chaotic order

Jottings : Slice   of life - 58 ( Donald trump - a good victory) A most commendable victory for Donald trump. Against all possible odds, with entire political establishment, including the party he represents vehemently undermining his credibility, his own instinctual actions and comments almost overwhelming his political future - Trump has won a clear victory, not even a close battle by any standard of measure. His victory reminded me of an odd analogy. In india, we still have few old doctors who can diagnose one’s ailment by merely feeling the pulse, and not having to order and analyze elaborate medical tests to fathom what is wrong in your system. In a similar sense, trump was able to gauge the pulse of modern America and know exactly what they wanted. He may not have been the most informed, savvy, and intellectual idealist we expect our Leaders to be; but he knew what his people wanted out of this election, just as Modi did. He knew his own idiosyncratic antics will have no bear

The story of NIIT is the story of legends. For over three decades, if there is one defining principle which runs through like a golden thread weaving together different strands of business and practices into one coherent whole - it the quality of its leaders at the very top of the pyramid. There are handful of them, not more - but in them lies encapsulated NIIT’s philosophy, vision and dreams. It my privilege to write few words commemorating Rajan - recipient of this year’s Global leadership award . I remember my first visit to our Atlanta office, on a cold January morning nearly ten years ago. I was carrying a parcel for him from India. It was impossible not to have heard of Rajan , before coming here. Legends has a curious way of percolating across an organization colored and painted in different hues. Obviously, expectations were high, and a sense of trepidation followed me as well. How would he relate to me? Would he fit in the picture I had in mind? After all, I had met my man

Jottings : Slice of life - 56 Look at this “Kolam” ( a traditional form of drawing) very carefully. What will strike one almost immediately is the geometrical precision of its execution. Its hypnotic structure captivating in its symmetry. The lines so firm, the edges fluted, careful strokes in color interwoven in definitive patterns, which makes sense once drawn - but in the mind of its artist it would have remained a fluid vision, bursting out like a flower out of nowhere and blooming and gasping towards perfection as the hand draws out its intricate patterns in one spontaneous movement of harmony between mind and body. This drawing is not by a twenty year old or a forty year old artist, but by our octogenarian aunt, the eldest in the family living in Palani, Tamilnadu. Frail of body, strong willed, articulate, she has spent every moment of her adult life in this little town - renowned as a place of pilgrimage, living within its conservative traditions, serving her late Husband

Jottings : Slice of life - 55 ( Gulzar and Tagore) It is in a way unfortunate that the image of Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore immediately brings to mind a picture of a old matured face, with flowing grey beard, draped in flowing clothes often with a shawl casually thrown over his shoulder, solemn eyes with a steady gaze seemingly hiding immense pain and longing behind its facade, an otherworldly look that categories him only as a poet who wrote of God, cosmos and such unearthly subjects. Nothing can be further from the truth. The body of work representing Tagore is as varied, rich and poetic as Shakespeare's. From political tracts to social issues to romantic love to patriotic fervor to sensual relationships to family dramas- his plays, short stories and poetry spans the entire range with equal ease and felicity. Though he was officially awarded the Nobel prize in 1913 after "Gitanjali" was published, the nobel citation made it clear the award was given "be

Jottings : Slice of life -54 ( the art of written communication) A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, who holds a senior position in a leading software enterprise , made the following remark “Bala, nearly three fourths of my working day is spent composing emails to different people. Sometimes, it takes an hour to put down my thoughts the way I want to… It is quite draining..” “Thats strange : Are you saying that you are taking time thinking about what you want to write or is it that your time is consumed writing what you have thought and decided? which one of this is true? “Why do you ask that. Aren't they the same?” “No My friend, they are entirely different. In the first case, you are consciously deliberating on how you should respond to the substance of an email received, or a proposal under consideration. It is more about solid thinking, weighing options, based upon your professional expertise and knowledge you bring to the table.. And organizations decide to pay you

Jottings : slice of life - 53 ( Goli vada pav - a journey) To be part of a system, work with it, accomodate to its demands, pressures and necessities, and to retire with enough money to keep you comfortable for rest of your lives - is an accepted and socially blessed way of professional living. But on the other hand, to break from that rut, conceive of a quaint idea, nurture and nourish it with your “ Sweat, blood and toil”, endure the rigors of its progress, withstand the tremendous psychological and financial pressures it brings upon your family life, to duck innumerable criticisms and downright vindictiveness (sometimes), equally blessed with luck and encouragement from known and unknown sources, and above all, to sustain an idea through a long decade despite all vicissitudes and build a successful business enterprise commanding national acceptance and international penetration - is a bold, audacious and adventurous journey worth, in retrospect, every minute and effort that wen

Jottings : Slice of life - 51 In this 57th Presidential campaign, the third debate held this week in Las Vegas provided a glimpse , perhaps for the first time, into where both the candidates stood in terms of their intellectual and professional calibre to assume the chair of Presidency. In the year long fiasco in the name of election campaign, the empty and vituperative mud slinging, the sheer lack of substance to any of the core issues Presidents are expected to debate; it took this third and final debate, finally, and much to my relief and to millions of others I would presume, to provide a realistic assessment about whom they should be electing. Not that either of them came out as strong winners, but having them spell out and respond to a key questions spontaneously ( at least we are told it is spontaneous) juxtaposed the intellectual apparatus needed to drive the most powerful, complete democracy in the world. While one reacted with grimaces, guffaws and lack of depth in his