Happy New Year 2011

Benefits of a PMP Certification

Benefits of a PMP Certification

Ø   PMP is one of the best professional credential in the field of Project Management. PMP certification has grown in prominence over the last decade and has become a sought-after credential, according to the Project Management Institute or PMI.

 

Ø  The Project Management Guidelines, Methodologies, tools and techniques, and the entire framework of 9 knowledge areas, 5 process groups, and the entire 42 processes provide you with a more holistic view of project management, enriching your knowledge.

 

Ø  Just by attending a PMP Exam Prep coaching seminar and studying for the exam will make you a better project manager – as you will learn beyond what you need for your day to day project management.

 

Ø  Increased Earnings: The average salary for project management professionals in the USA is $101,505, according to the PMI Project Management Salary Survey-Fourth Edition. Managers who hold the PMP certification also often make more money than non-certified project managers. This is true for over 23 countries I have visited… for conducting PMP Exam Preparation workshops.

 

Ø  Growth in Career Prospects: The PMP certification program maintains ISO 9001 and other accreditations like the 17024 accreditation. This internationally recognized accreditation is recognized by the global business community and often leads to better career opportunities to someone who is PMP certified.

 

Ø  Attain your PMP certification, and add value to your CV.  You can show to prospective employers how serious you are for your career.

 

Ø  Enhance Your Marketability: The PMP certification enhances your professional marketability in the field of Project Management. Future employers will often choose individuals with a PMP certification over other non-qualified project managers, because of the reduced risk the PMP certification affords the employers.

 

Ø  The PMP certification also helps to bolster resumes by legitimatizing the included experiences of a project manager.

 

Ø  Improved Project Management Skills: You must undergo rigorous preparation to get your PMP Certification.  This process includes a significant amount of coursework ( 35 hours minimum) and study to qualify for and pass the PMP exam. Project managers often experience improved skills and knowledge while preparing to sit for the PMP exam based on the hours of coursework and study.

 

Ø  Apart from being a credential, while studying for the exam, you learn that there are other, better ways to managing projects, which are different than what you practice in your day to day project management.

 

Ø  Professional Validation of Your Experience & Competence: The PMP certification offers validation for professional accomplishments. PMI certifies that an individual has achieved the necessary years of experience and knowledge in order to be granted PMP status.

 

Ø  Thus, having the certification is a quick way to enter new countries, new markets, and new industries, because you’re basic qualifications, and your expertise and competence in the field of project management is established already.

 

Ø  The benefits of PMP Certification are immense! Not only will you become a more complete person, you will become a better project manager. Do not delay! Go ahead and get your PMP Certification quickly.

 

 

 

Missing Childhood!

मेरे बचपन कहाँ है

सब मैं देख जीने का दर्द है

मैं भी स्कूल जाना चाहता हूँ

अब तक मैं जिम्मेदारियों के लिए कंधे के लिए है

नहीं करने के लिए पालना या रोने का समय

और न ही वहाँ है किसी भी समय खेलने के लिए

मेरे बचपन के जीवन के लिए खोज में खो जाता है

जब मैं इस दर्द से राहत मिली होगी

जब करेंगे मेरी एक नई सुबह के लिए जाग राष्ट्र

भारत एक गरीब देश नहीं है

लेकिन सत्तारूढ़ सरकारों दिल में गरीब हैं

भारत एक गरीब लोगों से भरे देश के रूप में बनी हुई है

जागो भारत ने, इस तरह से परिवर्तन

हमें पता चलता है आज, अगर वहाँ एक बेहतर कल क्या है?

Da Rain, Da Heart! Poetry Chain continues.....



Oranges on the tree outside my window!

Lingering in the fresh showers of Rain,

I do not know how it disappeared all my pain!

Now sitting at this window pane

I watch the Oranges glowing on the tree

Lost in my world of thoughts in vain

Wondering about the birds being free

The smell of the Earth with the showers of Rain,
Touch my heart with all its rejoicing train

As the kids watch from the opposite window
wanting to get out and get drenched

The kid in me awakes to a new streams of joy
letting the adult pride die in and life to enjoy

Da Rain, Da Heart, in abundance
The winds blossoming in the tennace

The shrill cries of the ambulances on freeway
hints me someone in danger and pain

I look at the rain, with fervent thought
to take with it the needed help and care caught

There again, the silences adore me
letting me just to listen to the sounds of rain

The little droplets that I hold in my hand
I know they are sending me shivers as magical wand

Some moments they look like sky's blessings
other moments, they are heavy like a girl's tears

Yet, my heart, do not want to calibrate to pains
as my carnival of rejoice, with the rain, regains

As the noon slowly slips into the dust of twilight
Its nice to see the neighbours Christmas lights

With the sparkling droplets of unending rain
I know I have thoughts to cherish and live in pride

......Its a rainy day ...a Saturday afternoon,...I was in midst of my Telugu Vemana Poems translation, when this poem popped up in my brain.... I know, my heart cannot control the words...I have to scribble it somewhere before they disappear....so my blog became my refuge camp today.....

Why Self-Appraisals are conducted in Organizations?

Every December is a time when every employee expects to be recognized, appreciated, duly rewarded both monetarily and emotionally as part of the team, corporate, organization, workplace and lot more.  The swing between job hopping and loyalty is there in any organization and industry.  Some matured Performance Appraisal Processes include the first step as Self-Appraisal.

Now the question arises on, Is Self-Appraisals necessary?  Because no individual will ever portray themselves as Not Competent, or Not Professional enough for recognition.

The second major questions is, Do the Self-Appraised Information really taken into consideration during the final evaluation of the performance by the Manager/ HR and the Organization?   90% of the answers would an implicit NO, though 90% would not dare to acknowledge it explicitly.  Then why this process?

