We see a lot of movies made on cops. In India especially Bollywood/Tollywood movies, the majority of them portray cops in a negative light, of course there are small exceptions.

We had an altercation with our neighbour and I visited the Police Station to lodge a complaint. It was the worst experience and I believe that one should have guts of steel to visit a police station in India. There were people sitting on the floor and then a senior cop comes out. He starts shouting at the people crouched on the floor and starts hitting them with his shoes. The Sub Inspector of Police whom I went to meet seemed to fly into a rage at the drop of a hat. In the span ranging from a few minutes to hours there were people dropping in with all sorts of horror stories. It seems it was too much for the SI and he was losing his cool.

This cop walks out and starts beating up a man with a bamboo stick right in front of everyone. I felt sick in my stomach. What else can I say except that it was a nauseating experience. I met this guy who had lost his passport and wanted the cops signature for getting his duplicate passport issued. He has been visiting the Police Station for the past 4 days and was supposed to travel to UK in a weeks time. I asked him about his experience dealing with the cops. He pointed at one of the constables and told me that he is the worst guy he has dealt with. This cop was asking him money for getting a duplicate passport issued. I felt sorry for the guy.

There was this lady who visited the Police Station to complain against her drunken husband who was subjecting her to physical and verbal abuse. The lady asked me whether it was okay to file charges against her husband. I told her that if she kept quiet, things are only going to get worse. She was apprehensive that her husband would be released after a few days in detention and then torture her even more.

She was from a poor family and the police it seems were not willing to register her complaint. She was sobbing along with her mother. I felt the pain of the lady.

Overall the impression which Indians have about Indians cops seems more or less correct. Reality bites and in India it bites hard.
(Image Source: http://media.photobucket.com/image/cops/TRAVi3SO_702/643_oh_no_its_the_cops-1.jpg?o=14)

The scorching summer sun has made life miserable with temperatures hovering around 40+ degrees especially in cities like Hyderabad. Coupled with power cuts it keeps getting worse. On the lighter side, I go to work daily but with the crazy summer going to office has become a compulsion coz that's where you can enjoy the comfort of an air conditioned environment without paying the attendant electricity bills :)

(Image source: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/sun_main.jpg)
The election results were announced on 16th May and personally I am disappointed with the results. I am not sure where my vote went and literally puzzled at the voting trends of the people. I am not insulting their intelligence here but not sure whether they voted with their head or heart. The one saving grace is that the Left parties will no longer be a part of the government and remote controlling every decision of the government.

The world's largest electoral democracy as we know, went to the polls today. 1st phase polling was held today and I was more than enthusiastic casting my vote. The last time I cast my vote was in 1998 when we had a paper ballot system.

This time the excitement was all the more palpable as I was curious to know about the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). We may not be a perfect democracy looking at the way money and liquor has been used to woo the voters. However seeing the indelible mark on my finger I am proud of the fact that when we compare ourselves to our neighbours we are much better off atleast in having a say in electing our representatives.

The EVM is a simple machine which records our vote at the press of a button in a jiffy. People will miss the excitement of putting a stamp on the ballot paper but things change. Technology has played a large role in reducing wastage of time, efficient reuse of resources and faster declaration of results. The EVM is one such device which is also user friendly.

Holding such a mammoth election exercise is no small feat. The credit truly must go to the Election Commission of India which has a come a long way from being a silent spectator to becoming the people's watchdog.
(Image source: http://www.bel-india.com/BELWebsite/images/EVM.jpg)

Beleaguered, tainted, fraud-hit...these are some of the words which were used to describe Satyam (my employer). Satyam scam as Prannoy Roy of NDTV rightly put it was actually a Raju scam. Satyam is a great company. Truth they say has a ring to it. Nothing is farther from truth.

As an employee of the company I am relieved that we have finally found a new owner in Tech Mahindra. I admire Anand Mahindra (Chairman of the Mahindra group) for turning around the company when it was in the dumps a few years back. Launching the Scorpio was a calculated risk which not only restored the company's brand image but also made an impact on the export market.

Taking over of Satyam is just the beginning. The tough challenge lies ahead. There is one positive thing about the whole process. That even though Satyam fraud was a blot on India's corporate image, the redeeming feature has been that the government hasn't nationalized the company and allowed the market forces to dictate the agenda. It did supersede the board but that was quite understandable and the need of the hour.
(Image source:http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/satyam-logo.jpg)

I turned a year older yesterday. When I look back at the years gone by, it's been one hell of a roller coaster journey. Of course there have been moments of pain and moments of ecstasy.

