Happiness and Emotional Equations

Happiness - is the one word that I always struggle to find the real meaning. The things that make me happy sometimes, do not really let me be at peace other times. Why? I do not know. Being happy or wanting to be happy are two unrelated aspects of human life. Life is entangled with relationships that make us happy, sad, sick, joyful, successful, fail, fall, arise and let us experience various emotional equations. Man is a social being and we cannot live alone in this otherwise overcrowded lives of ours in the modern society. The human intelligence is in par with the emotional quotients, for it is the man's emotion and urge to succeed that brings in more and more innovations and achievements world over. It is the quest, in the search of something different, new and intellectually accepted new thing that man craves to find every day. Then, where is the happiness is an inquisitive mind that is in the ardent search for that something.
True to its inner meaning and interpretation, happiness is a wide thing at times, the most simplest thing and it all depends on how our mind perceives it. The pursuit of acceptance and contentment are the real reasons behind the volume of happiness in our lives. For example, man's quest started when he had to find something to eat, to kill his hunger and survive, later the same man searched for something that he can grow and be healthy, the same man over the years looked for change and improvement in the things he ate, later, the diversity ended with multiple cuisines, traditional and contemporary, fast food and junk food, and slowly vitamins and other mineral available in the forms of tablets and medicines... still the quest continues, and there is no end or happiness to this quest. This is just an example.
Happiness by it means can mean different things to different people. For a student getting first rank is happiness, for employee, getting promotion is happiness, for a mother, having a healthy child is happiness, for a priest making right prayers is happiness, for a writer, his book is his happiness, for a teacher, his student is a happiness, for a player, winning is happiness, for some people learning is fun, for some teaching is fun, for some, blogging is fun and so on. Happiness cannot be measured. Can someone measure the blushing of a new bride? Can someone measure the smiles of a little child? Can someone measure the happiness of new mother? Can someone measure the happiness of a peaceful death? Nothing, happiness cannot be quantified.
Emotional equations end with the kind of human relationships we maintain, as long as our equations with the people we interact on our day to day basis, during social occasions, during professional acquaintances and during community activity and during the Nation Building, is harmonious, peaceful, negotiable, interactable, growth oriented and healthy, emotions become the basis of happiness. Nothing can bring in peace except yourself. Its me and how I manage my emotions result in the new and continious happiness. No once can decide if I wanna be happy or not except myself. If I decide to be happy, nothing in this world can stop me from that. If otherwise too..... Hence, emotional equations alone can decide our happiness and nothing else than you! Be Yourself! Be Happy :-)

My Post that got published in IBNLive

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/analysethis/2480/53425/selections-beyond-elections.html
Friday , May 15, 2009 at 10 : 21
Umasree Raghunath Chennai
Selections Beyond Elections
The common man and ordinary voter in India is not sure if at all his vote will make the difference in the General Elections, for its the selection beyond elections that matter. I as a individual voter do not know if I have to think about just my candidate in the constituency or the ultimate party that is going to make it to power.Anyway, here is the edge of it and not the end anyway Return of coalition politics is only going to happen. No single party can manage to cross the 272 mark, for we dont have a sympathetic situation like in the past that saw huge majority for Rajiv Gandhi or P.V.Narshimha Rao's regime. Ideal scenario would be Congress and allies able to pull the golden mark of 272. Ironically, Congress will go ahead to old friends for help, but any wrong move will make it regret in the near future. Best scenario is to rope all existing and earlier allies and bringing back the original form of UPA back for the benefit. Bring in more of young leaders to the fore fray and project that its a new blend of old win in new bottle kind, with an old party with young and energetic leaders in the front. That is what aspiring young India wants for its growth and difference.BJP with allies can become once again the toughest opposition, unless otherwise surprising new allies turn towards BJP. But the BJP manifestos will in fact impact on the secular framework of the Nation dividing the society in the name of religion. We don't want a communal politics at this time of global economy under crisis,, for we want economists who can help the Nation survive the financial downtime.Setting aside the fact of dynasty politics- we need to look at the visibility factor and knowledge factor of the young politicians. Obama with just 4 years in public life could make it to the white house and take astounding decisions on world issues. Surely young people like Rahul and his young MP crew can make a difference for they have insight into to India politics, required power and party support, knowledge on burning issues, way to handle crisis and above all energy and confidence to bring in a new way of growth in the country. Its time we accept this and set in road map for new leaders. Its all in the next 24 hours to decide the fate of the largest democracy in the world towards its nearest future. Lets wait and watch
Posted by Analyse this

General Motors- An Empire Set to be rebuilt

Today is one of those different days where all my thoughts profoundly are centred on a single subject. Today the world is looking at a Corporation that's heading towards its humble turn. General Motors. The auto-industry pioneer which ruled US markets and accelerated the economy for exactly 100 years so far is all set to take its new turn. I would not want to call it an unprecedented or a worst turn for I as an economic analyst is sure of one fact that this day will bring in. General Motors will re-emerge as a small and focused company and slowly rebuild its past glory. It is not just a company where nearly 5,14,000 employees worked in 1950, and the industry which catered to the defense and domestic US markets, General Motors in its own right have added value and wisdom to the US economy at large. The dependent and ancillary industries that relied solely on the revenue that GM generated is huge and unparalleled in Detroit even today. Michigan and the entire North America once glorified GM's existence with Pride and Decorum. Today, over decades of unexpected twists and turns, calculated risks that avers ed beyond repair and the recession hit Nation that is not able to make any difference with calculated administrative support. But GM will scale up again with new vision and focus, resetting its goals and objectives and soon become a viable auto-maker bringing in a new paradigm of change. What ever may be the end result of today's Chapter 11 filling of a global giant, GM will for ever remain as the only largest automaker who made America's History a glorified one. No other automaker in the near future will be able to recreate the History, that GM had strongly left on the shores of Detroit. The pride and passion of the brand GM will remain intact in the books of American History for ever!

