பாரீஸுக்குப் போனேன்

ரொம்ப நாளாக பாரீஸில் ஒரு வேலை - நம்ப சென்னை பாரீஸ் கார்னர் தான்.

 போலாமென்று முடிவெடுத்தப்போ பார்க்கிங்கை நினைத்தாலே அங்கு காரில் போவதற்க்கு  பயமாக இருந்தது. ஆட்டோக்காரர்கள் புது மீட்டர் பொருத்தலமா  வேண்டாமா, பொருத்திய மீட்டரை மடக்குவதா வேண்டாமா போன்ற பல குழப்பங்களிலிருந்து இன்னும் மீளாததால் அதையும் ஒதுக்கியாயிற்று. பஸ்ஸில் போனாலென்ன என்ற அந்த விபரீத (?) ஆசை வலுவெடுத்து, பல வருஷங்களுக்குப் பிறகு நேற்று 21ம் நம்பர் பஸ்ஸில் ஏறி உட்கார்ந்தே விட்டேன். பாரிசுக்கு  நாலு  ரூபாய் டிக்கெட் எடுத்து ஒவ்வொரு முறை கியர் மாற்றும் பொழுதும் ஒரு உதறு உதறிய பஸ் உற்சாகமாகத்தான் ஓடியது.

ப்ரபல எழுத்தாளர் சொன்னது போல் காரில் இருந்து பார்த்தால் ஒரு சதுரத்துக்குள்ளேயே தெரிந்த தெருக்கள், பஸ் ஜன்னலும் சதுரமாய்த்தான் இருந்தாலும், உயரத்திலிருந்து வேறாகத்தான் இருந்தது. ஒரு காலத்தில் சந்தாக இருந்தவைகளெல்லாம் இன்று ஒன் வேயாக மாறி இருந்தது.  மெட்ரோவுக்காக வளைந்து கொடுத்திருந்த அண்ணா சாலையில் பஸ் அந்தக் கால கண்ணாடிக்குள் போட்டு விளையாடும் குண்டு போல் ஓடியது.  பிலால் ஓட்டலும் பாட்டாவும் காணாமல் போய் சரவண பவனும் வஸந்த பவனும் போட்டி போட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தது. இரவு நேர ரிச்சித் தெரு ரங்கனாதன் தெரு போல் ஜக ஜோதியாக இருந்தது. புதிய தலைமைச் செயலகம் புது தில்லியிலுள்ள புராணக் கட்டிடம் போல் களையிழந்து போயிருந்தது. சிந்தாதிரிபேட்டை தாண்டியவுடன் ஹட்சன் போல் ஒடிய நதி கருணையுடன் கொஞ்சம் துர் நாற்றமில்லாமல் இருந்தது - இதை யாரும் கவனிக்கக் கூடாதா?ஜெயில் அருகில் உள்ள பாலம் மட்டும், புது ரோட்டுடன் பள பளப்பாக இருந்தது - அடிக்கடி பல பெரிய மனிதர்கள் புழங்கும் இடம் என்பதாலோ??

நடந்த சில நல்ல காரியங்களில் பஸ்கள் சென்ட்ரல் ஸ்டேஷனுக்குள்ளே போவது எவ்வளவு உபயோகமானது என்று அங்கு இறங்கி ஏறும் கும்பலில் தெரிந்தது.

பாரீஸ் மட்டும் மாறவே இல்லை. அதே கும்பல், அதே குப்பை, அதே துர் நாற்றம். அதெப்படி இங்கு மட்டும் சாலையில் அவ்வளவு குப்பை? அகற்றுவதே இல்லையா அல்லது அது போதவில்லையா? ஆயிரக்கணக்கான மக்கள் புழங்கும் இந்த சந்திப்பை ஒரு பொது நலத்துக்காகவாவது இன்னும் கொஞ்சம் சுத்தமாக வைத்திருக்கலாம்.

அந்த ராணி சிலையின் பக்கத்தில் உள்ள கார் பார்க் நிரம்பி வழிந்தது- சில கார்களை எடுப்பதே இல்லையோ என்ற சந்தேகத்தை அதன் மேல் உள்ள தூசியில் எழுதியுள்ள "ரஜினி" என்ற எழுத்து ஆமோதித்தது.

இதற்க்கெல்லாம் நடுவில் அந்த பெரிய பஸ்ஸை லாவகமாக ஒடித்து ஓட்டும் ஓட்டுனரைப் பாராட்டியே ஆகவேண்டும். நமக்குத்தான் அப்பப்ப படபடத்து கண்ணை மூடி தெருவைக் கடக்கும் பூக்காரக் கிழவிக்காகவும், தலையை ஒரு பக்கம் சைடு வாங்கி போன் பேசியபடியே குறுக்கே பாயும் மோட்டார் சைக்கிள் காரரின்  உயிருக்காகவும் ப்ரார்த்திக்க வேண்டி இருந்தது.

பஸ் திரும்பும் பிஸி திருப்பத்தில் நட்ட நடுவில் ஒரு பெரிய குட்டை போல் சாக்கடைத் தண்ணீர் கொசுக்களுடன் பள பளத்தது. இதெல்லாம் எங்களுக்கு சகஜம் என்பது போல் யாரும் அதைக் கண்டு கொள்ளவே இல்லை.  அருகே பப்பாளிப் பழத்தை துண்டாக நறுக்கி விற்பனை மும்முறமாக நடந்தது. பிரம்புக் கடை தெரு என்ற  ரட்டன் பஸார் , ஈவனிங் பசார் தெருக்களெல்லாம் புதிய பேரை நீலக் கலர் போர்டில் மாற்றி இருந்தாலும், வியாபாரம் என்னவோ அதே தான்.

 போலிஸ் ஸ்டேஷன் எதிரிலியே தொடங்கி வரிசையாக குறுந்தகடுகள் விற்பனை - 120 பாடல்கள் கொண்ட தகடு 25 ருபாய்தான். அடிமைபெண்ணிலுருந்து விஸ்வரூபம் வரை (ஒரிஜினல் ப்ரிண்ட் ஸார்) எதெடுத்தாலும் இருபதிலுருந்து முப்பது வரை தான். அப்பப்ப ஒருத்தர் பக்கத்தில் வந்து "வேறு ஏதாவது புதுப் படம் தேட்ரீங்களா சார் ' என்று உபசரிப்பு வேற.

மான் மார்க் குடை விற்க்கும் கடை, ரமணனின் பேச்சை நம்பி வரவிருக்கும் மழையை எதிர்நோக்கிக் கதவை விரித்துக் காத்திருந்தார்கள்.