I am not sure what's in store for this year however it will be my endeavour to achieve the best possible result. I celebrated my birthday by distributing toffees to my colleagues and then cutting a cake once I reached home. It was a double delight for me as I also received my Business Management Program certification although it was only of 2 months duration :)

How does one feel when their eyes feast on the lush green grass. For the past 2 days I worked hard to recreate a mini garden just in front of my house. I have this satisfaction that whatever I visualized has come true. It did burn a hole in my pocket but in the end it was worth it.

We engaged some labourers to to excavate the earth which was littered with concrete and replace it with freshly dug out red mud. The carpet grass was then laid on the mud and wow it's just looking awesome. There was some cute plants planted in between the grass. Our neighbours can just look and stare :)
(Image Source: http://www.chemistryland.com/CHM107Lab/Lab5/Soil/green_grass.jpg)

What's it about hair that makes people go nuts. Today when I was commuting by bus I saw a lady with scanty hair on her head. She was obviously losing hair very fast. Her forehead was bare and clearly visible. I wondered as to what was going through her mind when people were staring at her.


One of the worst nightmares which everyone has when it comes to their appearance is about their crowning glory. We all love people who have beautiful hair and empathize with those who don't. Katrina Kaif, Sushmitha Sen, Priyanka Chopra, Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty are some of the celebrities who come to mind when one thinks of beautiful hair. Hritik Roshan in one of his candid interviews has stated that his worst fear was of losing hear. Well we know why...here is a clue...Papa Rakesh Roshan :) So it's all in the genes did one say.

People fear the worst when they start losing hair. Even I am sometimes apprehensive about my hair but touchwood so far except for the slight hair loss near my temple there hasn't been any serious concern. Hang on...Bald is in too. Look at Vin Diesel. So people needn't despair :)
(Image Source: http://www.hairfinder.com/)

Over the past 4 weeks, I have been hitting the gym quite frequently. It's been more than a year since I left gymming. Ever since I have come back home, the growing sign of prosperity has been my paunch. Thanks to mom's pampering, I have gained a good amount of fat especially in the abdomen area.

I was alarmed when I looked at my paunch and decided to take action. It's been a lot of hardwork but the results have begun to show. My waistline has started to trim down and my stamina has increased. I also feel a bit lighter and energetic. There is a spring in my stride. Now my effort is to maintain the consistency so that I get a lean and mean body. My favorite is the cardio where I burn upto 240 calories and then the workout for the abs. The weight training part takes care of the muscles.
(Image source: http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/pure/_flash/images/gym.jpg)

Yes we can...

Today it's history in the making. The United States of America will be getting its 44th president, the one with an unusual name Barack Hussein Obama and the first black president.

I am writing this even as I am glued to the television watching Obama's presidential inauguration.


Presidents come and go but they rarely influence the thinking of people outside America. This time around there is an excitement in the air and I can literally feel it. When Clinton became POTUS (President of the United States) he was very popular but his election was seen by many especially outside the U.S as just a change which ushered in a popular man at the helm .

(Image source: http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/barack_obama.jpg)

George Bush during his eight years tenure might not have made many friends but yes, there was no dearth of enemies :) As an Indian though, I feel that we may have lost a good friend in the white house but yes who knows about the future.

I have keenly followed Obama's journey from the time he won primaries of the democratic party to finally winning the party nomination. He may be inexperienced when compared to his peers but he showed that "Change is indeed possible". His slogan "Yes we can" and strong oratorical skills resonated across the american people and the world. The message of change saw many an experienced veteran like Hillary Clinton, John Mc Cain and other opponents who saw Obama as a novice bite the dust. The tide has turned and how.

What has particularly impressed me is that Obama charted a different path by taking into his cabinet those people who didn't have any good things to say about him particularly during the intense and bruising primaries. Hillary Clinton, his bitter critic and opponent is the Secretary of State designate. He has retained Robert Gates as the defence secretary. His other appointments has been equally impressive. His "Cabinet of Rivals" approach is refreshing. Sure there were questions asked as to what change does one bring by nominating same old faces in their cabinet. But then Obama also recognised the fact that people like Hillary can be an invaluable asset with their impressive credentials. His choice of Vice-President elect Biden for his foreign policy experience was spot on. Contrast that to Sarah Palin.

The only thing to watch out is once the excitement dies down, will Obama who has enormous expectations from the people live upto it? This is a question only time can tell. But for now we can only say that "Change has indeed come to America"

Stealing is a crime. What I did today, definitely can be termed stealing. I was looking for this vaccum catcher which one can stick on the glass. The first time I went to the supermarket looking for it, I couldn't purchase it as it didn't have a bar-code. Now I desperately needed it for the small teddy bear I had purchased.

Cut to today, I had made my mind to somehow steal the catcher. Except for a minor hiccup I did succeed. Even though it was a small damaged vaccum catcher, my conscience was wracked with guilt. As I tried to pocket it, I warily looked at the overhead cameras and then when I assumed I was safe headed towards the checkout counter. I could only take a deep breath after coming out of the super market. But it's definitely not a good idea. I still can't believe that I did such a thing but I realized that everyone does have an inner conscience, the one which we had read in our Moral Science text books at school.

