In the brief moment it takes me to press the button of my choice on the voting machine, I become the master of our rulers and that feeling is exhilarating, though only in fleeting. Democracy above all forms of government is the most natural and enduring because in principle, every individual citizen is counted and respected.

Unfortunately, in our country, the power I wield is very ephemeral. Till I get another chance after 5 years at pressing that button again, the people whom I am supposed to have anointed to rule over my destiny run amuck. They amass wealth, plunder, and run rough-shod over the people on whose behalf they govern. During those 5 years, I become part of an amorphous, formless crowd. Let me tell you the sad story of Dr.Binayak Sen so that you may understand the other side of the dance of democracy.

Young Binayak wanted to be a doctor and he went to C.M.C, Vellore to do his M.B.B.S in 1966. He was a gold medalist and was selected to do M.D course in paediatrics. Here again he excelled and was among the top students. He then joined the faculty of the Centre for Social Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Though as a bright doctor the world was his for the asking, his idealism led him to join a rural health programme in Madhya Pradesh.

Later, he And his wife, Illina, a teacher, chose to go to rural Chattisgarh, to work with mine workers’ unions. The husband-wife team plunged headlong into various projects aimed at improving the rural health and education of the community. The tribal Adivasis lived in a world of abject poverty, injustice and a system that bred exploitation. He then worked for a salary of Rs.600.

Dr. Sen and his wife, Dr. Ilina Sen, founded Rupantar, a community-based organization aimed at training and supporting community health workers in several villages, fighting against alcohol abuse and violence against women. Dr. Sen has been involved in various other organizations committed to developing a low-cost, effective, community health programme in the tribal and rural areas of Chhattisgarh. He holds the postion as the Vice President of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

It soon became clear to him that health of the community he sought to serve was linked to organized movement towards attainment of human rights. He raised his voice against human rights violations and the fake encounters involving supposed Maoists. He also spoke up against the war waged by the government of Chhattisgarh against the adivasis in Dantewara in the name of Salwa Judum which is an army of private citizens armed and supported by the government supposedly to fight the menace of the Maoists. What Salwa Judum initiative has achieved is to pit Adivasis against Adivasis and break their bond and unity.

On 14 May 2007 Dr Binayak Sen was arrested and thrown into a Raipur prison on trumped up charges of supporting Naxal activity in Chhattisgarh. He is charged under various draconian laws pertaining to sedition, waging war against State under various sections of the repressive Chhatisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 and the Unlawful Activities Act, 2004 (Amended) and various sections of the IPC. He has been denied bail though the case against him is very weak. To compound matters, Dr.Sen has a weak heart condition and he has been denied permission to get treated in Vellore Medical Mission hospital.

Two years of continuing sentence in jail is the price a non-violent, peace loving Dr.Binayak Sen has paid for giving three decades of his life for the sake of the poor and the voiceless. It is a shame that we in India allow a person like him to be sent to jail while carrying on our shoulders some elected looters and murderers masquerading as our leaders. Just as we celebrate the greatness of our democracy through these elections, Dr.Sen’s case should prick our conscience. In this case, the less said about the Indian judiciary, the better. It has repeatedly denied Dr Sen bail for two years.

Is it not frightening when the state wages a war against its own citizens and the rights of the individual is confined only to the constitution? What is even more depressing is that Dr.Sen is a non-issue for most of us Indians.

There is a nice quote from Martin Niemoller to wake us up. “First they came for the Jews. I was silent. I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists. I was silent. I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists. I was silent. I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me. There was no one left to speak for me.”

At the heart of democracy is the right of the Individual. The rights of the individual should last beyond the act of voting. It should last a life time. We have a long way to go.

Image Credit: contact@binayaksen.net

Popularity: 37%

Yesterday, a 41 year old journalist from Dainik Jagran made the headlines. He probably would have been the most searched name or word in Google, yesterday. The media was abuzz with his photos and interviews flashing on all channels.

The reason – Jarnail Singh, a senior journalist threw one of his shoes at the Home Minister of India, P Chidambaram. It seemed too good to be true.

But then it reminded me of the  Zaidi, a journalist who became a national icon in Iraq and neighboring countries for having thrown a shoe at George Bush. If that’s not all, there are people who offered incredible rewards to this pseudo hero included huge sums of cash, daughter for marriage, land, citizenship etc.

Similarly the so called representation of the Sikh community, the Youth Wing of The Shiromani Akali Dal, offered Jarnail singh Rs.2 lakhs and several others offering their support in some form or the other. This, in retaliation to the injustice meted to the Sikh community for having acquitted the likes of Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, who were supposedly involved in the massacre of the Sikhs after the Indira Gandhi assassination in 1984.

