Data privacy is considered as one of the most important of personal freedom in many countries around the world but definitely not in India. It is "one laughing stock". No doubt, we have umpteen instances of our data being freely circulated, pilfered and sold for a price in India. I receive at least 50 SMS messages in a month telling me that "1.5 cr chennai phone database (confirmed) is available for sale at Rs2500/-". So there goes my data privacy with regard to my telephone number.
My phone number is with all the tele-marketers in India, I guess. Not only from Chennai, I get calls from Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Delhi. No I am not joking! I have got calls from Ahmedabad for stock tips, from Nagpur for real estate etc., I dont know who told these guys I want to buy land in Nagpur, of all places! The only saving grace, I was hoping was that at least my residential address and family details are not yet available in the public domain.
It went for a toss last week when we received a post from one of the Chennai based Charitable organisation helping deprived people. The letter was addressed to myself and my wife with full names and initials. The biggest surprise was it had the name of our second son (again full name) with his birth date and asking us to visit their facility on his birthday. It is a very emotional thing for somebody to receive a request for charity with the details of your child and you really feel carried away to contribute. I don't find anything wrong in seeking charity but what really irked me was the blatant mis-use of birth information, parents' name and address by this Charitable organisation.
I was wondering from where they would have got this minute and detailed information, the one and only source was the birth records in the Chennai Corporation office. Not that we are from the Bachchans family not wanting to disclose even the name of the new born, but using these kind of informatin for seeking charity is not to be encouraged. This breach of personal data can be sued in many countries but may not be possible in India.
To my surprise and utter dismay, I found the name of the Chennai Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy as one of the patrons of this trust along with The Hindu N Ram. Long live Data Privacy in India!!
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Interesting "Public Notice" in "The Hindu"
Today morning while reading the The Hindu, I came across this "Public Notice" which is quite different from the routine change of names, certificates lost and other mundane stuff. Sounds funny for people like us to read this, but there should a turmoil going on for this family.
Hope this episode ends positively for everybody concerned. That's the best I can wish!!
Where are the family photos?
One of the most striking features of any South Indian house is the proud display of family photos on the walls of the drawing rooms. Typical family photo which comes to my mind looks like this. The head of the family sits majestically on a wooden chair with his coyly looking wife standing by his side. You may also see a "bunch" of children of different age groups standing on either side of the father.
In addition to that black and white family photo, you also find an assortment of wedding photos of uncles, aunts, children, grand-children, cousins and so on. I have seen in many houses the wedding photo typically capturing the moment of mangalasutra being tied on the bride. It doesn't end there. You find graduation photos with the black graduation robe or a tennis player proudly posing with a tennis racquet. These photos are very symbolic of the kind of relationship one has within the family.
My maternal grandmother had 9 children and you can imagine the amount of wall space all these photos took in the "Hall". It was very exciting to see your aging aunt or uncle in their prime of their youth and with a stiff upper lip as part of the marriage photo session. Now, we have at home only our Grandfather's photo in the "Hall".
Over the last few years, I am not seeing walls with family photos. Instead, this wall space has now been usurped by the random pictures of a deer or Krishna trying to steal butter or Tanjore paintings of Gods. Worst in some cases, a photo or an abstract painting with the idea of making the vastu of the home little better!!
Though they are not hung on the walls as earlier, these photos have not disappeared altogether. It has morphed itself into smaller size photo stands sitting precariously on top of the computer or phone tables and in most of the cases on top of the TV!!
But I really miss the photos hung in the order of seniority in the family on the wall.
In addition to that black and white family photo, you also find an assortment of wedding photos of uncles, aunts, children, grand-children, cousins and so on. I have seen in many houses the wedding photo typically capturing the moment of mangalasutra being tied on the bride. It doesn't end there. You find graduation photos with the black graduation robe or a tennis player proudly posing with a tennis racquet. These photos are very symbolic of the kind of relationship one has within the family.
My maternal grandmother had 9 children and you can imagine the amount of wall space all these photos took in the "Hall". It was very exciting to see your aging aunt or uncle in their prime of their youth and with a stiff upper lip as part of the marriage photo session. Now, we have at home only our Grandfather's photo in the "Hall".
Over the last few years, I am not seeing walls with family photos. Instead, this wall space has now been usurped by the random pictures of a deer or Krishna trying to steal butter or Tanjore paintings of Gods. Worst in some cases, a photo or an abstract painting with the idea of making the vastu of the home little better!!
Though they are not hung on the walls as earlier, these photos have not disappeared altogether. It has morphed itself into smaller size photo stands sitting precariously on top of the computer or phone tables and in most of the cases on top of the TV!!
But I really miss the photos hung in the order of seniority in the family on the wall.
A quick chat with a Srilankan Tamil
Last week, I had a chance encounter with a Srilankan Tamil (SLT) who visited home for some repair work. It was revealing and heart-rending on many levels. But what more I can do except to feel sorry for these people, when even the Chief Minister of the State is not able to do anything.
So when this man came home, from the very few sentences he spoke, I could make out that he is a Srilankan Tamil. The funny thing about these Srilankan Tamils are they hesitate very much to talk in the first place, because their accent immediately make them stand out and secondly they also dont want to get identified as a Srilankan Tamil. I asked him straight if he is a Srilankan and he acknoweldge that. Given below is the gist of our discussion on wide-ranging topics (as if we were two foriegn ministers talking to each other!!)
