O My George!
When Mr. Narasimhan wakes up every morning at 5.00 it is essentially for two purposes. One, to anticipately wait for the phone call his son would occasionally make as he drives back home in Fermont from his Silicon Valley office and two, to hit the ground jogging with his retiree friends around his housing society peripherals. The half-an-hour drive after office hours gives Kaushik Narasimhan the perfect setting to catch-up with his dad’s sugar level updates, stock take his mother’s arthritis medicines, check out on the latest political grapevine in India and also listen to the latest tales of the boastful auntie next door. And when done with the materialization of or the wait for the US call, Narasimhan would quickly ready up in the short-sized Bermudas and over-sized sneakers that his son gifted him from America and join his friends on the ground, all of whom invariably have a son, a daughter or a niece settled in the US. Half a dozen circumambulations of the society later, they would soon settle down on the park benches, both to slow down their aging hearts and to share notes on the latest accolades of their off springs in the land of opportunities.
“My son has just purchased a new Duplex house in Richmond and we are planning to go for the Grahapravesham next month” Santham’s voice was filled with parental excitement as he shared the news of his son’s residential upgrade.
“That’s fantastic…. I heard the real estate prices have gone over the roof in US?” enquired Venkat, who having retired from the home loan department of a nationalized bank always had his pulse on international property prices.
“It cost USD 700,000 and he has still not taken any mortgage” Santham made it a point to emphasis the financial success of his son, a landmark for a H1B visa holder.
“My boy, that’s more than Rs.6.5 Cr! With that money we can buy a property opposite Kushboo’s house in Chennai’ opined Kapilan, who has posters of the film actress all over his house and his son is the joint-secretary of Kushboo Rasigar Mandram, Seattle.
“With Rs.90/- per dollar, I had to shell out Rs.60.00 lacs to pay the first-year fee of USD 65,000 for Sharanya’s Master’s program in Yale university and she still has one more year to go!” the lament of a retired father to fund his daughter’s foreign education was hard to miss. “Maybe I will sell my Naganallur flat next year. I see no other way out!”
“But Mr.Sadasivam, even after completing her education, she now will have to pay USD 100,000 every year to get a H1B Visa! And you know she cannot work in the US without a H1B. How are you going to manage that?” Senthil’s query was more out of concern of the recent Trump’s announcement and its impact on Sadasivam’s finances than to cause him distress.
“See Senthil, my Lord Murugan will take care and I rely completely on Him. And my only prayer to Him is that the US dollar should become cheaper” Sadasivam was referring to the falling rupee rate vis-à-vis the USD.
“No chance Sir, it is only going to become costlier and will soon breach the Rs.100/- mark, most probably before Pongal itself!” Chandrasekhar sounded prophetic as he made these claims. He recently lost a hefty commission when his US client cancelled the order of the T-Shirt supplier in Tirupur because of the new 50% tariff.
“Is that so? I will then book our tickets to the US next month itself! My daughter is expecting and me and my wife will have to be there well before the due date in April’26” former finance ministry official Parameswaran was at his budgetary best when he announced this plan.
“Sir, whatever plan you make, unless the visa charges are taken off and the dollar prices come down, our children are all going to be in trouble, big time” Conceded Senthil whose daughter and son-in-law got their H1B visas just two months back and escaped the USD 100,000 fee each. They may not be that lucky next year.
“Correct, he even offered to re-build the UN headquarters with escalators that doesn’t stop in the middle” Senthil was alluding to the Trump’s speech in the UN.
“It’s going to be tough till the Trump era ends. He is basically a business man who believes in making America great again by cutting deals”. Mr. Rajagopal comments relied on his vast experience teaching behaviour sciences to management students.
“I and Trump belong to the same industry sir” quipped Ramamoorthy who has three unfinished housing projects in Chennai city to his credit. “He sees himself as a real estate developer first, and as POTUS later”.
“Even his signature resembles the Manhattan skyline Sir!” Ramamoorthy was referring to the straight, tall and continuous lines in Trump’s signature.
“For me it looks like the ECG reading of a person who just suffered a heart attack” resorted Dr. Kannan, a heart specialist and along with being a health enthusiast.
“With so many of our children in the US, we should rename our Triveni Apartments as Trump Apartments”. Chari, who was quiet till now came up with this wonderful suggestion to win the Trump grace.
“In fact, to win the grace of Trump we should honour George Washington! American Indians should build a Temple for the first President of the United States and invite Trump for the Kumbabhishekam ceremony. That will work wonders for the Indo-US relations!”
“What a fantastic idea Chari sir! With George Washington’s face on the dollar, there is no better way to strengthen the rupee vis-à-vis the US currency”. Narshimhan’s parting shot left everyone in splits!
Yours
Narayanan
Declaimer: This is a fictional piece and resemblances are only co-incidental.
Dr. Singh: The architect of aspirational India
The only car that I ever sat in till I entered my twenties is the Ambassador, that, from the exterior, resembled the shell of an unevenly broken egg fitted with four wheels. All parts of the Ambassador car is notoriously known to produce noise except the horn! The shoes I wore for years were only from the Bata and the TV channel I watched was exclusively the Doordarshan. Except perhaps for the under garments, the dresses I wore then were stitched to measure by the family tailor and the concept of ready-made wears sounded alien. The idea of dining-out meant sitting on clanking chairs in noisy hotels and gulping down the routine south Indian menu or on very special occasions, savouring a plate of Chapati with Kurma in a semi air-conditioned restaurant. Holiday travels essentially meant visits to temples in nearby towns in public transport and vacations are but extended stays at cousin’s and aunt’s homes.
Till the early 1990s, this lack of choice encompassed all facets of life extending from products for personal use to goods and services of mass consumption and to the career options one can pursue. The bulky wrist watches most men wore came from the house of HMT and refrigerators in most homes were either Kelvinator or Godrej. If it is a bread toast for breakfast, it has to be Modern Bread spread only with Amul butter and Kissan Jam and if one were to drain it down with a health drink, it would be a Horlicks. The joy of riding a scooter was derived mostly by owning a Bajaj and the luxury of air travel were experienced only on the state-run Indian Airlines. The jobs in the organized sector were few that are either in the government departments and public sector undertakings or in the few private corporates. With unemployment and underemployment being the norm, one would thank the stars if he were to be gainfully occupied! With 431 million people living in extreme poverty the mood in general was fatalistic and the youth, non-aspirational!
In this gloomy scenario enters Dr. Manmohan Singh as the finance minister to undertake the herculean tasks of liberating the economy from the deliberating clutches of license quota and permit regime. Working assiduously to loosen the shackles that were holding the country back, Dr. Singh opened private participation in key areas of the economy allowing foreign investments to come in that compelled the domestic industries to compete with global players. Companies came in hordes to set up factories, foreign investments sky-rocketed and new industrial towns sprouted across the country. In few years, manufacturing companies around the world, from automobiles to electronics industries, have their manufacturing facilities in India with domestic ancillary industries milling round them creating jobs in thousands. With a vast pool of IT talent, India soon became the global hub for software services and young professionals in millions were recruited straight from their college campuses to be employed in the industry. Armed with the added advantage of proficiency in English language, the country soon transformed as the backend office to the world with young boys and girls servicing clients located on the other side of the globe. Call centres that work 24/7 with young workforce came up even in mofussil towns creating a domino effect on other support services like transport and logistics. With jobs that generated good income, a new middle class, young and dynamic, came into existence that drove demand upwards. India, thus got into a phenomenal growth trajectory never seen in the past fuelling an unsatiated quest for better quality of life. Indians have become aspirational!
