and then….Atlas Shrugged!!

Dear Ayn didi,

I want to clear this right at the beginning, I love what you write. Nevertheless, here goes…

Imagine a person who joined Rearden Steel or D’Anconia copper as a low level employee. He is a regular, sincere employee, the kind of which  are commonplace in corporations. He knows he isnt great, he knows he cant alter the course of history and neither does he want to. He is just a guy who does not want to be late for work. He wants to put in his best efforts and see his company succeed. He wants to be proud to be an employee of Rearden Metal/ D’Anconia copper. He wants to get back to his wife and kids at the end of the day. He doesn’t mind putting extra hours of work when the job demands it. He is concerned about his performance appraisal, his next promotion and his festival bonus. One day, he wakes up in the morning. He gets ready, has his breakfast, kisses his wife good-bye and leaves for work. When he reaches the factory, he finds that it has been blasted!! Not only the one which he worked in, but the others which belonged to his company. He is now jobless. A few months down the line, he does odd jobs, his family are in a state they did not deserve and then, there is an announcement on radio by a guy called John Galt who tells him “People, your mines and factories had been blasted to nothingness by your owners. They did that so they could satisfy their egos. They did not want to create money for the ‘Collectivists’ and so, they are not sorry for what they have done’

Imagine now, what would go through his mind.

Another story goes somewhat like this.  This guy had been working for 20-25 years as a low level clerk in some PSU bank. He earned about $50k a year. He and his wife were saving to buy a house. One day, he reads about this project called ‘Portland Homes’ which advertises itself as a low cost housing project. He doesn’t know or care which school of art the building followed. He is not interested if the building used baroque or roman style pillars in the foyer. He only knows now that he can buy a house for his family. He books a flat in this project and is promised delivery 6 months later. Just before the inauguration, he learns that the project has been destroyed. He attends the trial in the court and comes to know that a guy who claims to have made the original designs of the project destroyed them because the houses did not look the way he wanted them.

What would he think?

Dear didi, these guys are people like us. We may not be inventors/ scientists/ architects but we are sincere. We do what we are told and we try do it as best as possible. We may not have conceived Rearden metal or generated ideas to make the company as big as it is today. But we know, we contribute to every dollar the company earns. We could have been nothing without D’Anconia’s ideas, but his ideas would not have been implemented if not for us. We may not know much about the railroad business, but we can build roads and rail tracks to the best of our ability. Surely, Ms Taggart could not have laid all the tracks her trains run on or build the coaches by herself. Surely Mr. Roark could not have made all the drawings of the projects himself. He would need people who were draughtsmen and who would make his secondary views. Surely, Mr. D’Anconia could not have mined all that copper by himself. He would need people to run the blast furnaces, keep stock of the copper and ship it.

But, what if our only source of living was snatched away from us because our owners did not want to live in this ‘collectivist’ world. What if, in spite of our best efforts, we are rendered jobless….just because Atlas Shrugged. 

Wake Up Sud!

Sorry for the appalling display of plagiarism…

The title nevertheless has been kept for a reason, it is because watching a movie with a similar sounding name served as the ‘big bang’ for this post….

What is a good life?  This is a question I have often asked myself. I am sure, most of you might have asked this question yourselves to the little remaining piece of junk that is the conscience (or in case of Ayn Rand’s fans..the ego)

Is is doing what you love that constitutes a good life? Is having a perfect partner be it a friend or a lover that makes life good? Is having all the right material benefits such as a house, a flat or a car and the right amount of cash inflow that make life worth living? Or is it the ability to have three square meals a day and a fourth too if time permits that maketh a person happy?

I was in this farewell party of a guy from work today, and we had this small (actually mini) feedback session where he told each one of us present, what he thought was their nature. I as usual was given the feedback that I do not live my life to the fullest. This acted as the final nail in the coffin.

