Hi guys, it was a long time coming but I'm back for a brand new blog!
My latest blog is dedicated to my country of birth - India; where I enjoyed the most memorable moments of my life, my share of ups and downs, learnt all those early teen lessons that living there has to offer and made fab friends for life.
India celebrates it's 63rd Independence Day this year. I wish to share all those things that make me proud of this country and of course all those things that the country could do without or improve in the yrs/decades to come to be a true superpower...to be finally called a developed nation rather than a developing country, a tag which seems to have been stuck and one that I'm sick of hearing for the last 10 yrs.
1. Let's start with something which now is as unsurprising as the latest dodgy Commonwealth Games related deal. India continues to churn out the usual high number of doctors, engineers and most importantly entrepreneurs. There is a definite recognition of India's business awareness & skills and above all the determination to succeed. Skeptics obviously do exist in large numbers but its only a matter of time. The remainders just can't bloody accept this new world order and will just have to live with it.
2. The country continues it's stand on being a peaceful nation maintaining friendly relations with all countries barring the obvious one. To some, it may come across as being a soft state (including myself) but to others, it simply highlights that India is not focused on developing frictions with the world but instead create partnerships that eventually will be conducive to it's own development.
3. India's military might, the 3rd largest in the world continues to expand. The defense budget continues to run into billions of dollars annually. Some would argue the correctness of this practise considering the country is not yet a full grown superpower and still classified as a developing country, that these fundings could be used a lot more productively to counter poverty, improve infrastructure, etc. But with silly and hostile neighbours, are there alternatives???
4. Despite all the development and forward strides India has made, poverty still remains the No 1 hurdle. On a positive note, the country doesn't seem to be begging others for aid and is determined to minimise/eliminate this issue by itself.
5. Although I personally favour a moderate dictatorial rule in India, the democratic model of functioning doesn't seem to be doing too bad either. We sure have the odd nuisances around the country, but these are too trivial at the moment to put a dampener on the country's overall running.
6. On entertainment lines, Indian films and actors are now successfully crossing over to international audiences. People the world over are standing up and taking note. I'm no film buff but I quite love this ever improving reputation that I've witnessed with my own eyes.
7. In sports, the Indians have made strides in cricket (ranked No 1 in tests at the moment, World Cup champions on ODIs, T20s), tennis (Vijay Amritraj, Ramesh Krishnan, the crack doubles pair of Paes & Bhupathi, not worth including Sania Mirza in this group), hockey (still living in the reputation from the 70's and 80's). Guys don't forget we have an undisputed, undefeated world champion team in the game of Kabaddi!! Individual sports like badminton, boxing, shooting and golf are the latest games our athletes have been excelling in.
8. The famous Six Sigma Bombay dabbawallahs - they continue to operate as well oiled machines thus building up a highly successful international reputation.
9. India has also given us the awesome wada pav, pani puri, cheese mysore masala dosa and chicken 65. For this, I remain indebted.
Done with the points we could boast about. I'm sure there are plenty more. At the same time, there are several areas that need improvement over the next few decades. Without going into details, I am simply listing these. Further elaboration on this could be continued in a separate blog.
1. Accountability - Ensure there's no repeat of the upcoming Commonwealth fiasco. The games have not commenced and there's already talks of how big a sham the entire arrangement is possibly going to be.
2. Green technology - India needs to invest in R&D and subsequent development and use of alternative fuels. Climate change is real and needs to be tackled before it's too late!!
3. Change in mindset of politicians. Change in mindset of the common man. I do not understand that the same Indians who throw garbage on roads back home don't have the balls to do this anywhere else in the world. Why do they take things for granted??? Politicians simply because they need to grow up and stop being a laughing stock in the eyes of the common man. Maybe for a change start doing things for the well being of that common man.
4. Wealth distribution! The economy is booming but the fear remains that the rich are getting richer and poor poorer. How can this be tackled? No idea but I'm sure that's something the politicians and industrialists can work on.
