समय के अवशेष

 समस्त पाठको से क्षमा चाहता हू, कुछ कार्मिक प्राथमिकताओं के कारण ब्लॉग के इस अंक में बहुत देर हो गयी. 

 IL टाउनशिप के मुख्य द्वार पर एक जालियों की तात १९९० के दशक में या शयद उससे पहले लगा दी गयी थी. इसका उद्येष्य शायद जानवरो  को टाउनशिप में घुसने से रोकने का था. २००० के आते आते  इस को देख कर हसी आती थी,  जानवर तो  अंदर आ गए और आदमी बाहर निकलने  लगे. अगर आप तब तड़के बाहर निकलते तो  आपको मोर और अन्य जानवर बहुतायत में दिखाई देते थे.  स्कूटर पर सवार फैक्ट्री की और अग्रसर कोई सज्जन कभी कभार कोई दिखाई देता  था. 

२००० के आगमन  पर कोटा शहर में जबरदस्त उत्साह था, पर टाउनशिप के बाशिंदे  सुस्त नज़र आये. शायद भविष्य  के प्रति उत्साह अब कम ही हो पाता था.

कई तरह की डान क्विग्जोट वाली पुनर्चलन की योजनाए लागु की जा रही थी, पर  कुछ कर नहीं पा रही थी. टाउनशिप की जमीन, जयपुर प्लांट  का अलग होना इसी  क्विक्सोटिक प्रक्रिया का ही हिस्सा लग रहा था. IL एक के बाद एक  BIFR और अन्य कागजो में अमूल्य (काल्पनिक लोक की उपज)सुधारीकरण प्रकरण से निकल रही थी. कभी पैसे नहीं आये तो कभी आर्डर नहीं आये. बदस्तूर कंपनी के चोपड़े में लाल स्याही मढ़ती  जा रही थी. बड़ी बड़ी बाते और आश्वाशन भी मिल रहे थे. IL के लोग समय को थामना चाहते थे पर कोटा के लोगो को आगे बढ़ना था.

सन २००० के आने तक कोटा  शहर,  IIT और अन्य प्रतिस्पर्धाओ की कोचिंग का बड़ा सेन्टर बन चुका था. यह पुरे देश में बहुत तेजी से बढ़ रही सर्विस सेक्टर की क्रांति का हिंसा था.  आईटी सेक्टर के साथ अन्य सभी सर्विस सेक्टर के उद्यमी  मुस्तैदी से आगे बड़े. सरकारी आवाज उद्योग के प्रति समर्पित थी पर करती कुछ भी नहीं थी शायद यह उनके कण्ट्रोल के परे था. 

 कुछ लोगो की मेहनत रंग ला रही थी, सब की नज़र फैक्ट्री और टाउनशिप की जमीन पर थी. कैसे उससे पैसे बनाये जाए. बहुत लोग रात को इसके सपने देख रहे थे. और क्यों न सपने देखे जाये जब सामने IL की  नित कमजोर होती आभा थी. एक एक कर नए मकान  और ऑफिस IL की जमीन पर बनते रहे, किसी भी वास्तुकारी निपुणता  से बहुत ही दूर, लोगो के लिए यह मकान एक नए व्यवसाय में प्रवेश करने का जरिया बने. कितने हॉस्टल हैं इसका गिनती गिना जाना नामुकिन है, शायद हर तीसरा मकान हॉस्टल बन गया था

IL का कोटा के व्यपारिक व् सांस्कृतिक परिदान से कोई खास सम्बन्ध नहीं था इसलिए जब समस्या आयी तो किसी पर कोई असर न हुआ. IL  हमेशा से एक सुप्रिओरिटी काम्प्लेक्स  का शिकार रहा,  इस का अब उसके भविष्य पर फर्क पड़ने वाला था. मगरमछ के अलावा किसी ने भी आंसू नहीं बहाये IL की इस अवगति पर. अखबार  लिखते रहे और समझदार लोग धीरे  धीरे IL के बंद  होने की तैयारी करने लगे. आती जाती सरकारों और प्रशासन को किसी का भी प्रेशर नहीं था की कुछ काम आगे बड़े.

IL एक सहारे की तलाश में था, पर देश बदल गया था, सरकार अब पब्लिक सेक्टर से दूर भागने लगी थी. २००६ में भारत सरकार ने USA के साथ समझौता किया जिसके होने से  अब  ग्लोबल फोरम में भारत नए नजरिये से देखा जानने लगा. पर इसके पुरे इम्पैक्ट में अभी समय  था. तब तक IL ICU  में जिंदा थी. इस पर हम अगले और आखरी अंक में चर्चा करेंगे 

Trishul

My favorite Amitabh Bachchan (AB)  movie is Trishul, the intensity of characters in the movie is a relief from often quite amateurish buffoonery of characters in Indian cinema. Maybe it is Sanjeev Kumar or is it AB who lends this movie its magnetism or maybe even the underappreciated Rakhee in the movie. Or was it the Director of movie Yash Chopra.

Released in 1978, the movie was a gem of mainstream movies with a measured nod to song & dance. Another plus for movie was that the premise was based on business not as evil, but a mainstream activity.  An avenging bastard son showing his father & his family how to square up gets entangled with side shows of corrupt contractors & villains. Through various twist and turn the movies moves to explosive but predictable climax.

Few things were 1^st which became mainstream in times to come and continued right up to 1990 before SRK started to change the scene in 1990’s.

1)      The movie saw the emerging avenger in form of AB taking on an enforcer (played superbly by Rohit Shetty’s father (screen name Shetty), Why go to courts etc… when bawn and shouting can solve the problem. Remember Deewar the earlier movie did not give any redemption to character played by AB in it.

2)      The movie also showed the emerging societal points of ends justifying the means, corruption was normalized to a transaction.

3)      An ode to Indian patriarchal system where benevolent male is center of all existence and his mere absence can make life miserable for others.

