Reflections

Putting yourself in other's shoe.

2010-06-03T11:30:00.004+05:30

One of the benefits of internet is ease with which you can download a movie and watch it.This is specially true for English movies which are easily available on internet for downloads. (Movies in other languages with English subtitle are a bit difficult to get) Movies which otherwise I may have never watched, I can get them without any trouble.

   To kill a Mocking Bird is one such movie. It's considered an American classic and is based on the novel of the same name. (On a similar note Hollywood is way ahead of Indian movies when it comes to adapting literary works on screen.) The story is set in 1930s around the time of great depression. It is about a lawyer Atticus, his relationship with his two motherless children, a boy and a girl aged 10 and 6 respectively, and about a case in which he defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white girl. This was the time when racism was prevalent in US and sanctioned by law. Even though Atticus defends the accused convincingly, the prejudiced white jury rules the accused guilty.

   In the novel the daughter whose name is Scout is the narrator. The movie maintains that flow with daughter's voice in the background used for narration and nearly all the scenes feature Scout. So we see the story unfold from the eyes of a 6 year old.

   I specially liked the way relationship between Atticus and their children is portrayed. There is a scene in the movie where Scout just had a fight in school with some boy. Scout is a tomboy and she has the tendency to get into fights with fellow students whenever she thinks that they are wrong. Atticus explains to Scout that one has to put himself/herself in other persons shoes before blaming him/her. That's a wonderful lesson. Sometimes in life getting the perspective from the other end makes the situation very clear and helps in clearing our doubts. If we are prejudiced against something or someone this is something we need to do. This is what the movie is about. The jurors, due to their prejudice, rule against the accused. They fail to see the truth or act on the truth because they see the accused from a different prism because of his race. So do the majority of the small town folk.

   The movie is titled so because it is considered a sin to kill a mocking bird because the mocking bird does no harm. It does not destroy crops. Punishing a innocent fellow is just like killing a mocking bird.

2010-05-20T09:15:00.002+05:30

There is nothing worse than drowning in self pity.

2010-05-12T09:11:00.000+05:30

Now a days Life seems to be a lost cause......
...........It seems life has no meaning. When I look at it. It makes sense. Why should life have a meaning ?
There are billions of souls on this earth. Is it possible that each one of us has a meaningful purpose. ?

May be I am wrong or may be I am not. We don't have a single life. If reincarnation happens each soul lives many lives. Perhaps all the lives that we live when accumulated serve a purpose. It's the whole that is meaningful and not the parts that we live.
Right now I don't see any meaning in the part I am playing in this life.

2010-04-25T18:01:00.000+05:30

I wonder .....
What is the difference b/w a beggar (for argument's sake say a healthy beggar) asking for alms and a (wo)man praying to God to ask for a favour.....

2010-04-20T09:06:00.003+05:30

The bounties of nature are free...
...............May be that's why we don't value them.

2010-04-14T19:54:00.001+05:30

There was a time when I believed that I could do anything,
Now I believe , I can do nothing.

2010-03-16T17:11:00.001+05:30

Sometimes I forget that ...
the life is the way it is,
and not the way I want it to be.

2010-03-05T20:43:00.003+05:30

Not all people are successful.
otherwise there won't be any success stories.
hmmm....
Well success is relative.
People succeed because there are others who failed.
So if there are no failures , there won't be any successes.

Economics of Nature

2009-12-10T10:40:00.013+05:30

There is an excellent article on importance of biodiversity here.

One of the point it mentions is that the benefits of nature to us are free.

By and large, we do not pay for any of this: our economics does not, for the most part, include paying for nature. But we pay when it is lost(biodiversity). Less fertile soils make it harder to grow crops. Dirtier water is more expensive to make fit for human consumption. The collapse of fisheries leads to unemployment. The loss of mangroves increases the impact of tsunamis. The loss of animal species increases the risk that humans will catch diseases such as Lyme disease. Again, the list goes on.

We do not pay for what nature provides. The gifts of nature are free. We start paying only when we loose some gift of nature. We pay for the bottled water because there is no clean drinking water left. We pay for the AC in living rooms because there is no clean air in our cities. We do not value the bounties of nature when we have them in plenty.

The modern living has distanced humans from nature. We live in a sealed compartment where technology has created a layer between us and the natural world. Our direct dealings with the natural world are increasingly rare.

We pay for art. Nature is the most stunning peace of art. It is as beautiful as anything can be. It is full of magnificent sights and sounds . And it is free.

Our economics is based on the model of human activity and ownership. We pay for things where human labour or ownership is involved. Nature belongs to us all.

As technology has made us less dependent on vagaries of nature we have become aloof to our natural surroundings. Instead of taking advantage of what technology has provided us, our greed has made us indifferent to the diversity that exists around us.

Avoid the Unmanageable, Manage the Unavoidable

2009-10-01T21:29:00.003+05:30

NY Times has an excellent debate on whether climate change had a role to play in the recent duststorms in Australia .

On Economics of Growth

2009-09-01T11:25:00.010+05:30

"There is room in the world, no doubt, and even in old countries, for a great increase of population, supposing the arts of life to go on improving, and capital to increase. But even if innocuous, I confess I see very little reason for desiring it. The density of population necessary to enable mankind to obtain, in the greatest degree, all the advantages both of cooperation and of social intercourse, has, in all the most populous countries, been attained. A population may be too crowded, though all be amply supplied with food and raiment. It is not good for man to be kept perforce at all times in the presence of his species. A world from which solitude is extirpated, is a very poor ideal. Solitude, in the sense of being often alone, is essential to any depth of meditation or of character; and solitude in the presence of natural beauty and grandeur, is the cradle of thoughts and aspirations which are not only good for the individual, but which society could ill do without. Nor is there much satisfaction in contemplating the world with nothing left to the spontaneous activity of nature; with every rood of land brought into cultivation, which is capable of growing food for human beings; every flowery waste or natural pasture ploughed up, all quadrupeds or birds which are not domesticated for man's use exterminated as his rivals for food, every hedgerow or superfluous tree rooted out, and scarcely a place left where a wild shrub or flower could grow without being eradicated as a weed in the name of improved agriculture. If the earth must lose that great portion of its pleasantness which it owes to things that the unlimited increase of wealth and population would extirpate from it, for the mere purpose of enabling it to support a larger but not a better or a happier population, I sincerely hope, for the sake of posterity, that they will be content to be stationary, long before necessity compels them to it.

It is scarcely necessary to remark that a stationary condition of capital and population implies no stationary state of human improvement. There would be as much scope as ever for all kinds of mental culture, and moral and social progress; as much room for improving the Art of Living, and much more likelihood of its being improved, when minds ceased to be engrossed by the art of getting on. Even the industrial arts might be as earnestly and as successfully cultivated, with this sole difference, that instead of serving no purpose but the increase of wealth, industrial improvements would produce their legitimate effect, that of abridging labour. . . . Only when, in addition to just institutions, the increase of mankind shall be under the deliberate guidance of judicious foresight, can the conquests made from the powers of nature by the intellect and energy of scientific discoverers, become the common property of the species, and the means of improving and elevating the universal lot.""There is room in the world, no doubt, and even in old countries, for a great increase of population, supposing the arts of life to go on improving, and capital to increase. But even if innocuous, I confess I see very little reason for desiring it. The density of population necessary to enable mankind to obtain, in the greatest degree, all the advantages both of cooperation and of social intercourse, has, in all the most populous countries, been attained. A population may be too crowded, though all be amply supplied with food and raiment. It is not good for man to be kept perforce at all times in the presence of his species. A world from which solitude is extirpated, is a very poor ideal. Solitude, in the sense of being often alone, is essential to any depth of meditation or of character; and solitude in the presence of natural beauty and grandeur, is the cradle of thoughts and aspirations which are not only good for the individual, but which society could ill do without. Nor is there much satisfaction in contemplating the world with nothing left to the spontaneous activity of nature; with every rood of land brought into cultivation, which is capable of growing food for human beings; every flowery waste or natural pasture ploughed up, all quadrupeds or birds which are not domesticated for man's use exterminated as his rivals for food, every hedgerow or superfluous tree rooted out, and scarcely a place left where a wild shrub or flower could grow without being eradicated as a weed in the name of improved agriculture. If the earth must lose that great portion of its pleasantness which it owes to things that the unlimited increase of wealth and population would extirpate from it, for the mere purpose of enabling it to support a larger but not a better or a happier population, I sincerely hope, for the sake of posterity, that they will be content to be stationary, long before necessity compels them to it.

It is scarcely necessary to remark that a stationary condition of capital and population implies no stationary state of human improvement. There would be as much scope as ever for all kinds of mental culture, and moral and social progress; as much room for improving the Art of Living, and much more likelihood of its being improved, when minds ceased to be engrossed by the art of getting on. Even the industrial arts might be as earnestly and as successfully cultivated, with this sole difference, that instead of serving no purpose but the increase of wealth, industrial improvements would produce their legitimate effect, that of abridging labour. . . . Only when, in addition to just institutions, the increase of mankind shall be under the deliberate guidance of judicious foresight, can the conquests made from the powers of nature by the intellect and energy of scientific discoverers, become the common property of the species, and the means of improving and elevating the universal lot."

