Friday, January 29, 2010

Hindi-Nepali bhai bhai...

Nepal, a North-eastern neighbour with high hopes and expectations, looks forward to India for greater cooperation and help as it wants to emerge as an independent economy. B&E explores its demands and expectations in an exclusive interaction with the Nepalese diplomat in India.

“5 things Nepal appreciates about India...”

PAN-BORDER INITIATIVE: Nepal considers India as one of the closest neighbours possible. One of the best things about India is its decision of pan-border initiative. There is nothing more important for bilateral relations between two countries other than free movement of people, which diplomats term as ‘people-to-people’ contact.

FRIENDLY PEOPLE: Indians are very friendly. Lakhs of Nepalese work in Indian companies without much objection and discrimination. There can’t be a better gift than this as giving employment to the people is one of the best ways to help a neighbour. Not only that, there has been enough government support on the bilateral front. The recent inclusion of Nepalese in Indian Gorkha rifle regiment is a matter of prestige for Nepal and its people.

SOCIETY: There is also a lot to learn from Indian society and how it functions. Indian culture is one of the oldest and purest in the world. Prolonged existence of such a diverse society is not a matter of joke, as Nepal perceives.

DEMOCRACY: There is also a lot to learn from India’s form of democracy. Though there are flaws like corruption, poor governance or lack of transparency, attributes that democratic India has incorporated are praiseworthy. Nepal, with a history of life-long monarchy system, warmly acknowledges and tributes India for its achievement in regard to freedom of people, giving the right to vote to its citizens.

ECONOMIC TIES: Economic and trade relations with Nepal are satisfactory and a major boost for bilateral relations. The total trade of Nepal in 2006-07 was Rs.252 billion ($6 billion), of which 63.2 percent was with India.

“And the 5 things we dislike...”

BILATERAL TIES: Good relations with India are one of the primary priorities of Nepal’s external policy. India certainly needs to be proactive.

INVESTMENT: Nepal is a tiny as well as poor country. Thus, it needs enough help, support and aid from neighbours. In his recent visit to India, the Nepalese Prime Minister warmly invited Indian companies to invest in their land. There has not been enough response from the Indian side on this front. India’s health care system and standard of education are superior over others; Nepal can greatly be benefited by these too.

POWER GENERATION: Being a poor nation, Nepal is incapable of generating adequate power for the country’s need. Hence, it urges immediate help in the field of power supply. Even after repeated urges, Nepal does not seem to have got a positive response from India as the Indian government seems to have been unable to decide upon the issue.

WATER SUPPLY: Nepal also lacks adequate infrastructure for water conservation. As rivers flow between both the countries, there is need for cooperation among each other for mutual benefit.

TOURISM: India is the biggest neighbour for Nepal even in terms of influx of tourists. Earning from tourism is one of the primary sources for Nepal where India contributes significantly. Still, there seems to be a lack of proactive policy initiatives from India. Nepal is coming up with various tourism products. The snow fall, mountains and even cultural heritage adds to its beauty. All in all, Nepal wants stronger bilateral relations with India in all possible fronts, which doesn’t seem to be materializing nicely because of India’s less participation.
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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Pakistan, distrust and India

First of all, it’s impossible to convince a Pakistani diplomat to officially offer a quote. Secondly, meeting a Pakistani diplomat is more interesting than can be explained in words. During our meeting with the diplomat at the Pakistan Embassy in India, when we asked him to state 5 issues Pakistan dislikes about India (we had two hours), he mentioned 10 in 15 minutes. And when we asked him to mention 5 things that Pakistan appreciates about India, he took an hour and 45 minutes! Some excerpts: “5 things we appreciate about India...”

PEOPLE TO PEOPLE CONTACT: The relationship between India and Pakistan is unique in itself. While there is tension at the top level, both the countries are enjoying good people-to-people contact. There is less hatred among common people, which is a good sign for the future relationship.

NEW LEADERSHIP: With Dr. Manmohan Singh, the soft, polite gentleman as the Prime Minister, and emergence of Congress leadership, Pakistan hoped that the new leadership would bring change in the already troubled and vulnerable Indo-Pak relationship. But although he has been elected twice, not much has been achieved. Still, we hope that he can bring some change.

ECONOMIC GROWTH: Not only Pakistan, it is in fact the entire world today that acknowledges the economic growth that India is witnessing. Such high economic growth would definitely help neighbours in the long run. At the same time, bilateral trade relationship has also seen a tectonic shift.

EXCHANGE OF DELEGATION: Another important area of improvement is in the area of exchange of high level delegates between both nations. A number of high level delegates visited Pakistan from India, and vice-versa too. This is undoubtedly helping to reshape the image of each other.

PEACE CONSTITUENCY: There have also been many peace constituencies created, organised and managed. Peace is the only thing both the countries are looking at; these constituencies have enough scope to bring development.

“And the 5 things we dislike...” TAKE-N-TAKE POLICY: Perhaps the biggest problem with India is its take-&-take policy. India thinks of itself as the Big Brother. It’s very important to change that attitude and to come forward with a give-&-take policy rather than a take-&-take one.

