A trip down memory lane - DB Converge - A global reunion of Don Bosco Egmore past pupils

It all started off by a surprise connect with Lakshminarayan (Lachu) my classmate of mine at school - Don Bosco Egmore, Chennai-  a year back. I had spent the formative years of my life at Don Bosco between 1972-1980. Immediately he was kind enough to include me in the DB80 Yahoo group and I was suddenly travelling through the corridors of the time machine. Again when I checked my mails a few months back, I recieved a communication about the proposed DB Coverge - a Global reunion program being organised.

I quickly jumped on to it and soon I registered for it. It was held on July 25/26th at Don Bosco Egmore and ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. It was held in grand style at the ITC Grand Chola and had registered 300 delegates for the Celebrity Conclave and 1000+ past pupils had come for the DB Converge at the School. 

YG at his humourous best and true to a comedian proving a point with his DHOTI, Arvind Swami was all poise and a rare example of an Actor turned sucessful Corporate Entrepreneur. But Vijay really stole the thunder. Can never forget his 5 D (Desire, Dedication, Determination, Discipline & Divine Influence). Great to see all of them pulling the teachers and sharing their nostalgic memories of DB and how it shaped their lives & careers..... was worth attending the event and will cherish for a long time to come....

After a sumptuous lunch we drove to our alma mater school- Don Bosco and what a great feeling it was, stepping into the Temple of Learning after a gap of 34 years. There were a lot of changes but still we could recognise the school, the nooks & corners, the assembly hall, the library, the knocked down canteen, the water hole, the cricket nets, the basket ball courts, Princi room etc. It was really nostalgic to revisit the place that we had inhabited for nearly a decade. It certainly was a proud moment and the school gave us a warm welcome.

The assembly hall was used to hold a exhibition taking us down memory lane. A collection of all vintage photographs contributed by the Past Pupils beautifully laid out was a treat to watch and reminiscent of  our lives at Don Bosco.

The biggest experience was going back to the school. We were treated to a 45 minute class from our old teachers and I was fortunate to attend the Biology class taken by Jerome Rajan. He also used to teach us German and it was  treat to be back in his class. The class room was packed with eager but unruly students as we listened in awe his teaching on Bio Technology. It was certainly a great feeling to be a student again. 

It was also a nostalgic moment when we all went thro a PT class and went thro the routine drill of our PT Master Mr. Charles. Dressed in a impeccable suit & tie, he took us through the oft famous routine drill of stretch & bend on the parched grounds of Don Bosco. It was a rare sight of an old  Suited PT Master conducting the PT drills of an equally aged Past Pupils. It was the ultimate fun that we had and took us back down the memory lane of the love-hate relationship we had with the PT class in our school days.

After that in the evening it was party time to dance to the tunes of DB School of Rock. We were treated to some great old numbers of Ventures, Shadow, Illaya Raja by none other than a group led by the legendary YG Mahendran. He was from our 1965 batch and around 64 years and he was drumming away like a school kid and also whistling the Shadow numbers in all his youthfull earnestness. An amazing talented character. A renowned Actor/Comedian, theatre artist, accomplished cricketer, a musician, drummer, an Engineering qualification and a accomplished student. Truly a versatile talented person that Don Bosco is proud to have had.

Another surprise was catching up with another talented and illustrious classmate of mine Dr. JS Rajkumar who is a renowned Doctor is Chennai (son of late Dr. JR Shankaran) who specialises in Bariatric Surgery and is a famous Endocrinologist & Gastro doctor. He and his brother treated us to some old songs(incl. Bryan Adams-Summer of 69, Deep Purple-Smoke on the water)  and we truly enjoyed the evening.

Raj, never knew you & your brother Anand were talented singers. Liked your numbers especially Summer of 69 and Smoke on the Water. Also Anands inauguration with Ilayraja's old tamil numbers were stupendous. All in all a talented family eh....