Rahul Gandhi

My eagerness to follow what Rahul does in life began in 1984 when the little boy was held tightly in the hug of his dad as the tragedy stuck the family in the name of Indira Gandhi assassination. A little toddler with specs was seen crying silently amidst the chaos of the fall of National Leader who was synonym to the woman power and iron leadership. Those were the first pictures of Rahul in my memory.
It was in 1991 May 25th that the same boy, then in his early twenties stood bravely consoling his mother as the funeral possession of his dad was happening. This time, there was little more matured adult seen in the screens of Indian television. His composed self with Priyanka Gandhi gave me lot of courage as the same tragedy of losing my dad stuck me just few months after that gruesome assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. I know, somewhere inside me I am following the moments of Rahul, silently but inspiring little Gandhi.
It was once again in 2004 during India General Elections, emerged a silent Gandhi from his usual composed self. This time, not holding his mother's hand but walking in parallel. In spite of all the woes and cries against dynasty politics in India, there emerged a true leader, born in a family that is grown amidst politics, national leadership, freedom struggle and which played a major role in drafting the Indian History ever since its Independence in 1947.
Rahul though compared alot with his dad, is definitely a different specie. Rahul is a sure strategist, and handles politics as entrepreneurship. He is slowing getting in the corporate way of handling things to manage micro-level participation of his party and activities in the growth process of Emerging New India. Like Rajiv, Rahul also had got a very high charisma that attracts general public very easily, and he got a style of handling things and most importantly he knows how to touch people's hearts. Unlike Rajiv, Rahul is a more confident politician who was made slowly and steadily and not pushed into politics by force like in case of Rajiv, as it happened twice during Sanjay's death and Indira's assassination. Rahul took his time to understand the real political scenario and also analytically approach the grassroots problems of the common man. The best part of this young hero is his approach to re vibrate the youth energy in the country. Near to 70 MPs today are below 40 years of age and near to 10% of Parliament is Women. Politics for the first time, came within the reach of the common man.
Recognizing of education, value system and most importantly, the political objectives were more clear than making politics just a platform to earn money.
Rahul and his brigade will change and transform the way the various government institutions function today. It is not just a hope but a plan put in action and will be executed. It is not easy to bring a 100 Crore population to one single thread of understanding, and this time, Rahul with his ability to convert his charisma and integrity to vote bank proved that it is possible. He brought in a voter consciousness in the 2009 general elections and proved that Congress is a capable National Party that can provide good governance, stability, integrity and aim at overall National growth and security. Its just a matter of time, that this young leader will become the leading star of Indian Politics and become the Nation's most sought Prime Minister.
Its just a 4 years exposure into National Politics that made a lawyer become a renowned President of United States and Obama-mania has hit the world positively like never before. Here we have a boy born in a politically- rich family, have seen politics and governance all his life, grown as a responsible Youth leading the energies of this vast diversified democratic Nation and a matured adult who is a keen politician, best orator, a self grown strategist and the new face of Gandhi Family, who emerged amidst adversities of tragic assassinations, political battles, threats and dilemmas but truly towards one single long term objective- to lead this Nation one day. No wonder, Rahul-Mania will overgrow and become more charismatic than obama-mania!

