In the name of welfare - A chapter for Freakonomics

A survey done by the Excise Dept. in Tamil Nadu some time in the mid 1970s gave an estimate of yearly liquor consumption of 25 lac litres in the state. While the figure for Karnataka stood at 75 lac litres. A repeat survey after a decade showed an increase in consumption of around 10,000 litre in Karnataka while Tamil Nadu during this period had overtaken Kaarnatka.

The figures shocked the whole state as this was a period when prohibition act was in force. Every department took whatever measures it could and gave all kinds of explanations.

But as Levitt says – “You need to talk to the right people and look at the right data to get the right answers”.

Following is an excerpt from an interview with a laborer conducted by an organization doing field survey to unravel the causes. This one interview unraveled facts which went on to solve this whole mystery –

Q. How much do you earn in a day?
A. Rs. 12 - 13

Q. How many people are there in your family?
A. Eight. My four children, my parents, myself and my wife.

Q. How much do you spend on food daily?
A. Rs. 6

Q. Rs. 6 for a family of 8! Is it enough?
A. Sir, we belong to a "special class" of people according to the Govt.* My children are entitled for a meal in the school, my parents under Old age pensioners (OAP) scheme are entitled for free rice while my wife being pregnant now and then also falls under one or the other program of Aanganwaadi.

This was a big slap on the face of Welfare Activists.

So much in the name of welfare.


*He was trying to point out that he fell under BPL families category.

Disclaimer: This complete story is an excerpt of an interview with a director of a prominent NGO for whom I was doing consultancy on a project. In the process of capturing the theme I might have distorted a few facts. Kindly ignore them.

One Night @ The Call Centre

A 289 pager by Chetan Bhagat, the author who shot to fame through his 5 point someone. I admired the way the book was advertised by the promoters even before the launch and so couldn’t keep my hands off the book as soon as I saw it on the stands.
As expected, Chetan hasn’t changed his witty, dark writing style. But his overemphasis on this style makes him sound very clichéd at times. The best thing about the novel is its strong characterization.
A story knitted around 6 call centre agents’ life; I prefer calling it ‘One Shift’ rather than ‘One Night’ when almost the hell breaks loose on them.
Chetan, through his character Vroom, has epitomized the discussion for pros and cons of call centre boom in India. While other characters add on spice to the story, through Shyam, Chetan seems to have addressed a problem which almost each one of us is going to face – a bad boss.
On the whole, the purpose of the novel is quiet noble - "To make the youth of today more conscious of the choices one makes in life". But 289 pages leads to over dramatization and the story seems to drag at various points.
I would rate it 3 out of 5.

Bhopal: A case on Brand Management

1945 - 2 big cities of Japan were nuked to ashes. 2 decades later, if one talked about Japan he only talked about its technological and Business Acumen. "Hiroshima and Nagasaki" were burried with the dead in the summer of 1945.
21 years have passed but even today if you hear of Bhopal, you recall the bloddy night of 3rd Dec 1984 and the events that followed (The Bhopal Gas Tragedy). Somehow the name Bhopal leaves a bad taste on ones tongue.
An accidental journey through the city of Bhopal (better known as The City of Lakes) left me spellbound with its natural beauty. I have already seen a number of Jaws fall when I tell them about the beauty of Bhopal.

The semi mountanious terrain of Bhopal gives a feeling of troting on a hill station. A panoramic view from the top of "Manav Sanghralya" (a unique mueseum which is a remake of traditional lifestyles) over the 'Baddi Jheel' leaves one wondering if it was really true.

But even 21 years later, a majrity of the world hasn't seen or even realized this face of Bhopal. Even being a state capital hasn't changed its perception much.
These Politicians and bureaucrats seem to need real good lesons in Brand management and a few case studies like that of Tyenol (The famous J&J drug crisis).

Birthday Thoughts

There are few things I have been always confused of. And celebrating birthdays is one of them.
Now, what do you think is the best way to celebrate a birthday -
1. Party around-cutting cake, blowing candles, dacing whole day long.....
2. Organize a Hawan in your house or any kind of Pooja (Prayer)....
3. Distribute clothes and food to the needy....

Or is there still a better way?