5. Sports administration - when will we have sports bodies around the country that will be run by ex sportsmen who excelled in their respective fields and have the audacity to stand up for their beliefs and not be screwed by the system??? Your guess is as good as mine!
6. A no nonsense approach by India as a nation - as mentioned earlier, too often India comes across as a soft state. It must deal issues of national security with utmost ruthlessness.
Here's hoping by 2020, India can truly be classified as a superpower.
A Happy Independence Day one and all. Until next time!
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Saturday, 19 June 2010
FIFA World Cup - A celebration
Hi all. I know it's been a long time. In the midst of the ever piling up work and several other distractions and reasons of stress, I really haven't had the opportunity to think and script any new blogs.
With the ongoing Fifa World Cup in South Africa though, it was a no brainer really deciding on what my next blog would be dedicated to.
Rather than getting into details of historic world cups, past champions, individual brilliances, the odd 'Hand of God' goal, I rather wish to press on why these fabulous few weeks do not just constitute a tournament - they highlight a celebration...a celebration of the beautiful game that is football (and I don't mean that sad sorry sport called American Football where you're probably using most parts of your body other than yes you guessed it...the damn foot!!)
Ok so why is this a celebration then you ask. According to me, here's a few reasons why.
5. Another big reason adding more flavour to the Cup is obviously the host nation. We all know how the vuvuzela has been such a big part in South Africa. Love it or hate it but it obviously generates an opinion. Similarly, it could be the large mugs of beer in England or the Samba in Brazil giving character to the tournament depending on where it's held.
6. For the last couple of weeks I also have been getting several bits of advice and possible tactics that each team and individual player should probably adopt going into their next match. All of this is fine - however, when you realise the player they refer to has either retired a good 10 yrs ago or is no longer part of the team does humour me. Well, on a positive note, at least it's creating interest in people who haven't been following the game over a period of time or at all.
7. The best players of the world would look to use this platform to showcase their match winning skills and put them on stage as one of the best in the game ever. Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) have all done it and proved they were the best amongst the best. A few Englishmen would question why Maradona is included in there, but guys, c'mon, one 'hand' doesn't really question his skills as a genuine match winner and when needed, a match maker too. To this day, Argentina continues to be my sentimental fav in every World Cup and that's only because of Mr. Diego Maradona.
I continue to cheer for Argentina and England during the course of this World Cup. The suited Maradona definitely looks like he's going to lead the team well towards the final stages while I'd just like to keep my mouth shut after watching England in their first 2 leagues matches.
All the best to all you guys cheering on for your own teams. May the best team win!
Until next time!
With the ongoing Fifa World Cup in South Africa though, it was a no brainer really deciding on what my next blog would be dedicated to.
Rather than getting into details of historic world cups, past champions, individual brilliances, the odd 'Hand of God' goal, I rather wish to press on why these fabulous few weeks do not just constitute a tournament - they highlight a celebration...a celebration of the beautiful game that is football (and I don't mean that sad sorry sport called American Football where you're probably using most parts of your body other than yes you guessed it...the damn foot!!)
Ok so why is this a celebration then you ask. According to me, here's a few reasons why.
1. It's nice to see some nationalistic pride taking over club loyalty for once.
2. Unlike other sports where only around 10-12 nations participate in a world cup, this literally includes nations from every possible continent. Where else could we get the thrill of watching a nation, otherwise isolated and often ridiculed globally, displaying a lion hearted performance against the might and flair of Brazil. For the non followers, I was referring to North Korea.
3. Provides us spectators insights on players who for most part of the year spend much time bonding with others from different countries thanks to their clubs. It wouldn't be surprising to know that when Ronaldo was so integral to Man Utd, Rooney and him were probably better mates than Rooney was with maybe Lampard. Therefore, it's obviously interesting to see how national teams create chemistry and unity amongst themselves for a handful of weeks while they fiercely compete against one another for the rest of the year and possibly develop famous rivalries.
