That Great Drive From Delhi to Mumbai

It was Friday the 13th (June, 1997) when I started in my Maruti 800 – DL 2CB-9279 from my friend Pradip’s place at Gurgaon at around 5.30 in the morning. I was taking this car to Mumbai – my new home after having spent 15 years in Delhi.
Like many other youngsters, I was crazy about the thought of driving. In Calcutta I developed a special affinity with the Private buses. At Phuntsholing, Bhutan, I had the first taste of handling the steering with our office Driver Vinod. I still remember the red number plate of our GM’s car BWP 5486. The car used to ferry me to & fro home across the Torsa (river). That was one of the few perks which Mr Peris offered the young Chartered Accountant for having volunteered to drift to a godforsaken place. With Vinod in control, I would manouvre the vehicle all the way down the hill from a Gumpha we used to visit. Imagine my delight when on arriving at Delhi from Phuntsholing , I found a car and a learner’s licence beckoning me. Our factory was at Sahibabad near the Delhi Border. It was an industrial area and you needed your own vehicle. I was told to learn driving on day 1 itself. It was God-sent for me. I enrolled with a driving school and was given a free hand to practice on (once again) a white Ambassador DEB 369. 15 years went by in Delhi. The driving licence obtained in 1982 was supplemented by a Heavy Vehicle one a few years later. Such was the penchant for driving. Many a time I would think of driving down to Calcutta from Delhi!!

The chance finally came in 1997 when I got a transfer to Mumbai. The Company’s policy permitted transportation of only one vehicle (the white Maruti van). And… I decided to race the 800 to Mumbai.

The family was already in Mumbai. I flew down to Delhi to give final touches at the Delhi office and took off on that morning. The thought of covering the entire distance all by my-self was not that comfortable. So I roped in a friend Solanki to partner me on our 1400 km long drive. I was aware of the road up to Chittorgarh , having driven there with the family once. The driver of the truck ferrying our house-hold goods had told me to take the Nashik route from there. I was not aware of the way after Chittor. I knew the alternate route was the Gujarat one from Udaipur.

Now on to my great Journey-

Solanki was already waiting at the pre-designated spot for sometime on the Jaipur Highway. I could sense that he had become a bit restless at my delay. We drove on. National Highway 8 - Dharuhera-Shahpur - before 3 hours we were on the outskirts of Jaipur. The camel- carts had already come on to our sight. We had breakfast at one of the Dhabas and by-passed Jaipur city. We continued on the NH8 and drove towards Ajmer. Taking the bypass at Kishengarh we avoided Ajmer town. The journey thru the hills on both sides was fascinating. Soon we reached Nasirabad. The next stage Nasirabad to Chittor (167 km) on NH 79 was thru the town of Bhilwara and we covered it in three hours. Solanki and I rotated ourselves on the steering at regular intervals. When we reached Chittor it was about 4 pm. No visit to Rani Padmini’s palace. No seeing around in the fort.

And then we had our confusion. We were to take the Udaipur –Ahmedabad route from there. But a shopkeeper we talked to suggested otherwise. He insisted that the Ratlam route was shorter and directed us on that.

So we took the road again and I now know that it was NH79. The road conditions changed. We passed thru the town of Neemuch. I knew of Neemuch as the headquarters of the CRPF. I was happy to associate my driving thru the town. I learn now that it was the birthplace of the CRPF in 1939. It was a big British cantonment and NIMACH meant North India Military Artillery and Cavalry HQ. (Just as MHOW means Military HQ of War). Then came the towns of Mandsaur and Pratapgarh. I was aware of these towns as the soap stone powders for our detergent plant used to come from the mines located here. I remember some of the Indian airlines Pilots used to announce when the aircraft would be cruising over Pratapgarh, that we were at the middle point between Delhi and Mumbai. It was getting slightly dark when we crossed Mandsaur. It was also drizzling a bit. And then there was big hissing sound in the car. Immediately I knew the source. While at Delhi I had bought a second hand air-conditioner and was carrying that with us in the car. The road conditions were bad and I knew that in the turmoil the gas had leaked .With a sense of relief as to the source, we moved on. The distance of 213 kms from Chittor to Ratlam took us quite some time. Finally we reached Ratlam around 10.30 quite exhausted. Ratlam is on the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Route and is in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

We were looking for a hotel. The one we got was having a party going on and amidst loud music we entered the place. In the room we found that the doors did not have latches. Somewhat concerned we used the two chairs as blocks against the door and went off to sleep. I am not sure now whether we had kept the lights on or not. In the wee hours of the morning when we were departing, we could not find any hotel staff to pay off our three hundred rupees. I think with great difficulty we woke up one of the guys and paid him off.

By 5.30 we were on the road again. We were to take a turn at Chota Nagda and take to the hills of Dhar Ghat. I still remember the cup of tea we had at the turning. Amongst a whole lot of truckers we were the two enlightened ones and got some special treatment from the chai walla.

Solanki was interested in seeing the Dhar Ghat. He had heard from truck drivers that the ghat section was a challenging drive and that they are extremely cautious on this section. Sure enough, the moment we started our climb, we found stalled heavy vehicles up the slopes. We didn’t find the gradient to be very steep, but whatever, for the laden trucks it was a nightmare. The axles would break and they would get stalled. I am sure there was a bunch of entrepreneurial mechanics available at hand to cater to the replacement of the axles. On the way we saw temples and sand dune types. We were actually passing thru the old historical town of Mandu – the place of the epics of Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati. Sorry – we didn’t have the luxury to get into the various historical structures scattered all around. We drove on for some more time and hit NH3 (the famous Agra-Mumbai Road) around 8 in the morning. Solanki was impressed with my speed and the distance we had covered after the few hours of sleep that we had at that hotel. The milestones showed Mumbai to be 500 odd kms away. Look at the detour. Travelling thru Rajasthan, the straight route was thru Gujarat. But here we were – Rajasthan to M.P. and then onto Maharashtra. Today, almost 13 years later we’d definitely prefer the Gujarat route as the Ahmedabad highway, I hear is a treat to drive on.

Once on the NH3, the road conditions improved tremendously. There were only trucks with an occasional smaller vehicle coming on to our view. We stopped at a place called Shirpur for breakfast. The next big stop I remember was Dhulian or Dhule. Mumbai was still 350 kms away. It was about 3.30 in the afternoon. Soon the Western Ghats started and we were driving on the ghat section. We saw various types of accidental sites. We saw the front engine portion of a Loaded trailer lying in a nose-dived condition on the rocks when negotiating a bend on the ghats. The trailer was standing intact. Then we saw cleaners placing rocks at the rear wheels and making laden trucks move literally centimeter by centimeter. These things are seen to be believed. Remaining within the contours of our city life will never give us such firsthand experiences.

The journey to Nashik was on the hills only. We could feel driving against huge wind pressures. The sound of the wind would definitely make the weaker humans giddy. I would love to go back on this trail some day.

We were a good 200 kms away when the sun set. I was feeling unwell. Having consumed all sorts of food on the road for two days, I was having stomach aches. We waited for some time. Then Solanki took over and we neared Mumbai. It was raining in stretches. I wanted to cross the octroi check-post without getting caught with the air-conditioner. The intermittent drizzles helped me in that. We reached western express highway around 10 pm. I was new to Mumbai and was not conversant with the roads at all. Somehow I remembered the Powai road and moved onto it. Finally we reached our Lokhandwalla home at Tarapore Gardens around 11 p.m. So we made it in about 30 hours with a halt at Ratlam for about 6 hours. Not bad!!! I must thank Solanki. Without him it would not have been possible.

The years of craze for driving a real long distance finally materialized at the age of 40. I don’t mind doing it all over again. Road conditions are much more improved today. All the best to anyone and everyone who wants to give it a try. Ciao.

Wah Ustad; Wah Tansen of the 20th Century

Like so many others, I like music right from my childhood days. It’s a different story that I cannot sing. But any melodious tune captivates me as much today as it was fifty years back. We had a gramophone at home and a good part of my younger days was spent on winding the key and listening to the 2 boxful of records of the 1950s over and over again. Unfortunately the boxes did not have any of those old Hindi tunes of which I am fond of so much even today. Those I picked up from the radio later. I still remember the first two Hindi film songs which were blared on the Durga Puja microphones at 4 am in 1961 or 1962. The first one was Rafi’s ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ (which I later learned was from the film Kala Bazar when I saw the film at the night show at a cinema hall in Bistupur, Jamshedpur during my Industrial Training days in 1978). The second one was ‘Hai Apna Dil, Awara’ by Hemant Kumar. I still don’t know the film.

