George Carlin.

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate. It’s something which everyone feels, experiences & observes everyday but is so hard to put in succinct words as George has done.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

Haleem!!

Work from home (WFH) made me take a shot at Haleem yesterday over a sumptuous lunch. My aunt who goes for a kill every time a new recipe challenges her ego of being the best cook made me try it. In true sense she learns/replicates dishes which she likes/tries outside to perfection.

Just for the starters the city of Hyderabad is known for its delectable haleem, which is available only during Ramzan. The porridge which has many pulses, wheat grain, lots of ghee and of-course meat is considered very nutritious; another reason it is considered the mainstay during the Holy month of Ramzan. The entire prep takes more than 8 hours and traditionally is cooked in the ‘bhatti’. It comes in both the sweet and salted version and is still served for breakfast in the homes of the Arabs living in Hyderabad. A vegetarian derivative of haleem has dry fruits and vegetable.

For those who would like to cook this at home; recipe is mentioned below:
Ingredients:

250 gm mutton/lamb; 1 cup wheat-soaked overnight, drained, pounded & husked;

1 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1 tbsp channa dal- soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tbsp moong dal-soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tbsp masoor dal-soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tsp coriander powder; 2 onions-sliced and fried crisp; 4 tbsp ghee; 2 tsp ginger-garlic pastesalt to taste

Method: Take a heavy-bottomed vessel and heat 8 cups of water in it. When the water starts boiling put in the drained dal, wheat and mutton along with the ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook over slow fire till the mutton is tender then mash the mutton. To this mixture add the crushed fried onion. Heat the ghee and pour it over the Haleem. Sprinkle lemon-juice before serving - serve hot.

I would request my aunty to make the dish again and very soon, though I would like to try the sweet variant this time. My burpometer will give the Haleem 3.5/5.

SOS after OSO (Om Shanti Om)

Well today was a case study straight out of experience and not just some MBA gyan..The title 'How to sell one of trashiest Bollywood movies ever made and earn a fortune instead' explained and executed to perfection. Pure genius and hype inspite of utter shit. Om Shanti Om seemed like Oh Shit Oh no more!! Just for the record in terms of story, OSO was an utter disappointment. No strength of character. It seemed as if as few imbecile friends who in a zombie frame of mind worked on the story plot. Anything put anywhere and overall movie in disarray. I personally never liked the songs so they for me were never a face saver. The only upswing was the multi-mega -entire Bollywood(31 stars) casted ‘Deewangi Deewangi ‘ song and maybe the much hyped 6 pack Sharukh song ‘dard-e-disco’ which would have only made his son Aryan and some skin starved female fans happy. Ms. svelte Padukone hardly has a 20 minute screen presence and parts which I think any actor can do. No doubt the girl is tall and pretty but there was nothing much to her otherwise. Shreyas Talpade, I must say also had a next to nothing role. Single man movie like Chak De! India, OSO was completely driven by King Khan.

It was disappointing to know that an actor of SRK's caliber does not know which script has some sense or is a step forward. Just the other day I read his interview saying that I set my own bench marks through the movies I act in. I am sure he would have left all his fans with edge marks waiting to get out of their cinema seats out of desperation and frustration as to what crap they were being served.

This brings me to the important point that it won't be a surprise that OS still rakes in a lot of moolah. In-movie advertising by ADLABS, TAG, MAYBELINE, AUDI, NOKIA,FILMFARE and many more which I might have missed would have already paid a bomb making Farah Khan's triplets smile with full gusto inside her tummy. Ms. Padukone and Mr Shreyas Talpade would have been more grateful to get a role in this hyped movie so as to oblige Farah with a low fee's. Shahrukh Khan’s company Red Chillies Entertainment which has been under the scanner in the past would have made the entire casting bill to bare minimum. With sets and locations which were hardly expensive and glamorous,,SRK,Gauri and Farah have pulled a fast one on the public. Another reason why so many screens have been booked for OSO so that the money is churned before the truth spreads through word of mouth.

But one thing which amazes me is the audacity and conviction with which Farah khan has promoted her infuriating creation and projected it as one of the finest. Hats off to Farah for her ability to fool the audience and SRK's charisma which I am sure will make this hopeless, below par, stale movie as one of the most hyped and may be one of the highest grossers this season...I

Deep-valley of darkness

HAPPY DIWALI!!

1. The report card on the ambient air quality on last Diwali night prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) highlights the plummeting peaks of noxious pollutants like Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10 - RSPM) and Nitrogen –di-Oxide (NO2) on Diwali night of 2006 as compared to the previous years. But even as the city was preparing to shower accolades to growing environmental awareness, the unexpected rise in the sulphur-di-oxide (SO2) levels shocked, exposing dark trends in the Indian cracker market.

2. If I take 4 metros with a conservative population of 6 crores. Assuming a nuclear family of 4 each, I would have 1.5 Crore families. Assuming 30% are BPL (below poverty line), I have 1.05 Crore families lighting Diya’s. Assuming 5 diya’s a family, it works out to be 5.25 Crore diya’s. Assuming one diya consumes 10 gms of medium quality oil, we have the 4 metros consuming 5,25,000 kgs of oil translating to Rs. 3.15 Crore@ Rs60/kg of oil burnt this Diwali by just the 4 metros alone. I know its too less knowing how rich a country we are…


3. Another interesting thing about Diwali is the relevance it holds now. It’s a grave question which shamefully I can also not answer. The festival of lights or the day actually Lord Krishna killed Naragasura…..guess it’s the things of the past. The Diwali which most of the people enjoy is more of card parties, extravagant show-off of self-wealth and of course holiday from work, to empty one’s pockets on social obligations and of-course to contribute to the traffics snarls. Ocean of humans under the mad ness of Diwali crazily shop and crowd every possible empty speck of the town.

