What WikiLeaks really means

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has" - Margaret Mead, anthropologist.

An unknown individual who calls himself 'Australia's most famous ethical computer hacker' - Julian Assange - puts up a website that supposedly carries leaked versions of documents and communications on sensitive state subjects. All hell breaks loose, as the one of the states concerned is a mighty power, engaged in multiple controversial & costly wars abroad, and the leaks put a big question mark on the entire authority of the apparatus itself! Apologies in advance are offered to friendly nations worldwide by the superpower (perhaps a diplomatic-first of its kind). Red-faced bureaucrats and politicians patch up in advance on many issues likely to emerge! The website promises more and more juicy releases, nation after nation goes after the site's founder (and administrator) and finally one of them nabs him.

Welcome to the WikiLeaks controversy. Perhaps for the first time in modern history, a single individual has challenged the might and repute of the superpower that's the USA, and dragged alongwith the reputations of many others. Perhaps for the first time, world governments realise how vulnerable they are to what a single man can do to them. Perhaps for the first time ever, media and its unbridled power to create extreme transparency are under question.

This controversy raises fundamental questions which I will attempt to answer below. I feel the three questions raised are

1. Does a State have the right to do anything in the name of sovereign power? And then cover it up?
2. Can media truly exercise extreme transparency without upsetting human civil values?
3. What is the nature of truth itself? Are there permanent truths for us to hang on to?

Death by a thousand cuts!
It's rather easy to be killed by a single bullet. The mind will not get enough time to feel the pain. Getting stabbed is painful but it ends quickly. The real torture is when someone inflicts countless minor lacerations on your body, and death arrives of blood-loss, slowly and steadily. WikiLeaks does precisely that - putting entire legions of foreign service-men, diplomats, ambassadors, bureaucrats and politicians on tenterhooks - awaiting the next cut to their reputation, the next blow to the carefully built facade that's been holding the reputations for long. On the face of it, the whole business of doing business with foreign nations comes to a halt, as suspicions build up. It's the classic spy-vs-spy story, with WikiLeaks as the huge catalyst for aggravated suspicions.

A simple analogy, anyone?

Imagine that someone puts a secret camera and microphone inside your bedroom or living room, and records everything you do. And then promises to release stuff bit by bit, on some website (SharmaLeaks, for example!!), over a long period of time. The intolerable pain of having to wait for what's coming next can tear the family (or marriage) and the reputation apart. Our lives are like scratch-books - some incidents are scribbles, others deep-etched memories of things really important. When voyeurism prevails, both categories get mixed up in dangerous and avoidable ways.. and it's never good for anyone. There's no husband in the world who will want to live with his wife any longer if the complete history of every single conversation that the wife has ever done is made transparent. That's how humans are. We accept our partners, friends and colleagues on "averages". On an average, things work out just fine as the pluses outweigh the minuses. Try finding someone, any one, who has never spoken ill about you, and you'll end up searching forever. (the husband-wife example quoted was intentional; the reverse order is 100% certain!).

The State as the Big Brother
What's wrong with someone who tells you the truth? A lot, if the truth trespasses the thick line that separates concepts underlying individual liberty from those representing State's sovereignty.

The State is all powerful. The State is not to be played around with. The State can get you, anyday, on any pretext. The State knows it all, and there's no escape. And to live happy ever after, it is necessary for everyone to pay a rent to the State. In nations like India, rent-seeking assumes multiple forms, most of them illegal and unconstitutional, yet unavoidable (unless you are willing to learn the basics of law, human rights, and are willing to fight for the same). In developed nations of the West, high levels of media scrutiny keeps raw power of state under check.

So what is this "State"? The term represents the whole concept around which modern civilisation stands. Independent, powerful and supposedly benign national powers that take care of their citizens, provide for them and create an environment of peace and prosperity. Rule of law governs everyone, thereby levelling off any specific advantage a group may command. Everyone is equal before the law.

Who is this "State"? What's the permanence of people who make it up? Well, certainly the people who make up the State's machinery are not permanent. They come, they go. Some of them stay on for 30 or 40 years, making up the bureaucracies that we all so love to hate. But ultimately even they have to retire. No one stays on forever. Everyone has to die some day! But even though men (and women) come and go, the system keeps grinding, as the policies are documented, positions established and dogmas fertilised and kept alive. It never stops. It's the system that overrides all individual identities. Corporates like McDonalds may revel in their magnificent systems-and-process culture but no one comes close to the predictable repetitiveness of a State's bureaucratic machinery - cold, calculated, selfish, and always inward-looking.

Limits to tolerance - the empire strikes back

For centuries, kings, princes and authoritarian regimes have tried to carry a heavy pretense of looking democratic, open-minded and transparent. But history teaches us that limits to all these do exist. As long as peripheral and harmless issues are raised the State may pretend to actually get affected and take corrective action (on its own agents). But the moment someone points a finger at any core aspect of the State, the empire prepares to strikes back. And that can be pretty nasty. Agents of the empire (the police, the military, the administrators, and the judicial system) can cause harm that may take years to repair. And since the process of revenge-seeking is orchestrated by a body that's amorphous, foggy and amoeba like, hitting back (by an individual) is a very difficult and uncertain process. Countless examples exist. In fast moving systems like Singapore (a rich, developed State), the State precludes a lot of civilian retaliation possibilities by creating a vast array of repressive policies covering a wide gamut of civilian life en (no chewing-gum, for instance). Caning is a frequently used punishment (sounds medieval, right!). In complex and slow moving States like India's, most citizens are under-informed about their own basic legal rights, and can be taken to task almost without any effort by agents of the State (fear of loss of reputation if the police merely reaches one's home, for example).

Enter Julian Assange!
Well, to hell with the State, said Julian Assange. And he attacked where it genuinely hurt the most. The secretive communications that constituted the inner workings of the American State. Thus, he exposed not only the Americans, but also all those linked with them - other State-heads, informers, military generals, and so on. His WikiLeaks website, designed as a digital drop box, is a place where anyone can anonymously submit sensitive or secret materials to be disseminated and downloaded around the globe. In April, it posted its most explosive leak yet, a video shot by an American attack helicopter in July 2007 as it fired on a group of men on a Baghdad street, killing 12, including two unarmed Reuters employees. It continued in the same spirit thereafter "leaking" cables (communications) between the American embassies worldwide and their US Head Office.

WikiLeaks' commitment to what might be called extreme transparency means that it hasn't turned away documents of questionable news value or origin. According to WikiLeaks' credo, to refuse a leak is tantamount to helping the bad guys. "We never censor," Assange declares. No doubt, mainstream media's limitations (due to commercial interests) also got exposed in this melee.

