Supermarkets are like televisions…
When you see much variety and choice,
You get overwhelmed and think
Ah! Yes customer is king!
But scratch your head and see again
You only can buy what is sold
And much of what is sold, buy you won’t
Just as on TV, they show you a lot of trash
And in flipping channels for more, you imitate
Life’s story of seeking the beyond. And yet
When you stop to see, you can
Never see what you wanted to see – you merely
Choose from what they think you should see…
God bless you for thinking you are king!
The king in real is the one who owns
The channel that hoodwinks you into thinking
It shows all you wanted to see…
The king in real is he who owns
The shop that outwits you into thinking
It sells all you wanted to buy…
Hmm! Customer is king? Neat deception!
Deepesh Chandrasekharan
23 Sept 2008
11 May 2008
Insensitivity in Leaders
Two things that struck me in news recently are one that happened in the US and another that seems to happen in Bengal.
The US President, George W Bush, the World’s First Citizen (WFC), made a very ‘intelligent’ remark the other day about the prospering middle class in India and also in China eating more these days and as a result, contributing to the food crisis. The problem I have with that statement from the WFC is that it sounds very insensitive – as insensitive as Marie Antoinette’s remark during the French Revolution, that people who don’t have bread should eat cakes… What prompted WFC to make that remark were surely accusations that his biofuels policy was responsible for this crisis. In his enthusiasm to provide an alternative cause, he has banked on this brainwave of an argument which economists are not buying. Does WFC know where India and China appear on the globe? Does WFC care what living conditions prevail in these nations? Does WFC treat people in the two most populous nations as mere numbers in his statistics charts or does he care if they exist? Shame on WFC!
Secondly, I have seen a few reports on how terror reigns in Nandigram in West Bengal, that bastion of the Red salute party which likes to make much propaganda of their scruples and their firm faith in secularism. If the reports are to be believed, the Muslims in Nandigram are suffering as much as the Muslims did and do in Gujarat, the bastion of the Saffron salute party. I wonder if the two parties concerned have faith in Democracy and in the belief that voices should not be stifled. I wonder why the Press that misses no opportunity to assert its freedom, is relatively so quiet in this case! Lord Acton‘s prophecy, “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely” comes to my mind.
The US President, George W Bush, the World’s First Citizen (WFC), made a very ‘intelligent’ remark the other day about the prospering middle class in India and also in China eating more these days and as a result, contributing to the food crisis. The problem I have with that statement from the WFC is that it sounds very insensitive – as insensitive as Marie Antoinette’s remark during the French Revolution, that people who don’t have bread should eat cakes… What prompted WFC to make that remark were surely accusations that his biofuels policy was responsible for this crisis. In his enthusiasm to provide an alternative cause, he has banked on this brainwave of an argument which economists are not buying. Does WFC know where India and China appear on the globe? Does WFC care what living conditions prevail in these nations? Does WFC treat people in the two most populous nations as mere numbers in his statistics charts or does he care if they exist? Shame on WFC!
Secondly, I have seen a few reports on how terror reigns in Nandigram in West Bengal, that bastion of the Red salute party which likes to make much propaganda of their scruples and their firm faith in secularism. If the reports are to be believed, the Muslims in Nandigram are suffering as much as the Muslims did and do in Gujarat, the bastion of the Saffron salute party. I wonder if the two parties concerned have faith in Democracy and in the belief that voices should not be stifled. I wonder why the Press that misses no opportunity to assert its freedom, is relatively so quiet in this case! Lord Acton‘s prophecy, “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely” comes to my mind.
9 Apr 2008
Growing Up With Money
No one would doubt the importance of money in a country that boasts the highest Per Capita Income in the world and also a large population of migrant workers, here for attractive tax-free salaries. Yes, money does matter here!
Being a teacher in a responsible school (and not a literacy factory), I am aware of four and five year olds in the school being taken to a toy store on a set date with a set amount of money and being allowed to decide what to buy with that portion of their money. They are made aware of the sense of carrying money with them and spending it sensibly as part of curricular activity. Now, purists may question the sagacity of such methods of education, but learning to handle money is, to my mind, as it is the educationists behind the idea, an important life skill and the school (like all schools should) yearns to facilitate the picking up of all essential life skills at school. Children here, in Qatar, discuss money very early in life. Even discussions among ten year old children often hover around gadgets, automobiles or fashionable accessories that often pinch parents’ pockets anaesthetically.