Me: Where are you from?
SLT: I am from Jaffna.
Me: When did you come to Tamilnadu from Srilanka?
SLT: I came here in 2007.
Me: So you came here before the final war in May 2009?
SLT: Yes, I came here couple of years before the war.
Me: How did you come to Tamilnadu?
SLT: I came to Chennai on a Student Visa and after that converted myself as a refugee.
Me: Does the Srilankan Government allow you to leave Srilanka?
SLT: Yes, I was studying in Kandy at that time. Couple of times I was arrested by the Srilankan Army and I have to use the political influence to come out. So I decided to come to Chennai.
Me: Why Srilankan Army arrested you?
SLT: I was helping the fighters (meaning the rebels, LTTE) injured in the war. So I was arrested.
Me: Have you ever participated in the war efforts of LTTE?
SLT: No. I was only helping the injured LTTE soldiers in getting medical treatment.
Me: How is the situation now in Srilanka? Do you have any contacts?
SLT: The situation is still bad. The Army keeps arresting people without any reason.
Me: Lot of Tamils have migrated to the western countries like UK, Canada and other European countries. Did you not try to migrate to those countries?
SLT: Yes, I did try to go to UK. You know right, that we cant go legally. So I tried to go to UK through the illegal route. I paid 10K UK pounds to an agent to go to UK but couldnt go.
Me: What happened?
SLT: The agent took me to Malaysia along with other illegal immigrants from Srilanka and made us stay in a hotel for couple of days. Then he suddenly disappeared from Malaysia and escaped to Thailand leaving us in the lurch. We were caught by the Malaysian police.
Me: Oh, really. Then how did you manage to come out of Malaysia? Malaysia, I heard is a very strict country?
SLT: Not like that. We bribed the Malaysian police and came back.
Me: How do you manage to get so much of money to pay to these agents?
SLT: In our family, my eldest brother migrated to UK some 15 years ago. He studied well during his younger days and he got a scholarship to go to UK for further studies. He is now settled in UK and he funds our efforts. He is a Professor in UK University. He keeps telling me that I should have also studied well instead of engaging the activities what I did, but now nothing could be changed.
Me: So, you are in India for the last 4 years. How do you manage your life here?
SLT: See I came here on a student visa but later I claimed myself as a refugee. If I have to be recognised as a refugee, I have to go and register myself at Shastri Bhavan. (He is not able to tell which department exactly but Shastri Bhavan is the place where many Central Government offices function). I have now registered myself as a refugee.
Me: Are you allowed to work in India with the refugee status?
SLT: It is very difficult to get a job in India with a refugee status. I got selected in atleast 3 companies before but unfortunately when I told them my nationality is Srilankan, nobody was willing to give me a job. This is a kind of temporary job what I do so that I can earn some money to keep myself afloat.
Me: Do you face problems with TN Police?
SLT: Not much. As a refugee, Shastri Bhavan issues a letter which I have to take it to the nearest Police Station where I am staying and get myself registered as a refugee. I have done that now. So the local Policemen know me and they dont create problems. My job involves visiting various localities in the city and I have to drive a two-wheeler. But I cant get a Indian Driving License. So I drive without a license and sometimes I get caught. I pay a bribe to the Policemen and even there sometimes few Policemen feel sympathetic and allow me to go without taking a bribe because of my Srilankan Tamil refugee status.
Me: How long you are going to work like this? what are you future plans?
SLT: I am 30 years old and my parents have started looking for a girl. They are looking for a girl who is already in countries like UK, Cananda etc., We are trying to get a foreign settled girl for marriage so that I get a spouse visa and settle in that country.
Me: Ok, the most important question, do you think Prabhakaran is still alive or killed in the fourth Ealam war?
SLT: We believe he is alive. Couple of reasons, the photograph of the body of Prabhakaran which was shown by the Srilankan Army after the war seems to have been a doctored one. Secondly, the Srilankan Government has still not issued the death certificate for Prabhakaran to the Indian Government.
Me: Thank you.
So when this man came home, from the very few sentences he spoke, I could make out that he is a Srilankan Tamil. The funny thing about these Srilankan Tamils are they hesitate very much to talk in the first place, because their accent immediately make them stand out and secondly they also dont want to get identified as a Srilankan Tamil. I asked him straight if he is a Srilankan and he acknoweldge that. Given below is the gist of our discussion on wide-ranging topics (as if we were two foriegn ministers talking to each other!!)
Me: Where are you from?
SLT: I am from Jaffna.
Me: When did you come to Tamilnadu from Srilanka?
SLT: I came here in 2007.
Me: So you came here before the final war in May 2009?
SLT: Yes, I came here couple of years before the war.
Me: How did you come to Tamilnadu?
SLT: I came to Chennai on a Student Visa and after that converted myself as a refugee.
Me: Does the Srilankan Government allow you to leave Srilanka?
SLT: Yes, I was studying in Kandy at that time. Couple of times I was arrested by the Srilankan Army and I have to use the political influence to come out. So I decided to come to Chennai.
Me: Why Srilankan Army arrested you?
SLT: I was helping the fighters (meaning the rebels, LTTE) injured in the war. So I was arrested.
Me: Have you ever participated in the war efforts of LTTE?
SLT: No. I was only helping the injured LTTE soldiers in getting medical treatment.