How did it gain prominence?
Here are some of Wikileaks' biggest hits, that apparently have helped it gain the weight it has.

• Video shot by an American attack copter as it mowed down a dozen men on a Baghdad street, including two Reuters journalists
• Detainee treatment manuals from Gitmo
• Inventories of US military matériel in Iraq and Afghanistan
• NATO's "master narrative" for Afghanistan, which WikiLeaks said it unlocked by guessing the password ("progress")
• Stolen docs from the Swiss bank Julius Baer's Cayman Islands branch, allegedly showing tax evasion
• Confidential documents about sexual abuse by United Nations peacekeepers
• Deailed reports on corruption and political violence in Kenya
• Emails from Sarah Palin's Yahoo account
• Holocaust denier David Irving's emails
• Membership lists of the far-right British National Party
• An internal report from the oil trader Trafigura about its disposal of toxic cargo off the coast of West Africa
• Scientology manuals, including a list of URLs owned by the church, such as purehubbard.com and scientology-sucks.com

Since its launch in December 2006, WikiLeaks has published everything from the operating manuals of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to NATO's secret plan for the Afghanistan war and inventories of US military matériel in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus plenty of dishier stuff—Sarah Palin's hacked emails and Wesley Snipes' tax returns, as well as fraternity initiation books and a trove of secret Scientology manuals.

Basic assumption about WikiLeaks
That what it says is actually "true" - who knows that for sure? The governments are in a state of vehement denial, and there's never going to be an official proof of anything. Those who are benefitted by any specific leak will never deny it even if it's false! So the truth, alas, is based on a fundamental assumption that Julian is not making a fool of everyone :)

Also, the whole story of WikiLeaks has strangely accorded a certain reputation and status to Julian's credibility, and people tend to speak of him with a certain level of respect. That's interesting.

The leaked cables!
Now the really juicy stuff started about a month ago when Julian Assange started exposing "cables" that contained intimate details of foreign policy of the US. This is perhaps the biggest expose in the diplomatic history of modern world. It proves just how vulnerable everyone is, in this age of nano-second IT connectivity and mass rapid media consumption.

Three critical aspects of the "leaked cables" -

1. How nations interact - It becomes apparent that most of what we study in the erudite tomes on "Political Science" is actually correct (what a relief!). It is true that "in international politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interests". The way the US diplomats have described the various heads of states is telltale. Who would argue with the descriptions accorded to the North Korean dictator, or the French president. And frankly, there seems to be nothing wrong in the way it's been done. What's wrong is that is that it got leaked, thereby becoming scandalous. Otherwise it may have gone on for years without any potential impact.
2. How nations will interact - If you really reflect on this, it becomes clear that one of the two things will happen (the second one has a higher probability)
1. breakdown in relations
2. a big hearty laugh, and move-on!
3. Immediate potential damage - Yes, heads will roll. The Presidents and the Prime Ministers who have been shamed brutally will find scapegoats. The diplomats who uttered the most honest observations will be removed! But ultimately, the needs and necessities of international politics are such that everyone will have to move on. They will take a deep breath, and move on.

Let's get real. The diplomats of any nation, in general, are rooted in reality and understand that every nation will try to protect its turf by all means. That Americans need Pakistani support in their war in Afghanistan is obvious. The Pakistani establishment supports terrorism and funds it, and hence will use the Afghan lever in all its negotiations with the West. If WikiLeaks exposes this, it will only confirm the worst fears of the Indians.. it will not tell anything new.

Do you hear that Mr Anderson?
Like the detestable Agent Smith in the memorable Matrix movie trilogy, the State - for now - seems to be holding Neo (Julian Assange) in its grip uttering menacingly "Do you hear the sound of that train, Mr Anderson? That's the sound of inevitability.. the sound of your death".

It is certain that world governments will not take to WikiLeaks kindly. They will do everything possible to have it shut down permanently. That the greatest proponents of free speech consider this as the right thing to do speaks volumes about the context in which free speech is truly allowed to exist. Let's face it - modern civilisations have a threshold limit of tolerating dissent. The moment it threatens to upset the balance of the State itself, it ceases to be able to exercise its right to exist without fear. Julian has been arrested, and may be put away for ever. Wait and watch. As far as I am concerned, Julian's courage (whatever the motives may have been) fascinates me. It's the ultimate tale of one man versus the establishment. It's very inspiring. It's very disruptive, and it's very much a story to be told to yourself when you are down and out.

Margaret Mead made her memorable quote thinking of a small group of committed individuals. The debate rages over truthfulness of motives, the limits of media transparency and the rational of extreme disclosure.
~

can you beat this resume ?

CAN YOU BEAT THIS RESUME ? .......

--RESUME

EDUCATION /Qualification:
...1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College , Cambridge ,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge ,
1957; DPhil ( Oxford ), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India 's export competitiveness

OCCUPATION /Teaching Experience :
Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh , 1963-65;
Professor,Internati onal Trade, Delhi School of Economics,Universit y of Delhi ,1969-71 ;
Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University ,New Delhi,1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi ,1996 and Civil Servant

Working Experience/ POSITIONS :
1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India ;
Director, Industrial Development Bank of India ;
Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, Asian Development Bank;
Alternate governor for India , Board of governors, IBRD
November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs);
Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission; Member,finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982 : Member-secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman , India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14, 1985 : Governor, Reserve Bank of India .
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India , Board of governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15, 1985 - July 31, 1987 : Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 19! 90: Secretary-general and commissioner,
south commission, Geneva
December 10, 1990 - March 14, 1991 : Advisor to the Prime Minister on economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991 : Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996 : Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4, 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member, executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee

BOOKS:
India 's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -
Clarendon Press, Oxford University , 1964; also published a large number of articles in various economic journals.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge , 1956
Padma Vibhushan, 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia , 1993 and 1994

INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:
1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on
International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna

RECREATION :
Gymkhana Club, New Delhi ; Life Member, India International Centre,
New Delhi

PERSONAL DETAIL:
Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
DOB: September 26, 1932
Place of Birth: Gah ( West Punjab )
Father: S. Gurmukh Singh
Mother: Mrs Amrit Kaur
Married on: September 14, 1958
Wife: Mrs Gursharan Kaur
Children: Three daughters

Our Prime Minister seems to be the most qualified PM all over the world.
so be PROUD of him......

What is wrong with the teaching of Economics?