John Stuart Mill

Source :NYTimes :Dot Earth

On Climate Change

2009-08-02T10:37:00.005+05:30

One of the highlights of Clinton's visit to India was India's stern no to any legally binding emission cuts. India's position is that India's per capita emissions are among the lowest among the world, and even with current growth rate of GDP, they are not going to rise significantly. If millions of Indians have to be lifted out of poverty India needs high GDP growth rate and any restrictions placed on India as a result of climate change pacts or protocols is only going to hinder India's growth. Consequently the poor are going to suffer. Secondly it is the developed countries who are solely responsible for this mess. So they have to do be the main agent of change.

Some experts have suggested that instead of using per capita emissions as a parameter, emissions per GDP (or GDP per emission) could be considered. This could be the right strategy which should be accepted by the developing as well as developed countries. Whatever nations or people say the fact remains that climate change is a real threat and something needs to be done about it sooner. The ill effects of climate change are going to be felt across the world and they are not limited to one region or country.

Carbon emissions per GDP is supposed to measure the efficiency of an economy, where as carbon emissions per capita is more a measure of industrialization than anything else. In modern economy energy use is high. Virtually all the economic activities depend on some kind of energy source , whether electrical or mechanical. Most of this energy is derived from fossil fuels which are the chief emitter of carbon. Thus emissions per GDP measure the kind of technology being used to fuel the economy. For eg, by having tougher emission standards, carbon emissions by vehicles can be controlled. Similarly for coal fired power plants (coal is less cleaner fuel than petrol when it comes to carbon emissions), by using effcient technology and techniques such as carbon capturing we can reduce the carbon emissions. Adoption of new and efficient technology will also fuel GDP growth. Moving towards renewable sources like solar and wind will create new jobs and help in cleaner GDP growth.

Let us compare the ratio of GDP to CO2 emissions for some countries.(source: wikipedia)

Sweden 6.591

France 5.373

Italy 3.842

UK 3.670

Germany 3.390

US 1.936

Kuwait 0.596

India 0.497

China 0.450

Iran 0.372

The higher the ratio the better it is. The value for UK is almost double that of US. So though both the countries have developed economies, UK's economy is much more carbon efficient than US. This is generally true for all major European economies. Most of the developing countries fare poorly on this front. India is slightly better than China. As can be seen developed countries in general are much better placed in the list. Also the gulf countries where petroleum is available in plenty are performing pretty poorly.

I am not sure how the carbon emissions are calculated. I assume that these emissions are calulated on the basis of fossil fuels burnt plus the carbon emissions by the industries which are of non fossil fuel origin such as by cement industry. Livestock are also major cause of carbon emissions. Cows emit methane which is 20 times as potent than CO2 in absorbing heat.

So it can be clearly seen that there is large variation of emissions per capita across countries. It can be clearly established that developing countries lag far behind the developed ones. The clean technology transfer from developed to developing countries can mitiagate this difference. This is something the diplomats should look at. There is large scope of cooperation between the countries on clean energy front. The other trend is the variation among the developed countries. This may be because that European countries have done much more than US on this front. For eg petrol is cheaper in US than in Europe. This is reflected in the petroleum consumption per capita. US consumes around 24.8 thousand barrels(bbl) per year per capita whereas the same for UK is 10.9 and France is 11.9.Bigger cars are more popular in US than in Europe. This is also a lifestyle thing. One of the reasons for bankruptcy of US carmakers was the increasing market share of Japanese car manufactureres like Toyota and Honda whose small cars are becoming more popular than SUV's like Hummer. Another example is of trains. High speed trains are very popular in Europe for long distance travel. On the other hand people in US rely mainly on airways for the same. Energywise railways are more efficient than the airways.

One more important factor is the role that forests play in fighting climate change. The role played by forests in maintainig the ecological balance of the planet is well established. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen they help in maintaing the balance of gases in air. So if we have to fight climate change effectively the treaties related to climate change should give adequate incentives to preserve forests. The forests world over are facing the wrath of increasing population. A case in point is that of Brazil. The large Amazon forests of Brazil are being cut to make way for farms. In recent years Brazil has become a large exporter of foodgrains. This has brought prosperity to many Brazilians. But it has come at a heavy cost. Each year large tracts of Amazon forests are being cleared to make way for farms. Any efforts to stop deforestation brings opposition from local people and govt.

To fight climate change the effort has to be at various levels. The individual, the communities, the nations and the international community as a whole has to work to reduce global warming. The govts. role is to facilitate the adoption of environmental friendly technology by the industry and the communities by providing incentives. Govt. can directly act in areas like transportation where there is a huge scope of improvement. Currently in countries like India, public transport in cities is not very popular. Govt. should work to make it the mode of choice.

There are various mechanisms being proposed to fix the liabilty for climate change and to promote clean energy. Cap and trade, and carbon tax are the two main mechanisms. For these mechanisms to work , there has to be a consensus across nations. Also the nations have to agree on setting tough targets. Tokenism won't help anybody. There are sure to be disagreements. But we need the right approach and consensus to tackle this issue.

Every challenge provides new opporunities. The challenge of climate change has provided us as individuals and nations a chance to make earth a sustainable place for all of us. It is now the time for all of us to seize the opportunity and make a difference.

Fighting an Alien War

2009-06-20T20:42:00.029+05:30

To begin with a question from Indian history.
As part of their job who were the first Indians sent by their organisation to go to Europe to do their job onsite in large numbers ?
No, it weren't the software engineers. Much before the software boom happened, there was a large contingent of Indians sent to Europe. The organisation was the Indian Army and the work assigned was to fight in the World War 1 including the Western Front which was the most important theater of the war.
Well the working conditions exactly were not as good as one would like. Official figures of Indian soldiers death in WW1 were 64,449. More Indians volunteered to fight for British than the sum total from all the rest of Britain's colonies and dominions.

So what was the motivation for Indians to join the Army and fight for cause which was alien. It could not be patriotism. The soldiers were fighting an alien war. Well it could be the same which provokes the s/w professionals to seek opportunities outside India ie money. Though for the soldiers working conditions were not good and salary for infantrymen was a meager Rs 11 ,but it could be a incentive enough for poor and may be promotion could bring a decent increment. For some it was just a professional duty. WW1 was not the first war in which Indian Army fought for the British. But it was the first war the Indian soldiers served so far from India and in different climatic conditions (climate was much colder than in India).
About WW 1 it is said that it was a war fought 20th century weapons and 19th century strategies resulting in large number of casualties. For most Indian soldiers it was the first time they were participating in a modern war. For some it came as a shock. The soldiers in Western front spent a considerable time in trenches where life was very difficult. Soldiers in trenches not only died of enemy bullets but also of disease. It would have been more difficult for Indian soldiers who were not acclimiatised to cold weather to serve in trenches. As a result two Indian divisions were withdrawn form the Western front in Dec 1915 and sent to Mesopotamia (Iraq) to fight the Ottomon empire (which later on Muslim soldiers of Indian Army resented and some of them mutined. Well religion has always been a strong factor for Indians.) The pschycological effects of fighting in war lasted even years after the war ended . Many soldiers suffered form shell shock. Indian soldiers had the added stress of living so far away form home at a time when the only means of communication with home was through letters. Consequently many suffered from depression and low morale. The war lasted 4 years which was considerable long time to be away from home.

Even conditions in Mesopotamia were not much better. According to an entry in Wikipedia

"Some 11,800 British Empire soldiers, most of them Indians, became prisoners after the Siege of Kut, in Mesopotamia, in April 1916; 4,250 died in captivity. Although many were in very bad condition when captured, Ottoman officers forced them to march 1,100 kilometres (684 mi) to Anatolia. A survivor said: "we were driven along like beasts, to drop out was to die." The survivors were then forced to build a railway through the Taurus Mountains."

Muslim soldiers who refused to fight Turks were court martialled and were were imprisoned.

Similar to Indian National Army later on, some Indian revolutionaries tried to organise a force from Indian troops to fight British in India.

After the war British built the India Gate to commemmorate the soldiers who died fighting for British. In mainstream Indian history the Indian contribution to the British war effort for the 2 world wars is largely ignored.

A Tale of Two Movies

2009-06-14T17:56:00.024+05:30

All Quiet on Western Front is a anti-War movie made in 1930 about the German participation in WW1 based on the novel of the same name written by by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of the war.
The Great Dictator is a 1940 Charlie Chaplin movie which satirises Nazism and Hitler.
One significant thing about the movies is the years in which they were released. Since the end of WW2 a lot of great movies have been made about the subject of the two great wars and the intermediate period ,but these two movies stand out, for these were made around the time when Hitler was not part of history but making history.
Therefore not surprisingly The Great Dictator was banned in many parts of Europe. Initially even Britain decided to ban the movie(before it was released) but reversed it's stand later on. Similarly All Quiet on Western Front was banned in Nazi Germany and many other parts of Europe including France.
When Charlie Chaplin decided to make movie in 1937 , it was a courageous decision back then. The WW2 had not started and the extents of horrors of Nazi Germany were still not known and Europe was following a policy of appeasement towards Germany. It would have been a bold political statement against a powerful nation. In the end of the movie Charlie Chaplin's character makes a speech for democracy and peace which is considered an out-of-characterpersonal plea from Chaplin. By the the time movie was released the war had begin but US was still officially neutral. The movie was well received in America and used for propaganda by Britain.

