The motto for the rising number of American billionaires seems to be “Take and Give.” Last week, about forty American billionaires have pledged to donate at least half their wealth for charity. Warren Buffet has even gone to the extent of donating 99% of his fortune. Bill Gates has pledged a whooping $30 billion.
The sad thing is that Indians, who also have roughly equal number of billionaires as the US if not more, are wary of donations to social causes. People like Mukesh Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal and Azim Premji along with a few other big names control a quarter of India’s GDP. Still they do not donate as much. One reason could be that they may be grubby and selfish (which I am sure they are not), while Americans have clean fingers and a clear conscience. The other reason could be that India’s wealthy are a new and fledgling class, and need time to evolve a charitable bone. To me, even this argument does not hold. The answer lies elsewhere.
Just to go back 100 years in time, when Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee became the Vice-Chancellor of University of Calcutta (CU), he urged the wealthy class in erstwhile Calcutta to donate generously to establish CU as a premier teaching and research institution as previous to his reign, CU did not have such a reputation. The wealthy class responded and donated huge sums, even by bequeathing their properties in some cases. The reason was they knew that their hard earned money would be put into good public use. They were confident that corrupt officials would not squander the money away. This comfort factor, which is imperative for charity to flourish, is missing in India today.
Our lack of trust in public charity works at multiple levels. First, nobody wants his money being spent for the wrong reasons. One is also uncertain about one’s future and those of one’s dependents. This chokes the oxygen out of philanthropy. Philanthropic functions best in places where public servants are trusted till they are proven guilty. In India, the reverse is true. If the early years of CU can show us why philanthropy was possible in India 100 years ago, the Commonwealth Games fiasco is a prime example of why it would not be even contemplated today.
Hence for the Gates-Buffet factor to work in India, in the form of Ambani-Mittal-Premji magic, it is necessary to foster transparency and cleanliness in public life. For individuals to give to society, society should deserve it first.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
A nice climate can be rejuvenating….
I have stayed in quite a few cities in India, starting from coastal Mumbai, plains of Delhi, gangetic Kolkata (my hometown) and now of course in Bangalore, which is more of a plateau. The one thing which I have always opined about is that the climatic conditions in all these cities have affected my moods.
I hate saying this, but the bitter truth is that I have experienced the worst climate in Kolkata. Barring December-January when the winter bites heavily, the humidity here always touches an average of 85-90% which is energy-sapping. Add to that the scorching summer temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius from March to May, and the sultry climate from June-October with occasional showers during the monsoons. The worst part is that even after a spell of rain, the coolness in the air is not guaranteed. On the contrary, the sweating increases sometimes. With its weather, Kolkata can really bog you down in terms of efficiency and speed of work. You do not feel like going to a local shop to buy some groceries, or to recharge your SIM from a shop next door, because you know that by the time you come back after 15 minutes, you would be drenched in sweat. In Kolkata, I have also seen my mother taking an eternity to cook two dishes for lunch, which I take about 45 minutes here in Bangalore. Tiredness becomes an obvious concomitant to the mundane lifestyle in the “City of Joy.”
Bangalore, in this aspect is a huge relief. The maximum temperature that is reached throughout the year is 35 degrees Celsius, but the most comforting thing is that the humidity never crosses 50%. Once you get past May, even the temperatures hobble around the 28 degree mark, with a minimum of 19-20 degrees. It is really cool, literally. When mom comes here, I see a total contrast in her movements. From lethargy, she segues beautifully to promptness and even indulges in evening strolls sharp at 4 pm everyday, which she could never have contemplated in Kolkata. She admits it herself that the climate renews the rejuvenation in her.
These days, I observe the same weariness and fatigue in Kuhu’s voice. Staying here in the coolness of Bangalore I fail to interpret the torment she goes through in that humid, sweaty climate in Kolkata. Sometimes, I foolishly think that she is always carping unnecessarily and I even rebuke her. However the fact is that in that climate, it is very difficult to keep one’s mood in proper shape. I have my empathy for all of the millions staying there, including my loved ones. I wish I had a big enough apartment in Bangalore so that I could have brought everyone here and provided them some relief.
I hate saying this, but the bitter truth is that I have experienced the worst climate in Kolkata. Barring December-January when the winter bites heavily, the humidity here always touches an average of 85-90% which is energy-sapping. Add to that the scorching summer temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius from March to May, and the sultry climate from June-October with occasional showers during the monsoons. The worst part is that even after a spell of rain, the coolness in the air is not guaranteed. On the contrary, the sweating increases sometimes. With its weather, Kolkata can really bog you down in terms of efficiency and speed of work. You do not feel like going to a local shop to buy some groceries, or to recharge your SIM from a shop next door, because you know that by the time you come back after 15 minutes, you would be drenched in sweat. In Kolkata, I have also seen my mother taking an eternity to cook two dishes for lunch, which I take about 45 minutes here in Bangalore. Tiredness becomes an obvious concomitant to the mundane lifestyle in the “City of Joy.”
