Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Prof N S Ramaswamy and the ideals he held aloft ..

N.S. Ramaswamy
Capture the sincerity and child-like innocence
from his face !!
It was good listening to PadmaBhushan, National Professor of Management, Prof N S Ramaswami ( founder Director IIM Bangalore) on 28 June 2010 inaugurating the Faculty Development Programme. He spoke on how global cultures need to interact, the importance of learning management principles, with great stress on values. Modern day Professors tend to dismiss his theories, but they are very relevant and practical. He also stressed how important it was to see academics and Industry interact for the mutual benefit of both parties.

At 86 years prof Ramaswamy was at his intellectual and wit's best, mingling his meaningful speech with excellent humour with a purpose. Always going out of the way to prick people of his own state, Malayalis .. Since he is staying close to my house in Koramangala, Bangalore, I see him most of the evenings moving with a helper taking his evening walk .. He was demonstrating that a healthy mind in a healthy body is very much needed to be of use to the society and not be a burden.. !!

The Indian Heritage Academy (IHA), the Institute to promote Indian heritage which he runs in Koramangala in 6 th block on land given by the govt to him many years back, still reverberates with all dance classes, discussions and spiritual discourses on our ancient culture and heritage. it takes lot of courage and determination at this age to run such an Institute almost single handedly, with the physical and moral support of a lot of admirers !!

He even delivers lectures here at this ripe age to management faculty of colleges in Bangalore and outside, to spread the message of managing with values. The lack of it has led to the Enron issue and the great economic crisis in US and Europe of 2008. ( and we take excessive pride in pursuing this collapsed, hollow form of  western management) He even maintains a small thickly foliaged area of Koramangala, on land given by the govt., behind the petrol pump on the 80' road, which he once showed to me. This also demonstrates his passion for the cause and firm belief in what he does for the society.  He took great pride in this. His constant effort to motivate research to improve bullock cart design to make the life of animals simpler is very widely appreciated by the country. CARTMAN, Centre for Action, Research and Technology for Man, Animal and Nature, as the centre is called, is a great contribution to society.

He is also interested in seeing an understanding develop between cultures and peoples of the world. Once when I went to invite him for the Annual Rwanda genocide remembrance prayer held in Bangalore, he was thrilled to listen to the civil revolt in Rwanda between the Hutus and the Tutsis. I explained all the horrors of the genocide to him.. He was very much moved by the details. Though very much interested in promoting interaction between cultures, dues to his bad health and prior commitments he could not make it that day for the function.

His eagerness and deep desire to see Indian culture and traditions thrive, management principles survive the test of time and to propagate it with values, spreading awareness about its richness and simplicity  was quite amazing. Gauging the wide horizon of knowledge he possessed in different areas of management and the Indian economy was interesting as well as exciting. An unfailing memory to remember, faces, facts and figures !! At this age to reel out facts and figures with accuracy and precision, doggedly pursuing and working to fulfil his life's dreams was perplexing..

 A sad feeling which he shared was his alma mater, Maharajah's College Ernakulam, Kerala , mine too, not felicitated him on receiving the Padma Bhushan. That is one area where I have the prick of conscience of not being able to do something for him. He also took pride in the fact that he was the only National Professor of Management ever in the country .. A rare honour which has not been bestowed on anyone else in the country.

Another sad fact which he shared with me was that in spite of all his great and good work for society, he felt bad he could not convince his sons to stay back in their motherland of rich culture. They had their own agenda, and own vain goals to accomplish and wealth to acquire !

Whatever be it, the simple living he leads mingled with the high thinking with a great sense of spirituality and values, will be a role model for generations to come .. as long as IIM Bangalore exists. It was a pleasure talking to him and we can talk for hours on mutually interesting topics..

May he live for many more years to pursue with all sincerity of devotion and purpose to fulfil his life's dreams.. (photo courtesy The Hindu newspaper ..)

ge..  < geasaw@gmail.com >

Friday, June 25, 2010

Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Hegde and CM Yeddyurappa ..

