Go lush green…Go Mahabaleshwar

Go Mahabaleshwar

 

I’m just back after my short trip to lush green Mahabaleshwar and all that I want to do right now is to share the stuff I did while I was on this vast green plateau (of about 150 sq. kms) on which you can guarantee yourself bouts of clean and non-polluted oxygen 24x7, 365 days a year. This was not the first time I visited Mahabaleshwar…but perhaps I made merrier this time because the timing seemed just right. I must say, that visiting this heavenly hill station in the winters is more rewarding that any other season of the year. 

Feels like heaven
Our tour from Mumbai towards Mahabaleshwar enroute Pune started on a dark cold Wednesday night via road. The journey was smooth but the cold hilly dark weather almost sent shivers down my spine leaving my set of 32 teeth trembling. It was chill chill really chill with temperatures touching 3-4C in the night and about 8-10 C in daylight. We almost fell in love with the hot sun during those cold days in Mahabaleshwar, so much so that we constantly remained on the lookout to sunbathe.

Mahabaleshwar which is rightly nicknamed the "Queen of the hills" is situated in Satara district in Maharashtra (India) which is about 220kms from Mumbai. Ghats, dense forests, forts, and lush green valleys are some of the main highlights of this place. Driving down the long winding narrow roads of Mahabaleshwar while listening to some Sufi and soulful music can give anyone an eternal blissful feeling.


Strawberry garden

“And there goes another strawberry garden”
It is just impossible to drive and walk around Mahabaleshwar without noticing a strawberry garden after every 1km stretch. They say that ‘all good things come in small packages’…How true! Must say that the small dwarf-like strawberry plant which presents the most expensive and deliciously irresistible fruit simply reinforces on this point. Nonetheless, the most tempting thing to notice while strolling in the markets are walking and talking men carrying mushy red strawberries in two baskets balanced across their shoulders (see picture). Besides strawberries…fruits like raspberries, goose berries, mulberries and vegetables like red potatoes, french beans, beets, salad, carrots, radishes are found in large numbers.


More places that you can't resist
Another spot that just shouldn't go amiss is 'Pratapgad', which is a strong hill fort built by Maratha King Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656-1658 AD. I remember studying about this hill fort and the battles that our royal king (Shivaji Maharaj) won not by the strength of his troop or muscle power but more by his cut throat mind games and guerilla tactics.

At Pratapgad, I met this fierce, brilliant and stanch Shivaji Maharaj follower Mr. Chandrakanth Patil, our guide who ran through the historical events of the fort for our group of 7 persons who relived their school days of 4th grade. In grade four, when I studied about this fort, I must confess that I never really understood anything. Only wish I had Mr. Patil as my history teacher then, I would have never claimed history to be my weak subject today.
  

Our guide at Pratapgad (2nd from right)

 Besides the Pratapgad fort, boating in Koyna lake (in Mini Kashmir) and the N-number of sunset and sunrise points are a few sites you just can’t miss. Even the five table tops in Panchgani, which are suppose to be the largest table hill tops in whole of Asia, is something that is worth taking a look at.

 

Pratapgad

“Aye Khuda Mujhko bata, Tu Rehta Kahan Kya Tera pata, Hum to yahan pe Musafir hai, Jo Dhundhe Apni Manzil ka Pata,” is the song we played umpteen number of times whilst driving down those long winding uphill and downhill roads of Mahabaleshwar. I think God lived there!

With this beautiful Sufi song track, let me thank you for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

At the blow of a whistle

Many things happen at the blow of a whistle. The policeman brings traffic at a halt, military personnel are warned of infiltration, motormen are able to communicate with each other, and boys signal their girlfriends...all this achieved at a simple blow of this small piece of instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air, which we famously call a 'Whistle'.

Well, this loud-mouthed whistle has varied and pretty interesting roles to play…Isn’t it! Even more, when recently whistleblowers have come out to blow the whistle upon the diplomatic world to expose the not-so-good deeds of dishonestly and unfair practices by global governance.

Changing the course of diplomacy
Yes, you are right; I am precisely referring to the leaks from the secret Wikileaks website that has been making headlines since the past two weeks. Fearlessly exposing the vicious policies made by diplomats, the 39yr old Dean of Wikileaks, Mr. Julian Assange is causing a stir across the globe. Personally, I like the style in which Julian kicks off leaked confidential documents on this secret Wikileaks website. Even this time, before he published some serious internal diplomatic cables, he gave his website customers a teaser by releasing information about how US nicknames global leaders, like the Iranian President is referred as "Hitler"; French President Nikolas Sarkozy as “an emperor without clothes”; Afghani President called a "weak personality" who was "driven by paranoia". I’m sure this guy must be wittingly humorous!

