sanserene

Kanha - A review

2009-12-23T17:20:00.002+05:30

There are numerous Tiger reserves in India, that are preserving this ferocious beast, but nowhere can you see them as often, and as regularly as in Kanha National Park.
That is an extract from KNP's website.

It's 5.30 in the morning in the government lodge inside the reserve. I've gotten ready to board the "police jeep" that will take us through the forests in search of the tiger. But the jeep is yet to come. So I'm standing out in the darkness. Wearing a shorts, a jersey and made-for-trek Woodland shoes, I feel the early morning chill. The eerieness of the forest, the tick-tick-tick-tick noise of insects, the crook-crook-crook-crook sound of some birds, the timid yearning calls of deers, the hissing of the trees, and the noiseless sound of the forest. Aren't forests unique? Beautiful darkness too. Only the light from the full moon, somewhere yonder, and the stars is what there is to help me see. But the most beautiful things to see are the densely populated copious bunches of stars up in the sky. I've never seen stars twinkling so near to each other. One has to see vertically up as there are tall, giant trees all around. As I wallow in the beauty of the moment, a falling star adds to the perfect scenery. Unimaginably beautiful.

The jeep's flashlights pierce the darkness and engines kill the forest's voice as they come screaming to pick up uninvited guests of forests. Okay, I think I tend to lean towards my thoughts on protecting wildlife, saving the environment and the like. Let me not do that and stick to The Review.

It's 6 o'clock. There are around 200 jeeps, each carrying about six tourists, waiting in front of the gate. And everyone is eagerly waiting to see at close quarters(expectations far ahead of catching a glimpse) of "this ferocious beast" "that nowhere can you see as often". The vehicles are allowed one by one with a time-gap to ensure they maintain distance between each other.

Our expectations of seeing a tiger are further beefed up as the driver and the guide(or so he called himself, ostensibly) (the duo) point to pug marks on the edges of our sand road. We chug along amidst the scenic white blankets of mist over wide swathes of grassland and forests in the distance. Minutes later, there is some noise from the woods. "Monkey calls" the duo ascribe it to. And explain it means there are tigers somewhere around. And that we were nearby. This happens a couple of times and we suspect a lie through it. We travel along. But there is nothing to catch sight of other than the long sal trees and bushes. There are no deers, no bisons, not even elephants or monkeys, forget about tigers or leopards.

There are 89 tigers in this forest, say the duo. Wiki says there were 131 tigers(as on June 2006). And what's the area of the reserve? It stretches over 940 sq.km in the two local districts plus a surrounding buffer zone of 1,009 sq.km plus 110 sq.km in a neighbouring sanctuary. That is a total of 2,059 sq.km. That's an area of 23 sq.km per tiger. That is, if the figure of 89 is indeed true. Is it a good number for tiger population? I don't know.

We roam around in the cold, the chillness causing watery eyes and noses, silent in the hope of seeing atleast one live tiger from atleast a kilometre distance. Finally we reach a place where there is a house and some counters. There, we are held up in a long queue(remember it is 200 jeeps). And when our turn comes, we've waited for no less than four hours in the sweltering heat with nowhere to go(forest regulations prohibit wandering). For what? From there again we will have to go further some distance. Who waits there? A group of forest officials, four elephants, elephant herders. Oh yes, here comes the elephant safari. And what happens there? A safari ofcourse. But guess what. The elephant will carry us for a few metres(yes, that is a count of metres) for one minute and a few seconds and lead us to a bush. And tourists have to strain their eyes, bend their bodies from atop the elephant to see, ooff at last, a tiger with its forelimbs flat in front lying down and growling.

Poor oh poor oh beast!! How hath become thy despair?
The joy of seeing a tiger here is, in a way - in my opinion at least, sadistic because it was made the unrewarded protagonist of a horribly gone stage-drama. Many in our group suspected foul play. That the tiger might have been drugged and made to forcibly cringe in that position. All those tourists see the same tiger at the same place in the same position. Can something else explain this?

As with most central government controlled entities, this reserve also could be riven with incompetence. It also shows in the very few numbers of other animals that we got to see in the afternoon trip(for which we again paid the same unworthy sum in the hope of taking home some worthy memories). I can't believe anyone might have been satisfied for what they paid to see.