The last week has been quite dramatic. My employer seems to be in trouble and it has come as a shock not only to me but also thousands of employees. These are challenging times and we are in the midst of a recesssion.

Well never expected such a thing to happen but it's always better to be prepared. Moving on to another topic. Slumdog Millionaire is one movie I am very eager to watch. I am hoping and praying that I get to watch it first day, first show.

Bye bye 2008 and welcome 2009. I am not sure what to look forward to in the New Year. However what I do wish is that our cities and the world should be relatively peaceful and safer. On the personal front, I do have a wishlist. Things which didn't happen last year I am hoping will work out this year :)

Two small girls are searching for something in their house when they stumble on a vintage old coin. Excited by the find they take a stroll outside the street and sight a vendor selling a coloured ice candy. Unable to resist the temptation the girls give the old coin to the vendor. The vendor thinks that it's a worthless coin and returns it to the girls.

The girls are disappointed and sit alongside the pavement. A boy approaches them and gets to know the problem. He takes the coin from the girls and rides his bicycle to the nearest antique shop. He gets some money in exchange for the old coin from the antique vendor. He gifts the coloured ice candy to the two girls. The girls are pleasantly surprised and one can sense their gratitude to the boy through their expressive eyes. This is an ad for Tata Capital. It's a very touching ad which sends a message in a subtle way.

The last couple of days my dinner has been taken care of. I attended a wedding on friday night and a family outing on Saturday night which was sponsored by my sister's employer Google. I have been gorging on food and seen my waistline expand.

And today there is one more wedding I have to attend. Last night was truly knocking. There was fun and frolic at Jal Vihar a hangout at the necklace road near Hussainsagar lake. After a long time I grooved to the music and shook my leg :) The only sore point was the stench pervading the air obviously from the lake. It's sad that lake which was one of the main attractions of the twin cities has turned to a dumping ground for industrial effluents. People too have played a part by littering the waste.

(Image source: Yahoo news)

My favourite channel now-a-days is NDTV and CNN-IBN closely following the news on Mumbai terror attacks. The sight of slain NSG Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's mother caressing and kissing her son oblivious to the attention of people nearby was poignant and touching.

The small baby which lost its jewish parents and was rescued by a nanny or a family of five which lost its sole bread winner makes you wonder what's it that the terrorists have gained by wreaking such mayhem whatever their cause. No matter which religion they belong to...killing, maiming or slaughtering innocents is definitely not on. I have not seen heaven or hell however if the terrorists were sure their acts would become a pathway to heaven, no it isn't...they deserve to burn in hell.

I am back afer a long hiatus. The last blog I published was in October. Today I completed 1 year with my current organization. I believe that is a milestone considering my track record :)

The events of the last few weeks has been quite tragic. There was the terror attacks apart from the deepening global recession. In these times of job cuts, one must count their blessings if people still hold on to their jobs forget about the promotions :(

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also popularly referred to as Mahatma Gandhi is someone I used to hate as a kid. I held him responsible for the partition of the country. Now after having grown up as an adult I do realize that I was wrong. I still disagree with some of his views however I think he was the greatest man who walked on the face of the earth.


When you read the everyday newspaper's which are filled with stories of deaths, deaths and more deaths we wish if Mahatma was there with us. We have become intolerant to criticism, fly into a rage at the drop of a hat and being self centered has become the hallmark of everyday life.

Youth nowadays earn more money than their previous generation however somewhere deep down there is a feeling of restlessness. Gandhi may not be here but atleast we can make this world a better place by being civil to each other and resolving our disputes peacefully.

One of my all time favorites since childhood is the elephant headed god. Yes I am talking about Ganesha also more popularly referred to as Vinayaka. There is an inherent charm in him. I have a small one on my car's dashboard. I remember as a kid, the first time I was actively involved in collecting funds for setting up the ganesh pandal in our neighbourhood. It was fun.


Many years have passed by since then. Today is the immersion day for the ganesh idols and that makes me think whether immersing idols made of plaster of paris, tons of steel and paint in the water bodies, lakes or seas is the right thing to do. It's an ecological disaster as the plaster of paris pollutes the lake/sea-bed killing the marine life and gradually leads to the destruction of lakes.


I understand the religious fervour and devotion with which people revere Ganesha however they should ask themselves whether they are doing the right thing. I am sure even Ganesha wouldn't approve of it. Instead people can opt for the the clay based ganesha idols which are eco-friendly. I hope when the festival comes around next year, people will warm up to the idea and be sensitive towards our environment.