Now coming to my point of view on this whole episode of the Sikhs protesting and the government in a mode of silence over the entire issue.

This is definitely a blotch in an otherwise illustrious administration. Whether it is for the court to decide or not or if CBI has completely exonerated Mr. Jagdish Tytler, the Congress should have taken a stance that Tytler is in the center of all this harakiri and hence should not be an electoral candidate for them in the forthcoming elections. There is no denying the fact that the courts look at hard evidence and in this case they seem to have ruled out despite an NRI, Jasbir Singh, coming forward as an eye witness.

Whether justice has prevailed or not is a matter of contention and time will be a witness to that – as there are several faces to this coin, what has really shocked me is the level at which the journalistic standards have been stooping down, in recent times.

That Jarnail Singh apologised unconditionally, speaks high of him and his ethical standards but on the same coin, the incident should have never happened and this country should never have witnessed something like that. It is unforgettable and unforgivable by any standards.

Take the instance of Zaidi – The very next day he was taken into custody and put behind bars for 3 years (Now I hear his punishment has been reduced to a year) speaks high of the standards that even a wounded country like Iraq follows. And here we are, letting him off just because there is an emotional crowd backing him.

I am surprised that Jarnail Singh has not been booked under any charges. I definitely understand the sentiments of the Sikhs and I respect that. Having said that, Jarnail Singh, to me is an Indian first and a journalist next…nothing beyond that. This whole episode has been so much politicized that bad behavior went unnoticed which indirectly is a sign of encouragement. I will not be surprised if very soon you would see others too resorting to such cheap tactics without the fear of being punished

If Indian media and those who manage the law and order in the country do not resort to punishing the guilty when there is ample evidence, it will only further wreck the already weakened judiciary system of our country.

Understood he was emotional, his adrenalin was pumping and that he cares for his community. But then who doesn’t ? Ask the friends and relatives of the scores of Hindus or Muslims who died in communal riots or the Godhra incidents, weren’t they emotional too.

A majority of the criminals are also a victim of high level of adrenalin rush…If they can be punished, why should Jarnail Singh be spared?

Whatever said and done, the bottom line is that in India the standards of journalism has decreased significantly in recent times. We have seen in the case of the 26/11 coverage, some failed and pseudo sting operations and now this. Not sure if it was ever like this or is it coming to limelight only now.

True journalism seems to have paved way for neo journalism or better still call it Jarnailism, for the lack of a better word. They are definitely condemnable and sometimes punishable, too. What say you ?

Image Credit: Dubswede

Popularity: 28%

I must admit to being embarrassingly biased about a lot of things, more so when it concerns my cricketing heroes. I grew up watching the likes of Pataudi, Gavaskar, Bedi, Srikanth, Kapil and later on Dravid, Ganguli, Laxman, Tendulkar etc., lording it over like mighty colossuses straddling various cricket fields. When someone like Dhoni or Yuvraj vie for space with these greats, I view it as a personal affront. As if to rub salt on my wounds, Nars in a recent India Special piece admonished our Dada of Calcutta for suggesting that the present cricket team may not be the best ever.

I want to yell at Nars and the millions of swooning fans of M.S Dhoni & Co., that this team is lucky to be facing opponents who are nowhere as menacing and bloodthirsty as those towering cricketing legends of earlier eras. That some of our cricketers of the past matched those legends and licked them at times, is stuff of cricketing folklore. I can conjure more arguments against these young pretenders, but the flow is interrupted by…..

Do I hear an incessantly chattering brat inside me, chastising me for those uncharitable words about Dhoni and his boys?

The brat is telling me unpalatable things like I am too dumb to see greatness in the present and can comprehend it only once it is history – in the comfort of hindsight. I retort that I write in India Special and therefore can’t be all that dumb, but the brat just shrugs and persists with its demand to give Dhony & Co., their due. Forced into a corner, I get ready to bat for Dhoni’s boys.

So, what is it that makes this team win nine games in a row and pummel opponents of all hues – the blacks, whites, browns and everything in between – very convincingly and at times very humiliatingly? They have even beaten the New Zealanders after 33 years.

Is it because Dhoni is so very positive and confident? Or, is it because he has got an enthusiastic bunch that does not have the burden of reputation or experience to defend? Then I think of our coach Gary Kirsten with his unobtrusive and understanding ways propelling the youngsters to higher levels of performance. May be the reason could even be Krishnamachari Srikanth, that cocky, confident chief selector who keeps infusing fresh blood and pushes the youngsters to play hard and hit the balls out of shape?

About two weeks back, Kevin Peterson attributed the phenomenal rise of Indian cricket to the emergence of T-20. He said Indian cricket went through the roof after T-20. It made every player realize that when it comes to the crunch, they could rise to the occasion and send the ball out of the stadium whether it is a T-20 or a one day game or a test match. Out of this shortest version of the game emerged the giants lying buried in most of the cricketers.T-20 was a huge paradigm shift in cricket.

