Ambition, Discipline, Satisfaction and One ness

Why does life seem a struggle every day? Why do I wish to get up early and tend to sleep late every day? Why is the mind filled with so many conflicting desires? Why do I worry about my work from morning to evening but rarely I does any productive work? Why at one moment I become a votary of discipline and at the next moment becomes the most indisciplined guy around? Why are so many minds operate at once? Why is there no oneness? How can I achieve that oneness and that simplicity of the mind? Can there ever be a voluntary oneness of the mind? Can the mind be a simple thing? 

How come one ever become content about his life? A truly content person would become a sadhu because come what may he will not lose his contentment. Whether he gets his food or he earns his money or he gets some work done, a content person will be content irrespective of the outcome. But won't that make him a beggar? How does contentment relates to action? How does contentment relates to discipline? If I am content then why do I need to be disciplined? and If I am disciplined, how can I call myself content?

It is like a black hole. It is about consciousness. It is about free will. It is about awareness.  It is about acceptance. It is about truthful admission of not being aware about what do you want? Possibly, It is about being honest in not knowing about what you want from life? It is about accepting that you are neither content nor disciplined. It is about loving the fact that you are not sure about your life and be OK with it. It is about Just Chill.

Corona Diaries

Official Corona count has reached to 17 Lakh today. More than 55000 people were reported to be infected on a daily basis. But India has begun unlock and people are roaming on the streets carelessly. The mask has become like a Helmet. People wear it not for the purpose of safety but for the purpose of avoiding challans and penalties. The government, police, people are clueless about the seriousness of the disease.

 On one hand, the government has restricted the number of people at the wedding to 50 and people at the funeral to 20 but Prime minister himself is participating in the celebration of Ram temple Shilanyas. Similarly, the lockdown guidelines are in place but life has become normal once again. People can be found roaming around freely. While the cases are nearing 17 Lakh per day, the infected count is seen reducing in Delhi and Mumbai. Therefore, a common man stands confused about whether to take the disease seriously or not. 

The possible reason for this confusion is possibly inaccurate reporting by the government. Because of this, people and the government itself are not sure about extent, fatality, and seriousness of the disease. The extreme cacophony created by media about the disease adds further to the confusion. When the cases were 500, the whole country has come to standstill and Media created huge hue and cry about it. Migration, job loss became the talk of the town. Now when cases are inching to 20 Lakh and possibly 1 crore in a few months from now, media is busy in covering the Rajasthan crisis and celebrating Ram Bhoomi pooja. Rather than critically evaluating government, media seems to speak in government tone and language.

One can only hope that India does not witness a black Friday type moment where suddenly the cases shot up from 50 thousand per day to 5 lakh the next day due to the virality of the infection. Our health system and social fabric collapsed when India had 500 cases among 134 crore population. What would happen if cases shot up suddenly? There would be chaos and casualties everywhere. 

Hope that our scientists act fast and document the disease in a proper manner. Hope that the government increases the testing and reports the actual numbers. Hope people understand the seriousness of the disease and take precautionary measures. and hope our social fabric withstand the onslaught of Corona and doesn't become colored.

Online Education software

Nowadays, a significant amount of my time is invested in finding software solutions for the online model of education. The key requirements for such systems are broadly following:

1. Good video streaming (Not necessarily two-way)

2. Interactive Whiteboard facility

3. Attendance system

4. User management

5. Fees/Enquiry management

6. Administrative reports

7. Quiz/Test grading system

8. Recording and delayed view functionality

9. Multiple host/Multiple Live session 

10. Chat/Polls/Share files/Mute all type of features

I along with my other team members investigated multiple tools offered for video streaming, online meetings, and customized solutions for coaching. There is no one tool that caters to all the features. Broadly one can divide the tools into two categories. Branded global tool and Local custom tools.

Branded Global Tools: This includes G Suit product, Adobe Connect, Webex, and Zoom.

The video streaming features are more or less similar in all the four tools. The final choice depends on the relative importance of various exclusive features offered in each product set. However, a comprehensive evaluation indicates the following order. G Suit ~ Adobe Connect > Webex > Zoom. 