I as a professional see top 4 reasons why Self-Appraisal becomes important and vital in one's evaluation cycle/ process/ progress or what ever you may call

1.  It is a process to have "Supporting DATA".   Statistics on how many hours I worked, how many project hours I executed, how many successes or failures on Variances in terms of Cost, Scope and Time have I achieved, how many blue flags/ appreciations I have received from clients?   , How many Red flags or Escalations I was reason for., How many people I mentored, how many trainings I attended, How much did I do my tasks successfully on a day to day basis and what impact did I have on the teams I worked. What value additions did I bring in to the Company.   This is one way of tracking the whole year of work.  Keeping data accurately, if subjected to Audit, will have references either in personal repository or a share point.
Valid information in terms of accurate data makes not just employees life easy, but those of Managers too.

2. Accountability:   You are accountable for the tasks entrusted to you...How much ever trivial they may be to the Organization, they would still be a large portion of your individual performance. 

3. Yardstick ..This may show as similar to Supporting Data...But one big difference is in the first one you have a the required statistics to support your judgement of your performance.   In this factor, your manager will have required information to support your growth in comparison to your colleagues in the most competitive and logistically controlled environment.   Here the yardstick, is how was your were important and unique when compared to others... The proof of a point that you deserve the best have to stand out.

4. Self Understanding, Satisfaction and Sustainability....I am very much fond of this point no 4.  To me where I stand in my own terms of assessment is more important than what my managers assess me.  Basically, this gives me required motivations, a inner satisfaction of job well done, fruitfully balanced my time between professional aspirations and personal commitments,  and this motivates me to train myself more on the areas I identify as growth possible, and share expertise in the areas where I proved extraordinary.   To me this is within the line of control.....irrespective of the ratings/bonus/appraisals made within the 'Out of Control' parameters which are influenced by lot of other factors than my own performance.   My manager's limitations, Organizations overall profits and budget allocations,  peer pressure, competition, customer feedback and so many 360 degree views are surely not in my control...but my performance is well within my boundaries and I can make it 100%.  

So to me Self-Appraisal is the most important aspect of career, to revisit where I stand in my Corporate Ladder and how fast can I reach my next steps and what I need to do to achieve them.  These describe my goals as a Professional irrespective of any influential factors that I have limited control. 

If every employee realises this fact in his or her best interest, I am sure Organizations will never fail in its collective objectives.

So, please do not blame your managers if something goes wrong, try to be balanced, and look at the flip side of the process to identify where you need to improve.  If all goes well, then, Go ahead and Celebrate!!!  I wish the second one to one and all!

10 Tips on Information Security- As a Responsibility



 

Information Security Is Everyone's Responsibility

Today we are living in a world, where everything we do; it is an information to someone else. This information have a set of protocols which include characteristics of Sharable, Confidential, Internal, External, Reliable, Authorized and Unauthorized. Forget about Nations’ struggling with the unauthorized usage of wrongly attained information in the name of Open Journalism; Corporate’ and Individuals also have a strong responsibility to protect the privacy, confidentiality and integrity of the Organizations as well as of all Stakeholders involved in the business which includes our valuable customers. These tips are common to every user who has access to electronic data.

1. Employee authorized properties that include Access to a Business facility – both physical like Access Cards and Badges, and also digital assets like Remote Access keys, Active Keys, Smart Pins etc should be duly secured. No tailgating or proxy usage of assets.

2. Printers /Scanners and Conference boards are one area that is widely forgotten. We leave behind wrongly printed papers without throwing them in the shredder and discarding properly. Leaving behind confidential data on the Smart Boards/ Conference rooms, without closing them properly is a risk. This information can be misused. Hence a word of caution

3. Our workspaces which includes computers and laptops have to be password protected and screen locked every time we step out

4. Usage of Authorized Software and only permissible Internet sites access is to be followed if instructed to do so, to safeguard the best interests of business.

5. Do not forward any emails or information that had been marked as Internal or Confidential. Sources of information to the open world are large and you don’t need to contribute to your own chaos

6. Updated Anti-Virus Software have to be in all the systems that you access. Especially in client network, it would be embarrassing to spread viruses from your system

7. Important for all employees to have an understanding of the Security Awareness initiated by the Organization. Completing of appropriate courses and trainings to this effect becomes important. Please be aware of any customer Non Disclosure Agreements that you would have to sign as part of your job responsibility. Be sure to understand the contents.

8. Be aware of the Incident Reporting Process and be proactive to inform any security lapses., both physical and digital to the concerned people immediately.

9. Periodical backups of data, preserving data using encryption passwords will save our face value at times of loss of laptops, or data getting stolen. Server backups and maintenance logs will help trace out any unnecessary activities happening in the Organization with the help of Security Administrators. So tighten this process.

10. Last but never the least, Individual Integrity is the top most important aspect. If you decide to cheat, or break a trust, it’s up to the individual…but remember no one is going to protect the unwarranted activity and one day the truth is the only thing that will be lived.

It takes several years to build a reputation and just seconds to break it…..Same applies to Organizations, Entrepreneurs, Professionals, Individuals and in our personal lives too!

Both Knowledge and Information is Power….as long as it is rightly put to use!

Opening Meandering .....Written for Dr.Rudhran

As I was reading through Dr.Rudhran's post in his blog on the same title of this post, I could not stop from adding a comment, reflecting his thoughts in my words as a Poet.... I thought it deserves a place in my blog too.... as I admire the artist in the psychiatrist who is difficult to understand by ordinary intellect....

Dear Friend, here are few lines for you!