The boxes contained some of the oldies of S.D.Burman (whom elders like my father used to refer as ‘Sachin Karta’). Most of the records were Bengali songs. A few Western Music records were also there . I remember

‘Underneath the lantern,

          by the Barrack gate,

Darling I remember,

         How you used to wait?’

This was a German WWII song (called Lili Marlene) which was accepted and sung by the opposition also. I have since got it from Youtube and play it sometimes. There are numerous versions.

http://www.actionext.com/names_v/vera_lynn_lyrics/lili_marlene.html
I was pleasantly surprised when a blind man was playing it on the ferry across the St Lawrence taking us back from the old town in Quebec city in Canada.

Coming back to our gramophone, one tune which I never forget was actually amongst our 78 rpm records. It was not a film song. (Rather the tune was used in a film song much later). Come to think of it – it was a piece of classical music by one of the all time maestros and it was not any of those melodious film songs. It was this thumri – ‘Ka karoon Sajni, Aye na Balam’. You guessed it right. The exponent was:

                          This legend of a man – Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
 
Somehow, I rank this thumri as the best of all the tunes that I am fond of. And within the song also, I like a particular portion the most. About hundred seconds into the masterpiece, he sings an alaap which simply mesmerizes me every time I hear it. (I think it is called alaap only. From the net I gathered that Alaap is usually sung in Aakaar i.e. without pronouncing any syllables only using the sound "aa" of the vowel.)

http://www.swarganga.org/articles/icmconcepts/icm7.php

Please listen to the thumri by clicking on to the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBkG9s8mG-c

I am so much thankful to youtube for reaching this gem to me. Khan Sahab was a khyal singer. But Some khyal singers took an interest in thumri and sang it their own way, as in the case of Abdul Karim Khan, Nazakat-Salamat Ali Khan, Barkat Ali Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Prabha Atre

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is a hero for me. I want to share some of his facts with you.

He was born in 1902 at Kasur near Lahore very near to the Border. He died in 1968. He is revered as the greatest interpreter of the Patiala Gharana in the past 100 years. Originally he played the Sarangi. His debut performance in Calcutta in 1938 catapulted him to national fame. He became an Indian citizen in 1958 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1962. He was called the Tansen of the 20th century by the music world.

You may go thru the following links and learn more about his music.

Jai Ho!!

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/bade-ghulam-ali.html

http://www.itcsra.org/tribute.asp?id=4

http://www.indianmelody.com/badearticle1.htm

Do you Checklist?

Have you ever heard a Bengali exclaiming ‘Oyi Jaa’? The tone itself will tell you that all of a sudden the guy has remembered something very urgent and important which he/she had forgotten altogether. Today the whole world including the Bengali calls it out as “Oh Shit”.

There are numerous examples daily on this score. Once on our way to Hrishikesh from Delhi, we realized after we crossed Meerut – a good 50 kms away that we had left behind the boiled drinking-water cans at home . There were 4 kids with us. We had to return to get the jerry-cans. I know of a travel agent discovering on reaching the airport that he had left behind his own passport at home. Imagine the condition of the tourists who were to travel with him. He called up his relation to go to his neighbour’s place, collect the keys, get the passport and then ride a bike all the way to Sahar Airport from South Mumbai. The logic – the bike will be able to negotiate the traffic; a car would not.

Then I know of people who’ll remember something just two minutes after leaving the house. And this happens continuously with these people. I just can’t make out why it does not strike them 2 minutes before while leaving the house. I am sure there are theories on the entire spectrum of forgetfulness. You google and you get to see tons of material to go thru.

We are aware that the human brain has tremendous capacity to retain. It can further be improved by mental exercises. But at the end of the day you need to retain the cream and not day to day chores. The question then arises as to what happens to the day to day chores. They are also important. You just can’t deny their existence. So what do we do? Do we have any tool to take help from? Yes- we do have a simple tool – that of making a checklist and following it up properly. Making a checklist will be futile if you do not glance over it when needed. You need to continuously update the checklist also as time passes and the scenario changes.

I am a big supporter of making checklists. I make one at least before we go out on holidays. So far it has given me wonderful results. You just don’t miss out on anything- and you can’t afford to. Example – you buy Eurail tickets on your credit card sitting at home. You don’t carry that particular credit card on the date of your journey. You land up buying a second ticket in the train at the current price. Only the ticket does not help – you need to produce the credit card also for verification. On our journey from Paris to Frankfurt we saw a Frenchman paying thru his nose for not carrying that particular credit card. Maybe he had bought them on someone else’s credit card.

When to start making the checklist?- one day before the event? One month ago? Or one year prior to departure? To me, the process should start as soon an event is conceived and thought of. You are planning a trip to New Zealand- start the process straightaway. Initially you can write down whatever comes to your mind. The ranking can be done later. And there is no fixed auspicious moment. As and when something relating to the trip comes to your mind, just pen it down on the list. Soon you’ll find that the list has already crossed 10 points. I’d prefer to include everything- even the shaving cream etc also. Else at the eleventh hour you’ll find that the existing tube will not last the 15 days of travel. So you’d be buying toothpaste or shaving cream at Cologne or Paris or Christchurch using up the precious foreign exchange you are carrying which was bought paying a hefty commission. It’s your money. The Checklist only smiles at you for not being used. Let me share with you the documents we were carrying for our Western Europe trip this May:

1. Passport

2. Invitation letter as a proof as to where I was heading. At Dublin airport last year, we had a trying time when we could not give any document as to our friend’s address. Finally when Immigration decided to call on our friend’s number (which fortunately I readily had) , I could lay my hands on an application I had made to the Irish Embassy which carried my friend’s references.

3. Tickets booked on line:

Air India

German Rail Pass

Munich to Vienna train, Vienna to Prague Bus, Prague to Dresden train, Hamburg to Copenhagen and back bus, Hamburg to Amsterdam bus, Amsterdam to Paris Bus, Paris to Argentan (Return) train, Paris to Frankfurt train tickets.

4. Hotel reservations at Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

5. Foreign exchange

Those were the documents. Then we had gifts and other items. The excel sheet carried over to the next page.

The point is a good thought-out checklist leads to a sound plan and program. Most of the avoidable worries are passed on to the checklist. A periodic glance at it leads to a smoother execution. It actually leads you deeper and deeper into the process and your plan becomes more and more robust. Else the ‘Oyi Jaa’ syndrome sets in and a substantial part of the fun time is required to be devoted to frantic phone calls and calls to the Almighty for urgent help.

Atul Gawande, a surgeon in the US has come out with a best seller “The Checklist Manifesto”. It has examples showing how the complex operations of flying an aircraft or doing a surgery on the operation theater make extensive use of the checklist to come out with 100% success.

Please make it a point to visit the net and read about the book. I am sure you’ll buy the book at the next opportunity. The Indian edition is now available here.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/07/book-review-checklist-manifesto.html

There are other sites also on the book.

I just cannot help but reproduce the excerpt below from

http://us.macmillan.com/thechecklistmanifesto

Complications reveal the surprising power of the ordinary checklist.
We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies—neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force, checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mind-boggling sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of surgery, a simple ninety-second variant has cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third.


In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater, to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. And he follows the checklist revolution into fields well beyond medicine, from disaster response to investment banking, skyscraper construction, and businesses of all kinds.


An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one simple idea makes a tremendous difference, The Checklist Manifesto is essential reading for anyone working to get things right.

Atul has added life to our simple checklist. I use it for my travel. Now see how the world uses it for flying planes and what not. So what if you are not flying a plane or doing a surgery? You are driving your life and in a few cases others’ lives as well in these complicated days. I am sure you’ll find the CHECKLIST a very friendly and reliable partner.

Long live the Checklist!!