The movie from which this title has been borrowed, showed a filthy rich guy, who had no interest whatsoever in the ceramics (for the lack of a better word) company owned by his dad, his mom was supposed to knock on the door of this guy’s room when she entered. She had to actually invite him to have dinner with herself and the guy’s father and the best of the best was that this guy’s dad promised him a Porsche SUV if his son worked in his company for 3 months which was great since this guy already owned a Honda CR-V.

This guy ends up becoming a photographer for a local magazine and the first salary that he earns, a measly Rs. 15k  is very sentimentally presented to his dad. The logic that we are provided is that this was the true calling of the guy.

Now, imagine a scenario where the guy was actually expected to complete his degree, get a job and feed his family. His parents were poor and could not afford a rented house forget a huge bungalow that the character’s father owned. What would be the scenario then?  Would he still become a photographer when a job he personally disliked offered him a salary of Rs. 40k??

That my friends is reality for you. People who never try and pursue their dream most frequently fall in this category. They can’t do it because..well they can’t  do it. They have their parents and siblings to look after who are looking upto him/ her for their daily bread. To keep his/ her parents alive, this person has to earn. He/ she does not have a choice of careers. They are just living their parents’ dreams.

You can find many such examples, everyday in the tabloids or the TV news channels, there is this story of how a son of a janitor in a government school secured a full scholarship in a medical college, how a daughter of a guy who sold Idlis is the state topper in the engineering exam but cannot join as she does not have enough funds to support her education,

And in the midst of all this, there are the well to do guys who crib about the fact that they are not living a life that they deserve. Have we ever tried to judge what the people who make rags to riches stories actually wanted to do with their lives? Do we ever question the life goals of a person who expressly did what he did just to feed his parents?

Who now has the right to be happy? who is not living his life to the fullest? and who now should wake up??

(Fake) Pride and (Illogical) Prejudice….

This thing was bound to come up.

Considering that I’m in the heartland of the erstwhile Maratha Empire, and for all the constant bickering about the pride and honour of this region as well as the country in general as a precursor to the CWG ( I wont judge if you came to know about this acronym only because of a scandal and not the actual thing)…

Yesterday was India’s Independence Day. A national holiday for all and hence some time off for yourself. It all began very normal and very routine. Me getting up late. Going out for breakfast and on the way, the same old Hindi songs about 'deshbhakti' whose CDs are probably worn out because they are used only twice a year.

As I was having my morning tea, a general habit of observing people led me to deduce this.

Why are we even celebrating I Day? What is so special this day? Does playing these old songs stuck somewhere in your basement (or in your attic if you will) make this day special? Make you realize the true value of independence? Are we a complete Nation yet?

Maharashtrians hate Biharis and UP walas. Delhiites ( a self proclaimed term by all people living in a 200 Km radius around the India gate) hating Biharis,  South Indians hating Delhiites. Bengalis hating Maharashtrians, MP walas hating everyone around them. The North-eastern people not cared about in general and hating everyone else.

Hindus hating Muslims, Muslims hating Christians, Hindus hating Christians, Parsis again not cared about by anyone and leading a sedate life of their own. Sardars made fun of wherever they go. Brahmins hating the Marathas, Marathas hating the Dalits, the Dalits turning to Christianity so that they don’t have to face these vagaries of a Caste Violence. Shias hating Sunnis. Catholics and SDAs hating Protestants.

This is not all. The very people who made us independent are now dependent on the government for a Rs. 500 pension scheme every month for which they have to shell out Rs. 100 as a bribe. In worst cases, even these amounts are not dispensed and the ‘Freedom Fighters’ die a death no better than a street dog’s.  No one knows them, no one cares. His medal and his ‘Freedom Fighter’ I-card is used by his family to buy cheap Rations and Bus passes for the City buses.

And we have politicians claim that the national pride is at stake if the CWG is not held in a manner befitting an event of such stature. Such is the paradox.

People who have had the fortune go on a foreign trip face similar treatment, this time for their nationality. The Australian case is not a one-off thing. It happens everywhere. And yet these people who come back to their homes facing all this ridicule do this to fellow Indians?   Being the first hand victims of racism, these people come back and inflict the same thing on the lesser mortals.

