Falling off the offshore bandwagon

I head the IT function at an early stage media/ advertising startup. One of the reasons I got hired,I presume, was the fact that I had worked on both sides of the offshore equation and was an Indian.

I am a firm believer in specialization and core competencies. So, I was not looking to build a large IT department. I am happy to outsource. And, offshoring certainly figured in my and our management's plan. But, my experience in the last three months have been really bad.

Our first round of vendor selection removed the most obviously incapable guys. We narrowed our list to about three vendors (all CMM Level 5 etc...)- the range of costs were between 200k to 800K. It made us wonder if our requests were too vague or if vendors were signaling what they wanted the project to be. Mind you the hourly rate of these vendors were almost the same - +/- 2 bucks/hr.

And, as if this variance was not enough there were lot of humorous errors in the proposals. One vendor offered to staff culturally sensitive french speaking resources on our project here in Midwest US. And, other, in response to a question about their employee turnover rate, indicated that their retention rate was one of the lowest in the industry.

At this point we started looking at a software package with the help of a local software reseller. And, at the same time we decided to define the scope of the implementation better in an effort to reduce the variance. The reseller's quote for the implementation was about 1000 hrs. We then proceeded to seek a revised quote for the project (which now was a product implementation). One of the three offshore vendors decided to drop off because they did not have any experience in the product. Another said they will partner with another firm since they did not have any experience but wanted to build expertise in that area. We said that was not ideal but we were willing to hear.

The one guy who had experience and expertise was the guy who had quoted 800k earlier. They are a 30000 person / $1 b company. This time they said 235k. At that price the cost was higher than the local provider. And, the number came with no information on the effort estimate or resource allocation. When we pushed them hard they gave an effort estimate of 6250 hrs - over six times that of the local vendor.

Meanwhile, the other guy who was going to get a partner got one but did not know the partner's name. Yes, that is right. They got the partner's name wrong during the conference call. And, instead of trying to build our confidence in them the vendor did the exact opposite. They would not return our calls, turn in the proposals on time. We decided to give up on these guys and seek a proposal from another small vendor with offices in US and India.

We tried to get an understanding of the other quote. We asked them if they had accounted for our resources participating in the effort. Initially, they said they had. Then when we told them their effort estimate was six times that of the local vendor they said they had not accounted for our resources. So, they reduced the effort by about 1250 and offered us a new price of 185k. In the meanwhile, I opened Excel and tried use the numbers, rates and the onshore/offshore effort ratio they had provided to make sense of the numbers. And, what I found was that the numbers they quoted were mathematically impossible for the rates, effort and onshore/offshore effort ratio they had indicated.

Maybe, the local provider was being aggressive and had some of the effort padded in their hourly rate. The offshore guys lead with their low hourly rates and pad in the effort estimate. I am guessing the guys in the big corporations just look at the hourly rates and claim savings. But, do cost savings exist? In our case they did not. Not only that, none of these vendors provided cost, effort and resource estimate. It looks like these vendors have grown complacent and don't bother to check the proposal for cut and paste error or if the numbers add up. And, the numbers did not add up.

A name from the past reappears

I was in for a surprise when I leafed through the latest issue of Fortune magazine. In fact, a double surprise. In an article on technologies for the real world was the incredible Lifestraw. Of course, that was no surprise.

Also, on the list was the equally incredible the Tata project (http://www.tataliteracy.org) to combat illiteracy. The write up mentioned that the man behind the project was the 82 year old Fakhir Chand Kohli. Now, that was a name that I have not seen mentioned for a while. For the new generation of desis who have been brought up Infosys, NRN, World is Flat etc... FC Kohli may not mean anything. In fact, I would not be surprised if folks in the Indian software companies don't know him. But, FC Kholi is the man who started it all. Widely acknowledged as the father of the Indian software industry, he started this revolution about 25+ years before the world became "flat". I am glad to see he is still blazing new trails.

Attention in the literacy area is long overdue. According to the website we have over 350 million illiterate people (about 30% of the population). And, the government and politicians has consistently promoted secondary education at the expense of primary education. I guess it helps them to keep a large section of the population illiterate and easily convinced by their gimmicks and giveaways.

The epidemic of "Therapeutic alienation" in India

Last weekend I watched a very interesting interview on PBS. John McWhorter, the author of "Winning the Race" talked about what is wrong with welfare and black empowerment. He described "the heroics of idle protest and theatrical rage" that characterize today's black leadership as "therapeutic alienation."

He says ..."therapeutic alienation: alienation unconnected to, or vastly disproportionate to, real-life stimulus, but maintained because it reinforces one's sense of psychological legitimacy, via defining oneself against an oppressor characterized as eternally depraved."

It was an ah-ha moment for me. I finally have a term for what desis from M.K. Gandhi to today's leaders indulge in. Ok, I am sure the reference to Gandhi will draw criticism from some quarters. But, think. Did Gandhi care more about winning independence or proving the British as morally inferior? And, today we have people of all kinds indulging in similar behavior (though their morals, inf any, are really low).

Now, there is a new report that was leaked in sync with the Uttar Pradesh elections that finds Indian muslims that worse off than other religious groups. It is a call for religion based reservations. This is when about 75% of indian muslims are covered by existing caste based reservations. So, on one hand we have this high sounding concepts like secularism, equality and equal opportunity while on the other hand we have government policies that promote division. How long before the shias, sunnis and other groups all ask for their own quotas?

SOA stands for "Same Old Architecture"

Last week I went for an IDC conference on "Service Oriented Architecture" (SOA). I went there hoping that the conference speakers will help provide a clearer perspective on why SOA is going to change the world.

The key note got off to a real bad start with one of the analysts presenting pretty much throwing all buzzwords, jargons and cliches in one 15min talk. There were a number of references to Geoffery Moore and his concepts to a predominantly tech audience who probably have never heard of him. It only got worse as the day progressed.

Vendors, both product and services firms, tried their best to convince everyone that their tool/ approach will offer the best. They took great pains to convince that SOA is not web services yet the only example of SOA that was demonstrated was a email validation service using web services. The services vendors talked a great deal about SOA governance but had a hard time talking about how it was different from IT Governance and where it fit in. There were a number of times when different speakers had radically different thoughts on what a term meant. A guy from the services side of a tools vendor said SOA Governance is like IT Governance but at an enterprise level while a CIO of an utility company said SOA Governance is about security and service life cycle management.

I am appalled by the number of snake oil salesmen in the IT industry. No wonder IT credibility is really low. We have a poor track record, poor communication skills but we feel the need to come up with some new term every three years and try to sell it to the world as the new silver bullet. Why can't we call it as we see it? I called SOA "old wine in a new bottle". But, a colleague of mine said it better - "old underwear in new packaging." The SOA story is just one example. The other one is SOX (Sarbanes Oxley bogey). There are a whole lot of products and vendors offering solutions for SOX compliance. SOX does not directly mention IT anywhere but that has not stopped vendors from proposing incredibly stupid solutions. I once had a consultant from a large service provider suggest that we should run SSL on our LAN for SOX compliance.