Rahul Dravid has been my hero above everyone else. He gave everything to win and he never played for himself. I desperately wanted him to win as a captain and remain at the pinnacle of success. That did not unfortunately happen and his captaincy record is nothing to write home about. I ponder at the huge injustice done to this great sportsman and legend by God’s funny system of justice.

Then came Dhoni, with that careless swagger and don’t-care-attitude, captaining a bunch of upstart youngsters full of raw energy and enthusiasm. He seemed to be having great fun on the field along with the rest of the gang. He started winning games and imperceptibly his boys slithered into the winning habit.

I ponder at the contrasting ways of these two captains. Dravid was desperate to win and his visage on the field was one of anxiety, determination and intensity. Dhoni on the other hand is as cool as a cucumber and his demeanor betrays not a trace of fear. He is full of the joie-de-vivre and excitement of life. He seems to be just playing a game. I marvel at the profound wisdom ingrained in the words of my teacher

When you are desperate about something, it will almost certainly be delayed though not denied.

Why write about cricket and games, when I am faced with the reality of running a business through chaotic times? The economic melt down has caused a bloodbath in my company and am bruised all over from the cuts and thrusts of maneuvering through these rocky terrains.

I realize the old world order is giving way to a new, uncertain reality and the rules of the game have changed. I have to find the resources within to play a T-20 game and thrive in these times of turmoil. And I have to learn to play hard and find the giant within. There are some parts of the game which are not in my hands. At times I may be bowled or caught and may have to take the lonely trudge back to the pavilion. But I will play the game joyfully with carefree abandon and will return to play many more innings. I am playing to win!

Image Credit: Vighi

Popularity: 13%

YouTube has revolutionized the entertainment industry and it is slowly becoming a verb the same  way “google” became a verb. Trailers, TV serials and advertisements  are created and broadcast exclusively on YouTube. The fundamental success of YouTube lies in the fact that it democratized creativity.

Anyone with a handy cam/movie camera can produce and broadcast his/her creative production and reach so many audiences with minimal cost and time. If the content quality is good, there is definitely going to be an audience.

But if there is one group that must be unhappy with YouTube, it must be the Indian Music composers.

Why?

Because if they compose a song which is plagiarized from some obscure music video from another corner world, and if they think no one is going to find that, they are sadly mistaken. It does not take much time for someone to bring it to the notice of fellow YouTube viewers. It can also work to their advantage. If someone from another part of the world ripped off their songs, they will come to know soon.

In this series, I plan to bring together some of the popular Indian songs and similar songs from across the globe. I do not know which one is the original and which is an imitation (or inspiration, as some of our movie industry pros would like to say).

Here comes the first 3 pair of songs. Come back for more. Enjoy!!

Click “Version” below to reach the YouTube link

1. Song – Ya Ali; Movie – Gangster

Version A - From the film Gangster

Version B – Arabic Version

2.  Song- Kaho Na Kaho; Movie – Murder

Version A -From the film Murder

Version B – Arabic Version

3. Song- Dil Samandar; Movie-Garam Masala

Version A – From the film Garam Masala

Version B - Turkish Version

PS: If you come across similar songs, please bring it to our notice. We’ll acknowledge your contribution and publish it, if appropriate.

Image Credit: JSome

Popularity: 54%

Since childhood I never cherished any dreams of going abroad, instead always wanted to live in India. My search for a livelihood, like any other person, just out of the college, changed my perceptions on going abroad. It was in the year 2002 that the doors to a foreign nation had opened for me. My first pay made my eyes pop out (upon converting the currency, of course)

I also realized that with a white collar job in a foreign land one could earn quickly and pay off debts easily. My initial goal was just to stay for one year, amass some wealth and go back to India. As time passed, my ambitions started changing year after year and I started spreading my roots deeper into this foreign soil thus making my position much stronger.

Until you fly abroad you find life very nice and comfortable in the way you live, but once you get a taste of life abroad– you are out of that “frog in a well” situation and find it more interesting than ever.

As I introspect, I keep wondering if I will ever go back. One side pulls me towards my country of origin while the other side is so accustomed to western life style, it holds me back. A Catch-22 situation!

Returning to country indeed is a major decision, perhaps even tougher than to go abroad. There is no right or wrong here. After spending a few years abroad, we aim for “best of both worlds” which is difficult to find, in real life.

On one hand you have these factors compelling you to stay back abroad-

Value for money – Every penny earned is valuable abroad. In India a 100-rupee denomination is becoming almost worthless these days.

