I certainly believe so! I see a lot of relieved faces as the festive season sets in, people wanting to forget a miserable year in 2008 and ignore a year of struggle in 2009. Too much has happened in the last six months (whether its oil prices, inflation, terrorism or financial crisis led recession) that has dented individual sentiment; and too little will happen in the next six months in business to change that sentiment in India. In most western countries the sentiment is expected to worsen, if anything!
The timing of the festive season bang in the middle of gloom seems to be perfect! While I don’t expect festivities to be at the same level as previous years, the break I’m sure will be far more appreciated by all and hopefully we will see the optimists come back with a strong second wind to spread much needed infectious enthusiasm around at work, at home and in social gatherings!
It’s important that media plays a conscious role in ‘raising the cheer’ through some happy festive related reporting. There hasn’t been much of that currently but I truly hope that the next 10 days will be about happy stories. We all know sales are down, we all know business is struggling, we all know discounts are the order of the day, we all know tourism is at an all time low, we all know layoffs and salary freezes/cuts are a reality. No more of that please!!
The media needs to adopt the tag line of a famous alcohol brand which states ‘Spread the Cheer’! As the little master of cricket recently said, India’s recent test victory is dedicated to all Indians and he hopes it brings some cheer to the people who have had to put up with a lot in recent times (specifically the Mumbai terror attacks) and years.
We can’t remove the misery but we can ensure that we don’t add to it! Let’s spread some happiness this festive season as the world needs it!!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Who created terror? Who created these terrorists?
Just over a week now since the dreaded attacks on what some describe as the only ‘true’ vibrant democracy in the world, and the pain hasn’t eased. The people of India still hurt; the world still condemns and Pakistan still promises! The irony is that this sequence of emotional rhetoric has now become embarrassing to say the least. It’s a reflection of the larger helplessness of mankind that is now a victim of its own doing and the truth is there are no easy answers or solutions. No security force, no intelligence service, no politician can stop this terror till we all accept its roots.
After almost 10 days of relentless media coverage and all the analysis I have to say that I’m extremely disappointed with the entire blame game, the politicizing of the issue and the moral high ground that most media have taken in keeping this issue alive for their greater TRP/circulation interest and not the actual cause. The media has been quick to blame politicians for their lack of a united stand but have the media shown any unity? Have they said we will all not give politicians any airtime?
It’s time we ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Who created terror? Who created these terrorists?
The answer is simple – we all did. It’s our selfishness and ignorance of another human’s misery as long as it isn’t ours, our hatred, our need for power, our greed, our lack of integrity, our convenience (the list is endless) but most of all our increasing inability as a race to spread love, that has got us where we are today. No one is clean today not you not me! We have all contributed in some way to this either by our actions or our ideologies. All it takes is one racist jibe; one act of bribery; one act of ignorance to someone else’s misery and the ripple effect begins.
The more powerful (countries/politicians/terror leaders etc) just expose these frailties of the common man to benefit themselves with no consideration of the consequences and the sad part is that the common man obliges!
Clashing ideologies and the resulting horrific acts aren’t new to man. The world wars and numerous civil wars are testament to that. But has man learnt no and therein lies the problem.
Unless, all mankind truly stand together side by side and individually commits to acting against terror nothing will change. It doesn’t take much, just small steps that will have a far greater impact collectively.
Unfortunately, action gets represented as monetary support, which isn’t the answer. The problem is far deeper and stems from corruption, discrimination and helplessness. I honestly believe that if we all can act on these three we will be able make a difference. Let’s all commit to the following if it inconveniences us:
1) Don’t support corruption if anything report it
2) Don’t spew hatred even if you can’t spread love – no discriminatory remarks is where it begins
3) Be benevolent to the needy – every acts helps
As I understand from media reports, all it took was Rs. 1.5 lacs (US$ 3100 approximately) for the family and some love and recognition to misguide the terrorist (won’t name him and make him more popular than he already is) who is currently alive and under interrogation from the heinous Mumbai attacks. People even kill for a lot less money than that today.
Can we all that better that? Can we not love? Can we not recognize? Can we not support?
Let’s not get overwhelmed by our helplessness, but realize instead, that we all can make a difference.
In this war on global terror no contribution is small!!
After almost 10 days of relentless media coverage and all the analysis I have to say that I’m extremely disappointed with the entire blame game, the politicizing of the issue and the moral high ground that most media have taken in keeping this issue alive for their greater TRP/circulation interest and not the actual cause. The media has been quick to blame politicians for their lack of a united stand but have the media shown any unity? Have they said we will all not give politicians any airtime?