Subsequently, Wikileaks published some explosive secret diplomatic documents that not only left the common man speculating, but has also left the global governance shaken and stirred.

Being politically right always
It is well received and accepted when diplomats are being diplomatic! But then today, most from the corporate world, the fourth estate, and a layman like you and me are also learning and implementing the art of being diplomatic in our day-to-day living. We are busy being tactful, discreet, cautious, and selfish in all our dealings with the world, whether it is with our colleagues, our managers, media, or for that matter even our family and friends.

So then, why do we do, what we do? Why do we keep quiet and act ignorant, when we observe and witness swindles and unethical behavior & practices happening in front of our eyes. Why do we snub people at less powerful positions and exploit them to the fullest to accomplish our personal goals. Is it because we want to become Mr. Popular in our circles or is it to simply earn quick promotions to the top.

Like my good old friend always said that “to increase your knowledge, you got to share it”. Well said…isn’t it! But then, does that really happen in today’s world? Commonly, we see the so called Mr. Popular bragging about his essentially ‘bankrupt knowledge and expertise’, skyrocketing his way to the top. While the ‘humble but intelligent’ Mr. Unpopular scores no points because he can’t yap and sing his own praises like Mr. Popular. So you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours seems to be the new way of life!

Whistleblower rights
Every time a whistleblower speaks out…he is murdered or falsely put behind bars or sacked from his job for being vocal and upfront. For instance, if the diplomatic and corporate world believes and is convinced that Wikileaks is publishing inaccurate and forged documents on its secret website, there is no need for anyone to break out in a sweat. This kind of fiery situation can simply be seized by discussing with the whistleblower face-to-face…at the same time bringing in global transparency as the dialogue is unfolded.

A plumber is certainly required to fix this leaking tap from which secret information about dishonest diplomatic agendas is made public. But then, in this case, it is not the whistleblower who should face the wrought of the spanner…but it is the diplomatic world that should face it and take corrective and preventive actions to live in harmony.

Global corporations have a full-fledge highly competitive and resourceful customer care centre to handle customer feedbacks and concerns. So why not also encourage incorporation of a ‘whistleblower hotline’ and ‘protection of whistleblower policy’ as part of the corporate and governing strategy. One such unique Japanese company called ‘OMRAN’ has built-in the hotline and the whistleblower protection policy encouraging its employees, its customers, and the public to be honest and upfront. Take a look at this company’s fantastic and elaborate CSR report at (see page 215 for whistleblower rights) http://www.omron.com/corporate/csr/pdf_inquiry/pdf/omron_csr_report_e.pdf..

Indeed, it is time for global corporations and diplomats to accept whistleblowers as disgruntled stakeholders who in their little way want to make this world a better place to live in for you, for me and for the entire human race. And, we need to stop considering whistleblowers as activists who are determined to spoil relationships and peace…because there is more to what actually meets the eye.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

Santa Claus is coming to town...

♫♫♫Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town! ♫♫♫


Okay, let me quickly clarify, this is no music class lessons that I’m taking you through, neither have I lost my marbles to believe that Santa Claus has preponed his visit to India during the current festival season of Diwali. This is the song that India is singing along, as they welcome the most powerful (gentle)man of the world, Mr. Barack Obama during the auspicious season of Diwali. Well indeed, India is celebrating the festival of lights, “Diwali”, and people all over the world especially people in India are making the most of this festival season by sharing and spreading happiness all around, savouring home-made delicacies, burning oil lamps, and lighting up the sky with fireworks during Diwali.

Ho ho ho...says Mr. President
Coming to celebrate Diwali with the people of India is the supposed apostle of change, Mr. Barack Obama, who gets air-dropped in Mumbai today in his mean machine, the Air Force One, promising India a bag of goodies in the form of a permanent seat at the UNSC, and a string of high-pitched strategic and business relations resulting in creating jobs and increased sale of goods for both India and America.