Since my growing up years whenever August 15th nears, it was a bit of my favorite pasttime to not miss the unfurling of our tri-color on the national television which at that time and now is mostly on Doordarshan channel. However for the past couple of years I have been giving it a miss. I am not sure about the exact reason.

Patriotism is still there however I also have become aware of the ground realities. As Chetan Bhagat (author of "One night at a call centre" and "3 mistakes of my life") rightly says in a Times of India article we still have a long way to go before claiming the tag of a super power. All this words of Indian middle class and India shining looks so hollow. Till the other day I was happy about the status of roads in Hyderabad. Then something happened.

The monsoon sets in and after a prolonged shower of rains the roads are mostly washed out. It's a bumpy ride with craters and potholes. I guess driving on the moon would have been a lot better :) As you wait at the traffic signal the endless sight of small children hawking their wares when they must be in school, disabled and the beggars makes your stomach churn. As an Indian who has lived abroad, I always think why should people emigrate if we can provide equal opportunities, have a world class infrastructure, provide a decent education and social security to everyone. This is something which looks so remote now however if we work at it, it ain't that tough a task to achieve.

There is also another important thing we need to emulate from the west. One of them is civic sense. The other is peaceful co-existence. Why should people kill each other in the name of religion. We are a religious country, there's no doubt about it, however when it becomes an obstacle in the path of prosperity and development we are better off without it. The thought is a bit radical but it's something whose time has come.

I have finished reading The Alchemist. It's been quite a while now since I have read a book. What a fascinating journey it has been from the plains of Andalusia to the deserts of Egypt. I found myself in the shoes of Santiago the shepherd boy of Andalusia. My apetite has not been whetted yet and to tell you in one line "Yeh Dil Mange More"



Last weekend I saw the movie "The Dark Knight" at Prasads Imax, Hyderabad (One of the few Imax theatres in the country). The cape crusader i.e. Batman (Christian Bale) meets his match in the Joker (Heath Ledger). As a movie review in the newspaper says Batman may be the hero but the real shining knight is the villain aka Joker played by Heath Ledger. What a mesmerising performance it was. Sad but true that Heath won't be there to see it. Other notable performances like Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) the Mayor of Gotham city who loses his beloved (Maggie Gylenhall) and becomes Harvey 2 faced lend the movie a charm of its won.

The movie based on the marvel comic series comes alive with the Joker's histrionics. Between good and evil the Joker tries hard to make people fallible and almost succeeds with Harvey Dent. The action, script and the memorable performances by the lead actors make this one of those rare movies which gets everything right.

Batman spreading his wings after jumping from a skyscraper, conversion of the batmobile into a bike, the truck getting turned upside down are some of the cool action sequences in the movie. One should definitely watch this movie on a big screen like Imax coz its definitely worth every penny spent.

It has been raining for the past few days and I am quite happy about it. Happy...well for people living in the cities who curse the rain, the power shortages should give them a reality check. We keep cribbing about the rain however we hardly realize how important it is to have regular rainfall. We need the rains for generating hydel power, farmers need it for cultivating crops and last but not the least it's the source of precious drinking water. One of the reasons I guess people hate the monsoon especially in the cities is due to the creaking infrastructure in developing countries like India.

This Saturday and Sunday I have been mostly at home. Bomb blasts first in Bangalore and the next consecutive day in Ahmedabad, added with the government apathy our cities are becoming increasingly unsafe to live in.

Coming back to the rains, the weather is so pleasant, you don't feel like getting up in the morning. It's like the cozy bed and the blanket is a paradise you love to be cocooned in forever :)

My IELTS results were out on 27th June exactly 13 days after the test. Now the results were a surprise or to be precise I can say it was a mixed bag. Speaking, my first test which I feared would be my worst performance I scored 8 out of 9. Ditto for Listening. Now comes the worst part.

I scored 6.5 in Reading and 7.5 in writing. The overall band score was 7.5 which is not bad however I was expecting something more.

The other news from my end is I bought a new bicycle 2 weeks back. It's from Atlas and has got a spring suspension to handle the bumpy ride which it surely does :). Riding a bicycle is so liberating. Now everyday in the morning I go for a bicycle ride. I avoid taking the main highway and when I need to cross the road, I just walk along with my bicycle instead of pedalling.

It's been more than 8 years now since I rode a bicycle. The cool breeze in the mornings and the thrill of cycling...you just can't beat it. Lastly I am also proud of the fact that I am not contributing to the environment pollution and the most compelling reason is to burn the calories.


The other interest I have picked up is reading a book after a long time. The book is titled "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho . I am half-way through the book and it's captivating enough. The book has sold 30 million copies worldwide and rightfully so. The surprise package is the author who is not a white man from a western country but a Brazilian. It just shows that there is still so much of talent even in the developing countries and it's not the exclusive preserve of the west.