Thanksgiving Day !!

I've often heard people crib about the various "Days" like Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, etc etc. The point used to crib is always WHY is there a day required. Why cant the feelings be expressed everyday or whenever needed.

I, however, strongly disagree with the WHY. Firstly, why shud anyone have any objection ? These "Days" are not thrust upon anyone. Everyone has the right to celebrate it or not. If they feel like wishing their father, mother or girlfriend everyday, great for them. However, in today's times people living in the same house also barely get to see one another forget about spending quality time. This dedicated "Day" serves as a reminder that lets give our father, mother or girlfriend, or whoever the appreciation they so deserve. Let's wish them and thank them for their love. In Karan Johar's words....Kal ho na ho !

One such "Day" is Thanksgiving. It is largely a day celebrated in the US. Thanksgiving in the US falls on the last Thursday of November. The occasion always turns into a Thanksgiving weekend. This is wonderful as it allows families and friends to make plans to meet the near and dear from far off places which would not have been otherwise possible with only a day's break. Thanksgiving brings people together to thank one another and celebrate relationships; celebrate life.

This Thanksgiving has a very special meaning for me personally. It is the time that I enter my final week working for Pokarna Limited. I have been associated with the company for almost 9 years and have wonderful memories. I took the opportunity to thank all  my colleagues who have guided and supported me over the years.

The Lizard Attack

I am not scared of heights or depths, water or fire. However, I am shit scared of the freaky cockroaches and lizards. These are creatures that God created in a terrible mood.

Cockroaches have this unique distinction to come from nowhere and go everywhere. However, like most humans, they can be found hanging out in either the kitchen or in the toilets. Lizards on the other hand think they make a great wall hanging. The freaks tend to stand, sit or whatever it is that they do, in one place until we get tired and get the hell out of there. Lizards tend to piss us humans off big time when they make their presence felt on the walls just above the bed or above the toilet seat !! They may seem stupid but they sure know our soft spots.

Earlier today there was this Lizard that announced its presence in our bedroom. The whole family panicked. I felt shivers down my spine.We all got into a huddle and decided that we're going to fight the intruder. We then chased it all around the room but the bugger refused to give up without a fight. We removed one painting from the wall behind which it had taken refuge for a bit; we moved the entire cupboard where it thought it was absolutely safe and finally we prevailed. The intruder was chucked out of the room and we celebrated victory. Victory of good over evil.

Let this be a lesson to the entire freaky community. Dont mess with us !!

Lets cut it short...pls

We are in the world of instant gratification. We don't have the time these days. We just cannot wait.

I remember the 'bad old days of TV' when the only 2 programs we used to watch were 'Chitrahar' and 'News'. Just before the news was a very long and tastelessly created jingle with the Door Darshan logo gradually forming. I bet if something like that has to be seen today there may be cases of TV sets being smashed.

There were days when 5 day test matches were actually watched. Honest....I remember. Gradually people used to just keep a track of test matches and 1 day matches were the only craze. During a one day match everything in India was standstill. The streets were deserted, the shops were closed, the whatever...u get the point. Now its T20. 3 and a 1/2 hours. THAT'S IT ! Come back from work, catch a breezy T20 match (or some hot cheerleaders) and go to bed. With T20 tests have been limited only to a scorecard on the news paper (except when India makes it to the headline for becoming # 1 in tests). One days are now just tracked rather than being watched and by the way roads are jammed in this country no matter what comes on TV ! 

Employers cant wait to fire, employees cant wait to screw the employer and jump jobs at the drop of the hat, doctors cant wait for a normal delivery and go right for the 'c' section, gymming is replaced by surgeries to cut flab, blogs are replaced (not mine) by tweets, movie titles by initials, the list goes on. The only thing that keeps getting longer are the WORKING HOURS !!

If it has already not, let me ensure that my post doesn't get any longer. Until next time....cheers !

The pain in the arse

There are people and then there are people ! Every company has its share of stars and then its share of people who are nothing but a pain in the arse. The sad part of it all is that while the stars know it the pain is never aware of their "status".  I find that strange coz such people should find it to be obvious. Its god damn written on their freakin face - "I AM THE PAIN THE THE ARSE GUY !"

Many of you know might not know but I screwed my career by not doing an MBA and opting for a role of a marketing executive in a small time granite company in Chennai (out of all places) for a paltry sum. There was no "marketing" though. It was basically a clerical job. The company that hired me could never have got such a talent for such a job at such a price. Hats off to their "marketing" abilities. Anyway, since the very beginning of my working career, spanning more than a decade now, (Phew....makes me sound old) there have always been that pain in every company. The pain's work is to spoil other's work and worse he/she gets away doing so.