G Suit provides an integrated solution of Google Classroom and Google Meet which solves almost all the requirements except that all the students/participants should have same domain.

Adobe Connect provides a very good flash-based solution for web streaming, whiteboard, and other features. The main challenge is if student has to submit the assignment later then there is no classroom-type feature available here.

Webex is also good for corporate style meetings but the issue is you need to buy different licenses for different products. 

And for Zoom, it is made in China so it is any way out of the question.

The Local solutions were Vidu Tech, Class Plus, and Collabspace. The key challenge in all three is they do not have their own cloud. They host your videos and portal on AWS and other servers. Hence the business model is often pay per hour or pay per view. It contains hidden costs and only suitable for 100 lectures, 200 students type setup. Hence it is not desirable.

Overall my experience is Google rocks. Go for G Suit and if not then the second best is Adobe Connect. Will keep you posted about the rest.

Q&A Poem

क्या कहें दिल लगता नहीं
सूनी दुनिया सूना है अम्बर
जिसके संग थे सफ़र पर
उसकी मिलती नहीं खवर

उत्तर:
सबका अपना सफर अकेला
धरती पर हैं सब मेहमान ,
जाना तो सबको ही होगा
एक ना एक दिन देवस्थान

प्रश्न:
फिर कैसे में खेलूं होली,
क्यूं जोडू दीपों की माल,
सब खुशियां लगती बेमानी,
चाहे हो यहां रंग हज़ार।

उत्तर:
यही अनूठी दुनिया है,
यही अनूठा अनुभव है,
मायाजाल के भ्रम को तोड़ो
दुनिया बनती निश्छल है।

हर कोई जूझ रहा है प्रतिक्षण,
अपने दुख संघर्षों से,
इस यात्रा में खो बैठे है,
मौके सारे  उत्सव के।

जीवन का आनंद उठाओ ,
खेल कूद, करो अन्तर्ध्यान
व्यस्त रखो अपने चित्त को,
उद्देश्य बनाकर मन में ठान।

दुनिया देखी कहां है अब तक,
देखो इसके है रंग हज़ार,
घूमो फिरो, मिलो लोगों से,
लग जाओ बस अपने काज ।

यही सार है इस जीवन,
इसका कोई झोर नहीं,
सफर यहां शुरू नहीं होता,
इस डगर का कोई अंत नहीं

बहुत से जीवन बाकी है अभी,
जो पास है ज़ी लो उसे कभी,
किसी समय और किसी काल में,
पुनः मिलेगी खबर सही।

Philosophy of a Bhakt

India is suffering miserably from Corona Crisis. It is well on course to top the charts of corona infected people. In fact if real numbers are investigated then it might have already breached the benchmarks set by the USA and other nations. However, in these trying times, Corona is not the only disease that has inflicted our people. There is much fatal and worse infection that has been lingering from the pre-COVID era i.e. Andh-Bhakti. The infection of andh-Bhakti is so deep that even when we are failing on every policy front, ranging from demonetization to foreign policy to CAA-NRC to China, andh-bhakts remain hallucinated with the vision of new India. By any guestimate, the Andh-bhakti infection will exceed the COVID infected people by a large margin. This left me wondering about "why and how of the situation". Why are so many people blinded with the vision of new India which hinges on the one-man vision over democracy and why in the process means have lost their importance and end has assumed significance. Here are my observations.  

1. Bhakts loyalty and blind faith are driven by two factors. First is the fear of Muslim rule in India after 25 years due to exploding Muslim population. Second is their disenchantment with Democracy due to its slow pace, increased corruption, and inherent dichotomies. 

2. In this light, Bhakts are firm believers that the Indian constitution needs to be changed. The change in the constitution requires a 2/3rd majority in both the houses. In Lok Sabha, Bhakts have got the majority by virtue of clean victory in parliamentary elections. In Rajya Sabha, Bhakts have taken a beating. They do not have a full majority. The fact that India is in continuous mode of election, makes it difficult for one party to call shot every time. Local regional issues are often at the counter with national issues. Moreover, anti-incumbency, vote bank politics, regional parties, and other factors operate. Hence, it is very difficult to emerge victorious in every election.

