2 Parts to Hindus, 1 part to Muslims

This was the headline in the Times of India the day the Ayodhya verdict was out. One would expect the country's largest English daily to be a little bit more responsible while reporting such a sensitive issue, but that wasn't to be. TOI has reduced itself to yet another gossip daily and I am sure many disgruntled readers like me have switched to better papers like Mint and the Hindu. Just to make my point more clear, the headline that Mint carried was 'Ayodhya Verdict - Justice Delivered after a 61 year wait'.

If any of you haven't yet read about the verdict, here is a gist of it.

The three-judge bench - comprising Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma - ruled in a majority judgment 2:1, that there be a three-way division of the disputed land - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for 'Ram Lalla'.

To me this entire High Court appeal was meaningless. Cause irrespective of what the verdict would be, one party or the other would appeal to the Supreme Court and we would have this entire media circus all over again. So the only thing that this verdict had to achieve was to give us a result which wasn't biased to such an extent that the country would see yet another bout of communal riots. That was all that was expected of this judgment and it did precisely that. By diving the land into three parts and handing over one part to each of the three parties, the verdict was a sensible one.

Some of my friends on Facebook had their status messages saying 'build a school there' or 'build a hospital there'. I'm sure they have very little clue of how the judicial system works!

I personally was of the feeling that only the Sunni Waqf Board would challenge the verdict. But apparently all the parties are keen on appealing to the Supreme Court. Which once again proves my point about this High Court verdict being useless.

On the eve of the verdict the tension in the atmosphere was palpable. But I was pretty sure that there wouldn't be any major violence in any part of India. The fact that the BJP has failed to win the previous two elections even after using the Ayodhya temple as the main point in its political agenda tells me that the Ayodhya issue is a non issue amongst most of us Indians.

Deceit

It was almost dawn by the time she returned home.

She went about doing what had by now become a well rehearsed procedure.

First she closed the door ever so gently, so as to not wake up her husband. She then tip toed to the bathroom. Switched on the light. Carefully examined her reflection in the mirror. It told the story of one of her happier nights. Her clothes were badly crumpled. Her lip stick and eye liner smudged.

She had just finished preparing breakfast when the doorbell rang. She hurried into her bedroom, kissed her husband on his cheek and woke him up.

He was to go on an overnight trekking trip. His boyfriend was waiting at the door.

Pointless Trivia

During my preparation for these interviews, I came across a lot of facts which I wasn't aware of. Not that they are of any great use, but they make interesting reading. So here goes:

- Jamshedpur is the only city in India without a municipality. The responsibility for its conservation and maintenance is entirely assumed by Tata Steel.

- IBM initially manufactured coffee machines.

- The original design for the Indian national flag that Gandhi was presented with included two colours. Red for Hindus and green for the Muslims. In the center was a traditional spinning wheel, symbolising Gandhi's goal of making Indians self reliant by fabricating their own cloth. The design was then modified to include a white stripe in the center for other religious communities and as a background for the wheel. Later, to avoid sectarian associations with the colour scheme, saffron, white and green was chosen to represent sacrifice and courage, peace and truth and faith and chivalry, respectively.

- Zimbabwe is the only country in the world with six official currencies: Botswana pula, British pound, Euro, South African rand, United States dollar and Zimbabwean dollar.

- The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and not Colombo.

- Nokia started off as a company manufacturing toilet paper.

- Monopsony is the peculiar market condition in which you have a single buyer and multiple sellers. An example could be where the government is the only buyer of various health care schemes.

- The Times of India headquarters are at Delhi and not Mumbai.

- Chennai is known as the 'Detroit of India' as it manufactures 60% of India's automobiles.

- Aurangabad is the beer capital of India.

- Canada is thrice the size of India with twice the population of Mumbai.

- Blog is actually a contraction for the term 'web log'.

- The Mumbai airport is the third busiest in Asia after Singapore and Bangkok.

- Thailand is the only Asian country to never be colonized.

