The Kite

There once was a kite,
Who lacked all might.
Fearing the fall and not the flight,
He always found a place to hide.

There was a kite he secretly admired,
Dreamt daily to fly by her side.
Only if he could ever have the might,
To once take the flight.

It was the competition,
Playgrounds turned into battlefields.
The kite hid and cheered for his friends,
Praying his turn never would come.

Suddenly his heart skipped beat,
As he saw his love on the verge of defeat.

Quickly he moved up the stack,
Eager to fly to beat the freak.

Soon started the bitter fight,
This amateur fought with might.

Saving his love was that mattered,
And just as he saved her;
He saw the dreaded fall.

As he aimlessly headed for the ground,
He had his heart filled with joy profound.
The fear of falling was no more,
All he had was happiness galore.

Just like the kite we fear the fall,
Just like the kite we need to learn-The achievement is worth the fall.

Rebound

He sits looking at the sky searching for calm,
Even the morning breeze has lost its charm.

The dream is shattered once again,
Everything planned went haywire, yet again.

Every breath tires him,
Even the chirping birds seem to mock him.

But this isn't the first nor the last time,
Howsoever dark the night, the sun shall shine one more time.

It is the sweet taste of victory that he desires,
For which he has to continue to perspire.

One moment of glory shall wipe away all the pain,
And life will seem precious and happy once again.

So once again, rise and fight.
Take up the challenge with all your might.

Once again, rise and fight,
Quit not till you see the light...

---------

‘I quit’…. or, ‘Do I?’

Many a times we feel that life has become too difficult for us to handle… Not getting the perfect grades, having a troublesome boss, a relationship gone sour, some nagging health issue, not getting the perfect job, fight with best friends… these are some of the few reasons that make us conclude that “life is difficult”, and we act irrationally. In short, we lose hope and quit.

At times, even I used to think the same, until a person I met at a railway station and some thoughts from within changed it all!

The person I am referring to was no professor, no saint, and no, he wasn’t another common man! He was a mendicant. Yes, you read it right.

This person had some issues with his spinal cord, which did not allow him to stand up, sit straight or even bend properly. He was asking for alms by dragging himself and his bag throughout the length of the platform. When people refused him alms, he would quietly drag himself away. Those who were generous to him were greeted by a warm smile and blessings.

It was a pitiful site, and after watching him for over 15 minutes, I wondered, “Why do we get so desperate?” There are so many moments ranging from frustrations of a job and low grades in studies to fights with people whom we care about, that make us wonder how sad life is and what’s the point of it… Some people even take get depressed and take extreme steps like suicide. Put simply, we lose hope, and quit.

Think again friends, is life really so difficult for us that we need to indeed lose hope? The mendicant I was referring to had the simple option of quitting: he could have dragged himself to the edge of the platform and jumped in front of any train. Even he chose to fight and not lose hope or quit. May be, he thought life had something better in store for him.

Let us think the same. Why cannot we at least hope that things will get better and hence not yield? I am sure, in the past too, we each one of us has overcome situations which we thought were impossible to recover from. Let us take some inspiration from the difficult times we overcame and the mendicant. Let’s make a small promise to ourselves, that no matter how frustrated we become, we are not going to lose hope; and fight every issue with our best efforts. How so philosophical it may sound, just as a thirsty man is able to better understand the importance of water, we will indeed be able to appreciate the goodness of life and others only once we have seen a few not-so-nice moments and met some not-so-nice people.

Taking a leaf out of the famous saying by J. M. Keynes: “In the long run, we are all dead”; may be it would be apt to say “In the long run, we are all happy”.

 -------

India: The Sab Chalta Hai Syndrome

Lokpal Bill stuck in the Parliament again. Yet another train accident claims many lives. Another RTI activist killed. The list is endless... Whenever we read such a headline, no doubt all of us feel enraged. We talk about it for a day or two and then we forget.

Last year, when Anna Hazare had hit the road asking the Lokpal Bill to be passed by the Parliament, there was a lot of support for him and thousands of people had rallied behind him. Now after two sessions of the Parliament, we seem to have forgotten all about the Bill.

Last year, several railway accidents took place in the country. There was some grief, some public anguish, a lot of blame-games and of course a bunch of enquiries!

There are numerous cases of infant deaths in hospitals of West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, several whistleblowers and RTI activists have been murdered, but we pay little attention to these.

Perhaps this behaviour of ours can be attributed to the Sab Chalta Hai syndrome. We have become so accustomed to the inefficiencies of the system that it hardly takes us a moment to dismiss the happenings around us by saying “Sab Chalta Hai”. We have been affected so much by this syndrome that things like trains getting late, poor services in hospitals and officers demanding bribes hardly have any impact on us.

Someone once said, “There’s a problem only if there is a solution”. So, what is the solution for Sab Chalta Hai syndrome?

If we observe carefully, in cases of Lokpal Bill, Jessica Lal murder case, etc, whenever we have been led properly, we have indeed come out against the faults of the system. Perhaps our country suffers from a severe crunch of leaders who can take a stand against the inefficiencies of the system. I feel that if a greater weightage is given to the personality of the candidates appearing for government services like the IAS, etc, we would be able to get more leaders into the system. No doubt, marks are important, but what is equally important is the person’s personality and his approach attitude towards problems and life.

Another antidote to the Sab Chalta Hai syndrome is framing of better laws and quick disposal of cases. Most of us are unwilling to act against the ills associated with the system because the laws are not strong enough to protect the whistleblowers and to keep their identities secret. Also, the entire process of enquiry, investigation and judgement is very long and takes a heavy toll on an individual.