There were one or two speakers at this conference who made sense. There was this guy from HP who started off by saying "I was doing SOA twnety years back." His point was SOA is nothing but doing IT architecture right - to support the business functions. The new technologies and standards just make things easier.

Revolution in IT will happen when IT personnel and technology vendors understand the business and its problems.

In memory of a friend who I wish I had known better

I tried emailing Prasad last week, one of my once in a year or so email ping. And, it bounced back. Hotmail informed me that the mailbox was no longer available - a sign of it not being in use for more that four months. I wondered if Prasad like a number of others had decided to use Gmail. So, I searched for other email addresses that I might have for him. When I did not find any I searched on the Web.

The first hit was an article in "The Hindu" about being the only child from early this year. He was quoted in it. But, it was the second hit that made me go cold. It was an item from "The Hindu" obituary from April 25th announcing Prasad's transition on April 20th. Prasad must have been 42 or at the most 43 years.

I still remember vividly how I met Prasad. It must have been 1993 I had responded to an advertisement in the IEEE Spectrum magazine about an organization called Global Intuition Network (GIN). They claimed to promote intuition as a management tool. I was intrigued and I wrote to them. Turns out Prasad had sent a letter,too. And, since my letter must have arrived there first they asked Prasad to get in touch with me about organizing the local charter. Prasad sent me a letter. And, I was quite surprised. Anyway, I called him on the phone to find out what his interest was. He told me that he had an engineering degree, a MBA and he ran a small robotics and automation firm. Later, during our first face to face meeting at his office I learned that his engineering degree was from IITB and the MBA was from Carnegie Mellon. I remember asking him "What are you doing here?". And, his response was, "This is my company. I would be nowhere else."

We never did anything about GIN but we kept in touch. It was mostly my initiative. But, he always made it a point to respond to the letters or make time to meet me. After I moved to the US and my folks moved out of Chennai in 1999 the once in 3 months contact reduced to one or two emails a year. My emails were always the same - "how is work? hope your mom is doing well." His dad had passed away back when he was in college. And, his responded promptly, as always. He told me about the pressure from the Chinese entry into the Indian market, the increasing wages etc...I did not have anything to offer him. As always he seemed quirky as ever, a bit defiant and making the best of the situation.

In December of 2003 I decided to fly into India via Chennai. I called Prasad when I got there. And, he invited us over to his home for breakfast. I went to his home, met his mom for the first time and had breakfast with them. He seemed upset about things at work - an old timer had swindled him and another had decided to move on. He invited us to stay on, said he would like to get to know my wife, who like him is an only child and an air force child. But, we were on the run - the typical 3 week vacation from the US. I promised to try spend time with him on my way out knowing fully well that it probably would not happen due to other commitments. Prasad dropped us off at our next appointment, a friend of mine from my undergrad days. And, during the drive managed to fool my friend into believing that he was a hired driver. It was hilarious. That was the last time I met Prasad.

In December of 2005 I did return to India on vacation. But, this time I skipped Chennai altogether. We spoke briefly over the phone. He sounded upset that I had not planned on coming to Chennai. He seemed to be holding back something. I did not ask, he did not tell. I promised to keep in touch by email or phone - my usual "ping". I don't know if I did email him after that. I want to think that I did. I never received any response. So, maybe I never did.

I wonder if things would have been different had I been in Chennai. Or, would we have remained the same. I do wish I had asked him what was on his mind, why he had not married, if could have been of any help.... I wish I had been more involved. I thank you, my friend, for the memories. I just wish there were a lot more.

Child Rights or Relief... what is in a name?

Looks like the favorite desi pastime of re-naming cities and organizations has bitten my favourite charity. Child Relief & You (a.k.a CRY) has decided to change its name to Child Rights & You (a.k.a CRY). But,looks like laziness caught the better of them (at least the IT staff). So, while the indian site has it as Child Rights & You (http://www.cry.org/index.html),the US landing page (http://america.cry.org/index.asp) still has Child Relief & You.

BTW, I think the new name for Bangalore is quite appropriate - Bengaluru, derived from Benda Kaal Ooru - that's "boiled beans town". Yes, you guys are full of hot air. Maybe, it is the beans ;).

You also make me proud... very proud

BBC News | Corus accepts £4.3bn Tata offer

Growing up in India it is hard to miss the Tatas. Their product and services were integral part of my life (and, for that matter the life of most Indians). In B-school two years back we had a case study on the Tatas. I remember the German professor asking the class - "What do you know about the Tatas?" And, my response was ..."I think they have done more for India than all Indian governments put together." Well, that may not be saying much given the quality of Indian governments but here is a group that for the most part knows the right from wrong and plays by the rules.

I was bit sad when Reliance took over the position of #1 indian industrial group. I remember Anil Ambani launching a website called "Anil Ambani for India" (now goes to Reliance insurnace) in true Amreki estyle. And, the next thing I knew was Reliance Telecom was fined a hefty amount for terminating international calls as local calls to avoid the gateway fees. Talk about robbing the country blind. Reliance to some extend is the opposite of the Tatas - for the most part they bend the rules and when their conscience troubles them they do something good. A bit like most Indians.

Anyway, coming back to the topic. One of the most memorable advertisement was the Tata Steel ad that showed their commitment to society and ended with the line "We also make steel." Yes, and a whole lot of it. But, you also make me proud (and, I bet most Indians would concur).

Irony that is India

The other day I was having a chat with the head of sales of a mid sized Indian offshore service provider. And, he mentioned that Bangalore was closed because of a "state sponsored" bandh to show their grievances about north karnataka area that is claimed by karnataka and maharastra. Then, came the protests against english.

It made me wonder about the various stupid acts that we seem to proudly carryon. I think Gandhi probably never realized that the non-violent non cooperation movement will legitimize bandh, hartal and what ever you may call it...And, is it really non-violent? Try telling that to someone who is trying to get to a hospital for a medical emergency.

We take a lot of pride in claiming that ours was a non-violent struggle for freedom.But, we forget that the first act was to kill each other. Yes, we did not fight the british with arms, we fought our own.

Then, there is the stupid practice of calling the disadvantaged folks "harijans". As, if calling them that will change the people's behaviour. Why not just try to remove the need to classify people and enforce the non-discrimination law. And, that is not the same as handouts.

Desis everywhere

Potential predators in Petaluma - Dateline NBC - MSNBC.com

Yesterday's Dateline NBC "Catch a Predator" featured a number of desis. In fact, I think desis were the largest ethnic group featured in yeasterday's episode that was about the sting operation in Petaluma. I think almost all desis were young software engineers. Way to go guys. Yeah, some time in the jail will round off your US experience. Enjoy Maadi!!!

Hate, Indifference or Unconditional love ...what do I care?

NRIs to get voting rights soon

First they (the Government and most people) hated the Non Resident Indians (NRIs). They were these scumbags who enjoyed the best that Dear Old Bharat Mata (DOBM) had to offer and then turned their backs on DOBM.