4. In this highly globalised world, where we spend our average day with friends and colleagues from diverse nations, races and religions, it's a great experience to cheer for our own fav teams, pass the odd below the belt comment about their teams and in general enjoy great camaraderie with each other. Of course, it's a very good thing India and Pak wouldn't qualify at least for the next 30-40 yrs. I'm sure I wouldn't be enjoying any sort of friendly banter there.5. Another big reason adding more flavour to the Cup is obviously the host nation. We all know how the vuvuzela has been such a big part in South Africa. Love it or hate it but it obviously generates an opinion. Similarly, it could be the large mugs of beer in England or the Samba in Brazil giving character to the tournament depending on where it's held.
6. For the last couple of weeks I also have been getting several bits of advice and possible tactics that each team and individual player should probably adopt going into their next match. All of this is fine - however, when you realise the player they refer to has either retired a good 10 yrs ago or is no longer part of the team does humour me. Well, on a positive note, at least it's creating interest in people who haven't been following the game over a period of time or at all.
7. The best players of the world would look to use this platform to showcase their match winning skills and put them on stage as one of the best in the game ever. Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) have all done it and proved they were the best amongst the best. A few Englishmen would question why Maradona is included in there, but guys, c'mon, one 'hand' doesn't really question his skills as a genuine match winner and when needed, a match maker too. To this day, Argentina continues to be my sentimental fav in every World Cup and that's only because of Mr. Diego Maradona.
I continue to cheer for Argentina and England during the course of this World Cup. The suited Maradona definitely looks like he's going to lead the team well towards the final stages while I'd just like to keep my mouth shut after watching England in their first 2 leagues matches.
All the best to all you guys cheering on for your own teams. May the best team win!
Until next time!
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Growing up in Bombay
I grew up in the most unique city in the world - I've had my precious family (mostly my lovely mom and at least 1 of my 3 bullying sisters most of the time), wonderful friends, did some pretty interesting things there with them and without them. As I write this, a thousand memories of all my experiences flood in from this city. The lovely city that is Bombay.
I'm no 'Marathi Manoos' and therefore pardon me for calling the best city in the world Bombay and not Mumbai. It's a good thing I'm no celebrity and therefore will never face the ire of the SS/MNS. Not that I care in any case.
This post does not explicitly state any of my good or bad deeds from Bombay but only my life as a snapshot as I grew up there.
My first memory of this infectious place is my school - St Andrews or simply Andrews as we called it to make it sound cooler than it actually was. I'm glad this is the school I went to. The fact that it had such massive grounds to practise and perfect sporting abilities taught me very early on to not only be a nerd when it came to studies but also actively pursue sports. To this day, I'm proud that I did well academically as well as represented my school in a few sporting disciplines. Of course not to forget heading to St Josephs and Carmels Convent girls schools during lunch breaks to catch up with my school crushes. I'm very lucky to have the friends I did in school. As you grow older and other priorities take up your life, you tend to lose touch with some of these friends. However, thanks to Facebook and a bit of proactivity from our ends, almost all of us have been regularly in touch over the last few yrs. If the reunions from the last couple of yrs are anything to go by, these reunions will reach legendary proportions in the yrs to come. I guess the perfect way to sign off my school days was the fact that I appeared for my SSC exams suffering from a massive bout of chicken pox!
Right so from my lovely days at Andrews, my next memorable experience was my cooooool Jr College - St Xaviers. Considering it was a family tradition to continue education in Jai Hind, this was a welcome change. Again lovely friends, some of them friends for life - you know who you all are! Those awesome cool to hangout quadrangles when bunking lectures, the canteen foyer and of course the lovely libraries which I used as a place for everything other than read books!! Now we add the awesome Proms and you know this was the college to be in. Those teen experiences
of my first few dates in numerous cinemas of South Bombay and not to forget my first true love...it was a pity I only spent 2 yrs completing my Jr college there and went on to do my Bachelors in Computer Engg. I am glad though - it was the perfect move and I obviously do not regret it one bit!
