A day in the life of LIFE

The 4th day of July is usually famous owing to it being celebrated as the independence day of the USA. While the stars and stripes were fluttering in the US, the stage was set elsewhere back home in India in the Scotland of the East (better known as Shillong – the capital of the state of Meghalaya) for a pioneering purpose.
The inauguration of the first batch of the Indian Institute of Management was scheduled at the North Eastern Council Secretariat today. For the uninitiated, the 7th and the latest IIM has started operations in the hill city much against the expectations of many skeptics across the country.

The inauguration had Dr. Don Kupar Roy - the Hon. CM of Meghalaya as the Chief Guest, Sri T K Nayar (IAS) – The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, who presided over the function, and Sri Arjun Malhotra – The Co-founder of HCL and the current Chairman of Headstrong Inc. as the guest of honor.

The ambience of the well lit auditorium was further enhanced by the presence of other eminent dignitaries including the Director of IIM Shillong Sri Ashoke Dutta and the Chairman of the Board of Governers of IIM Shillong, Sri R N Dutta who incidentally is the Ex-Chairman of Price Waterhouse Coopers. The representation from the media included television channels such as NDTV, Doordarshan and several regional channels of the North East.

The program included talks from the various speakers who shared their vision on how the IIM would help benefit the North Eastern region by virtue of its presence as a center of excellence thus enabling the local population as well by way of leveraging the best practices and latest teaching pedagogy made available at the IIM.
The talk by Mr. Arjun Malhotra was indeed inspirational. While quoting Asia’s first Nobel laureate Sri Rabindranath Tagore, Mr. Malhotra emphasized that times have indeed changed and that the world now looks at India as an Intellectual and economic super power -the IITs and the IIMs would be pivotal in sustaining this momentum.
Prof. Ashoke Dutta was categorical in mentioning that despite several doubts and questions raised from different quarters, the IIM was set up in a record time of 6 months and emphasized that the State Government and the Board of Governors would do all in their capacity to model IIM Shillong as one of the best in the country. As quoted previously in the media, IIM Shillong will be equipped with the best IT infrastructure thus truly making it the first and the best tech savvy IIM of the 21st century.

It may be recalled that IIM Shillong was the first IIM to accept online applications with no additional fee for the same. IIM Shillong will also be the first IIM to hire foreign faculty especially from the USA in order to bring in the best in class global practices and business know how at the door step of its students.

With a battery of highly competent and distinguished faculty, idyllic surroundings amidst the un plundered nature and a batch of pioneering students with the zest to perform, the stage is all set to give the other IIMs and the rest of the B schools in the country, a run for their money.

But, for the moment, the journey has just begun…

Pic above: the Inaguration ceremony
Pic below: IIM Shillong Logo

With the increasing reach of the internet by the day, logs of a lot of people have popped up all over the web, and these web logs are called “blogs”, was the definition I read on Sir Google (yes, I have decided to honor Google with knighthood for its immense contribution to society) about 2 years ago.

Something interesting! I thought to myself, even as I was looking for a hassle free way of maintaining my pieces of writing, experiences etc. And what better than have a group of friends read, review and critique your work, without requiring the all passive e mail exchange.

The past two years have been a great eye opener for me and the blog world never stops to amaze me with the plethora of opportunities that it presents.

Incidentally, I received a group e mail at the work place that normally most colleagues redirect to the “junk” folder even without reading the same. The topic of the post caught my attention – “B.L.O.G” workshop, it read. I’ve always found that the vastness of the internet is infinite (think about it – it’s true) and thought I’d pick up a few tips for myself.

We assembled at quarter to 3 in a seminar hall that resembled that of “Shaakal” in one of the “I-saw-it-when-I-was-a-kid” movies, dimly lit except for the few Charlie’s angels (read the ladies from HR) who lined the periphery.

Then all of a sudden, we had Amit Verma walking in to deliver a talk on the Blogger’s workshop. Nope! I suddenly realized that I had dozed off and hence hallucinated that it was Amit Verma speaking to me. I had a rude shock when I found our very own JM to whom I could put a face after a long time. ( He's not that bad! :))

A jolly good fellow! -is what Bugs Bhargava (the English teacher in Taare Zameen Par) would have commented had he seen JM. The frail JM sporting his employee ID on a steel necklace around his neck (rather than the customary colored tags) made his way to the dais, as we prepared ourselves for DBPP (Death by Powerpoint).