A writer's mind is a clear slate

Like the child who began to write

The painter's brush is a little mouse

That runs as it finds its ruins unknown

We stumble upon our past and ponder about future

Disdain in one's preludes of the present

In the depths of silence, we find our words

In the midst of grumbling crowds, we find intimate silence

Only an artist in you can discover the fathoms

The fathoms of the inner oceans that divulge

Towards an incessant thoughts and unwinding tears

The tear is not of sadness in mind

But of the heart that runs behind

The past, that is never on my own task

Yet, I know I can run behind years of my life

In solitude and grace that I admire of myself

As thoughtscapes find no new mantles of peace

The landscapes around look like nothing but deserts

The deserts of sand flown in life of thoughts

The feelings of inner self that never found

Yet, in the rejoicing of being a nurturing mind

There is an essence of having being born

Just like the little child out of mother's womb

You write your memoir just for yourself

And not for the worlds to debate on

For it’s the passionate web of your life's events

That rekindles the fantasies of your inner self

Moments that soar from nowhere to all around

That makes you feel elated and regret all

Yet it is just between you and your past

That the gamble of lives travelling again in thoughts

There is no prerogative that drives to rest

For in it, you discover yourself in a quest

The quest is to find the meaning of life

Just yours, by all means, just your thoughts!!!

An Evening with Salman Rushdie in LA discussing his new book..Luka and the Fire of Life

An evening with Salman Rushdie in LA ( Japanese American Theatre)….in Conversation with Reza Aslan-   On his latest book : Luka and the Fire of Life

Salman Rushdie signing my copy

We were first among few to be in the theatre, and as the time got close to 8 pm on 30 Nov 2010, at the American Japanese Theatre in Los Angeles, I could see the admiration for an Indian born-British writer, Salman Rushdie. At 8 pm, the auditorium was full, and at the stoke of 8, the introduction began. After which Rushdie began reading few lines from his book, Luka and Fire of Life. Rushdie smiles and acknowledges that ‘Nobodaddy’ is not his own invention but had been stolen from a poem..and gives credit to the Poet…

Uma with Reza Aslan

Later, Reza Aslan, Iranian-American writer, and creative writing professor of University of California, joined him on the stage for the conversation of the evening. As Reza welcomed him back to LA, and asked him the thing he noticed in LA, Rushdie commented that in LA, people get back home at 9, but that’s when people go out in New York, that’s the major difference in these two cities.

As the discussion began, Reza kept his questions and dialogue in such a passionate way that Rushdie kept answering them with ease and the audience roared in laughter at the humor, the wit and the spontaneity of two great writers on the stage. Rushdie went on to explain… and also as part of the Q&A session from the audience….

Quotes from Salman Rushdie:

The best of Quotes from last evening with Salman Rushdie, I could not stop admiring the wit, the humor and the intelligence of a man who is the centre of controversies as a writer…..”Don’t mess up with Novelists” he smiled. ”Pen is mightier than Sword”., “Double standards is diplomacy, for you act one way in public and other in private”…..he smiled answering a question on wikileaks. He repeated twice that the ‘Man is born to burn the books’.

His current Project- His Memoir:

Taking about his current project, writing his Memoir, he said Memoir is tough like any other fiction, for they have to have these life characters woven in the story… Spicy and juicy events make it more reader interesting, but there are private lives involved and the boundaries of exposure have to be maintained respecting their privacy while writing autobiographies. He says that he is vary about talking more on his work in progress. Asked if he is finding it embarrassing to write about his own life, its most troubled incidents and moments, he said at least while writing it, he knows the story unlike in real fiction where creativity gives scope for newness. And he would answer to on the embarrassing part after 2 years when the work is completed. He said that it involves all the people involved in his life, including him and hence he had to exercise caution of to what extent he can reveal things of other’s lives. He called Mark Twain a smart guy, for he arranged to release his autobiography after several years of his passing away, so that he don’t need to take the controversies involved while telling the truth and hurt the sentiments of religions, governments, people etc and he is not there any longer to see the consequences of his writings and thoughts. But am sure, Salman Rushdie can never be a man of running away from controversies…

Children’s book?

He kept telling, ‘Man is born to be burning with books’ and Intelligence of storytelling differentiates man and animals. Asked if Luka and Fire for life is a Children’s book, he responded staying that there is nothing called Adult books and Children’s books. Most adults read children’s books. Children read adult books but interpret differently. Books have to represent literature, naturalism in fiction, fundamental intelligence and creativity with giving more emphasis on literature. Technically correct and grammatically strong books have larger reach, unlike the Twilight- teen love fictions which just don’t follow any of these rules…He made fun of the Twilight author stating that she doesn’t know to write …his pun intended…. Same time he appreciated so much of J.K.Rowling and other authors that the books give a chance for getting it within the system and injecting the essence into readers as they absorb the content of the good books. He mentioned that it is very difficult to please children., so children books are lot more challenging to write, for kids will not complete the books they don’t like…so writing a book that they would finish reading is important as a writer.

He went to say, that Life was difficult for his son, between 9-19, as his enemies threatened his life, but the strange thing is that they have a point and he hate to acknowledge it. He dismisses the claims that Luka and Fire of Life is a children’s book…He clarifies that when children read, they read that as a fiction filled with video games that they play every day….delighted, but when the same child reads the book as an adult, identifies the fact that life is filled with difficulties to overcome and not hurdles in the game…

Rushdie recommends that we read this book both as a child and an adult, for there is a child in each one of us that would have to unwind the imaginative and enjoy the creativity of a writer par excellence. He describes how the ‘NoBoDaddy’ looks divine, serene and beautiful …the reality that most of the people while dead look pleasant and peaceful than in life…worth a while to ponder. The fear of a child that his father may never return, is there is every child having an aged parent….No child can imagine the parents gone and they believe that they are there forever. He giggled and said that he too wished the same.

They way, he describes what happens you take two steps to your left and find yourself in a completely different world….Everything looks the same and real, but it is not the same and real….including Luka’s daddy…to me it represented a tactful way of letting us know that if we take even a step …there could be a different world altogether, may be for good or bad…may be for right or wrong…it emphasis the fact how important is a decision making to take that one step

Magical Fiction and Reality

Talking about magical fiction, he states that, Magic Realism was never interpreted correctly…people understand magic and forget Realism. Talking about death and Luka, the combination of reality and magical illusion of a world different from reality, Luka surrounds around the death as the central character. Yama is the god of death in Hindu mythology and Nobodaddy in the book is a reflection of the similar thing…death in its beauty and as the ultimate truth… The book gives a way to tell the reality of death to a child in the most easiest way possible for it is the reality. Luka and the Fire of Life has all the magical characters that a human mind can imagine, dragons, beasts, bears and dogs.. creativity running at its freedom best.

