The end of a fascination

There was a news article last week. Its prominence did not justify the significance it would have in the history of Indian civil aviation market.
The article said that tickets for flights operated by Air Deccan, or DN as it is indicated in Civil Aviation sector, would be soon available for sale through GDSs, i.e. through all traditional air ticket agents. This is an additional cost and is against the philosophy of LCC, especially when the same function can be done by a web-based system, rather web-based systems are more potent in many aspects. Perhaps it was the last nail in the coffin of the most noticeable entrepreneurial enterprise in recent Indian business history. This piece could be taken as the obituary to the DN we have known so far.
The success story, at least in terms of the non-financial objectives set by its founder, Capt. Gopinath, of DN would remain itched in the mind of our generation, i.e. the present generation and in the heart of our parents’ generation. After all, most of us flied for the first time on DN only. The entire civil aviation scenario of India changed in last 4-5 years and DN cannot be denied its contribution in the same. Rather, it led the change. Financial performance are of utmost importance but the strategy dictates it. I often remind myself of the idiom "A person who knows how would also work for the person who knows why".
Being from the civil aviation industry, I am often asked what has gone wrong with DN. And, it’s debatable. Legacy operators, be it old horses like Indian Airlines or Jet Airways or the newer one, Kingfisher, which is the owner of DN now, always maintained that Low Cost model is not viable in India. Various obvious reasons were recounted, i.e. lack of primary infrastructure such as secondary airports, sizes of main airports etc, lack of secondary infrastructure such as penetration of Internet, rudimentary and govt. controlled supplementary systems, govt. policies such as differential pricing structure for usage of the same airport infrastructure, ATF pricing, employment policies etc.
I agree to most of them but do not buy any of these arguments as reasons of failure of DN. I would agree that with all the above reasons, DN could not have matched the fare levels to that offered by LCCs in other part of the world, say Ryan Air or Air Asia. However, on the hindsight, it seems DN tried to do the same. Everything was not lost there but the way DN tried might have contributed to its demise.
In my view, DN died primarily because of its failure to manage its growth. Growth was anyway essential but ineffectively managing the growth seems to have let it down. There is no data to support this but empirical evidences, such as frequent cancellations and delays, not-so-encouraging coverage in media about its services, airport handling, treatment to passengers etc. are there.
However, in my view DN died because of equally important other reasons. Firstly, it joined other airlines in charging fuel surcharge separately from the actual advertised fares. This is the practice followed by all legacy carriers to save on commission to agents, who are paid commission as a percentage (normal commission of 5% to 7% of basic fare only. The same base is used for any other deal), i.e. agents do not get commission or rewards on taxes and surcharges. In my view, accepting this practice led to creation of doubts in the mind of common man. Consider this example, advertisements say fly anywhere at Re 1/-. But the passenger ends up paying more than Rs 2000/- to travel. With this kind of fare one can not expect to attract train passengers. This is a case of miscommunication. DN would have managed to carry passengers at much lower fares, especially on smaller sectors, but adhering to the dictate set by legacy carriers, hampered DN’s competitiveness. Last observed, DN and other legacy carriers were selling almost same fares on smaller sectors, such as Bangalore-Hyderabad. Probably, a communication saying, pay a total amount of Rs. 1000 or so and fly to any sector. And, with effective revenue management DN would have recovered the actual amount without any miscommunication. And, it would have attracted quiet a few train passengers too. Secondly, DN mismanaged its pricing. On a sector, where only legacy carriers were operating, DN had no need to offer a rock-bottom fare. If Indian airlines, Air Sahara and Jet Airways, the existing airlines when DN started operations, were offering a fare of say Rs 5000 plus taxes, say a total sum of Rs. 5500, DN did not require to sell its tickets on Rs. 2000 plus taxes, i.e. at a total price of Rs. 2500. Passengers would have travelled with it even if it had offered a total fare of Rs. 4000 or so. It is understandable that one needs to stir the market by offering such low fares but selling entire flight at such low fares effectively meant that at no point of time DN was making enough money to build reserves for future dog-fight like business scene. All legacy carriers, except Sahara, had built up such reserve. This is the practice followed in any business any market. For DN, it was always the question of everyday survival. Perhaps DN failed to anticipate future. It should have. The kind of buzz it had created was an invitation to big brand-equity conscious businessmen/business houses to enter the market. And, precisely this happened. With a small span, Kingfisher - led by flamboyant Mr. Mallaya, Go - led by Mr. Jeh Wadia of Bombay Dyeing, SpiceJet – led by another erstwhile Damania Airway’s management entered the fray. Another reason, in my view, was DN's decision to use larger Boeing aircraft (180 seater). These aircraft have extremely high cost of operations as compared to small propeller aircraft, which DN used to operate for long and it used to get additional benefits for operating smaller aircraft on various airports. Additionally, larger aircraft put additional pressure on revenue management team to carry passengers at whatever possible price market can give. Additionally, with larger aircraft DN was forced to operate on dense routes, where competition was anyway quiet high, facilities were compared with legacy carriers, and performances were under extreme surveillance by media, (which has lately grown into a bunch of uninformed and low IQ people. Sometimes their coverage is of such a quality that pathetic seems to be a compliment. Shall write more about them in some post later). This further pushed DN to copy services offered by legacy carriers. Soon the segmentation travellers was missing in the market.
Anyway, DN we had known all these years, is almost dead. All its symbols are being changed, right from its brand identity – colour scheme & tag line included, to basic operating system, i.e. reservation and check-in system.
In retrospective, demise of DN is regrettable but it has paved the way for other Low Cost Carriers in the Indian domestic market. With DN not there, other LCCs operating in the segment could improve their profitability. And, analyzing DN’s demise, they should reconsider their basic strategies.

