Dr. Mallya and India

I am not an economist. I am not sure what this means to Indian economy and finally affects a common man. I can assume a very little, considering huge sums in several political scams. However, having flown KingFisher during Good Times, would like add a fact for the record: Dr. Mallya tried his level best to introduce world class Air Travel Service in India and succeeded to great extent despite losses. He even sold his family silver for a loss making Airlines to keep afloat in the skies, for us to have a 5 star flying experience.

I am not a shrewd businessman. However, I strongly feel that buying off Air Deccan and paying huge sums was his only and greatest mishap in running KingFisher. He made business loss there. Mind you, he brought better service flying those Deccan Aircrafts, re-painted and re-branded and almost for the same cost for an Indian Air traveler and adding the world class service that he always believed an Indian should experience during an Air Travel. He is the best host that an Indian businessman can ever be or can ever become. Period.

As far business loss and settling with banks, I do not know any details and cannot comment. One thing, if any, I have to criticize strongly against Dr. Mallya is – KingFisher not having paid the employees. Whatever the excuse, the employees should have been paid and Dr. Mallya, in exile or not, should arrange to pay the outstanding salaries to the employees. Once done, he is as good as or, in most ways, a better businessman India ever had who treated his customers as guests who visited his home. 

Rahul Gandhi interview with Arnab Goswami

Ladies and Gentlemen readers, firstly I would like to declare that I am not a Congressman. Also, I do not write about politics. However, after seeing the interview of Rahul Gandhi with Arnab Goswami in YouTube and after reading thru the newspapers and columns in internet, I wanted to take time off and write about the interview and what, in my opinion, is the right perspective to analyze the interview. More importantly, what is the right message to take away from the interview.

The reviews were very sad. Almost all the reviews, some from eminent columnists, were trying to depict that Rahul did not get what Arnab was saying and repeated himself. On the contrary, it was Arnab who did not get what Rahul was saying and it was Arnab who repeated the questions which, in my opinion, when answered will only be of interest to masala movie-goers. Rahul avoided them. In fact, so subtly he had tried to explain to Arnab, ‘let us try and talk about important things’.

During the final minutes, a frustrated Rahul openly condemned that Arnab is not interested in talking about serious issues that Rahul wanted to talk about. The reply from Arnab – lamest excuse possible: ‘If I want to talk about them, I would be listening to a Rahul Gandhi speech. But, this is a Rahul Gandhi interview’.

What it really means – we, the media (channels and newspapers), are not interested in how you are planning to run this country and what are the changes you plan to bring about to the system? Rather we just want to know your answer on ‘Modi calling you a ‘Prince’’. Rahul is not going to answer these questions. He is much bigger than that. And certainly Rahul is not going to be dragged into sensitive and unfortunate riots (and sadly, sensational for the channels even after years have passed) and scams and arrests. He is not game for talking about anything Past. Learning from the Past is as far he would go. From what I could see: Rahul is present. Rahul is future.

Take the single-most important thing from Rahul’s interview! If you listen carefully, he mentioned critical things about how India is run. India is run by policies and laws made by elected representatives. He challenged, read carefully here – even his own party’s procedures, about how we select our candidates who contest elections. Is it not crux of the whole thing? SELECT RIGHT CANDIDATES! Send them to parliament! They make the right policies and laws. They do not involve in scams. The system changes!

After what had happened in the parliament over Telangana row recently, after seeing corrupt politicians arrested, released and re-elected over several decades, after scams after scams looted Indian wealth and after seeing India’s poverty raising to the third of world’ poor – it is high time, we actually listen to someone who has a plan to select right candidates and who has the power to nominate right candidates. Listen to him. Empower Rahul Gandhi! Empower him with overwhelming support!

I thank Rahul for using the word ‘System’ so many times. I sincerely hope every common Indian who had listened to the Interview heard the word as many times and understood that the system in India is fundamentally wrong.

Have questions on Rahul’s plans/ Strategies? Please send someone other than Arnab Goswami, perhaps in a show called ‘Frankly listening’ and listen to Rahul’s idea about selecting right people to run the country and about his plans on changing the system.

Now, please do not come back to me with an intellectual debate that it was Congress that started the Telangana issue and Congress had been severely scam-hit in recent years. This write-up is about all the political parties and current Indian system and about someone who has vision, power and influence to change the system. We, the people of India, have to empower him with overwhelming support that he needs. Let me be very direct and very clear. Empower Rahul with absolute majority! That is the only way the system can change. Just think about it!

Honour killing! Really?

It has been months since I had read about the Judgement in Aarushi murder case. Even today, as I sit down to write this blog, I am extremely disturbed and worried.

An investigation based on the theory of ‘Honour killing’; A Judgement based on the theory of ‘Honour killing’, in the year of 2014. I agree that we are a third world country and technology & the facilities offered to (and the processes set up for) various government departments are way inferior compared to that of developed world. That should not necessarily dictate that the quality of thoughts, actions and expressions by these departments to be very inferior and downright unacceptable.