To cater to these billion aspirations, international brands flooded the market giving Indians multiple choices and options for products ranging from cars to chocolates. Toyotas, Fords and Hyundais increasingly dominated the Indian roads while supermarkets were stuffed with Swiss chocolates and Californian almonds. Allen Solly, Louis Phillipe and scores of other clothing brands set up exclusive showrooms in every town just as Nike, Woodland and Lee copper became the favourite shoe brands for the upwardly mobile. LGs and Samsungs started commending the electronics market and McDonalds and Dominos became the preffered eating joints for the young Indians to hang out. Luxury brands like Harley Davidson, Louis Vuitton and Arnold Watches register high sales while Apple iPhones have a major share of the Indian mobile market. Along with these global players, Indian companies and brands too sprang up to capitalize on the opportunity resulting in healthy competitions ultimately to the benefit of the Indian customer. From a society devoid of any choice to a market with limitless options, this transition of India is unprecedented and fundamentally transforming!
With this buoyancy came the burgeoning demand for modern housing and real estate projects mushroomed not just in metropolis and major cities, but also in smaller towns. High-rise apartment buildings began dotting the skylines and new residential townships sprang up in their hundreds as the nation witnessed an unprecedented housing boom. With disposable incomes in hand, the young were also looking for investment avenues and the opening up of the stock market to digital trading just gave the right opportunity for the share market boom. From traditional bank savings, Mutual Funds became the favourite instrument for investments for the middle class reflecting the growing confidence in the market. Thus, Dr. Singh as finance minister overhauled the Indian economy erecting new pillars of growth for the future.
If it was the emergence of a new middle class that defined Dr. Singh’s term as finance minister, it was the elevation of poverty and rural re-generation that stood apart during his tenure as the Prime Minister of the country. By ensuring hundred days of work in a year for every rural household, Dr. Singh tackled the issue of rural unemployment and thereby squarely addressed the intractable problem of poverty. By enacting right for food as a fundamental right, he made it mandatory on the government to provide food to all its citizens the result of which, by the end of Dr Singh’s premiership, more than two hundred million Indians were effectively lifted out of poverty to lead life with dignity and honour. And again, during this tenure, he ensured a digital identity to every Indian through the famous Aadhar Card that facilitated their economic inclusion in later years. Be it putting a mobile phone in the pockets of almost every Indian or the waiver of the distressed farm loans or protecting people’s right over land and forests, Dr. Singh, as prime minister, made colossal contribution to the upliftment of the poor and thee marginalised.
As Dr. Manmohan Singh passed onto history on 26th December 2024, the country and its 1.4 billion people are in eternal gratitude to its noble son who forever changed their destiny!
Yours
Narayanan
Margazhi – The year-end cultural extravaganza
Come mid-December and Ms. Kamala Rajagopal turns a very busy person right from the wee hours of the day. Getting up early from the bed, she rushes to take a head bath in ice-cold water, wraps herself hurriedly in a saree, rolls her wet hair in a towel to make a bun with her shivering hands and dashes to the courtyard with a bowl of rice powder, turmeric and Kumkum. Tucking her saree at half length for easy movement, she bends down with a lump of rice powder and glides her figures on to the floor in intricate patterns. As the fine powder flows down with the movements of her fingers, an exquisite design with curves, lines and dots magically takes shape on the ground. Once the design is complete, she goes on to add colour to the outer and inner layers with the red Kumkum and turmeric and an auspicious “Kolam” majestically comes to life on the courtyard. Just has she completes the Kolam task, sounds of cymbals and mridangam waft through the chilly air signaling the arrival of “Margazhi Bhajanai” and Kamala stands with wide excitement to receive the procession.
In the Tamil month of Margazhi, every morning, bunch of devotees form groups to move in processions on the streets of Chennai and other towns of Tamil Nadu collectively singing hymns in praise of the Lord. Leading the musical march of this “Margazhi Bhajanai” are young girls dressed up as “Kodhai” and “Andal”, dancing to the rendition of Tiruppavai. The Tiruppavai is a set of thirty “Pasurams” or hymns, one for each day of the month, attributed to the female Tamil saint Andal that extols her love to the beloved Lord. Composed in chaste Tamil, each hymn signifies the devotee’s yearning that progressively leads her to divine fulfilment. Unmarried girls take up the singing of the Tiruppavai with great enthusiasm in the belief of finding the right groom for marriage! As the dance and music party reach her home, Kamala joins the chorus in the singing of the “Pasuram” and bows her head down in deep reverence.
Once inside the house, Kamala sets herself to the task of stringing garlands with freshly plucked flowers, the scents of which lends an aura of serenity to the entire home. Hues of pink, yellow and red garlands are tastefully adorned on to the idols and pictures in the pooja room as Kamala sits to begin her daily chants of the “Tiruvampavai.” Tiruvampavai is a collection of Tamil hymns in praise of Lord Shiva and is devotionally sung in the month of Margazhi. These compositions of Poet-Saint Manikkavacakar are deeply philosophical laced with unadulterated adoration of the Supreme and is assured to bring joy and prosperity to the household. Kamala’s morning devotion comes to a close with the waving of the “Aarti” to the singing of “Shobanam Shobanam.”
When the mornings are chill, the breakfasts during the Margazhi month have to be steaming hot and also should taste hot! And Kamala tries out her unique recipes during these days and one such is the “Chettinad Paniyaram” with the accompaniment of “Kara Chutney.” When the soft Paniyaram dipped in spicy chutney is popped into the mouth, it just melts with the first chew and slips down the gullet while the aromatic chutney leaves a flavour of heat as you let go the steam with a puff of the mouth. This delicate balance of soft and spice entices you to reach out for the next bite and the entire plate is emptied much before you realised it! Like a “Pasuram” a day, Kamala has a recipe a day for the entire month of Margazhi!
The evenings of Margazhi are exclusively reserved for music programs that are held at the hundreds of Sabhas spread across the city and Kamala and her husband have meticulously chalked out an itinerary of concerts to attend for the whole month. Called the ‘Kutcheri’ under the common parlance “Margazhi Maha Utavam”, these concerts showcase the rich musical traditions of South India in all its magnificence. The performance slots are allotted to artists based on their popularity and ratings with the evening concerts exclusively reserved for renowned musicians. While maestros and upcoming artists strive to put up their best performance on every stage during the season, both the connoisseurs and commoners look forward to this musical extravaganza with unabashed excitement! All the hotel rooms in Chennai city during the month are choc-a-bloc with rates sky-rocketing to cash in on the huge influx of Carnatic music lovers across the globe. Along with a huge boost for the art of music, the “Margazhi Maha Utsavam” is also a great fill-up to the commerce of the city!
