Effortless way to book rail tickets online

I was often troubled to find relevant information on about trains and availability on Indian Railways website. The UI is unintuitive and there are no useful features over the basic functionality. So, I had made a switch to ERail website, an outstanding effort by an Indian geek to bring some relief to the traveller. But his problems were as big as Railways itself. One, there is no real-time updating mechanism for trains and schedule. Then, it was also considered “illegal” by Railways to run such a site! (Just do a simple availability search on ERail site to see the warning marquee).

It seems that IRCTC is finally serving information about reservation to a third party system. It just came across an advertisement in TOI which said you can now book Indian Railway tickets online through Thomas Cook’s Indian website.

Though these are still early days before they actually open the APIs for Indian Railways’ site. But still a big step forward in that direction.

Why does Zoho compete with Google?

Zoho is an India (Chennai) based online document company. They are in the same business as Google Docs. So, people (me too!) would often wonder why would someone ever choose to compete with Google

Sridhar Vembu answer, very succinctly in http://blogs.zoho.com/uncategorized/why-we-compete-with-google/

He is shrewd, very shrewd :)

Disqus: Community for your comments

I just came across Disqus in Puneeth's GChat status which promises to give commenting in a blog a forum-like face. I said "Voila! It is almost my wish being granted." So, I have signed up at Disqus. It is very easy to integrate with Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad etc.

Let's see how far it goes. Do leave a comment or two here.

BarCampMumbai3 on 29 March, 2008

There is something about Barcamps that most people who attend one instantly become a 'convert'. And they join the ever-burgeoning support group for more unconferences.

The first thing that hits them hard is the way order chases chaos at a typical Barcamp. The schedule is undecided, the speakers are unsure, people don't know most others and worse, the 'planners' take pride in the disorderly start of a camp. All these are anti-thesis to classroom-type conference talks that they are accustomed to. Still, within about 30 minutes of start, patterns start emerging, schedule looks set, you begin to realize that most other have no clue either and that there are no rules for interaction - written or unwritten - at this gathering. And your brain starts permuting various possibilities of such a camp. Your adrenaline comes gushing.

Having no rules for a gathering is a Go(o)d thing. It lets you think, and discuss, freely in whichever way you feel comfortable. The emphasis is on openness and sharing. On experience and creativity. And on the fact that each one of us has something to contribute to the others. And that everyone is an equal. As someone right wrote "audience is more intelligent than the speaker". Hell it is! And in most sessions at a Barcamps, the speaker either readily recognizes this fact and lets people talk, or faces no-confidence by "the law of two feet".

It is not that there are no rules. There are some boundary conditions for participation. The most prominent 'rule' of a Barcamp is that "everyone is a participant". This implies two things - one, the guy who is speaking (irrespective of his profile) gets no special privileges above anyone else. And that everyone has to contribute - either by speaking, or volunteering, or at least by asking pertinent questions.

The next edition of Barcamp in Mumbai (BarCampMumbai3) is just around the corner (29 March, 2008). The previous edition (BarCampMumbai2) saw over 200 participants. The number is expected to double this time - with the welcome inclusion of blogger, design and Microsoft communities in the camp. It might be a good idea for you to register your place before we close the registration.

See you there!

Is Bangalore startup "Unfriendly"?

You are not tuned to the Indian Startup ecosystem if you haven't subscribed to Venturewoods blog run by Alok Mittal of Canaan Partners. Most important movers and shakers of startup community follow and write there.

I just came across an interesting article written by Vijayanand on Venturewoods that says:

"During a conversation with a friend recently, the conversation revolved around which city provides a better atmosphere for a startup, from a perspective of providing that initial feedback, customer insights and etc, so that there is clarity past the ideation stage before the prototype is built. I had this perplexed look on my face trying to figure out if there is yet a city which provides that here in India. While most do cry out “Bangalore”, if you ask me, that city is the most startup-unfriendly territory that I am observing.* Whilst there is a very active group of people, and some with disposable incomes, who have started an entire community of unconference events and discussions that surround that, very little is happening past that. Bangalore, as per the count that we have on the number of startups, measures quite low. Salaries are high, infrastructure is expensive, branding is a very costly affair, attracting talent is a dance on the pole - let alone quality talent, and there a dozen startups fighting for the starving number of resources who are available and will actually provide that high caliber value for a startup. On the number of new startups that are emerging, the city ranks quite low. But at the sametime there is quite an active number of “startups” in the city which have been lurking around for a while - and when I say a while, it means for roughly around a decade. They have neither joined the SME alliance, nor are they really a newborn child."

Being a hardcore Chennai supporter, Vijay always falls short of the need to base arguments on hard numbers. I think (even when I am sitting in Mumbai) when it comes to technology startups, nothing (Pune or Hyderabad or Chennai) comes even closer to Bangalore in their sheer number. It is for this reason that most people who return from the valley, settle in Bangalore.

