Independence was still not complete

Till we became a republic;

26th January celebrates that full freedom

When new constitution empowered public.

Reflections of last 75 years clearly show

India’s grand progress is by all means steep;

But as Robert Frost philosophises

We have miles to go before we sleep! 

Happy 75th Republic Day to all!

Recently, we purchased a water purifier of a reputed brand. We were deeply impressed by the sales personnel, who was extremely aggressive and seemingly customer friendly. He promised us the moon.

The very next day when the machine was delivered for installation, all the promises were shattered. A few things that were to come as freebies were not delivered and there was a cost linked to installation that was not disclosed. Post installation demonstration was pathetic. During all this while, when we were going through this travail, our friendly salesperson was conspicuous by his absence, refusing to  accept our calls. Needless to say, it took us quite an effort, including the use of social media and escalation to the top echelons of the company to get our complaint redressed, albeit partially, because it’s very difficult for the service and delivery teams to make good something that has been mis-sold to begin with.

And doesn’t the above story sound similar to hundreds of complaints and grievances from banks customers, depositors as well borrowers, that we come across everyday. They are all victims of overselling and under delivery.

In reality, the organisations will really do well to advise their sales staff to under sell, withholding at least one feature, even if most banal, to give customer an enhanced experience on delivery . Anything additional that’s not mentioned as part of the initial sales pitch, but is delivered as a part of the product feature, is a pleasant surprise for the customer, even if this freebie or additional feature is as mundane as a pen! But for business hungry organisations and target driven sales force, this may be a pipe dream.

The latest edition of the much loved popular magazine Reader’s Digest has an interesting article on 75 ways to improve one’s life. Being part of the January edition, the article can be deemed to be suggestive of adoption of these 75 ways, in full or part, as new year’s resolution.

Of these 75, some are very common and are probably much talked about lately by experts and in social media. 5 ways that I will like to adopt this year to improve myself , I share with you as below:

(1) Call your parents; they want to hear from you. One day you won’t be able to – My octogenarian mother is in Delhi and sometimes there’s a gap of days for my communication with her. I plan to call her twice a week from now on, come what may.

(2) Smile at people you pass on the street – it’s true most of the passers by on the street would either be busy talking or surfing on their mobile phones, but even one stray ordinary walker like me doing plain walking that I come across while being on the street is going to be a recipient of my smile, irrespective of his or her response. In Johannesburg, where my daughter stays, there’s a healthy tradition of wishing any one who passes by you with hello and smile.

(3) Follow social media? Take a day off – This would perhaps the toughest, but a day off the social media that crowds one’s brain with information that’s not important, is really a great idea, worth trying.

(4) Call a friend you haven’t spoken with lately- Thanks to publishing of my book, I am receiving messages from unexpected quarters. Other day a school friend called me with whom I connected after 44 years and it brought so much joy to both of us.

(5) Celebrate and encourage other people’s talent, even if they are better at something than you are- This is also a tough call, given that we seldom accept the position of being inferior to others, especially in domains that we consider as our strength. A social platform to which I am a regular contributor attracts very few eyeballs, while the same platform used by more connected and popular contributors sees thousands of likes and comments. I used to feel belittled by this, but now I shall celebrate their success too, while incessantly continuing to making my contribution.

These are not new year resolutions, but no stage of life or part of the year is late for improving oneself or at least for making an attempt to doing so!

Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain jo makam, woh phir nahin aate 

The above immortal lines penned by redoubtable Anand Bakshi, composed by maestro R D Burman , soulfully rendered by all time great Kishore Kumar and lip synced on screen by the then ruling super star Rajesh Khanna, most effectively sum up the philosophy of life that all the gurus and seers are trying to convey to ordinary mortals like us- “ Live the moment”. The times that have gone past us are never relived. Our present and future could be better than our past, but it would never be the same. Therefore, many of us indulge in the nostalgia of our days gone by, especially those of our childhood and youth. But either way – by getting lost in the nostalgia of the days of the yore or dreaming about a bright future tinged in the expectation of fulfilment of our ever expanding needs – we refuse to live in the present and while away all our life in this conundrum.

Last week’s Indian Idol was “ Kishore Kumar special “ in which one of the participants rendered the aforesaid evergreen song that moistened the eyes of all present there and provoked me to pen these few lines. 