After a feast for the ears with soul-stirring music, the post-concert time every day is reserved for a feast to the stomach. Sabhas organize food festivals in their premises where lip-smacking vegetarian food and sweets from all corners of India are served to the guests. Kamala and her husband make it a point to try out a different dish every day and relish the evenings to the fullest. Many of her menus at home are inspired by the items tried out in these food courts!
After a treat to the soul and the stomach, Kamala retires for the day very late in the night only to wake up early next day to welcome another day of Margazhi!
Yours
Narayanan
A kolam competition in progress…
The beautiful miniature world
Painted and decorated pots are lined up on both sides as the woman in blue Kanchipuram saree pulls up a bucket of water over the pully of the well. On the courtyard stands a scarecrow guarding the spread of a wide assortment of spices for sun-drying along with freshly laid strands of potato fryums while, a few feet away, little girls are indulged in a game of ‘hopping the squares’ in gay abandon. In the grocer’s shop across the street, the shop-keeper is accurately weighing a kilo of gingelly oil on a balancing scale as the lady customer checks the aroma of a fistful of raw rice by placing it under her nostrils. In the Lady’s Fancy Store next door, the salesperson is slipping a bunch of colourful glass bangles into the hands of a mesmerized young lady just as another one enjoys her reflection on the mirror with a newly purchased pair of ear danglers. At the end of the road is the Iyer’s Tiffin Corner where the dhoti-clad uncle is cooling a glass of steaming filter coffee by pouring the hot stuff on to a ‘Davara’ from a height just as his wife is savouring a plate of idlis soaked in sambar. Taking a left turn and walking a few steps, led me to a lush green stadium where men clad in whites are locked in the game of cricket. Completely lost in an absorbing match, I hurried out on realizing sunset and took a turn right to be greeted with the Nadaswaram and Thavil musicians playing for a marriage procession. The groom in three-piece suit and a garland around him is slowly driven in an open car with a bunch of pretty women dressed up in fineries and holding goodies in decorated plates leading the convey. As the entourage headed towards the temple, I too sneaked into it to take a view of the grandeur inside.
The entrance of the temple had a huge Gopuram or the tower that depicted in it all the ten facets of Lord Vishnu, from the form of a fish to that of the horse-riding Kalki. And as I moved in, a huge square tank filled with blue water and pillars painted in red and white concentric circles all around greeted me giving me a deep feeling of tranquility within. Once past the tank, the entrancing form of Ganesh with an elephant trunk and a mouse beside him was a sight to cherish just as the form of his brother Kartikeya standing with a peacock that came next. As I moved along the corridor of the temple the form of Krishna playing the flute with the white cow in the background was absolutely enticing as the serene beauty of the snow-clad Kailasa mountain that followed it. The figure of Lord Shiva, clad in dear skin, sitting erect in deep penance was a scene straight from the scriptures. Stepping out of the temple from the other entrance, one marvels at the craft and the creativity of the Indian artisans!
Well, this is not a tour of a typical Indian town but the description of the miniature displays that are arranged in South Indian homes during the nine-day Navaratri that fall in the month of October every year. Called the “Golu”, the arrangement of these miniatures calls for a mix of ideas, imagination, visual creativity and a nuanced understanding of Indian cultural heritage. Largely done by the female members of the household, men chip-in to create the layers for the miniatures to be placed and in setting the ambiance with lights and sounds. The Golu settings could be anything from a simple three-step decoration to a massive multi-layered grandeur with lavish detailing on many aspects of human life that would require months of planning and many days for execution. While it is common to set up Golu at homes, public Golus in temples and at cultural centres are also huge attractions during these days.
Once set-up, the family members derive satisfaction only when the Golu is seen, appreciated, photographed and pictures and videos shared in social media. And for this, friends and relatives are invited to visit the homes during Navaratri and they invariably turn up to marvel at the ingenuity of the creative mind behind it. The female visitors offer musical renderings to the gods and goddess on display and the visitors are feasted to exquisite delicacies, gifted with clothes and dress materials for all the nine days. And at the end of it all, it is the rich, beautiful, vibrant and diverse culture of India complete with its music, dress and culinary that is in generously showcased during Navaratri.
Golu, in a nutshell, signifies the celebration of life in all its hues and colours and there isn’t a dull moment when life is shared with all around us. These miniatures are the true heavenly visitors to our homes!
Yours
Narayanan
A case for Proportional Representation
With over 640 million voters exercising their democratic rights through 5.5 million Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) spread over a million polling stations, the just concluded general elections in India was indeed a gigantic exercise that is both a pride for the nation and an envy of the opponent neighbours. And when 542 candidates emerged victorious to be the new Members of the Parliament through a grueling eight-week long campaign in blistering heat, what was on abundant display throughout this election process was the proverbial “Dance of Democracy” in all its facets.
This celebration of the will of the people is made possible by our forefathers who in their collective wisdom adopted the concept of universal adult suffrage fundamental to our democracy. They gave all Indians above the age of twenty-one (later lowered to the age of eighteen), the right to vote irrespective of their caste, religion, colour, language, social, economic or other distinctions that was truly revolutionary for the time. Thus, the most deprived of the Indian shares equal power with his most privileged countrymen in electing his representative which often manifest in the final verdict in its own unique ways. In this election, while the ruling dispensation was brought back to power, it was contained way short of a simple majority so as to be dependent on its allies to run the government. As they pressed the little button on the EVM, it seems that the substantial chunk of the poor, the youth and the marginalised had the concerns of livelihoods foremost in their minds and thus decided to sober the powers that be. Such is the sovereignty of the people of India that they hold the ultimate authority to reward, replace or reprimand governments through that instrument called the Vote, collectively exercised once every five years.
Yet, this power of the vote as it is practiced today has some serious lacune. In a constituency-based First Past The Post (FPTP) system, many a times the will of the people is inadequately reflected in the outcome of the election. There have often been instances where voters of a particular political party, though relatively smaller in number but concentrated in a tiny region, gather larger share of seats than the ones with much larger vote share but dispersed over a wider geography. Thus, in the state of Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) with over 22% of the vote share in the state won just four seats whereas the smaller Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) party won five seats with just 6.33% of the votes! And in some states, a small difference in vote share translates disproportionately to huge difference in the seats. In Odisha for instance, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a vote share of about 45% won all but one of the twenty-one seats in the state whereas the Biju Janta Dal (BJD), though polled over 37% of the votes drew a blank! So also is the case of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu with 20% of the votes and no seats to its kitty.
This anomaly in correctly interpreting the choice of the people calls for progressive intervention and one instrument that’s available is the idea of Proportional Representation (PR) of political parties based on their vote share. Though a complete shift to the concept of PR may not be feasible nor desirable, a partial adoption of its tenets would be a step forward and the Delimitation Act to be implemented offers the right opportunity. The Delimitation Act that is to come into force based on the census conducted after the year 2026 is expected to increase the number of parliamentary seats in the country and these incremental seats could be considered for PR. The Law Commission has already made a similar recommendation for a Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) wherein the present ‘First Past The Post’ system is imaginatively aligned to PR for the additional seats. This also would be in line with the larger trend the world over for PR in parliaments and senates. There are today about a hundred countries that practice PR in one form or the other and the system seems to be inclusive and more genuinely represent the divergent nature and character of the population.