*PS: LCC stands for Low Cost Carriers

The Indian Rhapsody

Well its not that I did not want to put something here. Just that I was trying to be a little different, wanted to put a few pieces in Hindi. Just realised that Blogger is still not capable of handling the nuances of that language. Have got a few drafts to edit and post. Anyway...could not resist to have something on this.

As long as I can remember, I have been a cricket man. Played till the end of my campus life. Was descent player, was able to go up to the college team. And, have always followed cricket, at least Indian cricket.

Well I have been a great admirer of Colonel, apna Vengy, Dilip Vengasarkar. After all who else has scored three centuries at the Lords. He was one of the most stylist player of his time and among the most respected one too. So when he announced the retirement from international competitive cricket in 1989. I remember the scene. It was there on Doordarshan. He was gloomy, perhaps crying too. Though he was in the later half of 30s, he was of the opinion that there was some more cricket left in him. I could feel his pain though I did not agree to his belief. I admired him. I hated the way he was treated, sometimes in sometimes out with unreasonable reasons. I was certainly not happy with the treatment he was given lately. I rued that the fact that selectors had not played cricket ever and still they were treating cricketers of such statures with such disdain. I wished selectors were players.

Well I admire Rahul Dravid too. When he joined Indian team in 1995, I was happy that the team had got a true replacement of Colonel. Though Sachin was already there, he was not exactly like Dilip. Sachin has been a more aggressive player. And, hence, temperamental too. Its a different matter that Rahul exceeded the expectation. I do not see any requirement to justify this statement too. However, I was surprised a few days back to find Rahul being dropped from Indian team. It was difficult to believe that a person who was undisputed captain of the team a few weeks back and who left the job on his own, was out of the team. Perhaps, to a few wise men, his only utility was to lead the team. I could not help comparing the situation with that day, when Dilip retired. However, this time there is a different. Dilip is the selector. He is the chief selector.

I am left to wonder if he has acted in a different manner. Has it helped that the selector is an ex-cricketer of such a repute? Does it really matter who becomes selector? After all selection parameters remain the same. Compulsion, influences, background etc everything do not change.

Btw, what is Shastry doing in the scene? Does not he remember how and why he was there in the Indian cricket team? I still remember his waving his bat after getting out in a One-day international match. He score 66 runs of 198 balls. So you know his understanding.

Journey of soul

This is something which intrigues me, at times a lot.
I am a Hindu and I firmly believe in my faith, though certainly not to the extent of militancy.
Now, being a Hindu, I have faith in reincarnations, i.e. soul is eternal, it can not get destroyed. It changes bodies till it attains the ultimate state, the "Moksha".
Now this is the origin of my problem, my soul or rather the soul within me. If I go by the above belief, the soul in me, i.e. me, must be in existence before I was born, i.e. before 20 June 1976. I am wondering. What was I earlier, earlier to the above date? If I take a normal gap, which has been assumed in a lot of religious stories, I, in my previous birth, would have died a few months earlier, i.e. early 1976 or late 1975. Now, it means I was there in 60s-70s, the golden period of music in the west, literary activism in India, for sure, during the height of cold-war, Liberation of Bangladesh, Indo-Pak war and Sino-Indian conflict, Vietnam war, ….., …..etc. Effectively, I have witnessed every event/incident, which has shaped our present. The only problem is I don’t know, rather nobody knows, in which part of the world I was.
However, some people know about their previous birth. My wife, for example says that she was a marwari woman in Patna, her sister was also women from a warrior cast and her younger brother was a Bengali kid, who died young. However, she is not sure of my history. Incidentally, all of them were in the nearby regions. I wonder, if this is the case with everybody.
If I go by this assumption, I would have been somewhere in Bihar/Jharkhand/UP/Bengal region (it is a convenient assumption.:)..). But it also means that I have witnessed two most important events of the previous generation, i.e. freedom of India and imposition of emergency or martial law in India. There was another important chain of events taking place on the sidelines of the later, the Naxalite movement or rather suppression of Naxalite movement in Bengal. Did I participate in any of these movements? I know both these issues are very close to my heart. I am a staunch opponent of martial law and I am equally strong opponent of Naxalite politics, rather I would term them as naive, and equally dangerous, thoughts. Naxalite means, to me, no truth no hope assumption based movement. So I would say that I would have participated, or rather supported, the student movement leading to imposition of emergency in India. I would have been too old to be a student (I know I could not be a congressman and hence could not be a student or youth leader during 1970s, i.e. just before my last death And, in any case congressmen did not participate in that movement. The movement was against the congress). I am enticed to fancy myself as an old politician, who became a politician in the free India by virtue of participating in the freedom struggle, who supported students’ movement and who was imprisoned and later he died before the emergency was lifted. Emergency was lifted after I was born in the present life. I still try to imagine days, or months, after the independence. During those days, if we go by the yardstick defined by congress, i.e. whoever participated in the freedom struggle and was alive after independence was a leader, it would not be exaggerated to say that those days population of India constituted more of leaders than common man. I am still trying to visualize those moments, though I have seen and felt them in my previous life.
Now the issue is “what was my age when I died last time”. Based on the fact that so far I have lived a perfectly normal life, which, as per conventional beliefs, indicate that I had a normal previous life, I can assume that I died of natural cause and also that I died after living my full life. Now, those days life expectancy was less, so even a life of 55-60 yrs was supposed to be god enough. If I go with the assumption that I died last at the age of 55 years means that last time I was born in the period of 1915-1920. It means that while India was fighting for its freedom I was there. Rather during the peak of its freedom struggle, i.e. in 1930s and 1940s, I, too, was at the peak of my youth. Does it mean that I participated in freedom struggle too? I am passionate about India, its history and culture and my Indian roots, I am convinced that I participated in Indian freedom struggle.
Now it also means that I died earlier, during the period of 1912-1915. Died of what? And, with what unfulfilled dream? Not seeing a free India? Again, going by the assumption of living for 50-55 years before dieing, I would have born in 1860-1865. I would continue with the assumption of being Indian even in that life. It means that I have seen India coping with effects of post-1st war of freedom. I would have undergone, felt and seen steady, though slow, percolation of political awareness in Indian society. I would also witness the development of pockets of industries, though primary, in India. And, I would have seen birth of religious polarization of population of India.
However, if I take these sets of assumption a step further. I realize that I would have died during 1858-1860. Does it mean that I participated in India's first war freedom too? Did I die fighting or later killed by English as a punishment of participating in the uprising? Or, worst of all, did I die of broken heart, not been able to accept the failure of our attempt? I do not know? Rather, I am unable to assume anything. And, now I do not find enough enthusiasm to continue the back-tracing.
I notice one similarity. Every time I have died, or rather would have died in all my previous lives, I have died in expectation of something. Wanting something to happen but could not see that happen. Will this happen this time too?
I am just 31 years old and expect to least another 30-40 odd years. What would I miss while dieing this time? Will it be India ruling the world? But will the world remain worth ruling? Will there be any ice on mountains, waters in rivers, forests and any, so-called, natural resources anywhere to covet and worth ruling? Who knows? And what will happen after this cysle? Given the person I am, I am sure my soul is certainly not going to get "Moksha" this time. It means it will have to come back next time too. What will be there then?

