Bangalore...

It has become 3 months since I moved to Bangalore. It is a city of hopes, dreams, and of course-gardens. This is the city, which has given wings to the middle class youth of India, to achieve their dreams. I feel so calm and quiet here, after coming from a super-paced and super-crowded city like Mumbai. Bangalore is clean and beautiful. Here you won’t find “do not spit” notices in public buses. Also, this is perhaps the only city in India, where you can hear the anti-virus advertisements through radio.

Bangalore does not have a proud history to boast about – like that of near-by Mysore or Hyderabad. But now, it is writing the history for the future. This IT-Hub is truly an adaptable model for the other urban areas. Clean roads, disciplined traffic (traffic is heavy but still disciplined) and a prospective metro also.

The young workforce is always ambitious here, which is actually good. Some people find reasons to become unhappy, citing the need for a better package or on-site opportunity. But that is common and understandable.

For me, the transition has brought a considerable change. Not only a new city – it is a new job also. 3 years of Mumbai life has come to an end, as everything needs to. Even if some things are good or bad, at some point of time, you will have to leave things behind and move on. Isn’t it ?

Spend less or Spend wise?

My company makes software for spend management. But that is not the reason for writing this article. It is a video, which was seen in YouTube a couple of days back.

In that video, people are chosen randomly and are asked what they would do if they get Rs 500. Different people gave different answers. Some wanted to party, some others wanted to use it for things like school fee and books, while a handful of others wanted to just keep it.

What do we do when we have money in hand? Does our mind tell us to keep it and not to spend much or to spend wisely?

The point is - if the people in a country chose to spend less, the income of the country is no way going to increase. One example, which was given as a comment on that video, Suppose I get Rs 500 and I choose to spend it for a hair-cut. I get the value of Rs 500 and the barber is now richer by Rs 500. Now the barber uses that money to buy vegetables. He gets the value for that money and now the shopkeeper in that vegetable shop can use that same money for his children’s education.

So, each time when money passes from one hand to other, one person gets the value of his/her earning and the other person is richer by Rs 500. Each time, country's income increases by Rs 500.

Now, consider the other scenario. I have decided not to spend my 500 rupees. Thus money doesn’t circulate through the barber and shop keeper. Their business is less at the end of the day, which results in less income for the country and poor/no education for the shop keeper’s kids.

The example cited above is the small scale version of what happens in the society. Now the question is whether the money reaches the bottom levels. If the money circulation of only among the rich, the result would be, rich becomes more rich and poor remains poor. The decision of how to spend the money plays an important role.

Another thought. If distribution of wealth is uniform in our society and if every person is as rich as the other one, do you think there would be carpenters, auto rickshaw drivers, tea-shop owners and hotel waiters? As these are low income jobs?

There can be richer or less rich people. It is poverty which needs to be wiped off. It is not the equal distribution of money which is required in this country. It is wise spending. Bear with me if I sounded like an anti communist at any point. If you can’t, feel free to shout back!!!

Disclaimer: The opinion in this article is mine and do not reflect that of my employer. J

Note: Spending Rs 500 for a hair-cut may seem a bit weird. I took it directly from the video comment. Take it for that or replace with something else. ;)

Pakistan

How do you feel? I mean.. after reading the title? Lot of adrenaline pumping? Why is it so?

When there is a talk about our neighbors, hatred is the first emotion which comes out of most of the people. Be it sports, films, politics or anything for that matter. Many among us want the worst to happen to Pakistan/Pakistanis. Remember all the hatred tweets, blogs and other comments when Time of India published the result of an opinion poll last week? Recently, I saw the film “Khuda ke liye” and felt that it is a beautiful movie. When I was talking about it to one of my friend, he told me – “Please don’t see any movies made by Pakistanis. By doing so, you are giving a helping hand to them, in one way or other.”

I agree that our nation is suffering much because of the activities originated from this country. Numerous wars after the partition and still ongoing terrorist attacks which are unofficially supported by Pakistan government agencies. There are all reasons to dislike a neighbor like this. Our children grow here with the belief that Pakistanis are our enemies. Same must be happening at the other side also. Thus, the batten of hatred is passed on to next generation.

How does this help anyone? Will this create a peaceful world? I have never seen a Pakistani in my life. I find it difficult to accept that every Pakistani is to be hated. If there is a cricket match between Australia and Pakistan, I would love to see Pakistan winning the match, because I feel emotionally closer to our neighbors and not to Australians.

Speaking of that makes me think something. Nowadays we hear that a lot of racial attacks are happening against Indians in Australia. Students are stabbed and killed there. Still nobody seems to dislike Australia. Indians love to immigrate to countries like Australia, England, US etc. Nobody seems to care that English had treated us like slaves for 200 years. We are more than happy to go and settle there. And US, the country which provide weapons to our “enemies” – can’t displease them. Our economy depends on them and many are hoping to settle there right?

I am not hoping to create an emotional grudge against all these counties. In fact, hatred is not a solution at all. But why there is a biased thinking only towards Pakistanis.

Let us try not to inject the venom of hatred in the veins of upcoming generation. Let us pray that Pakistan get a stable government so that their nuclear power does not fall in the hands of our real enemies. Our real enemy is not the common man at the other side of the border, who more or less resembles to us.

What do you think?

Proud to be an Indian !!!

You know what I am talking about? Recent rift between the Shiv sena chief and the cricket supremo. Sorry, can't even call it as a rift - a mere, one sided, cheap political stunt created to regain name in local politics.