Then came the indifference phase. The NRIs were eager to cash in on the high interest rates at home. And, DOBM was eager to take their cash to tide over the messy forex reserves problem.

All that changed a few years back. Now, we have Parvasi Divas, Dual Citizenships, full coverage of spelling bee contests, star writers (until they turn out to be plagiarists) and first round elimination from Amazing Race. DOBM loves the NRIs. But, allowing NRIs to vote is the last straw. Most of these blokes did not vote or were not eligible to vote when they were in India. Now, they will try to vote based on their views moulded by different surroundings, perceptions created by media and with no touch with reality on the ground. And, what more they won't have to enjoy the consequences of their votees on a daily basis.

Someone once said immigrants are strangers in the country they go to and the country they leave behind. I tend to agree with that assessment. I also think most immigrants (desis or otherwise) tend to take extreme positions. Would I want a stranger to decide what is good for me? No! So, DOBM why would you?

Yet another layoff

Back in 2001-2002 I was at an Internet consulting company that was laying off people every three months. Just when I thought I was behind that here I am after making the cut.

Back in 2001-2002, I remember the firm's CEO saying "we don't want to become good at this" after mishandling the first layoff. But, by the third layoff they had the process well nailed down. Often there were people who were offered additional incentives to stay on to finish the project they were on. They were called "trailers". But, pretty much everyone got laidoff the same day.

Here they took a different approach. First they told the analysts and public that they were downsizing. Then, told the employees the next day that over the next two weeks they will know if they were going to be affected.  So, for the next two weeks nobody really did much. And, when the announcements were finally made all were asked to stay on till the end of September to get their package.

My boss said someone had to go from our group. And, he said  "Since you recently got your graduate degree we thought you may want to do something else." A very noble thought indeed. Over the last six weeks there have been a flurry of resignations from the department. And, it prompted the CIO to spin it as a sign of "red hot" job market.  The spin is something that I expected.

I am often amazed how the folks at the "C" level get away with screwed up performances. And, can spin their way out of it.

Finally!!!

UP court stays subsidy to Haj pilgrims

It took a while for someone to go to court on this. And, it took a right wing hindu organization symapthizer to do it. But, what the court has ruled is absolutely right. A secular state has no business supporting its people's religious trips.

Now Playing...The States vs. The Colas

This is a theater of the absurd. First, some NGO finds that Pepsi and Coke have chemicals in excess of the minimum residue levels (MRL) established by the government. According to India Today India is one of the few countries that have MRL on such products. So far, so good.

soon, some state governments in India jump on this and promptly ban colas. And, US is upset with the situation that it "warns" India. I am sure that will be enough for some of these politicians in India to wag their fingers back and call it nationalism. But, tell me how many people in India drink these colas. And, how many people depend on water. Why don't we talk of MRLs in the drinking water supply, vegetables and food grains. Why can't these states that were quick to ban the colas do something about the problems with chemicals, pesticides in other food items that are more commonly consumed?

US would do better if it would stop issuing such stupid statements that hurt the fragile egos of the Indians. India has a slow but reasonably good legal system that can provide recourse. Interestingly, the US reaction came even before any strong reaction from the cola firms.

Maybe, we should consider a statuatory warning on the cola bottles like the ones on cigarette packages and focus on the real issues.

Finally, I am TTB (thrilled to bits) to see fellow Chennai-ite Indira Nooyi as the CEO of Pepsi. Lets all drink to that.

Find the odd one

When I was young I used to love doing these puzzles where I had to find the odd item. This item below in italics is a table from a latest "India Today" article. Item 2 certainly seems to be the odd one out. There is no denying the writer is really smart throwing all related and unrelated statistics at you


- 44% fewer Muslim students complete senior school compared to non-Muslims

- Lack of one night's sleep results in a 30 per cent drop in cognitive performance. Poor decision making, irritability, loss of temper and short-term memory loss follow.

- Only one in 101 Muslim women is a graduate versus one out of 37 non-Muslims

- 31 million more Muslims to be educated by 2011 to match today’s literacy level of non-Muslims

Oil for food and food for thought

Report implicates Indian ex-official - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

So, the official report of the indian study to investigate on the allegations made by Paul Volcker's report is out. Actually, it has been "leaked". According to it the Congress party is not to be blamed but Natwar Singh and his son is at fault. If you recall Volcker's report had listed both the Congress party and Natwar Singh. Natwar used the leaked indian report to claim his innocence. He says since the report clearly states that he did not monetarily benefit from it he is innocent. And, of course, Congress party says the report vindicates them, too.

Here is the deal guys. Saddam would not have dealt with Natwar Singh had it not been for the fact that this joker was a member of the Indian government, a Congress government. And, our democracy is supposed to be an example of collective responsibility. So, Congress cannot say that they are innocent. And, Natwar can't say he is innocent because he did not gain from it. Even Robinhood who robbed the rich to give to the poor did rob. He did break the rule of the land. And, Natwar is no Robinhood. He is, just like many others, another ordinary criminal who gets elected to the Indian Parliament.

Fired about the public corporation(s)

This week the firm I work for announced that they were going to cut 15% of their workforce. Now, I am no stranger to layoffs, having survived about six rounds of layoffs back in 2001-2002 at my then employer. But, it is always interesting to see how these things work.

Back in 2001 the firm I worked for laid off a whole lot of people, good number of them were staffed on projects at client sites. They all were given an hour or two to get out. And, they left without any opportunity to transition their work. And, we were left to figure out how to keep the projects going. But, they did get better over the next few layoffs. They started asking folks who were on projects to stay on till the end of the assignment in return for a better severance package.

As for the current saga, I believe we will be told over the next two weeks if we are affected. Now, I am not sure how they released the number to the public if they have not identified who is staying and who is going. And, why would you keep the employees waiting for two weeks. I bet the employees are going to be very productive during these two weeks.

The options backdating scandals seems to be picking momentum. I wonder if there would be a stock buyback scandal soon. A number of corporations are doing buybacks claiming the stock is underpriced. At the very same time senior management is cashing in on their options. Nothing illegal about selling the options if you have filed the necessary papers. But, is it ethical. And, I am sure some of these guys can co-oridnate their sale with the planned buyback well in advance.

Yet another example of vain boasts

'IBM is legacy, Infosys is the future'

What IP has Infosys created? And, what is the value in creating shiny glass buildings in a tropical country where it is hot and power cuts are frequent and an on campus golf course in a country where you can't get water for basic needs.

New face of terror and new realities to face

India police detail role of militants in attacks - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

Reports from police investigating the latest Bombay blasts indicate one of the ringleaders was a muslim software engineer who until recently was working for a large multi-national. Now, this is not the first time that folks involved in terror/ anit-social activities have come from such a background. But, often this is not the background that is associated with terror, especially in India.

The story always is - the person felt marginalized, did not have access to opportunities, was in a financially weak situation etc...It is almost as if with all such conditions it was "natural" for them to go and blow up innocent people. And, so what does the government do - offer more handouts to the marginalized communities around election time.