The lead guitarist - sorry I dont remember his name- on the left was awsome. His rendering of Hotel California, Smoke on the Water and We dont need no education was a master piece. Great show guys. You really rocked .

On the last day the grand finale was the felicitation of our teachers and awarding some cash awards as our token of love & appreciation. And the biggest roar of thunder & clap was for our old Head Master - Mr. Selvadorai. Now past his prime and above 70yrs he was there with his son - frail and weak but still maintaining his poise & charm. He was swarmed by the old students at all times and waiting to click a picture with him. What a proud moment for him and also to the students. Every celebrity Vijay, YG Mahendra, Arvind Swami, Sanjay Pinto etc. and students recollected their tryst with Mr.Selvadorai and fondly remembered him, though he was strict person and terror in our school days. However the discipline that he inculcated in us and also the English that he polished in us truly held us in good stead for the rest of our life. 

And to cap it off, we were treated to a musical feat from our very own Grammy Award winner Vikku Vinayakram and his family. It was a blend & fusion of Indian & Western classical music. After all the shaking of legs the previous night, it was all shaking of the head with Vikku and his entourage. His entourage was none other than his son and grand son.

What a family and a rare sight - Father, Grand Father & Grand son all masters on their own. No wonder the Grand Father was the first South Indian musician to win a Grammy Award. Was truly a memorable icing on the cake....

All in all it was a great trip down memory lane, catching up with my School, the Teachers and my classmates. Thank you guys at the DB Converge team. It was a great initiative, well organised and well attended. Great to be reunited with my classmates of 1980 batch and our teachers and visiting the Temple of Learning. It was a nostalgic reunion of all sorts. Congrats to the team for a great job well done.

We also ought to repay our debt & gratitude to the teachers - Mr. Selvadorai, Lourdraj, Vincent, Stephen, Manuel, Jerome, Adaikalam, Raja Pandi, Charles & others who toiled hard to shape us Body, Mind & Soul and laid a strong foundation to our life & careers. What ever we are today is to a large extent because of Don Bosco & the teachers at large.

 Last but not the least this Global re-union, rekindled the pride of being a Don Bosco student, reminiscent of our pride in our school days and living by the values of Don Bosco - Virtuous in Arduous....... and truly my trip to Chennai on July 25-26th 2014,   were one of the best days of my life and what better way to remember than listening to the song....... 

DB Converge on Facebook

the DB 80 batch

Baffles why you dont play your best allrounder (Ashwin) ...........

For a man who became the fastest Indian to take 100 Test wickets, who averages 40 as a lower-order batsman, and who has time and again fronted up under pressure in many forms, he has been managed dreadfully.  R Ashwin's hundred and a match haul of five wickets in the first Test against West Indies in Nov 2013,  lifted him to the top of the ICC's rankings for Test allrounders, the first time he has reached No. 1. In 19 Tests he has scored 788 runs with an average of 39.4 and a  highest score of 124. In bowling has taken 104 wickets with 9 – 5wicket haul and 2 10wicket haul.

Compare that with Jadeja who in 9 Tests has taken 36 wickets with 2 – 5wicket haul and has scored 243 runs with a highest score of 43 at an average of 28.5.

It is highly inexplicable that India’s best all rounder is a mere spectator and someone half his ability is persisted despite his repeated failures. Ashwin has single handedly won Tests for India in the past. Not sure if Jadeja has won any Test for India so far.

It smacks of Dhoni’s inexplicable decisions and his arrogance on sticking stubbornly to his decision with out any rhyme or reason. He keeps persisting with his cronies - Suresh Raina, who can forget RP Singh and now Jadeja. He has gotten away with luck many a times but has been seriously exposed in trying circumstances especially abroad where he has an enviable record of 12 losses in 13 tests. Wonder how he still retains his captaincy.

Its time Dhoni & the selectors bring Ashwin back into the team and repose faith in his ability and give him a decent run to settle down and win matches for India. Please remember that there are 5-6 left handers in the English side and Off-spin is any day better than the left arm spin of Jadeja. Also the variety that Ashwin brings (offspin, doosra, carom ball etc) will be more than effective than the treadmill approach of Jadeja.

