Pushing Forward

Nitya, a 27 yr old housewife with 2 kids living in suburbs of Mumbai. If she has anything to be proud of, that would be by being a wife to a self-made husband or being a mother to lovely, intelligent kids. Having eveything placed before her, she never had to decide anything for herself. Her school, college, branch were all decided by her parents. Definetely marriage couldn't be an exception, her life partner was matched consulting matchmakers with kundli. She never felt out of power or rather she is indifferent of being powerless all her life. Is she had any hope of ever 'being free', that soon vaporised as her husband was equally pressy and determined to guide family life. She never complained, nor was their a need to as things were always happening for good.

This is not just story of Nitya, but of many in this world, feeling powerless as if fate is truly written on forehead. But what happened to Nitya later happens only to few unlucky or rather not so unlucky as you would feel later. Her husband met with an accident on express highway and was critical. To her bad luck he soon slipped into coma and all their savings were fed to the hospitals coffers. She was helpless, felt the world cheated her and her children. It took time but she eventually fought back, started working and took great care of her children and ran the family singlehandedly. This transition is also found in many peoples lives. These are times when people realise that they are in the driver seat of their lifes and not in passenger seat they used to assume. "One's destiny is in one's own hand." " I am master of my fate".

Such push or crisis is a fact and at times a necessity for a person to realise one's own potential. It is true that people realise their true powers and capabilities in difficulties. One should also note that even good can inspire one, to push ahead towards realisation. A genuine concern to be a responsible citizen, to give back, to share, to better, to help all guide people to that realisation. But as this article starts with and often stories tell, movies depict it is those that are distinct, different, contrasting situations that often gain attention. Further clarifying definetely we are in drivers seat of our life, but one should also remember that there are co-passengers, there are other vehicles that we come across, about whom everyone should be responsible for. This irony at one hand being master and at other hand being responsible is something that we have to live it, a fact of life.

On a different note but in similar lines I ask "What is it being truly free?" Should I say I am free right now writing this article? If the answer was yes, then am I free if I were writing this in China? Am I free when I have no responsibilities? If the answer is yes, then I have no responsibilities now. No demands from my employers, all expenses paid by parents, no girl friends to soothe, nothing. But I don't feel free. As German philosopher puts it, "To be free is nothing. To become free is heavenly".

'Becoming free' are those moments which Colin Wilson puts it as peak experiences where you feel free, where you feel lucky and all powerful. It is because your thoughts have made you feel such, you become free and feel free.  Those euphoric moments are always cherised and loved where you realise that power you have. Then it just the question "How great would it be if I have those peak experiences many times?" or 'maximise Satva' as I prefer to call it. The answer is in the thoughts which are root of every living action and outcome. Swami Vivekananda briefs it wonderfully “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” So I say

Push ahead, Push forward, break chains, realise yourself, your power, for the world is yours; you are the world.

Note: This is a note, a summation of my thoughts, showing you various way of realising yourself and telling you of situations we generally are.

The Foot Factory

This is the story of one man whom I know as long as I can remember, who has always been by my side and about whom I am very proud of . . . my "father". His jounrey is as remarkable as that of Will Smith's 'Pursuit of Happiness'. Having tried his hands on multiple businesses and hsving net only partial success, things turned around for him when he had an additional responsibility, me. His priority at that time was not just to meet daily needs but also to be concerned about my education and future. These needs made him push his boundaries by migrating to a small booming city Vijayawada.

As the journey typically goes, young lads from villages come to towns and cities working and learning from their already settled relatives. My dad was quick to learn and he also had capital. The story goes on smoothly until due to some feuds, my dad was kicked out of his job. He had his second child coming, an extra responsibility in uncertain times. He was forced to start a new business from scratch with no outside support because of the power the former yielded. Going through all these difficulties, my dad did fare wonderfully. He started his own manufacturing unit of women's footwear. He put all his savings to get proper education for us. His honesty, modesty, hard-working nature brought him to the place where he is today. Respected for his courage to fight all odds, he is a man who can be proud. Hope we stand up to his abilities and capability to move forward with all responsibilities.

Vijaywada, 3rd biggest city in Andhra Pradesh has always been a commercial hub. Good irrigational and driking water fascilities, well connected by train, road and air. It is a place to all those who want to start a business. It is also a huge centre for footwear manufacturing. A cluster with many players catering to various needs and demands from across India. Skilled and cheap labour, interesting designs, good transport fascilities, many investors and cluster advantages are the reasons for its growth. Here's how the story went through times.

