Param Vir Chakra

Savitri Khanolkar, daughter to a Russian mother and a Hungarian father and wife to an Indian Army Officer Vikram Khanolkar designed the Param Vir Chakra; the highest military decoration for valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of an enemy. It symbolizes Rishi Dadhichi who donated his bones to the Gods for making the Vajra.

This post is not about the actual Param Vir Chakra but about the TV series by Chetan Anand that used to air on Doordarshan some time in the early nineties. I used to watch the series with great respect for the soldiers and admiration for their utmost bravery. I had even taped some episodes and would watch them over and over. Just yesterday, I stumbled upon the title song of the show. It had a total of 15 episodes and in each, they would depict the life of the one particular Param Vir Chakra recipient. My favorites were of Major Som Nath Sharma, Major Dhan Singh Thapa and Lance Naik Karam Singh. I used to think and wish that some day I might be able to do a similar kind of service to my country. That dream always remained a dream but I hope I am able to contribute in some way that goes beyond the ordinary.

I wish Indian TV channels come out with DVD's of these shows of yesteryear which were favorites of all. I tried searching for these episodes online but I don't think they're available. All I could find was the song. Here's the link for all who used to love this show:

1,00,000 Strong!

So the story goes something like this. A group arrives on an unknown land. The King is scared of what these new immigrants might mean in the years to come for his land. He sends a messenger to seek out their intent. The immigrant folk send over their emissary with a bowl of milk and some sugar. The emissary stands in front of the king with the bowl in one hand and the other hand held out with some sugar in it. He adds the sugar to milk and the milk dissolves in it. The King allows them to stay and become a part of them.

Why? What did that signify?

It symbolized their smooth assimilation in to the existing culture while actually adding to the culture (sugar making the milk sweeter).

The King made four demands of the settlers:

• Adopt the native language
• The women adopt the local dress
• Cease to carry any weapons
• Their marriages be conducted after sunset

These settlers stayed on and are still staying there, not just adding to the culture but making it very beautiful and enriching it. They stay on with complete harmony with the locals, they now being considered locals themselves. Their contributions are exemplary and their community has produced some of the best citizens India has seen till date. J.R.D. Tata, Ratan Tata, Wadias, Godrej, Homi Bhabha and the list goes on.

Yes, I am talking about the Parsi community. Originating from Iran, these followers of Zoroaster having left Iran due to the persecution by Muslims, called Iranian Zoroastrians landed in Saurashtra, Gujarat and the King in question is Jadi Rana. The episode of their landing is called Qissa-i-Sanjan.

I attended a Parsi wedding yesterday at the Colaba Agiary and I had a wonderful time there. The atmosphere although serene was electric. Serenity was brought in by their cultural symbols present everywhere with their traditional white dress for the men with the black hat and the women in their traditional Parsi sarees, the excellent Parsi food, their Raspberry and Ginger sodas, the Lagan nu Custard and the beautiful women (yes, that is a cultural symbol). And, it was electric because of the nature of these people and of course the live band. Parsis tend to have a joyous, lively and polite countenance, although at times it could turn into sheer craziness. This translates into a unique personality that can only be attributed to this community. No other.

I am grateful that this community is a part of my culture. They have enriched the culture, stayed in harmony and contributed enormously to the success of the nation.

One of the people I met there provided me with some very interesting information. The King had also asked them to promise that they will never try to convert and nor will they allow anyone to convert into the Parsi religion. When asked about the dwindling population of his community, being just about 1,00,000 out of which almost 80,000 are in Mumbai, all he said was - they had promised the King.

No religion should try and convert people; it is a personal choice and it should be left at that. I praise this community for sticking to their promises. It is very honorable. I would be very sad indeed if the population of this community dwindles even further. They are a part of the culture and I would like them to keep being one.

The Vision of a Man

राखावी बहुतांची अंतरे, भाग्य येती तदनंतरे 
- रामदास स्वामी

Ramdas Swami or Samarth Ramdas was an advisor to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and he in turn looked up to him for guidance. This cannot even be considered an introduction for this great man. I myself do not know so much about him. All I can say is that I have heard enough of him and his teachings to understand that he is someone who had an immense understanding of the world and human beings. He had an acute understanding of life.