செல் போன் வந்தாலும் வந்தது, மக்கள் இடம் பொருள் ஏவல் பார்க்காமல் பஸ்ஸிலும் சகஜமாகப் பேசுகிறார்கள். "அடுப்புல பால வை, தோ வந்துண்டே இருக்கேன்",  "கூடுவாஞ்சேரியில் நாலு செண்டுக்கு இது சீப்புத்தான், உடனே வளைச்சுடு:, "நாளைக்கி கண்டிப்பா கொடுத்துடறேன் சார்" - இப்படிப் பல.

மந்தைவெளியிலிருந்து போக வர பத்து ரூபாய்தான். உட்கார்ந்து போகலாம். நல்லா வேடிக்கை பார்க்கலாம். ஆனால் இதெல்லாம் காலை ஆபீஸுக்குப் போகும்போது கிடைக்குமா- சந்தேகம்தான்

Its that time of the year for Gandhi

My early memory of Gandhi stem from reading much about him. In my first year college , I was exposed to a lesson "Some Reminiscences of the Bar", which impressed me to a large extent. I read that chapter so many times , the main narrative text of which I could recall verbatim even now- "...Is it not sharp practice Mr Gandhi.... I boiled within...". In fact, I searched Google with these key words to locate the full name of the chapter ! (http://www.mkgandhi.org/autobio/chap122.htm )

During my student vacation days, I used to take chapters from his autobiography to practice my hand writing daily. The reading of  books like "Freedom at Midnight" gave me deeper insight of  this great personality. Though I do not subscribe to hero worship, I regard this old man of India as one whose qualities are worthy of emulation.

In the pre-independence days, it was stalwarts like Gandhi, who led so many struggles, who went under the British baton, who languished under the unbearable heat and humidity of prisons of those days, which lacked even the basic amenities unlike the current day facilities. This was the one man army which held the then Calcutta peaceful, while the rest of India burned. This was the one who travelled in the ordinary second class train compartments and mingled with the common man unlike the later day 'leaders'.  This was one of those who created , chiseled and worked with such personalities as Dr P.C.Ray who took forty rupees of his Eight hundred rupees salary and gave the rest for the freedom struggle;  Was able to change the perception and style of personalities Vallabhai Patel, who was popularly remembered for his focus to continue his peroration in court, even after  he was informed of his wife's demise. This was one man who did not need AK-47s to rock the empire but did it with a pinch of salt!

Compare this Bapu with some of  today's leaders who swindle at the drop of a hat be it purchase of helicopter or fodder or cemetery or footwear or midday meals ....anything on earth where from currency could be milked.

After this 'Gandhi' Indian polity is replete with so many Gandhis, but none of these could match the stature and sacrifice of this 'half naked fakir', who troubled the Crown so much that Churchill was repeatedly questioning as to why he did not die yet !

This bapu drank goat's milk, ate nuts, adopted nature therapy, cleaned his own toilet, gave new dimensions to celibacy and starved for months for the welfare of the common man.

Later day Gandhis and Bapus never drank anything less than apple juice and mineral water; ate at five star luxury hotels with specially ordered items from a la carte menus; could not sleep without conditioned air even while the common man was suffocating under the cruel Indian summers without power for greater part of the day; could travel only in AC coaches and special airplanes; ignoring the natural wealth of medical professionals in the country who are well respected outside, rush to foreign soil more  to 'gaurd' information about their state of health than for 'better' treatment.

There are people who love to hate the Gandhis and the likes of yesteryear and I have no quarrel with them, for they are entitled to their opinion as I am to mine. But, let us ponder whether the current 'bapus' could have survived in those conditions whereas the original 'Bapu' would have  lived with ease even at the current state of affairs. For the "Bapu" had no 'expectations' while those who 'followed' him could not live without them.

It is a matter of satisfaction that we allocate at least a day yearly to reminisce and savor the thoughts of such great sons of this land!
    

If Tomorrow Comes?

It is generally believed that people of our nation are very good in execution but falling short of the skills in planning for the same. That has perhaps, given avenue, to so many of our projects across globe as people who have better planning and driving skills have always used our strength of execution and led their assignment to completion. We are so adept in mastering what we do, we went on to specialize execution, proceeded to derive our 'rights' of execution so intensely, we even forgot that we could also plan and drive. This could be the reason for our slavery over decades, where we allowed ourselves to be mowed down by people with better communication and leadership skills and spent decades again to wean ourselves away from these clutches.

This mentality of executing the end of the chain job could have possibly led us to stabilize ourselves as a hard bargainer of our rights and always made to look up and fight rather than dictate and lead the way. Our leadership and environment are also not helping us either. Whenever a date is set for an activity, people are relaxed under the comfort that this date will be postponed. Be it wearing of helmet by two wheeler riders, removal of dark films from car windows, Aadhar card registrations, Income tax filing to auto meter rate decisions.

That one has to file the IT return by 31 March was well known even on the 1st April of previous year ! Then, where is the need for extending it?

Why is that an extension is necessary? Does it mean that our leaders are unable to plan what could be that 'just enough' time for our citizens to comply with. But then we have precedents of even some national level leaders 'forgetting' to pay the Income Tax !  How then can you explain that only 19 out of the 70+ Ministers have submitted the annual statement of their properties. It is a matter of shock and despair that as per the report, the defaulter list includes our honorable Prime Minister !!

Normally we choose as leaders, those who set themselves as shining examples, who always stick to the nobler and righteous side of things and who are worthy of emulation. Be it reality or movies or politics, we look upon leaders with reverence based on their good deeds and nobler thoughts. People normally look upon their heroes and leaders to inspire, lead and drive them with positive thoughts. Are these expectations any more relevant, one wonders?

Are we a nation of procrastinators? Have we misunderstood / misinterpreted the word 'Procrastination' , as a nation that is under refuge to postponements - procrasti'nation' !! Or have we lost the value of time? As is happening in some of the bank branches, any request other than cash- be it statement or deposit renewal or passbook updates or tax certificates, the customer is promptly directed to come 'later' ! Do we realize what it takes for a customer to come again- cost, time, effort, support in case of senior citizens....?

I have never heard of clients postponing the delivery date for a project , just because the team is unable to complete the job. A date once decided is cast in stone, but for unforeseen circumstances beyond one's control and acts of God.  As a lateral entrant to the IT industry , I have had occasions to face this situation. When I was convinced that the product was not completely ready for shipment and stood in the way of delivery, my boss used to intervene and say that "one can never aspire for a 100% complete product and even if it is 80% ready, let it go, as we should not miss the agreed date".

By 'anticipated' postponements, are we setting the right attitude for our coming generations? I am worried with such indifference to targets, whether we are also unintentionally instrumental in leading the younger ones to think , that these might never happen and will never be implemented! It is time for people concerned to wake up and stem the rot.

Art of appreciation

The two year old grand son of my brother, did not even pronounce the words properly but hurriedly completed the rhyme, was himself clapping and egging on others around to "clap, clap" until everyone complied. The beaming child on hearing the applause all around him was a sight to behold. Without any further prompt, he sincerely proceeded to recite the next rhyme, anticipating a bigger round of applause !

