in addition to many other inexplicable things, which might add more to your confusion, right?”

You: “May be.”

I: “Not may be, IT IS.”

You: “Get LOST!”

I: “Sure, as you say.”

………………………………………………………………………

Now, I may have got lost. Still, has it helped you in any way?

Have you got the answer, why do you need to get married?

Don’t worry; I’m just as confused as you are. Or perhaps, I’m more confused than you are.

And in India, where arranged marriage always raves, it’s likely that this confusion will start from the very beginning. As an advertisement itself, which clamours off a matrimonial site everyday, or newspapers on Sundays.

See such an ad in the following, (click on it and get it enlarged) mark the red underlines and realise what I meant –

In this ad, I’ve deliberately hidden a few fields with grey patches. Because my idea has never been to insult or assault anyone’s sentiments but just to show how funny, trivial and frivolous a marriage could be in India… given over-protective parents, family members and relatives, who actually force a bride / groom to be a joker in public eyes.

In short, you’ve ONLY two choices. Get married to remain confused in your entire life. Or get rid of your confusions first, and always, to have a happy life: Married or unmarried.

Cheers!

The clueless run of Indian National Congress (INS) continues in Uttar Pradesh, even with the Assembly Election 2012 advertising campaign

2011-11-20T13:19:00.001-08:00

Why you need to advertise?

1. To make people aware of your product / service / company offerings and get their attention

2. Win and hold their interest

3. Simulate and stimulate their desire

4. Ask for a concrete action

Be it condom or rocket; biscuit or bride, or anything else – the four basic premises of advertising have always remained unchanged.

Big, bigger, biggest pundits, with bald head to ponytail to horsetail; French cut to goatee; six-pack to potbelly; tattoo to tongue prick, might differ and produce infinite number of strategies, plans, puns… and many more things; however what needs to be remained same just remains the same: As.It.Is.

That’s all, that’s it, and that IS reality.

And this reality always sounds as: “What’s in the offer for me?” Period.

As a consumer / customer, you actually get exposed to many brands; many communications; many media, but when it comes to decision and consumption, your single-minded ‘want’, not just need, always IS: “How am I going to be benefited?”

This benefit doesn’t necessarily mean that you should always expect and gain only tangibly perceivable values from it, but it should realistically provide you with an emotional connect, without which you might feel you are lost.

Product, service, company, market-share, segment, category, and blah, blah, and blah… inconsequential, the value offering(s) got to be the key in every brand. Even if the brand is a political party… like Indian National Congress (INS).

In Uttar Pradesh (UP), to fight against and dislodge the Mayawati Govt. in the Assembly Election 2012, Congress has rolled out its first set of advertising campaigns.

The line of positioning of this campaign has been 'Utho, jago aur badlo' (rise, awaken and change), and the party conveys the message with an attempt to communicate that unless one wakes up and votes for development, one can never change his destiny.

In line with that, the communication collaterals have started to shout 'Jawab Hum Denge' (We will give a befitting reply) across Allahabad and other strategic locations in the said state.

Here, as a voter, you know that you need to give a Jawab (a befitting reply / answer) on the voting machine to welcome change for development. But, do you have any idea, what will be those developments; how will they look like; how will they benefit you?

And when Congress is shouting for a change, what is it actually meaning, since every other party calls for such changes for a wide range of developments pre-election, isn’t it?

In that case, how can you call it, a positioning at all, which is simply not offering any UVP (Unique Voting Proposition)??!!

Plus, when the creative rendition of this positioning is getting stemmed out as ‘Jawab hum denge’, what does it mean, actually?

As a voter, of course it’s you only, who’s entitled to give ‘a befitting reply’ in the ballot box. So what’s the big deal in the communications that tell you the same thing, which you know already!

Or, is it Congress trying to say that the party will give a Jawab, if so, then it actually needs to give replies, on many accounts such as: Corruption, Inflation, Employment, and the list goes on.

Given this, politically speaking, Congress should rather give no answer, unless it has a real game plan to counter attack the Anti-corruption craze; an issue, which the party has failed to negotiate with so far. And that too, despite having their young leader Rahul Gandhi in the squad, while Varun Gandhi simply stole the show in the Parliament during the Ramlila of Anna Hazare.

From strategy, as well as creative point of views, the present campaign done by Percept/H has all in it... except any direction or objective.

In fact, if you compare two respective quotes, as mentioned below, by the client i.e. a notable leader of Congress and the agency head, you can easily understand the disconnect and dissonance prevalent in the campaign. Here it goes –

"We wanted to come up with a campaign that questions the governance in the region and ask for change. It is more an emotional campaign, than an aggressive one," says Raj Babbar, Congress leader.

"Who does not want change?" questions Harindra Singh, Vice-chairperson and Managing Director, Percept/H and then adds, “the whole approach adopted for the campaign is aggressive and only a young person like Gandhi can do justice to the words used in the campaign.”

Howz that?

If this is the scene between client (INS) and its incumbent agency (Percept/H), the level of advertising and communications actually requires to ‘rise, awaken and change’ before anyone does so in Uttar Pradesh.

Otherwise, perhaps, only a miracle can save Congress by making people believe that the party really understands things pertaining to consumers / voters / people at large.

In addition, if you take a look at the following slides, you will understand the main icon or mnemonic around which the entire campaign is moving and will be… in the future, has been so loosely done.

To say the least, this hardly qualifies up to any standard, whatsoever, to be called as creative work worth so much of money.

Take a break, and know more about the logo of INS, please read this –

In late 1978, Indira Gandhi came to offer worship in Hemambika Temple along with K.Karunakaran, her then lieutenant in the state, the former Chief Minister of Kerala. Those days, her party or fraction was facing patent troubles on their existing election symbol - The farmer with Oxen - by several dissidents or break-away Congress fractions, after the great election debacle in 1976.

The unique deity - The Hand - of the small Hemambika Temple ignited her creative mind. And the rest is History. The Hand was Congress’ election symbol in the next election in 1980, which brought Indira Gandhi back to the helm of power.

Anyway, now coming back to the point, since the country is India, and moreover, since the state is Uttar Pradesh (UP), where things like Badla (Revenge); Khoon (Blood); Jawab (befitting reply / answer)… work like anything, even today, to some extent following Bollywood and the Salan Khans, and the Dabangg typos, this campaign might also work wonder in favour of Congress.

And if it does so, for advertising and communication business, it will be yet another decomposition of creativity, which’s already been quite palpable, save for a few jobs. Precisely, in the mainstream and conventional media, where ideas have gone down to minus… with executions constantly hitting zero to hundred and above… and in the process making unwanted noise in various award-shows, helping the finger-displays… to create different victory signs complementing incomprehensible yells.

Net-net, Congress’ tryst with a change of destiny that’s been eluding the party since 1989 in UP could only come true... if the magic happens on voting machines. And for that, the party would do better, if it starts creating a new set of communications and keeps its fingers crossed… instead of holding them together firmly to form the punch of any Inquilab or Jawab!

Yes! Social Media Marketing is all about your content to others’ contentment.

2011-10-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

A long ago, a famous person from a very famous Brand had asserted, in great frustration of course, “50% of my advertising budget goes astray and I don’t know which half of it!”

What was once told about advertising, quite likely that the same would be told about Social Media Marketing i.e. SMM soon, as almost all Brands are going gung ho to leverage the market and consumers alike through Social Networking.

It’s actually very easy to be present on web, precisely on the various social networking sites such as facebook, linkedin, twitter, google+, YouTube and the likes.

In fact, it’s easier to create a profile page on each of those sites and then fill up the page with some content hoping that an interaction with audience will take place immediately and will continue to grow… exactly the way you wanted in favour of your Business or Brand.

No harm in hoping so, since hope has always been a positive thing to possess on your mind and in your heart.

However, the reality is, to stop and save your hope from turning into hope-against-hope, you need to think and do a bit more than just creating a profile page and adding some content onto it.

First and foremost, you got to understand the basic nature of a social networking site.

Despite the fact that all such sites one way or the other stand for social networking and thereby help a Business or Brand do some Social Media Marketing, but in reality, the nature of each site is unique, and thus impacts the SMM of your Business and Brand, accordingly.

For example, both twitter and facebook are heavily used for social networking, but as per operational modes, as well as in terms of user friendliness and content delivery and exchange facilities, these two sites are very much different. When twitter is still more of a message board kind, facebook is an open forum or platform. That means twitter is better, if one-sided communications are the need of the hour, whereas facebook is better, if two-sided communications i.e. interactions are sought after.

Besides that, the nature and characteristics of your target audience should also help you determine which social networking site(s) you should select and use more, and which you should avoid and use less.

Once that is fixed, comes the most crucial part of SMM and that is: Content.

First, consider the kind of content that you might use. That could be –

a) Text

b) Visual (in the form of photographs)

c) Web Link (Both text and visual types)

d) A/V clip (movie, TVC, song, lectures, etc.)

e) Game (web based, downloadable or non-downloadable)

Second, think of the nature of the content that you feel like using. It’s a very vital part of SMM. The nature of the content should be selected only on the basis of what you actually wish to derive or gain from your SMM practice.

The nature of your content will be perceived by one mostly in keeping with your tone of communications. And, not to mention, this tone (or tonality) of communications is very important for your SMM in order to engage and excite the target audience meeting your requirements vis-à-vis theirs.

Broadly, you might try out the following ways to provide different tones to your communications so as to involve your TG with your content –

1) Hilarious: This is so far experienced as the best tone to win over consumers / customers / prospects. Yet, you got to understand the nature of your content shouldn’t be diluted by your tone of communications. For instance, you cannot afford to share the news of an earthquake through hilarity

2) Direct: This is a good ploy to put forth your communications in case you are trying to pass on some product or service related info and know you are talking to whom rather categorically. In this case, you actually have known who might be your customer or already is. So here, instead of communicating in a generic manner, you can afford to be more direct and guiding

3) Nonchalant: This works perfectly when you just need to share something for others’ notice and knowledge, but not expecting too much of a talking or any productive results out of it

4) Curious: This manner of communications is pretty suitable when you wish to know things from others. It’s a nice strategy to do some market research spending almost zero money but only a few hours of time

5) Free-flowing: This is also pretty workable method to occupy people on your content where a free-flowing discussion takes place. Time to time this discussion might lose its original context and go haywire. But still, the functionality of this technique of communications remains quite productive, while you are willing to know many things about others without even letting them know that you are curious

Third, when you know it for sure the kind and nature of content you want to share and how, you got to take care of the following things –

A) Team building / Self-development and evolution, to execute the SMM

B) Time management, to do the SMM almost on a regular basis

c) Getting better off with the latest analytics, to make sure you are always up to the task being fully aware of what’s working and what’s not for your SMM

As a matter of fact, the size and volume of your business and brand notwithstanding, unless and until you are responsible to acknowledge and accept that in SMM the word ‘social’ is very crucial and therefore you’ve to contribute to ‘society’ and ‘humans’ at large through your marketing… exploiting the new media, your chances of succeeding in the arena of social networking is very remote.

Hence, be social, and try to content people with your content, and in the process earn everyone’s consent for your success in social media marketing through social networking.

facebook and India : Two’s company might just be all’s benefits

2011-10-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

The world’s changing. So is India. The impact of this change is very well felt across society… involving politics, economics, education and knowledge, communications, entertainment, media and marketing, lifestyle, and life, precisely a life on web.

This life, termed as ‘social networking’, is actually bringing a sea change to lives, mostly for the youth exposed to mobile, tablets, laptops, PC, and Internet.

Among many social networking sites, it’s facebook, which clearly tops the charts of mind of many Indians. Whereas a latest survey reveals social networking on rediff shows the maximum growth in terms of market share, while facebook has the third highest growth rate… albeit over a much larger user base, worldwide.

In fact the survey report also confirms India ranks 4th and has 14% market share for the social network and online forums, with facebook, YouTube and orkut continue to be the top three social networking websites here.

The study divulges it too that the country that has experienced the fastest growth in facebook usage over the past year is India, as social networking accounting for an increase in market share of 88% in August 2011, compared to August 2010.

Plus, India ranks 8th in terms of average session time spent on facebook. And in August 2011, the average session time spent on facebook was 20 minutes 21 seconds.

Here are some interesting data from the infographic on facebook usage in India –

A. Almost half of the small businesses being surveyed had a facebook page for their company

B. Of those companies that had a facebook page, 77.5 % of them set it up on their own and only 3.5% of them hired a professional or agency to get it done

C. 19.5% of the small businesses surveyed designed their facebook page even before their company website

D. Businesses use facebook for different reasons and see different benefits. Most businesses use facebook to share basic information about their business (85%) and over half of businesses that use facebook share content like pictures and videos (62.4%) and 47% of them use it have conversations with the customers

E. The major benefit of having a facebook page is increased web traffic. 47% of businesses say they see a significant amount of traffic coming from facebook and 43% say that their facebook page generates even more traffic than their website

F. Among the businesses that do not have a facebook page, the common reason for not having one was lack of time to create and manage

More to mention, top Indian cities with registered facebook users are Mumbai (5.28 million), Delhi/Gurgaon (5.26 million), Bangalore (3.03 million), Hyderabad (1.71 million), Chennai (1.69 miliion) and Kolkata (0.82 million), and these figures are counting up, continuously, everyday.

In this situation, and when google has launched google+ as well, for the reason obvious, facebook needed to be proactive and it has been.

With the revamp of its exiting APIs, as well as with the introduction of new APIs, especially Timeline, facebook gives a clear cut message to all that it’s not going to be idle or lag behind and is always up to it, when innovation is the need of the hour for social networking.

But, if this innovation keeps restricted only within the limits of technology, facebook might not strengthen its footholds, as strongly as it probably hopes, in India.

For a simple reason, because India is a different market, where hi-tech technologies are still seen as a threat to mental peace and user-friendliness by the larger base of users. And that too, irrespective of their socio-economic conditions.

In addition, a Brand is always prone to fall prey to a ‘consumer-assault’ through his action, reaction or word-of-mouth recommendation / propaganda, socially, which might not be as severe elsewhere, as it is in India.

To understand what it means, please see the following visuals –

Besides, technology can’t be a sole differentiator for a social networking platform, where people come mostly for enjoyment and entertainment, and ease and easiness of work, business or pastime… thereby to express self in his very own way.

So, finding a proper positioning, globally vis-à-vis country wise is essential for facebook in the present context.

For example: Xerox is to photocopying – where the action of photocopying itself has transformed into ‘doing Xerox’ to people in general. At least in India.

Exactly in the same vein, facebook needs to create a positioning plank for itself to make an average Indian believe ‘social networking’ means ‘facebooking’ only.

To do so, facebook might think of offering three major benefits like –

a. Easy applications for everyone just as simple as emails, chats, etc.

b. Can be done from anywhere, even beyond the urban land

c. An alternative to newspapers, magazines, books, etc. for knowledge and education, but at the same time saving trees from newsprints and all

Below are the two ads, to highlight how facebook can convey the said benefits to people in India, even at the grassroots level –

Last but not least, facebook should never afford to deny that social networking for people in India – hailing not only from urban areas but also from suburbs and hinterlands – does hold the ground for Brands and Businesses alike… to thrive on and benefit from ‘social media marketing’ (SMM). And these people really have the aspirations to go ahead and possess the purchasing power, which might even give complex to the urban lads more often.

PS: Here are two relevant links for all to understand how the market is changing and reacting to social networking –

http://www.fastcompany.com/1784586/new-facebook-tools-help-marketers-measure-fans-word-of-mouth

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/10/08/the-gold-in-social-customer-service/

With Pidi, Avenue South Pallymangal Samity Durga Puja wins three awards in 2011

2011-10-08T03:01:00.000-07:00

This year (2011), Avenue South Pallymangal Samity (Santoshpur), Kolkata celebrated its 45th year of Durga Puja.

The crux of this year’s Puja Theme was Pidi – the flat wooden seat pad, our ancestors, mostly the woman in Paschimbanga (erstwhile West Bengal) used to use to sit on.

This Pidi actually happened to be ‘an own world’ to those women, who hardly had the luxury, comfort and freedom to express and live unlike today’s divas. Sitting on those Pidis, those women would liberate themselves the way they want, in many ways, in line with their varied emotions and work… complementing their daily existence and life.

From having the first rice (annaprashan) to playing with dolls; celebrating womanhood after having the first periods to getting married; hailing pregnancy to breast feeding; cooking for the entire family to performing Pujas and religious rituals; embellishing and ornamenting herself (shringar) to lamenting on near and dear ones’ death… for anything, everything, this Pidi would personify the woman, who had been someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s wife, someone’s mother and someone’s grandmother.

In short, the Pidi not only was a hard reality to those women but also a winning streak… letting them turn into ‘Dashabhuja’ – a Maa Durga herself – to fight against all odds and negativity as inflicted upon them rather forcefully by the demons of man (read men) made society and its uncouth prejudices.

To highlight and illustrate this, the Pandal of Avenue South Pallymangal Samity (ASPS) was made with Pidis only.

The structure of the Pandal was built with Steel in keeping with the safety standard, eliminating Bamboos or anything inflammable. On this structure a number of Pidis were placed with different types of Alpana on them, where each Alpana tells a story of the then day to day life of a woman.

Inside the Pandal, the hue was kept as twilight-red in order to express the sun-setting stage of the Pidi in our life at present, as well as to represent the Furnace or Chula, which also suggests an END.

As a whole, the Theme, Pandal, and idols altogether was an effort to pay homage and tributes to ‘womanhood’, particularly remembering those women who are no more seen (on Pidis) just like the Pidi itself.

And this effort of ASPS in 2011 was finally rewarded with the three following awards:

a) Pratya – Bachhorer Sera Abishkar (Pratya – The greatest invention of the year)

b) Rotary International (Dist. 3291) – Special Jury Award

c) Thana Samanya Committee Shreshtho Puja – 3rd Prize

Sonal Kalra dissected at Brand Lab

2011-10-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Who’s Sonal Kalra? Editor – HT City, Delhi. Okay. Is she a celebrity? No. Has Paris Hilton gifted her a bag? Aare nahi re! Then why so much craze about her? Sorry, there’s no craze actually. Then? Only calmness. For? To make you ‘A Calmer You’. Kaise? Aise…

A brand and a human are quite similar in nature. Apparently we might feel that it’s humans who consume, compliment and complement a brand, but it’s just the other way round. A brand consumes, compliments and complements humans i.e. consumers in order to survive, live and excel… or extinct.

For example: If worldwide, on a given day, nobody buys and drinks Pepsi, nothing will happen to anyone. But, Pepsi will realize what has happened to the Brand’s bottom-line (i.e. Sales figure) thanks to that one single NO-Pepsi day!

The same applies for HT City as well. When readers read this supplement of Hindustan Times, it actually consumes, compliments and complements its readers.

Precisely, HT City does it mostly by riding on Sonal and her famous Sunday Column ‘A Calmer You’.

That means here the actual Brand is Sonal Kalra who is consumed, complimented and complemented by all of us and vice versa.

Given this, I’m trying to decode rather dissect Sonal, so as to present the real Brand value of hers, as well as to suggest how this value can be redefined.

I shall be doing this on 5W scale by: WHO, WHAT, (for) WHOM, WHY, and HOW.

Who Sonal is

A daughter. A lady. A wife. A mother. An editor. A columnist. A writer. An author. An achiever. A motivator. And a friend.

Here, the redefinition possibilities for her are present in the area of leadership, EQ and SQ based knowledge sharing and social change where she might take part more actively.

What Sonal offers

Out-of-the-box calmness tips to bust stress and strain occurred to us on a daily basis or occasionally in personal life, as well as professional. Plus, the Bollywood dose and dopes, involving high-voltage celebrities, in a refreshing way.

As an extension or redefinition, she might start to offer more on career-guidelines and guidance to students who are interested in media or media related profession. Running a different cell under HT City for celebrity communications, especially for their media relations and PR could also be a good option.

Sonal is for whom

For everyone, who reads HT City or is on the page of Fans of Sonal Kalra (FOSK) on facebook or does follow her on twitter. Plus, for a number of celebrities from Bollywood. Also, for the buyers who have already bought her book and recommended it to others.

But, she can actually extend her readers and followers’ base worldwide. Corporate people can also be benefited by her and her calmness tips more and more as aam janta (common people). Plus, the who’s who from other walks but Bollywood i.e. people who remain under more stress than an average person can also find succor from Sonal in her redefined role.

Why Sonal

That’s the most crucial value proposition. In fact this proposition defines what is Sonal’s uniqueness or edge over her peers and contemporaries or seniors.

Sonal has that pristine elegance, which immediately gives an impression that she’s not a showpiece beauty. Her sharp features provide a clear indication that this lady has a thinking head on her shoulders. If you look at her eyes closely and mark her words and reactions a little attentively, you will get that feeling promptly she’s quite naughty, mischievous to the core, enjoys good fun, very liberal, freedom lover, a very difficult person to those who are difficult to her, not overtly emotional i.e. balanced, loves her work, and easy-to-approach, amicable and, last but not least, will give you that comfort for sure, as if she knows you for years, so do you.

In addition, her timing of humour is very good, that’s a rare quality in today’s time among the zombies around in the media industry. Her repartee is outstanding. And her selection of words while she writes and talks is so comprehensible that you need not to be a dictionary or thesaurus lover, to fall in love with Sonal’s writing.

However, in this space she certainly needs to redefine herself by believing more in the fact that SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WELL DESERVING CANDIDATE TO RECEIVE the love, respect, admiration, awards and accolades that she’s already achieved, still achieves and will achieve in the future.

How Sonal reaches

Through her column, book, tweets, facebook posts and emails, Sonal reaches her audience. And the process is so far so good.