An idea whose time has come again: Maybe it will take a little longer than 2040 to fulfil Goldman Sach’s prediction that the world’s ten biggest economies, using market exchange rates, will include Brazil, Russia, Mexico, India and China. But these are arguments about when, not whether, change will happen. And things could speed up…This shift is not as extraordinary as it first seems. A historical perspective shows it to be the restoration of the old order. After all, China and India were the world’s biggest economies until the mid-19th century, when technology and a spirit of freedom enabled the West to leap ahead…. There are weaknesses in some growth stories. China’s population is ageing and India’s schools are rotten….”- The Economist, September 16, 2006.

A few years ago, I predicted that the time would come when a person’s wages and standard of living would no longer be determined by the country they live in, but instead would be a result of the education they have had. Today we start to see this vision becoming a reality in India. The challenge is to extend progress and opportunity to every section of society and every corner of the nation. If government, business and non-profits continue to work together to bridge the digital divide and enable India to realise its potential to become a creator of intellectual capital. I believe you will truly become a nation where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their potential.” – Bill Gates, Outlook, 21 August 2006.



Both the above quotes show that India definitely has potential to make it to the top, but this depends largely on the quality of education.
The 8% growth-rate has become a way of life for Indians… Reforms have pulled millions out of poverty and misery… If we can achieve a 10% growth-rate in the near future, most of the poverty will vanish… How do we plug in the leakage of 2%??? It’s the crumbling infrastructure and the rotten education system, stupid…
We need to start somewhere… the first step would be to throw away the age-old books. If mid-day meals can do the wonder in rural areas, good books too can do the trick in our schools and colleges! This will surely attract students to read more and to enjoy what they are reading.

Look at our economics textbooks, there is no humour, no pictures, no colour… all you can find is tons and tons of boring statistics and meaningless sentences… How do you expect students to even read them, leave apart learn from them… Well, if anything they can surely work as a remedy for insomnia!!!
Besides they do nothing to satisfy the increased curiosity towards economics throughout the country. A curiosity aroused by the second fastest growing economy in the world suddenly having to face rising inflation and a global slowdown. The Indian economy has been growing at very impressive rates of 7 – 8 % in the last 4 – 5 years. However suddenly it looks like the rising prices would spoil the party. Many people want to read, understand and learn economics. In the classroom too it is always treated as a dry subject dealing with abstract theories. Once we change our old textbooks and the teachers get used to new tools of learning such as Internet and Multimedia, economics can become very interesting.

Now, just take a look at some good books from around the world. Can’t we too use them for learning the subject?
For Beginners…
Microeconomics by Michael Parkin – Addison-Wesley www.econ100.com
Economics – A Complete Course by Dan Moynihan and Brian Titley – Oxford Edition
Undergraduate Level…
(Indian editions are available for all the books given below)
Principles of Economics by N. Gregory Mankiw – Thomson South-Western
Principles of Economics by Robert Frank & Ben Bernanke – McGraw Hill
Economics by Lipsey and Crystal – Oxford Edition
Also the books Microeconomics and Macroeconomics by the same authors (McGraw Hill)
Principles of economics Karl E. Case and Ray C. Fair – Prentice Hall
Moving ahead let us look us some books on economics for general reading…
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
(This book has being used as a text-book at leading universities like Berkeley and Purdue!!!)
Undercover Economist by Tim Harford
The World is Flat: A brief history of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Friedman

 Happy reading !

eleven pionts on obama's india visit

Cutting through the hoopla being created by the media about the Obama visit, how should the success or failure of the visit be judged? Already, the government's spin-doctors have gone on an overdrive to dampen expectations by claiming that it will not be a big bang visit. Clearly, they do not expect anything substantial to emerge from the visit which no doubt would still occupy acres of newsprint and air-time till next Tuesday.
Yet the question is how would one be able to say whether the visit of the US president has achieved anything? From the Indian point of view, the visit should be judged on the following issues:
1. An improved regional understanding and signs that Indian and US policies in South Asia are becoming more compatible;
2. Clarity about why the US is arming Pakistan and why it has failed to pressure Islamabad to discard its recourse to terrorism against India and Afghanistan;
3. Clarity about the US end-game in Afghanistan. The current signals are that the solution being sought through reconciliation with the Taliban will serve Pakistan's geo-political interests and hamper India's participation in regional development and its pursuit of connectivity across Pakistan's western frontiers;
4. The current unrest in Kashmir opens up dangers of US interference - especially as Pakistan is pushing for it and India's diplomatic hand has become weaker. Will Obama stay away from this issue during the visit?

5. Better comprehension of Obama's thinking about the challenge posed by a rising China. This would include US attitude towards China's assertive behaviour in the South China Sea as well as vis-à-vis India and the strengthening of its presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK);
6. Concrete progress with regard to easing export control on high and dual-use technology to India including removal of subsidiaries of ISRO, DRDO and BARC from the US entities list;
7. Progress in enhancing space co-operation given India's credible space related capacities. While the signing of a Commercial Space Launch Agreement (CSLA) will be a positive step, will the US give any indication that it is willing to lift this co-operation from the shadow of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)?
8. On the non-proliferation front, progress in promoting India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), MTCR, the Australia Group and other such regimes;
9. An improved understanding on India's energy security problems and the easing of pressure on India's energy relations with Iran;
10. Support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Obama says that India is "indispensible for the US in the 21st century" - therefore, the support for the UNSC must follow from this as one cannot have a huge gap between rhetoric and reality; and lastly,
11. Giving India satisfaction on counter-terrorism co-operation. India remains dissatisfied on this count because of the revelations in the David Coleman Headley case and needs to know how much information directly related to Pakistan is the US actually sharing?

views and expectations on obama's visit

He was the breath of fresh air that would change America and the world. He raised a slogan that resonated across the globe, millions joined him and in unison chanted, "Yes we can." But governments do not run on hope and fresh air. Two years into Barack Obama's presidency, America and the world are discovering that fine oratory does not guarantee a fine presidency.
The Barack Obama who steps out of Air Force One on November 6 in Mumbai, will be very different from the one who took oath in front of a record million people at Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC, even as the rest of the world looked on in awe. When he began, he was hailed at home and feted abroad, as a great beacon of hope, a harbinger of change.