If you are considering a trip to Kanha for seeing wildlife, it's not a good idea.

கனா, A dream. Forever!!

2009-11-14T15:12:00.006+05:30

வானவில் பொறாமை கொண்டது
அவள் வண்ணம் பார்த்து.
தொப்பைப் பழம் சுழன்று விழுந்தது
அவள் கன்னம் பார்த்து.
பட்டுப்பூச்சிக்கு இதமளிக்கும்
அவள் பூப் புன்னகை.
அழகிய இயற்கை தான் அதற்கே
அவள் பெருமை சேர்ப்பாள்.
இந்தப் பாமரனுக்கோ
அவள் என்றென்றும் கனா.

It was the last day of my short business trip to Calcutta. The ten days had paced up wonderfully to end with such drama. It was a hectic day at work. Continuous calls to colleagues working far, incessant reporting to managers on the status of tasks completed, uninterrupted fixing of bugs with our client's users. That was throughout the morning. It was still unclear if I had to stay for one more day though I had my ticket booked.

More conference calls on status, more convincing of the client, more assurances that work will be completed on time. It had me on my toes till lunch. Lunch over. Am I leaving? I have to leave at two to the guest house, fetch my bags, hire a taxi and leave for the airport - a journey of one and a half hours. The flight is at 5.15. Had to be there latest by a quarter to five. Still undecided.

After a couple of mails from my bosses, the decision's made. I can leave. It's 3.05. Taxi. 3.25 Guest house. 3.30 Start from GH. Deal with the driver - reach airport on time and he gets Rs. 100 more than the meter fare. Heavy traffic. One of the most thickly populated cities. I remembered. And what an oppurtunity to do it!!

More calls. During the travel. What else has to be done? Number of pending tasks. When do we plan to complete it? Can't hear properly. Very noisy traffic. Friday muezzin's prayers on. Hawkish street vendors. Honking lorry drivers. Not-in-line autorickshaw czars. Creaking taxi seat. Rickety steel frames. Highly uneven roads.

Airport 4.35. A run to collect the ticket. Baggage screening. Check-in. Security check. My pulse is still racing. Tone is still high. And still breathing hard. On the stairs to the flight. The last passenger to board. Heart rate is slowing down. I've located my seat. Wiped my sweat away. Kept all things in the overhead bin. And in my seat. Seat belt is fastened. Aircraft leaves the hangar. Gentle pace towards the runway. My heart is pacing down. Nerves are calmer. Pulse is almost normal. Last turn before the runway. Then a stop. Pilots wait for clearance to take-off.

The lights are off. Absolute silence. My head falls back on the headrest. My eyes close. One long heavy breath. The burden of a hectic day - behind me. Peace!! No traffic. No noise. No calls. My mind is free. Clear. A dark background.
Light!! Her face. The lissome lassie I'd met. The colour. The serenity. The shy smile. The beauty. A moment. A dream. Forever.

Today’s confused parents and their children

2009-10-10T10:31:00.003+05:30

Today’s parents are finding it increasingly difficult to manage their children. There are nightmares some parents, those wealthier in particular, have had to put up with in the past few years. And more worryingly, if something is not changed in the way we rear our children, other serious ills that affect the western world could be knocking at our doors.

Old India was very different from today’s. Middle class families and the children in them had their feet firmly on the ground. These children (the elders of today) walked miles to school, had very few facilities/ opportunities to study, ran from pillar to post to land even low-pay jobs, etc. The effect was that they understood the value of resources, money in particular.

Since the 1990’s, wealth creation has been a lot easier. More families are wealthier now. Naturally, parents do not want their children to struggle like they did when they were young. So they pamper their kids with everything that they ask for. And more and more pocket money is doled out without asking how they will be spent. The casualty – an appreciation/ understanding of the value of money by many of today’s youngsters.

When a tree seed is sown, we provide it with security by fencing it. But today’s parents are not sure how to build that fence (around the seed that's their kid), that is, if at all they have the time to realize that the fence is needed. In order to secure their children’s education and marriage, they earn more by spending more and more time away from them, depriving them of their time. Where is the time to build the fence? And what is the fate of the young tree that does not have a fence? It’s open to all the forces that could destroy it. Likewise, today’s children are exposed to many distractions. The results, though not unexpected, are shocking. It’s evident in the tribulations and trepidations of today’s parents. With further economic growth forecast, more people will get wealthier; which means more parents will be able to cosset their kids with worthless paraphernalia and contraptions by spending less and less quality time with them.

