Malicious Rants

जात न पूछो (Break Free from Shackles of Caste)

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 05:43:00 +0000

"किस जात से हो, बाबू|" पटना के एक साईंस विभाग में नामांकण के सिलसिले में जाने पर संकाय के हेड ने पूछा था|

अगर ये सवाल छह महीने पहले पूछा गया होता तो मैं इसका जवाब न दे पाता| जाति से सही परिचय कॉलेज के आवेदन पत्र ने कराया था| एक अनुभवहीन किशोर को ज्यादा कुछ सूझा नहीं|

"अबस," बस बोल दिया| इससे ज्यादा कुछ टीका-टिप्पणी न किया गया| प्रोफेसर ने कागज़ पर दस्तखत किए अौर वापस कर दिया| बात सही नहीं लगी, पर चलो|

इस वाकये के बाद कभी कोई जाति जानने को उत्सुक न हुअा| दोस्त बने, पढ़ने को मिला| जाति से न कोई लाभ, न हानि|

क्या खास बात है? बिहार, जहाँ चुनावी दंगल में जातिय समीकरण नापे जाते हैं|

जाति से दूसरी बार मेरा वास्ता दिल्ली में पड़ा| एक बिहारी सहपाठी 'जात भाई' बन गले पड़ने लगे| कई सारे बिहारी सहपाठियों में से सिर्फ एक| रोचक बात ये कि मेरी जातिय पहचान सिर्फ कागज़ का टुकड़ा करता हैं| नाम, पिता का नाम नहीं|

जाति जानने की कौतुहलता फिर एक ईसाई को हुई| 'फैमिली सरनेम' क्या है? इस बार प्रश्न एक परिपक्व व्यस्क से था| "सरनेम जानकर क्या करेंगे?" नहीं, बस यूँ ही पूछ लिया|

एकाध बार और जाति से सीधा वास्ता पड़ा| तीन दशकों में सिर्फ उँगलियों पर गिनने भर| मतलब जाति नए भारत में बहुत मायने नहीं रखता| एेसा नहीं कि जाति भारतीय समाज से गायब हो गया है| बहुत लोग दूसरों को सीधे नीचा नहीं दिखाते, पर अभी भी 'सवर्ण' सरनेम को गौरव समझते हैं|

बिहार के जिस गाँव से मैं आता हूँ वहाँ वर्ण अभी भी कायम है (कोई आश्चर्य नहीं), पर जातिय अत्याचार का कोई खास उदाहरण मेरे पास नहीं| शादी, श्राद्ध में पूरे टोले के बुलाते हैं, साथ ही हर उस व्यक्ति को जिससे सीधा वास्ता रहा है| भोज में गरीब, अमीर, 'जात-परजात' एक साथ भोजन के लिए बैठते हैं| जाति के परे दोस्ती भी है| मेहनतकश आगे बढ़ रहे हैं|

जाति का महत्व आपसी झगड़ों में पता चलता है| अगर झगड़ा 'दलित' और दूसरी जाति के बीच हो तो SC/ST थाने में ही फरियाद होती है| कारण चाहे कुछ भी हो| पर इस सबके बीच गाँव में एकजूटता के भी उदाहरण हैं| जात से ज्यादा लोग पढ़ाई और सूझबूझ की कमी के शिकार होते हैं| फायदा उठाने वाले 'जात भाई' भी होते हैं|

आज के भारत में जात के आधार पर किसी प्रकार का प्रत्यच्छ अत्याचार अगर होता है तो सहने वाले की भी गलती है| कानून का सहारा कौन लेगा| बस रोने से परहेज करें| हाँ, पैसिव अग्रेशन का कोई कारगर ईलाज नहीं|

List of registered Alternative Investment Funds as on June 30, 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 08:14:00 +0000

Indian markets regulator Sebi (Securities & Exchange Board of India) has allowed 158 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in three years (since August 2012). AIFs are private pools of capital, including private equity, hedge funds and venture capital. In simple terms, AIFs are regulated investors.

AIFs include all types of investors. They invest in tech companies, real estate and lots more. If you are an entrepreneur or a company seeking new investments, you might want to knock the doors of these new avenues.

Here is the Sebi list of registered Alternative Investment Funds as on June 30, 2015.
Source: http://www.sebi.gov.in/cms/sebi_data/attachdocs/1440146028548.pdf

Investment Activities of Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)

Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th June 2015
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	6892.19	1904.92	1267.63
Social Venture Fund	595.81	259.52	185.81
Venture Capital Fund	1241.13	712.31	448.65
SME Fund	135.00	103.79	0.00
Category I Total	8864.13	2980.54	1902.09
Category II	13908.99	7591.83	5597.75
Category III	2123.12	1909.48	1594.71
Grand Total	24896.24	12481.85	9094.55
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds.


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st March 2015
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	6861.00	1076.88	501.78
Social Venture Fund	564.90	235.87	129.41
Venture Capital Fund	1102.43	458.93	329.71
SME Fund	135.00	103.79	0.00
Category I Total	8663.33	1875.47	960.90
Category II	12085.02	5946.27	4867.87
Category III	1864.01	1682.55	1528.04
Grand Total	22612.36	9504.29	7356.81
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds.


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st December 2014
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	6355.00	359.62	203.89
Social Venture Fund	498.93	150.87	49.81
Venture Capital Fund	930.28	326.35	155.26
SME Fund	95.00	62.45	0.00
Category I Total	7879.21	899.29	408.96
Category II	10302.21	4639.89	4013.37
Category III	1498.52	1473.83	1299.02
Grand Total	19679.94	7013.01	5721.35
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds.



Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th September 2014
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	5706.82	302.94	201.43
Social Venture Fund	484.49	78.21	49.81
Venture Capital Fund	645.83	177.94	97.83
SME Fund	50	50	0
Category I Total	6887.14	609.09	349.07
Category II	8492.58	4169.71	3685.85
Category III	1356.74	1068.35	944.91
Grand Total	16736.46	5847.15	4979.83
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds.


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th June 2014
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	5799.12	277.56	178.95
Social Venture Fund	435.25	78.21	38.91
Venture Capital Fund	486.53	118.81	71.14
SME Fund	40	40	0
Category I Total	6760.9	514.58	289
Category II	7001.15	3903.24	3455.04
Category III	835.57	786.98	680.56
Grand Total	14597.62	5204.8	4424.6
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds

Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st March 2014
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	5619.25	233.07	170.25
Social Venture Fund	428.29	78.21	38.91
Venture Capital Fund	264.09	70.61	14.68
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	6311.63	381.89	223.84
Category II	6059.08	2906.57	2479.63
Category III	739.62	662.72	477.48
Grand Total	13110.33	3951.18	3180.95
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st December 2013
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	4945.67	177.79	169.31
Social Venture Fund	434.36	78.21	25.30
Venture Capital Fund	148.88	42.65	9.16
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	5528.91	298.65	203.77
Category II	4821.58	1647.95	1222.67
Category III	684.69	469.07	409.61
Grand Total	11035.18	2415.67	1836.05
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th September 2013
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	914	172.71	164.41
Social Venture Fund	412.68	35.2	24.3
Venture Capital Fund	90.34	27.44	7.85
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	1417.02	235.35	196.56
Category II	2100.89	906.77	717.48
Category III	308.1	225.35	144.56
Grand Total	3826.01	1367.47	1058.6
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th June 2013
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	872	21.26	0
Social Venture Fund	11	0	0
Venture Capital Fund	84.93	21.52	6.75
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	967.93	42.78	6.75
Category II	1199.01	494.39	340.7
Category III	190.82	150.8	104.26
Grand Total	2357.76	687.97	451.71
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st March 2013
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	299	0	0
Social Venture Fund	11	0	0
Venture Capital Fund	49.93	21.52	4.42
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	359.93	21.52	4.42
Category II	993.51	449.89	329.64
Category III	83.74	58.12	27.08
Grand Total	1437.18	529.53	361.14
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 31st December 2012
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	301	0	0
Social Venture Fund	0	0	0
Venture Capital Fund	36	6.65	0.2
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	337	6.65	0.2
Category II	0	0	0
Category III	22.5	0	0
Grand Total	359.5	6.65	0.2
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds


Cumulative net figures as at the end of 30th September 2012
(All figures in Rs. Crores)
Category	Commitments raised	Funds raised	Investments made
Category I
Infrastructure Fund	0	0	0
Social Venture Fund	0	0	0
Venture Capital Fund	0	0	0
SME Fund	0	0	0
Category I Total	0	0	0
Category II	0	0	0
Category III	0	0	0
Grand Total	0	0	0
Note : The above report is compiled on the basis of quarterly/monthly information submitted to SEBI by registered Alternative Investment Funds

Source: Sebi

Who is Responsible for High Property Costs?