3. India's federal structure is such that most issues related to urban and day to day life are vested with states. But finances are majorly controlled by the center. Hence, it is not possible to work alone.

4. In this background, Bhakts believe that the first thing is to obtain the majority in Rajya Sabha and states. For this Bhakts ignore the corrupt means of horse-trading. The majority in both houses will make it easier for government to change the constitution. 

5. As Indian system is filled with checks and balances, there are various institutions that can make government attempt futile. Four main such institutions are namely Media, Judiciary, Election Commission, and Tax bodies. The three other institutions namely Bureaucracy, Police, and Army are already polarised towards a strong man image because it allows them unfettered powers and freehand.

6. Therefore, Bhakts do not mind media being corporatized and hijacked, Judiciary being manipulated, Election commission making biased decisions, and Tax bodies showing favoritism.

7. The disappointment with democracy often helps in rationalizing these dastardly divisive acts like mob-lynching. 

8. Once the same party or governing body achieves a majority in Lower house, Upper House, and States, the changes in the constitutions can happen seamlessly. Be it women reforms, population reforms or parliamentary reforms, or electoral reforms. And that would be the beginning of the Ram Rajya. 

Basically, the key philosophy lies in achieving the Ram Rajya through the principles of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. The key question to ask is where is the flaw in this approach? 

The answer is ethics. The answer is the institution. The answer is collateral damage. If one thinks that the use of the wrong means would end abruptly, then he is mistaken. It results in poor habits. It corrupts the soul of the institutions. It sets precedents that are used as a template in years to come. It results in long-lasting bitterness in the social fabric. It breeds prejudice and stereotypical thinking in the society which will harm the nation in years to come. 

I won't comment on whether such means are justified or not but one thing for sure that there are alternatives. For example, Technology and emergence of organic leadership is one solution to this. Social capital and ethical actions by various agencies is another aspect of leadership. Rest Later.

Social Media

It was 3:00 PM in the afternoon.  ‘Sir B’, our smart bureaucrat, was lying stretched on his extra-cushioned high back castor-wheel brown fabric office revolving chair.  A white towel hung on the headrest of the chair soaking all the extra oil of his hairs which he puts on his head to give a slip to vigilance agencies. It was the routine post-lunch siesta time after 2 hours of lunch break, he was snoozing on his desk and daydreaming about an alternate world.

Suddenly his appearances changed. His only blazer (stitched by Dinesh Tailor 12 years back) which he wears every day to office changed to a slim fit Nehru Jacket and a Van Heusen formals.  His otherwise 36-inch Chest was giving tough competition to India’s most fantasized 56 inches. His dress code, especially the jacket was fantastically hiding his cauldron shaped cute potbelly, giving it a perfect six-pack Sharukh look. The Ray-ban shades were a feel-good change from his otherwise Byomkesh Bakshi’s plastic frame glasses which fits so perfectly well on his bureaucratic attitude and attire. Maybe it was some sort of hallucination, he thought. He couldn’t even recognize his own appearance.

It was like a perfect world. A world where everybody was happy, traveling, exploring, and trying out exotic dishes every day. No one was dying of hunger. No one was alone. No one was depressed. Everybody was just living a perfect life. It felt like at least one promise of long-awaited “Ram Rajya” is finally fulfilled.  

The best part of this world was there were no schools or exams. There was no professional degree or sorting of society on the basis of education. Being a bureaucrat, he knew that everyone else is a fool. In fact, the entire world is a fool’s paradise, serving the bureaucracy. So, what was the point of spending so much on education? But to his utter shock, despite no formal training, everyone was omniscient. Every person had full Gyan on every little thing be it a nano-size insect or the sounds emanating from the Sun. Be it the most fitting economic policy of India or who should be the next secretary-general of United nations. For all this time, he was under impression that “Gyanbaji” is a professional skill given to people of his fiefdom I.e. bureaucracy. But in this world, everyone was a “Gyani”. Everyone has an opinion. Suddenly he felt numb.  He could now see the real picture, the shadow behind. The thought of Plato struck his mind deep. Shadow is the reality of the idea. He could see it now.