 

This and others related stuff my friends are suggested topic for a civilized conversation over glass of God’s nectar (way better then discussing current affairs).

Why I am writing a ode to this movie is because I believe What we see today in our midst is peak (hoping so) of this behavior which emerged at that time.

 I have a grouse and I will sort it out with no respect for law, privacy or patience for due process. YOU are wrong and I am right that’s all one needs to believe and go ballistic. Send tweets, call people names, drive extremes of all sorts and drive TRP’s (maybe main purpose). Thankfully the venting is digital in these days else just thinking of alternatives is scary.

No one can absolve himself/herself of where we are now, not choosing to solve the problems but run after chimera shown by the powerful people. Politicians of every hue have made merry by running tactical solutions and not solve the problems. Yes, we have huge pending case load in courts, yes our police system is not effective and yes our health services are pathetic but hey we don’t worry about them. We seek solace in maya around us and let our civilizational possibilities die a painful death.

 

To every concerned Shiva’s Trishul convey 3 truths which we need to seek

Below excert from art of living website.

Trishul represents the three aspects of consciousness – waking, dreaming and sleeping, and it represents the three gunas – satva, rajas and tamas. Holding a trishul (Trident) signifies that Shiva (the divinity) is above all the three states – waking, dreaming and sleeping, yet is the upholder of these three states.
The divinity is beyond the three gunas, but it holds the three gunas together.

Shul means problems or suffering. Trishul means that which destroys all kind of suffering.
Three types of pain that arise in life:
1. Aadibhautik (physical)
2. Aadhyaatmik (spiritual) and
3. Aadidaivik (ethereal)
What relieves you from all the problems and suffering is the Trishul. And it is in the hand of Shiva.

 

If we have to solve the problems in our midst, we need to have patience to solve within our system (We the people). Think about solving the problems which are deep rooted amongst us using Trishul.

धरातल दिखने लगा

28-08-20

८० के दशक में परिवर्तन के  ट्रेलर के बाद, १९९० में असल पिक्चर चालू हुई. किसी भी हिंदी  पिक्चर की तरह इसमें ऐक्शन,, इमोशंस और प्रेडिक्टेबल सस्पेंस भी था. एक के बाद एक पूर्व स्थापित  मानक  और सामाजिक कानून बदल रहे थे.  कुछ भी निश्चित तौर पर नहीं कहा जा सकता था, जिसको हाथ लगाओ वो बिदक जाता था या फिर नए समीकरण में जाने लगता था. धर्म, जाति, प्रदेश वाद सभी के नाम पर लोग आपस में लड़ रहे थे. दक्षिण में अगर LTTE अपना प्रभाव बढ़ाने की ताक में थी तो उत्तर में मंडल कमीशन की रिपोर्ट पर बहस छिड़ गयी थी. जब यह सब मसले हो तो उद्योग और व्यापर का क्या काम. एक के बाद एक उद्योग बीमार हो रहे थे. कोटा में JK बंद हो गयी, OPC भी बंद हुई और अनगिनत लघु उद्योग गायब हुए. 

१९९१ में रिज़र्व बैंक ऑफ़ इंडिया को डॉलर की इतनी कमी आन पड़ी की देश का सोना गिरवी रखना पड़ा. काफी शर्मनाक समय था एक तरह  से देश दिवालिया होने की  कगार पर खड़ा था. इसी साल में राजीव गाँधी भी आतंकवाद के शिकार हुए, बड़ी क्रूरता से उनकी हत्या कर दी गयी.. देश में अराजकता और आगजनी जैसे रोज का खेल बन गए थे. पिछले दशक के दंगो से जो शरुआत हुई वो पूरी तरह से पूरे  दशक  में काबू न आ सके . कुछ न कुछ पूरे  १० साल तक चलता रहा. १९९३ में बॉम्बे में भी दंगे हुए. इसी समय बड़े आतंकवादी हमलो की भी शुरआत हुई, बॉम्बे ने इसका  बड़ा खामियाजा भुगता. 

इसी दौरान एक ८० वर्षीय प्रधान  मंत्री ने देश की बागडोर संभाली (स्वर्गीय पी वी नरसिम्हा राव) और एक अअभूतपूर्व दिशा परिवर्तन को हरी झंडी दिखयी. देश की राजनीति का कायवाद  बदल रहा था और कांग्रेस अपनी गलतियों को और बड़ा रही थी. उन दस सालो में भारत के 5 प्रधान मंत्री बदले, जबकि उससे पहले ४५ साल में ५ लोगो का नंबर लगा. एक के बाद एक सरकार  आयी और गयी. 

इसी समय में कोटा में IIT कोचिंग की शिरकत हुई, JK में कार्यरत श्री बंसल ने इसकी नीव रखी, धीरे धीरे और लोग भी जुड़े. १९९५ तक  यह एक बड़े उद्योग का रूप ले चूका था और बहुत सारे लोगो के लिए ये जीवन यापन का योग बना. आगे का तो हम सब जानते है. 

इस दशक में सबसे ज्यादा प्रगति  सुचना प्राधायगिकी  और मीडिया रेवोलुशन की रही. १ से बढ़कर चैनल १०० तक पहुंचे और IT जिसको कोई पूछता नहीं था एकदम लाइमलाइट में आ गयी. दशक के अंत तक दोनों ही क्षेत्रों का दब दबा  बन गया था. मीडिया का सीधा असर लोगो की जागरूकता पर पड़ा. जोर शोर से लोगो ने आगे बढ़ कर हक़ पाने  और सम्मान के लिए लड़ना चालू किया. आज के राष्ट्रवाद की तरफ  झुकान  की भी  इस दशक में नीव पड़ी. 