Me: How is the situation now in Srilanka? Do you have any contacts?
SLT: The situation is still bad. The Army keeps arresting people without any reason.
Me: Lot of Tamils have migrated to the western countries like UK, Canada and other European countries. Did you not try to migrate to those countries?
SLT: Yes, I did try to go to UK. You know right, that we cant go legally. So I tried to go to UK through the illegal route. I paid 10K UK pounds to an agent to go to UK but couldnt go.
Me: What happened?
SLT: The agent took me to Malaysia along with other illegal immigrants from Srilanka and made us stay in a hotel for couple of days. Then he suddenly disappeared from Malaysia and escaped to Thailand leaving us in the lurch. We were caught by the Malaysian police.
Me: Oh, really. Then how did you manage to come out of Malaysia? Malaysia, I heard is a very strict country?
SLT: Not like that. We bribed the Malaysian police and came back.
Me: How do you manage to get so much of money to pay to these agents?
SLT: In our family, my eldest brother migrated to UK some 15 years ago. He studied well during his younger days and he got a scholarship to go to UK for further studies. He is now settled in UK and he funds our efforts. He is a Professor in UK University. He keeps telling me that I should have also studied well instead of engaging the activities what I did, but now nothing could be changed.
Me: So, you are in India for the last 4 years. How do you manage your life here?
SLT: See I came here on a student visa but later I claimed myself as a refugee. If I have to be recognised as a refugee, I have to go and register myself at Shastri Bhavan. (He is not able to tell which department exactly but Shastri Bhavan is the place where many Central Government offices function). I have now registered myself as a refugee.
Me: Are you allowed to work in India with the refugee status?
SLT: It is very difficult to get a job in India with a refugee status. I got selected in atleast 3 companies before but unfortunately when I told them my nationality is Srilankan, nobody was willing to give me a job. This is a kind of temporary job what I do so that I can earn some money to keep myself afloat.
Me: Do you face problems with TN Police?
SLT: Not much. As a refugee, Shastri Bhavan issues a letter which I have to take it to the nearest Police Station where I am staying and get myself registered as a refugee. I have done that now. So the local Policemen know me and they dont create problems. My job involves visiting various localities in the city and I have to drive a two-wheeler. But I cant get a Indian Driving License. So I drive without a license and sometimes I get caught. I pay a bribe to the Policemen and even there sometimes few Policemen feel sympathetic and allow me to go without taking a bribe because of my Srilankan Tamil refugee status.
Me: How long you are going to work like this? what are you future plans?
SLT: I am 30 years old and my parents have started looking for a girl. They are looking for a girl who is already in countries like UK, Cananda etc., We are trying to get a foreign settled girl for marriage so that I get a spouse visa and settle in that country.
Me: Ok, the most important question, do you think Prabhakaran is still alive or killed in the fourth Ealam war?
SLT: We believe he is alive. Couple of reasons, the photograph of the body of Prabhakaran which was shown by the Srilankan Army after the war seems to have been a doctored one. Secondly, the Srilankan Government has still not issued the death certificate for Prabhakaran to the Indian Government.
Me: Thank you.
Business Cards and its diminishing marginal utility
Business cards were once a great rage for all of us when we started out in the corporate world. One of the first things you expect when you join a company is the business card. It was considered as a passport to many places. I remember the first business card (BC) I got after I joined a bank many years ago. I guess, I still retain copies of that somewhere in my trunk! It was a matter great joy, which can't be described in words when I first saw my name on a business card. I realised that I have also arrived!!!!
In the 1990's, business card had great value and usage. A person with a business card was considered well-educated, cultured and good-mannered, which many of them wouldn't be. Carrying a business card was one of the easiest ways of identifying yourself and sharing your contact details to your business associates, colleagues, friends and families. I had great pride in carrying one and hand it over to all my friends and relatives the moment they started talking about my job. The recipients of the cards in 90's also felt happy about receiving the cards. Years ago during social conversations you are looked upon with awe if you mention that you have the business card of somebody like Mukesh Ambani or Ratan Tata.
The official business cards have great commercial value particularly if you are on a house hunting spree. The house owner who looks at you with suspicion in the first place, mellows down immediately on seeing your business card, and starts addressing you "Sir". The girls in the house come out only after your hand-over the business card. Business cards also served as a useful identification for Policemen when you return home in the night.
I have always had confusion around the usage of educational qualifications on the business cards. I desisted from using any degrees and certifications on the official business card but quite a few of my friends had them. But slowly the practice of having the degrees on your business cards, particularly on the corporate side, has gone out completely. Now I see business cards only with organisational designation. Of course, professional like Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants would need to have that.
Slowly into the noughties, (2000's) our birthright of getting business cards were getting challenged! I still remember one organisation where I worked, gave me the business cards when I joined but put so many roadblocks when I wanted a re-print. We realised that the big man who ran the show didn't feel the need for us having the business cards since we no longer had any client interactions. Yes, we are not having client interactions but who will help us to get a house on rent! This caused lot of heartburn and frayed tempers and fought tooth and nail to enforce what we (a group of middle-level managers) believed our birthright!! But alas, the organisation won and I didn't get a re-print. There are other organisations where I have been pleasantly surprised with the dexterity they work when you are handed over business cards along with your complete joining package on the day you join the organisation.