- It is impossible to scratch the sole of your foot whilst holding your breath.

Quote for the day: "When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because, in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you know what your heart secretly hopes for."

Post Script: I made the last trivia bit up. Hope you fell for it ;)

My Last B School Interview

The location: Xaviers College, Mumbai.

The preparation:

7 days. Topics include Copenhagen climate summit, Kyoto protocol, Indo US nuclear deal, Nuclear situation in India, Beijing Washington conflicts, infrastrcture in India, Woman's bill, Origin of Woman's day, definition of every possible stock market term, monetary policy, fiscal policy, RBI, fundamental rights, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, BAFTA awards, Oscars, everything about Jamshedpur, Mumbai, India, Canada, France, capitals of 70 countries, currencies of 50 countires, head of states of 25 countries, all 35 districts of Maharshtra, industries in Maharashtra, Bandra Worli Haj Ali sea link, Mumbai Metro, rivers of India, Indian geography, all economic statistics, everything about the Tatas, significance of US flag, Indian flag, 13 colonies of US, Naxal Maoist ideology, communism, socialism, capitalism, life of Mao, Lenin, Stalin, Keynesian economics, booker prize winners, left wing politics, Edward De Bono, C K Prahlad, Navratnas, Chipko movement, IPCC climate controversies, IT industry, my college, Air India, Jesuits, XLRI alumni, their blogs, blogging, ballroom dancing, travelling.

Things asked in the interview: None of the above.

Panelist 1: Supriya Kumar De (was busy reading DNA throughout the interview. I didn't even see his face)

Panelist 2: Abhijit Gangopadhya (legend has it that this person knows more than Google. Today I had first hand experience.)

Panelist 3: Rajeev Sharma (Was reading the Times of India)

Me: May I sit sir?

P2: Chair is in front of you. We are here to take your interview. Who gives an interview standing. Sit down. (That pretty much set the tone for the interview)

P2: So Shon or is it Shron or Shawan?

Me: Sir, it is Shawn. Rhyme it with pawn.

P2: So you resigned from your job?

Me: Yes sir. I decided that I wanted to do MBA this year. I am very clear in my mind that I want to do an MBA. So I didn't see any point hanging around in the technical field. Then told him about an ethical dilemma I faced in TCS and why I resigned 3 months earlier than planned. (XLRI hai boss. They value such stuff) Also told him why I wanted to do an MBA

P2: Oh so I don't think you need XLRI. You have already done so well managing things.

Me: Sir what I did was on a small scale. XLRI will give me the confidence and credentials to do it on a larger scale. It will polish me. There is so much I don't know yet and need to learn (He proved this statement to be true. Read on)

P2: We don't have any polishing machines in XLRI, do we? (Looks at the guys busy reading their papers)

P1, P3: (in unison) No

Me: Sir, it was a metaphor.

P2: So, 87 percent in 10th, 88 in 12th, 79 in computer science engineering. Somaiya to XLRI! That is some jump you are trying to make eh *evil smile* Father works in Air India ha. Tell me about the restructuring of Air India.

Me: I start of with how Air India started making losses. 15 seconds and I am cut.

P2: No no, tell me which units of Air India have been removed.

Me: Sir the cargo unit and the repair, maintenance and operation (RMO) unit.

P2: So what will happen of those units then?

Me: Sir they were removed because they were loss making units and so in order to reduce the loss of Air India balance sheet they were removed from Air India.

P2: So what will happen to the workers then?

Me: Sir it is a governement company so they cannot shut it down without notice. Employees will have to be phased out.

P2: When will all that happen? RMO isn't vital to an airline you know that?

Me: Sir, I haven't had the time to discuss that with my father. Just read it in the newspapers yesterday.

P2: Common sense. Use it. Anyways which company manufactures airplanes?

Me: Boeing.

P2: Where is the industry located?

Me: I don't know sir.

P2: When an airplane is sent for repair where does it go?

