How I wish, how I wish you were here

 Hausla hai to Viswas hai, Ki fighter humesha jeet ta hai….

No Jaweb sahab, fighter does not always win. The relentless pursuit of victory can sometimes exhaust even the strongest spirit.

November 19, 2020 – On this day, the warrior princess finally laid down her arms. In her last battle, she lost the fight. The battle of life against cancer. Four years have passed, and life has never been the same since.

As I sit down to write, I find myself thinking about what to say about my mother – my first hero, my first teacher, and my coach who taught me everything, from singing and studying to sprinting. In the end, it feels right not to say too much, but simply to acknowledge that I remember you today, just as I do every day.  How I wish, how I wish you were here

A country that reveres Shakti, the goddess of power, has failed to protect its women.

 

August 15, 2004

Dhananjay Chatterjee was executed for a crime he was convicted of in 1990.  Three key points to note are:

• The execution took place 14 years after his initial conviction.
• There were lingering doubts about Dhananjay's innocence, with some believing that the real perpetrator, who had influential connections, managed to avoid punishment.
• Media outlets hailed the execution as a landmark decision, claiming it would deter future heinous crimes. But did it?  

December 6, 2019

Four suspects were fatally shot by police in what authorities claimed was an encounter. The case is ongoing, yet it remains a stark reminder of a crime that gripped the nation. The swiftness with which the police apprehended and then eliminated the accused sparked intense public debate. While questions linger about the use of lethal force, the tragic outcome has not proven to be an effective deterrent.

March 20, 2020

Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta were executed at Tihar Jail for a crime convicted in 2012. A crime that shook the collective consciousness of the entire nation. A fast-track court convicted the accused within a year. Yet

• An eight-year delay in execution exposed flaws in our justice system.
• While there were no doubts about the convicts, the case exposed critical flaws in the Juvenile Justice Act, which limited the punishment for one of the key offenders. The subsequent amendment in 2015 addressed this issue, but the question remains:
• Did the ultimate penalty serve as a deterrent?

 9 August 2024

Two decades after the execution of Dhananjay Chatterjee, a horrific assault on a doctor within the hallowed grounds of a medical college has sent shockwaves through the nation. The medical fraternity has united in outrage, demanding justice for their colleague. Yet, this harrowing incident serves as a stark reminder of a macabre reality: A country that reveres Shakti, the goddess of power, has failed to protect its women.

Twenty Years: A professional milestone

9th August: On this date twenty years ago, as a fresh graduate, I embarked on my journey in the IT world at Infosys. After completing my training, I joined the REU (Resources, Energy, and Utilities) business unit. At the time, I had no idea that "Utilities" would bring me back to my roots.

I grew up in a small town surrounded by power plants—hydro-electric, naphtha-based gas peaker, and coal-based thermal—all within an 8-10 km radius. When I left that town over 25 years ago, I thought I was leaving the world of power plants and electricity behind. Fate, it seems, had a different trajectory in mind.

My career, marked by stints in India, the US, and the UK with Infosys, Cognizant, and now Nagarro, has been a consistent journey through the energy and utilities sector. As I embark on my 21st year, I'm excited to be part of this industry's evolution, returning full circle to where it all started.

Farewell ! Comrade Sir

 

It was the year 2006, and state elections were approaching in West Bengal. At that time, I was working at Infosys in Bhubaneswar and had decided to spend the weekend at my father's workplace in Mejia. My return journey was planned as follows: a train from Raniganj to Howrah, followed by another train from Howrah to Bhubaneswar.

I boarded the train at Raniganj, but since one of the gates was locked, I entered through the other. After placing my bag in the compartment, I walked towards the toilet at the end. As soon as I locked the door, someone knocked. I ignored it at first, but the knocking grew louder, almost turning into banging, so I had no choice but to open the door.

The next few seconds were a blur. All I remember is facing a towering man, well over six feet tall, dressed in a crisp blue suit, with a nozzle pointed directly at me. He proceeded to ask a series of questions to verify my travel purpose and identity, followed by a thorough search of all the documents I had with me. Once he was satisfied that I posed no threat, he instructed me to return to my seat, the nozzle still close to my back.

It wasn't until I was seated that I learned that then chief minister Mr. Budhadev Bhattacharya was in the same compartment and that I had inadvertently breached his security by walking to the toilet.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, although the security officer did sit next to me for the remainder of the trip. On the bright side, they were quite helpful, offering snacks and refreshments since no hawkers were allowed into the compartment.