But, is this story of mine different from the story of any other guy/lady of my generation???

P.S.: I would like to imagine the next life too. But I would rather not. In last few years the pace of change has been too fast for imagination. I still remember. Standing in a que of 12-15 students in 1998-1999, at a PCO in Kanpur, waiting for my turn to call another PCO at Bokaro, requesting them to call my parents so that I could exchange a few lines with them, about me, them and my brother, I never imagined that all us would be having individual mobile commnication instrument talking simultaneously with everybody. The speed of change has got accelerated. I would rather wait for the next birth to write another piece like this than writing something imagining about that and end up laughing at the same just after a few years from now, well before reaching the next life.

Cosmic conspiracy and us

Consider this.
Age of earth: Not definitely known. Most accepted age is app. 5 billion years.
Age of human race: app. 1 million years.
Age of human race as known to most of us: app. 5000 years.
Age of cultures and tradition, we generally discuss: a few hundred years or say one or two thousand years
Life span of human being: 70-75 years.

No. of celestial bodies including the earth: Infinite. Getting shaped and getting destroyed every minuscule of time due to various known/unknown celestial activities.

Probability of earth getting destroyed tomorrow: Nil
Probability of earth getting destroyed after a few years/decades: Not known.

And we are talking about the earth. Some of the examples used by astronomers used to explain cosmic situations are as under:
Earth is like a vehicle on an extremely busy high-speed highway, where there is no definite traffic law.
If we consider age of universe as 1 day (24 hours), we are presently at 23:59:59 hrs

Consider the life of an ant. For it, its colony would be its country. If we extend this hypothesis, for them one locality or say one city would be like their universe. And, how do we, human beings, treat them. Any of us, a human being, can use any available tools, which can be its foot, to destroy their colony. And, a condition like flood (or any such catastrophe) submerging a locality or city could be like destruction of their whole universe. And, still every time their universe is destroyed, ants, from somewhere else, come and repopulate the region.

This example may be a little away from the actual fact. But the fundamental remains the same. There would be some organisms for whom their whole earth could be our locality or city. And, they would be worried about saving their earth from extinction.

If we reverse this hypothesis, we become ants (or any organism validating the above hypothesis). And, what we assume to be our earth could be just a locality or city for a bigger life-form (any similar phenomenon?). It is possible than in such scenario, we have not realized their existence, unlike in the case of ants, which would be aware of existence of humans due to overlapping resources to fulfill needs of life, due to the fact that we are in some remote, unexplored, unfriendly terrain (like deserts or mountains or poles are for us). In such a system, do we matter? Like does it matter for us whether a colony of ants is destroyed? There are so many such ant-colonies. There could be so many earth-like colonies in the bigger system.

Let’s take this hypothesis (?) forward. We, as a human being, have achieved so many physical and intellectual feasts. Starting with discovery of wheels and fires, through airplanes and atomic energy, today we are trying to understand complexities of universe. We have developed so many intangible systems, from traffic system to social structure, governance to interpersonal discipline. However, we are the ant of the bigger system, what do our feasts mean? All our activities, collective or individual, conflicts, again collective or individual, feelings, aspirations, beliefs, faiths, gods, climate etc mean in the bigger system? Should we try to identify the ant , we have known, and then to understand what we are? But, would we be able to identify the bigger system? For that matter does that system exist?

Anyways….lets enjoy “November Rain” :)

हिंदी का विकास, नयी कहानी और....

यह लो...मैं यहाँ लिखने बैठा और क्या लिखना था भूल गया....कितने दिनों से इंतजार कर रह था कि शनिवार को कुछ लिखना है और यह हाल हुआ है।

वैसे कल हमने निर्मल वर्मा की कहानियो पर आधारित नाट्य मंचन देखने का विचार किया था...तीन कहानियाँ...तीन नाटक..तीन एकांत...नहीं जा पाये। मन तो बहुत कर रह था पर नहीं जा पाये। कितनी अजीब सी बात है, अगर यहीं स्तिथी कुछ महिने पहले होती तो शायद मेरी इस लेख का विषय कुछ और ही होता..खैर जीवन है और उससे जुडी हुई "Choices"... कोई शिक़ायत नहीं..किसी से नहीं...खुद से भी नहीं।

वैसे निर्मल वर्मा और उनसे जुडी हुई "नयी कहानी" आंदोलन से एक शिक़ायत तो है मुझे...क्या इन सभी लेखकों के बूते यह नहीं हुआ कि वो हिंदी को हिन् अधिक विक्सित करते और अपनी भावनाओं और कथन को प्रस्तुत करते। आज हिंदी लेखन मरणासन्न है। क्या ये सभी लेखक भी इसमें प्रदत नहीं हैं? मुझे नहीं पता हैं...पर मुझे इतनी तो समझ है कि इन काबिल लेखकों के जाने के बाद हिंदी साहित्य में कुछ रुकन सा आ गया है। और, मेरी चिन्ता है कि ये कहीँ रूक ही ना जाये....