Nevertheless, Sonal can still redefine her reach on twitter, and facebook – to be precise. Especially, in keeping with the new APIs available on FB. Also, a personal interactive website is a must thing for her. Besides, she should increase her public appearance a bit more, especially on channels and at relevant events.

Finally, Sonal Kalra sincerely and seriously needs to believe that she’s THE BRAND to change, lead and redefine India and the world of Indians, if not the world, with the YOUTH of Hindustan, successfully, in time!

6-points Anna

2011-08-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Post India’s unreal cum surreal independence on August 15, 1947, the nation claimed to have achieved its ‘real independence’ finally on August 27, 2011.

With the resolution passed in the house of parliament complementing the anticipation of making the Jan Lokpal Bill (JLP) into law, 'People’s Democracy' is established across the country… turning Mahatma Gandhi into Anna Hazare and vice versa!

Thanks to almost all news channels, and precisely on Times Now, we have come to know that ‘Anna took a sip from two girls’ and broke his fast to augur a new history of India… on and from August 28, 2011.

When the history will be manufactured in the workshop of time and task; toil and test, let’s look into the points that have already made Anna Hazare – the biggest Human Brand in India, after Gandhi.

And that too, when the historians on various TV channels have excavated ‘People’s Democracy’ by digging quite deep into the floor of the parliament and corruption!

Point 1: Issue

Nothing, absolutely nothing could’ve been a better issue than corruption to address, attend and act upon in the present context that Anna Hazare chose to dabble in.

One hand when the JLP’s been lying unattended in the parliament for over 40 years and on the other hand when the UPA government in centre has been all at sea, given the Big Ticket corruptions like Commonwealth Games; 2G scam, etc., THIS simply sent tsunami waves of ineptness from the epicenter of the govt. vis-à-vis the parliament to every Indian’s disgust and despair.

In this situation, though the imprisonment of Kalmadi and Raja took place but the efforts of the UPA were par below than average and considered by the majority of people… only as ‘too late for too little for too long’ affairs.

As a result, an anti-corruption stance perfectly suits everyone to raise a voice against the on-going corruption and then when someone like Anna came forward to lead from the front; it’s actually made a lot of sense to follow him rather blindly.

Point 2: Remedy

What we see is what we get.

Since most of us are neither blind nor visionary, which is quite natural in fact, it’s never necessary in life to try to see the roots of a tree while the tree is so distinctly visible with its stem, branches, leaves, etc. wide spread.

Also, it’s the sight, not the vision that is one of the five senses we have and are expected to put into use.

Therefore, when all of us have known that the tree is corrupted and there is an axe called JLP Bill at our disposal; it’s more than apt to bring it out and chop the tree, immediately, with the axe!

And, for that matter, it hardly matters whether the roots of that tree still remain into the ground or not.

Hence, it’s not surprising that who dared to get hold of that axe with great intent and purpose, we found him the messiah against corruption.

Thereby Anna: the first turned Mahatma Gandhi: the second to personify India in flesh and blood.

Point 3: Background

In India – not sure though, if the same applies in other countries as well – whoever works in army is a soldier. Even if the person works in a military canteen or drives a truck or does some paramedical work… is a military, and a probable martyr. So his sacrifice for the nation is not to be forgotten.

In case an army man kills his colleague over a silly exchange of words, or rapes a civilian woman in Kashmir, or sells off subsidized liquors from the canteen in the black market, or beats his little son to death with a belt, or does something else or similar when there is no war or terrorist attack or natural calamities, well, still his sacrifice for our lives and security cannot be ignored.

Irrespective of the fact neither you nor I have ever asked anyone to be a soldier and turn shahid for us in the process, if he dies at all in war, albeit both you and I should always be grateful and look up to him because he is a soldier and we are not.

Sometimes it really baffles me while I get compelled to think who actually makes more sacrifice in a day-to-day life! A common man who’s principally, morally, socially, nationally and humanly detained to acknowledge a soldier and his sacrifice for everyone at the drop of a hat or a soldier who’s destined to be great only, even if he loses a battle of life badly and dies from that defeat.

Plus, I’m not sure why it’s perceived all the time that a soldier always sacrifices his life for our families only, as if his family members don’t belong to the nation!

Not surprising then, if a huge number of fanatics and activists join Anna Hazare because that simple and honest man was a soldier too lest we hate to admit that he was actually a truck driver of a military convoy in Indian army.

Point 4: Age

At 3.00 am, is it possible to demand for a hot cup of tea from your newly married daughter-in-law in December? Possible! Is it possible to fart aloud sitting amid many people and then expecting everyone will appreciate this gesture of yours with a heartening smile? Possible! Is it possible to stage a rudali show all day long for a year and more, so that your daughter leaves her husband and gets divorced? Possible!

All those things are possible along with many others, if you are above 60. And you may jolly well call it ‘senior citizen privileges’ provided by an Indian society as part and parcel of your democratic rights.

And based on these rights, you can do anything at home or outside because you are more experienced than anyone else, so automatically entitled to blow off your ego out of proportion or play emotional tricks to any length, breadth, width and depth.

If it’s to put simply, others’ black (or coloured) hair should always be raised and accountable to do the tango with your grey hair or bald head in India.

This is respect! And owing to his 70+ age, Anna Hazare is also someone from that grey brigade, who’s automatically qualified to command (if not demand, apparently) the said respect from the Youth of India.

Point 5: Method

Gluttony is truly Indian! So the food for tummy does pave the way for the food for thought. Since childhood, an Indian knows if he doesn’t eat, he can certainly achieve an edge instantly… drawing everyone’s attention on himself.

Reason is simple. If someone doesn’t eat, he is bound to fall sick eventually. And when someone is sick others will become more than willing to take him and his cause seriously.

So fasting is a well-orchestrated and sure-success formula in India to get things done in one’s favour while a normal way of execution is unlikely to produce a yield. This can also be termed as a democratic and non-violent process of sheer blackmailing.

In a family, if we get to see that a person has not been eating for more than a day, we generally get perturbed. So, obviously, if we get to see that someone else – however, who's not a family member – has been on a fast in a public place where media cameras are monitoring his blood-pressure drop, weight loss, etc. on a minute-by-minute count then we, as responsible citizens of a democratic country like India, are liable to react and get concerned for this guy and his health.

Thus the magnitude of support Anna Hazare receives on account of his hunger strike is nothing but natural in line with humanity and, may be, sympathy to some extent.

Point 6: Target

If you can’t target your next generation, you are nowhere in your own generation. Any intelligent person with a little bit of commonsense understands that.

The future is the best gift you can promise to someone who’s following you at present. If you can take someone into the dreamland of the future, he won’t mind to forget his present.

Then the person is almost hypnotized by you and won’t want to come back to the ground reality.

This hypnotism or hallucination gives rise to a rebel mindset, which is often cunningly misinterpreted as revolution, exuding a new sense of freedom.

A freedom from corruption; a freedom from laws; a freedom from rules and regulations; a freedom from system; a freedom to argue and debate; a freedom from day-to-day affairs and a freedom from self… with BIGGER hopes to renew life, living and lifestyle, immediately!

The euphoria of this freedom for a Ramrajya seems to be very much in vogue to viability for the Youth who are more concerned about their future than the present. Because they know they are supposed to live more into that future they are dreaming of than their ancestors thanks to their younger age.

And when this future is easily available in India, precisely in the form of an anti-corruption avatar i.e. the JLP Bill; why not get it! And get it with Anna!

The Youth of India support Anna Hazare because Anna could pick up their minds, pump their hearts and pamper their souls and sell a ‘future-perfect’ India to them, which neither Congress led UPA nor BJP could do earlier or even now.

To sum up, what Anna has done is remarkable no doubt but still we need to wait and watch how far India can afford to move ahead on the tides of just the JLP Bill. For, Indian democracy is like Titanic sailing through the ocean of people’s power wherein the iceberg of corruption is very much present and prevalent from the time immemorial, showing only its tips to Anna Hazare and the civil society… at this point.

The Lokpal Bill minus any bitter pill. Get it.

2011-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Since childhood I’ve always been exposed to the fact that nothing happens without a reason or cause. So when corruption happens around me and across India, I do consider it’s happening for a cause only.

However, before the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill (citizen’s ombudsman bill) to me by none other than Mr. Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, as well as by the UPA Govt., the reason behind corruption has never been clear to me.

In fact, I’m still not very sure why corruption happens. May be it happens so that we get an Anna – the second Gandhi; we get our second Independence via him; we get a chance to fast in a public place like a maidan or park; we get to visit Tihar jail; we get to disobey the Parliament; we get to boost up the candle industry through our candle march; we get to help the nation save its power through our lights-off; we get to know ‘the art of leaving’ in women’s attire; we get to walk miles after miles in search of a rape victim; we get to have a Prime Minister who functions playing dumb charades; we get to have a Raja who steals; we get to have a man who suffers from dementia to confuse between his personal wealth and the Commonwealth; we get to receive the tag of thugs and become subjects to lathi charge and tears gas during our peaceful protest… and the list goes on.

Whatever it is, from the Lokpal Bill, I have come to know that it’s the key to clean corruption off our society. And if it’s done, India would be a corruption-free country, where no politicians, bureaucrats, govt. officials, senior members of the judiciary and the likes can afford to be corrupted or corrupt anyone else.

For, thanks to this bill, if turned into law, whoever is corrupted or practising corruption would be punished within two years from the date of a complaint against him while the judicial process to convict him will get over maximum by one year or so.

From receiving complaints to finding someone guilty to inflicting the punishment upon him, everything would be done by an autonomous body, just like the election commission or the Supreme Court, but comprising the representatives from the civil-society, the parliament and the judicial authorities. Plus, this body will also include the anti-corruption branch of CBI into its system and operations.

As a result, a different judicial mechanism will be functional to facilitate people at large across India to get justice against the corrupted persons in power which in the process will ensure all of us achieve a new country full of dignity, honesty, trust and transparency. That’s been somewhat missing to us hitherto despite our Independence in 1947.

But, to make things happen to build a utopia, as expected and envisaged; the bill should be made into law.

So, Mr. Anna Hazare led civil-society made a draft of the bill and gave to the UPA Govt. and wanted the law to be in action immediately once the study and review of a parliamentary committee was over.

In the proposed bill, as drafted by Anna and the civil society’s representatives, it was mentioned that the Prime Minister, as well as senior members of the judiciary got to be included in the ombudsman’s remit.

Which the Govt. refused to accept and even after nine meetings held between the civil-society and the Govt., no such positive and productive conclusion came out.

Whereas the Govt. said it incorporated 34 out of the 40 principles of the Mr. Hazare made bill in the proposed anti-corruption law which is now being studied by a parliamentary committee.

The Govt. also added that on the issue of the PM and other senior judicial members’ inclusions under the jurisdiction of the law stemmed from the Lokpal Bill, Anna was behaving adamant and coercing the Govt. by saying, “Either my law or no law,” and going on hunger strikes.

On August 16, 2011, when Anna along with his supporters began his fast, Delhi Police took him and his supporters into custody and sent Anna to Tihar Jail. This evoked protest across India; united the anti-UPA parties; did let media go clairvoyant about the demise of democracy and the rise of the UPA tyranny and a probable Pink revolution to power in centre.

While that was the day’s affair, the evening came to an end with yet another candle march at Gurgaon or perhaps in some other parts of India – not to my knowledge though.

In between, there was no shortage of tweets or facebook wall posts from different corners and with varied opinions and a majority of celebrities from Bollywood was observed to have extended supports to Anna and the Lokpal Bill.

It was heartening to see even those Bollywood Stars who had once or twice been detained at Mumbai airport for carrying undeclared luxury goods or jewelleries or had made their marks in media, mostly for wrong reasons, were offering their full hand supports to Anna and his second freedom fight for a fast paced Lokpal Bill.

Amid such situations, Anna just denied to relent and leave Tihar Jail which also witnessed that Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar reached there in flesh and blood with their ‘maha atmas’ i.e. larger than life spirits to get beside Anna.

The haggle begins and is still on while Anna is not willing to give up on his hunger strikes. As usual the UPA Govt. remains baffled and finding ‘foreign hands’ behind Anna’s agitations. (God knows who shakes hands more often than not with foreign delegates, Anna or the PM or other members of the Parliament!)

Anyway, now as it stands, the focal point of the bargain is the venue (or may be even menu) where Anna should commence his next episode of the mega ‘fast of fury’. Because it’s really important to keep the protest on, as in present context, a fast is more important than the Lokpal Bill so as to prove the UPA Govt. is inept in centre and patronising corruption and should be replaced by BJP and its RSS feed and Bajrang Dal.

Also, we can’t deny that BJP has already proven its anti-corruption stance by asking Yeddy to leave his CM’s chair in Karnataka, so the party should be rewarded for its effort by all of us in Lok Sabha.

They might break another mosque or build a temple inside your bedroom or expect you to be Virat (BIG) Hindu (if not Kohli) but that’s a different issue and not falling in the purview of corruption; so relax!

Now are we fasting for BJP?

Oh! NO! Not really.

We are fasting and protesting for the Lokpal Bill and I feel we might actually make it possible in the following ways –

a) Let’s have two sets of draft: one made by the civil-society and the other by the Govt.

b) There should be a governing body or an autonomous committee which will function like the election commission

c) The body may comprise the members of the Parliament, of the judiciary, of the police and of the civil-society. The members would be chosen by public opinion only

d) Let there be an election or contest through pure vote casting between the two sets of draft. The voting can be done online and through phone calls and SMS. In the remote villages the Panchayats can organise the election. The governing body will make sure there’s no manipulation in the voting process

e) None can vote more than once or change his opinion

f) The votes will be counted to see which draft wins

g) The winning draft will be reviewed by the governing committee properly minus any bias and the committee can also make a few changes – if required in the winning draft

h) The draft would be sent to the Supreme Court for its order to the Parliament to make the drafted and winning bill into law immediately and apply the same through the committee which already conducted the draft election

NOTE: Nonetheless a guilty party should approach High Courts once and the Supreme Court once to challenge the governing committee’s decision of punishment. It’s necessary because no corruption is done single-handedly; hence the punishment shouldn’t also be meted out to a convict one-sidedly.

Finally, if we are really serious about the Lokpal Bill and a corruption free country, I think we sincerely try to do those things only which bring us results, actually, minus any ruckus or just razzmatazz.

Injury or HIDDEN injury? Which's costing (Indian) cricket in England?

2011-08-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Cricket is a religion in India. So it has all the course and discourse; fanaticism and eccentricities; ideologies and idiosyncrasies; spirits and sanity and fitness and injuries – whatever a religion is expected to have in itself.

For that, India’s current tour of England can easily be considered as a religious journey, actually a crusade, to say the least.

But, in the crusade, among all the virtues (vices included) of the said religion, it seems INJURY holds the key where on every other day a crusader i.e. a cricketer is complaining of an injury and sacrificing his place in the team, not life, for his nation.

However, before the crusade begun in England almost all the crusaders were found fit and fine. In fact, all of them selected passed the fitness test right under the nose of concerned authorities who are not only paid in heft by the BCCI but also carry mile long testimonials in their favour.

The crusade took off at Lords. On the first day itself, Zaheer Khan nominated himself for a place in the injury list with slight niggles inside his right hamstring. He went off the field immediately holding an ambition to get himself fit sooner than later under the surveillance and guidance of the professional and internationally acclaimed physical trainer and fitness coach touring with the Indian team.

The first test came to an end. Zaheen Khan wasn’t traced on the field with the ball in hand, excepting with the bat to occupy the crease for a short while limping around having a runner beside.

It was heard that Zaheer would stage in the second test at Trent Bridge. The play started and ended with a humiliating defeat for India. No sign of Zaheer was there, and the fitness report suggested he would be fit for the third test at Edgbaston.

In the meantime, Yuvaraj could play in the second test, quite by a stroke of luck, in place of Gambhir who got himself hurt very badly while fielding in the first test at Lords.

Amid these happenings, Harbhajan experienced a strange injury close to his abdomen that even his other team members, as well as the captain Dhoni weren’t sure of. In fact, this injury occurred to Bhajji all of a sudden complementing his poor form with the ball in England.

Thereafter, a fitness report was issued stating Yuvi has fractured index finger and Bhajji has abdominal muscle strain thus were left out of the squad for the remaining two tests and for the T20 and ODIs.

In between, Zaheer bothered to bowl only three overs in the practice match against Northamptonshire; gave his fitness test and found himself fit enough to play in the T20 and ODIs but ruled himself out for the third test.

Then, in a little over 24 hours we came to know Zaheer has got recurrent injury in his right hamstring and a right ankle impingement which’s sending him for a minimum of 14-16 weeks' rest and recuperation.

Now the question is, apart from Yuvi’s index finger fracture, exactly what happened to Harbhajan and Zaheer?

Has Harbhajan’s abdominal muscle strain stemmed from his abysmal performance as a bowler? Or has Zaheer been fit enough to play at all for the series in England?

In case a benefit of doubt is given to Harbhajan, no way it can be given to Zaheer and his fitness. Because whoever has played any sports can understand just a hamstring pull can never send a fit bowler out of action for 14-16 weeks. It’s just impossible!

More so, when the injured bowler got back to pavilion immediately without even bowling a single delivery after the injury. So adding stress to strain was out of question in that case, hence no chance of an injury aggravation.

That means somewhere down the line, there was a major compromise made in the system that took the fitness test of the players, precisely of the senior players. And it was done with a hope that those players would matter the most, when chips were down in the series.

However, in realty, it gives just a different picture. That is, the players with hidden injuries are costing not only the match but also the sentiments of an entire nation.

Frankly, this is neither in line with the spirit of the game nor in keeping with any professionalism. It’s sheer cheating, firstly on self and gradually on everyone around. It’s bowing down to the greed of earning some quick bucks in the guise of need to playing and winning for the nation.

And when a sportsman does it; the system allows it; the administrators benefit from it, the sport can never be a religion or not even a riot.

Then it remains just as a rant, where Cricket becomes only the call of a few crickets but cricketers. And that’s all.

You can't leak on the WALL always just because it never wails

2011-08-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

The team list of India for T20 and ODIs for the ongoing England series is out. The team of 16 stands as: Dhoni (C & WK), Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kohli, Raina, Rohit, Zaheer, Ashwin, Praveen, Munaf, Ishant, Vinay, Mishra and Parthiv (2nd WK). Yuvaraj and Harbhajan were left out due to injuries and poor form.

The selection that perhaps leaves everyone’s eyebrows arched and forehead creased is of Dravid. And that too, irrespective of his sublime form in both the tests played at Lords and Trent Bridge, respectively.

Why so? Here the reasons follow –

1. If sense and commonsense prevail, Gambhir and Sehwag will open. At No. 3, it should be Kohli. Then comes Tendulkar at No. 4. At No. 5, it’s either Raina or Rohit then comes Dhoni at No. 6 or 7. Thereafter it’s the bowlers who will chip in. So, where is the place for Dravid?

In case Kohli is dislodged from No. 3 position and being sent out to bat at No. 5, 6 or 7, it’s just not going to help India given Kohli’s nature of innings building where he loves to spend more time initially at the crease by just working the leather around. Honestly, unless there is a place for Dravid at No. 3 or as an opener there is no place for him in the team.

2. In England where the cherry always does a bit extra in the air and off the pitch, of course India won’t play with 8 batsmen and 3 bowlers. So the team composition would be either 7 batters and 4 bowlers or 6 batters and 5 bowlers.

If It’s 7 : 4 then the bowling department will have 3 pacers and a spinner. And Raina, Rohit and Kohli and may be even Sehwag have to share the ball among them to complete the 5th bowler’s quota.

In this context, needless to aver, since Dravid can’t bowl, he doesn’t stand anywhere.

Now, if it’s 6 : 5 – which is almost impossible to happen – then also Dravid has no chance to see himself in the playing eleven.

In that case, on what basis the selectors have decided to include Dravid in the squad? A BIG, BIG question!

If a player of Dravid’s stature is made to sit out in the shadow of dressing rooms or simply expected to tread in the field during a drinks break only, it’s not only an INSULT to him but also to the game of cricket, as well as to each and every Indian who’s one way or the other indebted to Dravid for his contribution to Indian cricket.

However, if the selection of Dravid is made to frustrate him to that extent reaching where he will tell on his own, “Enough! I quit,” like Sourav had already done then only I think this selection holds any merit. Else, it’s just rubbish!

Another fairytale of panic is filling up the air though so as to provide some meats on the bones of the selectors who made Dravid their chicken.

In the said team, if anyone is under the scanner or playing the panic button, is none other than Dhoni. That means we need to believe in the fact that with time Dhoni will be replaced by Dravid behind the wicket, right? If so, what Parthiv is to do next in England? Window shopping or paragliding?

As a matter of fact, even Parthiv’s inclusion is more than bizarre! When in the entire ODI series in West Indies, Parthiv could manage to play only one innings with authority besides scratching the ball here and there with his willow. So was his standard of keeping in the Caribbean Islands that’s never been above average.

Wriddhiman Saha, who’s a far better keeper than Parthiv on any given day, anytime, anywhere and can also bat quite handy, got dropped again despite he was very much in the test squad; already been acclimatized well to the English conditions; had fielded brilliantly – though not as a keeper – and also produced a fantastic run out at Trent Bridge.

But, for all his good efforts, he was thrown out of the squad for T20 and ODIs!

Also, not very sure what value Vinay Kumar will bring onto the table, even if he’s picked in the first eleven as an all-rounder who can bat. His utility can only be justified, if, at all, India go ahead with 6 batters and 5 bowlers. Otherwise, in a typical 7 batters and 4 bowlers format, Sreesanth has always been a better choice for the seaming and swinging conditions.

Overall, the team seems to be okay, quite in line with ‘safety-first’ formula and measure. But, with one BIG exception and that IS Dravid.

