For us in Delhi, Christmas meant extreme and harsh winters (generally winters used to be very severe during 10 days of school winter break running up to New Year, with foggy morning, cloudy days and extremely cold nights) and Christmas bazaar at iconic Connaught Place, which was decked up like a bride. Wengers, the famous cake and pastry shop that has seen many winters and still retains its numero uno position as the best cake shop in the capital, used to sell out most of its products by the early evening leaving the connoisseurs disappointed. The local Church near our home had a mid night mass on the Christmas Eve and a fate where some of the typical delicacies were available.

However, the beauty and festivity of Christmas was much more pronounced when I moved out of Delhi, settled in Mumbai and visited overseas destinations such as Singapore and Johannesburg around Christmas/ New Year period. Bright lights, shops overflowing with Christmas goodies and prominent stores and market places having Santa distributing gifts to children caught my imagination. Catholic dominated localities like Bandra and Orlem ( Malad) wearing bridal looks transported one to a different world altogether.

It’s Christmas time once again and I am looking forward to relishing all these unique offerings of this cosmopolitan city Mumbai.

It’s Christmas time and festivity is in the air. The weather has taken turn towards coolness and there couldn’t be a better time for one to seek fulfilment of one’s wishes. While it’s common for us to ask for favours for ourselves and our nears and dears, I have a special wish list that goes much above the personal wishes. You may laugh at some of my wishes, but I am sure you would not disagree. Let me unveil my wish list.

(1) My first wish is that on a planet that has 2/3rd water and only 1/3rd land and yet potable water is in serious deficit, man should discover something that immediately, effortlessly and cheaply turns the sea water into sweet potable water. There will be abundance of usable water for drinking and doing household chores and our farmers will have plenty to irrigate their lands rather than commit suicide.

(2) Mankind has achieved much and today the world produces enough to provide food security. Yet the population explosion is outpacing the growth in food, water and other resources. Can humans’ reproduction be limited to a maximum of 2 or 3 children so that we control population without any coercion and the dispute of one community breeding at a faster pace than other is buried forever?

(3) Can the entire population of the world have at least this minimum to feed their children, provide them shelter and send them to school so that poor and developing nations solve the problem of hunger, pavement dwelling and illiteracy that is neutralising all their development ?

(4) Can the boundaries separating the nations of the World be obliterated so that there is free movement of people and no territorial disputes whatsoever that is the root cause of all the past and future wars?

(5) Can we have vehicles running on solar energy so that pollution caused by fossil fuels is ended, there is no fear of exhaustion of these reserves and no risk of petrol prices touching Rs100 a litre? The world can breathe easy.

(6) Can we overcome the menace of cancer, AIDS, Dengue and other killer diseases so that the world becomes a healthy place to live and the racket around mediclaim and expensive treatments is eradicated forever?

(7) And lastly, can we have matured intelligent politicians that are not rabble rousers, dividers of society, corrupt and partisan so that there is peace all around including peaceful and fair elections?

As a nursery rhyme says, if wishes were horses, the beggars would fly! The above wishes are horses on which my imagination rides but not for selfish me but for the world to become a great place to live!

Merry Christmas in advance! There will be more posts on this festival season!

We were expected to get up when our grandfather walked into our room at home or our senior walked up to us in office. We were told by our parents to eat silently and not to make chomping noise while eating food or slurpy noise while drinking water. Many clubs would bar the entry of members or their guests if they were not properly dressed. Likes of Sabeera Merchant used to conduct classes on etiquette relating to dining table and use of cutlery! All the above are things of yore and though they form my favourite topic, I realise the futility of barking a dead tree! Instead, I am touching an aspect that’s more topical and relevant and this relates to the use of mobile phones!