However, the President of the most powerful country of the world that India had invited is no longer as powerful as he used to be before the recent mid-term elections in the USA. No doubt, he still is the President of the United States of America and that he occupies the White House...but, after being betrayed by his ardent disciples, Obama no longer enjoys the supremacy over the legislative. Justifiably, Obama’s followers-of-change have lost their faith in their shepherd and no longer believe in his change mantra of “Yes We Can”, which promised to change the lives of Americans.

In the bargain, Mumbai gets a Botox
The people of America have gone rogue and by voting the Republicans over the Democrats, Obama can feel the force of the Hurricane hit him so hard that his motivation of visiting India and the who’s-who of the business and the political world undoubtedly will lose its fizz. Coming to think of it, Mr. President will have to obtain permissions for every decision – small or big – that he makes, before he goes ahead implementing it. So, isn’t Obama’s trip to India more of a jolly good adventurous holiday rather than a serious strategic tie-up engagement?

Well, looking at the glass that is half-full, Mumbai has benefited in a big way with Obama’s visit. Civilians in this part of the country have been screaming and complaining for years about potholes on the road, unhygienic conditions, uncut trees, bad traffic management, corruption, etc., but these complains were never actioned upon. However, the upcoming arrival of Obama has kept the city administration (who never worked all their lives) so busy that they are leaving no stone unturned to welcome a foreigner to this city. Only if they had the same concern for the people of this city, life would be different!

But Mumbai has no complains and the people in fact would like to welcome Obama every year...because in the bargain, our streets & walls get polished and sanitized, our traffic gets managed better, the security beefs up, our trees get pruned, all in all the city gets a facelift. All thanks to Obama, we now believe that if given a chance our city administration, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), can actually work and can be effective if need be. Obama has brought a change in the perception of the people of Mumbai, emphasizing that BMC can make a difference...Yes we Can!

Should we blame him for all?
“Change” is what the Democrats promised the American people since they came in power on Jan 2009. However, since there was no positive change seen, the very same people who elected Obama badmouthed him calling him names, eventually throwing him out of total control in the recent mid-term elections. This showcases that America has a strong democracy and if need be...the civilians of the nation can make a powerful man powerless.

But the question to ask ourselves is that, “Is Obama and his administration responsible for all the rot in America”. Obama took charge of America when the global recession had already hit this planet. He took charge when the Iraq war was already in the sixth year since American invasion in Iraq in 2003. He took charge when unemployment and the growth rates were already dipping. Very clearly indicating that, Obama has inherited most of the problems from his predecessors.

Nevertheless, the man who once was hit by the mighty shoe, Mr. George Bush, admits in his new book called “Decision Point”, that as the President of the USA, he had made errors involving the Iraq war. He admits that he felt like a captain of a sinking ship towards the end of his presidency when dealing with recession. So, do we blame and point fingers at Obama or do we need to give his administration some more time to turnaround a sticky situation. Because eventually, America and the world, do not have an option of doing business with any other planet other than the recession-hit-planet Earth which is currently weathering a stormy weather.

The people of India are waiting to unwrap the gifts that Obama has brought for India and are hoping that this partnership together, will benefit both India’s and America’s economic condition.

Post-script:
Today, in the next hour from now, Obama would make his first speech at the Taj in memory of the 26/11 victims. And when Obama speaks, the world listens. Undoubtedly, if Obama is not one of the best Presidents that America has...he is one of the best orators that the world has ever seen and heard. And I personally am keen to know, whether he has inherited this talent as a genetic gift or has he studied the art of powerfully communicating in simple words and creating that much-needed impact on his listeners.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

CWG 2010: From jeers to cheers

The Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010 shockingly started off on a downbeat mood, not feeling like the largest international, multi-sport event that New Delhi, India was hosting, but rather it felt more like a sham that the Indian Crime Investigation Department (CID) was busy unearthing, to hang the culprits trapped in the string of frauds exposed during the preparations of the games.

Shut-up Mr. Suresh Kalmadi
Suresh Kalmadi, who supposedly is the face of all scandals exposed at the CWG, may be walking around with a sullen face today, weeping over his misdeeds and maybe even hoping to use his political clout to emerge out unscathed from the several shams that he instigated and was party to. But, we need to remind our government servants that the law is equal for all, and come what may no one will be spared.