अभी और भी है बहुत कुछ लिखने को। शायद अगली बार....

Choices

Yesterday evening was a nice evening. It came after one year, rather it comes after a year. It was our alumni meet evening. A Nostalgia evening. We enjoyed. A revisit to campus thru speeches of profs and a video collage on the campus. But the most effective was JBS-BAROC band and good old batch-mates, seniors, Juniors....

As expected one song captures the mood of the evening. This time too there was one...dunno much abt it except this line...

अब तो आदत सी हो गयी है मुझको....ऐसे जीने की....

The anthem of the institute "प्यार हमें किस मोड़ पे ले आया" was not played and neither was the most asked one..."Summer of 69"

One of the discussions, rather recurring one with various people, was on choices...good choices and bad choices...but what is good and what is bad? Haven't we read/heard many times..."We make a choice and then we live with it"...we have made choices and we are living with them...who the hell is afraid of living with them now...not me at least...

Anyway...enjoyed it and shall wait for the next evening....may be next year...:)

Writer's life

All the while I used to think why do one require to take up writing as a full time engagement. However, in last few days seem to explain to me quiet a bit. I want to write quiet a few things but I am not getting time. I want to share my thoughts on the current state of Maharashtra, my present home state. I also want to share experiences of my generation (?). Anyways...

I am not getting time even to read a few things. I was surprised today to count 6-7 books, which I have started and left midway, not because of lack of interest but because of lack of continuity. And, still I need more time to do more important things. Don't know when shall I be able to manage things properly.....:(

एक मनःस्थिति.....

बावरा मन देखने चला एक सपना
बावरा मन देखने चला एक सपना

बावरे से मन की देखो बावरी हैं बातें
बावरे से मन की देखो बावरी हैं बातें
बावरी से धङकने हैं, बावरी हैं साँसें
बावरी सी करवटों से, निंदिया दूर भागे
बावरे से नैन चाहे, बावरे झरोखों से, बावरे नजारों को तकना

बावरा मन देखने चला एक सपना

बावरे से इस जहाँ में बावरा एक साथ हो
इस सायानी भीड़ मैं बस हाथों में तेरा हाथ हो
बावरी सी धुन हो कोई, बावरा एक राग हो
बावरी सी धुन हो कोई, बावरा एक राग हो
बावरे से पैर चाहें, बावरों तरानो के, बावरे से बोल पे थिरकना

बावरा मन देखने चला एक सपना

बावरा सा हो अँधेरा, बावरी खामोशियाँ
बावरा सा हो अँधेरा, बावरी खामोशियाँ
थरथराती लौ हो मद्धम, बावरी मदहोशियाँ
बावरा एक घूँघटा चाहे, हौले हौले बिन बताये
बावरा एक घूँघटा चाहे, हौले हौले बिन बताये
बावरे से मुखड़े से सरकना

बावरा मन, देखने चला एक सपना

बावरा मन, देखने चला एक सपना

बावरा मन, देखने चला एक सपना

बावरा मन, देखने चला एक सपना

Random thoughts on present times

There are so many things on which I want to comment. To start with I have to say something on cost of inefficiency based on little work experience I have got so far. In my view, we tend to pass on a lot of issues as complexity whereas they are sheer inefficiency coupled with lack of courage to correct them. I have a few thoughts on present day journalism, which are, in my views, perfect example of Yellow Journalism. I want to share some thoughts on some thoughts. Probably this is the most difficult topic to explain in a few lines.

I hope I would get sometime to write a little about them soon, before they move out of cache of my brain.:)

क्या भूलूं क्या याद करूं....

अरे अरे अरे...ये मैं बच्चन साहब की जीवनी कि बात नहीं कर रहा....बस अपनी बात को प्रस्तुत करने कि कोशिश है ये शब्द...

अचानक हीं कुछ दिनों पहले मुझे आठवीं-नवीं कक्षा में पढी हुई कुछ कविताओं की याद आने लगी। थोड़ा आश्चर्यजनक सा लगा। कवितायेँ तो कभी भी मेरी पहली पसंद नहीं थीं...ना हीं अब हैं ... मुझे तो हमेशा से ही कहानियाँ हीं अधिक पसंद रहीं हैं?? और तो और, कविताओं में भी मुझे जो दो कवितायेँ याद आ रहीं है वो भी थोड़ी अलग सी ही कही जाएँगी...एक तो शायद शमशेर बहादुर सिंह जी की है....उसकी पंक्तियां कुछ ऐसी हैं...भोर का नभ था बहुत नीला, शंख जैसे........या जैसे रात का लीपा हुआ चौका जो अभी गीला पड़ा है... मुझे इन दो पंक्तियों के अलावा कुछ भी याद नहीं है। दुसरी कविता तो और भी मुश्किल से याद आ रही है...कवि का भी नाम याद नहीं। बस इतना सा याद है कि यह गंगा नदी के किनारे के किसी गाँव या किसी छोटे शहर के सुबह का वर्णन है। यह भी याद है कि उस समय भी मुझे ये दोनों कवितायेँ बहुत पसंद आयी थी, शायद उन दिनों कुछ पंक्तियां याद भी कर ली थीं।

वैसे उन्हीं दिनों की एक बात अभी भी याद है। अगर कोई कविता या गीत या पंक्तियां बहुत पसंद आये तो उसे याद नहीं करनी चाहिए, वो याद कर लेने के बाद कम पसंद आतीं हैं।
लेकिन क्या यह दर्शन जीवन के दुसरे आक्षेपों के लिए भी सही नहीं है?