There is a piece of dialogue in the movie AQOTWF which goes as follows
"Tjaden: Well, how do they start a war?
Soldier #1: Well, one country offends another.
Tjaden: How could one country offend another? You mean there's a mountain over in Germany gets mad at a field over in France?
Soldier #1: Well, stupid. One people offends another.
Tjaden: Oh, that's it. I shouldn't be here at all. I don't feel offended.
Katczinsky: It don't apply to tramps like you......"

Here the soldiers are discussing the futility of war. It is they who are suffering to satisfy the pride of their rulers. This movie questioned the idea of nationalism as understood at that time. The idea of nationalism was at its peak at that time in Europe, when countries were fighting over colonies. The European nations were in constant conflict with each other unlike the Europe of today. The world was yet to see another bloody war. It was perhaps the first great movie in the War Genre and made a strong political statement. The movie portrayed the suffering of soldiers in the trench warfare and how young men without much training and understanding of the ground realities were enlisted in the army in the guise of nationalism.
These two movies have special place in the history of cinema for they were made when history was being made.

A test , a bailout and more

2008-12-12T10:47:00.000+05:30

A test match has begin between India and England even though England team was reluctant to tour India after the Mumbai terror strikes. This probably is due to the clout that BCCI exercises in the world of Cricket has in spite of what the English team says.
In other news The US House of Rep has agreed for a bailout of US $15 billion for the US auto industry .There is a article by Thomas Friedman titled 'While Detroit Slept' . Friedman has been critical of Detroit auto giants. The US auto industry still relies on gas guzzling large cars whereas the the rest of the auto world is moving towards small cars and developing renewable and more environmental friendly versions of transport.
In his new book Hot, Flat and Crowded, Friedman has argued that America's dependence on petrol not only harms the environment but also strengths the hands of dictatorial governments in the petroleum rich nations. May be here there are lessons for Indian auto industry too.
There is a article in NY Times on two new books on nuclear weapons proliferation . According to them no country other then US has developed Nuclear wapons on its own. Spies have played their part in transferring the technology. as the article says "All paths stem from the United States, directly or indirectly". China and France have actually helped five other other nations to develop nuclear weapons. It is actually not easy to develop the nuclear weapons . Here is an excerpt from the article.
"The book, in a main disclosure, discusses how China in 1982 made a policy decision to flood the developing world with atomic know-how. Its identified clients include Algeria, Pakistan and North Korea.
Alarmingly, the authors say one of China’s bombs was created as an “export design” that nearly “anybody could build.” The blueprint for the simple plan has traveled from Pakistan to Libya and, the authors say, Iran. That path is widely assumed among intelligence officials, but Tehran has repeatedly denied the charge."
Interestingly there is no mention of India's nuclear weapons program in the article.

In Chorus

2008-12-05T19:53:00.002+05:30

For me one of the most beautiful sounds one can hear is the chirping of hundreds of birds simultaneously as if they are singing in chorus. It's fun to watch them fly forming various patterns in the air . At my paternal grandfathers place there is a temple just next to house. There is a large tree in the temple. The tree used to become the abode of hundreds of house sparrows in the mornings (just about sunrise) and in the evenings(at sunset).At that time the whole atmosphere resonated with their calls.
And if somebody hurled a stone at the tree or if something made a loud noise ,there chirping would become loud for a moment and in a flash all the sparrows would leave the tree and fly away .
In my maternal grandfather the scene was no different. When my grandfather used to eat he would sit cross legged on the open porch (The old houses usually have a open verandah or a porch which served multiple purposes). He would take a roti ,break it into pieces and throw around. The sparrows would gather around him and enjoy the feast.The sparrows had free access to the house. They would sometimes enter the room in search of food. They were part of the surroundings and member of the house.

Living in Bangalore for the last few years , it is not common to find birds flying around. And it is still rare to find the small house sparrows. It's only recently that I have started the presence of birds which seemed so ubiquitous in my childhood.
The little sounds and sights of nature have their own joy and beauty and it's pleasure to observe them. It may be a strange comparison to make but nowadays I see more kinds of mobile phones in a day then the birds and listen to more ringtones then I do to birds.
The world around me has changed ...

Colours

2008-11-12T09:45:00.005+05:30

On Recent Violence .....

2008-10-20T12:12:00.008+05:30

In the last few days India has witnessed lot of violence. Whether it is the bombs exploding ,the churches burning or the riots between the local population and the migrant Bangladeshis the geographical spread of these unfortunate events has covered all parts of India. If a person ,say a non-Indian was to draw conclusions on these basis ,India would seem to be society in conflict with itself. It seems we need a reason to fight.

Many of these incidents have been one sided affairs where mobs have targeted a particular community ,while the others have been a fight between equals. On the other side are the terrorist attacks where the attackers have no face. Interesting thing about the terror attacks by the IM is that there is acknowledgement by the authorities that these are home grown terrorist outfits and not some 'foreign hands' .

Why does communal violence occur ? Is religious hatred the only reason behind this violence as the political parties tell us or there is more to it ? No religion teaches to murder innocents or to rape. So religious texts can not be the reason. How do communal riots start in India ? They generally start with rumours . But are these rumours the real reason . Of course not. The immediate reason for the start of WW1 was the killing of Archduke Ferdinand but it was not the real reason . It was just a spark for the simmering tension between European countries which had reached a flash point. Similarly it is inherent tension between communities which lead to the violence. What are these inherent tensions that community leaders and the political parties ostentiably exploit for the vote bank politics .? Is it the fault of only one community( say Hindus in case of riots and Muslims in case of terrorist activities) or both are to blame for the violence . What are the real reasons for the violence in the Indian context ? Let us try to answer these questions.

To begin with answering any of these questions is not easy ,for there are as many opinions as there are mouths. There seems to be little common ground between different schools of thought.

So let us take the factors one by one.:

Economic factors: This factor is most visible in violence in Kandhamel and in Assam. In Kandhamal the attacking Hindu ST community grudge the fact that the converted Christains(who are mostly SC) are still holding on to their SC status despite converting.

In Assam It is the local versus the migrants(in this case it is the illegal Bangladeshi migrants). The locals rue that the migrants are depriving them of the resources.

The same factor is being exploited by the MNS in Maharashtra(though I would say that the two situations can’t be compared.)

Many times in such riots economic reasons are involved which are simply ignored because these factors are not as visible as others. But we should not forget that economics plays a very important role in our day to day life.

Rule of Law(or rather it's failure) : The people who indulge in arson and killing during riots are, simply put ,criminals. They should be dealt as criminals. But unfortunately in our country very few culprits are punished after such riots. As a consequence these goons have no fear of law as they know that they will have to face no grave consequences for their heinous acts. This is true irrespective of which political party is in power.

Role of Political Parties: The political parties play quite a negative role in riots. Such incidents give them a golden opportunity to indulge in vote bank politics .How many political parties in India have sincerely tried to solve the root cause of such conflicts ? It is to their advantage if such conflicts linger on and wounds are not healed. This holds for so called ‘secular’ parties as well as ‘Hindutva’ parties.

Historical factors : There have been some historical factors exploited by political parties like BJP and for that matters like SP to increase the communal divide. The factors like minority appeasement, Uniform Civil Code and issues like Babri Masjid have never been looked at logically but always with passion on both sides of the divide. If a sincere effort is made then definitely these issues can be solved. These issues are always raked up by BJP then and now ,but no one has done anything to find a possible amicable solution.

Finally a more fundamental reason is the cultural factors. You can’t take religion out of Indians .It is so much part of our daily lives. Hindu fundamentalists believe their country is being overwhelmed by non Hindus .The Islamic fundamentalists believe that they have to support terrorism to fight the Hindu fundamentalists and to establish ‘Islamic values’. Neither of them is correct . The fact is we need religion to for our spiritual and cultural needs and not to create divide between communities. We need it for the welfare of civilization ,not for destroying the very fabric of civilization. Everybody has to understand that.

Fundamentalism breeds fundamentalism. Traditionally the Hindu fundamentalism was born in response to the Islamic fundamentalist forces.Now in present day India it thrives on anti Islamic fodder. The Islamic fundamentalists have to understand that they are not living in a Islamic country . They have to adapt the values to the traditions and the culture of country they are living in . They are only providing fodder to Hindu fundamentalist forces.The Hindu fundamentalism in turn gives further credence to Islamic fundamentalism among its followers. So both complement each other. When somebody dies in riots the fact is not a Hindu killing a Muslim or vice versa . The real fact is an Indian killing another Indian ,a human eliminating one of his own race.