Last, but not the least, proper education and guidance will help us successfully overcome the effects of the Sab Chalta Hai syndrome. If some leadership lessons and case studies are taught at the school level itself regarding how individual and community action successfully acted against some social malady, right from a young age we will have enough motivation and examples to take the initiative.

--------------

Indian Premier League: A plethora of opportunities

The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded recently with Kolkata Knight Riders lifting the trophy. IPL has evoked mixed response, with the proponents calling it perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to cricket while the critics have constantly blackguarded the IPL, calling it a mere money spinner, likening it to a horse race, and what not.

The IPL has given rise to a number of opportunities on and off the field. IPL has evolved as a platform for implementation of ideas and technologies. The strategic time outs and the ultra motion run out cameras have taken the game to a new level and several of these technologies and ideas will soon be tested at the international level.

The IPL has provided a great opportunity for new players to evolve and understand the game in a better way. A few years ago most players representing local clubs and teams like railways could not even dream of playing alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne and being mentored by the likes of Anil Kumble and Wasim Akram, which is now a common sight! A few years ago cricketing rivalry made sure that opponents did not see eye to eye, but today players get a chance to share the dressing room with their international opponents where they share ideas and develop new understanding, which is good for the game.

A large number of former players too have benefitted greatly from the IPL. They now play an active part in the management of the teams along with coaching and mentoring youngsters. Several former players who could not do well in their playing days have grabbed the opportunity provided by IPL with both hands and have played a great role in the successful turnaround of several teams. IPL has also evolved as a platform where the contributions made by some former players have been acknowledged and these players have been handsomely rewarded by the BCCI.

Off the field, the IPL has presented vast opportunities to advertisers, companies, broadcasters, etc. Advertisers and companies have come up with innovative ideas to market their products to get associated with brand IPL. Terms like “DLF Maximum” and “Karbonn Kamaal Catch” are classical examples of embedded marketing. The brand/company names have been prominently displayed on the jerseys of the players, making it impossible to overlook them.

The public at large has been thoroughly entertained with eclectic commentary during the IPL matches which has always been promoted as a medium of family entertainment. Conversations with players and coaches during the match and the recent management case studies based on IPL have helped us to develop a deeper understanding of the game and the way it is played in modern times.

It should not be forgotten that controversies have been a part and parcel of IPL. Critics often call IPL the “Indian Paisa League” and allegations like Spot-Fixing and FEMA violations repeatedly come up. Some critics have gone even to the extent of asking a ban on the IPL! We need to ensure that steps are taken so that the gentleman’s game maintains its sanctity and, in the mad rush to attain glory and money, young cricketing brains and talent are not polluted.

If the faults and ills associated with the IPL are taken care of, IPL will definitely emerge as a breeding ground for fresh ideas, talent and entertainment.

The making of a Steel City

The inhabitants of a small village Bokaro had never imagined in 1957 that within ten years, their entire life-style would change. The people were taken aback when they one day found some outsiders in their villages with all sorts of tools, making some residential camps and conducting surveys. This continued for some days, and then the ‘outsiders’ returned.

These ‘outsiders’ were government officials who had come to visit the site to find out whether Bokaro was a place suitable enough to house the country’s largest steel plant!

The government in the second five year plan sanctioned Rs3.75 crores to the Ministry Of Iron and Steel to conduct necessary surveys to set up an integrated and advanced Steel Plant, which would not only be a major step towards our country’s self reliance, but also serve as an example for the new plants to come up. It asked the “Hindustan Steel Limited” to conduct surveys for setting up the plant.

The people had almost forgotten that someone had ever come to visit their village, and continued to live a hard life marred by poverty and hunger. Then came the shocker---Two years later, some officials arrived and informed them that the government had decided to set up a steel plant in Bokaro. They were told that their land would be acquired by the government, which was ready to pay a reasonable price for their land and that they would be settled in a place not far from where they lived.

The officials left soon, and later in the year 1959, the process of acquiring the land was started and the number of people displaced totaled to 34786, who were rehabilitated in three neighboring villages-Balidih, Ritudih and Ukrid.

Soon after the rehabilitation was completed, a number of engineers, architects and contractors came to bokaro, and then was drafted the construction plan of the plant and the city. It was decided to quickly train at least one person from each displaced family for the construction work. The displaced were delighted at this decision, because they knew that as soon as the construction would start none of them would have to sleep hungry or would have no work to do. The few who were educated were given technical training, and in 1964 finally the construction work started.

Attempts were made to set up schools in the upcoming city for the education of the children, and finally in the year 1966 St. Xavier’s School was set up on the invitation of the Bokaro Steel Limited to the concerned authorities.

A lot of small contactors flooded the place to try their luck, leaving their families far behind, and worked hard day and night to get the work done on time. They made huge profits and as the residential colonies came up, they brought their families to the ‘Bokaro Steel City’. The work was completed early in the year 1972, and the plant became operational on the 2^nd of October that year. The residential colonies continued to come up.           

            
The plant indeed did not come up as easily as it seems to be. First, the authorities had to face protests from some local groups, and then the government had to scrap a collaboration agreement with the United States of America, and enter into a new agreement with the USSR to set up the plant due to certain stands of the American Government, which were not at all acceptable.

The city was in a lot of limelight due to the big surprise it sprang after the results of the IIT-JEE were announced a few years ago. One of the schools in the city alone accounted for sixty two IITians, and around fifteen more from the other schools made it to various IITs in the country. The city today holds a huge potential to give the country a number of technocrats and professionals. A number of students from various small towns and villages come to Bokaro to pursue High Secondary Education.

            
The city continues to grow, and the river ‘Bokaro’, a small tributary of the river Damodar, after which the city is named, continues to flow, witnessing the changes in the city.

----------------