Free Life Style – You do not have any close relatives or neighbors pestering you with questions that are more personal in nature. Personal space is respected abroad more than in India.

Substantial Income - Similar effort put in a foreign country pays you 40x or 80x to what one gets in India. Once you get that taste of money, it’s hard to wean away from it.

Work culture – No slogging and no late hour work culture (to impress your bosses )

Value for Life – Life is valued far higher than anything else. The quality of life we lead is definitely better than that of India.

On the other hand there is a long list of good things back home in India that would tempt you to go home – people, relations, parents, food, cost of living, education, entertainment, advance medical treatments, growing economy, opportunities, weather, culture and of course, our roots.

I am convinced that all the Indians who are abroad are Non Returning Indians.

You may have a different opinion, but 8 out of 10 people who are abroad have firm plans to settle down there. They might not agree on the face of it, but their materialistic desires will force them to settle down. Will this ever change? May be….may be not.

Our growing economy could change this dimension and trigger a reverse brain drain. For now, we may have to just wait and watch.

Image Credit: Wonker

Popularity: 25%

After a disappointing interim budget on Feb 16 the Indian Government has announced a third stimulus package much to the relief of industries under the siege of global recession. The news was a bolt from the blue for the markets which was down due to the recent news of salary cuts, unemployment and overall gloom.

The proposals in the budget were;

1. Service tax cut by 2% from 12 to 10 which can help not only establishments but also individuals. Service tax introduced in 1994 for telephone, stock, insurance now extends to approx 100 items as per the latest budget. A reduction in 2% is a welcome relief for all telephone users.

2. Excise tax reduction by 2% which was earlier at 10%.This reduces the prices of IT products other than computers. Further it reduces the price of cement by Rs 60 per metric tonne.

Both the cuts come with a price tag of Rs 30,000 crores. This will further widen the fiscal deficit (when government’s total expenditures exceed the revenue it generates) which is approx around 10% of GDP at present. This throws tantrums on Government’s actual plans to reduce the deficit(accumulated fiscal deficit) in the next financial year. The three packages has cost the exchequer a whopping 70,000 crores. But the net effect is that it stimulates demand in the country which is the right thing during a recession.

Further the FICCI(Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry),established in 1927 and headquartered in New Delhi having 1500 corporates and 500 chambers of commerce and business associations, voiced its demand to reduce ;

1. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)- It is the amount of funds that the banks have to keep with RBI And used as a tool to drain out excess money from bank. In case CRR comes down money will be available with banks.

2. Repo rates (rates at which banks borrow money from RBI. Reduction in same will allow banks to get cheaper money).

3. Reverse repo rates (rates at which money is transferred from banks to RBI. It can cause reduction of money with banks).

The Government is planning for a common Goods and Service Tax by 2010 uniting all the taxes and avoiding dual taxation.

Will there be another stimulus package? That depends on the government. But the present move will surely provide greater relief for India.

Image Credit: Cell105

Popularity: 51%

With recession hitting hard, everyone is suddenly measuring the depth of their pockets. Some have suddenly found out of holes in their pockets that they never knew existed. Some others found out that their pockets were really just an inch deep. Those living in the now are the most hit, but will definitely manage around simply because this is the now for them. And those who planned and planned and planned and never really did anything with their money are perhaps the least hit!

The IT and stock boom brought with it some very interesting new Indian mentality. The average conservative middle class next door neighbor suddenly became a self proclaimed entrepreneur. Someone who would think twice before buying a finer grade of rice became an overnight investor. Stocks and shares, lands and homes, gold and platinum – you name it -  it was a worthy investment. Bank loans were lucrative, credit ratings and securities were a think of the past.

Everyone had the trendiest mobile and the coolest ringtone, multiple accounts in the finest banks, the snazziest cars and the poshest houses… Somewhere down the years, the conservative Indian seems to have almost disappeared. Prosperity slowly gave way to greed. Showoff became the order of the day. One car was no longer enough. Investment in real estate became a shortcut to climb the social status ladder. Gadgets and gizmos became displays of prosperity and stocks became money multipliers. Home loans, car loans, a dozen credit cards, a handful of personal loans – Whoopie! life was suddenly full of credit … And without much ado, the living within the means Indian suddenly started living beyond his means!

Sadly though, as we look around, some of our ‘most financially stable’ friends and relatives are coming to terms with reality catching up. Some optimistic ones are hanging on, some wiser ones are desperately weighing options and some others are still coming to terms with what hit them. I can but pray for them and help some as best as I can. How many of them will end up being smarter and conservative next time around is a wild guess … but for now one thing is clear … The conservative Indian is making a comeback. And about time too!