इन्टरनेट पर हिंदी

यह सही है...बहुत ही सही है. ..आज बहुत दिनों के बाद मैं हिंदी में कुछ लिख रह हूँ और वह भी अंग्रेजी कीबोर्ड से... वैसे और कुछ भी लिखने से पहले मेरी तरफ से ब्लॉगर/गूगल समुह को धन्यवाद...

कई बार इस बारे में सोचा है मैंने, हिंदी विश्व की सबसे अधिक बोली जाने वाली भाषाओं में दूसरे या तीसरे क्रम पर होगी लेकिन इन्टरनेट पर इसकी कितनी प्रतिनिधित्व है? और ऐसा क्यों है? शायद इसलिए कि हमें आज इस भाषा कि जरूरत नहीं रही है अपने भावनाओं एवं दृष्टीकोणों को व्यक्त करने के लिए? या शायद हम इसे अपनी संस्कृति का हिस्सा ही नहीं मानते? या शायद हमारे लिए संस्कृति की व्याख्या ही कुछ अलग है? या शायद हमें अपनी संस्कृति पर ही गर्व नहीं है? मेरे द्रिष्टिकोण से तो शायद यहीं सत्य है कि हिंदी को हम अपनी संस्कृति का वो हिस्सा नहीं मानते जिस पर हमें गर्व हो।
खैर, अपना-अपना दृष्टीकोण, अपनी-अपनी व्याख्या। मुझे तो अपने अभियांत्रिकी की पढ़ाई के दिनों के एक दोस्त, राजेश कुमार श्रीवास्तव, की बात याद आती है कि कोई भी व्यक्ति सपने अपनी मातृभाषा में देखेगा और ग़ुस्से में कहे गए अपशब्द तो अपनी मातृभाषा में में ही कहेगा। पता नहीं कितना सही है पर इससे ये तो ढांढस मिलती है की मेरे जीवन काल में हिंदी लुप्त नहीं होगी। शायद मैं हिंदी की कुछ अधिक ही खराब भविष्य देख रह होऊं। ख़ुशी होगी अगर मैं गलत साबित होऊं तो...
वैसे मुझे बहुत ख़ुशी हो रही है...अब मैं शायद थोङा अधिक लिखूं इस ब्लोग पर....देखे...शायद...खैर एक बार फिर से...धन्यवाद गूगल/ब्लॉगर ....

Updates

So I am doing the business after more than a year. Things have changes. I'm back in Civil Aviation field but urge to move out is still there. I've celebrated 1st anneversary of our marriage, albeit with tons left desired. Life goes on.

The biggest problem in trying to give words to transient thoughts are that they are transient. Where di we leave them become untractable. I sometimes doubt if it at all is transient. Whatever I am doing right now might be the continuity of that. But the question remains what was that though. What was I thinking of? What was I looking at? What is it I am looking for??

From the previous edition....

Thursday, March 23, 2006
Life there after Life goes on. That is what they say.Last time, when I wrote, I was with Air India, I was technically single and I was in Mumbai. Now, Air India is history, for the time being at least, and PwC is the present. I am not single, even technically. And, I no more reside in Mumbai. It's Navi Mumbai, or New Bombay, what they call is popularly.However, there is another popular line, Nothing Changes.I am still writing this blog. I am still searching for something. I am still missing life from NV's text.This is strange, or rather not strange. Like me everybody wants a idyllic life without any monetary or other bothering. We miss past but we are chasing some future. Future knowing that it would be entirely different from the past we miss.But, to say that life has not changed for me would be a lie. At least, there is a sense of urgency when I walk out of the office at the end of the day. Anyway...life goes on....nothing ever changes....
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Monday, December 26, 2005
Days of longings
"Days of Longings". It is the English translation of one of my favourite novels. The original book is in Hindi. The writer of the book is Late Mr. Nirmal Verma.
He happens to be one of my favourite author as well. Much has happened since it wrote last. More than 6 months I guess. And things have changed. Changed, quiet fast and quiet dramatically as well. For better I hope, except one and that is the death of Nirmal Verma (NV). With him, all my favourite writers are dead. Greene, Hemingway, Kafka ( too soon u c..). And this means, all my favourite books are already written! Not much to finish now. I must have to find out another writer soon. Another day I was discussing NV with my sister-in-law, who has interest in literature, and we both agreed that we were sorry but not for his death which was anyway due. He was 75 years. But because we won't have more writings from him. Comparing his earlier writings, like Ve Din (translated into Days of Longings) or Ek Chithada Sukh (A Rag called Happiness), with his last one, Jan Aranya (translated into The Ultimate Wilderness), indicates that with time his intensity had not subsided. The coating of experiences of life had enabled him to describe lives in entirely different shades. I know his writing would be missed. Bit I know that many years later I'ld get the same sensation remembering his description of Neelu's return journey and her admirer preparing himself to miss her. Also, that his description of Delhi in late 60s in one of his stories would keep me haunting and missing that Delhi. Anyway, good that I read him and realize that there are people who see and feel the life in the same light.
Other significant change in my life is Priya. She is an HR professional. She is working with a medical transcription BPO firm. We met on 5th June. It was an arrange meeting. Our parents got in touch through some common friend, leading our this meeting. Had initial reservations about our age difference and her ability to handle me. After all their traumatic encounters and conversations, very few people had expected me to enter into a relationship and too into an arranged one. Cleared my doubts to some extent. And hope to prove others' doubts wrong by getting out of traumatic ways of life. Moving on to other phase. We are getting married on 6th Feb 2006.
So here I am now. Doings lots of bargaining and shopping. Still able to survive, thanks to the plastic money. Shall move into a new apartment by this year-end. Life would be more stable now, I hope. Lets see
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Monday, July 25, 2005