Cut to the present day, I see hardly any use of business cards. With the official email, office communicators, blackberrys and ipads (lucky few!) in some cases, the official contacts are established with out business cards. Even in high-profile meetings, the business cards are exchanged more as a formality than for real exchange of contact information. On the personal side, the mobile phones and internet have completely taken over the communication and you can even sync your phone contact lists with your email contacts. Even the Policemen now ask for your employment photo-identity card, which we are expected to wear even at 1 AM when you return home!
That said, my business cards are lying uncared in my office drawer for months now. Ok, why did I start thinking about the business cards? Yes, last week somebody at a social event suddenly asked me for a business card and I digged my wallet to find one and handed over to him. Finally, it turns out that he is an Insurance professional who is going to set-up some meeting on a Saturday to take me through their ULIPs. I think I should have told him I dont have a business card!!
In the 1990's, business card had great value and usage. A person with a business card was considered well-educated, cultured and good-mannered, which many of them wouldn't be. Carrying a business card was one of the easiest ways of identifying yourself and sharing your contact details to your business associates, colleagues, friends and families. I had great pride in carrying one and hand it over to all my friends and relatives the moment they started talking about my job. The recipients of the cards in 90's also felt happy about receiving the cards. Years ago during social conversations you are looked upon with awe if you mention that you have the business card of somebody like Mukesh Ambani or Ratan Tata.
The official business cards have great commercial value particularly if you are on a house hunting spree. The house owner who looks at you with suspicion in the first place, mellows down immediately on seeing your business card, and starts addressing you "Sir". The girls in the house come out only after your hand-over the business card. Business cards also served as a useful identification for Policemen when you return home in the night.
I have always had confusion around the usage of educational qualifications on the business cards. I desisted from using any degrees and certifications on the official business card but quite a few of my friends had them. But slowly the practice of having the degrees on your business cards, particularly on the corporate side, has gone out completely. Now I see business cards only with organisational designation. Of course, professional like Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants would need to have that.
Slowly into the noughties, (2000's) our birthright of getting business cards were getting challenged! I still remember one organisation where I worked, gave me the business cards when I joined but put so many roadblocks when I wanted a re-print. We realised that the big man who ran the show didn't feel the need for us having the business cards since we no longer had any client interactions. Yes, we are not having client interactions but who will help us to get a house on rent! This caused lot of heartburn and frayed tempers and fought tooth and nail to enforce what we (a group of middle-level managers) believed our birthright!! But alas, the organisation won and I didn't get a re-print. There are other organisations where I have been pleasantly surprised with the dexterity they work when you are handed over business cards along with your complete joining package on the day you join the organisation.
Cut to the present day, I see hardly any use of business cards. With the official email, office communicators, blackberrys and ipads (lucky few!) in some cases, the official contacts are established with out business cards. Even in high-profile meetings, the business cards are exchanged more as a formality than for real exchange of contact information. On the personal side, the mobile phones and internet have completely taken over the communication and you can even sync your phone contact lists with your email contacts. Even the Policemen now ask for your employment photo-identity card, which we are expected to wear even at 1 AM when you return home!
That said, my business cards are lying uncared in my office drawer for months now. Ok, why did I start thinking about the business cards? Yes, last week somebody at a social event suddenly asked me for a business card and I digged my wallet to find one and handed over to him. Finally, it turns out that he is an Insurance professional who is going to set-up some meeting on a Saturday to take me through their ULIPs. I think I should have told him I dont have a business card!!
Plastic covers all pervasive!
Last few days I have been seeing that almost everybody carries a plastic covers as part of their luggage.. you see students carrying their notebooks, job aspirants carrying their marksheets and certificates, office goers carrying their lunch and tiffin boxes and in hospitals almost all carry medical reports in a plastic bag. Just wondering is there an alternative to this plastic bag culture.
I remember the old days when people used to carry "yellow bags" for carrying these things. Yellow bags were used for taking it to the market to buy vegetables, near by shops for provisions, officer-goers carried files in them and students carried their books to the school. It was pollution free, re-usable and long lasting. Somehow, we have lost the interest in keeping these yellow bags and moved towards more convenient plastic bags.
I always try to avoid taking plastic bags from the petty shop-keepers when you I buy things like biscuits or snacks. I say no and it is my token contribution towards avoiding plastic. I think I should also carry my own bags to super markets when we go to buy monthly provisions. Small steps at our level and can cumulatively make a big difference. What do you say??
I remember the old days when people used to carry "yellow bags" for carrying these things. Yellow bags were used for taking it to the market to buy vegetables, near by shops for provisions, officer-goers carried files in them and students carried their books to the school. It was pollution free, re-usable and long lasting. Somehow, we have lost the interest in keeping these yellow bags and moved towards more convenient plastic bags.
I always try to avoid taking plastic bags from the petty shop-keepers when you I buy things like biscuits or snacks. I say no and it is my token contribution towards avoiding plastic. I think I should also carry my own bags to super markets when we go to buy monthly provisions. Small steps at our level and can cumulatively make a big difference. What do you say??
Farming - an alternate profession!!
I have been thinking about farming as an alternative profession . I somehow believe strongly that with the rapid urbanisation, large scale movement of population towards non-agricultural activities, there is going to be acute shortage of people to do agriculture.
Agriculture in present form may not be commercially viable. That is, with very small landholdings and lack of automation, it is turning out to be very cost ineffective. But if we are able to take advantage of modern techniques it can turn beneficial.