MEDIA: Indian media is also to be blamed for its very old tendency of over-hyping sensitive issues. Pinpointing someone regularly for every issue creates a very wrong impression in the minds of people. Media often hypothetically blames Pakistan for internal instability without any ground reality. Sometime, it also unnecessarily promotes hawkish elements to misdirect people.

BLAMING EACH OTHER: Sadly, both India and Pakistan are developing a habit of blaming each other. The 26/11 attack was very unfortunate; Pakistan equally felt the pain as a neighbour, but India can’t blame common Pakistanis and the government. India has the world’s best coast guard, navy force, army – and ten Pakistanis entered into its territory, and bombed it and it remained a mute spectator. It is a matter of shame.

NEIGHBOURING POLICY: India doesn’t seem to have a clear neighbouring policy. There will always be non-State elements to destroy relationships. We have to be very cautious about that. We shouldn’t be influenced by their act. In fact, we should unitedly fight against them. For mere reasons, we should not inculcate unfavourable neighbouring policies.

SEPARATIST GROUPS: There will remain many separatist groups. They need to be tackled effectively. They might create unnecessary hindrances and misconception in the relationship.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

IIPM News - Who moved my comics?

Only a superhero can rescue comic-book artists from becoming casualties of the animation industry...

Concerts, exhibitions, artwork and a display of acrobatics by none other than the elite fighter pilots from the French Air Force marked the celebrations of 50 years of France’s unique cultural export – Asterix and Obelix! As the French went all out to celebrate Asterix and Obelix’s birthday, their 34th comic book “Asterix and Obelix’s birthday – The Gold Book” was also launched. It’s been a while since a comic book created such a stir in our country. The spotlights have been fixed on the animators churning out exciting new films, and cartoons for television, which have all perhaps contributed to reducing children’s interest in comic books. Having sold 325 million copies of Asterix and Obelix comics, its co-creators RenĂ© Goscinny and Albert Uderzo are the best-selling authors of France. But in India, do comics even have an audience today?

“Channels like Cartoon Network and POGO have impacted the reading habits of children. They love to see the heroes on the small screen rather than read comic books,” opines V.G. Narendra, Managing Trustee, Indian Institute of Cartoonists. So, will it be a rare sight to see a kid spending his/her summer holidays reading comic books? Creator of perhaps India’s most famous cartoon character – Chacha Chaudhary – Prem doesn’t subscribe to the popular gloomy view about the comics industry’s future. “There was a set-back about a decade ago, due to television and other electronic media. But once again comics are coming up and their sales are increasing. This is also the effect of television and other electronic media. Like the sales of Superman and Batman comics increased because of the films, which also ended up giving publicity of the printed comics.” He has experienced the same effect with Chacha Chaudhary and relates how after a few episodes of ‘Chacha Chaudhary’ had aired on Sahara TV, there was a noticeable surge in its sales. “Both mediums are helpful in encouraging the market for each other. Now cartoons and comics are appearing on mobile phones and on the Internet, and films too are being produced.”

But where are the Prems and RK Laxmans of today? Most of us will find it very hard to recall the name of a single upcoming comic book artist.

About 20 or 30 years ago, a political cartoon used to appear on the front page of national dailies like Times of India and Hindustan Times and people liked to see the political cartoons on the front page daily. But now the whole concept of journalism has changed and the editors like to print photographs of film stars and film actresses and sports persons in place of a political cartoon. So, now cartoons have taken an exit,” says Prem, laying the blame for the decline of cartoonists on media’s shoulders. “Indian Institute of Cartoonists has plans to start on regular basis, courses and workshops for budding cartoonists,” says V.G.Narendra, who also mentions that, “A cartoonist in India earns a meagre amount for his art. Although, I feel cartoonists have the opportunity to grow in a number of animation studios.”

But will the future see iconic cartoonists like Prem and RenĂ© Goscinny emerge, or will there merely be animation studios with faceless artists; as Prem puts it, “…like a factory employing a certain number of workers and labourers.” While we can only wait to see how the future of cartooning shapes up, one thing’s for sure, that as long as there are children and a child inside every adult, cartoons like Asterix and Obelix and Chacha Chaudhary will continue entertaining – in print, TV and over the Internet.
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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, January 25, 2010

The alchemy of crops, credit and collateral…

It started off well and did make some progress. But the situation of farm credit is definitely not what it should have been, says anchal gupta

In July this year, 14 year old Rida Shaikh of Pune lost her life to swine flu. In October this year, 38 year old Sunil Sutar lost his life to no less heart wrenching circumstances. Rida’s parents sued the Pune hospital for gross neglect and business like attitude. The entire nation watched on TV with pain, agony and a growing sense of fear. For Sunil, the Orissa farmer from Murtumba village of Nabarangpur district, barely a few ever got to know him. Reason? While Rida was one of the earliest victims of a highly glorified ‘pandemic’ which has taken an ‘eye popping’ 500 lives in the country till date, Sunil’s life was taken by himself after he capitulated to the vicious cycle of debt and poverty post another crop failure due to lack of rain. No one was sued. Because no one knows whom to sue and for what?