Passing by

So the last I wrote after 4 months and this time I am writing after almost 6 months. Many things happened. Life is taking no turn. Can't say if this one would be better or the one I have left would have been better. Anyway...But seriously, I have no urge to write as of now. Its dying. Its almost a year and I haven't written anything, except furious letters to editors, which was never published. Strange want to write for a moment but have nothing to write and the moment is gone. Politics? Sucks as usual. Everybody is the same. Hypocrite. This way or that. Economics? Does that matter? You write and keep on writing. Who cares? Society? Well that’s changing too fast to keep track of. By time a thought is processed another change and the thought is old-fashioned you c. Better keep observing and don't comment. In fact a close tracking provides enough to keep me amused. Isn't it amusing to think that once we reach the greatest state of maturity and equality all of us would roam around nude? Relations? Well, people like us should not do experiments. And no experiment, no observation and then nothing to comment or write. Then what is left to write??Yeah yeah...many thing but you see have no mood to write. Hope would revert to writing one day...some day....
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Monday, February 14,

See last time wrote after 4 months and said that I was feeling strange. This time its almost 8 months and I'm still feeling the same. Incidentally today is V-day..:)). All the while was thinking of writing something. Something...not here....somewhere else. There I have not written for a while....may be a few years I guess. Then I'll a few more pages to burn. Yeah, those are too intimate to be shared and let others know. Its better they go before getting exposed. Or, perhaps I'ld post them to someone in US. Any address....would find out one from the net. After all how does it matter? And to whom? It was strange feeling to learn that my first crush has become a mom now. Papa nahin to mama hin sahi...:P....but I dunno...I just want to see them...the lady....her kid....hope she wont recall me. So u see, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Don't agree with that lady of Fountainhead....but do agree that the easiest way to kill somebody is to stop thinking of him or her. No blood, no scream, no risk of getting caught, nobody to answer too....and the victim dies everyday. How sweet..:)). Was reading abt male-menopause a few days back. Was worried was that what had struck me? On the wrong side of 30? Not worried any more..:)). Reading too much these days. Kafka, Marquez, Mann......and the net. Better than getting drunk and harassing the roomme..:). But its more depressing then. Anyway have nothing to do or think or look upon. All these readings send me to a different planet. Only then I can claim openly - Mankind sucks, especially because it can think a little and communicate much more. Poor souls can't cope with this imbalance.Goof up another interview yesterday. Nothing new. Am not writing because of that. Know I have communication problem. Lost too much because of that. In fact nothing much is left now. Its a strange feeling when everybody thinks you are a spinner and you have nothing to spin. In Delhi, people were asking why was I going back on 13th night and here people were asking why was I going on this particular weekend and that too for just 2 days. Have stopped saying much. Just a small denial. After all they are not wrong. Its just that nothing is nowhere. Got it?...Anyway...dont try...another try wont help..After all everybody has his/her share of world, he/she has to live in it any way....as long as its not distressing me...dint u remember...gud times must end and bad times become gudtimes....ya ya gud times....thr u c...that one is gudtime....thr...thr...can't u c...up thr....in the western sky...at the horizon....anyway...next...wud find another one for u....

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Thursday, July 15, 2004

Writing after so many days is strange. These are strange days. Extremely frustrating most of the times with a few days of promises....like a big wall with small windows...Dunno whether I should reveal personal portion of my life here or not....but when personal life is so much intertwined considering one without other becomes almost impossible. Every effort to maintain sanity and keeping the two separate goes in vain. And sometimes it seems justified too. And the only thing I can say out at the last is....I dunno.Yeah, I dunno whether someone's leaving to US was unjustified when all her peers, her career and all her dreams were there. I dunno if her movement was still unjustified when like her 70% of Indians wanna migrate. I dunno if anybody's movement is unjustified when he/she can't get enuf opportunity here even to match his/her minimum skill and earn. (46% of Indian population is in the working age group of 18-42 yrs. I doubt our ability to provide them suitable employment.)I dunno if I should believe that once gone to US would ever comeback? Never seen anyone...until and unless forced by their immigration laws....and missing the place everywhere, everytime...But what if they have legal right to stay there? I dunno if I wud be able to see her again? And who comes back for someone else's comfort? In fact who does anything for other's comfort?I dunno whether after movement one will get the same love? I dunno if the intensity remains the same? And I dunno why we don't communicate any more....I dunno if thats a gesture to show disinterest....I dunno if its only a way to push me away without prolonging the pain?.......I dunno why I've started feeling so lonely in a crowded country....I dunno why this feeling is deepening......I dunno how others live with memories?....I dunno how to kill memories?....I dunno if I have to kill one more dream?.....I dunno what I've written.....I dunno...I dunno anything....I dunno what I've done....
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Friday, February 20, 2004