My aging uncle also had this habit of recounting everything from his early days, like when Mylapore area was almost on the fringes of a forest and Adyar was unknown, there were boats plying in Cooum river with firewood etc., Seasoned people around him used to silently listen but if anyone asks for more details , his eyes will open wide and then there will be no stopping him.

Such is the power of appreciation, a tool of recognition from a child to the senior. Everyone wants to be appreciated, applauded, recognized and talked about. Only the performing artistes have no hesitation in accepting that they value the clap of the audience more than the material returns. Of course, there are sports persons who find an empty stand very dampening to play which perhaps is the reason for the greater popularity of cricket in India.

While I was on a business trip to U.S , after a presentation of our capabilities was made by my boss, I was very impressed and immediately shot an email to him, who was sitting at the other end of the horse-shoe table in the conference hall. This was done with all sincerity and meant as a genuine expression of my appreciation, but I was more surprised to get an acknowledgement within minutes, which was written 'thanks' all over.

In one of the organizations I served, the management was astute enough to conduct an "Appreciation day". On this day, people could obtain any number of 'Appreciation card' from the front office and were encouraged to send them to anyone in the organization whom they appreciate.   It need not be from one's own team, it could be from Admin, HR, Help desk, support teams, your boss, your junior most team member or even the President of the organization. It was a treat to watch the good will flowing through the day and whoever came up with the idea need to be well appreciated.

Any unfortunate event, any bad exchange, any sour event could be turned with a single stroke of appreciation with a simple pat on the back. Hope this is also taught in management and training schools for the Managers of this era. In my opinion,  this is the only activity in this world which warms the hearts of both the giver and receiver !

Managing Madness

Last weekend I went calling on my relative - a jovial fortyish guy, whose first look will tell you that the guy doesn't want to miss any fun in the world. Always sporting a smile, close to his family, visits his native village every year , drives long and goes to the refuge of his Mridangam to detox himself. Now a senior project manager with a tier-1 IT major he has come a long way through sheer work and attitude and is in an enviable position for his age. During the chat, though we exchanged notes on the tough IT world he was not complaining, but his black ringed eyes told a different tale. His wife worriedly filled the rest saying that he works through the day and night hardly sleeping,  forever on calls, at times even missing his meal. He also intoned, but with a smile, that he would like to quit soon to enjoy his life. I was rather taken aback, as this was the second guy who talked about quitting the job due to pressures and stress, in that week . The other one was a management grad from a premier institution who was asking me earlier in the week as to how one could spend time after a quitting a busy IT life.

I was introspecting- whether the industry has enlarged its pound of flesh or the present day guys are unable to manage the work -life balance. But these people I interacted with are no mean guys and they understand the world around. In the context , I also remember to have read a piece on doing some work on Sundays too, for a better ensuing week- a moot point, indeed.

Current working scenario, IT or otherwise,  is indeed tough but in my opinion, not unmanageable. As they do for their work, some out of the box thinking and customized plans could go a long way in relieving one of some strain.

After some initial months, one could easily identify the pattern of his line of work- including the unexpected tasks.  I created my own ways of working around:

• I have my own customized spreadsheet detailing my day's activities. This database served as a major reference point  for progress, activities, achievements, shortcomings, trainings , contributions etc., This I found to be very useful while preparing for the annual appraisals and periodical reports
•  Like some Indian in-laws, bosses are born and meant to be tough, as their role demand some toughness. Instead of whining about them, we need to customize our work pattern so that they suit their expectations too. 
• One of my bosses has the habit of expecting weekly updates right from Saturday morning.  I used to keep filling up a template through the week on a daily basis and instead of waiting for Mondays, I used to send them as the last item before I left on Friday. Note the timing, 'last item...' and that is important !!
• Every boss has his/her own idiosyncrasies and seldom they match. Understand your boss's expectations and try to work around the same. This spares you from most of  unwanted tension and arguments.
• Heaping of work beyond one's capacity now has a new connotation akin to a stress test. If you complain, you may be slapped with this argument. So, try to prioritize and also make sure you reason out the same, which will be understood by any reasonable boss.
• Working over the weekend is a pain, but then in the changing scenario, you do not  have much choice. At least, be mentally prepared to work on Saturday. If there was no necessity, you could enjoy or clear some lesser priority items from home. If it happens, it was no more a surprise as you had already planned for it. This I learnt from a project in which I worked through all the Saturdays for more 9 months in that year !!
• Identification and grooming of the trusted next level are a key to one's success. 
• Do not try to dirty your hand with everything. Understand the intricacies and try to distribute it to your other leads. 
• Working for multiple geographies with different time zones is a real challenge. But, if you choose to distribute amongst your leads and Managers you even can be seen to be working 24 hours.
• While on planned vacation do not completely switch off from office. Keep tracking the mails periodically for continuity , but never respond unless it is of paramount business importance. Keeping track helps you to get on line quickly on your return. 
• On return from a vacation, move your vacation mails to a designated folder so that they do not impede with the fresh priorities. When you sort your vacation mails,  you will be relieved to find that many are for information only, so that you could focus on things that require your response.

Nowadays, everyone comes with almost same qualifications and skills. But then how come some are very successful and climb the ladder faster while some get stagnated. It is such customized thoughts and realignment that helps the organization to distinguish between the wheat and the chaff. Importantly, none of the above could suit your type of working. Perfect. That is why it is necessary that you identify or invent patterns that are suitable to you.

Also remember planning is no more a virtue.You may start the week with some 10 top items and end up doing 7 none which were in your original 10. If that happens, be happy that you are managing your tasks well !!

Last but not the least, never allow yourselves to be taken to the 'end of the world' situation. Nothing in the world is so irreversible. For every situation, there is a solution, a workaround and nothing to despair about. Its definitely not worth being short tempered at home mulling over the official tensions. Try not to think of official chores on Sunday and relax with your family, so that you can start the Monday with a fresh mind.

தலைப் பிரசவம்

அன்புடையீர்

வாழ்க்கையின் பல பரிமாணங்களை எதிர் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்ற ஆவல் என்னிடையே என்றும் இருக்கிறது. ஆனால் அதை  ஒரு மித்தமாக  நேர்க்காணும் தைரியம் எனக்குள் இன்னும் வரவில்லை. ஆகையால் , ஒரு குழந்தையைப் போல் ஒவ்வொரு படியாக ஏற முற்ச்சிக்கிறேன்.