The Hockey Wizard, the Human Eel

You know the hockey wizard – right? Did you know that Dhyan Chand was also known as the Human Eel? That’s how the English press used to call him. I came to know of it only yesterday. For each and every hockey player worth the name Dhyan Chand is the model. He was a towering personality on the Hockey field and did India proud on this sport. Good that he is not alive today. Else the 8-0 and similar other drubbings which we get regularly from the Europeans and the Australians would have failed his heart in any case. Personally I cherish those heydays of Indian Hockey from 1928 to 1966 the most. I played hockey at school and always dreamt higher. (It’s different that nothing happened thereafter on that front). I feel extremely let down in this life of mine by the failure of Indian hockey to rise to the level of the others.

Did you know of his Bengal connections? Born in Allahabad, he joined the army. Thereafter the family shifted to Jhansi. He played for United Provinces. After 1920, hockey was taken off from the Olympics. It was at the insistence of the nascent Indian Hockey federation, that it was reinstated in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. And the group that made it possible for the team to sail to the European continent was not Punjab, not Bombay, not Madras but the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA). Major Burn-Murdoch and Charles Newham were the two key personalities whose keenness to get the Indian hockey team in the Olympic hockey arena made it happen. The selections were held in Calcutta and the final team was selected by these two gentlemen.

India went to mainland Europe via England. A funny development was that seeing the form of the Indian team in the practice matches, England decided to withdraw from the Hockey event in the Olympics. They could not think of being humiliated by India. India could meet England only in 1948 London Olympics after our independence. But by that time the wizard had retired having played in the 1928 (Amsterdam), 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin) Olympics. He was the captain in the last tourney.

Dhyan Chand was a very shy person. In the army, Subedar Major Bale Tiwari seeing his deft stickwork got him to the hockey field. Being an army man, he was always wary of how he would be taken by the civilians in the team. He would never go to the parties after the victories but would rather be content to listen to the stories of what happened there. The only thing which he would miss out was the cold beer – look at the simplicity of this world conqueror.

Family was a big thing for him. Out of his 5 children, Rajkumar and Ashok Kumar played hockey at Calcutta. Ashok kumar represented the country and scored the all-important goal in the finals to lift the hockey world cup at Kualalampur in 1975. His sibling Roop Singh played alongside him in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics.

There are quite a few stories on the legend.

Some excerpts-

• While playing a hockey game, Major Dhyan Chand was not able to score a goal against the opposition team. After several misses, he argued with the match referee regarding the measurement of the goal post, and amazingly, it was found to not be in conformation with the official width of a goal post (as prescribed under international rules).

• After seeing his prolific play at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Adolf Hitler offered Dhyan Chand, a Major in the British Indian Army, German citizenship and an offer to promote him to the rank of a Colonel (which Dhyan Chand subsequently refused).

• "Goal" is the autobiography of Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand published by Sport & Pastime, Chennai, 1952

• Residents of Vienna, Austria honoured him by setting up a statue of him with four hands and four sticks, depicting his control and mastery over the ball.

Dhyan Chand died on December 3, 1979 at the AIIMS, New Delhi, a pauper – a sad end for such a huge personality. Things have somewhat improved now. But still we as a country have not been able to honor and help artistes and sportspersons of our country at their old age. We are so insensitive as a nation to our own countrymen.

Major Dhyan Chand's birthday (August 29) is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. The President gives away the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award on that day. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

What to write?

On this Happy Diwali morning, my eyes opened up at their usual time of 3.30. I knew it was a holiday and thought of catching up on my lost sleep of the week. Sorry – I couldn’t lie like that. So here I am thinking of some topic on which to run my mind and fingers thru. Amazing – I am more at ease typing than taking up a pen and write. How habits change?


What to write? I have been thinking last few days. I thought of sharing some thoughts on the effect of the Internet on mankind. Then there is the topic on my funny behavior of trying to force people to read my blog. I was thinking of the world cup football – definitely one of the most sought after events of the world. Last few days’ research on it reconfirmed me that in 1954 the event took place in Switzerland. Immediately the mental faculties shifted to Switzerland – how has it been able to maintain its status of a neutral country under the most trying circumstances? Then I had thought of writing something on the work I do – something of a training material type, guidance notes. That will be purely work-centered and will definitely not feature on these pages. I am not sure how to proceed with it, although a start has been made already.

So actually there is no dearth of topics. You just have to make your mind wander. And you’ll land up with the wanderer’s tales. Hey- I am getting a second connotation to the word ’WANDERER’. When I started writing the stories under that banner, I had physical journeys in mind. In fact I started with our West Europe trip and thought of penning down travel stories only. Now I can add mental wanderings also to it. The stories I write today encompass life in its entirety. So from now on I’ll be able to explain ‘The Wanderer’s tales’ on a different line as well – Physical and Mental journeys in the Journey of Life. Wonderful!!

Ok – I was saying that you make your mind wander and start your writings. Very easy- right? Not at all for many! Most of us are so caught up with our daily chores and circumstances and our minds have got conditioned in such a way that it is difficult to look beyond, think beyond, let our minds go on a free trip to the Moon, Sun, Venus , under-water, above water, anywhere, everywhere. That must be the only free travel in the world. Any other form of travel would entail a cost in terms of money and effort.

You ask a person to write a letter. In a substantial number of cases, you’ll find that the person will not be able to write at all. He/she will ask you what to write. How to start and so on? Believe me, I am not exaggerating. They’ll find it so hard. And if you insist, chances are that they will go the other way the next time they see you. I’ll give you an example. Once I was trying to sing a song in front of my younger sister. She just could not fathom as to the huge amount of effort that I was making in getting the words and the tune come out of my mouth. She saw how difficult it was for me to sing a song. For singers, songs come just like that.

You have to have an active mind – that is the first requisite for writing. In fact that is the source of every activity. The principle to the second of the seven habits says that mental creation precedes physical creation. Think of a thief/cheat. He/she continuously keeps on improvising on the methodologies. Sirji – what an example! You must be murmuring – the guy couldn’t get a better example? They have to be extremely creative to get their booties. See – the scams. Every scam story will unfold the ingenious ways that were deployed to get the perpetrator his undue share of the pie. Sorry that was a negative example. But that could be turned to more positive examples.

The other requisites are some sort of a command on the language and a flow. People call it a flair for writing. You have to be a story-teller. Regular bouts of story-telling at the coffee table must be helping me in my writings. When added to the regular reading of the Statesman in my younger days and writing paragraphs on any topic for Fr. Jacob to correct in class vi make my background a good concoction for writing stories.

Now tell me – was it on my list of topics – Writing 801 words on what to write? See how I have mastered the art of saying the sweet nothings!! Ha Ha!

If I were on the Hot Seat with Amitabh Bachchan

Like millions of others I have not got a call from KBC so far. While the others may be fretting and sucking their thumbs, I thought why not visualize a scenario where I go on to win the 15 crores prize. I select my own questions. Most of them have a backdrop as in Slumdog Millionaire.

Here is a description of my day-dreaming. I have tried to capture the entire conversation I had with AB. You might like it.
I win the fastest finger first and am introduced as HSD, Accounts Manager in an MNC. He would like to buy some land and do farming. He has a special liking for Punjab. Even if he wins 5 crores today, he thinks it will fall short of the project he has in mind. He wants to talk about his project as the game progresses.
Ok – let’s start the game. Here comes the first question.



1. Who is the singer of the song Kahin pe nigahen, kahin pe nishana from the film CID (1956)?

A. Geeta Dutt   B. Shamshad Begum
C. Asha Bhosle D. Surayya

I go for audience poll and the audience returns Shamshad Begum 55%, Geeta Dutt 35%. I go with the audience and manage to scrape thru.
Before the second question AB asks about my project. I reply that it is a social one. Others may want to set up a hospital, but I want to help people in not going to the hospital in the first place. I want to keep diseases out.
At this juncture comes the 2nd question

2. What does IFRS represent?
A. Int’l Financial Reporting Standards B. Indian Financial Recording system
C. Int’l Fiscal Reporting System          D. Int’l Film Research Station
I manage to win Rs 10000 by locking on A.
I ask AB as to what is found on each square inch area of Mumbai. I only reply with the word ‘Spittings’. It is spits all over. I am sure if we could curb this social evil, it would automatically reduce diseases to some extent.