I am also very thrilled whenever I read something about organic farming. There are couple of agricultural experts like Nammalwar and Swaminathan (not MS Swaminathan) who are propogating organic farming in a big way with the farmers. They organise symposiums in rural areas where they take the farmers through various organic farming techniques and also educate them about the ill-effects of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides etc., I think this is a great service to the humanity.
I was speaking to my colleague yesterday, who comes from Coimbatore district and his father is into agriculture full-time. He was telling me that the prices the farmer is getting for the produce is one of the most attractive ones and his father hasn't seen these prices in his lifetime. That goes to reinforce my belief that agriculture is still viable.
I have heard recently that many industrialists in Chennai have started doing agriculture in a big way. I have read Ananda Vikatan's Owner Mr Balasubramanian owns a big farm near Chennai. Many top corporate honchos have their own farms.. no need to talk about Doctors.. I also know of a person near my house who has bought some 50 acres of land down south Tamilnadu and doing agriculture in a big way.
I think over the next couple of decades, there is going to reverse migration from cities to rural areas to take up lucrative agriculture...
Agriculture in present form may not be commercially viable. That is, with very small landholdings and lack of automation, it is turning out to be very cost ineffective. But if we are able to take advantage of modern techniques it can turn beneficial.
I am also very thrilled whenever I read something about organic farming. There are couple of agricultural experts like Nammalwar and Swaminathan (not MS Swaminathan) who are propogating organic farming in a big way with the farmers. They organise symposiums in rural areas where they take the farmers through various organic farming techniques and also educate them about the ill-effects of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides etc., I think this is a great service to the humanity.
I was speaking to my colleague yesterday, who comes from Coimbatore district and his father is into agriculture full-time. He was telling me that the prices the farmer is getting for the produce is one of the most attractive ones and his father hasn't seen these prices in his lifetime. That goes to reinforce my belief that agriculture is still viable.
I have heard recently that many industrialists in Chennai have started doing agriculture in a big way. I have read Ananda Vikatan's Owner Mr Balasubramanian owns a big farm near Chennai. Many top corporate honchos have their own farms.. no need to talk about Doctors.. I also know of a person near my house who has bought some 50 acres of land down south Tamilnadu and doing agriculture in a big way.
I think over the next couple of decades, there is going to reverse migration from cities to rural areas to take up lucrative agriculture...
A problem cutting across age!!!
I was all along thinking that remembering passwords is normally a pain associated with people who are working. Normally a person working with computers would need to remember his/her passwords for LAN, applications being used, online banking, trading, websites, social sites etc., which can be really nerve-wrecking. In one of the departments in my office, a team handles 55 applications and the guys working in that department needs to remember 55 different passwords. Poor souls!!
The worst thing about these passwords are they are up for change so often that you run out of ideas. Online banking passwords are to be changed once in 3 months but the online trading passwords are to be changed once in 15 days. Really running out of passwords!!
But I thought 7 year olds would not be normally bothered about passwords in their lives. But it doesn't seems to be the case. My son came across yesterday and lamented about the need to remember passwords. I was curious to know where and how he is using the passwords. He went on to explain that he has to remember passwords for Grand Theft Auto, Spiderman and many other animation games. It turned out later that they are not passwords but commands to get various animation/special effect tools in these animated games. But for him these are passwords. I agree with him. He has to remember which command for what game.
If I have to pray now, I would ask God, give me a world without passwords!! He would say, bio-metrics is on the way!!
The worst thing about these passwords are they are up for change so often that you run out of ideas. Online banking passwords are to be changed once in 3 months but the online trading passwords are to be changed once in 15 days. Really running out of passwords!!
But I thought 7 year olds would not be normally bothered about passwords in their lives. But it doesn't seems to be the case. My son came across yesterday and lamented about the need to remember passwords. I was curious to know where and how he is using the passwords. He went on to explain that he has to remember passwords for Grand Theft Auto, Spiderman and many other animation games. It turned out later that they are not passwords but commands to get various animation/special effect tools in these animated games. But for him these are passwords. I agree with him. He has to remember which command for what game.
If I have to pray now, I would ask God, give me a world without passwords!! He would say, bio-metrics is on the way!!
Rambha Trithiya - a new auspicious day to buy gold!!
Have you ever heard about this festival before? I have not. But it is being promoted by World Gold Council starting this year in a big way. Another day to push the sales of gold. Playing on the religious weakness of us. Akshaya Trithiya was just another day 10 years ago and now you have special traffic arrangements made on that day in T Nagar. That is the power of promotion of World Gold Council.
With the gold prices sky-rocketing beyond common man's reach, the WGC is finding new ways to promote it. Check out yesterday's WGC's The Hindu for a full page advertisement on Rambha Tirithiya, co-sponsored by the usual accomplices GRT, LKS and others of T Nagar gold retailing community.
With the gold prices sky-rocketing beyond common man's reach, the WGC is finding new ways to promote it. Check out yesterday's WGC's The Hindu for a full page advertisement on Rambha Tirithiya, co-sponsored by the usual accomplices GRT, LKS and others of T Nagar gold retailing community.
Diwali Celebrations and text messages!!
Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!! Hope all of you had a good time bursting crackers, eating sweets and wearing new clothes. Typically these three things constituted Diwali for me for the last so many years. The latest addition to this list is sending of text messages to your known/unknown people, friends, relatives and colleagues!! What is Diwali without texting all on your phone book!!?