The title is actually an advice that he had once offered to Shivaji Maharaj. The essence of the advice basically gives us a revelation of how the world has not really changes in the last 400 years; or how the basics of success never really change. What Ramdas Swami advises Shivaji Maharaj is that he should maintain good relationships with everybody and he will reap the benefits of that later. In other words, when you have a good extensive network, it will help you in becoming successful. NETWORKING!

This idea of networking for success that has become the central point of any management lecture was probably propounded first by Samarth Ramdas 4 centuries ago. In an age where the population was measured in thousands and not in crores as in today; when modes of transport were not just risky but were not nearly as efficient or effective as today and when there were hardly any media for communication; in such an age this man realized the importance of networking.

I wonder what might have prompted to start thinking about this? What could have led him to the conclusion that maintaining a good network will benefit you in the long run? 

My father used to tell us about this saying by Ramdas Swami since we were kids. Although I had started realizing its significance a few years ago, I have started noticing its relevance recently. 

It is no secret that a good network will always help you but that is obvious to us now after this idea has been drilled into us day in and day out. We understand this today and go about creating our network including people who we really hate but might need help from later on but in the process we also meet some wonderful people who you become friends with and who would either offer help on their own or would not hesitate to help if you ask for it. Today, we also have several avenues through which we can create our network. We have our social networks and our professional networks. Networking has become so easy. Or has it? I am not really sure.

Is networking just adding friends to your friends list? I don't think so. Are we exploiting the tools we have properly? Do we even know properly what tools we have and how to use them? With so many option for us to network today, has it become easy or even more difficult? 

Samarth Ramdas had advised a creation of a network. Although I am sure there were the same social and professional networks existing at that time albeit without the internet and any of the electronic gadgetry we have today, I don't think he would have ever imagined such a scope for networking. 

For such a visionary, with such advancements in technology and moving beyond the basics of just creating a network online, I wonder what his advice would be today......

1) Do not unnecessarily add friends to your list just because you remember their face from school some 15 years ago and had never once spoken a word to them. (It's a different thing if you really like the girl but never had the guts to say so.....hehe)

2) If you are trying to reconnect after several years, don't expect people to recognize your name or face if either of them is missing. The name and the face should be clearly visible.

3) Playing Farmville for hours and hours only shows that you have too much spare time on your hands and that your mental growth might have actually been stunted

CHEERS!!!!

CATCH - 22

Definition of CATCH - 22

1: a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule; also; the circumstance or rule that denies a solution 

2. an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation 

(Source: www.m-w.com) 

I had never understood this phrase till today. Not for the fact that I had never understood its meaning but I just never had a chance to use it or go through such a situation. Today, somebody used it to describe a situation in my life and it just fit in perfectly.

The words in the first definition are just too perfect in their aptness. The second one however is perfect because it describes the anger and the frustration.

AN ILLOGICAL, UNREASONABLE AND A SENSELESS SITUATION!!!

But, it's all good. Life goes on and you come across these Catch - 22 like situations and you either follow the rules, bend them or break them. Or, there is one more hope - you patiently wait for the rule to change! HAHA... 

All The Best!!! 

KBC 4

Almost 10 years ago, India witnessed a revolution on TV with Kaun Banega Crorepati? hosted by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Nobody ever could have imagined the response that it received. I vividly remember the time when I was still in the 9th Standard and we would discuss last night's show the next day.

It was just a huge atomic explosion of popularity for TV, Amitabh Bachchan and for Game Shows in India. Streets would be deserted, restaurants completely empty and living rooms full with families watching the show together. It got to a point where restaurant owners installed TV's so that people can watch the show while having their dinner, theaters changed their 9 and 9.30 pm show times to 10 and 10.30 pm and it has never gone back. Somehow people just found that time to be comfortable. Funnily enough, it is besides the topic, but theaters came up with completely bizarre show times like 11 pm and even some times 11.45pm. Believe me, I have been to a 11.45 pm show for one of the very forgettable movies - Kisna,The Warrior Poet. For what it was worth, I really liked the songs and I still do.

Amitabh Bachchan immortalized non-sensational phrases and words like 'galat jawab', 'sure? confident?', 'goodnight, shubhratri, shabba khair', in his famous baritone voice. It was just something very intangible that attracted people to the show and it was very magnetic. Here are my guesses why I think it got such popularity:

1. Amitabh Bachchan
2. Amitabh Bachchan's charm
3. Amitabh Bachchan's ability to hold pleasant conversations with the participants and make them comfortable.
4. The first instance ever that a superstar was so easily available to the general public
5. For me, personally, it seems like a fair way to earn a lot of easy money. It's not easy per se since you do need to have that General Knowledge but it is also does not take years and years of hard work and strain. And, to add to it all, you get to do this with Amitabh Bachchan and have fun also. So, it's very much a Win-Win situation whichever way you go.