Me: Sir airplanes are kept in a hanger. (He doesn't seem satisfied)

P2: Tell me some union laws.

Me: Sir I am very certain in my mind that I don't want to do an HR course and that is why I didn't apply for the XLRI HR course even though it is the best in Asia Pacific.

P2: But you want to be a manager no? Manager should know all this. Tell me some unions in India.

Me: Sir I dont know.

P2: Ok. Why do you need a union?

Me: Sir to tackle worker grievances, to know their wants and needs. Some gyaan.

P2: So are unions good?

Me: It depends. Like everything in life, this too has its good points and bad points. When the twist the arm of the management unfairly then it is bad. Then mentioned some good points.

P2: Will you encourage a union when you become a manger?

Me: Sir if you have few workers then there isnt a need for a union. You can address the workers on a one to one basis. But if they are a huge number of workers, then a union is the only way out.

P2: Have you been to a factory?

Me: No sir.

P2: Industrial visit?

Me: Yes sir. Had gone to Jaipur and seen a mug manufacturing unit.

P2: Oh I know what you guys do on an industrial visit. You people just have fun. Anyways what did you learn?

Me: Sir, I observed that the workers were very diligent and meticulous.

P2: Indian wokers? I have always heard they are lazy.

Me: It could be that the fact that we college students were visiting them made them work hard, cause they knew they were being keenly observed. But that is the impression I took home.

P2: What are Scandinavian countries?

Me: (Aah! The GK part...aa beta, I'm ready) Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

P2: Name some Scandinavian companies in India? (He goes back to what he likes best! Industries!)

Me: Nokia is in Finland so Nokia would be one.

P2: Where is the Nokia factory in India?

Me: No idea sir.

P2: What are multi national companies? (He repeated this 4 times because I couldn't hear what he said)

Me: Companies which have offices in multiple countries.

P2: So if I just have offices in foreign countries it will do?

Me: No sir, they should be production of some sort or some deliverables. Gave an example of TCS (seemed satisfied)

P2: What is RBI and IDBI. Gimme the difference.

Me: I explain about RBI and monetary policy. He cuts me again

P2: What is IDBI?

Me: Don't know sir

P2: Have you heard of it?

Me: Yes sir as a commercial bank but I dont have much idea.

P2: Industrial Development Bank of India.

Me: Alright.

P2: What is differential rate of interest?

Me: Sir when a bank gives a loan and the rate of interest isn't fixed.

P2: Don't give me all this ok! If you don't know say you don't know. It is interest given to social causes.

Me: Sir my last five answers have been don't know. This I thought you meant the flexible loan rate of banks!

P2: What is FMCG?

Me: Fast moving consumer goods.

P2: Why the name?

Me: Sir consumer goods because the consumer uses them and fast because they are consumed at a rapid pace.

P2: Name some FMCG companies.

Me: HUL and Procter and Gamble.

P2: Where is HUL based?

Me: Holland.

P2: Where is Procter and Gamble based?

Me: Don't know sir.

P2: Name some more FMCG companies?

Me: Don't know sir.

P2: Name some HUL products?

Me: Sir rin. It was in the news because of its tiff with Tide manufatcured by Procter and Gamble.

P2: (Cuts me again) Name some HUL products from the food industry.

Me: Don't know sir.

P2: HUL manufactures Walls ice cream. You eat ice cream no?

Me: Yes sir.

P2: What is the percentage of air in ice cream?

Me: *I smile. yaar bahut ho gaya. yeh koi question hota hai kya? This is the final nail in the coffin question. The choke slam!*

He smiles back. I didn't know he knew how to smile.

P3: (wakes up) Anything else you would like to tell us beta?

Me: Spoke about ballroom dancing, travelling, blogging, word games. About my article being published on rediff. Me turning down the offer to work for them. Bahut bola.

(Come on cross question!)

P2: So your passion is dance and writing this blog and word puzzles. And travel. Any other passion?