4. And then there are sweets and more sweets and sweets which do not end the rest of the season. Hygiene, health and quality of ingredients are key issues here. From diesel to chalk powder - just about anything can end up in mawa, which is an essential ingredient for north Indian sweets. Hygiene is another major issue. Just yesterday I went to my colony market to collect 1 kg pack of milk cake much against my wish. And there the much famous local sweetshop help was busy alternatively rubbing read cleaning his hands on his groin and filling the innumerable boxes which lay in front of him. Flies on mawa and khoya being kneaded with bare hands just beside a drain are sights common around this time…which raises the important question as to where are the health inspectors?

Well the above views are just observations which atleast made me ponder and in no way, I think go against the Diwali spirit or any others POV. But I honestly hope that atleast next year GOI should ban manufacturing and sale of crackers or atleast have some sort of regulation on the noise and pollution levels. Even though the impact of Diwali pollution is short term, given the scale and magnitude of bursting of crackers it is important that the regulators monitor and set benchmark to minimize hazards.As for the sweets, shopping and festivities ….well I would say…….it will be Happy Diwali always…I

Net-worked-up

I thought this was it...but then my friends and my close cousin made me find another new networking site 'Facebook'. Though I might be outdated in getting to terms with the new addictive trends seeing how my younger cousins have taken a lead over me, but then is there an end to the number of SNS's as they are called. My first impression of the entire front-end was....it’s too complicated but I am still being pushed to see through the outer shell to experience a whole new innovation which is attracting the world. I am still far from using it and will see how I like it in due course.

Sometime in my first year of MBA, I joined Orkut and Linked-In. Again I was a laggard in knowing what these were and how they worked. But my experiences with both have been great. Atleast I do not forget birthdates of my close friends not to forget how many old friends I have regained touch with. I feel amazed at the number of people from the smallest towns of the country on Orkut. But as I see and hear there appears to be a transition happening from orkut to facebook. My reasoning says that as many offices and colleges do not know about facebook vis-à-vis Orkut, people still have the freedom to use a similar platform to do things which company/college authorities feel otherwise. At the same time I think it is very important to have the right kind of people joining to enjoy the real offerings of the site. Another reason why other SNS's such as Hi5 & ryze never took off in India that much. Infact one of my seniors from college has started a concept of offline meetings of like minded people which I am sure would be a lot of fun. Though I have never attended one of them, I plan to in future.

But I feel there a lot of crap existing on many of these SNS's which is irritating as shared my many of my female friends. Many people who are +30 also share the feeling that the old ways of picking the telephone and connecting is any day better than these new amusing ways which have no utility. But this is changing as I see when I go around Linked-in. With the mélange of interfaces available one can balance utility with idle time pass. The recent valuation of Facebook which is now worth $15BN - judging from the fact that Microsoft has reportedly just bought itself a modest 1.6% chunk of the company for a staggering $240M goes to show the importance of the these sites as revenue source from ads beamed at around 48 mn users which facebook alone commands.

But I am sure I would come across many more such SNS’s in the future. Just a month back I came across Shelfari which I have “again” joined but never used and so has been Myspace which inspite of being touted s the #1 SNS is unheard in India. But as of now I am keen on exploring more of facebook...Hope to see u there soon..I

Cheers!!

Long on the whirlwind road, in your vision to be the on the other side
I see myself, closed ones and others on this daily ride
An illusion people say; a trial which humans need to pass.
Who decides who would be where on the starting grid?
Who decides who will cover a greater distance?
A world hidden in its own world, world just poignant at its fate
If life is at an equal pedestal for all, then why such vagaries.
Why a life just to fight the life around, each day a struggle
Oh I see, one of those days..............
When nothing seems all right; nothing seems to be in place
But everything is in place!!
Though out of shape and deeply rooted to give way to existing way of life.
God's a composer and no one can escape forced submission to his tunes sometimes...
Cheers to this dance floor called life….

EvolOve

A wax candle made to sublimity,
Who arcs in heat, but tries to remain firm,
Lends light bearing the hot vapor.
A beautiful vista with god’s finest milieu,
Breezy, cool, soothing embracing everywhere,
Selfless to all, patience intertwined.

She holds and speaks to you,
And you feel someone like never before.
I am blessed and surely am,
For envy of others tells me again that.

No equations for answers, No give and take,
No more certain values just because the world likes to fake.
Because truth and happiness are internal,
Need not plan life to achieve bliss .
World is a fight, I tell her,
But life is not a battle, she says,
Karma makes one who he/she is,
Values between us sometimes hardly meet.

I see I learn things everyday,
I find myself daily in the introspection that envelopes,
From the ocean that is mélange of the gods best one can offer,
I swim deeper each day to cut illusion all over.
No walls for far and wide,
She is a philosopher’s stone, a place I love to hide,
Child within, so wet,
Excess water will make her drain.

Life is a web ,you fall and learn,
Staying firm is the rule of the game.
There is a long path I need to tread,
Roadblocks I need to pass.
But cannot do all this without my critic, best friend
My source of strength, a candle lighting my way,
Sky is the limit, I am sure,
I need to be with her, that’s my life’s cure.

The writing on the WAL

Retail is going on a fast forward mode. Like telecom, energy retail sector is the next big thing. The current scenario is building up numbers or a quicker turnaround especially by players who have the scale and capability even if it means learning from your own mistakes. The most recent Reliance Ahmedabad store is an addition to the Indian retail milestones. The biggest in the country which will carry more than 95,000 products and is one of 500 planned by 2010. These further increase the fear amongst small retailers who had recently shown a lot of distaste against the entry of Wal-Mart into India through the JV with Bharti. The fears revolve around from the fact that in other countries where these big retailers have entered they have totally destabilized local retailers.