In the initial few years when mobile phone came in, it was an easy exercise considering the low peneteration. But off-late your phone book runs to some 200-300 odd people and it takes a good 2-3 hours to complete this exercise. Last year, almost the whole of the morning on the Diwali day was spent with mobile on hand rather than with sweets or crackers.
So, I decided to limit the number of text messages. Not to send out text messages to all the contacts. No point in sending to all and sundry in the phonebook. The other thing I did was not to do it early in the morning on the Diwali day.
During these festive occasions you receive text messages from numbers which you have not stored in your mobile phone. You can't recognise who is the sender and I have sent messages asking for details of the person. I hardly receive any reply for these kind of texts. I don't want my texts to land up like that in others mobiles.
I think, thanks to texts, the biggest casualty in calling and wishing somebody on these festive days. Forget visiting somebody on these occasions, I hardly even call somebody on these days. I remember Diwali days when I used to visit all my uncles, aunts houses in Tuticorin sharing sweets and bursting crackers with my cousins. The same cousins live in different parts of Chennai now, but I didn't even call them. Sent a text message and was happy with that!
This year, the mobile companies started charging for text messages on Diwali day, even if your monthly mobile tariff plan provides 10000 (!!?) free texts every month. Opportunity for these guys to make some money in a very competitive environment, thanks to new entrants who have come out with per second billing and per word text message charges.
Anyways, Happy Diwali to all who read this blog post!!
In the initial few years when mobile phone came in, it was an easy exercise considering the low peneteration. But off-late your phone book runs to some 200-300 odd people and it takes a good 2-3 hours to complete this exercise. Last year, almost the whole of the morning on the Diwali day was spent with mobile on hand rather than with sweets or crackers.
So, I decided to limit the number of text messages. Not to send out text messages to all the contacts. No point in sending to all and sundry in the phonebook. The other thing I did was not to do it early in the morning on the Diwali day.
During these festive occasions you receive text messages from numbers which you have not stored in your mobile phone. You can't recognise who is the sender and I have sent messages asking for details of the person. I hardly receive any reply for these kind of texts. I don't want my texts to land up like that in others mobiles.
I think, thanks to texts, the biggest casualty in calling and wishing somebody on these festive days. Forget visiting somebody on these occasions, I hardly even call somebody on these days. I remember Diwali days when I used to visit all my uncles, aunts houses in Tuticorin sharing sweets and bursting crackers with my cousins. The same cousins live in different parts of Chennai now, but I didn't even call them. Sent a text message and was happy with that!
This year, the mobile companies started charging for text messages on Diwali day, even if your monthly mobile tariff plan provides 10000 (!!?) free texts every month. Opportunity for these guys to make some money in a very competitive environment, thanks to new entrants who have come out with per second billing and per word text message charges.
Anyways, Happy Diwali to all who read this blog post!!
Is Vijay TV playing a crude joke?
Today Vijay TV is telecasting a program "Namma Veetu Kalyanam" showing danseuse/actress Mohini's wedding with Bharath at 7 PM. Whats so special about this? I am really shocked by the pure commercialisation by showing the marriage video of popular personalities but in this case, my opinion is, it is turning out to be a crude joke. Mohini has filed for divorce from Bharath and I read 10 days ago that she is appearing in the family court!!!
What can be a bigger parody than this? An actor marriage, which is already on the rocks, is being telecast. Vijay TV should check with the concerned person to see if they still want to run these kind of programs. If they have checked with Mohini/Bharath for telecasting it, then what I can say about this. Crude joke on the viewers!!!
What can be a bigger parody than this? An actor marriage, which is already on the rocks, is being telecast. Vijay TV should check with the concerned person to see if they still want to run these kind of programs. If they have checked with Mohini/Bharath for telecasting it, then what I can say about this. Crude joke on the viewers!!!
Guess who would be your plumber in 2015?
No doubt, all plumbers, electricians and cable tv mechanics would be all qualified Engineers. Then what do you expect to happen when you have some 190,000 engineering seats available in Tamilnadu engineering colleges alone. Over the last so many years colleges have mushroomed across the state from Tiruchengode to Tiruchendur with or without adequate infrastructure. The last 4 years of boom in the IT business also gave them a false sense of well-being when many of the engineering graduates got placed. But it cant continue like that and it is terribly worrying for me to see how these graduates are going to get employed over the years. I know many young engineers who aspire for a IT job ignoring other hardcore manufacturing industries.
I could see the glamour for the engineering courses diminishing a bit this year due to the ongoing job losses and lack of opportunities in the IT Sector. But still a good 100,000 Engineers passing out every year and what they are going to do for their livelihood is a million dollar question.
I could see the glamour for the engineering courses diminishing a bit this year due to the ongoing job losses and lack of opportunities in the IT Sector. But still a good 100,000 Engineers passing out every year and what they are going to do for their livelihood is a million dollar question.
Magic word "thank you"
Everyday I come across instances where I have to give way to other road users, either while I drive my car or the 2-wheeler. I normally give way to others and dont indulge in one-upmanship on the road. I have always faced questions from people as to why I am giving way to all others. So why do I have to do that? I do it to avoid confrontation as well as to avoid getting tensed on the road. I also believe waiting for another 10 seconds is not going to change the world upside down. This is also one of the reasons why I have been able to practise "Honk-free Driving" as well. But at times, I also do lose patience when somebody behaves irresponsibly on the road. I shout at them without hesitating, which makes my son very uncomfortable, if he is around. He asks me why I have to fight on the road? I try to explain to him that it is not a fight but I dont think he has a great opinion about his father on this.