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 15:52:00 +0000

The Reserve Bank of India governor, on 20 August 2015, said that builders need to reduce property prices. To him, the prices are artificially inflated by developers.

Beyond doubt, property prices are exorbitantly high. Huge pile of unsold properties across India and declining sales volumes are no secret. People are still looking to buy homes, but most of them cannot afford them.

Price Falls, Homes Still Unaffordable

News reports scream of property prices having declined recently. Locations such as Delhi-NCR, which has primarily been a speculative real estate market, is not witnessing any jump in prices. Muted increase in property prices over the last few years actually means a fall in price when the inflationary impact is taken into account. Time-correction of price, as established property consultancies often put it.

RBI governor will not be able to put it on record, but builders have been offering No-EMI or interest subvention schemes aggressively to improve sales. Banks and developers have been cautioned by the RBI long time back about such interest subvention schemes, but it exists in its full glory.

No-EMI schemes are the primary drivers of sales in the current market as it allows people to buy a house without the double burden of rent and home loan interest.

Can Builders Cut Property Prices

Everyone blames the developer for high property costs. Being the primary stakeholder in the real estate market, developers are responsible for property prices. Builders should take steps to reduce prices so that homes are affordable enough for the end-users. But are developers the only stakeholder determining property prices?

Developers are as good as any other manufacturer, given that they buy raw materials and then use it to deliver finished goods -- homes. Do developers decide the cost of land, labour, steel, cement, bricks and, above all, project funding cost?

Developers do not have access to affordable funding. The RBI wants builders to lower property costs, but it will not allow banks to lend money to builders for funding the single-most investment that builders make in most residential projects - LAND. If you are even slightly aware with the existing real estate market, you know that builders only part-fund the projects in India. Except for the initial downpayment for land, property buyers fund the project.

Expensive Funds for Builders

Financial planners consider credit card loans (2.5-3% per month) as a no-go area. It's really expensive for anyone. Never take a loan against credit cards (directly or indirectly) unless you are in some dire situation.

Consider this. Developers pay 2-3% per month as interest cost for the funds used for purchase of land. Do you think they developers have increased the cost of funding? Who are responsible for this -- private equity, HNI investors and other financial institutions.

Private equity funds target returns (IRR) in the range of 25%. Bank won't lend money to builders for purchase of land. Private investors ask for 3% per month. Where is the room to cut property price when you have a huge loan to service?

Real-life example: Land cost component for new apartments in prime localities of Noida Extension at current market prices is Rs 900 per Sq Ft. If the cost of construction is Rs 1,400/Sq Ft, the developers can easily sell homes for Rs 2,750 per Sq Ft. In the real world, it costs Rs 3,200 per Sq Ft or higher for the buyers. Why? Take into account the cost of funding land @ 36% per annum and your cost of land for apartments now increases by Rs 300-900, depending on how much upfront payment was done for the land before the developer started selling apartment units.

Land Hoarding & Speculation

Apart from the developers who actually build and deliver homes, there is a set of builders who buy land from the development authorities at fair prices and resell them to the actual users of land. In this process, the land price gets increased by a huge margin. Often the price paid by the builders actually developing the land is 2-4 times the price at which the land was sold by the development authority.

The government authorities have not taken such practice into account. Instead, they have very stringent requirements for builders willing to buy land. This ensures that only a few companies qualify for land auctions. It gives undue arbitrage opportunity to certain companies that resell such authority-allocated land parcels in small chunks.

Inflation Impact on Real Estate Prices

Your incomes have multiplied, your living expense has grown manifold. Is there anything that provides real estate immunity from price escalation?

Govt Levies on Real Estate

Not many people complain of government's direct role in increasing property price. The registration and stamp duty cost that one has to pay each time property changes hand should also be looked into.

For every new home, the state and union government directly claim around 10% via service tax and registration costs. The government just made your property expensive by 10% without adding any value to your real estate.

For land, the property would have changed hands multiple times over the course of decades. Each time, it becomes more expensive.

Let's assume a land changed ownership 3 times over 5 years. It became expensive by 15-25% just because of the registration expenses. Add inflation to it. So we have a price increase of 45-65% over 5 years.

Many borderline potential homebuyers cannot afford to buy their first home because they have money just enough to pay for the property sans the mandatory government charges that come along.

Rental Yield Vs Capital Value

Often people raise the point of the disconnect between the rental yield (2%) and interest cost (10%) for residential properties. Black money is cited as the sole reason.

The "real estate bubble" didn't start recently. It has been there even before black money was defined.

I would say that the Indian mindset is also responsible for this apart from black money parked in properties. Indians love to own more and more of real estate.

If an Indian has money (white money or black money), he want to create an estate - homes and land. The estate that you leave as legacy is the final determiner of your success.

Back to our rent vs capital value issue.

Let's assume I am paying Rs 10,000 per month towards rent. So, the property price should be 10 times the annual rental if the rental yield and home loan funding have to be on the same plane. That's Rs 12 Lakh -- super affordable for anyone paying Rs 10,000 as rent. So you now have a market full of buyers.

Now, the demand-supply dynamics is skewed in favour of the property owner. Because the property is way too "cheap" now, many people would be more than willing to offer Rs 15 lakh or any higher figure for the same property. So buyers now end up inflating the price.

Once you have your own house, you want to buy more homes to create your estate. People also see property prices going up. The demand multiplies further property eventually reaches the point where there is a huge disconnect between rental income and capital value.

Bubble Since Ages

If the real estate is in a bubble, it began forming decades ago. Existing stakeholders are not the real culprits.

Now, you find a person who boarded the "money in property" train at the last stop. The train is moving nowhere, but he doesn't want to vacate his seat for which he paid a huge price. All he can do is sit and enjoy the static view from his window seat. He's the last one in a pyramid scheme or the one caught in a "property bubble". He won't leave the train unless forced to.

Someday, someone will eventually take a loss for the "property bubble". Builders are unwilling to be that person. Almost all builders will go bankrupt if the "bubble" bursts. A large number of individuals will have their networth wiped out. Till then property prices will stay as it is.

Once the property prices melt down, the bubble will begin forming again.

It's a vicious cycle.

Ridiculous Consultation Paper by Indian Telecom Regulator Rejects Evolution & Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:28:00 +0000

If Indian telecom regulator thinks Internet providers are entitled to revenue of websites/apps, why should the Delhi Metro not demand a share in salaries of all passengers who commute to offices daily.

A consulation paper by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India suggest some really retrogressive measures to "save" telecom providers from the impact of increasing Internet penetration and growing use of websites, mobile apps and e-commerce. I think the consultation paper should have been titled "How to Let Telecom Operators Maintain High Profits Without Innovation?".

As if the existing ban on use of Web-to-Phone Internet telephony is not good enough (onely Web-to-Web Internet telephony is allowed in India), now telecom operators want share in revenue generated by all digital platforms--websites, e-commerce store, mobile apps.

What makes Internet providers entitled to revenue generated by services and digital property of online websites, e-commerce companies and apps? Internet providers get paid for the data. Why ask for a share in something where they have no role to play?

If providing Internet service is not viable for telecom providers, they should charge more for the service or simply stop providing Internet. Why should the government try to save a system that fails to evolve itself in the era of rapid innovation?

It is ridiculous to see the consultation paper which shows how the existing government system wants to stifle innovation and freedom that one has on the Internet.

Here's a quick look at how the TRAI finds the digital evolution harmful for the traditional telecom ecosystem. The whole idea of sticking to a legacy system reflects the shortsightedness of those responsible for suggesting such changes.

SYMBIOTIC RELATION - ISP & WEB SERVICES
The regulator has failed to take note of the fact that the relation between websites, apps, ecommerce stores, etc (what it calls Over The Top services) and the telecom operators providing data is a symbiotic relationship. If the OTT players are using the infrastructure of telecom providers, the Internet provider are also generating revenue through sale of Internet data to the end-users.