In an earlier blog, I tried to bring out our obsession with this palm sized instrument called mobile phone and transformation of our lives around it. First thing that we do on waking up is not to thank God but to check WhatsApp messages that might have got accumulated over the night! And then to check all new posts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn rather than craving for the morning newspaper . This obsession is fine as it at least does not cause any botheration to others. The question of manners and etiquettes comes in when one is using the mobile while walking or driving on the road (that endangers his/her and others’ lives) and worst when inside the lift or any public place amongst the crowds! The mood of conversation can range from being romantic to obnoxious, but it’s all for everyone’s ears in buses, trains and lifts. Not sure about the user, but sometimes this could be of a ute embarrassment to others. The provocation for this blog ( as opposed to inspiration that drives most of my blogs) was today morning’s incident when a lady colleague was walking in the middle of the path totally engrossed in her phone with her earphones making her deaf to the outside world. When my multiple “Excuse ME’s” didn’t work and I was in tearing hurry to catch up on a scheduled appointment, I had no option but to squeeze myself past the lady and in the process brushing her arm slightly in spite of all the caution! Of course, I profusely apologised to her though inside my heart I was all aghast at her lack of etiquette on using her mobile. She seemed oblivious, too much engrossed in her conversation or video, whatever, but I am still shivering hours after the incident fearing a ” #Me Too” campaign against me! God save this planet from Mobile Phone obsession.

In elections that are being considered as semi finals in run up to 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party, Congress, is back in reckoning by making s strong imprint in Hindi heartland. It won Chhattisgarh by large margin, Rajasthan fairly nicely and MP by eking out a thin majority over it’s arch rival BJP, which was ruling in all these 3 states. Popular TRS Govt retained Telangana, while with Mizoram supporting MNF, Congress is now wiped out of North East.

Congress is naturally rejoicing the outcome and media is talking about acceptability of Rahul Gandhi as a National leader and eventual PM! The analysts are also writing Amit Shah off as an invincible strategist. The moot point here is, what’s the reality? Let’s enumerate the facts serially:

1. Congress under Rahul’s leadership has won 3 important states.

2. Opposition seems largely aligned under Congress leadership for the oncoming Lok Sabha polls.

3. BJP faced strong anti incumbency in all these 3 states, as these states were under BJP rule for 10-15 years at a stretch.

4. There is some ire against Modi Govt on account of GST, Demonetisation, Rafale deal, RBI Issue, Ram Mandir related tension etc.

5. Many associates of NDA are abandoning the ship, more prominent being TDP, a party that seems to be becoming fulcrum of opposition unity.

However, in spite of not being a Modi sycophant, I think there is tinge of sadness at the loss, because though some of the measures initiated by Modi were big disruptions, these were meant for achieving something good for the country. The final outcome of these might not have been aligned to the initial objective, but the sincerity of intention cannot really be questioned! I also feel that not too much may be read at the electoral setback to BJP in three states as it is now a proven fact that Indian voter is matured enough to vote differently in Lok Sabha and state elections. Also, except for Chhattisgarh it was just a defeat and not a humiliating rout for BJP.

If the party can make one last ditch effort to pursue the agenda of all inclusiveness instead of risking on polarisation, it may not rake up numbers of 2014, but it may still give continuity to developmental agenda of PM Modi.

Axis Bank was incorporated as UTI Bank on 3rd December 1993 (rechristened Axis Bank in 2007) and today on 3rd December 2018, we are celebrating its 25th birth anniversary. Those working in the Bank’s corporate head quarter at Axis House, Mumbai were extended a red carpet welcome in the morning that pleasantly surprised the staff members. Axis House lobby has been decorated with very tasteful floral arrangement and the mood is very festive and celebratory.

Being associated with Axis almost since its inception (I will be entering my 25th year in Axis 2 days from now), the strides taken by the Bank to reach where it is today are the stuff folklores are made of. Incorporated and started as UTI Bank, as aforesaid, the Bank opened its first branch in Ahmedabad on 2nd April 1994, inaugurated by the then Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The Bank made a cautious but solid start under the leadership of career banker Mr Supriya Gupta and gathered pace of growth under Dr PJ Nayak. Under Ms Shikha Sharma, who is shortly relinquishing office on 31st December 2018, the Bank made rapid strides in the areas of retail lending, cards, mobile and internet banking, CASA franchise and consolidated its position under the category of large sized banks. The new MD designate Mr Amitabh Chaudhry is likely to bring a fresh vision to chalk out the future growth story.