Hence, while I think it a good thing that children talk and think about money responsibly, I also feel it is imperative for us to not lose sight of the flip side. And this flip side is the responsibility of our society, beginning with the child’s family and school.
First is the danger of money’s abundance going to the head. The tendency to splurge on oneself thoughtlessly and the gross unwillingness to part with even a little for others is a dangerous one. Children won’t learn much of value if parents think that giving them money unquestioned and unhindered is the best way to shower love on them. While parents who earmark a reasonable amount of money for their child every month or year are teaching them the value of looking up to money that they can spend sensibly, those who don’t rein in the amount given as cash to their kids are teaching their children to take money for granted. Needless to say, it is often these children, who have lost sight of the value of money that end up taking life for granted too. In the absence of meaningful goals in life, they grow up as parasites on their parents and feel no need to do well themselves in life. Children need to be taught that all money is hard-earned and is not to be spent irresponsibly.
But again, this should not lead to a Scrooge-like inability to share. One should take a leaf or two from the experiences of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet and see how becoming rich and contributing to alleviation of suffering are not contradictory. One needn’t look too far to find children flaunting the latest I-Pods and mobiles at social gatherings and yet hesitating to contribute to the ‘Red Crescent’ or ‘Reach Out’ causes at school.
Even the omnipresent tendency to suspect everyone’s intentions is a fall-out of this inability to come to terms with richness. Children can’t believe acts of generosity that they encounter themselves and often ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” before they undertake tasks which are not overtly profitable. As adults, we are to blame for this. The talk that we have at home in the presence of our children centres on the need to accumulate money. The greed for money is picked up by children as a life-long value this way. In this context, one of the ironies of our society is the fact that exhorbitant cash rewards are offered to those who find missing pets and yet causes which need philanthropic deeds have few takers.
The menace of thinking solely about oneself has to be countered and one must begin with the child. Children need to be taught the value of prudence in spending without, at the same time, losing sight of the need to care and share. Even if they learn to treat people who “serve’ them, with respect, the first step is taken. The clichéd idea of money not being our master but our slave is surely not outdated or irrelevant.
Being a teacher in a responsible school (and not a literacy factory), I am aware of four and five year olds in the school being taken to a toy store on a set date with a set amount of money and being allowed to decide what to buy with that portion of their money. They are made aware of the sense of carrying money with them and spending it sensibly as part of curricular activity. Now, purists may question the sagacity of such methods of education, but learning to handle money is, to my mind, as it is the educationists behind the idea, an important life skill and the school (like all schools should) yearns to facilitate the picking up of all essential life skills at school. Children here, in Qatar, discuss money very early in life. Even discussions among ten year old children often hover around gadgets, automobiles or fashionable accessories that often pinch parents’ pockets anaesthetically.
Hence, while I think it a good thing that children talk and think about money responsibly, I also feel it is imperative for us to not lose sight of the flip side. And this flip side is the responsibility of our society, beginning with the child’s family and school.
First is the danger of money’s abundance going to the head. The tendency to splurge on oneself thoughtlessly and the gross unwillingness to part with even a little for others is a dangerous one. Children won’t learn much of value if parents think that giving them money unquestioned and unhindered is the best way to shower love on them. While parents who earmark a reasonable amount of money for their child every month or year are teaching them the value of looking up to money that they can spend sensibly, those who don’t rein in the amount given as cash to their kids are teaching their children to take money for granted. Needless to say, it is often these children, who have lost sight of the value of money that end up taking life for granted too. In the absence of meaningful goals in life, they grow up as parasites on their parents and feel no need to do well themselves in life. Children need to be taught that all money is hard-earned and is not to be spent irresponsibly.