It’s actually agonising to know that since there is a WALL, the selectors (and the team management) simply walk up to it at their whims and will… and leak.

Frankly, it’s JUST NOT DONE!

The Lords Test can’t be won again but the series can be

2011-07-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Okay I too understand that India lost the 100th test between India vs. England, which was incidentally the 2000th test as well in the history of test cricket. For the reason obvious, I’m also upset with the result but, at the same time, can’t really afford to feel traumatized since India lost yet another test; yes, JUST a test match to England.

As a matter of fact, I’m finding it quite difficult to fathom why should we consider the outcome as India’s defeat at all whereas the reality is it was a fantastic win – achieved by England?! More so, as in the test, from the first day to the last, it was the English team only that played far better cricket to dominate and win.

In case the defeat is hurting our ego as we are the No.1 test side in the ICC ranking then I think we should’ve played in the test like a true champion side but unlike an Indian A team facing the senior English side, cockily off the pitch but as chickens on the turf.

Postmortem doesn’t help a dead body come alive so will no post match analysis. A million ‘what could have done’ or ‘what should be done’ stuffs might look great in the newsprint or as TV bytes or web content but, in reality, what really matters is the ‘purpose of playing to the peak’ or to the peril.

Technology, knowledge, strategies, plans… all look more than perfect on
laptops but, on field, only one thing counts and that IS ‘execution’ : ‘consorted applications of commonsense, skill and fitness (both mental and physical)’.

In the test at Lords, honestly we have lacked commonsense, skill and fitness. And how we lacked, here it goes –

Case 1 : Ishant… who confessed on camera that he was sorry for bowling the whole day on the first day of the test to a wrong length which was well short and he wasn’t aware of the slope across the ground, as well as the pitch at Lords.

If one of the main strike bowlers, who has already performed superbly in the recently concluded series in West Indies, needs a full day to learn what’s going wrong with him and his bowling, it’s not a technical problem, it’s a serious problem of comprehension and understanding which can be termed as ‘commonsense disorder’.

In case Ishant couldn’t understand what was needed to be done in order to cope with the slope what was Mr. Duncan Fletcher – the coach of the Indian side – doing?

Plus, it was amusing to know from Ishant only that despite Zaheer’s advice to change ends, he (Ishant) didn’t feel like doing so! What was that?! Confidence or overconfidence or sheer disobedience at the cost of team’s interest!

From cricketing point of view, it is also bizarre to hear, if a bowler says, “I have my certain lengths to bowl to!!!!” HOW can a bowler have certain lengths???!!! Where the length of deliveries of a cricket ball is TOTALLY dependent on the nature of the wicket; the feet movements of a batter; the condition of the ball – whether it’s just swinging or reversing too; the weather; the field placing; and the likes. Sorry, Mr. Bowler, whoever you are, you can have your own bowling action and speed but no own bowling lengths for that matter.

Hence, apply commonsense, supply performance!

Case 2 : Batting… the famous Indian batting which is known, awed (read overawed), and worshiped for its depth and density across the world. But when chips were down and the stage was all set to show some character, the famous batting lineup collapsed like ninepins.

Even if it’s taken for granted that the English pacers were bowling like anything and swinging the cherry at will with clinical precision, I’m mighty curious to know how many runs our famous batting lineup could manage to score off Swann, Trott, or Pietersen!

If a team, while batting, can’t play the pace, can’t play the spin, can’t play the medium pace, can’t play the seam, but is recognized for its batting, then I think the word ‘skill’ has got a different meaning which only applies to cricket and the Indian cricketers and, of course, to a few commentators turned motivational speakers cum columnists and the BCCI.

Hence, maximize skills, minimize frills!

Case 3 : Fitness… Zaheer experienced a slight niggle all of a sudden inside his hamstring and went off the field then and there on the first day of the test. Later for all of us to see, there was NO Zaheer – the kingpin of the Indian bowling attack – could manage to bowl in the entire test because of that injury.

Injuries are accidents; admit. They can occur to anyone, anytime; admit it too. But, if just a niggle could put the mainstay of the Indian bowling attack out of action for almost two tests in a row, what kind of physical trainers and physical trainings are provided then to the players?

Plus, given the telling pressure of expectations as inflicted upon each and every Indian cricketer by all of us, are the cricketers fit enough mentally to handle it?

If so, then what happened to even Sachin Tendulkar at Lords? Can anyone believe that it was actually Sachin who batted at Lords? In case it was Tendulkar, where were that aggression, that attitude and that aptitude of the master blaster? Why the world’s number No.1 batsman, the great Sachin Tendulkar had to bat as if he was playing to secure his place in the test squad; else Manoj Tiwari or Badrinath would replace him in the next test? Was his problem only the body-fever or was there a mind-fever too?

Such questions, of course, don’t create any healthy ambience or positive environment for the Indian cricket comprising of not only the cricketers and the administrators but also innumerable fans like her, him, them, you and me.

However, unless and until those questions are raised more often than not and the right answers found for them, nothing, absolutely nothing, can work for the Indian cricket team irrespective of those so called test ranking, one day ranking and T-20 ranking.

For, it’s ONLY the performance that ensures a ranking, but NO ranking can ever ensure a performance.

Hence, enhance fitness, ensure success!

Net-net, none of us should forget that cricket is no Kargil war for the Indian cricket team playing in England at present. So, instead of creating a pressure cooker situation for our players, we must create a win-win situation wherein they will receive our 100% support and trust for every game and in return we will expect and accept only the best from them even in unfavourable conditions and circumstances… notwithstanding injury problems, fitness woes, mental turmoil and whatever it is.

Finally, the Lords test is gone but the series is still on. So, it got to be won. For sure.

A Common Man

2011-07-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

I’m a common man. Not the one created by none other than R K Laxman. I’m unlike HIS common man. I wear jeans to cover up my assets but not a dhoti to blow up the same as liabilities.

Plus my pair of jeans helps me run fast to flee from the scene whenever I sense there is something which might endanger me and my existence while I peep or poke my Virat (Big) Naak (Nose) into anything, everything that happens around. Locally, regionally, nationally, or globally.

I don’t know how far I know a thing or two, and knowing that… is any knowledge or not, but I know those knowledge is enough for me to know what I know and don’t know.

Ask me about anything and look for an answer, I can tell you that immediately. As long as Google and Wikipedia are not down, I’m up to it.

I have a desktop which I upgrade almost every year to enhance my hardware and software of knowledge. My net connection is called broadband which comes to me through cables those are ‘environment friendly’.

In the summer, the cable melts down; in the monsoon, it gets wet; in the winter, it catches cold and in the spring, it falls in love with other users… so is hacked.

I also have a laptop and a data card. But I hardly use them in order to save the battery that’s the energy, as well as to save the money. Thereby I contribute immensely to the natural resources and to the national economy.

Though I have always preferred strawberries to a blackberry and bananas to an apple, still I don’t mind to have more fruits, everyday, for a healthy lifestyle and a fruitful life.

In fact, if an apple could produce one Newton already, why can’t it produce another? So I’m hopeful about my future at present referring to the past.

Well, Newton reminds me of Physics. I mean the subject that’s full of calculations and manipulations. I guess this very discipline of knowledge is the culprit to make humans so calculative and manipulative. I detest it, for that. Physics without the arts of physique and figure; impossible!

Had there been only Sanskrit and Shakuntala and me, life would have been so refreshingly fresh to love and make love even while the senSEX dropped. Below 1700 points or further. I know there may have been an outside chance of Dushmanta creating problems into my love life but, anyway, for him the local party office of CP(I)M or the councilor of TMC could just come handy.

Time to time, I need to travel. Outside West Bengal. I like to travel by train to a plane; however I know anytime from the train I CAN travel to the sky close to that plane I have chosen not to board on. Courtesy Maoists, elephants, a cabin man, or signals.

On the other hand, even if I fly, I might also land up on the railway tracks, in case a pilot feels like posting an emergency tweet or a status message on facebook about how bad the weather is, how the engine is malfunctioning, and how he’s unable to contact the control traffic at the base. So, he needs the support from the social networking sites. Besides, I’m not eliminating the Diwali-in-the-air celebration of any terrorist group which might find my spirit too resilient and robust to blow off into pieces and puffs.

Whatever it is; terrorists and terrorism interest me. And why not? Post every blast, I always have so much to say on TV channels or on twitter and Facebook. As long as a hearse car or an ambulance is not needed for my family members or me after a blast, I have got just the right opportunity and OCCASION to express my care, concern, anger and frustration to the world.

Make no mistake, by doing so I’m doing nothing wrong at all. Because as a responsible citizen – I the Person of We the People – of a democratic country, I DO have every right to sit on the computer or show up on the news channels… so as to stand up, debating, against all the wrong and the odds… to Stop the Buck.

Also, during that period, my wife might not push me for any window shopping or multiplexed movie or mall hopping; my mother-in-law’s arthritis pain might take some welcome rest; my kid’s homework might be delayed; and my boss might indulge in some impromptu CRS programs and other PR activities. And while it happens, bingo, I get some time to think of the nation for its people before Sachin makes yet another century just to hit my concentration over the rope again, as if I’m not a Virat Hindu… thus can’t think of the people, by the people, for the people of Hindustan nee India.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter is there, I mean was. Murdoch is there, Gorkhaland is there, Maria Susairaj is there, Index and Dalal Street are there… altogether to send my patriotism for a toss in line with Dhoni’s toss against Strauss in England.

Where is the time then? To do, what should be done for the country! Actually there is no solution. On top of it, I have to attend parties; give muahs at least a thousand per day; need to miss all the dear and near ones from a safe distance; receive and give so many missed calls; read all the promo SMS; tweet; FB; Link(ed) in and so on…

In addition, I have weekly fast, bimonthly satyagrahas, fortnight satsang, yoga class, mediation, gyming, swimming, Ramdev following or UPA and Congress bashing, Anna Hazare white marketing and sales, RSS feeds, Virat Hindu Sabhas, BJP jigs, Land or Khand federalisms, daily debates, hourly news, Bade Achhe Lagte Hai episodes… "OMG! My hands are full and tight."

Now, you may feel that as a common man I'm worthless, just like your old furniture or the father on KBC promo, but I know I do a hell lot of things, silently, unknowingly, unconsciously, unreadily and, most importantly, ‘funnily’.

And, finally, please NOTE, even this blog: ‘A Common Man’ – you have not written for me either. (In my trademark bad and wrong English, for that matter.)

Agar ‘Accent’ Ne Maar Diya Toh… Be ‘Ek Saint’

2011-06-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

With time, ‘city’ life is getting tough. Especially in a ‘fast’ growing nation like ‘Hindustan’ – popularly known as India across the globe.

In such a situation, being and remaining calm might just feel awkward. Well, understandable. Because how you hit or go super hit, as a person, depends entirely on the heat, hype and hysteria that you can generate and emit off your character through your expressions. And that is ‘ATTITUDE’; in short ATTI.

Probably the joystick for you to do and get more (i.e. ATI or OTI) unlike a humble, mortal and morals and morale based species or being called Human.

Now what is this ATTI comprised of? Ah, it may have a million factors of a billion defectors; whereas one of the prerequisites in ATTI is ‘Accent’.

In case you are wondering, why not a Volkswagen Passat or something else instead of an ‘Accent’, please take heart, as this ‘Accent’ has nothing to do with Hyundai. So don’t get hassled with the issues like class, model, mileage, maintenance, servicing, spare parts, etc.

To drive the ‘Accent’ with full of ATTI, which I’m talking about, all you got to do, is know English and speak in that language. Not like a Hindustani or Indian but like a Brit or an American!

And, when I said, “Knowing English,” I surely didn’t indicate towards any ‘knowledge in English’. Since, to say and exclaim things like ‘believe you me’, ‘you know why I know’, ‘luv ya’, ‘oh yeah’, ‘muah’, ‘yo dude’, ‘wow’, ‘kewl’, ‘OMG’, ‘bestest’, etc., there is hardly any need to challenge education or secure ‘100% cut-offs’.

I’m sure you can certainly do much better without knowledge, if you know how to drive your ‘Accent’… turning, twisting, tempting, and titillating it on your tongue.

In addition, occasional shoulders-shrugs, smirks, tongue-in-cheek smiles would be more than ideal as ‘body-language’… duly complementing your ‘Accent’.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Just as a flashback: My mother always used to say ‘recharge’ – until she passed away – whenever she would actually mean to say ‘research’. I agree that was a real ‘Accent’ disorder on her part and tremendous fun on my part to pull her legs, instantly.

But later on, after she had been driven to heaven by her own ‘Accent’, I understood research is recharge only. As if the non-stop opportunities of recharging one’s education, energy, excitement and expectation… to keep experimenting and learning new things in life for greater knowledge and higher cause.

Ask a Bengali like me to call anyone whose name is ‘Ajay’. Invariably s/he will call ‘Ajay’ as ‘Ajoy’. Reason enough for a non-Bengali, if s/he is from North India, particularly from Delhi and NCR, to split into laughter and mock the Bengali (or should I say the Bong) who uttered ‘Ajoy’ to address an Ajay.

No wonder that in the mockery, an interesting and creative point was missed out. That every ‘Jay’ pronounced as ‘Jai’ is a WIN which entails the ‘Joy’ of glory. And who’s ‘Ajay’ is a perpetual winner, so he deserves to be called ‘Ajoy’ (i.e. A Joy) beyond just ‘Ajay’! Basically, it’s an acute example of how ‘natural humour and fun can be killed by plastic scorn and ridicule’.

Strangely, and of course bull-headedly, it’s an Indian most of the time who takes a dig at another Indian in case the latter fails to drive her/his ‘Accent’ properly!

How does it matter actually, and factually, if someone pronounces ‘sure’ as ‘shore’ or ‘she or’ but is still able to communicate that s/he means ‘sure’ for sure? Why on earth a person needs to drive a low ‘Esteem’ for self in case s/he couldn’t or can’t drive an ‘Accent’ into her/his speech? And that too, in her/his own country where English is nothing but a foreign language.

Just curious to know, if any Indian could dare to rebuke someone like Maradona for his nonexistent English! While I named Maradona, I actually didn’t even feel like including an infinite number of other professionals, performers and achievers who attained more than legendary status in their own fields without speaking ever in English.

In fact, till date, as the Indians, when we can’t afford to think beyond our respective labels of Delhite, Mumbaikar, Kolkatan, Keralite, etc. and can’t even afford to speak in any other Indian language, but our mother tongue, with 100% precision… shouldn’t we be ashamed of ourselves, a bit, while we get so fussy about someone else’s English and her/his ‘Accent’?

Practically, while we tend to indulge in the hyper awe or take immense pride in the Brits or the Americans’ superlative standard of Accented English, we perhaps just forget that we also speak, everyday, every time, everywhere such an Accented Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujrati, Tamil, Telegu or Bengali… earning others’ awe and admiration!

Plus, make no mistake that it is Bengali – a 100% pure Hindustani or Indian language – that’s been nominated as the world’s one of the sweetest languages, scoring much above Accented English for that matter.

Also, the National Anthem of India is recognized and rewarded as the world’s best National Anthem which is in Hindi only.

Hence, it’s wise and prudent to understand and appreciate that English is just yet another foreign language which may require an ‘Accent’, but if that ‘Accent’ was missing while we talk it’s just fine! For, that ‘Accent’ is not going to turn anyone of us ‘James Bond 007’ or ‘Batman’ or ‘Alice’ (in Wonderland) from Jamal Bhai or Mr. Batra or Alisha (in blunder-land).

In case you think so; modestly, then you have been suffering from a colonial hangover a way too far, which needs an immediate cure. And that remedy can easily come to you, if you stop taking yourself too seriously on ‘Accent’.

Remember the shoe polish definitely helps your pair of shoes sparkle, but to help you walk in them to a great distance, it’s the shoe-soles – the soul of shoes – that matter the most over any polish or cream.

In life, only destinations are accountable irrespective of the fact whether those are pre-destined or post. The bottom-line is you got to reach there. Either in time or on time at least.

For that, your journey through the life… facing, controlling, empathising and enjoying various experiences… is very crucial but not the vehicle by which you travel.

After all, it’s really important to locate the real purpose of your living i.e. your destinations in life and visit them one after the other… so as to liberate yourself Fearlessly, Refreshingly and Creatively as ‘Ek Saint’ who lives and believes in ‘A Calmer You’.

PS: For this piece, I sincerely owe my inspiration to Sonal Kalra – Editor, HT City at Hindustan Times, Delhi; to her Sunday column ‘A Calmer You’; and to her article ‘Haamein Toh Accent Ne Maar Diya’ dated June 12, 2011. However all the views expressed here are my personal ones and I bear all the responsibilities of the same. If anybody was hurt by them, I’m sorry and extremely apologetic! If anyone is happy, I’m glad too! And finally, I have never tried to demean or denounce the importance of English as a language for lives.

If you want photographs will re-create and recreate moments to treasure, you must be looking for HER!

2011-05-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

First of all, my sincere and serious apology to all of you! I have no technical knowledge whatsoever in, on, of and about photography. Albeit, I’m indebted to each and every photographer across India and abroad whoever has given me the right to react on his / her work. Rather openly minus any sugar talks or false praise.

Mithu Chakraborty is also a photographer who asked me to react on her work. Mithu is a self-learned professional from Singapore. She’s a romantic and responsible wife, a doting mother, a successful business woman, and a champion performing artist... all rolled into one.

When it comes to photography, I really do feel one has to have the three basic qualities in him / her.

First: sense (S) – duly complemented by sensibilities. Second: eyes (E) – to see even insignificant things differently but not in an overtly abstract or alienated way. Third: memory (M) – the ability and capacity to compose and frame a shot instantly on mind before dropping the shutter to re-create and recreate a moment... revisiting time.

Rest of the things such as camera, lens, light, aperture, shutter-speeds, angles will follow to substantiate one’s caliber as a photographer provided those basic SEM factors are present in one in the first place.

Plus, a good and genuine photographer knows it much better than many how to blend the subject and the object in a photograph as an expression of seamless integration.

Make no mistake; it’s not just that skill – applies to shoot or post production jugglery – but it’s that rare quality which separates a real photographer from those ‘I have a Nikon and I have a Canon’ typos.

Needless to aver Mithu is one such woman of substance behind the lens who knows how to exploit her SEM factors… making the required ‘subject-object’ fusion rather naturally with zero compulsion.

Look at; in fact look into, a few of her shots – as provided right here – and you can understand how easily Mithu could, and always can, re-create and recreate moments with élan!

For example, if you see the snap of ‘the sky through the window pane’ (3rd one from the top)… you can actually feel how ‘the subject’ i.e. ‘the freedom in the sky’ has become so distinct through ‘the object’ i.e. ‘the window of captivity’.

A picture perfect illustration of the phenomenon called ‘passive is active’!

Also, if you mark the other snaps in the blog, you can comprehend that each of her clicks does offer something unique one way or the other to a connoisseur of photography and a common man alike… where everyone feels like exclaiming, “WOW!” experiencing a constant re-creation and recreation of moments beyond just photography and photographs… that you would love to treasure!

Now, to come alive with life by recreating moments, if you wish to connect with Mithu, feel free to visit her page https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Mi-Mithu-Chakraborty-Photography/209159975778084 on Facebook.

Alternatively, you can also mail her at mithubhatta@gmail.com or mithu0103@hotmail.com for all professional assignments.

Free Pitch for Free Ditch or Pitch Fee for Your Glee: THINK

2011-04-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine… you have gone to watch a movie and then telling the person at the ticket counter, “I will buy the ticket, may be during interval, if I liked the plot at all.”

Think… you are about to be diagnosed by a specialist doctor and before that you are telling him, “Get me your prescription for free, if I am cured, I will come back and give your visit.”

Expect… you have boarded a flight without a ticket and while being caught telling the security personnel, “Let the airline take me safely to my destination first then only I will pay for the fare.”

The fact is in spite of several temptations to indulge in such imagination, thought and expectation none of us can do this, successfully, even for once in reality.

But, on the contrary, when it boils down to getting communications strategies, creative ideas and executions and innovative media plans, it seems “give me free” is the call of everyone and anyone whoever owns a brand or two or many in the gamut of marketing.

Strange! Yet a perennial and pathetic truth.

I honestly find it quite amusing, and to a great extent horribly bemusing, why an incumbent agency or a contending one needs to provide such services or bountiful of communications solutions to a brand owner for free as part of an a/c pitch!

If I get into the skin and try to understand the basics, I only realise that when a good brand is imperative for an agency to survive on and excel with… exactly in the same way a good agency – where this goodness should ideally be comprised of the agency’s domain knowledge; strategic acumen; creative skills; servicing quality; media innovations and network partnerships – is also very much important for a brand’s survival and excellence.

Therefore, the creation of ‘win-win’ situation got to be there from the word go, straightaway from a pitch presentation, instead of making it ‘no-win’ for an agency and ‘all-win’ for a brand owner.

The logic is very simple to get, practice and establish so as to ensure a balanced business environment for both agency and client.

Let me try to figure and flesh out… how a relationship happens between a client and an agency.

Interest… either client or agency shows the sign(s) of interest to get into a business alliance. Most of the times, it’s agency that approaches first. Fair enough. As even if it does so, it doesn’t necessarily mean that as the receiver of agency’s interest, a client achieves a one-up position then and there by default. If one’s interest is reciprocated by the other, it’s automatically 1-1 but no way 1-0 or 0-1 situation.

Time… for every meeting, if client claims to have spent time, agency also has invested a lot on the same. As a matter of fact, an agency spends (read invests) much more time in order to prepare the right things for a client’s brand. And, if time is money to a client; time is mint to an agency, so no misuse of time should be conceded for nothing or free.