May be they can trade Jadeja for a Binny or vice-versa and certainly not play with Ashwin.

Hope better sense prevails or the selectors instill some sense into Dhoni……….

DR Manmohan Singh – A watchman who wasn’t….

The enigma of Dr. Manmohan Singh, has come to an end. He often used to say that “history will judge him kinder than the present perception”. Im afraid Dr. Manmohan Singh, it may even turn out to be harsher.

He doesn’t realize that we was the PRIME MINISTER of the Country. There is no body above him and he had all the authority at this command to lead this country (technically). He was the LEADER of this Country. The qualities of a Good Leader is

•  Honesty
•  Have a Vision
•  Inspire his team & lead from the front
• Confidence & Result Oriented
• Incredible Communicator
• Intuition
•  Sense of Humor
• Commitment
• Creativity
• Delegate & Get things done thro others

When he first came to power and was anointed the Prime Minister, the country was euphoric about his appointment and was hoping that he will lead this Country into a powerful economic, spiritual and social super power. He made a promising start in UPA1 (but much of these scams actually started in UPA1), brought about path breaking legislations like RTI and growing double digit GDP. But the lid was blown off in the second half of his tenure.

It is often said that Dr. Singh was above board and his personal integrity was beyond doubt. But we fail to realize that he is akin to a watchman.  He was appointed to safeguard the interest of the property that he is assigned to safeguard. If the property is stolen under his own nose and supervision, what good is a watchman? Either he too is in connivance with the thieves or he is an incompetent watchman. In normal circumstances 9/10 times, the watchman would have been sacked and even jailed in some cases depending on the enormity of the loss of property.

Dr. Singh was guilty of allowing the theft – 2G , CWG, CoalGate, Adarsh, Chopper,  Cash for Vote Scam, Tata Truck scams. In all these scams he kept defending the indefensible and dropped the ministers only after severe followup from the media and the Courts. Which means he kept protecting them as long as he could. 

He did nothing to prevent such occurrences not did he take any action against the guilt. In many of these scams he was the Minister in charge and we wonder how he can absolve himself of his responsibility.

He kept quite when the Institutions of the Democracy was being attacked viz. the CAG, CVC (appointment), the Army Chief (VK Singh), the Supereme Court, CBI and even the Election Commission. 

If he couldn't stem the rot and have the courage to take action against the guilty he should have atleast abdicated power and stepped down, rather than presiding over  a corrupt Cabinet & Government. He should have realized that as a leader he is responsible for the acts of omission & commission by his team. His continuation in the Government indicates his personal penchant to cling on to the post at any cost.  He should have atleast quit after the public rebuke & humiliation by Rahul Gandhi, even when he was in the US and due to meet Obama.

A leader is supposed to be a incredible communicator, who can instill confidence amongst his team and people he serves, who leads from the front and is results driven. In contrast Dr. Singh was the opposite. The fact that they did not win a single seat in 10 states, did not win cross double digits in any state and even failing to become the leader of the Opposition party, is testimony to the anger, disappointment and public frustration with the Congress Government under the Prime Ministership of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was a huge let down and turned out a huge embarrassment to the country, its people and even his own party. 

It was well known that he was supposed to be a puppet under the nose of Sonia Gandhi and true to it he remained a silent puppet. He turned out to be worse than that. In the end , even the masters to whom he was blindly serving turned a blind eye to him and the failed crown prince even boycotting his farewell dinner. He has become the scape goat & the fall guy for the Congress leadership for their disastrous show in history.  What an irony.

History sure will remember him as a beaureaucrat turned politician clamoring for power and hanging to power at any cost without any principles and the weakest Prime Minister India ever had.  Dr. Singh must realize that Silence is not always Golden …..