Imagine a scenario, where there are no news websites, no blogs, no e-commerce portals and no mobile apps. Will there be any need for Internet subscriptions? Why this ridiculous demand to make websites/online services pay for data when both Internet providers and online websites/services are benefiting from each other?

Internet providers are carriers of data -- transporters. They are not entitled to any extra money or revenue share for simply carrying data between users and online services. To put it bluntly, Internet service providers are the beast of burden or labourer in the digital economy. Being at the lowest rung in the digital economy, their lust for the profits of online entrepreneurs is not logically correct. They can only ask for payments justified for their contribution in the economy. They cannot demand a share in revenue of innovators who create new business opportunities and products, take risks.

LOP-SIDED REVENUE SHARING
Why should the sharing of revenue be one way, from OTT service providers to telecom companies? If telecom providers can claim a share in the revenue generated by online service providers such as websites and apps, such OTT service providers are also entitled to a share of revenue in the revenue generated by ISPs through Internet data utilized by users by accessing their websites/apps.

The telecom regulator further fails to take note of the fact that websites and apps do not run only in the data cables/channels of ISPs. All of the web-based services are powered by high-end development, infrastructure & servers - a robust hardware infrastructure is required to keep apps/websites running optimally and providing users the service that they are looking for. It requires plenty of money and resources to keep websites/apps up and running smoothly. Will ISPs be willing to partake the cost of managing such service and also the cost of realising an innovative idea into a real online product?

Should the government ban e-commerce to shield brick-and-mortar businesses from competition? Why should one pay for an inefficient legacy system when e-commerce helps you get the same stuff at lower cost? Oh, it does hurt the profits of the old merchants who were used to charging high and ripping off buyers because every vendor in the market sold at predecided rates. No competition and high profits.

On-demand videos are substituting television, but that is not a business telecom operators are worried about. So let it be. Not bothered about traditional TV players losing advertising to their online competitors.

The proposals serve just one purpose: save the old companies and let them profit without evolving and being up-to-date.

Question 1: Is it too early to establish a regulatory framework for OTT services, since internet penetration is still evolving, access speeds are generally low and there is limited coverage of high speed broadband in the country? Or, should some beginning be made now with a regulatory framework that could be adapted to changes in the future? Please comment with justifications.

Answer: No, it's too late to even think of licensing and imposing hefty licence fees on digital platforms such as websites, e-commerce and mobile apps. The user is paying for data. Don't ask for more. If telecom companies cannot afford to provide Internet services, please ask them to charge more, whatever they want or discontinue Internet services on their platforms.

Question 2: Should the OTT players offering communication services (voice, messaging and video call services) through applications (resident either in the country or outside) be brought under the licensing regime? Please comment with justifications.

Answer: Why not? Do it as soon as possible. The Indian citizen should not be allowed to enjoy the benefits of Internet innovations. Squeeze every single penny that they earn.

Question 3: Is the growth of OTT impacting the traditional revenue stream of TSPs? If so, is the increase in data revenues of the TSPs sufficient to compensate for this impact? Please comment with reasons.

Answer: Don't have the data on revenue and traffic. If telecom companies need more revenue, they are free to increase Internet data tariff.

Question4: Should the OTT players pay for use of the TSPs network over and above data charges paid by consumers? If yes, what pricing options can be adopted? Could such options include prices based on bandwidth consumption? Can prices be used as a means of product/service differentiation? Please comment with justifications.

Answer: Please feel free to do whatever you want. It won't be an impossible task to create an alternative Internet network beyond direct control of the government and greedy telecom companies.

IF INTERNET PROVIDERS CANNOT SUSTAIN AT CURRENT DATA TARIFFS, THEY SHOULD INCREASE THE COST OF INTERNET SERVICES.

CHARGING WEBSITES/ONLINE SERVICES FOR DATA CONSUMED BY USERS IS A SNEAKY WAY OF INCREASING INTERNET COST. INDIAN INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS SHOULD BE ASKED TO PAY MORE IF THAT IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE INTERNET SERVICES BY COMPANIES. THEY ARE ACTUALLY FREE TO DO SO.

WHY THIS ATTEMPT TO SABOTAGE THE INTERNET THROUGH INDIRECT LICENSING & DATA CHARGES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Full consultation paper here: http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReaddata/ConsultationPaper/Document/OTT-CP-27032015.pdf

राहुल, तुम्हें छोटा भीम देखने से कोई नहीं रोकेगा। घर लौट आओ ।

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 14:45:00 +0000

राहुल,

तुम जहां कहीं भी हो,
तुरंत घर लौट आओ।
कोई तुम्हें कुछ नहीं कहेगा।

मम्मी की तबियत बहुत खराब है।
चाचा मनमोहन पे केस हो गया है।
दीदी, जीजा भी परेशान हैं।

तुम्हें छोटा भीम देखने से कोई नहीं रोकेगा।
सारे एपिसोड रिकॉर्ड कर के रखे है।
सोडा से पूरा फ्रिज भरा है।

तुम जो चाहोगे, वही होगा।
बस वापस आ जाओ।

(कृपया फेसबुक, ट्विटर पर शेयर कर राहुल को खोजने में मदद करें।)

Bollywood Theatrics of Housing.com Co-founder

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 15:27:00 +0000

An email written by Housing.com CEO Rahul Yadav was leaked (now removed) on Quora.com. I did not call it purported because it elicited response from the person who it was addressed to, Sequio India managing director Shailendra Singh. So the email was indeed genuine.

By the time I reached Quora.com, the original email was gone. All that was left was a more sensible response from Singh. This is the news report on LiveMint.com.

The content of Yadav’s mail, dated 6 March is intriguing. Where he addresses Singh as “Dude”. And then he goes on: “I’ve been humble to you guys even after inhuman and unethical things that you’ve done with Housing in the past. You did the same inhuman and unethical things with large number of entrepreneurs including Ola, TFS, Flipkart, Dexetra and many more...Now I just came to know you personally are completely after Housing’s employees and are brainwashing them to open some stupid incubation. If you don’t stop messing around with me, directly or even indirectly, I will vacate the best of your firm. Also, this marks the beginning of the end of Sequoia Cap in India. Try me :)

Via: Mint

Why this angst when someone manages to hire your employee? Isn't the part of the corporate world? What did Sequoia do to Housing.com that was "inhuman and unethical things"?

I don't know any of the parties. I don't even know the real story. Despite this I can say the rants of the Housing co-founder display his immaturity.

Bollywood "Main Tera Khoon Pi Jaoonga" Theatrics
"If you don’t stop messing around with me, directly or even indirectly, I will vacate the best of your firm. Also, this marks the beginning of the end of Sequoia Cap in India. Try me :)"

Here are excerpts from Shailendra J Singh's response to the Quora.com thread.

My best guess is that this mail has been triggered by an offer that we made to one of the Housing employees to join us as an analyst.

We take our role very seriously, and we are deeply committed to our portfolio companies and their teams. Honestly, we have neither time nor intention to do anything else, let alone target a company we have no ownership in.

Finally, I want to also make it clear to all the trolls who are bound to jump on this – I will not respond to anything you have to say as long as you hide behind the cowardly façade of anonymity... I encourage people who have questions or concerns about any of this to reach out to me directly. Or even better, talk to any of the entrepreneurs we are privileged to be partners with.

One of the anonymous responses to the thread talks about Housing.com and its atmosphere.

So far, they have succeeded at selling trash, packaged in a brilliant user-interface, most often aided by the promotion campaigns led by their series A investors... Offer some real solutions to users rather than just eye-candy and hokey stuff.

If you have used Housing.com, you cannot ignore the interface. They have indeed provided an interesting twist to online real estate listings sites in India. A simple idea of integrating Google Maps to offer information about distance, location, etc. The verified listings are also an attraction. Quite useful, but does that make Housing.com the answer to all problems in the real estate market?

Housing.com was not even the first website to start selling properties online.

I personally don't like their latest ads placed in major newspapers after re-branding. You have got a lot of funding, but why a 4-page ad when you could have made the same impact with 1-2 pages?

One of their ads shows a young hipster couple. The same image is available on their website banner. Is that the kind of image to impress a person looking to buy a house? Where is the professionalism and maturity that real estate demands?