Ideas… when a client seeks ideas from an agency – incumbent or contending – that means he is looking for solution(s) for the problem(s) he’s incapable of solving on his own or in-house. (Here the word ‘incapable’ has not been used in any derogatory sense, so for anyone it’s no need to be hyper sensitive and ultra self-esteemed.) Hence, he has to pay for the solution(s) because the solution(s) actually help(s) him become capable.

For instance, a guy wants to be father. So, to prove his capability as an eventual father, either he needs to marry or adopt a child or give troubles to some test tubes. Whatever he does, he can’t get things done for free. Be it marriage or adoption or test-tube baby formulation and germination, cost is involved at every stage. And if he pays the right price then only he might attain the fatherhood and thereafter he has to pay more and more… almost everyday because it takes more to be a father than bringing a child into the world, somehow.

Service… capability is nothing but ‘capping the ability’. Otherwise, there is always an element of risk that the ability might go haywire or astray. And, if it happens, no idea can be executed rightly, thus will result in a big zero for both client and agency. These essential executions are actually the manifestations of service, to be expected in future from an agency, which got to be of superlative standards from the very beginning off a pitch itself… entailing a good price tag.

Reward… as brand recall and equity and sales matter to client, to agency awards matter. Unless an agency is award-aholic and award-alcoholic, the best talents can’t be roped in to its system. Be it for strategy and servicing, or creative, or media, or production. As a result, no such brand recall and equity or sales will be guaranteed or generated and only ‘a whale in a well’ affair will continue for a brand. Where infinite number of agencies can be altered though through n number of pitches but the result will remain the same.

Responsibility… the best and the easiest way to show greatness and let others do the same is to bear and share responsibility, ideally from the outset. If a client wants an agency to shoulder the responsibility of delivering him the best of communication solutions in a pitch, he himself should also be game, to carry the onus of providing the agency with adequate amount of time, knowledge inputs and, most importantly, money for that pitch.

From a client, if pitch fee is offered to an agency, it in fact makes the agency doubly responsible to show its greatness rather tangibly… complementing the client’s greatness – already shown in tangible terms with utmost seriousness.

A client must understand that no pitch fee can make an agency rich or big. The fee might not even adequate for the outfit to sustain on even for two months. But, despite of having the pitch fee, if the agency can’t deliver and live up to the expectation, its reputation comes under scanner immediately. Thereby, fly-by-night agencies gradually compel to leave the turf and shy away from ‘everywhere-we-pitch-affection’ (read affliction). In the process, a clean and clear market can be evolved and developed wherein just quality agencies will perform and prevail. And that too, for each and every brand’s benefits.

So, it’s a matter of choice now: ‘Free Pitch for Free Ditch’ or ‘Pitch Fee for Your Glee’!

After all, all I can say is, “THINK.”

Simple viral communications on web helped a furniture shop achieve a whopping ROI

2011-04-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

‘48hours’ is the exclusive furniture shop owned by Sarda Plywood Industries Ltd. (SPIL) in Kolkata.

Since its inception, quite a few years back, the shop has never created any such stir in the market with its marketing communications.

No, not that there has ever been any shortage of communications in the form of print ads and hoardings; albeit nothing really clicked. Plus, there was no such metrics in place that could prove the efficiency of the campaigns done in those mainstream print and outdoor media; thus getting a better view of ROI has always been elusive.

In this situation, ‘48hours’ approached me to do something relevant so as to yield something from communications.

Of course it was a complex problem, which needed a simple solution.

The brief was, "Online traffic should know and recall the brand name of '48hours', which is otherwise not so known, and take some actions and visit the website of 48hours."

The target group (TG) was anyone / everyone - who spends time on web. The duration of campaign was 30 days. The allotted budget was Rs. 50,000/- only.

After putting a lot of thoughts, I chose the ‘viral’ route of communications. Decided to use the logo – that actually displays the brand name of 48hours – in such a way that people shouldn't understand it as a furniture shop in the first place; however take interest 'in the offerings i.e. benefits they can avail of and enjoy… in 48hours a day'. And in the process, feel like interacting with the piece(s) of communication and visit the landing page of 48hours’ website.

To implement this, media i.e. consumer touch point was chosen as Bharatmatrimony.com - for its cost-effectiveness and huge number of online members.

Also, a matrimonial portal was taken into account because marriage and furniture are very easy to correlate with each other rather relevantly.

The total number of impressions i.e. online ads used from Feb. 01, 2011 to March 02, 2011 was 50,000.

The number of people hit the website of 48hours by clicking on those impressions was 713.

Hence, assuming that the number of people actually saw the ads i.e. impressions and came to know about the name n logo of 48hours - if even modest multiplication is done – was 713 X 5 (at least) = 3565.

So, the ROI (return on investment) came out as… cost: Rs. 50,000/-; effective value returned: cost i.e. Rs. 50K / total number of audience actually saw the impressions i.e. 3565 X total no. of audience who interacted with the impressions i.e. 713 = Rs. 10,000/-; ‘therefore communication success rate = 10K / 50K X 100 = 20%’.

With all humility intended, 20% is nothing but a whopping success rate in terms of ROI achieved by ‘48hours’ – The FRESH Furniture Hub!

KKR - The SRK Circus!

2011-01-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

In case I’m not wrong, KKR is Kolkata Knight Riders, right? Happened to be the most high-voltage, heavy-watt, glamour-emitting team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 cricket, since its inception.

What had that team done so far?

Played enough cricket to disappoint its die-hard supporters, as well as its franchise.

As a result, in the auction for the IPL4, an all new team is formed and firmed up, which, according to the spokesperson of KKR, is sure to ruin all other teams to win this version of IPL.

Even SRK from South Africa was quoted as saying, “Kolkata must get their cup of joy!”

Indeed. Kolkata is glad and proud to have such a caring and concerned franchise on and off the block of KKR!

The celluloid Caesar turned cricket tycoon also mentioned, “It's a new team, a new set-up. Decisions are taken by a lot of people including coach Dav Whatmore. Jacques Kallis is ‘my favourite’ cricketer; Gautam Gambhir is the ‘in-form’ batsman and Yusuf Pathan is a ‘clear match-winner’. We gave a lot of thought as to how we will go about strategising at the auction and I am hopeful this team will do well.”

“Remember, when we sign players, we have to ‘carry’ them for three years,” SRK continued to justify why KKR needs young or fresh legs.

Now, based on those above comments, some questions are spurring on my mind that I would like to share.

Before the name of ‘Jacques Kallis’ was the qualifying tag ‘my favourite’ really called for? Does a cricketer like Kallis need anyone’s favouritism for that matter, if cricketing abilities of the players are the prime factors for the team selection?

Same way, when law-of-average bothers everyone in cricket, is there any guarantee that Gautam Gambhir’s form will continue as expected? And when was the last time Yusuf Pathan instrumented his earlier team Rajasthan Royals’ series of wins, clearly and constantly?

Also, I’m mighty curious to know whether a franchise does have any quality whatsoever to ‘carry’ a team or it’s simply the other way round where the cricketers actually carry him and his team!

Even if the inclusions of Kallis, Gambhir and Pathan are given a thumb’s up on the basis of cricketing merit and justification, my curiosity continues to know on what parameters Bret Lee made a cut into the KKR squad!

A bowler who’s always been driven and taken apart (with 48 strike rate) by the opponents in almost all the matches he played in the IPL is likely to spearhead the bowling attack of KKR when the team is trying to make its fans believe that it’s making a champion side this year!

Interesting, isn’t it?

If cricketing sense prevails, and if the team composition of KKR is looked at and into with proper reasoning, it’s certain to give us nightmares and reveries in tandem; especially when the team’s bowling department is put under scanner.

Perhaps KKR’s so much talked about and distinguished strategy is ‘let the bowlers splurge runs and make the batters chase them.’

Quite a sporting spirit; must admit!

SRK didn’t deter to comment again that Sourav asked him to change the team completely, so he did the same. Quite an obedient franchise, isn’t it?

And his obedience continued so much so that he even made sure that Sourav was expelled from the KKR team. And then he would call up Sourav to propose if Dada could take the mentor’s role in the team.

I’m sure for such modesty and obedience, if any director changes his entire casting list for a film given SRK’s proposal and also drops SRK too, later on SRK will also accept the mentor’s role in that very film of that very director to train other actors to do well!

Besides, a ballpark notion has been filling up the air for quite some time that the franchises are investing money on the teams thus they don’t want to lose their money.

Fair enough.

However, the question remains, if a franchise is so apprehensive of losing his money why is he investing in the first place then? And, if he thinks that he’s carrying the cricketers; who has asked him to be a Good Samaritan to the willow and leather bearers?

If SRK believes in the fact that he’s lost his money due to the dismal performances of KKR for the last three years, why is he re-investing to play the same game of bat and ball, which is somewhat like gamble owing to the game’s nature?

Had SRK invested the money then what had the Brands such as Nokia, Sprite done for KKR?

I sincerely feel that the time has come for us – all the KKR fans – to understand that KKR will never win notwithstanding the team management’s tall and hollow claims.

It’s not because Sourav is out of the team but just because cricket is not a circus (or cinema) – in whichever format it’s played… test or 50 overs or T-20.

It’s a game of brains, skills, techniques, utilities and, most importantly, class – which is permanent unlike form that’s temporary.

And to say the least, this KKR team has got no class to field in on any turf but offering some gimmicks that have nothing to do with cricket.

So, let’s enjoy KKR playing as the SRK circus!

Travel by trains. Kiss. And get pregnant! Genuinely, ONLINE.

2011-01-05T05:15:00.000-08:00

‘Cobwebs are certain to be formed on your Brand(s) unless it / they is / are on web nowadays!’

In case the abovementioned statement seems to be any megalomaniac blabber or jibe of a narcissist Internet Marketer, well, in that case also your understanding needs a little bit of reshuffle, if it’s the question of leveraging the maximum benefits through your marketing communications for the Brand(s) – you own / market / sell.

Web or Mobile or other digitally bolstered gadgets / mediums have never been, still aren’t, and will hardly be the nemesis of the conventional media or consumer touch points such as Television; Print; and OOH. Instead, those Web based and Internet led mediums make sure you and your Brand(s) gain the best of solutions for your Marcom (marketing communications)… by ensuring not only greater Interactivity with your TGs (target groups) but also better ROI (return on investment) with almost 100% transparency on the basis of the TGs’ consumption habits / patterns of Internet usages vis-à-vis your Brand’s communications.

In addition, Web based or Internet led communications – happening on one’s PC / Laptop / Mobile – actually help a Brand customise its communication like anything in no real time or labour as such, whenever needed, and that too, involving just some insignificant sum comparing to the cost spent on mainstream media.

Believe it or not, from mere 25,000 Internet users in 1998 the number of users has increased to 100 million in 2010 and this growth is ever increasing… in India.

As against the total population in India, if Brand penetrations into the lives of active Internet users are to be considered till 2010, it’s only 8.4% – a tremendously under-utilised rate awaiting Brands for more exploration, experiment and excellence on Web.

According to a recent survey report, Brands in India have got just 1.1% penetration rate among 13,188,580 Facebook users till August 31, 2010. Don’t think this figure is anyway helping the new media innovation and invasion.

These statistics are indeed soggy notwithstanding the fact that in the Internet users’ rank India’s position is warmly 3rd… just after China and USA.

In fact in India, 40 million access the net through mobile phones whereas it’s only 8% of those carrying mobile phones. So, GPRS enabled sets at a comfortable price and user friendly features can grin here, ear to ear, for sure!

However, irrespective of so much hidden, as well as overt potentialities on Web the upload and download connection speeds in India are factually below dismal. Where even in South Korea the average upload and download speeds are 37.00 Mb/s and 20.36Mb/s, they are 1.42Mb/s and 0.70 Mb/s, respectively. Fair enough reasons for consumers to believe that they are cheated once again – which is nothing new though but yet another de-value addition to them and their expectations for a service.

If consumption patterns of consumers make sense to Brands so as to formulate and chart out their communications on Web to reach the right audience at the right time with the right content, here is a roadmap to them –

Indians go online for: E-mailing (94%); Music Downloading (72%); Instant Message / Chatting (56%); PC to (free) SMS (55%); Social Networking (54%); Info Search Engine (52%); Watching Videos (52%); Screen Savers / Wallpapers Downloading (50%); Online Communities (50%).

Frankly the abovementioned info are not the ultimate means to do the needful but at least with them a distinct indication is made for a micro-level understanding and action – from minute planning to mega execution – where there is no dearth of ‘me-toos’ in any market / category / segment save for a few across India.

Interestingly, when from every nook and corner in India, one techie or the other is claiming everyday to be the SEO (search engine optimisation) Expert by keyword-search, it’s shown – as per a world famous search engine’s survey report for 2008, 2009 and 2010 – that Katrina Kaif; Aruna Shields; How to Kiss; How to Get Pregnant; and IRCTC (India Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited) are the most popular keyword-search options.

Guess that Brands have got pretty handy chances to travel by trains, kiss Indian (or expat) consumers and get pregnant with success! Genuinely, ONLINE.

... still we survive, BEYOND BORDERS

2010-11-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

What is ‘partition’? Just a division between two parts of anything, or something which, for a change, might draw our attention because living itself is nothing but such a wide partition spread out between life and death! And this truth becomes even more evident, if you can experience how it feels to be separated, of course much against your will and wish from your land, values, principles, families, friends, and from everything, everyone you love in order to survive, at least, if not live the fullest.

That’s why; partition is probably life’s one of the most traumatic shakeups, which challenges one’s survival, immediately, where the person’s sex, caste, creed, colour, religion, etc. remain simply inconsequential.

Though a partition sends away one’s life to astray with utmost disdain and ruthlessness and impacts lives of men and women alike; still it affects and, to some extent, infects the women’s health and psyche, bringing unthinkable and unbearable pain and agony to them.

As a matter of fact, what Nita, her mother and her sister had gone through – as picturised in the movie ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ – by falling prey to the evils of the partition of India is not at all an alienated phenomenon to the women of today who also delve deeper into such feelings and pathos in their respective lives, thanks to many partitions and borders which they need to break... to go beyond. Either being different from Nita, her mother and sister or being totally indifferent even towards self.

When all that happens somewhere, sometimes, unnoticed, Sharmila Maiti thought of getting behind the lens to let her, as well as every woman’s senses mingle with ours. And, since 2010 incidentally happens to be the 50th year of the movie ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’, Sharmila chose to salute and commemorate this masterpiece of Late Ritwick Kumar Ghatak in her own parlance of cinema, which would go BEYOND BORDERS.

BEYOND BORDERS is not just a typical documentary film having a retro-effect to talk aloud in Ritwick’s language; instead, it’s the docu-fiction by a today’s Nita whom we rather know as Sharmila.

Not to mention, BEYOND BORDERS was already selected for International Conference of Cinema 2010 in February. It was also screened as the inaugural film at International Womens’ Day film festival in Kolkata and Pune. It was selected for Haryana International Film Festival too. And now, it is going to be screened at Kolkata Film Festival 2010 – the biggest non-competitive film festival in the world. It has also earned the brownie points from the Indian select for Venice Film Festival.

Given this, the DVDs of BEYOND BORDERS are about to be launched soon. These DVDs comprise of priceless and never-before-heard interviews of the three actresses: Supriya Devi, Gita Dey and Late Gita Ghatak (who went to her heavenly abode shortly after the shooting, so Sharmila’s film captured the last days of this cult Rabindra Sangeet singer & actress), making of the film and some interesting tidbits. Thus, for the reason obvious, each of the DVDs is going to be a pride and prized possession or collector’s item to the connoisseurs of movie and entertainment.

So, go BEYOND BORDERS notwithstanding every partition in life, for, the name of the game is ONLY survival, and '…still we survive'!

Oh Dumbo Oh

2010-08-25T04:55:00.001-07:00

Oh Dumbo Oh by mesushovan

O Maa Phire Esho Naa

2010-08-25T04:54:00.001-07:00

O Maa Phire Esho Naa by mesushovan

This composition of mine is my tribute to my late mother... whom I had lost a long, long time back, forever.

Tarar deshe achhe maa
Jhikimiki hashe maa
hmm...hmmm... hmmmm
Brishti hoye neme ashe
Sobuj ghashe bhalobashe
O... ooooo.. O maa

Aajo mone pore seidin
Jedin tumi chole gele
Aami chhilem anekdure
Swapno bhanga tepantore
Ekaki, ekaki...
Niye bedona
Boba kanna
Path ajana
Ghar achena... chhilo je amar

O maa, O maa, phire esho na

Jani tomaye kandiyechhilam
Abadhyotar dashyiponaye
Abhimaner anol rathe
Pari dile akashpane
Tumi nei, tumi nei...
Niye bedona
Boba kanna
Path ajana
Ghar achena... chhilo je amar

O maa, O maa, phire esho na

Cheye dekho bodle gechhi
Safol aami thik hoyechhi
Prithibitao goriye hante
Amar taale shudhuie nache
Cheye dekho na, cheye dekho na...
Niye bedona
Boba kanna
Path ajana
Ghar achena...aajo je amar

O maa, O maa, phire esho na

We need YOU. Really.

2010-08-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy. The boy would always dream to become a singer or a painter. But he could neither become a singer nor a painter. Instead, he’d to become an engineer turned advertising copy writer to earn money in a faster way. Firstly, to survive somehow and then to maintain his lifestyle i.e. “style sans life”.

He’s quite successful today in his profession, if others’ notion or consideration is to be taken into serious account. However, to himself, he’s ever been an unsuccessful painter; a ruined singer.

The abovementioned lines are not the excerpts off any melodramatic saga or tear jerking opera. Rather, it’s a naked testimony of how a kid had to surrender his dream and natural talent to financial pressure, which had hardly allowed him to breathe easily, since childhood.

Unfortunately, this reality had not only occurred to that particular boy but also it’s been prevalent phenomena, even NOW, for innumerable kids across India; precisely who hail from the families with precarious socio-economic conditions.

Given such situations, those kids are expected to sacrifice their dreams and talents, as early as possible, because in our society sacred goats are acknowledged, appreciated and accepted as obedient children. And, not to mention, this kind of obedience provides those children with roti (bread), kapda (dress) and makan (house) without nerve-wrenching struggles, day in and day out, at home or outside.

Nonetheless, there are still the rebels, thankfully. Who hate to concede defeats; loathe selling off their dreams and talents at a cheap price for lifeless safety, security and styles; and are game to fight, fight and fight… only to WIN.

For those never-say-die spirits; indomitable kids; rare talents… it’s time to do something. Substantial and meaningful.

So, presenting Hu‘e’man Karkhana – an open forum formed and firmed out by a set of people who are willing and tireless in their efforts to instrument and ensure “Human Excellence with Different Hues”.

Unlike me-too or run-of-the-mill NGOs, this forum ONLY works for the kids who don’t have sound economic backgrounds but do have exceptional talents to excel… up to the pinnacle of success in the domains of performing art and unconventional territories such as music, dance, acting, sport, photography, painting, and the like.

Hu‘e’man Karkhana primarily takes care of the three basic needs of a kid. That are “nutrition i.e. food”, “education i.e. knowledge” and “communication i.e. expression and presentation”.

On the basis of needs and requirements, a kid can get four types of functional support from Hu‘e’man Karkhana in the forms of: (a) Financial Aids; (b) Vocational Training; (c) Advertising, Marketing, and Promotional Helps; and (d) Assignment / Engagement / Program / Endorsement Management.

Needless to say, this endeavor of Hu‘e’man Karkhana requires everyone’s support, active participation and help. For funds, and functionalities.

Irrespective of your status as a corporate house or as an individual, if you reckon that you envision our vision and thus can fuel our mission with your time, contacts, and currencies, you are MOST welcome to effect and ensure Human Excellence with Different Hues… being a Hu‘e’man to Hu‘e’man Karkhana.

For any clarification in order to know how you can help a kid, feel ABSOLUTELY free to send in your lines at rana12feb@gmail.com

After all, please remember, “Alone we fight but we only win TOGETHER, and none of us fights to lose.” So we, at Hu‘e’man Karkhana, really need you.

*PS: A l’il singing sensation who’s been participating in the ongoing Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs 2010 on Zee Bangla is already being taken care of by us at Hu‘e’man Karkhana.

Selfishness is Selflessness!

2010-06-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

It’s one globe. Irrespective of a few fundamentalist wankers and their errant jerking off spree, here and there, to divide our world into parts. Mostly, in the name of different isms and conned issues based on race, religion, caste, community, terror, politics, war, strike, and the list goes on.

The sole objective of propagating such mushy activities is nothing but to create disturbance and dissonance among lives with an ambition to make everyone’s life difficult, worldwide.

So that the funda “life is complex” can be sold off to people at large as a problem first and then some heinously crappy concepts can be offered to the same target audience as solutions to that problem.

It’s not that that we don’t know or understand it. But, our mentality has somewhat become like this that unless and until our own home or Rome is burning, we fail to realise that the same fire which is burning other today can also char us tomorrow.

Which is why; you, me, he, she, they kinda pronouns’ viability needs to be redefined, soon. In place of them, the pronouns We, Us will do better, I guess. Not in grammatical sense but in terms of commonsense.

For, if anyone of us is motivated to be selfish, I politely ask you to refer to the Maslow Pyramid of needs before you prefer to pursue your motivation. And then relate to your motivation in line with the hierarchy of needs.

In case, you couldn’t relate, never mind, I’m making it more lucid for you to comprehend what selfishness is all about.

“Selfishness is nothing but selflessness.”

Wondering!? Considering me a mad and calling my name for that? Please do. After a while, take a break and read on…

You become selfish for what?

To do better and get more, right? Net-net to achieve maximum success in life.