When pampered with the best foods and trinkets and baubles, without instilling a respect for resources, children’s perception of life becomes something that the parents would not have expected – a hedonistic lifestyle that everything in their life is because they’ve earned it by virtue of their birth. They grow to believe that it is all for their taking and the less wealthy are a few steps down the status ladder. They look down upon all beings less fortunate.

The responsibility is with the parents to change this perception. The earlier it is in the life of a child, the better. Some of the ways in which this change in perception could be brought about are as below.
- Taking your children to the numerous orphanages in your city/ town.
- Spending his/ her birthday in a hospital distributing sweets to its inmates.
- Teaching them to say ‘thank you’ to the small boy collecting used tumblers in eateries.
- Spending a day in a hospice.
- Teaching them to plant and protect trees and care for the plants.
- Sending them to your maid’s house to find for themselves the facilities in their homes.
- Guiding them in preparing a project on how children in the poorest countries of Africa spend a day in school/ hunger.

In short, seek a deeper interaction with the poorer world around us – and that world still is mighty huge. It will help them realize that they are fortunate to have so many comforts. Gradually, a sense of respect for all people that also incorporates a sense of responsibility towards resources can be seen. After this, they will appreciate and be thankful for all that you have given to them and use them instead of abusing them.

Business Minds

2009-02-08T21:35:00.005+05:30

The last book that I was reading was 'Business Minds'. It is a collections of short interviews with 50 great management thinkers or thought leaders of the last century divided into 50 chapters. There were names that I had heard before like Peter Drucker, Alvin Toffler and C.K. Prahlad. And there were many I've never heard before like Arie de Geus, Michael Hammer and Sumanthra Ghoshal, yet whose contributions have been equally phenomenal like giving the concept of 'the living organisation', 'knowledge management', 'the soft and the hard S's of management', etc.

Let me admit I did not understand most of these theories. I was sometimes just covering the pages. However, one can observe a definite pattern in anything and everything. The unmistakable pattern that I saw in this book - supposedly the collection of the best of the management theorists - had to do with how employees of an organisation were looked after. And how human capital was effectively managed and tapped into.

This, they say, is a different way of management when compared with the erstwhile methods of sturdy control from the top that were practiced till even the late 80's. And the quicker organisations embrace this model, the more successful they will be.
Why is this surprisingly novel? Obviously because it has not been the case so far. Then, how has it been?
Employees were always considered to be disposable assets. They were just like machines, replaceable like any other asset of an organisation could be - without much loss. If employees were respected and handled well, it was largely due to personal values of business owners. There was not much business value to be accumulated in treating them well.

In an increasigly flatter business world, that became untenable. Movement of people across organisations was no more difficult. And in an era where innovation became the mantra, retaining and building the knowledge of their teams became business nirvana.
Knowledge that gradually camouflaged into capital!! That's human capital.

What does it really mean for the organisation to treat 'em well? Definitely it can't be with fatter pay cheques alone. In fact, in many cases, it's not an essential condition at all. Apart from well known factors like pay, flexi-work hours to aid work-life balance, a challenging role, the most critical one, in my opinion, is the way you are respected and groomed by your immediate boss. It's not without reason they say 'An employee does not leave the company. She leaves her manager'. It sounds so simplistic. But the whole idea of human capital must be firmly rooted in it. That, essentially, is the beginning of a model symbiotic relationship.
(I've got more to say on this, in particular of the Indian scenario. That will be in a later post).

Two other concepts interested me. One was the criticism that managers were blinded by numbers and figures and that good managers would not be strictly reason-oriented when dealing with humans. The other being that of 'spiritual intelligence'. We've known intelligence of aptitude, and emotional intelligence, and a few other lesser known terms married to intelligence. SI is not about spirituality and the higher awareness of saintly beings. It's objective is increased awareness. It is about questioning why we are doing something that we are doing now. Documented as a business theory, it naturally aims at more benefits to organisations and their employees.

Overall, I think I gained from this book in that it strengthens my views on the topic on person-management. But more importantly it will give the reader more to think about - it did to me!!

