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.

Acceptance is the biggest challenge in Schizophrenia

There lives a stranger, unheard and unseen but always in our lives. Travelling every distance we take, every road we cross, every bridge we burn. The stranger slowly becomes our friends, a family person and our companion for a lifetime. But more strangely, understanding this stranger takes time, drains our energies, kill our spirits, torment our strengths and distraught our beliefs. If understanding God without seeing him, talking to him, meeting him, or feeling him, and going ahead with believing him is the way of our culture, religion, custom and way of living, then understanding this stranger also is easy but only if you compare this stranger to God!

Schizophrenia is nothing but living with strangers all the time. Strange silence, strange circumstances and strange illusions. There are mild or paranoid ways of this disease capturing its victims for a life time. Its not just the patient but his or her family, friends and society to accept, understand and support is the most troubled challenge.

Its like having a child with slow learning, but as a parent refusing to accept his shortcomings till its time for the final call and treatment. Making our minds to accept the adversities of life is the most daunting task. Once we accept the adversity, our mind is free from confusion, obligation and tolerance grows and understanding happens. Unless we accept that there is a problem, we will not even be prepared to aim to find a solution. It is like a bug fix- unless you know the root cause of where the issue is, you cannot correct the piece of code.

Acceptance is at three levels- One by the patient himself, second by his dear ones, third by the enlarged society surrounding the troubled minds. Being schizophrenic is not a curse to someone, but not being accepted is definitely the worst curse.

Proper medication, counselling, periodically checkups, keeping physical health in control, proper diet, not taking to any habits like cigar or alcohol are few steps towards managing schizophrenia. The larger picture is that loved ones accept patients limitations, understand their thought process, respect their feelings, rightly interpret their expressions and showing them care and concern is the biggest medication schizophrenics can be blessed with.

They are like babies who need additional care,, hug them with love and they would respond to the world outside their imaginations. Slowly and steadily your love can dominate the illusions and free their minds from the strangers in their lives. Accept adversity and aim for solutions!!!

Quality - A Buzzing Mantra

My mom was unhappy that the rice delivered at home was of no quality, my manager emphazised that the deliverable are of a good quality, my friend wanted to hire good people for his business expansion plans, another friend is looking for a quality home in a good location, again synonym to quality. As a child, I thought quality represented a characteristic or a feature of a thing or a person. Later on, I understood that Quality represents a class, a structure, a nomenclature, a paradigm, a yardstick. But I still try to grab all the meanings possible for this "Q" word. Suddenly, the dictionary seems to be not enough to include all that represents as a meaning to this Big Buzz Word.
The striking things are of P preceding Q in everything possible, not just in order of alphabets but in the global scenarios:
Quality of People: Ultimately all things and events happen for the people, by the people and to the people,,borrowing words of A.Lincoln. People definitely are measured by the attitude, perfection, good ness, kindness, hard work, sincerity and loyalty, commitment and dedication, will power and inbuilt human values, love, compassion, consideration, empathic values and professional strongness. Good people and good thinking makes good products- This is the tag line of Toyota. Well, good people can be beginning of all good things in this world. Agree.
Quality of Products: Right from the days of barter system in place, till the global economy today, we exchange goods and services. These days across borders and continents. May be in the future across planets. I get a good worth of Rs.10 and expect to return either Rs.10 or a good worth of Rs.10. Nothing less is accepted. This is simple barter system. Today, the scenario is I pay Rs 10, and expect to get back Rs.12. This is a good business fundamental. Is my product worth Rs 12 is my question. If yes, agree. Quality of product is defined by the enhanced utility, encompassed with additional value, proper utilisation, no side effects, and ROI. Products can be anything from a perishable good, to a durable or a software solution or a big machinery or a mineral ore. The standard here is the enhanced value for the money I pay.
Quality of Service: Service industry is the second largest and growing industry in the world. Be it hospitality, tourism, hotels, maintenance, or products after sale services, this industry is flourishing and has a momentum ever. Sample case study: I go to Universal, for one reason, friendly people, good products and ultimate service. Someone attends to me as I enter the showroom, finds me a chair, gets me a call number or a time when someone would attend, and I am listened. The best part of the service is when the customer is heard. Business people tend to talk more, and they forget the fact that actual business happens when they let the customer speak. Service industry's quality is measured based on the customer voice about you. Today, what stands tall amidst all the flaws and dirt at Satyam, is definitely their one time service quality that proved strong that makes A.C. Murthy today declare that they are getting new business contracts. Service speaks!
Quality of Governance: I refrain from pointing fingers either at the Corporate Governance or the Political ambit that needs a different forum to address issues that everyone knows. In a simple way, I begin the governance at my home. I set a timetable for everyone on when to get up, what to do, what to practice and how to make the best of every day in hand. Small deviations due to social events and health is permissible, the overall outlook is that the governance is in place and no deviation permitted. What gets streamlined here is that everyone goes to their work on time, have food on time, get enough entertainment and sleep and above all, their own private spaces to rewind themselves. Creativity grows when governance is in place and give lot more room for new and prosperous things to happen than we keeping the house dirty, doing things as time permits, and go way away from a certain discipline. Governance to me begins at home!. With accountability, responsibility and freedom to grow.
Quality Time: Working mothers is a classic example again. One reason, they just give time for everything. Not just the time, but quality time. I know mothers at home, who don't get to hear their children everyday, but at the same time, I have seen mothers who are updated on their kids behaviour, growth, studies and health checkups. The difference is making for the time lost due to work by giving quality time which is vital. Same thing applies at work, its not worth if a person spends 12 hours and does nothing, but a concentrated work can accomplish the same task in 4 hours, that proves smart work within the quality time. Again, this being under similar circumstances to debate. Same rule applies to the governments. Its not important how long a government rules, but its important how good the ruling time is utilised. Again, a conscious effort to do introspection of oneself is required to keep managing time in the most profitable way possible. Time once lost is never regained.