No harm. As you must go up in the hierarchy, so if you are acting selfish to get it done, you are doing the right thing.

Now imagine your gradual climb to success vis-à-vis selfishness as a pyramid. And you have reached on the top. Precisely, at the tip i.e. the pinnacle or vertex of success.

From there, you are looking on and it’s showing everything, everyone is under you. But mind that, none is with you then or beside for that matter. Because at the apex (of success) there is no horizontal space to accommodate anyone else but you.

On the contrary, it says that success is better established, amplified and enjoyed, if, and when shared. However, you can at the most offer things to people who are under you but can’t share anything with them. Be it success or happiness.

And even if you wish to share, they will either fear you or will be in awe because of your positional advantage… and neither fear nor awe is anyway conducive to the act called sharing.

So, how would you justify your success or your selfishness is worth your life, living and lifestyle?

Since, when none is with you or beside you, your existence of self doesn’t apply in reality or logically. Simple reason being, one can’t stand first or last when he’s the only one in his class.

That means, “self = world” - where all of us belong to, side-by-side, together. And this proves the fact that in spite of our best efforts we can never be selfish but always selfless.

Hence, whenever you tend to be selfish, please take pride in self for trying to be selfless.

Death of a friendship. Birth of a shadow.

2010-04-22T04:09:00.000-07:00

A death is always painful. The pain becomes unbearable if the death occurs to a childhood friend. Someone with whom so many days, so much things had been shared. Naturally, unabashedly and gleefully!

Pratik (name changed, intentionally) was such a pal of mine.

I met him through a common friend while three of us used to stay together in the same locality.

Pratik was an ever chirpy character. And, not to mention, a genuine prey to my nonstop practical jokes and leg pulling. But he would never complain rather used to accept my menace and me smilingly.

School days got over… college days flew by… I left Kolkata and my attachment with Pratik gradually turned into a deep detachment.

When I came back to Kolkata, I tried to re-establish the connection; however, god knows why, the same old tinkering was felt missing all the time during our new series of rendezvous.

That trademark chirpiness, happiness, smiles, and every little thing happened to be absent on and inside Pratik.

I used to wonder, why?! What happened to my dear friend?

I kept enquiring into him and his activities from others and time to time from him himself. But, in spite of my dog-digging, I could never manage any bone of and about Pratik.

With time, tension and daily grinding of life, the detachment became a huge distance once again between him and me.

All of a sudden yesterday itself i.e. on April 21, 2010, my cell rang. I picked up the call. Another school friend voiced out, “Sushovan, Pratik is no more.”

“Pratik is no more.” Such a simple expression, isn’t it? My prank-punching-bag is no more.

So, I didn’t react at all to the call. I took a cab from office, first to reach Pratik’s house then to arrive at the crematorium.

Pratk was lying there. His face was covered with a white sheet of cloth. Honestly, I didn’t feel like seeing his face even for once for the last time.

I cared, and still care a hoot for his death. I have always been concerned about his life; his live existence… and frankly, I generally give a damn to death – whoever embraces it.

I am neither sad nor down with Pratik’s demise. Instead, I’m cross. I’m angry and I’m irritated like a swine amidst the saint.

Because, my childhood friend didn’t bother to let me know that he didn’t have any job for the last one and half years. He didn’t feel like telling me about his prolonged and killer diabetes; about his eye infection; about his septicemia.

My childhood friend was shy to ask for any help or support from me.

So, he decided to die like a bloody loser; like a creeper; like an insect without bothering me at all.

And why didn’t he ask for it? Because he didn’t want me to oblige him.

Never knew, nor wish to know as a matter of fact, from when “friendship has become an obligation”.

Truly, while a friend dies like this, he actually kills the very existence and essence of the feeling called “friendship” and that hardly makes me sad rather leaves me to live like a mad in the world of silent pandemonium and never-to-be-filled-up void in the shadow of mine.

And it hurts. Really hurts.

Do the FKP

2010-04-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Almost two out of every three are spiritual nowadays. Happiness and contentment are on sale like hotcakes from the counters of spiritual gurus and book publishers all around. However, notwithstanding such an overdose of spirituality for ushering in total peace and global harmony; still there is no end to bomb blasts, riots and fights, divorces, etc within societies, localities and families.

Does it mean that spirituality is not so good then?

No, it’s not like that. Instead, I think there is a wide gap or gulf very much evident and prevalent in our understanding of the FKP i.e. the three basic premises: Faith, Knowledge and Practice of spirituality.

Let me begin with Faith.

What is Faith?

Believing in something rather blindly and following it thereafter? Not really. If it is so, then there would have been no difference between fundamentalism and Faith.

Faith is the base and the art and science of setting up targets for self, as well as for others and in the process developing individual and collective trust to meet those targets, gradually.

If life is a ship, Faith is the rudder. And, as it’s said that a rudderless ship never reaches its goal, exactly in the same way it can be told that a faithless life is never able to live or even survive.

Knowledge is not only about knowing things. Well, there lies in at least a rudimentary difference between Knowledge and mugging. Knowledge is actually the composite effect of theories, practicalities, Faith and of course commonsense. And it gets profound, proven and kind of full-proof while shared with others.

A true Knowledge should always be receptive to others’ doubts and challenges; should welcome debates and arguments; and should be conclusive enough but reclusive with an openness to acknowledge, appreciate and accept the omnipresence of lives and their spirit on the different and relative scales such as socio-economic background, education, culture, language, etc.

Knowledge is the compus of the ship called life.

Withdraw it from life, and it can be seen and felt how directionless, meaningless and futile life will become, then and there, ensuring nothing but a pathetic finish.

If Faith is the rudder and Knowledge is the compus, then what is Practice in the ship?

Practice is the driving wheel, which helps one sail the ship i.e. life, successfully. Lest Practice is absent, no Faith or Knowledge can do any magic or miracle for anyone for sure. In fact, Practice holds the key for one to understand everyday, every minute whether his / her Faith and Knowledge are adequate, right and productive or not in light of reality.

No Practice means zero Faith and zero Knowledge and simply a defunct life in the bed of only shies, lies and cries, bringing injuries and insults to the real spirit and happiness of life and living.

Which is why, it’s better to keep things simple and form the life’s triangle with Faith, Knowledge and Practice (FKP) in order to be elevated on earth by treading in the path of spirituality, which is no boon from heaven but you and your contemplations and complementing actions.

After all, life is action, not just contemplation. So, DO your Karma, do the FKP!

PS: If you thought that I had made sense, feel free to write back at rana12feb@gmail.com to share your FKP with me.

Always Use Your Lemon

2010-02-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

From IQ to EQ… to SQ (Spiritual Quotient); organizations, irrespective of their size and status, have always been quite concerned about various “quotients or factors” for putting the best “organizational practice or behavior” in place.

Now, “What is this organizational behavior… how is it going to be functional and productive for an organization… and why so?”

An organizational behavior can lucidly be defined as an organization’s attitude and actions towards its internal as well as external audience in terms of care, concern, compassion, communication, comfort, convenience, transparency, trust, responsibility, performance, and result, precisely ROI – Return on Investment.

And this “investment” is not only restricted to financial matters but also is extended to the investments on time, energy, and most importantly, on Intelligence, Emotion, and Spirit that involve Mind, Heart and Soul, respectively.

Which is why, the functionality and the productivity of an organization can be enhanced up to a superlative level simply by putting articulate attention on “interpersonal relationship” – present and prevalent in between any two persons related to the organization.

In fact, this type of interpersonal relationships is actually the governing force that works behind the success of an organizational behavior.

Since, an organization is not just a big premise or palatial complex of concrete, which comprises furniture, computers, servers, balance sheets, etc., it becomes a super-power only because of its “manpower”… and in the current context of business – as happening worldwide – this manpower should be explained and exclaimed as the “Human Power” developed and evolved by IES: Intelligence, Emotion, and Spirit.

It’s often observed and experienced that the major concern areas in interpersonal relationship for an organization are employees, clients or customers, consumers in general, shareholders, government or authoritative personnel, media, and competitors… and all those different set of people and their varied range of ego, expectation, intention and interest.

Therefore, an organizational behavior is nothing but subject to conflict of interest; ego fights; positional power game; battle of minds; shrewd politics; and the like practiced by none other than men and women playing their different and respective roles to the benefit (or the loss) of an organization.

Given this, an organization can only thrive on its organizational behavior, if the said behavior gets expressed as a positive outcome of productive interpersonal relationship.

And while the productivity or the productive nature of such an interpersonal relationship is the key to success for an organization and its behavior, the friction; the conflict; the battle; and the exhaustion of Mind, Heart, and Soul i.e. the stress on IES: Intelligence, Emotion, and Spirit are inevitable. Thereby creating problems and tension between two persons or among groups, everyday, in profession or business.

Thus, to minimize this problem pertaining to interpersonal relationship on account of organizational behavior, in case the “lemon squeezing” experience is taken into consideration as the springboard, I guess, all of us can understand that how easy it is in reality to find the solution for such a delicate interpersonal problem… and that too, within the problem itself.

Basically, while you fight with your colleague, boss, client and the like… you tend to reap in rich benefit for the organization you serve. Exactly in the same vein, your opposition also does try to get benefit for the organization he / she works for.

That means; to achieve a “collective or, for that matter, an equal benefit”, both you and your fighting opposition do the same thing i.e. fight with the other i.e. squeeze the lemons of your respective IES: Intelligence, Emotion, and Spirit.

Now, “Why you do so?”

THINK.

“Do you and your warring opposition squeeze the lemons to taste the bitter peels, or the refreshing juice that comes out of the conflict you two indulge in?”

Of course, you squeeze your share of lemon for the juice only, so does the other person who fights with you in profession or business.

And, as “this juice is nothing but that collective or same benefit” for which ACTUALLY a fight shoots up in between two persons in an organization, you should never ever pay any heed to the bitter lemon peels that, mostly, unfortunately, and rather ironically, become the bone of contention in an interpersonal relationship in the form of ego hassle; professional rivalry; and all other negative and worthless sentiments.

Hence, in order to benefit from the best of organizational behavior based on interpersonal relationship… “Always Use Your Lemon!”

PS: This article is based on what I shared with the executives at India's one of the premier management institutes on February 06, 2010.

Five Fingers - The Marriage Made Easy

2010-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

I had lost my parents quite early. As a result of their demise, I always had to work doubly hard in order to fulfill my emotional needs from other relationships. In the process, I have learnt how valuable the word “relationship” is and how it helps one exist and excel in life.

That’s why, when India’s one of the leading matrimonial portals approached me to enhance the site’s creative components, I became really bullish about the scope of work with them. In fact, it took me only 5mins to give them my positive nod.

Besides the mandatory match-making service and solution, the portal has also got a counselling cell. Wherein they provide site members with pre as well as post marriage psycho-solution to help people get stable on mind in nuptial relationships.

Following is an article, which I have created for the portal, facilitating them to convey the nuances of a (matrimonial) relationship in the most simplistic way.

I have used “five fingers” as the metaphor to describe the different stages or phases of a marriage or nuptial knot because in a marriage holding hands is quite symbolic and those are fingers only that help one hold anything.

I have given the title “Five Fingers – The Marriage Made Easy” to the article and do hope that you enjoy it.

First Finger Phase – by Little Finger

This phase is the pre-marriage period. Precisely when love, courtship, negotiation, etc. take place. In this phase, mind or emotional equilibrium remains at a very dubious, vacillating, tender, and touchy stage. At the drop of a hat, it seems anger, frustration, disbelief, etc. settle on one's nose, entailing avoidance, dissonance or may be even a pre-mature break up.

Hence, open communications, absolute transparency, presenting one’s original or true self, etc. are a few factors... imperative in this phase. If it’s not done in this phase then in the later phases there is every possibility that things will turn ugly and bitter up to an irreparable and injurious extent.

The major lacuna, which generally occurs in this phase, is a partner’s trials or efforts to impress the other partner, mostly by concealing the truth. This is dangerous, since once the sugarcoat gets off… the love or emotion pill tastes like quinine.

Second Finger Phase – by Ring Finger

This phase is the honeymoon period of a matrimonial relationship. In this phase, everything is hunky-dory and euphoric, and life seems to be nothing but a utopia.

Unfortunately, in more than 90% of cases, this phase gets over at a rapid speed.

In this phase, sex, promises, commitment, dedication, etc. are the prime factors that hold the key.

The major shortcoming in this phase is the constant rose glasses on eyes. Thereby getting too much bogged down into myopic activities, as if there is no tomorrow. And when tomorrow arrives with its all turbulent spins and whirls, the lovey-dovey partners succumb to the future pretty haplessly and hopelessly, calling their short-sightedness and unplanned steps as destiny or (bad) luck.

Third Finger Phase – by Middle Finger

This phase in a marriage is really very critical and painful too. In this stage, both the partners begin to care a damn for the other. One’s mid-finger remains always up for his / her better-half. So, this phase can also be termed as “fuck phase or FYI”.

Actually, bloated ego, false pride, professional pressure, unnecessary lies, ex-matri interest and exploration, unwanted familial and societal intrusion, etc. are the evil factors that generally do the massacre into love and emotion in this phase.

Steel in character, high-degree of patience, perseverance, self-belief and brutal honesty are the spices very much required in this phase to save the dish of marriage from turning bland here.

The major pitfalls in this phase are getting carried away by others’ suggestion, allowing own mind to stop functioning, over reacting, taking self-pity, trying to get short-term solutions of problems in hand without addressing or looking into the crux of the problems, etc.

Fourth Finger Phase – by Index Finger

This phase is the saddest, the worst, and the sorriest stage that can happen to any marriage. In this phase both the partners simply become enemies to each other. From their actions and reactions; activities and attitude, it seems as if they have never been known to each other and would really be happy if the other dies, immediately and unceremoniously.

In this phase, getting into or indulging in shameless blame game i.e. pointing one’s index finger to the other is so common that often it feels marriage is nothing but the biggest miscarriage of emotions and feelings.

But, it actually is not the case. To save marriage in this phase, or to protect self as well as to guard the hostile partner, the factors that really come handy here are dignified silence, apt and mature interactions, giving away ample space, ignoring petty temptations or provocations, and maintaining a good mental as well as physical health with the help of music, reading, introspection, knowledge-sharing, exercise and meditation.

The loophole – which can also be marked as “manhole” here in this particular phase – is slipping into the muck-full of gutter or into the quicksand with an unhealthy, heinous and inhuman ambition to kill self or the partner.

And frankly, this kind of mental disorder or insanity in one’s thought process is simply against any kind of humanism or humanity, thus deserves only condemn and reprimand.

Fifth Finger Phase – by Thumb

This phase is the most satisfying, rewarding and happy stage that one can enjoy minus any worry at all in his / her marriage.

In this phase, every negative emotion or feeling either subsides or evaporates forever. Only maturity prevails then, and the real meaning of companionship surfaces under the full moon of love, care, affection, concern and all other self-less and very positive thoughts and emotions.

[If you are an Indian and / or understand Hindi, please refer to the song “Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahi...” from the movie “Andhi” to relate to this phase like anything.]

The key factors in this phase are self-actulisation, gaining maturity, knowing how to check in temper and chew in words, and understanding the fact that love is strength but not weakness and, last but not least, compatibility is a “workable ability” that never ever comes to one on a platter by sheer magic. Instead, this ability can only be honed when both the partners understand and realise that no more they are two separate identities rather have become an “integrated or compact identity” for life.

Just the reason, I would like to decipher the word compatibility as “the ability to act, achieve, accomplish, and actualise being a compact unit, together.”

The major roadblock in this phase is feeling bad or lamenting on the time, energy, emotion and money lost in the third phase and the fourth phase. It’s not needed at all. Rather, in this stage one must embrace and enjoy the treasure of happiness and contentment of being together – that has never been so enriching in any other phases in his / her marriage.

PS:
In case, you too are suffering from any disorder in your matri-relationship, feel free to go and visit a good counsellor for help. Getting psychological help doesn’t mean that you are a psycho-patient or mad. So, open your mind before you open your eyes… to see and foresee the real sun of happiness, everyday!

Cricket says it all

2009-12-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

Is cricket just a game or an insect? Is it a colonial hangover or a tremendous scope to bet on and earn a few quick bucks?

Many a question has done its round on my mind, and finally I could conclude that cricket is a brilliant lesson for every couple to make their marriage successful forever.

Have I sounded weird? If your answer is affirmative, I acknowledge and appreciate your doubt on my statement.

And since you are doubtful, I guess it’s my responsibility to help you clear your doubt.

Equate your marriage mandap with a cricket pitch. Your marriage is as if you are going to begin and continue your innings with your partner.

There will be plenty of people around. Call them spectators, opponents, team mates, society, family, relatives, friends, colleagues, or anything else, but their prying eyes will always be on you two, so will their said and unsaid expectations for the success or the failure of your partnership or innings.

Amidst all these, you two have to perform, score runs, build up your innings, make centuries, and succeed like anything as a pair.

During your batting, expect not only lollypop half-volleys or full-tosses that you can send over boundary rope all the time but also get ready to receive the snort of deliveries like yorkers, beamers, bouncers, and googlies that certainly can send you or your partner to pavilion at any point of time, forcing you or your partner leave the other midway of your innings.

In cricket, it’s called OUT and in marriage, it’s called DIVORCE.

It’s not like that that in case you are out your partner can’t find a new partner and bat on or if your partner is out you can’t carry on your innings with someone else. But, with every new partner the momentum of the innings suffers a lot because every new partnership needs a new beginning, a new set of game plan and strategy, a new set of understanding, and so on.

Then what to do?

Before you get out or your partner does, make sure you along with your partner – with whom you have started your innings first – have tried to play well within yourselves. In order to guard your respective wickets i.e. your respective positions at the crease.

For that, if your partner is not playing well, you try to play doubly well and if you are not fairing up to the mark, at least hang around there without throwing away your wicket and let your partner build and carry the innings in tandem with you.

Mind you, when boundaries and sixers are hard to come by, you and your partner have to rotate strikes for singles and twos as much as possible. Otherwise, your score won’t move and gradually, rather helplessly, your innings will be exposed to all’s unwanted concern, rebuke, banter, boo, sledging, tips, and what not.

Moreover, feel absolutely free and happy to run even for your partner’s runs, because unless you run hard and seriously for him / her, you won’t really realise why your partner also runs for your runs.

During innings building, this hands-on lesson on sharing the turf together is actually the real and best knowledge, which you can get and exploit in life.

Ultimately, when cricket says it all, why don’t you just play it on, on, and on… together?

2Is – a narration of Incest India

2009-11-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Screw you, Chetan! That’s the only way I can meet up my grudge against you. I’m pissed, and crossed too. Yes dude! Because you took the sheen off me with your latest novel “2 states – the story of my marriage”. Unfair; you have not only stolen my plot but also shared something - very dear to me - with the world.

Anyway, as every coin has got two sides, I also do have dual thoughts. Hence, on a second thought, I think I should salute you for writing that story; hence accept my gratitude and love. 377 is legal now, so accepting my “love” is no big deal.

True, in India, boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. Boy needs to scratch girl’s father’s balls. Girl needs to smell boy’s mother’s fart as jasmine. Boy’s family and girl’s family need to press and pinch each other’s bosoms and butts and so on. And everything is done for a greater cause called “marriage” and collective “happiness”.

Unless and until families get involved how could a marriage be successful? Correct, it’s impossible. Since, a boy needs to seek permission from in-laws in order to fuck his wife, so does a girl to get fucked. Indeed, family prestige is well and truly dependent on this social legalization procedure to legitimate sex, for life.

Love may happen at a boy and a girl’s will. But, marriage, no way! If it happens that way, shit, what will people say? We are social animals though mistakenly considered by a few jerks (read scientists) as “Homo sapiens”. Balls to those nerds’ (read scientists) face and their knowledge!

Marriage is an occasion, a public event, such a circus, seriously. To show off, to goof-up, to hush up, to go up on social ladder, and to do so many things, that only god knows… or perhaps he doesn’t. Because god hardly needs to get into marriage in order to make a goddess pregnant. If someone is god, his all illegal children can be considered as his boon, so what’s the heck. Fuck free and enjoy the worship, worldwide!

On the hindsight, engaging family has a real advantage in marriage. If things don’t workout well between a boy and a girl, sharing and bearing responsibilities of this mismatch can be minimized. No wonder, why a boy and a girl love to love and make love before marriage at their will but shrink rather willingly into their familial pressure when their marriage needs to be taken place and continued, successfully, on their own.

In case families are involved, it becomes much easier for a girl and a boy to inflate the elders’ ego out of proportion so that even a minor misunderstanding, argument, or difference between them can be exploited… thereby ensuring a breakup or a divorce just as a cakewalk.

In India, a marriage is still expected to be sacredly and stringently monogamous, and that creates suffocation to some extent in a couple’s life of late – when things like multiple-relations and partner-swapping are very much in vogue.

Being successful in profession is also the need of the hour; hence divorce is not a bad solution either over marriage. A divorced person spends more time at work and this just suits the colleagues, the bosses, the clients… as the name of the game is “productivity” and sometimes “re-productivity” – if there is someone or a group available to sponsor the cost of an abortion or an accidentally born child’s incidental care.

Plus, when family shield is available, courtesy parental blindness and offspring’s manipulation skill, making the mockery of a marriage is a good fun! For instance, if parents select a boy, a girl can jolly well be kissed in a car, get fucked in a hotel room… courtship, you know… however, if a girl gets married to a boy against her parents’ consent, even after marriage, she is not supposed to see her husband because if she does so, it’s a sin.