Comes question no.3
3. How many medals did India win in the Commonwealth Games 2010?
A. 40 B. 38
C. 56 D. 101

I scramble at the last moment with D 101 and manage to stay on in the game.
With AB’s permission I narrate a story which my elder sister had told us years ago. You find someone spitting in the train. On being screamed as to why was he spitting right there, he replies “Kya Karega, Garib aadmi”.
Can anyone get me from the statute books any law that being a garib aadmi gives one the right to spit anywhere and everywhere? Is there any such constitutional right?
The crowd bursts out laughing. AB promises to continue with the discussions after a break.

Break over, AB comes up with question no.4 for Rs 40000
4. In which of the following states of India are Rhinoes found?
 A. Jammu & Kashmir B. Rajasthan
 C. Assam                   D. Karnataka
I blabber that I had seen Rhinoes while on elephant back at the Jaldapara Game Sanctuary. Since West Bengal is not listed above, I go for C Assam. I have heard of Kaziranga.
I win 40000 hands down.
We continue with our spitting discussion. My question is why does an average Indian spit so much? What is the medical reason behind this phenomenon? Leave out the constitutional experts, we need our medical profession to come up with the cause and suggest ways to overcome this national malaise.
The railway police at the suburban railway stations in Mumbai had started hauling up people for some time. But that was short-lived. I for one would like to make that mahaprabhu, the nuisance creator to walk over the spot where the spit fell. I’d like to see how he would react when told to do so. He won’t like to go over that spot because he is aware of that spot. But the next person unknowingly walks over it. He reaches home with different types of germs carried underneath his shoes. He and his family members fall sick and require medical assistance. Of course the original mahaprabhu also meets with the same fate. While spitting at one spot he is actually treading on others’ spits.
AB seems to feel convinced and wishes me luck to win as much as possible.

He comes up with question 5 for 80000
5. In which test you get results for SGOT and SGPT?
A. Sputum  B. Blood
C. Stool     D. Urine
As I am talking on spits only, I thought ‘sputum’ should be the answer. But I have had enough of the blood tests done so far in my 53 years. I stay with B Blood and cross question 5.

AB gets going with question 6 straightaway.
6. The atmosphere of Venus mainly consists of which of the following gases?
A. Carbon Dioxide   B. Sulphur Dioxide
C. Sulphur Trioxide  D. Water Vapour
I look complete blank and call for phone a friend. I call up my younger son and get through by going with A Carbon Dioxide.
I try to get back with my topic on social evils of the Indian Society. Spitting here and there needs to be controlled at any cost. People have to be won over. Social Thinkers – please do something. Medical Profession – please do something. Why does the Indian spit all thru and does not think it a crime to spit anywhere?
AB nods and takes a break.

Question 7 for 320000 comes as follows:

7. Which Republic lies between Algeria and Lybia?
A. Tunisia  B. Morocco
C. Somalia D. Kenya
I was totally taken by surprise. How can the question come back to me after 36 years? The Late Hamid Sayani had put the question to us in the Bournvita Quiz contest and I had managed to answer this one.
As the answer was in my sleeves, I get into the discussion mode. My worry is how public hygiene amongst the Indians could be improved. We simply do not seem to care. When will this change? If this does not change, we’ll remain as we are.
AB seems to enjoy my concern.
During my childhood days, I'd take the atlas and call out places with some sort of a tune. Ons such tune was "Lybia, Algeria, Tunisia". I get thru the second phase calling out A Tunisia and win 320000.
In a more relaxed atmosphere the game continues.

The next question –
8. In which capacity does the Vice President of India gets his/her salary?
A. as the Vice President B. as the Governor of a State
C. as a Cabinet Minister D. as ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
I remembered that the Vice President has something to do with the Rajya Sabha. I decide to go in for that.
But I get my worries back. I start talking of the conditions of India’s rivers. The other day I was watching a documentary on the Ganges. There are 161 cities on its banks. People at source at Gangotri are not getting any water as barrages have been constructed and the water diverted. It is so full of pollutants both human and chemical that even at Gangasagar the supply of fish is dwindling. You are sure to get diseases if you take that holy dip in it anymore. Under the Ganga Pariyojna, something was started. Inadequate electricity has put paid to most of the engineering efforts. Load-shedding does not allow the pumps to operate. What a pity! The Ganga will turn poisonous in our life time only.
I tell AB that the 5 crores will not be enough. We need to save our people. No amount of hospitals will be adequate if the sources of diseases are not taken care of.
Question 8 gets me 640000.

Time for question 9.
9. Who was the second Indian to win an Oscar award?
A. Satyajit Ray      B. Bhanu Athayia
C. A.R. Rahaman. D. Ismail Merchant

I knew Bhanu Athayia was the first one for Gandhi. I was not very sure about Ismail Merchant. So Satyajit Ray was standing out. I decided to consult the expert of the day Shekhar Gupta. Mr Ray was his choice. My presumption was confirmed. I won the cheque of Rs 1250000. Things were becoming hotter.

I feel hapless whenever I find people committing suicide because of poverty. We have some of the richest people in the whole of universe. Our politicians are filthy rich. Even then people die here of starvation. Can you think of a bigger curse on a nation? Thinkers – please help our country. If we cannot take care of our people, other people will take care of our country.
Mr Bachchan empathises with me.

Question 10 for 2500000
10. In which of the following South/Central American countries a Football world cup final has not been played so far?
A. Mexico B. Uruguay
C. Chile     D. Paraguay
I know that it has happened in Mexico and at Montevideo(Uruguay). So the choice was between Chile and Paraguay. I use the double dip lifeline and call out Chile. Computer says it to be wrong. So I know that it is Paraguay. I win 2500000.

AB felt that I could buy some land now. His question was where was I planning to buy land? I was not sure. It should be the place where I want to live after retirement. Still not decided!!

Hey I was hurtling towards 50 lakhs.
AB was making me cautious. All my lifelines were gone.

Question 11 for 50,00,000
11. Who among our Presidents has been the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University?

A. Dr Zakir Hussain B. Dr S Radhakrishnan
C. Dr V V Giri         D. Shri N Sanjeeva Reddy

I ask AB whether I can call out one more social evil here. AB says Zaroor! People here are so unconcerned with the use and misuse of Plastic bags. They just throw it anywhere. That of course applies to everything. Whatever is not needed is simply chucked out on the roadside. A slight consolation is that there are another set of people who pick up everything on the road to eke out a living. But throwing plastics on the roadside is a crime. They are not bio-degradable. They make the land poisonous.
I apply simple common sense and decide to go in for B Dr Radhakrishnan, although Andhra University and Sanjeeva Reddy made some sense.
My common sense works. I am now on the threshold of winning a crore.

Question 12 for 1,00,00,000
12. In which city is the Adya Peeth situated?
A. Kolkata B. Toronto
C. Dhaka   D. Kamakhya
It seemed the day belonged to me. Having been a regular visitor to this place, it was a cake-walk for me. Without much ado I go for A Kolkata and win 1 crore amidst thunderous applause.

AND NOW THE JACKPOT. AB is totally charged up. He is at the top of his voice. He just can’t hide his excitement. For the first time in the history of KBC, someone is so near to winning 5 crores – the highest amount ever so far. He takes a deep breath and asks me to do the same. Q 13 on its way. Pin drop silence in the crowd. Historic moment.

Question 13 for 5,00,00,000

13. As a protest against Chandigarh and other issues, who amongst the following went on fast unto death and finally died after 74 days of fasting?
A. Jatin Das                 B. Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon
C. Sant Fateh Singh     D. Darshan Singh Pheruman
Both of us look to each other. AB is trying to read my mind. I try to get my bearings correct. I try to reason out. Jatin Das had died of hunger strike. But he was from Bengal . He was a revolutionary and died fasting at the Lahore jail. Nirmaljit Sekhon was an ace fighter pilot. Sant Fateh Singh was the SGPC President during our childhood days. Not sure whether he fasted unto death. D Darshan Pheruman seemed to be the choice. (In actuality when he died, both me and my brother held him in very high esteem looking at his steadfastness. To this day I remember the name)
AB is silent. Only utters that if not sure, I should rather quit.
I go in for D Darshan Pheruman. AB asks computer to lock D Darshan Pheruman. AB takes a break.
We come back after the break. AB repeats whatever has happened. He takes a breath. And shouts at the top of his voice that I have won 5 crores. He gets up, comes towards me and tells me that because it was a game in dream, no money passes hands.
He thanks me profusely for the splendid show.