இம்முயற்ச்சியில் முதல் படியாக என் வலைப்பூ(

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  http://kapalicanvas.blogspot.com/)  ஆரம்பித்தேன். இது தந்த உற்ச்சாகத்தில், இதற்க்குக் கிடைத்த வரவேற்ப்பில்  தமிழிலும் எழுதத் துணிந்ததில்  என் தமிழ் வலைப்பூ (

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http://chinthikkiren.blogspot.in/) மலர்ந்தது. 

எனக்குத் தோன்றும் எண்ணங்களையும், அபிப்ராயங்களையும் வலைப்பூ மட்டுமில்லாமல் சிறிது அனுபவமும் கற்பனையையும் குழைத்து ஒரு கதையாக மெருகேற்றினால் என்ன என்ற எண்ணம் தான் , என் முதல் கதைக்கு மனதளவில் வித்திட்டது. சமீப காலமாகப் படித்த பல கதைகள் என் இந்த ஆசையைத் மேலும் தூண்டி விட, விளைந்த சிறு செடி தான் , என் முதல் கதை "பரிகாரம்".

இது தமிழ் எழுத்தாளர்களை ஆதரித்து அவர்களுக்குத் தளமளிக்கும் http://www.sirukathaigal.com/. என்ற இடத்தில் என் உண்மையான  "கபாலி" என்ற பெயரில் இன்று ப்ரசுரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

காக்கைக்கும் தன் தன் குஞ்சு பொன் குஞ்சுதான்- என் கதை வடிவ முதல் கன்றை ஈன்றதில் பெருமகிழ்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளேன்

முதலடியை எடுத்து வைத்துள்ளேன்- இன்னும் பல கல் கடக்க உள்ளேன்-  தங்கள் வாழ்த்துக்களுடன்

என்றுமே என் எண்ணங்களையும் எழுத்துக்களையும் பற்றிய உங்களின் கருத்துக்கள் என்னை உற்ச்சாகப் படுத்தியிருக்கின்றன, சிந்திக்க வைத்திருக்கின்றன. ஆகையால் தங்களின் கருத்துக்களை ஆவலுடன் எதிர் நோக்கும் :    

Adaptations

My daughter's pet peeve about me is that I plan at the drop of a hat.

During my busy official days, when I started looking at the tasks for weekends on Friday evenings , she used to come hounding at me for compartmentalizing the weekend, rather than enjoying it.

I am now used to getting up early, sometimes as early as 5 AM and go for a morning walk to return before the sun is up. I enjoy this brisk walk, on the cool shore of Marina with enchanting music on my Ipod so much that I have started looking for it.

Few hours back when I got up , I rushed with my chores not wanting to be late and get beaten by the sun. When I anxiously gunned my car towards Santhome high road, it was flagged down for some diversions. To beat the obstruction, I took an early left and tried approaching it from a different direction, only to be waved down again by some brisk Khaki & white cops, to apprise that a marathon run has just started and traffic will not be allowed until 9 near the beach. My programmed mind quickly swallowed the disappointment of missing the Marina today and looked for an alternative.

In no time, I was at the green covered Nageswara Rao park, not far away from Mylapore and I resumed my day's walk there. The chill of the dawn aided by last night's rain and the lush greens of the park pepped me up and I happily switched on  P.B.Srinivas songs loaded yesterday after setting off the 'RunKeeper' app. After a round of walk the app announced that I have walked for five minutes and the distance covered was 'zero' kilometers. I paused a while to reset the settings but realizing that it was not responding, I resumed the walk swallowing my planned activities for the second time within an hour of waking up.

After a couple of rounds of walk I slowed down to inquire about people assembling at a point to be informed that the park organizes a 'mikeless kutchery' every first Sunday of the month and encourage mostly school going children to perform. Appreciating the wonderful gesture of the sponsors Sundaram Finance I continued my walk and a free copy of a Daily distributed to all visitors coupled with a green, cool environ urged me to sit and I started browsing through the paper, even before the completion of my regular walking duration.

While I was enjoying the news and the young voice singing Vathapi Ganapathim to the accompaniment of Mridangam and violin, yesterday's rain slowly reared its head to the annoyance of all especially the parents and well wishers of the young performer. While the scant audience of relatives and walkers started looking for cover, the young artiste was deep into his aalap with closed eyes not minding the falling drops and never aware of the audience scurrying for cover.

When he finished the song and started preparing for the next rendition, there were no disturbances in his voice or eyes and he was only too focused. Rain or shine the kid was determined to sing today and has left the worries to other organizers and continued his performance.

There seemed to be a lesson the young chap had delivered. I will tell my daughter that I agree with her opinion, when she wakes up !

Never mind the tenets of quality "If you fail to plan you are planning to fail".

What to Do?

Some months back I took against a bank hard for having charged me unfairly in my Cash credit account and were after them through all ethical means until I got the charges reversed. As is with me, I promptly sent a message to the Manager thanking him, though there was nothing to thank them as I had to make couple of repeated calls to remind them to do so. I felt this is how I should close the issue, so that they don't accuse me of not having informed them when the interest was reversed while I was always after them for this. But , to my disbelief, I got the same wrong debit reversed again ! Which means they have over paid me.

The same situation happened to me (I don't know why its me always at the receiving end- pun intended) again when a popular cinema hall charged me for an online transaction but failed to deliver the service. After I took up with the Credit card provider and also the Theatre , I got the wrong debit reversed - this time also twice !

While I promptly informed both these parties about the double credit, it still remain un-reversed even after a month ! Now I am in a dilemma what to do - whether to keep reminding them or keep cool with unexpected bounty- though small they are ! I do not want to be accused of sharp practice as  was done to the great Mahatma when he pointed out a wrong entry in his client's account, which argument made his client lose the case ! At the same time time, I would like to wait and see as to how their accounting system detects this or test the efficiency of their audit system against leakage of income.

I am at the crossroads of a middle class dilemma. If some one could guide me on this, I will credit them with lots of good wishes, even twice !!

Pollution of a different Genre

People are aware of different kinds of pollutions viz, air, water, sound and so on. But, of late a different kind of pollution seem to be catching up and doing the rounds slowly.

With the opening up of  communications, television channels have started airing opinions freely , at times even deliberately airing questionable and skewed opinions which leave lasting  impressions in the minds of innocent viewers. The language of the land is cleverly (mis)used to portray villains as innocent victims and at times even as heroes. Channels are being used to air opinions which will not stand the scrutiny of law. But, then who cares as nobody is really bent on following up with the multitude of television channels.

Though the yellow side of the ink media has also mushroomed it is being sidelined by the Internet media whose speed and reach it can ill afford to compete with. But it is to be remembered that back in the villages and yet to develop areas , it is the newspaper media that is still ruling the roost.

A matter of concern of late is the developing negative aspects of online sources and social networking sites. In the absence of an effective controlling mechanism and authority, people are at will spreading rumours and opinions which will be hard to justify. Before one could protest the incorrectness, the matter would have been spread to millions and the damage already done.