We are on the verge of entering another new year. I don’t remember any year when people were so eagerly looking for it. After all India din’t ever shine as much as it is now. And deservedly so. Silently, over the last few years it has gone many silent changes. The most visible one is the communication revolution. From a country, and a region, with virtually nil personal telecommunication unit density to a descent density and still rising, it has been a great achievement. The same holds true in many vistas. Visibly, from finance, banking and insurance in particular, to retail and perceptually, in exports, personal finance, in world politics and many. The newest concepts of software in social and personal life too have percolated down in these years. But never to forget the positive role, played by the nature in form of reasonably good monsoon in these years. It is not so common to find world’s leading reporters, political, social and economical, covering us. We have been projected future power, 3rd largest economy in next 4 decades, after China, and USA. We are projected to surpass UK and Germany in a decade or so and Japan by the end of another decade. We would be a rich nation. No?Well, in terms of cumulative money may be, but in terms of other aspects of development? Shall we have less number of people begging around, at street corners, at railway stations, at tourists’ spots, at temples, at airports? Shall we have less number of tourists taking pictures of begging children and ladies? Shall there be some system to take care of economically weak physically crippled people so that they are not forced to beg? Shall we have some system to ensure proper education of children? In short, shall we have some sort of socio-economic support system in place? Every developed nation has some such system but we don’t have. We, our government, have always blamed lack of resources for the same but in the projected scenario shall we have them in place?Another important issue that comes into my mind is the development in pockets. If analyzed properly, it can be observed that the shine is there but in pockets, demographically as well as geographically. That is a cause of concern. Social problems apart this loop sided development may be inhibiting the harness of our total growth potential. Look at this figure, when Indian GDP grew by 5.6%, the GDP of the state of Maharashtra grew by 4.4% only while that of the city of Mumbai, the growth was only 2.5%. This can be seen in two ways. One, supporting my argument, is that the concentrated development that has happened so far in Mumbai is inhibiting its further growth. The reason could be choked infrastructure such as transportation facilities etc, or basic resources such as manpower, space, to support more investment. This is strange comparing the size of Mumbai city vis-à-vis other metropolitans. Otherwise the same could be viewed as that capitalism as per its true nature, helping capital finding true destination for itself and hence leading to economic homogenization. It means new capital centers are developing. But as a beginner it would not be able to attract all available capital. It would require time to become more lucrative. Moreover this destination could be anywhere, even out side India too.In this case the active role of government becomes important. Government must pitch in to develop more alternate destinations by developing infrastructure etc. Thus it would help retaining capital, if not in already developed centers, in newer centers, ensuring the capital does not leave the country. These are my thoughts and don’t know whether it is in the right direction. And if it is right does any body in the government is thinking in the same line and doing something on it. Lets see. Lets pray. After all a more prosperous India is our common dream…J
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Tuesday, February 03, 2004

This is another letter I have written to the editor of The Times of India. Let's see if dares publish it. Here it goes..Dear Sir,Your article was very much relevant in the light of current developments. As a professional involved with this sector I realy feel very sorry for these state owned airlines. Interestingly, while the government sings the song of feel good factor elsewhere here its all like no end to plights. These carriers are not allowed to but aircraft, unruly workforce, every section of which is invariably backed by one national party or another and then they are compelled to cater to the ever-increasing foreign trips of these leaders. When Civil Aviation minister accuses his own babies (AI and IA) of non-efficiency, he must look at his contribution too. When AAI, AI and IA, all are under him why AI and IA complain of step motherly treatment by AAI? Ask any staff they would tell you how they are pushed to corners at airport, at aircraft parking bays, in providing basic infrastructure etc to support our national carrier? Why these airlines are pushed to compete with more resourceful carriers having backing which makes one think twice which the national carrier. Btw, do u remember how many civil aviation ministers we had under this feel-good cabinet? Its really pathetic. And then we are expecting a Civil Aviation Policy? For whom? BA? AF? SQ and other south-east Asian carriers? Can't these ministers (sorry but I really dont know if the present one would be there till tomorrow) see that all foreign airlines are increasing their frequencies to India, they are upgrading their aircraft our national carriers are still begging? Gone are the days when air travel was considered as a luxury. Most of the traffic of our national airlines constitutes of poor labourers to gulf. Even others passengers are much more price sensitive than ever. There is no feeling of patriotism and patronising national carrier any more. Value for money matters, come from wherever it may. All these Emirates, Singapore Airlines et al have come on the strength of fast growing Indian market only and they are world's best carriers now. Is it all because of our Civil Aviation ministry and our leaders? Sometime, I am forced to believe that all is not well up there. Its a big industry world-wide with big money. Who knows? Moreover, if they dare selling these airlines who'll carry them overseas? Where'll it be possible for their friends and relatives to get a first class treatment for a less than standard economy fare? I must remind you that a conscious medium, you must bring up these issues and build up awareness.Thank you,An aware reader.
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Monday, February 02, 2004
Excuse me Ms. Roopa Purushotaman, I don’t agree with your assessment with the future of Indian economy. I doubt some basic assumptions made in the study. To go point by point, let me start with this one:1. In the report itself it has been mentioned that the composition of India’s GDP is baffling. Its development from an agriculture-based economy to a service-based one bypassing industry-based phase is baffling. True. Only twenty years back ours used to be an agriculture-based economy with the share of Agriculture and related sectors being as high as 40-45% and service sectors contributing just 34-35% to our GDP. The share of Industries was as meager as 20-22%. It was a scenario very much similar to that of a developing nation, among the ones at the bottom of development. And see the present scenario, our GDP consists of 48-50% contribution from service sectors, agricultural contribution shrinking to 26-28% and industries’ contribution limited in the range of 22-25%. It is a scenario where we are very much similar to USA, the largest and one of the most developed economies, where the contribution of service sector is around 60%. Does it mean that we have developed to the extent of USA? We have developed amazingly fast? Perhaps all of us would agree to it, NO. So what has happened? A natural progression of development indicates that a primary economy, one which has agriculture, mining, fishery, forestry etc as main economic activities, matures and grows into secondary economy, with main economic activities in the field of machinery, productions, processing etc, to harness its built-up from primary resources say from mining activities, food processing activities etc. A secondary economy then develops into a tertiary economy, with major economic activities in non-physical products like communication, transportation, storage, financial activities etc, mainly to sustain its growth achieved during the second phase. Similar developments in other services develop with time to support its workforce say entertainment, sports etc. Has that happened in India? NO again. So can’t we conclude that we have come up in services but we are serving somebody else not ourselves?2. Another assumption you have made in your report is that of sustained growth on the basis of the Services sector. But for how long? Do you mean to say that India would be getting more and more outsourcing activities for next forty-fifty years? From where? It has already attacked the US market and to a lesser extent the UK market. Mainland Europe is not yet been substantially influenced due to language barrier. The same is the story with Japan. Say we do whatever we require to capture those markets too but would that be enough to help us grow for next 50 years? Moreover we are simply ignoring the threat of backlash from local communities in the present discussion. But can we? Can any business house with substantial exposure in a market dare to ignore backlash against it there? For example, take a fortune-500 US firm. It decides to outsource its major back office work to India, cutting thousands of jobs there. It leads to major outcry there and it faces a possible threat of people not buying its products. In such scenario will it outsource? It might look a fictitious scenario now but isn’t it possible? Can’t it arise in future looking at the extent of protests in UK right now? Therefore, business houses will have to consider the backlash in BPO decisions at some point of time, sooner or later?3. Another point that is missed in the report is that of development of new low-cost centers in next 45-50 years. Is it possible that not a single country would come up in next four-five decades to challenge India’s position of low cost service provider? Moreover would India be such a low cost service provider after a few decades? It is general phenomenon that the cost of labour increases with increase in the overall living standards of a society. So if India really grows at a pace of 6-7% p.a. even for the next ten years or so, the tremendous cost advantage it has is bound to get diluted and that same time some other lower cost centers like Vietnam, China, who knows may be some obscure country from Africa etc may become a lucrative destination. In this scenario, is it proper to assume sustained growth of India on the present model for a period as large as four-five decades?4. One fact that is largely ignored in the report is the speed with which India has come into the BPO business. It has taken hardly three-four years for all investments to become productive. If we consider the development years too then the duration would increase to say eight-ten years. This has happened in the background where a trend, of offshore outsourcing has just germinated. But once the concept develops, will it take the same time for all these activities to move out too to a new or more lucrative destination? In the later case there would not be the case of backlash from the main market etc too? And if that happens how shall India cope with it? Given the fact that most of the BPO clients are non-Indian majors, isn’t there a possibility of whole business disappearing too fast to respond? What will happen to Indian economy then? Has it considered any plan to tackle it or to prevent it? I cannot see it.The idea behind the article is not to put somebody in poor light. The idea is to project the fact that overall sustainable development cannot happen until we develop our own industrial base. We have been an industrial nation in making since time oblivion but we haven’t so far. And now the fear is that we may miss the target in the hype created by the boom in service sector or BPO to be precise. Any economy can have a sustainable service sector only if it has a developed industrial base. One can’t jump ladder in this process of growth. Its high time we realize it and do things go out of hand. Thank you for showing great faith in India, its people and its economy, may be because of your willingness to help your country of origin in a different way, by glorifying it, by marketing it and without toiling your hands for it. But I beg to differ on the assessment you have made.
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Monday, January 12, 2004