Halfway through his term, Obama has delivered great speeches but has found it much tougher to deliver change. Speaking at Cairo University, he had famously declared, "It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religion - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us."
Barack Obama is guilty of choosing the easy path over the right path on more occasion than one. The last minute decision to leave Amritsar out of the President's itinerary is fuelled by fear of domestic political ramifications.
Scared by the rabble rousing in the conservative American media and worried about the impact the image of a President wearing a cloth over his head would have on already suspicious citizens, the President's aides decided it was too much of a risk for Obama to visit the Golden Temple.
Their fear compounded by the fact that a latest study by the Pew Research Centre had found that one in six Americans believed that Obama is Muslim.
He could have done what he promised at Cairo, used his power to build the world he sought and set a personal example by demonstrating that wearing a skull cap does not mean that someone is Muslim and that visiting a temple of another religion does not weaken belief in your own faith.
But instead he chose the easy path over the right path, blaming the myopia of others instead of striving to rise above.
Obama has good reason to be worried. His approval ratings are on a sharp downward spiral. According to a Bloomberg National Opinion Poll, four out of 10 Americans who voted for Obama no longer support him. The Democrats have been just handed a major reversal in the mid-term elections of November 2. Life for Obama is suddenly a whole lot tougher.
Make no mistake, Obama will deliver a stirring speech from the cradle of the world's largest democracy when he addresses the joint session of Parliament. But the key question is, will Obama's visit be more about symbolism or substance. Will rhetoric triumph over realpolitik?
The litmus test for Obama's sincerity will be whether he uses the opportunity to expressly endorse India's candidature as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. So far the Americans have said the right things about India's legitimate claims to a spot in the expanded UNSC, but no guarantees have been laid out.
In a visit that lacks a big ticket idea like the Indo-US nuclear deal, which was the highlight of President Bush's visit, the UNSC endorsement could prove to be the soul stirring moment that lifts Obama's visit from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
The ultimate expansion of the UNSC may not happen any time soon, but by backing India unconditionally, Obama would have demonstrated that the Indo-US strategic partnership is not empty talk but a goal the American President is prepared to push strongly.
This, of course, could mean upsetting Pakistan, a risk that the American President is in no position to take. Given his desire to pull American troops out of Afghanistan at the first available opportunity, Obama has no option but to keep the Pakistani military establishment in good humour, even as they continue playing their dangerous double game on terror.
US military aid to Pakistan is a major bone of contention for India. Weapon systems like the Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles, P3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft or the advanced AN/TPS-77 radar system that the US is selling to Pakistan have very limited use in counter-insurgency operations and are far more handy in a conventional military confrontation, most likely to be used against India.
The recent bad blood over America not sharing the name of terror operative David Headley with India before or immediately after 26/11 has shown that there is still a trust deficit that exists between the two countries.
While both sides will outwardly strive to downplay suspicions, America's unwillingness to share specific information on Headley has revealed that while it is prepared to pass on most time sensitive information to India, it is not above holding back information that may impact America's war in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
The Headley saga has left a bitter taste in Delhi's mouth. Officials can no longer be certain of what America is hiding even as it claims to be partnering India in fighting the war against terror.
Suspicions are sharpest when it comes to weapons purchase. The US government is bearing down hard on New Delhi to purchase weapon systems made by American defence manufacturers. At stake are $50 billion dollars and the sustenance of at least 30,000 domestic jobs in the US. One of President Obama's key tasks is to actively push the case of the American defence lobby.
But the recent example of the leaked contract documents for the C 130 J Hercules transport aircraft shows that India must walk the road of defence cooperation with the US with a lot of wariness.
The US has left out five pieces of high-end equipment from the C 130 J aircraft being supplied to India next year. This is being done because of India's reluctance to sign the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement or the CISMOA agreement.
The chiefs of India's defence forces are wary of signing an agreement that gives the Americans the right to monitor whether any reverse engineering has been carried out on military hardware supplied by Washington. The Indian defence establishment believes that the disadvantages of signing this agreement with America far outweigh the advantages.
The last few decades are littered with examples of the US proving to be a highly unreliable weapons supplier for India. The apprehension about the so-called 'Kill Switches' that America secretly installs on weapons sold to foreign countries, may or may not be true, but the fact remains that domestic law gives the US Congress the right to revise any defence accord the President may enter into.
The last thing that India would want is for expensive American weapons to be rendered unusable when the country needs them the most. Given that the Russian defence industry is in serious decline and that the Isrealis do not have the wherewithal to meet all of India's requirements, India has no option but to push Indo-US defence ties further. But it is a road marked with landmines. Every dollar spent must be leveraged to the maximum extent.
The American ambassador in all his interactions with the Indian press has been trying hard to keep expectations from the Obama visit low. If expectations are contained, chances for disappointment are lower.
Obama rode to power on the back of historic expectations. No matter how hard he tries he is unlikely to fulfill them. Therein lies a lesson for Rahul Gandhi as well. But that's matter for another story.

DILLI -6 "my experiments with delhites "

(i with little chinchpokli)


i reached new delhi on Thursday eve (14th oct2010), it was a great rendezvous ,learning bunch of things from different people few of great personalities as listed below :

rashmi - as soon i entered 606-d she set on her probe on my trip and began calculating the time distance speed as the law minister veerappa moily 's brain using show !!she behaves and speaks slightly better than a drunk women and is famous for her spying acts over me ..
further she enters the room like some lady burglar !
she has a best dialogue "BETA BOLO TOTA" add some chidiya and bul-buls to it..
finally i was bit relived as she didnt uttered like last year"beta dekho kon aya hai????economist mama aye hai,share market guru mama aye hai ,finance expert mama aye hai"
she often asks me to generate income while siting at home ,my suggestion to her : "learn the art of milking of cows" !

rinkaj- who resembles with the former prime minister of india mr H D DEWEGODA , wears a 600 rs kachha over 22rs underwear!
he sleeps whole day and many often whole night even then he cries like a 5yr old kid when a blow is given on his worthy ass !
"abe sone de na" i really wonder what he does inside the bedsheet?.TECHNICAL QUESTION !!
imagine his monthly income of rs 25000 and never uses monthly rs 350 internet on his personal computer!
i was really shocked to hear that knowldge ! his best dialouge " tu toh genius hai yar" -without any expression on his face !
Some what like a mountain goat of garhwals !!!