Elections Fails! Forgotten Realities of India

No matter who wins this election and who rules the Nation. Somethings are frustratingly real and do not change even after 6 decades of independence. There are no fundamental things made possible in the Nation by any politician who is away and afar from the so called political manifestos that can never understand the need of a common man in India. India is diversified nation with largest democratic setup, millions and millions of people divided by language, region, caste and education, society, status, employment and there is no common thread on which the entire nation can be brought under one parlance. I am ashamed and troubled to see hundreds of different color flags and party symbols all around and fail to locate even one National Flag flying high along with the party flags or the Ashoka Chakra or the National Emblem getting its predominance. As an angry young Indian, I am frustrated on the system that cannot bring in a sense of patriotism and a wave of Indian-ness in my country.
Some Disturbing Facts:
POVERTY LINE definition, as per Government of India, at Rs. 10 per day, per person, approx- all you need is Rs 300 per month to maintain yourself. But even this is not available for about 300 million (30 Cr.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
320 million people work in the Unorganised sector- where are their taxes going?? Swiss accounts can be seized and black money in foreign banks can be brought in, but how to tap in the in house hidden money that is rightfully needed for the Nation Building.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Around 700 million people are below 35 years of age and at the same time, nearly another 300 million people do not have any kind of employment. There is a need to create near to 10 millions new jobs every year in India. Is the government hearing???
Remind you, there is no social security network that provides compensation against unemployment in India
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of people, in India, who work in the organized Public Sector, i.e. with the Central and State Governments are only 19 million and another 8 million work in the organised private sector. So imagine the tax payers income?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corruption Kings are no where as vast as in India. From the birth certificate to the issuing of a death certificate, everything goes with the UTT?? (Under the Table) transactions. It is not easy getting a gas connection, ration card, election card, electricity connection, a phone line and above all a SCHOOL ADMISSION. Corruption in the form of Building Fund, Donation threaten the best of education systems in India. Colleges are far above all this, with each medical or engineering seat having its own price tag.
To get a building plan approved, get a three phase EB connection, to get a driving license, to get a community certificate, to get the marriage registered, to get a water connection and finally to even get a sewage connection, you have to take care of the corresponding government servant,,,sorry sorry government lords of the Nation.
For your pension to get approved after 30-40 years of work, you still have to bribe your people. To get the government posting, or even a transfer or deputation, you have to pay that extra tip. For even getting a contract daily wage posting of a bus driver for Rs 240 a day, you have to pay nearly Rs 2 lakhs as UTT....
Traffic police uncles are known for collecting those little tit bits and second is our RTO brothers, competing in who gets more on the so called Kimblam ( Add on to Sambalam (Salary))...
Gosh, I forgot the medical fraternity. Two types of loooooti- one in the name of C-section deliveries and other in the name of Fertility Clinics. Heights of tolerance.
Hospitals are no more live savers, from a medical emergency they push you to a financial turmoil.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarath (IIM-A) contesting this General Elections from Chennai South, said on Mom's day proudly - " I know what hunger is all about" . Millions of my breather en in India knows it including me. But our so called obese politicians may not know it. There are two bigger segments- one is people who do not have enough food and people who do not know how to have enough food ( getting obese with too much of junk food and wrong eating habits spending so much on VLCC etc)... Hmmmm.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illiteracy- Though measures are taken to bring in 100% literacy, we still have our charts showing only 70% of literacy rate in India. States like Bihar, Jharkand are lagging behind where as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and few north states are getting closer to the literacy objectives. Still a long way to go!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Underdevelopment, Communal ism, Pollution, Crime, Population explosion, Water scarcity, brain drain are other threatening factors for our nation to become the world's best Super Power.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Making our Nation the Super Power
We have abundant natural resources, fertile lands, rivers that need proper integration, abundant human intelligence, hardworking professionals, committed manual labour, empowering women, entertaining media and press, educating organizations, self less NGOs, leaders with a vision, men who dream big, children who aspire skies and a Nation which has got rich heritage, centuries of civilization, history that shows abundant tolerance and acceptance, commerce and trade that is universal, wisdom and enlightenment that is world's spiritual destination and India as such is a Prideful Nation with high level of confidence to defend its borders, army that is selfless and strong, and young energy that is making difference world over. All we need is a fine leadership at National Level that will take India towards a much strong and supreme level hood amongst the world nations. Dr Manmohan Singh as an abled economist and Prime Minister had given India, its much needed financial edge since the times of P.V Narsimha Rao regime and irrespective of dynasty politics or controlled leadership, Dr Singh proved to be an efficient leader. We need such intellectual brilliance, economic understanding and young and capable leadership to continue, and people like Dr Singh can guide them being the Nation's backbone to the leaders who are energetic, young and visionaries.

The Hindu Chennai Super Mom 2009

Hats off to the beautiful mothers who participated on 10 May 09 in the Chennai Super Mom contest. It was a exhibit of natural abilities, talents, confidence, intelligence and lot more. Congrats to the three beautiful winners and a big pat to Srimathi for walking away with the most deserving title for her all round personality.
The Prelims had a very beautiful physco-analysis questionnaire for 30 questions assessing your ability to handle various life situations, second was a photo shoot and third for the panel of judges assessing your personality. Beauty, Richness or education did not matter here. Personality, Intelligence and over all confidence is judged.
Semi-finals was just a wash-away kind with one question response bringing down the final number to 15 and then assessment made on multi tasking, creativity and quiz.
Quiz round was horrible with the first runner up not knowing First President of India...she went on buzzing without giving any correct answers and at the same time not letting others get a chance. Her selection was not genuine.
In the Talent round, Srimathi was really excellent, the way she enacted the transformation of a woman at various stages was marvellous. Victoria who was the second runner up and as a teacher showing her oratorical skills, she deserved the best.
The whole day saw whole families enjoying cookery contests, talent shows, junk art contests and lot of goodies and entertaining performance from Srilekha. Srilekha thanked Times of India in an event hosted by The Hindu... embarrassing the organisers for a moment.
Our anchor DD was lively and beautiful, but the same time, madam needs toning up on science exhibit in public when she said E=MC TWO instead of calling out square:-) slip of the tongue:-(
The final judges Akila Srinivasan, Uma Riyaz Khan and Neena Reddy were gracious and cool.
Having a chance to hear Sarath Babu and meet his mom was an addon value of the show.
As one of the semi-finalists I thoroughly enjoyed contesting despite the fact that I was equally disappointed for not having made it to the final five. In the process it taught me two things, that there are much better talents and of course you need something called luck, as your stars need to shine on you, and secondly, a strength that should be there to handle failure. 72 of the 75 semi-finalists had to face this situation and imagine the disappointment for the final 2 who lost amidst the final five. To me it was really an enriching experience that taught me lot to look forward

Bring Jobs Back from Bangalore to Buffalo

I had a neighbour in my village who owned acres of farm land. He used to cultivate rice, cereals, vegetables and also had coconut, mango, guava trees and lot of other things he needed to run his family. Flowers blossomed in his backyard. The by-products helped them fuel their kitchen and bring home oil. Cattle maintained gave them milk and also helped them get some good money along with adding nutritional values to the family. The whole family toiled in hot sun, rains and winter to make the best of every season. Songs of the ladies in the farms and bull-fights and other local games entertained them for most of the day. Peaceful life with no much of pollution or chaos made them work from dawn to dusk and have a good night sleep at the call of sunset.
This is what is called actual Self- Reliance. We do not dependent on others for the most part of our day to day activity. 70% of agricultural India was like this in pre-independence era and nearly 30% of the rural India is still the same. But today, the whole scenario changed. The transformation from a self sustained community to a global village made every one of us depend on the other person for meeting our day to day needs. Today we don't wear home spun cotton, instead buy import brands which are nothing but made in Tirupur and Erode and re-imported with a brand and price tag. Today we don't cultivate our own food, instead depend on nutritional aids with so many competing brands with actually no idea of what it is made of. Today we have hundreds of channels but actually nothing impresses us and keeps us entertained all the time. Today we don't have time to talk to our families, attend all religious and communal functions, participate in social events, and hardly interact with our neighbours. The more and more we became global, we lost what we had as a small self sustained society- the basic ingredients of life called happiness, peace and contentment. Despite knowing all this, how many of us would really dare to go back to our good old golden days of simple living. That's just next to impossible.