I always prided myself that I am not the normal kind who goes on banging his head whole night long just because one more year of my life was wasted. I always believed that blow off a candle, is a sort of signalling Darkness to overcome your life. So, its better to light up a 'Diya' and invite a bright future.

This break, Preeti knocked me with a brilliant thought -
"Manu, don't you think that B'days are days when we must actually thank our parents to bring us into this world? Don't you think its we who should give presents to our parents rather than the other way round? Isn't it a day to be celebrated in honour of our parents rather than ours?.........."

Now this is something which never crossed my mind...........

One Stupid Day!

To:

preetikoushish@yahoo.com

What if I was the child in the photograph; What if I as a six year old, I had to be on the run, separated from my family because terrorists were behind my father (its a true incident); What if I had to be a breadearner for my family and dropout of the school after eigth (again a true incident).

One stupid day - one stupid paper - is that all that makes you the BEST!!!! Some would call it destiny and some might call it luck.
But this one thought has troubled me for quiet long now.

Even I, like all others have worked hard to get here. But it just happened that for all of us, the things fell into the right places at the right time. And now if I am at the right place,shouldn't I put my skills to the best use?

Would selling toothpates and soaps be a proper utilization or would simply making money for people who won't ned it anyways be a proper utilization? Just have a closer look at the photograph above and tell me!

"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

My Favourite Poetry

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

-Rudyard Kypling

Happy Diwali

In Hindu Mythology there are 33 crore Gods and Godesses. If one has to simply recite the name of all of them, it will take him 10 years and 167.44 days (assuming it takes 1 second to recite one name).

Lord Vishnu, according to Hindu mythology is the one who looks after this world created by Brahma and destined to be destroyed by Shiva. I remember my mother telling me that Diwali is one occasion when all the Gods and Godesses assemble in Ayodhya to celebrate Lord Rama's return to his home. She always inspired me to devote my maximum time praying to God on this day coz if some God/godess is passing by, may be if he/she listens to me, he/she might drop in. :-)
Nice naa.......

Evrytime I visit a shrine i always have a list of things to ask from God but whenever I am infront of him I find myself completely at loss of words. I just wonder what would happen if he/she decides to drop in sometime :-)

On this Diwali may everyone is ganted his wishes!!!
Jai Siya Ram ji

Who Was Responsible?

Refrences to this post -
1. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1525714,0006.htm
2. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051015/jal.htm#2

For the last two days, i have been trying to write down this post. But the issue is so sensitive that everytime I start it, I find myself at a loss of words.

Seriously, being runover by a train is not the way I would like to die. Its very difficult to understand the kind of stress Amit was in when he took such a decision. Moeover unless the graphologists analyze the suicide note, I won't deny any kind of foul play either.

Having a fair knowledge of all the things happening out there, every now and then i would ask myself one question - Who do you think was responsible? And everytime I get the same answer - the Parents.

I have seen a similar situation in my house when my cousin brother got enrolled with NIT Bhopal in 95. But the way his father handeled the situation is what I admire him for. He didn't hesitate to write even to the President of India about the incidents which made his son leave the college.

In Amit's case I am surprised that his parents didn't even bother to bring the case to the notice of the college authorities. As far as my experience and judgement of my Alma Mater goes, there are all kinds of people out there. But rationals overweigh.

I have been through all those ragging drills myself. Its hard to be alone out there. During ragging, life is like a pressure cooker with emotions boiling inside. What you need is a small vent to blow them off. A child simply needs an assurance that his parents are always there when he needs them. But it seems that this option for Amit was closed.

I am no psychologist and leave Amit's case to their best judgement. But its hard for me to imagine my present life without the support of my parents. I would surely have been as good as dead.

Amit, May your soul rest in peace!

Check Check Check......

Ohh....
Seems like its working...... Ok. Lights! Action...

Some time back in one of the HR classes I attended, there was a real heated discussion on the pros and cons of blogging. Since then I have been debating that should I or shouldn't I start it myself. Though late but I don't regret that I finally decided in favour. I guess I must thank jam, Chandoo and Govar whose blogs have been an inspiration.

For quiet a long time I have believed that "Whenever you open up your mouth, you let the world look into yourself". But the place where i have reached today, I feel its important to speak, to let others know what you think and what you believe in.

Let me see if I can do some justice to this extremly amazing mode of communication which is almost on the verge of redefining this world.