But again, this should not lead to a Scrooge-like inability to share. One should take a leaf or two from the experiences of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet and see how becoming rich and contributing to alleviation of suffering are not contradictory. One needn’t look too far to find children flaunting the latest I-Pods and mobiles at social gatherings and yet hesitating to contribute to the ‘Red Crescent’ or ‘Reach Out’ causes at school.
Even the omnipresent tendency to suspect everyone’s intentions is a fall-out of this inability to come to terms with richness. Children can’t believe acts of generosity that they encounter themselves and often ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” before they undertake tasks which are not overtly profitable. As adults, we are to blame for this. The talk that we have at home in the presence of our children centres on the need to accumulate money. The greed for money is picked up by children as a life-long value this way. In this context, one of the ironies of our society is the fact that exhorbitant cash rewards are offered to those who find missing pets and yet causes which need philanthropic deeds have few takers.
The menace of thinking solely about oneself has to be countered and one must begin with the child. Children need to be taught the value of prudence in spending without, at the same time, losing sight of the need to care and share. Even if they learn to treat people who “serve’ them, with respect, the first step is taken. The clichéd idea of money not being our master but our slave is surely not outdated or irrelevant.
21 Mar 2008
A Man's World?
Let me begin with a confession. When on March 08 each year, the world (or a part of it) pays lip-service to women and their rights, I ponder on it too. But that’s not my confession- the confession follows.
I wonder with childish amazement at the words of wise people who say that it’s a man’s world.
I have faint memories of a man’s world, when in my childhood, my formidable father decided for everyone in the house, including my mother, then the epitome of composure, and no one dared to even think of the situation differently. It was silently understood that no one else was capable of decision-making.
Even at college, when I gave my heart away to the love of my life (my wife now), I didn’t see what lay in store for me, and raised my voice in public platforms supporting the feminist movement with firm conviction. My friends wouldn’t dare make politically-incorrect, male-chauvinistic utterances in my presence.
But today, I stand a sobered man. The two slices of life- work and home- that make up my sandwich existence today are ruled by formidable women. I am now fully resigned to the fact that men don’t deserve power, because they have no inkling how to handle it, and by definition, power and decision-making are words synonymous with women. If ever there is or was a situation otherwise, it is an aberration that has to be rectified. Straddled between a sharp, decisive wife at home and a formidable, firm boss at work (who is well, a lady too) I stand comfortably on firm ground, with the glow of satisfaction at the situation of not having to make decisions at all.
Not having to carry the onerous burden of having to decide, I have smugly settled down to the more crucial area of implementation, and have learnt all the nitty-gritty of this very important task. I must admit though, that my two bosses (at home and at work) have very graciously simplified the implementation process for me, by letting me know, each time a decision has been made by their esteemed selves, the step-by-step method of carrying out the task. I have been conditioned (without placing any blame on the ‘conditioners’) to never deviate from the laid out path. I merely need to walk down.
It has been an enriching learning experience. I have learnt the nuances of meaning that each rise of the eyebrow, each wry smile and each clearing of throat indicate. I have understood that my life’s mission is to replicate what has been instructed to me by my two bosses.
And added to my personal privilege, is the fact that my employer has accommodated my wife and me in a portion of a villa among three villas, otherwise wholly allotted to our lady colleagues. These villas are christened ‘ladies villas’ collectively. I carry the additional burden of guilt for being the lone intruder in an otherwise orderly part of the world. I really know that I live in a woman’s world today.
Nonetheless, a smile often slips out of my mouth, both when I think of my college days or see television footage of people fighting for women rights.
Happy Women’s Day!
I wonder with childish amazement at the words of wise people who say that it’s a man’s world.
I have faint memories of a man’s world, when in my childhood, my formidable father decided for everyone in the house, including my mother, then the epitome of composure, and no one dared to even think of the situation differently. It was silently understood that no one else was capable of decision-making.
Even at college, when I gave my heart away to the love of my life (my wife now), I didn’t see what lay in store for me, and raised my voice in public platforms supporting the feminist movement with firm conviction. My friends wouldn’t dare make politically-incorrect, male-chauvinistic utterances in my presence.