No, its not pointing and saying its wrong to dream big or to take risk … but then lets be honest – for every successful story reported out there are probably a hundred that don’t make the cut and are lost forever in feelings of loss and grief. There is a fine line – a line of calculated risk. A line that gently reminds us what our elders taught us. A line that we dare defy and assume that we are invincible. A line that we may pay a price for crossing. Something that no longer says “Yeh dil maange more” …

Yes, its debatable – Indeed there is opportunity in these turbulent times… and I am no expert at that!  I leave that out of scope for now. As of now, I am just one more conservative Indian

Image Credit: NateOne

Popularity: 11%

10:42 PM

Eddie Murphy is on stage to present the Jean Hearscholt Humanitarian Award. And the award goes to legendary Jerry Lewis. Nostalgic, huh ?

10: 54 PM

AR Rahman wins two Oscars for India, two more to the Slumdog Millionaire kitty.

AR Rahman wins the best Original Score for Slumdog Millionaire. Proud of you, AR Rahman..What more – He gives a live performance from Slumdog Millionaire….O Saya and Jai Ho along with MIA.

This is probably the best night for A R Rahman.

He is also nominated for the best background score and he wins it hands down. The song is Jai Ho and the lyricist is Gulzar.

Arguably the best night for Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman and India.

11:05 PM

Guess what ? Freida Pinto, from Slumdog Millionaire is on stage with Liam Neeson for presenting the best Foreign Film. The Oscar goes to “Departures”

The Japanese director is Berry Berry Appy and Sankoos everyone. Did I say, Freida Pinto was lovely in that Blue dress.

I think this is the first time, an Indian has been called on stage to present an award. I may be wrong, though !

Popularity: 23%

Will Smith comes on stage to present the award for the best action movies. The Academy awards for best action movie goes to Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Eric Barba, Steve Preeg accepted the award. This one is the third one for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. I need to watch this movie now.

The award for Sound Editing goes to The Dark Night and the award is accepted by Richard King.

The award for best Sound Mixing goes to Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire. Resul says history is being handed to him. How true. We are proud of you, Resul Pookutty. India Special salutes you!

Another one..

The award for best Film Editing goes to Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire. What a night this is turning out to be for India. This is the 6^th award for India.

Slumdog Millionaire has definitely put India on the map. I hope the Indian public wakes up and gives the crew a rousing welcome like they did for the cricketers and Olympians.

Three cheers for Slumdog….Hip Hip Hurray! (3 times)

Am I too excited…I hope there is more!

Popularity: 21%

Time is 9:46 PM

I am back to my seat and three guys come to announce the best live action award. The category doesn’t sound familiar, but sounds important. Whatever !

The Oscar award for the best live action short film goes to will tell you later.

By the way, did I tell you – Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire are tied at two awards each. Lets see who wins the battle of the Oscars. My heart goes for Slumdog Millionaire but my brain for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I hope my heart wins.

9:52 PM

Hugh Jackman is back and is busy talking of “Change That Has Come”…..He is talking of Mamma Miah and the musical. He is now singing, dancing live “Mariah….” from Mamma Miah…along with guess who – Beyonce Knowles!.

Oh My God!

This is the first time I am seeing him on stage and Hugh Jackman is phenomenal.

A Musical Oscars indeed. All the performers from Mamma Miah look so beautiful including Beyonce Knowles

Time is 9:59 – Time for a break and some grub – Salads, bread crumbs, light mayonnaise and lots of water. Not so spicy, right ? So uncommon for an Indian like me. Isn’t it ?..anyways, time to move on

Five actors including Cuba Gooding Jr. comes onto present the Best Supporting Actor.

The Oscar goes to the Late Heath Ledger for The Dark Night and the family (his mom,  dad and sister) came to receive the Oscars. All three of them spoke and accepts the award. An emotional moment, indeed. May his soul Rest In Peace

Who will win the Best Actor award ? – Mickey Rourke ? Wait for some more time and you will get to know that…

10:13 PM -

The best documentary award goes to James Marsh, Simon Chinn for Men On Wire. The winner shows some magic on stage. Very creative!

10:17 PM

The best Oscar for the small documentary short film goes to Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki – Another Indian film. Wow! This probably is the best year for Indian cinema at the Oscars for a long, long time to come. Hey, this is Icing On Cake!

Popularity: 24%

The Oscar fever has caught on and for the first time, I am blogging live watching the Oscars, from the comforts of my home. Nothing can beat this experience. Seeing it live, munching my favourite triscuit, watching my two kids screaming louder than the Oscar host and blogging as Slumdog Millionaire is about to win Oscars – At this point, I don’t know how many, though!

The expectations are high among Indians that music maestro AR Rahman, who has bagged three nominations for “Slumdog Millionaire”, will bring home the coveted trophy. What a moment that will be!