India, with nearly two thirds of its population dependent on agriculture, stands out as the only country among the world’s twenty largest economies where nearly 45% of farm families still knock the doors of local moneylenders. Out of the remaining 55% going for institutional credit, nearly 80% live at subsistence levels owing to a crumbling irrigation infrastructure, corrupt middlemen system of markets and a stagnant public investment in agriculture as a percentage of GDP for the last 15 years. Ever since the development of co-operatives in the 1950s to help the farmers get access to credit for short and long term needs, there have been vast improvement in terms of the number of districts and total number of farmers covered through institutional credit and the adverse effects of informal credit through moneylenders has been mitigated. The development of institutions like NABARD, innovative models like Kisan Credit cards and microfinance accompanied by RBI policy of stipulating a fixed percentage (currently at 18%) of net bank credit to be directed towards agriculture under priority sector lending has increased the institutional credit flow. At a glance, it appears Indian farming is moving towards realizing an utopian dream.

But the more we delve into farm numbers, the more gruesome the score card becomes. Due to a massive number of marginal farmers holding extremely small farm holding of the order of 1-2 acres, they have absolutely no collateral to offer for attaining institutional credit from commercial banks or co-operatives. The debt relief scheme declared early this year by the UPA government covered farmers owning farms of 4-6 acres while a majority of farmers in the drought hit regions of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha have average farm areas of 1-2 acres. Another variable largely missed in the equation is the mode of water availability on a particular farmland.

According to A.K. Bandyopadhyay, Chief Economist, NABARD, “Credit has a strong tendency to perch on where it is relatively safe and shy away from the risky rainfed region that constitutes around 60% of the total cultivated area. Since most of the farmers are currently borrowing from financial institutions are located in irrigated areas, the challenge before the institutional credit is to increase its outreach in the rainfed and dry regions.” In fact, a study conducted in Andhra Pradesh pointed that out of the total number of reported farm suicides, 76% victims were dependent on rain-fed agriculture while 78% were small and marginal farmers.

Critically, a look at the distributional disparities across states in institutional credit unearths a root cause for the dismal performance of agriculture. In agriculturally less developed states like Rajasthan, Orissa, Bihar, Chattisgarh and West Bengal, due to huge rural populations, a vicious cycle develops. Average farm areas are so small that farmers don’t have any collateral to offer to institutional lenders. Hence, low levels of credit prohibit the adoption of modern technology and private capital investments leading to stagnated farm productivity and lower values for farm produce compared to rich farm states like Punjab and Haryana. The only way out for farmer to sustain its current year farm operations is to knock the doors of private moneylenders. The last nail in the coffin is the 35-40% interest rate charged by money lenders pushing the farmers to their graves.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009





An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative


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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Chennai to get New landmark

Rs 600-crore project to be completed by March, 2010

A new fort was built on the shore of Madras by the British in 1639 for their military and trade activities. It was named after St George. Post Independence, the historic fort has been used as Assembly complex and Secretariat by the Tamil Nadu government. But not anymore. The old fort will be turned into a museum after the government decided to shift Secretariat and Assembly to a new Rs 600 crore complex in Chennai. The last Assembly session was convened in the fort this year.

About Rs 425.56 crore is being spent on a six-floor building (A Block) that will house the chief minister’s office, the Legislative Assembly complex, library and conference hall. The Assembly session will be held in a hall over-arched by a dome. The Secretariat will be located in the B Block which is being built at an expense of nearly Rs 259.56 crore. The complex will be ready by March 12, 2010.

The German firm, Gerkan, Marg und Partner (GMP), that also designed the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi, has come up with a plan that fuses the visual feel of a modern urban complex with elements from Dravidian temple architecture. Earlier, the building was planned as a 20-storey one but now it has been reduced to 8 storeys.
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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, January 22, 2010

The strange and mysterious case of ouch! potatoes

With India escaping the onslaught of recession and growth resurging, high liquidity and reduced farm output have turned old enemy inflation against the UPA regime once again, says anchal Gupta

In the early 1920s, the so-called “war guilt” clause of the Treaty of Versailles made Germany pay massive war reparations to the Allies. In 1921, the London Ultimatum made Germany pay 2 billion marks to UK in gold and foreign currency beginning a spiraling devaluation in the German currency. The Weimar Republic was plunged into the worst price rise in its history and the German mark crashed from a value of 60 marks to the US dollar in early 1921 to 8000 marks by December 1922. German debt and hyperinflation ruined its economy, an issue at the core of Hitler’s hatred as mentioned in Mein Kampf and eventually led to Nazi takeover. What followed was the darkest hour in all of human history. This was the first ever instance when the far-reaching effects of inflation were realised and recorded. Till date the mystic tale of love and hate between inflation and interest rate remains unsolved. And with India becoming a shining beacon of world economy, taming inflation remains the toughest nut to crack ever since its tryst with liberalisation began.