The light hearted dude that he is, JM used Calvin and Hobbes across the entire presentation, thus giving all we intellectually challenged IT junta, a reason to smile. The smart comments from Calvin, who found expression through JM, the inquisitive audience and the dungeoned conference room, presented a perfect setting for discussion over a cup of steaming coffee.

Gyan flowed like alcohol as it did in the campaign phase of the Karnataka elections, and the audience was soon found grappling with terminologies like – twitter, micro blogging, tag, crawler, css , blogspot and the like.

120 minutes of back to back gyan soon gave way to some interesting anecdotes that both the participants and the speaker had to share, and even as the hard talk continued, I had to excuse myself to attend the all important French language class that was to begin in a while.

All in all a great session for those who wanted to get into blogging, and it also presented lots of information even for the veterans at the art.

A detailed slide share of the presentation can be had at JM’s site.

Whatever said and done, the theme that is revolutionizing the world of “web 2.0” is “Yeh hai Blogistan, Meri Jaan”…..

Well, after months of political musical chairs that unfolded both within the Vidhana Soudha and outside of it, the electorate of Karnataka has finally chosen the BJP to lead them for the next 5 years.

The reality show that unfolded on Indian television was sensational. With cartels and counter cartels plotting strategies of their own, they were giving the MTV Roadies a run for their money.

Alliances of convenience ruled the roost and each passing day provided Ekta Kapoor with fresh ideas for her new soap. The feigned estrangement between Deve Gowda and his son was one of the best pieces of eye wash I’ve ever seen. The sting operations by the sensationalizing media only added some tadka to the dal fry.

The scene in the BJP camp was not so colorful when their blissful marriage of 7 days with the JD(S) ended in a bitter divorce, thus inviting Madamme President to rule the IT state.

On the flip side, not having an elected assembly saved the state exchequer the salary and maintenance expenses on the illustrious legislators.

But the sympathy wave and the anti incumbency did help the cause of the BJP in thwarting the others in the elections.

Being three short of absolute majority, and with speculations about JD and Congress tie up, the scene resembled a rain affected IPL match involving the Duckworth Louis rule. The drama was so close that it would have had even Ravi Shastri forecasting a "bowl out" to decide on the final winner.

With good sense taking the better of opportunism, this situation was averted. With the BJP managing to woo 5 (not just the magical number of 3 required) MLAs, the banks in the city had some major deposits to accept and were kept busy.

All’s well, that ends well is what the BJP would be saying to themselves, even as they prepare themselves to lead the state independently.

Current mood in the BJP camp : Yeddi, Steady, Go

Title of the post is courtesy: rediff - another detailed post on the Karnataka politics can be had here

Image below: A Jubiliant CM to be...

It’s been some time since I’ve blogged, and there’s good reason behind that .With my work load reaching an all time high akin to the stock market in recent times,I had little time to focus.

The past two months or so had also been well invested in tackling the next sequel of Mission Impossible, and at the end of it all, the result has been pleasant.

After years of toil and effort that were targeted to achieve a single goal,I finally find myself knocking at the doorstep of my milestone – the Indian Institute of Management.

India, a land of superfluous population has a billion people aspiring for a common pool of resources, that are as few in number as the rain drops in the Sahara Desert. And one of these resources is the coveted IIM that appeals to the aspirations of many,like you and me.

My aunt made a good statement the other day. She said, “People are best at telling others what to do, what they themselves actually are poor at”. It did make me think. The BCCI selectors, the politicians of India, bosses in general - the list is endless.

Off late, even as “kya aap paanchvi paas se tez hai” had me stumped on many questions, I began to wonder if my IQ had indeed been erased like Nirupa Roy’s eyesight in the movie “Amar, Akbar, Anthony”. But some solace arrived with the news that the watchman at the IIM gate finally decided to let me in, having found me waiting for long.

I actually have mixed feelings right now. I am not jumping around like a Kangaroo high on Foster beer, but yes, it feels good, that the tide has finally turned in my favor - better late than never. I also realize that the night outs with friends, the movies at Satyam, Center Stage and Forum that I missed out on, did not go in vain.

One thing I’ve discovered is that the world is not run by the IITians and the IIMites. But yes, it is rare to find an IITian or an IIMite who had not made the world run. And I feel blessed to be bestowed with the opportunity to have been the 750 odd people (50% of the 1500 odd seats across 7 IIMs belonging to the General category) to have made it to the finish line, out of the applicant pool of over 2.5 lakh.