Bangalore, in this aspect is a huge relief. The maximum temperature that is reached throughout the year is 35 degrees Celsius, but the most comforting thing is that the humidity never crosses 50%. Once you get past May, even the temperatures hobble around the 28 degree mark, with a minimum of 19-20 degrees. It is really cool, literally. When mom comes here, I see a total contrast in her movements. From lethargy, she segues beautifully to promptness and even indulges in evening strolls sharp at 4 pm everyday, which she could never have contemplated in Kolkata. She admits it herself that the climate renews the rejuvenation in her.
These days, I observe the same weariness and fatigue in Kuhu’s voice. Staying here in the coolness of Bangalore I fail to interpret the torment she goes through in that humid, sweaty climate in Kolkata. Sometimes, I foolishly think that she is always carping unnecessarily and I even rebuke her. However the fact is that in that climate, it is very difficult to keep one’s mood in proper shape. I have my empathy for all of the millions staying there, including my loved ones. I wish I had a big enough apartment in Bangalore so that I could have brought everyone here and provided them some relief.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Banning the Blackberry in India…….
For the past couple of weeks, we have been witnessing a furore over the banning of BlackBerry services in India. Saudi Arabia and UAE have set the cat amongst the pigeons by doing so on security concerns, citing that the secured and encrypted messaging service offered by BlackBerry may be a favorite budding ground for terrorist networking. This may put national interests into serious jeopardy. India has asked RIM, the manufacturer of BlackBerry, to provide their proprietary codes so that Indian sleuths and ethical hackers can track messages that are being sent by the common man randomly, for the sake of “national interest.”
For God’s sake, I think the hierarchy need not be so insecure about its citizens out of the blue. There are much more pressing security issues that are yearning to be solved. The Constitution of India gives us the right to privacy and nobody has any business to eavesdrop on our personal conversations that we send through mobile phones. Besides that, technically speaking, the amount of raw data one much wade through to catch terrorists through phone conversations or messaging is impossible to handle in a country as vast and as talkative as India. In any case, intercepted phone chats are not exactly the sort of evidence that our honorable courts like to ratify.
To my humble knowledge, no terrorist has ever been caught with a BlackBerry. They use satellite phones. For the sake of argument, even if we ban BlackBerry or force open its encryption codes, there would be Skype and many more internet phone systems still open to the perpetrators of terror. By the time the government would ban these, new technologies would emerge. This is no secret that terrorists are shrewd and are always 2 steps ahead of law. Hence banning the BlackBerry would only hurt common people like you and I, who would now be sharing our private conversations with state-hired eavesdroppers. We may also get harassed by security agencies in their attempt to justify snooping. We do not want such a kind of nation, in the name of “national security.”
I need a new mobile handset for me pretty quickly anyway. If RIM refuses to cave in to the government’s demand, I would switch over to the BlackBerry to show my support for the cause. Right now, BlackBerry has come to represent my right to privacy and I am not going to give it up so easily. Nor should you.
For God’s sake, I think the hierarchy need not be so insecure about its citizens out of the blue. There are much more pressing security issues that are yearning to be solved. The Constitution of India gives us the right to privacy and nobody has any business to eavesdrop on our personal conversations that we send through mobile phones. Besides that, technically speaking, the amount of raw data one much wade through to catch terrorists through phone conversations or messaging is impossible to handle in a country as vast and as talkative as India. In any case, intercepted phone chats are not exactly the sort of evidence that our honorable courts like to ratify.
To my humble knowledge, no terrorist has ever been caught with a BlackBerry. They use satellite phones. For the sake of argument, even if we ban BlackBerry or force open its encryption codes, there would be Skype and many more internet phone systems still open to the perpetrators of terror. By the time the government would ban these, new technologies would emerge. This is no secret that terrorists are shrewd and are always 2 steps ahead of law. Hence banning the BlackBerry would only hurt common people like you and I, who would now be sharing our private conversations with state-hired eavesdroppers. We may also get harassed by security agencies in their attempt to justify snooping. We do not want such a kind of nation, in the name of “national security.”
I need a new mobile handset for me pretty quickly anyway. If RIM refuses to cave in to the government’s demand, I would switch over to the BlackBerry to show my support for the cause. Right now, BlackBerry has come to represent my right to privacy and I am not going to give it up so easily. Nor should you.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The worth of my High Self Esteem…..