Currently, I am myself busy understanding the real estate market and running a real estate brokerage based in Delhi-NCR. Professionalism and maturity does matter a lot here. People feel safer dealing with a mature, reliable and trustworthy person. Do the image (above) make you feel you are in safe hands?

Housing.com has loads of money. They can do better. I wish they do bring in a more significant change to the real estate market in India.

Addendum: Look, what have I found on Twitter via @maheshmurthy

Unethical Journalism Vs Sloppy Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 14:58:00 +0000

The Indian Express reported (here, here) how Essar Group "bribed" journalists and politicians to get their favours. A few journalists allegedly took favours, including free car rides and parties, from the Indian company.

I am least concerned how politicians take favours from companies (not new news), but when it comes to corporate coercions and influence in media, you have my attention. I have worked as a journalist for over 6 years, two stints as a desk person and one as a reporter. I can say companies do try to influence journalists--top-level editors as well as those at the lower rung.

I can vividly recall two crude and blatant attempts to influence my professional integrity--once by a PR representative of one of the biggest corporate houses of India seeking information on a negative news agency story during my stint as a desk person and once again by a PR representative seeking "news report".

Just Trivial Favours?

Really shameful that journalists have allegedly done away with their professional integrity in exchange for trivial favours. Don't editors have enough money to hire a cab for a week or pay for a night's accommodation? Any sane person would know that no journalist will price their professional integrity so low. It costs more than a cab ride to make journalists write in someone's favour. Why do we have information about just free cab rides?

Ironically, one of the media organizations that "confronted" an editor for being the beneficiary of a free car ride (and not the car) publicly seeks partnerships from companies on its website.

Media companies require their journalists (via employment contracts) not to invest in shares and accept any gift so as to maintain professional integrity. The same companies enter into private treaties and alliances to promote businesses in exchange for equity. Anyone in the media buying space knows many news channels sell slots for "news programmes" and not just ads.

Source: HT Media Website

By the way, many journalists who are publicly criticising and making fun of those named in Essar emails have themselves taken favours in exchange for their journalistic ethics.

Sloppy journalism: Poor Editing!

Do the news reports on Essar Leak share the real picture about journalists? Do attempts at influencing media make it unbiased? Did "all the major dailies" organizations carry "planted news" with full knowledge of the news being fabricated or distorted?

These reports are based on the correspondence [purported emails and memos] leaked by a "whistle blower". This correspondence is the subject matter of a public interest litigation filed in the Supreme Court by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an NGO.

Why should this news not be treated as a planted or paid news? Why should it not be considered a propaganda war against Essar Group? Or, the leak might be a planned action to nail someone or a bunch of people by the company itself?

(Given the reaction of Essar, resignations of journalists and comments of politicians finding mention, the emails in question seem to be genuine. It is good that such news reports are published, but don't trust anyone blindly, never.)

The DNA also reports a case of unethical journalism (with sloppy editing) and fails to take into account the routine of corporate communication.

Essar Group, which was planting stories in all the major dailies through their corporate communication department (CCD), was in regular touch with the journalists for the work. According to the papers accessed by dna, which are not part of the PIL filed in Supreme Court on Friday, the group's CCD, Delhi was coordinating stories with the journalists.

Nancy Jain, deputy general manager, corporate relations, [Essar] group...also stated in her [email dated January 6, 2012] that the CCD (corporate communication department) of the Essar group had series of meetings with 45 journalists from different media organizations.

I fail to understand how does meeting a company official or receiving press releases or any information become unethical journalism.

All corporate houses are in constant touch with journalists, feeding them information via press releases and inside news. The corporate communications teams of companies dish out "news" for journalists and meet them regularly over tea/lunch to discuss their company affairs and events. Journalists cannot ignore such meetings because it's part of the news gathering process. That's part of the profession called journalism.

The job of a corporate communications person is to share the information that his/her company wants to be disseminated via the media. They coordinate with journalists as part of their agenda.

Journalists who stay in constant touch with companies are not necessarily "friends" with them, not all of them. They process lots of such "planted news" information on a regular basis. Any journalist with respect and pride for his/her profession analyses the information to dig out the true picture. If it does qualify as news, they will write a report. Else, all journalists know how to send emails to the trash box or come out of courtesy calls/meetings from corporate houses unscathed, with professional integrity intact.

Don't paint all journalists with the same brush.

All those who have been moved by the recent Essar Leak reports should also take note of the reports that "disclose" the "alleged" cases of unethical journalism.

Paid News is Legal

Paid news is bad, unethical. So is the nexus between journalists and companies/politicians. But do you have the right to object?

Paid news is not an illegal activity and it's a common practice in the mainstream media with well-laid out mechanism by media houses. Please ask your government to introduce proper laws for paid news if it bothers you so much.

Most media companies have employment contracts that prohibit journalists from accepting gifts from their news sources or organizations. Any journalist who accepts free gifts (significant or insignificant) is not answerable to you or even the court of law for doing so. Journalists are not bound by any contract with their readers or viewers. They have every right to choose who their friends are and what gifts they accept. When they accept gifts in their capacity of journalist, only their employers can question them.

News is Product, Readers Consumers

Indeed, it is interesting to know how media is manipulated by corporate houses and politicians. It does happen in the real world. You should be on a lookout for such influenced news reports and avoid consuming such news.

News is a product. Do not buy from manufacturers (media houses) that do not provide you the best-quality product.

Do not subscribe to newspapers or news channels that believe in feeding you paid or artificially sensationalised news. Once you assert your right to free and unbiased news, and learn how to separate fabrication or sloppy journalism, only those media companies will thrive that practice real journalism.

Narendra Modi on Twitter: "Will soon share some good news with all of you."

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 11:17:00 +0000

Narendra Modi on Twitter: "Will soon share some good news with all of you."

The Indian prime minister is going to share some good news. His official Twitter handle said this around an hour ago. What good news?

When I was a newbie desk person at a newspaper, my boss asked me what do you mean by "XYZ Person departs". I said, "The man is dead." My well-intentioned boss made some apt comment on how I need to forget Indian English.

The commonman on social media does not spare spouting a sarcastic comment or criticism on anyone, not even the most powerful. I assume many of the tweets would be from people who don't really care about or understand the possible ramifications. Of course, some might be from propagandists.

Indian Cinema: Rip-Offs, Formulas & Stereotypes

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 08:10:00 +0000

Time and tide wait for none, but they do return to you in different forms every now and then. As the time moved at a fast stride and priorities of its creator saw a drastic change, this blog was left to its own fate, to fade into oblivion. It seems not to be. Here I am tinkering with the computer keyboard to bring to life my ramblings and musings on life.

A reminder by my domain registrar brought the existence of this blog back into my conscious. When the blog was conceived, it was supposed to be a chronicle for its creator. A place to share the constant churning of thoughts. This blog never really existed the way it was conceived, but it continued to be the platform for occasional personal musings and ramblings. Your temperament never really dies even when you change your vocation and try to conduct your life in an entirely different fashion.

For me, reading and writing has been an integral part of existence. So here I am writing again. Most probably because I have done too much of reading without any writing. For people like me, it's difficult to read and not write. It's like being forced to listen without uttering a single word.

Today, I read a really lopsided and flawed opinion piece in The Time of India (New Delhi, 15 September 2014). The writer, a young under-graduate student from the Sikh community, cannot be blamed much. Her tender age is reason enough to spare her of criticism. I blame the editors for the poor article.

A biopic on Indian boxer Mary Kom was the topic of discussion. Why did the filmmakers choose Priyanka Chopra--a North (or East) Indian--to play the role of Mary Kom, who hails for the North-Eastern part of India? It is a very relevant question. For a movie on the boxer, it would have been fit to cast someone from her ethnic group. India is a vast country and people from different parts have distinct features. Despite raising an important question about India's social fabric, the reasoning and comparisons have strength no more than what a single strand of grass possesses.

"Why is it only recently that the Indian cinema has started accepting Sikhs in mainstream movies?" The author's corollary is imaginary, a false perception created by blinders of the religion/community she belongs to. The author failed to make the best use of publicly available information. In the past several decades, Indian mainstream movies have always had Sikhs and Punjabis as playing leading roles in movies, including those with Sikh lead characters. Popular old-time actor Dharmendra is just one example of mainstream Indian actors who hailed from Punjab. Sikhs or Punjabis have never faced the discrimination or racial profiling which the people from North-East India are often subjected to in their own country.

