Kallola

Deccan Herald, Sunday Herald. Cover story. Oct 16, 2011. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/198143/sense-sensibility.html The foundation of a ‘Welfare State’ has been most magnificently illustrated in Amish’s epic debut novel, The Immortals of Meluha . Its governance rests on the instruction of ‘give and give’, where each citizen is, by law, duty-bound to always do for the other. With everything taken care of for your self by the next person, no one is left wanting. Each citizen partakes, automatically, of a generous society that cares equally for its upkeep as it does for the sentiments of each other. Equal opportunity and abundance of resources and goodwill are a natural consequence and the state prospers under a moral framework poised on ethics and righteousness. By law. An ideal citizenry, in and of an ideal society. The Indian sentiment reveres it as Ram Rajya – the quintessence of ‘truth, tranquillity and peace’. Agencies of administration call it ‘Ideal State’ – a seemingl...

Sunday Herald, Deccan Herald.  Sept 04, 2011. Cover Story http://www.deccanherald.com/content/188192/yes-we-can.html He looked straight in the eye, took a moment and asked, “Do you ever say ‘no’ to anything?!” The exasperation was palpable and the response, “Only to your present question”, guillotined that conversation. Work continued uninterrupted and a project that was in escalation for 45 days went live at 05:00am the next morning. The team reached their wives and wi-fis for a late breakfast and those who were sure it would fail (as it had done continuously for the previous two years), were collected in a closed room, answering questions on how an external consultant could come in for ten days and turn around an implementation that had cost the company several hundred million dollars over the past five years! They are still trying to figure out how none of them before that day, had ‘stumbled’ upon such a simple solution that started saving the company many millions right from ...

Sunday Herald, Deccan Herald. July 24, 2011. Cover story. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/178578/dont-blame-us-trying.html Having beat the rush hour after a week-long sick leave, we reached school unexpectedly early that morning. With all room doors still shut and maintenance staff only just trickling in, there was not much else to do but wait. The virtually empty school building worsened the heaviness in my eyes as we sat there, just the two of us, my little boy leaning on my knee. It’s been a while since we officially started life in Bangalore and as I fondly watched my munchkin through the fatigue weighing me down into the cold steps outside the classroom, one question repeated itself: “Is there anything I wouldn’t do for my child?” Again, I looked at his beaming face, now bobbing up and down along the row of floor tiles, when my eye caught the poster on the wall behind him. Boldly calligraphed was: “Many parents are so anxious to give their children what they didn’t have, ...

Sunday Herald. Deccan Herald. May 29, 2011 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/164717/boygone-heirs.html Just over nine years ago, I was this miracle maker that produced the most wonderful 21 inch wonder of all – a Baby Boy! I was congratulated, applauded and celebrated. Add to that, I had provided the family the first grandson of the generation, the only one in a decently long line of probables. Some time back, a dear one brought back old memories. The stimulus for this talk was a young couple, in the close circle, expecting their baby. Speculation was rife on whether my son’s exclusivity would be challenged! Well, that record remains for the time being, but as for my personal glory, let’s just say, “I know the feeling”. To set the context here on, I must explain that I have the fortune to be amidst the fun-loving, academic and professionally very well accomplished, who continue to further their illustrious ilk. So while I had comforted myself with the thought that this obses...

Sunday Herald. Deccan Herald. April 24, 2011, Cover Story.   http://www.deccanherald.com/content/156070/till-death-do-us-part.html “What was your reason to get me married?”, I probed my mother as I started work on this article. While she took her moment to frame an acceptable answer, my all-knowing all-of-nine, bounded to my lap and held my face tightly in his palms. With his characteristic, infectious smile he declared, “To have ME! Simple, silly!” Kisses flew around the room. My son had, in one spontaneous moment, uttered the ultimate truth behind all creation. For a country like India, this is the perfect endorsement for family – one that has always worked. S o when this idyllic situation witnesses trends that are totally opposed to its ethos, the jolt is hard because while the ideology that is India prospers as a nation, something is going horribly wrong at the very core of its society. There was a time in all societies, all over the world, when things were quite s...

Sunday Herald, Deccan Herald. March 20, 2011, cover story. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/147140/true-essence-india.html On an unusually hot April day in Wimbledon, the extremely attractive and very young guest of a neighbour knocked on my door. In cropped linen trousers and a simple chiffon top, she was a welcome draught of cool in that unnatural heat. Just five days old in the country, she was there to meet a prospective groom, born and bred in swanky Chelsea. Naturally, she had no problems with following the arranged marriage tradition, but was in tears after a few meetings with this dashing lawyer, who worked in the City. He came from a very modern home with traditional values. They had rice and chapattis every day. He enjoyed watching Hindi movies – in fact he knew most of the current songs. She didn’t. Many of his pals were Indian and Asian, but his best friend was Scottish. She politely smiled at his jokes and he never got hers. He touched his parents’ feet on every sp...

re-written since Emirates Parent Plus. February 2011 Nine years ago, I was this miracle maker that produced the most wonderful 21 inch wonder of all – a Baby Boy! I was congratulated, applauded and celebrated. Add to that, I had provided the family the first grandson of the generation, the only one in a decently long line of probables. A few weeks ago, someone brought back old memories. The stimulus for this talk was a young couple, in the close circle, expecting their baby. Speculation was rife on whether my son’s exclusivity will be challenged! Newsflash informs me that the record remains. My personal glory? Well, let’s just say, “I know the feeling”. As it happens, I am fortunate to be among the fun-loving, academic and professionally very well accomplished, who continue to further their illustrious ilk. So while I had comforted myself with the thought that this obsession with the boy-child was the jurisdiction of only the senior generation, and even that, more out of hab...