ramblings of a citizen : need of the hour

What crossed your mind when you saw that sign? Now stop and put yourself in the shoes of the person who made the sign. Mind you, you are in that person's shoes but you still retain the intelligence and knowledge you have gathered over time. I am sure you would at least have the pluck to ask the customer if s/he had the spelling correct since such a word as pulk did not exist in the English dictionary and if it did, it would mean the same. So what is the difference between you or I for that matter and that poor clod who produced the sign. Don't tell me he was high on dope. Education, my friend, is the differentiator. It marks the difference between the behaviour of an unscrupulous politician and an able statesman. However, I pity the poor clod who could not obtain some education.

Why am I rambling on about something that most people know about? Bruce Lee once said, "Knowing is not enough, we must apply." Education alone can propel a nation to greatness. Most of us extol Nalanda University that once graced the great land of Bihar. I think we owe it to ourselves to get every citizen educated and give them the power to rebuff the atrocities committed by our lowly politicians; politicians who are dividing the nation on the basis of caste, creed & religion; politicians who are insulting merit and upholding caste. Speaking of meddling politicians, why can't we see that institutions can improve and proliferate only if their needs are catered to and not when they are micromanaged. These bumbling politicians know very well that in the illiteracy of the Indian populace lies their short-term self-interest.

The train is long gone but we could still reach our destination if we worked hard enough. Education alone will bring about economic equality and along with it, social equality. Equality that will be ushered only when man-made differences are eradicated. Quota system works well when people of different appetite need to be fed or when funds need to be distributed to states of differing economic strength and resources but not when deciding who gets to study and who doesn't. The most poignant part of the Quota system is the basis of Caste. I can now understand why the Gita has been misinterpreted so much; a simple report stressing on the need for economic buttressing was misconstrued; so misconstrued as to change the course of the nation. I hold myself responsible to being a silent spectator as the fires raged across my nation but I hope to do something to bring equality to my countrymen.

note: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda_International_University

मृत्यु (Death)

It just meant that life had been snuffed out, the body gone back to the elements and that I could never again met, talk to or hear that person. With stoic courage I banished all sentiments and emotions with the wand of my acquired Vedanta. Time flew by; my mind and heart grew stronger, gaining a deeper understanding of Vedanta and at the same time realizing its potential. I rejoiced in my strengthening however imperceptible it was.

...I was standing upright with my head held high and not a single strain of emotion on my face. I was known for being a rock and there I was, a rock. Unbeknownst, I had gone hollow, my insides were in turmoil and my mind was no more in control. My mom had passed away, suddenly. Death is always sudden even if we can see Lord Yama trudging towards us with his lasso. I suddenly felt pain in my heart which slowly spread throughout. All my years of Vedanta and philosophy were of no avail. I was so angry, so frustrated and so sad, all at the same time. I did not know what I could do, what I should do. I felt like ramming the junior doctors' head against the wall for his questionable behaviour; but that would not bring my mother back. It has been months if not years but I can still feel the same pain in my heart and I cannot explain it. However, I know Death is as real as Birth. Death is inevitable to all that take birth even after a billion years, and being impartial and just, does not exclude God incarnate. I sometimes think that Death is the ultimate truth. God is just another name for it.

Every day, I have spent hours thinking about it and my understanding is still deepening. I have realized that the pain will never be gone though it will be complemented with an increasing understanding of Death and accepting it as just another event in the cosmos. I guess that last bit of knowledge I will receive when I meet Mrityu. Every time, I see or hear someone die either among my humungous number of relatives or from among the millions in the world, I repeat the beautiful sloka from Bhaja Govindam- "पुनरपि जननं, पुनरपि मरणं, पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनं, इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे; कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ।" Repeated birth, repeated death, repeated lying in the mother's womb; this process is difficult and full of misery, please shower your grace and save me, O' Slayer of the demon Mura.

rangan, answer to your question

Most investors in India seem to make decisions based on fear. Though there is no direct impact of all that is happening in the US, our markets seem to be reflecting the daily swings and moods of what is happening in the US and elsewhere. If there is rumour that the nuke deal is entering rough waters, the indices start moving southward. If the rumour is quelled by a statement from the PM or the FM the markets bounce back into the green. If the Asian indices go up, the sensex follows suit. It is frustrating because small investors lose a lot because of basing investments on such psychosis. I guess the Indian investor is a long way from learning to use objective calculations in investing, among other things.

Major players in the IT industry, as you might have heard, are on a killing spree. They are making good use of the uncertainity in the country to lighten themselves. Attrition is not the concern as they are indiscriminately removing employees under the garb of regular cleansing of ill-performing personnel. However, their balance sheets are in the pink of health and do not require any financial belt-tightening under any excuse. It seems, removing employees is the fad. I suppose they will keep doing this until they realize that the exercise of removing employees and rehiring is proving too much of a drain on their coffers and time. HR seems to be no more HR but rather a body-bag department which is simply concerned with counting the number of sheep entering and exiting the pen under various exigencies. HR's main role is completely forgotten. Humans are no more resources than bent nails which are thrown away for new ones rather than straighten them out with a single decisive stroke. HR's main function- choosing potentials and developing such into citizens of the company and state, seems to exist only in letter and not in spirit. I can see the reason for the formation and existence of other departments to ensure development of human resources. Probably the HR department needs to be renamed as they simply seem to do only one thing very well- meet the numbers required during requirement and retrenchment and get their bonuses which are as good as the numbers themselves.