With the developed world just about standing up after falling flat from the worst recession since the Great Depression, India has already started running following big brother China. Prices of almost all consumer durables and property have remained cheap or risen only marginally in the last year. Halt! For the middle and upper classes buoyed by the wealth generated by a services-led economy and massive FDI completely forget that more than 70% of India’s population, which also forms nearly 90% of India’s electorate, spends more than 80% of its income on only feeding their stomachs. And with food price inflation reaching 20% in the last few days, there could not have been a more inflated New Year gift for the famished. There are a multitude of factors responsible for this renewed threat. Even rain god Indra turned its back to the poor and labour class already out of jobs due to dwindling exports with India registering its worst ever monsoon in 37 years. With food grain production sliding and tonnes of kharif crop wiped out by drought or untimely floods in some regions, there is a severe supply side constraint which has fuelled food prices. Simultaneously, with a huge chunk of the labour force out of jobs due to plummeting of fortunes of the textile, jewellery and leather industries, the millions of rural returning labourers are stretched to the hilt to afford two meals a day. Hence, despite the over hyped success of NREGA and the farm loan waiver put in place that brought UPA thumping back to power, Incredible India could face the same fate as ‘India Shining’.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Maya’s birthday dilemma - "IIPM-News"

Welfare schemes to replace cakes at Mayawati's celebration

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is making an all-out effort to improve its image in Uttar Pradesh. The party, which claims to be the true representative of the poor and the down-trodden, has decided to celebrate chief minister Mayawati’s 54th birthday on January 15 as “people’s welfare day.”

Mayawati – famously known for her birthday parties – made it clear to her supporters that there will be no “fund raising” programme this year. An official release stated: “The day will be marked by the announcement of special schemes and programmes for the poor, widows, students and old people of the state.” Addressing a gathering, Mayawati told her leaders to work towards strengthening the party at the national level. She also added that this will help the party capture power at the Centre. On why her party had been raising funds to celebrate her birthday, she said that her mentor Kanshi Ram had always wished it to be like that. On this occasion, it was incumbent upon party’s leaders and supporters to donate money which were distributed among leaders to contest elections. However, this came under immense criticism when a party MLA allegedly beat an official of the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department to death in 2008 for not contributing money for her birthday bash. Above all, the opposition has accused the BSP of collecting “gifts and cash worth millions of rupees” from the public in the name of birthday celebrations. The fund raising drive has also been called an extortion scheme by extremly critical opponents. Since then, Mayawati has toned down her birthday celebrations. In fact, now welfare programmes and schemes will replace life-size cake cutting ceremonies.

However, the BSP supremo has always said and maintained, “The party always depends on small donations from people, as they never accept money from business houses or other entities unlike other political parties who take donations to safeguard their interests, ignoring the rights of the poor." Now, that's left for the people to judge.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Writing on the screen

“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – Prof John Keating in Dead Poets Society.

Sticking to the education system has been a familiar plot on celluloid on both sides of the Atlantic. Most were spearheaded by the nonconformist-teacher protagonists who in classic Lockean/Rousseauesque style showed little respect for time-honoured educational processes and encouraged individualism, intuition and creativity. Hollywood clearly took the lead with “Blackboard Jungle” (1955) where Glenn Ford sets about to have his way with kindness in an urban high school teeming with hoodlums given to insolence and crime. One of the punks, incidentally, was played by Sidney Poitier who, years later, was to find himself on the other side of the lectern in “To Sir, With Love” (1967). The way Mark Thackeray – a black unemployed engineer who decides to bide his time in a teaching job in London and earns the respect and friendship of an all-white batch of juvenile delinquents is a tale that never fails to bring up that lump in the throat on every viewing.

Classroom redemption was quite a hit in the 80s with “The Principal” (1987), “Stand and Deliver” (1988), “Lean on Me” (1989) and of course, “Dead Poets Society” (1989). “Lean on Me” had a desperate Morgan Freeman trying to stave off state control of a school overrun by drugs and indiscipline, while “Stand…” deployed Calculus classes as a metaphor for lessons in self-discovery and confidence. And who can forget Mr Keating (Robin Williams) in “Dead Poets..” where he is rewarded with poetic justice (literally!) in the end as his transformed bunch of wards rise and hail ‘O Captain, My Captain’ in the face of authority! Closer home, it inspired the fiddle-toting Raj Aryan in “Mohabbatein” (2000). Other Bollywood ventures with the teacher-disengaging-tradition subject, some forgettable “To Sir With Love” rip-offs notwithstanding, were “Jagriti” (1956), and more recently, another Aamir bull’s-eye, "Taare Zameen Par" (2007). Hirani’s “Munnabhai MBBS” (2003) mocked the medical school high-handedness a la “Patch Adams” (1998).

Female teachers making a difference in seemingly intractable lives were seen in “Freedom Writers” (2007) – Hillary Swank playing real-life hero Erin Gruwell – and Michelle Pfeiffer-starring “Dangerous Minds” (1995). Then again, with teachers like those, who wouldn’t fall in line?

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, January 18, 2010

IIPM News - The First Family of Sarod

The Senia Bangash family gave Sarod to the world. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and sons Amaan and Ayaan have not only spotlighted their musical legacy, but have in fact reinvigorated the whole genre of Indian classical music along the way. The maestro and his heirs speak on the dynasty dynamics…

GURUSPEAK


Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

You are the sixth generation of the Senia Bangash Gharana. So far, how has the journey been?