I used to suggest different ideas, designs for footwear whenever I got an opportunity. My dad and his friends had a standard reply, "No one will buy from us, we make what they (wholesalers) buy from us". I do not deny that they do experiment and create new desings. What I am concerned is that they almost always limit themselves to a quadrangle of present demand and fashion. They imitate and re-design those which are selling good and are of craze. The ideas that they imitate are mostly from either big-city firms or international brands. The advantage that we have is the cost. They make good models with very low cost, a manufacturing hub just like what china is. Here they almost always shirk to make disruptive designs. 

Things were going fine like this for many years. They do create few new designs but most of innovation part is left for others do it. Because of the close knit bussinesses; ideas, models are replicated quite quickly. But recently they are faced with challenges that they have never faced. Their market share is being eaten away from all sides. The cost advantage they used to have before is watered down beacuse of too heavy competition existing between them. People in towns and cities have become brand conscious, so they are forced to move the products to smaller towns and villages. Added to this, they have huge inflows from places like Delhi, Thailand, which are much cheaper and desings different and hence attractive. The once booming industry has now many drop-outs and failures. Only big players have survived the onslaught. Is this a point of no return? I don't think . . . 

What they always lacked is innovation and the propensity to take risk. They hate "risk". They always tend to focus on guaranteed returns with minimum risk. The solution that I suggest, is not just applicable to this cluster but every cluster in India. These clusters I feel are successful owing to their advantages in labour - cheap and skilled, mostly involves imitation and cost advantages. But these are not something that are sure to stay for a long time. Every industry will face tough and new competition as more and more players join, competition from bigger firms and international brands and markets. If they are to stay in the field, they need to innovate. Innovation in designs, in products, in supply chain is the necessity. They should explore previously unexplored markets, unmet needs. They should use their cluster brand value for marketing their products.

"Co-operate, Innovate and make it big" should be the call.

The Innovation Invictus

One would be appalled by the number of articles being written in op-eds, editorials on how to revive America and its growth story. People debating on contradictory stands, some  forecasting doomsday and others shoving off any pessimism in its capabilities. It is also not surprising to call "Policy Paralysis" of India, the latest fashion in newspaper reports being used everywhere for everything. The parallels of both countries have to end here i.e growth story, revival of economies and growth rate. The content is widely different and poles apart.

While world intellectuals point out to the Chinese dragon and limits of Capitalism as reasons to doom, the American intelligentia defends showing its infrastructure, mature and stable markets and competitive environment. They go on suggest that if US was to fall in line and reclaim its lost torch it should harness its 'innovation' potential and financial markets to further the growth. All their suggestions can be broadly boiled down to work better, ask people to innovate and invest in profitable and novel ideas. Our Indian counterparts are very modest and 'populist'. They never blame or even call for action from people, they always and inevitably blame the government for all wrongs in this country. It is but irony that these very intellectuals champion that the development that happened is outside the government but still want everything to be done by government.

Though I might have made overly simple in showing the differences in American and Indian imagination, the difference is stark and truth. We were and are always comfortable in blaming others for mistakes but taking credit ourselves for success. Why don't they ask people to start new business? Why don't they fight to harness the innovations? Why don't they debate on business environment for Micro,Small and Medium enterprises? All the newspaper discussion is centred around people and business with deep pockets and lengthy balance sheets, who could any way get things done. We complain there are no Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs here. They started small and grew big, they innovated and succeeded. But these small start-ups, innovations are never part of main-stream discussion. All we seem to care about is FDI from US, Korea, Europe, Japan etc. I feel its high time that we start caring about ourselves, start introspecting where we lack and what are our plus points. I feel INNOVATION is the key.

I wouldn't restrict innovation to its general application in technology and business. I seek to see innovation in thinking, in ideas, in applications, in models, in processess. There is a huge scope for innovation in industries, in universities, in businesses. There is a need for innovative thinking for public policy and its working at various levels, in our approach for inclusive development and economic growth. Innovation should also be in how we look at ourselves and this country. People shouldn't be restricted to the existing paradigms but explore new avenues. Innovation is the solution to the pressing challenges of this country, which is on its journey to greatness. I would prefer to build base and utilise peoples power than worry of Gods at the top.

' "Disturb the Pattern, Introduce Anarchy" in innovation'

GS : Goldman Sachs or Greg Smith

When whole world is talking about the spectacular exit of Greg Smith,  an executive of one of the world's largest investment banks Goldman Sachs; I cannot but write something on this to satisfy myself. So here's the journey of the "GOLD" man's tale.... (Original Article :http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/opinion/why-i-am-leaving-goldman-sachs.html)

As a newbie or rather a freshie into the walls of IIT, we would hear names of McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs more than traditionally expected Google, Microsoft, Sony. Fat pay packages, recruiting best of students and promise of a bright future; this wonderland combination is truly hard to ignore. Secretly quite many times I considered working there ( I mean try !! ).