I don’t seem to understand why this fraudster called Mr. Kalmadi, was even given the privilege to deliver a speech in the opening and closing ceremonies of the C’Wealth Games. That’s besides the fact that, the smart common man like you and me stylishly booed him all through his speech asking him to shoo, or else face the humiliation in front of the whole world. This Satan of CWG, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi needs to be grateful that his crime is exposed in a democratic country like India, where even a lone terrorists like Ajmal Kasab (of 26/11 Mumbai attacks) was put through rigorous judiciary proceedings, before declaring the capital punishment upon him. Had this been a communist / autocratic country...he would either be beheaded or stoned to death.

Now, did you know that Suresh Kalmadi served as a pilot in the Indian Air Force during the period 1965-1971....Shocking naah? I wonder who on earth recruited him as a pilot in the first place! I cannot imagine this wrench sitting in the aircraft cockpit, shooting down enemies whilst risking his life to safeguard the nation and its people. I can rather imagine him as a flight attendant, serving people some food & soft drinks while intermittently requesting them to tighten their seat belts.

Well, all’s well that ends well
After various reports about the scams, bad infrastructure, and cleanliness and hygiene issues exposed during the preparations of the CWG, the government wisely recruited the Indian army to take charge of the situation...and precisely, came out victorious. I pity our young boys and girls in the Indian Army, who although are functionally responsible to secure the nation from infiltration across the borders...now seem to also shoulder the responsibility to safeguard the pride of the nation and ward her off from disgrace and humiliation.

Well, with the spectacular success of the Common Wealth Games, India showed off her organisational skills by demonstrating that if given a chance, the nation can showcase not only its hospitability but also can boast its technical capability for spinning out a mega world class sports event.

The games became bigger for India when Indian athletes gave tough competition to sportsman/woman participating from 71 different nations, eventually winning the 2nd place with 38 gold, 27 silver and 30 bronze medals. Without doubt, Australian athletes played like superheroes fittingly winning the first place at the CWG 2010.

The question everybody is asking India is whether she is ready to host a larger international sports event like the Olympics? I earnestly think that India is ready to do so, provided she keeps corruption under check and she refuses to sacrifice her prestige over everything else. More importantly, the lofty money earned by hosting such big events should be used for the welfare of the underprivileged people of this country who in no way benefit whether India host or do not host events. Time to get people-centric...Isn’t it?

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

A wicked pink slip

On a regular brighter Friday morning, everybody walks inside office rollicking and rolling towards their cubicle, looking forward to a great day at work and more importantly, the weekend which is staring and smiling back at them. The feeling on a regular Friday of the week is admittedly radically different from any other working day and it indeed is the day everybody longs for. This undeniably is my ideal Friday.

But again, what if, on that very grand Friday evening, at about four past forty-five minutes, a letter is placed on your desk which rattles off details of how you have been a burden to the organization after over 10yrs of service, and getting even more humiliating…the letter orders you to leave and vacate the premises at the very spur of the moment.

Feels like a slap on the face

After running your eye balls through the violent and ruthless letter addressed to you, you almost go out of breath…desperately throwing your hands to grab the air pump to calm those tensed and strayed bronchioles inside your lungs. You then gather your nerves and wits together, and like a true Gandhian you non-violently walk out of the office, bidding goodbye to the company which is so dear to you.

Well, this is exactly what happened to a person I know…and putting myself in that person’s shoes, I can imagine the disgraced and the revengeful feeling that life takes you through at that point in time.

Different situations demand different actions

Today most organizations are grieving bad weather conditions due to global recession which has hit this planet big time. Only if we could do business with another planet…things would breakeven. But then, since we do not have that choice, corporations follow the retrenchment route towards reducing cost.

Well, then there are those organizations which face theft, fraud or dishonesty committed by their employees. Corporations then get busy taking disciplinary actions against such cunning and devious minds. Reminds me of Mr. Ramlinga Raju, founder of the once prestigious company, Satyam Computers, who siphoned off 40.8 million dollars raised by the company.

Then there are those set of people who are mere non-performers belonging to the lower strata of the organization tree. These are vulnerable employees that organizations use as scapegoats to fulfill their profit aspirations.

The person who is mentioned in my real story is someone who belonged to the low-cadre, who indeed fell victim to the gory acts of the management. In fact, the organization ripped off her fundamental rights of dignity and social justice by blatantly giving her only fifteen minutes till she could assimilate the fact of her dismissal. The victim was made to feel like a criminal who was caught for draining out money from company accounts.