To end this a note from history. In the aftermath of India’s partition the north India was ravaged by Hindu Muslim riots . Gandhi was working towards bringing peace but his efforts were not bearing any fruit. During this turmoil Gandhi was assassinated . AIR made the announcement that Gandhi has been killed and that his killer was a Hindu(this was done deliberately to quell the rumors that he was killed by a Muslim which would have given validity to Hindu rioters to carry on their acts.) After this news spread across India, suddenly peace descended and all the riots stopped. What Gandhi couldn’t achieve in his last days of his life ,he achieved in death.

Also published here

Thich Nhat Hanh: An interview

2008-10-06T11:34:00.002+05:30

An interview with Thich Nhat Hanh ,the zen master . Some excerpts

Walking meditation is just mindful walking, where you enjoy every step you take. You concentrate on your in-breath, on your out-breath. You concentrate on the steps you take and you walk in such a way that you can release the past and the future. You may have sorrow or pain concerning the past and the past can be a prison, so you walk in such a way that you can be released from the past.
Yeah, so walking like that you become free, you become solid and you can get in touch with the refreshing and healing elements of life within and around. You get healing transformation, nourishment by walking. And walking like that you see the Kingdom of God; the pure land of the Buddha available in the now.

Here is the link to complete interview.

1.1 billion and still growing

2008-09-12T11:27:00.001+05:30

Recently I was watching an interview of Malcom Speed the then outgoing CEO of ICC .The interviewer was Harsha Bhogle. Harsha asked him how he views the role of BCCI in international cricket. In response he said India being a market of 1.1 billion people and cricket being hugely popular in India , BCCI has an important role to play.

According to a recent World Bank Report out of an estimated population of about 100 crore in 2005, the number of poor people living below $1.25 a day has increased from 42.1 crore in 1981 to 45.6 crore in 2005. This is the biggest challenge facing India .

These are the two sides of India’s burgeoning population . On the one hand MNC ’s look at India’s large population as potential consumers and India’s large young workforce as cheap source of skilled labour. On the other side ,nearly 45 per cent of India is poor which though can provide cheap manual labour is certainly not what marketing teams of MNC’s are looking at .

While comparing India and China a factor which is often cited in favour of India is that in few decades China will experience a demographic shift(it’s population will start to age) due to its successful population control programme while India will still be young.

But is n’t it the time that we start looking at India’s large population as a problem and not as a resource. Do we as a country have the resources to fulfil the needs of our huge population. Can we really eliminate poverty from this country if we continue growing at this rate ?

PS: Also published here

Mountains and desire

2008-08-18T14:14:00.003+05:30

Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless ,speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then, when you are no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn't just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jagged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are the things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It's the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here's where things grow.
But of course ,without the top you can,t have any sides. It's the top that defines the sides. So on we go.....we have a long way......no hurry.....just one step after the another.
(From Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance)

No one ever travels so high as he who knows not where he is going.
Cromwell

Cycles for Bangalore

2008-08-12T09:14:00.008+05:30

To fight global warming and for a cleaner environment some European countries have created infrastructure to promote cycling in cities for commuting.
Can the success of this initiative can be replicated in cities across India ? Cycling is already popular in India. It is preferred mode of transport by students and teenagers for middle classes. As people grow old they shift to more mechanized means of transport .If you consider large Indian cities where can become an important means of transport Bangalore seems to be the ideal place .

Why Bangalore is ideal place in India to promote cycling ?
1> Climate : The climate of Bangalore remains pleasant for at least 9 months of the year(the remaining months aren't that bad either). So it should not be a problem for people to leave the comforts of their AC car and cycle to office.

2> Young population of software professionals : Bangalore is the silicon valley of India. South Bangalore is the hub of software companies (but with BIAL that may change). Most of the people working in these companies are below the age of 40 . This age group is best suited for rigours (in case you consider cycling to be rigrous .We are living in the age where any sort of physical work is considered rigrous.) of cycling. Secondly the young are more receptive to change. So a change in a habit should be relatively easy for them. Perhaps also they have more at stake when it comes to environment. ( They have to spend more time on this planet than the old generation :) ).

3> Nature of work and health reasons : By nature the work in s/w industry is sedantry. There is little or no physical exercise involved. So it's good to have some physical exercise for maintaining good health. So instead of work outs on tread mills in gymns what about some real cycling .

4> Traffic jams : Finally if people their cars at home while commuting and use cycles it will help in reducing the stressful traffic jams and will make commuting to office a pleasure ride .

5> Shorter distances : In software industry companies are located inside cities unlike some other industries. So the distance for commuting are shorter. Shorter distances are suitable for cycling. Though this argument is not valid in all cases .(say for example if your office happens to be in Electronic city)

Why is it the right time to do ?

1>Rising oil prices : As the oil prices are rising it will be easier to encourage people to shift to cheaper means of transport .

2> Concern for environment : As the ill effects of global warming become apparent there is a greater urgency to reduce our carbon footprint .

3> Pollution in cities : Increasing number of vehicles in Indian cities mean more pollution and thus increase in related ailments . So a need to shift to cleaner means of transport .

What can be done ?
In India promoting cycles can not be done just by private comapanies or government alone.
In Bangalore for example s/w companies and govt. should come together and chalk out the roadmap .Perhaps they can learn from European countries in this regard .
I am not discussing here the various strategies needed for bringing the change . That itself is a big topic .
Pune has already taken lead in cycling. According to Outlook Business
"Although cycling is on the decline in many Indian cities,Pune is alive to possibilities.With over 800,000 cyclists,it has already laid out 26 kms of cycle track. The Pune Municipal Corporation is in talks with various agencies to st up a world-class bike-sharing system."We will soon lay about 200 km of cycle tacks. "says Pravinsinh Pardeshi,Commissioner PMC. The city is crafting a Rs 20 crore system of 1300 stations and 20000 bikes"

Magic of Mountains

2008-07-10T14:15:00.005+05:30

Flowers

2008-07-09T16:25:00.002+05:30

Global Warming and Responsibility

2008-07-08T16:10:00.017+05:30

Recently Indian PM spelled out the approach to fight the global warming.
One argument given by Indian govt. to reduce India's responsibility on carbon emissions is that India's per capita emissions are very low.
I wonder if per capita emissions are a good yardstick to measure a country's carbon footprint. Let's examine this in some detail.
Before we start the arguments one thing is clear(something which is often emphasized in climate change campaigns) that global warming has no boundaries. It's effects are universal and not limited to one country ,that is to say carbon dioxide emitted in one part of a world has it's effects on whole of the planet.
When we are taking the effects of emission of a country as a whole we have to consider things other than population. Countries differ in sizes. Therefore one good measure to compare emissions would be emissions per unit area of the country. But in such a case countries like Russia will unduly benefit who have a large area but small population because of hostile climatic or geographic conditions.
Another factor that can be taken into account is the area covered by forests in a country. That can be used for offsetting the carbon footprint of the country. This can be included in carbon trading.
One more factor that can be taken into account is the historical contribution of a country in carbon emissions(for this the start date can be set as the beginning of industrial revolution). This will definitely put more responsibility on developed nations as historically they are the largest emitters.
Now I come to my original point. Why emissions per capita is not a good point ?
Firstly it gives advantage to those countries who have large population.( a large population is not such a good thing for the environment,we all know that).
Secondly in a country like India which has a large percentage of population below poverty line and where wealth is unevenly distributed only a part of the population is responsible for so large emissions (this a general rule. Emissions are proportional to wealth for any nation). Such arguments only promote inefficient technologies.
Therefore a good parameter would be the one which combines all these parameters. (and may be few more that I have missed.)

Well after all is said and done it is the responsibility of every country to fight global warming. The developed countries are best equipped because they have the resources for the R&D efforts required. It's also an opportunity for developing countries like India who are knocking on the door. India and China are rapidly growing economies. It's the time for them to decide what kind of growth they want and what stake the environment has in that growth. This is the time for them to implement solutions to growth needs which are in sync with the environment and nature. In this regard they are better placed than developed countries who have to convert ineffecient infrastructure to be more environment friendly. It is also an opportunity for businesses across the world to come with innovative solutions. As the saying goes "necessity is the mother of invention". It's for the governments and the media to make the companies realize the necessity of action on this front.

CoCoNut

2008-06-17T09:42:00.002+05:30

2008-06-10T11:17:00.003+05:30

hope is a good thing.
may be the best of things.
and a good thing never dies.
The Shawshank Redemption

On illegal migrants in India..

