Insight

I have worked as a professional for almost two decades now. While I have had the opportunity to work and learn from the best, it also has been a mind-numbing, nerve-wracking experience. At times, I feel that I am watching a satirical movie play out in which characters would pop out randomly and do their own thing. Every time I think that it is all going to come crashing down, a strange twist would bring an illusion of order before the show morphs onto something else. Chaos thrives behind the facade of order. The disconnect between the planners and the doers is all for real. The doers are forced to adjust and adapt to the dynamic conditions and deliver flawlessly. More often than not it leaves the ones doing the work worn out and exasperated. While the shining stories of success burn bright, the burning embers of the almost, near misses and failures lie smoldering below. It does raise some questions though. Is this what success look like? Is it the result of a series of planned outcome...

After the untimely death of Nehru in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over the reins as the prime minister of India. A Soft Spoken and mild mannered person, Shastri carried himself with a strong resolve. As the country teetered towards chaos at the death of Nehru, his leadership inspired a sense of calm. In his first broadcast to the country he implored the citizens to look forward and carry on the legacy of Nehru’s socialist reforms There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to go. But for us, there need be no difficulty or hesitation, no looking to right or left. Our way is straight and clear—the building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations. Shastri refused to align with any major power bloc and looked to promote India’s agrarian reforms. He enabled the White Revolution and raised the slogan “...

The last two books i read were This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, and Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re wrong about the World by Hans Rosling. While Naomi’s book takes a dire tone and focuses on the need for urgent actions to combat climate change, Hans’s book uses data to explain how the world is really better than it seems. Just to be clear, the books do not contradict each other on the subject of global warming or climate change. Hans does not use data to deny the threat of climate change. He instead wants the reader to understand facts, understand data and then separate hyperbole from reality. That said, the way i felt after reading the books could not have been any different. Naomi’s book put me on the edge. It was deflating to realize that the small actions we do are just not enough to address the problem of reducing emissions. It left me mentally drained. I started to be overwhelmed by the sense of uncertainty around what would happen to the world. I st...

Are you not entertained? Screams Maximus (played brilliantly by Russel Crowe) in the movie “Gladiator” after singlehandedly taking down a horde of warriors in the colosseum. The question belies the rage, the frustration and the sadness the character feels and the audience ignorantly goes on to cheer his achievements and gives him a standing ovation. At that moment, as the camera pans across his face Maximus you can see that Maximus is not elated at the reception but is rather exasperated. The cinematography brilliantly conveys the  disconnect between the warrior and the crowd to the viewer without the need for words. Every time i see somebody perform in front of the crowd my mind juxtaposes this image. Do we really understand the message the artist is trying to convey or do we blindly seek to validate our selfish interests? We the people, have an insatiable yearning for action, humor and drama. The earliest documented form of theater is from the 5th century! Even today, offi...