Politics and political systems, as any other branch of human endevour, are evolutionary in character and as such should be dynamic enough to reflect the shifting aspirations of the people. And timely reforms are the key to keep the system robust. India, for long, has been a votary for reforms in the Security Council of the United Nations and has justifiably sought a permanent seat to make the Security Council “legitimate, representative, responsive and effective” reflecting the geo-political realities of the times. It is thus only prudent that reforms be also carried out in the Indian electoral process to make it more representative and responsive.
From the time of Plato’s The Republic and the republican Janapadas of ancient India, the search for a more inclusive and representative form of governance has remained a constant pursuit for millenniums and it still continues to be a ‘work in progress’.
Yours
Narayanan
In praise of the sales colleague
My dear Sales colleague,
Now that the yearly sales closing is done, I am sure you would be experiencing a sense of great relief! Like the person gasping for air after having been forcefully thrust under water for a full three and a half minutes, this sense of freedom is unfathomable. A thousand kudos to you for withstanding the immense pressure of the 31st March deadline for achieving the annual sales target under which lesser humans would have easily succumbed. You have successfully managed to process the last minute orders, overcame debilitating internal challenges and ensured timely supplies… all these are nothing short of near super human feats that only a sales person like you could ever deliver!
A Sales person’s job is one of the hardest as it involves mastery over a range of hard and soft skills while the outcome is never certain. In a profession where you need to demonstrate unparalleled grit and determination just to stay afloat and relevant, it’s the great salesmanship in you that emerge triumphant. The communication and persuasive traits, that unique hallmark of a vintage salesman, is amply evident in the longevity of your career while your ability to empathise and evolve out-of-the-box solutions to customer demands is a trademark forte of a seasoned salesman. And when matters go wrong and bizarre and sales figures take a nosedive, it’s your resilience that stands you apart from the lesser mortals. You bounce back every time you are beaten, you adapt every time market conditions evolve and you call out every time internal systems become non-responsive! When success smiles, you take it in your stride knowing only too well that to continue in sales you cannot afford to rest on your laurels.
Yet it is always your job that is in the line of fire whenever figures slump even for reasons that are beyond your control. Though it is you who got in the revenue for the company for many years, helped it build the brand and identify new markets, it is always the sales man’s job that is at stake at the first whiff of adversity. The new product could be out of sync with market demands, the credit policies could be detrimental to sales growth and the problems of logistics and servicing could be appalling… yet none of them operating in these areas will be accountable for these lapses but only you, the sales person. While you are made to explain the downfall and risk job loss, others continue unaffected, even gain pay rises, promotions and possible retirement extensions and enjoy the unfettered security of a permanent job.
But as a Sales person you are only too aware of this anomaly and take it spiritedly as part of the job hazard and continue with your amazing work, smiling. For you too have a family to feed, a monthly home loan to pay, the children’s school fees to remit and elderly parents to take care of. You remain jovial and enterprising for you cannot afford to be otherwise, for the larger good. But let me assure you that the job you do is completely inimitable, most essential for the business enterprise and the value you bring to the table is indeed priceless. You are the jewel in the crown!
The month of March may have come and gone but as a true hero you continue to march valiantly, and unfazed!
Yours
Narayanan
A visit to a Puja Pandal
Draped in the finest silken attire and adorned with dazzling jewelry, the 15 foot high idol of Maa Durga with lethal weapons and piercing glance looks both enchanting and powerful. And when viewed through the misty fumes rising from the “Aartis” reverentially circled around her to the rhythmic beatings of the gongs and cymbals, she presents an awesome mystique of feminine divinity that transports the onlooker to a transcendental plane. The intensity of this elevating experience stayed with me long after I left the Pujo Pandal organised in our locality this Dussera.
The Durga Puja Pandal organized every year by the Prantic Cultural Society is a religious, cultural and artistic extravaganza that showcases the rich tapestry of the Bengali culture spurn around the religious and devotional fervour of Navaratri. Along with the traditional pujas amidst chants and the rituals, the Pandal offers a wide variety of musical and dance events that is an audio-visual treat to the hundreds visiting the Pandal every day. It not only gives a kaleidoscopic view of the current Bengali cultural trends but also gives a stage for budding talents and aspiring performers. But the most striking aspect of this annual event is the construct of the Pandal itself, that is both a designer’s delight and an artist’s challenge. Always theme based, it gives expression, in solid forms, to the intricate imagination of a creative mind and embraces in itself the structure, the story and the message in an integral whole that leaves one visiting the Pandal spellbound. And it is the Handicrafts of Bengal that formed the theme of this year’s Pandal and it is a riot of colours and craftsmanship that is on display everywhere at the event.
The entire display of theme is fashioned in Bamboo caskets that are richly embellished with sea shells, paper cuttings and other handicraft designs that bring into life myriad stories, from the yore to the epic. Be it the various forms of the Goddess that are crafted exquisitely in innumerable bamboo caskets in many sizes, shapes and designs or the picturisation of the ten forms of Vishnu detailing the characters of each Avathar, the thought and the effort that has gone into the making of each one of them is truly mindboggling! Add to that the external decoration of various themes in the form of arches, towers and reliefs, all in bamboo caskets, and you have an amazing display of craftsmanship in an expansive spread.
These structural magic on mere bamboos are erected by artisans from the East Midnapore of Bengal who have worked tirelessly, day and night, for over a month to bring into life a monumental expression of art. All the materials used for the construction were transported from Bengal to Delhi and meticulously crafted, piece by piece, at the venue site. They are then detailed and embellished with sophistication to breathe life to the hundreds of characters that are on display at the venue for the thousands visiting the Pandal to bask and marvel at the unparalleled artistry of these craftsmen! Their construct become mansions fit to be the abode of the Goddess while the artists themselves remain unknown!
Along with the beautiful handicraft structure of the site, the Pandal also is a foodie’s delight with a variety of cuisine on sale at its many counters. And as one relishes the delicacies of Bengal, the aroma of dosas and parathas emanate from other stalls. And if that is not enough to make a memorable evening, the traditional Bengali attires of many visitors are by themselves a treat to watch!
It’s the events like the Durga Puja that make us aware of the rich and diverse culture of our nation and as one learns more about the traditions, food, dress and way of life of others, the strands of nationhood is further strengthened!
Happy Durga Pujo!
Yours
Narayanan
The Chat and the ChatGPT
The panoramic scene of gusty winds, the grey overcast and the splash of slanting downpour on to the streets kicks off a mood, jubilant to enjoy the monsoon rains. Along with the urge to be tickled by the falling cool droplets on to the face, there is a craving in the palate these days to savour crispy and tangy snacks. Just when the season changes from heat and dust to wet and windy, as if possessed, there arise an uninhibited longing to indulge in adventurous gastronomical appeasement. I too fell a victim to this spell and decided to try dishing out a unique flavor of the season, all by myself! With scanty culinary experience and a big appetite, I could not possibly create any maverick dish without the assistance of an expert and I decided to seek one, from ChatGPT.
Me: It’s raining heavily and a good time to enjoy some great mouth-watering snacks. Could you suggest a few that can be prepared at home?
ChatGPT: Rainy days are indeed great time to enjoy some lip-smacking recipes. Here are a few from across the world that are easy to prepare that you may want to try:
- Mediterranean Hummus Bowl: It is a delightful combination of Chickpeas, quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, spinach, cheese and of course, hummus. It is colourful, healthy and makes a good snack.