I conclude, in this parlance, quality is not a watch word or just a buzzing mantra. Its becoming a way of life. A culture that need to be part of our system, our family, our values and ourselves. At least to reach near to 100% perfection. Towards a Quality society to live in!

Less Remembered North East India

As today the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee is travelling to Bangladesh to strike a peace negotiation, I wonder why the beauty and serenity of the North east India is silent and away from required visibility. Few Pictures capturing the beauty of the forgotten east of our country

Crusade against Corruption

God, How I wish I did not have a family, a company to work for and free to go with my anger against the system that is meaningless? This is exactly my thought every time I come across a corrupted social environment. Few things that keep a citizen in me anger, restless and frustrated. Every time I see the story of a corporate downfall, the entrepreneur in me is getting wild with wisdom.
Issues that bother us as part of Young Indians:
Corruption, Corruption, Corruption: The whole country is infected with a deadly virus called corruption. Right from the time, we stand in the queue for getting a child's birth certificate, a legal marriage certificate, a driving license, a corporation approval, a license to start a business, a ration card, a electoral card, a passport, a community certificate till finally getting a death certificate and a legal heir certificate in this country, every thing and anything will only happen if you pay that extra "gift" .
This shook me hard when I went to the doctor who declared my dad dead when I was 15. He said, pay me Rs.300 and I will issue you a certificate that your dad was brought dead. What? Did I not pay him his consultation fee when my dad was actually been alive in his last stages. Why should he give a wrong statement and why should I pay him to certify something that he declared. The next wave of embarrassment was when I went to my dad's own office- a government institute called State Excise. His own colleagues charged me Rs 500 to move his papers to process for the last payments that we were eligible to receive. Death certificate was another drama, asking useless and unrelated questions all because I refused to pay Rs 200 to the peon in the Tahsildar office in the town. It took us another 3 months to obtain a legal heir certificate after almost paying another Rs 1000 some 16 years ago. That was the beginning of my anger against corruption and the so called government institutions
Hiring, Transfer, Suspension, Retirement: For getting a job in a government sector, every post has a rate. Irrespective of your qualification and capability, there is something else which is a deciding factor in this country. "Under bench capacity" . I have seen a hindi pandit paying 1.5 lakhs and joining as a watchman in a municipal office. What the heck is happening in my country? My friend, a qualified Principal of a small school in a village travels nearly 4 hours a day from her town to this village and having an infant, when approached the education director, was asked to pay to nearly 2 lakhs for getting the Permanent transfer to her hometown. Her school teacher jobs pays her Rs 3500 a month.
Just because a district collector's brother in law wants a posting in the city, a strict and sincere police office gets booked under a false case himself and is thrown out on suspension. The worst came to my experience when my mom got retired. She served Municipal corporate for almost all her life, nearly 32 years working endless for the same organization. End of the journey, she had to run from pillar to post for nearly 6 months, for her own office to authenticate her service register, and finally she went ahead to go and satisfy her colleagues with her "gift" with out my knowledge, at least to be sure that she would get her pension shortly. She finally managed to get it, after her "well wishers" in the pension pay office found a friend in her. The bonus she got is a form for insurance that retired government servants are privileged to get but mostly unaware. I am annoyed.
Education, health care, insurance - nothing spared:
We have seen hundreds of movies where the most deserving candidate do not get admission to the right college, or the right department, because someone else could manage to make the payment under "Management Quota" . A rate fixed for every educational seat. How will the poor educational institutions manage to survive without capitation fees???!!! How much they spent to pay for acquiring required approvals to run the institutes? Where will they go to recover their costs? Ok, I have not got my education paying a capitation fee and I am determined not to let my child pay anything for getting her education as well. If she gets in merit, she will do professional courses, or else she has life skills to survive, music, fashion designing or anything else, that really don't need this corruption monster to dance upon.
Health care- God bless India. Hospitals are not spared from corruption. It was a Diwali night, and I was driving down near St. Mount, when I saw a man behind hit by another car. The bike rider was lying bleeding and half dead. I managed to call 1066 and plead for help. I was shocked to note that the caller was curious to know if I was his relative, for one reason, he had to be sure that the hospital expenses will be paid. Next he want to be sure that there is no legal obligations unattended. I understand his concerns. But at the same time, there is a life which is at stake and its the moral responsibility of the Ambulance to rush in.
Insurance - I always wonder if it is this sector as a whole that is corrupted or the intermediaries in the name of agents. The man is dead. His family is grieving. He had paid all his insurance premiums on time. His kids are in school. His wife is helpless and the whole family looks upon the agent to help. All for another cost of Rs 10000, for the insurance agent to use his influence in the company to get the claim processed quickly. But why? Why is this happening.
This is a continuous post and there seems to be no end. Can go on and on, describing cases and examples.
What we should aim at is to bring in a portal to citizens of this country to post various instances of corruption, and with proofs where ever possible, and run a strict and rapid campaign to curtail this menace in our society. Unless and until, rapid action is taken as one against AIDS or Polio, this country will be crippled from growth and dead from development sooner than later..