But today, I stand a sobered man. The two slices of life- work and home- that make up my sandwich existence today are ruled by formidable women. I am now fully resigned to the fact that men don’t deserve power, because they have no inkling how to handle it, and by definition, power and decision-making are words synonymous with women. If ever there is or was a situation otherwise, it is an aberration that has to be rectified. Straddled between a sharp, decisive wife at home and a formidable, firm boss at work (who is well, a lady too) I stand comfortably on firm ground, with the glow of satisfaction at the situation of not having to make decisions at all.
Not having to carry the onerous burden of having to decide, I have smugly settled down to the more crucial area of implementation, and have learnt all the nitty-gritty of this very important task. I must admit though, that my two bosses (at home and at work) have very graciously simplified the implementation process for me, by letting me know, each time a decision has been made by their esteemed selves, the step-by-step method of carrying out the task. I have been conditioned (without placing any blame on the ‘conditioners’) to never deviate from the laid out path. I merely need to walk down.
It has been an enriching learning experience. I have learnt the nuances of meaning that each rise of the eyebrow, each wry smile and each clearing of throat indicate. I have understood that my life’s mission is to replicate what has been instructed to me by my two bosses.
And added to my personal privilege, is the fact that my employer has accommodated my wife and me in a portion of a villa among three villas, otherwise wholly allotted to our lady colleagues. These villas are christened ‘ladies villas’ collectively. I carry the additional burden of guilt for being the lone intruder in an otherwise orderly part of the world. I really know that I live in a woman’s world today.
Nonetheless, a smile often slips out of my mouth, both when I think of my college days or see television footage of people fighting for women rights.
Happy Women’s Day!
5 Mar 2008
IPL- RESURGENT INDIA'S COLONIAL REVENGE
I have been 'watching' cricket these days like all the cricket-crazy Indians, and there are a few things that strike me- can't resist putting them down:
1) Fabulous tournament-the CB series; some great cricket and a 'David' team beating the Goliaths of cricket at their home despite the habitual sledging and the like. Kudos to Dhoni for spearheading from the front, for placing trust on the freshers and for also being a thinking captain- tough call, for example, to continue with Sreesanth at the end and to give the ball to Praveen at all the right times. Moral victory for Harbhajan- humbling Hayden and Symonds on the cricket field instead of in the 'ring' in both the final matches. Tendulkar's great hits in the two matches when India needed them the most (for a change!). I would like to check though, if Tendul (without taking away any credit from his undisputed greatness) currently holds the record for the greatest 'nineties jinx' in the world- looks like he has as many nineties in ODIs as he has centuries.
2) There is much noise about the IPL, resurgent India's colonial revenge. And honestly I can't understand it. Yes, there is a lot of money involved in it that some would rather, goes to balance the great socio-economic divide we are infested with. Yes, there is a threat that a lot of this money from Indians goes into the coffers of 'outsiders'. And yes, of course, there are a few lucky young guys getting much more than the seasoned senior record-breakers. So, what is the big deal?
Firstly, I am all for a socialistic society, at least as far as the ideal is concerned. But the sad fact is we live in a society which is market-driven. As T.S. Eliot says, "Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act, falls the shadow". You can't suddenly expect Shahrukh Khan to start donating his money to do public good just because he is the highest paid Indian actor and make him feel guilty for not doing such social service. I really believe that a lot of this money that is doing the rounds will settle at various places and in a few years, if the IPL succeeds, things will improve on the lessening-the-gap socialistic ideal. Ditto for the money-going-outside cribbers. It is a global village- you can't expect to take everything from the world outside and fret and fume when it is time to give back to the world. Wait guys!
And as for the 'unfair' pricing of players, it is a MARKET- those who are perceived to be good on the field and off it (for glamour) will be paid more even if the whiners think that some highest paid budding players are merely 'flavours of the month'. With time, things will settle and wherever there is lack of reason- things will be rationalised. Things (oops- that makes three 'things' in two lines!) take time- to make noise even as a great experiment is being made is to be a crybaby. We need to grow up, don't we?