So this leads to my next saga of suffering turning to determination and finally success at my Engg College - RAIT (Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology - my single biggest obstacle in life so far but also eventually my biggest achievement). My 1st day in this college was a massive shock and I didn't return to RAIT for the next month. This trend continued right through my first year and I suddenly found myself with a stack of backlogs and under a lot of pressure going into my 2nd year. However, a few wise words from close ones and taking a step back and assessing where I found myself helped immensely. From that moment on, the path got smoother and in fact ended with quite the bang! My situation was also helped with a group of like minded guys and through our similar experiences we all got closer and became the best of friends. It's a pity that as years have passed by, our group has been affected by egos and misunderstandings.
So I finally became a Computer Engineer. Not the best of overall percentages but I think I did pretty well in the last few semesters. Following this long path of knowledge enhancement and self learning, I then started working as a professional. It was a classic case of starting right from the bottom there and working my way up through more egos and politics but also along the way making several genuine friends.
Since then, all I did was work non stop for the next 4 yrs. A few vacations to Goa with my band of brothers from Engg and the 'fine experiences' there did help a little. Work continued...promotions came along the way and finally got an opportunity to lead and mentor a team. This was a difficult task to begin with considering I was still only about 25 yrs old and had a bit of a learning to do myself. I managed though...got a great team to work with. Soon we were all like family and guys from other departments wished they were part of my team. Then came my work related trips to London. I soon realised life in UK was more the sort of lifestyle I needed. Not in terms of luxuries as I think I already enjoyed these in Bombay. After all, a chauffeur, cook and maid 24/7 can spoil anyone! It was just the freedom to do things. To probably make mistakes along the way but importantly learn from them with the satisfaction of deciding and running things for yourself. Clearly the best decision I've made so far. It wasn't the easiest of decisions initially as I was giving up a whole lot back home. A great job with a lovely team who became really close during my last few months of working with them.
As I now continue to live and work here, I am content with life. I work for a kickass company, continue to learn lessons in life and work, do my bit to contribute in everyway possible and have a brand new team with completely different personalities to manage. Many new challenges to look forward to!!
Until the next time...
I'm no 'Marathi Manoos' and therefore pardon me for calling the best city in the world Bombay and not Mumbai. It's a good thing I'm no celebrity and therefore will never face the ire of the SS/MNS. Not that I care in any case.
This post does not explicitly state any of my good or bad deeds from Bombay but only my life as a snapshot as I grew up there.
My first memory of this infectious place is my school - St Andrews or simply Andrews as we called it to make it sound cooler than it actually was. I'm glad this is the school I went to. The fact that it had such massive grounds to practise and perfect sporting abilities taught me very early on to not only be a nerd when it came to studies but also actively pursue sports. To this day, I'm proud that I did well academically as well as represented my school in a few sporting disciplines. Of course not to forget heading to St Josephs and Carmels Convent girls schools during lunch breaks to catch up with my school crushes. I'm very lucky to have the friends I did in school. As you grow older and other priorities take up your life, you tend to lose touch with some of these friends. However, thanks to Facebook and a bit of proactivity from our ends, almost all of us have been regularly in touch over the last few yrs. If the reunions from the last couple of yrs are anything to go by, these reunions will reach legendary proportions in the yrs to come. I guess the perfect way to sign off my school days was the fact that I appeared for my SSC exams suffering from a massive bout of chicken pox!