Before leaving I ask AB whether I could ask for a favor.
I ask for his help in getting me make a two-minute film. The film shows that two people in the local train eat something every day. While one would keep the plastic packet (of peanut or chips or moong dal) in his pocket for later disposal, the other would simply chuck his packet out of the train. Not only that, he would ridicule his friend for carrying the plastic packet home. Many days later, the second man while travelling with his little son gets into a thunder-storm. The wind speed picks up and all of a sudden a cyclone develops. In that huge wave of the wind, all the plastic packets lying dormant on the roadside all this time, form spirals and engulf both the father and son. The ferocity is so high that the father could take the plastics off his face with great difficulty. The young son is not so fortunate. He is engulfed totally and dies of suffocation. The man laments that he is a contributor for the mishap.

AB likes it. Maybe he’ll help me with the film.

Can you beat my imagination?

Ha Ja Ba Ra La (Mumbo Jumbo)

ALL of you know Satyajit Ray. Ray was one of the most prolific writers, film-makers of modern India. You can google him and find out all the details. I want to draw your attention to the fact that writing and literature ran in the family. His lineage was as follows:


Upendrakishore Raychowdhury (1863-1915)
                 |
Sukumar Ray (1887-1923)
                 |
Satyajit Ray (1921-1992)

The above three have made immense contribution to the cause of Bengali literature. I for one am particularly fond of three books of Sukumar Ray which deal with utter nonsense. But the comedy has been put forth in such a hilarious manner that some portions of them make me laugh every day. Let me reproduce a para about him from the WIKI

Sukumar Ray (Bengali: সুকুমার রায়) (1887-1923) was a Bengali humorous poet, story writer and playwright. As perhaps the most famous Indian practitioner of literary nonsense, he is often compared to Lewis Carroll. His works such as the collection of poems "Aboltabol" (Bangla: "আবোলতাবোল")("Gibberish"), novella "HaJaBaRaLa" (Bangla:হযবরল), short story collection "Pagla Dashu" (Bangla:"পাগলা দাশু") ("Crazy Dashu") and play "Chalachittachanchari" (Bangla: "চলচিত্তচঞ্চরী") are considered nonsense masterpieces equal in stature to Alice in Wonderland, and are regarded as some of the greatest treasures of Bangla literature. More than 80 years after his death, Ray remains one of the most popular of children's writers in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The three books I am talking of are Aboltabol, Ha Ja Ba Ra La and Pagla Dashu.

Aboltabol means Gibberish. It is a collection of rhymes which every Bengali child knows of. The rhyming is melody to the ear.

http://www.bangalinet.com/sukumar_roy_abol_tabol_


Some examples:

Bhoy peona , Bhoy peona,

               Tomai aami marbo na,

Satti bolchi kusti kor_e,

              Tomar sang_e Parbo na.

The picture in his imagination is a man trying to run away from a huge animal which rises from nowhere. The animal is saying the above lines which mean that don’t be afraid; I am not going to kill you; Truly, I won’t be able to win a kushti bout with you.

Another one-

Shunt_e pelum Posta giy_e,

         Tomar naaki may_er Biy_e,

Ganga Ram_ke Patro Pel_e,

        Jaant_e chao sh_e kemon Chele?



Very hilarious one.

Ha Ja Ba Ra La – (mumbo jumbo) is another delightful story of craziness.

But nothing to beat Paagla Dashu (Crazy Dashu)! Dashu is a crazy student character, whose crazy stories make you go into splits. Here is some introduction from Wiki.

Pagla Dashu is a character appearing in several prominent works of Bangla literature from the early 20th century, most notably Pagla Dashu (1940). He is a school boy, famous for his crazy ideas and often inexplicable acts that carry subtle, comedic satire. Pagla Dashu is mainly a children's story which is fun to read and creative.


Pagla Dashu has become one of the very popular characters of Bengali literature, like many other characters created by Sukumar Ray, a popular Bengali author of nonsense poetry.

One sentence which I use regularly at home is “ abaar aami Aashiachi Phir_e” meaning I have come back once again.

The context was there was a play being enacted at school. In the last scene the King is asking his minister as to what did the Angel say before returning to Heaven? As the minister was explaining that the Angel had showered his blessings to everyone and had since returned to his abode, Dashu re-entered the stage and announced that he has come back again. This re-entry was not scripted in the original play and none of the actors on stage was prepared for this. There was a confusion and the curtains were dropped in a jiffy. On being asked later as to why he behaved that way, Dashu explained that he felt that the people on stage were not speaking at all and that someone was glaring at him menacingly and some such rubbish. He being a paagal, no action was taken against him.

Whatever, I love this sentence and make frequent use of this one. The latest use was last night, when I drove our maid to the station to drop her only to find that JnaneshwarI Express was rescheduled to 4 o’clock today morning. So on returning home I announced on behalf of her that she was back again.

Story Illahabadi – teaches you how to remain cool

Monday morning 5-15 – I set out of home. My revised office timings are 7-4. On the 5 minutes’ walk to the bus stop, I did feel something missing. On reaching the stop I realized that the right glass was missing from my spects and that I had a slight vision problem. What a way to start a day! At the next change of busses I got into 512 instead of 511. Don’t blame it to the glasses. I find it difficult to differentiate between the Hindi 1 and 2 otherwise also. I continued with 512 and reached office 20 mins late but exactly at 7. Later when I learnt that my son had managed to break the glass the previous night, I didn’t feel angry at all. See how matured a person I have become with age. Someone else would have screamed at him.


My colleague Prashant and I were to travel to Allahabad that day. While planning the trip we discovered that there was only one flight to that place in the whole of 24 hours – an IA flight from Delhi which does a round trip in the late afternoon. We realized that there were not many air travelers to Chitrakoot dham – famous in the Ramayan as the place where Ram , Lakshman and Sita had spent 11 of their 14 years of exile. The place however is well connected by train.

We could have taken the direct train to Allahabad from Mumbai. But it takes exactly 24 hours and for official purposes we cannot think of such a long train journey. So we decided to take an afternoon flight to Delhi and an overnight train from there to our destination. While getting the ticketing done on the net, I found that there were scores of trains but only one of them had a smaller wait-listing.

On reaching New Delhi station from the airport we discovered the reason for the smaller wait-listing. The board showed that Magadh Express was to leave at 5 am the next day instead of the 8.10pm timing with which we had aligned our flight. The people around told us that it was the worst train and that it was perennially late. So much for our planning!!!

The experience of the two MNC executives from then up to the journey completion was smoothened only by their self-determination and amiable disposition.

7PM – Paharganj side of New Delhi station was not the best of places to be in. A tout took us to a railway ticket booking agency located in a small cubicle on the first floor of a building opposite to the station. We discovered that we could have tickets in our own name for the night journey but at a price. They charged us double but agreed to get us confirmed tickets in the Brahmaputra mail. While Prashant waited in that 1st floor cubicle, I went out to cancel the original e-ticket in Magadh express. No end to our learnings – e-tickets have to be cancelled on the net only. On my way back from the reservation office, I decided to check the timings of the Brahmaputra mail. Imagine my mental state when I could not locate that train on the list at all. For a moment I thought that we were being taken for a ride by the agents. On enquiry I found out that the mail was from Old Delhi station. Somewhat relieved, I reach the cubicle, but not before an anxious call from Prashant – as to what was happening with me.

On reaching the cubicle, we had to stretch our brains to get a way to cancel the old tickets. We called up our colleague at Mumbai and he helped us with the cancellation on his home computer. What an effective use of communication technology!

Tickets in our hand we set out for Old Delhi station. But before that we decided to get some cash from the ATM located not far away. But walking those three hundred yards took us to back to Emperor Akbar’s times. Today also the place does not have any street lights- may be the same condition as four hundred years ago. Or maybe they had proper lightings then. Just imagine the scenario – Paharganj area, almost totally dark, cycle-rickshaws around. We got the money and while returning Prashant wanted to have dinner at a 1st storey place (supposedly air conditioned). I was not very sure of the 1st storey cubicles there. Instead we had garam rotis on the ground floor restaurants.