Before deboarding, Mr. Bhattacharya took the time to personally apologize for the inconvenience caused by him and his entourage during the journey. This act of humility remains my enduring memory of him. - never acting like the VIP, always kind, caring and considerate!!!The common man’s chief minister. 

 Farewell, comrade Sir.

Rhetoric Fanaticism as a disguise for Inaction!

One of the traits of great leaders is their oratory skills. Classically this is termed Communication Skills. It holds their power to sway people, influence and motivate them to achieve amidst all odds. But what happens when this oratory prowess is not backed with action? Or for that matter arrives at a cross-road of double speak?
That’s where rhetoric fanaticism comes in. Personally I abhor any form of fanaticism. Rhetoric fanaticism is a case wherein a leader exhorts a lot of virtue but rarely backs it up with strong action. A simple example is the staple “Roti, Kapda, Makan” promise our politicians have been making ahead of the numerous elections over the last 60 years. If really they had stuck to it Vision 2020 would have been achieved 20 years back.
There is another case of “Hope Peddling” in global political arena. It gets a shot in the arm amidst the prevailing/past Global Crisis. Amidst Economists coming up with their V shaped, W shaped double/single dipped recovery, BRICS n PIGS theories, a brand of political leaders across the globe were acting as hope peddlers. Selling hope in the form of great upliftment from the saga of lost jobs, diminishing unemployment allowance and global dark sentiments. A year or two down the line the jury is yet to be out on such “Peddlars”
What’s more surprising is the vicious cycle of this brand of fanaticism. First one makes promises to deliver, then fails to deliver and finally sends another beautifully crafted speech justifying the failure. All this while we watch starry-eyed and listen awe-struck, amazed at the leader’s awesome skills.
Thus as the process continues we become victims of this classic syndrome of “Rhetoric Fanaticism as a disguise for Inaction!” Is it a failure of leadership (Political or Corporate)? In my opinion it’s more of a failure on our part to identify the rhetoric from substance? More on that later…………….

Can Leaders be Made?

A debate that plagued mankind for generations! Can leaders be made or are they born? Truth be told, it’s a question that plagues not only the upper echelons of corporate world but also the political fraternity.

And perhaps it is as much a seed of our feudal devotion and servile mindset as it is of common understanding. How else can we explain dynasty of politics? Right from the days of kings and queens to our present generation of political leaders it carries the same story. The Mughal’s, the Rajput’s, the Nizam’s to the Royal families of England, Jordan, Japan et al to the Kennedys, Bush, Roosevelt’s, Taft’s of US, the Dys of Philipines and our very own Gandhi’s.

Why does the venerated “Leadership Institutes” that our corporate bell-weathers have, fail to create a great line of successors? Why does Britain still talks of Sir Winston Churchill as an epitome of leadership?

Is there a secret formula to make leaders and churn them out of a “school”. Crack the formula and become a millionaire!!!

Current Update

18th December was my last day at Infosys. Left the company after 5.5 years working out there....

Everything was fine till I started writing those good bye mails... somehow I just could not find words for it...And at that point it brought tears to my eyes as well. I went washed my face and came back.... and finally was able to pen down those words....

Went for lunch to Zaika... Chirag and Arindam were throwing a birthday party which apparently coincided with my farewell party as well.... left ofc at 12:30 and returned at 3:30.... Chirag, Arindam, Kalyan and Pallabi had mosty managed the thing.... A chocolate cake from Mayfair with a num "5" ka candle and a huge farewell message wala card...plus ek shirt as a gift. Thats when you know things started becoming difficult...Pallabi gifted me a coffee mug separately.... Monday Arindam apna camera layathha and had taken a snap of the entire team. A hard bounded framed copy of that bhi saath mein thha.....

Pramod came to say good bye at 5ishh. He knew that I was leaving and came down after he receievd the mail.... From somewhere in CCD Debashish came and said goodbye... he did not know that I was leaving.

But the toughest part was when I actually had to pack up my things and leave, just could not do it... zyada kuchh thha nehi bas woh water bottle and the coffee mug (plus the cute spoon) that you gifted....but somehow closed up everything and left at 7.

Finally left BBSR for good on the 23rd of Dec... Came to Bangalore to spend some quality time with college time buddies. The plan is as follows

23-28 I will be in Banglore
28-31st I would be in Delhi
and then it would be back to Cal before i fly to Mumbai for the final grind of one year....