A mother has always been extra concerned and ultra sensitive in India. She is doting to the core. That’s why, she might forget to check on her daughter whether she (the girl) had ever gone to school or college but will never forget to check her daughter’s boyfriend’s or husband’s passbook. Alternatively, a boy’s mother is equally proactive in understanding her daughter-in-law’s father and his weaknesses – which can be cashed in on, incessantly.

Simple money matters, to strengthen the "bond" between two families as marriage shouldn’t happen between only two individuals, so let’s make it a “families-fuck-together affair”.

If blood is not involved, no marriage can be honoured in India, for, who the hell friends are! Right, blood is everything. And if it is, let’s make it “incest India”. Let’s call it “2Is”. Let’s allow father to screw his daughter and mother to get screwed by her son. Everything will be kept within blood then. Easily. Conveniently. And family ties will be more solid and concrete than ever before as a result of this blood or bloody involvement.

So, what are you doing? Screwing, or getting screwed up? Socially, of course.

Can never be a human...

2009-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

My late mom used to think I’m talented. My late father would reckon I’m intelligent. To my siblings I’m rare. My nephews consider me as their best friend. The relatives hail me as a living joke-machine. My teachers felt and still feel I’m a good student. My ex-series of girlfriends thought I’m impossible, incorrigible, funny, honest, caring, sexy and what not. My ex and present set of bosses thought and think I’m professional to the core but quite temperamental as well. Clients believe I’m their greater ROI (Return on Investment). Markets imagine I’m easily saleable and purchasable. Friends trust me as loyal. Foes fear my fierce revenge. Competitors loathe me for my “I’m only game to win attitude”. Readers love to read my lines. Consumers acknowledge my ads. Awards welcome my entries. Media sometimes take interest in me. Listeners won’t mind hearing me crooning or singing. Composers don’t kick my ass, hating my lyrics. A few institutes summon me time to time for lectures and training. There has never been any dearth of respect, admiration, and accolades. The packaging has always been very well done and maintained. Two lives have continuously been lived and led with ease and élan – one outside the packet with an expiry date on it and the other inside the packet without an expiry date, however might expire any moment. Perhaps that’s why, I was, I’m and I will ever be and remain PRODUCTIVE – a Product, which (who) is Creative! Though it’s unfortunate, that with my all puns intended and unintended; I can never afford to live as a HUMAN, only.

My journey with a TEACHER

2009-10-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

The richness of the saying: Simple Living, High Thinking is actually embedded in the saying itself. True, unless and until a mind is free from the complexities of living, it can’t function to think anything high.

Albeit, most of us prefer to follow the reverse adage that might sound as, “Complex Living, Petty Thinking.”

Fortunately, I used to know and relate to a person, since my birth, who happened to personify that simple living, high thinking stature like anything.

He was a schoolteacher by profession. A freedom fighter. A compulsive benevolent man known for his philanthropy. And someone who had given a damn even to the epidemic disease called plague during pre-independence in order to save lives at Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta).

Post independence he travelled to Myanmar (previously which was Burma). There he explored his luck and maintained his life kingsize. Thereafter, he couldn’t feel like taking the nationality of that country and was adamant to remain only in dhoti instead of being lungi or sarong clad.

As a result, he and his wife along with their little kids had to come back to India as refugees. On his return to his very own Kolkata among his relatives, he found that the things were changed.

He along with his family was simply driven out of his own houses by his beloved cousin bro and sis. Who not only took the undue advantage of his long absence at his own houses but also made sure that those establishments belonged to them only.

He smiled back at his cousins and gifted them his own abodes.

His struggle started. In a new vein, as if in a new country – as a refugee in his own motherland.

The HUMAN – yes, he was a human more than a man – was pretty clear on his moves that he would slog like hell but none of his family members. Especially his little kids were not really supposed to suffer, as per his strict principle, irrespective of any circumstance.

In line with that, there was never ever any shortage of foods and books in their supply to the kids. Because at his family, foods for thought was always the priority as against the thought for foods. He knew it for a fact and quite rightly so that before his children would live in a “house” or drive a “car”, it was imperative for them to know and understand the real worth of “H, O, U, S, E” and “ C, A, R”.

Besides, there was never any slackness of fatherly care and concern on his part even for his students. In fact, a lackluster student with almost no merit happened to be his blue-eyed boy. And to make him pass and successful in an examination had always been his challenge. For that, in addition to knowledge such a student was by default privileged to have shelter, food, and the like, if need be, without any discrimination… between his own children and him (the student).

Moreover, his treatment to his children was more like their best friend than a father. He was much ahead of his age and never cowered to anticipate and accept any change toward contemporariness.

Plus, his direction and lesson to his children and pupils around was simple, “Society is for Humans but not the other way round. Thus, it’s better to live as a lonely Human than somehow surviving as a social animal in a herd.”

Given this, his children and his favourite students alike hardly disappointed him. They attained the status and the position he always hoped for them. However, he remained the same.

For instance, despite of the best efforts put forth, none could ever make him wear anything costly or glossy but his trademark white Panjabi and Dhoti made of cotton only.

But, like a bold from the blues, when he lost his wife after 45 years of togetherness, for the first time in life he showed a sign of nerves. His somewhat rock-solid composure began to feel an uncanny kind of restlessness and helplessness. Loneliness at home used to drive him outside more often than not, to some extent unnecessarily.

Indiscipline, unrest and stress and strain due to overwork got palpable in his attitude quite in contrast to his original calm-self. Pretty painfully, he was like indulging himself in self-destruction.

In the process what was expected to happen, happened actually.

He had to face two major attacks. First the cerebral one followed by the cardiac within an hour to be precise.

And, thanks to those health mayhems, finally on October 18th, THE TEACHER left his classroom and home forever.

“The teacher was my father.”

Schizophrenia, no social stigma.

2009-09-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Curiosity kills the cat. Thus, to me it’s always better to kill the curiosity itself than getting killed as a cat. For that, I would rather be a dog to sniff around. So that, eventually, I can sneak into the truth. Even, if it’s buried under the ground, I won’t mind to dig. To know, understand and unearth the reality as closely as possible.

And this inquisitiveness of mine has encouraged me to unfold some darkest of dark creases of a mind, which suffers from Schizophrenia.

In this article, I shall try to explain everything in a very lucid way, so that to comprehend what is what none needs to be a Nobel Laureate or a medical maverick.

What is Schizophrenia?

It’s no sin, no crime, no curse but a disease, an ailment, an illness of mind. As the adage suggests that idle brain is devil’s workshop, this sickness tends to prove this maxim 100% right in reality.

What are the signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia?

1. Auditory hallucinations – as if she listens to some alien, surreal sounds.

2. Delusions – she loves to live in her own imagery world being oblivious of the ground reality.

3. Disorganized and Unusual Thinking, and Incoherent Speech - her thought process hardly seems to be on track rather it’s seen mostly derailed. And this loss of thought-train and subject-flow with sentences only loosely connected to meaninglessness, confusion and incoherence is known as “word salad” in severe cases.

These symptoms gradually lead a Schizophrenia patient to demonstrate the following problems –

A. Paranoia – a hyper sense of skepticism, fear and suspicion of losing out something, or someone, or self without being sure of why so.

B. Avolition – a psychological state that creates lack of motivation, desire and determination to pursue any meaningful goals in life; personal or professional.

C. Catatonia – where one remains largely mute or silent and motionless in a bizarre posture or position, and exhibits purposeless agitation, arrogance and attitude, and strangely lies at random to manipulate things for nothing.

D. Alogia – a flat approach that blunts the effects of any emotion.

E. Asociality – an apathy or lack of desire to form and firm up a serious relationship.

F. Nymphomania – a tendency to enjoy multiple relations just for sexual adventure and carnal varieties. Though it’s not seen or guaranteed to happen with everyone whoever is suffering from Schizophrenia. This symptom is just an outside possibility.

Why Schizophrenia occurs?

There are no such hard and fast rules to define why it happens. However, there are a few reasons that can be considered as the root of Schizophrenia. Those are as follows –

I. Genetic – if parent(s) or someone up in the ancestral ladder was/is schizophrenic chances get increased for a descendant to fall prey to it.

II. Twins – if someone was born with a twin bro/sis, Schizophrenia might occur to her. Though concordance rates for Schizophrenia are higher in monozygotic (identical) twins than in dizygotic (fraternal) twins.

III. Social – poverty, migration, racial discrimination, unemployment, poor house condition, and above all else, “family dysfunction” are the risk factors for Schizophrenia. If any abuses - like physical, mental, and sexual – took place, precisely at the crossroads of one’s childhood and adolescence, she becomes very prone to this sickness rather unknowingly.

IV. Drug, Dope, and Alcohol – though it’s very hard to prove whether any drug or dope, or the alcohol causes Schizophrenia or not, still this phenomenon can be described in two ways: “Substance use causes Schizophrenia” and “Substance use as a consequence of Schizophrenia”. Owing to the absence of any concrete theory in this regard, it may be taken for granted that some people use drugs to cope with some unpleasant situations such as loneliness, boredom, depression, anxiety, and the like. But, there is no certainty that those situations are the results of Schizophrenia only.

How to treat Schizophrenia?

The major problem, incidentally, is individuals take years time simply to accept the very fact that they are Schizophrenic.

Once that acceptance is taken care of, a patient needs to be treated by the following methods –

a. Medication – she should be taken to a good doctor, who knows better how to treat her with proper and appropriate medicines and clinical remedies.

b. Psychological or Social Interventions – help, support, confidence, compassion and care should be provided to a patient through psychotherapy or counseling. In this method, a patient family’s understanding, involvement and acceptance of the gravity of the problem is an absolute must.

c. Other - electroconvulsive therapy is not considered a first line of treatment but may be prescribed in case other treatments have failed. This method is more apt, if the symptoms of Catatonia are present and prevalent.

d. Alternative Medical Treatments - orthomolecular psychiatry considers Schizophrenia is a group of disorders, some of which can be treated with megadoses of nutrients such as Niacin (vitamin B-3). This theory is yet to be proven though. In spite of that some researchers suggest that dietary and nutritional treatments may hold promise in the treatment of Schizophrenia.

After all, Schizophrenia is no social stigma. It’s a sickness, hence needs treatment. PERIOD.

Is the spoon missing?

2009-09-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

A few days back, a SMS reached my cell. The message was, “Sumtimes v struggle thru a tasteless coffee till d last sip n we find d sugar lying at d bottom of d cup… THAT’S LIFE… Enough sweetened, but not stirred well!”

When the message came, I was sleeping. With its arrival beep, I woke up, actually. Initially, I was not enough intrigued but as I kept reading the text for more than once, something in it encouraged me to think.

Precisely, not only think but also write this piece.

Let me begin with a doubt.

If we found the coffee was tasteless firsthand, then why would we continue to sip into it until the last draw! Why won’t we order a new cup of coffee – in the present context that is trying to change our life? Since, having a new set of life in the life, we are living already, is not possible!

We won’t do this because we are too lazy or reluctant to adapt to any change? Or we simply love to carry on with the tastelessness dwelling on a hope that the tastelessness, which is occurring presently, might turn into a helluva tastefulness later on, automatically?

If this is hope, then certainly we are neither lazy nor reluctant. Reason being, laziness or reluctance can never entail hope. On the contrary, if there is no hope, there can’t be any hope against hope as well.

The logic is simple. If I’m not in front of the mirror how can someone or I see my mirror image?!

So, the only possibility remains in any such tasteless situation is hope, and hope is human, so are we. Hence, the equation forms as Hope = Human(s).

If so, and as hope also generates will and subsequently will paves ways – one after another – for us, then why shouldn’t we find at least one way i.e. a spoon to stir the coffee earlier than it comes to a tasteless end?!

Does it mean that hope alone is not sufficient? Yes, true. Only hope can do nothing. To get a thing or two done, successfully, hope should always be backed up by the sheer courage of action. That is work. And that’s why, work is worship.

Now, from the gamut of life if we bother to separate a small pocket of relationship and do apply this theory, I reckon, we can very well comprehend the importance of having such a spoon in our life.

Here the spoon can be anyone. A good friend, a family member, a relative, a colleague, an acquaintance, or even a mere stranger. The reality lies in the fact that we have to identify the RIGHT spoon only to accomplish our task in hand. That is stirring the coffee. Otherwise, irrespective of our indomitable courage to work hard (and hope harder) success in a relationship (or life) i.e. the sweetness of the coffee will remain ever elusive to us.

Just the reason, every successful man (woman and human included… LOL) has or should have the right kind of associates and association. More so, as after a while post our childhood, our inherent and inherited qualities get empowered by our imbibed virtues.

Therefore, whenever we tend to lose on life or on a relationship, I guess, we must think, “Is the spoon missing?”

None will cry...

2009-09-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Prolixity is human. May be, more Indian. Possibly that’s why; we, the Indians, love more talks, more jargons, more lingo and more arguments.

As a matter of fact, none other than Mr. Amartya Sen has beautifully essayed this very quality of our inherent culture in his book The Argumentative Indian.

Taking cues from that book and blending it with the epic The Mahabharata, I have also found something to mull over and germinate an argument.

An argument that has always disturbed me and my thought process due to which I can never take the concept for granted that the battle of Kurukshetra took place ONLY because of Duryodhana.

It’s very easy to hold Duryodhana solely responsible for the entire mess, mayhem and massacre happened in The Mahabharata, whereas the real truth is entirely different, as per my opinion.

Here I go with my logic…

First things first, so I begin with Dhritarashtra. He knew it for a fact and from the word go that he was blind. Of course, it’s a handicap for ruling a dynasty. If he was a little bit sensible, he could have understood that reigning an empire was not his cup of tea, really.

But, as the blindness in his eyes got into his mind too, he never bothered to think in that line. Rather, he literally forced Gandhari to get married to him… probably bragging that he was the king of Hastinapur. This, for the reason obvious, didn’t go very well with Gandhari herself as well as with her brother Shakuni.

As a result, the bro and the sis took an oath in unison that they would see the end to it. From that day onwards, the seed of peril and death was planted in the garden of the Kauravas.

The playact started with Gandhari. She simply blindfolded her eyes, intentionally, with a piece of cloth. She actually did this just to avoid even the slightest glimpse of her blind husband Dhritarashtra but marketed it so cunningly that her mockery became a talking point of unprecedented sacrifice of a wife – as if made in order to match her husband’s footsteps in every walk of life. A petty dig at someone’s misery and handicap was dramatised, ironically, as a high-graded commitment and dedication of a lady.

Besides, knowing her bro Shakuni quite well, Gandhari was convinced that this make-belief sacrifice of hers would be fair enough instigation, pep and constant reminder for Shakuni to accomplish his task against Dhritarashtra and the Kauravas in general.

The plot was well laid out and amidst this Duryodhana and his siblings were born to Gandhari and Dhritarashtra.

Their birth was adequate piss [and pee, since pee and babies are synonymous :P] for the first lady of Hastinapur.

Getting pregnant by Dhritarashtra early and then delivering 101 number of children drove the lady crazy to her wit’s end, for sure.

No way was Gandhari willing to take more beating on her. So her plan was simple, “Let’s make Duryodhana himself the nemesis of the Kauravas.”

But how? As no child is born as a criminal. But, yes, a child can be made so. Hence, let’s made him one.

As she thought, she did it accordingly. Gandhari assigned Shakuni to take care of her children, especially of Duryodhana. And she herself began to massage the inflated ego and false pride of Dhritarashtra by pushing the blind king more n more into the dark lanes of skepticism, lament, curse and vengeance against the innocent and helpless Pandavas.

While she was doing her part, Shakuni was outstanding in his role. He made sure that Duryodhana gradually grew up as an epitome of lie, deceit, whim, indiscrimination, manipulation, indiscipline and idiosyncrasy.

It was not like that that other elders in the family or in the close circle of the Kauravas were not aware of Shakuni’s misguidance to Duryodhana but they decided to keep mum – as, it always feels good if others’ children get spoilt. Sad, but true!

Given this, when Duryodhana fabricated the reason and the rationality of his never-to-be-quenched grudge against the Pandavas, the Kaurav-brigade of grey hair gleefully accepted the story that Draupadi laughed at and made fun of Duryodhana while he slipped into the water at the palace in Indraprastha mistakenly thinking that he was walking on a glossy floor.

I still find it difficult to acknowledge, whether an innocuous laughter could at all be any cause to such a devastating war like the one held in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, later on, as a consequence of Draupadi’s laughter!

I have my serious doubt in place. Honestly.

Then came the famously infamous or infamously famous strip tease of Draupadi – courtesy Duryodhana’s direction and Dushasana’s roll, take and action… and Sri Krishna’s intervention for a premature cut.

This leads to the reality that what Sri Krishna even being an outsider could afford to do for Draupadi, the family members and the relatives of the Kauravas – who were incidentally also related to the Pandavas – didn’t even feel like doing.

Why so?

Was it because they also wanted to experience the fall of Dhritarashtra and his family, eventually? Or the produced titillation of a female skin and flesh – even if she’s a daughter or a daughter-in-law – was an unlimited free seduction for those men who were supposedly suffering from mid-age and old-age crisis with an insatiable orgy?

If so, then why should we blame only Duryodhana for blackening and painting the face of his family when he was literally first spoilt and then exploited by his own mother Gandhari, father Dhritarashtra, maternal uncle Shakuni, and the likes.

Had Duryodhana been so evil, then he wouldn’t have given the shelter and the due respect to someone like Karna – who was rather unceremoniously delivered to be dumped by his own mother Kunti, so that he lived a life of a bastard.

Proves the point that Duryodhana was not at all a bad soul. But his problem was he was hatched by his family and relatives in such a way, so that he could be used like a puppet or a sacred goat in line with his inherited and imbibed bloated ego, stubbornness, mindlessness and anxiety – altogether that never helped him take any right decision per se.

To say the least, Duroyodhana’s vindictive nature or attitude was the product of his father Dhritarashtra only. For, if, as a loyal son to his father Dhritarashtra, Duroyodhana saw that his father embraced a iron idol of Bhima (Duryodhana’s cousin bro) to crush the idol in a vain effort to kill Bhima what lesson misguided Duryodhana was bound to learn then from none but his blind father about relationship and love, and humanity?!

Of course, the lesson for him was, “Killing is everything.”

Perhaps, pursuing this wrong understanding about life and owing to his bad education, stale value system, tasteless upbringing and spiteful principles and morals, Duryodhana could hardly justify any of his actions against the Pandavas and invited his untimely death as well as all others’ for nothing in the battle of Kurukshetra – known as Dharmayudh.

Now, as a conclusion, in light of The Mahabharata and the TRUTH, it ensures that if parents are so blind on mind their child(ren) ought to be depleted, defeated and defamed everywhere; be in life or death. Thereafter, it’s only those blind parents who will be left alone and forced to bear the corpse of their beloved child(ren) to the burial ground or the crematorium on their own. And for them, none will cry!

PS: If you liked this piece or even hated, feel free to comment to talk your mind.

Rani said nothing

2009-08-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

While returning home, I was thinking about Fakir. My friend Fakir - whose corpse was burning behind at the crematorium. For those with raising eyebrows; Fakir was Muslim but he preferred fire to soil. To him there was no difference between Lord Shiva and Allah.

Fakir happened to be a very simple guy. Very simple, indeed. As his name suggests, the guy never had any greed whatsoever for any earthly possession. It was always music and writing that would tug at his heartstrings.

My association with Fakir was for long. Pretty long. If I say correctly, it was for no fewer than 37 years. Yes, we were kind of born together.

Fakir lost his mother quite early. Then his father. He made himself almost on his own. The only asset my dead friend inherited from his departed parents was a heart – that was simply matchless, priceless and very true, for sure.

Unfortunate, that the fire in the pyre won’t spare this heart unlike his naval.

Honestly, I have never seen anyone like Fakir – who just used to believe in the power of love and honesty.

Fakir was a very good singer in fact. And that was the quality, which attracted and then attached Rani to him.

The two fell in love in a flash, crossing each other’s path for the first time in life. Of course, there were love and passion between them, so was their conflict of education, upbringing and culture. The formation of their respective beliefs, principles and morals was not in conjunction at all to say the least.

But they were in love. Madly. (Or should I say badly and sadly, as Fakir is no more.)

The drift between Rani and Fakir started when Fakir visited Rani’s place to meet her parents. Rani’s family members, precisely her mother, made sure that Fakir got humiliated, hassled and heckled by them like anything.

Why so? Because Rani’s parents were moneyed unlike Fakir – to whom money never counted.

From there, many dramas took the stage one after another at Rani’s place, so that Rani dumped Fakir.

Many tags such as Satan, Hypnotizer, Urchin, and the like were assigned to Fakir as the easy and prompt descriptors of him. The poor guy never knew or understood what his fault was.

He kept asking Rani about it. He cried. He lost his temper on this issue. He lost his sleep. He almost lost himself.

Still, Rani said nothing.

Days were flying off. There were ups and downs in their relationship. However, they managed to cling onto the side of their rocking boat in order to stay together in the sea of their emotions that had become quite turbulent by then.

Intelligent Fakir asked Rani to help herself slip into the life-jacket and leave him. For, the guy realized Rani was actually keener to harbor inside a safe cocoon than fighting against the odd tides by being beside Fakir.

But, Rani said nothing.

Instead, Rani hanged around. She insisted they tied up the knot in a hurry. She literally forced Fakir to perform the event. In the midst of a high current situation, their marriage was solemnized.

Immediately after the wedding, Rani went back to her place for a few days leaving behind a promise that she would come back. Soon.

Fakir found another job to get himself indulged in. That was counting days for Rani’s arrival.

Fakir was happy. Very happy. He thought, honestly, that Rani also turned happy as a result of their marriage. Thus, to add respect, amplification and shine to their happiness, Fakir began to acknowledge Rani as his wife. In private as well as in public.

And to share his happiness with all and sundry, he never felt like taking any permission from his wife Rani.