Now, it is clear that there are factors other than economics or revenge at work. The only way I can explain this is - religion. These people feel that their religion is better than others and so everyone should either join me or die.

The DH Imam wasted no time in absolving LeT and blamed it on the hindu radicals. He claims he has information to that effect. And, he continues "We were rulers here for 800 years. Inshaallah, we shall return to power here once again". This guy is not some fringe radical. He is the religious head of one of the biggest mosques in India and is a well known religious leader. And, this is not the first time he has indulged in such statements.

It is time for the so called "secular" indians and political parties to determine if they want to be an Islamic nation. And, have no doubts this won't be the second coming of the Mughal dynasty.

I guess what we need is not new anti-terror laws like TADA, POTA etc... We need a law that make any attack on the secular nature of the nation a crime. That way we can throw the hindu radicals, muslim radicals and prostelizing missionaries all behind bars.

PS: Why is that many Islamic radical groups have words "democratic", "freedom" etc... in their names?

Grabbing at straws of vain glory

Desis are great about going to town about "achievements" of other desis or even folks who are vaguely desis. It is either that or an outright attack on the person without much background research.

So, it was not surprising to see desis go gaga over Kavya Viswanath of plagarism fame. And, poor Kavya did not realize that writing a book is not like high school or college papers where one generally gets away wit some "borrowing". As soon as the news came out the desis dropped her.

Then, they jumped on the spelling bee/ geography bee bandwagon. It is quite possible that some of these kids have never been to India and they are certainly not part of the Indian education system. But, that does not stop us from gushing about their acheivements. I never understood the obsession with spelling contests. I mean, the purpose of communication is to keep it simple and convey the meaning. So, why would you waste your time memorizing the spelling for painfully complex words that you are almost certain never to use.

Why can't we celebrate real achievements in moderation. And, criticize in moderation.

Lets kick some butts...as long as it is not in my backyard

I have colleague - a Russian Jew who after reading some Leon Uris books started talking about "my people" and "my land" even though he has never been to Israel. So, last week I had to ask him what he thought about the happenings in the Middle East. He said, "We are kicking some butts." To which I replied, "But, you are kicking the wrong butts." He was surprised by this comment. He did not know the details - who Hezbollah was? why Israel was bombing Lebanon? And, how (if any) were the Lebanese involved in this.

He is not alone. There are a number of people here in the US who feel Israel is right to bomb the heck out of Lebanon. They point out that their neighbors don't indulge in terrorist acts. So, if the neighbor indulges in terrorist acts you can bomb the heck out. Very simplistic. US, Iran and Syria are probably having fun watching the Hezbollah and Isreal fight a war on their behalf.

Lets change the scenario. We have a drug problem fuelled by drug peddlers from the south. Assume that these guys pick two of the DEA agents and hold them for ransom or even kill them. Are we justified in bombing Mexico City, if that is where the heads of these drug rings live?

And, what do think the reaction would be if this happens. Do you think the people slipping across the boder will be looking for work or something more sinister. You raze my home I am coming after you.

Silent Majority ...the silence is deafening

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Tension among Mumbai's Muslims

According to this BBC report the Muslims in Bombay are feeling the heat. I do feel sorry for them. But, the slience of the Indian muslim leadership on the blasts is deafening.

I counted three Bollywood muslims who voiced concerns regards the blast - Aamir Khan, Javed Akthar and Shabana Azmi. But, where is that DH Imam of Juma Masjid who shouts off his mouth other times.

Other day I heard a report on NPR about a silent majority in Pakistan who want the "Islamic" oridnances introduced by Zia repelled. I thought hard and long about "silent majority". It is an oxymoron. They say "he who is afraid to ask questions is ashamed of learning". And, if you are silent about your convictions you are ashamed of it. My guess is there are situations when they find the current situation and laws to be advantageous to them.

But, Pakistan is not the only place with "silent majority". India has a number of "silent majority". They are "secular", "class-less", "oppose dowry" and feel aghast about female infanticide. The truth is they are happy with the current the situation. And, a "silent majority" of Indian muslims condemn the blasts.

Israel ... no balls?

Hezbollah abducts two Israeli soldier. Israel gets all worked up. Bush says Syria and Iran are supporting the Hezbollah. So, why is Israel bombing Lebanon? Is it because Hezbollah operates out of South Lebanon.

By same twisted logic GWB should have bombed Florida. After all the 9/11 terrorists operated out of there. And, before that they were in Saudi Arabia.

Maybe, the hypothesis that children who were molested when young have a greater tendency to be molesters themselves applies to nations, too.

I bet Israel does not feel too good about taking on Syria or Iran directly. Or, conduct a covert operation to get the Hezbollah leadership.

PS: GWB was heard saying they should get to Syria....

Let us accept the blame.. for the blasts

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Analysis: Peace process under threat?

The BBC analysis of Manmohan Singh's rhetoric is quite right. It is not the job of the Pakistani government to protect the Indian citizens. I am sure that they like the Indian government would be happy of the miscreants chose the neighbour as their target. And, given their religious beliefs may even feel obligated to look the other way. But, even the "holier than thou", "secular" India has done its bit of supporting miscreants like LTTE.

The fact remains that Indian government failed to protect its citizens. And, it is evident that these blasts like others could not have been orchestrated without sympathetic elements in the Indian society. Let us go after these sympathetic elements, show them no mercy. And, take an effort to understand why they are sympathetic. Hopefully, our politicians will realize that "unity in diversity" is all bullshit and only way to build a truly "secular" nation is by separating state from religion, not by creating separate laws and provisions for every religion, sect, caste and creed.

You just can't beat a Bajaj

 

Took this picture in SFO over the July 4th weekend. It is a Bajaj scooter. It is almost serendipity when you find stuff like this or the billboard touting Mahindra tractor in rural Pennsylvania. 

So, what was that about Katrina?

Enough is enough!

A few days after Katrina hit New Orleans and flattened it, I got an email from India comparing how different (of course, better) the indian response to Bombay monsoons was compared to the US government response to Katrina. One word - gloating. And, without knowing the full story.

Monsoon rains in Mumbai are a regular feature and so is the flooding. But, a category 4 hurricane like Katrina is not a regular feature. Yes, the US government failed the citizens of New Orleans. But, they have done a great job of ensuring no repeat of 9/11. Can the Indian government say that. Bomb blasts have become an annual feature in Mumbai. Maybe, they should go back to the old name - Bomb-ay.

Of course, I am trivializing the issue. The fact is Mumbai has very little chance. For that matter, whole of India has very little chance without taking decisive steps.

Instead, every time there is a bomb blast in India we have an all too predictable routine that goes somewhat like this

1. Blame it on the terrorists
2. Call the press and tell them you see the hand of LeT, ISI etc... Do this before you have any suspects.
3. Prime Minister addresses the nation, and the leaders visit the city
4. Liberals tell you that this is not time to blame anyone. And, religious zealots blame each other for what happened.
5. Terrorist/ Intelligence "experts" appear out of the wood work pouting their expertise
6. Media pays homage to the "spirit of the city and its people".