Well, a food-for-thought to the management is that, if you really have to ask an employee to quit because of poor performance, you need to make sure that you give that employee a dignified exit, without straying away from his constitutional rights.

Know you rights

It is very important that employees know their constitutional and fundamental rights that are applicable irrespective of the position he holds in the corporate tree. The Industrial Dispute Act (IDA) applicable to all workers in India is a very important document which stresses on how the accused employee must be given a chance to defend himself and then only he/she should be pronounced as guilty.

“It is the duty of the organization to legally issue a show-cause notice to the employee, giving him a chance to explain,” says Advocate Wasnik, who carries 40yrs of experience in the field of labour laws. It was my privilege to discuss with Advocate Wasnik who gave me an insight saying that employees in the support roles (who are mostly victimized) have more legal rights than those who belong to the managerial cadre. Furthermore, he said that IDA is applicable only to the workmen category…and that if the management is unhappy with employee performance, the company not only has to evidence the facts, but also needs to give the employee the right to explain and justify.

So, it is very important that we know our rights and the laws abiding with it. But, only wish that the legal procedures and processes were simpler for employees, challenges would have been much easier to tackle.

To get a dig into the Industrial Dispute Act, download the IDA at Download

Post script: Well, in that case, educated souls in the management who make such illiterate and illegitimate decisions need to attend a diploma programme in Gandhian studies…which will teach them to rebuild their conscience without losing out on competition.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

Turning swords into ploughshares

Time to think-and-do beyond

The recent news conference bash organised and delegated by the President of the supposedly most powerful country of the world, US of A, and attended by the media, undoubtedly shocked the world including economists and corporate honchos who criticised Obama’s administration for employing a protectionist and uncompetitive ideology. In his socialist speech, Barack Obama passionately stressed on the urgent need to eradicate the incessantly rising unemployment in America, essentially jobs lost due to the great recession and those lost in the name of “outsourcing” to European and more importantly Asian countries.

Rightfully and bravely following the Gandhian-like ideology, the Obama administration is trying very hard to provide equality of opportunity for all sections of society. The Democrats in fact plan to tackle the concern of rising unemployment in the country, by withdrawing tax breaks to corporates that outsource to countries outside the American soil. Additionally, also revise tax codes to make provisions for tax relief to middle class Americans, who actually need it rather than offering it to billionaire folks who don’t need it all.

A socialist approach at the juncture of turning protectionist
Well, when I place my hand over my heart and think hard, I feel in complete accord with the approach adopted by the Democrats. It is said that, we need to clear the clutter inside our own homes before we look outside...and this is exactly what Obama is adamant to do before he creates and makes-easy avenues of growth, employment, and profits for the rest of the world.

But in the same vein, mulling over this grave concern using the super rational brain, it conversely feels like America is at crossroads supporting a myopic vision that indeed will not last for long. Moving on, the Democrats will not only face strong repercussions and condemnations from the rest of the world...but in the bargain will face bans and boycotts by many a people and governments of the world.

Towing away jobs
Public and government hue and cry over the act of outsourcing implemented by the corporate sector around the world has always been condemned for towing away jobs from numero uno nations to nations who propose an awesomely low labour cost and corporate taxes. The Oxford dictionary very simply defines the word outsourcing as “arrange for work to be done outside a company”. While in today’s context, the same word connotes a different meaning. In fact, today it gets nothing less than the same treatment that an F-word receives.

Coming to think of it, “Outsourcing" is as much as a bad word for Americans and Europeans than it is for an average employed Asian. Today Corporate India and other Asian countries prefer outsourcing jobs outside the organisation (locally) rather that hire or sustain a full time employee on the same job. The only difference here is that the job is towed away from one Indian to another Indian at a lower cost. Perhaps, if the world was not demarcated with borders, no country would make a fuss about outsourcing jobs elsewhere...because then eventually a job from one human being would go to another human being after all.

Balancing globalisation
Before globalisation was ever talked about, the United States of America accounted for around 30% of the world's GDP and almost remained at that position for most of the 20th century. However, with opening up of the global economy into a single economic competitive arena, developing countries have got their place in the sun...so much so that those days are not too far when one of the BRIC countries will become the world’s largest economy and will grab the 'most powerful country of the world' title from the US of A.

If one door is shut, there is always another door that opens up...and precisely, if USA shuts its doors to other nations with a protectionist agenda of restricting local companies from tapping markets globally, it will not only worsen American woes but will isolate them from the rest of the world.