Another relevant fear is that the modern retailers might adopt predatory pricing with the sole aim of gaining into ever increasing organized retail with a emphasis on volume than value. This is actually a real fear, because one can see that because of stores like Big Apple, Spinach, 6-10 the rehri waala’s value add would be reduced to the convenience factor that they might be able to provide. In the neighborhood where I stay stores such as 6-10 have completely sucked out the air out of the local vendors. The F&V are not only fresh but they are really cheaper then the local guys. People might question that the stores have crowded aisles and might have a mix of both fresh and damaged crop .Though it’s a fact but the current king of Retail Kishore Biyani has some other opinions. An entrepreneur who is known to be driven more by guts then excel sheets and numbers, his recent modification of a Mumbai store proves this point wrong. Kishore Biyani has adapted India’s culture of order-in-disorder to transform his company Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. into the largest retailer in the country.Biyani’s shopping malls are crowded and Indians love them. Unlike Americans, Indians prefer crowded places where they can hear and smell each other. Kishore Biyani, recently spent $50,000 to improve his Mumbai store. The wide aisles and neatly-stocked shelves modeled after Western supermarkets just weren't doing the trick. Now thanks to Biyani's remodeling, the store is messier, noisier and cramped—a more familiar environment for customers accustomed to fighting their way through chaotic street markets. Narrow, winding aisles were added to create traffic jams and force people to stop and look at the products. Wheat, rice, and lentils are sold in large buckets so that consumers can feel and smell them to ensure their quality. Biyani even discourages his staff from straightening up after shoppers, believing that his customers are less likely to check out a product if it is in neat stacks. He even throws imperfect produce into the mix. For the average Indian, dusty and dirty produce means fresh from the farm, he says...[H]aving damaged as well as good quality produce in the same box gives customers a chance to choose and think they are getting a better deal. Haggling is still not allowed.

Reliance's new three-storey hypermarket and future similar roll-outs is the next step in this league.The most striking feature in the new outlet is the Rs.195 denim jeans something akin to Wal-Mart’s highly successful $10 jeans. Other unique offerings of RelianceMart which falls in line with the above ‘Chaos theory’ include tailoring, shoe repair, watch repair, a photo shop, gift services, laundry services, fresh bakery, ice-cream train for kids, ready-made batter, loose tea and pickles.There are apprehensions that prices of the RelianceMart chain would undercut rivals by as much as 60%. In this case of scenario others players will have to add a lot of value on price and quality to compete. The Bharti-Walmart stores on the other hand are not open to retail shoppers but will serve small shops, fruit and vegetable sellers, restaurants and other businesses.

But the problems that ail this sector manifold:

1. The biggest problem facing Indian retailers and consumers is a dysfunctional supply chain. Because the market is highly fragmented--about 96% of the retail marketplace consists of small shopkeepers--economies of scale are elusive and both producers and retailers depend on long chains of middlemen to bring goods to market.

2. Agricultural produce typically travels from farmer to trader to commission agent to wholesaler to retailer, and each step imposes new costs. The cost escalation is huge. By one count, the amount an India consumer pays for food is five times the amount the farmer actually receives. In the U.S., the ratio is closer to twice. Waste is also a problem--about 60% of the value of India's agricultural output is lost between farm and market, as processing delays and "wear and tear" on delicate produce takes their toll on quality.

3. Indian has also yet to match America's feat of creating a single internal market for consumer and agricultural goods. Each state imposes its own inspection requirements, duties and regulations on shipments that cross its borders, even en route to another state. In the U.S., a trucker can haul a load 1,000 miles in about 20 hours. The equivalent journey in India takes four to five days.

4. The existing Indian laws, which forbid multi-brand retailers from entering the country, are downplaying the potential of these players to build a huge business that can meet a tremendous need in the country.

5. Also another problem is the shortage of both real estate at affordable prices which would affect the expansion plans of retail chains as well as availability of skilled manpower.

6. There is going to be a huge demand for 3PL players at the backend. With the growing sizes of operation there is a need for new small players and they will gain prominence and fit into the bigger jigsaw. This brings one to the problem that there is a huge space for consulting in the retail space because of problems in managing the supply chain.

Ambani has said he wants to create a "virtuous circle of prosperity by bringing farmers, small shopkeepers and consumers into a win-win partnership.” Reliance says its goal is to overhaul in one swoop retailing and farming, linking them through a "state of the art" distribution system with proper cold storage and transport that will give consumers fresher food at lower prices and farmers bigger incomes. It has set an annual sales target of US$25-billion by 2011 and has said it aims to give an "international shopping experience" to consumers more used to shopping at dilapidated corner stores or at in open air markets. Organized retail has the potential to trigger socio-economic transformation on an unprecedented scale in our country and will bring about enormous spin-off benefits to the Indian economy and its various constituents. This is against critics who say that chains such as Reliance Retail and other large retail outfits will drive smaller retailers out of business. As has been said by Mukesh Ambani repeatedly the pie is big enough for all the players. The pie which is roughly equal to $370 Billion is actually a big.

It has not yet taken off and there are so many innovations which are coming . Some of these have been mentioned below:

1. Reliance is in a process to launch 700 Reliance Town Centre (RTC) in cities having population below 3 lakh. Each RTC would have a health centre, vocational training, multiplexes, retail outlets and an auto centre.

2. Kishore Biyani has recently opened up a new format store for apparels which gets all the left overs from all its other format stores and sells the collection at a throwaway price.

3. In the next few years, Reliance Retail will also introduce 1600 rural business hubs (RBH) in rural areas, which could give tough time to ITC’s Choupal Sagar, Godrej Aadhar and DCM Shriram’s Hariyali Kisan Bazaar.