Will be speaking at the 2nd National Summit on HR Shared Services organised by National HRD Network

Will be speaking at the 2nd National Summit on HR Shared Services organised by National HRD Network at Taj Westend Bangalore, 19th Feb 2014. Will be speaking on Transforming HR into true Business Partners through the HR SS Integration in a multi-business scenario. A good opportunity to share platform with fellow HR leaders and also share my experiences ......

http://www.nationalhrd.org/events/2nd-national-summit-hr-shared-services-shared-services-strategic-enabler

NHRD Bangalore, Silver Jubilee Celebrations - made Cluster Lead for Whitefield / Outer Ring Road clusters

Dear friends,


The year 2014 is significant to us at NHRD Bangalore. We are celebrating our Silver Jubilee, the 25th year of establishing the Bangalore Chapter.

This eventful journey began in 1989 when a few committed HR Professionals from our city volunteered to form this Chapter at Bangalore. Since then, till date, with dedicated efforts from 12 Presidents, their Executive Committees and most importantly, all of you, the Bangalore chapter has grown to 1400+ members to be the 4th largest Chapter in India. We have been privileged to host 2 National Conferences (in 2004 & 2011), at Bangalore and more recently, we have also been honored with the Best Chapter Award for 2013.

The Silver Jubilee of course is an opportunity to celebrate – more importantly, it presents an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment of bringing exceptional value to members. As part of this effort, we have conceived two initiatives especially for 2014.

1.   Bringing NHRD to your doorstep:  We recognize that the city of Bangalore has grown very large and coupled with the burgeoning traffic, many of you are unable to participate in our activities, despite your best intent. We want to address this by bringing some of our activities to your doorstep. We have classified Bangalore into four clusters –

1. Embassy Golf Links & Central Business District
2. Electronic City & Sarjapur
3. Peenya & Manyata Tech Park and
4. Whitefield & Outer Ring Road

We will bring you 25 events in our 25th year.

16 events would be held at your doorstep (4 events in each of the 4 clusters, one event every quarter) and 9 events will be centrally held. These events will be high-quality workshops or tete-e-tetes with global leaders in HR and will create opportunities for contrarian dialogues.

A few distinguished members of our network have stepped forward to lead this initiative & I have pleasure in introducing them to you:

• Dr. Balaji Sreeramulu of Professional Access (MBalaji@ProfessionalAccess.com, 80950 67500 / 9900212331 ) will lead the Embassy Golf Link (EGL) and Central Business District (CBD) cluster
• Anju Bhatia, a Leadership Development consultant (anjushankar.aol@gmail.com, 98801 85515) similarly for Electronic City & Sarjapur
• Krishna Setlur of HRPLEX Consulting (krishna.setlur@gmail.com, 98450 07675) will lead the Peenya and Manyata Tech Park cluster and
• Ramesh Ranjan of Schneider Electric (Ramesh.Ranjan@schneider-electric.com, 99455 60202) will facilitate these events in the Whitefield & Outer Ring Road cluster

I welcome you to reach out to them to know more about what is planned for your area. By the way, the first of these events is scheduled for Monday, January 20 at the Wipro campus in E-city. In partnership with The Conference Board & Wipro, we are bringing you a workshop with Rebecca Ray.  Do join us.

2.   HR Showcase - a signature event:  As you are aware, the Bangalore chapter pioneered the ‘HR Showcase’. We now wish to make it the signature event for the Silver Jubilee year, providing an opportunity for the country’s best HR practices to be exhibited. Jayanth Narayanan (jayanthnarayanan@rideau.com, 98459 90910) would co-ordinate this event.

All of you are absolutely key to the success of these initiatives and the Silver Jubilee celebrations - I welcome your active participation and suggestions.

If you are not a member of NHRD, please visit http://www.nationalhrd.org/user/register to enroll for membership.

Wishing you a wonderful 2014

With regards,

Sudheesh Venkatesh
(On behalf of the Executive Committee)





More information at:

Website: www.nhrdbangalore.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NHRDBLR
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/national-hrd-network-bangalore-chapter/3a/690/526
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nhrdbangalore

Anna vs Kejriwal - Is it a case of sour grapes or the Politicians have had the last laugh !

