Satire: JagdishTytler’s divorced conscience in conversation with Jagdish Tytler

June 5, 2015Uncategorized1984, akali dal, bjp, bsp, cnnibm, congress, conscience, Gandhi, headlines today, india today, inner self, jagdish, jagdish tytler, manmohan singh, massacre, outlook, penance, political, riots, satire, sikhs, sp, spiritual, timesnow, toi, tytlershravancharitymission

One day while Jagdish Tytler was taking a morning walk. He met his divorced conscience after many years, in the colony park behind his house. His conscience asked.

‘Hi Jagdish! How are you? And how is your legal battle of 1984—Sikh riot coming along? Have you been acquitted?’

‘Yes-yes, more or less.’ He replied in a cheerful tone.

‘More or less, what do you mean by more or less?’

‘Dear Conscience. I visited Dr Manmohan Singh some time ago when he was the Prime Minister and requested for a clean chit. He in turn instructed CBI to give me one. So I guess I am out of the rut. But by the way do you know who Dr Manmohan Singh is, as I’m meeting you after a long time?’

‘Arrey, Jagdish, so what if I left you in 1984, but who doesn’t know Dr Manmohan Singh. Isn’t he the same CEO of India, under whose nose all UPA scams were committed? And, I understand through reliable sources he is again getting a plum posting, as he is now being offered the hot chair of ‘CEO-Hell.’

‘CEO-Hell—what is that- Conscience?’

‘Arrey, the way he was ‘CEO-India’ he will now be ‘CEO-Hell,’ where you don’t even require a nomination through Rajya-Sabha as he will be a direct appointee of the President.’

‘But Conscience, he is a noble soul. So, do you think he will be able to handle the affairs of hell which are rather slimy and tricky, as a CEO?’

‘Let me tell you Jagdish. You can’t get a better candidate them him. Didn’t you notice how he turned India, which was heaven, into a ‘corrupt-hell-station’ in just about a decade. That to in connivance with the Congress High Command. Boss you need to understand that appearances can be deceptive like Manmohan Singh. Who, otherwise appears as a meek and honest looking person, but he successfully masterminded, to make India one of the most ‘corrupt-hell station’ of the world. And don’t you worry about him as he is a smart operator, but yes, your case is indeed sad.’

‘But … how, Conscience?’

‘Just to please Gandhi parivar and show your allegiance to Congress Party you instigated a slaughter of 3000 Sikhs, in Delhi in 1984. Which was really stupid of you. What did you think you’ll go scot free after this ghastly crime? Kanoon ke haath bahut lambe hain Jagdish ji, perhaps you didn’t know that.’

‘But …. Conscience. If you will recall, it all started as a mob reaction and at the spur of the moment, when Mrs Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her own Sikh guards.’

‘I know everything as I lived in you then, and haven’t forgotten any bit. You may use all the legal tricks now to defend yourself in the court of law. But in my court you will always remain guilty of this heinous crime.’

‘But, Conscience, why are you holding me, solely responsible for it, as there were others too, involved in this.’

‘Because you were one of the main accomplice’s in getting the Sikhs massacred in the streets of Delhi. And, you made no efforts to stop the riots, even with all the power at your command. I left you soon, after this crime was committed. But did you ever introspect, as to why you did this and what you got out of it?’

‘I don’t deny I was a great friend of the Gandhis and maybe I too got emotional when Mrs Indira Gandhi was shot dead.’

‘Or was it your insecurity, that if you don’t react sternly you won’t remain the blue eyed guy of Gandhis? You see Jagdish we often commit the mistake of internalizing a feeling in ourselves, that we are permanently going to be part of this world. That makes us amass vulgar wealth, perpetrate heinous crimes such as this, and stoop to unethical levels and also various sorts of Chamchagiri, trying to be more loyal than the king.