Implementing a socialist approach like what Obama is talking about is undoubtedly essential for the less fortunate middle class people of America, but at the same time closing doors to the rest of the world can boomerang badly. There is an urgent need of taking a middle path and clearly there are no easy answers to it.

Post script: On after thought
It would indeed be best if nations would be governed by two Presidents at the top...one with a socialistic ideology (like Barack Obama) and the other with a more capitalistic approach. This will help nations plan correctly taking a more balanced middle path to success.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless you and this world!

Does Rahul really choose Tribal India over everything else?

If given an opportunity today to interview the heir of the Gandhi family and Congress General Secretary, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, my first question to him would be about his seriousness to assist the Tribal’s in Orissa and those isolated in different parts of the nation. Additionally, to ask him whether he honestly strives to give Tribal’s and the under privileged their right to freedom of living with dignity and equality…or is it some kind of empty promises that politicians have been making since India’s independence.

When we talk about Tribal’s in India or anywhere else in the world, we visualize poor, hungry, ancestral and primitive people who do work that slaves would do. We categorise them as people who wash our cars, who live in shanty homes, who are illiterates, who wash our vessels, clean our homes, and people who officialdom label as “grass-eaters”. These are people who we exploit because they have nobody to glorify them and have no one to empower them to fulfill their basic needs and necessities of life.

If for real, here’s saluting Mr. Gandhi’s move
The very move spurred by Rahul to protect the rights of the tribal population in Orissa over the ambitious projects of corporate big wigs of India Inc. is commendable and from the face of this socialist step by Rahul Gandhi, it depicts a revelation is to beckon us soon. But again, emphasizing the phrase - “from the face of it” - because we the common people who have no legacy in politics and who become victims of political warfare don’t know the real intention behind this step initiated by someone who carries a political legacy from the time of his great grandfather and someone who is born with a diamond studded golden spoon in his mouth.

The benefit of doubts will evidently persists in our minds, because we have and are still being duped by false and short-lived promises made by our politicians who are suppose to be our official caretakers. Although Rahul’s actions touched the common man’s heart, we still doubt whether he protected the Tribal’s to gain political mileage or is it honestly going to be his fight until he guarantees every life equal value…even if it demands going against his own party ideologies and actions.

The rich exult, the poor lament
There was this great and well-known boxer who was making a journey in a plane. Even after being persuaded by the air hostess, he resisted to zip up his seat belt exclaiming that he was “superman” and didn’t really need it. To which the air-hostess pleasantly told him that, if he indeed was “superman”, he didn’t even need the plane to reach his destination. This is a real illustration made to portray the nature of most of our politicians who have zero humility and are 100% egocentric. Our politicians are like this boxer who believe they are some kind of superman possessing super natural powers and the rest of the world are at their mercy.

This attitude of our politician will definitely not help us reach our vision of “India shining”, in spite of the economic optimism that we showcase today. When 70% of us live in rural India, how can we be optimistic of fulfilling our vision? In that case, we will have to edit our vision to now say, “30% of India shining”. Nevertheless, if we start becoming conscious about tribal and rural India, by empowering them with proper education, proper health benefits, and fulfilling their basic psychological and physical needs, we will implicitly and tactfully empower them to become independent…which in turn will increase their purchasing power.

Eventually, with the spur in increased purchasing power of the otherwise dormant 70% of the population, the GDP of this country gets bigger, which ultimately will help us realize our dream. This will open up ways to become a developed country listed among other biggies.

Who said we need to be socialistic always…but in the same breath, we cannot ignore the urgent need of a developing country like India to uplift the lives and spirits of the poor, so as to achieve the nation’s capitalistic and competitive aspiration and desperation for success.

Tough to be a good politician
Nevertheless, all said and done, in the real world it indeed is tough to be a good politician. For every good move made by a minister, there are thousand detractors from the political circles who trample the strides made by this good politician. In India, we have ageing ministers who call the shots at an age when they need to relay the authority baton to the young, educated and forward thinking youth of young India. Rahul Gandhi is one such young Indian who definitely is calling the shots, but again he alone cannot make the difference. India needs many more young and entrepreneurial young Indians to represent this nation…individuals like you and me who can boast a humble conscience and an ambition to take every state of this nation to scaling heights.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless you and this world!