The 9,9 Journey

I started of with working on the 3 feedbacks to set the motion towards 9,9. Set myself a review mechanism to see improvements. It worked out well for last one week.

To pursue this for a longer period of time requires consistent effort.  I have to work not just on the feedback but practice all the elements of 9,9 style in all aspects of life both personal and professional.

To be contd..

The true me

What is the true me? Who am I?
An husband,  A son,  a brother, bhai or a Boss,  or a reportee to a Boss or a friend?
Who are you. How do you know who the hell are you?.  Questions like this came to me all through my life at several stages. Sometimes spending a minute or an hour or a day probing and thinking.  Who am I?.  What constitutes me?.  Most of the times it turned out to be a frustrating exercise leaving with no answer. Religion or ashrams did come to mind..but I am firm believer of rational thought( atleast I want to be) and so the option of ashram/religion was never choosen.

Last week I went to a behavior program on relationship. Named relationship Management. One week of spending here has given an essence of what I was longing to understand.  How to know myself. I was too perplexed when I heard,  experienced and validated the most common sense thing. " Reality is what others see you as".  You might be a mahatma or an Einstein, but to the world,  you are what they see you as.  As simple and as clear it might look. This gave a deeper insight into how people make perceptions and decisions.  More on this in next posts. The beginning of a journey towards me which is very very far.  Painfully it will be but I am geared up for this journey. All set to go.

@Mumbai airport.

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean the one who has flung herself
out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down -
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- The Summer Day by Marry Oliver

Marathons for a cause

These days I have been regularly following on whats happening in around the city. Last week a friend of mine informed me about a marathon, being organised by an NGO. I was really excited to take part in the run. So started preparing for it...called as many people as I could and finally formed a team of 7 friends.

Few things which I really liked about mass running or marathon.

1. When you are running for a cause like "Green City" or "Caste free India", you do feel for awhile that it was worth attending and of course running with 100 odd people together is a memorable expriences of sorts.

2. Ah !.. you get your health quotient improved. Burning calories and testing your perseverance for a long run.

3. Meeting new people ...yeah you meet people from diverse backgrounds. I have met some amazing people in the last marathon.

Also there is whole lot of fun and excitement before the run begins...with the crowd dancing and singing to the tunes of songs and well known celebrities making their way to start the run.

Some thoughts on RTI

The best legislation that our ministers have ever passed in the parliament is RTI act. It is one of the most powerful acts, which gives direct power to the people to raise queries and get answers. I think we should really thank the civil society members, ministers and the bureacrats involved in passing the historic act.

With all due respect to RTI act, I would like to critic few parts of this legislation which looks uncomfortable and getting too much into details (atleast for me personally). So here it goes.

Privacy:

Recently President Pratibha patil was in news for her exorbitant foreign travel bills. Her foreign visits have caused around Rs. 205 crores to the exchequer. I think as President she is required to travel different countries and meet different people. She is the first citizen of India, the highest authority in Indian government and needs to carry that image with her, where ever she goes. Comeon she represents India and has to spend money for that. Now who was this gentle man who wanted to know the details of her travelogue and bills. Isnt this getting too much into the personal detials. And look at media, they are ready to post about this at full length with all minute details. Privacy is something which each of us demand and its our right to hide few aspects of our life. We need not disclose everything about ourselves to people. RTI is a wonderful act and should be used sanely. People should use RTI to get relevant information and not about personal details about people in adminstration or government.

Temples and Masjids:

Recently I came across a few news articles which mentioned about temples, masjids and churches coming under RTI act. As far as the legislation goes I believe only public institutions and few other allied instiutions come under RTI act. Is it really necessary to get temples and masjids under RTI.

In India people donate lakhs of rupees to god being anonymous. There are some special bhakts who gift kiritams and what not to impress the Lord. Do you think RTI will work here?.

Transparency is good. Giving access to information is great, but there needs to be a balance between privacy and transparency which RTI act should bring, as it evolves.

General VK Singh's drama

Todays newspapers spoke at length with big and bold headlines about General VK singh disclosing to the media,  that he was offered bribe of Rs. 14 crores by an Ex Army person. The story goes like this, some months back India's Chief of Army was offered bribe to buy sub-standard vehicles. It seems that the lobbyist came to General VK Singh's room to make the deal. And General Sahab was shocked and could not understand what was going on. He was so upset with the event that ..he kept quiet and informed about this event to the Defence minister a few days later. Oh come on Sir, are you joking?. I cant really understand why media is talking about this incident now.  I have some serious doubts about this incident.

Firstly, General VK singh, has been working in Army from several years and is aware of the system ,its practices and policies more than anyone. He has been serving as the Chief of Army from past 2 years.During his tenure in Army which spans for more than 30 years, he might have come across several such incidents directly or indirectly. There was no complaint about being offered bribe to him or his officials/sub-ordinates previously. Why so ?

Secondly, people are not that fool to listen to General VK Singh,when he says that "I was shocked", "I could not understand what to do"... Oh comeon you are the Chief of Army ....You have the supreme powers to take him(lobbyist) to court or take him to jail . With your experience in Army and the powers that you have as the Chief of Army , you can at the very instant when the lobbyist came to you to offer bribe, take some action against him.

The whole incident looks like a planned one. "Thehindu" comes out with a neatly drafted column on the issue and by afternoon, BJP shows its opposition power in the Parliament. TRP ratings of  news channels go up and BJP has new agenda to talk and suspend the question hour in Parliament. Congress has one more reason to worry. Looks like we are hearing about such stories every day.

Reporting from hyd

Posting this song from chicago cafe,hyderabad.

Perfect ambience with a classy super sweet irani chai ... I'm loving it !

~ "nee lo vundey naa pranam adi neeku telusunaa.."