A few more weeks everything is forgotten, nothing is acted upon, Dawood Ibrahim goes watching cricket in Sharjah, Imam of Juma Masjid tells the government not to mess with you know who, the Sena jokers wag their fingers back.

And, then the next one hits. And, the cycle repeats.

Why don't we try something different -
Accept we have a problem. There are people from all communities who are unhappy with the state and they don't seem to mind vandalizing state property or killing its citizens to make their point. Being nice to these folks is of no use.

Much ado about nothing

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Tamils dispute India mutiny date

So, there is a dispute about India's first war of Independence. The Tamil thambis feel it was 1806 when, according to the beeb, "...the British introduced a dress code for its mostly Indian soldiers which required them to remove caste-marks, earrings and beards."

And, the guys up north have been peddling 1857 as the first war. The reason in that case was sparked by the introduction of cartridges rumored to have been greased with pig or cow fat.

In both cases oppression by the British or freedom from them seem to have played very little, if any. And, there were no national interests at play. Or, maybe the narrow religious and caste interest are the national interests.

Anyway, here we are about good 150 years later still squabbling over this silly shit. Tell me how this affects the common man.

Bloody Hell...I will be damned

BBC NEWS | Technology | Man turns paper clip into house

Now, there is something crazy but nice about this story. Guy swaps paper clip for a house. Love it.

An analogy for astrology

I have often thought about our tendency to blindly believe in something and call it a miracle, supernatural, divine or to blindly dismiss it because it cannot be explained. And, astrology is one of those subjects that fit in this. Some believe every word that an astrologer says and some disregard. I have had more than a cursory interest in astrology as my dad used to practice palmistry as a hobby and would visit astrologers every now and then.

Back in the early 90s Nadi Josiyam was a rage. It involves reading old palm leaves based on your thumb print. And, the text is interpreted by the astrologer. The premise behind the whole thing is that all our lives have been documented by some of the top Hindu saints (boy, they must have been one job less lot). And, I am not sure if it was ego or lack of a central repository these guys seem to have documented the same person. Anyway, my dad did take our thumb prints and get our past and future read and recorded (the astrologer recorded his interpretation on a tape).

The thing that blew me away was how the astrologer figured my name from my thumb print (a name like shikari shambu is not that easy ;) and a few questions like “does the name have an ‘s’ ” (bit like Jeopardy but without the prize money). And, how the near term predictions that the astrologer made came true. But, over years there are a number of predictions that he made that were not true.

While I have not been able to figure out how the astrologer was able to “read” my name from the thumb or predict the near term things I have created an analogy to explain the process. To me Nadi Josiyam is like asking someone to figure where I am going (my future) by just reading the map (thumbprint). The map has a number of roads, forks and turns. By asking questions and guesses the reader (the astrologer) is able to figure out the route (my past) I have taken to get here. And, since the road does not have a fork or turn for the next few miles (near term) he is able to predict immediate future. Of course, sometimes I feel it is also because we will it to happen. But, longer term is a different story. Based on the turns we take (decisions we make) we may be on a different road (different future) from what the astrologer read. Or, the astrologer reads only one of the many possibilities. Is this right? I don’t know. But, I think it is a cool analogy.

And, what about the palm leaves. Did these sages document every single human being? How did they account for population explosion etc…? Maybe, we are all “connected” like the Net of Indra.

Shashi Tharoor, LTTE and the Nuclear Deal

School is out. And, I am out of school for good. At least, for now. I had hoped that it will provide me more time to update my blog. Call it post school paralysis (PSP) I have not done anything.

In mean time a lot has been happening w.r.t India. Shashi Tharoor is the Indian candidate for the UN Secretary General. LTTE offers almost an apology for killing Rajiv Gandhi as Sri Lanka is fast spiraling into yet another civil war. And, the controversial US-India nuclear deal is all set to go through.

I think Shashi Tharoor is a great guy and a good author. And, I don’t think there is anything wrong with his statement ‘I shall be an Indian Secretary General but not India's Secretary General.' Of course, this seem to pissed off the likes of TVR Shenoy, who like many believe that the person should push his nation’s interest and since UN like India follows a reservation system Tharoor does not stand a chance so should not be a candidate.    

Protesting death and accidents

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Two die in Kashmir deaths protest

Protesting deaths and accidents are something very unique to India (or, is it?). I remember when "Thalivar" MGR died in Tamilnadu the streets were filled with rioters, looters and there were a few suicides. More recently we saw the same thing happen when "Anna" Rajkumar died. Mind you both of them died of natural causes.

Now we have protests for a boat accident. Mind you there was nothing wrong with the boat or its personnel. It was just a matter of pure physics - when you put all the weight on one side of a boat the boat will tip.

Do protests, rioting and demonstrations help bring the dead alive? Or, stop a boat from tipping when it is loaded hevily on one side? I guess the dead are lucky. They did not have to see such stupidity being committed in their honor.

Karna and Indian Politics

I have often wondered about Karna, the character in the Mahabharata. The epic and the depictions of epic in books and movies go great lengths to portray Karna as the good guy on the wrong side. The message being pushed was very simple – “he is a good guy, possibly even the best. Circumstances forced him on the side of the bad guys but even then he stuck it out and remained loyal to them.” And, the story has been bought by the majority as evident by the fact that Karna is as popular as Arjuna.

But, if you have read the Mahabharata more than once or even once with great concentration you will find instances to show how Karna had co-opted the cause and even tried to be badder than the bad guys. As Viktor Frankl said in “Man’s Search for Meaning”, “Everything can be taken from a man but ...the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” Karna did not demonstrate this freedom.

Indian politics is full of Karnas. I remember the oft repeated line about Vajpayee – “good guy in the wrong party.” Ah, a Karna. Maybe there are a number of folks who say the same thing about Dr. Manmohan Singh now. He has presided over the Bihar election debacle and now the reservation stuff – the “good guy” in the bad group. The fact is Karna was on the wrong side and remember one rotten apple spoils the barrel. The chance of he co-opting the bad cause was always higher than his ability to change the rest of the group.

Pope peddles his soap water

BBC NEWS | South Asia | India protests over Pope comments  

It was back when I was in college I heard a good friend of mine refer to prosthelitizing as marketing. I still remember what he said – “I hate these guys. Why do they feel the need to market their religion?” Then I read an article written by the famous Germaine Greer, where she lashed out at Mother Theresa. Her message was simple – if you can only save a dying person by forcing them to part with their faith then shame on you. I still remember having a big argument with my mother on that. She defended Mother Theresa and I defended Germaine Greer.

Ever since that I have followed the whole issue of prosthelitizing and religious conversions with great interest. My approach to religion is bit like what Rajeev Srinivasan once said – “religion is like soap-powder. In essence all soap-powders are the same, but through clever marketing pitches, we consumers begin to feel that our particular soap-powder is somehow superior to that used by others.”  That said, I have not seen any religion market itself so hard and often as Christianity. It is often blatant and in your face. In India they employ the story of saving the downtrodden from the ills of Hindu caste system. But, the reality is caste system exists in all religions, especially in India -  Dalit Christians is an example.