Me: No sir.

P3: Okay. Thank you.

Me: Thank you.


Musings: Not the best of interviews. But I don't know why I have the feeling I will make it! God willing! Never at any point did I lose it. Kept my cool and kept smiling. The high point of the day was the Xaviers crowd! Wow! I feel like a dork wasting four years in barren Somaiya.

Update:

18:06, March 26, 2010:

After checking and then re checking three more times. I haven't made it. To sum it all up in one word. Gutted!

The Battle Within

I knew it deep within, it had to be Arts. Math equations and chem reactions were never gonna be your forte, said my heart.
I told my heart to shut up.

My heart told me it was time to switch. The binary world I had to ditch.
I told my heart to shut up.

This time my heart was real loud. It told me I shouldn't follow the crowd.
I told my heart to shut up.

Then my mind pitched in.
I don't think you should settle for less.
But what another year holds is anybody's guess.
So I told my mind to shut up.

A Hot, Humid Day

"That's a very cute kid you have", I said to the twenty-ish something very good looking female sitting besides me, with an adorable toddler on her lap. All kids are cute. The compliment was meant for her. And I think she knew it too. I was on my way to office. A typical Chennai day. Hot, humid, energy sapping. I decided to take the air conditioned bus to work. A luxury I afford myself every once in a while.

That got us talking. From the Chennai weather to the IT industry to my entrepreneurship plans, we discussed it all. She was smarter than what I expected her to be. I kept wondering as to why she must have gotten married so early. With intelligence like hers she would have been successful in any field. Then why choose "home-making"? It took a lot of effort to not ask her why. I mean, after all I'm Indian. I'm expected to ask personal questions.

Deep into our conversation, my cell phone started ringing. 'Ringa ringa ringa' from Slumdog Millionaire. I had read an article about how a person's ringtone speaks volumes about the person. I cut the call. She continued talking. It was obvious she hadn't read the article.

"Why did you cut the call? Do I make that good a conversationist?"

I blushed.

"You do. I don't know why, but there is something wrong with me. I just can't get myself to talk on the phone. Phonophobia is the fashionable term for it."

"That explains why you haven't asked for my number yet."

I blushed. For a second time in about a minute. I like confident girls. She was right. I think I'm the only guy who'd rather have the e mail address than the phone number.

"Yeah. And and the sad part is that there will be like a thousand Pooja Shahs on facebook. How am I ever gonna find you?", I teased.

My stop has come. I get up to leave. I wave at the kid. And at her.

"By the way, this is my nephew Siddharth. And ya, another thing. There may be loads of Pooja Shahs on Facebook, but I am sure there won't be many Shawn Francis's."

And I blushed yet again.

Happy Valentine's Day

Ithaca, New York.
February 14, 2010.

She took a long, deep breath before dialing his number. There was a time when she could do that without even looking at the keypad. Not any more. It had been exactly a year since she had cut off all ties with him. Since she had been forced to, rather. To imagine that someone she cared for more than herself would cheat on her. That all his promises were as hollow as him.

"Raj, I need to tell you something"

He couldn't believe his ears. Every single day he had waited for her to call. And to imagine that she would call him today, of all the days. How hard he had tried to get in touch with her. To tell her that it was all a big misunderstanding. That she like always had just jumped to her own conclusion. But unlike before, this time she never gave him another chance.

"Hi. How are you? Listen I need to clarify. You just left without even.."

"That's not why I called up. Remember the vaccines I had to take before leaving for the US? I think one of them must have been infected. I'm so sorry Raj."

It felt like something exploded in his head. All of a sudden everything started making sense. Him losing weight. Him catching the flu so easily. Everything made sense.

February 15, 2010.

Sipping her coffee, she anxiously scanned through the paper. Until she finally found what she was looking for. In one corner of the newspaper. 'Budding enterpreneur ends his life', it said. For the first time in a year, she smiled. She had worked it out perfectly. Revenge is a dish best served cold.