chaotic order

Shashi Tharoor’s eight minute defense… The Oxford union debating society is one of those hallowed bodies established in 1823 to further free speech and exchange of radical ideas in a liberal environment; and its chief objective is to not cast aspersions on people and places, but rather a forum where Men and Women with reputed intellectual caliber and genuine integrity could exchange ideas impartially within the closed walls of its magnificent debating halls. Except for a few instances in its remarkable history, the society of Oxford union (the body that administrates these debates) have not found any occasion to public retract statements of speeches by its esteemed participants; and they have held debates on almost every conceivable topic that has stuck a resonant chord in national and international consciousness. Even a casual perusal of its speaker list over the decades will show that eclectic array of people: Models, musicians, sportsmen, Scientists TV evangelists and presenters

A Sage passes away.. Dr Kalam When I heard about the sudden demise of Dr Kalam in class today, I was instantly reminded of Einstein’s remark on Gandhi: “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever walked upon this earth”. It will not be untrue to rephrase this moving tribute and write “Generations to come in Independent India will scarcely believe that amidst the turmoil, corruption, bureaucracy, unenlightened leadership and utter lack of vision – t here lived a man, whose life was devoted to the cause of humanity as much as it was to science, whose life was as much a study in humility as it was in the dignity and respect of human beings, whose living presence was a reminder that political life need not be divested of statesmanship, whose prolific and prodigious scientific intellect was tempered with sense of material achievement with a human touch, whose fertile brain at the age of 83 was still young enough to think of a modern and rejuvenated India, who

The pulse of a Leader.. It was one of the finest 30 minutes of technical exposition that I have had the opportunity to hear live in a long time. One often wonders, why CTO’s and CEO’s get paid so well, what exactly at their skill-sets that they make them eligible for a hefty paycheck, or made to blaze forth in the media as icons worth emulating. What is that charm - that tangible, palpable essence of who they are that makes us forget idiosyncrasies, arrogance, inconsistencies or madness so amply displayed in their daily life? The answer is not far: it is simply the vision, a holistic understanding of business, and a mysteriously ability to connect the dots in an astounding simple manner - that to a listener, it would seem almost insanely logical and coherent. It is not so much the detail (which obviously is a path they have trodden assiduously before reaching this level) but a piercing insight into how the juggernaut of their businesses rolls, and an uncanny ability to forecast, pr

Diaries of a vacation - Part 5 Excellence in life often boils down to very simple principles: Following one’s heart, dedication, willingness to commit oneself to a chosen task with passion, energy and zeal, grabbing opportunities as they come by, constantly innovating and finding ways of adapting to changing needs and times - all these are to found in the myriad books, inspirational speeches that abound for the benefit of common man. But what they don’t, won’t or cannot tell you is why then Excellence and success is so uncommon then, and discouragingly hard to come by. After all, if there is a fixed regimen to be followed; and if one is willing to follow it to the tee- then success must be inevitable. But that is not the case. It seems that Men and Women who are successful, and have reached the pinnacle of their chosen field of work seem to be “divinely chosen” for whatever they are destined to do, and the rest can, at best emulate their ways and means with a fervent hope that they

Diaries of a Vacation: part 4 Decades ago the study of “Humanities” was considered a respectable vocation (especially for Women... Don’t ask me why?). The choice of many parents would invariably narrow down to this after much deliberation, because it was considered respectable and a homely course to study. After finishing, the door to Teaching were open, and many preferred the comfort of a good stable teaching job in a decent school as indicative of having reached somewhere. And of course, prospects of marriage would increase, and along with all other goodies life has to offer. Almost every university in India, even today, offers a course in Humanities. It is sadly the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of scholastic achievement, but nevertheless a last refuge if one doesn’t get into anything else, after school. The thinking is that there is still a vestige of respectability left in it, though future may not be as bright as one would want it to be. That’s alright, I guess - conside

Diaries of a vacation : Part 3 While describing the crucial period in Western mind when philosophical thought was just about incubating at the dawn of recorded history, Gustav Flaubert , the great french author beautifully wrote “Just when the gods had ceased to be, and the Christ had not yet come, there was a unique moment in history, between Cicero and Marcus Aurelius, when man stood alone…”. We could slightly modify this brilliant insight and write “Just when the gods ceased to be and Adi Shankara had not yet come, there was a unique moment in Indian history , between Buddha and Vikramaditya, when Man stood alone, lost in the alleys of discursive abstractions…”. And then Shankara arrived! And what a life it proved to be... The life and work of Shankara is a turning point in revitalizing and resurrecting the purest strains of mysticism that lay buried under the hubris of intellectual debates and arguments of a thousand differing schools of thought. And in a brief life time of 32

Diaries of a vacation - part 2 Rain gods have a special relationship with Kerala. They start their journey from this southern tip, and slowly move across the country bestowing their blessings. And the months of June, July and August find them at their capricious best. Low lying dark clouds hover perilously close to the damp earth, almost touching or kissing them; threatening to burst into tears (which they sometimes do with ferocious intent) or sometimes move away allowing streaks of Sunlight bathe its verdant skin with a warm, humid glow. They are as unpredictable as young lovers, reveling in inconsistency. It is not for nothing that this piece of land is called “Gods own country”. Surrounded by waters, enriched by luxuriant vegetation, relatively secure habitat, isolated communities formed, sustained and nourished on values and way of life that is radically different from mainstream – Kerala has always resisted distinct categorization. There is a fierce pride in its people one wo