I was rather shocked to read some articles and reviews which were strongly opinionated and when contacted clearly the author was at a loss to justify the matter. Similarly, there were some articles on why investing in Gold is not worthy and why one should not buy immovable properties, why college education is not preferred etc.,. No issues in expressing such thoughts and everyone has freedom to express one's , as I do now. But the opinions given there are so skewed and fail to stand even the next level of scrutiny proves the hollowness of the arguments advanced and makes one wonder whether such articles were written with different intentions other than economic or financial ! My only concern is whether such misconstrued opinions are being forced down the throats only to form contrived pressure groups thus giving a sociological angle to the issue.

We had once heard of child locks being employed in Televisions. While there is no realistic possibility of enforcing such controls, the authorities are also weary of stepping in as that would tantamount to trampling on the 'freedom of expression'. How to stem this rot  !! As this pollution can spread multiple times faster than others and is more likely to affect youth of impressionable age, there is a crying need for attention on this.

Why wait until they are 'Late'?

The gradual fading away of some of the popular faces and voices of yesteryear is now impacting those who are on the verge of acquiring senior citizen status. The passing away of singers PBS & TMS have certainly left a huge dent in the tamil music world which is next to impossible to fill up, to use the popular cliche . Even now, when I hear any song on radio which is invariably rendered by TMS, I sincerely miss him. I also feel that this great singer could have been more recognized, more feted.

Immediately after the passing away of any such prominent personality it has become a norm to dig deep into the archives and bring all great feats and hitherto unknown traits of the person. Why can't we do this when they are alive? An artiste , personally values the appreciations, claps and feedback far more than the remuneration he receives. In fact, in one of the proposals for the Kalyan Nagar Association in Mandaveli, Chennai, my brother suggested few months back that we must honor TMS, the aging artiste in our neighborhood for having made the audience dance to his voice for decades. I appreciate the foresight of my bro but before this could be implemented the doyen has passed away.

This morning a post by the popular personality Manushya Puthran in Face book  "ஒரு மனிதனையாவது சாவதற்குள் கொண்டாடுவோம்..அடையாளம் காண்போம்" triggered my thoughts on the subject.

Not only in film or music world, but in other areas too such as medicine, education, child welfare, environment, sports ...... there are many such greats and let us identify and appreciate them for the services they have rendered. 

No doubt, we will do it but what I plead is let us do it when they are still with us , so that they could also rejoice at the recognition.

Sweeping, Seeping and Snooping

Of late, I find many voluntary and service minded organizations indulging in cleaning the surroundings , clearing the lakes of weeds etc., This is a laudable effort in that it shows the involvement and commitment of the individuals towards a better environment that promises a better tomorrow. On the flip side, I also feel whether this could be a solution for the problems littered around us. If some organizations and good hearted people clean the place for a day or two, what lasting benefits is it going to bring? Will this not lull the civic authorities also? I feel that instead of OR in addition to this, such organizations could join hands and pressurize the civic authorities to do do their jobs. It will be better for such organizations to play a supervisory role,  monitor and track their progress instead of taking the brooms themselves. This is with due respect to these organizations and individuals whose efforts I applaud and in no way this is meant to disrespect or degrade their efforts. This is only a thought viewed with a different hat.

It is pathetic to hear about the technical and civil glitches that is surrounding the  newly built  airport terminals at Chennai. It began with the faulty design of the ramp, then a section of the roof or its false ceiling caved in and the latest is the seepage of the  roof. What is surprising is that if the roof seeps for the rain which lashed Chennai for hardly an hour, how will it stand the real fury of the North east monsoon? What happened to the quality standards and controls that are more talked about than implemented? What about the ownership of such misses that could turn costly? It is pathetic because, we talk so much but in reality none of these is observed or implemented.

On to the snooping of the US governmental agencies of one's data through the Gmail, Skype etc., - Shocking to say the least. Particularly from a country which regards high the privacy and rights of individuals, this is the least expected. At the same time, I admire the US President in admitting openly about its attempted peep at others' data, which also show the intentions of the Govt that appears to be genuine.

But, from a layman's perspective I have always wondered as to how on giving your password all the mail, cloud data  etc., are retrieved. This means someone has access to all your data and he goes on to retrieve your personal data even if your security details are lost by you after checking with some personal and private questions. For a query as to why this org which is storing the data of millions of people across the world are not (mis)using them, my conceivable answer is he does not have time to look into all the mails. If this appears naive, remember, my earlier claim of 'layman' here. But, in the unfortunate event of some sensitive data getting into the wrong hands , then you are done and dusted.

But then, it could also be argued that no one pressurized you to store all these data in a public domain protected by private people. It was on your own volition, you chose to believe them as it is without any service charges and so one has to pay for the same. It will be prudent to park only  banal data in such sensitive areas and not your private data such as passwords, bank account details, credit/debit card details, online transaction passwords etc., Prudence is more required and it is the innocent and the gullible and at times even a careless scholar could become a victim here. So, use your discretion.

If you want unhindered services, accesible from across the world with few clicks but with no cost, then one needs to be cautious. You cannot have the cake and eat it too - right ??

Why cant we be good in Aping, atleast?

Whenever we need any info, it has become a habit to get into any good search engine and get instant answers like instant pain relievers. I myself had indulged in this on many occasions like looking for best blogs of the week, good books to read, good ways of resolving certain issues be it electrical or mechanical etc., Though at global levels of issues we seem to get solutions, if the queries pertain to specific areas, some of the suggested solutions are not relevant. For instance, a person in India requires tips on how to save, how to plan for retirement the answers by the search engines are not at all relevant as they conform more to U.S and other countries !

Under Indian conditions, entrepreneurs have flourished with such innovative thoughts on matrimonial sites and culinary items, I wonder what is preventing our young business minds to focus on this area?

Today in India, courier boys have started getting the acknowledgement in electronic pads. People have stopped walking down to theaters or railway station for booking their tickets as they get it done with their computers. Even the Indian railways have embarked on a green initiative by  encouraging e-receipt through messages on your mobile phone rather than a printed ticket- an open admission of the emerging electronic scenario. It has become a popular sight on the road from milkman to veggiewala, to auto driver cling on to a mobile phone unmindful of the increasing heart beat of others.

I wonder whether any other country is making such rapid strides in the use of internet and technology as India. But, unfortunately we seem to be aping and using things that are so readily available on the market- white or gray - and content with obtaining what we want irrespective of the means. Right from the operating system to mobile phones to kids toys, we have become adept in enjoying off the shelf stuffs rather than creating one. I read recently that "if we are not even capable of making cheap electrical pins and sockets, let us migrate to China, so that the overheads at least come down further".