Analyse the difference between yourself and ManMohan. Who, after converting India into a ‘corrupt-hell-station’ is still roaming free. Whereas, you lost your complete political career. In 1984 when you committed the crime you were 40 and now past 70 and since then you have just been cooling your heels at home. You converted to Christianity under the influence of James Douglas Tytler a renowned educationist, who impressed you, but still went for this kind of a massacre. Oh what a bright future you had. But all down the drain.’

‘Oh Conscience what do I do now? Show me the way out.’

‘Well for such a genocide. One only needs to visit hell for penance. Where, you’ll probably meet your old friend Dr Manmohan Singh as—CEO-Hell who might suggest a way out. Anyways, take care, and be cautious. For God alone knows what in you’ll become in your next birth.’

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

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GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(Archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. Book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

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CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM

June 4, 2015Uncategorizedbusiness, capitalism, conscious capitalism, corporate, csr, distribution of wealth, speaking tree, spiritual wisdom, ubuntushravancharitymission

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

Is there a better way of distributing the wealth of the world than it being concentrated in few hands. And, should companies merely work for profits or should profits be a derived outcome of their pursuit of spiritual wisdom through the route of business?

Article from the Speaking Tree dated 3.6.15

CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM

By Anant G Nadkarni

British author and journalist Michael Smith wrote in ‘Beyond the Bottom Line’, in 2001, that 51 of 100 top revenue-generating institutions were business corporations and not nation-states. And the then world’s three richest people owned personal wealth greater than the GDP of 34 poorest nations. Smith’s new book ‘Great Company’, published in 2015, updates that 80 richest people own more wealth than what is owned by one-half of the human race and very soon just 1% people will own wealth which equals what the rest 99% of us would have. Could the collective wisdom of business, governments, regulators, investors, leaders and people of all types bring about better distributive justice?

Rubert Eccles, professor of strategy and Business at Harward Business School, in his book ‘Integrated Reporting Movement’ on corporate sustainability says, “The spirit of Ubuntu, an African values system, was suggested as a natural foundation for effective corporate governance.” Simply put it means something like, ‘I am because you are, you are because we are.” The authors keep stressing on ‘integrated thinking’ as being more critical than integrated reporting.

Cindy Wigglesworth in her book ‘SQ21: the Twenty-one Skills of Spiritual Intelligence’ defines spiritual intelligence in a faith-friendly and faith-neutral way as: “The ability to behave with wisdom and compassion, while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the situation.” it shows up as our ‘best of head and heart’ every moment, every day and with equanimity under all real-life or work circumstances. While appreciating the diversity in leadership profiles, spiritual intelligence is not only another type of intelligence among many, but “it also becomes a source of guidance and direction of the other dimensions of fully developing human potential”.

In a process of broadly four clusters-knowing oneself better; knowing the world from a new position; by working hard on self-mastery; and developing social-mastery- it helps to create a spiritually resonant culture. There are 21 skills and methods that form an assessment and measuring process for leadership development. Spiritual intelligence can be acquired and it actually works. It is practised by business leaders like John Mackey, co-CEO of the $11billion company Whole Foods Market that runs 340 stores with a 70,000 team. Mackey has not only produced a famous book ‘Conscious Capitalism’ but admits that this process pulls together analytical, emotional systems and other aspects of thinking to generate a more conscious leader.

Mackey says that the view of conscious capitalism is therefore quite contrary to what Friedman held about the ‘business of business’ just being running it well. Mackey asserts, “We want to improve the health and well-being of everyone on this planet through high quality foods and we can’t fulfill this mission unless we are highly profitable … Just as people cannot live without eating, business cannot live without profits. But most people don’t live to eat, and neither must businesses live just to make profits.”