IL के लिए समय बदल गया था, रुझान सिर्फ जुगाड़ की और था. कुछ तो चलेगा शायद यही सोच थी शायद. कभी ईधर कभी उधर पर हुआ कुछ भी नहीं. लोगो के ट्रांसफर किये गए,स्वैच्छिक रिटायरमेंट स्कीम लागू की गयी. धंधे का उसूल है  की जिस दिन  आप लागत सोच कर नफा नुक्सान तै करते है उस  दिन से आपका पतन शुरू होता है. कोई भी उद्यम अगर  अपने लोगो को भागके  मुनाफे  में आने की सोचता है, तो उसका हश्र तै है. ऐसा ही कुछ IL में भी हो रहा था. अग्रणी रहने के लिए सोच बदलनी चाहिए न की अपने लोग न ही अपने उसूल.  

टाउनशिप  का बिकना चालू हुआ , रिहैबिलिटेशन पैकेज चालू हुए. इन सबसे न किसी  का आजतक भला हुआ है न कभी होगा. मैं अभी भी सोचता  हू की उन दिनों किसी ने आपस में  संवाद क्यों नहीं किया, कोई क्यों नहीं आगे बड़ा?  और ये कहा की हम सब को करना है नाकि सिर्फ प्रभंधन को  या सरकार को. अपने दायरे में सिमटे हुए लोगो ने ILको नीचे आने दिया. 

ILऔर JK के बुरे दिनों में कोटा शहर के रहवासियों को कोई सहानुभूति नहीं हुई. इसका कारण सबको मालूम है पर बोलता कोई नहीं. 

१९९९ में कारगिल का युद्ध हुआ , तब तक देश में नयी सोच की नीव पकड़ चुकी थी, अब सदी के पहले दशक की तयारी थी. 

१९९३ मैंने कोटा छोड़ दिया, तब से आजतक शायद में २००  दिन भी कोटा नहीं रहा हूँ. इस लिहाज से मेरे अगले सब ब्लॉग दुसरो द्वारा बताये गए वृतांत  आधारित होंगे या फिर अभी तक लिखी  हुई  किताबो का सहारा लेंगे. 

इस क्रम की अभी ३ कड़िया शेष है 

५) काले दिन ६) समय के अवशेस ७) IL का भविष्य 

अगले महीने हम २००० से आगे की बात करेंगे, आने वाला समय IL के लिए काले दिन लाने वाला था 

पड़ते रहने के लिए आपका धन्यवाद 

चेतन पंड्या 

P S : याद आया, पिछले कुछ दिनों में रसोड़े का किस्सा चल पड़ा है, हम सब को भी पूछना चाहिए की IL के  प्रेशर कुकर से निकाल कर चने किसने रखे. ढूंढिए ज्यादातर अब भी हमारे  आस पास ही हैं. 

Being a Flâneur or Flâneuse

06-08-20 

Mumbai 

I came across this word today morning, since then it refuses to leave my immediate processing faculties. So here is an attempt to put the processing faculties to rest with respect to Faneur or more appropriately the art of flaneur. While I have been practicing the same but never ever came across the word for it.

Flaneur joins my other favorite from French, Amour.

The word originated in 19^th century France to describe the well-to-do French gentlemen who would stroll city streets (Feminist rightly claim that this was not exclusive to males, see the links at end of post). Modern concept of flaneur has developed into an art of living within a space without participating in it. IE one is part of scene but not participating in it. By no means is it aimless.

Imagine yourself standing in front of church gate station (or any of your cities local commute terminals) exit gate at 9 in the morning and observing the organized chaos happening all around you. One would not contribute to this chaos but observe it with detachment seeking solitude that comes with observing rather than participating in the chaos unfolding all around.

Flaneuring is getting out and not participate instinctively in everything around you. Be passive and let the moment take over. This helps one tune in to things which in normal course would get passed, over looked or plain missed. So, start existing in space as opposed to interacting with it.

Once a person can do it, the curiosity of finding newer things, discovering what others are missing brings a sense of calm and a common sense knowledge of things hidden in plain sight.

At leisure not forced to keep reacting the mind calms down to spark creativity, mindful mentality and over all sense of wellbeing.

Enough and more examples can be found in history of people who would walk and discover new things. Remember they did not set out to discover those things.

By the way an Aghor (see my earlier post on Aghor https://mumbaichetan.blogspot.com/2020/05/lock-down-aghora-portal-to-new-world.html)  is also a fine practitioner of this art, walking and discovering the myriad things that lie undiscovered in this world.

I leave you with my favorite quote by Marcel Proust. His works are a fine study of art of Flaneuring. Do find time and read his works you will discover things.

“The only true voyage of discovery, the only fountain of Eternal Youth, would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds, that each of them is”  

So next time you step out consider the fine art of Being a Flâneur or Flâneuse

 

Here are few links to get more on this topic

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/i-needed-more-quiet-my-life-french-art-flaneuring-showed-ncna1066636

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/29/female-flaneur-women-reclaim-streets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A2neur

http://www.danagoldstein.com/whats_a_flneuse

Julie & Julia

25/07/20

On this Tuesday after a rather hodge podgy day. Such days go like - the anxiety is high; the things are unorganized and one is looking to do things but cannot. The best thing in this time is to read a book or watch a movie. Better options like walking and running are out of scope for now.

So, Netflix it was and on stream I put Julie & Julia. A nicely threaded story about two women with  separated in age by years. They both share a void in life and take up cooking: one for hobby and other to prove for herself that she could finish something. To say that cooking is cathartic is the biggest undersell of it. Its sheer rejuvenation of senses and most worthy of service to a human being. The satisfaction of getting something done and share the sheer delight of it is an experience.

Alternating between two  life story in a very flowy, smartly edited and very well acted & directed movie navigates the central theme of finding a goal. How one can step by step reach the nirvana of his or her own creation. The direction less Julie becomes the in control of her destiny Julie and then goes on to even face rejection of Julia with aplomb.

What adds to gravitas is that this is a true story (admittedly some part dramatized) with books by both of them published in US. One has become the bible of French cooking and other is used by the motivation speakers as case study.