 pooh...- she is the engagement girl, people call her poonam but i call her pooh ..!her name reminds me of my classmate in 6th std called poonam thapa -
she used to had 2 long chutiyas and often used to share her reccess lunch with me in school, her mom always made more
oily food as i remember she spoiled my maths copy in her bag !
oh shaabji ! but this case is gharwali well seriously saying this poonam has a beautiful smile..that i noticed in 2008..
as i met her in rashmis 606-d she told me that she runs internet on her music xpress cellular!guys i was totally amazed
by the progress of this world !how can an internet run on the cell?she has many talents in her! and has an oxen cum "bald " called
shyaamu (lol it sounds like character of govinda in pre ninties movies)and she ofetn recives sms in early mornings and late nights
from a sender called "LIFE" i still remember singing song for her fiance on the phone -kitni baatein yad aati hai !one talent she got-"how to lock the door from inside while doing voice conversations with the "LIFE" !!!
sis g -thank u for the dosa !
her best dialogue (ON phone to fiance)"HELLO JI KAISE HO?" :)))))))))

sunita- "i call her suh.. might sound a japnese or koren name but -but now i cant change it !
most kind hearted lady in new delhi i have met, but i always have sincerest condolences for the sofa she sits on !
and the pity from my heart for the fellow who is sitting beside her becoz agar iska 5 kilo hath kisi pe pad gya toh wo uthega nahi uth jayega
(plz dont compare this one with sunney deol else it would be big injustice!)
she helped pooh in making dosa for guru sahab !like poonam her name too reminds me of daughter of maisananad ji
-our maun village all rounder who is champ in making guest appearences everyday !(imagine)
her best dialogue: NOT AVALIABLE  note : "she dosent have any best dialogues left but only best muscles

pankaj shiamak g  kandwal- the most intresting character and the most talentd person in entire paschim vihar &carries the cellular number of 3  MDs in his pocket ,he wanna win kbc and become IAS both !!
hum dono ka toh kuch rishta he aisa hai -"dard me ye bhi hai,dard me hum bhi hai , ye aansu pee rahe hai , hum aansu jhok rahe hai
ye usko dikha rahe hai aur hum khuda se bhi chupa rahe hai"
he will be active on twitter only when one lac follwers will be there ! though a piped dream but besties !
things u can learn from him- how to use google when answering KBC questions !, how fetch a 105 rs black jockey underwear,how to assist someone in drawing fact and figures in park at mid night, how to wear black sunglasses inside the room at 8pm in bulblight!
his best dialogue - "today is mahatma gandhi g birthday ,i want to become like subhash chandra bose g and wan to own the biggest company of the world , then feel like inventing facebook and becoming richest human !awesome dream boy!

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

on a recent visit to BIRLA-NOIDA I was wearing an offwhite linen jacket with a pale blue shirt and a tie in a solid color with charcoal trousers. A student said, “Sir, I think your jacket is not matching your shirt. You should be wearing a dark shirt with your light jacket.”

This is not a post on dress sense, rather this is a post on why it is important to not rush to judgment. Every statement of fact, or almost every statement of fact, is an approximation. We see this in physics, where even Newton’s laws of motion are approximations. We see this in all generalizations about race, and social systems, and corporate strategies, and moral systems, and of course the highly subjective and evolved worlds of literature and abstract art … and sartorial fashion.
We learn that we must never begin a sentence with an “And” but the best writers sometimes do with great effect. We learn detailed rules about how a PowerPoint presentation should look like and then someone makes a great presentation while flouting all these rules and putting, say, just four words on a single slide. There are always more advanced approaches.
And wearing light colored shirts with light colored linen jackets may be a good idea if you want a muted sophisticated look. A dark tie adds a more measured dose of color than a dark shirt would.

The top 18 things that a businessman should know

I'm returning to this blog after a long period of inactivity. Inactivity on the blog, that is - in real life the degree of activity around me has soared like Delhi's blazing heat in this, the hottest early summer in decades.

Manu, Varun and I have been designing the Family-Managed Business program that we are going to launch shortly. We have been thinking that in this program we will focus on a different aspect of family-managed entrepreneurial business each month. Thus the 18 month course will allow us to dive into 18 different things, which should together provide a practical and comprehensive 360 degree view.

To decide what these top 18 things should be, we first drew up independent lists. When I compared my list with Prof. Varun's this morning, I was not surprised to see that there was a 90% overlap. (I haven't compared it with Manu's yet.)

This then is my informal list, in no particular order, focused solely on practical topics for the small-scale or medium-scale business:

Defining your narrower market niche (in which you are THE best)

Developing a vision for your business (this is closely tied to the first point)

Leveraging the power of Internet marketing (using websites, SEO, SEM, social networking, blogs, etc.)

Getting the most from real world marketing (ranging from smarter business communication to cultivating newsmedia for PR)

Conceptualizing, planning and executing initiatives (project management)

Scaling an organization through modularization and processes

Understanding accounting and tax optimization

Understanding people and what they are good at, developing reporting systems

Leveraging business IT

Understanding business law, contracts and litigation

Managing your time and your mind

Understanding quality

Maximizing profit and cash flow, not just sales

Balancing family relations and the business

Professionalizing the family business without affecting the bottomline

Learning the art of selling and negotiation

Managing business risk

Handling the regulatory environment

Most of this I learned by trial and error and had we been taught this through our formal education, we would have done better and gone further.

Anything I left out?

How to end a recession

Of late, there has been considerable debate - especially in the US and Europe - about government deficit spending to hit one's way out of a recession. A little like a side batting second in a one-day cricket match with few wickets left may choose to throw caution to the winds and go after the bowling, somewhat counter-intuitively.

Some left-leaning economists like Paul Krugman strongly advocate such spending, pointing out that Japan's tightening its purse-strings probably deepened that country's problems.

In fierce opposition, right-leaning economists point out that Germany has remained fiscally responsible and is doing well, while countries like Greece have had free-spending governments and have been the worst hit.

While reading yet one more article on this by Krugman in the NY Times, a thought dawned on me and I posted a comment (which I hope Krugman read!)

It seems to me that recovery from a major slump is ideally built around a theme of some sort, that businesses and individuals can rally around. Perhaps the theme may or may not involve major deficit spending.

A world war, a historic decision by businesses and trade unions to be flexible*, an appeal to the national character, an astrological prediction of a bountiful year, even a world championship win in a popular sport - in different contexts and cultures these could all be themes that pull an economy out of recession.

*as in Germany

You can see this in India. A lot of the richer people believe India is shining, so it is not doing badly overall. Currently growth seems to be a seriously lagging indicator of the stockmarket indices, rather than the other way around.

In the US, people and businesses are currently pessimistic, so the situation is worse than it might have been. There are fundamental problems - primarily too little genuine education and too much soundbite TV - but these are not insurmountable.

Perhaps the US should have been allowed to win the soccer World Cup?

What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... what every Indian should know!

Ratan Tata is the chairman of Indian Hotels who own the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, which was the target of the terrorists on 26/11/08.

Hotel President a 5 star property also belongs to Indian Hotels.

The following is really touching.  

What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... Don't miss!!!!!!