There are times, you are pleasantly surprised by the acts of the fellow road users, particularly, when you give way to them. Yes, few acknowledge your generosity and say "Thank you". Yesterday, there were couple of instances where I have to wait or even reverse back my car by few metres to enable them to proceed. The drivers of the other car instantly acknowledged my patience and my generosity and said a loud "thank you", which I felt came truly from their heart. I felt very happy and satisfied. I also felt very proud to have helped others. The feeling is fantastic and I would urge you to say "thank you" whenever somebody deserves it. I know thank you as a word has been used quite casually in our daily lives but I guess we should use it judiciously and should also be more expressive than it being just a lip movement. Good things come to you in circle, so go out and spread the message of saying "thank you".
Have you experienced the feeling of somebody genuinely saying "thank you" to you for your kind-heartedness on the road?
There are times, you are pleasantly surprised by the acts of the fellow road users, particularly, when you give way to them. Yes, few acknowledge your generosity and say "Thank you". Yesterday, there were couple of instances where I have to wait or even reverse back my car by few metres to enable them to proceed. The drivers of the other car instantly acknowledged my patience and my generosity and said a loud "thank you", which I felt came truly from their heart. I felt very happy and satisfied. I also felt very proud to have helped others. The feeling is fantastic and I would urge you to say "thank you" whenever somebody deserves it. I know thank you as a word has been used quite casually in our daily lives but I guess we should use it judiciously and should also be more expressive than it being just a lip movement. Good things come to you in circle, so go out and spread the message of saying "thank you".
Have you experienced the feeling of somebody genuinely saying "thank you" to you for your kind-heartedness on the road?
Jagatrakashagan in Soup!!
I wrote about Mr Jagatrakshagan being offered a Minister of State in Union Cabinet soon after joining the DMK for his contribution(!!) during the elections. Now a controversy has erupted, thanks to Times of Inidia's sting operation, regarding the MBBS admissions in his Shri Balaji Medical College, run by a trust where the Union Minister is (was) the Chairman. TOI has exposed that the UPA government's MOS wants Rs20 lakhs for a medical seat. You know now how he contributed for the victory of DMK and its allies. You can read the TOI article here.
It is an open secret that all professional colleges in Tamilnadu ask for donations and parents pay if they want admission in those colleges. It includes famous institutions both in Medical and Engineering streams. Many of my friends and relatives have paid money to admit their wards in these colleges. So what TOI has done is not a major sting operation but it has come so quickly for Mr Jagatrakashagan after he become the Union Minister.
TOI has exposed that the Union Minister was the Chairman of the Trust which runs this medical college and his photo was prominently displayed in the website. But our Union Minister has quickly retorted that he has no connection with the Medical College or the Trust. He claims that he was the Chairman but quit the post before the elections. Our "Father of Education" (literal translation of Kalvi Thanthai in Tamil) was not reachable the almost the whole of yesterday when TOI exposed this in their front page article. Then he met the presspersons and made the historic statement of having no relation with the College. It doesn't take too much of time for preparing back-dated letters with regard to a private charitable trust. After the website address of the Medical College was flashed in TOI, the website is no longer accessible. Poor Union Minister has to run around to ensure everything is in order before he can meet the press.
So, my guess is that the Union Minister would be left unharmed if he manages his PR properly in the next few days. If the Government decides to act, then it will open up the Pandora's box. Many sharks would get caught and this is not a proper return gift by UPA to these worthy(!) people for their electoral contribution.
Unless PM Manmohan Singh looks upon it as a very serious issue and decides to remove him from the Cabinet. (of course, as it has been the case, it is subject to approval of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi)
PS: Another thought which came to me after I submitted this post is the following question: "Will this sting operation and exposure of Jagatrakshagan so quickly after the swearing-in, an handi-work of the master tactician? I have valid reasons to think so because the elections are over, funding has been taken care and this poor fellow has been made an MP and subsequently a MOS as well. But the family pressure is too much so he wants to get rid of somebody who is no longer useful. The first in line being this man. He can't object if PM decides against having him on the cabinet and the Master tactician gets another chance to induct his beloved d...g.ter. I will not be surpised if that happens.. if you want to know who is the master tactician and d...g.ter, then drop me an email...but you should be complete novice of the TN politics.
The photo you won't see in CNN!!!
You won't see this photo on CNN. Everyone is too busy showing the Queen being touched. This was a "touching" moment that won't be forgotten by this bobby.
"This is the most powerful photo in the series. Remember they are not supposed to shake hands, but the two brothers couldn't resist the historic moment. The black royal cop never imagined in his wildest dream that he would usher a black American president into the British corridors of power. Nice." Thanks Adwait for this photograph!!!
HIV/AIDS Awareness
Our Business Unit is conducting a HIV/AIDS awareness in our organisation and as a part of this, they arranged for guest lecture by Ms. Vinitha Sidhartha, Senior Media Director, Heroes Project. Heroes Project is involved in HIV/AIDS awareness work in India and chaired by Parameshwar Godrej and Richard Gere (of Shilpa Shetty kissing fame!!).