In Aghor world (my basic understanding pardon me if I am wrong) choosing an astral person as your guide, icon is a suggested way to walk the path of one’s salvation. Here Julie got  Julia in real world (in a book admittedly) which worked for her. Whichever ways one treads real, astral or any other One needs to find person, idea to learn from and make the necessary adjustments in the day to day living to reach the goal.

For example, the Julie works in a call center helping World trade center victims (must be quite strenuous to talk to a suffering person every single day of work) and then commutes to her home in suburban Queens in NY. Post all this hum drum to make time and space to cook 524 dishes in 365 days and write about it in the blog. Just imagine one doing this in pre Covid lifestyle of wake-up commute work commute eat and sleep routine.

I am quite sure such stories would be hidden in our society also but our media & movie world  is obsessed with an imaginary society which does not exist. So it never publishes anything remotely similar to this. We get extremes either we are about to belly up or we have become world beaters.

Coming back to movie both of them found fame, happiness and more important found contentment in real world.

Do search on Internet for Julie Child and Julia Powell.

Last but not the least the Julie is played by Meryl Streep. One can watch movie just for her, she makes it all so easy.

So pick your passion an start walking to your salvation.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_%26_Julia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Child

Passion aka जुनून

Ask anyone who climbed Everest 1^st and answer would be Hillary followed by his Sherpa Tenzing. What most folks would not know, that a gentleman before them nearly reached the summit (some say he did reach the summit) and died in the icy enviorns of the Sagarmatha (Nepalese name of the Mt Everest). His name was Mallory.

George Herbert Leigh Mallory (Mallory) and his partner Andrew Irvine were part of multiple British expedition post world war I to reach the summit.  In the 4th expedition in June 1924 they were last seen 800 meters below the summit and then were lost for 75 years. In 1999 an expedition with specific aim to find the remains located the bodies on the northern face of the mountain.

Why I write about Mallory and his partner is that they are perfect examples of following their passion. Mallory was so focused on mountain climbing that he in his lifetime ended up climbing almost every climbable height in Europe and then focused on the biggest prize in the world. In the fictionalized account of life Mallory “Paths of Glory” author Jeffery Archer cites several instances of his deep and abiding love & passion for climbing mountain. Popular folk lore says that once Mallory was asked why does he climb mountain and he calmly responded that he climbs because they are there to be climbed. Simple and profound with no in between words.

In all this Mallory was not promised a reward, position or anything remotely of economic variety. He did it because it was his passion to climb the impossible.

I see passion as embracing possibilities & not the popular and quite nonsensical embracing & flowing with your emotions. Finding a goal and aligning one’s life to it is important past of following passion. Making conscious decision about giving up things to focus on the goal is essential part of following your passion. No easy way to attain Siddhi (attainment) has been discovered till now by anyone.

Why I wrote this today is that I am seeing far to frequent break down in folks with current uncertainty. With immediate chances of gratification becoming zilch, folks are trying to find easy way out. Well easy ways do not exist, as world moves to a reset of sort in economics and social life.

Find your purpose, align yourselves to it and start working towards your Siddhi.

Happy to talk about this any time any one wants.

Thanks for your patience.

PS: I almost did not write this week but thanks to a meeting today morning I picked it up again and here we are. Have a good weekend.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paths_of_Glory_(Archer_novel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mallory#June_1924_expedition_to_Everest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Mount_Everest_expeditions

https://thewire.in/history/could-they-have-climbed-the-everest-part-2-of-the-story-of-mallory-and-irvine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Irvine_(mountaineer)

IL बुलंदी पर

10-07-20

ब्लॉग क यह अंक श्री मधुवन जोशी को समर्पित है, हाल  ही में उनका स्वर्गवास हुआ. मेरे और बहुत से  लोगो के वो क्रिकेट कोच भी थे, खेल की बारीकियों का उन्हें बहुत अच्छा ज्ञान था और सबसे बड़ी बात वो बहुत सयमशीलता से समझाते भी थे.  आप  में से कुछ ही लोगो को मालूम होगा की  उनके नाम का एक रिकॉर्ड कोटा डिस्ट्रिक्ट क्रिकेट लीग में आज भी बरकार है. यह रिकॉर्ड एक  ३ दिवसीय मैच में लंच के पहले बनाया गया शतक है. ५० साल के ऊपर हो चले है पर यह रिकॉर्ड अब भी कायम है.

IL ज्वाइन करने के पहले वो क्रिकेट के  राज्य स्तर पर  उभरते हुए खिलाडी थे, रणजी  ट्रॉफी के लिए सलेक्शन कैंप में भी बुलाये गए, पर नौकरी का पलड़ा भारी हुआ और वो कोटा  आ गए. उन्होंने १९५८ में राष्ट्रीय बास्केटबॉल प्रतिस्पर्धा में भी हिस्सा लिए. उन्होंने वी पी नरूला को कोचिंग दी जो आगे जाकर बास्केटबॉल  में भारत के  कप्तान बने.

और भी कहानिया है जोशीजी की , बहुत से दूसरे लोगो की भी. टैलेंट तब भी था हिंदुस्तान  में यह कोई नया प्रचलन नहीं है.