SALUTE TO MR. RATAN TATA

A. The Tata Gesture

1. All category of employees including those who had completed even 1 day as casuals were treated on duty during the time the hotel was closed.  

2. Relief and assistance to all those who were injured and killed  

3. The relief and assistance was extended to all those who died at the railway station, surroundings including the “Pav- Bha ji” vendor and the pan shop owners.  

4. During the time the hotel was closed, the salaries were sent by money order.  

5. A psychiatric cell was established in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to counsel those who needed such help.  

6. The thoughts and anxieties going on people’s mind was constantly tracked and where needed psychological help provided.  

7. Employee outreach centers were opened where all help, food, water, sanitation, first aid and counseling was provided. 1600 employees were covered by this facility.  

8. Every employee was assigned to one mentor and it was that person’s responsibility to act as a “single window” clearance for any help that the person required.  

9. Ratan Tata personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who in some manner – either through injury or getting killed – were affected.  

10. The dependents of the employees were flown from outside Mumbai to Mumbai and taken care off in terms of ensuring mental assurance and peace. They were all accommodated in Hotel President for 3 weeks.  

11. Ratan Tata himself asked the families and dependents – as to what they wanted him to do.  

12. In a record time of 20 days, a new trust was created by the Tatas for the purpose of relief of employees.  

13. What is unique is that even the other people, the railway employees, the police staff, the pedestrians who had nothing to do with Tatas were covered by compensation. Each one of them was provided subsistence allowance of Rs. 10K per month for all these people for 6 months.  

14. A 4 year old granddaughter of a vendor got 4 bullets in her and only one was removed in the Government hospital. She was taken to Bombay hospital and several lacs were spent by the Tatas on her to fully recover her.  

15. New hand carts were provided to several vendors who lost their carts.  

16. Tata will take responsibility of life education of 46 children of the victims of the terror.  

17. This was the most trying period in the life of the organization. Senior managers including Ratan Tata were visiting funeral to funeral over the 3 days that were most horrible.  

18. The settlement for every deceased member ranged from Rs. 36 to 85 lacs [One lakh rupees tranlates to approx 2200 US $ ] in addition to the following benefits:  

a. Full last salary for life for the family and dependents;

b. Complete responsibility of education of children and dependents – anywhere in the world.

c. Full Medical facility for the whole family and dependents for rest of their life.

d. All loans and advances were waived off – irrespective of the amount.

e. Counselor for life for each person

B. Epilogue

1. How was such passion created among the employees? How and why did they behave the way they did?  

2. The organization is clear that it is not something that someone can take credit for. It is not some training and development that created such behaviour. If someone suggests that – everyone laughs  

3. It has to do with the DNA of the organization, with the way Tata culture exists and above all with the situation that prevailed that time. The organization has always been telling that customers and guests are #1 priority  

4. The hotel business was started by Jamshedji Tata when he was insulted in one of the British hotels and not allowed to stay there.  

5. He created several institutions which later became icons of progress, culture and modernity. IISc is one such institute. He was told by the rulers that time that he can acquire land for IISc to the extent he could fence the same. He could afford fencing only 400 acres.  

6. When the HR function hesitatingly made a very rich proposal to Ratan – he said – do you think we are doing enough?  

7. The whole approach was that the organization would spend several hundred crore in re-building the property – why not spend equally on the employees who gave their life?

This is NOT COVERED BY Any NEWS CHANNELS !

The economist and the 100 dollar bill:

Yesterday's Financial Times had an amusing little reference to the "apocryphal economics professor who left a $100 bill lying on a busy street, figuring that it would have been picked up already if it were real"!

Even before you think of starting a company and consider whether you are well placed to do it, you have to predict how long the sectoral opportunity will last before others pick it up. It is a very challenging question.

When Indian companies got into IT services in a big way, they were pilloried for providing a commodity service and not being in products and were widely expected to plateau in a few years. That hasn't happened yet!

Then came the turn of the BPOs - everyone was highly enthusiastic. But the golden opportunity lasted only a few years before famine set in and took out the weaker players. Still, some companies did exceedingly well and on hindsight, it was silly for people like me to sit on the sidelines arguing theoretically that BPO services were a pure commodity.

When we started SupplyChainge, I would go to bed each night sick with worry that someone else would "discover" our key insight and blow us out of the water. I was as wrong as I could have been - it has taken a decade for the "lead time optimization" or "flexible supply planning" ideas we espoused to start to become mainstream.

So perhaps the final analysis is this: In the long run, everything is a commodity and we are all dead, but in the short run, there is money to be made off sectoral opportunities. When the tide comes in, even the dead fish rise, said Hemingway.

When the tide goes out, you find out who is not wearing any clothes, said Warren Buffett, but if you are comfortable in your state of (un)dress you should perhaps not be too nervous about taking the tide at the flood.

For as Brutus say in Julius Caesar:

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

***

Yet as regards macro-economic trends, I feel attracted to the mindset of that professor. I seldom believe anyone can be wiser than the broad market, especially when it is going up. I feel that all positive information must already be factored in. (Yeah, I'm an optimist.) And when I see a sustained broad surge in share prices or property values that seems to prove my caution wrong, I become even more skeptical.

Luckily I have never been energetic enough to try to (legally) short the rising market, else I might have lost a lot of money! Because as we have seen over the last several years, bubbles can become VERY big before they burst.

The only time I have felt confident about predicting a big surge in the broad market was in the early 2000s. Each time I returned to India from the US I saw such dramatic and fundamental changes that I took a small bet on the broad market that proved prescient or lucky, although true to form my enthusiasm turned to skepticism as the markets continued to rise.

Very small events and very big happenings appear to be difficult to predict. There seems better predictability somewhere in between for some reason

LOVE vs LUST

from my frnd nelly -
osho's

LOOK LOVINGLY ON SOME OBJECT… LOVINGLY is the key.

Have you ever looked lovingly at any object? You may say yes because you do not know what it means to look lovingly at an object. You may have looked lustfully at an object – that is another thing. That is totally different, diametrically opposite. So first, the difference; try to feel the difference.

A beautiful face, a beautiful body – you look at it, and you feel that you are looking at it lovingly. But why are you looking at it? Do you want to get something out of it? Then it is lust, not love. Do you want to exploit it? Then it is lust, not love. Then really, you are thinking of how to use this body, how to possess it, how to make this body an instrument for your happiness.

Lust means how to use something for your happiness; love means your happiness is not at all concerned. Really, lust means how to get something out of it and love means how to give something. They are diametrically opposite.