The critical point of convergence comes in when Mackey focusses on helping everyone create greater meaning and purpose- which resonates with the core principle of spiritual intelligence which is to cultivate the practice of reaching beyond oneself. Ratan Tata, as chairman of Tata Sons, while commenting on Mackey’s book said, “Businesses need to be driven by a purpose higher than maximizing profit, and they must ensure optimizing benefits to all stakeholders. Only if that happens, can capitalism deliver to all humanity the full societal benefits it is capable of. “The purpose of Conscious Capitalism or Integrated Thinking could perhaps be realised only when an overarching facet of spiritual-leadership guides.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT INDIA AND THE WORLD- DO YOU KNOW SERIES-1

June 3, 2015Uncategorizedshravancharitymission

Shravan charity mission

In 2001, world’s three richest people owned personal wealth greater than the GDP of 34 poorest nations
In 2001, 51 of 100 top revenue-generating institutions were business operations and not nation states.
The average protein intake of a person in India through normal diet has dipped 6-10% in the past two decades with almost 86% of rural and 70% of urban population not getting the government designated 2400 kcal/day. While the richest get over 2518 kcal each day the poorest get less than 1679 kcal—a difference of almost 50%.
Food amounts for almost half of the consumer price index (CPI) basket of India.
6 crore small entrepreneurs employ 12 crore people in India.
10 million new workers enter the job market every year in India.
The daily intake of oil and fat consumption per person has increased from 31 gram to 42 gram in rural areas and from 42…

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#POEM: KEEP YOUR CALM

June 3, 2015Uncategorizedamitabh bachchan, calm, devil, Gandhi, god, happiness, himalaya, hitler, journey, keep your calm, life, mind, peace, peace of mind, peom, poem, poetry, river, roger federer, sachin tendulkar, sea, spiritual, t-20, test meatch, virtue, volcano, when things go wrongshravancharitymission

POEM: KEEP YOUR CALM

When things go wrong, keep your calm,

While you go to town, keep your calm,

And when you have to leave the town, still remain calm,

For the water beneath is turbulent,

But the bridge over is calm.

I may have cried when I was born,

But in the journey of life I remained calm,

I fought alone with the shield of calm,

And the most accurate arrow in any quiver is the arrow of calm.

Life is turbulent but beyond is calm,

Where turbulence is momentary, but permanence is calm,

100 metres are turbulent, but marathons are calm,

Rivers are noisy, but sea is calm.

Before a calamity it’s calm,

And after the calamity too, it’s calm,

And beyond the sound barrier it’s calm and calm,

For devils are loud, but God is calm,

I lost my pride when I was not calm,

But regained it by imbibing calm,

I saved priceless moments by remaining calm,

And I built my fortune by pursuing my calm.

All those who made it had a treasure of calm,

And those who didn’t had no calm,

Amitabh Bachchan is calm, Roger Federer is calm,

Sachin too was calm.

Volcanoes erupt, but Himalayas are calm,

T-20s are volatile, but test matches are calm,

Shallows are shifty, but depths are calm,

Hitler was nasty, but Gandhi was calm.

Days are frothy, but years are calm,

Short term is alarm, Long term is calm,

Health and wealth are off-springs of calm,

Lies are deadly, but truth is calm.

I dreaded life when I sold my calm,

I now enjoy when I have my calm,

And when I look back in life,

All I remember is my calm,

And if I could buy I would buy tons and tons of calm,

For happiness and greatness lies in calm,

Mother of all virtues, thy name is calm,

And so keep your calm.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

SHORT STORY: THE POWER IN GOD’S NAME

June 1, 2015causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, story, Uncategorizedgod, guru, gurudev, king, kingdom, mantra, mukti, name of god, power, pranam, pupil, rajkumar, salvation, shishya, spiritual, student, upnishadshravancharitymission

Once upon a time there happened to be a novice pupil of a learned Guru. He was a simple soul and as tutored by his Guru he always chanted the name of God as his mantra. But one day a rare question came to his mind. When he went up to him and said, ‘Gurudev, why do I need to chant the name of God every now and then? As, by doing so I am neither helping him nor myself.’