2008-05-23T10:48:00.014+05:30

There has been a debate in India after Jaipur blasts on illegal migration from Bangladesh. The Rajasthan gov. and the Delhi CM have already come out in support of these immigrants.Here is my take on the issue.
Why illegal immigration is not good for India ?
1> India's huge population and large internal migration: India has a large population which is already more than what our natural resources can cater to. A large section of India is still living below poverty line. As a nation it's our duty to look after their needs first.
Secondly India experiences huge internal migration from state like Bihar ,UP and Orissa ( and on smaller scale other states too) .A case in point is the recent controversy generated by MNS in Maharashtra against Maharashtra. Our plate is already full .Where is the need for migrants from outside!!!!
2> Threat to India's security. Bangladesh is no friend of ours. We have al
ready had border skirmishes with BangladeshIn the long term Bangladesh immigrants can pose danger to India's security. There are parts bordering Bangladesh in Assam where illegal Bangladeshis outnumber the locals .It's not difficult to fathom where there loyalties lie. The Indian security agencies have repeatedly pointed fingers at these illegal immigrants for their role in terrorist strikes in India.
3> Economic logic : Immigration makes sense when the country lacks manpower and talent. We have more than sufficient manpower. Anyways the illegal immigration that happens is of unskilled labour which doesn't make much economic sense. In Maharashtra we have a situation here we have a conflict between locals and outsiders .one of the major reason for such conflicts is economics of employment. The locals think that outsiders are taking their jobs ,such conflicts arise. So if India can't provide quality jobs to it's own citizens can we afford immigration.
4> Comparison with the west: One argument in favour of immigrants is that Indians themselves immigrate in large numbers to west. Then why stop Bangladeshis coming to India ? The case of Indians immigration to west can't be compared to the western countries because of the following reasons:-
a) When the immigration started to the west ,the west was much ahead in development than in India.
b) It required skilled and semi-skilled labour force.
c) The immigration to west from India has been of two types. The legal way which mostly included the highly skilled immigrants(the term brain drain was used in India) and the illegal immigration which mostly included semi-skilled and unskilled labour. So west has largely benefited from the immigration.
d) These Indian immigrants have never been a security threat to the countries to which they immigrated. India also doesn't share any border with these countries.
5>Helping the neighbour: There are better ways than illegal immigration to help the neighbours. Most of the immigrants are involved in low skiled jobs(rag picking etc) which may be good fore survival in short term but is not going to help in long term anybody(neither India or Bangladesh). We can share our technology with Bangladesh and collaborate to solve problem like poverty which affect both the countries. But this not politically rewarding ,so no political party will take this course.
Unfortunately many political parties consider the Bangaladeshi immigrants as vote banks. By not acting against this illegal immigration Indian government is silently encouraging the immigrants.

CFL's and governance.

2008-04-28T14:06:00.004+05:30

The Himachal govt. has started a scheme Atal Bijli Yojna under which evry consumer will get 4 CFL's free. The idea is that the eventually the state will end up saving 100 MW, which means the Rs 80 crore invested in the project will be repaid.This is something other states in India can also follow. If Tamil Nadu and Karnataka can provide free colour TV's ,providing free CFL's should be no problem for them .It will do some good to the environment.But sure it won't fetch any votes.

A quote for thought.

2008-04-17T17:06:00.002+05:30

We are in a age of Nuclear Giants and ethical infants.

The King and the courtier

2008-04-11T15:41:00.016+05:30

Here is a story which appeared on one of the episodes of Bharat Ek Khoj (it was long long ago when it used to come on DoorDarshan ,so I don't remember the story exactly but it is presented here in the form my mind could recollect)
There was a great king who had quite large empire .He lived in India about 2000 years ago . He was a powerful king and was fighting a lot of battles to expand and protect his kingdom. He had a courtier who was kind of jealous of king .He thought that king lives a luxurious life and gets to enjoy all the luxuries life could offer ( dance,music ,food and all that stuff which king were privileged to at that time) . He wished to experience all those privileges himself. One day in the absence of king the courtier sat on the king's
throne. The king saw the courtier sitting on the throne and understood what was in his mind. He told the courtier that the courtier can be the king for next 7 days. But he will be executed at the end of 7th day. Telling this the king went away.
Now the courtier became the king for 7 days. He had all the privileges and functions of the king. But he could not enjoy becoming a king. The fear of death loomed over him. So he lost interest in all the things he found so enchanting not so long ago.In other words he lost interest in all the luxuries for which he envied the king .His fear grew stronger with each passing day.
Finally the time came for his execution.The king appeared at the appointed hour and asked the courtier if he enjoyed his 7 days of fame. The courtier replied that how could he enjoy his time when the his mind was all the time occupied by the fear of death.The king told the courtier that this was true even in his case. As a king he is never far away from death. He has to be always be ready to fight and die in the battle. There is the fear of conspiracies being hatched to overthrow him. But he has to overcome his fear and rule. That's the king's life.

So this was the story.

So now what are the lessons learnt from this story This story teaches you that you have to put yourself in other person's shoes to understand his position .This is the obvious lesson .
The second lesson is that of adaptability. The king also faced the fear of death ,but he could do his duties and enjoy his life because he had overcome his fear .ie he had to adapt to his condition ,whereas the courtier couldn't because perhaps he knew he had just 7 days and therefore not a great incentive to adapt.
The third lesson is simple one. If you are doing a task you have to concentrate completely on the task.Diversions do not help.
Finally there is always a better way of doing things. The king could have just ignored the courtier's action(of sitting on the throne) or given him some 'suitable' punishment but he chose to teach him a lesson. But he chose the best of the three approaches.
Are there any more lessons ?

The Blue Umbrella and some observations

2008-03-28T18:08:00.012+05:30

The blue umbrella is a movie based on Ruskin Bond novel by Vishal Bhardwaj.
I watched this movie about three months back. I wanted to write about the movie but didn't .But now finally I have decided to write about it.

The movie is about a girl Biniya (Shreya Sharma) , a cunning but child at heart shopkeeper Khatri(Pankaj Kapoor) and a blue umbrella. It is a nice movie with a simple story well told. For me the most enchanting part of the movie is the locations where the movie is shot and the camera work.
Here are some specific observations about the movie.
The movie is shot in district Chamba in Himachal.The place where Khatri's shop is located seems to be Khajjiar and the shop where Khatri goes
for to inquire for a 'Chattri' is Sadar Bazar in Dalhousie .Both Dalhousie and Khajjiar are tourist spots.
Pankaj Kapoor's character speaks Hindi with Pahari accent while the rest speak in normal hindi.
There is one scene in the movie where Biniya comes face to face with a snake which is presumably king cobra. Such deadly snakes are generally not found at high altitudes(there are plenty of them in foot hills of Himalayas) as shown in the movie.
The title of the movie reminds me of the story The Umbrella Man

On a different note I was watching Mahabharat on computer recently.There is one scene where Duryodhana(the child) offers an apple to Bhima. Apples were not grown in India till the British came. In fact this man played an important role in popularising apple farming in Himachal.

Turning Glare Into Watts

2008-03-07T16:00:00.001+05:30

A different way of converting sunlight to electricity

Light on Leaves

2008-02-28T09:48:00.011+05:30

Elementary,my dear Watson

2008-02-21T18:47:00.006+05:30

Sherlock Holmes never said it. But when he solved the mysteries it always looked a easy and elementary job.
Didn't it ? That is the strength of observation and deduction. Holmes methodology as all the fans of the character will know were based on scientific analysis ,observation and deduction . Just by looking at the soil of the shoe of the person he could tell about the place from where he came. He could deduce(note the word) the past of the person just from the physical features of the person. He could judge the profession of the person looking at the shape of the hands.
"By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuff - By each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable."
The following quotes demonstrates his belief in power of reasoning ,observation and scientific temperament.
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
"You see, but you do not observe."
"I never guess. It is a shocking habit -- destructive to the logical faculty"
"One true inference invariably suggests others."
Many times it was the simple observations and points that helped him solve the problems. For eg, in The Engineer's thumb he could fix the place of crime by observing that horse (for the horse carriage) used in the crime was fresh(ie had not gone for a ride). In other story from the observation that dogs didn't bark the concluded that the crime was done some acquaintance.
On the other hand stands the character of Miss Marple created by Agatha Christie. She was a old spinster. She was not a professional detective as SH but as good as anyone in the job. Whereas SH relied on scientific analysis for solving mysteries ,Miss Marple was helped by deep understanding of human characteristics. She studied the characteristics of her suspects to help her solve the problems. She was also a keen observer of human nature. So her methods employed more psychology and less science. Both SH and Miss Marple had the same aim ,to find out the truth about the crime but different approaches to solve them.