Then how will this new policy of Barack Obama which he calls as "International Tax Policy Reform" will work.??. India gave the world the benefit of human intelligence, hard work and perseverance and all economies of scale. People toiled forgetting day or night. The 8 hours shift was just a name-sake and people worked with commitment on deadlines. We gave the west what they wanted before their sunrise. The cost benefit of low labour cost, exchange rate, educational advantage, commitment of hardworking employees actually made the commercial markets of US flourish with prosperity as their customer service and technical support needs were taken care with low budgets and high turnover. Creation of jobs was in the Obama election promises and he is surely keeping it up thinking of where he would stand at the end of his 4 year term. This will encourage America's confidence in its leader and bring in more of opportunities within. But overall, this protectionism cannot be the way of life for a long time for any country under the global scenario. Curtailing trade opportunities world wide would in turn become counter-productive for US in the long run and only wish the end result is a win-win situation for all, especially for China, Philippines and India who have high percentage of bilateral trade relations with United States. There is no harm in Obama's ideology of making his home as described in my farmer's story, but the same time, the world has to remember that the times have changed. As an analyst, my summary of this is that here we have a leader in United States who does what he promises and we surely need to wait and watch on the results!

New US Sanctions Vs Reliance Industries

US imposes Sanctions on various countries to retain its internal interests. This is very common ever since the super power wanted to curtail terrorism, money laundering and on the other side hiding its own insecurities. The current lever is not to let Iran become a nuclear power superseding the interests of United States and the only way they can achieve this objective is to curtail business opportunities with Iran by the other countries.
Reliance industries have the world's largest capacity of refining the worst crude oil in its Jamnagar facility. This gives Reliance an edge of refining almost 30% of Iran refined gasoline and boosts Indian economy by bringing in a major portion of export revenue. Now under the new sanctions levied by US, Reliance along with other major oil giants like British Petroleum, Vitol and Glencore can either trade with US or with Iran and not both. This will be a major bottleneck for Reliance Industries who are experts in oil refining industry world wide. Being one of the world leading supplier of refined petroleum products to Iran and other countries, Reliance now has a wider challenge in hand. There is no other super power in the world that dares to levy such sanctions that can curtail business with US for what so ever reasons and this is the advantage for United States.
The only wish is that this will not be another game plan like what happened with Iraq. In the pretext of anxieties of US on Iraq thought to be provoking a biological war and Geo-politics, US war on Iraq only proved to be a major failure, killing millions of people and losing thousands of US soldiers resulting in no bigger difference to the rest of the world. Iran being one of the world's largest producer of crude oil, may now take up a strategy of improving its refining capabilities as a response to US new sanctions. Such a step would only be a win-win situation for Iran and No profit-No loss zone for US. The loser in this gamble will be Indian Economy losing its major share of oil export business to Iran and of course, our dear Reliance Industries.

Coalition Government - A Tamasha Selection Beyond General Elections

The actual drama of the outcome of the upcoming Loksabha General Elections will unfold after the election results. Its is not easy like Obama calling in United States saying that we are not Red States or Blue States but United States. The dirty negotiation of buying winning constituencies is the actual time when the game begins. Elections is just a democratic formality and a false way of selecting the government. No more we can keep singing the song of "Socialist, Secular and democratic republic'". Yes we are right. We are still secular. Each state is having its own color and religion. Divide and Rule policy is gaining momentum in its own right.

There is a famous joke, that an tourist visited India and later when he went back to his country, he described India as a great country with vast heritage, beautiful tourist destination and various food and dress habits. There was no mention of his interaction with any Indian. When he was asked the same, the answer is that he met a Tamilian, Gujarati, Marati, Bengali, Delhiwalla, Mumbaiwalla, but he never came across an Indian. How true and how disgusting.

On every road today I find colourful flags flying high. Black and Red, Green, Blue, Orange, White, and even some pink and yellow ones. One moment I thought I found the one I was searching for, one with saffron, white and green. Yes, I found but with a hand in between and not my Ashoka Chakra. India as a Nation fails to bring in the significance of the National flag in the minds of all Indians. From the time we step out of the country, we will find the National flag of other countries flying along side the regional flags what so ever. Here what remains is only the divided India in the same of regional parties, national parties, different impractical election manifestos to woo the voters who are later forgotten inadvertently :-)

These once in five year elections is just a waste of money and time for all of us. Who ever is dynastic ally controlling or politically (monetarily strong) correct still rules. The Indian General Elections is no place to expect a Obama-way or a kind of change that we dream for.

As the Nation is ripped by the neighbouring unrest with Taliban Vs Pakistan, Moists Vs Nepal, LTTE vs SriLanka Army, our borders are insecure along with the fact that internal naxals play their part. Yes, we cannot appreciate our Army and Soldiers...because we are busy watching IPL, where the Modi's and Khans and Shetty's making crores at the cost of time and energies.