मई के महीने में झालावाड़ रोड पर मृगतृष्णा के अद्भुत अवतरण मिलते थे, कोई नया आदमी उस को देख कर भटक भी सकता था. शायद ८० का दशक यही सीख कर आया था, दिखता कुछ और था जबकि होता कुछ और ही.  इस दशक के अंत आने तक भारत एक बहुत बड़ी करवट लेने वाला था. पर यह सब अभी दूर था और दशक की शरुआत  एक बहुत ही अविश्वनीय घटना से होने वाली थी. १९८१ में सुजुकी (जापान)  ने एक भारतीय कंपनी मारुती उद्योग का प्रबंध अपने हाथ में लिया और एक साल के भीतर एक छोटी कार को भारत में बना के बेचने लगे. देश के औधोयगिक विकास में यह एक बहुत बड़े परिवर्तन का संकेत दे रहा था. विदेशी कम्पनियो को भारत में काम करने का नया तरीका मिल गया  था. हर सफल कदम की तरह इसमें भी बहुत ही सीधा हिसाब था. आप  के पास मार्किट है, आपके पास कनेक्ट्स है और किसीको विदेशी कंपनी को यह दोनों चाहिए. आगे  बढिये और चालू कर दीजिये. इसे जॉइंट वेंचर का नाम मिला और एक झटके में टेक्नोलॉजी ट्रांसफर मॉडल का स्वर्गवास हो गया. कौन करे मेहनत जब आसान रास्ता सामने  था और पैसे भी बनते थे. मेहनत से टेक्नोलॉजी समझने और चीजे बनाने का जमाना गुजर गया. इसी दौर में टाटा हनीवेल (१९८७) का भी भारत में आगमन हुआ. बिरला केंट टेलर भी उसी समय  शुरू  हुई. आजकल टाटा समूह हनीवेल से अपना विनिवेश कर चुके है, बिरला भी ABB को कंपनी बेच चुके है. इन सब कंपनियों का कार्य क्षेत्र बहुत अलग या बहुत सिमित हो चूका है. भारत के बाजार में अब इम्पोर्ट का जमाना है. नतीजा यह है की आज पावर प्लांट्स के लिए भारत में कण्ट्रोल इंस्ट्रूमेंट बनते ही नहीं और बनते है भी तो  टेंडर और सेल्स मैनेजमेंट  में मात खाते रहते है. किसी को देखना होगा की १९८० में  चीन में इंस्ट्रूमेंटेशन के क्या हाल थे, आज के हाल से तो हम सब जानते ही है की चीन न सिर्फ अपने लिए बनाता पर एक्सपोर्ट भी जबरदस्त करता है.

८० का दशक हिंदुस्तान में अगर सफारी सूट का दशक भी कहा जाए तो  कोई अतिशोक्ति  नहीं  होगी. ऐसा क्यों? इस पोशाक की तरह भारत भी कन्फूसन  में था. ना तो  यह पोशाक  किसीको समझ आई, ना ही उस समय के सामाजिक दाव पेच  किसीको  समझ में आये. हा इतना जरूर था की इस पोशाक का सबसे बड़ा ट्रेंड बेल्ल बॉटम गायब हो रहा था. पर सब बदस्तूर  चल रहा था, रोज हूटर बजते थे और लोग फैक्ट्री जाते थे. हा यह जरूर था  की अब दुपहिए वाहनों से जाने  लगे थे, साइकिल अब जंग खाने लगी  थी. सबसे बड़ी बात कार दिखने लगी थी.

८० के आते आते IL के ठाट  राजसी हो चले थे, पर कोटा शहर अभी भी सीमित व्यापार और कार्यो में जुड़ा हुआ था. टाउनशिप जगमगा रही थी. और उसके चारो तरफ नयी कॉलोनियों का विकास प्रांरभ हो  रहा था. सबसे  पहिले आया विज्ञान नगर और उसके बाद तलवंडी, महवीर नगर. आने वाले समय में इन सब जगहों का IL से गाढ़ा रिश्ता जुड़ा. 

मास्को ओलंपिक्स (जिसका अमेरिका और उसके सहयोगी देशो ने बहिस्कार किया) १९८० में हुए. अमेरिकी बहिस्कार के चलते भारत की बास्केट बॉल टीम को भी मौका मिला और इस टीम के दो लोग कोटा की बास्केट बॉल के हीरो बने. क्रमश: अजमेर सिंह एवं हनुमान सिंह राठौर का नाम राजस्थान और भारत के बास्केटबॉल इतिहास में  स्वर्णित  अक्षरों में लिखा जायेगा. ये दोनों कोटा की Shriram Rayons  की टीम से जुड़े और लम्बे समय तक हर स्तर पर खेले.

अजमेर  सिंह (६ फुट 5 इंच) एवं हनुमान सिंह ( ५ फुट कुछ इंच)  एक धुरंधर जोड़ी थी, जिनको  उसके बाकि सारे टीम के लोग बराबर का सहयोग देते थे. अजमेर शूटिंग करते थे और हनुमान ड्रिबल करके स्कोरिंग के मौके बनाते थे. प्रतिद्वंदी टीम के पास सिर्फ सुरक्षात्मक खेल खेलने  का ही आसरा  रहता था. हनुमान तकनीक से और अजमेर अपने कद से सबको छलते थे. हनुमान सिंह की एक तकनीक आज तक छाया चित्र की तरह मेरे दिमाग में छपी हुई है. कोर्ट में ड्रिबल करने और बॉल को उछलने से पहले वह एक सेकंड के लिए रुक जाते थे, इस दौरान बाकी सभी खिलाडी अपना जम्प पूरा कर लेते थे और नीचे आते हुए देखते  थे की अब  हनुमान ऊपर उछल रहे है. ५ फुट  कुछ इंच का खिलाडी तब सभी को बहुत बड़ा लगता था. अजमेर बॉल का पास लेने को तैयार रहते और बॉल सीधे रिंग के अंदर. या फिर ३ पॉइंटर ही सही.

 अजमेर सिंह ने मास्को  में भी बहुत ही धुआँधार प्रदर्शन किया (टीम हलाकि सभी मैच हारी) और अपने  खेल के लिए पहचाने गए. उनके आक्रामक खेल की कहानियां आप  इंटरनेट पर पढ़ सकते है. अपनी हाइट का ( ६ फुट 5 इंच) का बेहतरीन उपयोग करते हुए उन्होंने अपनी टीम के लिए लीड स्कोरर का दर्जा लिया. 