Siddhartha

2008-02-19T14:25:00.009+05:30

"This here," he said playing with it, "is a stone, and will, after a
certain time, perhaps turn into soil, and will turn from soil into a
plant or animal or human being. In the past, I would have said: This
stone is just a stone, it is worthless, it belongs to the world of the
Maya; but because it might be able to become also a human being and a
spirit in the cycle of transformations, therefore I also grant it
importance. Thus, I would perhaps have thought in the past. But today
I think: this stone is a stone, it is also animal, it is also god, it is
also Buddha, I do not venerate and love it because it could turn into
this or that, but rather because it is already and always everything--
and it is this very fact, that it is a stone, that it appears to me now
and today as a stone, this is why I love it and see worth and purpose in
each of its veins and cavities, in the yellow, in the gray, in the
hardness, in the sound it makes when I knock at it, in the dryness or
wetness of its surface. There are stones which feel like oil or soap,
and others like leaves, others like sand, and every one is special and
prays the Om in its own way, each one is Brahman, but simultaneously and
just as much it is a stone, is oily or juicy, and this is this very fact
which I like and regard as wonderful and worthy of worship.--But let me
speak no more of this. The words are not good for the secret meaning,
everything always becomes a bit different, as soon as it is put into
words, gets distorted a bit, a bit silly--yes, and this is also very
good, and I like it a lot, I also very much agree with this, that this
what is one man's treasure and wisdom always sounds like foolishness to
another person."
Love this very stone, and the river, and all these things we are
looking at and from which we can learn. I can love a stone,
and also a tree or a piece of bark. This are things, and things can be
loved. But I cannot love words. Therefore, teachings are no good for
me, they have no hardness, no softness, no colours, no edges, no smell,
no taste, they have nothing but words. Perhaps it are these which keep
you from finding peace, perhaps it are the many words. Because
salvation and virtue as well, Sansara and Nirvana as well, are mere
words, Govinda. There is no thing which would be Nirvana; there is just
the word Nirvana."
---- Siddhartha ( A novel by Herman Hesse)
For me this paragraph sums up the whole of the book .

Green in California

2008-02-07T12:08:00.000+05:30

After silicon it is the turn of green to grow in California.

The Morning Sun

2008-02-04T11:48:00.001+05:30

The World As I See It -Einstein

2008-01-22T16:55:00.000+05:30

I found a nice essay written by Einstein expressing his thoughts on purpose of life ,things that make life a joyous journey ,his political ideal and why he was a deeply religious man.

Five Mindfulness Trainings

2008-01-16T13:44:00.000+05:30

Mindfulness plays a important role in Buddhism.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings provide a foundation for meditation.
One can practice meditation even while drinking tea.

The English Teacher

2008-01-10T11:07:00.000+05:30

I was reading a review of Taare Zamin Par (I have not seen the movie yet). The Bum Bhole song and the clown act of Aamir Khan reminded me of my English teacher S in my 10th class. He was perhaps the most interesting of the teachers I studied from. I particulary remember a class. The teacher asked us to play a game.(we were not in a mood to study that day ,and as students we never were ).A student was to come forward and enact a story ,poem or drama from our English textbook and we were supposed to identify that(dumb charades).To begin with S gave us an example.There was a poem by Vikram Seth in our textbook('The Frog and the Nightingale').Now our teacher enacted the poem by jumping like a frog in the class. It was really hilarious and all the class laughed uncontrollably.His class was always such fun. While reading a drama he would modulate his voice according to the characters. In a drama there was a robotic character and when the robot's line would come he would speak in a robot's voice.The good thing about his teaching was that he tried to involve everybody in the class.His classes were never boring.His antics always drew attention from the most disinterested lot.
We had a monthly quiz in our school and it was a pretty serious affair .Every month two teachers acted as the compere .When it was S 's turn to conduct the quiz he made it a fun affair. He introduced a audience round and the question he asked the audience was "How many times in the song 'tu mera hero no. 1' from the movie 'Hero No. 1' the lines 'tu mera' repeated ?"
It seemed that authorities of our school didn't like S 's way of teaching (ie making teaching fun).They thought that there was too much indiscipline in S 's class.(which was true to an extent. We were so friendly with S that we conveniently ignored his pleas for maintaining silence in class.)As a result in the latter half of our class 10 he cut down the fun quotient and became a little more serious.

Beyond the Obvious

2008-01-03T10:33:00.000+05:30

Why is it so that I see darkness when I open my eyes.
why is it so that I see a ray of hope when I close my eyes.

Am I in a dark corner?
or I refuse to see?

Is the hope real
or a mere illusion .

May be I know ?

I see my heart when I close my eyes.
I see the world when I open them .

The heart is pure but the world is not ,
and that's the difference.

The heart is full of love.
there is no ego.

But the world has a self ,
the self blinds the truth.

The self becomes the obvious
and the heart is beyond the obvious.

Banning plastic..

2007-12-31T16:52:00.000+05:30

One of the good things that himachal govt. has done is banning use of polythene.So if you go to the sabzi mandi the vegetables are sold in paper bags only :)
This is a lesson which should be learnt by retail giants like Reliance Fresh and Food World(I named them only because they are near my house) which make heavy use of plastic bags.It is not so hard to implement if a joint effort is made by all the retail giants.It may be difficult in the beginning for consumers (long standing habits are difficult to break) but once it starts finding acceptance(which it surely would when they would have no other choice) it would not be difficult for them.These giant super stores are best suited to make the change. The govt. faces political opposition from the plastic bag industry to implement any ban on plastic bags. So it would not do it.
The retail giants face no such opposition .It will also help them to improve their image as the green consciousness increases in the indian middle class who are their main customers. They should promote greener alternatives like jute bags.
May be they can learn from the experience of Wall -Mart.
After all it's part of the corporate responsibility .Is n't it ?

Some quotes ....

2007-12-20T17:02:00.000+05:30

Even in the worm that crawls in the earth there glows a divine spark. When you slaughter a creature, you slaughter God. -Isaac Bashevis Singer, Writer, Nobel laureate (1904-1991)

My two favorite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library. -Peter Golkin, museum spokesman (1966- )

If one Ponders on objects of the sense,there springs Attraction;from attraction grows desire,Desire flames to fierce passion,passion breeds Recklessness;then the memory-all betrayed-Lets noble purpose go,and saps the mind,Till purpose,mind,and man are all done.
-Bhagvad Gita

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual toward freedom. - Albert Einstein, physicist

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. -Henry Ford, industrialist (1863-1947)

The moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.” - William Murray, mountaineer

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of doing, so they can see that it's not the answer. Jim Carrey

A good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary . -Anonymous

This is another great difference between our civilization and yours. You admire the man who pushes his way to the top in any walk of life, while we admire the man who abandons his ego. (Seven Years in Tibet –Movie)

signboard on entrance to a school ...

2007-12-14T17:21:00.000+05:30

A speech for the planet

2007-12-11T18:23:00.001+05:30

"We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency - a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst - though not all - of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly."
No ,this is not a dialogue from a Hollywood sci-fi movie but lines taken from Al Gore's acceptance speech for jointly winning the Nobel peace prize for 2007
Arguably the most important debate of recent times has been that concerning global warming and environment. Al Gore jointly won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign to fight global warming.
It's the time for countries and individuals to act before it becomes too late.

When the end is near ....

2007-11-21T17:07:00.000+05:30

While browsing the net I found this interesting article in NY Times.

This article reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom which I read sometime back. This book tells story of Morrie , a retired professor who one day discovers that he does n't have many days to live and his lessons to the author who is a former pupil.
The author is busy with professional life when he gets to know about the professor's condition and decides to pay him a visit. The one visit turns out to be a weekly flight to Morrie's home where each time Morrie has lessons on life for the author.These visits have a profound effect on the author. It is a thought provoking book and touches your heart.
Another book on a similar genre is "Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life" by former CEO of KPMG Eugene O'Kelly . At 53 he was living a very busy lifestyle of CEO having very little time for himself and his family when he finds out he has cancer and has few months to live.(reminds me of the hindi movie Anand)
He decides to plan his death and the few months he had on his side. He decides that he will meet all his friends who were near and far and meet them once for final time and "unwind" .
In the book he says that all his life focussed on building and planning for the future .Now was the turn for him to learn the true value of the present.
These books and the article reflect how knowledge of death transforms a person and gives him one last chance to introspect....

Coming back to the news article here is a excerpt from the lecture which I really liked.
"OK, let’s talk about football. My dream was to play in the National Football League. And most of you don’t know that I actually – no. [laughter] No, I did not make it to the National Football League, but I probably got more from that dream and not accomplishing it than I got from any of the ones that I did accomplish. I had a coach, I signed up when I was nine years old. I was the smallest kid in the league, by far. And I had a coach, Jim Graham, who was six-foot-four, he had played linebacker at Penn State. He was just this hulk of a guy and he was old school. And I mean really old school. Like he thought the forward pass was a trick play. [laughter] And he showed up for practice the first day, and you know, there’s big hulking guy, we were all scared to death of him. And he hadn’t brought any footballs. How are we going to have practice without any footballs? And one of the other kids said, excuse me coach, but there’s no football. And Coach Graham said, right, how many men are on a football field at a time? Eleven on a team, twenty-two. Coach Graham said, all right, and how many people are touching the football at any given time? One of them. And he said, right, so we’re going to work on what those other twenty-one guys are doing. And that’s a really good story because it’s all about fundamentals. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. You’ve got to get the fundamentals down because otherwise the fancy stuff isn’t going to work. And the other Jim Graham story I have is there was one practice where he just rode me all practice.You’re doing this wrong, you’re doing this wrong, go back and do it again, you owe me, you’re doing push-ups after practice. And when it was all over, one of the other assistant coaches came over and said, yeah, Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn’t he? I said, yeah. He said, that’s a good thing. He said, when you’re screwing up and nobody’s saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up. And that’s a lesson that stuck with me my whole life. Is that when you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your
critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care."

us vs U.S.