 

The politicians have had the last laugh. Its a pity that just when we were hoping to see "light at the end of the tunnel", it looks like its turned into a mirage. Anna and his "India against Corruption" movement on Lok Pal offered a ray of hope for India and its billion citizens but the recent developments and public spa between the two has disappointed millions across the country. The politicians have had their say in driving a deep divide between Anna and Kejriwal. 

Anna without Kejriwal and his team in not the force that it was in the height of the Lok Pal movement, at the same time Kejriwal is what he is today, because of Anna. Not sure whether it is jealousy, or insecurity or intolerance or its the handiwork of the politicians in driving this divide.

It is disappointing that a man of Anna's stature should stoop low to criticize Kejriwal on the utilization of funds despite the latter clarifying. Kejriwal has had the funds scrutinized, audited and verified a couple of times by competent people and even offered another round of enquiry/auditing by a reputed person like Justice Santosh Hegde and offered to quit politics if found guilty. Anna should have kept quite but he continued his tirade against Kejriwal either directly or shooting thro the shoulders of Kiran Bedi or Gen VK Singh.

The latest episode at Raleigh Maidan was in bad tasted. It was Gen Singh who was launching a tirade against AAP but the AAP Leader was the one who got the stick. Instead of supporting and encouraging Kejriwal and his newly formed AAP Anna has turned into a sour grape and is whining day in and day out. His comment that if he had canvassed for Kejriwal he could have become the Chief Minister was in bad taste.

The anti-corruption movement has dwindled into insignificance despite attempts to revive it with the likes of VK Singh. It is Kejriwal who has emerged as a potential giant-killer with the gutsy and organisational skills to take on Sheila Dixit. He no longer needs Anna's endorsement to make his political fortune. Now when Anna warns Kejriwal not to use his name during the campaign, it sounds outright amusing. 

Anna's hysterics look suspiciously like that of an actor past his prime, desperate for attention. Far from Kejriwal relying on Anna's celebrity, it is the guru who needs the shishya to find his way back into the headlines, and in front of the cameras. That could  be one of the reason for Anna backing the toothless Lok Pal bill being floated by the UPA Government.

Its a story of the famous Indian Crab story. One cannot stomach the success of another. This malady is threatening to kill India's fortunes. 

Time and political tide wait for no one. Not even the for grand old man from Ralegan Siddhi.

Scheider Electric wins 2nd place in SSON Awards

http://www.peoplematters.in/news/2013/12/14/corporate/scheider-electric-wins-2nd-place-in-sson-awards/4170

Sexual orientation should be a "Freedom of Choice"

With due respect to the Apex Court, but the Supreme Court's judgment on Section 377 of IPC which inter alia penalises homosexual relations is quite unfortunate and regressive. Section 377 of the Indian constitution is a descendant of an archaic law from the colonial British rule, which described homosexual acts as “unnatural”. It was incorporated into the IPC in 1860. The judgment discloses an intolerant mindset and which is also insensitive to the real problems of those with a different sexual orientation for which they are not to be blamed nor branded.

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community are equal citizens of this country and thus entitled to all the constitutional protections of equality, liberty, privacy, dignity and health. By setting aside the Delhi High Court ruling , the Supreme Court — the supposed protector of fundamental rights of citizens in this country, particularly the marginalized communities — has snatched away from the LGBT community all these fundamental rights.  It more or less brands them as criminals and is grossly unfair.

The right to choose must be left to an individual and cannot be forced upon. As long as it is a consensual relationship between 2 adults, no one has the right to impose their views on them. It defeats the basic principles of equality, freedom and liberty enshrined in the Constitution. Its absurd to believe that relationships must be only between a man and a women. Its a norm laid down by the society in the past. Times have changed, the world has moved on and become more liberal and tolerant to diversity. In these liberalised times, people are increasingly speaking up for the rights of deviants. Even the current Pope who represents the Catholic and who were once terribly opposed to Homosexuality and same sex marriage has openly expressed that its not a sin, which shows changing mindset by religious leaders.  India once again joins the ranks of countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is considered a criminal offence and the penalty is life imprisonment or even death.