Last year, 2023, was the first full year of my retirement that happened on 31/5/22 and I was determined to use it in the best possible manner. I started on a positive note and started some therapy for my arthritic knees. As is generally said, “ New Year resolutions are meant to be broken”, and so happened with me, with some unscheduled travel and social obligations sending my resolutions for a toss. The result – my arthritis worsened, spreading to other parts, mainly shoulders, along with certain other health issues ( cervical, insomnia etc), my efforts for a sustained engagement post my retirement bore no fruits and I also failed to fulfil certain social expectations. This was the year 2023 on personal front.

On other fronts, the nation once again witnessed an erratic monsoon, food inflation, serious train accident, Manipur incidents, loss in World Cup cricket final ( test match as well as one day) and towards the end, revival of covid in a new avatar. And while the Ukraine-Russia war refuses to die down, the world is witnessing unprecedented loss of life in Israel and Gaza. 

But being an eternal optimist, I welcome 2024 in full zest. If 2023 was a tad downcast on personal front, it also ended up on a high note with the publication of my first book on Christmas eve that’s receiving lots of adulation and some rave reviews and in spite of a slight deterioration in my health condition, I am still alive and kicking. And as a country, aren’t we set to become third largest economy, with booming industries and stock markets? Lastly, world is not blind to massive destruction as outcome of wars and seems poised to give peace a chance. 

On this positive note, let me wish you all, your near and dear, friends, family a very happy new year 2024. May you all scale new height of success and attain new peak of happiness in your life! 

Sent from my iPhone

Clicked a beautiful photograph from my balcony this morning with Sun and Moon in the same frame. This triggered certain thoughts in my mind that I converted into a brief verse:

Morning Sun gobbles up the moon,

And Moon reappears only after Sun drowns;

But it’s not impossible for the two of them to appear together,

Though such an event does raise frowns!

If nature is so flexible and so accommodating,

How come humans are so rigid and fanatic;

Divided based on religion, caste, creed and gender,

Sticking to their beliefs and thoughts as if these are prophetic!

Nature has so much for us to learn, if we are open and ready.

BJP swept Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and more surprisingly, Chhattisgarh, where the party trailed initially. The victory proved or more precisely contradicted three theories:

(1) Anti incumbency strongly influenced election outcomes – MP results contradicted this.

(2) Good governance could negate anti incumbency to a large extent. Chhattisgarh results contradicted this. Baghel government seemed to be providing good governance.

(3) Exit polls are largely correct Almost all exit polls predicted tight finish in Rajasthan and MP and Congress victory in Chhattisgarh. All proved wrong.

What are the learning for political parties:

(1) INDIA bloc needs to review its approach. They should join hands on ideology and common minimum programme rather than be a crowd just to oppose BJP.

(2) BJP seems to have won the support of women- can the party also earn at least some backing from minorities, more especially Muslims?

(3) Can South open itself up by trying something new, the way North has done?

(4) Lastly, but above all, no party should take our voters for granted. Let all parties have a growth and welfare oriented agendas rather than trying to woo with issues such as Mandal and Kamandal! Voters have grown much maturer and intelligent and can see through the political agenda that’s divisive and discriminatory.

Long live the vibrancy of Indian democracy!

Mere criticism of India’s loss in the ODI World Cup final or eulogising the team in spite of its insipid performance are both two ends of extreme reaction. Rather it may be useful to imbibe some learning, applicable to not only cricket or any other sporting outfit, but to every team in general. My take on this is:

(1) Like the game of cricket, the market place too is fraught with glorious uncertainties and each team has to remain prepared for any eventuality any moment, which in our parlance these days is fashionably called “disruption”. A rejuvenated Australian team with a better crafted strategy caused disruption.

(2) No strategy is a foolproof key to success and may require occasional or frequent tweaking. India thought that batting first and putting up a total on the scoreboard was foolproof, given the strength of their bowlers. 

(3) Best team members are more dependable, but team cannot rest on the laurels of only chosen few. All cylinders must fire. Kohli and Rahul found difficult to score quickly and the bowling triumvirate fizzled out after the initial burst. 

(4) Law of averages, definite end to a winning streak etc are excuses to justify an outcome on the hindsight. Australia, in the past, recorded a longer unbroken winning streak and all records are meant to be broken.