Guru smiled at his simplicity. He wanted him to learn something, out of his own experience. So he said to him. ‘If you want to feel the power in God’s name. Go close to that white bird perched on that tree near your house and ask him this question.’

The pupil, in order to comply with his Guru’s orders. Went close to the bird and asked him the question. But was shocked to see that the bird died on the spot. The moment it heard God’s name. Scared and shocked the pupil ran to his Guru and narrated the entire episode to him. Guru heard what the pupil had to say and expressed his sorrow. Uttered some soothing words and then said, ‘Don’t worry about it my son. Now you go to all those animals that stay in the stables, near your house. There you have a cow that has just given birth to a calf. You go an ask this question in the calf’s ears.’

But unlike last time. This time, the pupil was not very keen on going there, because of his previous experience. But still just to obey his Guru he reluctantly went up to the calf and asked the same question. But he was shell-shocked as the calf too, upon hearing the name of God. Died on the spot.

Devastated, the pupil ran to his Guru again, and loudly said, ‘Gurudev! Recitation of God’s name, has made me a murderer of two. What should I do now? Guru looked at him for a moment and then expressed his grief, again. He then followed it up, with some more kind words and consoled him, by saying, ‘I regret both the times you were disappointed. But I would request one last time. You, please go to the nearby kingdom, and to the King’s palace there. And ask the same question to his newly born baby Rajkumar.

Once again, the novice pupil was dejected. But just to keep up with his Guru’s orders. He reluctantly headed towards the kingdom. He was extremely scared and gingerly, he went up to the king. Where, he mentioned his Guru’s name and desired to see the new born baby Rajkumar. Since the King knew the Guru and respected him he allowed him to see the Rajkumar. The novice, without losing any time went up to the baby and asked the same question. But upon hearing God’s name a mishap occurred and the baby died. The king got extremely upset. He ordered his infantry to do away with the novice by putting him to death. Nervous, the pupil started talking to himself. ‘O my God, I didn’t know your name was so harmful for others. I was better off without it.’

But while he was murmuring all this. A piercing-celestial ray of light came out of the baby’s body and formed into a divine shape. It gestured pranam at the novice pupil and said. ‘I am grateful to you and your Guru. I was serving a curse that I will have three births on earth, and that I will suffer profusely. But your Guru to protect me sent you for my help. When I was a bird you got me mukti (salvation). When I was a calf. Then also you liberated me, and when I was born in human form then too, you got me mukti, by just uttering the name of God. There is immense power in God’s name which you can’t see. After saying all this the divine form vanished. The king released the pupil and gave him lots of presents. The pupil went running to his Guru. He was spellbound. Guru smiled and admiringly said, ‘now you know the real power in God’s name. Name of God can do such miracles that we can’t even think of. But the job is extremely precise and highly devotional.

The story is from Upanishad.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

POETRY: WHEN I WENT WRONG

May 31, 2015beautiful lines, casual causerie, causerie, poem, POETRY, Uncategorizedagony, friendship, help, hurt, life, lines, merry, mirror of life, pain, poem, poetry, relationship, relevant, right, spiritual, twilight, versus, wrongshravancharitymission

WHEN I WENT WRONG

In the shimmers of life I never went wrong,

In the merry of life I never went wrong,

In the don’ts of life I never went wrong,

But In the dos of life I often went wrong.

When I helped, I went wrong,

And when I didn’t, I never went wrong,

When I was relevant I never went wrong,

When I was irrelevant I often went wrong.

When I trusted I went wrong,

When I didn’t I never went wrong,

My tragedies reminded me of my wrongs,

Where in the mirror of life I lay upside down.

When I deviated I went wrong,

And when I didn’t I carried on headstrong,

For there will be moments of rights,

That will later appear as wrongs,

And moments of wrongs that will appear as rights.

So one day I asked myself what is right and what is wrong?

And gently it said what calms you is right,

And what doesn’t is wrong.

And with all those who wronged my right,

I remain calm.