When Justice Hegde asked the CM Yeddyurappa for accelerated action to prosecute the two ministers in the Yeddy Cabinet, the infamous mining barons, Reddy brothers, Yeddy ignored him and gave them more importance. Even though Yeddy has not openly supported the Reddy brothers, this was the best way he could snub the Lokayukta and the Governor, H R Bharadwaj, both of whom were gunning for Reddys blood. The clearest and surest way Yeddy has shown indifference and disrespect to the constitutional authorities.

Reddy brothers were usurping their official position as Ministers in the cabinet to further their unauthorised mining of Karnataka iron ore, by rewriting the Andhra Karnataka border to their convenience. Paying a royalty of just Rs 28.00 for a tonne of authorised iron ore which they sell in the market for Rs 8000 plus, and nothing for the unauthorised ones, one can imagine the clout the Reddy brothers had on the CM, BJP leader Ms Sushma Swaraj and supporters especially during election time.

Now that the Governor has asked Justice Hegde to reconsider his decision not to allow corrupt people within the government to have the upper hand on the system and in turn prodding the govt to request Justice Hegde to call back the resignation papers, we can hope good sense will prevail on the corrupt political leaders to bow down to Justice Hegde.

ge..

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Saina powers into world top 3

Saina Nehwal after her wins in the Indian Open and Singapore Open has
powered her way into the top 3 world rankings behind Chinese yihan
Wang and Xin Wang, world No 1 and No. 2 respectively.

The Indonesian Open which she is currently playing can take her to no.2 rank !!

Yes, something to be proud of !

ge..

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

3500 year old city found in Egypt ..


This town existed 1500 years before Christ, ie. about 1000 - 1500 years after Mohenjodaro and Harappa, towards its fading days.. White men were still on trees then .. :) 

Egypt and the Indus Vally were the epicentres of human development and civilised living from the growth of humanity. Africa, the cradle of human civilisation and North East Africa from where humans first moved out to different parts of the world about 55,000 years ago should make us feel proud and humbled at the same time at how civilisation started spreading to different parts of the world.. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/3500-year-old-underground-town-found-in-Egypt/articleshow/6073681.cms

The one question still burning within me is why did the East, particularly the mid-east and Nile, Indus valley lose its prominence over time .... Reaching a pinnacle is a task and remaining there is still another one.. !

ge..

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A week for Jobin in Kerala ..

Jobin, Easaw George was in kerla for a week from 31 May to 7 th June for the Camp for Orthodox Leadership Training ( COLT) visiting different places of Orthodox interest in Kerala under the dynamic leadership of Fr Philip Kuruvilla.

Even though I have been in Kerala throughout my studies for nearly 22 years of my life, I have not visited some of the places  which the students have visited.

Pazhaya Seminary, kochu palli, valia palli, Kolenchery medical mission hospital etc.. Bethany ashram, Puthupally church ( where Jobin's grandmother is resting in peace in the family kallara) etc were some of the places he visited. Almost thirty students ( 17-20 years of age) from across the country took part..

The first image is Devalokam, abode of the Catholicos of Malankara Orthodox church in Kottayam.

The second image is of the team members with thirumeni.

ge..

Monday, June 21, 2010

Veluthampy Dalawa, a hero and patriot from Travancore..

File:Dalava.jpg

How many times I have passed in front of the Secretariat, never cared to find out whose statue it was !

At a time when Kerala has got the historic sword of Veluthampy Dalawa from Rashtrapati Bhavan back to the Museum in Trivandrum, it is good to brush up some history and refresh the deeds of some of the stalwarts who have fought to retain our identity and restore our pride, though unsuccessful to some extent. ..

http://keralaarticles.blogspot.com/2006/12/veluthambi-dalava.html


ge..

Space city near to Bangalore ..

Space city, 100 kms from Bangalore, unique one in India..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bangalore/Space-just-100km-from-Bangalore/articleshow/6073009.cms

Real Estate sharks and influential govt "servants" will now descend on this place for their share of the loot and the fortune ..

ge..

Father bats for son ....

It is quite natural to learn that actor Amitabh Bachan may be batting for his son Abhishek for his lousy acting in Raavan, the block buster released last week. But by commenting on the film's poor editing, Amitabh has done more harm for the Indian film industry and particularly the stalwarts associated with the film like Director Mani Ratnam and Santosh Sivan.

