Twitter - the micro meessage streem

Created a Twitter id www.twitter.com/ashokmalik. With the hope that it aids the learning process.

Strong India Must for survival of civilised world

Twin tasks of strengthening the country and integrating Indian society are essential for survival of a civilised world. Survival of civilised world requires a tolerant and accommodating approach for which neither the doctrinaire liberals / left ideologues nor the religions that believe in the dictum of “we alone hold the true knowledge” are equipped.

Votaries of socialism and 'capitalist haven' have not been able to deliver on their promises nor growth of science and technology has brought peace of mind to humanity. Need of an inclusive approach to humans and all living beings as well as the environment is paramount. As the oldest civilization India has to show the way to the world as it has the civilisational experience to do this. Our civilisation teaches us to care for Jal, Jan, Jangal and Jaanvar (water, humans, animals and jungles) while other civilisations treat nature a resource for reckless consumption which is the cause of the environmental crises facing the world today.

Hardline ideologies, whether political or religious, are at the root of almost all problems of the world today. These are not prepared to allow true freedom of thought and action to all. Only Indian tradition has the spirit to accommodate all religious beliefs, even agnosticism.

We need to involve the entire society in the process of strengthening India. No individual or organisation, however strong, can handle the task of making India strong - the role can only to start the process of sensitizing the society about the challenges it is faced with. Citizen's pride in their identity as Indians and the urge to do their best for the country will ensure that society meets the challenges.

Experience in Uganda, Fiji and recently in Australia has shown that Indians are not safe anywhere, unless we make India strong we can not be safe.

Keeping Politics on Track

The Indian Parliament election results are just hours away. Most commentators suggest that national parties – Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party are likely to fare batter then the last time. The regional parties are likely to lose some of the clout they had come to enjoy. We seem to have come full circle. The single national party – Congress – threw away democratic norms during the regime of Mrs Indira Gandhi and small regional outfits led by Devi Lals and NTR’s and Bijus and Karunanidhis came up. These were followed by Lalus, Mulayams, Paswans, Devegaudas, Mayawatis and the ilk. Politics seemed to be losing relevance. People of India have high aspirations – they aspire to have better education, communications and jobs – not just bijli-sadak-pani (power-roads-water).

We, as a nation, need to learn our lessons. We the citizens must keep the politics on right track. Must ask ourselves – What has to be done to make politics relevant again – transparency, accountability, involvement of intelligentsia? What am I doing to achieve this, what can I do to this end. And act.

The slow deliberate route to genius

Today's New York Times has an interesting article about new scientific thinking on geniuses. The discussion suggests that genius is not devine or genetic to a large extent. Indeed it is slow process involving "the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine." The article goes on to poin out that the brain is 'phenomenally plastic' and that we construct ourselves through behavior. The Article refers to two new books: “The Talent Code” by Daniel Coyle; and “Talent Is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin. Here it goes:


May 1, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Genius: The Modern View
By DAVID BROOKS
Some people live in romantic ages. They tend to believe that genius is the product of a divine spark. They believe that there have been, throughout the ages, certain paragons of greatness — Dante, Mozart, Einstein — whose talents far exceeded normal comprehension, who had an other-worldly access to transcendent truth, and who are best approached with reverential awe.

Here is the rest of this eminently readable article

Focus on good affordable health care for the large Indian population

A recent article in The Economist has generated lively debate on cost cutting innovations by private medical service providers in India. One hopes our leaders - those who run the health services and those who think they run the country - will focus on good affordable health care for the large Indian population. The article is really worth reading. Here goes --

Health care in India
Lessons from a frugal innovator
Apr 16th 2009

The rich world’s bloated health-care systems can learn from India’s entrepreneurs

See The Economist article here

Friends make your life better

We in India, indeed Asia, rely on friends and family as the support system while west and developed countries have created large and costly institutional set up to provide support in such situations. The New York Times health columnist TARA PARKER-POPE recently underscored the value of friendship and social networks in overall health.

Pope quotes Karen A. Roberto, director of the center for gerontology at Virginia Tech to say “Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message ....is that friends make your life better.”

April 21, 2009

What Are Friends For? A Longer Life
Well/By TARA PARKER-POPE

In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends.

Complete New York Times article here

Wise words, Eternal wisdom

The current issue of Reader's Digest has featured parts of an article from Business India titled 'The best advice I ever got'. A very intersting comment preceding the various gems of advice is about the sources of such advice "Culling the sources of advice, a startling fact: Behind every successful man is his father! "

Selecting two of these gems (out of dozens in BT or exactly a dozen in RD) could be due to mood of the moment or of the season. Here we go -

Anu Aga, 66, Director, Thermax
Invest in yourself
“From my mother, I learnt to be authentic and not to pretend, which came in handy when I took over as Chairperson after my husband’s (Thermax founder Rohinton Aga’s) demise. I didn’t know anything about the business and admitted as much to the senior management when I sought their help in running the company. My father advised me to invest in myself and to live within my means, which is a philosophy we follow at Thermax where we’d rather be understated than ostentatious. From my husband, I learnt not to be afraid and have meaningful relationships. I owe my involvement in Thermax’s CSR initiatives to my son Kurush’s (who died in an accident) advice. My daughter (Meher Pudumjee, Chairperson, Thermax) taught me to accept people for what they are, rather than try and mould them into what you want them to be.” (As told to Tejeesh N.S. Behl)

Nimesh Kampani, 61, Chairman & Managing Director, JM Financial

Never borrow for personal needs

“For me, it’s my self-consciousness and intuition that have been the guiding force. But I have inherited the value systems and principles from my parents. My father followed the golden principles—never borrow money for personal needs and don’t ever give guarantees. He would always say: ‘The repayment liabilities are yours. You can’t disown them. On the other side, the asset that you believe belongs to you, may or may not remain of that value always. So, the value of assets goes down but the liabilities stay with you. Live within your means.’ So, he would also explain to us by saying: ‘Liabilities are like taxi meters, which keep running 24 hours, even when you go off to sleep. The interest meter runs all the time. If you do business with your own money, you can withstand any bad time.’” (As told to Rachna Monga)