If I end up on the show and win only a few thousand rupees or maybe even a few lakhs; of course I would be disappointed at that moment that I didn't win the Jackpot of Rs.5,00,00,000 but in retrospect I am sure it would be one hell of an experience. In any case, I would walk out with much more than I went in and not just in terms of money.

KBC 4 started today and it was fabulous. I loved it. I was waiting anxiously for it and I was satisfied. They were successful in creating and maintaining that aura about Amitabh Bachchan throughout the show. And he was able to recreate that magic from 10 years ago.

Perhaps I am a bit overzealous in praising the show but I am a huge fan of Mr.Amitabh Bachchan.

My First River Rafting Experience

My MyDala.com team. From L-R: Mihir Govilkar, Shivam Sharma, Sanjay Yadav, Anand Radhakrishnan.

Today was my first river rafting experience at Kolad, Maharashtra. It was a lot fun although the rapids were not too difficult. They were at a 4+ rating. The highest is around 8+ the likes of which you will find in Rishikesh and the neighboring areas.

It was a 12 km run which took us about 2.5 hours. It was not such a lot of fun just because of the experience but because of the company I had. It was an easy-going set who really wanted to enjoy and go through the complete experience without the fear of drowning that many people have in spite of wearing life-jackets. This fear usually dampens the spirit (no pun intended) of the activity.

The highlight of the trip was the time when our raft capsized and we all were just floating in the river flowing with the current for a kilometer or so. The funny aftermath of this was that Anand and Shivam each lost of one foot of their sandals. So both of them just went barefoot from Kolad to Panvel, even in the restaurant, until they reached Panvel and bought a pair each of Paragon slippers. They did have an option of a "Poma" or an "Odidas" though. I was actually saved from this plight because I was lucky enough to spot my sandals pair floating together a few feet away happily flowing with the current. Not too sound too melodramatic but I did make a desperate rush for them and saved them from what might have been a tragic end to their not even a year old life.

All in all, a great day and definitely has pushed me to go to Rishikesh and get that ultimate experience.

Hiring for Experience V/S Competence?

Has this question ever posed itself in front of you giving you sleepless nights? Have you ever been in a situation where you just can't seem to comprehend why experience matters more than competence, especially for entry-level positions? Most of whom I have talked to are faced with this really questionable attitude that many employers adopt today.

Why is it that for an entry-level position does someone need experience? Shouldn't they be looking for competence and the potential to do great things for the company? Shouldn't they determine whether someone has the ability to learn and grow? Should experience be the primary criteria while selecting candidates to interview?

I would be quite an ignorant imbecile to apply this logic to positions higher up, where rich managerial experience is required; where a position requires you to be able to not just handle that responsibility but also surpass your goals. But, it really boggles my mind to think why many companies stress on the experience part when I have seen several cases where people with a lot of experience have not even an ounce of managerial ability nor enough knowledge about their job. Their only skill was probably in impressing the interviewers to get that job. Interestingly, these people were not even at entry-level management positions but really higher up.

For technical jobs, it is I guess very easy to judge a candidate's qualifications because he has X,Y & Z certificates/degrees to show or some work he has accomplished during his education. On the other hand, for service industry or management related jobs, it is too difficult to prove you are capable when you have no concrete evidence for the same. All it matters for many is whether you have put in enough time. Does experience also give a declaration that a particular person also has excellent customer service skills or comes up really amazing marketing campaigns or is extremely effective in sales? Don't these jobs at least warrant an interview where these skills might be put to some sort of screening test?

If the argument to this is that companies don't have time to go through the recruitment process in its entirety, then I have no counter-argument to this. I have always understood that a company's employees are what will spell out the success. Shocking, how very few really care about this or just choose to ignore!

The Accidental Billionaires

I think the title should be "Billions by Betrayals"; if the story in the book is to be believed.