I have always been among those who have a high degree of self-esteem. I know that there is a fine line between an “inflated ego” and “high self-esteem” but I feel that I have managed to sustain the latter as my forte. There is nothing more detrimental to a man, than to lose his sense of pride, which eventually would lead to the loss of respect he commands.
Just to give an example, there have been occasions when people have made me understand that I would be an unwanted guest at their house, if there is no formal invitation from their side. This is as if you visit people only if they invite you to do so. This is all right in professional relationships but stings badly in personal ones. If you like a person, you should not have a problem if he/she visits your place anytime, even without informing you before hand. In such circumstances, my self-esteem has always urged me to withhold even formal visits to their homes.
I remember, once when I was 9 years old, I went to have dinner with a very close family friend of ours, in a restaurant, which was only 2 km from our house. After dinner at 10.30 pm, he told me that I should walk home alone, and not get into his car. Even at such a small age, I had taken it very seriously and thought that I should never take privilege from somebody who has insulted me. I decided to walk home alone on that night and reached home at 11 pm. I still remember getting a real thrashing from dad, but later on they understood my perspective and forgave me. However, that person whose car I had refused to board had later told us that it was “just a joke” and I had been "too sensitive unnecessarily." I did not care a hoot.
There have been occasions when I have had to compromise on humility a touch to accommodate my self-esteem, but it has been worth the effort. I felt that it was right and I back myself completely. However, I have never hurt anybody else’s ego intentionally, although many people have done that to me. My self-esteem has come from the respect and belief that I have in myself, which even the holy books encourage. Hence I keep nurturing it.
Just to give an example, there have been occasions when people have made me understand that I would be an unwanted guest at their house, if there is no formal invitation from their side. This is as if you visit people only if they invite you to do so. This is all right in professional relationships but stings badly in personal ones. If you like a person, you should not have a problem if he/she visits your place anytime, even without informing you before hand. In such circumstances, my self-esteem has always urged me to withhold even formal visits to their homes.
I remember, once when I was 9 years old, I went to have dinner with a very close family friend of ours, in a restaurant, which was only 2 km from our house. After dinner at 10.30 pm, he told me that I should walk home alone, and not get into his car. Even at such a small age, I had taken it very seriously and thought that I should never take privilege from somebody who has insulted me. I decided to walk home alone on that night and reached home at 11 pm. I still remember getting a real thrashing from dad, but later on they understood my perspective and forgave me. However, that person whose car I had refused to board had later told us that it was “just a joke” and I had been "too sensitive unnecessarily." I did not care a hoot.
There have been occasions when I have had to compromise on humility a touch to accommodate my self-esteem, but it has been worth the effort. I felt that it was right and I back myself completely. However, I have never hurt anybody else’s ego intentionally, although many people have done that to me. My self-esteem has come from the respect and belief that I have in myself, which even the holy books encourage. Hence I keep nurturing it.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Today’s children are a class apart….
When I listen to my 6 year old precocious cousin speak beyond her years, I am bedazzled. I wonder what her influences are. I am sure you would find innumerable such instances. The fact is however that the new generation of politically correct children can give their parents a full blown tutorial on subjects ranging from the ill effects of nicotine to global warming. They are born with the acumen to do so which we did not.
They frown at you if you leave the water running while brushing your teeth, they protest if you are attending calls while driving and they are endearingly protective about the earth treating it as an extension of their homes. They throw out buzzwords like “global warming” with an ease which we would have used to pronounce “ice-cream.” Smoking, littering, pollution and junk food have all been taboo to them. They avoid fire crackers and soft drinks also. We could not even imagine such high levels of maturity when we were young.
The current educational system can claim to take a share of developing such maturity in children. That is because the awareness is being drilled into them right from the day they enter school, at the pre-nursery level. There is also a conscious imperative coming out of the educational system. Almost all schools have introduced environmental awareness as a core subject in their curriculum.Teachers are much more inclined to touch upon core issues when they are young and also the kids are much more intelligent.
It is very refreshing indeed that our children are so mature. It is not the policy makers nor the presidents, but this army of little people, who would save our planet from death and destruction.
They frown at you if you leave the water running while brushing your teeth, they protest if you are attending calls while driving and they are endearingly protective about the earth treating it as an extension of their homes. They throw out buzzwords like “global warming” with an ease which we would have used to pronounce “ice-cream.” Smoking, littering, pollution and junk food have all been taboo to them. They avoid fire crackers and soft drinks also. We could not even imagine such high levels of maturity when we were young.