Other two Indian films vying for the glory are “Smile Pinki” and “The Final Inch”.

The time is 8.30 PM EST.

Ok, the Oscar Awards has begun and so is this live blogging.

The time is 8:33 PM

Singer, Dancer, Actor Hugh Jackman enters the show with startling display of his talent. He starts of with the song on Slumdog Millionaire, moves onto Benjamin Button – what a startling display, picks up Anne Hathaway for an impromptu dance. Jackman performs about the other movies – The Reader, The Wrestler and Nixon. What a Live Performance that was!

The time is 8:40 PM

Hugh Jackman introduces all the nominees including Mickey Rourke, the couple – Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, the guy who played Nixon, Demi Moore.

The time is 8:45 PM

5 yesteryear Oscar actress winners including Whoopi Goldberg introduces Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Demi Moore et al.

Penelope Cruz wins Oscar for the best actress. She goes to the stage and thinks she would faint…but doesn’t. She gave an emotional speech saying it is art which unites the universe. You are too good and beautiful. Penelope – Congratulations !

The time is 8:54 PM

Some type pad clicks. Few sentences and sounds of a typewriter. I don’t know what is happening.

Enter Steve Martin and Tina Fei. They starts joking around, as usual and soon picks up the mike for announcing the best screenplay. Now I understand why there were those type sounds.

The best screenplay award goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. Dustin, on the stage, emotionally talks of “Hope” for Gays and Lesbians across America.

Next comes the award for the best adopted screenplay…and the award goes to Simon Beaufoy, the writer for Slumdog Millionaire.

Oscar # 1 for Slumdog Millionaire. Wondering why Vikas Swarup for Original Screenplay. But yes, he thanked Vikas Swarup and the other two musketeers and his love for India.

I am so excited now. My friend, Madhavan, who wrote Will Slumdog Millionaire Win the Oscar Awards, pings me on Gmail. We exchange congratulations for the first in the kitty and many to go.

The time is 9:03.

Enters Kungfu Panda and his star friends…I am talking of Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston. He is hilarious.

The best animated feature film goes to Wall-E. Oscar is taken by Andrew Stanton. He thanks everyone..nothing extraordinary of a speech. The show goes on

The best animated short film goes to La Maison En Petites. Kunio Kato collects the award and “Sanks” everyone!…Sankooo..meaning Thank You.

Time for a break!

Popularity: 27%

These are certainly tough times. With Federal Governments stepping in to bail out firms that are struggling to keep themselves afloat and tough measures being looked at to ensure that the ones who stay afloat eventually swim, these are unprecedented times. To top things, Governments want to have a say in the review of employment practices and also looking to cap executive compensation. There’s this patriotic wave that is on the rise and a ton of people out there saying “Go American”. It all seems to be happening out there with literally no sight of any light at the end of the tunnel.

Industry veterans who’ve seen tough times tell me they have never seen anything that is even half as close. I was reading something recently that suggested the Fed was contemplating moves along with the US treasury to deny firms that rely on the use of H1B workers won’t get a share of the so called TARP money, and, that companies must certainly look to stop off-shoring. This is music for the staunch opponents of free trade and liberalization. While Obama has been a name on every lip, large sections of the Indian IT industry expressed several concerns on his proposed policies to curb outsourcing.

Worried?

Yes – for sure. Over time, we have moved from a traditional manufacturing and agriculture based economy to a service oriented economy. The role of IT / ITES in the Indian economy is something that you can’t easily discount. An aspect of the economy that has grown significantly over time, it faces purists throwing out some weird stats like the sector contributing to 10% of the economy, five hundred thousand people – but for me, it’s a lot of crap. While I appreciate data, the thing with data is that you can make it to look anyway in which you want it to look like. A few slices, a few dices and viola!  You can see what you want to see. So, numbers may not be a real representation of the facts. The fact is, this is a sector on the rise!

This sector is particularly under the pump these days. While the collapse of large financial behemoths has left a direct impact on this sector, the slowdown is forcing organizations to do something it’s never done before – H1B workers for different IT majors in the US are asked to come back, and back home, the industry is relooking at the way it used to look at the bottom performers – the “chalta hai” hat is fast becoming a thing of the old and families put to a lot of distress due to the spiraling domino.

If these issues are not enough to deal with, our folks continue to put the industry under further stress. I was recently travelling and pretty much every other person I met paused to check about the IT major that went down, dubbed very popularly in the west as India’s Enron! I saw a note on the headlines of a large TV network that said an Indian, running a company in the United States was arrested on the charge of forging documents to get H1B workers into the US. Viswa Mandalapu, CEO of Vision Systems in New Jersey has been arrested.