Well-fed we started our sojourn to the Metro station on the Ajmeri Gate side. One thing that amazed me was that the authorities have managed to get the ‘Sab chalta hai’ Delhiwalla to form queues while entering stations and have their baggage scanned. We found that at all the places – New Delhi, Old Delhi and the Metro stations. Good for Delhi. Our first travel on the metro was not the most welcomed one. The train was full to the brim. I was so worried with Prashant’s purse. I don’t carry one – thanks to my everyday travel on the Mumbai trains. We could hardly squeeze ourselves into a compartment, but came face to face with another issue. A Jat was fighting verbally with another and the two were on the verge of exchanging blows. I was stiff scared, because in such cases many times the blow misses its destination and lands on someone else’s chin nearby. I had tasted one such blow in a double decker bus in Calcutta during my school days. The pickpockets move in groups and thrive on creating commotions.

The 5 minute metro journey over, we walk our way to the over-bridge to platform 1A. While waiting over there, we talk to a Russian couple. Only God knows what brings them to this sultry place. Prashant had to caution them against mosquito bites.

Brahmaputra Mail reaches Allahabad at 9.30 – a good two hours late. IA had rescheduled our flight back to Delhi to 2.35 pm instead of the regular 4.15. See everything was arranged against us. We knew we’d have to hurry up with our meeting. We get into a hotel for an hour. The hotel was set to charge us for the whole day. We settle for a 50% charge. But the un-kept slippery bathroom sees Prashant slipping dangerously. Fortunately there were no injuries.

The meeting went off well. We reach the defence airport. Allahabad is the HQ of Central Air Command. We get inside the small aircraft (but not an ATR). Time passes by. The pilot makes some announcements. After about an hour he cites technical snags and ‘cancels’ the flight. We deplane. It seems there were some big shots amongst the passengers. They manage to convince IA to send a plane to Varanasi as night landings are not allowed at Allahabad. We get ready to take up a three hour drive by ‘surface transport ‘. We wait and wait. We hear that instead of Varanasi, the plane from Delhi is reaching Allahabad only. Time ticks on. We find the pilots of the old aircraft go on board. And lo! After some time the old ‘technically snagged’ aircraft becomes ready to fly in that darkness. Strange are the ways of this land. We’ll never come to know what really happened. Why the timing was initially pre-poned, how the snag developed, how it went away on its own etc. There could have been air-force sorties, there could be VIP movements, there could be anything. But the sufferer was the common traveler.

Anyway we kept our cool throughout and made the most of an otherwise jinxed journey. We have mastered the survival instincts.

Air Travel – sometimes really pathetic

This is what I picked up from FB today:

 Renu Narvekar highly disappointed with kingfisher airlines - cold food, TV not working, seats dont recline........... - mr mallaya, hope u listening !Anju Malhotra gosh even emirates was stinking...renu.....and a very distinct smell even in the business class......

Ganesh Iyer Renu be happy at least the flight took off
Shailesh Mohabe cold food may be he his trying to give message that kingfisher bear taste more then the food when it is served cold.....
Renu Narvekar ‎@ ganesh - agree. Must count my blessings, though it was late both ways !
@ shailesh - he shd stick to selling the beer & give up aviation. The food was not only cold but inedible & had a distinct smell
@ shirin - del mum del . Similar probs...

Ameeta Shetty Kapur what next renu?.. rodents?
Renu Narvekar ‎@ ameeta - dread to evn think ! low cost airlines anyday. Atleast no false promises.
I picked up Renu’s story to share my experiences with the Big Airlines. I had already narrated the story of Air India in my very first blog. Later on I deleted that portion thinking that at least as an Indian let me preserve the honor of something Indian.

Big Airlines are pathetic not always but sometimes. Here is a story of Jet Airlines. 4 of us were travelling to Hongkong in the business class. The much advertised beds to sleep on were nice. You can really lie down and sleep for the night.

The trouble arose in our return flight. They did not have food to serve. Drinks were served after some delay. Thereafter there was no dinner being served. I thought that maybe that was the custom. We could see people in the economy class almost finishing their meal. Then we had to ask the crew and some food was served. Normal food over, we were looking for some dessert. My God! It looked as if the crew were praying that all of us had diabetes and that we were not interested in anything sweet. On being called the attendant came and told me that there was indeed a shortage. I almost shouted at him. Thereafter he got me something.

From that day’s experience I have got a lower esteem for the esteemed airline which has done a lot for the Indian air passengers in the last 20 years or so. My sister in law was lauding their performance on her last visit to Mumbai from Toronto. She was raving about the food. This makes me think. Renu’s journey that day or our journey from Hongkong must have been one of ‘those’ days. I am sure the two stalwarts – Mr Mallaya and Mr Goyal would not want any of their customers to feel unhappy on anything. But lower down, the management needs to take serious note of such complaints. It may be true that demand exceeds supply – but that is no reason for taking customers for granted. I am aware that some of the foreign airlines crew are known for their haughty attitude. Given the chance, we try to avoid them. After our Air India experience this May, we have decided to carry our own food (at least some quantity).

So much for the Airlines!! Now let me talk of rodents in Public transport.

Do you know that there are a fixed set of living beings who do the origin to destination journey on every long distance train of the Indian Railways? They are the Rats. They are there in every train and they are doing Mumbai-Bangalore or Mumbai-Chennai and back every day in their respective rakes.

About 4 years back, Susmita and I were travelling AC – 3 tier to Bangalore in the night train from LTT . We were carrying our food, nicely packed. After dinner we kept the containers back properly packed in newspapers. In the morning we found the newspapers to be shredded into thousands of pieces. Immediately we knew that the rats had a field day the previous night.

The story does not end there. What do you think was the continuation in the story? We reach our niece’s place in Bangalore (the same one who is in Paris now). While having dinner all of a sudden we found something moving along the curtains. Hmm!! We realized that Mr Rat with address LTT station, Kurla, Mumbai, Maharashtra has travelled with us in that express train and then got transported to our niece’s place in Bangalore, Karnataka via our bag. The previous night’s aroma of the food etc must have made Mr Rat decide why not travel with this family at the destination. He also wanted to see Bangalore city rather than remain in Bangalore station as always.

That was not the correct decision. He was not aware that the owner of the bag had done post-graduation in rat-killing (please see my blog – Ganpati Bappa). Sure enough, he was killed before the break of dawn much to the comfort of our dear niece. She felt otherwise she would have a tough time saving her assets from that un-welcome guest.

See - I have got stories to tell matching all your thoughts and experiences.

The 7 habits training

This week I underwent the above training. This has eluded me all this while. This time it happened amidst tight schedules. At the end I am happy that I did it. And I did it with 30 others who are my elder son’s age. I felt great in their company. And I had plenty of personal experiences to share by way of examples. Trust the others liked them. There is additional cause for joy. My younger son went thru the booklet and liked it a lot. He felt that everything in his life so far has been hovering below the line in quadrants 3 and 4. Nice to hear that. He now realizes that there are things called quadrants 1 and 2 which could be attained. Interestingly, while googling in the morning, I found that the Covey family has written similar books for teens also. Maybe I’ll get one for my son.

Coming to Stephen Covey’s training program. I found it pretty apt. At beyond 50 also, I think I can use the concepts effectively. Again, there is no rocket science involved. All of us knowingly/unknowingly do practice the concepts in bits and pieces. Covey has given a great structure, which if followed, could help the follower in becoming more effective.
For those of you who do not have any idea of the 7 habits, here is a brief synopsis. You get the full thing on the net.
You start at a dependent level, where you build up your self-mastery and self-discipline. The 3 habits involved are – Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind and put first things first. By mastering these habits you attain Private Victory.
In the second stage, you practice Think win-win, seek first to understand and then be understood and synergize. These habits get you Public Victory. From Independence you move to Interdependence.
Finally the seventh habit talks of sharpening the saw.
Now the time has come for putting the training into practice. As usual, I can cite the 101 tasks that are to be attended to right now. Implementing the training concepts become 102nd in the list. I’ll try to break the hodoo.
I have to perform 3 tasks:

1. Plan weekly

2. Live the Habit

3. Teach to learn.

Let me start shortly. I should not waste time writing blogs. Need your good wishes. Thanks.