2007-11-16T15:56:00.001+05:30

This week the Engg vice President of the company(the headquarters are in US) for which I work is on a visit to India center in Bangalore.
He had a interesting discussion with our team .It is a relatively small company with about 400 employees.
He discussed his personal experiences in B'lore ,specially the traffic and the autorickshaws. Walking on bangalore roads according to him is a harrowing experience ,you never now when u are going to get hit. According to him at the intersections it is the bicycle riders who determine who will cross first.:-)
His observations certainly have merit .In India we do what is called 'instinticutal driving' ie we follow our instincts while driving and not the traffic rules.
Coming to the second part of discussion ,the topic was what is the difference between working in India and working in US .
One issue which is most often discussed in the software sector is the quality of work we do in India. The fact is that most of the design work which is the most creative part (and therefore most satisfying) happens in US or Europe. We in India most of the times do some development ,maintenance and testing work.Pure design and development in the high technology sector at least, happens rarely .And this is true for all the technology companies.

Now the question is why this is the case ?
The first thing is the market. The market for which the design happens is in Europe/US.SO naturally requirements come from there.So the design happens there. Second and perhaps the most important factor is the skill .In skill we lack behind the Engineers in US/Europe.For example the software(and hardware) development in US has been going on in US since the early 1950's whreas we started only in late seventies.
We still lack the manpower required for high-tech technology development.
There is a third very interesting reason.
The software sector in India is witnessing a massive growth.The salaries are increasing at 20% per year due to large demand supply gap. This is resulting in frequent job hopping by the employees. Now in high technology sector domain knowledge is very important.But if engineers change their domain every 3-4 years it becomes difficult to get experienced domain experts which is basic to any high technology design and development work.
The VP compared the growth in India's IT sector to that of Singapore.In 1970's Singapore was just a emerging economy like ours.At that time it witnessed tremendous growth in manufacturing sector and in annual salary hikes were in the range of 20%
(same as Indian IT sector) The then Singapore govt.(it was ruled by dictator then) used the opportunity for the overall development of economy .Now Singapore is considered a developed economy.Incidentally all the manufacturing has moved from Singapore to neighbouring geographies.May be India can learn a lesson or two from Singapore.

It's so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple.

2007-11-02T09:32:00.000+05:30

Yesterday I was watching Bawarchi on TV. It's one of those movies which you can watch again and again without getting bored .The great thing about Hrishikesh Mukherjee's movies is that they always have something to teach. Watching a Hrishida's movie is like learning life's lessons.
A common thread that runs through these movies is the idea of simplicity.The characters are simple ,most often they have simple desires .The settings are simple and the stories are simple. It's this simplicity that is so difficult to achieve.Simplicity has its own beauty.
In our life (as the protagonist of Bawarchi says) in pursuit of larger goals we stop caring for small and simple things.It's these small joys that make our life. These simple things that define and make our life.But more often than not we ignore them. This idea of simplicity can be extended to every subject.For example in science it's understanding of the fundamental concepts that is required to solve complex problems.
It's our inability to deal with simple things in life that leads to our life's miseries.Take for example Dr. Bhasker's character (Babu Mushai) in Anand .Before he meets Anand he was fedup with life because of the misery he saw in the world as a Doctor and cancer specialist. It's Anand who teaches him to enjoy small things in life that make our world. Same is the case in Mili where Jaya Bhaduri's character transforms Amitabh Bachchan
Alas it's not easy to be simple. Being simple is just like being yourself. Seeing everything in right perspective and just being honest. Is n't it so ?
Looking at the larger picture we ignore the small strokes that make life.We tend to cloud our thoughts and our perspectives about others and life's situations sometimes with extreme emotions. We care more about results and less about the approach. So we miss the fun of doing things. It's the journey that matters more than destination ,for we spend more time in the journey.Everytime we too need a Anand to teach what real 'Anand' ,life is.
Of course life is not always simple.But then it is also not complex.It's we who make it complex .
So try to keep things as simple as possible.
PS:In whole of the movie(Bawarchi) Rajesh Khanna is wearing the same khaki dress.I can't recall any other hindi movie in which the hero wears same dress througout the movie.

No Smoking

2007-10-29T09:16:00.000+05:30

So I saw this movie .
Only thing was that I couldn't comprehend the story. I actually didn't understand
what was happening after the interval.
The story is definitely different.
Till interval the movie is simple.
A wife wants to divorce his husband(John Abrahm) because he smokes.
So he decides to go to rehabilitation centre run by a baba(Paresh Rawal) .The method used by baba to 'cure' the patient is quite bizarre. What follows after that is out of this world.
The movie is at times witty but more often it is creepy.
May be I need to see it again to understand it.
There is dialogue in the movie which goes something like this
"atma hai toh sharir ishwar hai ,
nahi hai to sharir nashwar hai"
PS: I went to the movie with a friend who smokes. The movie definitely didn't convince him .

farewell letter

2007-10-16T09:29:00.000+05:30

Whenever a person of my team leaves the company (s)he writes a farewell mail . Most of these mails are monotonus.But here is an interesting mail that I got last week.
Here are some exclusive excerpts from the mail.

Subject: My Last 9.5 hours in XXX !!!

There are very few things in life that just don't change but keeps increasing. Knowledge and the constant urge to do something different is certainly one of them. Today being my last day in this organisation, when I look back I am just overwhelmed by the constant encouragement I had received from my peers and colleagues. I am really happy that I chose to work in such an organisation, which has provided me ample exposure and insight of how a company can be driven by process and projects by meticulous planning.

One judges the experience of being in a company not only by how he feels while he is a part of it but also how he feels when he parts. Though its not fair to take a few names since everyone has been so very helpful to me I just want to thank .........
..................................
.....................................Though my decision to move is desideratum, I would always cherish and be grateful to every one of you and the company at large.

I wish you all success and as the song "I have dream" goes chase your dreams with more passion.

Please do keep me in the loop. I would really like to be in constant touch .....
...........

A Conversation

2007-09-18T09:54:00.001+05:30

X: Do you believe in God ?
Y: Before I answer your question , let me ask you something.
How do you define God ?
X:( thinks for sometime).It's interesting point. Let me define God in terms of Hindu trinity.Brahma the creator ,Vishnu the sustainer and Mahesh the destroyer of the universe. God is someone who does all this stuff. So you see he does pretty complicated things.
Y: Let's for the moment leave aside the second and third point and discuss the first .You see God as the creator.How do you define creation?
X: Well ,creation in general means making or constructing something from some raw materials.For example if you are making a boat you need wood and the tools .If you are writing a book your raw materials are your thoughts ,perceptions and your real life experiences.
But here creation specifically means the creation of universe as we experience it with our senses.
But here lies the difference.In our day to day life experience to create something we need to have some raw materials But how do we define the raw materials for the source of universe ?
Y: Yes, exacty that is my point.We are trying to define God and his activities in terms of our worldly definitions and ideas. Here lies the problem .Our ideas of creation ,time ,space and matter are influenced by our perception of the world through our senses .This perception shapes our idea of the reality.
X:So you are trying to say that what our senses see is an illusion or maya as the Hindu scriptures put it and not the reality.
Y: What I am trying to say is what we experience is only one aspect of reality.You can call it maya because it does not represent the ultimate reality.
X:And what is ultimate reality ?
Y:Here you get the answer to my first question. The ultimate reality or truth is what we call God.
X: So that's your definition of God.
Y: You can call it a definition if you want.
To understand it let's look at physics.Physics and spiritual philosphy have one thing in common. Both of them aim to know the truth .
But apparently their approaches are quite opposite ,poles apart as you may say so.
X: Yes ,the age old conflict of religion and science.
Y: The interesting thing is the realm of physics.This realm of physics extends from the microscopic to the whole universe ,in other words every thing that exists. But we humans can perceive only a part of this world with our naked eyes. As physicists have found the same laws which accurately define the macroscopic world (the human world) fail to describe the world of atoms or black holes. So in a way concept of reality changes in these extreme dimensions.We perceive everything in this world in terms of matter space and time. Their definition and properties change in these extreme realities.In relativity cause and effect do no exist.They loose their conventional meaning.The words like existence and non-existence do not exist in conventional sense.
What science believed to be fundamental principle that the future can be accurately described if we can completely know the present no more holds true.
X: So what is your point ?
Y: Same is the case with God. You are trying to define God in terms of conventional logic ,ie our conventional definition of space ,time and matter.
X: And that can't be done ?
Y: Yes ,in the same way as in physics.
Spiritually you can chose your way to see the God in whatever way you want. You can find God in love , prayers ,stone idol or fire.
If you know it then basically it's your choice. You can choose to call God Krishna or Allah .There is a saying in Vedas that God is one but men choose different ways to reach him. God is nothing but the ultimate truth ,the unity of all things and the reason behind every reason.
The beauty of science is that it is based on logic and observation. So it is ready to accept anything based on these two principles even if it goes against established laws.Science is part of the creation .Science does say that there is no proof that God exists. But it also admits that there is nothing to deny its existence.
The problem with religion is that at times it is very rigid whereas science is always flexible..Religion is not just about God .It also includes the cultural aspect.In our day to day existence the cultural part of the religion dominates.
It's priciples are based on the world that existed when the religion was founded.
That's why in Hinduism cow is sacred and in Christianity Church believed that earth is centre of universe .
As a human you have complete freedom to make your own choices.You however ,can't deny the truth. It's your choice how you want to experience the truth.