4. ITC is coming up with branded Rehris with in-built storage which is going to take modern retailing to your doorstep.

I am sure there are going to be many more innovations and a burgeoning need for skilled manpower in retail. But on the other hand the experience for foreign companies on the subcontinent has been less than pleasant: Retail giants Tesco and Carrefour have been deterred from entering the market and have pulled out of negotiations to launch joint ventures; others like Germany's Metro have been plagued by uncertainty and troublesome government regulations. Though Wal-Mart is one of the best, if not the best supply chain management companies in the world. Their recent move into India as a wholesales supplier and consultant underscores this strength. Another strength it plays to is their experience and expertise in buying direct from manufacturers in the U.S. and elsewhere. This will be a similar role they would play in the Indian market, which includes somewhere in the 12 million small mom and pop type stores spread across the country.

Even with Wal-Mart it is going to be a steep learning curve, as Biyani's remodeling strategy suggests. Cracking India's retail market is going to require something different than the usual smiley faces and "always low prices. Also Wal-Mart does not have its performance in Asian countries to back is performance in the US. Even after having set up bases abroad only 16 % of its revenue is Non-US.Seiyu Ltd Japanese based subsidiary of Wal-Mart recently reported losses for 2007 which would give it six straight years in a row without a penny of profit. Questions immediately come to mind: Will Wal-Mart India face similar future .After all, it exited Germany and South Korea in 2006 after many bad financial performances in those countries. It cut its losses there and escaped from the doldrums of loss .But unlike Japan, India will not pump in money equivalent to what was put in there which was roughly more than $1 billion into Seiyu for 393 stores in Japan as foreign players are very apprehensive about changing regulations.Wal-Mart has found good headway recently in China with the Trust-Mart partnership and in India with partner Bharti, but they have yet to show their mettle in both the places. What holds in the future for the country and the retail players is yet to be seen but is something which is definitely going to be one fast paced ride ...I

Bum Bumm Bhole

The Delhi roads have been painted orange with Kanwarias sweeping across the Delhi roads. As the ritual to offer holy water in Shiva temples starts across northern India from Saturday, the chaos on city roads which has been going on for the last so many days should hopefully end.

The recent destruction brought about hundreds of Kanwarias makes one believe that India is actually a country of fools who would do anything in the name of religion. Best is even that government machinery is a helpless spectator in this. Though I am not against anyone’s religious sentiments I beg to differ that the gods appreciate senseless waste of public money and time on this entire event then other constructive use of the same. In retrospect I think that many villages, civic amenities and value could have been created by constructive use of innumerable Kanwarias physical effort, which is spent in treading the path from the holy Ganges to the Shiva temples.

You see these people in their own frenzy completely forgetful of rules and general code of existence. Its their power in numbers and religion which makes them run amok across cities, roads etc. I was amused to see yesterday a traffic cop helping 3 helmet less guys on a motorcycle to stand up after they had skipped the red light and banged into a car. As it is, the administration in each part of the city are given orders to avoid any untoward incident even if it means pacifying the most unreasonable demands of hordes of Kanwarias in their region. The movement of Kanwarias keeps the administration and police officers on tenterhooks. With a history of generating violence, at times without any provocation have rendered the entire yatra a bad name.

While the Kanwarias had their leisurely walk to their destinations, the traffic along the Haridwar-Delhi highway came to a standstill. Heavy vehicles were stopped to p1y and major diversions were implemented on this route from August 4. The movement of light vehicles was also stopped from August 7 on the Ghaziabad-Meerut Road. Motorists as well as commuters had a difficult time, as there were traffic diversions and roadblocks everywhere in the city .To prevent students from inconvenience, the district administration announced holidays in schools and educational institutions. What a waste of time and money.

According to a conservative estimate, more than 10 lakh Kanwarias passed through Ghaziabad on their way to Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The number of people originating from Haridwar was estimated at a staggering 50 lakhs. Imagine 50 lakh people using this time for betterment of roadblocks at grass root level could have been able to invest 50Lakh * 8 Hours * 5 working days = 20 crore man hours. And this with the same amount of affection and help provided by the local machinery and other local associations, which provide for the stay, food, first aid etc at various nook and corner of towns. I know then Indians are Indians and certain things in the name of religion do not make sense to these devout followers. But my argument is not to say that this people are doing any wrong, as faith is ones discretion but be conscious to agree to the existence of other demons in their respective milieu and be ready with alternatives to solve them. Because without any generalizations it’s a fact that most of the people who make a part of this orange revolution are from lower SEC’s many of whom just do this for the freebies and the kicks of being a part of the gang euphoria. This further bolsters the logic of poor becoming poorer even .So it is plain necessary for these Kanwarias to realize the fact that constructive solution exists to problems existing in their surroundings (regions/strata); solutions whose root lie in these countless Kanwarias who think they would gain amelioration and prosperity by mere chanting or other rituals. But it’s a vicious cycle as Politics is fuel to fire, which in India runs on sentiments then practicality. But I guess these thoughts and viewpoints are of very few and would not resonate with even my elders. But things would be different in the future. Atleast I hope they would…I

Saada Sadar!!

As I would call it ,if someone needs to suddenlly get exposed to a visual flip flop Sadar Bazaar is one of the several places which can be visited.It is the largest wholesale market of general merchandise items in Delhi and probably in India.Though there are other Sadar Bazaars mainly in northern Indian towns, Delhi Bazaar is what people are generally aware of. It has many elements which are full of contradictions.It is located near Khari Baoli.Similar to other bazaars in Delhi it is a sea of makind belonging to different strata of society.Its bussling with commercial activity and has the livelihood of close to 2 lakh people attached to it. To count a few you have Wholesalers, Semi-WS, small & big retailers, traders, stockists, labourers manufacturers etc.

I over 2 days had the oppurtunity which in real sense was an information exposure to especially the Stainless steel and plastic WS market.Though my understanding of these 2 categories is far more clear now but to keep aside academic discusions I would not like to pen those findings down here..