Children should understand that the video games have multiple lives, multiple replays, multiple points for saving a life etc.. but a reality is lot different. There are no multiple savings or multiple lives, so distinguishing reality from virtual world the children of today are living should be identified .

Story telling is an art and it needs to have a targeting audience. Huron was written for his first son Zafar and Luka was written for his second son Milan…so when something targeted at particular person, the passion of doing it is more and when it is done rightly becomes universal.

Magical journey into a enchanted world of Luka’s father..Rashid’s imagination…you see a reflection of Rushdie and his excellent skills of story weaving. The various cameos represented from different cultures show his ability to not only have great knowledge on the subject but also to use it at the right time and literary references that make us smile. He tells that though in his book, the video games are exclaimed as excellent and delighting ..in reality he tells that it limits one’s imagination. Reality gives more scope for creativity and imagination than the virtual world that the children of today are thinking as real.. Battle against time in the book, takes us to a different reminiscent wonderland where we find mythological creatures and surreal characters.

Referencing diety stories and the fact that the God not worshipped loses their power and disappears is a certain reality, especially where there thousands of gods in this world interwoven with the faiths….Rushdie sounds like a rational to whom every faith is a equal and it is the ultimate human intelligence that will win over the world and not the difference amongst

He talks about mention of the time travelers in his book… and he says that having Peter Pan, Mark Twain, Terminator and others was to the fact that they were great time travelers…So Luka had to travel along with the rest of the great time travelers….Children’s books amass audiences and interest readers with these great stories filled with time travelling. Dog, called the Bear, and the Bear called the Dog are Luka’s friends in the book.

On Wikileaks and Freedom of Expression:

On Wikileaks…he stated that he is excited that hypocrisy getting exposed and is a good thing….same time the life of the witnesses and sources are at danger…for the sources will not be just punished, or slapped on the face, they would be killed.  Freedom of expression is important provided it has its own set rules… Hate books don’t go great with people for they speak the truth….Freedom of expression and open journalism is appreciated as long as the perceptions and interpretations are clear and concrete.

On Fire of Life

Fire is represented as life, a passion, an energy and survival factor. Fire is represented in every culture of the world, be in Greeks, Native American, Russian, Turkish or any culture… Same is with the sky-god, there is a sky god in every culture of this world from Persian, Greeks, Romans and so on..for that matter any culture. The fire in actual life is the fire for survival, fire of passion, enthusiasm, fire for knowledge and wisdom, fire of intelligence and human excellence

The contemporary style of Novel writing filled with humorous puns and wonderful language makes it a package of Rushdie’s product and nothing less.

Dedication of Luka and Fire of Life to Milan, his second son:

As a poet myself, I cannot stop from being a great admirer of the words Rushdie writes as part of his dedication of the book to his second son Milan (Luka is his middle name)... See the First letters of each sentence that forms MILAN..

Magic lands lie all around

Inside, outside, underground.

Looking-glass worlds still abound

All their tales this truth reveal

Naught but love makes magic real.

There is a depth of love, for he mentioned in his discussion, that Milan was born when he was almost nearing 50’s and its an elder dad’s anxieties towards his little son, to whom he planned to write a book for from the time he was born. He cleared the speculation that the book was possibly written to tell his son that his dad is in 60’s and expect the unexpected….and preparing one to the only reality of any human being- death. Death is inevitable and will happen to everyone and it can never be predicted…but planning emotionally to handle such a torment in life is natural for elderly parents..There was a sincerity of a father in those words..

His wishes….

He wished all of us there, that we enjoy the book, more than the way he enjoyed writing it… for to him writing it was a passionate experience. I have read so many books, and also attended many poetry reading and book reading functions, but the reason why this stands out is simply because it was read by the greatest Author of our times…and that’s the difference.

It was a great pleasure to watch the great scholar and writer, sitting in the first row watching him and Reza with awe and delighted to have got his book signed after the conversation and met him in person…It was wonderful, beautiful and most enthralling experience…. With the air filled with knowledge, truth, freedom , language at its best, humor at its radiance and a great respect to a great scholar.

Long live Rushdie…for you are the icon of freedom of expression and reinstated the fact the pen is mightier than sword… The controversial writer definitely have a human side and there could be less intentional controversies he created. Probably it all depends on how you interpret a writer’s mind. If you read something with a predetermined notions, I am sure you will find hundred reasons to raise a controversy…. If you can look into the truth with a sense of humor and practical reality, I guess it makes things better. As a Indian-British writer, Rushdie proclaimed that he supports the law that punishes any kind of racial discrimination. We are living in a world, a world of global outreach and yet, the levels of tolerance are limited, given the wide geographical and historical divide of the borders of various continents. And hence open journalism and open artists still struggle to survive..

I was amazed to the kind of applause he received from the western audience…and as expectedly, there were less than 1% of Indians…which was evident that we are more careful that we don’t end up appreciating or participating in anything that have a bit of controversy…and especially Salman Rushdie being not just a bit but with a whole lot of controversial cases around him… Yet, how can one stop from admiring the intelligence, creativity, boundless imagination, love for language and literature, knack of words and prose and poetry mixing up in his every line. Same time, I could not stop from thinking that the fact, that his controversies are his popularity…and had it not been for them, I guess there wouldn’t have been so much a wider fan following…..especially an Indian brain being admired, received, applauded, followed and closely watched by the western world.

Waves of Sea......Awakening Inner Thee!

Waves are reflections of my thoughts

The Candid one's that touch my life like rocks

they come, they touch, they go

leaving behind sands of truth to adore

the serenity of the calm filled sea

adores my inner self awakening me

looking at the vast horizons that never touch

the mergers of land, water and sky

that invade my waves and thoughts alike

crusading my peace, gushing thoughts

invading my happiness and inner peace

There, I sit alone, lost in my thoughts

looking at the unending waves of the sea

The depths so uncertain, just like our lives

But still we wander towards our horizons

just like the waves with hopes and dreams

Every time, I sit at the sea, I find myself again

for every waves takes away life's every pain!!!