IL में होने वाली ब्रिगेडियर साहनी प्रतिस्पर्धा में इन दोनों का हमेशा इंतजार  रहता था. इनके हर गेम में हाउस फुल होना तो लाजमी था. पर सबसे ज्यादा उत्साह रहता था इन दोनों की जुगल बंदी देखने की. जादू सा था इन दोनों का कोआर्डिनेशन. हर पॉइंट पर तालियां, हर पास पर उत्साह. कुछ लोग कहेंगे की ज्यादा हो गया पर मेरे लिए ये IPL  के मुकाबले से अच्छा अनुभव है.

रयोन्स की टीम के कोच थे खुशीराम जी, जमीन से जुड़े एकदम देसी गेटअप में रहते थे. भारत के लिए उन्होंने भी खेला था. अपने समय के वे पीवेट पोजीशन  के बहुत ही अच्छे खिलाडी थे,  टेक्निकल और टैक्टिकल ज्ञान के भंडार. कोर्ट पर उनको देखना भी एक अनुभव  था.  उनकी टीम अक्सर हर साल सींग भिड़ाती थी टाटा स्टील की टीम से. टाटा की टीम में थे भारत के प्रसिद्ध खिलाडी सुनील कुमार पांडा, सिर्फ ७ फुट ३.५ इंच की हाइट वाले इस प्लेयर को लोग कौतहुल के लिए भी देखने आते थे. भाई ७ फुट जरा सोचिये, मेरे तो मन करता था की पूछ लू की ऊपर हवा कैसी है. खैर मेरी कभी इतनी हिम्मत नहीं हुई. 

कौन जीता या कौन हारा ये  तो मुझे याद नहीं पर है इतना जरूर था की उन १०- १५ दिन में मजा बहुत आता था.  IL के कल्चर का यह एक उच्च  स्तम्भ था. इसके बाद IL इसके ऊपर न जा सका. 

उधर देश में सरपट परिवर्तन हो रहे थे, इंदिरा  गाँधी की दिन दहाड़े हत्या कर दी गयी. राजीव गाँधी ने इलेक्शन जीता और कुछ बदलाव आये. पर जल्द ही हम सब फिर अपने नार्मल पर आ गए. तेरी मेरी चालू हो गयी और पुरे १९९० के दशक को लील गई. भारत इतना बदलेगा यह किसी बुद्धिजीवी ने भी नहीं सोचा था आम आदमी की तो बात ही क्या. IL भी अछूता नहीं था, ट्रांसफर करके लोगो को परेशान करने का सिलसिला चालू किया गया, आने वाले समय यह एक बड़ा हथियार  बनने वाला था. कंपनी का काम  मार्किट में रिएक्शनरी हो रहा था, कहा लीडरशिप और कहा ट्रेंड के पीछे भागना. इकॉनमी  ढीली पड़ रही थी पर हम सब दूसरी चीज़ी में लगे पड़े थे. कहते है की जब आप  नीचे  गिरते है तो स्पीड हर पल डबल होती है. शुरू में लगता है की कुछ नहीं होगा पर और हम सभाल लेंगे, फिर आता है गुरुत्वाकर्षण का असर और सब कुछ नीचे गिरने  लगता  है. पहले  जाता है सयम और फिर फिरता है दिमाग और फिर आता है जुगाड़. यह सब होने वाला था पर अगले दशक में. 

आप सभी  का साभार, हौसला बढ़ने के लिए सभी को नमस्कार.

App Ban and our brethren

This week India blocked 59 phone apps for reasons of national security and related reason. Reaction to it range from mirth to it being a master stroke. Reality is more nuanced and as usual the extremes are more appetizing, but full of empty calories. The move helps some Indian companies in short term and in long term possibly have significant capital allocation may happen to Indian app providers.  Some of the banned app companies will face significant to nil losses in near term and loose access to a huge market in long term.

What continues to amaze me our ability to seize each event as next biggest thing in society. Yes, the move has its merit and possibly should have been done few years ago. But to say that this will restore our greatness is also…………

 

The discussion & commentary around the event reinforces all stereotypes that we can possibly imagine for ourselves.

1.      Crab culture: Good or bad we need to pull each other down to the extent that the real impact is lost in the Mela(fair). Never to be found again as we know of things lost in Mela. SO hard has been the pull down from either side that it feels like Govt announced discovery of new Quantum machine equipped to solve all problems and turns out it is fraud

2.      Laughing at our own: Easily done by us, every time an Indian startup rolls out something the smart  analyst (who continue to use an platform which is unable to provide an edit function) will bring out to their worst possible comments on weakness exhibited. Common guys we can give some space to these hard-working people.

3.      Lack of framework: both criticism and praise are in air with no framework of engagement or solution. For an entrepreneur already fighting immense odd it becomes the chance for switching off and doing something less strenuous like a Naukri(job) or sell Bhajiyas(pan cakes). With no modicum of dialogue or communication the innovation shuts down fast.

 

I yearn for a day when I can switch on a TV (I stopped watching it around 10 years back) and watch a civilized debate on anything possible. Maybe some day, I remain an optimist about us as a society.

 

Here are some commentaries and observations which I found interesting on app ban and broader border impasse.

 

1.      India must prepare for a shooting war & simultaneously reinvent ties with old and new friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4DYMPjlMIE

2.      https://twitter.com/Hemantss/status/1278995570808418304/photo/1

3.      https://twitter.com/sonaliranade/status/1278850318579597312

4.     https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-07-02/tiktok-owner-predicts-over-6-billion-in-losses-from-india-apps-ban-sources-say-101574834.html?cxg=web&Sfrom=twitter

5.      https://t.co/fffi6SI7d5?amp=1

6.       https://youtu.be/x-WdgL9N9dQ

7.       https://theprint.in/opinion/indias-options-against-china-shrink-to-two-limited-war-or-another-wuhan/452796/

8.       https://theprint.in/opinion/modi-govts-silence-on-china-gave-satellite-warriors-a-free-run-india-will-rue-the-damages/453519/

 

 

Lokhandwala public spaces

Lokhandwala playground and google map of area.
The brown part is the main playground

Play ground today morning 

First my apologies for missing Friday evening weekly deadline. Work takes precedence over everything else these days. So here we are on a fine Saturday morning with a hint of rain coming in any time to solve the humidity problem.