The sun's arrival

2009-01-31T18:57:00.004+05:30

Is it the beginning of the rise of this country?

No, this is not the chauvinism of a crazy nationalist. Before every rise and fall of an entity, there are changes - significant as well as those that are subtle to go unnoticed. And these will range across different spheres.

Just like insects twitter, the rooster crows and the vanishing act of the snow-on-grass before the rupture through the clouds of the reddish-orange rays of the burning sun, there are tocsins before a nation announces it's arrival on the world stage. Only this time, it's not as a republic. But as the leader who will have a dominant say in a progressively multipolar world.

Although the Indian movie industry has been spurning out the largest number of movies in the world, only recently are they being globally recognised. Despite Satyajit Ray's and Mira Nair's contributions before, it's only now Indian cinema is going places, literally. The ingredients of Slumdog Millionaire may not be completely Indian. Nevertheless, the spotlight has turned towards India's film industry. The Golden Globes and the upcoming Oscars on February 22nd are proof of a rupture.

For more than half a century, despite the raw ability and talent of a great people, India never managed to win individual gold at the Olympics. That doesn't hold anymore. For an event that's inbuilt in ethnic Chinese, badminton has a new and upcoming star from India. She has won the junior world title and is no. 10 among the best in the world. She is barely 19 years old. More promising is her dedication and diligence that sooner rather than later will place her on top of the world. And there is a lad who has just won the Australian Open. No, the men's finals are scheduled for tomorrow. But an Indian has won the boy's singles title today. Today it's the boy's title; tomorrow(in the coming years) will be the men's. Ruptures again.

We are buying global companies. Corporate India has been busy buying and digesting huge steel companies and age-old names in the automobile sector. Our strength in Information Technology has bolstered our confidence to buy established software firms to broaden our software empire across Europe. Spirited barons are buying out famed names in the alcohol business and spreading their wings across other business lines. And they are buying formula one teams and are in talks to buy English football teams.

We have touched the moon. Eventhough late it is for these brains that gave the world numbers and Chess, to touch it now, happened it has now. Sky was the limit. We have moved beyond. Consequently, we have set our sights at the sidereal elements in the limitless firmament. Ruptures galore.

The march cannot be without gripping challenges. Terrorism has always hampered progress. The attack on one of India's landmarks has again given the world a chance to view the fortitude we display. And still we believe in diplomacy and peace. When a major part of the world has been taken over by the financial maelstorm, India is displaying cool confidence. It has not touched their psyche. It is business as usual. And what quick action from the powers that be, a reflection of that comforting confidence, has gone into the management of the chaos that a software behemoth found itself in. Challenges, yes. But can clouds overwhelm the sun? The rays are already piercing them.

Rays by themselves are not identified. They, together, serve to announce the arrival of their source. Need there be a reason to name the rays? The sun is arriving.

ps: Perhaps I've become a chauvinist nationalist.

குறை நிறைத்தான் பிரம்மன்!!

2008-12-19T15:14:00.000+05:30

தன் படைப்பில் பிழை கண்டான் பிரம்மன்.
ஈராயிரம் ஷேக்ஸ்பியர்கள் கூடினாலும்
பாடலாகாது பூக்களின் அழகு.
அதனழகு அரியாது குருட்டுப் பூக்கள்.
பதுமைப் படைத்தான், குறை நிறைத்தான்.

Two words and a CBM

2008-11-21T10:16:00.002+05:30

On 'Vinayagar Chathurthi', a Hindu festival, a few days ago, I was travelling in a town bus in Bangalore. There was the usual hullabaloo that some self-styled chauvinists are known for during these Hindu processions. (Arguably, the celebration does not aim at praising Ganesha; instead, at instigating others through praising Ganesha; we will save that topic for another day).

I stood(rarely do we get a seat) travelling, lurking outside for a glimpse of the different 'costumes' that Ganesh wore that day. As a bus-stop approached, there was a small crowd that looked like an 'after-theatre' group. A man around 30 with his son, I believe, a beautiful four-or-five year old with fair face and Godly countenance, and his hair flowing down his nape, boarded the bus. The beard and the pyjama of the man, the white religious cap over the head of the infant, and their shibboleth, spoke of their identity.