Right so from my lovely days at Andrews, my next memorable experience was my cooooool Jr College - St Xaviers. Considering it was a family tradition to continue education in Jai Hind, this was a welcome change. Again lovely friends, some of them friends for life - you know who you all are! Those awesome cool to hangout quadrangles when bunking lectures, the canteen foyer and of course the lovely libraries which I used as a place for everything other than read books!! Now we add the awesome Proms and you know this was the college to be in. Those teen experiences
of my first few dates in numerous cinemas of South Bombay and not to forget my first true love...it was a pity I only spent 2 yrs completing my Jr college there and went on to do my Bachelors in Computer Engg. I am glad though - it was the perfect move and I obviously do not regret it one bit!
So this leads to my next saga of suffering turning to determination and finally success at my Engg College - RAIT (Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology - my single biggest obstacle in life so far but also eventually my biggest achievement). My 1st day in this college was a massive shock and I didn't return to RAIT for the next month. This trend continued right through my first year and I suddenly found myself with a stack of backlogs and under a lot of pressure going into my 2nd year. However, a few wise words from close ones and taking a step back and assessing where I found myself helped immensely. From that moment on, the path got smoother and in fact ended with quite the bang! My situation was also helped with a group of like minded guys and through our similar experiences we all got closer and became the best of friends. It's a pity that as years have passed by, our group has been affected by egos and misunderstandings.
So I finally became a Computer Engineer. Not the best of overall percentages but I think I did pretty well in the last few semesters. Following this long path of knowledge enhancement and self learning, I then started working as a professional. It was a classic case of starting right from the bottom there and working my way up through more egos and politics but also along the way making several genuine friends.
Since then, all I did was work non stop for the next 4 yrs. A few vacations to Goa with my band of brothers from Engg and the 'fine experiences' there did help a little. Work continued...promotions came along the way and finally got an opportunity to lead and mentor a team. This was a difficult task to begin with considering I was still only about 25 yrs old and had a bit of a learning to do myself. I managed though...got a great team to work with. Soon we were all like family and guys from other departments wished they were part of my team. Then came my work related trips to London. I soon realised life in UK was more the sort of lifestyle I needed. Not in terms of luxuries as I think I already enjoyed these in Bombay. After all, a chauffeur, cook and maid 24/7 can spoil anyone! It was just the freedom to do things. To probably make mistakes along the way but importantly learn from them with the satisfaction of deciding and running things for yourself. Clearly the best decision I've made so far. It wasn't the easiest of decisions initially as I was giving up a whole lot back home. A great job with a lovely team who became really close during my last few months of working with them.
As I now continue to live and work here, I am content with life. I work for a kickass company, continue to learn lessons in life and work, do my bit to contribute in everyway possible and have a brand new team with completely different personalities to manage. Many new challenges to look forward to!!
Until the next time...
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Will India truly be a superpower?
I'm sure a lot of us Indians from every corner of the world are aware and definitely proud of the fairly rapid strides our country of birth has made over the last decade thanks to the liberalisation of the early 90's. Ever since I have been following the country's GDP growth rate, it has been recording a 6-8% increase every year. We obviously have been living in the great global recession that has still cast its web on most of the world to this day. India still managed a 6% growth during this period and promises much in 2010 and ahead.
Our billion strong population has the advantage of churning out the maximum no of specialised graduates (the flawed education system may perhaps be a future topic) in the world and obviously serve as a massive knowledge pool. I'm not even going to discuss how good we are in IT and how we've got our techies all over the world, etc. The best example of our financial clout is the ongoing IPL which according to me is one of the most exciting global sporting events at the moment. The revenue involved amongst all stakeholders i.e. BCCI, team owners, media partners and the several other behind the scenes groups...the numbers are simply mind boggling. Anyways, these are only 2 of the most common examples I've mentioned that I know of and can associate myself with. There are many, many more...