As sadly, I know how often I went wrong.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

CROSSTALK: WHO HELPS WHOM … the X-factors of politics

May 31, 2015article, articles, casual causerie, column, political article, politics, SATTIRE, short article on politics, short article- politics, short political article, snippet, Uncategorizedakhilesh yadav, amit shah, Asaduddin Owaisi, bihar, bjp, bsp, congress, elections, manmohan singh, mayawati, mim, narendra modi, neta, PMO, POLITICS, Rahul Gandhi, sp, u.p., up polls, x-factorshravancharitymission

Mohd Asaduddin Owaisi, is a bitter rival of BJP. But now his party is fighting Bihar elections and this is surely good news for BJP. As this will help in dividing Muslim votes further. That will only help BJP. So in real life you don’t really know whose helping whom.

Dr Manmohan Singh after bitterly criticizing BJP in the morning. Calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the afternoon. Many TV channels speculate as to why this meeting took place. There are rumours galore. That he went to tutor the PM on how to run Indian economy. Some said he called on the Prime Minister for asylum. Owing to the various scams committed during UPA regime. Where, BJP won the general elections, primarily because of the scams. So, in some ways thanks to Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh.

Well on the face of it. BJP and Congress might be bitter rivals but the moral of the story is even a bitter rivals can give their opponents a lifetime of an opportunity. Perhaps, PM Narendra Modi didn’t forget this gesture of Dr Manmohan Singh. So, in politics who helps whom is often not in the hands of politicians alone.

Mohd Asaduddin Owaisi, is a bitter rival of BJP. But what happens. If his party MIM decides to contest UP elections. Muslim votes will further get divided, amongst Congress, SP, MIM, BSP and BJP. And who will it benefit–obviously BJP? So in politics no one knows, who’s helping whom.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

IT party is over. Now’s the time to reinvent or die

May 31, 2015Uncategorizedceo, corporate, entrepreneur, industry, infosys, IT, jobs, microsoft, qualifications, skills, unemploymentshravancharitymission

India requires 12 million new jobs a year. But very few know where it’ll come from. This article “IT party is over. Now’s time to reinvent or die” by Ravi Venkatesan makes some valid points such as:

Automation can displace a third of all jobs within three years.
Infosys CEO aims at increasing revenue per employee by 50%
New technologies are destroying old jobs but creating many new ones
Whatever skills we have will largely be irrelevant in a decade and all qualifications have a shelf life
The future will not be kind to people who are not curious and no interest in reading and learning
Indian youth largely needs to move into an entrepreneurial drive when jobs are scarce

IT party is over. Now’s the time to reinvent or die

By invitation- Ravi Venkatesan

Former chairman- Microsoft India

TOI 31.5.15

India’s IT industry is unlikely to remain the amazing job engine that it has been. For the past two decades, the fastest way to increase your income has been to land a job with an IT company. The industry has provided a ticket to prosperity for millions of young Indians; children of security guards, drivers, peons and cooks catapulted themselves and their families firmly into the middle class in a single generation by landing a job in a BPO. Hundreds of engineering colleges mushroomed overnight churning out over a million graduates a year to feed the insatiable demand of India’s IT factories.

This party is coming to an end. A combination of slowing demand, rising competition and technological change means that companies will hire far fewer people. And this is not a temporary blip—this is the new normal. Wipro’s CEO has bravely admitted that automation can displace a third of all jobs within three years while Infosys CEO Sikka aims to increase revenue per employee by 50%. Even Nasscom, the chronically optimistic industry association, admits that companies will hire far fewer people. Not only will the lines of new graduates waiting for job offers grow rapidly longer every year, but so too will the lines of the newly unemployed as all companies focus more on utilization, employee productivity and performance. Employees doing tasks that can be automated, the armies of middle managers who supervise them and all those with mediocre performance reviews and without hot skills are living on borrowed time.