Mark Zuckerberg as portrayed in the book is an extremely opportunistic, selfish, socially awkward and an extremely intelligent person. Does that make him bad? I don't know. As far as the book goes, it doesn't show him in a lot of positive light except for being the genius behind Facebook and the extraordinary vision he had to develop such a social network. But, surprisingly, even that isn't completely accurate. All credit goes to Mark for creating and developing the website, bringing in new ideas and putting in all the effort. However, the original idea was not his and he actually stole it from two twins and their Indian friend at Harvard who had initially approached Mark to write the code for them. He led them on to believe he was working for them but in the mean time he decided he will take from their idea and then build on it to create his own. That is what he did and even the Harvard authorities washed their hands off it because by the time the situation of unethical conduct with fellow students had reached them for their review, the website had already become extremely popular. So, Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss and Divya Narendra were left with no option but to be angry at having been cheated of a chance of a lifetime or perhaps even a chance to immortalize themselves. The did sue Mark Zuckerberg and there was some settlement to the tune of $65 million but it is reported that they are not happy with it.

One of the co-founders, Eduardo Saverin, Mark's best friend and the one without whom Facebook might have never become a reality due to his initial investment is also now suing Mark Zuckerberg. According to the book, Mark was quite fascinated by a Sean Parker (creator of Napster) with whose help he slowly and steadily edged out Eduardo out of the company completely. It was an extremely smart move and it worked. Now what was Eduardo's fault? He believed his 'best friend' would never cheat him or trick him.

The objective of writing this post was not to tell you the story about Facebook. It is about something that was even discussed in the book, though not very prominently. There should be an order to things, a certain fairness and I always like to believe that these things exist. Unfortunately, it will never be so and that is what upsets me. Mark stole the idea from the trio and they ended up being the losers although they received that huge settlement. They actually didn't care about the money so much (they were already multi-millionaires) as the popularity and the honor they would have enjoyed had they launched the website first, which was called 'Harvard Connection'.

Eduardo not only lost his best friend but also lost hundreds of millions by being tricked out of the company. Is there any retribution for him? I don't think so. And this is what infuriates me many times. Injustice is being done on many as regards people who they trusted behaving unfairly with them and getting away with it many times, even legally. A cash settlement seldom resolves the actual issues but you have to make do with what you have.

I should mention though that the book did not have any inputs from Mark Zuckerberg but from Eduardo Saverin and other parties that were closely related to the entire episode right from its inception till the writing of the book. Mark decided not to be a part of it. However, in trying to be fair to the writer, the book does not seem biased towards or against anyone and my thoughts about the Facebook saga are my own.

Facebook is one of the most successful businesses today and will be for the foreseeable future and I love its various functionalities. I just never expected the story to be so twisted!

The Mysterious Benefactor

'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens was the first time I was introduced to this concept of a 'Mysterious Benefactor'. I must admit, I was very fascinated by it. I started looking forward to my own and I still am. Perhaps, he/she is JATC. If it's a 'she', she is probably my rich wife and if it's a 'he' then he is my rich father-in-law and I don't know who they are so they are still a mystery. Other than these two possibilities, I don't really see a benefactor who will change my life drastically for the better. One thing I have realized is that there is only that one in a billion person who really gets lucky and is able to change his/her life forever.

Surprisingly though, my belief is tested several times. I didn't think that it was such a far-fetched belief to be tested so frequently. I come across people who buy something which is expensive by their standards or it might really be that expensive but they somehow feel that if people found out that they have spent that amount, they would be judged as irresponsible. There is one reason I can consider and that is when, usually Indians have the tendency to put you on a pedestal as a 'badaa aadmi' or 'a rich guy' and that might become an embarrassing title for someone. It might also be that they really wanted to buy that, which was not in their easy grasp but yet they managed to pull it off. There is also that feeling where you have spent on something really expensive and do not want to show-off. But then what's the point? If I buy a Rolls Royce (I know it's an extreme example), even I do not intend to, it is going to show-off itself. That is the nature of some things and you can't do anything about it and I don't even see the objective behind it.

To just give you a couple of examples, someone told me today that they are getting a new bicycle from Dubai where his cousin is and he is giving it to him for free. That is not completely impossible but given his tone and his manner, it was very obvious. Another incident was when I overheard a conversation in my Gym where someone asked a trainer what his Protein supplement can cost him and he said that it was gifted to him by a friend. (I wish I had such friends). I just spent Rs.3400 on a can of Protein supplements!!!

Although I am not planning my life in anticipation of a benefactor, but if there is someone out there contemplating being mine; believe you me, now is the time to make it happen.......