(5) Like sports, marketplace also is a playing turf, where victory and loss are the two sides of the same coin. The outcome, whatever it be, should be taken in stride without any sharp, knee jerk and lasting reaction. 

Let’s move on folks. There are laurels to be won by other teams – soccer, athletics, tennis, badminton, chess et al – T 20 team is already on the winning ways! 

And this is the message to all the teams! Learn from the past, strategise again and move on! Victory is there to be grabbed! 



कई दिन पहले से ही पटाखे चलते थे 

और मिठाई तो भर भर के खाते थे 

फिर भी न कोई मोटापा था न डायबिटीज़ 

और प्रदूषण न जाने किस चिड़िया को कहते थे!

पर परिवर्तन ही यदि गतिशील है 

तो यह भी परिवर्तन का एक हिस्सा है 

दीपावली का भाव न बदला है न बदलेगा 

पटाखे मिठाई तो दीपावली का एक छोटा सा हिस्सा है!

परम परमात्मा से बस यही प्रार्थना है 

कि दिवाली की ख़ुशी चारों तरफ़ फैले 

इसराइल फ़िलिस्तीन रूस और यूक्रेन में ही नहीं 

सर्वत्र विश्व में शांति और सौहार्द की लहर दौड़े!!

Burning crackers started days in advance 

And eating sweets went on nonstop

Yet no one bothered about obesity or diabetes 

And air pollution was something unheard of!

But if change is the only constant 

Then even this change is inevitable 

The essence of Diwali will never change

Sweets and crackers are eminently disposable!

Let’s pray to God almighty this Diwali 

To spread the message of peace and amity

Not only in Israel, Palestine, Russia and Ukraine 

But in the entire world that’s just one big family!

کئی دن پہلے سے ہی پٹاکھے چلتے تھے

اور مٹھائی تو بھر بھر کے کھاتے تھے

فر بھی نا کوئی موٹاپا تھا نا ذیابیطس

ہوا کی آلودکی کیا ہے نہی جانتے تھ

پر غر تبدیلی ہی مسلسل ہے

تو ئہ بھی تبدیلی کا ایک حصاہے

دوالی کا متلب نا بدلا ہے نا بدلےگا

پٹاگھے مٹھائیُ تو دوالی کا بس اک حصا ہے

پرور دگار سے ہے ئے التجا

کے دوالی کی کھُشی چاروں ترف پھیلے

اسرا ییل، فلستین،روس اور یوکرےن مین ہی نہی

اور پوری دُنیامےن امن اود ہم آہنگی دوڑے

India is playing ODI World Cup tomorrow and the entire national is agog with expectations, expecting nothing but the world champion’s title for their men in blue. And the fact is that in many many years Indian cricket team has not looked so complete and balanced. Everyone is competing not with anyone but with himself to give his best as if there’s no tomorrow and if any big thing is to be achieved, it has to be done today. Such is the confidence in team India’s ability that if the batters are unable to score big, our bowlers can defend any score and if bowlers have an off day, our batters can scale any mountain!

The way the team has played and won its last 10 matches, it seems unstoppable at this juncture. Even if the glorious uncertainties of this great game of cricket are to come into play, even if law of averages is to come into effect at the most inopportune moment tomorrow and for that matter if any unforeseen development is destined for tomorrow, there’s no denying the fact that hearts of all of us Indians only believe that team India seems to be on the cusp of achieving great success tomorrow at Ahmedabad. It’s not to take anything away from Australia, who also have played some great cricket to reach where they are; but this dil refuses to believe anything else but an Indian victory tomorrow.

I thought of writing this prelude to tomorrow’s big event as after the result , whatever it may be, the noise and feelings would reign supreme, overwhelming any worthwhile expression thereof through any article or blog!

Let’s all of us sit tight at Narendra Modi stadium, those of us who are lucky to be witnessing the grand event at the place of action or with our friends and beloved in front of our TV sets in support of our men in blue and seek support from across the border too – Afghanis are already backing team India wholeheartedly- Pakistanis are also passionate about the game and would prefer the World Cup to be in their neighbourhood rather than miles away!

All the best Rohit’s lohits (the men of steel) to repeat the feat of Kapil’s devils in 1983 and Dhoni’s honeys ( beloved boys) in 2011!