Ultimately, prosthelitizing I think is the highest form of religious intolerance. It is after an effort to impose your beliefs on others because you feel that it is the best – switch and be saved, remain and you are doomed.

Anyway, I am glad that the Indian government finally showed some courage and protested over Pope’s comments.

Desis on the top of the world

Google Trends: sex

Well, almost... Three indian cities end up on the top of Google Trends listing on search for "sex". Of course, I bet many desis will tell you that - "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damn lies and statistics."

Hell freezes over

I never thought this day would come. I listened to GW's speech on immigration. And, I agreeded with pretty much everything. Only other thing I wish he had is withdrawan all troops from Iraq and put some on border patrol duty.

Commies are coming

The big story in the last two elections in India has been the strong showing of communists. And, as I wondered what was happening it all came back to me.

Four years of undergraduate education in Kerala brought me very close to the communists. I was what I guess they thought "a failure". My uncle was in the local communist party, worked for the party mouthpiece. So, I got introduced to all their student leaders at my college. The first week was quite interesting - all these "leaders" came and introduced themselves to me. Yet, when the student branch came on a membership drive not only did turn it down, I asked my friend sitting next to me to do the same.

Over the next four years I had an opportunity to see them from close quarters, interact with some of them. And, what I saw scared me. Here is a group of guys who are incredibly disciplined (the students would give up the classes for various causes - from literacy drive through political campaigning to stuffing the ballots to ensure that their candidates win). For all their "intellectual and rational" appearances the cadres almost never ever questioned the ideology. They were like zombies. The scariest thing was what happened the day after Rajiv Gandhi's death. Kerala was in the middle of a run up to an election (something that the incumbent communist chief minister had called because they were ahead in the opinion polls). As soon as the news of Rajiv Gandhi's death came the communist cadres near my college went to work. The removed the congress party's campaign posters and made it look like the handiwork of the right wing BJP cadre. Of course, that was not enough to get them back into power.

The communist parties I think believe that if you keep saying the same lies over and over again it will be considered as the truth. And, that seem to be working. So, while Jayalalitha* and others keep changing their policies depending on which way they electoral winds blow, these folks are willing to take a beating once in a while to keep the story consistent.


* What happened to Amma was sad. I thought she did something bold and right when she fired the state government staff when they went on strike and then declared mass conversions illegal. But, she relented on both. Quite stupid because no longer could the actions be explained/ spun in a consistent way.

Bias in the media

BBC NEWS | South Asia | 'Militants' kill Kashmir Hindus

35 Hindus die in attacks by Islamic rebels in Kashmir - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

The venerable beeb something shows that old habits are hard to die. So, it was not surprising to see the word militants within quotes. The same story on IHT had what I think is the perfect headline.

Maybe we should refer to IRA as a bunch of "freedom fighters" and the guys who bombed london a group of "disgruntled citizens".

Breaking every rule

Ok, I recently read an article on what make a blog good. One thing it mentioned was the need to be focused. As the article mentioned you can’t have one posting discussing globalization and the next one title “my cat died”. I guess my blog breaks pretty much every single rule mentioned there. But, who cares. I don’t. And, hope the internet wanderers who accidentally stop to read my blog don’t either.

Bucking the trend...

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bollywood shock at star's verdict

In general politicians and actors have a lot in common, at least in India. So, it is not uncommon to see such a reaction from Bollywood. Like every politician, the stars expect that the law cannot touch them. Remember “Sanjay Dutt did not have weapons, it was planted etc...” story. But, I have come to realize that there is more in common.

When you go to watch movies you root for the hero (or the villain) but at the end of the show you got poorer and both the hero and the villain got richer. Same is true with politics in India – which ever side you support you end up the loser. The politicians get rich off you. And, no other professions have such open connection with the criminals yet remain respectable like politics and filmdom. No wonder lots of actors try their hand at politics once they retire from acting. Ever heard of rioting or suicides because of the death of a doctor, scientist or industrialist? But, suicides (“self-immolation” being the most common method) are a regular feature when a “star” or politician dies.

This Salman Khan instance seems to be bucking the trend. Wonder if it is because the charge against him is “killing a rare buck” ;)    

The immigration debate - no easy solution, no right answers

As I watched this morning’s “Meet the Press” on NBC I realized that there are no simple answers to the immigration debate. And, there is no one right answer, too. The hypocrisy of both sides is clear. For the most part I tend to agree with the Republicans – illegal immigrants are first and foremost illegal. But, what is legal and illegal depends on the government in power who pass the laws of the land. And, since Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas were a few centuries back a part of Mexico can these new immigrants claim “right of return”?

Borders define a nation – its economic stature, its culture and beliefs – just like the four walls of your home define you. A porous border will dilute the definition. I don’t think that per se is a bad thing. But, are we (every one in the world) ready for it? Porous borders would mean sooner or later there will be homogenization. Just like globalization will at some point result in economic homogenization (at least, in theory).

I agree with the Republicans in that any amnesty program will only encourage similar behavior. And, I do think the guest worker program is a great idea but people who got into the country illegally should not an automatic shoo-in into this program. I agree with the Democrats that the illegal immigrants have contributed a great deal to the US economy. I also agree that they have helped keep the wages low in certain sectors and helped the US industries in those sectors to be competitive.

I think, the LA Times columnist who said that the protesters who were waving Mexican flags were “in your face” might have exaggerated a bit. I identify myself with India more than US. And, I might wave the Indian flag at a US /India cricket match. One can argue that protests over immigration are more serious than a cricket match. And, I agree. I really don’t know what I would have done if I was down there. Some of these protests were quite badly managed – there was one in Chicago that was held on a Friday evening. Imagine having your commute home on a Friday evening disrupted because of a protest by illegal immigrants. How sympathetic are you going to be for their cause? Rep. Luis Gutierrez’s assertion that these people are proud to be in America sounds hollow especially when he says, he had to tell the protestors to check in their national flags. I bet if you were to ask most of these people they would say they would be happy to be in Mexico (or, wherever they are from) if they can make a good living.

People who make the argument that this nation was built on immigration must realize that resources are limited – both for the nation and the planet. You cannot keep adding more people and expect everyone to have a better life. And, I suspect some of the folks who are on the side of the illegal immigrants are also the ones who oppose H1B etc… US government, for all its efforts to push WTO down the throats of other nations, still opposes WTO recommendations for free movement of professionals. Will the church take the case of illegal immigrants if they were from, say a Muslim country? And, I think it is not possible not to have some laws, restrictions etc… if you want to be better than the rest. If you want to be the same as the rest then tear down the borders, restrictions etc… - it will all level out, like water.

Finally, I did realize how different (and better) US is compared to India. We also have an illegal immigrant problem – the folks from Bangladesh. The far right screams about it from the hilltops and the rest stick their head in the sand and act as if nothing like that exists. There is no healthy discussion, debates on it. There is not even an acknowledgment of the issue. And, when a recent census revealed that the numbers of Muslims have increased considerably in the North East and certain other pockets of the country it was roundly criticized by the “secular” politicians and press.