Best Selling books

This week I underwent the 7 habits training of Stephen Covey. I came to know that the book has sold in excess of 15 million copies.
Out of curiosity as to the big best sellers, I decided to google. And here is the list from the Wikipedia. You might find it interesting. I am fascinated. I am happy that I thought of finding out about it. I have not heard of most of these books. Strange I do not find anyone from the Indian sub-continent which I thought have produced a number of thinkers. And we are so thick in numbers. In fact that is getting me into the questioning mode - out of one billion people over here we have not been able to sell the Ramayan and the Mahabaharat and the Geeta to 50 million people. Find it a bit strange. But then I do not have any of the three in my house-hold. So there is no reason to feel surprised.

I have reproduced below a short list. For the complete list please go the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books
The Bible (probably about 8 Billion) and the Qur’an, are by far the most-printed and most sold books.

List of best-selling single-volume books

[edit] More than 100 million copies

Book                                    Author(s)       Original language/First published/Approximate sales

A Tale of Two Cities    Charles Dickens     English 1859  over 200 million[1]
The Lord of the Rings  J. R. R. Tolkien      English 1954–1955 150 million[2]
The Hobbit                 J. R. R. Tolkien       English 1937 over 100 million[3]
紅樓夢 (Dream of the Red Chamber) Cao Xueqin  Chinese 1759-1791 over 100 million [4]
论三个代表 (On the Three Representations)  Jiang Zemin   Chinese 2001 100 million[5][dubious – discuss]
And Then There Were None Agatha Christie   English 1939 100 million[6][citation needed]

[edit] Between 50 million and 100 million copies

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe     C. S. Lewis    English  1950 85 million[7]
She            H. Rider Haggard    English 1887 83 million[8]
Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry French 1943 80 million[9]
The Da Vinci Code  Dan Brown  English 2003 80 million [10]
The Catcher in the Rye  J. D. Salinger  English 1951 65 million[11]
O Alquimista (The Alchemist) Paulo Coelho Portuguese  1988 65 million[12]
Steps to Christ Ellen G. White  English 1892 60 million[13]
Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre (Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning) Johanna Spyri German 1880 50 million[14]
The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care Dr. Benjamin Spock English 1946 50 million[15]
Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maud Montgomery  English 1908 50 million[16]
Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions: The autobiography of a horse Anna Sewell English 1877 50 million[17]
Il Nome della Rosa (The Name of the Rose) Umberto Eco  Italian  1980 50 million[18]

Wish some name from this part of the world will appear in the list some day.
Jay Ho!!

Mudra

I had heard the word but that’s about it. Yesterday at the Annual health check-up, one lady spoke about Mudras and their healing values. The very beginning attracted me a lot.


I was thrilled to know how the five fingers are considered as the representation of the 5 tatwas: Thumb (fire), index (Wind), middle (Akash-sky), Ring (Prithvi-earth) and Little (Water). I might have known them sometime but had completely lost track of.

The fingers have got some 4000 nerve-endings on them.

The mudras consist of the touching of specific fingers and stretching the rest of the others. My take was that by stretching the other fingers we actually exercise the nerve-endings. Specific mudras have specific curative values.

I learnt about Gyan Mudra, prana, vayu, apaan, surya, shunya, linga, prithvi, Varun mudra among others. I found that exercising with the fingers is comparatively easy.

I am going to give it a try for the next three months. Let me see what comes out of it.

I’ll keep you posted of the results.

Quite a few sites are there. Just Google Mudra and go for it.

Meeting Olivier Sedile

Last 15 days was 'only work' for me. We were meeting deadlines for the submission of the Company's Tax accounts on time. Within that busy schedule, I had two trainings to attend and a couple of visitors. But the best part was that amidst all that running against time I had a chance acquaintance with a French boy Olivier Sedile. We intend to carry on with the friendship.

Vijay, our senior colleague from Manila was in Mumbai. One evening around 7, we were in front of our office looking for a taxi for Vijay. After spending some time in futile search, an auto-rickshaw stopped in front of me and I could see the sole passenger, a young boy, was gesturing with a piece of paper. I was more interested in the auto than the paper. I made the guy get down and Vijay board it. There were already three other takers for the auto at that point.

Vijay gone, I concentrated on the visitor. The address he was trying to reach was ‘Western India Money Transfer’ situated in our next door building. On starting a conversation I realized that he was from Paris and that he wanted to draw money. Immediately a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. How was the guy going to cross that one way road where traffic was in full swing? Then there were potholes all over and in that drizzling ill-lit lane he would break his leg. And it was already past 7. The chances of getting the place open were not very bright. So I took him to the place. As expected the office was already closed. But the man at the counter informed us of another branch some distance away which operated up to 9 pm. Slowly we walked to the other place and he got his money.

Now comes the climax. His next move made me think of so many things which made that event so interesting. What did he do next? Any guesses!!

He took a 500 – rupee note from his bag and offered me the same. Not bad by any standards – if helping people for 10 minutes would make me earn that much, I would work for 24 hours. Why did he behave like that?

I have got a couple of answers:

1. He must have felt very happy inside. So he wanted to share his happiness with me in his own way.

2. While in Paris, we had tried to get help more than once with pieces of paper. Every time we were shooed off. Most of the Parisians were not ready to help. The guy coming from Paris must have found it a bit strange that someone was walking that extra mile to help out a stranger.

3. Walking all the way with him and getting his work done must have come as a surprise to him. So he must have deduced that the man must be doing it in expectation of something. So he must have thought that rewarding such a man was not a bad idea. So he offered me the tip.

Later, extending it further another thought came to my mind. He might also have felt that having seen the sizeable amount being drawn, I might try to take it away from him in that dark roadside.

Whatever, I quietly returned the money. The bigger challenge for me at that point was how to send that guy back to Powai in that office traffic. I got him to my office. But by that time all the Powai guys were gone. Another colleague got him an auto-rickshaw.

Next day he sent me a ‘thank you’ mail. We plan to meet soon.

Again - this was an opportunity provided to me and I did not let go. Helping out others is the best thing possible. As I have repeatedly been saying, it comes back many times over. A man from Kerala helping out my son in Christchurch in an otherwise trying circumstances is a potent example.

The BEST stories

 
BEST Bus Facts (As of January 2010) taken from BEST site


• About 45 lakh people travel daily in Mumbai via bus.

• Total number of buses in Mumbai is about 3500.

• Approximately 350 to 370 routes their in Mumbai.

http://www.bestundertaking.com/
For the last 8 years or so I am one of those 45 lakh fortunates who travel/sleep by a BEST bus in the morning for an hour to reach office and in the evening for about 20 minutes to reach Andheri station from the office. For almost 8 years I was the first passenger in the first bus of route number 533. Being a regular user and a Bus fanatic, I have got my share of the BEST stories. Some of the drivers and conductors know me (mind - your knowing them does not help, they need to know you) and I am mighty pleased about it. Prerogatives include

- a waving by a driver if he sees me on the road
- looking out for me in the morning before starting the bus if I am not there
- gesturing and stopping a bus from an auto/car in an unscheduled stop to get in.
- being invited to tea with them
The above things have happened – no reason they’ll repeat. Nevertheless they have happened with me
Side by side I have also stories of the bus not stopping even when my shoe got flown off while boarding, being asked to get down and form a queue before boarding etc.
Twice or thrice I got carried over to next stops as I had fallen asleep (the last one being last Saturday)

Here is the first story: One morning when our bus was speeding on the Vashi bridge, the conductor while trying to put the collection in his shirt pocket misjudged his pocket location and the entire money fell off his hand. The breeze on the bridge soon saw the notes flying – first towards the entrance and then out of the bus into the creek below. He got the bus stopped , went out for the notes. There was no chance that the notes would in that strong breeze wait for him on the bridge. As soon as he re-entered I enquired about the amount lost and handed over the 200 rupees I had. This came as a big surprise for him. He accepted the money and offered to return me the same next day. Sure enough the next day he got very fresh notes ( I know not from where). On my refusal to accept that, he seemed to be a bit disappointed. But our bonds grew stronger. I don’t see him on duty now a days.
The second story goes back to the KBC days. That night I was so busy reading the Mahabharat, that I overshot my stop. An agile conductor immediately approached me – I thought for an extra ticket. But no - he was finding out from me as to what the next steps would be. How would I reach home etc.
My experience tells me that these duo managing the buses are normally very nice and amiable people.They have a herculean task of driving on the crowded streets, collecting money from 45 lakh passengers in the rain, in the sweltering heat and in the ever increasing pollution day in and day out. They along with the local train drivers (known as motormen) keep the commercial capital of the country on the move daily. Jai Ho my friends.
Now a story on the Ticket checkers in BEST buses. I find them to be very rough and know-alls. Imagine the scene at Andheri Station one night. I found some 8-10 of those blue shirt TCs laughing and shouting away and on the verge of dancing. Actually they were celebrating the sixes which Sourav Ganguly was hitting against Sri Lanka in his massive 189 RUNS. That was a pretty good sight. Sourav – hats off to you. You  made those ‘kharush’ TC s laugh and celebrate.
To me BEST is still the best in the country. Long live the BEST.