There is no security in the country. Tourism is haunted by the attacks in Varanasi, Mumbai and Delhi. But we are not worried about it. We will fast and protest now for a neighbours internal issue because its time for some show of concern. We are worried about the devastating human conditions of civilians in our neighbouring State but did we ever have a statistics of our own slums and poor who do not have a roof over their heads. Nearly 70% of India do not have proper or adequate access to health care and education. But we are not concerned

Acres of land is under construction, bridges are getting laid, and millions of rupees are invested in the infrastructure growth of my Nation. I am happy. I am excited that tomorrow my rural India will grow to that extent where I can find malls, shopping complexes and costliest educational institutions in villages. Wow Change. But where is my food. Where is the land to cultivate rice and grow vegetables. Today my one kilo rice costs me Rs 36, may be after 5 years, I will not be buying rice anymore as its a luxurious commodity. Can i keep eating my shopped branded stuff and not my staple food? I don't know.

God, give me one boon that I should die without being in a hospital. Yes, I mean it. Health care in India is a total divided area. I am OK if I am in government hospital or a reputed medical institution. Anything in between is not mine. But affordability to the common man. I cannot imagine. Today we talk about Research and development, advanced medical transplants, improved pharmaceuticals and growing availability of health care. I feel like puking when I think about the government hospital. Burnt patients laid in corridors, women struggling to give birth in the common dormitory because labour wards are full and worse that the mortuaries are full with unclaimed bodies. Gosh, it is stinking atmosphere. Why can't we change this?

Education, Training, Nuclear Sciences, Advanced studies, Agricultural revolution, Forestation, Mineral wealth, Indigenous industries, Small scale cottage industries, construction and infrastructure, manufacturing, allied and ancillary industries and lot and lot of things need an overall acceleration. But does any of the elections manifestos talk about this? A forgotten growth. we want to build temples if we come to power. That is our agenda of National Secularism you see. Disgusting.

Women Empowerment is just another myth. I am not proud having a woman president for my country for the simple reason I do not know what she is capable of. Only 3% of Urban Women fall under actual empowerment. What about millions and millions of women still suffering in this nation in the name of marriage, dowry, unemployment, sickness, parenting and domestic violence. Where is an end to this? Did any time the 33% provision given by constitution for women in Parliament fully utitlised. Why the hell someone fixes our ratio even?? Why can't we see more women leaders coming up genuinly breaking the glass ceiling????

OK, I think I am getting emotional, feeling bad and getting sick now. Let me wait like all of you for the Tamasha Phase 1 to get over and the final and phase 2 Tamasha of the Actual Indian Elections begin. Till such time, I will wait and watch like any of you. I will not vote for this false elections anyway!..

Ride the Recession

The title of the post is the programme on NDTV this weekend with Dr Narayana Murthy of Infosys. The half hour interview could have been a one hour session giving more inputs from the Technology guru. There was meaning in every word he said and truth in the way he was explaining things. This recession is worse and it can get worser. But how much we are prepared for this is a big questions mark. Leave alone individuals or the corporate gaints, the unpreparedness is everywhere including in the way government machinery can tackle an economic tsunami. India with around 22 lakh people directly working in the IT sector is a no-nonsense segment providing huge export revenue to India. There are millions of others who are working indirectly wheeling the IT industry. The IT industry has changed the face of the Nation in the global platform. Indians with the intellectual brilliance had brought in a wider recognition for the country on the world map. Today we are not just a brown community, but a strong empowered group of intellects who can manage the world satellites, control the economy, create vast business empires and emerge as people who can bring in a tolerance and growth of the Nation. Except of the lakhs of NRI's residing abroad over 70's and 80's there wasn't a bigger recognition to Indians on the gloabl scenario till 90's when the IT industry changed the framework of accepting Indians all over. Today,the recognition is vital and predominant. Its not just the cheap labour or the exchange rate benefit that brought in export revenue to the country, but the hardwork, persistence and quality of deliverables, products that aim at customer satisfaction and quick turnaround and devotion to work is recognised. Economies played a major role and at the same time, value for the money paid made the western world depend on us. Today it is not just the economy of a nation in trouble, but this is a vicious circle where one economic downturn impacts the neighbouring economies as well. At the same time, the fall of the US economy did not destablise the Indian economy inspite of the impact being high on global revenues for the basic fact that the banking and financial fundamentals are strong and nearly 70% of the economy is dependent on the non-IT sectors. The only way to combat such a huge downturn and global crisis is to make indegenious products for self-sufficiency by every state to make the best out of the worst times. At the same time, keeping the global concepts as a add-on accelarators to the growth and revenue of any economy. The old adage "Make Hay while sun shines" still holds good for the fact that for every up there is a down and vice versa. Its time to wait for the other side....

Medical Emergencies in Schools????