But as they say, even if you end up victorious in a rat race, you still end up being a rat. What I am trying to do is to be a little different among rats akin to “Pinky and the brain” who decide new ways on taking over the world, every night.

This is a new beginning and this is just the beginning. And I am up to the challenge. My confidence is high and my optimism is at its peak. The fragrance of success smells sweet.

But as Asha Bhosle put it very nicely after one of her performances, “Shohorat ki Bulandi bhi Ek pal ka tamasha hai, jis dal par baithe ho, who kabhi bhi toot sakta hai” – The Pinnacle of success is just a passing moment, for, the branch you are sitting on, can break any time.

So, I am pretty much the same guy - who loves humor, who enjoys long rides on his bike and some good music after a long day at work and one who believes that life should never be lived seriously, for it would never be worth living in that case. And I will continue being so.

I will be moving to IIM Shillong, and yes it’s official now. I will get to explore one of the most blessed regions of the Indian Sub continent, the North East. The next two years in the lap of Nature are going to be breathtakingly adventurous. And at the end of the 2 year “Discovery of India” I will also end up with a degree in Management from the IIM, and so, the add-on of the vacation is quite appealing.

I promise to post more on my experiences in the "Scotland of the East", once I get there.

Till then, I find inspiration in the words of Robert Bruce who said "Try, Try till you succeed" and that of Robert Frost who said, “I have miles to go before I sleep”.....

In my quest to woo the damsels of South India, I have embarked on a mission to master all the four languages of the Deccan Plateau. Having studied Kannada as part of my school curriculum, my job becomes simpler in assimilating the three other ones. No, actually, there is an interesting twist here – I can read Telugu (since the script pretty much resembles that of Kannada) and can converse in Tamil (thanks to my two year stint at Chennai). Well that makes me 50% literate in these two languages. But as they say, half knowledge is dangerous, I have thus begun serious learning and hope to come out with a book titled “Master the Deccan in 15 days”, thus giving the Rapidex courses a run for their money.

And what better way to learn them than by watching movies in the regional languages? I am pretty optimistic about this approach, but the last time around when I watched a couple of Tamil movies and spoke in the language, my colleagues almost thought I was speaking in French (Je m’excuse messieurs).

Well, thanks to my cousin SPNPR (yup, those are indeed lengthy initials) who has loaned me a couple of Telugu movies, I have begun Mission Impossible 3 with great élan. The movie was titled “Happy Days” and I am using this opportunity to blog on the same.

Happy Days – is all about a gang of friends who join an Engineering College from different parts of the state and their journey across the four years of the course. It pretty much starts with the traditional opening that each of us would have experienced – yes, Ragging. While shown in positive light, it goes to depict the transformation that moderate ragging can bring about in a student’s personality. This is followed by the “co-incidental” ice breakers that bring together, the prime actors of the movie (and their counter parts of course). There are scenes inspired from Lagaan, Mai Hoon Na, and RDB but they are woven quite well so that the movie flows naturally. The hot headed professors, the hostel fights, first crushes, instances of friendship, exam fever - all form integral components of the movie.

Some very good music with great cinematography contributes the required jazz to the movie. The movie ends on a positive note (with the Professor raising a toast to the students) with the message that though the “Happy Days” of 4 years have come to end, they just mark the beginning of the professional days of the future. A favorite line of mine from the movie is the one where the actor comments that he is as clueless at the end of four years as he was when he began his journey four years ago. Though the actors are not the branded ones that you normally see on the silver screen, they have done quite a good job in the acting department.

The director deserves a compliment for having successfully transported the viewers back in time - The time when lunch on the stone benches was more filling than the present a la carte menu in our air conditioned offices, when the canteen samosa was tastier than the buffet at Le Meridien, when the hard seats of the college bus were more comfortable than the bucket seats of the car we now own, when the “by 2 cutting chai” was more satisfying than the most exotic fruit punch, , when winning a debate competition was more gratifying than a successful sales pitch to the customer, when 5:30 p.m meant the first show at the cinema hall with friends and not long drawn conference calls, when life meant freedom in the truest sense of the word!

Precious are those moments and I have quite a few to treasure when I look back at the four years that made me a man! ( no pun intended :))Happy days, they were, indeed…..