Leaving behind the sands of love to gain,

And happiness and joys of life to regain…..

India's New Freedom Struggle

India’s New Freedom Struggle

It took several years for India’s freedom struggle from the British Rule to dawn on the Nation in 1947. But it is unfortunate, that the country today is thrown at the mercy of a rat race. Rat race for Power, Money and Authority with no people in thought. The so called Largest Democracy in the world ...in the name of “For the People, By the People, To the People”, today is nothing but a big joke. 60 years of Independence, and we as the Nation struggle for real freedom. Freedom of speech, Freedom of Governance, Freedom of Growth, Freedom for a Nation free of fear, free of poverty, free of unemployment, free of pollution, free of corruption and free of agitation and restlessness. Today, we the Citizens of India are proud of our achievements in the Global Stage. Same time, we are ashamed as part of the Nation, still struggling in the clutches of a fragment of society that dominates and destroys the Nation. There has to be a new revolution. A new struggle for Freedom. This fight is not against the miscreants of an external India. This is a fight against the internal thief’s. It is very easy to eliminate an external enemy, but it is very difficult to uproot an “Inte Donga- in Telugu” which means, a thief within the house.

Freedom of Speech -

Yes, I know it is our fundamental right and we Indians, are privileged to this right. But it is only when you don’t hurt the sentiments of your brethren. As a political fiasco, you can talk anything. Refer to Laluji’s English speeches in the Parliament, but if a sensible writer tells the truth., no wonder she is threatened to be jailed…I am referring to none other than Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy.

Freedom of Revolt-

You have to be a RSS franchise or a Mangalore Babu’s to revolt. You cannot afford to be an ordinary citizen. How many times Medha Patkar had been arrested just because she is fighting for a genuine cause like Narmada Bhacho Andolan? How many times Sunitha Krishnan of Prajwala will be beaten up to death, just because she fights against the brutality of rape victims and rescue small children and women from the involuntary prostitution rackets? Close to 3000 children are rescued by her in the last several years, she being a 15 year old gang raped victim in the past. Why the hell cannot our governments do something about it??

Freedom from Equality-

Yes, I understand we are a secular and socialistic Republic???? But in what sense??? Are we not having a divide of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, right from the way the neighborhoods react to incidents, support and care? Are we not divided in the name of language within every 400 kms of the geographical landscape of the country. I am not talking about the secular freedom of equality. Freedom of equality in terms of how government react to various situations? Example: When a soldier sacrifices himself for the sake of National Security, we give his mother or widow , a medal, no use certificate and 1 lakh rupees and forget. Same way, when a illicit liquor consumer in a remote village dies, his family is also paid 1 lakh rupees and the victim gets a placeholder in the front page of newspapers and becomes a hero! If a cricketer scores 100 runs, he is paid 5 lakh rupees and given adversting revenue, government paid quarters, paid jobs which he never attends and what not? Why the hell I would I encourage my younger generation to ruin their personal lives to preserve our borders and die for our country? How many of our politicians or film stars are sending their kith and kin to fight against terrorism or protect our borders? Are they not eating the bigger piece of the apple pie??????

Freedom from Fear

If a politician is killed, or murdered or even die for natural causes, the whole place is turned like a war zone. People are scared to step out. Worst is when a politician is convicted in a court case, we just don’t know what repercussions will be there around? How can we forget the hard truth of Dharmapuri Bus tragedy, where three college students were burnt alive? Who will bring back those lives to their parents. How many shops were destroyed in Karnataka just because they had their hoarding and boards in English? How many churches were burnt in Kerala in the name of stopping spreading the preaching? Still the traces of the Pastor and his sons being burnt alive in the car remain? The notorious killing of Shivani Bhatnagar, a young journalist who did everything to gain information first hand for Indian Express do not fade our memories. We are still surrounded by Nithari’s and Rathores, and don’t dare to send our young girls alone outside? Where is the Freedom that Gandhi wanted???? To let the women walk with free mind at the midnight…Forget about midnights Babu, now your children cannot even dare do it in broad day light. Are we becoming a sex starved Nation? Are we becoming a Violent provoked society?????

Freedom from Retirement…

Common guys, now don’t take me wrong. You are to retire at the age of 60, if you are Peon, A Teacher, A Professor, A clerk, A Engineer and what not? But stop, you just don’t need to retire at all till your death if you are a politician. For politicians have this unique physical ability to make right decisions, run errands on economic development, do excellent planning, and commendable job on governance and execution and you know what, age is the wisdom factor for running our country. But guess what, to be a nurse or a ayyama in a school, you have to be not older than 60. Yes, you forget your basics to teach or support patients when you are 60, it doesn’t depend on your ability or individual strength. Then, again, for becoming an IAS officer in India, you should not be older than 28, older than 32 if your MBC or SC/ST. But there is no there is no Upper Specification Limit to be a part of the Indian Parliament. So all retired aunts and uncles, out there,, get ready for the next General Election, for that is the only place where you can still work…..

Freedom from rusted judicial system….

Our constitution can only be written once. I agree. We make amendments and pass bills and change provisions as deemed necessary. Thankfully the new Direct Tax Code has some breather for the age old Income Tax Laws of 1960’s…. But are the Laws of the Nation ever amended? Are they not written when people were under control and fear of British Raj. Are they not written keeping the economic and GDP of 1940’s in Mind. Today, one of the most enjoying community of holidays are our lawyers …they have winter sessions holidays, summer and spring holidays…Spring???In India? Ok, may be. Probably, I don’t think any other community of Professional enjoy that big a holiday in a single year….Not even teachers today…For I see the schools making them slog in holidays, correcting papers, preparing study material for next year, working on overall growth and improvement. How can a fine be just Rs.100 for a theft and Rs 5000 for a rape? Does it worry any of them committing those sins? Is there a fear any longer in our verdicts about the way the punishments are given???? Why do we encourage to appeal and appeal ever to high courts. Can you imagine that close 23 death penalties are lying on Madam President’s table for clemency petitions.