These musings brought a very lopsided grin on my face. And yet just as any other day, I put out my cigarette, paid the Chai wala and left. It was only when I came to my room, a thought occurred that I atleast should let go of the Fake Pride and Illogical Prejudices which I’ve had. And I will try from now on to be a human being first, an Indian next and a Hindu if time permits.

PS- Yes, I too have my prejudices. These, however are mostly directed on my own caste and my own religion. I will probably never completely be able to let go of these, but to try nevertheless is in human nature. 

A Life Less Famous…

Sorry.

The delay can almost fully be attributed to a persistent disease called ‘lethargy’ which (if you know me well) has been a congenital condition with me.

A few days back as I went to the railway station to drop off one of my friends, I noticed a couple on the platform. Both were low income, both not very good to look at (considering the normally acceptable but highly variable tastes). The wife sat in a cross legged position which might be more familiar to Indians and the husband  was lying in her lap, with a towel beneath him so that his clothes wouldn’t be soiled. Amongst all the bustle at the station, this sight gave me a feeling of tranquility, of calm. The wife slowly caressing the husband’s hair and the husband apparently in a deep sleep. I didn’t know them and I think no one else at the station did. But it was like a sweet melody sung in a very low voice amidst this cacophony.

Cut to last Saturday, when I was at Ahmedabad and returning by the 5.30 pm bus. I had this beautiful scenery to look at of the village side. There was nothing but greenery around. Fields where everything from paddy to wheat to potatoes was sown. The village was just like any other. A pan shop at the corner, a bus stop where the state government buses came carrying and dropping off people from different parts of the world and the same filth which is characteristic of any Indian bus station (or a railway station for that matter). I was day (or was it evening?) dreaming instantly (without the help of the hyper electronic device now made famous by ‘Inception’) of my days at my granddad’s (mother’s side).

How people would live simple lives. Wake up early morning at go into the nearby forest to get wood for the house chulha, the train from Goa used to come at 8 am carrying fish which was sold at dirt cheap rates, how a small 4 feet x 4 feet screen sufficed as a movie theater for the entire village.

We living in cities, have become monsters in comparison to this. How desperately we try and crave attention when we go out- either by wearing flashy clothes or laughing out loud at the stupidest of jokes just because a hot chick is standing nearby looking elsewhere. How people as young as 10 participate in reality shows and mouth dialogues I could not even dream of when I was their age just to grab attention. How could talented people judge the voices of these little halflings. How we always want the most cozy, air conditioned and high leg room seat when we get tickets to a movie theatre and even if that’s not enough, people like James Cameron have made the biggest blockbusters by selling ridiculously expensive 3D experiences.

But then, I am reminded of a session which we had when we had freshly joined. The guy said “It is these complications that make life worth living. It is these desires that keep you going for more. It is these wants that you will go any lengths to satisfy. It is this confusion that you should revel in”

Inspite of this, every once in a while, however brief a time, whether it was a passing glance from a moving train or a view from the balcony on a day when there is a light drizzle, I dream of a hand which caresses my hair when I’m asleep, I dream of a day where I could afford a stroll through the forest and the field without worries, I dream of a life less famous.

PS- yeah I know..too many brackets... and also that this might just be another ranting of mine....

Why The Sky Went Too Far….

I was a part of this conversation….a lot of conversations recently coupled with the equally tedious and fruitless task of pondering and came out with this..

There was this lesson in Moral Science I learnt at school. It said that once the sky was very close to the earth. It was so close, people could actually touch it. It was also said in that story, that the sky was the major source of food for the people. People used to break chunks of the sky and eat them and the sky was only pleased seeing that it satisfied these people’s hunger. But soon, people started taking the sky for granted. They said “the sky is infinitely vast, and we are too few. So how does it matter if we waste it” ; and so it began, people started taking bigger chunks of the sky. They ate when they felt like eating..otherwise they just threw it away. The sky now was starting to feel troubled, seeing people whom it fed for so long now taking it for granted.