In my current company as well there is this person who is getting on my nerves and deserves to be "stoned" to death, literally ! The person feels he is the natural "heir" to the throne and throws his weight around. His sheer attitude, language and mannerisms makes me want to rip him to pieces. This guy is the silent trouble-maker who is going to bring this company down, if left un-checked. I have heard from a few others as well about his attitude and have heard him talk bad behind the backs of many of things that are even un-related to the business.

If only the people at the wheel realize and throw out this pain in the arse. IF....the BIG IF !

Hire but wait before you fire

You're Fired. Donald Trump loved to say it and made a fortune saying it. However, these are two most feared words for an employee. I have fortunately never had to face such a situation but was unfortunate to be in Trump's shoes and putting across the same thought to a few employees, although much more mildly. 

I work in a mid sized company and love my work. I have been associated with this company since 8 years now. I have seen the business cycle thru the peaks and troughs. I have seen our company go thru uncertain times when all of a sudden the top management left as a bunch. I have seen our company come out un-scracthed thru that as well and come out blazing. I have seen the old horses make way for young blood. I have been associated in the hiring process all thru in my area of operation. I am very passionate about my work and expect my colleagues to be so as well. I push my team mates to achieve more and get on their nerves many a time. However, I share a great rapport with each one of them. They know I am more of a friend than a boss.

I sometimes disagree with the people we hire but accept that opinions do differ and we've got to make the most of the people we have. I put in a lot of efforts and time to try to make an individual an asset to our company. I feel very dissappointed when one isn't able to perfom on expected lines and is asked to leave. I urge our management to excercise restraint and give everyone a longer period to try and change. There are people wo have shown dramatic change after a year at work. Unfortunately, a few have also improved by leaps and bounds and then quit for greener pastures. That truly pisses me off. However, thats another fact that we have to accept. Off late we have been on a hiring spree. However, I dont see the kind of spark in the new guys. I hope for the sake of our company that they do pull up their socks and make amends. I am excited at the prospects of our organisation going forward and in turn the future of the new guys as well.

I hate to have to say the two dreaded words yet again. 

Running and Spinning again.....and loving it !

Come 01st.of January and resolutions is what comes to my mind. For the last two years the resolutions have been to go for regular work outs at the gym. While I don't expect to convert the family pack to a six pack, I certainly expect to look at my feet without any obstacle !

Sadly, after a very successful two month work out last year I had to quit gymming on the advise of the physiotherapist. Why physio, you might ask. Even if you don't u've got to read it anyways. I developed a bad ache on my lower back and the left leg due to my travel and had to undergo physiotherapy. After the course I was asked to avoid gymming for a while. That break resulted in total discontinuity until the end of the year.

However, I'm back at the gym with a vengeance breaking all my previous records at the treadmill and the spinner. The sheer joy of sweat pouring out after a good workout is terrific. Using a very 'un-healthy' brand's tag for a very healthy cause - I'm loving it !

Go to the farm....in Hyderabad !!

On a lazy Sunday afternoon we were contemplating how to kill time and a small little leaflet caught our attention. It was a leaflet that was handed out at my daughter's kindergarten school a few days back. It was a place called Hobby Hub. It boasted of pets, plants, etc...not exactly a very exciting prospect for us. Nevertheless, we thought we'd take a nice little drive and spend 15-20 mins at the place showing our children a few animals that might excite them.

The leaflet had a well laid out direction to get to their place. It made it very easy to get to the venue in Nacharam, just outside the main city area in Hyderabad. We took about 20 mins to drive there. The entrance to the place was very small, almost like a hut. It gave the impression of being a very small place. We entered to the sight of a few children hanging around....some around a small little rabbit, some around a plant, some playing on a swing. We were welcomed by the owner, a simple smiling gentleman. He asked one of his helpers to lead us and show us the place.

We started off seeing the different kinds of

aquariums with the unique fish. We then were introduced to the different species of birds and rabbits and then entered the world of plants. This sight left us spellbound. We were introduced to a plant expert who walked us thru the various types of plants and trees they had grown in the vast area. With childlike enthusiasm we kept exclaiming at the wonderful plants. Seeing an green pepper plant in front of us was quite something. We saw banana plants, brocolli plants, papaya plants, tomato plants, coriander, brinjal, lettuce, red pepper. We also saw various varieties of plants with medicinal value. It was a terrific experience.