Its heartening that this judgement has opened a huge public debate and seen people from all walks of life expressing their disappointment and disagreement to this judgement. The politicians for once are listening to the voice of the public and are talking about taking corrective action through an amendment to the Article 377. It is against the right to life as it includes one’s freedom to choose one’s life partner. It is an inviolable right of an individual to choose his partner for life. One must have a broad outlook to analyse the emerging trends and the transformation that society is going through. Homosexuality is a social reality since mythological times, and it has been accepted worldwide. India cannot pretend not to see the reality....

Contrasting experience with Public Services

During the past few weeks we had 2 needs. To renew the Passport for my daughter and to apply for a Death Certificate for my father in law. We had two contrasting experiences. One good and the other pathetic experience.

PASSPORT RENEWAL

We were planning a holiday during the Christmas holidays and suddenly we found that my Daughters Passport was due to expire in 1st week of January. Normally embassies insist on atleast 6 months validity of Passport to issue a Visa. There was a pall of gloom over my Daughters face. Will we be able to get our passport renewed in time and apply for a Visa.

We discovered on a Saturday and had about 40 days time to travel. Immediately we swung into action. Browsed the Passport website and educated ourselves as to what is to be done to renew a passport that is due to expire. It was very simple to navigate, very user friendly and very educative. We applied for an appointment for a Tatkal Visa and lo to our surprise we got an appointment for Tuesday 12 pm. We had heard horror stories about the Passport office and it was a pleasant surprise that we got an appointment in just 2 days.

We ensured that we got all our documents right (as clearly enunciated in the website) and went to the Passport Office on Outer Ring Road, Bellandur, Bangalore. We had an invitation to be present at the gate by 11.45 am. We were there by 11.30 am. The security guard allowed us in without much hassle. As my daughter was a minor - 16yrs old, they let the father in.

We stood in a que at the Reception for about 10 mins and we were at the counter. They collected our appointment letter, checked our documents and gave us a File and receipt and token number. We were then ushered into the Main Passport processing office. There was  big crowd but fairly organised. Within 5 minutes our token number was flashing and in we went to the 1st counter, manned by TCS staff. Very polite and professional, took our application file, scanned our documents, took out Tatkal fees, too finger print and photo graph of my daughter and then cleared us for the second round. All over in about 10 mins. We had to wait for some time for the second round (15 mins) and then the officer checked our documents again and then cleared us for the 3rd round. Again we had to wait for another 15 mins and then the Passport Officer checked the documents again and then cleared us. We were good to go. We enquired when can we expect the Passport and he said as a Tatkal case it will be delivered in 3days much to our disbelief. All over in 1 hour. Except for the cramped space and crowd, every thing was well organised and went as per the que system as determined by the Computer.

That was Tuesday and on Friday morning my daughter called me in office and told me that she has recieved the Passport. It was a great surprise. In 3 days as promised the Passport was delivered home.

What a relief. Unbelievable from application to delivery in 6 days. We had heard about the crowd, the corruption, the agents, the inefficiency at the Passport Office. But our experience was just the opposite. It was very efficient, prompt and treated very well. No middlemen, honestly no facilitation fee given to any one and service rendered in quick time.

We would like to Congratulate the Passport Office for their excellent service and appreciate them for streamlining the process and ensuring Customer Delight. What a Great experience.