One day, a small boy, took out a huge chunk of the sky. He just licked it on the surface and then threw the entire remaining portion on the ground. The sky became very angered at this. It thundered and roared and cursed the entire human race that it would go so far that no human could ever touch it again, let alone waste it. It then started moving upwards. Far, far away it went…and till date no human has ever touched the sky again. Needless to say, people died because of the hunger, not only those who wasted the sky but also the few that actually cared and loved the sky.

It has now become fashionable for people to criticize and waste their skies. These skies may be jobs; these may be precious natural resources like water, fuel, food grains all because they can do so. They have taken their skies for granted,

People in my company (and I’m sure, your company too) always say “yaar..is company ka to culture hi kharab hai” or “Is company me to aisa hi hota hai”  or “koi ownership hi nahi leta is company me” or “is company me mere liye kuch nahi rakha hai” or any of the other nothings that people blabber during those ‘intellectual’ discussions.

I think now, what right do you have to say this? Have you ever as an individual taken ownership of your own? Have you ever tried to change the culture of the place you worked? Have you ever, nevermind in however small a way, tried to think that this company was yours too?

I have seen many people come and leave this place during my stay here. People have always contributed, no matter how small an amount to make this a better company. But what about those people who came and they went and did nothing? What about the people who only kept chanting these lines and fleecing the organization by means of allowances or even their not so commensurate salaries?

It is these people who make all the ruckus. It is these people who make this company go farther and think lesser and lesser about its employees. It is these people who spoil the so called ‘culture’.

I remember now, that a guy at a very senior position once commented- “why take /GETs? They only leave. They do nothing all the time and one fine day, they resign”. I used to be flustered whenever I heard this comment. But now, after spending this time, I cannot help but agree. These people have been my seniors, my peers and my juniors and I am ashamed seeing them do these things all in the name of short term financial benefits.

People, if you don’t like it here, you have the freedom to leave. But as long as you’re here, do something. Be a motor, a prime-mover, the engine of however small an activity, however small a function, however ‘unimportant’ a profile. In the end, it is the motors who will rule the world.

PS- there is only one kind of guy whose life is easy, he is called the victim.

PPS- I love this company. This company has given me things, IT guys can only dream of. What I don't like is what some people have done to it today. 

PPPS- Special thanks to a guy who made me feel this way. Whatever good, I shall be from now on, a portion of it will always be attributed to him.

Star Wars- A Delayed Dissection

So, I decide one day, that I need to watch Star Wars. I thought it was the pinnacle, the ultimate source of inspiration for all fantasies…

How wrong was I?

I downloaded all the six installments of this ‘epic’ and started right from the start. That is ‘The Phantom Menace’ and proceeded to watch all that this series had to offer over a period of three days.

I gave the movie one chance, then two chances and three chances and then ten and then I lost count…as I delved deeper and deeper into the crap that the entire series was.

Darth Vader, a character who could have been immortalized had it been penned by someone of Tolkien’s or Rowling’s or Ayn didi’s caliber for that matter was turned to an obstinate fool. The slight amount of respect that I gained for him in ‘The Revenge Of The Sith’ came crashing down once I saw the sequels. A character so complex, he would have been the next Severus Snape or Sauron or Ellsworth Toohey. But all he remained at the end of the series was a character you would see in any of the countless Mithun movies. His aura was butchered and hacked. His charisma had been reduced to zilch. He became one of those ‘also rans’.

Obi- Wan Kenobi, who was rated 37^th amongst the list of AFI’s top 100 heroes of all time was an aberration to be extremely polite. He had nothing to offer. As the ex- mentor of Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader, he was shown to possess no special skills except his belief in the Jedi value system. He did not even deserve to mentor Luke for that matter if his characterization is anything to go by. You were expecting a Dumbledore and all Lucas handed out was a ‘Muggle Studies’ professor.

Of Luke and Leia, the little said the better.  In one of the sequels, Leia is shown kissing Luke and right in the next movie, Leia feels his brotherly bond calling out asking for help. 