It’s time we ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Who created terror? Who created these terrorists?
The answer is simple – we all did. It’s our selfishness and ignorance of another human’s misery as long as it isn’t ours, our hatred, our need for power, our greed, our lack of integrity, our convenience (the list is endless) but most of all our increasing inability as a race to spread love, that has got us where we are today. No one is clean today not you not me! We have all contributed in some way to this either by our actions or our ideologies. All it takes is one racist jibe; one act of bribery; one act of ignorance to someone else’s misery and the ripple effect begins.
The more powerful (countries/politicians/terror leaders etc) just expose these frailties of the common man to benefit themselves with no consideration of the consequences and the sad part is that the common man obliges!
Clashing ideologies and the resulting horrific acts aren’t new to man. The world wars and numerous civil wars are testament to that. But has man learnt no and therein lies the problem.
Unless, all mankind truly stand together side by side and individually commits to acting against terror nothing will change. It doesn’t take much, just small steps that will have a far greater impact collectively.
Unfortunately, action gets represented as monetary support, which isn’t the answer. The problem is far deeper and stems from corruption, discrimination and helplessness. I honestly believe that if we all can act on these three we will be able make a difference. Let’s all commit to the following if it inconveniences us:
1) Don’t support corruption if anything report it
2) Don’t spew hatred even if you can’t spread love – no discriminatory remarks is where it begins
3) Be benevolent to the needy – every acts helps
As I understand from media reports, all it took was Rs. 1.5 lacs (US$ 3100 approximately) for the family and some love and recognition to misguide the terrorist (won’t name him and make him more popular than he already is) who is currently alive and under interrogation from the heinous Mumbai attacks. People even kill for a lot less money than that today.
Can we all that better that? Can we not love? Can we not recognize? Can we not support?
Let’s not get overwhelmed by our helplessness, but realize instead, that we all can make a difference.
In this war on global terror no contribution is small!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Indians most likely to get lost abroad!
I found this interesting study on Indians getting lost and how people in different cities cite different reasons for it.The first point is worth contemplating for all Indians!
Indians, along with Brazilians, are most likely to get "completely lost" abroad, a fascinating survey by Nokia in 13 countries on people's sense of direction and navigational habits, has found.
Other interesting India specific findings include:
Indians most likely to miss a birth of their child
New Delhi is among the easiest city across the world for tourists to navigate around
Indians love of shopping seems to help them with their sense of direction. More than one in ten use local shops as a point of reference to help guide others to their destination
One in ten Indians confessed to missing a wedding because they got lost more than double the global average
Indians are the most trusting when giving directions, with less than a quarter (23%) admitting to deliberately sending strangers the wrong way
One in ten (10%) people who live in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune will miss a job interview
People living in Mumbai are the "most stubborn" in India, with one in ten (10%) never asking directions from a stranger
Homely residents in Delhi and Ahmedabad are the least likely to get lost when in their own city (2%)
A third (30%) of residents in Kolkata blame tiredness as the cause for getting lost
Residents in Chennai get lost the most when at home (11%)
In Bengaluru, people prefer to put faith in nature, as nearly one in ten (7%)guide themselves by the stars
In Hyderabad, nearly one in ten (8 %), double the national average, believe in science and think that a sense of direction was genetic
Indians, along with Brazilians, are most likely to get "completely lost" abroad, a fascinating survey by Nokia in 13 countries on people's sense of direction and navigational habits, has found.
Other interesting India specific findings include:
Indians most likely to miss a birth of their child
New Delhi is among the easiest city across the world for tourists to navigate around
Indians love of shopping seems to help them with their sense of direction. More than one in ten use local shops as a point of reference to help guide others to their destination
One in ten Indians confessed to missing a wedding because they got lost more than double the global average
Indians are the most trusting when giving directions, with less than a quarter (23%) admitting to deliberately sending strangers the wrong way
One in ten (10%) people who live in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune will miss a job interview
People living in Mumbai are the "most stubborn" in India, with one in ten (10%) never asking directions from a stranger
Homely residents in Delhi and Ahmedabad are the least likely to get lost when in their own city (2%)
A third (30%) of residents in Kolkata blame tiredness as the cause for getting lost
Residents in Chennai get lost the most when at home (11%)
In Bengaluru, people prefer to put faith in nature, as nearly one in ten (7%)guide themselves by the stars
In Hyderabad, nearly one in ten (8 %), double the national average, believe in science and think that a sense of direction was genetic
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