Freedom from our own cruel Police Stations

Believe me, I am so scared to enter a police station. Just because I was not able to differentiate between those working there or those brought in there for investigation. They both looked similar in all manners. There could be exceptions and people who are sincere, more approachable, and polite to common man. I have witnessed a sad neighbor who was pulled to a police station after having been found in a drunken state in a local railway station. He was beaten up to death, his family was humiliated, and finally the frustration did never let the youth come out. He passed away few months after that incident. When a stray fire accident happened in my bed room, instead of finding the real culprits, the police dragged two of our lady servants who worked for several years. They showered suspicion everyone in the house too.. When a house was locked for several week, a thief tried to break it, and finally when all neighbors woke up and caught him, he spell the beans. He got the information of the locked house from a policeman who takes rounds in the nights in that area. The deal was to share the booty 30-70. Speechless.

Freedom from Terrorism

In Dec 2008, when I was travelling back from Detroit to India, a co-passenger was so considerate asking if it is safe to travel back to India. I felt sad…terribly sad. I have to fear travelling back to India, my country…and the constant images on the CNN TV in the Airport is the reason…showing images of burning Taj…continuously for the 4th days. Terrorists, Naxals, Moists, Jihad’s and the list goes on. Fear of terror is everywhere. Right from the serial blasts across the cities of Lucknow, Delhi, Pune and Mumbai ….till the struggle of Telengana region and never ending Kashmir menace….no where people feel safe and secure. The shades of terror is wide and vibrant. And victims suffering is endless. We still go easy on Kasab’s and Ajmal’s in the country even after the whole Nation witnessed their atrocities on CCTV and live televisions. Attack of Nation’s Parliament and Attack on Civilians in Mumbai is still cases of further appeal and mercy petitions???? No wonder, we can never curtail terrorism.

Freedom from Corruption

This is not the last, but the giant of factors that we want freedom from. One of my friend yesterday, reported on Face book, that he waited in the queue to get a receipt from Registrar office for Vehicles, and finally he could not get his job done without paying that damn bribe. I did it when I wanted extra copies of birth certificate for my child after running for 4 days, and hearing problems of the employee not being there, printer not working and what not, and everything worked the minute I paid him the “gift”. 16 year old drunken drivers in Mumbai, kids of rich dads, go Scott free after killing hard working day laborers sleeping on the pavements. A old aged lady have to pay for getting her pension clock start after her retirement in the Pension Pay office. Loans get sanctioned without even the supervisor visiting the sites….all for a price. Even for issuing a death certificate to a grieving family, our government office staff don’t function without taking that extra money. I know a Peon working in a commissioner office building a big bungalow in the centre of the city….and that’s because he is the binamy for collecting all these funds for a corporate pool that gets shared at the end of the day – everyday….No wonder, no body shouts or revolt for so low a salaries in the Government offices. For getting an electricity connection, you pay “that” or just be ignored. To get a College admissions, forget mark sheets…think about the ‘Building Fund”…for Professional College Admissions….remember “Capitation fee” , Management Quota, Donations….. and is there anywhere our kids scoring between 70-90 can get proper admissions??? Either your percentage have to be above 90% or your parents bank balances big enough to hold your dreams….Ridiculous. To me Tirumala had been my place of heaven on earth. But somehow, my devotion these days don’t get overboard to venture into this commercial hub now in the name of darshan. There were couple of times, I had to come back without proper darshan , after being victimized with ‘jaragandi, jaragandi’… and now I know to handle this ‘Jaragandi’ lot…the minute , I tuck a Rs 500 in one of the ‘Jurangandi-Move Move’ crew, I will be pulled behind them, and others get victimized for juragandi..and I am given 2 extra minutes to look at the deity, forget about worshiping amidst that mad rush….. I believe my Balaji will understand my plight and still take care of me, if I worship him from a distance, may be from my home Even the medical fraternity is no immune to this…and it is a sad state of affairs…Believe me, even to get justice, you have to bribe in our country and that is the sad part….And once again, I am only talking about small time corruption….for I am a small time writer who cannot dare to write about Mega Scandals and Shameless Scams that ruin my country from moving forward….

I am now tired, of writing this post….There is so many things that we want freedom from,,,like Freedom from Poverty, Freedom from Rich and Poor Divide, Freedom from Glass ceiling, Freedom from Craze of Foreign goods, Freedom from pollution, freedom from traffic…freedom from increasing costs….freedom from adulterated food grains….. and the list is longer than I expected when I started to write. I think freedom from British was much easier!!!!

My Experiences in Manufacturing Plants....especially Automobiles!