Did I know what these banks do? I had no clue. This quest was answered by " The Inside Job", an Oscar winning 2010 Documentary film that I hit upon. True to the award, this movie is a wonderful watch summing up on the 2008 Global ( or to be precise American) economic crisis. The way GS and other banks played with customer confidence, betting against what they were selling as safe, was to me shocking and disgusting. What went wrong?? What is the problem??? Here I try my hands on.....

1) Bonus :-

Having been to classes of Organisational Behavior, I chanced upon what motivates workers, what brings in new talent to the organisation of which "Bonuses" are a part. But with this younger generation in pursuit of money ( yet movies show Happiness) are excited and motivated by bonuses. With this culture becoming the norm from deep pocketed finance companies to start ups that come to recruit interns, it is not hard to imagine the change that happens in work culture.

Bonus depend on your performance for a certain period of time. The better you perform the more you get. Bonus is technology companies where things can be tested immediately is fine but what about financial sector where nothing is for certain, where fortunes melt in minutes ( $2.2 Bn loss for GS due to GS - Greg Smith). The employees looking for short term profits which are judged by number of contracts or financial instruments they sell, amount being made by the company etc are the weighing factors for Bonus. GS was clear to this point by qouting the words "axes" and "muppets" in the open resignation  letter. This is exactly what happened during 2008 crisis, now with the GS episode and what is happening with Wall Street all along. This culture of bonus is to be questioned

2) Stock Market :-

I needn't give any info about it, being one of the best ways of earning fortunes ( atleast that's what we hear). It is a wonderful place where companies can raise funds and achieve their goals, earn profits with the generated capital. But with the advent of technology like high-frequency trading, financial innovations like derivatives, speculative futures; more and more people are fighting over short term profits. Companies are not safe from this. They have got to show good Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 results, each year otherwise their share price crashes, competitors win. This vicious quest is making people forget the long term strategies, commitments and responsibilities

55% of households in US hold stocks where as it is 11% in Japan and 7% in Germany. This shows how dependent US economy is on volatile stock markets. A small bubble, an insider trading, a cheating case, a copyright infringement, the whole economy crashes. You can understand why India with just around 5-10% has stood strong though Sensex crashed. We are not dependent on this casino ( :P ) playground. This economic model is to be questioned.

3) Money:-

Few of you might have observed that my above two start with money, profits. So it becomes necessary to question this also. Pursuit of Money or Material wealth doesn't necessarily lead you to path of happiness. But this world is blessed to assume so. The economics we so cherish, with dreams all becoming the American dream, the great stress and importance given to material  things which all boil down to money should be looked upon carefully. Even Michael Douglas retracted by saying "Greed is Bad" from "Greed is Good", valuing family relationships over money and profits.

I am doing a lot of injustice by limiting the article to these few points, but then I am not qualified enough to state more than what I could comprehend as salesmen do. I with this article would request you to think about what is said here. Critically review, comment, discuss and help me and you get a good picture of where we are heading. 

Question, Reason, Think, Review...............and ACT

With love,

Vishnu.

College Life...........

There wouldn't be an end to discussions that one has on their experiences and memories of LIFE @ IIT. Or to be more general their college life. It is celebrated, cherished by all and for ages. What sets it apart from this long journey of life, it its distinctiveness. 

It is distinct because of its rich social life. It is distinct because of our friends and teachers. It is distinct because of the joyful and fun situations that we have been and that we chose to be. And finally it is distinct because hardly people have that kind of charm in them later.

People who know that I am still in college, would wonder why he is describing this as something long lost. Well I agree with them, but what I am trying to, is to raise few important questions that might find some meaning here..... Life @ IIT. I prefer to call it a true social life. Why? We play, we dance, we party, we sing, we study, we act, we beat, we get beaten, we watch, we listen, we fight, we facebook, we gmail, we tease, we cry. we laugh...all facets of life packed into this small period of life.

And what is even more special with IIT is the opportunities that it provides to grow. Pick your interest, there is a group already working towards it and if not there people willing to join you. Say you wanna break a record, there will be hundreds supporting and participating. Call for a protest, there are thousands ready to march, shout and stand for hours together. Share your idea, there will be scores of peers, professors willing to guide you. Life here is heaven until you realise or miss it.

Why all the charm and liveliness goes behind the curtain once you step out of this world? Why the pursuit of happiness after college life is so unhappy? Why people become so pressured, depressed and life so challenging that people loose all the solace? Why people become so self centered? My description of college life given above might be too juicy for some. But,

Life here has its own dark times. We have quizzes, project submissions, presentations, interviews, intern's. It isn't that we don't have competition here. We have one of the best minds in country competing. The difference is that here, there are people who are supporting you, willing to give a helping hand, ready to share and care. Why is it absent outside? We do have a great share of sad times, we get scolded by parents, GF's, we get rejected by girls(boys), professors, staff. But then it isn't same outside, as we have people(actually loads) willing to guide us and help us out. 

