Right now I'm in a place in my life where I can't and I don't want to do anything. Why??? Well I can't pin it down to any one reason. Collection of things.
I'm angry. Somewhere something's ticked off in my mind. I can't seem to control it. I'm depressed. I have been for some time now. I'm lacking confidence.
I've tried talking to people. Read books. Watched movies. Tried to forget it and move on... but nothing seems to work.
I just wish I didn't think about things so much. I just wish I could live the day without having to think so much about the future. I wish the people I care about could understand me.
Alas, I feel I'm asking for too much!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
As a responsible citizen of India how will I take my country through this financial slowdown?
Hi people. There is an essay competition here in Chennai and this is my entry for it. Results are not out yet. So please cross your fingers for me. ;)
Also today was the day the budget was released so I think it is apt that I post this essay of mine here for all of you.
Also today was the day the budget was released so I think it is apt that I post this essay of mine here for all of you.
As a responsible citizen of India how will I take my country through this financial slowdown?
The sub-prime mortgage crisis that originated in the US, soon consumed every country of the world, and has now become a Global Crisis of epic proportions that is second only to the Great Depression of 1929.
Most of the major economies in the world are in recession and this is taking its toll on people everywhere in the world. With reduced demand leading to reduced productivity, this in turn forces more and more people out of jobs as companies try to cut-down costs and maintain bottom lines.
India has escaped the brunt of the crisis thanks to its strong domestic economy and good financial regulations. We have managed to register 5-6% growth in the last year. This is down from 9% in the previous few years, but is still impressive considering the global crisis we are in.
However, certain sectors of our economy that are export-driven have suffered with reduced demand from abroad. This has resulted in job-losses for millions. Most of the people who have lost their jobs are daily wage-earners and usually the sole bread winners in their families. So the problem scales up when we take in to account all the dependents.
The stock market also lost nearly half its value. Many investors lost all their life’s savings in a matter of months.
Many analysts and experts say the worst of the crisis is over and things can only go up from here. But there are others that say that the world will take a long time to recover from the excesses that led to the crisis.
It is important that we focus on recovery and maintain strong economic growth rates to realize the dream of a poverty-free India. President Kalam once said that if India were able to maintain a growth rate of 10%, then by 2020, we could eradicate the scourge of poverty from this country. It is therefore imperative that we all take steps to re-energize the economy.
So, as a responsible citizen of India, how will I take my country through this financial slowdown?
Many analysts and experts believe that a recession/slow-down is a good time to restructure the economy and give it a better direction. I’m a believer of this school of thought and would like to look at this tough situation in a positive way.
It is widely accepted that one of the ways for an economy to handle recessions/slow-downs is to invest heavily in infrastructure. The deflationary effects of the slow-down means prices come down and therefore more work can be done for the same price.
India needs to develop its roads and transportation network. We need better schools and colleges. We need better power supply, better telecommunications, better ports and airports. Thus there is a tremendous opportunity to develop our infrastructure and bring it to world-class levels. This large-scale investment in the economy will drive up demand and will bring dividends over the long- term. Now as an individual I’m not really in a position to invest on my own in projects of the scale mentioned above. However, in a democracy, I am enabled to vote for the candidate that promises to do as mentioned above. I did exercise this power in the recently concluded general elections and I will continue to do so in all elections in the future. I also plan to be more involved and write to my local MLA, MP and Councilor demanding the implementation of the election promises and also try and give my own ideas and initiatives when I can.
I would also like to develop a savings habit for myself and encourage others to also do the same. Like the old saying goes- One must save for a rainy day. India has the highest savings-rate in the world. But being born in a generation with easy access to credit in the form of credit cards and personal loans, I feel those good old-fashioned money values are being lost. This easy accessibility to credit was the reason for the crisis in the US and I believe it is the duty of every responsible citizen to try and avoid it so that we don’t suffer a similar crisis here.
I also plan to become a prudent investor. I won’t be dealing in the stock market until I have understood the market dynamic. I want to have a complete knowledge base and I don’t want to be playing the market on speculations and gossip. People should return to their books and become thorough before they enter and play the markets. Market speculation and hype was another big reason that drove the real-estate bubble in the US. We must try and avoid the same here.
I have a long-term goal of becoming an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the key to harnessing innovation and creating jobs. Job creation will hopefully be a positive off-shoot of my entrepreneurial venture. I will also encourage others around me to get in to business and try out new ideas and processes. In this way we can all play our part in developing Brand India and in harnessing this country’s tremendous potential.
These are the steps I intend taking to help my country through this financial crisis. I know that I am only an individual and there is very little that I can do to influence society and policy from where I am today. I also know that there is very little one can do when a crisis of a global scale is on us. I might be only one drop in the ocean, but each drop makes the ocean. People should learn and understand that, individually and collectively, we all have our roles to play in our society, economy and country. I’m sure if we all work on it we can pull through this crisis and make the India of our dreams a reality.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Shingara Singh- the last known survivor of Jallianwala Bagh
Shingara Singh, the last known survivor of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, passed away this Monday. He was 113 years old.
On April 13th 1919, a crowd of almost 1500, had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, to protest the harsh measures the then British Govt were taking against the local people. General Dyer, an officer of the British Indian Army, ordered his men in to the compound and blockaded the only entry/exit. He then ordered his men to fire on the protesters and, in the indiscriminate firing, 379 people were killed and over a 1100 were wounded. Many of those who lost their lives were women and children. Many were crushed in the stampede that ensued in the Bagh when the firing began. Many jumped to their deaths in to a large well that was in the compound as it was their only defense against the guns.
When I first read about the incident I was a very small child. Nevertheless it made by blood boil. The incident is a big part of the award winning movie- Gandhi. It was an inspiration to many of our freedom fighters including the likes of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekar Azad.