Akkriti Bhatia's death has raised another most depressing issue that is existing in the society today. Schools being not equipped to handle medical emergencies. As a parent whose teen is in school, I have all concerns of wanting to know how far my kid's school is equipped to handle medical emergencies. It can be of any kind, accidents, unexpected illness, allergy or a critical emergency. Just at the starting of the annual exams, my kid called me to inform that one of her classmates had fits and teachers rushed him to the nearby hospital. It is the common sense and presence of mind that saved the 10 year old. Had the school waited with an usual call to the parents, and then the parents rushing from their work place and then take a call whether to rush to a hospital, would have costed the child's life like in Akkriti's case. I appreciate the immediate action taken by St. Brito's Academy Velachery in taking a swift action to save a child in a medical emergency.
Policies of not letting kids go out of the school without all required approvals, or parents coming in personally to take their wards home in times of sickness can all be considered based on the kind of emergency that is in hand.
Few things that can avoid such incidents to happen:
1. Train all teachers and staff of schools on how to handle medical emergencies - Approach the Organization ALERT which trains on handling such tiring situations
2. Have first aid medical kits in every class room.
3. Ensure proper ventilation and fresh air in classrooms.
4. Easy the processes in case of medical emergencies and the school vans can be used to rush the child to a nearest medical help
5. There should be a doctor on call or a equipped medical room with a nurse to manage situations in schools which do not have hospitals in the closest proximity
6. Sports and Games sessions to be avoided in hot sun and soon after lunch intervals
7. Periodical medical checkups to be conducted by schools and parents - In fact, I am happy that Brito's does that.
8. In cases where a child has a history of some ailment, the basic necessary support like inhalers, or a insulin tablet or an aspirin or what ever is relevant to be made mandatory available in the child's school bag.
9. School management should take responsibility of handling a medical emergency till the parents arrive.
10. Every teacher should realise that every student is a child to some parent like them.
Unless and until the schools and parents equally understand the importance of not getting panicked but instead are aware to handle an medical emergency, am sure such incidents will not happen. As long as we give importance to the "One Golden Hour" that is crucial, and on how we will handle those few moments we have to save a life, we can save lives
Please look into the website "http://www.alert-wecare.org/" and approach the volunteers in case your school needs a training on basic first aid practices and emergency response that can save lives.

Sri Lankan Civil War

From the time my memory began, one tragedy that makes me whine is the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka. War is the last thing that should be happening in the civilized society and the modern world. When negotiations fail and deliberations begin, there is no end to the human anger. When this anger is outgrown beyond imagination, what breaks is not just a Nation but the entire humanity. What ever be the reasons of the war, the repercussions are devastating riping the Nation apart. Who ever may be the winner of this war, what remains is the scars of civilization that got devastated with blood shed and embroiling empathy less human factor.
In the urge of a National divide, a communal segmentation and fragmentation of the society in the name of language, religion, caste and creed makes us fail to realise one fact that all of us are human beings. Suffering to the very existence of the mankind is nothing but gruesome. Killing thousands of civilians, losing soldiers who fight for a cause found relevant to them and government stubborn decisions to withdraw ceasefire and the whole world gazing at the ongoing tragedy as a spectacular live show is a shame on humanity.
Children, women and men who lost families, homes and with bleakest future look into the skies ravaged by war. The end may be near today but it would emerge a new way of protest again. For the roots of the issue are necessarily forgotten for what so ever reasons. Its pathetic to let one fraction of the global community suffer. It could be a country's internal issue. Agree. But no country or a government or a rebel organization has a right to make the normal people die for the sake of war. Every person born in this world has a right to live till his or her natural death. But when the same is curtailed because of a impeding war that strikes their day to day lives and makes living a miserable thing, it is a shame to the mankind.
End of the day, what as a single individual can live is a maximum of 100 years in this world as a human being. In between the two shores of a human live, we are crossing the bridge called life. When we start burning the very bridge we need to cross, there makes absolutely no sense. Conflicts, terrorism, and rebellion forces would wipe away the world very soon if we do not aim at peace and a global harmony. The world is failing as a whole if some portion of it is also getting devastated. People with broken bones, thrown skin and raw flesh out of the war wounds stand as a testimony to the way mankind can hurt its own self. God, is there not a way out for this to come to an end and stop such things around the world! With prayers for all those suffering in midst of the war in Sri Lanka and praying hard for the end of unwanted human suffering. God bless my world!

Tulip Festival - Holland, Michigan

Memories of the fragrance, the beauty of nature, the mesmerising winds of the beautiful auro of the weeks when tulips bloomed to bring in a life long happiness with its memories. We just loved watched the multi coloured, multi layered heaven of flowers on earth a year ago. A Snapshot

Avoid Cell Phones While Driving

As the tragedy stuck deep on my extended family, and we stood in solid grief over the death of my cousin Devi's husband Nagaraj's death on Thursday, 26 March 09, leaving behind his mother, 31 year old widow and 9 and 5 year old sons and two sisters, hundreds of relatives and friends, and near to 100 employees working for him reminded me of some facts. Nagaraj had been an affluent business man with a big construction company and a petrol bunk in the prime area of Chennai. But 35 is no age to die in a tragic car crash with a lorry on the ECR road with a self driving on a new moon night. Little bit of caution could have saved him and his family from a life-time grieving. Hearts broke as the children kept playing as the funeral began.
Few Definite Do's and Don't for all of us to avoid such tiring situations:
Sure NO-NO's :
AVOID CELL PHONES While driving
Do not plan travel outstations during nights
On urgent travels during nights, do not travel alone
Never drive when you are drunk

Few Do's
Occasional long distance travellers better take an experienced driver
Keep emergency contact details in your wallet
Insure adequately to keep families finances safe in case of unforeseen tragedies
Inform your spouse on your investments, commitments time to time

Accidents are inevitable, but tragedies can be avoided provided we take some cautions. Simple mistakes some times cost us a lifetime. Better avoid making them.