Few might shout, "You do not have responsibility!!". I disagree. We have as much responsibility as anyone can. We have to study, we have to get good interns, we need to get fat pay packages, we need to care our friends, family and maintain relationships. All these might sound silly, but how different are they from what we all do later. We take care of children, we maintain relationships, we work to get good salary, we take care of family, friends. What I am pointing to is the difference in approach and conditions that surroundings provide.

These observations point out to the fact that we essentially loose our social life as I describe it above, when we go out in to the so called "real world". As if it isn't so now. Many people end up being self-centered, loosing friends, not knowing neighbors, always looking in terms of  'I, my, me, mine'. If it is that all those that trouble us in "real world" don't trouble us in college life. They do. We too are at times self-centered, at times competitive but then these are not the guiding principles. We live here in a dynamic balance of private and social life, a balance in competition and co-operation, a balance in love and hate.

This dynamism and balance is absent outside, its too one-sided. Where does the fault lie? I feel it is in social structures, the behavior that people develop and  that "cities" groom. This isn't the case in places rich in social life, like villages, IIT's etc. One should question, reason out if technology and the modern model of capitalist development are the causes. Their stress on individualism, competition, efficiency and standardization, I feel is the cause....

This is the aim of my article, to point out to the ills of the so called modern yet self-destructing society. Question, Reason, Argue, Discuss........and ACT

With love,

Vishnu Vardhan

I know many of you are already bombarded with arguments, opinions, analysis on FDI in retail. I understand the hangover of it but I do have something to say not on crazy studies or opinion polls but on personal experience.Not many of you might know that our government has allowed 51% FDI  in single brand retail, cash & carry wholesale trading back in 2006 itself. We(my family) hailing from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh were blessed enough that Bharti-Walmart opened a "Best Price" store there. I got an opportunity to visit to that wonderful store.

The journey is filled with lots of surprises. First is to come at the entry itself where few rules and guidelines were put.

1) Only those who are registered allowed. -- Registered means those who have a business of their own.

2) Maximum of 3 people per card allowed.

3) These goods are not meant for personal use and are for resale.

4) Minimum of Rs.1000/- bill

I was once again lucky that my dad happened to run a business and he got card required for entry. I was wondering that if goods sold here are only for resale, why was my mother so insisting on going there. The second shock was soon to come as I stepped into the store. OMG! Never have I watched something so magnificient and huge in a wholesale store. Huge 15+ metres cuboards, cranes moving here and there, crowd in numbers surprising for a wholesale shop.

Secrets are soon revealed as I moved around the store putting things my mom selected in trolly. What the store is selling is no different from what a retail store sells or a small wholesaler. But the point is that goods that are sold here are straight from factory (which you can see in top racks of pic). The prices are sometimes Rs 15/- below the M.R.P making it very attractive for house-wives like my mom and retailers alike. The customers that come here are mostly poeple like my family. We in India have considerable population self-employed. I mean we have many many businnessess of all forms running at all places. Here all of them are eligible to enter Walmart and buy. So the Rule 3 that goods are meant for resale is hardly followed because all are buying for personal needs.They are selling refrigerators, TV's, cell phones, vegetables etc which are mostly for personal consumption along with other goods in the name of re-selling.

I will not draw grand conclusions from here but what point I wished to drive home is that "My mom did not buy this month's share of goods from a KIRANA store that she used to buy for many many years".

Smoke.........Drink............do Drugs..................

That was a time when I was volunteering in an NGO in my summer vacation. My colleague, Mr. Abhishek and I were having our usual discussion over lunch on various random topics. I do not precisely remember how it started but we had discussion on smoking cigarette, drinking and doing drugs. This was so memorable to me because it brought about a radical thought process in me. Here I try to put the conversation we had in words….

Me: - They are wrong. They should be banned!

Abhishek: - Wait….Drugs are not legal anyways. Why should drinking be banned? Why should smoking? I prefer not to.

Me: - You do know how many people die with ailments of smoking….Cancer….Respiratory problems and many damn unheard diseases. How many people spend all their income on buying liquor? Drunk driving?  Liver problems………….

Abhishek: - Stop there..!!  Someone making the wrong use of something doesn’t make it unholy or unethical. I know my limits and I shall do so. Why should you ban altogether?

Me: - Precisely the point. You know your limits and try to stay within them. What about all of them who cannot decide what is right for them? Everyone who starts something new like smoking or drinking has few limits set by him. Limits might gradually be extended and he can move on to being addicted to it. Followed by all it’s by products…………

Abhishek: - Tell me this. 20,000 people die every year because of Rabies and dog bites. So let’s ban Dogs and kill them? 14 people die every hour in road accidents. So let’s ban Vehicles? I am not supporting drinking or smoking. I just want to push the argument for arguments sake to bring reasoning to your claims.