Jobs melting down - 80000 jobs world wide hit on a single day

Jobs melting down - 80000 jobs world wide hit on a single dayIt makes us feel scary. Creating a sense of insecurity on what we hold and what we dream to build around us in our careers. Nothing is certain in this world today. One side we are fighting for rather silly things in the name of religion, culture and tradition, where the world is struggling today to make both ends meet. Millions of people are suffering from lack of proper food, shelter and clothing. Some parts of the world are struggling to cope up with the man-made wars, throwing civilians and innocent borders to risk and helplessness. Some parts of the world is continiously getting hit by earthquakes and floods, wild winds and unbearable cold still the countries trying to retain a calm and composed state of affairs. Thousands of people are going homeless not being able to pay the homeloans and other debts. There are thousand other things that are making our life globally difficult and miserable. The global forum of Financial experts are meeting in Swizterland this week to discuss how to curtail the impact of this global recession on the common man. Companies are struggling to make the overheads meet. People are struggling to keep up their performances and contributions so that they have they jobs secured. One side sports and arts are flourshing, and another side industry and agriculture is getting a hit. We can live without sports and arts, but I doubt if the world can run its wheels smoothly without core indigenous industry, banks, and agriculture surviving adversities of today. Major portion of the export markets that are struggling are not just steel, power, minerals or fuel, what is at stake include pharmacetuical companies, food exporters and education systems. Indian parents whose children are studying abroad are struggling more without much of employment opportunities supporting the children overseas. On the other hand, Pravasa Bharathiya concept is gaining momentum. Its the time for actual action by the economists and leaders of this Nation. Not to lose the strength of our fundamentals as reinterated by Prannay Roy in the thoughtful speech during the Indian of the Year awards function this month. Its time each one of us feel the need for a cautious handling of things around us, be it money, people or work. Unless and until we exercise strong strategic changes in the way we deal on our business goals, and work hard towards the much changed but possible way, there is less that we would be able to control under current circumstances. Instead of worrying about the tigers that may come, it is the right time to secure our caves from attacks. Nothing but a small old story of our childhood to make us think!!! This time towards a positive end.