If you see a beautiful face and you feel love toward the face, the immediate feeling in your consciousness will be how to do something to make this face happy, how to do something to make this man or this woman happy. The concern is not with yourself, the concern is with the other. In love the other is important; in lust you are important. In lust you are thinking how to make the other your instrument; in love you are thinking how to become an instrument yourself. In lust you are going to sacrifice the other; in love you are going to sacrifice yourself.

Love means giving; lust means getting. Love is a surrender; lust is an aggression.What you say is meaningless. Even in lust you talk in terms of love. Your language is not very meaningful, so do not be deceived. Look within, and then you will come to understand that you have not once in your life looked lovingly toward someone or some object.

The second distinction to be made: this sutra says, LOOK LOVINGLY ON SOME OBJECT. Really, even if you look lovingly at something material, insentient, the object will become a person. If you look lovingly at it, your love is the key to transform anything into a person. If you look lovingly at a tree, the tree becomes a person.

Just the other day I was talking with Vivek, a close disciple, and I told her that when we move to the new ashram we will name every tree, because every tree is a person. Have you ever heard of anyone naming a tree? No one names a tree because no one feels love for it. If the case were otherwise, a tree would become a person.

Then it is not just one in a crowd, it becomes unique. You name dogs and cats. When you name a dog and you call it Tiger or something else, the dog becomes a person. Then it is not just one dog amongst other dogs, it has a personality; you have created a person. Whenever you look lovingly at something, it becomes a person.

And the contrary is also true. Whenever you look with lustful eyes toward a person, the person becomes an object, a thing. That is why lustful eyes are repulsive – because no one likes to become a thing. When you look at your wife with lustful eyes – or at any other woman, or man, with lustful eyes – the other feels hurt. What are you doing really? You are changing a person, a living person, into a dead instrument.

You are thinking of how to ”use,” and the person is killed. That is why lustful eyes are repulsive, ugly. When you look at someone with love, the other is raised. He becomes unique. Suddenly he becomes a person. A person cannot be replaced; a thing can be replaced. A ‘thing’ means that which is replaceable; a ‘person’ means that which cannot be replaced: there is no possibility of replacing him or her.

A person is unique; a thing is not unique. Love makes anything unique. That is why without love you never feel like a person. Unless someone loves you deeply, you never feel that you have any uniqueness. You are just one in a crowd – just a number, a datum. You can be changed.

OSHO
HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THAT...
GURU

ANALYSIS OF OFF-WORK LAIBILITIES

17May , 2010 @DEHRADUN a beautiful Monday starting with a enthusiastic thought…looking to apply for a driving license…with a help of a neighboring friend miss shaifali…
Now shaifali is kind of lady always helpful atleast to me…from response sheets to a recent DL experiment..
But bahut jaldi gussa ho jaati hai..(say somthing about her pig cum dog-MONTY)Praise the lord she didn’t ate me up on the way..as her small hereditary eyes were dictating the story…finally time was decided on 16th evening after couple of UPS and DOWNS…my Morning msg-“where would u like to meet me 9.30astley hall or 9.45 RTO(one of the biggest hell I have ever seen)?” then comes a reply “mere sath chal lena astley hall se” makes me feel pretty comfortable as dehradun girls usually look beard boys with a tiresome look… time fixed at 9:45am astley hall.. left house at 9.10am with a speed of 5km/hr, I cant walk more than it…suddenly it reminds me for the photocopies of the documents..10shops of premnagar and a single answer by everyone
“LIGHT NI HAI” as this the motto on the lips aftr 9in the morning..finally fetched up a shop on the premnagar chowk an old ally..always on service..but the speed reminded me of the atal bihari vajpaye former PM of ind.
Lastly made up in 7mins as time value was notable…oh my god !!! it was 9.30 at premnagar!!!
WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING??? Changed gears to the speed of 17km/hr to hang out on the nearest bus ..conductor with a chirpy smile welcomes! Hardly reached IMA a msg comes “where r u?” followed by 2 ignored calls..replied IMA
Shaifali-“hai bhagwan” (blv me the quote reminds me well of the small temple in front of my house under the big banyan tree built by mr bhatia :)”)
Himanshu-“yar photostate ki shop dhund rat ha bas late ho gya,I will be there in 15mins reached panditwari,I knw its annoying but…“
Shaifali-“tumhara dhyan kaha rehta hai,ye sab kaam kal karna tha”
Atlast I cross ballupur with handful of scolding kind msgs …here comes the kishanagar chowk I granted my seat to a lady..not exactly beautiful but fair around 30s…I was waiting for thanks call but she didn’t even thanked me..might be that s the biggest problem in india ..
At bindal my cell rings “ab kaha pohche”
Replying standing is a major crime as with the support of one hand u could fall over a dirty lady of town,and all u get is a slang! bang bang boom boom!!!!
“I HATE YOU” was the next sandesh -a stricter
while driver changed the song-
“DEKHA HAI PEHLI BAAR SAJAN KI ANKHO ME PYAAR..
”bet this is the good way to lowering the temperature of crowd in 40*c…
My last msg-“mai uske liye jindagi bhar intzar kar skta hu,aur tum mere liye 5min bhi nahi?”
Here comes the end- and junior gaur reaches astly hall,she sitting over horse oppo to mcd in a violet uppers and grey lowers.still I expected a smile but…THERE IS ALWAYS A BUT..her eyes told everything



THIS WAS ALL I COULD CLICK ON THE WAY LIKE AN ACTIVE REPORTER- INDIANISM against inflation(is thr any1 who could xplain them ki inflation depends upon cost of services/goods,production and interest rates -HELL)


 Finally she started her mini-horse and I sat behind all set for the latest newton’s rule…
HERE NOW SHAIFALI BECOMES THE 4TH GIRL TO CARRY ME ON HER TWO WHEELER” After ritu,shruti,and deepanshi…after a responsible driving of 5mins we reach out the HELL better called