We also spent a good amount of time getting our hands dirty while taking a shot at the art or pottery....and did end up making 5 small pots for ourselves. This is a MUST DO at Hobby Hub. What started out as a 15-20 min plan ended up in an enriching 3 hour experience ! In the midst of all the pollution around the city this is a surely a hidden treasure.

2010 !!

I'm happy to be back on this page. Its been a while. To the millions of my wonderful fans I would like to apologize for this (unintentional) break.

What a year 2009 was ! Actually, that goes for every year. Every year comes n goes n yet we exclaim 'What a year' ! There were several highs in the year in different fields. It was a year when India gave a decisive mandate to 'Good Governance'. A year when the equity markets gave investors one of the best returns ever aggregating about 80%. A year when India became # 1 in the 'Real' (Test) cricket. Indian television scored over the box office. Reality TV trumped everything. IPL2 was a super hit, especially since the Deccan Charger delivered a class act from # 8 in the first season to # 1. Unfortunately, with highs come some lows as well. Andhra Pradesh lost a great leader in YSR. The state is bitterly split and on the verge of a collapse. Sex scandals involving high ranking police officials and even old time politicians came out in the open and shamed the entire nation.

For me it was a year of change though. A year when I was able to convince my bosses that I couldn't live out of a suitcase anymore. A year where my weight was directly proportionate to the sensex - went down the first few months and then no sign of reversal of the upmove !! The year ended on a high (literally). I realized what a great dancer I was....or was it the Vodka ;) I contemplated participating in Dance India Dance show but later backed out as the organizers refused consumption of alcohol on the show !

Twenty 10 - hope the year is as spunky as the way its pronounced !

A trip to rural India

As part of my job I get to travel all over the world which sometimes includes very small villages in India as well. Just the other day I visited the surrounding villages of Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. The purpose of the visit was to have a look at some granite blocks at a few quarries.

Rajahmundry has a small airport as well which is very helpful in saving time to visit the nearby quarries. I then travelled almost 250 kms through the day before reaching Vizag airport for my flight back to Hyderabad. Through the day I came across a lot of people...interacted with a few and saw many. There is almost no infrastructure in the remote villages, no cars, no buildings just open fields, trees and fresh air. Unpolluted nature at its best. While I enjoyed the natural beauty I couldn't help but notice the plight of the people living there. Very poor roads made it a daunting task for people to commute from one place to the other. Areas where the population lived was extremely dirty with open drains and garbage everywhere. Small kids were roaming naked on streets. It always hurts to see small kids, especially, in such a circumstance. I kept wondering what sort of future is in store for them. What kind of life is this ? Why can't anything be done to make things right for those kids ?

I am constantly reminded at a beautiful one liner that I once read somewhere 'He complained about his shoes until he saw a person without legs.' We often take our luxuries for granted and never stop asking for more. We are never satisfied with what we have and always crib about what we don't. I hope and pray for a good life for everyone and hope a day comes when I travel across India to the remotest villages and see happy people in good living conditions.

Diwali makes me nostalgic !

The festive season is here. Diwali is that time of the year in India as Christmas is in the western world. People love to shower gifts on their loved ones; meet and spend time with family and friends; eat drink and have a great time.

To me the best times were when we were smaller. We had a firm called Jagat Pictures. It was involved in distributing Hindi movies in and around Hyderabad. The office was managed by my father, his brother, his cousins, his uncles, etc. In short almost everyone from the family was a part of the firm. Every Diwali there was a Puja at the office which was attended by every member of the family. Everyone came dressed in their best clothes. I remember playing with my cousins and running around before Motta kaka (my uncle) shouted at us to make us sit down for the Puja. It lasted for 10-15 mins. This was the time to listen quietly to the prayers to the Goddess of wealth to shower the firm with good luck and wealth for the next year. Once done with the prayers, everyone would stand in line and Mahendra kaka (my father's uncle), a towering personality, would co-ordinate with serving snacks to everyone. The menu remained unchanged for years, which was great coz it included Idli, Wada, Jalebi gathiya and upma with chutney, sambar, and kharam puri !

I loved listening to my uncles and father talk with each other. They made us all laugh. When all of them talked, people from nearby offices would think there is a fight going on. We are a very loud family.