Happy Independence Day

2007-08-15T12:31:00.000+05:30

India today completes 60 years of independence.
This is a good occassion to examine the idea of a nation.
What comprises a nation ?
For me a nation can be divided into parts , one is the human resources and other is the natural resources of a country.
The natural resource comprises the land ,the geography ,the rivers ,the forests ,the wild life and the bordering seas.
The human comprise comprises the human beings ,the culture ,the history ,the languages ,the literature ,the arts ,the sciences ,the technologies and all such stuff which is the creation of us humans and defines us.
Fortunately our country is blessed on both counts.
So the celebration of independence is not only the celebration of political freedom that we gained in 1947 and our great freedom struggle ,but it is also a celebration of all that makes us a nation.
It ia also a time to contemplate how to preserve our great cultural and natural diversity. (our great unity in diversity theme )
So once again wishing u a happy independence day.

Sufi Thoughts

2007-04-30T17:49:00.000+05:30

My introduction to the sufi poetry and music was
through the song 'Dama dum mast qalander' (though to this day I do not have a very clear idea about the meaning of the song).

My interest in sufi poetry in last few years is thanks to Abida Parveen's soulful rendition of sufi songs
of great sufi poets .

Recently I have been reading the book The Way of the Sufi by Idris Shah. This book is an introduction to the subject of Sufism and gives a brief insight to the works and thoughts of great sufi masters and various sufi schools of thought.

So here is a collection of some beautiful sufi thoughts
and poetry taken from the book.

To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.
Abu-said

The Sufi is one who does what others do -when it is neceesary.
He is also one who does what others can not do -when it is
indicated.
Nuri Majudi

Do not look at my outward shape.But take what is in my hand.
Rumi

In cell and cloister ,in monastery and synagogue,
Here one fears hell, another dreams of paradise.
But he who knows the secrets of his God
has planted no such seeds within his heart.
Omar Khayyam

If the Muslim knew what an idol was ,
He would know there is religion in idolatry.
If the idolater knew what religion is
He would know where he has gone astray
He sees in the idol nothing but the obvious creature
This is why ,in Islamic law,he is a heathen
Gardens of Secrets

You possess only whatever will not be lost in shipwreck.
El-Ghazali

Though wine is forbidden ,this is according to who drinks it ,
As to how much,also with whom it is drunk.
When these three requirements are fulfilled;speak truly
Then, if the Wise may not drink 'wine' ,who should;

Those who try to be ostracized.
And those who spend the night in prayer,
None is on dry land ,all are at sea.
One is awake ,and all the others are asleep.

I fell asleep ,and Wisdom said to me ;
'Sleeping ,the rose of happiness never bloomed.
Why do you do a thing which is next to death ?
Drink "wine" ,for you will have long sleep. '

Friends ,when you hold a meeting
You must much remember the Friend.
When you drink successfully together ,
When my tuen comes , 'turn the glass upside down' .

Those who have gone before us O Cupbearer,
Are sleeping in the dust of self-pride.
Go ,drink 'wine' ,and hear from me the Truth;
What they have only said is in our hands ,O Cupbearer.
Omar Khayyam.

Bio-Fuels:Man Vs Machine

2007-03-28T17:19:00.000+05:30

The Hindu newspaper recently published an article about the dangers of using biofuels instead of the petrol and diesel. The article concludes that there are more harms than benefits of using the bio-fuels.Ethanol is extracted from plants which is then used as a bio fuel.

Plants through a chemical process involving chlorophyll convert the energy of sunlight to produce food. This process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide into food. These plants are then used to produce ethanol .When ethanol is used as fuel the carbon dioxide goes back to the atmosphere. The proponents of bio fuel argue that they help in maintaining the balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as they do not add any extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere , thus helping in fighting the global warming.

The script seems to be perfect till now. But the devil lies in the details.The plants which are used to make the bio-fuels include maize and wheet. Now these are consumed by humans too. Last year the global price of wheat were at a 10 year high and the price of maize doubled due the demand generated by the bio-fuel industry.So when millons all over the world are starving ,is it fair to use them as a fuel for the cars. Rich people can afford bio fuel even if the prices of the raw materials are high. So this is one competition where machine(read cars) seem to be winning. There already have been riots over food in Mexico.

The western countries have already given a big push to the use of bio fuel as motor fuel.President Bush has signed an agreement with the President of Brazil for providing bio fuel and UK has made it compulsory that by next year at least 2.5% of the fuel produced by oil companies should be bio fuel.

So one way to deal to deal with the problem is to increase the production of plants used as bio fuels. That means area under bio -fuel producing plant cultivation has to be increased .This is already being done . To produce palm oil (which is also used as bio fuel) the rain forests of Indonesia are being cleared by burning them. This is leading to emission of large quantites of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A report estimates that these rain forests would be destroyed by 2022 .The report by same organisation had predicted the year to be 2032 five years ago.This massive deforestation is damaging the habitat of many animals on the planet earth.
Interestingly use of palm oil as bio fuel produces 1000 times more carbon emissions than the same amount of petroleum products.

So bio fuels are causing more harm to our ecology and human race than they are benefitting us.
There is an urgent need to control the carbon emissions as the global warming has already started to show its effects in increasing temperatures and changing climatic conditions.But certainly bio-fuel is not the answer.
It is estimated that China will soon overtake US to become the leader in carbon emissions.
The administration of Sydney has decided to switch off the lights for few hours at night of Sydney harbour including Sydney Opera house to save energy.As production of energy(whether it is by power plants or vehicular combustion engines) is the main culprit in the carbon emissions ,they hope though a meagre step ,it will help in attracting the attention of the world towards this issue.
The full text of the article that was mentioned in the beginning can be read here

Happy Ram Navami

2007-03-27T08:54:00.000+05:30

Why Sachin is God ? ?

2007-03-13T18:00:00.000+05:30

It is said that Cricket is religion in India. So here is the proof .
This is what a leading hindi news channel had to say about the divine status of Sachin Tendulkar in India.
1) God may or may not have made man but man certainly made God. Man created God so as to find an ideal in him which he knows he can never be himself ,but all that he should be . Same is the case with Sachin . He is an ideal batsman possessing all the skills and qualities that a batsman can have.
2) God is very humble and modest. So is Sachin Tendulkar.
3) Hindu Gods and Goddesses have many hands. Sachin can play any shot and when he is playing a marvellous ininings ,it seems that he has many hands.
4) And now perhaps the best comparison. We pray to God many times for our wish fulfillment but it's only seldom that he listens to us and our wish becomes a reality. Similarly Sachin's bat doesn't rain runs in every match though that is what we all wish.
This comparison is about the two of the things that are very dear to our hearts ,religion and cricket.

This is an interesting(read hilarious) comparison and visibly the channel has gone lengths to prove Sachin's divinity(just before the start of the world cup).From such kind of reports we can gauge the level of news reports appearing in the news channels and the standards of journalism that they are following.
We in India are always in search of Gods. The best example is the temples that fans have built for their favourite film stars.
One thing is sure that there are many Sachin fans in India who are fanatic followers of him and in India all Cricket lovers adore Sachin's cricketing prowess.

Lines for Thought

2007-02-22T17:43:00.000+05:30

Here are few lines by Baba Bulleh Shah ,Sufi mystic of 18th century Punjab.

Je rab milda nahatya-dhotya
te rab milda daduan-machiyan nu.
Je rab milda jungle phiryan
te rab milda gayian-bachyian nu.

mandir toro ,masjid toro
per kise da dil na toro.
rab ta dila which basda ha.

---------------
My translation of the above lines follow :

If God was found by taking a bath and cleaning onself
frogs and fish would have found God.
If God was found by roaming in the forest
cows and calves would have found God.

Break the temples, break the mosques
but don't break anyone's heart.
God lives in the heart.

My First Blog

2007-02-16T17:19:00.000+05:30

As the name suggests this is my first blog.
I am writing something after a long time.
May be last time I expressed my thoughts through writing was when I used to give my English/Hindi paper in school.

Recently I have been reading the autobiography of the great Hollywood comedian Charlie Chaplin. The book is titled what else but "My Autobiography" .
The childhood of Chaplin was spent in London in poverty, scars of which it seems remained with him throughout his life. Both his parents were stage actors. His elder brother was also an actor.Chaplin's parents were divorced when he was very young .He and his brother lived with their mother .
Charlie gave his first stage performance when he was four.

Charlie had a remarkable success in Hollywood.
He wrote , directed and acted in his own silent comedies and perhaps was the greatest hollywood star of his generation.
His greatest works include "The Kid", "The Gold Rush" and "The Great Dictator" ,the last of these based on Hitler.

I remember Doordarshan used to show Chaplin's movies on Sundays long time back. It was fun at that time watching his comedies.