- Arabic Sabboosa: is a great snack option that is both healthy and easy to make. This popular snack is made with simple ingredients – flour, sugar, and water – and fried in oil. The result is a golden brown.
- Chinese Dan-Dan noodles: A Sichuan noodle recipe that’s a one-two punch of umami with intense spice. This dish is known for its nutty, rich sauce and is made sesame paste, chili oil, and ground Sichuan peppers.
These are only a sample list of dishes you can quickly make and to provide you dishes with more specific ones, can you indicate your regional preferences?
Me: Hmmmm… I would like to try some Italian cuisine.
ChatGPT: Italian cuisine offers a wide range of delicious dishes. To provide you with the most popular ones, could you specify if you’re interested in vegetarian, meat-based or any sub-regional dishes?
Me: Vegetarian, of course!
ChatGPT: Italian cuisine offers a wide variety of delicious vegetarian dishes. Here are some popular Italian vegetarian recipes:
- Margherita Pizza: A classic Italian pizza topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Caprese Salad: A simple and refreshing salad made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and balsamic glaze.
- Eggplant Parmigiana: Layers of breaded and fried eggplant slices, marinara sauce, and melted cheese, baked to perfection.
- Risotto: Creamy rice dish cooked with vegetable broth and various ingredients such as mushrooms, asparagus, or saffron.
- Bruschetta: Toasted slices of Italian bread topped with diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
These are just a few examples of the delicious vegetarian options that Italian cuisine has to offer. Whether you’re a vegetarian or just looking for flavorful meatless dishes, Italian cooking provides a fantastic array of options to explore.
Me: I am confused with such a wide variety….! What in your opinion would be an ideal one for me that is easy and quick to prepare?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, my aim is to be as informative and objective as possible when providing responses to your queries and I do not have any personal opinions or beliefs. However, Caprese Salad is an Italian recipe that is easy and quick to prepare.
Me: What is the percentage of people who prepare Caprese Salad on a rainy day?
ChatGPT: I am sorry that I will not be able to provide that information. My knowledge is limited to the data as I was trained on up to September 2021, and I do not have the ability to browse the internet or access real-time information.
Me: Would you suggest Caprese Salad on a rainy day?
ChatGPT: While Caprese Salad is a delicious and refreshing dish, its suitability on a rainy day may depend on personal preferences. Some people enjoy light and fresh salads even on rainy days, while others might prefer warmer or comfort foods during such weather.
Food preferences are subjective, and there are no strict rules about what to eat on a rainy day. The most important thing is to choose a meal that brings you comfort and enjoyment, whether it’s a refreshing Caprese Salad or a warm and comforting dish.
Me: I get your point. What are the ingredients that go into the making of Caprese Salad?
ChatGPT: Caprese Salad is a classic Italian dish known for its simplicity and fresh flavors. The traditional ingredients of Caprese Salad include:
- Fresh Tomatoes: Use ripe, juicy, and flavorful tomatoes for the best results. Varieties like Roma or San Marzano work well.
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese: Opt for high-quality fresh mozzarella, either in the form of small balls (bocconcini) or sliced.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Use whole fresh basil leaves for their aromatic and herbal flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil enhances the salad’s taste and provides richness.
- Salt and Pepper: A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper bring out the flavors of the ingredients.
Me: But tomatoes are damn expansive these days and selling at Rs.250/- a kilo. Could you suggest a cheap alternative to tomatoes in Caprese Salad?
ChatGPT: Certainly! If tomatoes are expensive or not readily available, you can consider using an alternative to create a similar flavor profile in your Caprese Salad. One excellent alternative is to use juicy and ripe seasonal fruits that offer a sweet and tangy taste. Here are some options:
Fresh Peaches: Ripe and juicy peaches provide a delightful sweetness that pairs well with fresh mozzarella and basil.
Watermelon: Sweet and refreshing watermelon chunks add a unique twist to the traditional Caprese Salad.
Strawberries: Sliced strawberries offer a sweet and slightly tart flavor that complements the creaminess of mozzarella.
Me: All these are equally expensive….!
ChatGPT: If tomatoes and fruit alternatives are equally expensive or not accessible, you can explore some budget-friendly alternatives to create a similar salad experience. Here are some affordable options:
- Cucumbers: Sliced cucumbers provide a refreshing and crunchy base for the salad. They pair well with mozzarella and basil.
- Bell Peppers: Sliced bell peppers, especially the red and yellow ones, offer a sweet and colorful substitution for tomatoes.
- Radishes: Thinly sliced radishes add a peppery kick to the salad and add a nice crunch.
Me: This is getting too complicated….
ChatGPT: I apologize for the complexity. Let’s simplify it. If tomatoes and other alternatives are not suitable or affordable, you can stick to the basics of Caprese Salad with just two ingredients: fresh mozzarella cheese and basil leaves. This minimalist version still captures the essence of the classic dish and is delicious in its simplicity.
Me: I may have to leave this here as I am not sure I can prepare this recipe. Anyway, thanks for your input.
ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I understand, and there’s no need to worry. Cooking can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s also perfectly fine to take a break or explore other options.
If you have any other questions or need help with anything else, feel free to ask anytime. Take care, and have a great day!
Though frustrated with the fact that I was not getting any actionable suggestions from the AI model, I was equally determined to treat myself with some spicy snack, Indian if not Italian. And I waded through the muddy waters across the street to the road-side eatery to devour a plateful of soggy, crunchy and tangy Indian delight- Papdi Chat!
Yours
Narayanan
Disclaimer: This is a quasi-imaginary humorous chat meant to bring out the idiosyncrasies of the Al technology.
Kavad- A timeless Spiritual journey
Chandan Sahu was trekking the two hundred fifty kilometre highway for the last five days, carrying on his shoulders a wooden framed colourful canopy, reverentially called the Kavad, balancing two heavy pots of water on both its sides. With brass belled anklets, Ghungrus, tied to his feet, every step Chandan takes sets off the multi hued Kavad to swing and sway rhythmically to the jingling of the anklets much like a peacock simmering its fanned feathers to the melodic tune gliding in the air. And when thousands of such Kavariyas like Chandan join in for the long march, it spreads a panoramic view of dancing colours up till the horizon which is both mesmerizing and spiritually enthralling.
Kavad typically is a rectangular four feet high symmetric structure that is draped with decorative clothes and colourful festoons and tastefully painted with religious motifs and symbols on the sides. The two ends of the Kavad have tower like erections inside which are placed pots of water fetched from the holy river, Ganga. The wooden rod fixed across its centre allows the Kavad to sit easily on the shoulder of the Kavariya while he is on the move and it rests on the four stands when placed on the ground. And every year, for ten days during the month of July, tens of millions of devout Hindus carry, by foot, the Kavads on their shoulders from Haridwar, where the sacred river Ganga flows in copious abundance to their homes and villages hundreds of miles away. The holy water thus brought is offered for ablutions, Abhishek, to the local deities and is a ritual pregnant with spiritual significance. And as millions walk their way in sultry heat and dusty winds, what is in ample display is the manifestation of the eternal continuity of a vibrant civilization that carries its devotional tradition from the timeless past well into the future.