Times have changed though. The size of the family diminished with my cousins heading out to different places due to their marriage, studies, work, etc. The movie business diminished due to extreme risks. Gradually all the partners went their own ways into different fields. Although there are still the Diwali get together, it never is the same. The people are less, the snacks are done away with. Interaction between everyone has become insignificant. Relationships continue to survive, love hasn't.

(Don't) Horn Please !

A while back an American customer visited our company. It was his first visit to India. Needless to say, he was quite take aback with the traffic and all the horning. He was amazed that there were no accidents. I called it 'organized chaos'. Horning in India is so common that trucks insist we horn past them.

Last week I came across a news item on TV which showed a person from Delhi who didn't horn from years. This habit of his rubbed off on his near and dear. He commented that not horning made him more patient and calm. He said people reach the same place at almost the same time whether they horned or not. Then why get yourself all worked up. Relax ! Initially, I thought it is impossible not to horn while driving in Hyderabad. The traffic is so unruly. People almost take pride in breaking rules. Driving is quite a task in today's Hyderabad. It is a traumatic experience.

However, that two minute news piece keeps ringing in my head all the time when I drive these days. I am making a conscious effort to avoid horning each time I would have otherwise. My effort has been an instant success. I managed not to horn a single time yesterday. Definitely, the first time for me that a day went by without hitting the horn. I feel very calm and composed when I do not horn and get hypered up with all the chaos around. I feel much less stressed coz of this. I don't think India will become horn free in the foreseeable future but hope the volume gets lower and lower as time goes by.

Would u like it with ice cream ?

I have been a big fan of the Cafe Frappe at the popular Cafe Coffee Day since years now. The wonderful taste of this drink at this joint hasn't changed over the years. I used to be so regular at one point when I would simply call n ask them to keep a frappe ready while I would go n just pick it up without having to wait.

In recent times however I have cut down my intake of the frappe and rarely visit Coffee Day. There is one innovative sales idea that some empty head at Coffee Day has come up with. I placed the order of the usual Cafe Frappe and was asked -"Do you want it with ice cream?" As I had not been frequenting it often I assumed that there were some changes in the manner it is made. The usual frappe was made with two scoops of Vanilla ice cream, a little milk, a small portion of coffee and two sachets of sugar. As I surely wanted it to have the same taste I answered in the affirmative. When the waiter brought my frappe, I was surprised to see an extra scoop of ice cream on the top of my frappe. I didn't complain. However, I understood the ploy when the check arrived. Those scoundrels had charged 25 bucks for that scoop of ice cream over n above the cost of the frappe.

Once bitten twice shy! On each of my subsequent visits to Coffee Day I have been faced with the same question by the waiter. Now, however, I make it a point to tell them that I want THE USUAL WAY IT'S MADE. I do not want to tell them NO and end up receiving the frappe WITHOUT any ice cream at all.

RISK - the third !!

I've fresh news just off the press from Hyderabad. It is known from reliable sources that RISK was played yet again by the same (more or less) bunch of lunatics at a new venue - Somajiguda. After ruining the peace of the residents of Begumpet, this bunch had gone berserk at Somajiguda late Saturday night causing a sleepless night to the residents of that area.

Inside sources say this time the bunch comprised of ten hooligans including two children. One child was a mix of Hrithik and Himesh. The game began around 10-30 and went on until 1-30 in the night. This time there were 5 teams which made all the negotiations, back stabbing, screeching all the more exciting and loud. While it is rumoured that Team Malay (almost) conquered the world by the end of the saga, the true winners were Team Prasan (technically) as they played the game in its true sence (taking RISKS), besides achieving the feat of conquering the United States, the largest economy in the world. At one stage, all 5 teams met at the UN and mutually agreed to merge the teams into two in order to come to a conclusion as the game was pretty much heading no where. There was severe criticism on Team Malay for playing with ONE dice in spite of having about 500 armies on board and having to conquer only a handful of territories. This was in itself a defeat. Finally, the Golden Warrior was the sole surviving army in the lands of Alaska in the combined forces against the oppressive and barbaric Team Malay. After repeated efforts as they were not able to overcome the might of the Golden Warrior, the barbarians raised the white flag and called for an end to the war.

By the end, the lunatics had consumed all the water at the venue as they ended up with severe sour throats. The press is all over the place trying to get some info on where and when the next big WAR would take place as there are strong rumours that there would be another very soon, before one of the loonies leaves for the real world's United States.

Rain rain come again.....I want my car to be clean again !