There are hardly any 2 lane roads and in most areas and just space to allow 2 bicyclists to pass each other. The district administration it seems is least bothered about encroachments made by shopkeepers of Sadar Bazaar causing considerable hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic. And you would be amazed to see big cars like the latest Audi coupe in the backyard of a manufacturing unit. How it might have entered the vicinity is anybodies guess. Which brings me to the point that it is a place of many contradictions .In a place that appears to be neglected by authorities and people trading; there exist some of the richest traders of the capital.

Interspersed with primarily Muslim population the mélange of elements, which this place throws at you, makes you question as to how is the infrastructure and other things are operational. The various items which are traded here are not only household goods but also other items like Resin, toys, bags, Jute, imitation jewellery, stationery etc. The market can be termed as chaotic but to experience Delhi in its totality.

Though it is also a wholesale market but one can purchase any item in small quantity, which makes the existence of retailer/WS as a common entity. To go back to the history of this place it is important to know that earlier, Sadar Bazaar was a small market mainly catering to the needs of the people of the nearby area but gradually it became one of the known markets of capital for cheap and quality products required in any household.

The history of Sadar Bazaar dates back to the British rule. About 1857, the market used to be on the road where the courts were situated. The English rulers decided to shift the bazaar and gave separate land to the shopkeepers with sufficient financial compensation for constructing the new shops. And thus, the present Sadar Bazaar came into existence about 1860. To a question how it was named Sadar Bazaar, this market, which was considered the main bazaar, was one of the only markets at that time and that was why it was called Sadar Bazaar.

But as it is now, underground and double-storied construction is rampant and maximum use of the limited space is being made. I just hope that it does not lead to any mishap or causality in case of natural disaster as the entire area is cramped up and definitely needs some oxygen in terms of better infrastructure, utilities and regulations. I still feel that in its existing state too it’s a reflection of the Delhi’s history as well as the current overburdened fast paced commercial existence. I think that there is still a lot to explore in these busy lanes of Sadar and if I go again may be I would try and explore the food on offer first which I could not do this time….I

Home Truths-Personal experience

Economic Times Coverage -5th August

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET_Features/The_Sunday_ET/Property/Home_truths/articleshow/msid-2256225,curpg-1.cms


After retirement, Sushil Khanna wanted to buy a house of his own. He and his wife, Veena Khanna, decided to book an Oriental Villa Home in Sushant Lok-III in Gurgaon and paid a sum of Rs 15 lakh from 1996 to 1998. The Khannas were promised possession of the house in 1999.

But they were disappointed when construction of the ground floor did not start even in 1999. In order to fight this delay, Mrs. Khanna filed a case in September 1999 against Ansal Properties & Industries and Ansal Buildwell in the State Commission. Eight years later in 2007, the National Consumer Court has ordered Ansal’s to either pay compensation or to hand over possession of the flat.

This is just one example. Each day, a number of cases are filed in the consumer court against erring real estate developers. The initial promises made are not duly delivered and it is the consumers who stand at a loss. But there are few things that need to be kept in mind. “

A prospective buyer should check into the developer’s credibility, past projects and performance and delivery record. He should also ensure that the project is funded by a known bank and has all the correct approvals. A buyer is entitled to ask for a copy of the project’s drawings, duly stamped by the municipal authorities. A project that has not met certain minimum standards of completion will not be issued a Completion Certificate by the local authorities,” says Anuj Puri, chairman and country head, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Meghraj.

Justice J D Kapoor, president, State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, agrees that real estate-related disputes are a regular phenomenon at the forum. “Cases abound where constructions have been faulty, excessively delayed or buyers have not been given possession of the said property. In such a situation, most of the times the end-user heads to the consumer court for redressal,” reveals Kapoor.

But there are consumers who also come out with some innovative strategies. In a recent video posted on a video-sharing website, a disgruntled consumer expressed his angst at real estate major Unitech’s UniWorld City in Gurgaon. The township project, which went by the tagline

‘The best in the world for you,’ had boasted of world-class luxury apartments and modern amenities for the buyers. However, the video showed a picture that stands in complete contrast to the promises made by the developer. Cracked and shabbily-finished walls, an unsafe playground area for children, an empty swimming pool and jacuzzi are all reflective of shoddy construction. On his part, Sanjay Chandra, MD, Unitech, says that the complaints have been taken care of. “All the issues have been taken care of now by our team. There may have been some faults in the project but not entirely. The agitation levels of some individuals are higher than that of others and hence they express it in this manner.”

However, developers argue that it is unfair to make a big deal out of minor faults in construction. “We normally bend backwards to keep our consumers happy. We also have a consumer grievance cell wherein the complaints are heard and corrective steps are taken if we see some fairness in them,” says Kunal Bannerji, president, marketing of Ansal API, which also has default cases related to unauthorised land practices pending in the consumer court.

In Bangalore, one of the cases filed with the Consumer Forum includes Bangalore-based BEML Welfare Association. Attracted by the housing scheme floated by the BEML Welfare Association, three buyers decided to purchase property in a layout developed by BEML Welfare Association called ‘BEML Bheemarao Nagar.’ The site cost of Rs 67,200 was paid by the buyers, but none of them were allotted sites in 1999. They then approached the Consumer Redressal Forum. The Consumer Forum after its srutinisations directed BEML in June 2007 to refund the complainants’ money along with an interest.