How true, at least part of it. With so much of talent , so many innovative minds, we still look over the shoulders. Is it sheer laziness, lack of encouragement or unwillingness?  I really wish that someone at sometime, put their thoughts on for how many we look into the internet and how much time we take to sift items pertaining to our region and culture and come out with our own  indigenous answers.  On that day, will bloom the true colors of Indian minds and believe me it will bring in more revolution than what things like Windows did to the world in the 1990s. 

Everyday Gentleman

I was at an awards function recently and there was a small crowd of not more than 100. Since it was literary in nature, the expectations from the motley crowd was high as there were august speakers invited and all were waiting for some good oration.

As is usual, I was in the hall well before the appointed hour and those gathered were indulging in some small talks and even well past the scheduled time of 6 PM, there were no signs of the function getting started. The organizer, a popular personality on TV shows was busy interacting with his own friends and fans and it was well past 6.30 before he took the stage. After mike adjustments, meets and greets the function started almost 45 minutes behind schedule.

The auditorium was soon reverberating with chaste regional language and the audience sat back to enjoy the evening, as the speaker's words and the air-conditioners humming started coexisting nicely. Then started the ringing of mobile phones one after the other and more than their resonance, the attitude of the owners were more irritating. Some chose to immediately pick the call. Some had a good look at the number before answering and in the meantime the phone kept on emitting the jarring loud tone. As though these were not enough, there was a young man who started speaking loudly dismissing the objections of others , before he was virtually evicted from hall.

Then there were small kids accompanying their parents, who were making merry at the last row with steel chairs the sound of which made it hard to hear even some of the speeches, all the while when the parents were not even trying to advise the kids to behave.

I was astonished at the attitude of these, which we dubiously claim as "Indian".  I remember a Senior executive of a bank in Australia apologizing for being a minute late to the meeting, when we were waiting.

I have never heard the mobile phone ringing at any of the meetings even in offices, as it was mandated that we switch off or put them in silent mode. The same people when they are at different countries behave differently and appear impeccable in manners but when they are back , they resume their own 'culture'.

These remind me of the 'Sunday Gentlemen' , whom the famous novelist Irwing Wallace defines in his book of the same name as those who have been declared bankrupt and are in hiding from the public, but are allowed free to wander around the town only on Sunday and even the court or Police have no rights to arrest them on that day. These are also people who are otherwise clad in western dresses and warm handshakes with soft tissues to use on alighting from the car, but forget the basics in a gathering !

How I wish, these are followed by all at all times, not only when they are away from India.

Which means , a Gentleman daily- is that too tall a wish?

Doc in the Dock

It was shocking to read about the jailing of a 70 year old Doctor for having insisted on trying to protect the interests of patients in an Intensive Care Unit, rather strongly.  

(http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2013/03/30&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00300&ViewMode=HTML)

My initial points of observations after reading this news are: The strong ire of the cop who 'felt' insulted by the doc's behavior;  The septuagenarian's plight in Puzhal prison on a hot night ; his mental trauma & insult of spending a night in jail after such a long and glorified service. A dignified doctor with a good track record and also a Professor teaching many of the practicing Doctors, his honor has been trampled upon and I wonder whether he will be in a frame of mind to return to the hospital again.

I am sure there must have been some untoward altercations that must have led to the recommendations of the security for filing such a strong case against the old man. Notwithstanding the same, one wonders as to what has prevented the security in observing the rules of the hospital? If he had been accompanying a VVIP, one can understand that he should be in an alert state. But, it appears he was on a visit to supervise the security arrangements in anticipation of the VVIP's visit.

However high and mighty, when one enters others' space, one has to follow the rules and there is no exception. I have seen photographs of high dignitaries in other countries, where they are properly attired for the occasion be it a hospital or an Industrial unit or a war zone. It's only in India that exemptions are assumed to be made for people in high places and this illusion has to be thwarted by the VVIP themselves by adhering to the rules of the place. Of course, there were leaders like Mrs Indira Gandhi who insisted on a helmet while visiting the Pokharan site and the accompanying  top officials and scientists were also seen with one.

The Doctors' association has threatened to act if the charges are not withdrawn before April 4th- Why so long?

What is the reaction of the Hospital authorities for whom the doctor was on duty that day? 

Some months back, I was visiting the Critical Care Unit almost daily for 3 weeks as a visitor when my brother was a CCU patient and the concerned hospital had good security system in place. The hospital has to answer as to how the security at the ICU entrance allowed the person to walk into ICU with the shoes. Had it been objected at the doorstep, the doctor need not and would not have interfered and the whole incident could have been averted. I recollect when the then President Zail Singh desired to visit Guruvayoor temple, the Dewaswoom authorities insisted that he must remove the shirt, as per the tradition. When the dignitary was not willing to comply with, he was forced to cancel the visit. I wish the Security at the hospital has also put his foot down.

As TOI has rightly observed it is surprising why the Magistrate has not exercised his discretion but has ordered  imprisonment and subsequently provided for release on bail after some sureties and bonds.  The accused has also been ordered to appear at the court and sign every day until further orders. Did the doc tried to kill someone? Why jail him in the first instance. At 70 do you apprehend that he may flee?

Despite the arguments and their counters, my heart goes out to the old man who I am sure would be more shattered for having been jailed for an act of duty which he has undertaken to observe when he took up this noble profession. Former Pakistan President Musharaff has said that " He felt humiliated standing before a Judge". If a Military General used to killings on the battlefields , and the rigors of laws and courts felt like it, imagine the mental agony of  an ordinary doctor used to saving lives, when locked up for a night.

Why is that all the sections of  law are applied stringently against one for doing his duties? So much respect for Senior citizens! 

Misplaced Sympathies

My late brother used to say that God's greatest gift to mankind is "forgetfulness' - How else can you explain man's ability to swallow even the biggest of the misfortunes that could befall him- like losing the spouse or a dear one in the family. It is a custom in part of south India that immediately after the cremation of the dear one, the person who did the last rites has to have a full meal which should include a sweet. It looks atrocious at the outset and I found it difficult to gulp this when my parents passed away. But, it is done as a symbolic measure to urge the 'karta' that life has to go on and one is encouraged to slowly digest the loss and move on with life! What is more surprising is to see at times the karta enjoying the sweet forgetting the tragedy that has befallen him! So frail is our memory or strong is our penchant for taking life on that we forget easy !

But unfortunately, this appears to be followed in letter and spirit by us even for the criminals and convicts, who have undergone free and fair trial even through the highest court of the land. Of late, it has become a fetish to sympathise with the accused and take up cudgels against the victims!

How else can one explain people sympathizing with the killing of the forest brigand Veerappan in an encounter? Have we forgotten the numerous heinous killings he made in the name of self defense and how he deceived a well intentioned forest officer into the jungle in the guise of a discussion on surrender, skinned him alive and left the body hanging down a tree for days? Even now, people visit his grave periodically and pay their respects as though he was a Kattabomman, who fought the British!