By the grace of god, and with the love and support of music lovers and family, it has been a very fruitful and overwhelming journey for me right from my days in Gwalior. I started performing in the year 1951 and it has been a journey that has been more interesting and meaningful after I have been joined by my disciples and sons. Collectively we are on a mission to convey the message of freedom within the discipline of Indian classical music.

Which have been the biggest challenges in your career?

The recent development of excessive genres of music and the invasion of so many television channels has made my medium somewhat more challenging.

Having said that, I do feel that Indian classical music is at its peak at the moment.

Have you felt responsible about shouldering the family legacy? Has there ever been a time when you wished to pursue something else in life?

Fortunately, from my childhood, my parents and the followers of my father and guru, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb, made me realise the responsibility of my long lineage. Hence, I was very focused since childhood on achieving something musical from the oceanic world of Indian classical music. I never had a chance to decide what I wanted to do!

Congratulations on your recent Grammy nomination. How important are awards to you? Do you think your ancestors have received their due from the audiences?

Thank you for the good wishes! An honour is always an honour. No honour is greater than the other, but any creative person needs these assurances from time to time, perhaps to know that you are on the right track. More than me, I am happy that instrument Sarod will reach out to a newer audience and listeners with this nomination. I do feel that my forefathers do deserve much more than what is said. Keeping in mind that the modification of the Sarod was done by them, Sarod is a gift to me and the world of music by them. Sarod means Music in Persian, the pronunciation originally was Sarood. Ustad Ghulam Bandagi Khan Bangash, Ustad Nanneh Khan Ustad Murad Ali Khan, Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash, Ustad Asghar Ali Khan and of course, the monumental icon, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan have all been father figures to the Sarod playing industry.

Was it important to you that your sons carry on the family legacy?

Music being my most precious possession, and wealth, it was only natural for me to wish to share it with my sons. This was a gift of the almighty that I very normally and naturally had to bequeath to them. However, at the end of the day, it is the hard work of every son or disciple that matters. Legacy has no value without musical content. I definitely never imposed music upon them but having said that, I feel that, at the same time, they had no choice!

What about your grand children?

That entirely depends on their parents! I will, of course, be happy to teach them.

If you hadn’t belonged to the Bangash Gharana, where would you have been today?

I would see myself as a very sincere student of music and a true son to my parents.

BROTHERS IN SYNC

Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan

How do you connect with the land, legacy and music of your grandfather?


Though we did not grow up in Gwalior, our music connection with our grandfather is beyond a physical meeting with him as he passed away way back in 1972. However, we feel his presence constantly at all times. Musically, we feel that he is watching over us, and also personally. When we do play some of his compositions or Ragas that were close to him, the feeling is very special. Our link with Gwalior is very strong. The museum that we run in Gwalior is very close to our hearts and we make quite a few trips in a year to Gwalior.

You are the seventh generation of the Senia Bangash Gharana. So far, how has the journey been?

It’s been a very overwhelming experience. The expectations of people have kept us going. There is so much that has to be done. We have many many more miles to go.

Was there ever a time in your life when you did not want to pursue music, or wished to go about an alternate vocation?

Children are like water. They take the shape of the vessel. In our case, that’s what happened. Every brick of the house was soaked in music. It was almost like eating lunch and dinner. We did think of a back up plan at different stages of our lives, but it seems that the heaven already took decisions for us.

As a child, did you know that you would continue your family tradition and take up music professionally?

Amaan found his calling in music quite late, when he was around 13-14. Ayaan on the other hand was quite clear on being a musician right from the start.

Would you want your children to also continue in your footsteps?

It depends entirely on them.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Scindias: Maharaja class

Gwalior city may have fallen on hard days but there is no sign here that the sway of the royalty is waning, writes Sanjay Srivastava

Gwalior’s railway station is a huge letdown. The late Madhvarao Scindia, a prominent scion of the royal dynasty was once the Union railway minister. His stamp, however, is not visible anymore. Outside the station, an old but sparkling locomotive – GLR (Gwalior Light Railway) stands mute witness to an era gone by. However, the squalor around the building hints at the decay that has set in. It is difficult to believe that the current scion of the dynasty represents the city in Parliament. The city is clearly in decline. But loyalty to the Scindias comes easy to most denizens of Gwalior. At the local university, which bears the name of one of the Scindias, a student says: “We don’t much care for the kings and queens. We just want our representatives to be honest. Our Raja is just that.”