Is it not for the audience to decide whether the film was good or not or is it for some people to prejudge based on their perceptions and misconceptions of certain personalities ?

Does Amitabh Bachan think that that acting too gets carried hereditarily from father to son and so on ? The bane with Hindi films and a weakness for Amitabh is the very thought that only sons and daughters of exisitng and old actors can become good actors in future. What an intellectually challenging thought ? No space for new actors .. ? 

If so, Amitabh should not have got a chance in the first instance itself in his younger days..

Abishek will have to show his prowess in acting not by the seal of Amitabh's son, but by his own merits in decent  and sensible acting.. 

For that same reason, a snob's son cannot be a snob ..!!

ge..

cet86 at TVM air force base ..

86Batch

ge..

Friday, June 18, 2010

BP's Philanthropy : CSR, $ 82 billion by end Dec 2010.

BP's Corporate Social Responsibility is very much evident the way it is sharing its produce with the society around the Gulf of Mexico. Also with the living beings like fish, birds and shrubs on the beaches.

It is daily donating 2.5 million gallons of crude oil to the society and that is a lot of money. Works out to 75 million gallons per month.

Since it started sharing this wealth almost two month back, BP has already donated 150 million gallons already. Considering the oil gush can be controlled by mid August with some probability, which is another two months away, it means contributing another 150 million gallons. 

Giiving 50 % percent probability that the wealth sharing process will not be contained by August, by end December which is exactly six months from now, it means adding another 300 million gallons more..

Totally 600 million gallons of crude oil for free to the Gulf of Mexico and the community around it..At $ 70 per gallon, it is roughly $42 billion. wow !! Consider another $40 billion of wealth sharing for cleaning up the beaches, birds, compensation to the fishing community and so on, US is really getting BP to work hard to carry out its CSR ..

ge..

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Schengen turns 25 ..

Schengen turns 25 ..

How many of us have heard of the borderless trading region called Schengen in EU comprising 25 nations of EU and a population of 400 million. a true example of how integration of countries can benefit member countries. It also raises great issues of challenge like countering organised crime, drug trafficking, illegal migration, counter terror strategies and so on.

Formed originally in the city of Schengen in Luxembourg in 1985, by the Benelux three (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) it offers a good case for regional co-operation.

ge..


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Oil on Louisiana beaches..


Oil cleanup workers hired by BP clean oily deposits from the shore in Orange Beach, Ala., Saturday, June 12,  2010.  Almost two months after an oil ri

No one ever thought US would have this predicament one day.. President Obama has already called this incident of oil spill to be as severe as 9/11. We al hope that BP is able to control this spill as early as possible for the good of this planet.

While US is too smart to take care of themselves, planning for law suits worth billions of dollars against the British Company British Petroleum, US govt has no words to say when their own corporations go on fouling and polluting other countries of the world. The case of Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) polluting the city of Bhopal in the night of 3 December 1984 with the lethal Methyl-iso-Cyanate gas is the instance. 

There is no legislation in US which can prevent and control such errant corporations from committing crimes against humanity in less developed and developing countries where legal systems were and are not as mature as in the West ..

Let Americans who are proud to be concerned about greening of earth and environmental sustainability etc think loudly on these  crude and deviant practices by their own brethren ..

Somebody may be thinking why we should be concerned of such matters. Concern for the sustainability of humanity is first and foremost in the minds of all right thinking citizens of the world, I consider myself to be one of them. May be the present day humanity may mock at us, but posterity will be happy that we too did our bit for preserving this planet earth for future generations !

ge..

Monday, June 14, 2010

Slavery snaps from US ..


An undated rare photo provided by Keya Morgan, ...

An old rare photo of two slave children taken in 1854 somewhere in US .. Eventually the boy John on the left was sold for $ 1100 as a slave. The world's oldest democracy has many such bitter embarrassing events to hide to the world .. History can be very shocking, painful and revealing ... The crude and cruel practices our forefathers followed have shaken our conscience and minds as never before..

If slavery then was to the landlords to support a luxurious lifestyle, now it is to the modern day businesses to help support a materialistic lifestyle.. The untouchability was such a vice in India which we have mostly succeeded in eradicating, as slavery has been eradicated in US. 

Education has been the greatest leveling factor aided by the spirited movements led by social reformers, which has played an all important role in removing societal disparities.

ge..

550 HNI and INR 2,50,00 crores arrears..

550 High Networth Individuals (HNI) in India owe to the central govt INR 2,50,000 crores as tax arrears !! ( each individual not less than Rs 25 crores..) ....

These are the individuals who use up most of the govt infrastructure and not pay up for it.. Their Mercedes cars run on the roads, they use most of the flying infrastructure for their personal comfort, civic infrastructure for their benefit (like registering new land and transferring existing land).

The Pareto principles could be used in this regard. Vital few ( who owe arrears in thousands of crores) need to be handled and controlled much more than the trivial many ( the salaried class and petty traders..) who are more sincere on an average in fulfilling their tax liabilities, so that the tax arrears scene could be improved.

The extra thousands of crores which the central govt gets could be used for compulsory primary education, improving healthcare in rural areas, building necessary infrastructure across the country of roads, ports, rail etc, ensuring energy security and so on.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/550-biggies-on-Rs-25cr-tax-defaulters-list/articleshow/6044719.cms

ge

BP new ad ..

BP.jpg

Friday, June 11, 2010

Rank of nations in Global peace Index ..

Here is a list of countries coming in the list of the top 5  and last three in terms of peace and stability in a survey covering 149 nations in the world in 2010 for the Global Peace Index .. (GPI).

1. New Zealand
2. Iceland
3. Japan
4. Austria
5. Norway
........
80.. China
........
85. United states
............
147. Afghanistan
148. Somalia
149. Iraq

1. Well functioning governments, 2. stable business environments, 3. respect for human rights, 4. low levels of corruption, 5. high rates of participation in education, and 6. freedom of information were found to be the common factors responsible for the high ranks for the top 5 nations.


While India at rank 128 scores well on points 1,2 and 6, points 3,4 and 5 were found leaving much to be desired here.

ge .. ( info courtesy rediff.com)

Neendakara, reddish water and rising sea levels ..

Truly a globalised world ..

I never could understand when a neighbour from Quilon dist was mentioning how the water on the Neendakara beaches was turning light reddish with rising water levels ..  During chaakara times, the sea floor gets perturbed and the nutrient rich water surfaces which is fertile ground for prawns and sardines .. I was fortunate to see some chaakara on Aleppey beach ..

Was wondering what was happening..  Any Tsunami coming up ??

Later I realised it is the effect of globalisation. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from the BP sunk oil rig has affected even the waters of Neendakara.. Oil has been spilling at far greater rates than what BP has been officially claiming.. The oil spill per hour from the oil rig was what BP was claiming was happening in one day.. With about 100 million gallons spilled already, BP has been very benevolent in sharing its wealth not only with the shareholders, but also with the fishermen folk, fishes, sea creatures and even with far-off lands ..

ge..

Event places of world cup football..

2010 football world cup venues

ge..

2010 World Cup football schedule

World Cup Group A

Date - Time Venue
Result
11 June - 4.00pm
Johannesburg
South Africa
-
Mexico
11 June - 8.30pmCape Town Uruguay-
France
16 June - 8.30pmPretoria South Africa-
Uruguay
17 June - 8.30pmPolokwane France-
Mexico
22 June - 4.00pmRustenburg Mexico-
Uruguay
22 June - 4.00pmBloemfontein France-
South Africa

World Cup Group B

Date - Time Venue
Result
12 June - 4.00pm
Johannesburg
Argentina
-
Nigeria
12 June - 1.30pmPort Elizabeth Korea Republic
-
Greece
17 June - 4.00pmBloemfontein Greece-
Nigeria
17 June - 1.30pmJohannesburg Argentina-
Korea Republic
22 June - 8.30pmDurban Nigera-
Korea Republic
22 June - 8.30pmPolokwane Greece-
Argentina

World Cup Group C

Date - Time Venue
Result
12 June - 8.30pm
Rustenburg
England
-
United States
13 June - 1.30pmPolokwane Algeria-
Slovenia
18 June - 4.00pmJohannesburg Slovenia-
USA
18 June - 8.30pm Cape Town England
-
Algeria
23 June - 4.00pmPort Elizabeth Slovenia-
England
23 June - 4.00pmPretoria USA-
Algeria

World Cup Group D

Date - Time Venue
Result
13 June - 8.30pm
Johannesburg
Germany
-
Australia
13 June - 4.00pmPretoria Serbia-
Ghana
18 June - 1.30pm Port Elizabeth Germany-
Serbia
19 June - 4.00pmRustenburg Ghana-
Australia
23 June - 8.30pmJohannesburg Ghana-
Germany
23 June - 8.30pmNelspruit Australia-
Serbia

World Cup Group E

Date - Time Venue
Result
14 June - 1.30pm
Johannesburg
Netherlands
-
Denmark
14 June - 4.00pmBloemfontein Japan-
Cameroon
19 June - 1.30pmDurban Netherlands-
Japan
19 June - 8.30pmPretoria Cameroon-
Denmark
24 June - 8.30pmRustenburg Denmark-
Japan
24 June - 8.30pmCape Town Cameroon-
Netherlands

World Cup Group F

Date - Time Venue
Result
14 June - 8.30pm
Cape Town
Italy
-
Paraguay
15 June - 1.30pmRustenburg New Zealand-
Slovakia
20 June - 1.30pmBloemfontein Slovakia-
Paraguay
20 June - 4.00pmNelspruit Italy-
New Zealand
24 June - 4.00pmJohannesburg Slovakia-
Italy
24 June - 4.00pmPolokwane Paraguay-
New Zealand

World Cup Group G

Date - Time Venue
Result
15 June - 4.00pm
Port Elizabeth
Ivory Coast
-
Portugal
15 June - 8.30pmJohannesburg Brazil-
Korea DPR
20 June - 8.30pmJohannesburg Brazil-
Ivory Coast
21 June - 1.30pmCape Town Portugal-
Korea DPR
25 June - 4.00pmDurban Portugal-
Brazil
25 June - 4.00pmNelspruit Korea DPR
-
Ivory Coast

World Cup Group H

Date - Time Venue
Result
16 June - 1.30pm
Nelspruit
Honduras
-
Chile
16 June - 4.00pmDurban Spain
-
Switzerland
21 June - 4.00pmPort Elizabeth Chile-
Switzerland
21 June - 8.30pmJohannesburg Spain-
Honduras
25 June - 8.30pmPretoria Chile-
Spain
25 June - 8.30pm Bloemfontein Switzerland-
Honduras



Thursday, June 10, 2010

Oldest shoe, 3500 years old ..

What is thought to be the worlds oldest ...

What is thought to be the world's oldest shoe, a preserved 5,500 year old cowhide piece of footwear that was discovered in a cave in Armenia, is seen in a photo released after its discovery by an archaeology team from University College Cork June 9, 2010. The shoe, dating from 3,500 BC, is the equivalent of a women's European size 37 (US size 7), but researchers say it could have fit a man living at that time. (courtesy Reuters..)

Smoking 2 year old..

Indonesias smoking toddler cuts back to ...

Two-year-old Indonesian boy Ardi Rizal puffs on a cigarette in the yard of his family home in Sumatra. The chain-smoking toddler has cut back to 15 cigarettes a day thanks to "therapy focused on playing", a child welfare official has said.

ge..

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

50 paise a day to Rs 2 lakhs a day .. An Entreprenuer's story ..


     
    From 50 paise, she now earns Rs 200,000 a day
    Shobha Warrier in Chennai
     
    The story of Patricia Narayan, winner of this year's 'Ficci Woman
    Entrepreneur of the Year' award is amazing.
    She started her career 30 years ago as an entrepreneur, selling
    eateries from a mobile cart on the Marina beach amidst all odds --
    battling a failed marriage, coping with her husband, a multiple
    addict, and taking care of two kids.
     