Another problem with the article against racial profiling was the use of words which have long been accepted as racial and derogatory. The author's choice of the word "Black" to describe Afro-Americans was ludicrous. The newspaper's editors should have replaced it with more politically correct word.

Indians are yet to become a mature audience for movies. Indian filmmakers are also yet to mature in the art. Most movies are still made on the stereotypical formulas, stories are loose and acting is loud. Many movies acclaimed by audiences and critics fail to meet minimum standards. The movie Mary Kom, for instance, is a loosely scripted movie. Just half way through the movie, one gets tired and expects the movie to end. Why did I get the feeling that the movie is now nearing end when it has reached just half of the reel? Does a bopic really need to start from the very starting point of the character's life? Does it really need to portray the entire life span of the character? By showing the entire journey of the character, the filmmakers turned it into a movie which fails to keep viewers engaged. With no pivotal incident, the movie doesn't make that emphatc impact one expects from a good movie. A good movie needs one plot. By trying to capture the young as well as married Mary Kom, the movie loses its power to capture the audience. Even its climax is way too dumb for a mature audience. It's also very predictable. A cinema lover would have seen the same climax multiple times.

A good movie does not need a "beautiful" actress. It doesn't need a formula-based script either. It just needs to be real and engaging. Keep it real and you will create a good movie. Had the filmmakers of Mary Kom chosen to create a movie showing just one phase of the boxer's life--either her rise or her comeback--it would have been a more engaging movie.

In literature and writing, clichés are not acceptable. Same goes for good cinema. Mary Kom is full of clichés. A large portion of the movie is ripped off from old movies. Indian filmmakers are good at copying. Most of the Indian movies are rip-offs of good cinema abroad. Filmmakers even have the guts to pass their rip-offs as original cinema. Even the biggest personalities of Indian cinema can be found guilty of such practice.

Indian cinema needs people who take the challenge of making movies that are original works of art. I am not talking about the "art movie" clan which believes in creating movies for their own consumption. We need good cinema for the masses. Movies which are truly "Made in India" and not just labelled as such.

Facts can Lie

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 07:54:00 +0000

Truth and lies aren't two landmarks at the extremes of the Earth. Both share a common ground of facts. When superimposed against facts, the circle of truth covers them precisely—without any fact sticking out or fiction entering the perimeter.

In contrast, a lie will have at least some portion straying away from facts. The proportion of fiction can be anything from 0% to 100%. If your story does not include all the facts, it is a lie even though you are telling only the facts. Being selective in using the facts is being dishonest.

A lie is stating of facts in a selective manner with or without fiction. Did the government/Delhi Police choose to misrepresent facts in the death of a policeman? One would need the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death. It is not difficult to come up with the idea of misstating facts to get some leverage against protestors.

Delhi Police's Subhash Tomar collapsed during the protests against the heinous gang rape in Delhi. A set of unruly protestors were blamed for his condition. According to some sources, the policeman died on 25 December due to a heart attack while he was on duty. (Image: Twitter / crguna)

What Breeds Rapists?

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Outrage after a young girl was gang raped in the country's capital—you can see it in newspapers and television news channels, social media and blogs. No doubt, rape is a heinous crime and must attract severe punishment. Many are advocating castration as a punishment for assault on modesty of a girl. Why not, but will adding castration as a punishment actually reduce the incidences of rape? I don't think so.

Why does our society breed so many rapists? That's the question to be answered if you really want an end (at least reduce) to this grave crime against women.

Strangers, slum dwellers, influential men, neighbour, colleagues, policemen, politicians: all of them can be rapists. Sometimes, it is relatives or even fathers who feel no shame in outraging modesty of a woman. Why?

All men would agree that it is not uncommon of even the most 'civilised' or 'educated' men in the top strata of our society to talk about women in a very cheap way and treat them as an object of sex behind their back. Such cheap remarks could be for classmates, colleagues or an acquaintance. Women would have overheard such remarks or got hints about it. Does our society treat it as an immoral act of a perverted mind?

On a different level, we are a very tolerant society. We will tolerate injustice being done to our neighbour or a stranger. "Stay away from trouble. Don't get yourself involved in other peoples' mess." Most of us would have been advised this at some point in time. Girls are advised to turn a blind eye towards eve-teasing. Some crazy leaders preach women how to avert rape and molestations by wearing certain dresses or not stepping out of their houses after 6-7PM. We will tolerate wrongdoings if we can.

Our society also has double standards on morality and character. You want your own daughters safe, while taking the advantage of a crowded bus to grope a college/schoolgirl half your age. Our perspective on development and liberalisation have also got distorted. A guy with changing girlfriends often is 'smart', while a girl in a similar position would be labelled as 'easy' or 'loose'. You would be in a live-in relationship, yet choose to marry a 'good natured' girl.

Lopsided growth in our society could also be one of the reasons for crime against women, as well as other crimes. When you see others driving a luxury car, you also desire to be in a similar situation. All the slums in a city with millionaires flaunting their money can become a serious problem. Young boys and men in slums might not have the education and qualification to earn a decent living, but they too have access to movies and malls. If their desire to enjoy the life of the upper class impairs their sense on right and wrong, you have new petty criminals to gangsters in your society.

'Respect' is also on a gradual decline. As a boss, you treat your subordinates like slaves. A police officer talks to ordinary civilians rudely. Being at the top of the pyramid, it is expected of politicians to disregard people or law. (So many scams highlight it.) When no one treats you properly, it is not surprising that you pass on the treatment when you get an opportunity. Girls and women are easy victims to this utter disregard to 'respect'. Rape a girl to rob her of her pride.

At all levels of our society, we need to learn how to respect others. Politicians need to show respect towards land and its people, government officials need to respect the civilians they serve and ordinary men need to respect the rights of others. If all of us learn to be respectful towards others, incidences of lots of crimes, including those against women, will go down drastically.

सोच प्रक्रिया

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:46:00 +0000

हमारा दिमाग भी कमाल का है। हजारों-लाखों तंतुओं में समाई होती हैं ढ़ेर सारी जानकारियाँ और हमारा खुद का सोचने-विचारने का तंत्र। हमारा खुद का अस्तित्व ये तय करता है की जानकारियों को किस तरह जोड़ा जाये और कैसे उसका विश्लेषण हो। हमारा अवचेतन मन (सब्कोंसियस दिमाग) हमारे सोच तंत्र को निर्देशित करता है।

सवाल ये की मैं मानव मष्तिष्क की बात क्यों कर रहा हूँ?

कल सुबह एक मित्र (नंबर 1) की शिकायत दूसरे (नंबर 2) से कर रहा था—"ये कैसी मित्रता की आप मित्र को घर से लाया संदेश (मिठाइयाँ) न दें। निष्ठुरता की हद तो ये की आप मुझे किसी तीसरे व्यक्ति को वही सन्देश पहुचने को भी कहें?"

न तो मैंने उस तीसरे व्यक्ति का नाम लिया, न ही और कुछ कहा। दूसरे मित्र (नंबर 2) के दिमाग में कुछ चल रहा होगा। तुरंत ही एक नाम लेकर पक्का करना चाहा की वो व्यक्ति वही है। एक दम सही निशाना। यहाँ तक तो सब सही चल रहा था। इसके आगे उनके दिमाग के घोड़े सरपट दौड़ने लगे।

"फेसबुक पर देखा था। कैसे जान-पहचान हुई। आपकी कोई भूमिका?" उन्होने पूछा।

"नहीं, फेसबुक तो सबके लिए खुला है। खुद ही फ्रेंड बना लिया।" मैंने साफ़-सपाट शब्दों में तथ्यों को दोहरा दिया। हमारे ये मित्र डांट पिलाने में माहिर है। सो मैंने कहा देखते हैं वो कैसे प्रतिक्रिया करते हैं।

"ये क्या बात हुई। बात यहाँ तक आ पहुँची और हमें बताया तक नहीं।" उन्हों ने शिकायती लहजे में कहा।

"हाँ, बोलिए ऐसा कहीं कोई दोस्त के साथ करता है?" मैंने उनकी कल्पना की उड़ान को जारी रहने दिया।