Chandan has undertaken this annual ritual for a couple of years now and it is his way of thanking the Lord for having blessed him with a son and a daughter. For he believes that without the divine providence, all human efforts would be a zero sum game and a life bereft of expressing gratitude to the compassionate Supreme would be a colossal waste. Both his feet are swollen with blisters as he barely limps along towards the last leg of the walk but the quiet radiance on his face signals immense fulfilment for accomplishing a deeply personal journey, one more time. And for Sharada Devi, this is the once a year opportunity to experience spiritual communion devoid of worldly distractions and as she completes the walk ten years in a row now, she only has thankful prayers to her God, Mahadev for choosing her for the arduous journey. For Chander, this annual pilgrimage is a way to rededicate himself to a life of austerity and self-enquiry.
Though the initiative and desire to take the walk is purely personal, it is the support of the community that is critical to the successful completion of the journey. As the season of the Kavads begin, innumerable Shamiyanas spring up along the route that provide spaces to rest and re-coup and also offer food and medical services, absolutely free! Philanthropists and volunteers in their hundreds take it upon themselves the responsibility to ensure a safe and secure journey for the millions and it is indeed a lesson in brotherhood and comradeship to observe these men and women in action! Thus Kavad, in many ways, is a great social lever where the rich and the less fortunate, the learned and the illiterate, the sophisticated urbanite and the rural simpleton all lose their individual identity only to mingle into the one single confluence of the devotees of the Lord. Each address the other as Bhola, the innocent God, worthy of the highest reverence and respect and in that oneness of purpose to be the recipient of the divine grace, all man-made barriers that divide one from the other collapse and lose their relevance. Perhaps it is in this message of unity and equality, the Kavad owes it continuity through the millenniums.
And as the year’s Kavad Yatra comes to a close, there is a prayer and a promise in every Kavariyas heart to be again a part of this inexhaustible spiritual journey, next year!
Yours
Narayanan
Mother, it’s an honour to be your children!
While the loving care and the protective embrace of the mother is an absolute essential in the formative years for one to evolve as a well-rounded individual, it is indeed a celestial blessing to have her around till you are well past the mid-fifties. And providence has bestowed upon me such rarified privilege that her unconditional love has been the only one constant in a life that had its share of extended uncertainties and occasional turbulence. In the radiance of that elixir love, every problem of life, even of Himalayan proportion, would dissipate effortlessly just as the morning mist would, at the first rays of the Sun. From a subtle glance to a stern warning, a suggestive advice quoting religious parables or a timely moral reprimand that saves one from gross misconduct, the myriad forms in which her all encompassing love would manifest remained baffling but were always timely!
During the school days, when the focus was on living every moment with careless abandon, mother had been the anchor that allowed me have all the childhood indulgences even when my rebelliousness in school and outside remained a source of constant embarrassment for her. The class teacher would repeatedly ask mother to see her in school only to endlessly complain about my over performance in school antics along with the under performance in academics. When father would flatly refuse to affix his precious signature on my red mark laden report cards, it’s the mother who would sign on them unhesitatingly, masking her disappointment, coaxing me all the while to study and perform better the next time, every time! She would wait in the evenings with a ball of cotton and bottle of tincture to dress up the bruises that I invariably carry home from the playgrounds and the soiled uniforms will all be ready—washed, dried and pressed, the next morning! Those childhood times remain memorable to this day only because mother stood rock solid in the background guarding and guiding me at every little step.
When I moved to college, my priorities and thus the demands from the parents changed drastically and here again it’s the motherly care and affection that helped me sail through unscratched. While father would provide money just enough to pay the fees, it was mother’s kitchen savings that funded the growing expenses of the teenager that ranged from money for the movie tickets to that for purchasing the latest fad, the corduroy jeans. On every exam day, she would take bath in the wee morning hours and go to the nearby temple to perform a special pooja for my success while I would still be in deep sleep. I could safely vouch that my moderate academic achievement is more an answer to her fervent prayers than to my engagement with studies. This communion with the Gods she did for all her five children with demonstrable results and that it was not just limited for their academic success is a standing testimony for her deep faith and unshakable conviction on matters divine. When one of us fell sick, along with the rudimentary medicines, it’s the Vibhuti that she marked on our foreheads with a prayer on her lips that cured us all, almost instantaneously and without fail!
This motherly love that she radiated so copiously were not directed just to her biological children. Later on when I got married, mother’s compassionate gaze fell on my spouse too and in ample measure as she ably filled a deep void in my wife’s life when she lost her mother early on. She took upon herself as her motherly duty to provide care and succour that comes quite naturally to her and for her daughters-in-law, she was just their mother to whom they can confide their innermost fears and draw courage from. For her grandchildren, she was the granny that any teenager would long to have and in this age of instant gratification, she would give them lessons on patience and perseverance drawing instances from epics and provide unending solace as they dabble with the challenges of growing up in a super-connected world! In her, they found a glorious continuum from the priceless past where values are paramount and their adherence as critical as breath and love and compassion are the two eyes through which the world is to be viewed!
While she was so loving that took all in its embrace, she was also magnificently detached from the mundane affairs of the world. Resting in the confidence of the values she has instilled in her children, mother would not concern herself with their individual affairs. In the many years before the end of her life, she spent most of her time in spiritual contemplation and was in supreme peace with herself. This extolled state of existence is, for certain, a lesson for all of us as to how a contented and a purposeful life should be concluded.
Humble, gentle, graceful and always cheerful, mother was a role model for all of us as to how a daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother should conduct herself. And as she bids goodbye to us physically, I could only say that it’s a priceless honour to be born as her child, perhaps the reward for the meritorious deeds done over many past lives!
And my siblings: Rajaram, Sankar, Jayanthi and Soumya join me in expressing our immense gratitude to her for being our Mother!
Forever in gratitude
Narayanan
Seventy-five years of excellence… And counting!
The quest for excellence has remained the key factor that distinguishes the highly effective and successful organisations from that of the mundane. And for organisations driven by the ideals of excellence, success is neither a chance of circumstances nor an accident of fortune that happen in illogical regularity. For them, success is the cumulative result of a well-articulated vision, an organisational ethos that is people-centric and a dynamic yet an adaptive strategy that propel towards well-defined business goals– goals that are to be actualised on the bedrock of uncompromising principles. It is on these touchstones of excellence, Orient BlackSwan, a publishing company of unrivalled reputation, scores handsomely and hands-down! And as the company celebrates its seventy-five years of unparalleled service to the nation, it is only appropriate to investigate and dissect the key characteristics of this organisation that allows it to contribute so immensely for the purpose of education in the country.
Stephen Covey, the celebrated author, has identified seven cardinal habits that drive individuals and organisations towards excellence and it seems that is in the complete internalisation of these key traits that foster Orient BlackSwan to the iconic status that it enjoys in the industry today. Vouchsafed by many a renowned votaries of the Stephen Covey theory, practice and the assimilation of these habits come out of a deep conviction that long-lasting success is an extension of the ingrained values and principles and also that of the choices individuals and organisations make in their everyday transactions. And Orient BlackSwan, over the last seven decades and a half, has amply demonstrated its unwavering adherence to this time-tested traits that’s fit to be a case-study in the realm of business excellence.