Besides, it is the most conducive place for talent. Exactly the point that you mentioned - startup don't make a significant part of workforce generation. And that is why getting talent in Bangalore is not as difficult as you have mentioned.

But would you like to startup in a city where quality talent will be scarce? Or in a place which has the largest concentration of techies, has the best engineering research (IISc), hosts the biggest Barcamps (BCBs), the biggest MoMos, Foss.in (and pretty much all FOSS activities), the most vibrant technology showcase event (Headstart), hordes of engineering colleges (IIITB and others), one of the best management institutes (IIMB) in the country and where one, figuratively, breathes tech?

Or, perhaps, you would start a company in a place where water is scarce, talent is rare, weather is painful and whose only claim to fame is an IIT?

I respect Pune for what it is becoming. But don't you see the marked resemblance between Pune and Bangalore - big companies, engineering, research and management institutes, conducive weather and most importantly, close to market (Mumbai).

Is someone reading?

[To all those who have subscribed to my blog: Yes, I plan to write regularly now. A lot of inspiration has come in not-so-distant past from Snigdha (thanks to her!) and several others. Let us see how far it goes]

Announcing BarcampMumbai2

Hi, for all who didn’t know, we are announcing another Barcamp in Mumbai – open barcamp with no pre-decided agenda – at Shailesh J Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), IIT Bombay on Oct 13, 2007. This one is christened BarcampMumbai2 and is expected to give some kick to the startup ecosystem here in Mumbai.

This edition of Barcamp is being hosted by SJMSOM, IIT Bombay. The Society of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) is expected to play a key facilitator role in this Barcamp. So, we can expect a lot of startup participation this time around.

So, mark your calendar and make sure that you are there to socialize with some of the most enthusiastic folks around. The energy at a Barcamp is contagious.

As I always say, participation at just one Barcamp will change the way you want your events to be forever.

Don’t believe me? Drop in on the day! :)

Barcamp: Introduction and Invitation

Barcamps are meeting grounds for techie community where they discuss various technical topics, more from an application perspective. They are increasingly see all over the globe as the hubs of technical innovation and entrepreneurship. The first Barcamp in India was organized in Delhi in March 2006, and since then close to 20 Barcamps have taken place in various cities of India.

Here are two articles published by leading newspapers that give a good intro to Barcamps:
1. ToI Delhi
2. Businessworld

What makes barcamp unique and distinct from all other technical conferences is their Ad-Hoc nature. Barcamps are 'unconferences', and by definition unconferences are unstructured conferences. Nothing except the start and end time of the conference is decided beforehand. The topics, speakers, time-slots etc are decided on the spot depending on taste and interest of participants. And, a speaker at a Barcamp is just a session leader. Barcamps have no fixed theme. It can have sessions ranging from Web 2.0 to cooking to adventure sports.

The essential ism of an unconference is "Audience is more intelligent that the speaker". A barcamp is characterised by the sheer energy of its participants. It is said that there are "no spectators, only participants" in a Barcamp. Over a period of 1-3 days all participants, despite their varied backgrounds and experience, begin sharing a camaraderie of sorts.

Barcamp Bangalore 3 (BCB3) will take place on Mar 31 - Apr 1 weekend in IIM Bangalore. BCB3 organizers also wish to give a special thrust to SocialTech, non-technical aspects of IT - e-governance, copyrights, usability, Social Entrepreneurship etc. This a free event and you can register for the event by editing the wiki on event website http://barcampbangalore.org. The only eligibility is that the participants should contribute in some way - either by volunteering, taking or helping in a session, or by asking good pertinent questions. There is no room for a passive spectator in a Barcamp. A passive spectator, typically, loses interest soon and drops out of the event.

Find out more for yourself on Google: Barcamp, Barcamp Bangalore, Unconference, Barcamp blogs. The "official" website of barcamp is http://barcamp.org, where you would find a list of all Barcamps happening all over the world.

For any more details/doubts/suggestions, go Google! :)
All criticism is welcome. But please note that I (or anyone else) does (or can) not control Barcamps :)

International Women's Day today!

(To all the women in my life!)

From Chipko to Mount Everest,
And Bedi to Sen,

From Narmada to Booker,
And Desai to George,

From Charity to Power,
And Rai to Mirza

From Thermax to Biocon
And Kidwai to Kochhar

From my Ma to my Sis,
And ALL of you around...

I just wanted to shout this aloud to all of you...

You Rock! ...Keep Rocking!

But there is still a long way to go!
Go! Get yourself all that you deserve... :)

Justice to Imrana!

The injustice against Imrana had forced my debut in the blogger's world. It is heartwarming to find today that her father-in-law has finally been convicted today by a local court in Muzaffarnagar.

It seems as if these are the days of justice being finally meted out to Indians, who have been badly beaten and bruised by the their own judicial system. Only yesterday, Santosh Singh was convicted in 10 year old Priyadarshini Mattoo case.

Some pro-activity by media - innovative campaigns to gain a few points in TRP ratings - whatever, has certainly helped Indian public. People are getting together in supporting these causes. Youth of India has suddenly realized the role it can play in solving India's long-standing problems - call it the "Rang-De-Basanti effect", if you will!

When NDTV launched its SMS campaign in support of a retrial of Jessica Lall murder case, which generated humungous response from all over the country (resulting in 211904 responses so far!), no one expected things to snowball so much.

However, even if a few widely publicised cases do end up in justice due to media intervention, there are crores of others perishing in files and procedure. Witnesses turning hostile - up to the extent of contempt of court (as in Nitish Katara case) under pressure is common.

Of course, Indian media cannot replace (or even exceed) judicial delivery system. Even if it creates an illusion of being better in a few cases in wide public knowledge. What it does create, is a real confidence among the youth that whenver we all get our acts together, we are capable of making a difference to each of our lives.

"...capable of making a difference to each of our lives!" Nice thought to live for, isn't it?

Extremely Poor service by Airtel KK / 9880826363

[An open letter to Airtel KK for the 'customer experience' I have had.]

Dear Airtel people,

It would have been great if I could start this email with "I am very happy to say that I am disconnecting my Airtel mobile connection and registering with a rival operator". Unfortunately, I have huge intertia against doing that even though the mood remains the same.

This is a case of utterly poor service by Airtel. And most probably this is the 'normal case' scenario. I ams so pissed with this that believe me I can't imagine myself in the 'worst case'.

There are three parts of the story:

1) I lost a mobile phone on 4th April 2006, Sunday. After ample number of calls, finally my incoming got activated in two working days (Tuesday). Outgoing local and outgoing STD took two more days to be done. I thought this was only the case with me and that I was unfortunate that this happened on a Sunday when most shops are closed (Can you explain why should shops be closed on a Sunday?)

2) My worst experience with Airtel was when for some strange reason, my SIM card got destroyed while I was roaming in TN circle. That was 9th, a Sat and as the organizational structure stands today, I cannot expect Airtel KK people to service me in Airtel TN (Question this: Why can't they be integrated from customer's perspective?). The next day was a Sunday. I called customer care to get address of an Airtel outlet in Indiranagar which is open on Sunday. When I reached this place (2nd Main, BDA complex), I was told that this shop remains closed ALWAYS on Sunday. Gosh!

In the evening, I found an Airtel office open on Airport road (opp Leela Palace). I went inside and the person was surprisingly polite. He noted my number, I filled a form and took a SIM card happily with an assurance of activation early next morning. Little did I know that this poor guy's computer will not work for two days. This is what I was told by the customer care. I had spent two days out of service and was getting desperate. When I called the customer care up, this guy asked me to send an email from the official ID and also wait for Airtel office to punch the number in.

Even earlier, I had found similar things. Even for a simple thing like roaming activation, a corporate customer had to forward an email from the rep at the office for some strange reason. I waited till the evening. When I called customer care, the person asked me to wait a little longer. I was already getting impatient.

The worst happened when even till Tuesday morning, the activation had not taken place. When I called CC again, they gave me the same response. On my asking why, they said this is for them to get the SIM number. Now, I had already given the SIM number to then twice before. This afternoon was the first time in years when I was so outraged that I did not know what to speak. I desperately wished this person was in front of me. Still, I asked firmly but politely to connect me to a more responsible person in the call center. It was only now that I saw real action taking place - my SIM magically got activated within next one HOUR! All I am left is with a thinking why should organizations make stuff as simple as a click so complex and process driven such that it is the customer who has to bear the burden of it.

3) Then it was the case with Airtel's FFO. With much fanfare, you had launched FFO in Dec 2005. I registered myself in Feb 2006 and patiently waited till May 2006 when the offer would have got matured. I lost count of calls I had made to Airtel in June, July and August. Everytime I reached customer care, I got an assurance to wait for a few more days. First it was late June, then early July, then late July, then mid August and finally the coveted voucher arrived on 27th Aug 2006!

To my surprise, you had ensured that the customer does not make any travel at all. Can you explain these:

a) If there was a travel to be arranged, how can you expect a person to travel to 'any one of three' destinations? It is either one particular place, or something very nearby, or nothing at all! How can you expect someone to travel just for the sake of it?

b) If even the dates are undecided, how can you expect a working person to leisurely plan according to YOUR convenience?

c) You give a notice period of just two months for the travel to be completed. In most cases, it takes more than a month's time for anyone to get his leaves sanctioned. How can you expect people to just travel at such a short notice?

All hell broke lose when I discovered that I should have got a call from InfoVision solutions or Makemytrip.com in mid Sep. Of course, if the travel has to take place in mid-Oct, one needs to know about the destination and date by end of Sep, in worst case.

When I call the customer care, I got a typed reply - "Sir, I have registered your complaint and my system tells me that you will get the response in 10 working days". Gosh! Do you know what that come to - 17th Oct. This is the date when I am supposed to take the flight!

Guys, are you aware what kind of foolishly planned scheme this has been? A result of some purely Tughlaqi idea, this scheme was withdrawn soon after it was started. The worst part is that as a responsible organization you did not feel the need to continue your support for all the existing subscribers of this scheme. For example, the service at number 2006 was withdrawn in mid-Aug without any intimations!

You know, I am ashamed now when I defend my choice of Airtel over other (cheaper) operators. The kind of service I have received in past few months has been pathetic, if not worse.

I can't explain all this myself. If I had been a responsible manager reading this email, I would have immediately called for an internal inquiry into all these questions. However, given the past record (a little glimpse of it above), I cannot expect any such thing to happen with Airtel KK.

I don't think if this email would ever reach a responsible senior officer at Airtel KK. And it is for this reason that I am also posting the same on my blog, http://theanomalies.blogspot.com where I can create public awareness about the level of service Airtel is offering.

I am not asking for an explanation. All this is not an anomaly in Airtel's service. This is an honest feedback that I wish to make for Airtel. It is upto them to take it or leave it.

Regards,
Arpit

Keeping your cool

2145 hours. 13th Sep 2006, Wed. I was speeding on the airport road. Just next to Command Hospital (CHAF) bus stop, there comes a small bent in the road. As I crossed it, I saw a man crossing the road, walking with his cycle.

I horned ferociously but he just kept crossing showing a hand to me signalling to stop. "But why isn't this guy stopping?" At that speed I could never have stopped though I started breaking immediately. Then... BANG!! I hit his cycle right in the middle. He was knocked on the road. I stopped immediately and returned to the guy. His head was bleeding profusely and he smelled of alcohol. A small crowd had gathered. I got him into a Santro and rushed to the CHAF. Traffic cops mysteriously traced us to hospital...

The rest of the story in fast forward. He got first aid, called family members, I called friends, we returned at 2330. My bike confiscated. I did not want a legal case. They were not in mood anyway. Had a small negotiation. Fixed up an amount - head injury, head scan, pain in ribs and knee, broken cycle, alleged loss of watch but was drunk. Paid them in return to written undertaking. Cops' service charge. Bike damages could scale to Rs.2500. But, of course, I am happy!

Morals of the story:
1) I could have not taken responsibility of this. But don't regret doing what I did. There is enough good will and bad will in this world. YOU have to make a choice.
2) Have a set of good friends who can stand by you 24x7.
3) Legal action could be worse than any kind of money.
4) Like everything else, there are thousands of such cases happening around the world. So, you are not an exception even if this is happening for the first time with you. Don't panic. Take control. And take thoughful, wise decisions.

(Though I don't think Indian legal system is that active but I do think I should delete this soon as some of my future opponents can potentially use it against me. So, you might be among last few people to read this.)

(I am aware that this is an abnormally small post by my standards, I assure you that my standards are not falling.)

When your family visits Bangalore

My family (parents and sister) visited Bangalore last week. I had two weekends and the weekdays in between to tour them around. Their prime objective of coming here was to relax and not to make a fast trip to all places around here. Since I had to do all this digging myself, I thought I should share this information with everyone.

Since the objective was to relax, it doesn't make any sense to make long overnight bus trips to Kodai/Munnar/(elsewhere in Kerala). In North, Ooty is a famous place. Karnataka Tourism has a value-for-money package tours for most places around Bangalore like Mysore-Ooty. The advantage of package tours is that they are hassle-free. Getting seats in them is not difficult even a day before. However, please avoid going to Ooty in Monsoon season.

Even during Monsoon, Mysore is a place worth spending a day at. The KSTDC package tour for Mysore costs Rs.560/person which includes Volvo travel and sight-seeing. The bus leaves Corporation circle at 7:00 am and returns at 11:00 in the night.

The disadvantage of taking a conducted tour is that they make you run around in order to cover all points. A taxi (non-AC Indicab) would cost almost the same as a ticket for 4 (Approx Rs.2500) and provides the flexibility to spend more time at a place you like. It also allows you to start as per your convenience. However, a Taxi cannot guarantee visit to all points and you would have to pay extra for a guide.

KSRTC has a very good full/half day conducted tour of Bangalore sight-seeing. Full-day Volvo tour is Priced Rs.220. (http://kstdc.nic.in/frames9.htm) This tour covers about 8 different tourist spots in Bangalore.

We, however, took a Taxi for Bangalore sight-seeing. To be frank, there are not too many places of tourist interest (to me, personally - and to most bachelors like me, I suppose) in Bangalore. Typical package of a taxi costs Rs.800/- (non-AC Indicab) for a 8 hour/80 KM trip around Bangalore. Within this you can cover four-five points within Bangalore. Places like ISKCON Temple, Lalbagh, Vidhan Soudha and Viswesaraiya Technology Museum are worth visiting.

I was surprised to know that the markets at Commercial Street and Chikpet are larger and crowdier than MG/Brigade road! These places are heaven for all the ladies. Mysore Saree Udyog on Commercial Street (Sunday closed) is a good place to get your mom buy sarees :)

Another place of interest when someone comes down south it Tirupati Balaji. KSTDC/APTDC/ITDC/Southern Travels (and more private operators) have conducted tours for the pilgrimage. The charges vary from Rs.1175 to 1275 per person. This covers Volvo travel, accommodation, local transport and special ticket (AAD Darshan). The tour starts first day evening and returns next day evening. However, this is available only on a weekday (Departure - Sunday to Thursday). You get to have darshan within 2 hours of standing in queue. Thereafter they take you to the Padmavati temple and return.

Another package of Rs.800 per person is offered by many Private operators would cover non-AC travel with a normal (Rs.50) entry. This might take upto two days before you have the darshan. I was told that most private operators would not guarantee a darshan within an expected time limit. So, it would be advisable to go for ITDC/KSTDC/APTDC tours. However, getting a ticket in these can be tough. Ensure that you get your bookings done 10 days in advance as they only have limited seats.

These were the places we visited. If you can put together a gang of more than two, do make a trip to Wonder La. It is a memorable experience for everyone. Bannerghatta National Park and Meenakshi temple near it are good too. Besides these, KSTDC's Hogenkal/Nandi Hills/Jog Falls tours can be tried.

Here are some relevant contacts:

• KSTDC: 22275883, 22352901-3, 22212098, 22222400 (Website not updated)
• ITDC: 22383361-2 (Hotel Grand Ashok)
• Brindaban Travels (Agent for KSTDC/ITDC) 25584529, 41123184 (Brindaban Towers, MG Road)
• KSRTC: http://www.ksrtc.org/ContactUs.asp
• Southern Travels: 22262633, 22267040
• Taxi: Contact your neighborhood travel agent for this. The rate (Rs.800) is standard throughout and there is NO extra driver-batta.
  

[All the views expressed in this post are personal and I am getting NO benefits from any of the above mentioned operators :)]

Zinda?*

Have you ever felt that you are living in a solitary confinement of sorts? Have you ever felt completely unrelated to the world and everything in it? Have you ever felt that everything around you is running just because it is supposed to - much like a program with billions of entities in parallel? Do you believe that we all live in a 'matrix'?

What we enjoy as freedom, is nothing but a greater - pervasive - confinement. We eat the same food everyday. We see the same things everyday. We meet the same people everyday. Occasionally get ourselves sanitized. But continue to live in it. Most of the times content and sometimes, happy.

Often we take so many things around us as 'ours' – our locality, our city, our nation, our world – our thoughts, our ambitions and our dreams. Step back and think "What would have been different if you were to be replaced by someone else?" Or "What difference would it have made to anyone in a locality next to yours when you die?" The answer is a cold - Nothing! Surprised? Welcome to the real world.

Where do you fit in the grand scheme of things? Try to move in a corner of your room. But try to keep your body at this very place, in this very state. And look towards yourself from that distance. Spotlights on, environment dull and everything else silent. Visualize how familiar does this look to you. Aren’t you just another guy in another setting?

Now step further back. Try to look from outside your immediate locality. It becomes difficult to identify yourself here. There are thousands of people working just like you. Each of them has a dream. A set of handicaps. And a set of commitments. How different are you from any one of these?

Now take a step further backwards. You see a blue ball called Earth in your hands. Peep in. It is difficult to even pinpoint the city you live in. Leave alone your house, car, neighborhood, locality or your friends'. And it is so quiet out there. So captivatingly beautiful homogeneity. And we all pride ourselves on being unique!

The truth is that we are mere programs running on huge parallel processors. Each entity has a few specific properties from a fixed set. Each one is aware of its existence. And is happy and possessive about it.

In this perspective, all your pains and complaints, your joys and desires seem gibberish. And you experience an eternal peace of mind. The question now is “Why do I perceive things the way I do? Why this cloak of uniqueness?”

Just like in any computer program, everything that happens around you is due to a reason. You have parents because you have to come into this world someday someway. You have relatives for the same reason. You have friends because you need their company and help. The same is true for everyone around you. Everyone lives in this small world of theirs. And outside this world no one cares about them. Just like nobody cares about me outside my world.

But if I am so insignificant, why is it that my body was designed with so much perfection? Where does my existence fit in this grand scheme of things? Honestly, I don’t know about mine. But so doesn’t anyone else. Some try soothsayers. Some go to spiritual gurus. But no one can conclusively say "Ki MAIN zinda kyun hoon (Why am I alive)?" The answer perhaps lies inside one’s self.

We always fail to realize the power of concerted thought – the power of dreams. When you know your aim in life, your every moment is spent planning and laboring towards that end. And when you are about to rendezvous with your destiny, everything just falls into place. More often than not, you get more than you ever dreamt about. What is takes is to make his sense of being – as ‘The Alchemist’ says – WANT it more than anything else in this world.

I know I am insignificant in this world. Each one of us is. Within months after we die, memories about us will start fading. Even in minds of our closest buddies. This makes me feel so lonely that I feel unrelated to everything around me. To that beautiful lady that just went past me and to the big buildings and trees I see along the road. I look towards everything with awestruck amazement. What is even more incredible is that though you may not find all reasons, but one thing leads to another just as in a sequential clock-work.

I don’t think I will be able to carry this state farther. Perhaps, I am not strong enough to live through the challenges that living in this state might pose. But I would like this blog entry to serve the purpose of a time-capsule. If ever I would return to my normal state, this will serve as a reminder of how, for one moment, things seemed so crystal clear – so blatant. The moment of enlightenment!

[These thoughts pervaded through my mind while I was watching the movie ‘Zinda’ at a city multiplex. The protagonist was put in a solitary confinement for 14 years by the villain, for a small childhood gag which snowballed into an innocent girl’s suicide. The girl happened to be villain’s elder sister. The protagonist then prepared himself for the fateful meeting with the unknown villain every moment of those 14 years, eventually killing him battling all odds.]

(Zinda)*=Alive (Hindi)

The jump of my life

110 ft above the ground. Tied by an elastic rope on the legs. A hooting crowd of about 500 men and women. And a brilliant Mysore palace in the front! There couldn’t have been a better setting for a ‘Bungee’.

I don’t really know when I first got interested. One of my earliest memories go back to a program called ‘Ushuaia’ (on the name of a South American city at the tip of the continent) on TV. There is just one word that you could then assign to it – Crazy. So it is, in every sense of the word. And as I do for all crazy things, I had to get interested.

Though bungee-jumping amuses mostly the brave-hearted, it is more amusing to see some not-so-brave-hearts going to test their limits. As it turns out, their limits are as shallow as a frying pan!

When you are being lifted in the crane-lift amidst hundreds of cheering onlookers, It feels as if a great stuntman is about to perform the most stupendous task on Earth. Confidence surges and you can even feel adrenaline rushing through your arteries – heavenly experience for the first timers! And soon you are there – on top of the world – literally.

It feels great. As long as you are not looking down, that is. The problem starts when you suddenly realize that this is not your house’s terrace, but of more than 10 times higher than that. What seemed confidence earlier if fear now. Howsoever many safety systems you wear, the first thought in mind is,” What if this rope breaks?”

You would instantly realize that almost everyone in this world is interested in your jump to the ground. And the more dramatic the decent – the better it is.

The instructor in the lift asked me to stretch my hands straight outwards and bend down in a diving posture. Having analyzed the best position to jump with a friend on ground, I had little doubts as to what makes a perfect jump.

What I failed to reckon was that the perfect jump would necessitate a reasonable frame of mind. But when you are looking down 100 ft from a hanging lift, reason cannot not hold ground. Can it?

I moved a foot further on the platform, only to pull it back in absolute horror. It was damn scary. The worst thing was that the junta was getting crazier as I was getting terrified. To suppress my fear, I vigorously started waving my hand, kissing in the air and screaming at the top of my voice.

The instructor then tried to push me again. Just trembling down, I pulled my leg back again. It was only after taking two more deep breaths, that I could control myself to finally make the decision to jump – come what may.

Then I leaped in the air. Exactly as a novice swimmer would dive – leg first.

We noted on ground that it takes about 55 seconds of free fall after which you oscillate in the air for some time to come to rest about 2 minutes later.

It does not feel anything other than sheer weightlessness and racing pulse until you get the first jerk. You come to rest after a series of such jerks only to be happy about entering into the elite ‘I-too-have-jumped’ category. On ground, it did feel spectacular indeed.

It took me about half an hour to get full control of my nerves. It was only then that I could reflect on what makes ‘bungee’ ever so popular. It is amazing to realize the fun a man gets when he tests the limits of his tolerance! Only to know that he comes nowhere close to the ultimate while he always thought, he is doing the best.

Myself and 'The Rising'
I was watching "Mangal Pandey" the other day in the afternoon. To say the least the first half of the movie barely has a story and has only a sequence of vaguely related events. Amidst the near boredom, apart from beautiful Amisha and Rani and of course a brilliant Aamir, I slipped into a conversation with myself. The first thought that came to my mind was "Why am I here?". "Stupid", somebody said, "you are here to watch a movie !! What else?"

"No. It is not just the movie", I asserted, "It is about my existence. Tell me why am I here?". The voice said "You are here as a small part of a bigger, larger scheme of things. You have been assigned a role on this giant stage and a time will come when it will unveil itself in front of you". "In fact, it is even apparent in front of you even right now. Just that you have to search and find it out for yourself", the voice continued.

"But, if it is supposedly so apparent, why am I not able to see what it is?", I asked. "And why am I expected to search around for it when it is obvious that it becomes much easier to accomplish if I get to know it right now? And wont it be better if I could start gaining the necessary skills well in time?". The voice answered "This is precisely the reason why it is not known to you. There is a unique task waiting for your execution which completely suits your talents and capabilities. It is not explicit now as the day you know it, you will stop growing and your decline will begin".

"But, if it is so suited to each person's capabilities what could the task be for me? I am not able to find any single person with exactly similar set of interests and likings as mine". I added, "the trouble is that I am not too sure if I am going to fit in the role I am offered. Or am I expected to learn to be one of the 'common', 'normal' person and be content with the mainstream..."

"Hello....!!". No voice heard. "Are you there...?? ". "You can't do this to me everytime !! I need an answer....dammit!!". Poor me.

Aamir Khan is now terribly boiling over the 'lie' told by Captain Gordon. He goes over to him and tells him that they will no longer be friends - and better not talk to each other. Then, comes the intermission. 'Mangal Pandey' ends. 'The rising' starts.

I am still thinking. "Does this idea of 'first war of Indian independence' really appeal to my peers as it did to these old - and now deceased - mutinaise soldiers?". Freedom to most (of us) is a birthright and, guess what, they never had to fight for it. 15th of August comes like a 'much needed break' for most. It becomes yet another marketing opportunity for media and consumer goods companies.

Freedom seems so natural that 'free market', 'free speech' and even 'free software' is fast becoming the order of the day. I just wonder what it would have been to be living in a slave country. Perhaps, we should again have a phase of colonialism. The best way to make people learn about the value of a thing is to show how fragile it could be. Isn't it?

The super-power of large towns

India, they say, is a rising super power. An economy which is precariously placed to eventually take a slot just after the mighty US of A in a matter of just four decades from now. Considering that it was in the shackles of a foreign power just about 60 years ago, this would be no mean achievement. You are just left to wonder if one century could make such a huge difference to a country. And if this dream would ever become true?

It has become a fashion these days to compare India's performance with "the-fastest-growing-economy" - our much respected - and envied - neighbour. The first thing, people say, you notice when you reach Shanghai is the pace of life. Coming back to our very own 'Shanghai-to-be' Mumbai too is an experience in itself, albeit of a contrasting kind. The traffic jams and clogged roads just seem to be a fatal arterial blockage obtructing traffic, business, and eventually lives of millions who commute through them.

A resident of the mighty 'Dilli' would be proud on reading this. Proud of their roads and now their very own 'metro rail'. But their joy gets transformed into gloom as soon as they reach their offices. What welcomes them daily is the omnipotent - and perhaps the most regular thing in the city - powercut. "What use reaching office early?", one gasps, "at least you could get some fresh air while you were on road".

The most dreaded Indian city for Americans is 'Bangalore' these days. The trend of jobs getting 'Bangalored' has now become a phenomenon. IT, the powerhouse of the resurgent India, is headquartered here. The weather is great. The infrastructure is non-existent. A typical example of growth-before-planning, this city exemplfies all the problems faced by any other big city in India. The number of people who go to office is growing while the width of roads has matured. And for good reason now, many big companies are either moving to the outer Bangalore or 'out of' Bangalore. While the state government fights with centre over petty issues on the infrastructure projects.

But put your brains together and try to go to the root of the problems and you will realise that, a change is happening. At the most this situation is more becuase of the growth happening inside the cities than the stagnation they face. True, they are the dirty showcases of an 'India Shining' but they are nevertheless the best we ever had. This is the first time over decades when the governments are learning to be service-oriented. This is the first time since independence that we sincerely realise that our cities are in virtual shambles and felt the need to rebuild them. The citizens now demand 'improvement' and in due time they may actually get it.

India is a democracy and a professed one at that. With all its divergent opinion making mechanisms, there are bound to be delays. We cannot compare India with the west simply because they prospered all the early modern age looting the likes of India. And on top of it, the early Socialist, Non-aligned policies did more harm than good to the infrastructure of the country. When, we finally had to open our economy, we were living on a rubble of an economy and cities.