It was in the last year of my college, we had an opportunity to work as interns in a local factory called Crompton Greaves Igarashi Motors inside MEPZ (Madras Export Processing Zone) near Tambaram Sanitorium.  I was not only excited to earn few extra ruppes to buy books for studing ICWAI, but also to the fact that I am going to have first hand experience of a factory worker.   I had to report to work at 9 am to be taken as a daily wage worker, for a stipend of Rs.75 and a token of Rs.2 for a subsidised lunch inside the factory canteen.   I was longing to get the uniform that other girls on the normal employment used to wear, but the floor supervisor was fine to allow us in casual wear as we were college students.   We used to embark our trains at Tambaram Sanitorium after hanging on the footpath enjoying the metro electric train journey and catch the company vans to reach on time.  We used to undergo a security check and then leave our personal things in a pigeon hut provided and go to the shift on time.   There the fun begins.  
Few girls trained us on how to handle each manufacturing process at a time.  We were training on one activity for the day.  My job was to hold each rotor and put it in the machine that keeps running in circles and take it out with the correct precision of timing...just 10 seconds for each rotor.  CG Igarashi motors used to manufactur micro motors and rotors especially for use in automobiles,  power tools and house hold appliances.   Automobile industry uses close to 90% of its manufacturing output.  
One quality manager explained to me why the precision timing is important to the job I was assigned.  I felt like running away.  For simple reasons that I beleive it creates the circles inside the rotor for every second I hold the rotor in the machine, and cars use these rotos in the door locks.  So if the precision of the rotor is more or less, it creates an extra circle inside the rotor and it is a scrap during the quality check.  And for any reason, it slips and gets into the car manufacturing assembly line, the car itself would be considered having a faulty door locking system and the door assembled will have to be replaced.  For any reason, if it escapes the quality check of the Car Assembly line, a child sitting in the car seat may have a jerk of her or his life, when the car door opens up on drive.  I told the quality manager, that he scared me enough.  But a small mistake during my job that day can have dire consequences is the lesson of the day.    I managed to pull out close 600 routers that day at the end of my 8 hours shift and quality manager pattered me back and said that there were only 2 defects., which is quite common.  I gave the biggest sigh of relief.     At lunch, I chatted with the girls working in the factory for many years.  They were full of life.  I know they jobs were hard and their lives were on toes the whole day.  Especially Gayathri, a girl who worked in the chemical mixing division had a tough task of combining blue color chemical to create a paste kind of thing.   She said, only if that could be automated, her life would be better.  But during lunch, they all giggled, discussed movies, kids and marriages, love affairs,  and commented on an old supervisor.   I found a meaning of hardwork that day.  End of the day, they used to change to their casual clothes, board the train together, buy hot samosas or butter biscuits in the train and disperse.   The food in the canteen was not only nutricious, delicious but also fresh and economical.   I  know that most of the girls working there are not even tenth passouts, but the kind of attention, commitment and liveliness they bring in to the workplace is amazing.  Today after a decade of experience in IT, I still try to find a similar liveliness filled with unconditional acceptance of the quality need, kind of hardwork and commitment somehow missing across the industry.  Not ever one does like the girls in the factory used to do today. 
This manufacturing unit created jobs for semi-educated youth,.especially to more number of women providing employment, self- reliance and confidence.   I only wished more EPZ's are encouraged and give way for creation of more jobs to common people than to only those blue collared high tech workers.

My second experience was again related to manufacturing plant... this time a pure automobile plant of Ashok Leyland Manufacturing and Assembly unit in Ennore.  Experience was quite different from what I experience as a student intern.   As a IT specialist, I had a different challenge.  This time, without knowing I had lot of complaints unlike the girls of CGI.    May be because, we in IT are used to some royal treatment.  Unlike my parents who worked all their lives sitting in wooden chairs with a pedostal fans in office and having racks of paper files pilled with dust and aging around them and a tea walla bring in tea twice a day, we are used to fully airconditioned sophasticated cushion chairs , rolling.  Tea vending machines and full furnished rest rooms.  So when I was assigned to this plant to be on my first "Onsite" model project., no doubt I showed some resistance.  Today after 3 years, I feel bad about it and would surely apologize for my expectations.   But same time, I overcame all my inbuilt insecurities working at a place, close to the borders of Tamil Nadu, dominated by men....what dominated, just filled with men in uniforms.  The only two ladies I used to see in Ashok Leyland Ennore plant were the middle aged receptionists and one day who worked in the ERP and who never spoked to me.    So to see a young IT worker was a feast to all those men, who used to look at me and other 2 girls who joined later in my team as if were are some aliens.  I used to sometimes enjoy the attention and sometimes get frustrated.  It wasnt like a usual IT office where you go in what ever you like to.  I had to wear sandals that dont make noise, wear fully wrapped salwars with duppatas or sarees, no jeans or shirts allowed.   Though it had been my usual way to work, somehow when someone puts that as a protocol or restriction, we restrain...thats nature I guess.  I used to get all respect for the good work from senior IT managers there and they used to respect my punctuality and work.   I used to be the first one to get on board of the car pooling Qualis, and call each one in the line to be ready as we reached near their houses and  get them on boards and with the ongoing construction of Padi Bridge, Anna nagar flyover, Koyembedu trafffic, I used to feel like a conductor of a bus.   My manager used to joke that there is lot of similarity between me and Rajnikanth...somehow, sitting between 6 men in the car, they used to joke on everything on the road, which I failed to see.  They used to giggle saying, after all, its boy's matter!.  
Fun apart, coming to the work at Ennore plant. , there buses and lorries used to be assembled.  known for its eco-friendly engine technology,  and as the largest commercial manufacturing unit in India,  for commercial vehicles that include trucks, buses, emergency vehicles (fire trucks) and militiary vehicles.    They also manufacture and assemble engines for industrial and marine needs.  The factory used to be largest job creator since 1948 when it first started.  Even today, many people look upon the Ennore plant for employment.   Ennore plant also keeps its technology updation on track.  They aim at catering to the modern day needs., provide economical and competitive advantages to their products and aim at quality deliverables.  The scrap garage is a witness on how the company respects quality.  The road test centre opposite to the plant where we used to park our cars, is a sheer joy to witness the first rides of many buses and trucks.  Driving for 4 hours a day to the plant up and down, amidst the Chennai harbour bound trailers wasn't fun always.  We witness so many so road accidents, careless driving, drunken drivers, and eve teasers.  But to us, improving their ERP division and provide IT support was the key agenda and everything around looked small in front of our gigantic task to  be part of the technological revolution happening in the company.  I used to love watching the men, transported in the company provided busess numbered from 1 to many... to all corners of the city.    They used to sleep, sing, talk politics, cinema, families, cooperative society that allowed them to buy provisions and groceries at cheaper rates,  education, IT, and the company's progress.    This wasnt much different from the girls of CGI.   All these men used to work overtime and on holidays when ever possible to earn few extra ruppes... to support their families.   I saw wonderful fathers, brothers and sons in them.   Who are responsibile, consistent and wonderful.  I still remember the day, one Mr.Vaithyanathan who worked in IT Finance came and showed me a Pen he bagged as a token of appreciation for 25 years of service.  To me, it was the day of amazing understanding of being loyal and committed to the organization.   He was so elated that he and his friend got the same in the same function as their families were also welcomed to be part of the function.   They were humble, sinciere, loyal and modest and nothing in par....  And bang came the Dussera celebrations...the whole factory was lighted up in the festive eve... the decorations using paper banners and colors was a feast to the eyes...We were welcomed to the celebration where every machine was worshipped as God on the Ayudha puja day.  I stood spell bound with the beautiful and dedicated singing of NC, their Chief officer who mesmerised the audience with his songs and devotion...not just to the god, but the work they have been doing for years.
I also had a collegue who was named Ashok, just because his dad worked their since his marriage...I had no words
Here too we had the privilege of having the company provided lunch,..along with all their factory workers.  To me those were the best of lunch times, for I used to see the comraderie, sinciere care and consideration to fellow workers, unity amogst them, their participation in the Union and addressing issues, their cooperation to the local adminsitration, their consideration to Nature and waste management discussions.  To some of us today, it is a topic for Speech in AC halls.  But to the ordinary factory worker, it was an every day topic, to be considerate, responsive and reactive to the needs.   And during factory elections, we used to see Obama's there.   Orators who spoke with so much zeal and enthusiam, so much knowledge and understanding of people's problems and needs., constructive thoughts on innovation, technology and expansion projects.   This is what is called grassroots empowerment.  Enablement at the ground level.  Governance at the best.    