Heroes Project she is associated with is working on creating HIV/AIDS awareness, increasing the usage of condomns, women empowerment, counselling for affected persons by tying up with various NGO's across the country. Vinitha talked about the need for HIV Awareness among the population and dispelled some myths about HIV. She clarified that HIV is an infection which reduces the ability of the human immune system to fight against diseases. Nobody dies of HIV/AIDS but because of the failure of immune system to fight other diseases like Malaria, Jaundice leads to death ultimately. You can visit the Heroes Project here.
Also the fact that people infected with HIV can lead a normal life for more than 20 years after contracting the virus by following healthy food habits and lifestyle.
India is the second highest number of HIV infected persons in the world after South Africa. (This is my guess!!) The saddest part is that most of the people are not even aware that they have been infected with HIV and continue to transmit them. Among the Indian states, Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Manipur has been identified has highly HIV prone area. It doesnt mean that other states are better off. Only these states has some reliable data on the incidence of HIV.
HIV virus spreads through unsafe sex, blood transfusion, mother to child, sharing of syringes etc., Of this, 85% of the HIV incidence is sexually transmitted. Nagaland and Manipur finds a place in this exclusive list because of the rampant usage of intravenous drugs in these two states. She advises that HIV test should be encouraged among the people so that early detection helps in preventing rapid transmission. It takes a long time to recognise the symptons of HIV in your body, sometimes even upto 7 years.
After a brief talk for 20 minutes or so, there was an open session for questions. The participants were reluctant to ask questions on this sensitive subject, as expected. Your truly, started with a question on HIV transmission through blood transfusion. She clarified that blood transfusion is the cause for very low number of HIV cases. If you go to a reputed hospital, the chances of you getting infected due to blood transfusion is very low. She doesnt rule out completely.
Vinitha feels that sex education would go a long way in spreading the HIV/AIDS awareness among the young population. We know the stauch resistance to the introduction of sex education in the school curriculum. She also lamented about the lack of support for these programs by the mainstream media. TV and Radio Channels are highly reluctant to openly discuss about HIV/AIDS and the causes for the same. Even condomn advertisements were not accepted by a leading Tamil TV channel citing the reason that it may offend the viewing public. She was really pizzed off with this double standards by the media when they can show rapes, murders and other non-sense. Yes, she is right. What she says makes sense. Doesnt it? Anyway, India and Indians were known for double standards in everything and this particular aspect cant escape.
The state of Tamilnadu also came under lot of appreciation from her. She said the state Government is doing their best in awareness, treatment and provision of medical facilities compared to other states in India. Hats off to TN Government!
Overall, it was an interesting evening for me by getting know more about the dreaded HIV/AIDS!?
Heroes Project she is associated with is working on creating HIV/AIDS awareness, increasing the usage of condomns, women empowerment, counselling for affected persons by tying up with various NGO's across the country. Vinitha talked about the need for HIV Awareness among the population and dispelled some myths about HIV. She clarified that HIV is an infection which reduces the ability of the human immune system to fight against diseases. Nobody dies of HIV/AIDS but because of the failure of immune system to fight other diseases like Malaria, Jaundice leads to death ultimately. You can visit the Heroes Project here.
Also the fact that people infected with HIV can lead a normal life for more than 20 years after contracting the virus by following healthy food habits and lifestyle.
India is the second highest number of HIV infected persons in the world after South Africa. (This is my guess!!) The saddest part is that most of the people are not even aware that they have been infected with HIV and continue to transmit them. Among the Indian states, Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Manipur has been identified has highly HIV prone area. It doesnt mean that other states are better off. Only these states has some reliable data on the incidence of HIV.
HIV virus spreads through unsafe sex, blood transfusion, mother to child, sharing of syringes etc., Of this, 85% of the HIV incidence is sexually transmitted. Nagaland and Manipur finds a place in this exclusive list because of the rampant usage of intravenous drugs in these two states. She advises that HIV test should be encouraged among the people so that early detection helps in preventing rapid transmission. It takes a long time to recognise the symptons of HIV in your body, sometimes even upto 7 years.
After a brief talk for 20 minutes or so, there was an open session for questions. The participants were reluctant to ask questions on this sensitive subject, as expected. Your truly, started with a question on HIV transmission through blood transfusion. She clarified that blood transfusion is the cause for very low number of HIV cases. If you go to a reputed hospital, the chances of you getting infected due to blood transfusion is very low. She doesnt rule out completely.
Vinitha feels that sex education would go a long way in spreading the HIV/AIDS awareness among the young population. We know the stauch resistance to the introduction of sex education in the school curriculum. She also lamented about the lack of support for these programs by the mainstream media. TV and Radio Channels are highly reluctant to openly discuss about HIV/AIDS and the causes for the same. Even condomn advertisements were not accepted by a leading Tamil TV channel citing the reason that it may offend the viewing public. She was really pizzed off with this double standards by the media when they can show rapes, murders and other non-sense. Yes, she is right. What she says makes sense. Doesnt it? Anyway, India and Indians were known for double standards in everything and this particular aspect cant escape.
The state of Tamilnadu also came under lot of appreciation from her. She said the state Government is doing their best in awareness, treatment and provision of medical facilities compared to other states in India. Hats off to TN Government!
Overall, it was an interesting evening for me by getting know more about the dreaded HIV/AIDS!?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)