Me: - Road accidents, dog bites are out of our hands. We are fate’s slaves there, though they can be reduced. But these are based on our personal decision to do it. These can be avoided and one of the best ways is to ban them. Once banned they become illegal and their availability becomes scarce. This would greatly help the newcomers not to join the club.

Abhishek: - Drugs are banned and illegal in US. Was it effective? You cannot base your arguments only on deaths. Bring in new parameters and views to convince people. People see it as a source of pleasure and fun.

Me:- Hmm…So how about their addictiveness? The risk of getting addicted to them is much higher than others and fatal to life also. We rarely hear someone telling my life got better after doing drugs.

Abhishek: - If such was the case then smoking weed should have been made legal like cigarette. There is a huge debate over it.

Me:- Well that might be a starter for proceeding on to bigger fish. You are seeing it alone and not the very high possibility of moving on to others. Many people being educated about the ill effects of these start them. How will you tackle this? I see banning it a viable solution. If not all together, at least in phases.

Abhishek: - Seems convincing… (With a laugh) You always need to educate people, de-addict the addicted, provide legal, medical help to them and then ban them…. (Again a laugh)

Me: - The case is different for drugs. We have smoking and drinking in the veins of society. Drugs is in a different scenario. We can and should approach it differently.

Abhishek: - Yep. It should come both from Law and rules, from enforcement of it and from you, to educate your friends.

Our plates were already empty by now. We ended our conversation and moved on to our work. One thing I could not make out of our discussion is to what Mr. Abhishek is thinking. What are his views on this? He was more trying to make me argue than put his point here, but I hope this unfinished discussion between us would be filled by opinions of many others by writing an article. Hope the topic is brought to the table for a healthy discussion.

Light In Dark

Life is all about how you choose to live it. We are destined to spend this life however harsh or how happy the life might turnout to be. It is like a game of chess, in order to win you sometimes need to sacrifise something of yours. It is all up to how you take it, how you understand it and how you feel it.

There might be a sand storm raging around you. It is upto you whether to close your eyes and save yourselves from its fury or put open and search for an exit out of it. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine — the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. Difficulty lies when things go out of your hands and beyond  your control. When those dear to you become helpless, when you feel to be in an infinite abyss. How do you put on with these situations and circumstances when nothing can be done with you.

I see two fruits on the tree of solution to this problem. One in the hand's reach and other too high. It might need a stone to cut it off. The low hanging fruit suggests to look around you. It tells you to see and understand the suffering of many others. It reminds you of greater pain and helplessness that the world possess and has been treasuring for ages along. It reminds you that the pain is eternal and people are suffering much more than you. It is everywhere. It is in everyone. It is everlasting.

While the other tougher one is about beauty. It suggests you to see light in the darkness. It tells you to admire the beauty of things around you. It reminds you that there is no end to it when keep looking for it. It is what you look for that you see. It tells you to look for happiness and light. It is everywhere. It is in everyone. It is everlasting.

Both these solutions that the tree has to provide offers you the peace and salvation in those tough circumstances. The one that is low hanging is obviously the one which needs no effort and found easily. That is finding peace in others greater suffering. While the other fruit, is tough to get it. It takes effort to get to it and enjoy the taste it has to provide. It means finding tranquility in the beauty that these dark times have to provide.

Why should the fruits be placed like that? Which one would be more better? Which is more sweeter? I wouldn't answer it to you. You should get it. Beauty is eternal and ever existing. It is for you to search for it. It is an immovable object. Suffering on the other hand is varying. Today you might be happy, but who knows about tomorrow. You might well suffer. Finding the one which is for ever is difficult and hence is not low hanging. As you understand the second fruit is more sweeter because think of yourselves in a situation , in which you were finding peace all these days. Think of yourselves in that very abyss that you were fearing of. You would be helpless, you would be without a way out. You might not find peace in these situations.

So, though hard try to find peace and tranquility in the beauty that things have to provide. but not in others sufferings. As I say beauty is eternal. Suffering can haunt you anytime........

Ditch..........that Business fell in

We pretty often read in the newspapers; companies, industries, MNC's demanding proper infrastructure, incentives etc for better business and more investments. I describe to you an incident that I came across which is very much similar to that, which tells the importance of Infrastructure.

                   You often find things like filling up pits on roads, removing clogged drains, repairing street lights etc taking loads of time to happen. Putting reasons aside, it badly effects small businesses. How?  Why?  If so? I have answers to this with a simple example. A usually very busy road was blocked to lay a new sewage and a drinking water pipeline in my dear city Vijayawada. They have dug up the tar road and the view there reminds anyone of typical sewage work done in India, large pipes, heaps of mud and rubble, broken road pieces and all the sewage crap and smell. But, this has a special flavour to it owing to its prime location in the hear of city and a important cross road.