So, Rani said nothing.

On the contrary, the poor chap was accused of bringing insult and disrespect to Rani because Fakir told and exposed the truth to the world that Rani became his wife.

Fakir lost his speech. His eyes went blurred. His heart was almost chocked. And he didn’t know what to do next. The guy fell sick. Seriously.

He kept trying to reach Rani. Everyday, in every second.

Though, Rani said nothing.

After that episode, suddenly, two guys from Rani’s place came to Fakir. One of them literally challenged Fakir by saying what the hell Fakir could do in case Rani didn’t turn up.

Fakir did nothing but gave the petty person a walkover with a plate of sweets.

Following their visit an eye-wash reception was arranged to accept Fakir as a mere compromise, as if thrown upon Rani and her RICH family. To prove this point and instill more pain into Fakir’s injury, Rani’s father made sure that Fakir’s late mother’s name got dropped off the invitation card.

Fakir got upset. Terribly upset. He asked for a proper clarification from Rani.

Yet, Rani said nothing.

Rani’s family reached at Fakir’s city to organize the party. As planned, they visited Fakir’s siblings just a day before the event. And pursuing her ulterior motive, Rani’s mother left no stone unturned to perform a well calculated rudali-show or sobbing drama to express her helplessness on conceding Fakir as Rani’s husband.

Because she knew it for a fact, when Fakir would come back home and listen to it, he would blow off his mind’s fuse. And if it happened, she had a chance to call off the party by taking Rani in her confidence holding Fakir responsible for every mess.

Clever Fakir got it very clear. So, quite willingly he walked into their well laid out trap. He reacted strongly and vehemently to the ongoing fracas – as brought to him by Rani and her family and relatives.

As expected, they latched onto this provided spark of Fakir. A big fire ball was created by blowing off naked lies, manipulated stories and fabricated tales simply out of proportion, in tandem with Fakir’s residual wrath and frustration

The reception got cancelled.

And, Rani said nothing.

She along with her family went back home. Prior to that, she asserted that she was INSECURE with her husband Fakir.

Got to be! If a husband always wants his wife beside him how can a wife be secure?! LOL.

A few days were spent.

Then a letter of false allegation greeted Fakir. He was charged of executing unbearable mental and physical torture on Rani. He was blamed to bring insult and disrespect to Rani’s parents and family members and relatives.

This letter entailed the Petition for dissolution of their marriage on mutual consent.

Each paper was duly signed by Rani.

Nevertheless, Rani said nothing.

Fakir signed on the papers. Arranged an advocate for Rani. And gave the green signal for the legal proceedings.

Rani was elated. So were her family members and all other relatives. Seeing them happy Fakir also felt good. Quite relieved.

To celebrate his peace, he called me up. I went to his place. We talked. We sang. We boozed. We enjoyed, together. Whole night.

At dawn Fakir had to catch some sleep. So had I.

We slept. After a few hours I woke up. But Fakir kept sleeping…

In the evening the hearse car came.

The pyre was all set to welcome my friend Fakir.

I said, “Goodbye!”

Rani said nothing.

After all, Fakir too said nothing.

The moral of the story is: "Say nothing to feign humble and live long!"

Off the rear view mirror

2009-08-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, when I walked off Sarda Plywood’s office at Park Street, it was 3.30 PM, sharp. Immediately, I hailed a cab and the cabby obliged. I had to reach Gariahat, soon. So, without wasting a split second, I got settled (you may read nestled) inside the vehicle.

Then only I noticed the cabby. The guy was in his early 50s, I guessed. Slender. Having grey hair. And also realized, in a short while, that he was on a higher plank too.

Firstly, thanks to the smell of the country liquor he must have consumed at lunch and secondly, owing to his worldly expression of commonsense and life’s experience.

Actually, the incident took place while we reached the intersection just under the Park Circus flyover. A young, quite hardy, and self-employed beggar knocked on the windowpane close to my seat in the rear to draw my attention. He was begging in the name of Lokenath Baba, as if the BABA instructed him only to beg from people minus doing any work in order to worship the BABA as a devotee.

Facing the beggar (or should I say the bugger) and his petty efforts to make a few quick bucks, I, obviously, became very disgusted. Though I didn’t utter a single word but my facial expression was changed. So was my body language. Towards annoyance, of course.

The cabby, on the rear view mirror, I’m sure, witnessed that change on me. Hence, he opened his mouth to talk. For the first time, in fact, since I boarded his cab.

The first thing he said was that we, the Indians, especially the Kolkatans were losing on our workability and self-dignity rather thick and fast.

Frankly, I was taken aback. Those types of word, and that too, from a so called “illiterate” cabby… well, kind of a shockwave to me. However, those words helped me erase my beggar-bugging irritation and, instantly, I turned pretty curious to know why he said so.

So, I enquired and he explained, “Sir, foreigners love to see beggars in our country, especially begging on roads. Thus, they are the major contributors or donors of such an easy-money to our young brigade – who don’t have the requisite education to understand what’s good to earn and what’s not. Plus, those moneyed men of our own nation also patronize this begging spree, so that they too can exploit and pick those uneducated and idle brains as and when required.”

I was stunned! Yes, I was truly stunned! Was I listening to a cabby? Was I? I didn’t know. And, inevitably, my next question to the guy at the wheel was, “How could you utter such things? Who told you these?”

Pat came his reply, “None, sir. Whatever I told you was my hard earned experience. Because I have seen places and people. I have been driving for 22 years. Earlier, I used to drive trucks and travelled to Delhi, Mumbai, and Siliguri, and almost all parts of Assam and Punjab… and now for the last three years, I have been driving taxi at Kolkata.”

I pushed his words down, in a great hurry, through the gullet of my mind. There was no time to digest though, as we reached Gariahat.

Later on, in the evening, when I was strolling around the lake, I was actually trying to digest what I heard from that cabby.

I really wonder, if a cabby in our country can think so and reflect such a truth, as a matter of fact, off the rear view mirror, then why can’t the majority of our leaders, politicians, industrialists, intellectuals, social, motivational and management gurus can’t do the same for the millions of followers whom they lead everyday, everywhere, and every time!

Strange!

5th August

2009-08-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

The day began with a bright sun. The sky was pristine blue. There was serenity in the air and peace all around.

I woke up quite early on that day. The clock was ticking at 6.30 only. On my way to the balcony, I peeped into her room. I thought she was sleeping. So I tiptoed close to her bed. Frankly, I had no intention to disturb and break her sleep. The room was dark enough to balk my vision. It was tough for me to get a better view of her through the mosquito net. So after a while, I resigned and reached the balcony.

I was feeling an immerging sense of tranquility inside me. The feeling was intensifying because of the environment, which happened to be so clear and clean that early morning.

Breakfast was over by 9.30. As a result the gush of deep thoughts started to toss my mind into the whirlpool of idleness. What to do next and what not to… happened to be a million dollar question to me that time, because I was jobless in those days.

All of a sudden the phone rang at around 11.00 am. There was none near the cradle. So I had to go and attend the call. Bingo! It was for me only. A sweet female voice checked on me whether I was game to visit their office for an interview at 3.30-4.00 pm. The position was: Junior Copywriter.

Honestly, I was no insane to give it a miss. Thus, pat came my reply, “Yes, I’m coming on dot!”

I got ready rather in a hurry. Before I left, I again went to her room. She was wide awake then. Lying in her bed, nonchalantly, she was looking at the ceiling with a vacant and visionless stare. Incoherently, she was feeling the lump on her forehead and trying to move her unmovable and motionless right foot… of course, in vain.

Metastatic Carcinoma i.e. “cancer at last stage” was forcing her and her indomitable spirit to succumb to death. However, she was reluctant to surrender so easily, hence there was always a continuing fight between pain and perseverance.

And I was a mere spectator of this grueling battle… bout after bout… everyday, every night, offering NO relief to her thanks to my joblessness and helplessness.

I used to realise that no more she was able to counter the pain. Her ability to punch back was diminishing, gradually. Despite, she couldn’t feel like giving in because she had a worry, a big worry, about me and my future.

Anyway, I reached for the interview. The bullies took off, immediately, in their most sophisticated guise. And why not, after all admen would hardly get such a soft and non-English speaking target like me for their fun-crunch! Therefore those guys’ suave humiliation and intimidation was jolly well acceptable – as if their guidance provided me with, honourably.

Somehow I managed to survive and got selected for the final round – scheduled to be held after two weeks. I was elated. Precisely, relieved.

I walked off the interviewer’s office. Looked up at the sky. And found unlike the morning it was cloudy and heavy. It was about to rain cats and dogs.

I had to return home soon. I had to convey the good news to her.

But how? Before I perched onto a bus, the sky opened up. Torrential shower engulfed the vicinity. I tugged myself under a shade competing with a few dogs, roadside. I was praying to god, “Please let me go home fast,” as I had to see the smile on her face, courtesy my first ever success in job market.

After almost one and half hours, the rain ceased a bit. I boarded a bus. Then took an auto. And was reaching home almost running through the lane with a heart full of happiness and smiling galore.

I reached home. But felt an uncanny lull in the surroundings. A few people were standing underneath our house. I asked them, “What happened?” None said anything. I chose to waste no time. Rushed to the staircase. Climbed up to the door in a flash. Then gate crashed.

I saw that she was lying in her bed with an angelic smile on her face. There was no sign of pain. She was rather resting in heavenly peace. Perhaps god conveyed the good news to her on behalf of me.

5th August, exactly at 5 pm, that’s how she left me forever.

And she was my MOTHER.

The Mahayana

2009-07-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends (and Foes),

Since my childhood, the two epics: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have fascinated (and flabbergasted) me and my wit (if any) to a large extent.

Why so, to unveil… let me begin with the Ramayana.

The king Dasharatha had got three wives. Perhaps any Hindu marriage act was not applicable on him at that point of time. Or may be, as the diktat articulates that a king IS a king, he could manage to raise himself above the reach of any such marriage act or law.

They say that the first criterion of a great king or ruler is impartiality. So, when Dasharatha was quite admittedly and evidently more inclined towards his second wife Kaikeyi than his other two wives, I suppose, this was the king’s unbiased love for the queen sans any discrimination!

As far as my little knowledge goes, it understands that a king governs the lives in his kingdom or realm. And, I guess, the king’s bedroom also falls within his empire. If so, then when a mere maidservant Manthara could afford to exploit his supposedly in-the-bed promise to his wife (Kaikeyi) for an evil interest, I wonder, whether it should be considered as Dasharatha’s governing power as a king or his meek surrender to love (read lust) as a helpless hubby darling!

[Then why only hold Ekta Kapoor responsible for giving India the family feuding K-factors, when on the contrary Maharshi Balmiki had introduced us to those K-marked family politics ages ago!]

From there, Ram was asked to leave his paternal house for 14 long years. Fair enough! But, I’m not sure, if it was fair at all to allow Laxman to get himself tagged along with Ram and Sita while Urmila – Laxman’s innocent wife was not a party to the awesome threesome’s jungle venture for such a long period of time. It’s quite bizarre to note that poor Urmila had to suffer from a conjugal void, as if her marriage was annulled for nothing. Sorry to cite that was quite selfish of Ram and Sita and simply irresponsible of Laxman.

In the jungle, Sita may have demanded for umpteen times for a golden deer or anything trivial, but being a mature person, if Ram couldn’t predict the inevitable danger lurking around his wife (Sita), then it was sheer lack of commonsense expressed by a husband following the suit of his bro Laxman. Seems this IRRESPONSIBILITY was quite hereditary in Ram-Laxman’s family.

Also, it’s weird how could a man be called as Sri Ram instead of Srihin (lackluster) Ram, when the guy actually killed the super-ape Bali from behind like a coward in order to pursue and benefit from a give n take deal signed with Bali’s bro Sugreev – who was eyeing for Bali’s throne by hook or crook.

Plus, if you take Ravana and his intelligence into consideration, I’m sure; you would be as perplexed as I have always been. It’s strange that even with ten heads the guy failed to think of the consequence of offering fire to Hanuman’s tail!

Amazement continued! More so, when Hanuman could manage to put his blazing tail into his mouth for a permanent facial tan but couldn’t feel like putting it into the sea, which he actually crossed over by air after finishing off his famous Lanka episode.

God and Sita only knew how tough the days were out in Lanka; however she was ordered by her great husband (Ram) to walk straight into the fire on coming back home… because society demanded it. Peculiar! What a god damned god, I swear!

Now let’s take a peek into the Mahabharata, which also contains no less atypical actions and activities.

In case we start with Dhritarashtra, I don’t know whether the king was actually blind in eyes or on mind. Reason being, his actions and reactions helped one arc his or her eyebrows, incessantly.

Frankly, if a father remained always engaged in child production (101 children, no joke folks) without being bothered about his offspring's education and nourishment, it was pretty obvious that his children would be misguided and spoilt only.

[Sometimes, I seriously contemplate why Dhritarashtra shouldn’t not be given with the due credit on a/c of his labour to unearth the pitcher babies one after another much before the incidence of a test-tube baby took place!]

Exactly that happened with Duryodhan and Dushasan. Not to mention their maternal uncle Shakuni who took ample advantage of this family disorder of the Kauravas complementing his ulterior motives of finishing off the king, eventually, rather smilingly.

Put some light on Yudhistir and the black spots will become so conspicuous in his somewhat honest and prudent character. Really mind-blowing; a man who personified morals, values, principles and truth kept his wife as a bet to be naked in public because he was reluctant to leave a game of gamble, while losing on it badly!

What to say about Kunti! First she got involved with Surya, brought Karna on earth as a result of her pre-marital adventure and then floated her helpless baby in the water to save her painted face from society. Mother’s care, you see! Not only that but also Kunti’s idiosyncrasy was simply unstoppable when, without even seeing what (or whom) Arjun brought home, she ordered her five sons to have the equal share of Draupadi among them. Interesting, that to a concerned mother like Kunti her son’s (or sons’) wife was nothing but a commodity! After all, Draupadi was others’ daughter (read kitten), so why bother, may be that was the thought cooked up in the shallow kitchen of Kunti.

On the other hand, it was very frustrating too, when the people like Vishma, Dronacharya, etc. chose to play the puppets’ role instead of using their weight, might and thoughts to thwart the Kauravas from forcing continuous injustice to the Pandavas. It proved, in fact nakedly, that a chair and its associated lifestyle-perks and privileges have ever been everything to all from time immemorial… till date.

Now, if I don’t mention of none other than Sri Krishna to conclude my viscera report of Mahayana (Mahabharata + Ramayana), it would be a condemnable offense, I admit. Honestly he was the man who held the key and boldly showed the (marketing) world how to steal the limelight from taking off as a saree seller to Draupadi to completing the cycle as a motivational guru to Arjun by selling the Bhagavad Geeta to all, including any Tom, Dick and Harry, or Ram, Sita or Mita.

Finally, NO WONDER that the practices such as Hintuva (not Hinduism, mind you), social niceties (read cruelties), passing-the-buck ploys and the like are still building our nation on others’ profound notion that India is a happening THIRD-WORLD country even in the year 2009!

Devotedly yours,

Sushovan

PS: Feel free to let me know how you’ve liked my Mahayana (Mahabharata + Ramayana) only at rana12feb@gmail.com

Accenture is not THE NEXT BEST THING TO > NAKED

2009-07-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

What’s the difference between “Accenture” and “Jockey”? No prize for guessing, or answering. Because when the former is synonymous to “Consulting. Technology. Outsourcing.”, the latter stands for “Comfort. Titillation. In-sourcing.”

However, rather interestingly, Accenture concentrated quite hard on their “Business Attire Policy” in recent times. Perhaps the organisation felt that to combat the heat of the global meltdown should never be an in-office “Jockey-ing” – practiced by its employees.

Thus, prophet-ing “Accent on the Future”, Accenture helped the creation of a few ads (as showcased along with this article)… flashing the company’s restrictions on the flesh, skin and brawn shows of its Adams and Eves in office.

It seems, in line with the punch-line “High performance. Delivered.”, Accenture had to do something so dramatic in a desperate effort to keep the “brain-factor” alive among its employees.

Now the point is when worldwide the never-aged maxim says, “Sex Sells!”, can Accenture afford to denounce and deny the flesh-factor of its employees so easily? More so, when on an average an employee spends most of his quality time in office only… at present?

Or the company is too much worried about its female-employees’ calves, shoulders, bare-backs, etc. or its male-employees’ biceps, armpits, and the likes?

If flesh and skin of opposite sex are distractions at workplace, in that case when Adam gave away his apple to Eve for sharing knowledge, may be the first dude of mankind was in his Armani suit, so was the dudette fully wrapped up inside her attire… right?!

For that matter, then the top-to-bottom clothed Talibans are the most productive manpower and womanpower around for any organisation that promises things like: “High performance. Delivered.”

Bizarre! Quite weird! And too some extent pathetic work culture to bring in to any organisation for any employee per se. More so, when it’s 2009!

As a matter of fact, gimmick is nothing new rather an essential part of HR policies (fallacies included) in an organisation. But, when this type of gimmicks goes overboard it actually comes crushing down to the ground reality defining HR as “Humour Resources!”

Frankly, from a concern like Accenture that was the last thing expected. For, Accenture has never needed to worry so early that if the prevalent economic crisis continues; its workforce might come down to office in two-pieces only, eventually. The company could have or still can jolly well rely on its employees cloth-buying capacities at least, if not working abilities, despite of the current financial doldrums.

Finally, people who join an organisation of Accenture stature and calibre have certainly got the greys inside their nuts to opt for “Jockey” in place of “Accenture” – whenever they feel like getting: “THE NEXT BEST THING TO > NAKED.”

From broth to brothel… how relationship travels

2009-06-05T03:18:00.000-07:00

You wear shoes? I’m sure you do. So do I. But our respective sizes differ. Hence neither you nor I can get into either’s pair. Tough! Just the reason, matching one’s footsteps is not that easy for others.

But, if we felt like walking beyond the barrier of (self-inflicted) “social jungle”, barefoot, a bit at least, I guess things would have been different in every walk of life. Unfortunate that it never happens, rather we don’t like to get it happened that open and free way.

Reason? None knows. Still our animal instinct flows. Generations after generations, yielding nothing but a BIG ZERO for a BIG HOLLOW, when we love to define ourselves, helplessly, as “social animals”… massaging false egos, flaunting pseudo pride, practicing prejudice, and killing the truest LOVE all around.

Resulting… almost every selfless relationship nips in the bud, divorce helps a marriage go successful, miscarriage fulfills a pregnancy… and the saga of agony and dismay continues. Ironically always in the name of family and relatives, and the likes.

In India we call it ethos, but just outside of our mushy cocoon, our ethos turn into perpetual pathos. Admit it or not. And when it happens, even in the year 2009, the phenomenon can only be described as the SICKNESS OF MIND – incurable, unbearable, and above all else condemnable.

Perhaps that’s why, George Bernard Shaw explained it aptly a long ago: “Marriage is nothing but legal prostitution.” So true. As every unsuccessful marriage is the “broth” duly and intentionally spoilt by many cooks with their ingredients of injurious concern to take away all the “sweet n salt” off a relation… making the “broth” indeed a “brothel” – from where both the husband and the wife get compelled to sell their real emotions, feelings, and eventually themselves to the “bazaar” called society.

Sorry folks! I don’t belong to that society. Because I know my limitations. I know I can never be a “social animal”, instead ever remain a “social human” until I breathe for the last.

And every humiliation on a relationship or a marriage notwithstanding, my fight will continue against this corny society, which actually creates frustration across the length and breadth of lives to promote nothing but “bastard-ism”… in order to breed more and more ailing “social animals” – whose only criterion of living is “suffering from an acute identity crisis”, and thereby forgetting the basics of life that SOCIETY IS FOR HUMANS BUT NOT OTHERWISE.

Alice in YOUnique-land

2009-06-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

Next day a presentation was lined up. For that, I was burning my ass in office. Given my fantastic complexion though the burn would hardly affect the tan of my orbs, still the fire was felt. Quite tellingly in fact.

My corneas were aching as well. I needed to catch some sleep. I folded myself somehow in a nearby chair and slipped down instantly… deep into the rabbit hole.

I landed. A tender touch welcomed me there. “Hey who’s this?” My mind enquired.

“Hi, this is Alice!” The tenderness personified, as she introduced herself with a soft smile.

She looked at me. Precisely she looked into my eyes. I was fixed. Mesmerised by her sight.

I never knew her. But her company was so comfortable that in response to her introduction I could only say, “Hi, I just can’t do without you.”

Once said, I was expecting indifference from her. Nope. It didn’t occur. She took her strides toward me. Winged open her arms. Took me in, and asked, “Why? Tell me Rana, why can’t you do without me? I’m serious, tell me why?”

Oops! She even knew my nickname. Amazing!

My heart fluttered. I felt a sudden choke inside. It was getting tough for me to keep the eyes dry. “But, hey, I’m a guy. So can I cry?” Not really. Hence my jaws were struggling to remain softer. Huh! Sadly all in vain. Tears tore me apart. Sent my toughness for a toss. And simply threw me in the air of emotion that I never realised still alive in me.

Weakly, I could murmur, “Because I love you!”

Alice said nothing. She lowered her head on my chest and decided to nest in there. I thought for ever.

In a single moment, life became worth living a million years and everything turned hunky-dory.

Then???????

Then Alice began to get sleepy. She slipped out of my arms and slept in dark. Her world of fantasies, her impossible dreams, and her larger than life confusions started to take its toll on her… and she refused to stay awake anymore in light.

Her heartstring uncoiled off mine, soon. To catch and give credit to the dollars with the wings. And willingly she chose the captivity to the freedom.