People were liking each other. People were smiling, connecting with friends and family members. They were even participating in social movement together. But it was all ethereal. In the pursuit of connecting with friends and families in this world, People were separating away from the real world. The likes were just a mechanical action without any feelings and emotions. The mutual respect for each other’s life was making way for deep-held stereotypes for each other’s cuisine and customs. The hatred, prejudice, anger was evaporating the love, respect, and concern of our real world. This seemingly perfect world was slowly creeping in our real-life like a slow poison.

 “Maybe we will be more peaceful if we could just sit silently for some time observing the flow of life. Maybe we will be happier if we just help needy people around us, turn more tolerant, become more forgiving and considerate. Learning the art of expression in real life is far more rewarding than spending hours and hours unproductively on social media. A 20-second call once in two months is far better than a mechanical thumbs up. A 5 mins “Chai pe Churcha” is better than finding flaws in other’s opinions on social media. If it can win somebody a full-blown election, a genuine attempt can at least win you one good friend or well-wisher”, he said to himself.  Suddenly the peon knocked on the Door.  It was tea time. Bureaucratic siestas are always extra-large like their offices Mr. B jumped back to the real world and realized that he was not dreaming, He was just browsing his social media. 

Atma Nirbhar Bharat

The Goverrnment has launched a variety of programs/reforms to make India self-reliant. The reforms in the MSME sector, Migrant workers, Agricultural sector, Vocal for Local and sectoral reforms measures like increase in the FDI limits of defense manufacturing are welcome and long-pending measures which nation was looking for. Was it all necessary? The answer is yes. Would it be sufficient? Therein lies the caveat. 

There is a vast difference between policy announcement on the paper and policy execution on the field. The gap lies in the absence of an ecosystem. For example,  as a businessman, I would ask 3-4 key questions before I invest my energy in a field.

1. Do I have skilled labor for the business?

2. Do I clearly know my business segment, the start, and the endpoint of production and consumption?

3. Do I have the entire ecosystem like infrastructure, legal services, and other market services, and ancillary industry in place?

4. Most importantly, how easy is it obtain to get a business loan?

For most questions, the answer would be a no or full of uncertainty. In the absence of such support system and information asymmetry, the businessman would not prefer to burn his hand. For example, today when India talks about reducing dependence on Chinese imports, is there any portal (public or private) where businesses can obtain clear information about what are the items India wishes to manufacture? There is no place where a businessman can know single-window information about the scales of the market and the challenges in starting a business. The government may make an announcement of a collateral-free loan but in reality, no banker would lend you money without collateral. The government should first fix the infrastructure and elementary issues like a land availability, and bureaucratic delays.

Off late, the government has taken various positive steps like gradual removal of subsidy from diesel and petrol. The GST has also come in full action and slowly maturing in the process. The need of the hour is to reform the Income Tax side of the act. The work has begun on this front as well. The three fundamental principles which any government should follow in the process is:

1. Whenever a policy is introduced, there should be an automatic review or sunset clause embedded in it.

2. The Judiiciary is the weakest link in our system. This needs to be reformed on an urgent basis. Without a strong punishment and justice mechanism, businessman would always be demotivated.

3. Income tax needs to be simplified heavily. It needs to be streamlined. The complex web of exemptions, deductions, and discretion breed corruption.

4. A precursor program to Make In India is land reforms. And the precursor to land reforms is urban reforms and rehabilitation and resettlement in the country. All of this has to be in tandem. Just focussing on one aspect of the big problem will not take us anywhere.

5. The issue of urban reform can not be solved without taking local political factors into stride. For this, deep level political reforms are also necessary.

Hence, the government may do a service to the nation by utilizing the COVID time to bring drastic reforms in the entire system. However, this will only happen with some political cost and requires major political will.