But not for APS Chauhan, head of the political science department, who is even pejoratively referred to as a “feudal Communist”. He says: “If the writ of the Scindias still runs here, it is not because of their wealth. Honorifics like Maharaja, Raje and Shrimant do not really reflect their hold over minds. They haven’t brought development to Gwalior nor do the people fear them. It isn’t still in the 14th century as many would like to believe. They have remained relevant through compromises, connections and other tricks of the trade.” In the bustling Bada Bazaar, an old man quips, “If there is anything worth mentioning in Gwalior apart from the dynasty, it is the Fort, gond kay ladoo and the musical gharana of Tansen.” That, in a way, sums up the city. Its door opens in a rather claustrophobic alley of Choori Bazaar. The structure is crumbling. So is the mausoleum of his ustaad, Gaus Saheb. We asked the khadim of the place, Zameel Khan, whether the dynasty supports the upkeep of the mausoleums. “Yes, they make promises,” he replied. The fact is that these monuments fall under the Archaeological Survey of India. So the Scindias cannot do much to conserve them. The Fort, too, is in a dilapidated state, but its architectural splendour is still intact. The adjoining Scindia School is squeaky clean. One visiting government official is rather caustic: “The Scindias are only concerned about their votes. They don’t take care of the city. Its heritage is decaying. Isn’t it their responsibility?” But there are those who swear by loyalty.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Friday, January 15, 2010

Kalaingar’s largesse - IIPM News

Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi has no electoral interests in his birthplace. Yet his stamp is visible everywhere in his hometown, writes N. Asokan

Twenty-five kilometers from Thiruvarur, an ancient town in the Chola dynasty heartland, a serpentine road winds through sprawling paddy fields. A signboard of the prestigious Anna University looms into view. This is Thirukuvalai, a small village of only 3,000 people. This is the birthplace of Karunanidhi, five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

He was born here in 1924. Stories about his perseverance abound. When he was in school, Karunanidhi and a friend dived into the temple tank to swim up to an island temple. By the time they got to the middle of the tank, they were out of breath. The friend suggested that they turn back. But Karunanidhi insisted on swimming on. He argued that the distance to the mandapam and the bank they had started from was the same. So they kept swimming and reached the mandapam. They rested awhile and then swam back safely.

The friend, Thennan, is 80 today. Currently the chairman of Tiruvarur municipality, he remains one of Karunanidhi’s best friends. He remembers their schooldays vividly. Karunanidhi was only 13 when he launched an organisation to propagate rational thought among youngsters. His activities marked him out as a natural leader. With the passage of years, the young Dravidian politician attracted the attention of stalwarts like Annadurai and Periyar. He soon became a pan-Tamil Nadu leader thanks to his writings and oratorical skills.

Karunanidhi's links with Thirukuvalai remain intact to this day. “Whenever he in the vicinity, he visits us," says Thennan. On the wall of his house are pictures of himself taken with Karunanidhi. ''Back then, he would go around on a bicycle campaigning for Periyar's principles. Once in a village called Odachery, a pillaiyar temple (Ganesh Mandir) was destroyed by an expanding banyan tree. Seeing this, he quipped: This tree has done what Periyar didn't do."

Thennan says: “When TN's first-ever Central University was sanctioned recently, it came to Thiruvarur becaue of Karunanidhi. He also recently got us a government medical college."

Interestingly, neither Karunanidhi nor any family member has ever contested an election from Thiruvarur. Though DMK was formed in 1949, it plunged into electoral politics only in 1957.

“We took time to assess his chances in Nagappattinam because Thiruvarur was a reserved constituency. But Annadurai got him to contest from Kuliththalai constituency in another district,” recalls Thennan.

In his public life spanning over 70 years, Karunanidhi has never lost an election. He has contested from six different Assembly constituencies. He currently represents Chepauk in Chennai, from where he has won thrice in succession.

Karunanidhi's home turf is in the tail-end of the Cauvery delta. Early in his political career, he was instrumental in bringing water to this area. He did so by outwitting the landlords along the river who refused to let the Cauvery water flow past until their land was irrigated. In 1967, Karunanidhi became minister for public works. That year a local functionary wrote a letter seeking corrective action.
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IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Mission Moon

One of the most ambitious efforts by the developing nations to scale the moon was the Chandrayaan mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization. Its goal was to expand ISRO’s capabilities and to help resolve long standing questions about the moon's history. Chandrayaan-1 had deployed a powerful suite of instruments to map the lunar surface and search for the presence of radioactive isotopes. It also helped ISRO’s ground support, communications, and data reception and interpretation systems, and also increased India’s technical and scientific capabilities. However its star sensors failed in July, 2009.

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IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Thank you Dr Yunus!

This is the right time to set the ball rolling for South Asia Union

obel laureate Muhammad Yunus' speech on South Asia Union (SAU) in the Indian Parliament on December 09, 2009 has resuscitated the age-old debate of unification of South Asia by 2030. He stressed on facilitating border-free movement along with having a common flag, currency, visa, trade policies. This idea is being criticised heavily by the main steam media. But then for once let’s just not criticise this vision but conversely analyse the benefit out of it. At the time when European Union is flourishing (both socially & politically) and is all set to emerge as a new world power and at the time when unification of Africa (a continent torn apart by wars, conflict & numerous social ailments) and South America is being worked out — the concept of SAU seems more achievable.