There have been developments in almost every sector - farming/agriculture, education, IT services, Business Process outsourcing, aviation, the rail network continues to increase just when you thought it couldn't get any more complex, etc. The defense budget is probably increasing a good 20-30% annually, the space program is on a constant upward spiral, there's much to be proud of. What more - my friends work in IT companies that have been taken over by India Inc. Even our once ridiculous films are now crossing over and inviting global audiences (and that doesn't include only NRIs). The fact that till I was about 25, I hadn't watched more than possibly 10-15 hindi films in my entire life, 90% of which were those Amitabh Bachchan movies of the 80s when I was little. In the last 5 yrs, I have pretty much caught up on most new releases thanks mostly to a woman in my life who loves her share of Hindi movies that I am dragged to (although grumpy while heading to the cinema, I do end up appreciating the movies simply because no longer do I encounter a silly song-dance routine for no bloody reason)!!
I'm sure everything that I mentioned above makes it seem all very rosy for the future of the largest democracy in the world. I however do not quite agree with it. For one, I am very confident that most development has happened not because of the system but inspite of it!!
A no of issues plaguing the country continue to bother me and I'm sure will cause an obstacle possibly a decade or maybe longer down the line. If India has to truly prosper, it needs to focus on the rural areas of the country too and think of ways of empowering the people living in these areas. Back to the issues...
1. Lack of able politicians/leaders - I admire Dr. M Singh and know he's a very able, intelligent PM, but that's only one I'm talking about. Fine there's still Rahul Gandhi after him but then that's only the PM. What about all those other politicians from different parties who are more bloody interested in creating chaos in the Parliament on a daily basis, continue to harp on caste, religion and such similar crap and are only interested in stocking millions in their bank a/cs in Switzerland rather than thinking about the common man. I know there's a few good guys in there, but I have to think hard and long to identify them at the current moment.
2. I'm not aware of the specifics but I imagine sickness/disease is still rampant in rural areas, especially when you consider the effect on the children there. Sure there must be health centres cropping up in some areas but is that enough? I would think a very high percentage of new born and children around the age of 2-4 must be suffering of severe but preventive conditions.
3. Rapid development at the cost of compromising the ecosystem - I can understand this to an extent. There is obviously a need to build on the current poor infrastructure that big cities of India currently possess. However, the lack of thought & basic planning that has gone into such massive largescale development is affecting the habitat. Just makes me think if the respective ministries/builders mafia actually did any thinking!!!!
4. We can still do more in terms of education in the rural areas, especially the girl child. Not only education of the academic type but also family planning. The billion strong population is a reason for most resource related problems in this country. If regular people like me can think of ways to curb this, how come our highly intelligent politicians haven't yet?
5. Millions are still going hungry - is anything being done about it or are we too busy in this 'superpower' bubble!!
6. Unbelievable shortage of water and electricity - basic amenities!! I know the billion strong population doesn't make it easy but we have strong monsoons - anything being done in terms of rainwater harvesting???
Again, there's so much more that can be done but for the sake of avoiding making this blog terribly long and whiny, I will stop at the main issues bothering me. Finally, sports related - a few secondary concerns of mine I thought I'd share,
1. How on earth will the cricket team cope once Sachin retires?
2. Will we ever qualify for the Football WC before 2050?
3. Will we start losing 5-0 instead of 4-1 in Davis Cup once Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi retire?
4. What do we do with our hockey team? The ever changing coaches definitely do not know what should be done...
Now guys - these are only my opinions. I may be quite wrong and out of the mark with certain points. Rather than being a critic which I don't take too well as I don't consider myself to be a good sport (you dislike being a sore loser when all you want to do is win at everything), please feel free to leave only constructive comments.
Until the next time!!
Our billion strong population has the advantage of churning out the maximum no of specialised graduates (the flawed education system may perhaps be a future topic) in the world and obviously serve as a massive knowledge pool. I'm not even going to discuss how good we are in IT and how we've got our techies all over the world, etc. The best example of our financial clout is the ongoing IPL which according to me is one of the most exciting global sporting events at the moment. The revenue involved amongst all stakeholders i.e. BCCI, team owners, media partners and the several other behind the scenes groups...the numbers are simply mind boggling. Anyways, these are only 2 of the most common examples I've mentioned that I know of and can associate myself with. There are many, many more...