Can't help comment on it, especially Sachin is the role model for millions like me. Someone who tries to bring perfection and passion in whatever he does. Even if I was not a cricket fan, I would still be a great Sachin fan.

Okey, lets come to the point. So what has this "loved by all" man done to invite the sarcastic tone? because he said he is an Indian? or is it because he said mumbai is for all Indians? I am sure the later should have provoked the politician.

Another example of the dirty politics played, eyeing on the vote bank. These politicians know exactly how to use the emotions of common people.

One of the argument is something like this. "Why people from other states comes to Mumbai instead of developing their own states?". As if all the development in mumbai has happened without the contribution of non-mumbaikers and people from other states comes only to enjoy the benefits. It is true that mumbai, as the financial capital of India gives ample opportunities to young professionals like me and other non-professionals also. We are really grateful to this place and people for this. But one thing to be remembered is, the evolution and growth of mumbai has happened because of these opportunity seekers. Many of the business units here are initiated and run by these so called "intruders". Just take the example of Reliance, the company which largely influence even our country's economy. Result of an emigration from Gujrat to Mumbai by the late Dhirubhai Ambani. Had he not come here to fulfil his dreams, history of indian economic growth would have been something else. Today , a major part of mumbai depends on Reliance Energy for the electricity supply. This is only one example. There are endless to say.

Another accusation is that, people from other states causes increase in poverty, non-employment and slums here. They 'snatch' the opportunities from the local people. Is it true? Are we utilizing the available resources properly here? Instead of blaming the non-mumbaikers, can we ask whether mumbai is giving proper education to the children here? Why there are not enough schools and hospitals? I'm not talking about the hash-posh kind of schools. Those for the common man. Rich people, of course have all facilities. Is the government answerable or the non-mumbaiker? Dear fellow beings, there are people who manipulate the answers to these questions and point it to people like me, who have come to make a living here. If it is out of love for Maharashtra or Mumbai, they would have never made you feel ashamed by all their deeds.

It is time to realize.

As Shashi Tharoor rightly pointed out, if Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians and Kashmir is for Kashmiris, where is India for Indians?

Happy Diwali

Its diwali time here. All are enjoying. flashy lights, sweets, new dresses, fire crackers.. all adds up to the happiness. Really happy to see these smiling faces. But I get sick of these crackers. Too much of noise. Do we require all these sound to enjoy? can't we switch to more light and less sound.

Diwali is the festival of lights and not sound. Just think of the little kids, infants. Their eardrums can't bear this much decibel. (Even I can't bear). Nowadays crackers have become an integral part of all festivals. not only diwali.

It is hazardous to burst crackers in small lanes during crowded rallies or such events, and that it is bad for the environment to burst crackers so often. Please think about our mother earth also. Let us not pollute her with all these gun powder and phosphate.

By the way, I am going to Lonawala tomorrow. (Diwali vacation)

Happy diwali !! Enjoy!! (but consider others too..)

The Magic Cup

They say it takes 21 days to cultivate a habit - good or bad, but no idea how long it takes to get rid of one. I am talking about my own laziness. Its the prime reason for not writing a single line for more than a month.

I was reading a good, emotional book, "The Kite Runner", written by Khaled Hosseni. He is an Afghan writer. The plot of the story spans across US, Afghan and Pakistan. A very touching story. But I am not talking about the story here.

Mention of a small tale in the book prompted me to write this. This story is written by the main character of this book during his early days of story writing.

It goes like this. There lived a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife's slain body in his arms.

Doesn't it have a striking similarity with most of the people's life? People weep their entire life to be rich and happy. What an irony !! They fight their life to climb the ladders of their career. To get better job (again, again and again... it goes on..), a nice car, posh house, etc etc..during the course of which, they forget to live in the present and enjoy the goodness of life. I am not talking against achieving all these materialistic possessions. How good it'd be to feel the chilling touch of rain, warmth of sun, beauty of a butterfly or the singing of a bird. The nature is filled with so many such beautiful things. How many of us have noticed any of them lately?

Right now its raining heavily outside my flat, with thunder storm and lightning. I can do two things. As it is near to midnight, close the window, shut down my laptop and slide under the coziness of my blanket or keep the window open and listen to the poem "Rathrimazha" ..
I am choosing the later.

Flu Flu go away...

That was the title of one of the mails I received from a friend recently !

Yeah.. it is really a thing to be concerned. Nowadays u see many people moving around wearing those masks. At least one in five persons u see outside - railway stations, roads, malls - are in masks. Mumbaikars have become so cautious.

Another thing noticed is the unnecessary panic created by the media. Even though the disease spreads fast, it is not very fatal. There are other epidemics which are more dangerous than this. Please don't go completly the way those media drives you. Think and evaluate yourself. Go by the facts and don't panic. Even if you get it, treat it like any other disease.

My colleague, who sits besides be is very scary of this flu. Nowadays my time pass activity is to make her more frighten.. which is very easy with the kind of news u get. The problem is, I can't genuinely cough also.. she give me a "please, don't do this to me" kind of look :) Its almost same outside the office also. If you unknowingly cough or sneeze, people start giving u odd looks...

Its past midnight now, and my laptop battery is giving me an alert signal. Okey.. I'm not going to plug it now.. let me get some sleep. By the way.. lets all be cautious about the flu.. masks may not help but don't roam around highly crowded area. Eat and live healthy, after-all we all have loved ones ;)