These were very transforming experiences and gave me knowledge and awareness that no book or teaching can bring...You have expeirence it, feel it and realize it for better You.    As I travelled from Ennore to Pontiac, another hub of automobile revolution, in midst of Detroit called as the Global Automobile city, I had more experiences that gave me better insights of manufacturing plants.  Will write my thoughts and experiences in the GM plants in my next post...till then, thanks for reading

Why Manufacturing is Important for any Economy's Growth?

Today, the biggest challenge of Super Powers like USA and UK, are the declining trend of their manufacturing and assembly facilities.   Same time, Countries like China, India and Brazil have their drivers as Manufacturing Industries.  Today, China seems to be the single largest nation termed as the "Manufacturing Hub of the world" and there are very large amount of products manufacturing only in China today.   90% of computer and laptop parts are produced in China.  70% of world's subsidiary and ancillary production is happening  in China and India.   Yet the irony is that these countries are still to get into the spectrum of realistic development coined with the people's growth inside the countries.  But surely in the next few years and less than a decade.. these countries will enrich in to the global trajectory of growth as Economic Super Powers.  

Amidst all the hype of media and acceptance of world Nations, both India and China have a long way to go in terms of internal improvements, creating a greater infrastructure, taking the innovation and human intelligence to new parlance, and promote agricultural revolution and industrialization at grass roots.  Export is not the only key to the growth of the country.   Doing away with the greater disparity between Rich and Poor, overcoming Poverty and unemployment,  creating a harmonious society away from the turbulence's created in the name of language and religion,  and strong control on the local governance free of political corruption have to be brought to the front burner to make these countries sustain their transforming economic growth.  

Today, as a Nation, we have challenges of large scale corruption, political power play, rural and urban divide and still existing unemployment and education needs.  Despite all the challenges, today the human intelligence of India have widespread and created jobs across the globe.   The reason behind being the manufacturing potential of India and China.  Yet, there is a long way to go to sustain indigenous products, create a reverse brain drain that can bring in technical competence to build our own scientific and advance nuclear machinery and airplanes that will put India at par with other advanced nations.    The nation have to address the infrastructural needs, which in turn would create manufacturing needs and accelerate the growth of the country in the right direction..   

This is a sure chain reaction.   Export is a blessing and export creates manufacturing needs providing quality and competitive production houses.   These production houses create technology and innovation., and create jobs for the education urban lot.  The penetration of the growth to rural areas is the only solution to combat the increasing struggles of urban population in terms of housing, infrastructure, transportation and sustainability.  So cities expand creating more housing needs, creating transportation needs and bringing in more opportunities to expand our railways, roadways and industrialization.   Mariamalainagar near Chennai is classic example of how the manufacturing would pave to expansion of cities and bring in larger transformation.    These increase the need of indigenous industries that caters to the needs of steel, cement and wood, paints, and labour.   Construction industry grows.  With increased transportation needs, the need to build buses and trains grows.  Slowly the movement of population from rural to semi-urban areas start to meet the demands and needs.  This increases potential increase of opportunities of good education to rural students and bring in a change.   There is equal needs to build schools and roads in rural India.  As corporates expand outside the cities, they adopt villages to lay roads and provide voluntary services like evening education, mobile health facilities, awareness to combat social issues  and bring in a dynamic awareness.   The need for sustainable food facilities and self-reliance emerges to combat the growing cost of living expenses.    This brings in a need to encourage farmers to use technology in agriculture, promote agriculture with the cooperative society and government help.   The backbone of the Nation is Agriculture and it sustains from perishing.  Farmers need education and awareness to manage crops damage, creation of integrated water systems and this creates a need to bring in a Nehruvian policy of building dams and reservoirs, there again creating a job market.   Self-reliance in food grains and agriculture growth paves way for people to invest in education and technological revolution...there by significantly impacting the economic well being at grass roots. 

The bottom line, is every Nation should create a need for growth of the manufacturing facilities, at the same time, transfer the bit of growth and combined energies to the grass roots of the Nation, then alone, the Nation can be called a Developed One.   It is not multi-storied building of metroes that would make a Nation developed, it is the common man's struggle finding an end and ease towards better living and people of these countries free themselves from the political fiasco and power play, and are able to live a decent and uplifted lives.  Then alone, we can be called DEVELOPED.   So, it is the time to invest and energize our manufacturing plants and factories and spread their growth to the grassroots of the Nation.