The current educational system can claim to take a share of developing such maturity in children. That is because the awareness is being drilled into them right from the day they enter school, at the pre-nursery level. There is also a conscious imperative coming out of the educational system. Almost all schools have introduced environmental awareness as a core subject in their curriculum.Teachers are much more inclined to touch upon core issues when they are young and also the kids are much more intelligent.
It is very refreshing indeed that our children are so mature. It is not the policy makers nor the presidents, but this army of little people, who would save our planet from death and destruction.
Monday, August 9, 2010
A sharp memory may devastate you…..
Tough professors and strict parents always tell their students/kids that they should have a sharp memory to do well in exams, to apply new concepts in real life and to fulfill other intellectual obligations. Ayurveda also enlists the right mix of natural herbs that can help boost your memory, especially when you are a student, and so does many other pharmaceutical brands. Ironically, wise men always admonish you to forget as much as possible, to avoid distress to yourself. The regular mantra is “Do not remember the stinging comments of people around you. Do not stick to the bitter past. Live the present and build a better future. Forgive and Forget.”
The problem is, however, for a person who has developed a memory as sharp as a razor, during the course of his academic and professional endeavors, to forget virulence easily. As a result, he keeps on digging old facts which he cannot forget, especially things which has hurt him in the past, and makes life miserable for himself. The attribute, which has made him shine among hundreds, is suddenly acting as a serious deterrent in his personal life. He cannot live the happy present but keeps moping about the forgettable past. He wishes that he gets out of this situation, but finds no way out.
In such a scenario, self-counseling is a very viable option but not everybody can do it effectively. Spiritual inclinations to cleanse the mind of all ill feelings towards others are also a path that people may follow. In extreme cases, one may also surmise that professional assistance is the only solution. In actuality, this is also part of grinding oneself through the travails of life. The tough nuts raft through it and come out flourishing, but the fragile fledgelings get swept away into an ocean of emotional turmoil. That is why life is such an enigma.
The problem is, however, for a person who has developed a memory as sharp as a razor, during the course of his academic and professional endeavors, to forget virulence easily. As a result, he keeps on digging old facts which he cannot forget, especially things which has hurt him in the past, and makes life miserable for himself. The attribute, which has made him shine among hundreds, is suddenly acting as a serious deterrent in his personal life. He cannot live the happy present but keeps moping about the forgettable past. He wishes that he gets out of this situation, but finds no way out.
In such a scenario, self-counseling is a very viable option but not everybody can do it effectively. Spiritual inclinations to cleanse the mind of all ill feelings towards others are also a path that people may follow. In extreme cases, one may also surmise that professional assistance is the only solution. In actuality, this is also part of grinding oneself through the travails of life. The tough nuts raft through it and come out flourishing, but the fragile fledgelings get swept away into an ocean of emotional turmoil. That is why life is such an enigma.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Being too romantic is not rewarding….
Since my college days, I have always come across the dictum that “Men express their romance a lot more than do women.” Even women admit it. This does not mean that women do not love their men, but only that they don’t fulminate and elocute their romantic feelings as blatantly as men do. Men have to “understand” women to get the real picture. In such a situation, it becomes very difficult for men like me, who expect reciprocity, to sustain their enamored expressions on a consistent basis.
When they do fall in love, expressive men perceive romance in almost everything. Many women find this “crap” very ludicrous. Either through words or body language, they make you feel that you have been such a foolish romantic. In the madness of “first love”, you tend to ignore the rebuke, but some days later when you reflect, those comments sting like a bee. It is not that women are never expressive but since they more reticent, men always feel that they are being given a raw deal, especially when the passion is simmering.
It is very difficult to come out of such situations. You have the option of either changing yourself and not give her the verbal romantic delights, or take the sting of her comments or ignorance. Both options can be very damaging. So guys, get used to the fact that you would never get cloyed as much as you cloy your sweetheart. It is part of being an “understanding” boyfriend/fiancée/husband. Happy wooing!
When they do fall in love, expressive men perceive romance in almost everything. Many women find this “crap” very ludicrous. Either through words or body language, they make you feel that you have been such a foolish romantic. In the madness of “first love”, you tend to ignore the rebuke, but some days later when you reflect, those comments sting like a bee. It is not that women are never expressive but since they more reticent, men always feel that they are being given a raw deal, especially when the passion is simmering.
It is very difficult to come out of such situations. You have the option of either changing yourself and not give her the verbal romantic delights, or take the sting of her comments or ignorance. Both options can be very damaging. So guys, get used to the fact that you would never get cloyed as much as you cloy your sweetheart. It is part of being an “understanding” boyfriend/fiancée/husband. Happy wooing!
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