To my and everyone's surprise that was lying in the same state for quite a bit long time. The progress was lukewarm despite it being a busy center. Reason...typical Indian bureaurocracy and contractors. Public Transport had to be diverted in to clumsy and cumbersome roads, vehicles had to take a long yet heavy traffic area to reach their destinations. Believe me even an ambulance has to take that long path to reach the emergency ward of the Hospital. These are few of the many outcomes of the work which should be done but cannot be delayed. Surprising is it's effect on business.

Vehicles including those of RTC (Road Transport Corporation) have been diverted, so roads are empty. Lack of commuters along that road brought down the market of the Kirana, Pan and Gutka shops and many others because of less crowd. These are the one of the many that were effected. Petrol bunks, Malls, Super Markets are all pray to this. Business has gone down and can be seen easily for any familiar visitor to the place. Interestingly there is some light in the darkness. I found that one's who were happy with this development were the private transport Auto walas. With their immediate and strong competition RTC buses out of the way they are gaining both consumers confidence and the demand along that way are the reasons for their smile. This is a blow to already in heavy loss RTC. But so goes the day.

This is one the infinite pool of examples portraying the ills of bad governance. I have many more to tell you but these are things that may not be clear to many yet strikingly simple once understood..........

Criticism

Criticism........


Nishanth Dikkala, one of my batchee and I were having a random chat on minors. He added to that he is proud of the work I do and said he would support me in future if he likes the path I chose. He was quick to suggest me from his vast experience from playing tennis and other things to accept criticism from those who have already gone through what I intend to do. He warned me not to think or care too much of others comments.

I was quick to reply the following from my experience in asking people to work or to support a movement.

When it comes to about criticism, everyone does comment on what you do. Those who know the path you travel suggest you or warn you with detail and some sort of understanding. But, those outside such experience tend to see things in simple and often vague terms. Some of their comments might be degraded in nature, sometimes going personal, sometimes questioning our character itself, sometimes intentional, sometimes unintentional but hurting. I see a positive side to it.

Some of their questions might be very simple Why me? Why should I? What will I get? or be it something that questions something that you take it for granted. First many including me get offended by such a question. I first used to think why haven't they cannot understand that simple thing. But the truth is that I did not have all the answers to their questions. Truth is that I have not thought about these before, I took them for granted. Their questions if you put aside your reactions to it and think of answers. You many a times tend to have a greater understanding of what you are doing.

The more and more people question and you try to answer, the more clearer you get many a times as different people see it in a different light. I understood this from questioning by Abhishek, my colleague at FDR and numerous others who questioned me upon my request to support Anna's movement or my actions or way of thinking. They questioned things which I could never think of. Shocked at first every time but finally came up with an answer satisfactory to both me and them. I may not always be successful in my efforts and I failed many a times but it is all in the game. It does come with a price of bearing with those comments and having a guilt of doing something embarrassing or different for others.

These small incidents of my life are mattering a lot to me now. They are influencing my thoughts and my way of accepting life. Hope my journey would be more fruitful and I could share to you my understanding............

Color - Green

"I remember the journey of my first flight more because of lack of Colour Green from the sky than the beauty of shadow cast by the clouds.........."


This is the FB status I put just before writing this post. Before I explain you why so fuss about a color, I want to tell you that this post is dedicated to my dear friend Sameep. He was kind enough to put his FB status "Green!!!" and remind me of all people the significance of it.


Green is a color of Life, and in this I try to explain how it is. Green means Nature to me, it signifies the importance of beauty, goodness and love to me. Explaining nature serves well the purpose of understanding what Green means.


Wiki says the word Green is closely related to an old English verb 'growan', which means "to grow". Nature explains this with an example of its treasured creation plants and trees. Growth is not just in size. It keeps on bearing new fruits, it lets its brothers and sisters use it. It is humble as always to us and thus it grows in character.


Does a tree see difference between a bird or a monkey or a wood-cutter. No. It sees everyone as equal, be it one that causes harm or the one that takes its help or the one that helps it. It provides shade to a King, to a thief, to rich and everyone. It never questions you or doesn't ask something in return. It is "Happy to Help". Its love is "True and Unconditional".


Wiki also says green can also mean who is inexperienced, jealous or sick. Well, I think I have an explanation to it. Green and colorful nature is inexperienced. It wasn't expecting such a scale of destruction from someone whom it so carefully bred. That is you and me. It always gave what we asked and never questioned our motives, it tried to mould itself when we demanded, it tried to adjust to what you gave. Yet sometimes it isn't successful and failed in its attempts. So it is inexperienced. It is sick because it is not succeeding in its attempts. It is jealous because man could get put the blame on her and get away with it. Yet it is silently bearing us all these years though we are the cause of destruction to her daughters and sons. What it is doing is still loving us and caring us. Love is what I see.