At the time when the nation emerged from the shackles of the colonial rule, the Indian education was fully dependent on their erstwhile British masters, both for the framework of the educational system as well as for the content of the curriculum. The educational materials imported for the vast Indian student population were alien to the culture of the nation and there hardly were any textbooks published within the country. It’s in this scenario that Orient BlackSwan boldly ventured into a project of creating indigenous educational content that is firmly rooted in the Indian ethos to address the varied and unique needs of the Indian students. The organisation marshalled a battery of Indian authors and content creators, entrusted them with the freedom to experiment and innovate and the result were a slew of textbooks made in India, by Indians and for the Indian students. This pro-activeness is the one outstanding quality that distinguishes an organisation of vision from the one that’s focused solely on maximising profit through perpetuating the status-quo.
For Orient BlackSwan, the purpose of being in the publishing industry is to help create a strong and self-sustaining ecosystem that would impart high standard education for generations to come. While publishing quality textbooks is one part of this objective, the organisation relentlessly strives to empower teachers with the right training and focus on up-gradation of their skills so that the classroom transactions are as effective as the content. Orient BlackSwan is the pioneer in continuous teacher training programs in the country through which many thousands of teachers are enriched by this high impact training. Thus, a very clear grasp of the End in Mind towards creating an educated society is yet another trait that sets it apart from others in the industry.
The philosophy that the organisation upheld in all its activities is a lesson in itself for all businesses to emulate. The core values and principles are to be upheld under all circumstances and for Orient BlackSwan, these are non-negotiable. Even under the temptation of grabbing a huge business or in the face of losing a big order, the yardsticks for all dealings are always compliance to the ethical principles and no cost is too big to uphold the core values that the company cherish. This uncompromising adherence to Always Values First is indeed a rarity in current times when businesses largely run on values of convenience.
The collaborative nature of the company’s projects are so designed that all stake holders turn willing partners in the successful completion of them. The transparency, the free flow of communication and the adaption of feedback received across levels strengthen the sense of ownership and have a multiplier effect in the success of the all organisational endeavours. When tasks and its benefits are communicated effectively, a heightened degree of confidence is created across levels resulting in evolving a Win-Win culture and that’s what exactly Orient BlackSwan has mastered in creating, over and over again!
The effectiveness of an organisation is directly in proposition to its capacity to listen and assimilate market feedback and this trait is all the more crucial in today’s fast changing business scenarios. Be it in responding to the special needs of teachers to facilitate online classes during the Covid lockdown periods or in rolling out world-class digital products that are well integrated with traditional offerings, Orient BlackSwan has been a trendsetter, only to be imitated by others. This capacity to understand and to be understood by the market affords the company to effortlessly navigate the emerging ecosystem where blended learning would soon be the norm.
The diverse workforce, comprising of staff from every state, region and religion is yet another uniqueness of the organisation and the inclusive culture practiced at every level has stood the company in great stride. And this diversity is only matched by the even more diverse skill sets among the staff members which has unleashed enormous synergy across functions– from designing products to creating unique data management systems!
An organisation is only effective to the extent to which its staff members are happy and content and Orient BlackSwan has gone that extra mile to ensure overall wellbeing of its members. Be it in having a five-day work culture which is still a rarity in the industry or in envisioning a pension scheme much before it was even acknowledged by many organisations, Orient BlackSwan has always been a pioneer in devising myriad staff welfare programs. A case in point here is the compulsory paid annual leave travel to all the members! These are fashioned on account of the deeply held belief that only a well rested and rejuvenated workforce with opportunity to Sharpen the Saw of their skills can deliver to their fullest capacity.
It is a privilege to be associated with such an illustrious organisation and on this seventy-fifth year of its inception, we wish that Orient Blackswan continue to serve the nation and the cause of education for ages to come!
Yours
Narayanan.K
A staff member @ Orient BlackSwan.
Spotlight on Moonlight
His dad was never at home in the evenings and that’s the reason we friends usually hung out at Anil’s house unrestrained after our school hours. Being the father of four school going children and the only son to an ailing mother, his dad’s income from being an accountant was scarcely sufficient to pay both the rent for their house and put food onto the table. For fees and to buy uniforms for my friend and the siblings, he offered his expertise to put in place an accounting procedure at a booming yet highly unorganised vegetable shop that was located nearby. He would often spend long laborious hours in the shop making every entry of purchase from the scrapbook onto the ledger and faithfully register all the sales and expenses of the day to make financial sense of the shopkeeper’s daily dealings. Over a period of few months, my friend’s dad streamlined the myriad transactions into an intelligible financial document for the owner of the shop to instantaneously know how much he spent and earned on a weekly basis and how much more money he would need to set-up his next shop. The proprietor of the shop grew his business considerably within a couple of years, added three more outlets and had set up a centralised purchasing system. And all these were seamlessly integrated into a robust accounting platform that my friend’s dad had so meticulously created. And when the mega expansion plan to open a chain of vegetable shops in the towns nearby was ready, banks were queuing up to advance the money needed, by virtue of the strong financials and sound accounting practices the vegetable vendor has followed. For all his services, Anil’s dad was paid a princely sum of Rs.1500/- a month and a daily supply of vegetables to his house and both eased the pressure of the family’s budget.
And in another city, my uncle, a reputed musician working in the state radio station, would bicycle for miles everyday to conduct private music lessons to spruce up his income. He would wake up in the wee hours, quickly get ready and would set off to take multiple classes before he joined his official duty at 9 AM. The routine is repeated in the evenings and it would be well into night before he reached home. Though ostensibly my uncle’s private classes did make the financial condition of the family comfortable, he, in the bargain, had trained scores of students in the difficult skill of classical singing and on the way, produced a few outstanding musicians worthy of taking forward the legacy. Thus, his outside the regular job activities gave a great fillip to foster and nourish a precious art.
What Anil’s father and my uncle were indulging in is called Moonlighting, a perfectly accepted and even admired behaviour of responsible individuals to financially secure their families. And there are millions of such men and women who sacrifice rest and leisure and take up a second job so that the future of their dear ones are guaranteed. While many of them would be moonlighting to barely make the ends meet, a more aspirational lot have definite life goals motivating them to take up the second job. And whatever be the reason or the compulsion, it is in the nature of human beings to preserve and strive to prosper and moonlighting is indeed a legitimate method that turn one’s fortunes through hard work. And to call such a demonstrative life skill as unethical is completely misreading the instinctive nature of human preservation and a gross misjudgement of his priorities.
Moonlighting, along with being very useful to the individual, also contributes immensely to the development and maturing of the informal sectors. It is beyond the resources of many in the unorganised sector, like the vegetable vendor, to hire a full-time professional and moonlighting affords them with the skills and the expertise needed for their growth at a fraction of their original cost. An educational institution engaging a part-time professor, a management professional offering his services to a start-up company or a techie working in a reputed IT firm developing an App for a restaurant business are all helping the small businesses achieve traction at a low premium. If the reputed doctors were not moonlighting in smaller clinics and hospitals, our healthcare system would have been all the more fragile.