दिन के भाग-दौड़ में बात आयी-गयी हो गई। रात को पहले मित्र का फ़ोन आया—"आपने क्या कह दिया है? वो तो मेरे पीछे ही पड़ गये। उनकी शिकायत की पोटली तो ऐसे ही भरी होती है।"

सो ये एक छोटा सा उदहारण था की कैसे हम तथ्यों का मनचाहा मतलब निकलते हैं। वैसे ही जैसे आकाश के तारों को जोड़ कर हम मनचाही आकृति बना लेते है। हाँ, ये भी की लोग आपके फेसबुक अकाउंट पर भी पैनी नज़र रखते हैं। वस्तुस्थिति चाहे जो भी हो, लोग मतलब वही निकालेंगे जो उनका मन चाहेगा। सावधान रहिएगा—मेरे मित्र से नहीं, लोगों की सोच प्रक्रिया से।

व्हाट द एफ़ (एफ़ फॉर फेसबुक)

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:01:00 +0000

"मेरे फेसबुक अकाउंट में नौ सौ से ज्यादा फ्रेंड्स हैं!" मेरे एक दोस्त ने बड़े गर्व के साथ कहा था।

फेसबुक की दुनिया भी निराली है। क्या किसी के इतने सारे दोस्त हो सकते हैं? और क्या आपके फेसबुक फ्रेंड्स सचमुच के दोस्त हैं?

करोड़ों लोगों की तरह मैं भी फेसबुक पर हूँ। फ्रेंड्स के नाम पर सौ से कम लोग। ज्यादातर लोगों को मैं दोस्त कह सकता हूँ। फ़ोन या मिलना कम ही होता है।

एक मित्र फेसबुक को माईक्रो-ब्लॉग (लघु संचिका, लघुशंका नहीं) की तरह इस्तेमाल करते हैं। भई, अपने लेखनी को चमकाइये, पर ब्लॉग पर। ज्यादा लोगों तक आपकी बात पहुंचेगी। लोग सालों बाद भी आसानी से आपके विचारों से लाभांवित हो सकेंगे।

कई लोगों को देखा है की हर घंटे कुछ लिखते हैं। कुछ तो कोई कार्टून ही चिपका दिया। अगर आप सामाजिक हैं तो कई लोग लाईक कर देते हैं। मैं ज्यादा सोशल नहीं हूँ तो शायद ही कभी कोई लाईक करता है।

एक दूसरे दोस्त का कहना था की फेसबुक पर हर कपल बेस्ट होता हैं और हर बच्चा 'क्युट'। जिस तरह लोग अपनी फोटो चिपकाते हैं और कुछ देर में बहुत सारे लोग टिप्पणीयाँ और लाईक करते हैं इससे तो उसकी बात सही ही लगती है।

कई लोगों को देखा है की किसी अनजान को भी फेसबुक दोस्त बना लिया। किसी से आमने-सामने कभी बात नहीं की पर फेसबुक पर दोस्त हैं। हद तो तब होती हैं जब फेसबुक पर ऐसे लोग भी दोस्त कहलाते हैं जो असल जिंदगी में नज़र मिलने पर भी कतरा कर निकल जाते हैं।

कोई मार्क ज़करबर्ग कोई बताये की आप जितने लोगों को जानते-पहचानते हैं, सारे दोस्त नहीं होते। वरना तो मैं कहूँगा — व्हाट द एफ़ (एफ़ फॉर फेसबुक)।

भाषाओँ की फेर बदल

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:47:00 +0000

एक वक़्त था जब मैं हिंदी पत्र - पत्रिकाएँ बड़े चाव से पढता था। अब एक अरसा हो गया हिंदी अख़बार या पत्रिका पढ़े हुए। कुछ मित्रों के हिंदी बलॉग्स को देख कर लगा की चलो हिंदी में कुछ कहा जाये। काफी अरसा हो गया है, सो त्रुटियों को नज़रंदाज़ कीजियेगा।

स्कूल-कॉलेज के वक़्त हर रोज़ हिंदी अख़बार पलटता था। बचपन में अगर अंग्रेजी पत्रिका पढ़ने को दी जाती तो थोड़ी कोफ़्त होती थी। मज़ा सिर्फ हिंदी पत्रिकाओं और कॉमिक्स में ही आता। जयपुर से एक बच्चों की पाक्षिक पत्रिका प्रकाशित होती है। नब्बे के दशक में मैं बेसब्री से उसके नए अंकों का इंतज़ार किया करता था। उस वक़्त के संपादक कमाल के चित्रकथाएँ भी बनाते थे। चित्रकथा विशेषांक बड़ा रोचक होता था। कुछ साल पहले उस पत्रिका को फिर देखा, काफी बदल गया था। हिंदी-अंग्रेज़ी का ऐसा घालमेल की मन उचट गया। पत्रिका की शैली और फोकस भी एकदम अलग।

याद आये वो पुराने अंक, आपने वक़्त के। समय के साथ सब बदल जाता है पर कैसे एक वक़्त आपका आपना हो जाता है। रोचक बात तो ये की ये "अपना वक़्त" किसी खास साल या दशक नहीं, पूरी उम्र भी हो सकती है। तीस बरस का इंसान अगर अपने स्कूल के दिनों को याद करे तो कहेगा "मेरे वक़्त "। साठ साल का आदमी अगर अपनी जवानी के किस्से सुनाये, तो वो भी "हमारे समय" ही होगा।

समय की बात से हट कर पात्र-पत्रिकाओं पर वापस आयें। आजकल तो हिंदी मीडिया में अंग्रेजी का चलन हो गया है। कई अख़बारों में तो अंग्रेज़ी शब्दों को रोमन लिपि में ही लिखते हैं। आज के संपादक इस चलन को वक़्त की जरूरत बताते हैं। उन्हें अपनी भाषा क्लिष्ट लगती है। पाठक अंग्रेज़ी शब्दों को आसान पते हैं, ऐसा उनका कहना है। क्या सचमुच आज के पाठक हिंदी शब्दों की अपेक्षा अंग्रेजी आसानी से समझ लेते हैं? अगर ऐसा है तो हिंदी पढना-लिखना कब कठिन हो गया?

मैं खुद अंग्रेजी मीडिया में काम करता हूँ। पिछले पाँच-छः सालों में अंग्रेज़ी में ही लिखता रहा हूँ। अब कई बार तो सोचता भी अंग्रेजी में हूँ। कहीं पढ़ा था की आप आपनी प्राथमिक भाषा में सोचते हैं। इस लॉजिक (इसका हिंदी अभी याद नहीं आ रहा) से तो अंग्रेज़ी को मेरी प्राथमिक भाषा कह सकते हैं। वैसे अभी भी हिंदी में खुद को अभिव्यक्त करना ज्यादा आसान होता है। अपने लोगों के साथ हिंदी ही बोलता हूँ। नए लोगों के साथ अंग्रेजी ज्यादा सहज लगती है।

आज कई सालों के बाद हिंदी लिख रहा हूँ। तसल्ली करना चाहता था की हिंदी अब आती है या नहीं। इसका सही निर्णय तो आप ही कर सकते हैं। एक वक़्त था जब हिंदी की जगह अंग्रेजी पत्रकारिता की पढ़ाई का चयन किया क्योंकी वहां ज्यादा विद्यार्थियों के लिए जगह थी। वैसे अब हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी पत्रकारिता के बीच के सैलरी में आमतौर पर जो फर्क नज़र आता है उससे लगता है की अंग्रेजी का दमन पकड़ कर अच्छा ही किया।

क्लिष्ट हिंदी की बात करें तो महादेवी वर्मा की एक काव्य संग्रह का ध्यान आता है। वो उम्दा लेखिका रही हैं, पर वो काव्य संग्रह मैं पढ़ नहीं पाया। भारी-भरकम शब्दों की भरमार थी। इसका मतलब ये नहीं की कविताएँ खराब थीं। अगर क्लिष्ट हिंदी का रोना प्रकाशकों ने रोया होता तो हिंदी साहित्य में एक हिस्सा खाली ही रह जाता।

मेरा मानना है की भाषाओँ के बीच लेनदेन सोच समझ कर होना चाहिए। बहुत सारे शब्द अंग्रेजी में ही हैं। वहाँ कुछ कर नहीं सकते। पर हिंदी के सरल शब्दों (कम से कम कुछ सालों पहले तक जो सरल माने जाते थे) के जगह अंग्रेजी शब्दों का प्रयोग भाषाई अराजकता ही कही जा सकती है। हिंदी संपादकों को इस बात का ख्याल रखना चाहिए। कहीं ऐसा न हो की हिंदी में सिर्फ अंग्रेजी शब्द ही पाए जाएँ और देवनागरी लुप्त हो जाये।

Language Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:16:00 +0000

In a large country such as India with hundreds of languages and dialects, communicating with others can sometimes be tricky. An innocuous sentence can make the person at other end furious.