Neeya Naana - Freedom of Speech

Proud I am as a Citizen of India, for I have my fundamental right - Freedom of Speech.
The right that gives me freedom to voice out my opinion without hurting others, the freedom to express my ideas and thoughts without provoking onto others, and the freedom to cherish what I think as my ultimate birth right.
After long many years, I had a forum where both my oratorical skills, emotional tangles and inner views got a wider audience. Participating in a Talk Show where people shared genuine thoughts, emotionally inter wined arguments and classical examples of our day to day lives, I could not ask for more. Anchor Gopinath is an excellent anchor, best coordinator and well planned and well equipped person with knowledge on the subjects he deals with and with a sense of humour and empathy to handle difficult situations standing as a bridge between two completly different groups debating on a concern or an issue.
Yesterday the topic we went for shoorting, both myself and my husband was "Is Indian Woman a glorified servants?" But ironically, Gopinath had never brought this subject between the couples who came in for debate. Instead, he very smartly took the angel of common issues, confronting between men and women inside the spectrum of marriage. Married for years, bonded with understanding, emotions, care and unending love and affections, and at the same time, with totally unspoken hidden woes, unknown struggles of inner thoughts got a platform to share, with a wit and a sense of humour trying to bridge the so called hidden gaps in a very very vital relationship in the society- Husbands and wives.
Not all of us get an opportunity to openly pour out and voice out what we struggle to explain in normal circumstances, but with a group of like minded people sitting on your side, and also the lights and cameras catching your every word and emotion, and having the person need to know sitting opposite to you, and very talented anchor beautifully weaving the thread to speak and express, Neeya Naana becomes the best platform to raise beyond those boundaries. It is not just another entertainment talk show, but it is an edifice on which people understand things looking from a different angle, and perceptions happened to change. Though at the spur of the moment you may feel like having argued with the other person unnecessarily, or even guilty for what you said, later you would realise that actually you spoke your heart.
India needs such platforms to bring in an awareness on lot many issues that entangle our social and private lives. This show undoubtedly raises to the very objective of its existence. No wonder this show has the highest popularity ratings in the Tamil Television Industry. Hats off to the Director Antony, and the unremitting willingness to work by the entire crew of Neeya Naana who made the live of participants more comfortable and the show a grand success. Gopinath rocks as usual.... and Neeya Naana definetly needs that best Pat!!!

Glad Elections are coming this April

I am excited from the time, I have seen the Chief Election Commissioner announced the dates for the upcoming General Elections - Decision 2009 as I would like to call it, after seeing all the hype, happiness and end results of US Presidential Elections on Nov 4, 2008.

But, I have a different reason to be happy and a different reason to be sad!!!

Like all good people do, let me list out my sad things first:

• 600 million people enlisted to vote, but hardly 50% of them actually vote
• Crores of Rupees drained in the name of Elections- some places still having paper ballot
• Wide diversity on thoughts and approach highlighted in every speech and constituency
• One more election> One more set of Leaders> One more list of manifestoes> But nothing changes even after 6 decades of Independence..... corruption, exploitation, population, pollution, poverty continues endlessly........

Now the best part:

• Roads are now getting cleaned, relaid as needed and medians are in place
• Thankfully my street lights, even lights in the darkest bridges are illuminated and the cities are glowing
• Thankfully, all the provisions supplied on Ration cards are of good quality this month
• Thankfully, all exams are getting over earlier before the sound pollution begins
• Ironically, every other politicians strengths and weaknesses are exposed by themselves and opponents respectively
• In a recession hit market, there is a sudden cash flow. In fact overflow
• Law and Order is in place, and everyone is alert. Alert beyond expectations.
• Lot of daily wagers are finding jobs to keep themselves busy, including press, printing and paper industry, cab operators, drivers, electricians, painters, banner makers, tea shops, weavers, carpenters, florists, hotels and the entire small scale industry is accelerated, thanks to our political rallies and election campaigns.
• Election in India is in one way a blessing to the common man for he is remembered ardently once in 5 years at this time, his issues are tried to be addressed, concerned are heard and solutions are seemed to be provided.

My own expectation from this election is we get a healthy cabinet who can stand high and take the country tall in the world map. We need smart leaders who can stand in par with developed Nations, shake hands with same thoughts, opinions, visions and a global enrichment for India. Wishing the country a very healthy, talented, qualified, unbiased and uninfluenced Prime Minister leading the Parliament in the forth coming general elections. India Awake to the New Dawn Soon!!!

Children Waiting for Adoption

Number of destitute children in India : 44 million

Number of Orphans in India : 25.7 million

Number of NGOs working on the issue of Adoption : around 300

Number of Children adopted by families through government welfare departments: Around 3000

Not even 0.001 percent of the children are finding homes. First there is a need to stop the creation of orphans by creating an awareness and second, there is a need to rehabilitate all the abandoned children, thus bridging the wider gap in the society.

What makes this a social issue?

Children cared and pruned well themselves struggle to make things work as they enter adulthood, lot many get succumbed to the weaknesses of the society, take on to drugs and other addictions, few turn violent and promote anti-social ailments.

The destiny of the abandoned children is far more than can be even imagined. There is one saying " Neeram nadhi kadhu- naa akili dhee" which means, the fault of the crime is not mine, but of my hunger. Children living in homes have no place to go once they are 18 and are asked to face the world. Lot many children do not have a direction, and are driven by helpless circumstances.

Can we as a society react to this before these statistics get growing up!

Children in need of homes- Can you pick one?

Nearly 1.8 millions children do not have permanent homes or parental care in India. If generous hearts can give little space for each little child, and families in need of children can welcome these little hearts, a new dawn without orphans in this world is close by.