“PARIWAHAN NIGAM”-RTO

Rchd -parked I thanked her –“U DROVE WELL:” usko smaj ni aya I ALL got “haaan+ an annoying face?”
At counter my tongue slips of “passport form dena” that makes the girl smile ALL WITHOUT A MAJOR REASON
She comes out and I asked what to do? Reply comes”ISKO BHARWANA HAI KISI SE”
Finally we found her OLD relative not much shocked to see us together fills the form in 10mins “THEN I FIND THE GUY DESERVES TO SIT ON THE THRONE WHAT A SUBERB TIME MANAGEMENT “ and all that for free!
“shisksharthi licence counter”
Now the dirt begins…with a cracking voice “SERVER KHARAB HAI”
With a hope that server becomes right in couple of mins I stood on the doorway…wo ander chai peeta raha..mai dhoop me barbaad hota raha…tuff to describe wat hapend but easy to define..
n this girl was on 10feets distance standing on the side for sms conversation behaving like an untouchable beggar to me…oh jesus the dog comes !some hope -as the girl wants to leave for her “pendrive principle”
“tum kar loge” by a sms..i replied can u come to my left. Shaifali- “Y”? she didn’t bothered ..
finally my delicate shoulder is hit by a hand covering long sun-gloves…i wanted to speak to her
and suddenly my chance comes at the counter with much expectations I look in my form on the dogs paw!his eyes grew dim n finally wat hapend ??
THE ASSHOLE THREW MY FORM OUT OF THE WINDOW “ most disheartening moment of the day..is pe voter id card lagao..how hard I made the moron to understand…I was not one those ki throw bribes.. bitterly disappointed GURU..again the girl (shaifali)smiles but for what???no reason no joke inspite of a tragedy!! And she is still proud to b an Indian!!!!
I can say how much pain I m deserving today..aftr the pariwahan udhyan experiment..
Finally had a pepsi and a burger at local café on rajpur road..as I didn’t sat with her back.. .that is considered as a EMBARRASSMENT IN INDIANISM”
Walked home along with a Tibetan rally thanking INDIA …
in hot sun reminds her statement to me ”DIN ME DHOOP HOTI HAI”
Just had a curry chawal…mum out of house nana ji not well at rishikesh ..hope all is well
May jesus gives the strength !
amen

GURU

"how to improve your financial planning client relationships"

You can improve your relationships with financial planning clients by encouraging them to communicate honestly with you from the very beginning...these things often came to mind but mai humesha se deep sochne se darta raha...i blv'd that financial planning ko sirf upar se karo no need of going so deep,u know if that happens client can dominate u any time...

This is the main lesson I took away from mr. Jacob’s presentation on "How to Say Anything to Anyone: Paving the Way to Powerful Working Relationships" to the annual conference of the Financial Planning Association of INDIA,new delhi


Ask for honesty
mr Jacob suggested that audience members achieve this by saying, "I want a great relationship with you. If I do anything that violates your expectations, frustrates you or causes you challenges, please tell me. I promise I will say thank you."

Assuming that your client says "yes" to your request, then you can add, "I hope I can do the same with you." This sets the stage for two-way communication. If it works, you'll never be surprised again by a client defection.

I asked Jacob what he'd recommend saying after "thank you" when a client gives negative feedback. Don't say anything other than "thank you" right away, she suggested, because you'll feel defensive. Go away and think things over. You can follow up later.

Follow up with questions
Don't stop with your initial agreement to be honest with each other. Follow up with questions that help you to understand your client better, said Jacobs.

Here are some of her suggested questions:
1. Who was the best service provider you ever worked with?
2. What made him/her the best service provider?
3. What are your pet peeves?
4. Do you prefer email or voicemail?
5. What do you wish I would start, stop and continue doing?

I can see how these questions would benefit me as a service provider and a client. It's time to rev up my courage and start asking more questions.

I believe Jacob's approach could benefit you in your professional and personal life.

" MAKE A DIFFERENCE"

My friend Ajay sent this to me this morning and it felt soooooo good that I wanted to share it with all :) Thanx Ajay !!!!!
One day Maths teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Kargil' war and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never attended Funeral of a serviceman before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The place was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk. The teacher was the last one to bless .

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Sanjay's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Sanjay talked about you a lot..'

After the funeral, most of Sanjay's former classmates were there. Sanjay's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Sanjay when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Sanjay's classmates had said about him.
Thank you so much for doing that,' Sanjay's mother said. 'As you can see, Sanjay treasured it.'

All of Sanjay's former classmates started to gather around. Arjun smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'

Prithwiraj's wife said, ' Prithwiraj asked me to put his in our wedding album.'
'I have mine too,' Rashmi said. 'It's in my diary'

Then Deepali, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Deepali said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Sanjay and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late....


guruism@aol.in

""""INDIANISM"""

read it till the end then send me the feedback,

the two Ambani brothers can buy 100 percent of every company listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and would still be left with $30 billion to spare. The four richest Indians can buy up all goods and services produced over a year by 169 million Pakistanis and still be left with $60 billion to spare. The four richest Indians are now richer than the forty richest Chinese. [current rating shows the elder brother Mukesh’s total wealth is 22 billion US dollars]
In November, Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark Sensex flirted with 20,000 points. As a consequence, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries became a $100 bill ion company (the entire KSE is capitalized at $65 billion)
In 2004, India became the 3rd most attractive foreign direct investment destination. Pakistan wasn't even in the top 25 countries.
In 2004, the United Nations, the representative body of 192 sovereign member states, had requested the Election Commission of India to assist the UN in the holding elections in Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah and Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan. Why the Election Commission of India and not the Election Commission of Pakistan? After all, Islamabad is closer to Kabul than is Delhi.
Imagine, 12 percent of all American scientists are of Indian origin; 38 percent of doctors in America are Indian; 36 percent of NASA scientists are Indians; 34 percent of Microsoft employees are Indians; and 28 percent of IBM employees are Indians.


For the record: Sabeer Bhatia created and founded Hotmail. Sun Microsystems was founded by Vinod Khosla. The Intel Pentium processor, that runs 90 percent of all computers, was fathered by Vinod Dham.

Rajiv Gupta co-invented Hewlett Packard's E-speak project. Four out often Silicon Valley start-ups are run by Indians. Bollywood produces 800 movies per year and six Indian ladies have won Miss Universe/Miss World titles over the past 10 years.

For the record: Azim Premji, the richest Muslim entrepreneur on the face of the planet, was born in Bombay and now lives in Bangalore.India now has more than three dozen billionaires; Pakistan has none (not a single dollar billionaire).
The other amazing aspect is the rapid pace at which India is creating wealth. In 2002, Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh and Anil Ambani's father, left his two sons a fortune worth $2.8 billion. In 2007, their combined wealth stood at $94 billion. On 29 October 2007, as a result of the stock market rally and the appreciation of the Indian rupee, Mukesh became the richest person in the world, with net worth climbing to US$63.2 billion (Bill Gates, the richest American, stands at around $56 billion). Indians and Pakistanis have the same Y-chromosome haplogroup. We have the same genetic sequence and the same genetic marker (namely: M124).

We have the same DNA molecule, the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs. What is it that Indians have and we don't?

INDIANS ELECT THEIR LEADERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And also to mention: They think Construction of own nation, unlike other nations who are just concerned with destruction of others...
-GURU-south asia post