Clearly, more vigil and awareness about small details are needed from buyers to nip the problems in the bud. Avinash Prabhu, MD of the Bangalore-based Skyline Construction & Housing feels that “the buyer should ensure that the title of the property is okay and the builder has obtained necessary approvals. Also, the quality of materials being used for the construction should be as promised. If the consumer is unhappy, we attend to the complaints and sort out these areas even after the defect liability period is completed so that the customer is satisfied with the end product.” While cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore even see known names in property disputes, Kolkata has a different tale to tell. Here it is mostly the local, small real estate developers which are seen not living up to their promises made while selling apartments in buildings or complexes. Says Pradip Kumar Chopra, director, P S Group, “Consumers can’t ask for quality stuff while purchasing vegetables from an unorganized market at a discounted price. Vegetables and fruits bought from Spencer’s or even Food Bazaar is quality at a price which is marginally higher than the unorganised market. The same logic holds true for property transactions in the real estate sector as well.” The bottomline thus is to keep your ears to the ground. Verifying the developer’s track record and getting the necessary paperwork in place will always keep you in good stead even if things end up going wrong

Made In China

As the world wakes up to the rising strengths of the Chinese and Indian economies, a pressing need has arisen to further bolster the relationships among the youth of the two countries and promote a better understanding of the two cultures and societies

To foster stronger ties among the youth of the two countries and promote a better understanding of the two cultures and societies, a mutual decision was taken by the Chinese President and Indian Prime Minister to send 500 students as part of the exchange program over the next five years. The first 100-member delegation from India who visited China comprised students in the age group of 13-35 and from fields as varied as sports, Chinese language students, social workers, Panchayati Raj workers, students of performing arts, PhD students, engineers from IIT's and youth with special abilities.

Since the time I have visited the beautiful country of China many people have asked me about my trip, I thought I would share some thoughts on the same. As a part of the India-China youth conference 2006, it was indeed a pleasure and honor to be in the august company of some of the countries very best. Well, I arrived back home on September 17^th from China. What an experience it was!

The entire 100 member delegation was a mix of young students, artists and grass root level leaders. From our end it was truly a right mix of age, occupation and interests. Truly an energetic combination to take on the oriental ways. On the Chinese side the stage was set with 4 cities Shanghai, Beijing, Guantzauo and Xian on the anvil. The 10 days were planned in way which would require days of planning and conceptulisation. Be it the Indian or the Chinese governement, the motivation towards a real friendships between the Dragon and the Elephant were true and benign.

As each day folded it had enstore new experiences, exposure towards diversity and objects which were just discussed or observed on paper. The entire vista of a country which is truly big in size, potential and complexities became evident as each day brought more pieces to complete a memorable jigsaw.

As I look back I have fond memories of the trip, the officials, the participants and many more things which are now engrained as a part of an indelible experience .I wish all the future delegations that they also get an opportunity to experience which in one word I can describe as 'Memorable'. I also hope that the two big neighboring giants achieve what they had in mind when the entire novel concept of the Indo-China Youth conference was conceived. I also hope that I get a chance in the future to experience the splendor of a country which the world knows as CHINA

False promises@Ansals

Indian Express News coverage lambasting big bully ANSALS for high handedness and gross injustice meted out to my parents & family

Delay in Handing Over Possession of Flat

11 years on, builders to pay up Rs 37.5 lakhs

New Delhi, July 26: THE National Consumer Commission has directed Ansal Properties and Ansal Buildwell to pay nearly Rs 40 lakhs as compensation to a buyer who did not get her apartment despite paying for it 11 years ago.

In a recent judgment, the Commission directed the builders to pay Rs 7.5 lakhs as compensation for the delay in handing over possession, and Rs 30 lakhs as refund, including simple interest. This makes it one of the country’s single biggest private property compensation cases.

The buyers, however, now plan to file a criminal case against the real estate giants for planning to sell off the property.

On July 9, 1996, Veena Khanna, wife of Dr Sushil Khanna, formerly employed with Ranbaxy, signed an agreement with the builders for an apartment at Oriental Homes in Sushant Lok III, Gurgaon. The total cost entailed Rs 23.33 lakhs.

According to Khanna’s complaint, she paid Rs 15.12 lakhs on different dates till January 16, 1998. There was, however, “no progress in construction” of the 2,000-sq ft, four-bedroom apartment. Ergo, she stopped payment.

The builders had informed Khanna in January 1998 that they would give possession by June 1, 1999. But the flat was neither built nor delivered. The family then sought refund of the deposited amount with compound interest at 18 per cent per annum.

With Ansals refusing to pay, the buyers approached the State Consumer Commission in September 2000.

‘Preferential judgment’ by state commission?

On December 6, 2005, the State Commission directed Ansal Properties and Ansal Buildwell to refund Rs 15.12 lakhs paid by Khanna, with 13 per cent interest for each year since the payments. At the same time, the Commission declared that if the builders “choose to hand over possession of the flat; the order of refund will not come into operation”.

The Khannas then approached the National Commission, seeking adequate compensation for the intervening years, or at least possession of the apartment. “It appears,” Commission president Justice M B Shah observed, “the order passed by the State Commission gave preferable alternative to the opposite parties, and the builder took undue advantage of it.

The National Commission also remarked that the State Commission should have directed the builders to pay an adequate compensation, as well as possession of the same flat or one of similar size.

The panel also ruled that paying interest is “not any compensation because the buyer had taken a loan and was paying it back to the bank”.

Compensation was inadequate: Khannas

The Khannas regard the compensation package inadequate. “Simple interest calculated by the State Commission had been 13 per cent per annum. This does not equal the rise in property rates,” Dr Sushil Khanna said. “That is why we went to the National Commission. Factoring in inflation, the total amount due is actually quite higher.”

Veena Khanna said: “Any delay in possession is disastrous for middle-class salaried buyers. At 1994-95 prices, the booking value for the 195-sq yard plot was Rs 23 lakhs, with an architectural plan for a four-bedroom, 2,000 sq ft apartment. At current value, the amount directed to be paid to us is not even sufficient to buy a one-bedroom accommodation.” The Khannas are also aggrieved that the builders are now planning to sell off the apartment. They now plan to file an FIR with the Connaught Place police, and also approach the Supreme Court.