I also saw some episodes in a popular TV channel as to how the once notorious 'Auto Shankar' is also being made to appear as one who has gone astray only due to circumstances!

And recently, the clamor of many of the 'popular' personalities asking for pardoning Sanjay Dutt is unbelievable! While people may have their own justifiable reasons, some of them are appalling which includes "He has suffered enough", "He has been working for the good of the society", "His parents were working towards for the cause of Indians". Some take refuge under legal ambiguities and say that he has not been accused as a terrorist and only as an arms peddler! Reports in the media unveil the atrocious manner he has been (proved to be) hobnobbing with anti national elements, possessed and provided protection for illegally conceived arms which were subsequently proved to have been used for a bomb blast in which 257 innocent public lost their lives. It also accuses Sanjay Dutt of having approached unlawful sources for illegal possession of arms for his own security!

I am not here to debate whether the above accused were terrorists or bandits or criminals. It is for the learned courts to decide based on the evidences and arguments of Police. I am only surprised at the misplaced sympathies of the "high and mighty" totally ignoring the decision of the highest court of the land. I am not surprised at the political and business support but the voices of some of the erudite are being so vociferous in their shout for the pardon of Sanjay is what is making me think of the view of justice in our land.

If after doing a criminal act a person has turned a new leaf before the judgement is delivered, does it entail him for a remission? Records at our prisons would give out reams of paper containing the names of such color turned leaves.  Or are we trying to exploit the delay that is associated with the deliverance of justice in our judicial system? This in no way means he/she can be absolved of their criminal acts. As they say, many unprofessional criminal acts are being done only at the momentary flare of tempers or loss of senses, which the majority of people will repent when they are cooling their heels. For those who do not, they are hardened and habitual criminals, about whom I do not intend wasting our time here. The points is one has to not only repent but also pay for their misdeed whether done casually or in a calculated manner.  

As I had already mentioned my intention is not to debate whether these are criminals are not and I am also not concerned about it. My worry is only about the learned people taking cudgels against those confirmed of their accusations, declared as offenders and delivered of sentences to be served. Are we setting up a wrong precedent? Will this precedent be quoted in future for any hardened criminal to come even out of gallows. With education  we also have some responsibility to the society and I wish the learning is used only for the good, for an 'Athenian blockhead is the worst of all blockheads' !

It is also shocking to hear people saying that it is too harsh a punishment! My dear friends, whom are you questioning, the Supreme Court of India? Are you in any way suggesting that the court is incorrect in its analysis and hence you are trying to go above the same? This too for a paltry 3+ years of imprisonment? Yes, paltry- considering the nature of the offense proved.

When I was in Himachal last week I saw a news report in a local newspaper wherein a lady had stated that getting impacted by the Mumbai Bomb blast, she had undergone 25 surgeries and still the shrapnel embedded in her are creating problems for her, but she has no more money for medicines. The tragedy is that the dole of Rs 25000/- announced in a grandiose manner by the Govt is yet to reach her even after 20 years of the incident!

Pray tell me who has suffered 'enough' - whether this lady with bomb pellets in her belly or people like Sanjay Dutt on whose shoulders ride the film industry's 250 crores !

I only wish our learned brethren fight for the real, suffering victims rather than the rich and affluent who could afford to engage lawyers who charge lakhs per appearance.

Let us not bet on the wrong horses and even involuntarily subvert justice.

Let us not allow our memory , rather the loss of it, to blind our views.

Let us not use the delay in the deliverance of justice to the benefit of the accused.

Pausing Clouds !

As the Indigo flight soared into Delhi’s deep blue skies, after the usual abdominal turbulence came the serene state of mind, when the little machine was well above the skies for the naked eye to see anything below other than the white puffs of clouds. Having already travelled 5000 KMs within a week through various modes of transport, this luxury of hitting the home turf after gobbling up the Delhi-Chennai 2200 kilometers in a matter of hours was a huge relief and the mind was ready to embrace my home sweet home. Only some weeks before I was traversing the same distance in 36 hours under the air-conditioned confines of a super fast express and my restless mind was wandering about the days when I used to embark on the same travel sans the comforts of conditioned air. No doubt, as one grows not only in age but also in stature and affordability, one makes the best choice of the day, everyday. And so one thinks!

Man’s never ending quest has never allowed him to be peaceful and always managed to keep him restless on the tenterhooks. A common man fights for his daily bread and when the young, anemic hand was extended the other day over the rail window, I was aghast as to how that hand could hold even a loaf of bread. Then there are those who could spend 70 rupees for a piece of Idly, but under colorful lights, splattering of fountains & the soft music of a maestro! This yawning gap, though one has learnt to take it in the stride, at times, hits people hard too.

Common guy fights for his daily bread, a blue collared worker for his seasonal bonus along with subsidized food, a lucky graduate for a vehicular comfort, a premier educated consultant for better perks as his salary has already been taken care of, top industrialists for more crores of profits… The race is always on without knowing the competitors. The have-nots at times attempt shorter cuts to these positions through the only avenue which requires neither education nor brains- “political self-proclaimed position”  . . . .every one runs after on this hot pursuit. The irony is that while almost everyone is sincerely in pursuit of their goal almost upto half of the above list of seekers, I am yet to hear of one who says “I am done. I don’t need anything any more”. I have never come across anyone who says “I am quitting today as I am satisfied. I have earned enough for my requirements and sustenance for the rest of my life and I feel I have saved enough and its time for me to enjoy life”. As the wants grow and as the expectations soar, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to decide as to what is enough? This is one simple reason that people conveniently cling on to, though the truth could be what to do without a job!

While this is the dilemma of the haves, the have-nots on the other hand are bending backwards even to make the ends meet. There are families which are worried for the next meal; there are students who are looking for next month fees to prosecute their studies; there are sons who keep their arms extended to support the medical needs of their parents. Even one of these isolated punishments could be borne by these but when more than one of these conspire to attack simultaneously they struggle to cope up and when the limit is stretched coupled with an empty belly, the agony at times lead to means which are termed as ‘unacceptable’. Though difficult for the haves’ to understand,  the have-nots never mind these means,  as the end appears to address their problems.

As I was hallucinating, my comforts were disturbed suddenly by a continuous but mild alarm bell and the hostess’ were scurrying around requesting the passengers to fasten their seat belts, as there was some unusual turbulence and the aircraft suddenly stared tossing around. All problems forgotten, the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots all started praying that their current ‘God in the cockpit’ handle this exigency well and would have even promised them the moon for a deft maneuvering. When things stabilized and the storm appeared to have blown over, people were back to their mundane ways of not only thinking but also acting ordering from Cokes to roasted cashew nuts to tender coconuts to simple plain teas. 