Also, from outside of the Rabbit hole, I heard a call. Gosh! The presentation awaited my presence, immediately. “I have to talk, talk, and talk… slide after slide, after slide… notwithstanding the landslide that happened inside.”

I was in a great hurry. I looked at Alice. Kissed on her forehead, caressed her mane (perhaps) for the last time. And silently said, “Tata!”

And on my way up off her, I left behind my heart on the layout of a YOUnique Kurti for Alice, which she can wear, nowhere, but only in the world of YOUnique-land!

To know more about what happens in YOUnique-land, email to me at: itsyounique@gmail.com

Life's not gonna forget you

2009-01-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

I have composed this number for someone special who tried to finish me off rather in cold blood, but to no avail, as like always and as usual I survived and excelled... screwing up every filthy action performed against me -

Life's not gonna forget you
Life's not gonna forgive you
The damage is done...
N you can never return

Think, if you ever wish
Think, if you ever can
Where have you been then
When there was drought but rain
Go, go away from me
It's your last chance to flee

Life's not gonna forget you
Life's not gonna forgive you

No, no more you can lie
No, no more you can ditch
No, no more 'am yours
I've gone outta your reach
Go, go away from me
It's your last chance to flee

Life's not gonna forget you
Life's not gonna forgive you

You made me such a fool
Though I kept loving you
What a shame it was for us
As everything became a fuss
Go, go away from me
It's your last chance to flee

Life's not gonna forget you
Life's not gonna forgive you
The damage is done...
N you can never return

Life's not gonna forget you
Life's not gonna forgive you

Oh Dumbo

2009-01-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

12 years, quite a long time... I guess. Still it felt the same, the same kick of happiness and contentment, when I composed this song once again... exactly the way I used to compose and sing for my band "GUNJAN" in mid-nineties.

The muse of this number of mine is a girl, of course. Whom I rather call "Dumbo" despite of her all intelligence, knowledge and wisdom. Because I have the right to call her whatever I want and say to her that I (can still) LOVE.

The lyrics of the number "Oh Dumbo" -

When I fall weak
I think of you
I turn strong n fresh
Kissing morning dew

Oh Dumbo oh.. get, set, go
Oh Dumbo oh.. let our love grow!

When I can't see
I look into your eyes
A brighter dawn appears
With new sunrise

Oh Dumbo oh.. get, set, go
Oh Dumbo oh.. let our love grow!

When I can't breathe
You lend me the air
Everyone goes away
You hold me near

Oh Dumbo oh.. get, set, go
Oh Dumbo oh.. let our love grow!

When I fall sick
N death threatens to kill
You take me to your arms
Giving life's zeal

Oh Dumbo oh.. get, set, go
Oh Dumbo oh.. let our love grow!

I may marry 1000 times
Not to be happy even once
Miss you baby every time
Coz you only my romance

Oh Dumbo oh.. get, set, go
Oh Dumbo oh.. let our love grow!

Impossible is Everything!

2008-12-15T04:16:00.000-08:00

Without qualms the prime purpose of a calendar is to give you dates. To help you count days, mark holidays, plan a meeting or an outing, or remind of something or someone special that you can’t afford to forget.

But if you think the objective of a calendar is so plain and vanilla, well, to be frank, you are grossly mistaken.

Today is different, so is the rationale of a calendar.

This date-piece is no longer a dead-piece on the table or in the wall; instead it has become a deadly weapon of marketing communications for corporate houses or SEMEs (Small Enterprise, Medium Enterprise); or any individual… to build up an image that matters.

In fact, a calendar is the best ROI (Return on Investment) tool you can trust for an unmatched PR (Public Relations) even inside your TA’s (Target Audience) bedroom. And that too, throughout the year by expending only once in 12 months.

Needless to say, why Kingfisher spends so much effort and money to make its calendar happen every year, and why the company’s image is so deeply riveted to that produce. And why none other than Mr. Atul Kasbekar got hired as the shutter-bugger.

May be there are a few companies which can invest so heavily on a calendar, yet almost all try to do something superlative and unique on a calendar.

Thus when a calendar is made there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration rather seriously and sensibly.

To make a calendar successful, first and foremost a good and strong theme is very important. Because whatever creatives need to be done got to be in line with the theme. A theme can be anything and everything but it should be ‘something’ (interesting, inspiring, infectious, etc.) when represented. As none will be interested to see a petty, run-of-the-mill, or mundane stuff all through the year on the desk or in the wall.

The flyleaf, which is the topmost page of a calendar, is very crucial. As it draws the very initial attention of one. So the flyleaf should be engagingly attractive and significant to make one spend his/her a few extra minutes on it. The flyleaf creative (visual and copy) is to be crafted such a way that it describes the theme as well as the company’s vision (and mission) like a spokesperson, a protagonist, or a change agent.

All inside pages should carry along the theme one after another being in sync altogether. However each page is required to stand alone at least for a month courtesy its own creative merit save for the dates only.

Critical, I admit but not impossible. And this is the real challenge of creating a calendar… heralding wonders, every year!

To make my points clear, I have showcased here one of the calendars that I have produced for Hindustan Controls & Equipment Pvt. Ltd. (HCE), Kolkata.

The company takes pride in being an Indian company and does believe in the concept of thinking and doing different things. They try to project an image that is not as stringent as their heavy Electrical Engineering operations. They love to experiment and their relevance comes from refreshing things and actions that may be uncanny but not alienated off people and people’s interest.

Just the reason, to augur the New Year 2009, HCE is responsible to think and let you imagine that IMPOSSIBLE IS EVERYTHING!

Period.

2008-11-28T07:07:00.001-08:00

Yet another mayhem of militants has been rocking the tinsel town for more than 48 hours from now. A real life blockbuster is happening at Mumbai. Two hotels - the Taj and the Trident are staging the mega shows in particular where guests in those hospitable institutes and innocent people at large are giving away their lives to grenades, bullets and bombs.

As usual the natives from other cities and states in India are quite proactive in consuming and sharing the news and nimble enough for expressing shocks and sadness, anxiety and anger, and condolence to the slaughtered ones and their bereaved family members.

But is it just the action which is expected from the people of India against terrorists and their heinous and gory exploits of this magnitude?

If the answer is yes, then let’s celebrate terrorism like this only; today at Mumbai, tomorrow at Delhi, day after tomorrow at Kolkata and so on.

Or, if the answer is NO, then all of us have to put our thoughts and act altogether and begin a syndicated assault on terrorism at every nook and corner of the country. NOW.

This effort or movement can be termed as “Terror on Terrorism” or “Counter Terrorism”.

I’m sure reading hitherto some intellectual foreheads have got the crease on, or some attitudinal eyebrows have made some upward arches, or some sagging lips have gone dry making acute angles to rubbish this concept.

And, why not, as the world, precisely India, is full of “how-can-I-do-it-alone?!” typos to whom it’s always easier to follow one’s back than leading from the front or taking any initiative on their own. As if they also follow someone else, while they hit the bed to do it with their spouses. I wonder! I’m bewildered!

It’s really pathetic that that kind of passing the buck game has become a well cherished and ideally practiced phenomenon in our society and system where we rather call this scenario as “diplomacy”.

Funny! If this is diplomacy then what is hypocrisy? What is collective fear, chocking and cringe?

Ironical that militants have still failed to understand the simple fact that in India they don’t need to kill innocent people to dethrone the system. Because the system itself had come down to dust a long ago in this country when we actually divided our motherland into India and Pakistan to meet one’s personal greed of becoming India’s first prime minister.

On the contrary, no force, no atom bomb, no militants, no terrorists can do any harm to us, if we just do the basics right and follow the maxim “Charity begins at home” or “Self-help is the best help”.

We don’t need leaders, we don’t need any police, and we don’t need any paramilitary. All we need is the courage and spirit to withstand self and others and a compassionate mind to think that what’s happening at Mumbai today can also happen in our bedroom on the next day.

So we better be prepared, and begin leading from the front. And in the process bring the ULTIMATE TERROR on terrorism.

Period.

Shelter Your Image

2008-11-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

When it rains cats and dogs, or just drizzles, or the sun decides to toast you with its scorching heat, and albeit you have to go out then what comes first on your mind? No poetry, I guess.

Then and there you think of nothing but an UMBRELLA for sure to hold it over your head and step out.

Now if you think a little deeper, I’m sure you also acknowledge that an umbrella means more than just a shelter to you on moves.

In fact, an umbrella helps you relate to the inspiration of your grandpa, or to the protection of your parents; to the first kiss in the rain, or to the first loss of anything in a private vehicle; to the impromptu support of a friend, or to the nagging load in your bag or hand… altogether to the world where you belong to and which belongs to you.

Undoubtedly this world is your very own. Still it behaves like the unknown. Because it tests your character, evaluates your merit, tickles your feelings, puts light on your personality, examines your image, challenges your confidence and demands your success… wherever you go or whatever you do beyond the assurance, comfort and safety of your cocoon called YOURSELF.

And this is that. Accept it or not. Either you have to win a life of your choice or you have to be defeated, conceding others’ preferences.

Hence it’s better if you decide to win. And this decision should be substantiated with your choice of things that you want to do, want to wear, want to carry, want flaunt, or simply want to conceal.

Be it your shirt or saree; your watch or bracelet; your perfume or lipstick; or simply your umbrella match it with yourself in such a way that it complements only your personality, rather exclusively, creating an image that’s unique and unmatched.

It’s not far fetched or any ridicule; insanity or obscene, in case you unfurl an umbrella which is designed for you only… thereby giving shelter not only to your body but also to your matchless image as expressed by your personality, traits, characteristics, behaviour, lifestyle, style, and, last but not least, your profession – while you decide to take the rain or the sun in your stride. Outside.

The trend is called IMAGE SHELTERING! Brought to you by your UMBRELLA. That's "YOUnique".

So, to know more about how to shelter your image exclusively underneath an umbrella, feel free to email at: bonniesd@gmail.com or rana12feb@gmail.com immediately.

After all, time and tide, and exclusivity don’t really wait.

The Q Factor

2008-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

This article is the reproduction of one of my columns that I had once written for the column ‘Edu Adda’ in Education Times – with whom I happened to be an Invitee Columnist.

One fine morning, I had received a call from the then Editor of the publication who read me the following –

“I’m a student of Mechanical Engineering (3rd year) in Kalyani Engineering College, wanting to enhance on my soft skills by developing an attitude, communication, personality and confidence. I would like to know how EQ is over IQ. It will be great help, if you provide me with a few tips on the same and drop the name of a book or two that I can refer to in this regard.”

Once finished, as usual and as always, she had demanded my lines immediately for answering back to the guy through the column and offered me half-an-hour flat.

And obeying the ultimatum, I had no choice but obliging her with the stuff she wanted.

Attitude is an inherent and, to some extent, a worked out quality of yours. This quality can set you apart from others, easily. It can be of two types: Positive and Negative. Generally by mentioning of an Attitude, we mean the Positive Attitude. And to develop this (Positive) Attitude, it’s crucial for you to think Positive almost every time. Be it a no-win situation or a mere win-win, you have to think positive almost every time to turn it into all-win for you. Because you actually win a battle on mind much before it’s fought. And if you think, you can win, yes, you will. At least 80 times out of 100 – if not more.

Plus, your Attitude should always be executed by your action. Without any action, you can be rest assured that your Attitude will have no takers. For, life is action, not just contemplation. While you act, you got to learn from your every mistake and can never afford to commit the same mistake again (and again). During action, always deserve the very best and in case it’s not achieved despite of giving your 100%, accept it sportingly and put your pad on for playing the next innings. Failure is no sin or obscene but fearing failure is dangerous or an unpardonable crime. It’s sheer Negative Attitude, which never pays but pains.

Communication helps you develop an image of your own. Broadly, it has two genres: Verbal and Non-verbal. In Verbal Communication (which may also include writing), try to express things in the simplest way. Never use lingo or jargons, especially while you talk. It’s very important how you communicate so as to help your audience understand what you communicate. An insignificant matter might also become engrossingly interesting, if you can convey your message in a unique yet well-accepted and easily-comprehensible manner.

For Verbal Communication, your building blocks could well be watching news or talk shows on the quality English or regional channels on television. This practice will help you develop the right kind of pronunciation, accent and diction.

In case of Non-verbal Communication body language is the key. Listen attentively while someone is talking to you. In person or over the phone. Don’t shake your head too much, or stray your eyes here and there, or bite your nails, or put a hand on your face to get it covered while you are addressed in person. Always maintain a good pose and posture while you stand up or sit, and make sure to present a facial expression, which signals that you are ever interested to hear and know.

If character is the mirror, Personality is its polish. So it needs to be reflecting. Keeping yourself clean is a vital aspect of an attractive Personality. Always wear dresses that will keep you most comfortable in them. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your apparels should always be in line with the latest fashion or in vogue. Trim or cut your hair matching your face, use perfume or deodorant, and after shave while you go out. The stuff should smell soothing not overtly rich or incontrovertibly cheap. Don’t keep unruly nails on your fingers, or mud on your shoes – as nails and shoes are the hallmarks of one’s Personality. And don’t over do to highlight your Personality and hang a little smile, if not impossible, always on your lips.

Once your Attitude, Communication and Personality are developed and properly ordered, your Confidence will germinate and grow rather automatically. More you interact and share knowledge; it will add better values to your Confidence. Trust yourself and trust others in relationships, because your Confidence scales up greater heights when you can instill Confidence in others.

Well, now about EQ. EQ is the abbreviation of Emotional Quotient. It’s a sensitive work culture that brings the best out of every employee in an organisation. The fundamentals of this concept are Emotion, Emotion and Emotion. Opposite to logical and analytical understanding of gains like turnover, profits, market-share, etc., EQ helps and ensures an organisation succeed on intangible yields such as trust, reliability, loyalty, satisfaction, etc. It’s a process where one-on-one relationship and Emotion count more to general knowledge and intelligence that describe IQ. In a nutshell, EQ is letting your mind follow your heart.

Finally, to name the stuff in print (books or periodicals) as your guide; it should be the newspaper that you must unfold and look into daily. Going through the autobiographies of successful people is a real motivation to get and remain inspired. You may also refer to Daniel Goleman’s book on EQ. And most importantly, read to enjoy and enjoy to read. Anything. Everything.

Behind Every Ism there is Terrorism

2008-11-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 27th September 2008, a low intensity bomb blast rocked a flower market at Mehrauli. The blast occurred exactly two weeks after Delhi was splintered by five serial blasts in which 24 people were killed and more than 100 were injured, if media reports had to be believed.

This blast also took the life of a kid named Santosh on the spot, and later on two other’s who succumbed to their respective injuries at hospitals.

I read the news on a portal while I was chatting online with a friend who stays at Gurgaon. Since Mehrauli happens to be en route to Gurgaon, just out of curiosity I asked her whether everything was fine at her end. Pat came her reply that she was okay but her in-laws experienced a close shave. Knowing that, I got more curious. So I asked whether her in-laws were present in the market at the time of blast or they live nearby the blast spot. She replied immediately that her in-laws stay 12-Km away from that Mehrauli market.

Her answer totally outwitted me, honestly. I failed to answer back. Because, how could people at 12-Km away be designated with a close shave tag, I don’t know. I was amazed!

Nevertheless, the abovementioned chat experience helped me understand that nowadays a terrorist blast is not just a blast. Instead, it has greater implications which offer ripple effects in society that can be categorised or classified as different ‘isms’ which are earnestly followed by people from different walks.

Just like my friend did, as the blast i.e. terrorism excited her amplifying her in-laws proximity to the incident with an aim to earn undue importance on them, and consequently on herself.

And, this can be defined as Fad-ism.

Similarly, when a blast occurs it ensures at least next 7-days’ news bytes or clippings for media. Terrorists want FREE mileage and hype in media and media obediently obliges. Because, people at large are ever ready to pop in any and every blast news which promises steady growth in readership or viewership. That entails better revenues for media mostly through advertisements which are directly variable to readership or viwership.

And, this can be defined as Profit-ism.

Besides, terrorism has long been empowering the politicians and the leaders like Shivraj Patel, Amar Singh, Raj Thackeray, etc. who do enjoy their constant and continuous presence in limelight. Obviously, for nothing or doing only the silly things such as giving a broken-record statement about investigation after every blast, or accusing the moral of mortality of a cop in a shootout and then sending money to the cop’s bereaved family for getting it returned, or creating riots among common men on account of Renaissance, and the list goes on…

And, this can be defined as Power-ism.

In the same way, terrorism helps unemployed students of the technical colleges and institutes, which have mushroomed all over India to churn out engineers and techies like the tadpoles in every monsoon, find an employment at last at any of the terrorist outfits to use their technical acumen manufacturing bombs and other lethal weapons.

And this can be defined as Employment-ism.

Equally, terrorism comes productive and handy for the people who are in intelligence department. It provides occasions and events almost on a regular basis to those who are paid in heft for their so called grey matters to think how to nullify a terror attack and then rethink where they have gone wrong on their intelligence, once a blast is over.

And this can be defined as Grey-ism.

Also, the tinsel town and its movies are grossly influenced by terrorism. The recent being is Mumbai Meri Jaan that shows it all on celluloid. Accordingly, Brand owners or marketers can yield from terrorism. In case they are able to think of penetrating media space with their fitting and smart crisis communications, immediately after a blast.

For example: An ad with a punch line “Now switch to the coolest blast” of Carrier Aircon might be the order of the hour post-blast.

And this can be defined as Brand-ism.

As a matter of fact, almost all get to gain from many such isms as per one’s personal, professional or community needs, following terrorism.

And for that matter, in totality, this can be defined as Behind Every Ism there is Terrorism.

Whitewash on Gilchrist’s True Colours

2008-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

The famous Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has no job at present. Post retirement, he is neither taking guard in front of the wickets nor stooping behind the sticks. That’s why; he’s clueless what to do and how to earn. No doubt, he is also a human and having a family to feed.

So, he decided publishing his autobiography TRUE COLOURS to paint the champion and indomitable Indian cricketers to hard sell the guff in print.

Nothing doing; he has to do this business because he needs money. And as the maxim goes 'idle brain is devil’s workshop', Gilli can’t help but doing things which are silly thereby slipping into the gully without any cover, extra cover, or point, for that matter.

First, he tried to bully Sachin Tendulkar by calling the little master as a ‘sore loser’. Reason being, Sachin defended Harbhajan in the deposition on the racial row involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds that threatened to go out of hand during India's last tour Down Under.

Gilli claimed that Sachin initially told the hearing that he could not hear what was said because he was ‘a fair way… away’. But during the appeal which followed, Sachin said that Harbhajan used a Hindi term what sounded like ‘monkey’ to the Australian ears.

Now the point is, “How come the word ‘monkey’ falls under any racial abuse category?” If so, “Then why other words such as Tiger, Lion, Kangaroo, Kiwi, Elephant, etc. are exempted?”

Plus, Gilli’s rubbish commentary continues as –

“... I heard Harbhajan said to Ricky, ‘Sorry, I apologise, it won't happen again.’ The look on Harbhajan's face was telling. He looked like he was thinking, ‘Oh, shit! What have I done here? They're all over me.’

“... Harbhajan already apologised for doing it in India and promised not to do it again, but there he was, up to his old tricks. His promises meant little, and Ricky was reporting it to the match officials during the second Test in Sydney.”

FUNNY!

Because how could Gilli know what was playing on Harbhajan’s mind? Is the famous wicketkeeper a face and thought reader too? If yes, then Gilli has a career here after cricket. He can jolly well sit on the streets of India with a parrot and start telling the fortune to people.

“Not a bad income idea, Gilli!”

In fact, this fortune telling might also be considered as yet another buffoon act brought to the entire world by the great Australian Cricket Circus and their players (read jokers) for quite a while from now.

Also, if Ponting needs to go the match officials to change his diapers more often than not, he can jolly well do it. However, for that, Harbhajan can’t dislodge his turban and make the wet Australian captain dry with the Shikh’s headdress, every time.

In addition, Gilli also accused both Sourav (Ganguly) and Harbhajan (Singh) as chickens because the awesome twosome didn’t take part in 2004 Nagpur Test versus Australia. The base of his allegation was the Indian duo feared the grassy wicket at the venue, so they cowered.

Gilli is desperate to prove the point that the Aussies are ever fearless and do never shrink in the jaws of any defeat or tie.

But, the reality told (and always tells) it otherwise.

Precisely, when the ‘underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred on February 1, 1981’. Australia was playing New Zealand in a One Day International cricket match, the third of five matches in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. For preventing New Zealand from scoring the six the Aussies needed to tie. That time, the then Australian captain Greg Chappell instructed his bowler (and brother) Trevor Chappell to deliver the last ball underarm, along the ground. This action was not technically illegal, but it was widely considered to be against the spirit of the game.

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=K65_spUU05s (YouTube link of Trevor Chappell's bowling underarm.)

“Now, the great Greg, Gilli and Ponting, what you have to say or write on the spirit of the game? Or about the hyped up Aussie valor?!”

NOTHING REALLY, we guess.

The fact is Gilli has started to play his role for the touring and back-footed Aussies in India in the ongoing series. This time off the field though. He is communicating those funny stuff in media about the Indian cricketers to spell a cast of tension and temper in the Indian camp so that our cricketers under perform. But to no avail, as like his guru Greg, Gilli has also failed to read the changed Indian psyche. That no more fluctuates under any evil force.

Moreover, Gilli needs to sell his book. By hook or crook. And where else but in India can he get a better market?! Hence, Gilli’s sobbing in TRUE COLOURS is a tactical negative campaign on the Indian players as per his PR practice to facilitate his book’s sales.

Finally, Gilli, we sympathise with you and your book-selling spree but can only offer WHITEWASH on your TRUE COLORS which is rather to be renamed as FALSE HUES.

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