There have been developments in almost every sector - farming/agriculture, education, IT services, Business Process outsourcing, aviation, the rail network continues to increase just when you thought it couldn't get any more complex, etc. The defense budget is probably increasing a good 20-30% annually, the space program is on a constant upward spiral, there's much to be proud of. What more - my friends work in IT companies that have been taken over by India Inc. Even our once ridiculous films are now crossing over and inviting global audiences (and that doesn't include only NRIs). The fact that till I was about 25, I hadn't watched more than possibly 10-15 hindi films in my entire life, 90% of which were those Amitabh Bachchan movies of the 80s when I was little. In the last 5 yrs, I have pretty much caught up on most new releases thanks mostly to a woman in my life who loves her share of Hindi movies that I am dragged to (although grumpy while heading to the cinema, I do end up appreciating the movies simply because no longer do I encounter a silly song-dance routine for no bloody reason)!!
I'm sure everything that I mentioned above makes it seem all very rosy for the future of the largest democracy in the world. I however do not quite agree with it. For one, I am very confident that most development has happened not because of the system but inspite of it!!
A no of issues plaguing the country continue to bother me and I'm sure will cause an obstacle possibly a decade or maybe longer down the line. If India has to truly prosper, it needs to focus on the rural areas of the country too and think of ways of empowering the people living in these areas. Back to the issues...
1. Lack of able politicians/leaders - I admire Dr. M Singh and know he's a very able, intelligent PM, but that's only one I'm talking about. Fine there's still Rahul Gandhi after him but then that's only the PM. What about all those other politicians from different parties who are more bloody interested in creating chaos in the Parliament on a daily basis, continue to harp on caste, religion and such similar crap and are only interested in stocking millions in their bank a/cs in Switzerland rather than thinking about the common man. I know there's a few good guys in there, but I have to think hard and long to identify them at the current moment.
2. I'm not aware of the specifics but I imagine sickness/disease is still rampant in rural areas, especially when you consider the effect on the children there. Sure there must be health centres cropping up in some areas but is that enough? I would think a very high percentage of new born and children around the age of 2-4 must be suffering of severe but preventive conditions.
3. Rapid development at the cost of compromising the ecosystem - I can understand this to an extent. There is obviously a need to build on the current poor infrastructure that big cities of India currently possess. However, the lack of thought & basic planning that has gone into such massive largescale development is affecting the habitat. Just makes me think if the respective ministries/builders mafia actually did any thinking!!!!
4. We can still do more in terms of education in the rural areas, especially the girl child. Not only education of the academic type but also family planning. The billion strong population is a reason for most resource related problems in this country. If regular people like me can think of ways to curb this, how come our highly intelligent politicians haven't yet?
5. Millions are still going hungry - is anything being done about it or are we too busy in this 'superpower' bubble!!
6. Unbelievable shortage of water and electricity - basic amenities!! I know the billion strong population doesn't make it easy but we have strong monsoons - anything being done in terms of rainwater harvesting???
Again, there's so much more that can be done but for the sake of avoiding making this blog terribly long and whiny, I will stop at the main issues bothering me. Finally, sports related - a few secondary concerns of mine I thought I'd share,
1. How on earth will the cricket team cope once Sachin retires?
2. Will we ever qualify for the Football WC before 2050?
3. Will we start losing 5-0 instead of 4-1 in Davis Cup once Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi retire?
4. What do we do with our hockey team? The ever changing coaches definitely do not know what should be done...
Now guys - these are only my opinions. I may be quite wrong and out of the mark with certain points. Rather than being a critic which I don't take too well as I don't consider myself to be a good sport (you dislike being a sore loser when all you want to do is win at everything), please feel free to leave only constructive comments.
Until the next time!!
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