As some of you know I live in not so famous part of Lokhandwala complex in Kandivali East in Mumbai. While the Andheri one hogs the lime light for it eclectic inhabitants from art world our version has a mix of bankers, IT folks and large community of business folks (mostly from Rajasthan). Compared to other version ours is a staid upper middle-class version with a very strong traditional conservative ethos all around (Lokhand as we fondly call the complex does not have single Bar). Having lived here for last 20 years I can say this is a village with some characteristics of modern township. 

As is usually the case in suburban Mumbai, our township is also surrounded by slums and all main arterial roads to highway are through them. Each of these slums have a personality of their own emanating from concentration of ethnicity, districts, professions and tenure of stay in Mumbai. Best thing about Lokhand is that we abut the National park and this helps the area to be cooler than other part of Mumbai suburbs (some claim a difference of up to 1 degree).

I chose to write today about our complex as I wanted to share couple of treasure, we have access to as denizen of this place. Yes, most of the Mumbai suburban folks would get it right, we have large open public spaces not encroached by anyone but maintained as a garden or play ground by our often-abused BMC. The best thing about these places is that it is used equally by people living in apartment as well as in the slums. And till today no one has got into fight for access or monopolizing it. May be the abundance is the reason for it: 1 large playground, 1 large park, 4-5 small parks.

On a busy day one can see multiple Sachin clones smashing the tennis balls to boundary, some of these young players are very conscious of their copying and some so busy with joy of hitting the ball that a knicker sliding down post shot has no attention. Serious teams wearing Blue India color (never a green one here) of varying design strategize to keep the other team down and loss the game. On a weekend a tournament can make life interesting for all with live commentary over a loud speaker. Yoga clubs, talking soirees of ladies from slums & apartments, young couples walking with some display of PDA (yes quite tolerated here) and some serious marathoners pushing their way in crowd, All in all free entertainment of very good quality is always available in the playground. One can sit on a bench and observe the celebration of life.

How did Lokhand get it right with these spaces while other areas failed? Multiple reason can be attributed to the success

1.      BMC policies: By the time Lokhand was handed over to the municipality by the builder the policy regarding public spaces had taken an abrupt turn for better. The municipality abandoned the policy of inviting proposals from clubs and other institutions to maintain the open space and went back to old ways where they themselves took care of development and maintenance of the space. This ensured that every one got access to public place with no club etc.. moderating or controlling it.

2.      Local councilor, MLA and MP: We have been lucky to have very proactive elected representatives who have taken interest in developing these spaces and ensuring that budgets to maintain them are available. While they compete with each other (multiple inauguration boards exist in these places) to claim credit the alignment exists to get work done   

3.      People: Surprisingly the adherence to the rules is near cent percent with few creating problems of some severity. Adhering to norms the space becomes safe for people and this intern makes more people come to these places. Barring contracted BMC agents and a night time enforcer of sorts the place is largely left to its own. BMC staff ensures regular open and closure time which are accepted by people without much fuss.

4.      Area and activities: clear identification of activities that can be done in the marked area help keeping a sense of control, and any breaking of rules is easily countered by people as whole. The Mix of people keep trouble makers wary of doing anything stupid.

Added to all these points is a hidden hand of some genius (may be not one, but a team or a series of people) who went and planted native trees in all these places. These trees, plants are in sync with the place and shower them with beauty which is worth observing in summer months. The developer of Lokhand (the name sake builder firm) planted Gulmohur (not an India native)  along side the road, and these tree start flowering at start of summer creating a ring of fire effect by their red flowers all around the play area contours.

So if you live in Lokhand please be assured of safe open spaces. I am one of those lucky people of Mumbai who does not face another building in front of window but a huge play ground which has possibilities to becoming better with each passing year. Yes dust is problem with all kids playing 16 hours at times, but then one does not get everything in Mumbai.

Here are some photographs for your persual.

Himalayan sojourn

The ongoing issues (not underplaying) at our border with China reminded me of idyllic time spent in the other China India border area (Uttarakhand) in summer of 2010. We I.E, my family made a very unconventional choice for those days to trek in high Himalayas camping across various place over a period of 15 days. Mind you our daughter was only 9 years old then. Consensus amongst us was to avoid crowds, calls (I was running IT for Kotak securities and was mostly in office or on call managing it) and cities. With some effort we identified a self-help group Mountain Shepherds (http://mountainshepherds.com/) run by an enterprising gentle man by name of Sunil and reached out to them for helping make itinerary and arrangements around it. The group leader was a skeptic about our ability to endure this one but said yes. Later in a conversation he shared that, we were amongst the 1^st Indian family with a kid in tow to make a call to them. Till that time the usual profile of their clientele was white, couple and single Indian. We left Mumbai with only confirmation that Sunil is sending a person to pick us up at Haridwar railway station. Beyond this the itinerary was sketchy and all was based on trust of person whom we had never met but spoke on phone. Remember all this was before trip guarantee by websites and social media reviews.

Our pickup was ready at Haridwar and in due course we were climbing up beyond Rishikesh. The vista beyond Rishikesh changes dramatically and one starts to understand why the place is called Dev Bhumi. God could live only in these mountains. Awe is cliché when one sees these mountain ranges in their majesty and scale. The weather changes dramatically every few Km up into the mountains and so does scenery.  One is spoilt for choices to feast the eyes. To an Indian well versed with the history (Ok some call it as myth) it’s a sheer delight to see places & rivers connected to our heritage. So many stories come to fore in mind as you travel with rivers & temples one has heard of while growing up. One also thinks of Shankaracharya who reached Badrinath 600 years ago through this route. One gets an understanding of scale he executed his vision at.