Few attribute Green to devilish and evil. Yes, It is! Man thinks, discusses, fights, debates about economy, impact, efficiency, costs. To everyone engaged in these topics environment is the devil, waiting to kill their grand plans, waiting to seek scrutiny of their over ambitious blueprints. It is the burden man has to face without which it would have been much easier for him to do his work. Man wants efficiency and economies, Nature seeks Love from its sons. People question nature for not providing with the resources that they need, nature smiles and replies it is not just you living, there are species that I have to love and take care of. Love is what I see.


There are lot many meanings, interpretations, attributions to the color Green. It is so complete just like a Man. With good, bad, ugly meanings given to it. With loved mother and hated devil linked to it. So vast meaning that it holds, it could well enlighten many from darkness. 


Green is Love, Love is Green. I feel myself happy to find Love in so simple a word. I may not be clear in what I might have written, because I am so inexperienced and too small in understanding the vast meaning each thing holds. Thus I end with saying Green is Nature, Nature is Love and Love is eternal.

Thoughts of a changing Man

sometimes I feel sorry for my ignorance....

sometimes I feel sorry for my confusions...

sometimes I feel sorry for my attitude....

sometimes I feel sorry for my illusions....

sometimes I feel sorry for my mistakes...

sometimes I am indifferent to them.....

sometimes I feel sorry for me...

sometimes I feel sorry for others.....

sometimes I feel nothing...

sometimes tears start dripping........

All there is is imperfection in me. Should I be proud of that or sorry. Should I accept it or change it..............things start to confuse themselves.....

And there comes the salvation from simple things...random incidents reminding you of good and bright...........and makes me realise there is greater joy in correcting them...........

Love

                                 Love:- It is something everyone of us is entangled in. I am not writing this to tell that I am in love nor it is an attempt to define it. It is my experiences on the trip concluded few days ago. There are few incidents I would like to pen down here.

Incident 1:-
                   It was around 9pm or so when we reached "Snehalaya", an NGO in Ahmednagar working for women and children empowerment. That was a campus for kids.When we got down there, we were surrounded by anxious kids greeting us. I greeted them and asked their names. Nilesh...Ganesh....Pravesh...Mahesh..." children shouted their names. I said my name and asked in which classes they studied. " 6th...7th...5th....6th" were their replies. Rest of kids were watching a movie screened. Nilesh said " Bhaiya, aap khaake ayiye ham saath bhetke picture dekhenghe". This was the hospitality I got there from a kid so tender a age.

It was next day evening, I almost forgot about this incident. We were leaving the campus to visit few places. As we were leaving the gate by bus, my friend called me telling someone was calling me from outside. I rushed to the window and looked. I saw Pravesh waving and shouting "Vishnu Bhaiya......Vishnu Bhaiya...." all along until the bus left. I also shouted back but he couldn't see me from outside. I was mesmerized at this. A boy whom I met only once for a minute or so showing this much love for some stranger who has come to look at their campus. This is Love, what few of my friends call "True and Unconditional Love". It wasn't the case of only this boy, it was about all people in the boundaries of the campus. There's Love around you, caring you, supporting you. It was completely new feeling to me.

Incident 2:-

                    We were having a chat in the bus on what to do after we got out of IIT. Most of us were inclined towards writing UPSC and be an IAS officer. When it was my turn, I said that I was confused on what to do and when I was asked about IAS, I said to them, "Power can Corrupt Me". There was silence in the group I was talking to. One of my friends as shocked as others said "I would have believed if it were anyone other than you". 

Incident 3:- 

                   A very emotional and inspirational speech was given by Dr.Girish Kulkarni which clarified many of our doubts even without asking them, it gave us a meaning to our lives, a path to follow. Few of us retired to dorms for resting, few to toilets. I was going away from that place when one my freind seeing me said " Vishnu, when will you be giving such an emotional speech?"

Incident 4:-

                   It was the end of camp, we were sitting in a "Straight Circle" for a feed-back discussion. People were telling their experiences of camp, their feelings, reactions etc. One of my friend was saying that she was looking forward to start doing something useful for people around her. She added that she was happy to see many people already starting to work for a better society and so on praising their efforts and encouraging them. But one thing that relates to me is that she was repeatedly looking at me when saying these words.

I really don't understand why this is all happening and that too to me. Is it that I am taking things serious and over-exaggerating them or is that it is meant to confuse me, I do not know. The love, the belief that I could deliver some thing different and useful, from my freinds mesmerizes me. Truly speaking, I doubt that I have the confidence to deliver as my dear ones seek or wish. I doubt have I done anything useful until now?  I quite many a times question my character, my actions and end up dissatisfied with what I am. But, I pray God to give me strength to fight till last.