1) Fabulous tournament-the CB series; some great cricket and a 'David' team beating the Goliaths of cricket at their home despite the habitual sledging and the like. Kudos to Dhoni for spearheading from the front, for placing trust on the freshers and for also being a thinking captain- tough call, for example, to continue with Sreesanth at the end and to give the ball to Praveen at all the right times. Moral victory for Harbhajan- humbling Hayden and Symonds on the cricket field instead of in the 'ring' in both the final matches. Tendulkar's great hits in the two matches when India needed them the most (for a change!). I would like to check though, if Tendul (without taking away any credit from his undisputed greatness) currently holds the record for the greatest 'nineties jinx' in the world- looks like he has as many nineties in ODIs as he has centuries.
2) There is much noise about the IPL, resurgent India's colonial revenge. And honestly I can't understand it. Yes, there is a lot of money involved in it that some would rather, goes to balance the great socio-economic divide we are infested with. Yes, there is a threat that a lot of this money from Indians goes into the coffers of 'outsiders'. And yes, of course, there are a few lucky young guys getting much more than the seasoned senior record-breakers. So, what is the big deal?
Firstly, I am all for a socialistic society, at least as far as the ideal is concerned. But the sad fact is we live in a society which is market-driven. As T.S. Eliot says, "Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act, falls the shadow". You can't suddenly expect Shahrukh Khan to start donating his money to do public good just because he is the highest paid Indian actor and make him feel guilty for not doing such social service. I really believe that a lot of this money that is doing the rounds will settle at various places and in a few years, if the IPL succeeds, things will improve on the lessening-the-gap socialistic ideal. Ditto for the money-going-outside cribbers. It is a global village- you can't expect to take everything from the world outside and fret and fume when it is time to give back to the world. Wait guys!
And as for the 'unfair' pricing of players, it is a MARKET- those who are perceived to be good on the field and off it (for glamour) will be paid more even if the whiners think that some highest paid budding players are merely 'flavours of the month'. With time, things will settle and wherever there is lack of reason- things will be rationalised. Things (oops- that makes three 'things' in two lines!) take time- to make noise even as a great experiment is being made is to be a crybaby. We need to grow up, don't we?
4 Mar 2008
Glad to be back!
It has been more than a year since I scribbled here... To be busy is the worst excuse- no one can be too busy to do what she/he loves.
One of the things that kept me busy these days was writing testimonials.
Let me note down some quick tips on writing Testimonials or recommendation letters for students applying for admission to university programs:
1) Begin by using the student's name and say how long she/he has been known to you and how.
2) Try to summarize the student's positive qualities such as those in academics, extra-curricular activities or sports.
3) Bring out personal qualities such as honesty, integrity, cooperation and inter-personal skills that you think the student has.
4) Say how you came to the conclusions made above (from personal experience).
5) Say in as clear a manner as possible whether the said student is eligible for admission to particular universities or if she/he needs to focus more or requires more guidance etc.
6) End the letter with a line saying you strongly recommend (if the student is very deserving) or recommend (if it is a reasonably good student) the student for admission.
7) Mention clearly your name and designation at the end after your signature.
Colleges and Universities prefer these on organisation letterheads.
I have had the pleasure of writing a variety of such letters nuancing words to suggest whether the student is deserving or not.
And there is no joy comparable to that when the ones you strongly recommended have secured admission in prestigious institutions.
One of the things that kept me busy these days was writing testimonials.
Let me note down some quick tips on writing Testimonials or recommendation letters for students applying for admission to university programs:
1) Begin by using the student's name and say how long she/he has been known to you and how.
2) Try to summarize the student's positive qualities such as those in academics, extra-curricular activities or sports.
3) Bring out personal qualities such as honesty, integrity, cooperation and inter-personal skills that you think the student has.
4) Say how you came to the conclusions made above (from personal experience).
5) Say in as clear a manner as possible whether the said student is eligible for admission to particular universities or if she/he needs to focus more or requires more guidance etc.
6) End the letter with a line saying you strongly recommend (if the student is very deserving) or recommend (if it is a reasonably good student) the student for admission.
7) Mention clearly your name and designation at the end after your signature.
Colleges and Universities prefer these on organisation letterheads.
I have had the pleasure of writing a variety of such letters nuancing words to suggest whether the student is deserving or not.
And there is no joy comparable to that when the ones you strongly recommended have secured admission in prestigious institutions.
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