What makes Axis unique? Is its product portfolio or quality of its products or its ATM network or its CASA franchise or its pan India presence? Actually all the above are measurable business parameters that every player in the industry aspires or aims for! What makes Axis unique is its humane personal touch that has left nobody- be its customers, staff, associates, service providers or any other stakeholder- untouched! I worked briefly in Ahmedabad way back in 1994, but the lady, fondly called “Behn” or sister in Gujarati, served tea then and does so now too! While the number of branch heads that have headed Ahmedabad main branch would have touched double digits, the driver who has driven all of them is same. And this is not exclusive to Ahmedabad- Axis story is replete with such incidents. Satish, who now manages the Bank’s Executive Lunch room is the same Satish who served us breakfast in 1994 when we were temporarily sheltered in the Bank’s guest house! And you can very well imagine the stability of its staff, when outsourced helping hands and service providers refuse to let go of their Axis association.

Organisations have their ups and downs as far as their business and growth are concerned. However, the qualities of humanity, empathy, care, transparency, respect, inclusiveness make an organisation shock proof against temporary, short term setbacks and these unique features, which, thanks to its leaders, are now ingrained in its ethos will ensure that Axis will celebrate many more jubilees, which old Axis bankers like me will observe from the sidelines after attaining superannuation. Because people making Axis will come and go, but Axis will stand tall with its head held high in pride!

(1) Rafale deal is hanky panky. Monies have changed hands illegally and Anil Ambani mediated at the behest of the Government.

(2) GDP growth during UPA Government’s regime needs to be recast and if apples are compared with apples, NDA Government’s GDP of last 4 years is better.

(3) Public institutions like Supreme Court, CBI, RBI have lost their voice and independence during NDA regime.

(4) India’s finances are in shambles and fiscal deficit is reaching dangerous proportions. That’s why Government badly needs to gorge on RBI’s reserves.

(5) Demonetisation has proven to be draconian and major failure that has caused irreversible medium to long term damage to Indian economy.

(6) Demonetisation and GST have killed small business in India.

(7) Oil prices and dollar could be global phenomena but Government’s policies have added fuel to the fire!

(8) Government has been totally apathetic to farming community and that rural India is going to revolt against the Government.

(9) Muslim Personal Law, Sabarimala, Ram Mandir are all part of divisive strategy of the Government to cause irreversible damage to the social fabric of the country!

(10) BJP Governments in Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan are amongst the worst ever and BJP is losing all these states. Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand are next in line.

However, we have Government machinery using all its might to highlight achievements of Modi Government- gas connections, direct benefit transfer, insurance, best possible Rafale deal, IBC, India’s global standing, transparency and what not!

In a country endowed with sharpest political, financial, defence, investigative journalists and commentators, isn’t there a sane voice that can expose the reality to the public or shall the public have to suffer highly insensitive, polarised and sensational journalism of Republic TV/NDTV kind? While we do miss Kuldip Nayar, Girilal Jain, Hiranmay Karlekar sorts of matured minds, Arun Shourie, Pritish Nandi, Bachi Karkaria, Jug Suraiya should leave behind their idiosyncrasies and fixed opinion to rise to the occasion and bring out the truth! Let’s also understand- Modi’s victory or loss in the next general elections is not the end of it! If India could survive Mughals, Britishers and other invaders and exist after some of its finest sons and daughters like Pt Nehru, Shastri, Gandhi, Patel, Morarji, Rajiv, Indira, Jyoti Basu, MGR, Atal departed- it’s destiny is certainly not linked to Modi!

My readers would wonder who Swagata Bhaumik is? Generally, my blogs are not individual specific, unless that individual has done some pathbreaking work in a particular field. So occasionally you come across blogs written by me on Amitabh Bachchan or the Waterman or Harakchand Savla – all of whom have been extraordinary individuals. In the above backdrop, a dedicated blog on Swagata Bhaumik certainly needs an elaboration.