Every south Asian country is unique in itself and does hold an exclusive success story. Thus, on unification, each of these success stories (or success models) can be implemented Pan-SAU and thus many problems like poverty, employment, health and terrorism can be addressed. SAU can easily benefit from success mantra of Singapore, India, UAE, Turkey, Maldives, Iran, China – to name a few. If one of the south Asian union members has achieved zenith in international relations and lobbying then others are good at reducing poverty, fighting recession, becoming oil and real estate hub, generating tourism, eliminating conservative behaviour, outsourcing hub, generating employment, nuclear and scientific research and so on and so forth. However, amidst this rosy dream, the ongoing tension in south Asia acts as a nightmare. However, an unification can, to a large extent, dilute this issue too. Take for instant, the European Union (EU). None of the south Asian countries have been more hostile than Germany and France and Italy. And today we see Germany, Italy and France working together (as members of EU) and have recently appointed a common president for the union (with enforcement of Lisbon treaty on Nov 30, 2009). Even Slovakia and the Czech Republic (born out of Czechoslovakia) and are part of the union. Same can be iterated for the whole Balkan region.

We are far better-off as we share lot of common culture, festive (other soft power) and still have feeling of brotherhood for each other even across the border.

SAU will allow the countries to share resources so that 'resource-dearth' countries can grow and develop. This will in long run address more social problems (ranging from poverty to employment). The ball has already been set rolling with the inception of SAARC or South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. SAARC should now work towards uplifting all proposed SAU countries, economically and also help them in becoming politically more stable, so that in next two decades or so they are all ready for unification. Issues like migration, terrorism, conflicts needs to be addressed on urgent basis if SAU dream is to be realised. Twenty years is a plenty of time for SAARC member to eliminate all hurdles and start talks on SAU. SAU will be, if formed, one of the most powerful unions and beating EU, African Union and South American Union or for that matter even the US. Before we get reduced to ruins (because of ongoing tensions), we need to realise that sharing a few aspects will make each of us more developed and will inculcate trust and prosperity.

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IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Monday, January 11, 2010

Homing pigeon

P.C’s move could get ‘em truants

Sample these: In spite of the West Bengal state government’s circular asking all employees to be punctual and to follow the 10 am to 5 pm official working hours, there was hardly any change in the ‘late work culture’ at Kolkata Writers’ Building (the West Bengal Secretariat and Assembly). This state circular also had a clause that made sure that the employees who failed to maintain the schedule would face penal action. According to various reports, most employees still arrive amicably between 11.15 am to 11.30 am and then leave at around 5 pm. Recent reports now also show the obvious, that even our MPs do not attend Parliament sessions regularly (if at all), what to talk about public appearances where they keep masses waiting for hours, if they appear that is.

Chidambaram, despite all the acrimony that he seems to scrape on to his personality, might have hit the truants with the hammer right where it hurts – the finger. In order to counter the problem of late attendances, the Home Minister has introduced bio-metric scanners at the offices of the Home Ministry. Chidambaram announced a few months back that a ten-minute delay three times a month will count as one day of leave. In the first stage of the scheme, 5000 home ministry employees – regardless of rank – will have their index fingers scanned to enable them to be tracked with respect to their attendance time and leaves. On week post the system, the Ministry claimed that 90% of their ‘subordinate staff’ and 70% of ‘junior officers’ were in office by 9.05 am (comparative pre-system figures were not provided; but one assumes it’s an uppish curve). Endgame? Not so fast Wodehouse. One, the system only checks fingers and not whether the person stays in office post ‘fingering’ in his attendance! Two, it won’t be long before an employee takes the equipment to court claiming it malfunctions. Three, vandalism! Still, what would get the cheasel of the weasels is the fact that now even the tax department is thinking of issuing biomentric PAN cards! As Indians would put it quite crassly, attendance was a game for their left hands once upon a time... now their right!

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IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Saturday, January 09, 2010

IIPM News - The Doomsday 2012 hoax

NASA scientist, professor David morrison dispels the myth surrounding the apocalyptic prophesies of 2012

Stories circulating on the Internet about the “end of the world” or various disasters in December 2012 are a hoax. Nothing will happen in 2012. There is no science behind any of these doomsday claims.

One widespread assertion is that there is a planet or brown dwarf or perhaps even a “second sun” (called Planet X or Nibiru) that will hit the Earth or pass close by in December 2012. But there is no evidence that such an object exists. If it did, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least a decade, and by now it would be visible even without a telescope. This is not something that could be kept secret, since even amateur astronomers from all over the world could see it. The idea of a large nearby planet that remains invisible is just silly.

Other doomsday stories concern so-called alignments. Many in the public think that when planets line up, something terrible will happen. But astronomers know that such alignments don’t have any effect on us. Besides, there are no planet alignments in 2012. What does happen is that every December, the Sun, as seen from the Earth, is in the direction of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. There is nothing mysterious about this, as it happens every year. The galactic centre with its black hole is 30,000 light years away, and it has no effect on the Earth. Others claim that the solar system will pass through the plain of the Milky Way galaxy, and that this will release some dangerous forces. But the solar system is now far from the galactic plane, and we won’t cross it again for more than 10 million years.

Many of the disaster predictions for the Earth are absurd. Some say that the rotation of the Earth will suddenly reverse, with the Sun rising in the west. This “pole shift” has never happened and never will. Others are worried that the magnetic poles of the Earth will reverse. This is something that happens every 400,000 years on an average, but there is no reason to expect such a reversal in magnetic polarity in 2012.