Today, the citizens are gathering courage and a will to actually make a difference - themselves, if the government cannot. When did you hear of India refusing foreign aid in case of a natural calamity and actually sitting on the donors' table for a change? When did you hear a minority girl 'talking' her attitude on court? When did Indian companies felt the need to acquire majors in foreign land? And why does a city that gets back to work in exacly 24 hours after a huge bomb blast? A feat that even London could not accomplish. Sure, the spirit is of perseaverance. The will is to make a difference. And even the acts are getting together !!

"Padoge likhoge banoge nawab, kheloge koodoge hoge kharab"

This oft repeated saying captures the essence of typical Indian mindset about sports. But for a few exceptionally talented and committed people and gifted backgrounds for others, India would not have at all made any mark at the international sports scene.

Perhaps anyone on the street can cite the reasons for lack of even a single Olympic gold in past 20 years. The prime among these reasons is lack of money and professional management in Indian sports. The sponsors say that without necessary following, it will be a waste to put money for charity's sake in sports. There was this international Volleyball tournament going on in Chennai. The game is popular in that part of the country as was evident from the TV news footage. And mind you, in sports other than cricket, football or tennis, this is a rare sight. Still the federation found it difficult to find sponsors to support the event. Reasons unknown.

Even if the tournaments are able to support themselves financially, there seems to be no will whatsoever that ground facilities could be provided so that the game can actually grow and finds enough young talent to sustain itself. An international fencer who is forced to sell 'chuski' on road and still his passion keeps him motivated enough to find time to teach local youngsters. But there is no appreciation of his service for past so many years. Not even a mention in the list of Dronacharya nominees.

There are other hockey stars of yesteryears who are forced to sell their hard earned gold medals to get some food. Star player pledges that he will never allow his son to follow hockey. Then there is the honourable president of IHF who switched career from police service to Hockey admin and is not relenting his claim over the 'throne'. Can success in ousting terrorists in Punjab help any bit in defending goals from opponent strikers? Perhaps.

There are some leading legacies in sports today. There is Padukone father-son and Prakash Amritraj's academy of tennis. There are people like Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Anju Bobby George who constantly keep winning without any significant world-level support. And then there are people like Bhupathi who are working to bring the international talent to India by organising perhaps a WTA tourney.

These are not just exceptions. Even the monarchy of IHF has recently organised the 'Premier Hockey League' with the support of ESPN-Star Sports to bring the glamour back into the sport of Hockey. There are silver linings. Sometimes quite a few. But surely this is a long way to make India a great sporting nation. I just remembered a comment by a former Arjuna awardee for TT, Indu in 'We, the people' (NDTV) " The sporting culture is just missing in India. Even if there are some sporting stars, most of them consider themselves too lucky to be there on the horizon". Well, that just captures the essence of it.

Update (26th Nov 2010): It is amazing to re-look at this post 5+ years later. We just finished second overall on home ground in CWG 2010 with 38 Golds (101 overall.. wow!). And of all the sports, we are scoring Golds in Track and Field events in the Asian games. We have virtual monopoly in Boxing as I write this. I mean WOW, when I wrote this post, Athletics and Boxing were nowhere in my mind. This have indeed changed, we have come a long way. But look at China - they are close to getting 200 Gold medals alone in these Asian Games. Way to go! But our progress is nothing less than remarkable. Mera Bharat Mahan!

Imrana v/s Shariyat: Fighting anarchy

I believe that rape is the most heinous of crimes. Perhaps even worse than a murder as the victim does not even have to live to bear the pain.

A lady in the interior of Indian heartland was raped - and rather conclusively - by her father-in-law. For her, the family's 'honour' in the society had a paramount importance. Seeking justice she referred to the religious overlords whom she expected to show at least some degree of sympathy. May be as a respect for her faith in them.

It is just amazing to hear that not only have Shariyat been unable to provide any kind of respite to her, they have just made life tougher for her. A 'fatwa' has now been issued to her ordering her to accept her father-in-law as her husband and to discontinue living with her husband and children. Whatsmore, they have even figured out an obscure method to 're-unite' the family too involving marriage, divorce and remarriage of the couple . As of today, the matter has been taken to a higher - and perhaps, more sympathetic - court for a better justice.

Men have always treated women as an object of pleasure. Perhaps everyday, you get to hear about rapes by neighbours, in-laws, brothers and even fathers. One can only gasp and see the condition worsen. Worse still, is the apathy that we show towards crime against women. We, living in cities and hi-fi societies simply fail to acknowledge the severity of the crime, assuming ourselves to be totally insulated. These days, even the newpapers do not sell without a few of these 'masala' stories.

Imagine your reaction if one of your some dear ones was raped on road !! It happens exactly the same way for any of the 'victims'. On top of it is the distortion introduced by system of law and courts. One can only wonder what happen in the time to come. Can we ever make this world any safer in the time to come?