The UP police did kill Honour of a child; The Post-Mortem team did Honour killing; The CBI did Honour killing; The Forensic team did Honour killing; The media, both ‘Print’ and ‘Telecast’ did Honour killing; The Judgement did Honour killing; Above all, the people of this country did the biggest of Honour killing – reading and watching over several years and doing nothing about it;

It is so very convenient for everyone involved, to shamelessly do this, because Aarushi is not alive. It also is extremely convenient because they can sell this theory in India. What is worse, the public wants to read more and flourish on the cheap entertainment about a bad character here, an Honour killing there and swinging couples everywhere.

 By some miraculous divine intervention, if Aarushi were to be alive today, how many of these gentlemen/ladies have the moral courage to go and stand before her and say the things they have said about her openly to the entire nation. Aarushi would apply pepper spray on them because this is an attack on her character. And Aarushi would have every right to question their character.

If an investigative agency and a court of law can convict parents of a child on Honour killing theory and circumstantial evidences, what is the sentence against CBI for killing the Honour of a child (just by wild and shady imagination) with no evidence whatsoever?

By this post, we pray along with million others for the higher courts to restore the Honour of a murdered child. Truth must prevail!

Tamil Nadu Students and 2014 Parliamentary Elections

At the outset, I would like to declare the target audience for this write-up – Tamil Nadu students. Also, though the write-up can act as general guidelines on a student’s role in any elections, would like to restrict the conversation to 2014 parliamentary elections.

Worldwide, there are several examples when Student movements brought about astounding changes. The students of various colleges and institutions in Tamil Nadu have participated in rightful and just movements before; Very well know the effect of such protests.

The time has arrived again when the students have to act upon and exercise the power they rightfully own. VOTE! During the elections, it is the opportunity and duty of the Tamil Nadu students to vote right. Three simple guidelines:

1. Vote right.
2.  Influence everyone in the family, friends and the community to vote right.
3. Spread this message across the entire Tamil Nadu to bring about the change.

I am not a political advisor. I have said so several times in my earlier articles. However, if anyone has an uncertainty as to whom to vote, please read upon, for my thoughts:

What to do?
1.             All Daringly Must Knock out anti-Tamil Nadu forces
2.             All Dutifully Must Knead to decisive leadership
3.            All Dravidians (so to speak) Must Know the truth

Why to do?  Because,
1.            A national party has routed itself in the state
2.            Another national party has a comical coalition
3.            Permanent benefiters have more family issues to sort out

The student communities of the state of Tamil Nadu have a clear mandate for 2014 elections. Remember, we are electing representatives to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu. Please be prudent and prevail! Truth must triumph!

Author’s note:-

It is a deliberate attempt to delay this write-up and post 10 days prior to the elections. The author wants the message to be new and fresh in the minds of all – yet there has to be enough time to spread the message throughout the state.

It is a coincidence that the message goes out on the day of Tamil New year! Happy New year everyone! One Vote! One Leadership!

I have a dream!

Prologue: - Hi All, I had dreamt this write-up on 02nd day of April, 2014. Currently, we have a new Prime Minister in India. Nevertheless, my dreams are still very accurate and I hope and pray that my dreams will come true!

Dreams:-

I wanted to write this post and publish on the 01^st day of April. But then, I did not want this post to be read with the hint as an April fool’s joke, laughed at and as quickly dismissed from thoughts. I wanted to write this post as a collection of ‘Then There is…’

Since the writing goes on the 02^nd day of April, for a good reason, the post would be a collection of ‘Then there will be…’

Then there will be a Prime Minister who would appear on National Television and announce ‘I will not allow any farmer to commit suicide in our land. Farmers, who are watching, take my direct official telephone number and call me if such a thought ever crosses your mind. We will find the cause and eliminate the cause altogether. Trust me! Farmers are the heartbeat of India and I will not allow a farmer’s heartbeat to stop by suicide. Not under my watch!’

Then there will be a Prime Minister who would NOT want to leave a legacy as ‘I have done nothing wrong!’ Rather who would want to leave a legacy as ‘I have done everything Right’ and a stronger legacy as ‘I have not allowed anyone in the government to do anything wrong’

Then there will be a Prime Minister who would NOT allow a neighboring country to mass murder hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens in the name of war against terror. Then there will be a Prime Minister who would NOT allow the same neighboring country to kill Indian fishermen on a daily basis.

Then there will be a Prime Minister who would send a direct strong command, if needed military power, against a State government to force open the rightful River Water Supply to the neighboring state where thousands of farmers die year after year due to the illogical and completely opportunistic political system.

Then there will be an unpolluted political system in our country which will not blend the corruptive measure ‘Cash for Vote’ in any level of the democracy. Then there will be chief ministers of our states with the wholesome goal towards upliftment of the nation and people of the state’s only.