Genographic project

Ever since I caught a glimpse a good Tamilian* talking to a white man on PBS when I was channel surfing I have been hooked on Spencer Wells' "Journey of Man". So, when National Geographic and IBM teamed up with him for the Genographic project I started thinking about being a part of the project.

I am J2 (M172) haplogroup. And, here is a study of indian Y chromosomes.

I also came upon an interesting take on the Aryan invasion stuff based on genetics.

Most Brahmins in India are of "Indo-European" origin - J folks like me. Hell, I am no brahmin unless you subscribe to the definition - Brahmin is one who is in search of brahman - the eternal truth. Now, the author of the article referred above feels that the genetic evidence supports Aryan invasion - the invaders put themselves on top of the caste system. Sounds reasonable. But, what I don't understand is why are the Hindu fanatics against the Aryan invasion hypothesis. Afterall, most of these folks are brahmins. Is it because they want to impress upon the rest of the population that they are locals (sons of the soil)?

And, why can't the "Indo-Europeans" in India be descendants of non-invaders, like traders etc...

Living in la-la land - Swish of the sari and everyone will be sorry

Floating the rupee: Don't expect a big bang - Business - International Herald Tribune

Interesting article on rupee full convertibility. I remember my International Finance professor joke that Indians are big on yoga, meditation and other spiritual journeys because rupee is so undervalued that only journeys they could take were virtual/ spiritual.

Dell in the "Best Places to Work".. when hell freezes over

About two months after I joined Dell in the Fall of 2002, I got a hand written thank you note from the office general manager along with a $100 "gift certificate". I had spent the previous eight weekends at work, not to mention long hours during the normal workdays to try get a derailed project on track. I thought the gesture was great. But, the "gift certificate" did not look like the usual AmEx gift certificates. But, I am no expert on gift certificates.

I tried using it at a few merchants and had problems using it. So, finally around Christmas time I decided to go to AmEx and encash the certificate. The whole of Chicago and their extended families seem to be at AmEx. After a 45 minute wait it was my turn. The woman behind the counter told me that what I had was not the gift certifcate but a form to buy a gift certificate. And, I could see she was trying her best to suppress her laughter as she said this.

I went back to the office and told the general manager about it. He agreed to take care of this. Over the next three months I followed up on this over email. I never received any response from the General Manager. I gave up. And, decided he was just cheap.

About three years later, in the Fall of 2005, I attended the Dell recruiting presentation at my business school. They held a draw for the Dell Ditty, flash based MP3 player. And, I won. When I went to collect the prize at the end of the event the woman told me that the Ditty was back ordered and they would send it once it becomes available. Five months and numerous emails later I finally got an ecoupon for $100 that was mailed to me by post. By then I was convinced that my earlier experience was not because the General Manager was cheap, it must have been the company policy.

I was bit saddened by the fact that I was not getting the Dell Ditty. I have never seen one and was quite intrigued by this product. From all accounts the itty-bitty Ditty is quite shitty. It is a pity that I will not know that for sure.

Desis love simple solutions

Yes, I have come to that realization. The examples of this are all around you. Change the name of the city, corporation and viola it is going to do better.

So, what if there is no pedestrain crossing, cross the road where ever you want, whenever you want. Hey, it is a free country.

"The darn government is so corrupt I have decided not to pay my taxes."

Last time I was in India my mom shoved a copy of newspaper article under my nose. It was an article about some guy or kid who had come up with a way to fuel your vehicle with water. Mom feels it is going to change the world, catapult India to the top of the world. The reality is it is far from being a commercial product. And, in a country where a large majority do not have access to clean water for their essential needs where are you going to get clean water to run your vehicle engines. And, in the meantime what is being done about those darn trucks and buses that belch thick black smoke?

Why Molly hates Holi...

Molly (as in Bobben ‘n’ Molly, the Malayalam cartoon) is a good Mallu name. So, why would she hate Holi – because it is a North Indian festival? Holi is a spring festival - symbolizes the renewal of life in spring. In South India where winter is no biggie nobody but some North Indian transplants celebrate Holi. And, when they do it is often at the expense of others – it becomes a way to molest, assault (or, if you prefer the Indian term – eve tease) women.

Humanity is not just made up of Islamists

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bush arrives to Indian protests

So, where were these jokers when September 11th happened? If I recall their idiotic leader Imam Bukhari of Jama Masjid was shaking his fingers at the Indian Government for offering support to the U.S on the war on terror? Did they protest against that? Or, the Bali or Madrid bombings? Or, even the IA hijacking? And, isn't it funny that a set of cartoons sets these cartoon characters on rampage destroying public and private property. Doesn't that affect humanity?

The irony of the cartoon  controversy is that these jokers are staging protests, beating and killing fellow Muslims in Islamic countries.

P.S. – I don’t buy the European argument that those cartoons are covered under freedom of expression. Whoever did that was culturally insensitive and stupid.

Way to go...

BBC NEWS | South Asia | The amazing DIY village FM radio station

I love this story. The guy shows skill, pluck and is delivering something of real value to the people who are at the best on the fringes of the government radar screen. I can bet the government will shut him down for "illegal" activities.

Flights of fantasy

Kerala, they say is a great state with high literacy and health statistics that match that of developed nations.

But, the folks there suffer from perpetual delution. This is especially true with the government. Recently, the government of Kerala decided to launch a low cost airline to help its citizens who provide for the only infrastructure development in the state - creating palatial homes and new places of worship. Apparently, these poor souls were finding the fares from "gelf" were on the high side. This when there are a number of low cost carriers starting to come in the Indian and Gulf markets and the Indian domestic carriers beginning to fly international routes.

Now, this is the same state where successive governments have n't been able to run the state road transportation system properly. And, of late have had difficulties paying salaries to its employees and indulged in redirection of funds marked for tsunami relief for other activities. So, in all sense the government is bankrupt. But, hey don't let financial bankruptcy bankrupt you of ideas.

Of course, the airline idea never took off the ground because of a number of things including objections of the union minister of aviation.

But, if you do have any stupid ideas please feel free to share it with the government of kerala.

Armchair experts on world affairs

On a recent trip to India I was bombarded with questions on stuff about the US -
"What the hell is America doing in Iraq?" "Why on earth would anyone in their right mind elect GWBush - he is an idiot, see we have Dr. Manmohan Singh?" "I hear that they are doing away with Christmas altogether and calling it 'Holidays'?

Each time these questions are the first things these people ask. It made me wonder why they would be so concerned about the US when there are lot of items of interest right there in India.

My response to the questions - I skip the Iraq question. Partly because I have no clue what is happening there, partly because the Americans have no clue either but mostly because I think invading a country in the name of "exporting freedom and democarsy" smacks of arrogance and hypocrisy. As for the GWBush vs. Manhoman Singh I tell them right or wrong Americans elected Bush directly. It was not the wonderful process that our elected folks indulge in - the churning of the mythical ocean which turns up poison and the elixir. This time we got lucky. As for Bush vs. Kerry at least I know what Bush stands for.