We made a base at a guest house in a village, on road to Auli (famous ski resort) from Joshimath (municipal board in Chamolli distt.). Near the guesthouse I got interrogated by an Army JCO who could not believe that an Indian family would come for a break into these places. He said cynically Duniya badal rahi hai (the world is changing). Well the interrogation ended well after I was fed a very sugary  tea by army folks and sermonized by JCO saheb to maintain safety.

While the places we went to have become known now, they continue to have charm of world where people follow the rhythm of nature and not the trends on twitter. Here are some  photos  we took at that time. We made 3 trips across the district of Chamoli and came back spell bound with almost untouched beauty of area around Nanda Devi biosphere.  The area abuts Tibet (yes part of China now) and was active trade & caravan route in past. While medieval India and British India continued with the trade with Tibet from the area, nothing substantial exist now. 

We could not go to few places as permits were not available, and at Gamshali I was interrogated again by army major who I believed was bored with loneliness and wanted to chat up. I spent some time explaining, what I was doing in the area with my family (yes he was wandering if I was mad)  and then spent an hour solving his investment issues.  One should always understand financial jargon to succeed in remote part is my learning from this episode. 

I keep in touch with Sunil now and then, the group has grown big and has made niche in high value tourism. They are very conscious of the fragility of their home state and ensure through their deft execution that it remains so. GO if you want to see where God Lives, go if you want to see beauty in pristine state. Don't go with a horde and don't go to drink. 

Vista on way to Niti

On way to Lata 

 

 

On Left vista on way to Niti Village on Right  some where between Lata village and Joshi Math 

Gamshali Village

Lone resident of Gamshali as villager come back only in June from winter homes

Glacier above Gamshali 

Patience gives you the frame

Nature busy Chisling the stone

On way to Niti

Glacier here

Glacier here also

Unlockdown : Trend 1

 

Since the lockdown took over our life the only thing left in control is what one eats. So, indulgence has been central to middle class existence for some time now. Naturally this calls for frequent forays to the neighborhood shop. one arrives at a shop which is trying to have its employees and customers practice social distancing in a 2 X 4 Square feet shop. By the time you get the attention of the attendant all one wants is to shout the order over din, complete the transaction and make a run out of the shop. So. you shout Maggi, and lo behold a jumbo pack comes into your hand. As if one got boon from creator, his best junk food creation in hand, one makes a dash for home. Ha Ha what does the pesky CNBC guy know about Nestle’s problem of not being able to meet the demand for Maggi. Here I have a jumbo pack safely tucked into shopping bag, so conditioned are people with the Maggi colors and packet size, that no one reads the package and one only realize the con at time of eating. This Maggi taste more like Girgaon Chowpatty chaat (possibly the worst possible version in Mumbai), as one investigates to find that Noodles are not Maggi but Some brand WAI WAI. The packing, color, size, prices are a match for Maggi, but is not the real thing.

I fondly call this a WAI WAI phenomenon

It feels, costs and is mostly the same thing but not the real thing. Post-Covid this is happening more and the trend is accelerating.

A more contextual definition of this phenomenon is:

“Ability to deceive with confidence and at same time behave/ belief/practice/profess that you are doing the right thing.” In plain speak, in the Pre-Covid world this would attract section 420 of the IPC while now it attracts legion of believers and profits as the case may be.

 Here are few examples of phenomenon being exhibited brazenly.

1.      Banning foreign goods

Anything with an anglicized name may be classified as foreign manufactured and hordes of whatsapp uncles are out seeking your cooperation to boycott these goods. Who cares if an Anglican sounding name is a brand only in India and nowhere else? And is manufactured in some dingy factory in Kurar village (shanty town near my place in Mumbai famous as manufacturing hub for imitation jewelry and textiles).

One could make Ganesh idol in Schengen and not have an issue, but make something with foreign name in India and you may have hoards descending on you

2.      China Border situation

Most complicated is our border with China. Chinese have made it a habit every few years to claim something or other & then we wake up to push them (hopefully) back. This time it has gone beyond claims and counter claims, we ourselves are not able to decide if they have occupied the territory or not. Depending on the side one is on political spectrum the answer is yes or a no. Either side of opinion is busy with poetry about other side negatives and teaching lessons to each other through media. Looks like teaching lesson to China is not on agenda of either side

3.      Defunding

Completely new word for me, DEFUND, till now we were so used to Getting funded now prepare for defund. Will the person getting defunded write a cheque and get defunded? Well that’s for some other time. The issue here is how this is being projected as the solution for admittedly a very serious problem, one needs to see some videos to understand the convoluted thinking folks professing this have. Feels more like the 13-year-old students in the red march and complete revolution in various part of Asia in 60’s.

4.      Criticism

 Smart version is also coming to fore in our society, YES in India (Communist parties always had this smart version). We now have the praise and criticism of an organization restricted to people in it. Needless to say, this is all modulated and staged for furthering the organization. Any opposition from outside is branded a lunacy, mentally unsound, revisionist history writer/thinker and anti-national depending upon the organization in question. The left hand criticizes and the right hand apologizes & promises to make good. The charade continues……

 Hopefully society will find tools to counter this phenomenon.

  Few good things also are happening

1.      Mr NK Singh an eminent journalist and my close friend’s Neelabh’s father, has started digitizing his article published since 1960’s. Few things I learnt till now 1. .Bihar had a vibrant independent English and Hindi press 2. How congress started unraveling in Bihar. Please do follow this on Facebook to get a sense of history before 2002.

Please see more of it on http://nksingh.in/

2.      Dr P N Mishra, director of IMS, Indore when I was doing MBA in 1993-1995. He has had a big influence on me and consider him as one of my Gurus. He gave a very good talk on Mahabharat and team building.

Please follow the talk on

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=706992673450348&ref=watch_permalink