Then there will be authors who will not promote underage drinking and premarital sex in every book that they write to promote sales among what is called as ‘mass’ in the country. Then there will be media as a whole that understands ‘A country is as good as its press!’

Then there will be Police, Investigative and Judiciary systems that are mindful and actually understand the meaning of justice, dignity of justice and understand the know-hows as to whom, for what and by how the justice will be carried out.

Then there will be advanced and civilized society when foreign tourists would declare that our land is the safest in the world, for women. Then there will be a day when almost all billion plus Indians can stand up and say ‘I am proud to be an Indian’! Cheers J

MH370

I wanted to write this post and publish on 01^st April, 2014. Two reasons why I would like to publish a week earlier:
1. Going by the current search results, the post would still remain an April fool’s joke on 01^st of April. 
2. Ten days from now, as harsh as it might sound, the world will no longer be interested in MH370.

I have not searched the net for the statistical data on how many Aircraft have gone missing and found or not found, how many ships have hit the bottom of oceans and how many Aircraft have crashed. I do not seem to recollect any information from my memory other than the Sep 09^th, planned Aircraft(s) crash into World Trade Centre. The same would be true for many readers.

Why? We always delve into the current hot news. For any other News to stick into our memory, the news has got to be BIG. Unless our relatives, friends or someone we know is affected, the news will be fast forgotten.

Not many details in the search procedures interest me. There is one fact about the passenger(s) mobile phones were ringing even after second or third day into the search. If, in fact, according to the accepted theory, the Aircraft had hit the bottom of an ocean then I would like to know the make and model of the mobile phones and also the service provider details. Very impressive!

As someone who used to be a frequent flyer myself, I sincerely pray and hope that the MH370 be found and all on board are still alive by some miraculous means. People alive or not, still I hope for the Aircraft to be found 1. To pay respect for the departed souls by their relatives and for honourable burials.  2. To get whatever clue towards the cause of Aircraft missing and crash, to learn and avoid such serious errors.

Before signing off, wish that I do not have to post this again on 01^st of April, 2015. 

Khobragade and Aarushi

Today, I have read the news about “India welcomes US court dropping indictment against Khobragade”. India is happy to pull off what is being considered as restoring honor of an Indian citizen, to be more specific, an Indian diplomat. Well done! Congratulations! Indian government stands up strongly for one of her daughters, corrupt or not.

Am I happy reading this news? Not at all! On the contrary, I am deeply saddened. The same government did nothing to stop tarnishing of a murdered child’s honor. Aarushi! Almost every governmental organization (Police, CBI, Forensic Labs), Media and Judiciary assassinated the honor of a murdered child. The entire country allowed this to happen. The Indian government allowed this to happen. Mother India let one of her youngest daughter’s honor ripped and did not shed a tear.

When a country, with all her might, is fighting for restoring honor of a diplomat, a common man expects the same for every citizen. Now, what does a common man expect when Aarushi murder case goes for appeal in higher courts? Restore honor of a child! Even if that takes to admit that all the governmental organizations have erred, admit it! There is no shame! Rather, India will be more proud to declare to the world that, she does not mind admitting wrong-doing and looking bad by her earlier actions, if her current righteous actions make her daughters look good and make her daughters honourable!

When the government has the audacity to question and challenge a foreign country’s legal system on an arrest of one of her diplomats (probably corrupt), should the government not fight against wrongful judgement meted out to one of her innocent daughters (and, in all likelihood, guiltless parents) by the home judicial system.

All of us pray that the higher courts will do the right thing and restore the honor of a murdered child! Satyameva Jayate!

How to win Elections?

Alright! It is elections time! Every political party, regional or national, would like to make a huge presence in the winner's list when the results are out.  But, how to win elections? How to make it big?

After several years of democratic systemic procedures, it is still hazy for several political parties. The answer is quite simple - I think. Leave it to the candidates! Make them accountable! and Back them up to the tilt! Who else would put utmost efforts for the WIN?

Setup a core electoral campaign team with a campaign head! The responsibility of this team is to guide the candidates. The procedure again, is quite simple - I think. SWOT! The candidates are to prepare SWOT analysis well in advance prior to the elections and present to the campaign team.

Responsibility of the Campaign team is to learn, analyze and review the progress of SWOT on timely basis.

S - Strengths - How to enhance them and reap maximum benefits out of the Strengths
W - Weaknesses - How to reduce the impact of the Weaknesses
O - Opportunities - How to make the fullest use of the Opportunities
T - Threats - How to eliminate the threats

Any issue, big or small, will fall into any of the above four categories. The ground rule while doing the SWOT analysis is to enlist every parameter which would influence the voting, however insignificant it may seem at the time of preparation. Remember, every single vote counts!

May be I will give one small example, for instance, on Opportunities. There always have been a huge sections of office-goers, educated youth or elders and businessmen who do not turn out to vote on the day of elections. Opportunity for every political party to invite them to vote!

All the best Campaign teams! Long live Indian Democracy!
 Check out this link!