In a study conducted recently in the United States, it is found that many are postponing their retirement decisions due to financial compulsions and are, in fact, taking up multiple jobs to remain economically independent. So moonlighting far from being an Indian or an IT industry specific issue, is now a global phenomenon with technology making it more accessible at the individual level. And organisations making an issue about it are out of sync with the times we live in!
Yours
Narayanan
We The People: Seventy-five years of freedom
For the nation emerging from the shackles of a long and debilitating colonial rule and limping its feet in the sands of time that’s bloodied by a communal carnage of colossal magnitude, the Indian Constitution is the sanctified gospel crafted for a model nation state. Echoing the consecrated aspirations of almost a one-sixth of humanity, the Indian Constitution promises its people a life that is just, equitable, liberal and free from prejudice. With 395 articles spread over 22 parts, the Constitution of India is the largest written document for governance anywhere in the world. It has, among others, adopted features from the British, the American and the French constitutions and thus resonates the cherished values and principles that are universal, gained and refined through centuries of struggle.
Yet the guiding signposts for awarding ourselves with such an enlightened document, more so when the other country that simultaneously acquired independence opting for a highly sectarian and religiously bigoted statehood, are the timeless ethos of the Indian philosophical thought, enshrined in the Vedas and the Upanishads and etched deeply in the Indian psyche. The belief in the essential oneness of all human beings, in the idea that different sects are but limbs of the one Supreme Being formed the bedrock of an elevated idealism that translated into a workable political doctrine. And our constitution has stood our country in good stead!
The idea of equality of religions enshrined in it, for example, has its genesis in the Vedic dictum,” Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti”, meaning, that “the truth is one and wise men describe it differently”. The acknowledgement of the fact that there could be multiple ways to inquire into the nature of truth, and that different religions are but varied pathways towards the same goal, paved to accept and integrate people of every religion into our mainstream politics. This principle afforded the state to treat every religion equally and confer equality to its practitioners, a salutary accomplishment that many nations still find hard to achieve.
Again, the concept of justice, of social, economic and political, has its underpinnings in the Upanishadic verse “Isavasyam idam sarvam”, meaning that the whole universe is permeated with one divinity and differential treatment of individuals is thus alien to our philosophy. This approach compelled the state to see poor and downtrodden as “ Daridra Narayanas” , worthy of special focus and targeted schemes to alleviate their poverty. At the social level, these “Harijans”, were seamlessly integrated through affirmative actions of the state, made possible only by the high ideals derived from our Vedic past.
The principle of fraternity that is embedded in the preamble of our constitution again can be traced to the Vedic roots which says : Saha Nau-Avatu, Saha Nau Bhunaktu Saha Viiryam Karavaavahai” meaning “May we protect us both together; may we nourish us both together; and May we work conjointly with great energy”. This idea of this kinship and camaraderie, so essential for nation building, has fuelled us to conquer newer heights in scientific and technological advancements and thereby help resolve many a teething problems of a young nation.
It could thus be established that it is the glorious Vedic school of thought that we have freely drawn from to frame our constitution that inspire and instil a sense of awe in every Indian. And it is in our collective responsibility to safeguard and nurture these fundamental ideals inherited from our aeonian past to strengthen the edifice for a glorious future.
And as we celebrate the seventy-five year of our Independence, the ” Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, we again turn to the Vedas and chant a prayer for the wellbeing and happiness of every Indian:
Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Nir-Aamayaah
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet
Which means,
May all become happy
May none fall ill |
May all see auspiciousness everywhere
May none ever feel sorrow |
May peace prevail ||
Yours
Narayanan
Chak De, Go for It!
“It would take three years to bring the learning standards of these kids to the pre-pandemic levels” laments the middle-school teacher as she abruptly stops explaining the concept of LCM and HCM to the non-responsive sixth grade class. Exasperated, she then resorts to writing down on the blackboard the step-by-step method of dividing a three digit number by a single digit one, the arithmetic that was taught to them three years back. If the children has lost the understanding of division during the long years of school closure, their lack of multiplication skills now also cannot be far behind. And the teacher, hence, decides to pull out exercises on rudimentary multiplication from the class three textbook for the students to complete them as homework!
The loss of learning for children in the absence of physical schooling was, till now, merely discussed among a few teachers and academicians, that too in passing and in lighter vein. But the scale and the magnitude of this education regression in India is dawning upon the nation only now, with the recent publication of the National Achievement Survey that poignantly captures the extent of the damage. In all the parameters of mathematical and language skills and in the conceptual understanding of environmental science on which the children were tested across the country, the exposed learning gap is astonishingly wide and disturbingly deep and is alarmingly way below the national average as recorded in the year 2017. This loss in learning is found even in states that are traditionally better off in school education and the rot seems to be spread nearly evenly across the nation with the surprising exception of Punjab and Rajasthan. Though both these states scored above the national average, it’s Punjab that tops the list, outdoing all other states in eleven of the fifteen subject areas that the children were assessed and also by bettering its previous performance of the year 2017 by miles!
This strikingly phenomenal performance of one state in education cannot have come without the underlying and compelling socio-economic conditions and it is not hard to seek those factors that play out in Punjab. The singular ambition of an overwhelming majority of the Punjabi young population today is to immigrate and study abroad and eventually settle there. And to secure an admission in universities located in countries like Canada, Australia or New Zealand an impressive academic record is an essential prerequisite. To add to that, a decent score in IELTS, that mandatory test in English language aptitude for university admissions abroad drives almost the entire young population in the state to take up their studies seriously, pandemic or no pandemic. This is vouched by the fact that when the entire nation is gripped by the onslaught of the Corona bringing to halt every activity, the number of students appearing for and clearing IELTS in Punjab did not abate. Thus ambition, when channelised at the right direction has the power to buck the negative trend and bring in impressive results which could turn out to be a role model and inspire others to emulate.
But mere ambition of the population to study well without a robust support system in place would just remain a pipe dream and it is here the role and commitment of the schools and the teaching fraternity of Punjab needs special mention. The state opened its schools last year much before the neighbouring states did and once the schools began functioning physically, the entire teaching community drew up a comprehensive plan to cover the lost syllabus. Many schools added extra days to the academic calendar and bridge programs initiated to do the catching up. The internet penetration being very extensive and the digital divide somewhat blurred in the state, the participation in online classes were much more in Punjab. With teachers enthusiastically lapping up the myriad digital tools available for teaching, the online classes proved decently effective in accomplishing the learning objectives and also did prevent any major slide back in retention. While all these may have also tried out in other states, it is the scale and the commitment of the vast majority of the stakeholders to roll out these initiatives that made the critical difference!
The findings of the National Assessment Survey though would be a shocker for many, also affords us the opportunity to approach the problem with a fresh perspective, and the experiment and success in Punjab could act as a guidepost in this effort. As suggested in another report, this time by the ADB, the learning loss if not corrected soon could adversely impact the GDP of the nation in the medium run. It is upon all associated with the school education to take note of the enormity of the task in hand to reverse the trend and there isn’t a day to delay this process. The need of the hour is to be on a mission mode and the time to act is NOW!
Chak De, which in Punjabi means “Go for It”!
Yours
Narayanan
Also read the story of a pizza delivery boy…. https://chapter18.wordpress.com/2021/08/01/a-pillion-ride-with-the-pizza-delivery-boy/
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