So what do you do if you are a member of these endangered species? What constitutes good career advice in these times? I’d say that the first thing is to embrace reality and recognize that the same has changed for good. The worst thing to do is be wishful and wait for the good times to return. They won’t. But there are still lots of opportunities. What’s happening in the industry is ‘creative destruction.’ New technologies are destroying old jobs but creating many new ones. There is an insatiable demand for developers of mobile and web applications. For data engineers and scientists. For cyber security expertise. So for anyone who is quick learner, anyone with real expertise, there will be abundant opportunities.

There has also never been a better time for anyone with an iota of entrepreneurial instinct. India is still a supply constrained economy and so there is room to start every kind of business: beauty parlour, bakery, catering, car-washing, mobile/ electronics repair, laundry, housekeeping, tailoring. For entrepreneurs with a social conscience, there is a massive need for social enterprises that deliver affordable healthcare, education and financial services. Not only are there abundant opportunities but startups are “in” and there is no shame at all in failure. The ranks of angel investors are swelling and it has never been so easy to get funded. There is even a website, www.deasra.in that provides step-by-step instructions to would-be entrepreneurs.

For those who prefer a good old fashioned job, there are abundant jobs in old economy companies which are struggling to find every kind of talent—accountants, manufacturing and service engineers, sales reps. Technology is enabling the emergence of a new sharing ‘sharing services’ such as Uber or Ola that enable lucrative self-employment; it is not uncommon to find cab drivers who make Rs 30,000-40,000 a month.

My main point should be clear. While India may have a big challenge overall in creating enough jobs for its youthful population, at the individual level there is no shortage of opportunities. The most important thing is a positive attitude. The IT boom was a tide that lifted all boats—even the most mediocre ones. However, this has bred an entitlement mentality and a lot of mediocrity. To prosper in the new world, two things will really matter. The first is the right attitude. This means a hunger to succeed. Being proactive in seeking opportunities, not waiting either till you are fired or for something to drop into your lap. A willingness to take risk and the tenacity to work hard and make something a success. Humility. Frugality. The second is the ability to try and learn new things. The rate of change in our world is astonishing; whatever skills we have will largely be irrelevant in a decade. People are also living much longer. So the ability to learn new things, develop new competencies and periodically reinvent ourselves is a crucial one. Sadly, too many of us have no curiosity and no interest and no interest in reading and learning. The future will not be kind to such people.

“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die.” –Friedrich Nietzsche.

CASTE ONE’S LOT -How India marches ahead by going backwards

May 30, 2015Uncategorizedbackward class, casteism, goi, government of india, india, jug suraiya, national commission for backward classes, obc, reservations, schedule caste, subsidy, youthshravancharitymission

By kamlesh Tripathi

I love reading columns of Jug Suraiya for the simple reason that he tries to humour-ise issues that tickles the common man of India, and this column is no different. Indians have this habit of getting stuck in their past by either glorifying it or condemning it. But there is a reason to. Most Indians did not have a bright and boastful future to look forward to, so they remained in their past. And that includes the famous story of Indian caste-ism. But India is fast changing now where 60% of Indian population is demographically young, ambitious and upbeat—and at below 35 years of age, where they aspire to be in the global arena where reservations don’t work.

And coming to Jug Suraiya’s point below that the so-called—creamy layer is beginning to benefit disproportionately; I would only like to put forward the great example of the ‘Indian gas subsidy’ which many Indians gave up because they could afford it, without subsidy. And I am more than sure that the creamy-layer of the OBC too has a heart that beats for their non-creamy-layer brethren.

Writes Jug Suraiya,

‘The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has asked the government’s permission to sub-categorise OBCs-other backward classes-into three separate divisions; the merely backward, the even more backward and the most backward.

The reason is that there is a growing apprehension that the so-called ‘creamy layer’ among the OBCs are benefitting disproportionately from the 27% job quota reserved for backward castes at the expense of the most backward. So if all goes according to the NCBCs plan, the country will see a multiplication of OBCs; the backward, the backwarder and the backwardest.’