In times when there is so much pressure on this category of the workforce which happens to be the toast of India, this is a bolt from the blue. The folks crying for curbs will jump at any opportunity thrown towards them, adding fuel to the fire. I can already see the downstream effects of this with the concerned authorities tightening controls. I’ve over the course of my career seen the hopes of people rise when companies tend to file work visas for them. My job also gets me to counsel people who feel they fell from fifty thousand feet when they go through the painful procedure of applying and then hear that their visa was rejected. It’s like the world is against them!

It’s really sad that the people who do activities like this fail to think of the downstream. Their conviction invariably leads the world to paint all Indians with the same brush. While I know it is extremely unfair to do something like that, I can’t but help to think like the people who do so. It’s only but natural at the end of the day.

It’s a big deal for someone from India to go and live abroad – The family thinks they have arrived in life, their friends think they are very good and the neighbors think they are very rich. While these are cultural aspects of our society, in the eyes of the world that we live in, we are still Indians. Can we start to act with a little more responsibility in a manner that will not bring reputational damage to our nation?

Are you listening Mr.Mandalapu?

Aah!! How can you? You are in jail!  I hope a few of your other friends are, at least, they learn and don’t put us to any more disrepute!

Image Credit: Lanuiop

Popularity: 25%

India has the distinction of being one of the biggest democracies. But sometimes when I look at the kind of people who are leading this country, this distinction suddenly appears to be a “dubious” one. I find that the so called ‘people’s representatives’ (read MPs & MLAs) don’t have any the basic etiquettes that are required by people who lead a nation.

The incidents that have happened a few days back in the UP, AP and the Orissa assemblies, wherein the ‘honorable’ members of the house resort to utter lawlessness makes me feel shameful as a citizen of the country for having voted them to power.

Just consider these incidents

• Members of the UP assembly were hurling paper balls on the Speaker of the House
• Members of the Orissa assembly were literally hitting each other as if they were in a wrestling ring and one of the MLAs of the Orissa had the audacity to scale the speakers podium to grab the microphone
• 46 MLAs of the opposition party were physically bundled out of the AP Assembly by the Marshals.
• During these incidents the Leaders of the House neither stopped their party members from exhibiting this kind of unruly behavior nor did they take action against them

These are not just a few instances of misbehavior, they have been happening time and again. But no action is taken against them by the party leaders or the speaker.

Shouldn’t these MLAs be punished for these kind of unruly behavior?

For instance when a cricket player or a soccer player misbehaves on the field he may be banned not only for a few matches but also for life. But in the case of these MLAs I don’t see any kind of severe measures taken for misbehavior.

When players and professionals like CA, Doctors and lawyers have professional code of conduct, why should not our MLAs and MPs have one?

On the contrary, these guys should have more stringent code as they are responsible for creation of laws of land and hence they can’t resort to lawlessness. When will these people (read MLA’s and MP’s) realize that they are in the Assembly or the Parliament not to fight their personal battles but for the people whom they represent.

I, as citizen of this country, seriously feel that some kind of legislation that defines the code of conduct of these people should be brought in as soon as possible.

What do you think?

Image Credit: Tarotastic

Popularity: 14%

A brisk walk into our history expounds facts whose traits are still found in our current work culture. Hitherto, we saw an era where the title “King” had all powers in a kingdom. All the people were to obey the orders of King and working people had no choice but to abide by his rules, even if they were to disagree.

Zamindar system then setup ordinary people to work for landlords. Again the people had to obey his/her orders and honor his/her title. It’s a big transformation in India from dynasties to British Rule to Corporate world. But even today some of the old traits continue to show up in today’s corporate work culture in India.

Superior-Subordinate Relationship

It’s still a norm we see in India where subordinates abide superiors. “Boss is always right” still holds good. Subordinates follow his/her decision without any objection even if they do not want to. It’s a give-in attitude most of the time. There is no right or wrong behavior here. We Indians by nature do not like to be in bad books of anyone, and we are being nurtured in the family that teaches us to respect our elders. Most of the times seniority takes precedence over talent (or merit).

Who vs. What

Superiors usually do not check what issue has been escalated to them instead look for who escalated an issue. Title, status does matter in Indian management. A subordinate challenging a superior is taken as insolence or hurting the ego of the superior instead of being open to new thoughts.

“Growth” – A Mistaken Word

This is perhaps the most widely mistaken word in work environment. Growth is calculated in terms of promotions and title but not in knowledge and experience. Every individual is worried of his/her promotion and tries to compare his/her position and title with peers they are aware of. Promotions appease job contentment. If there is no progression in one’s career, he/she is considered as non-performing individual. We need to be mindful that professionals like Doctors and Lawyers do not have promotions. But they are still highly respectable professionals in the society.

Work Takes Precedence Over Family

It’s the other way round about family here. Not that we don’t love family and don’t like to spend time, but market competition warrants individual to slog for more than normal hours. Fear of being considered as non-performer, if they are not being slogged. Also it was the expectation set by predecessors during “unemployment era” to woo the employers and that trend (and expectation) continued for years thereafter.

Never Say “No”

Saying “No” is considered as impolite behavior. Most of the times a straight no is masked (or camouflaged) with long statements that might confuse the client and make him feel we are beating around the bushes. It’s again just the cultural difference that we don’t want to be seen as impolite by not saying No.

As you can see we have acquired some of the behavioral traits from our history and some from our culture. Time would tell us if we continue to behave this way or if we would change.

Image Credit: KM Photography

Popularity: 41%

Pooja is a good friend of mine who lives in Mumbai. Having worked for me for over a year at an American Bank, she choose to be on her own and has been reasonably successful at that, with her fledgling entrepreneurial venture, her staffing consultancy.

Pooja was on chat with me the other day and said that her neighbor got married. I don’t know who her neighbor was, but wondered what was wrong with her! She went on and said, got married to a lady! I knew for a fact that Pooja had lost it! Wondering whether it was the effect of some weekend partying or the stress of being on her new venture that was getting to her, I kept getting on with work shaking my head in disbelief wondering if Pooja was mad before I hurriedly typed in a few notes to her before running off for a meeting.

I returned after a couple of hours and Pooja had left a series of messages for me. I read through and realized that her neighbor was actually a SHE and she had gotten married to another SHE! Her neighbor was also the HE in the marriage!

Being a very gracious person, she obviously went on to greet her neighbor and also had a chance to see pictures of the wedding. I don’t know if she got invited to the wedding or not, but what she had to say of the pictures she was very reminiscent of any other Indian women. Shaking her head in utter disbelief and wondering what the world was going to, she is a today a worried lady.

Chatting on, I asked her what was so “scary” about the whole thing. She said her little daughter; all of 3 odd years old was that neighbor’s favorite kid in the apartment complex. That put it in perspective for me. To make matters worse for her, her daughter happens to be in that stage of life where kids are all over us with questions! Questions that sometimes put us in a spot as we don’t know what to say when we get asked those questions! The little kid obviously heard that the aunty next door got married and was looking all over her house for the uncle!! No one told the poor kid that the aunty was actually the uncle in the wedding!

The news obviously spreads! In a society that is still waking up to the realities of homosexuality amid law makers around the world who are confused on whether to let this pass or otherwise, Pooja’s maid is one of those who is yet to recover from this shock. Coming from probably the lowest social strata of Mumbai, the maid apparently spent 3 hours in Pooja’s house holding her head in disbelief and wondering whether she needs to continue working for the neighbor, that she’s worked for nearly 3 years now. An educated Pooja and the worried mom that she is, is equally baffled and doesn’t know how to react.

I’m not out to pass a judgment on what is right or wrong! I just spare a thought for a good friend who’s been hit by a reality, a reality that you would typically hear / read of happening in California or somewhere else in Europe, but this time literally at her next door.

I once happened to stray off into the SOHO area of London on my last trip there, a short walk from the Oxford Street shopping area. It was one of those days when I just went wandering aimlessly, (certainly not looking for anything) when I quickly realized that I was on a street very popular for the gay men on London. Young boys were howling and screaming, expressing their love for each other on the streets. Waking alone, I felt my heart palpitating and the fear of being at risk, the risk of being physically assaulted maybe! Something that I’d never ever dreamt off ever. The ensuing 5 minutes were probably the scariest 5 minutes of my life.

More recently, we had an overseas visitor whom we were hosting. As a courtesy, my boss had to take him to dinner one of the days. My boss called me and asked me to join in. It was kind of last minute for me and I asked him why me? He explained that he was gay and my being along made him feel more comfortable! It was a hurried affair and both of us used the first available option to get back home early.

Being able to relate with what Pooja is going through as a result of my 5 minute trauma, I wonder how we are going to start accepting this new world reality. A recent Hindi movie, Dostana had my wife and me in splits. Being a very silent person, I’ve never ever seen my wife laugh so much ever! While the fun part of the movie has us in splits, we need to quickly understand that the changing preferences are probably a new world order. With laws likely to come in around this, we need to understand that people are people at the end of it and we need to respect individual choices. It’s probably a lot like someone smoking or drinking!

Incidentally, Pooja ensures that her doors are firmly bolted at all times and talks about this to all her friends. Amused at what we hear and enjoying a good laugh, we rag her saying “Pooja’s neighbor is gay!”. The trouble however is that the changing world can throw up one such neighbor for you anytime!

Image Credit: TNT Blonde

Popularity: 42%