Gone are the days when there was domestic help always at hand. Domestic help in all fields are tougher to get today than a marketing executive or a software programmer. This is the classic case of demand outstripping supply by a huge margin. If domestic help was a stock I'd buy it all and see my profits soar.

I've had a beautiful car since a couple of years now and always had a car cleaner to keep it clean. Over the last year I've changed 4 or 5 cleaners, only one of whom I removed, the rest resigned....without any notice period (so much for professionalism). I wonder if this bunch had some sort of a convention they attend periodically, as they all had the same damned attitude. I would think twice or more to do anything that my boss wouldn't like and worry about my income all the time. However, these guys have no such worries. They don't turn up a few days every now and then and when we 'dare' cut their salaries for the days they didn't show up, they threaten to quit ! I paid them well.....well above what the normal rate in the market was. This was to ensure that my car was cleaned from within as well (as most of them only cleaned from the outside). All of them would initially agree but it would be a matter of time before they all went back to cleaning from the outside and leaving. The last guy quit because I spoke to him regarding both the above problems. I'm sure he would have found some other vehicle to clean almost immediately however I am yet to find another cleaner.

My poor car is bearing the brunt of this. I feel so sorry for the car when I see its beautiful shiny exterior all dusty and dirty. I feel sorry for the spots and mud inside. I try to clean it once a week but in a pollution filled city that ain't enough. I was happy with the rain recently helping me with the cleaning on the exterior but sadly rains have also dried up this season which makes my work all the more difficult.

Article in Emirates' Business 24x7, Dubai

The above article had appeared in the business daily of one of the popular news papers in Dubai, UAE during the Big 5 show in Dubai last November.


I feel proud to have my pic on such a popular news paper, especially on the business pages. I always wanted to share it with all of you but somehow kept slipping my mind.

Rain rain come again........

The monsoons are setting in and the weather is getting cooler. Its always a pleasure to receive the first monsoon rains. Its a huge relief from the sweltering summer heat that, in Hyderabad lasts for a good 4 months.

For the last several years I have seen the rains come and go and have always wanted to just go out and get drenched and enjoy nature in its purest form. For some reason I never quite ventured out in the rain once I started working. It was as if I had become too old to do so. However, this time it was not to be. The first rain that we had was a few days back and I was watering the few plants that we have when it started to pour. I looked and looked and then couldn't resist the temptation. I ran down the fleet of stairs; got on the roads and simply looked up to the skies and enjoyed every drop that came down on me. I got completed drenched and loved it thoroughly.

Looking at the way I was enjoying the rains my younger brother, Karan joined me. After a bit, we went under the water fall of sorts coming out of my neighbours' pipe, which was used to remove excess water from the terrace. It was a terrific experience. As if that was not enough, we went for a walk to a nearby ice cream shop and treated ourselves to the delicious Belgian Dark Chocolate ice cream.

I am surely going to repeat this experience a few more times in this season.

Lost at work.....

10 years back around this time I had to take a call on whether to pursue my MBA or take up a job. It was a very tough decision. On the one hand was an admission from a few very good universities and on the other was a ready job offer in what seemed an interesting line. After a lot of deliberations with all concerned I went ahead with the job. The thought behind that decision was that even if I didn't like the job I could always get the work experience and get back to college for an MBA later. I regret that decision of mine to this day and will continue to do so.

I kept working in that company in spite of not liking the job after a few months. The only other thing that could make one continue to work in a company if there is no job satisfaction was money. Sadly, in my case I couldn't have got a worse pay. I stayed on with the lure of bright future prospects. These 'prospects' were a great career in the US with a large organisation. It sure was a possibility, when I started. However, as time went by I knew that my employers(distant relatives) didn't have any intention to send me abroad. My family was very supportive and talked to my employers. Unfortunately, the wily employers tricked my parents into believing that they had big plans for me but need time.

Months went by and turned into a year and a half of 'training'. That's when I decided that I had had enough. I mustered courage and informed my parents that I will come back and immediately informed my employers and left. That brought about a new dimension to my life. Back to Hyderabad from Chennai, I started looking for jobs and finally landed one at Deloitte. A world apart from the company I worked for. I enjoyed working with Deloitte. Along the way I also did some trading in my field of experience which led me to a very good company which I work for today.

I keep pondering over that decision I took 10 years back and keep regretting not having done my MBA. I do believe I would have been far better off with an MBA under by belt. Far more satisfied at least. I do believe an MBA gives the right tools to hone one's skills and extracts the best from within. My work experience over the years has given me satisfaction and money in bouts but has engulfed my life in such a way that I have never been able to break free and go pursue my dream, my MBA.