Read the entire column:

TOI 27.5.15

CASTE ONE’S LOT

How India marches ahead by going backwards

By Jug Suraiya

India is a unique country in many ways. And one of the uniquer ways that it is unique is that in order to get ahead it goes backwards, literally.

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has asked the government’s to sub-categorise OBCs—other backward classes- into three separate divisions; the merely backward, the even more backward and the most backward.

The reason is that there is growing apprehension that the so-called ’creamy layer’ among the OBCs are benefitting disproportionately from the 27% job quota reserved for backward castes at the expense of the most backward. So if all goes according to the NCBCs plan, the country will see a multiplication of OBCs; the backward, the backwarder and the backwardest.

Similarly among dalits there are the regular dalits and then there are the mahadalits, who are supposedly more dalitical than the ordinary dalits. Ever since Mandal, the politics of what might be called competitive backwardness has gained momentum with not only more and more people claiming even greater backwardness.

Backwardness has become a prized commodity, like gold or diamonds, and everyone wants a chunk of it. For instance, the Jat community—which is known for its assertive forwardness in getting its own way in all manner of things- is aggressively pressing its demand to be classified under the OBC rubric. Demands have also been raised that Muslims and Christians too should be given backward quotas within their respective folds, which is all the more intriguing in that many converted to these faiths in order to escape caste system.

With everyone racing in reverse gear to get backward –and then even more backward- status, India will witness a boom in backwardness, which will become one of the fastest growing industries in the country. Indeed, backwardness has made so much progress that in some places so-called upper castes, like Brahmins, are laying claim to be designated as backward.

If this trend continues, we can pride ourselves on having devised the world’s only society that is truly back-to-front.

By Jug Suraiya

SHORT STORY- THE GREEDY FARMER

May 30, 2015ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, storyattitude, desire, farmer, forest, greedy, habit, jungle, mantra, message, mind, monkey, puran, short story, spiritual, upanishad, upnashidshravancharitymission

Long time ago there lived a lazy farmer in the countryside who wanted to become rich without any efforts. One day he learnt of a Mahatma (noble and learned person) who lived in the jungles and about whom it was famous that by visiting and praying to him one could fulfill his desires. So, he decided to visit him.

The Mahatma after peacefully listening to the farmer agreed to fulfill his wishes. He assured, ‘I will give you a mantra that will make you rich.’ And soon he passed it on to the farmer.

Who was now exuberant about the comforting thought, that without any efforts he will now become rich. But as he was about to leave, the Mahatma called him back and said, ‘Arrey, I forgot to tell you something important. The moment you start getting weary of monkeys this mantra will become ineffective, and then you will not get the fruits of it.’

Upon hearing this, the farmer started laughing and said, ‘Mahatma ji, you just don’t worry, monkeys have never troubled me, neither in the fields nor in my thoughts. And, for a long time I have not even dreamt of a monkey.’ And, after replying to the Mahatma, the farmer quickly rushed to his house and started preparing for a ritualistic recital of the sacred mantra.

But the moment he uttered the mantra he got terrified, because he thought of ‘monkey.’ Thereon, whenever, he uttered the mantra, he thought of monkey. And soon, every moment, the thought of monkey started troubling him. So much so that monkey even started coming in his dreams. And sadly by now, the thought of monkey had truly disturbed him, both while he was awake and also while he was asleep.

After some days the farmer was quite terrified and saddened as the thought of monkey had almost plagued his mind. And, when he was unable to bear this he went running to the Mahatma and fell on his feet and started sobbing, ‘Mahatma ji, I am extremely distressed as I have lost my peace of mind. I have no desire of becoming rich and you please take your mantra back and save me from the thought of monkey.’

This story is from an Indian Upanishad and reveals our mindset which like a monkey is never in our control. This story also conveys, goals are important but equally important is the means to get to your goal.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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