Maharaja

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sanatana Dharma

Swapan Dasgupta writes in his column in Sunday Times of 26th Septembar 2010, “The irony is that this New India is more religiously and assertively Hindu than ever before. Judging by the sharp increase in middle class pilgrimages, the exaggerated sindoor of the new bride, the frequency of car pujas in temples and the holy wallpaper in the laptops of the young and successful, the sharp rise in national self-confidence has come in the wake of a spectacular revival of the Sanatan Dharma”.
He is a regular columnist, and I presume is well informed of what he writes. Is sanatan Dharma all about this. My understanding of Dharma was about social, economic and political justice. I thought being good was Dharma.

Accidents

Our finance minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, according to Times of India ( Hyderabad Edition)of 20th July 2010, has said " Accidents are accidents. Nobody can predict, that is why it is an accident".

one of the following two conditions only result in accidents:
1) Unsafe condition.
2) Unsafe act.
This is what our safety manuels teach.

Kharij

Last night I saw Bengali film 'kharij'. Mrinal Sen made this film in 1982. It is about how middle class families exploit the poor and have 10-12 year old boys as as their domestic servants. The domestic servant dies of carbon monoxide while sleeping in the kitchen.
What struck me was a matter of fact statement by a senior advocate, who the family appraoches,that 'legal lie must prevail over moral truth'.

Budget 2010-11

Feb.27, 2010, a day after the union budget was presented, The Times of India proclaimed, “Time to shine” and also said “ investors richer by Rs. 70000 Cr”. But also contradicted by saying, “ No pay-offs for Mr. 10 per cent”. They did not go below Mr. 10%. The editorial ‘Going for feel-good budget’ was a crowning glory with ‘budget is a well-rounded effort at economic management'.

Deccan Chronicle was not far behind. It proclaimed, ‘ joy on the home front’, 'saving spree for tax payers’ and ’60 percent of tax payers sing FM tune’. The editorial said, ‘feel- good budget for growing India’.

Only Jayanti Ghosh in DC wrote, ‘FM has ignored 95% Indians’.

I have a few questions:
1) What percentage of Indians are investors?
2) What percentage of Indians has income enough for tax payment?
3) How did someone arrive at 60% of taxpayers being benefited?
4) How will the people who earn less than 1.6 lacs a year manage increase in excise duty? As Jayanti Ghosh says 95% are ignored.

Intentions of the government may be good so far as expenditure part is concerned. Ofcourse it is not done to talk of defence expenditure.

Minimum wages act is a state subject, but where Congress is in power minimum wages can be raised to the level of junior most worker of PSUs.

Only intentions are not enough, there must be justice as well.

Coastal Andhra and poverty

It is normally believed that people of Coastal Andhra in Andhra Pradesh are better off than those in Telangana. I lived in Vishakhapatnam for four years and I know the condition. May be ten percent are rich and forty percent lead an average life. But the bulk of the people are landless labourers and those ill paid working for contractors. Adivasis have particularly tough life. People from Srikakulam and Vizayanagaram are poor. All industries are in Vishakhapatnam but those employed there are from East and West Godavari districts.

I stay near Income tax towers, which is quite close to shantinagar colony. There are more than hundred five story buildings—all residential—each building having ten to twenty-five flats and most of them occupied by IT workers, who are very well paid.

Every building has just one watchman, who is paid about Rs.3000/-per month and is on duty round the clock. The watchmen live with their families in a single small room provided by the building societies. Watchman’s wife works as maidservant and earns some money to meet both ends meet. The residents give left over food to them. Ninety percent of these watchmen are from Srikakulam and Vishakhapatnam. Who says coastal Andhra is developed?
It is very common to see girls below the age of ten are employed to look after babies of these buildings as most of the women are also employed. The girls employed are either the children of watchmen or are brought from the native towns of the residents.
Where is the labour department?

INDIANOIL-My last day

I am sharing with you the text of what I spoke during my farewell meet on the last working day in May 2003.

I joined IOC in Feb 1970 and after training worked in several locations, including Imphal, which was a difficult location.