    Today, she has overcome the hurdles and owns a chain of restaurants.
    An entrepreneur by accident was always interested in cooking and
    passionate about trying out new dishes. But, the thought of becoming a
    business woman never came to my mind at all as I do not come from a
    business family. Both my parents were government servants. But my
    marriage changed everything. Both the families opposed the marriage
    vehemently as my husband belonged to the Brahmin community;
    unfortunately my marriage did not work out as my husband was addicted
    to alcohol, drugs, etc. I could not bring him out of the addiction. As
    a young woman, I did not know how to cope with this and I was getting
    beaten up everyday.
     
    Though my father, a very conservative Christian never forgave me, he
    gave me refuge when I had nowhere to go. I was thrown out with two
    very small children. It was a question of survival for me. I knew I
    should either succumb to the burden or fight; I decided to fight my
    lonely battle.
     
    I did not want to be a burden on my parents. So, to be economically
    independent, I could only do what I knew and what I liked. I started
    making pickles, squashes and jams at home. I just took a couple of
    hundred rupees from my mother. I sold everything I made in one day and
    that gave me confidence.
     
    I earned a good income. I invested whatever I earned to make more
    pickles, squashes and jams. It was quite lucrative in the sense, even
    ten rupees was a blessing for me.
     
    The first step as an entrepreneur
     
    My father's friend, who was running a school for handicapped children,
    was handing out mobile carts or kiosks to people who would employ at
    least two handicapped people. They needed somebody who could run it
    and I was offered one such cart free. I had to train the handicapped
    children to make coffee and serve them to customers.
     
    As I lived near the Marina beach, I decided to put the mobile cart at
    the Anna Square on the Marina beach. I had seen people thronging the
    beach in the evenings. But I had to make umpteen trips to the Public
    Works Department and wait for one year to get the permission.
     
    Finally, I started working on June 21, 1982, a day I will never
    forget. The previous night itself, with the help of the local rickshaw
    drivers, I had rolled the mobile cart to the beach. It was a small
    move but thrilling as it was my own and I was going to be a business
    woman the next day.
     
    While such carts sold only tea and cigarettes, I decided to sell
    cutlets, samosas, bajjis, fresh juice and coffee and tea. On the first
    day, I sold only one cup of coffee and that was for fifty paise!
     
    I was very disappointed and came home crying. I told my mother, that I
    would not like to continue. But my mother consoled me saying, at least
    you sold one cup of coffee. That's a good sign. You will do well
    tomorrow. And, she was adamant that I go the next day also.
     
    The next day, I made sold snacks for Rs 600-700 which was big money
    for me then! As I started making money, I added ice creams,
    sandwiches, French fries and juices too. I used to keep thinking of
    adding more items.
     
    I ran it from 1982 to 2003, and the maximum I made from that mobile
    cart was Rs 25,000 a day. That was during the bandh days! We used to
    be open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and later, I started opening
    from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. for the walkers.
     
    I used to personally stand there and sell all the stuff I made. I
    never felt scared to stand there late at night. My only thought was to
    prove myself and move ahead.
     
    There was a fire in me that made me believe that I could be successful
    without anyone's help. I did not want to be a failure. If you have
    that fire, nothing in the world can stop you from succeeding.
     
    Offer to run a canteen
     
    On seeing my work at the beach, within a year, the Slum Clearance
    Board gave me an offer to run the canteen at their office with a
    proper kitchen. The chairman met me during her morning walk. That is
    how I got the offer. The canteen was a huge success.
    On Wednesdays, it was the public grievance day, so about 3000 people
    used to come there and I had a roaring business.
    I used to get up at 5 a.m. in the morning, make idlis and go to the
    beach. From 9 a.m. I would be at the canteen. From 3.30 p.m. I would
    again be at the beach cart and would be there till 11p.m. By then, I
    had employed people to cook, and clean, and all the cooking was done
    at the canteen kitchen. My monthly income in those days was around Rs
    20,000.
     
    Later, I got an offer to run the Bank of Madurai canteen, I stopped
    running the canteen at the Slum Clearance Board canteen. At the Bank
    canteen, I served food to around 300 people daily.
     
    The turning point
     
    One day, after a fight with my husband who used to come to trouble me
    often, I boarded a bus and travelled till the last stop. I got down
    and saw the National Port Management training school run by the
    Central government.
     
    On the spur of the moment, I told the security guard that I wanted to
    meet the administrative officer. I met him and told him that I was a
    caterer and that I heard they were looking for a one.
     
    He said, to my surprise that they were indeed looking for one as they
    had problems with the current contractor. I still believe it was God
    who took me there.
     
    I got the offer. I had to serve three meals to about 700 students.
    They gave us quarters to stay. It was a new life for me. I got into
    the groove in a day. It was successful from day one, and I took care
    of the canteen till 1998.
     
    My first weekly payment was Rs 80,000. I felt so elated having seen
    only hundreds and thousands till then. During those times, I was
    earning almost a lakh a week.
     
    In those days, I wanted to do everything personally as I felt only
    then, things would run smoothly. Now I know if I train people well,
    they will do the work the way you want.
     
    Starting restaurants
     
    My connection with restaurants started in 1998 when I met people from
    the Sangeetha Restaurant group. They offered me a partnership in one
    of the units. But my son, Praveen Rajkumar wanted me to start my own
    restaurant and build a brand of ours.
    But destiny played truant with me again. I lost my daughter, Pratibha
    Sandra and son-in-law road accident, a month after their marriage in
    2004. It shattered me, and I withdrew from all that I was doing.
     
    Then my son took over and started the first restaurant 'Sandeepha' in
    my daughter's memory. It took some time for me to come out of the
    shock and start helping my son in the business. Now, I am fully
    involved in the business. The fire to succeed has come back to me now.
     
    Ambulance to help the accident victims
     
    I still cannot get over my daughter's death as I did all this for my
    children; to bring them up and give them a good life.
     
    What shocked me was the way the accident victims were treated by the
    ambulance operators. When they found that all the four in the car were
    dead, they said they would not carry dead bodies. Finally, somebody
    carried all the dead bodies in the boot of a car. When I saw the
    bodies being taken out of the boot, I broke down.
     
    No mother can bear such a scene. That is when I decided to keep an
    ambulance on that very spot to help people whether the victims are
    alive or dead. It is in memory of my daughter.
     
    Ficci entrepreneur of the year award
     
    I started my business with just two people. Now, there are 200 people
    working for me in my restaurants. My lifestyle has changed too. From
    travelling in a cycle rickshaw, I moved to auto rickshaws and now I
    have my own car. From 50 paise a day, my revenue has gone up to Rs 2
    lakh a day.
     
    The 'Ficci entrepreneur of the year' award is the culmination of all
    the hard work I have put in over the last 30 years. It came as a
    surprise as this is the first time I have received an award.
     
    Till now, I had no time to think of what I was doing. But the award
    made me look back and relive the days that passed by. Now, my ambition
    is to build my Sandeepha brand.
     
    Advice to young entrepreneurs
     
    Do not ever compromise on quality. Never lose your self-confidence.
    Believe in yourself and the product you are making. Third, always
    stick to what you know. When you employ people, you should know what
    you ask them to do.

--
Sincere regards,

George Easaw
Bangalore, India.

Loop

Same story in India ..

ge..

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Lakeside jog ..

Lakeside jog

Lakeside jog : French national football team's defender Bakary Sagan runs during a training session around a lake near Tignes in the French Alps, as part of the preparation for the upcoming World Cup 2010

ge..

Bhopal, Union Carbide, 35,000 lives and peanuts ..

Anger in India over Bhopal disaster verdicts
Guilty verdicts 25 years after Indias gas ...

If an Indian company had spilled methyl Isocyanate gas and killed 35000 people in US, would the American courts and legislators have kept quiet ??

Exploiting the less developed and weak legal framework in India as regards compliance to regulations and necessary penal provisions and legislations in place, Union Carbide and its top brasses have gone scot free, especially at a time when it is trying to sue a British company, BP, for fouling its beaches for billions of dollars.. what an irony ?d

MORAL OF THE STORY : American companies will continue to foul foreign lands and kill and maim foreigners unscrupulously, but no country should ever think of doing the same to American citizens and their land.

How long can a country and its people dominate and exploit the rest of the world ? Patience will pay at the end !!

ge..

Writing on the wall for "Indian" Marxists ..entering into eternal sleep ..

A very sad and realistic narration of the plight of the Indian Marxists, the rudderless bunch of idealogues ..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Comrades-Adrift/articleshow/6020717.cms

ge..

Friday, June 04, 2010

A dead shark on the lousiana shores ..

Ships rushed to Gulf islands as first oil arrives

A dead shark is seen laying in the surf as concern continues that the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may harm animals in its path, in Mississippi. An impromptu recovery fleet rushed Tuesday to an uninhabited US island chain in the Gulf of Mexico as the leading edge of a giant oil slick reached its shores

ge..

A well oiled Pelican ..

A brown pelican covered in oil sits on the beach ...

Some of the unseen Gifts of nature .., a well oiled Pelican on the shores of East Grand Terre island on Lousiana Cost.. 

Thanks to BP and the US govt policies to dominate the world ..

ge.. (courtesy AP)

Signs of helplessness on the beaches of Lousiana ..

A bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand ...

A bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast on Thursday, June 3, 2010. Oil from the Deepwater Horizon has
affected wildlife throughout the Gulf of Mexico.


ge..

Banker with a difference ..

Equal to God, helping people earn self respect..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyFHKVql7Ng&NR=1

ge..

Wahid's mobile bookstore ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJYD2U1gjnM&playnext_from=TL&videos=5es_93EzxiQ&feature=sub

ge..

Save the Indian Tiger....

SAVE THE INDIAN TIGER

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Shifted house to Koramangala, 6 th block ..

On 31 May, we shifted house to Koramangala 6 th block...

The house though old, is stylish, spacious and very comfortable and airy.. 

we are really lucky to get such a house, though the rent is 16k per month.

ge..

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Mamata hurricane of force 10 wipes off the left in WB ..

Todays humiliation inflicted on the left by Trinamool Congress in the WB local bodies elections never came as a surprise, because the left stalwarts were already aware that their days are over and their ideology will not gel with the common farmer and ffactory worker  any more ..

The tricks their leaders have scrupulously being working on the cadres are hitting them back much to the dismay and shock of the left followers. The progress WB has made in the last 30 years of Left misrule is there for all to see.

The left leaders who were famous for being unheedful of the followers will have to bow out in total disgrace not only from WB politics, but from national politics too. An endangered species and in some cases almost extinct, this breed owes a lot to the people of Kerala who still somehow accomodate them and their tantrums. The smart ones reading the picture on the wall, have already migrated to greener pastures elsewhere and have no qualms in armchair theorising..

The left leaders should be ever thankful to the Indian democratic system which has been accomodative of these bunch of fraudsters in the name of ideology.

ge..

IIT Bombay, behind Main bldg..

File:IITB Main Road.jpg

reminiscing some of the olden days .. ( civil dept to right and mech dept to left) arch extreme end..

photo courtesy, IITB facebook profile.. http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php?fcode=724ecbd9e&f=100001131283599#!/pages/Indian-Institute-of-Technology-Bombay/105504499484518?v=wiki#content

ge..

Uday Amonkar has got complete moksha at Rameshwar ..





What better feeling than this !!

ge..

India's sky diving airlines ..

Air India which is notoriously known for scaring, inconveniencing the passengers and fleecing them with high fares and discriminatory treatment, is maintained by the GoI by spending almost Rs 5000 crores annually as fresh infusion by the govt to keep the national airlines afloat. After the recent accident in Mangalore it has become all the more important for the govt to rethink on its policies. This 5000 crores is nothing but reward to the managers and corrupt babus of the ministry for pulling down the airline year after year till it comes down with a thud !!

Let us stop wasting such a huge amount of tax payers money, which you and I pay, to keep the airlines afloat.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Opinion/Edit-Page/Sky-diving-Airline/articleshow/5999611.cms

ge..

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