3 posts in one - a few days late

These posts should have come some time ago. But my head was elsewhere then...(as you know).

Post 1 - My answer to terrorism
अपने अपने घरों से निकलें , और फिर ये इकरार करें
हाथ पकड़ कर एक दूसरे का, आग का दरिया पार करें...

We fight
The fear in our hearts
And then
The ones who try to create it.

हंगामा कितना ही कर जाता है,
आख़िरकार सिकंदर भी मर जाता है॥

Post 2 - The NewsPaper Bag Project
One of my all time favorite bloggers - Z, has this link on her blog - to a newspaper bag project being run by Ro, her son. I am linking here, not just for her, but also because i really, really love newspaper bags. They are good recycling, and lots of fun to make, esp. with kids at home.. do try it.. HERE.

Post 3 - The Blogging Friends Forever Award
~nm gave me this award.. I am soooo overwhelmed!! Thank you ever so much. That this post should come on my last day in this location is another cute coincidence..





I now need to pass this on to 3 more people, but after a very frustrating half hour, am nowhere close to only 3 names . So here it goes, to the village that i have come to know here.. to all the friends who make Sex and the City kind of friendship feel real.. to everyone who has been here... be here forever. For Ever. That's such a nice word. Holds much hope...

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Amu the Film

Finished watching Amu - The Film last night. Its a very slow movie, but conveys strongly what it sets out to convey. I could not sleep for most part of last night.

I was 7 years old in 1984. I am a Sikh. It was 13 years(in 1997) before I would recount, even to myself, what happened in that year.(I am yet to speak to anyone else)

The memory was followed by hatred, and hatred by that inevitable question - Why?

So why is this, the most personal fact about me, on this public blog? Because now, another 11 years later, I think there is an answer to that "Why?" That answer is relevant to all children of riots, and to chidren who are just getting to know about 1984, Godhra or Orissa.

1984 was not about Sikhism. Godhra was not about Islam, and Orissa is not about Christianity. It is about power. 1984 happened because Indira Gandhi could not tolerate the growing power of the Akalis in Punjab, and created a parallel force called Bhindrawale. What she had not anticipated or planned for, was the evolution of Bhindrawale into a strong force. Bhindrawale became her Frankenstein. Operation Blue Star was necessary - both to consolidate her power, and to end the internal security nightmare that she had created in Punjab.
With that operation, many believe(incl. me) , she signed her death warrant, and the death warrant of all the Sikhs in her country.
It was not about Sikhism. It was about the Akali Dal and the Congress.

It is about power. Religion is only used because it is the master key to the passions of the millions. Everyone responds strongly to religion. It is our fault. The fault of the stupid common man.

It was an organised pogrom. A very organised pogrom. How quickly things could get organised often leave me wondering whether the Congress set up was preparing for this carnage anyway, and the Indira Gandhi murder was just a convenient excuse.

It has taken a long time to sift out the emotional from the historical and to arrive at a theory.
Take it or leave it, That is my theory of Indian Riots. What's yours?

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Thoughts on Yesterday/ हिन्दी दिवस मुबारक

On the Delhi Blasts: The blasts were "Low intensity" but the media frenzy and the panic created by the media was not।

दिल्ली बम विस्फोट - बम कम क्षमता के थे, पर हमारे खबरी टी वी वालों का जवाब नही। सारे देश से फ़ोन करवा दिए हमे।

On "A Wednesday" : It is not fair to put all accolades in one basket - that of Naseer. He is a fine performer, but not the only one who deserves praise. The performer who stood out, from the first scene, was Anupam Kher too. My Cheers to Anupam Kher!! And while we are at it, more Pest Cleaners please.

फ़िल्म "A Wednesday" : नसीर साहब बहुत उम्दा कलाकार हैं, पर अनुपम खेर साहब का ज़िक्र कोई क्यूँ नही करता? इस चिट्ठे की प्रशंसा, अनुपम खेर के नाम! और हाँ, कुछ सफाई वाले और मंगवा दीजिये कहीं से, नसीर साहब जैसे।

On Hindi Day: The only way i got to know that today is Hindi Day, is through the Hindi newpaper that we have. The Times of India does not think of Hindi Day as being relevant to our times. ;-p
आज हिन्दी दिवस है, ये बात सिर्फ़ हिन्दी अखबार से ही पता चल सकी। Times of India को नही लगता की ये हमारे वक्त में ऐसी बात है, जिसे ३० अखबार के पन्नो में १ लाइन दी जा सके।
हिन्दी दिवस मुबारक।

On the BMW Hit and Run cases in Delhi: (There have been 2 hit and run cases involving BMW vehicles in the last week)
1. Did anyone find out if the motor cycle riders were riding as per the rules?
2. Why is it that of all the hit and run cases, only BMW is mentioned as the brand name ?

BMW केसों पर (दिल्ली में पिछले १ हफ्ते में २ BMW गाड़ियों को ले कर हादसे हो चुके हैं। ) :
१ किसी ने ये पूछा की ये नौनिहाल जो मोटर साइकिल पर थे, वे नियम के विरुद्ध चला रहे थे या नही?
२। सारे मामलों में , सिर्फ़ एक ही गाडी का ब्रांड नेम क्यूँ बताया जाता है?


Enuf Said।
बस इतना ही।

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one MBA post.

As I see it, commuting is going to be, after sickness, perhaps the second biggest cause of loss of employee productivity. One does not have the figures, so it might also be the single biggest contributor.

How does one handle this situation? There are 2 plausible options:
1. Create small, self contained townships. ( a la Tatanagar, Modinagar, WIMCO nagar..)
2. Allow telecommuting as a standard practice.

As things stand, No. 1 is too expensive for companies who will spend a lot on their top executives, but pinch the others on pens and notepads and free lunches.

No. 2 requires a lot of trust, and that is missing too.

I sometimes wonder, what made it possible for the Tatas and Modis to build Tatanagar and Modinagar for their employees, and today’s organisations, with much higher net worth, find it difficult to replicate the model? (Just wondering…)

Does telecommuting make business and financial sense? You bet it does. Will it be implemented anytime soon? Ha ha ha. Unlikely, at best.

As an organisation/ employee, what would you prefer , or is there a third option?

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"I Love you." is not a phrase. It is a sentence.

Way too often, I love you is made a phrase. I love you because... I'd love you if...I love you but....

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