A character who could have been more used was Yoda but he too fell to the absolute lack of imagination of the authors.

Coming to imagination, the light saber battles were only short of Dandiya/ Raas Nights which we get to see during Durga Puja.  The enemies displayed no emotion as they engaged, the held their sabers as if they were holding a fishing rod…and they killed as if killing people was a duty they were paid monthly salaries for like the Govt Babus. Its as if one had to offer a bribe to get emotions on their faces.

The few positive things I had to take…I saw Natalie Portman for the first time and I loved her. She looked so beautiful; it was almost a sin to touch her. The Jedi farewell ‘May the force be with you’ was decent enough. Jabba the Hutt was lovable. Darth Sidius was OK.

George Lucas invested so much money in creating this universe and did nothing when it came to the characters or the story. He killed my dream. He made me think my life as a low level manager was more exciting than to be a Jedi warrior.  

I cannot help but delete the movie now and find consolation in LoTR.

PS- George, next time you make a movie, please please invest more time and money on the characters. It is them who breathe life in a fantasy, not space ships and robots.  

The Future I Always Fear…

Today was a rather mundane day at office. Being a Thursday, there are only a handful of people who work. Chance or luck or any other fancy word invented by Paulo Coelho brought me upon this magazine. Its actually a monthly published by my company. The very last page of this magazine had an interview with one of the senior guys at my place. I saw it and imagined myself sitting in his place 35 years from now….this is how it goes….

Down Memory Lane

Sudhakar M Kamath
Deputy General Manager- Planning,

Q. How would you describe your journey in this company?
I feel I have been very lucky (?) to join this company. I remember the day I heard the news that I had been selected in the interview. (reminiscing) It was a dream come true for me to join such a prestigious organization. I was very lucky to have joined a world famous project in the initial phase of my career and I have never looked back since then.

Q. What has been your most memorable moment?
There have been numerous such moments. One of the special ones was in Singur. There due to some politician’s hunger strike, we had to take a route which took 5 ½ hours to complete a bus journey which otherwise could have taken only 45 mins. I remember how the bus used to stop every 10-15 metres due to a traffic jam. That whole period of 15 days was like a new revelation for me.

Q. What do you think sets this company apart from others?
This company has given me the freedom to take decisions right from a very young age. I was exposed to various facets of this company very early which is but a utopian dream in other companies. (Excitedly) Forget a job switch, I did not even make a resume after I joined here.

The other side of Mr. Kamath (Yeah Right!)
Your Hometown-
Hyderabad …no wait!!. I think I’m from somewhere in Karnataka…but I definitely think it is Goa…oh hell!! I’ve lived half my life here…I think Im from Pune.

What are you currently reading?
The Ramayana, The Mahabharata and The Bhagvad Gita (Do you expect me to read Playboy at this age???)

Where did you go for a recent holiday?
Croatia. I especially like the Croatian version of Vada Pav that you get over there.

Your Favourite Cuisine- 
I am a huge fan of Ecuadorian cuisine. They have a national dish called 'Chicken Ecuadori' which is prepared only on special occasions like someone's marriage.



Your Favourite One-Liner
I don’t enjoy other’s failures and I don’t like others to use me as a scapegoat for their failures (Killer Punch!!)

Just imagining myself there, answering these pointless questions put jitters in me. The truth is that people who stick around here for long are here because this company pays people to do what they enjoy most- leisure. People from around here make this company their last one because here, they can happily retire doing nothing all their life. Whoever, has joined this company as a GET has always left it. If he didn’t it means

a. He didn’t get admission to any MBA/ MS college
b. His hometown is only an hour’s drive from here
c. His girlfriend/ boyfriend lived here and they got happily married or the last
d. He just didn’t have it in him to go higher

Will I really answer these questions 35 years from now? I definitely don’t fall in the first three categories. Am I the fourth kind?…Only time can tell….

PS- May turn out to be less fun than the previous ones. But I'm sure you've got the message that is 'Don't ever become this'.