Why can't desis discuss and more importantly **act** on things that affect them like corruption, bad governance etc...

Mallu woman on my lap

My computer operating system is a Malayalee woman. Her name is Suse :)

Daybreak

Saw the dawn break from the window of a hospital. Sometimes "jet lag" has its blessings. It has been a while since I got up before the sun did.

Venus shone brightly against the pitch dark sky. And, slowly the outline of the ranges emerged. And, as the light of the morning star waned the dark mass of the hill close by became visible. Soon the trees on the hill picked the golden glow of the morning sun.

BTW, "Daybreak" by Beth Orton is good, too...

Indian...What is in a name?

The desis are good at changing names of lackluster products in an effort to revitalize it. So, it comes as no surprise that the state run domestic airlines Indian Airlines will hence forth be called Indian. I can hear the cheers from the paint manufacturers and printers. They are expecting orders from the new Indian. But, to be fair Indian is not the first to do this and somehow I doubt if it would be the last.

Bombay became Mumbai, Madras became Chennai, Calicut became Kozhikode - All in the name of righting a wrong. Then, there were even more bizarre name changes – Victoria Terminus in Bombay became CST.

Indian just need to have looked at Air India and would have realized that the name change will not change the ground realities. Air India under Rajiv Gandhi changed its logo, upholstery etc… with much fanfare but they could  not change the attitude of the service personnel and nothing much came off the effort. A few years later  Air India went back to the old logo.

Now, how unique is the name Indian for an  airline? On a recent trip via Mumbai I had my answer – not that unique. South Africa has South African and Ethiopia has Ethiopian. These are the two  that I found on the tarmac in Mumbai.

India Unravelled...

I just got back from a vacation in India. I spent my time in Bangalore (the Silicon Alley of the south), Kerala (God’s own…) and somewhere in between.

I flew BA via London to Bangalore. The flight to London was an hour behind when it landed. Then we had to wait for gates at Heathrow. After a while the captain said we will be bused to the terminus. The buses came but we were still stuck in the aircraft. Turns out they forgot to get the ladder. I barely managed to get on the Bangalore flight.

Castles in the air require no infrastructure

Bangalore was a shock. It looks like the bastard child of unplanned development and greed.

The roads are non existent. I remarked to my friend who grew up in Chennai but now makes Bangalore her home that the roads in Chennai are much better. And, she said – “I bet you never thought you would ever say such thing.”  Almost all my friends claim to have one way commute of one to two hours to work. That, combined with long hours at work to handle the overseas calls meant most have no life.

And, what does the government do to improve the situation – rename the city. Yeah, right. That is one way to spend the precious little tax money – on new stationery and repainting the signboards in two or three languages. But, they are not the first – Bombay became Mumbai and around the same time everything there became known as Chhatrapati Shivaji something. Why won’t these ultranationalists build a railway terminus better than Victoria Terminus and then call it whatever they want. And, my hometown made a mad rush to transform from Madras to Chennai.

Kerala is a beauty – of a different sort. Since there has hardly been any industry or infrastructure development in this state, they are partly right in calling it “God’s own country.” It is pretty much they way god left it.  Plus, a few temples, mosques, churches, big mansions and lot of jewelers.    


Truth is relative, not absolute

This time around I was hell bent on using my cell phone in India. So, when I got to Bangalore I bout myself a pre-paid SIM. Of course, in India to get a pre paid SIM you have to provide your photo, tax id or passport information. This to take care of the terrorists’ tendency to go for this product (America take note). So, Rs 250 got me my SIM. Then, I had to charge my card – another Rs 250. I punch in the recharge code and I get this message – You have Rs 100 worth of talk time. Hey, wait a minute – didn’t I pay Rs  250 for the recharge card. I call the customer service and I am told that Rs 250 recharge card gives me Rs 100 worth of talk time and other Rs 150 is processing fee. Now, why would they be upfront about this?

A week later the same company introduced “Rs 999 Lifetime prepaid” plan. Now, I had already spent Rs  750 on my cell phone. So, I decided this offer to keep my prepaid number valid for life is too good. The offer comes with other goodies like “Full talk time on recharge” etc… I go to a reseller to get it and I ask him to explain the details of the offer. He says “full talk time means you will get about 90% of what you pay – Rs 225 worth of talk time on an Rs 250 recharge.” Great. I punch in the new code and I get a new message – “Your SIM card is valid until Spet 2008. You have time till Oct 2008 to recharge your card.” I guess “lifetime” is very short in India – wonder whether they were referring to my lifetime or the company’s.

Some days later I happened to meet a VP for this telecom firm at a party. And, I asked him why they couldn’t be upfront with their pricing and plans. His response – “Everyone does it.”


“Why should I pay my taxes? The government is corrupt”

A recent India Today issue covered the growth of “black money” with the booming economy. Apparently there are only 85000 people who have a declared income of Rs 1 million (or, 10 lakhs). Pretty much everyone I know earn more that. And, one afternoon in Ganjam (a Banglore jeweler) the person on my right was buying jewels worth Rs .5 million and one on the left was buying something worth Rs .8 million. You want me to believe that there are only 85,000 in India who make Rs 1 million?

Some try to justify their tax evasion by pointing out that the government is corrupt so why bother paying taxes when you know that they are going to waste it or pocket it.

Hey, you get only what you deserve – the roads, the infrastructure and the government.


“It is those darn autos”

We all have a way of laying the blame on others. The affluent, who travel in cars, blame the traffic congestion on the autos. I guess they don’t realize that autos serve the function of public transportation for the less affluent. And, thanks to them evading taxes the government has not made any efforts to improve the public transportation system.

Transport

Indian Railways continue to surprise me. I booked my tickets on the web from US. Even the small stations had electronic kiosks where you can check your reservation status. Of course, the trains were still running late. I am told that is because of the traffic congestion

The Bangalore airport last year handled about 5 million passengers.  It is possibly the smallest terminal to handle that kind of passenger volume in the world. And, guess what the darn airport was not meant to be a public airport.
Tourism

I spent a day at Kabini Jungle Lodges. It is amazing – clean, neat, quiet and very relaxing. All this without the typical five star gimmicks.


“It is a constant assault on your senses…”

A week before I left for India I met an American woman who had spent a month traveling in India. And, when someone at the meeting asked her about the experience, she remarked “It (India) is a constant assault on your senses… visual, smell, touch.. everything. Some good, some bad. But, boy you will feel alive.” Very true.

Outsourcing accountability

BBC NEWS | South Asia | IT giant faces India legal action

A lot has been talked about how the Indian call centers and processing centers can be a security risk. But, often they refer to the employees there trading the customers’ data. I guess no one thought this as a security risk.

Looks like the multinational often pick the cheapest possible option. Wonder if HP would have such lax security policy in US. I am sure they will be worried about their exposure to lawsuits.

Indians, of course, are very circumspect as passing judgments on HP. Some even remarked – “It is sad that she had to give up her life for the industry to get its act together.”