My habit of trying to grab the attention of children with a smile, and then search my pocket for a Paris 'mittai' or an Ecklairs or a mango bite, continued. Only this time, it was empty. But the toddler also never turned towards me. The man stood besides me with the child in his arms.

After about five minutes, still the boisterous celebrations on, the man would bend, just as I have been, for a glimpse of the God and in a low tone, but clear enough for me to hear, asked his son "Ganesh dekha?"(Did you see Ganesha?) pointing towards an embellished Ganesh idol.

Stop. Stop.

This was new to me. But my ear letting me down was not. So I was more attentive now. Again, I heard the same words "Ganesh dekha?". The stripling would say a canorous 'Haan'. After a couple of stops, they were gone and I was on my way.

I would, for a long time after that incident, think of the two words. Why did he say that? Was it aimed at me who had ash on his forehead? Did he want to tell "others" that he was teaching his son secularism? Did he want to "show" that there were truly secular people in his community also?

Whatever the answer, the fact is, there happened something small, the importance of which cannot be emphasized more in our country, and today's world in general.

Many a time, I have been in his place trying to show to a couple of people around me what I believe - that God, if exists, does so as one, but in different "costumes". This show, not always(for I've got my own plans to make), and invariably during a bus travel, would involve a gentle brush down my face with my palms as the bus would pass a Mosque, or a cross on my chest for a Church.

So, I would presume I did understand the idea behind the two words. Sensing that I was a liberal might have encouraged the man to ask that question. That might have been the confidence he saw in me!! And he took it a lot further!! The result is buttressed belief in human goodness, a sense of camaraderie, and most importantly, hope - hope for a better future.

Treaties signed after years of red-tape between nation-states are not the only measures to build confidence. CBMs can also be built at the common man's level that can make a positive, rock-solid, and ever-lasting impact against a widely held tenebrous belief that proclaims one's religion as the only religion; one's religion as the only religion that is capable of salvation, capable of taking you to His feet, capable of healing your ills, capable of making you wealthy, and capable of what-not!!!

These CBMs, at the grass-roots level, not necessarily for religious harmony alone, are more powerful than the signed ones. And we are the virtual signatories to it. What this takes is nothing but a smile, an accomodating mindset and an understanding of love.

The choice is available for everyone.

Draw the red line

2008-11-18T14:51:00.003+05:30

There are so many things we get worried about. Even though we have so many to be happy over, we never stop to worry about something or the other in our day-to-day lives. To say that we are all worry-adicts may not be completely false. So, do we have a remedy for this? That is, if at all we want and wish we could have one.

Right from childhood, we are running after studies, work, extra curriculars, etc.
And success or failure in each of these affects us hard emotionally.
Not only that. We are worried over each and every small activity in our everyday lives.
When we miss the bus to school or office, we are angry with ourselves. When we miss the alarm, miss the special class, and wake up at 10, we bury our heads in shame at not being able to even control the time we wake up. When we can't manage to adhere to a schedule one day, we are cross with ourselves.

This is apart from the resulting sadness after our boss lambasts us for poor (or so he thought) workmanship; or the seething anger after the spouse would not accede to your request for whatever.

So there never is an end to this worry-mania. Or is it?
When I started thinking about this(after worrying over one such inconsequential matter), I thought let me draw a line on this. Let me write out exactly for what reasons I am going to be worried/ sad/ too bothered from now on, for everything will pass. I'm going to control that. And that will not control me.

To be sure, we will be upset at minor failures. But I think we can quickly and consciously think over it and be back at our cheerful best.

Here is a typical example:
Do we feel happy when we reach work in time? No? Why? Isn't that a good thing? Perhaps it is normal to reach office in time. And that's the reason we don't celebrate when that happens.
Now, why do we feel angry/ sad when we reach office late? Anger/ sadness is just another emotion like happiness is.
When we don't feel an emotion(called happiness) for what has been achieved, why do we have to feel an emotion(called sadness) for what was not achieved?

If you say that that is not normal and that's the reason you get angry, then we move on a little further - isn't erring a human trait? Yes, it is. To err is human. Therefore, to err is normal. So if we don't feel happy for something normal, we need not feel sad for something normal.

Conclusion: if you feel happy for what was achieved, you may rightfully feel aggrieved if it was not. And, and this is the bottomline, if you don't feel happy for what's achieved, you do not have the right to worry yourself.