Mrs Swagata Bhaumik is no pathbreaking or extraordinary individual. In fact, her ordinariness is what makes her unique. Coming from a humble middle class Bengali background, Swagata always aspired for a life of domesticity, with a loving partner and sweet children. She always dreamt of a life of a home maker, where she would keep her home spic and span, well appointed and interesting, cook delicious delicacies for her family and devote her life in raising her children and looking after her family. However, fulfilment of even this simple wish was not in her luck. A few years into her insipid marriage, she took a bold decision to walk out of her uncaring husband along with her infant daughter. Such a bold step in Kolkata of those days was rare amongst rather conservative middle class Bengali backdrop. With no job or any special skill and solely on the backing of aged pensioner mother ( and of course her ever supporting sisters, but all having their own responsibilities towards their respective families ), she decided to start life afresh. She quickly learnt some basic secretarial skills (typing and shorthand) and started running from pillar to post for a job, leaving her baby with her mother. After a few lacklustre mundane jobs, she got selected in the newly established UTI Bank. The bank was in the process of setting up its Kolkata branch.

As they say, the rest is history. From starting at the bottom of the hierarchy, Mrs Bhaumik decided to make the best of the opportunity that had come her way. Actually, this was also the staring point of our acquaintanceship. I met her for the first time at Kolkata branch, where I landed as an outsider one fine winter morning and met my Kolkata branch colleagues, one of them being Swagata. While I was an experienced banker picked up as a credit specialist, she was an awkward newbie trying to make it to the big bad professional world after a failed marriage. She knew no Hindi, very little English and I didn’t know B of Bangla. Our acquaintanceship started on such a note. However, she won over everyone by her positivity, diligence, hard work and overall attitude. She was there for everything and everyone whenever required. If an urgent note or letter was required to be typed at 8 PM, she would not hesitate or make excuses about her old mother or young daughter at home. In between, she picked up threads of banking also as she could foresee the end of the road for secretarial sort of roles in the face of increasing computerisation.

I got transferred out of Kolkata, but having struck strong bonding with her, we stayed in touch. I tracked her professional and personal progress, albeit from a distance. She made transition from secretarial role to mainstream banking, struggled to get her fundamentals right, earned the wrath of bosses, but all along maintained her dignity. Her progress was slow and painstaking, but definitive. She rose in the rank, gave good upbringing to her daughter, took care of her aging mother without in any manner diluting her professional commitment. She bought a house of her own to give a more comfortable life to her daughter and mother, who all till then were sharing a room. She got her daughter married into a Bengali family of repute and rejoiced at having met all her responsibilities.

However, her share of struggle in life was not to get over with the above stated discharge of her responsibilities. Very soon her daughter came back due to certain irreconcilable differences for absolutely no fault of hers. This pained her, but she didn’t lose heart. She took up the cudgel of rehabilitating her innocent daughter and indeed found a good match. She remarried her daughter. Around 5 years into her second marriage and with a 3 years old daughter in tow, the daughter has returned to her mother for good, being unlucky for the second time in the matter of marriage. She, once again, has fully backed her daughter, though she is now responsible to support one additional member, her granddaughter. Also, her mother, who is in her ripe old age, is completely bedridden requiring 24×7 nursing.

This blog is tribute to her steadfastness to her principles of not tolerating any injustice or bullying, but living life on her own terms, notwithstanding hurdles in the way. Life has tested her at each step and this is not likely to be over, because all her responsibilities are not likely to get over in near future. On top of it, today is her last day in service as she superannuates having attained the age of 60. Her income will be severely curtailed and expenses grow as the granddaughter starts going to higher classes! But I am sure she will neither wither nor accept the defeat for she has always lived her life struggling only! All the best to Mrs Swagata Bhaumik for her retired life!

26/11 terrorist attack was so grievous that I felt like penning this poem.

When they were firing indiscriminately at VT,

Could they discriminate between Hindus and Muslim;

One who was dying was his mother’s child,

Irrespective of whether he was wearing cotton or muslin.

Did they come to kill only Hindus?

Or did they target all the Indians?

If we could be united in death

Why can’t we live as Indians?

When terrorists had let loose fire on us,

They were not aiming at any religion;

They were rabid, irrational misguided youth,

Their religion was only perversion.

9/11, 26/11 are not mere dates,

Nor are they symbol of any religion;

Terrorists are brainwashed to extremism,

Killing is their only passion.

If we face them together,

Our wives, sisters and mothers won’t have to cry;

We will be a formidable force

Ready to push them back on the sly!