A "hair" raising tale !

My brother, the famous blogger, Kamal - http://www.kamaldshah.com/ used to narrate a small incident to me and to several others sometime back. It goes like this.....

Sometime back his friends father visited his friend in the US. It was freezing cold and this gentleman decided to take a walk. While walking he happened to wipe the snow off his moustache and on doing so realised that one side of his moustache had come off ! Honestly......just came off his face. It was a real moustache but because of the cold it came off with a rub. So the next thing he did was rub the other side off as well !

I always laughed it off as it couldn't have been true.

I am reminded about this incident today as I encountered a similar incident myself in a more realistic manner. For those who had a look at my profile can see the kind of hair I had. However, I decided to cut it shorter. I informed the barber that I wanted a very short cut like a small layer. In a matter of seconds the guy took out the automatic cutter with a size 1 and ploughed thru my hair. No sooner did he start than I realised what on earth was happening. The b*****d nearly shaved off one side of my head. I kept looking into the mirror for a minute or so and gave him a mini piece of my mind. For those who know me well enough know that that barber got away with this very cheaply. I looked at my half bald head and dejectedly told the guy to complete ploughing the remaining field as well !

I feel very awkward when I see myself now. However, the hair style (or the lack of it) has met with a mixed response from those around. Many have liked it as well. As for me, I am waiting to have the small layer back. One things for sure, the next time I visit a barber he will have to give me a patient hearing before he gets to work on my hair.

Hyderabad......Its Hot, literally !

For the handful of my elite readers I would like to apologize for not posting anything in a long time. Things have been extremely busy. Went for another trip - this time to Chicago for about two weeks. I have decided to give the travel postings a break as my blog is turning into a travel journal.

Well, coming back from the 5 odd degrees in Chicago to the 45 odd degrees in Hyderabad was as extreme as it gets. What a change this has been. This is what I had been experiencing for several of my trips. I talk like an American....no no, not the accent but about the weather. I can't stop complaining about the heat in India in general and Hyderabad in particular.

I remember during one of my flights back to India I landed in Mumbai from Frankfurt flying on Lufthansa. While off boarding I came a couple of feet from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar ! He was accompanied by his wife and a friend. While getting off the plane he commented - "This is called a WARM welcome".

The day after I got back I started to look for air conditioners for my living cum dining room. Contrary to normal homes, ours is the size of a football field. This would normally be a good thing. However, getting this 'football field' cool when the mercury hovers between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius is close to impossible. After a lot of comparing and fretting about budgets I finally decided to go in for an O General split AC. I heard a lot about this brand from several people and trusted their judgement. Although it is the most expensive among those that I saw, I went ahead with my purchase. Hope it lives up to its reputation.

The state of our state

Last week I was surprised to see the sudden repair work being carried out on the road to my son's school. I was happy that the municipal corporation is doing this work as the road was in desparate need of repairs. The speed of work was also terrific. An entire stretch was repaired in flat two days. The side walls were painted white as were the boundaries of the roads. I have always been very critical of the way the government and its machinery works. Although this was a welcome change.

Then came the day after the work was completed. The morning drive to the school answered the question of how come such fast work on this road. Our honorable Chief Minister was scheduled to inaugurate some project on that road that evening. This is unfortunately, the sad fact in our country. The roads are repaired for the ministers to ensure a smooth ride wherever they pass. The ordinary citizens can go thru the same pathetic road throughout their life and no one would care. But when any big minister passes by the road has to become perfect. People have become wise these days. When the roads in the locality becomes unbearable they just invite the CM or any big minister and 'voila' you have a great road in a matter of days.

These ministers give a pat on the back on the people responsible for the 'great' roads while being fully aware of the ground reality. We citizens pay taxes for the improvement of the roads, water, power, security, etc. But our hard earned money goes into the pockets of unscrupulous bureaucrats who couldn't care less about what is going on.

I don't see this changing for at least the next two generations as corruption is so deeply rooted in our system that it will take this much time for it to slowly get drained out. India can easily grow at more than 10% per annum if only our govt.put a check on corruption. It is not enough for a party to simply raise the slogan of 'Aam Aadmi' but actually focus on the aam aadmi by ensuring that development reaches the people it is meant for. I also know that this blog wouldn't make any difference to anything but I just had to bring this out and share my frustration with this pathetic system that we are forced to live with day in and day out.