This is something which I read a few days back. Camus wrote it and I agree to it, it seems. I have added to it and might have modified to what the original Camus' idea was. This goes like this...It is not that many of us are afraid of death but what we fear is the futility of our life. We want to live on so that one day we can prove our worth. And most of us would identify ourselves as one of those many......How does it sound?
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Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Here is another piece...written after reading about declining female/male ratio in India...shockingly in the so called economically rising section....I am a concerned man. To understand my concern you must know a little about my background and me. I am a twenty-seven years old guy, passed out from one of the best business school in India and presently working with a very reputed company, atleast as visible from outside. Now as per the norms set by our society, everybody wants me too get married. And me too agree. But here comes the problem. I think myself as a person of good intellect (?), after all I have got double masters with basic engineering degree and all of them from institutes of great repute. So I have decided to get married to a girl of good education. Good is a relative term, therefore to be specific, with a girl having professional degree, i.e., either an engineer or doctor or a B-school graduate. With great difficulty I made my mom to agree to this idea of mine. And as expected she convinced my dad too. So dear friends, months have passed since all this was decided but all the time I got offers of girls not fitting into this criterion. Parents introduced all these girls as very beautiful, well educated and with a very cultured background. And since I too wanted to buy time I politely declined all of them. Recently dad got fired on me. He understood my tactics. So in self-defense I had to remind him of my criterion. And to my dismay he said “Son, what do you think we didn’t try? There is no girl meeting your criterion in our knowledge. Go find out yourself if you can.” And then I realized whom to find? We in our little known college used to joke that our college produced 100% export quality girls and that’s true. None of my lady batch-mates are in India any more. Even most of my juniors too have left. Most of them married to NRIs otherwise left India for higher studies but never returned, married there, some either to NRIs or fellow students who later turned NRIs or even to non-Indians. You know Indian ladies are in high demand in foreign market. And those who are left are looking for such guys. Try talking to them? You’ll realize that they are the most brutally treated people on the earth. I am not prejudiced. I tried to find out some facts from here and there. And here they are. 79% of Indians who go out to study never return. The second highest figure is that of China. Only 15% of those poor guys remain there. And the third one is South Korea, 9% of students from there don’t return. But the most amazing figure was that 95% of Indian ladies going out for higher studies don’t return. And with perpetually increasing proportion of female students, imagine our future? So now you know my concern? All so called intellectual ladies are leaving India either by marrying NRIs, who can boast of a qualified Indian “bahu” to their adopted countrymen, or by simply going away for “further study”. Add to this woe of decreasing female proportion in our DEVELOPING society thanks to large-scale female feticide, female infanticide, malnutrition related deaths of females etc. What will happen to our coming generation? With all intellectual would-be mothers moving out of the country and fewer newer ones being produced how shall we get more intellectuals in following generations? Would our human resource minister take any action against this? Does he consider himself responsible for generations to come? Well nationalism apart I am very concerned about my marriage first? Shall I ever get a life-partner of my dream?