Draw the red line.

Financial crisis as on 13th Nov. 2008

2008-11-14T18:43:00.000+05:30

In all probability, the crisis will lead some developed countries(already Germany is one) to a recession. The picture is, slowly but surely, getting murkier.

Corporate India's September quarter results have been poor. They have reduced their revenue forecasts for the next couple of quarters. There are red flags all over after Intel announced revenue forecast cuts in the past couple of days. And more is expected in this direction. But huge layoffs have still not been planned. Touch wood!! This is apart from the effects of the US treasury's U-turn on swallowing bad assets.

So stock indices could go down further. Sensex might breach 8k and stay at those levels briefly. So I guess there's still time for bottom-fishing.

Ok, now to the solutions!!

Since the fallout of the crisis last month, many solutions have been doing the rounds. Some of these have already been tried - interest cuts, providing loans to banks, etc. Just to be sure, many economists never seriously expected these to stop the freefall. But there were some other solutions which, proponent economists argued, had to be the way. And these were interesting solutions.

They argued for direct manouveres - invest directly in the economy. These measures will result in putting more money in the hands of the people, the consumer. That in turn will lead to increased spending that could possibly revitalise the economy.
How is this achieved? Through increased spending by the governments.
In what ways? Building local infrastructure, capacity building in PSUs(mainly manufacturing industries), etc.

This solution has got a taker in the form of a 'dragon'.
Last week, China announced that it will be investing almost 600 billion dollars over the next two years to soften, if not negate, the effects of the slowdown. With its stupendous record at implementing policy decisions, the move will certainly bear fruit.

What can this do to the global economy?
First of all, it's a move that will catch the attention of the world. And then many countries could follow, although the results for individual countries will vary. If more countries follow this, there is a very good chance that the slowdown will be short lived. It will be difficult, though, to extricate some developed economies from this quagmire. But India and many other countries will benefit with similar measures.

So even as times get difficult for some countries, for some like ours, it may not be as bad as we are now fearing it to be. But then we will have to wait and see how things play out.

To sum up, tougher times lie ahead for all of us.
But developing economies could recover faster.

Financial crisis as on 21st Oct 2008

2008-11-14T18:39:00.000+05:30

It's just early days yet. No one can aver how severe or how long this downslide/ recession will continue. For example, when US goes into a recession(officially they've still not), most people believe it will go on for two years. This is mainly based on the fact that the last recession lasted barely two years. But Paul Krugmann, this year's Nobel laureate for Economic sciences, argues that it could last more than that this time around. That's because the last time around, after the IT bubble burst, the US was able to come out of it mainly because of the mortgages market. They just managed to pull themselves out before two years. But this time around, from the magnitude(huge) of loss of the sub-prime crisis(remember that this market is alone worth $15 trillion. if you want, read it again. It is fifteen trillion dollars. Just for comparison sake, India's GDP is ONE trillion dollars), he says no other sector could quickly salvage the US economy.

So it's just early days yet. As to its impact on the Indian economy, definitely there will be an impact as around 40% of software exports to the US are to the BFSI sector. But the "shivering" sensation in the Indian economic scenario is not to be seen yet. But again, it is early days. The SWITCH companies(Satyam, Wipro, Infy, TCS, Cognisant, HCL) have reduced their fresher intake and many others have frozen hiring of experienced hands. But still the general mood is not gloomy. So we can take some heart and plan what we could possibly do - as your 10 points say.

Loans:
Already, to hold the markets from tumbling down, the RBI and Government have taken quite a few steps of which some(CRR, repo rate) will directly affect the rates at which loans are disbursed by banks to the common man. So we can expect the loan rates to go further down...which translates into lesser cost for owning a house or a car. But then again our salaries could be lesser. But the point is that, one should not decide not to take a loan. Flexibility is the best policy when it comes to managing money.

Investments:
Warren Buffett buys when everyone sells. In January this year, the Sensex was climbing at nearly 21K. Who might have had the audacity to predict that it will fall below 10000 in 10 months? Isn't it such a mouth-watering oppurtunity to buy now? If there was ever a BEST time to buy, it is NOW. That's because it will not fall below 9K and the only direction it can go is skywards.