Till date, the British Govt has not apologized for the massacre. General Dyer received no punishment. Don't be surprised as there is nothing unusual about this. The Brits are known for their snobbishness and arrogance. Next time these people make a hue and cry about human rights and other issues, remember that these snobs have very different rules for themselves and for the others.
In many ways the passing away of Mr Shingara Singh is the passing away of an era- the era in which India won its independence.
There was a small article in the Hindu about Mr Singh. It saddened me to read that he felt he'd been ignored by the Govt. To quote the article- "he rued government apathy towards him and his family". He'd been honoured by President Kalam on a visit to pay homage at the Bagh. But clearly this was not enough for Mr Singh.
God Bless the man's soul, but I wish he'd looked at things a little differently. I wish he'd not cribbed about the Govt apathy towards him, coz well, that's what we are going to remember him for. I'm not saying what the Govt did was right. No, I don't intend to defend the Govt.
What I'm trying to say here is this... that we've got to stop blaming the Govt for everything. This problem is so endemic that many of us take it with us to our graves. Business is bad- blame the Govt, rains are bad- blame the govt, India doesn't win enough medals in the Olympics- blame the Govt, law & order- blame the Govt, caste and religion- blame the Govt, bad roads- blame the Govt, dirty cities- blame the Govt.
Where does it end? It doesn't. You see the problem with a democracy is that it depends very much on the people's initiative if something has to be done. Take any one of the problems I mentioned in the previous para and the fault for them lies with us as much as anyone else. The Govt does play an important part in formulating and implementing policy. But we play a bigger part in choosing which policy the Govt is going to follow. We also play a big role in forming/shaping national attitude. This is where the dejection that comes naturally to most people in this country hurts us most. This negative attitude permeates everywhere and everything.
I'd like to quote John.F.Kennedy here. He said-"ask not what your country does for you, ask what you can do for your country".
Right now most of my country men are fighting over who takes more of the pie. Everyone wants reservations for their communities, everyone wants subsidies, everyone wants and wants and wants. But no one is ready to give for their country!
Maybe the Govt was bad to us, maybe things didn't work out the way we wanted them to. But that doesn't mean we crib about things. We can't sit and complain as that demotivates others. We have a duty to try and be positive all the time, to try to make things better, to keep ourselves motivated. To keep hope. This is our duty.
My fellow readers and country men, I will conclude saying this. That when it is your time, please don't complain about your country. It might have done you wrong, but forgive it. Believe in your country and it's destiny. Let hope, not dejection, be the last message you leave on earth.
On April 13th 1919, a crowd of almost 1500, had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, to protest the harsh measures the then British Govt were taking against the local people. General Dyer, an officer of the British Indian Army, ordered his men in to the compound and blockaded the only entry/exit. He then ordered his men to fire on the protesters and, in the indiscriminate firing, 379 people were killed and over a 1100 were wounded. Many of those who lost their lives were women and children. Many were crushed in the stampede that ensued in the Bagh when the firing began. Many jumped to their deaths in to a large well that was in the compound as it was their only defense against the guns.
When I first read about the incident I was a very small child. Nevertheless it made by blood boil. The incident is a big part of the award winning movie- Gandhi. It was an inspiration to many of our freedom fighters including the likes of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekar Azad.
Till date, the British Govt has not apologized for the massacre. General Dyer received no punishment. Don't be surprised as there is nothing unusual about this. The Brits are known for their snobbishness and arrogance. Next time these people make a hue and cry about human rights and other issues, remember that these snobs have very different rules for themselves and for the others.
In many ways the passing away of Mr Shingara Singh is the passing away of an era- the era in which India won its independence.
There was a small article in the Hindu about Mr Singh. It saddened me to read that he felt he'd been ignored by the Govt. To quote the article- "he rued government apathy towards him and his family". He'd been honoured by President Kalam on a visit to pay homage at the Bagh. But clearly this was not enough for Mr Singh.
God Bless the man's soul, but I wish he'd looked at things a little differently. I wish he'd not cribbed about the Govt apathy towards him, coz well, that's what we are going to remember him for. I'm not saying what the Govt did was right. No, I don't intend to defend the Govt.
What I'm trying to say here is this... that we've got to stop blaming the Govt for everything. This problem is so endemic that many of us take it with us to our graves. Business is bad- blame the Govt, rains are bad- blame the govt, India doesn't win enough medals in the Olympics- blame the Govt, law & order- blame the Govt, caste and religion- blame the Govt, bad roads- blame the Govt, dirty cities- blame the Govt.
Where does it end? It doesn't. You see the problem with a democracy is that it depends very much on the people's initiative if something has to be done. Take any one of the problems I mentioned in the previous para and the fault for them lies with us as much as anyone else. The Govt does play an important part in formulating and implementing policy. But we play a bigger part in choosing which policy the Govt is going to follow. We also play a big role in forming/shaping national attitude. This is where the dejection that comes naturally to most people in this country hurts us most. This negative attitude permeates everywhere and everything.
I'd like to quote John.F.Kennedy here. He said-"ask not what your country does for you, ask what you can do for your country".
Right now most of my country men are fighting over who takes more of the pie. Everyone wants reservations for their communities, everyone wants subsidies, everyone wants and wants and wants. But no one is ready to give for their country!
Maybe the Govt was bad to us, maybe things didn't work out the way we wanted them to. But that doesn't mean we crib about things. We can't sit and complain as that demotivates others. We have a duty to try and be positive all the time, to try to make things better, to keep ourselves motivated. To keep hope. This is our duty.
My fellow readers and country men, I will conclude saying this. That when it is your time, please don't complain about your country. It might have done you wrong, but forgive it. Believe in your country and it's destiny. Let hope, not dejection, be the last message you leave on earth.
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