At home we may be Hindus and Muslims,

For outsiders we are Indians;

26/11 will never repeat itself,

As indeed we are undoubtedly Indians!!!

26/11 is one of the saddest days not only for Mumbai, but the entire country. It was on this day in 2008 that 10 fully armed and militarily trained LET terrorists attacked India’s commercial hub, exposing the country’s vulnerability to the World. Coming through the sea route, these terrorists landed at Fishermen’s colony in Cuffe Parade and started their game of death. It started from Colaba’s popular joint Leopold Cafe and the names of Cama Hospital , Oberoi Hotel, Chabad House, CST and Taj Mahal Palace are permanently etched in the memories of Mumbaikars and Indians. So are the names of the brave officers of Mumbai Police, who took on these professionally trained terrorists, guided by military strategists of ISI, with quaint arms and zero protection. Brave and brilliant officers like Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte, Hemant Karkare, Tukaram Ombale fought bravely but proved to be sitting ducks in front of these mercenaries. The way black cat commandos of Indian Armed forces flushed these terrorists, holed up inside iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, out by neutralising all of them except one, Kasab, who was caught alive on Marine Drive and executed subsequently after spilling all the beans on the conspiracy, is the stuff folklores are made of. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a young Army officer, laid down his life, but his brave father refused to grieve on the martyrdom of his son.

What’s the learning from this all out attack on Mumbai? Is Mumbai of today safer than Mumbai of 2008? Are it’s roads, public transport, schools, public places safer than they were when attacked? I don’t think so. I read that metal detectors, installed at suburban railway stations post train blasts do not work. Passengers are busy fighting for place to sit or stand rather than watching the racks or underneath seats for suspicious bags or packets. Road Nakabandis appear most lackadaisical and their effectiveness is highly suspect. We seem busy on Mandir, Rafale, Mallya, elections issues rather than worrying about the safety of our city and country. On the eve of the anniversary of this darkest, blackest day in the history of our city and country, let’s not waste the sacrifice and martyrdom of the country’s brave sons by allowing such dastardly acts to be repeated. Let’s plug our vulnerabilities by being united and adopting systems such as group, community or neighbourhood watching for the safety and well being of all of us and our beloved country and Mumbai.

This season of KBC is proving to be more special than previous seasons for we have seen more special people in this season, who are selflessly working for the benefit of society. Earlier I was compelled to write a blog on Waterman and after seeing the yesterday’s telecast, I am compelled now to write about the Medicineman. He started by saving a part of his pocket money for helping needy cancer patients. In fact, for several years he did so by hiding this fact from his family, However, his wife did not oppose his good work and on the contrary extended her full support. He was encouraged to go whole hog into his work and he decided to give his restaurant to someone else to run. After years of grind, his efforts were noticed by his friends, who after the initial hesitation started supplementing his financial resources. Now his Sanstha has started receiving substantial voluntary donations, though he needs to double this amount looking to the demand from the needy patients and their families.

His approach his holistic. He runs a medicine outlet that sells medicines at cheap rates and also gives free to those who can’t pay anything. Then he goes around talking to cancer patients, counselling them, giving them hope, playing with children suffering from cancer and making available food to the patients and his/her family members. It was spine tingling to learn certain stories that how family members accompanying patients to Tata Memorial Hospital have no place to live but the footpath and how ladies were exposed to physical assault by drug addicts and other hoodlums of the area. His aspiration is to make a rest house for family members accompanying patients where they can stay in the safety of four walls at least.

At a time, when we are chasing money and materials, a person is dedicating all his resources and life to welfare of patients. He never says no to anyone approaching him and he is God to so many who lost all hope after being affected by cancer. As he rightly put, all religions preach anna daan (feeding the hungry) , but no religion preached dawa daan (medicines to the needy), which as per him is the ultimate charity. His only earning is a sound good night sleep that beckons him as soon as he hits the bed!

Can all of us strengthen the hands of Harakchand Savla in his mission for the mankind? First the Waterman, then the cabbie from West Bengal who runs a school for the down trodden and now the Medicineman, this season of KBC is worthy of being weighed in Gold!