DEATH CERTIFICATE

My father in law passed away on 15th Aug 2013. I cremated him in Banashankari burial ground. We were given an acknowledgement late at night and told that we can collect the Death Certificate 15 days later from Bommanahalli BBMP office. We went promptly to the BBMP office in Bommanahalli after 15 days to collect the same. They told us that they havent got the information from the Burial ground and that we need to wait. We went after a week and the same story. We went to the Burial ground after 3 weeks and followed up with them. They hadnt sent yet. Then they told us that we need to provide another form with Doctors Certificate indicating the cause of death. After having this form filled up by the Doctor, we went to the Bommanahalli BBMP office to submit this form. They said that 21 days has expired and we have delayed. We explained to them that we were not aware of this rule and that the Burial ground had delayed. They said that the Health Inspector will have to inspect our house and give a report, after which they will send the file to the Head Quarters and we will get the Death Certificate. After  a few days of chasing and follow up the Health inspector came home and then filed his report

By now 40 days over. My son went to follow up after a week and the clerk said we have sent to the Head Quarters and awaiting. This went on for 2 months. Every week visit to the BBMP office and same reply "Sahibru inno sign madila" ie. the officer has not yet signed the form.

Finally my neighbour used his influence to find out whats happening. He told us that we need to go to the Upparpet Head Quarters and follow up with the Health Officials there. My Mother in Law and Son went there and finally traced our file and got it signed by the Health Officer there. No explanation given for delay. Just sitting over the file, while blaming us for delayed application.

After that my mother in law took the file to the BBMP office and handed over to the clerk. Finally taking pity that my mother in law her self came, the Health inspector immediately processed and handed over the Death Certificate.

It was issued after 3 months and more than a dozen visit to the BBMP office.

There was no sense of remorse for the delay, no sensitivity shown to the deceased person or to my Mother in Law.

What a contrasting experience with 2 Government Public service organisations. One a sheer Customer Delight and other a Pathetic Experience.

Well do we have a choice...........

Adios - Sachin....There will never be another cricketer like you

Its indeed a sad moment to all of the cricket fans the world over, that the Master Blaster has hung his boots and will never again be playing another cricket match. Its hard to believe that a 24 year career running between 22 yards has come to an end. Its yet to sink into Sachin and also to the millions of his fans the world over. He was an embodiment of passion, excellence, discipline, mastery over the game, controlled aggression, boldness and above all humility and humbleness.

Its quite possible that another cricketer may overtake his records but there will never be another Sachin - the human being. Despite all his glory, adulation, fan following, wealth, fame and power, he was always humble and down to earth. No exuberant celebrations, no extravaganza or public display of his emotions. He was as calm as a rock and unmoved whatever the occassion. His farewell speech will go down in history as one of the greatest and one that moved millions the world over. And especially his last visit to the 22 yards and paying respects to it, was a very touching gesture.

Am sure given his exuberance, child like enthusiasm and the ooze of talent within him, he will put it to use in other areas and rise to be a Master in the larger canvas of life.

As his wife Anjali said - "maybe cricket can do without Saching, but Sachin cannot do without Cricket" shows what cricket meant to this gentleman. As he said in his own words "Cricket is like Oxygen to me", lets all pray that God gives him the courage to move on and help him utilise his talent and passion in the larger canvas of life.

Wishing him a great life ahead and eagerly looking forward to his second innings in the Real LIFE. 

Adios- Sachin there will never be another Cricketer and Human being like you. We miss you.......

My interview with Nisha Raghavan on India HR Live on Talent Development

Talent Development Framework at Schneider Electric

indiahrlive.com

India HR LIVE is honored to have Ramesh Ranjan, Vice President – HR Services at Schneider Electric India to talk about "Talent Development Framework at Schneider Electric" on October 22nd, Tuesday...

Am happy to share that I was interviewed and aired live on India HR Live on Tuesday, 22nd October at 8 PM India time. I was interviewed by Nisha Raghavan of India HR Live on the subject Talent Development Framework. You are invited to watch the interview live on India HR Live or on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube......

http://indiahrlive.com/talent-development-framework-at-schneider-electric/

It was a great opportunity to be featured on India HR Live and a privilege. It was a nice experience being interviewed live and I really enjoyed it. You can see this interview on India HR Live or

Children of the Lesser GOD

Wonder who is the Childern of the Lesser GOD.  An article in todays TOI newspaper, reports that a Karnataka Minister is exhorting banks to give loans to the weaker section (minorities) of the society and not be strict with them. He says that even if they default - quote "cheat" its ok and banks should not desist from giving loans because of this. He wants them to give loans upto Rs.50 lakhs under this scheme. So in effect he is entertaining members of the weaker section not to bother about repayment and if they default its ok.