Those were the days when many facilities were non-existent. Imphal Depot was road fed. But there was no TLF bay. 10 to 15 trucks were received every day. I was the only officer and had to climb each truck twice – once to see the levels on arrival – second time to check after the topping up. Though work was tough, there was a great social standing. Being a small state, I was in the list of invitees for Independence Day and Republic Day functions at CM’s residence. While in Warangal also there was good social standing. IOC officer had unrestricted access to Collector and SP.

I was always bad in boss management. I did not realise that, that was the most important factor.

I consider myself far ahead of my time. Many times the ideas that I give are rejected and even laughed at. But the same ideas get implemented after 5 to 6 years. For instance when the State Offices were formed I suggested that the depots should report to SOM instead of to DOs. I was rather ridiculed for such a suggestion. The then DGM and SOM said reporting of Depots to DMs was in the best interest of sales. This was implemented after 4 years. I am sure even now the best interests are served.

I worked with some good people. Among them, I can name Rath, V.K. Chowdary, Supriya Basu, Ghoshal. They were my reporting officers. I enjoyed working with them. Unfortunately, they happened to be in those posts for very short time. I also happened to work with some who were psychic. Among them were Ramdas, S. Ramamurthy and Appa Rao. However, these people atleast thought what they did was right. There are always two concepts of right. I must share with you what it was to work with someone like B.C. Rai. He was DM, B’lore and I was SO, Devanagere. In meetings he used to show his photograph and ask us “Do you know this handsome man?” If he rang up Region, he would tell the PA to BSM “your future BSM is speaking”.

Then there was Urs, who would take a knap and immediately on waking up target an officer and shout at him. This was management by terror.

We have come a long way. Today we have infrastructure in all locations, excellent facilities, Innumerable welfare measures and by & large well-meaning and highly qualified management. I am glad that I have seen this growth during my tenure before superannuation.

The only thing that I like to emphasise is that many more developments have to take place. As I see the main weakness today is in the field of time management. Excellent reports are prepared, excellent proposals are generated but unfortunately not within the time frame. All Oil Cos. have all facilities on par. We must steal a march over them by practicing good time management. I think I have a right to say these things because I am your elder. Senior most among you have more than two years to superannuate.

I would like to say a few more things. My personal interests are social history, literature, but not novel & fiction. I like poetry, drama & critical essays.

I find canvas of fiction/novel is too large and I tend to lose interest. However, before reading I check whether it is third person or first person narrative. I read only if the work is in the form of dialogues – interaction among the characters.

I love reading poetry – both Urdu & English. I love paintings and music though I do not understand both much. I cannot differentiate one raga from the other. All the same I enjoy listening.

I study religion, for me religion is not rituals. Religion is all about morals or dharma that is to say being good.

I must say people in IOC have all been good to me. I have enjoyed love & respect of all, particularly in this posting. This office has a large number of excellent officers & staff. They are also good human beings.

I must mention a few people I worked with directly--Prasad, Madhavi while I was in Operations for two years and Vijayasree & Ramesh in LPG.I thank them for their cooperation during the period. I have not worked with, but known all other youngsters like Prasannas, Vaheda, Satyanarayanas, Swamy, Laxmi, Sirisha, etc. We also had (I am saying “had” because it has not functioned for long) LMG with members Vasanth, Venkat, Rajkumar, Shankar Rao & Janaki. We met occasionally over drinks. I spent memorable time with them
I have known all in Operations group very closely. I have known Girish, Anand Rao, Sharif, Paul, and Brahmam for over 10 to 15 years. I now want to say a few words about a great man, who has been too good to me. He loves me, accepts me as I am and fights for me. He is the one who is responsible for my E Grade. He is Mr. Vasanth Kumar.

Read poetry take interest in fine arts. These provide relaxations leading to rejuvenation. Create or appreciate beautiful things. Think freely and independently. Live rightly and do not differentiate between man and man. Real happiness comes from making others happy.

It is said mankind are happy for having been happy. If you make a man happy today, you will make him happy 20 years hence by remembrance of it.