‘Demand unjustified’

“We have submitted Rs 30 lakhs as directed by the court earlier. The company has not yet decided on the recent compensation order. We also cannot comment on giving possession to the buyers. We believe their demand for both compensation and the flat is unjustified,” said Ansals’ spokesperson Ankit Vishnoi.

Who dare climbs!!

Jack and Jill climbed up the back of a bus

To fetch transport to their nearest way…..

Jack fell down and got mowed down and

Jill came tumbling after……..

As I drive everyday on Delhi roads, the past week I have come across numerous buses loaded more from the outside then inside. You skip a beat as the bus stops close by and you pray a flying human does not fall on your car bumper. Imagine a thin wooden plank being treaded by an elephant. So is the case with numerous Delhites fighting for their much coveted place in their daily mode of transport by holding to back rails and windows of the bus. Delhi buses create a model of efficiency and inefficiency at the same time. Efficiency in terms of the carrying more loads than practically and otherwise possible as we learnt in Engineering. In-efficiency in terms of being a reason for so many deaths. Whatever said and done I feel distressed seeing people in this horrendous situation where they are testing their endurance, patience and most importantly luck. Its ones luck to be blessed by means of having a good family and to be distant from all these daily hurdles and to just trash these daily incidents and ordeals of people as unwanted nuisance. But an eye-opener if you subjected to the same.

It’s saddening to see Delhi depend and suffer due to a single mode of transport, i.e blue line buses. It’s a catch 22 situation. You hate them but cannot live without them. At one point you have the blue-lines who the media and spate of accidents have branded a killer on road while on the other hand support to aid a substantial part of the Delhi populace for essential daily transport. The Delhi govt plays a populist move and snap the city transport goes for a toss. There needs to be solution than a postponement and escapist solution. At the end of the day it’s the lower income groups which are suffering even more as the autos have started to fleece the customer’s inspite of the recent rate hike. Also the DTC is on way to overcharge customers a common rate for transport on a particular route irrespective of the point at which you get in.

I think certain steps can go a long way in improving the situation:

1. There should be a fleet of certified and trained drivers by a government institute for both DTC and blue lines
2. A compulsory monthly certified free checkup of the condition of the vehicle will go a long way in improving the condition of the fleet and the quality of travel.
3. An incentive based pay structure which is directly proportional to the lesser number of rules, laws and compulsory clauses that one breaks. This would reduce any competition amongst buses on similar routes which might reduce over speeding.
4. As a matter of fact the maximum accident deaths in Delhi happen on account of 2 wheeler deaths. This means bus related accidents affect 2 wheelers the most.
5. This calls for focus on 2 wheeler driving and safety more than just rash bus driving.
6. The HCBS(high capacity bus service and spreading Metro link might soothe the confusion too

I hope he coming days see’s the situation improving and especially for people who wait in this muggy weather fighting and jostling for space in these buses and hanging to the perilous edge.

I

Million Dollar Baby

I came across some facts about Warren Buffet who in the past was the 2nd richest man in the world.The one thing which many of us might be knowing is that he donated $31 billion to charity. I do not know whether these are absolute true facts or not but are interesting nonetheless:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers. 3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your lives as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather. F. After all it's your life then why give chance to others to rule our lives.

Though many of us have studied or observed how one needs to invest money in stocks, very few would have succeded in real life.So I do not think that a run down from the man himself would do any harm.Warren Buffet's style comes from Benjamin Graham school of value investing. Value investors look for securities with prices that are unjustifiably low based on their intrinsic worth. When discussing stocks, determining intrinsic value can be a bit tricky as there is no universally accepted way to obtain this figure. Most often intrinsic worth is estimated by analyzing a company's fundamentals. Like bargain hunters, value investors seek products that are beneficial and of high quality but underpriced. In other words, the value investor searches for stocks that he or she believes are undervalued by the market. Like the bargain hunter, the value investor tries to find those items that are valuable but not recognized as such by the majority of other buyers. Warren Buffett takes this value investing approach to another level. Many value investors aren't supporters of the efficient market hypothesis, but they do trust that the market will eventually start to favor those quality stocks that were, for a time, undervalued. Buffett, however, doesn't think in these terms. He isn't concerned with the supply and demand intricacies of the stock market. In fact, he's not really concerned with the activities of the stock market at all. This is the implication this paraphrase of his famous quote : "In the short term the market is a popularity contest; in the long term it is a weighing machine. He chooses stocks solely on the basis of their overall potential as a company - he looks at each as a whole. Holding these stocks as a long-term play, Buffett seeks not capital gain but ownership in quality companies extremely capable of generating earnings. When Buffett invests in a company, he isn't concerned with whether the market will eventually recognize its worth; he is concerned with how well that company can make money as a business. Lets look as to how Buffett finds low-priced value by asking himself some questions when he evaluates the relationship between a stock's level of excellence and its price. Keep in mind that these are not the only things he analyzes but rather a brief summary of what Buffett looks for:

1. Has the company consistently performed well? Sometimes return on equity (ROE) is referred to as "stockholder's return on investment". It reveals the rate at which shareholders are earning income on their shares. Buffett always looks at ROE to see whether or not a company has consistently performed well in comparison to other companies in the same industry. ROE is calculated as follows: = Net Income/Shareholder's Equity.Looking at the ROE in just the last year isn't enough. The investor should view the ROE from the past five to 10 years to get a good idea of historical performance.

2. Has the company avoided excess debt? The debt/equity ratio is another key characteristic Buffett considers carefully. Buffett prefers to see a small amount of debt so that earnings growth is being generated from shareholders' equity as opposed to borrowed money. The debt/equity ratio is calculated as follows: = Total Liabilities /Shareholders' Equity This ratio shows the proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets, and the higher the ratio, the more debt - rather than equity - is financing the company. A high level of debt compared to equity can result in volatile earnings and large interest expenses. For a more stringent test, investors sometimes use only long-term debt instead of total liabilities in the calculation above.