With Love,

Vishnu Vardhan

P.S:- I may not be clear sometimes in what I write as I am an amateur writer. Sugesstions, questions for clarity, reviews are accepted.

Decoding Afridi

                "Ham India sey kyun itna against hai? Hamare gar mey itne sarey Indian gaane sunte hai, Indian movies dekhte hain, shaadi ke kayi tareekhey milte hai Indians sey, Kyun itna naphrat hai?", Afridi said after he returned  home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv749SCqzuU&feature=player_embedded

                       "In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don't think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us," Afridi said during a talk show on Samaa news channel.  
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indians-not-as-largehearted-as-pakistanis-afridi/771281/

 To many this might be very strange words said by him of such stature and such strategic position. I may not know much of Afridi or his character (behavior) but I tend to decode this immediately after I read the article in express. This might be because just a day before I shared that video in my facebook profile and commented that we should learn his (Afridi's) true spirit. These comments for the TV channel were infact a blow to me and his own good will image imparted by his earlier statements.


This is what I could make out of this strange scene. Anyone would be under enormous pressure after his team looses a berth for the final and that too for traditionally over-hyped match with a viewership of such scale. I think Afridi was mentally prepared and gave such a reply as in video under comments from journalists and their tormenting questions. He poured out his opinion to the public in such a situation. I feel these are true thoughts that he has, but yet to be explored and understood. These feelings he has doesn't match with the way things go around him, with everyone portraying our mutual hatred and enemyship. These feelings are put out only when you are angry or under pressure. These don't come just like that but they are the things that had gone around his mind sometime or the other. These comments were liked by many and disliked by many more.


And to the Interview, these were something well thought, planned, scrutinized. He had enough time to understand the implications of his former comments. These were provocative and infact radical at such a juncture. His team's loss to India is a very big blow, add to these comments he might even risk his position as a Captain. Loss in a match where two Heads of Countries come to watch, people expect a different attitude from captain, they expect him to take responsibility, say sorry for the loss or even resign, but his provocative comments were a surprise to many. So understanding the anger in the crowd, press and from the high-command; I think he had to move along with the crowd accepting them against his minor but held opinion.


Well he couldn't stick to his opinions, or condemn it correctly. I would have hoped that but Afridi didn't give me enough time for that. I strongly feel this is what happens when you move against the tide, you need much more than Afridi for that. This is a good lesson for many and it means much more to me.


Disclaimer: These were my abstractions from this skeptic scene and I might truly go wrong with my thoughts, but I am now always "Hope for the Best". So I would like to end this with saying "Long Live India, Long Live Pakistan, Long live Bangladesh, Long Live Cricket. Long live Vishnu, Family & Friends"...

The Devil ' I '

           Sorry everyone, I couldn't update my blog for about a month; mainly because of my laziness combined with my over hyped disinterest. I have had many things to share but donno what put be in the back stage, I wasn't up to writing. This post is something which I feel is something very important, is something our culture taught us, our dharma advocates us. It is about I.

                       Situations can mould one's character to such an extent that people change in a way one cannot imagine him to be. It might be for good or bad, God knows but I would say here about a subtle concept which could change one from “worldly and materialistic pleasures " to the ideal atonement which cannot be defined or said but felt and experienced. This may sound preachy and philosophical for many but one should also remember than one cannot always run away from these, which are those that define a being.

                                People many a times speak about the differences, the diversity or to say the indifference surrounding us, but they rarely try to give it a shot themselves. They are differences everywhere, and here comes the “Fight for Identity ". What about me? What about my position there?; everywhere I, I and I. What about we? "We" can be said in a broader scope, it has a power to encompass everyone, can include anything how unimportant you might think. It is like an ocean which humbly adds anything and can be moulded like toothpaste. How wonderful it would be if that closed, inner circle of you, your family and your friends extends to everything on this earth, how big or small, how great or subtle it might be. Where you love everyone and care without caring what it might be. Well too ideal or too difficult, but can be tried. Think of those whom you think as indifferent or mean to be ignorant and give it a shot to feel and care for them. Worth a shot .....

            You find people calling to "believe in yourself", many grope about to find what does 'yourself' mean. Here's my interpretation of it with my experience and my reasoning of it. Believing oneself is completely not in favour of one's animal 'I', which is always seeking for easy gratification, but is almost in every case against it. The devil 'I' is what you do for your own happiness, for your pleasures or to say "selfishness". It is something like "believing in others", here everything is decided already and always in favour of devil I and against spiritual. It is because it is too difficult to believe in one's self, one's self imposed moral constraints; here one has to decide every question himself.
                  Keep trying to fight and never be in a ‘chronic mania of selfishness’