A couple of days ago, I was on my way to work in a crowded coach of a Delhi Metro train. If you have commuted on crowded city trains, you would know that it is almost inevitable to not brush against someone. You have someone's sweaty arms rubbing against you, making you feel disgusted. Then you have a lethal concoction of body odours that makes breathing difficult even in an air-conditioned train coach. (Have you ever been attacked with a lethal gas, possibly silent, explosion from a farty guy?)

So I was on the crowded Metro train, being crushed or rubbed against others. When a station was about to approach a station, one guy in a short-sleeve white-brown stripped shirt wanted to make room for his exit. He asked an elderly looking guy if that person had to get down at the next stop. Bam! "Don't you have any manners? Mind your language," the elderly guy retorted in Hindi. (बोलने की तमीज़ नहीं है?)

"What did I say wrong?" the guy hit back. (अपन ने क्या गलत बोला तुम्हें?)

"First you talk rudely and then have the audacity to question me," the elderly person became even more angry. (एक तो बदतमीज़ी से बोलते हो और बात बनाते हो|)

The guy walked towards the gate muttering while making room for himself. Meanwhile, the elderly guy continued complaining without worrying that no one was actually bothered about his experience.

What made the elderly guy furious? In order to understand the problem, you must know that the elderly guy was someone whose family had been living in Delhi for several generations. Even if my assumption is wrong, he surely belonged to the Hindi-speaking region where you have to use the language differently so that you do not offend the other person. The guy in short-sleeves was obviously not from the same Hindi-speaking zone. He might have been a non-Hindi speaking region or where the language doesn't really have separate variations of words for showing respect. The conversation, or rather the altercation, had started with the guy in short-sleeves asking the other guy if he would get down at the next station in a manner that is considered in the regions that speak more refined version of the language. "Agle station par utrega? (आगले स्टेशन पर उतरेगा?"

A simple statement, which meant no harm, was perceived as an insult because of differences in social practices and language barriers.

Staged Encounter Killings in India: Wikileaks

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:29:00 +0000

Staged encounter killings have been a dark side of the Indian law-enforcement system, particularly police. It's an open secret, which has been the subject of several Bollywood movies. Wikileaks has released a cable communication between Indian embassies and New Delhi in July 2006 on this harsh reality.

A review of Indian media would suggest that police, military and paramilitary officers have become expert at intercepting terrorists and at killing them in self-defense. Scratch the surface, however, and what lies underneath is an "encounter killing" -- an extrajudicial execution framed to look like the police foiled a bona fide terrorist attack. In some cases the victim is killed while in custody or after having been unofficially arrested, and brought to a (usually) isolated location where the officers later announce they had prevailed in a shoot-out with a hardened criminal or hard-core terrorist. India's slow legal system and the difficulty of obtaining timely convictions are key drivers in security officers deciding to summarily execute terrorist suspects, including in staged encounters, sources tell us. Police may also initially be driven to conduct these staged encounters because of the pressure to "solve the case," but they can be a lucrative business, the source of government-funded bounties, medals, and fame. In exceptional cases, police who become famous for multiple encounter killings become legend; Mumbai police officer Daya Nayak, who three years ago literally boasted having killed 83 criminals in encounters, was the subject of no less than three Bollywood films and a consultant on several more.

Delhi Metro: Left is not Right

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:45:00 +0000

The Delhi Metro is one of the wonders of the Ancient World (or at least so it seemed to me when I first discovered it in 2005). You descend from the often dirty, cacophonous, teeming world of India's capital with its bustling millions and suddenly you find yourself in an air-conditioned, high-tech, spotless, gleaming world almost empty of people. For some of us Westerners who need respite from the Eastern street, going down into the Metro is positively a vacation (from regular India). Even though the fares are inexpensive (even by Indian standards) the metro in 2005 was fairly empty. Maybe, the Delhians hadn't got used to it yet. [Flick user David Lisbona]

I have recently started (since Monday, 6 September 2010) using the metro's Yellow Line to commute to my new office in Connaught Place (CP). It's a good option, given that it takes less time and has plenty of trains. But is that enough? India is always short of resources, partly because we manage to proliferate quite rapidly. If you have travelled in a Delhi bus on select busy routes during peak hours, you can easily get the idea of crowd that you have to face in these trains. At around 7.45pm, it takes at least 5 minutes in a queue before you get to enter the Rajiv Chowk metro station. And you get some space to stand, often leaning on fellow passengers. So far, I haven't managed to get a seat in the metro service.

Let alone the crowd, the signs at the Rajiv Chowk metro station are also not very helpful. On my first day, I kept looking for the Yellow Line platform. The sign showed it's the station on the lower floor, and the platforms over there had huge signages saying "Blue Line Platform" and "Exit", with a direction. These signs made me assume that the platform where I was standing was for the Blue Line route. The signages were actually meant for directing passengers to the Blue Line platform. To avoid any miscommunication, the signage should have read "Way to Blue Line Platform". I don't know if it's just me who got confused due to the signs, but any professional interface designer will agree that the signs are faulty.

A rookie driver (I am sure the driver was a rookie) of Delhi Metro gave me the latest chance to criticize. On Wednesday, on my way to CP from Hauz Khas, the metro stopped before the platforms arrived and then reached the appropriate halt points with jolts due to regular brakes. The driver seemed to be unaware that there's something called "Right". For the announcement system and indicators, the platforms were always to the left of the train. As a matter of fact, there were just one or two platforms on the stretch that were to the left side of the train. Thankfully, the doors opened on the correct side despite wrong announcements and indicators.

It's a relief that these errors cannot lead to some tragedy, but it's a sign of carelessness. The metro management cannot do anything about the population but they can, of course, increase the number of trains. If that's too much to ask for, they can surely remove erroneous signs and teach their drivers when left is not right.

The Three Nannies

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:45:00 +0000

MidDay reports that Bollywood director Farah Khan is planning a family vacation. She will be tavelling with her husband, three daughters and their nannies. In this picture that accompanied the report, Khan is holding her handbag instead of one of her daughters. Look a bit odd to me and reminds me of several Hollywood flicks based on how children grow in care of nannies rather than their mothers. With increasing prosperity, Indian film industry will soon be able to copy from those US films. More fresh scripts for Bollywood and plenty of inspirational material available.

Farah Khan with her triplets and their nannies

Farah Khan is planning a 10-day vacation in Thailand after shooting for Tees Maar Khan ends. This is the first time FK will take a vacation with her husband Shirish Kunder, babies Anya, Diva and Czar, and their three nannies! [MidDay]

Kick some ass

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Maybe, I am a pervert with a contorted brain, but then I couldn't stop wondering what these Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) activists/members are trying to learn as part of their drill.

If you look at the first (from right) man/boy/activist/volunteer, it's not clear what he is up to. But as you pan your head towards the left, their body language makes it amply clear what they want. The last man in the row is actually trying to kick the ass of the person ahead of him. Just look at the intensely wicked expression on his face. Trying hard to have fun by kicking some ass (or maybe nuts).

This kick-ass picture was published in today's (14 June 2010) Hindustan Times Delhi edition.

Maa! Do not tell anyone that you killed me

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Nirupama Pathak was murdered by smothering. Who killed her? Though the truth will take some time to emerge, circumstances point at her family, her mother who tried to mislead the police about her daughter's death. The young journalist was guilty of taking decisions about her life on her own, flouting the age-old regulations of "Sanatan Dharma". This is a letter that she might have written if dead people could write and post letters.

Dear Maa,

Today, I remember a bedtime story that grandma had repeated several times, the story of a mother's heart. Maybe, your mother or grandmother had also narrated it to you.

Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a young man who fell in love with a beautiful damsel from the neighbouring village. When the man proposed to marry her, she agreed on condition that they set up a separate household in her village. He agreed to it and informed his mother.

The old widow who had reared her only child with great rigour wanted her son's happiness. So she said, "My blessings are with you, my son. But if you are ever distressed, come to me for help."

And the young man left his mother's home, married the young damsel and set up a new household. Days passed, and the lives of all three of them was passing uneventfully, the couple enjoying together, and the lonely widow living a life of hardship in the hope that her son will someday return.

After the initial years of vigorous love, the young couple's lives became more of a routine, which the lady started to despise. She started to feel that the young man no more loved her like the initial days. And one day she complained to her husband about the diminishing love of her husband. The young man tried to convince her wife that he was still madly in love with her.

"If you are madly in love with me, go and fetch your mother's heart for me."

"Do you know what are you talking? How can I fetch my mother's heart? I can't kill her."

"Ok. Then you will have to forget me and our alliance," his wife said.

After being forced to make a choice between his wife and mother, the man thought that his mother is anyway not going to live for long. So it wouldn't be that bad if he fetched her heart for his wife. And the man headed to his mother's house.

The old widow was too happy to see her son after a long time. She cooked the best dishes for her son, fed him with affection and made his bed in open under the cool night sky. The man lied on the bed, watching the star-studded sky for some time, while his mother fanned him with a hand fan. When he saw that her mother wasn't leaving, he pretended to fall asleep. The old woman, satisfied that her son had fallen in sound sleep, she herself went to bed, filled with satisfaction and joy.

The man who had been pretending to be sleeping woke up in the midnight, opened a long knife to reveal a shining blade glistening in the moon light. Stealthily, he went to her mother's bed, gagged her with a pillow and stabbed her mother to death. He fetched her mother's heart and started walking back to present it to his wife. On his way back, the man was crossing an orchard with trees so tall that it was completely dark in it. The man stumbled on a rock and fell flat on his face, losing hold of his mother's heart.

"Are you hurt my son?" the man heard her mother's voice coming from where her heart lay on the ground.

This was a tale that I heard from grandma. I hope no grandmother gets to know what you did to me, your daughter. I want a mother's heart to be remain the same: always wishing good for her children.

Nirupama

Old Indian jugaad: newspaper on rent

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:41:00 +0000

Many Indians, mostly in small towns, like to read newspapers and flip through magazines while standing at news marts. It's an Indian jugaad for getting to read the newspaper free of cost. Since Indians are too happy to devour a free copy of newspaper or magazine, almost all tea stalls in small towns subscribe to at least one newspaper and/or any magazine catering to the popular taste. However, if you live in a metro, one might not be able to engage in this jugaad for getting to read newspapers for free.

More than 100 years ago, some enterprising newspaper vending company in Bombay (now Mumbai) made an effort to create a news circulation business out of Indians' thrifty nature. It offered newspapers on rent for a few hours. So the same newspaper would be delivered at one home early in the morning, then collected and delivered to another homes. The cost of getting a newspaper reduced as the sun completed its day's journey in the sky. One who waited for the newspaper till 4 o'clock had the option to return it the next morning. If someone wanted to keep the newspaper, he could get the newspaper a day after publication.

The October 1909 issue of Popular Mechanics has an article titled "Curious newspaper practices in India" which documents this ingenious way of circulating newspapers.

CURIOUS NEWSPAPER PRACTICES IN INDIA
By a complicated system of newspaper circulation, in which the same paper is circulated in as many as three different households, a Bombay firm which contracts with the newspapers for fresh supplies every day shows a thriftiness that would put an American newsboy to shame. The price of the leading morning newspapers ill Bombay. delivered by mail, is 66 cents a month, but if a subscriber will take it from a carrier who delivers it at 7 o'clock and will read and return it when 11, calls again at 11 o'clock. the price is only 50 cents a month. If the subscriber is willing to wait for his morning paper until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, he may have it at that hour and return it to the carrier the next morning for 33 cents a month. Or, if he likes to keep his old papers, he may wait until the next morning after publication, have his paper for 33 cents a month, and be under no obligation to return it at all. Thus the same paper may be circulated through three different households, and the total revenue therefrom will amount to $1.05 per month.

Image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mackenzienicole/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Republique de ignorance

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Reporters are often ignorant about what they are reporting. If you disagree with this statement, you might not have seen a report by IANS news agency published on Hindustan Times website about an anti-piracy and "corruption" software Republique that film director Sajid Khan claims he is using for his latest film Housefull to prevent illegal downloading of the film over the Internet.

Sajid Khan was quoted as saying that if anyone tries to illegally download the movie, not only will the files get corrupted but their IP address will be recorded and they will be prosecuted for piracy.

"We even have a call centre in Mumbai with 35 people on board monitoring the illegal downloading of the film. We've tested the process too and it worked wonders in five seconds," he added.

Who developed this anti-piracy software? And when? The reporter as well as the person who picked the story for HT website didn't bother to ask the question. Both failed to detect the hoax and very smugly warned their audience about the impending dangers.

But the readers weren't as ignorant or gullible. "Probably, it has been tested on farm animals rather than real people, but sure he wishes to go ahead with his BIG PLANS!" one of them commented.

A Twitter user @flyyoufools said: "Dear Sajid if you really cracked the anti-piracy thing then sell it to Hollywood. More money than your movie can make."

A few days ago, another Twitter user was wrongly attributed for a tweet that she had retweeted (a way of forwarding a message on Twitter) in a report by some information technology industry magazine!

Why does it happen? Maybe, because reporters rely heavily on press releases and cooked news handed to them by public relations professionals. Reporters are too happy to spew the gyan that's given to them by companies and their PRs. "Why bother to study the subject when there are 'experts' to give you all the information about things that are happening in your beat (specific topics that a reporter is supposed to keep track of). Studying will only confuse you." Ignorance is bliss!

Bringing the change

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:29:00 +0000

While browsing the Web during an unofficial office break, I found this clever piece of street art or persuation art on BoingBoing. The "Make A Difference" poster has been designed by Imaginary Foundation (contrary to its name, the foundation is real), which has posted a PDF of the same for people to download and use.

The only problem with this kind of poster is that it will lose its uniqueness once all the "I Wills" have been torn. How will others display their approval? I tried to find some other solutions for such street persuation arts.

1. Use ribbons or laces: One can try placing ribbons or laces with a message along side such persuasion posters. People who support the cause can pick up a ribbon and put it on their shirts or bags.

2. Ask people to sign: Leave lots of space in the poster for people to sign the poster or leave a message.

3. Urge people to spread the word: A poster can also ask people to tweet or send a message to friends about their decision to support the cause. It will help spread the word as well.

What's your idea for a persuasive street art? Let the world know.

Sania bhabhi in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Sania Mirza flew to Pakistan on Thursday. And Pakis are very excited about their new bhabhi. This gutka (chewing tobacco) is a part of the Sania bhabhi wave in Pakistan.

Image/Twitpic

[For those who are gullible enough to consider the picture a real one: it's just a digital art.]

Bizzare search suggestions by Google Hindi

noreply@blogger.com (Pritam) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:48:00 +0000

A few days ago, Google introduced on-screen keyboard along with its search boxes for several non-Latin languages that require special characters, including for Hindi. So I visited Google Hindi to try the new feature. As soon as I typed the first letter (the physical keyboard), I was stumped by Google's search suggestions.

Given that in today's world, Google often knows us more than anyone through our searches, the suggestions made by Google can lead to conclusion that most people who use Hindi on the search engine are amorous or sexually frustrated or downright lose characters. Why? Just look at the A-Z suggestion made by Google Hindi. Click on the images to view the original size.

A for Aunty

B for Bra

C for Choli

D for Doodhwali

E for Edult

F for Fad Di

G for Ghused Di

H for Humbistar

I for India TV

J for Jeeju

K for Kamwali

L for Ladki hai kya

M for Masti kothe ki

N for Nangi

O for Oral

P for Phad di

Q for Qutub Minar

R for Rat mein

S for Sehla rahi thi

T for Teen bar

U for Ungli

V for Vashikaran mantra

W for Wallpaper

X for Nil

Y for Yauwan ki pyas

Z for Zip khol di

After all these search suggestions by Google Hindi, I can only say: आज मेरी किस्मत ख़राब है! or I am feeling unlucky today!