The Change Game

Do you recollect this Md. Rafi song:

Ajab teri kaarigari karataar -2
Samajh na aaye maaya teri badale rang hazaar
Ajab teri kaarigari
So apt for everything of evolution! Let me talk of places. My parents came from Bangladesh. They built up a house in Calcutta. Millions came just like them and got scattered all over West Bengal, India and some even beyond. They came with hope mainly. You cannot carry your immovables across borders. Painstakingly they built a house, got their children educated and in due course have gone back to their final abode. Such is the story of people coming from Pakistan as well.
Within one generation the circle has moved so many degrees. None of us live in the house they built – not out of choice, but out of compulsion. Here comes the Kaarigari of the Karataar. We just don’t have any inclination of his Maaya.
Now we have got our own flats wherever we are. But the fun is our children again out of compulsion, are moving out somewhere else. So again there will be a void after some time. Its Badale rang Hazaar again.

So that is the fact – the truth, the absolute truth. Change is the name of the game. Everything is moving, moving and moving. You are not allowed to stay at one place for long. Circumstances will make you move, make you change, make you fall in line – however hard you try to remain static.

Do you like it? Dear, there is no choice. So better you like it and move on. Else the soaring wave of change will just drown you to oblivion. I started with the example of places. Did my grandfather think that there would be so much of movement in his next three generations? I am not sure what happened to his previous three lines. Change of place was only an example. It applies to everything. The Maaya of His makes topsy turvy of everything. The sooner you pick up the threads, the easier it is for you to survive on the face of this earth. If you don’t know how to operate a mobile phone, you’ll not be able to contact/be contacted at crucial moments. The TV and fridge are no longer the items for the rich- it is a necessity today. The internet has changed the face of the earth. Do you still feel like remaining unconnected like 15 years back?

I for one like this Maaya thing. He gets things done His way. We the katputlis play to His tune. I enjoy that game and am always looking forward as to what next?

Many a time we find people who would give ten reasons as to why a certain thing cannot be done. I wish they also see why someone is asking for the change and that they change their stance and say that it will happen. If they do not act as the change agent, someone else will do which ultimately makes them change also.

Now what does this change means – Is it a big thing? In certain cases it may be. But in most of the cases you need to move with the changing times. One should never shut oneself up from whatever is happening around. If one follows the change closely, it would act as the enabler.

The Karataar will continue with His Maaya. It will take its thousand hues and colors. It is for us to feel that and adapt ourselves to the best of our abilities.

Happy Changing.

Ganpati Bappa

Ganpati has got a special affiliation with all Indians (and a good part of the world population). In every household in India He is revered and respected. After moving to Mumbai and specially to my flat at Navi Mumbai, the relationship has further strengthened.
I'll narrate two stories.
We had just moved to our flat on the 9th floor. Two huge garden mice also became part of our household. It had been raining outside. I think the overflowing waters made them reach our flat thru the rain-water pipes. They were destructive ones. Every night they would gnaw at one of the doors and would bite off a part of it. Left to them, they would have polished off the whole door. Something needed to be done. We used rat poison and could eliminate one. But the other continued its mala-fide activities. One evening my son managed to trap it in the bathroom. Then I killed it with a broom. It was a huge one and it took me a while. It would almost try to fly towards me in retaliation.
After a few days I dreamt that I was surrounded by rat-like people. They were grilling me as to why I had killed one of their members. I was a bit terrified. Fortunately I saw Ganeshji standing at a distance. So I was somewhat relieved. I countered those rat-like folks as to why their member was eating away my door. After some exchanges, I found Ganeshji coming forward and asking them to go away. I was saved.
Now what made me think that Ganeshji would help me? That had something to do with my moving in to the Koparkhairane flat. When I was moving into it, I considered it to be moving into the Maharashtra mainland. In the true Maratha spirit, I had become a devout Ganesha disciple. I thought I was being warmly welcomed by Him into the new household. So I was elated when I saw Him standing in the midst of all those rat-like people.
Having said all these, am I in a position to kill another of those mice today? The answer is a big NO. I had seen in front of me how the life of a somewhat big animal being snuffed out by my broom. I feel pretty bad today. I am not sure as to how I am going to act if faced with a similar situation again. Most likely I’ll shoo it off. I am very much sure that I’ll have to pay for that someday – and I am ready for the punishment.
One other related query I always had was how come we revere Ganeshji so much but have to face His chariot - that brat rat? They are so destructive. The answer to this I got at the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai. In one corner they have nicely explained how Lord Ganesha made the rat as His chariot to control it. Maybe the rat-king got controlled.

The other story in the same year was when I visited the dentist for a root-canalling. As the lady doctor took up her instruments and I closed my eyes, I could see she was replaced by the Lord Himself. Ganesha was performing the root-canalling Himself on me. I was top of the world.
Maybe that is how you see things when you give up completely to the Almighty. I never had any inclination that the Lord would come to my eyes like that on the dentist’s chair.

To sum up Killing should be avoided as far as possible. Maybe a few items are out of that list – poultry, fish and other animals killed for their meat. But is that correct? Survival of the fittest?

Now I realize why there are strict vegetarians in the world.

If only Mumbai cud.....

I love Mumbai. It is bursting to the brims. But still it is trying to put up a brave front. That is why we find even today trainloads of newcomers are pouring into this island city from all over. A new trend which has started now is that even foreigners are coming over here for on the job training, medical treatment and so on.

I am trying to put up the various banes of Mumbai as I see it today.

1. Spitting all around - I am not sure why I find so many people spitting all around. Every inch of Mumbai is having multi-layers of spitting on it. The other day my sandal snapped and I had to walk some distance bare-foot. I was not that worried of the pebbles as I was of the spittings on which I had to tread. The police had started some action but it was a knee-jerk effort. Things have come to a stop.

2. Defacing direction sign-boards - At Andheri station, nice sign-boards were put up showing the directions. At Germany/France we managed ourselves everything just by following the posters. And here within a few days hand-bills were pasted on the sign-boards. Can't the police take action against the organization who put up such ugly handbills? Can't the station-master get the handbills plucked out?

3. Hawkers within railway station premises: The number of sellers and the number of tables at Andheri staion seems to be on the rise. Two issues are involved. a) you are obstructing the already dwindling area leading to chances of stampede. b) There are chances of the public picking up fights with the hawkers. Innocents will suffer bodily if a scuffle breaks out. Why is the station master looking the other way?

4. BEST buses running without boards: I understand that a lot of routes have changed and that the glow-signs are being installed in the buses to reflect the number and the destination. But in the interim, passengers are suffering a lot. Empty buses zoom past you at the bus stops as you are not waving to stop them down because of absence of the route number. Come on BEST - you were never so unprofessional?

5. No buses at Railway stations in the mornings: BEST once again. Right at 7 am the traffic is not so bad. But you'll find serpentine lines at Andheri station (moving inside the station premises) as there are not enough buses. What is the issue Mr BEST? Get 100 buses lined up at night itself.

6. Piling of heavy vehicles at the Octroi check-posts: Every morning it is becoming a routine affair to get affected by the long lines of double-treble lines of heavy vehicles held up at the octroi posts on Vashi/Airoli bridges. If the department cannot cope up with the volumes, let atleast there be some discipline in the lining of the trucks. Let there be only two lines extending all the way to Panvel, if required.

I understand there are issues of drinking water, sewage, garbage also. All these are leading to all sorts of diseases. So there could be an occasion when people would die in their thousands. We are just sitting on that time bomb.

Thousands of commuters are braving these every day. Hats off to you - the common Mumbaikar. I am also one of you. I am just beating the traffic by getting out as early as possible. Let's see how long can I keep it up.