I dont know whether the Minister is aware that the money in the banks is the hard earned savings of millions of middle class citizens and not the private property of the Minister. Wonder what he would do if he were a money lender. Would he let go someone go scot free if they default in repaying him. He has no right to advocate this to the banks. This "rob Peter to pay Paul" strategy is unethical and against the law. Who will pay for these defaults. Ultimately the larger society. The banks will become unprofitable and go into loss. Governments will have to bail out loss making Banks and will have to compensate by increasing taxes and am sure will not allow Banks to default on their creditors. The larger section of the society will be penalised to appease to this weaker section / minority community. Am sure if challenged in the Court of Law, this will be seriously viewed by the Courts of India - who seem to be only Savior of our democracy along with the Media.

Our Indian economy is already in shambles. The GDP is dipping faster than ever before and is at an all time low of 4.5% - a far cry from the double digit growth about 5 years ago. Inflation is nearing double digit. Rupee at an all time low. Employment generation at an all time low. Fiscal deficit is higher than budgeted and nearing all time high. If there is still some semblance of safety in the Indian economy, its because of the vigilant RBI and the strict controls by the Banks. No doubt the NPA (non performing Assets) is also rising, the Banks are still sound and reliable, unlike the situation in the US where Banks went bust due to reckless lending and subsequent defaults in payments by the creditors.

Our politicians must realise that even in their interest of vote bank politics, this strategy is not prudent and is detrimental to the society at large. A stable and a vibrant economy is a must. They must realise that the middle class is rising - an estimated 400 million people and growing. The youth are no longer enamored by the vote bank politics. Religion or caste based electoral strategy is not going to win them elections.

People look for good Governance, vibrant & growing economy, secure jobs, safe place to live and some fun for recreation. No wonder a Gujarati is making waves and is able to connect with the large neglected  middle class population.

However it also leaves us to wonder who is the weaker section of the society and if the middle class has become the Children of the Lesser GOD.........or do the politicians think "who's money is it anyway!!!!!"

The Correct way of EATING FRUIT - can even cure Cancer !!!!

Dr Stephen Mak told …..that he treats terminal cancer patients in an "un-orthodox" way, and many patients recovered. He explained, that before he uses solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients, he believes on natural healing in the body against illnesses. See the article below.
------
Dear Shereen, 

Thanks for the email on fruits and juices. It's one of the strategies to heal cancer. Lately, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%. Cancer patients shouldn't die.. The cure for cancer has already been found, whether you believe it or not.

I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments. Very few live for 5 years under conventional treatments, and most live for only about 2 to 3 years... The conventional treatments don't make any difference, because most cancer patients also live for about 2 to 3 years without any treatment. It is difficult to cure cancer patients who've undergone chemo and radiotherapy, as their cells are toxic and weak. When there is a relapse, the cancer spreads very fast, as the resistance is poor. 

Thanks, and God bless.
Dr Stephen Mak   

  

This is informative! 
� 
We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit. 
� 
What's the correct way to eat fruit? 
� 
IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL! FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON ANEMPTY STOMACH. 
� 
Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.. 
� 
FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so. 
� 
In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. 
Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat! 

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes - all of these will NOT happen if you eat fruit on an empty stomach. 
� 
There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.
When you need to drink fruit juice drink only freshfruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get  only the taste... Cooking destroys all of the vitamins. 

Eating a whole fruit is etter than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look! 

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange! 

AN  APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke. 

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. 
� 
EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. 

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C & Potassium..

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.. 

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can u believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which

slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer.. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.