3. Are profit margins high? Are they increasing? The profitability of a company depends not only on having a good profit margin but also on consistently increasing this profit margin. This margin is calculated by dividing net income by net sales. To get a good indication of historical profit margins, investors should look back at least five years. A high profit margin indicates the company is executing its business well, but increasing margins means management has been extremely efficient and successful at controlling expenses.

4. How long has the company been public? Buffett typically considers only companies that have been around for at least 10 years. As a result, most of the technology companies that have had their initial public offerings (IPOs) in the past decade wouldn't get on Buffett's radar .It makes sense that one of Buffet's criteria is longevity: value investing means looking at companies that have stood the test of time but are currently undervalued. Never underestimate the value of historical performance, which demonstrates the company's ability (or inability) to increase shareholder value. Do keep in mind, however, that the past performance of a stock does not guarantee future performance - the job of the value investor is to determine how well the company can perform as well as it did in the past. Determining this is inherently tricky, but evidently Buffett is very good at it.

5. Do the company's products rely on a commodity? Initially you might think of this question as a radical approach to narrowing down a company. Buffett, however, sees this question as an important one. He tends to shy away (but not always) from companies whose products are indistinguishable from those of competitors, and those that rely solely on a commodity such as oil and gas. If the company does not offer anything different than another firm within the same industry, Buffett sees little that sets the company apart. Any characteristic that is hard to replicate is what Buffett calls a company's economic moat, or competitive advantage. The wider the moat, the tougher it is for a competitor to gain market share.

6. Is the stock selling at a 25% discount to its real value? Finding companies that meet the other five criteria is one thing, but determining whether they are undervalued is the most difficult part of value investing, and Buffett's most important skill. To check this, an investor must determine the intrinsic value of a company by analyzing a number of business fundamentals, including earnings, revenues and assets. And a company's intrinsic value is usually higher (and more complicated) than its liquidation value - what a company would be worth if it were broken up and sold today. The liquidation value doesn't include intangibles such as the value of a brand name, which is not directly stated on the financial statements. Once Buffett determines the intrinsic value of the company as a whole, he compares it to its current market capitalization - the current total worth (price). If his measurement of intrinsic value is at least 25% higher than the company's market capitalization, Buffett sees the company as one that has value. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, Buffett's success, however, depends on his unmatched skill in accurately determining this intrinsic value. While one can outline some of his criteria, we have no way of knowing exactly how he gained such precise mastery of calculating value.
I

Nice piece of salad

1000's of trucks, 100’s of stray cattle, variety of colors and smell, stagnant water, innumerable insects and a chance to see ,observe and study human behavior and existence. These are some of the several things I recall of my latest visit to Azadpur Mandi.


The sheer size of this mandi which is the biggest fruit and vegetable mandi in the Asia has its 2 entry points separated by a Km and the internal market runs into infinity distance.
People are care-free and ignorant about their daily surroundings which might give shivers to any normal Delhi residential being. Mum used to say that wash your veggies before you eat; well I say use a detergent or even a stronger solution lest you want some cow dung bacteria or human excreta remains on your food Palette.


Some of the many interesting facets which I saw and which I would love to share:

1.There were hordes of people who were stepping on vegetables especially green leafy and there were countless others who were buying the same
2. Many vendors buy the waste,i.e unsold stuff from big vendors which is later sold to some of you in your respective colonies
3. The entire market is unorganized and works on word of mouth.
4. 1000-2000 trucks enter Azadpur everyday
5. It is perennially open 24*7*365 days
I was curious to find out as to the origin of the name of the market "Azadpur".An interesting factoid which was told to me was that during the struggle for independence this part of the Delhi was able to support mutinies as it was still a big vegetable marketplace and thereby the name 'Azadpur'.

But my visit to this place of sustenance for many left me with a bad taste. The apathy shown by people trading here as well as APMC (Agricultural Produce marketing committee) is shocking. There are no civic amenities provided here be it water, sanitation and proper sewage .The place is a mess and seems to be getting crushed into oblivion with time. Light rains make roads clogged and un approachable; forget the stench which emanates from rotting vegetables. It’s a disappointing that this vegetable basket, the largest in Asia and a blood line for many states is in a dismal state with its name clearly representing something which is a matter of past......I

illusion till Eternity

Can all things around make sense to you sometimes. What I basically mean is there is a chance that all what you come across in life is beneficial and right for you. I do not see or expect my mental analysis of situations to tell me that and that is why I feel the need to ask as whether truth and benefits in life are an illusions we seek or are they achievable by overpowering mental hurdles which one does not want to conquer because of fear of the unknown.

I think everyone is trapped somewhere between the realm of the current state of existence and the 'want to be' state of existence. The pursuit of Happiness is endless for many and different in defination.Is it that simple and achievable.

I came across an interesting article which said that Chronos is clocks, deadlines, watches, calendars, agendas, planners, schedules, beepers. Chronos is time at her worst.Chronos keeps track. ...Chronos is the world's time. Kairos is transcendence, infinity, reverence, joy, passion, love, the Sacred. Kairos is intimacy with the Real. Kairos is time at her best. ...Kairos is Spirit's time. We exist in chronos. We long for kairos. That's our duality. Chronos requires speed so that it won't be wasted. Kairos requires space so that it might be savored. We do in chronos. In kairos we're allowed to be ... It takes only a moment to cross over from chronos into kairos, but it does take a moment which I think is hard to realize and come by. All that kairos asks is our willingness to stop running long enough to hear the music which brings real happiness.
Think about it.........
I