Need Parents - For all my forbidden children

Since many weeks, I am restless with an ongoing thought. A Thought to make my mission accomplish. It is a restlessness that sprang from an inner cry of mother, a quest of child, the need of an civilized society. My dream is to see a dawn without an orphan in this world. I want to build a bridge between children in need of families and families wanting children. For weeks I have made my intense search to find appropriate adoption centres, the laws abiding them, the orphanages and baby hatches that support forbidden children and homes that educated, care and prune the helpless buds of this Nation.

My search only proved a fact that there is absolutely no proper mechanism to finding homes for thousands of children living in homes, orphanages, streets and as vagabonds. It is not the fame of Slumdog Millionaire or the limelight of destitute children that is creating this urge. It is an inner loss, a personal loss that haunts a mother for years.

What is my vision: The vision is to build a common platform where the needs of two different desperate groups get satisfied. One is of the helpless children and the other group is the issue-less couples or families who can adopt children.

How to envisage this vision: Bring in the two groups together. It is a ardent urge and a very tedious task. For it involves nothing but Children - Vulnerable and dependent.

Having started collected required data, there is lot more to do. Identify all children who need homes, at least begin with few. Closely look into the adoption law, identify areas of concern, create an awareness on the availability of this children and promote them to finding homes. I know it is not an easy task. But if I am able to find at least 5 children a permanent homes where they get ample care, love and parenting in the next 6 months, my mission has a reason to celebrate. At the same time, I need to ensure that these children are not prone to domestic violence, abuse or end up as unpaid domestic helps and labourers.

What I need? - Support from my family and friends. Networking to create awareness. End of the road- Finding homes for all those little children who are orphaned due to various reasons, be it parenting negligence, unwanted pregnancies, financial circumstances, female infanticide natural disasters, war victims, refugees, and so on.

Why this? Every child needs a home. Every child needs parental care, affection and love. Every child has every right to education and growth. Every child in this country is its future.

If you as a reader, do think that my mission is worthy its effort, please do not hesitate to forward your ideas, support, information and an extended arm to join this saga. I am sure one day, we would have all reasons to be proud of what we are aiming at.

Betrayed. Not once but twice!!

As I was crossing the road towards my car, with my shopping bags on a Sunday evening, someone pushed me from back and I took a jerk to hold myself. I managed not to fall down creating an embarrassment to myself and my husband who was walking ahead of me. My anger took over my calmness and I was about to pull the person back to give her a bang. My hand stopped for a moment in the air as my eyes caught the person who pushed me and tried to walk ahead. "Harsha.." I called to myself. Could not believe my eyes having come across her after almost 2 decades. The last I met her was in our school farewell day celebrations.

The night was almost sliding down towards the dawn when we realised that we haven't thought about sleep that night. Harsha was in her own world and went on talking, that I noticed that I have in fact become a good listener. May be what I was hearing made me not to stop her at all. It was almost 6 hours and yet her tears did not dry up nor did I try to console her. Sometimes, you need a shoulder to lean on and make you burst with the ages of agony that you withstood. That's destiny. That's childhood friendships are for. That's what we call luck, to stumble upon someone to share ourselves once in a while in this otherwise deserted society.

Harsha is struggling between two different poles. Irony is that she herself created both the storms in her life and still justifies doing so. Her 6 year old son Vinay is having a life outside his parents under the guardianship of his maternal uncle. Harsha saw him some 3 years back on his birthday.

After eloping with her college mate in the final year of her graduation, Harsha could not complete her studies, instead took up a small time job after a discreet marriage, only to realise later that her husband is an addict and is dependent on his parents for his survival. The so called wisdom that a child will change things only worsened her situation. With an infant in tow, and a petty job fetching her money for a livelihood and a highly demanding husband, Harsha was at the most vulnerable moments in life. What best could happen to her than a shoulder to lean on in the form of a colleague. The icing words of a married colleague who spends most of the time with her at work, brought in a solace to her troubled mind. Slowly the friendship blossomed and she found a new energy to regain her life and let go her tragedies behind the curtains for a while. After initial days of pampering, sharing, caring, there started the unique woman characteristics of possessiveness and expectations from this other man outside her marriage.

The other man got scared of his life, his social image, his own family and his growing up children. Managing finances started to give him the required pinch adding coals to the fire as Harsha kept on demanding more of his attention and time. In the due course of time, the passion faded away and what remained was a scar of a painful relationship that had no meaning. Reassurances of not betraying her from the second man did not make her life any better. Instead challenged her own position as his other woman in the society. Her husband caught her one day while she was fighting with this person on the road side in his car. That's the end of the story. Both the men accused each other and finally dumped her on the road. That was the day she bumped on me at the shopping complex in the city.

All I could do as a old friend is to immediately hug and make her cry... at least to relieve her from the pain of betrayal by two men who promised her heavens and broke her world apart. I am her friend and I don't want to upset her by asking more questions or providing useless advices. The fact of this story is that we try to escape from one agony and end up in a bigger one unknowingly. Her story is an eye opener to all those people who jump into hasty decisions and meaningless relationships in this world. Inter wined emotions and vulnerable situations provoke us towards those unwise decisions. There are hundred's of Harsha's in this world who suffer silently amidst the pain and trauma of various relationships in life.

I took Harsha the next day to a music concert. I could see a new happiness in her eyes. I suggested she take up some new work and also start to go for her passion of childhood- Music. It was after almost a year, I met her again, this time, with her son and a decent living. She is today a single parent, a confident professional and a strong woman. This time too, she did not let me talk. She gave me a big hug that made me proud. Proud for having been there when she actually wanted me, just letting her lean on my shoulder and unwind herself for long. I learnt to be a listener since that day. Letting people pour out and start afresh, amidst the dirty betrayals this world can never stop.