Had their God in the cockpit were not successful, had the plane not made it safely, all the 500s on board would have settled for the same watery grave  irrespective of their ‘positions’ ! How fickle is life and how ignorant are we of the unexpected and uncontrollable acts, I thought, when I saw the hoardings on the ground running away fast assuring one the heaven on earth at an unimaginable price, little realizing how the passengers were about to touch the heaven or hell without paying a rupee.

As the flight was taxiing even while the seat belts related warning was glowing, I could hear an anxious voice enquiring about the market today.  How I wish people could pause for a moment and realize that they could have also passed away in a moment! 

Saving that plastic !

I know that many have jumped out of their couch wondering why this guy is advising to save plastic when the whole world is trying to shun it. This is not about those plastic bags and toys but about that valuable piece of plastic card to which most of us are wedded to. Incidentally I remember my friend's analogy "wedding and credit cards-both urges one to enjoy in haste and repent in leisure" !! Yes, the topic thrown open for discussion is how to protect your piece of plastic.

I am also amongst the many who were shocked to read about the news as to how many of the credit/debit cards in India have been skimmed to the tune of Rs 30 crores in two months http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Global-gang-skims-Indian-credit-card-industry-of-Rs-30-crore-in-2-months/articleshow/18357670.cms  .There were multiple articles in media, mail forwards and awareness campaigns even by banks on safeguarding your card, but despite all the precautions such global rackets are still going on as this has become truly global.

While booking online Railway tickets, making some online purchases (very rarely) and transfers I had always wondered whether is that all the data required to use some(one's) card. Of course banks and other institutions are coming out periodically with novel methods such as OTPs, virtual keypads to keep beating the fraudsters. But, it appears in this game, atleast so far, the others are seem to be winning and the situation seems to be akin to the computers and viruses.

My intention is not to go through again all the bullet points on its importance, etc., as one can easily get all those through some key punches in any search engines. After reading the above news item, immediately my mind started searching for the areas where I was lax in securing my card and how I could improve my safety belt and so here are some.

First let me recall at what points am I parting with the card. Almost at every place like Petrol bunks, Restaurants, some retail shops - at all these places the attendant takes your card  to a far off and mostly places which are not within your eyesight, to make the transaction. If an errant attendant makes a note of your card number, CVV and date of expiry you are almost done !

Immediate step to mitigate this will be to erase / smudge your CVV number after memorizing it.

Insist that they bring the portable card swiping machine to your table/car. If that facility is not available, please walk down to that place so that you dont need to part with the card.

Keep changing your password say periodically, so that the month forms part of the combination in your password, which could be easy to remember for you. I would prefer a OTP than a permanent password, so that if the password is skimmed once , it cannot be re-used.

I am not very conversant in this area but am aware there are many more suggestions on protecting our cards, which I request the learned visitors to this blog to share and the purpose of this post is to share such wise ideas.

Away from the topic but relevant to the subject, it is better for everyone especially the card user to know some relevant facts about the card and also the ways and means to protect the same. In this context, I gratefully recall a training session on 'Cards' I underwent sometime in 2006 and I would like to acknowledge the knowledge and teaching efficiency of Ms. Prasanna Kompella, my then colleague, on the subject !  

Leaky Emergency Services

It is heartening to note various authorities announcing telephone numbers that could be called in case of emergencies. When it was reported in the press that the number given by Delhi Govt. for women support was not working with nil response on the first day itself, was received with skepticism, with people generally pointing finger at the news-hungry fourth estate. But, even that story could be true was realized personally by me today.

Few minutes back, my wife reported that the new gas cylinder which she was trying to fit in was leaking. We immediately switched off the connection and called up our Gas Agency for emergency support. The operator at the agency reported that the service personnel were out and they could come post lunch after two hours ! When I underlined that the leak is heavy and that we are unable to use the kitchen and are sitting at home after switching off the electrical points as a precautionary measure, she expressed her inability and advised us to wait for the service personnel!!

Then I tried the Emergency Service Cell numbers given in the last Gas supply bill but both the mobile numbers were reported switched off !

More out of desperation, I tried the Toll free number, which was announcing the 'welcome to IOC' in six different languages - good speed for an emergency !

As a last resort, I also tried the IOC customer service cell, which fortunately responded on the second ring and insisted that I have to go only the my gas agency , which supplies the cylinders to me. He went on to explain that the Emergency Service Cell numbers will be switched off now and will be open only after 6 PM. Which virtually, threw me back to the mercy of my Gas distributor!

The question that comes to my mind immediately are :

1. What if the cylinder keeps leaking even after the valve is closed?
2. What if the Service personnel were either absent for the day or were flooded with too many critical calls?

Its time the agencies realize the meaning of 'emergency' !

The incident was reported at 12:45 PM today and let us see how quickly the authorities react !

Not more but more meaningful holidays

Whether we are in school or college or office, holiday is always fun. Particularly holidays with no home work and holidays with pay are double whammy.  But, these days turn sour only when you are forced to sit for a holiday, when you have neither reason to celebrate nor enough things to do. Such forced holidays are always a moot point in organizations and Government offices, some of which follow still the archaic policies framed under different environment, most of which are no longer valid.

Of late, with the increase in the pay packets and corresponding expectations, there has been an indirectly proportional decrease in the public holidays observed by some private organizations. It ranges anywhere from 4 to 8 days a year and out of these 3 are for the national holidays and that leaves one with a handful of days for other functions. In India , with its myriad cultures, religion, belief , sentiments and emotion this is at the other end of expectations and there is every reason for an employee to be peeved at this mindless holiday list.  While a person may not have any activity related to a common holiday as he does not belong to that faith, he will be forced to consider going on ‘unscheduled medical leave’ for a day which is important to his religion, but is not considered as ‘common’ enough to mandate a holiday.

For instance, I always feel bored to sit at home on a Bakrid or Christmas, while I would very much like to have a day off for Bhogi or Kanu. Equally others will also have opinions as per their belief.

Government organizations on the other hand declare holidays in excess of requirements regardless of productivity- an instance in evidence is of a 13 day holiday in Jan for T.N Govt.

While we are becoming progressive in many other aspects, it is time all organizations consider basic common holidays such as Independence day, Republic day and Gandhi Jayanthi and offer a bouquet of holidays spanning across all religions and faith and give the option to the employees to choose a certain maximum number of holidays from them. By this, the employee will have a reasonable list to choose his day off so that people will be available when others are exercising their options. By this productivity, customer satisfaction and more importantly the employee satisfaction are bound to skyrocket.

I am not sure why many organizations are still dragging their feet to introduce this productive measure, in the absence of which employees simply abstain themselves impacting all expectations. Shall we take this up and almost ensure a 365 days service to the customers so that the revenue stream will also never gasp?

Will the self-proclaimed forward looking, employee friendly and customer-oriented organizations wake up?