One legitimate but exaggerated concern is over solar outbursts. The Sun goes through an 11-year activity cycle. Near peak activity, there are solar flares that can cause some damage to space satellites, although engineers have learned to design their electronics to withstand such events. The next solar maximum is predicted for 2013, and it is expected to be unusually weak. There is nothing about the Sun to cause a doomsday fear.

None of the doomsday predictions has any scientific validity. Yet many people are still afraid of December 2012. The only reason this date is selected is that it represents the end of one of the large cycles in the ancient Maya calendar. Scholars who study the Mayan culture say that this calendar event does not predict anything, let alone a global disaster.

It is sad that so many people are falling for this doomsday hoax. Many who write to me are genuinely frightened. Children are especially vulnerable. I think, it is ethically wrong to promote a hoax that causes so much distress.

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IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Friday, January 08, 2010

Robert Vadra - Priyanka Vadra’s Husband

He used to be short and chubby. But in recent months, Robert Vadra has shed 20 kgs. He loves body-building and showing off his muscles. His facebook profile has a picture of Robert flexing his muscles. Given who he is, isn’t he entitled to that at the very least?

He loves dancing, cycling and golf and is often seen alongside Priyanka at public events. But even though shutterbugs make a beeline for the couple, Robert prefers to keep a low profile. Son of a businessman, Robert ran a small-scale costume jewellery export firm, Artex, on the outskirts of Delhi when he married Priyanka in 1997. Sources have revealed that he shut down his business a few years back and got into the real estate sector.

In 2002, Robert severed ties with his father and brother. It is believed that his decision followed reports that his brother Richard had approached a Congress chief minister and used Priyanka Vadra’s name to secure a contract for a major project.

Another Congress leader claimed that Robert’s father, Rajinder Vadra, had called on him for a favour and sent his visiting card with "father-in-law of Priyanka" written on it. Robert distanced himself from his family to avoid controversy.

Every major religion is represented in Robert’s family. His father, Rajinder Vadra had married Maureen, a Roman Catholic. His eldest son Richard married Saira, a Muslim: Saira's mother is a Roman Catholic and father a Muslim and Robert has wed Priyanka, whose mother Sonia is a Roman Catholic.

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IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The night that never ended

As the Copenhagen Summit Mulls measures to save the earth, victims of one of the world’s worst-ever industrial disasters continue to face apathy and injustice 25 years after the catastrophe, writes K Raghav Sharma

As the world meets in Copenhagen to save the earth and discuss climate change, carbon emissions and melting glaciers, the lives of many of Bhopal’s gas leak victims continue to be a never-ending nightmare. Fobbed off with inadequate compensation and left to grapple with severe disabilities and diseases, they are as good as dead – men and women who are paying for the sins of greedy multinationals, insensitive governments and a lethargic legal machinery.

Consider the case of Kiranbai. On the night of December 3, 1984, she delivered a baby boy. Even as the infant lay beside her, happiness eluded the mother and thousands of other residents of the city. They were fleeing, trying to escape from the deadly gas, methyl isocyanate, which had burst out from the Union Carbide plant. The gas didn’t spare the newborn. It seeped into his brain cells.

The boy born on the day of one of the world’s worst-ever industrial disasters is 25 years old today. But he is still a child. People call him Gasu. His real name, Chandrasekhar, is all but forgotten. “He lapses into illogical acts at times,” Kiranbai mourns. But there is nobody that she can turn to for solace.

The story of Kiran and her hapless son is a live illustration of the irreparable damage that corporate avarice and administrative collusion can wreak on mankind. For those who suffered on that fateful, frightful night and continue to suffer to this day, the Copenhagen Summit is akin to a cruel joke. The world is seeking to clean up its act after messing up the lives of these gas tragedy victims and is looking the other way. Will anyone speak up for their cause in Copenhagen?

Gasu is among countless children who have been left maimed, scarred and brain-damaged by the horrific gas leak. His friend, Akram Khan, unhappy at Gasu’s fate, has other things to bemoan. His father, Ibrahim, was sapped of all his energy by the deadly gas. His tummy bloated like a balloon and he lost his job. Life is a daily grind for him and his family. “I have no appetite and every day is living hell,” he told TSI.

Many children born later have also developed severe neurological diseases as a direct impact of the gas leak. Three-year-old Sakshi, sitting on the lap of her mother Babita Sahoo, is even unable to cry. A weak sound escapes from her lips when she tries. Sakshi can’t walk properly. “We have no money for her treatment and whatever I earn is spent on her,” Babita told TSI. To this day, the mental scars are visible everywhere. One still hears bizarre stories of how the entire state administration, including the then chief minister Arjun Singh, his ministerial colleagues and the senior-most bureaucrats, had fled the capital of Madhya Pradesh, leaving the trapped citizens to fend for themselves.

That night, Neelabai, a young woman, was taken to the cremation pyre in an unconscious state and petrol was poured on her body. But she returned to her senses in the nick of time and ran for her life. She was six months pregnant then. The pregnancy got aborted. Speaking to TSI, a deeply distressed Neelabai said, “If the disaster hadn’t happened, I would have had a child as old as you.” For her, the corridors of a hospital are second home. Six years after the tragedy, Neelabai received only Rs 50,000 as compensation.

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Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative