Roses are red and violets are blue

My last post for february.

It's official - I have romance and poetry in my soul! (errr...does that make it final too?).It is also official that they did not forget the alphabet or change their name. If you are wondering what I am talking about, it is about the strawberry google doodle on valentine day on their home page.

Please adjust

Roads resurfacing work is going on in the housing complex where I reside and the work was done first one side of the road and then the other, quite efficiently. All through the day, large trucks poured tar, the large dipper kind of machines swinging at what seemed to be a very precarious angle. In typical Indian " pls. adjust" style, tiny tots walking to or from school, senior citizens, maids and other residents walked carefully staying at the very edge of the road making what seemed to be an effort to avoid the mechanical monsters. Can't road re-surfacing work take place during the night?

Sun and Wind

In my earlier post on Mumbai, I'd said it is residents who should demand better facilities for green buildings, so it made me happy to read that a company in India manufactures a hybrid windmill based on solar and wind energy that ordinary citizens now use to cope with the current and future energy requirements and problems. It is laudable how a builder in Navi Mumbai, a satellite township has spent 7 laks to install one and he hopes to recover the cost in 3 years. Think of the grateful residents who will have at least enough energy for the lift (elevator) and building lights when there is load shedding. Not to mention such apartments may also claim a premium in future by buyers. Societies also get subsidies and tax breaks from the government - seems reasonably simple and do-able. Wonder what others are waiting for. If it was only lack of knowledge about good practices, hope this helps!

Meanwhile, the samjhauta train blast tragedy a day after I posted the item on shivaratri and tamas only demonstrates the stumbling blocks in the peace process.

Bow- wow

Dog stories and All things Great and Small by James Herriott are two wonderful books (actually all his books are wonderful) for one to read and to keep. It is a must have in your collection as it makes great reading - at any time, for any one, of any age.

I Believe in India

While studying for my IS degree,we were told about online databases, Medline, DIALOG and such. For a group of students in a country that still did not even have any government or independent ISP in the country, it was only theory. Though of course we had access to the wonderful work that was going on even in those days by ERNET in linking universities and such. Even as the class dismissively pipped to the lecturer, saying " this is only theory, we will never get it in India", I remember my sole lone voice saying "It will. It may take time but it will. It may take ten years but it will." Even as I said it, I never had any inside information or special insights but neither did I have any doubts at all. I am so happy that I was proved right and wrong. Right in the sense that of course India soon became part of the global digital map and wrong that it did not take ten years, it took less than seven. Today the number of ICT initiatives, not just in the private sector but in governement and development takes my breath away with delight.

Not to mention as a simple individual user and citizen I am delighted with the choices (choice.... that magical word!) which I finally have as a user- that of being able to select my ISP vendor! I am truly proud of my country- with all its problems and despite it- we made it.

Now medline and other databases are not just in the realm of Information Sciences, a subject to study. Doctors in rural areas are using tele-medicine to deliver services such as pioneering work by Dr. Devi Shetty in Karnataka. sterling work such as this reflects the faith of all who believe in India.

From Darkness to Light

A friend suggested a movie to watch as Parzania but I declined. War and violence based movies have never been my favorite. I cannot handle the gory scenes and have nightmares for days on end. I still haven't recovered from what I think is one of the most influential movie/tv serial in my life,Tamas which starred Deepa Sahi. Whatever little interest I had in public life and politics I completely lost after the way the movie depicted how facts and truth can be and are rigged and distorted. Tamas was many years ago. The issues are still very similar so I hope the new generation does not miss it. Tamaso mah Jyotirgamahya- lead us from darkess into light.

I am looking forward though, to Honeymoon Travels ltd. a new release- sounds like fun and in the promos I have seen this scene with kay kay menon I think, lying on the floor waving his legs in the air in some kind of dance, to a very catchy number -very infectious energy.

Whoddunit

Old post:

A crime -based programme on the small screen deals with the topic of a small team of specialists, very young, snappily dressed, in a very sleek modern office with latest gadgets, each a qualified expert in fields of crime, high technology, criminal psychology and engaged in solving crimes. In one of the episodes, trying to solve a unsolved "serial killer" case the team is desperate for a clue or break and their only hope is a retired police officer who may have some recollection of the event. Something that he remembers and not documented in the case files.

As the team is urging him to remember, I was struck by the similarity by what in Knowledge Management is termed as TACIT knowledge. i.e. what is not explicit- or documented, noted or written anywhere. Only inside the brains/head of a person. Knowledge that can only be derived (or "harvested")by face to face interaction, mentoring and the like. Why am I using the context of crime here? What does Knowledge Management have to do with crime?

It is very interesting how the Government of Singapore has put KM to use in the various issues that the police force have to deal with. Subroto Bagchi, CEO of Mindtree consulting, writes a column in a business magazine and one of them titled "Singapore's thinking cop" describes more about this venture. It is a fascinating insight into how worldwide the KM practice is maturing with unusual and unique applications such as described in this article available at www.businessworld.in/feb0904/index.asp.

Om Namah Shivaya

Yesterday on Shivaratri, a holy day for many Hindus, in temples all over the country people were engaged in worship, but across the border it was a landmark day, for sixty years after the partition and independence, the bells at a Shiva temple near outside lahore in Pakistan rang.

The foundation for the temple was laid by LK Advani when he visited Pakistan and a result of the committment given by the Pakistan government and the final work was the result of many months of renovation and after a group of archeaologists and advisors from Punjab University visited Kashi Vishwanath, other Shiva and famous temples in India to study them. The BJP spokesperson I saw on TV looked visibly moved at the sincerity of Pervez Musharraf the Pakistan president as he praised him for keeping his word. A group of people from Delhi who had also gone to the temple to worship on the occasion returned with emotion writ large on their faces as they vowed on national television to communicate how affectionately they were treated. I thought I'd do my two bit too in helping them spread the message. Music, movies, art and culture has always seen as building bridges and not barriers. When religion is also viewed in this light, truly we may approach the "peace beyond understanding".

Life is beautiful

I am a passionate votary of public transport, eco-friendly travel & commuting etc. My interest in the topic began many years ago with a book called "Asphalt Nation", I'd recommend to read it if you haven't as it is an interesting account of effect on the world due to automobiles. But who can argue the comfort of a personal car and convenience of taking a flight. In any case, the state of public transport is close to my heart, I take it as much as possible, read, and write on it. The latest is this site http://www.trafficpolicemumbai.com/, which allows one to post complaints and grievances online about errant taxi and auto rickshaw drivers in Mumbai.

I haven't checked it out or used it yet as it was only in the newspaper today, but I am very impressed at the number of efforts that I wanted to see happening and I am seeing them implemented in my lifetime at least ( Ban on child labour, bill on domestic violence, now this). Consumer forums and citizen initiatives are fine but when done by governance authorities it builds confidence. Poor service is not only the fault of the provider, but also the consumer and customer who compromises on what he is paying for. And more so when there are re-dressal mechanisms existing. My personal battle always is to balance this without losing the quintessential Indian nature of "Solpa adjust maadi" (kannada for "kindly adjust"). An attitude that is not just a local ethos but, the very foundation of the spirit of tolerance that is India.

Knowledge is good, knowledge is valuable

A sense that increasingly society would be divided not merely between "rich" and "poor"- but between "information rich" and "information poor"- is what sowed my interest in creating value out of information. Today information is a valued and traded resource like any other commodity and used to create more value in almost all commercial and business endeavors.

The earliest and most enduring of efforts of using information as a resource are libraries; whether in ancient Alexandria or in modern software code. Speaking of libraries,I wish to share this nugget I came across.

A Swedish library project that allows you to "borrow" a real live human being rather than a book may provide some useful insights as it enables people to come face-to-face with their prejudices in the hopes of altering their pre-conceived notions. The library authorities state, that sometimes when you hear peoples prejudices, one realises that they are just uninformed. The "Living Library project" as it is called and that has already begun had nine people who were available at the library for members of the public to "borrow" for a 45-minute conversation in the library's outdoor cafe. Maybe not all journalists are "know it all " and sensationalists and not all animal rights activists are angry and intolerant, but intelligent and committed", continued the library official. If the project is a success, the library may run it again later too.

Movietime gupshup

I am not much of a moviegoer, though I enjoy the large screen experience and also catch many of them on cable. This is about one I saw called Kalyug, a 2006 release, so I was quite behind the times. It's hero Kunal Khemu is currently in the news for his second and latest movie, traffic signal.

I though Kalyug was remarkable, and really appreciated the performances. Kunal Khemu as the main protagonist seeking revenge when new bride commits suicide not being able ot bear the shame of being a victim of a pornography racket, Deepal Shaw as yet another victim and others in minor roles all gave it their best.Amrita Singh in the role of a villianess as a corporate diva who leads a double life also as a king (queen) pin in a world-wide pornography racket. I do think she is a very good actor. Also, after a very long time I felt I saw a movie that reminded me of old fashioned, Balraj Sahani kind of movies. Though the ethos and genre was vastly different- the similarity being commercial movies with a social message such as widow re-marriage, ills of dowry, plight of landless farmers and such. I was also disturbed at the message that the movie gave that after arms and narcotics, human trafficking ranks third.

Mahesh Bhatt is normally the butt of many jokes and sometimes like yesterday I wonder if that is one way of ignoring the person, his work, his message and efforts. For if I pause and think, almost all of Mahesh Bhatt movies have touched a chord. But due to sheer lack of staying power in the box- office, commercial sucess or lack of big names, they have been ignored or at best seen and forgotten. I am not a movie expert, but purely for the sake of society, I do think it is time for cinema to do a Mahesh Bhatt retrospective. And open up issues for debate. For instance, I feel that pornography/prostitution as a world wide industry and the dimensions of human trafficking and exploitation are two different things even though many times the lines may overlap and be hazy. I also realised that even with my social work backbround and more than average reading, how very little I knew about this subject. For instance while drug and arms dealers make headlines, why are the big names behind human trafficking not so evident. I think it is time to take a break from Kajara Re and Beedi Jalai le- as much as I find it entertaining.

Of course, Kalyug had it's hugely successful and evocative songs that was top of the charts in 2006. two of them being, "Tujhe dekh dekh sona" and "Juda hoke bhi tum"-listen to them and some others at http://www.raaga.com/

Social Work and Solutions

One of my collegues sent a mail as he was running for charity and the proceeds would go to Apnalaya- an organisation that was working in the community of Mumbai slums in Shivaji Nagar, an area of Mumbai where the waste of the city is used as land re-fill.

I thought I'd share memories from the past that Apnalaya triggers. Shivaji Nagar slums at that time did'nt even have the now road that connects to Mankhurd so it was truly back of beyond but close enough for me to travel. I did field work as a student social worker when I was about 18, i.e three week days full time, not part -time, for a whole year. Among other things our work as part of the BMC project in the municipal school involved reducing drop-out rates, non-formal education, low -cost nutrition and health. Apnalaya of course was one of our other placements in the area.

One of the highlights of that year was a year-end event we conducted- a three day sports event for the entire student strength of the four divisions of the municipal school, almost 3,500 in all i.e. Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and Telegu. It was a first.. and a huge success from planning to fundraising (all prizes were sponsored) to of course the actual implementation and one thing we ensured was that every child would get something, however small. It is one of the memories of the past I cherish, though at the end of the day, we were not a pleasant sight to see or smell when we returned home!

Incidentally, many years later, about four years ago, I met my field supervisor in the bank where I work much to my delight as I had lost touch with most of them. She was part of the bank CMS team in Andheri and shortly thereafter resigned and moved on to join another bank.

To think that even after all these years, the issues remain the same, the interventions have not changed and neither has anything else. Even as a professional social worker I had this niggling feeling, doubt, call it even a conspiracy theory, if we create the problems just so we have a lab to work in and feel good about it instead of actually setting our shoulders to finding solutions.

Mumbai- wake up & smell the coffee

This is one of my old posts of 2005.Since then much has improved but I'd like each one reading this in Mumbai to make their own progress report card.

I find it seriously difficult to understand how anyone can be shell shocked by the events that took place since 26/7. Did no one REALLY see it coming? And I don't mean satellite sensing systems and "regulatory bodies". I mean just the common man. Was he so busy running for his 8.07 local and sleeping if lucky to get a seat, fighting if not, once home riveted by the saas bahu soaps that he completely missed reading the writing on the wall? Substitute the scenarios with yuppie taking kids to tennis and swimming lessons, women at kitty parties, everyone in Mumbai must have surely been doing everything else but paying attention to what was happening in and all around them and in the rest of the country and world. Till finally it rained!

The rains were an act of God no doubt, but other than that all the events that have taken place since including the flooding due to encroachments on Mithi (Mythic ?) river, breakdown of infrastructure, the epidemics, the killing at Gateway etc are incidents that were waiting to happen. And if we don't fool ourselves will continue to happen. Inspite and despite the CM relief fund, the PM relief fund, the NGOs, the PILs, the committees and every small and large interventions.

This is not a cynicism or tree hugging fuzzy idealism, merely an observation based on some very simple basic truths. If we have finished talking about the Mumbai city north- south divide, the taxes that Mumbai contributes, the Mumbaikar spirit, and everything else, we could start at the beginning and get back to the basics. Let us start to seek the answers by asking a few questions:

1. Which common man in Mumbai is comfortable about going to a local police station to lodge a complaint. ANY complaint.
Make that a common woman and you have a script for a horror story
2. Which citizen in Mumbai can honestly state that in his/her entire span of life in Mumbai he/she has never:
(a) Given or taken a bribe (b) Thrown rubbish, cigarette stub, wrapper, fruit peel on the road (c) Cut a traffic rule (d) Never used plastic bags/disposed it thoughtlessly

Continuing the train of thought, has he/she

(a) Done shramdaan to clean a lake, planted a tree or done something for the environment on a regular basis (b) Knows his local corporator, has either voted for him or his opponent during the local elections (c) Segregated garbage and taught his children values of recycling (considering that in my view Indians invented recycling, it is genetic, and in our DNA)

How many of the residents who are educated, can read English and have access to a PC, know or have taken effort to study initiatives that other cities have in India and in that context questioned:

a. Why is it that Bandra and Andheri Stations or any other railway station looks the same as they did 20 years ago
b. Why are trees cut and gardens not available to children and adults
c. Why is there no lane for cycling
d. Why are builders not providing for service lift for heavy furniture,library space, common laundromat, community hall, solar heating, vermiculture facilities, water harvesting?

Maybe because buyers would rather pay for "Granamite flooring" in flats and Full Marble Flooring in foyer"? They'd rather pay for "Video security " phone than take the trouble and effort of ensuring crime free city. Gyms and swimming pools were not features 15 years ago. If the builders can provide these in response to customer demand I don't see why they will not provide the above. By the time every person reading this finishes answering these and scoring himself mentally like the commonly found simple quizzes in a mid afternoon paper, one would find that one falls in the category that gives a fair profile of a citizens community that is made up of individuals who are either a victim or victimising on a daily basis - sometimes maybe alterchanging positions.

All of the above scenarios refer to individual behaviours and have little or nothing to do with how much aid the World Bank gives or has given; is the govt.admitting to an epidemic or not; numerous reports on encroachments and migration that are lying in dusty files etc. topics that engages even the average citizen of Mumbai.

What is it about the common man in Mumbai today that he/she is taken up by all global, large scale, wide canvas issues when the simple first rule in childhood we learn is when you point a finger at others three point back at you. Or to put it another way, when will the intellectualising stop and responsible action begin? Driving the demand and facilities that builders provide is in the hands of the individual buyer- not the CM. Choosing not to pay a bribe or throw garbage in public areas or doing a shramdaan regularly does not need an act of parliament. Unless we take care of the small things how will the big things get taken care of?

In this scenario at least it is small consolation for me that after 26/7 the corporate sector put it's foot down and told the government, "show us the plans and we'll show the money".

And last but not the least at an individual, family, social level to go back to "Need and not greed" perspective.

Rights and Restrictions - on Mumbai roads

(this is an old post of 2005)

I was reading in the newspaper about how very soon a special lane for BEST buses will be introduced in Mumbai. Good idea.

But as I travelled to work today with all vehicles travelling in single file in what looked to be a three lane road I could not help but think that soon the city will also need a lane only for humans to walk. Because lets face it . That is what is happening today and by the law of value it is human life that is supposed to be highest. Which means I cannot complain if people are walking on half of the road. I am not even going to begin commenting about people crossing the road at any point that is suitable- that would be a different topic. To come back to the lane theory. Well what are walkers to do? The footpath which was originally meant for pedestrians have been illegally occupied by hawkers and shop extensions complete what with awnings and goods displayed. Then take one lane that is taken up by illegal parking. I say illegal because while my private car of a tax paying citizen is towed away in the blink of an eye, auto, trucks, tankers and taxis cheerfully park at any, believe me, just any point in the road. Some times I have also seen them not just parked waiting for a potential passenger but to have a snack, chat with other drivers or just simply because the fancy took them- to watch the view or day dream - It happens only in India!. So with the footpath gone, one lane gone, one lane for the BEST buses, obviously we need more investments in Infrastructure- we need to build Flyovers for the private cars!

Mumbai needs not just more investments in upgrading roads, public transport, railway stations but also severe restrictions on roads and footpaths for their original use.

Meanwhile massive efforts by BEST to upgrade their services and buses are definitely providing much required succour to hassled commuters. I was also delighted to see this absolutely simple, plain vanilla but supremely effective effort in putting their basic information on routes on the internet site, thereby using ICT for passenger service.

Mumbai Roads are not the only reason for traffic problems - discipline,enforcement of regulation and governance is also lacking.

I Love Mumbai

On Valentines Day, express your feelings to the one you love most... express your love for Mumbai... says an advertisement for a I love Mumbai campaign that has been launched by HT, a local newspaper here.

The main part of this post was part of my old site, deeplydeeps on the "Kama" section titled, I love Mumbai. As I have taken the site down, I have migrated the text here.

Truly, let me try and explain my feelings for this city that is the only home known to me. Which has loved me like a mother and provided for me as a father. In it's residents I have the camaraderie of brothers, sisters, cousins, pets, family and community.

Overflowing garbage bins and potholed state of roads are the more commonly held reminders of the city of Bombay, now Mumbai. The sights are compounded by the smells of unhygienic conditions that exist, overflowing garbage and slums and poor roadside people trying to struggle through an existence. But even in the dust and grime of an urban decadence, an artist's eye catches the colours and shapes and patterns that make up Mumbai a microcosm of India -colourful and vibrant. Beneath and beyond the concrete and tar, it's faint heartbeat flutters.

Mumbai has its sights captured by the artist or the photographers eye. Mainly the roadside vendors of fruits, flowers, bhelpuri on the beach and other odds and ends. But there are many other sights that my eye captures that are more every day in nature. Tree lined roads, the sun, a gloden orb setting over the western horizon, dogs curled up on pavements over a parchment of paper to keep them warm (often true of humans too), a solitary cow blocking the road.Or a group of them holding cow-ncil meetings on the sides, brightly hued paper wind-mills swirling furiously around on a totem pole made of dry grass. The raddiwala displays magazines on a string. Old bags repairwala, a key maker under a tree, brightly coloured boganveille (sp.?) draped over concrete walls and barbed wire; glorious gulmohar flaming for a brief period of three months; hanuman shrines in nooks and under trees, with vermillion and green leaves round his neck. A coconut vendor who arranges the waste in a neat concentric circle. Vegetables and fruits organised with similar precision and design.

Green leaves nestle white jasmine in a circle of a brown woven bamboo basket, normally the vendor dressed in a spotless white kurta/pyjama/topi -the traditional attire of Maharashtra. Discarded magazines arranged on a string with the pride of a window-display. Looking up at the sky, it speaks a different tone every day.

To a mind wearied by the grime and garbage, disillusioned by politicians, scams, increasing prices and cost of living, crime and corruption in the big bad city, these colours and pictures serve as a reminder to- despair not.

Amidst it all, smiling urchins, hardworking housemaids (bai's), happy stray dogs, chatty cab drivers and helpful people.

Through floods or riots, bomb blasts or just everyday routine, the city has enveloped me in it's loving care. After three generations in Mumbai, now it is my "gaon", my village, or home town as the colloquial word is used by migrants who call Mumbai home but refer to their roots.

Recently, suddenly the twists and turns of the amazing maze of Mumbai roads led me to the doorstep of the Mumbaidevi temple after which this city is named. As is stood there looking at it, for a few minutes a little surprised at the unexpected sight, I felt my throat choking. Years in this city, being born and having lived here all my life and having a fairly religious upbringing, for some strange reason, I had never paid my respects to this mother Goddess who it is said presides and protects the city. I think I know what I'd like to do on Valentines Day - visit the temple and express my thanks and love. Rest can wait.

People First

Old post of 2005:

July 2005 was a memorable month for many of us in Mumbai and will stay that way for long time due to the utter collapse of the city in what is now being referred to as 26/7. For readers who want to know where they would get detailed coverage of the "Week that was" on the internet, rediff.com covered the disruption fairly widely with inputs from stranded citizens and photographs of the city.

My colleagues wanted me to write about how better knowledge and ways of managing it may have helped in either avoiding or managing the situation. Building and sustaining better cities via various programmes including knowledge based interventions has been going on for a significant time now with successful efforts not just globally but also within India in other cities.

How Knowledge Management practices affect the society we live in and the manner in which governments and citizens dialogue with each other, translates into interesting issues in e-governance, best practices and trends wherein governments, regulatory bodies and concerned groups across the world are using Knowledge Management techniques and technologies to provide citizens with better living.

One such effort, Bangalore based www.janaagraha.org facilitates accountability of public funds and ward officers.

Right idea, Wrong trees?

Old post of 2005

A newspaper article last months with this title caught my attention and it spoke of how more than 100 trees were uprooted during Sunday night’s squally weather in Chennai and how saplings planted along avenues should have deep roots. Many of the trees that fell were not just destroyed but also damaged cars & properties. Add to this the costs of planting, growing and maintaining the trees and we have a fair idea of the compounded effect. In the article, activists raised questions about the stability and choice of species planted, gave details of trees planted, recommended species, environmentalist views on the topic, overall making it very insightful reading.

I was reminded of when a CEO of a large construction company had mentioned something similar- how the trees in their housing complexes are chosen carefully such that birds of rare species are attracted as compared to the pigeons and crows that normally frequent apartment complexes in Mumbai leading to maintenance issues. Both these examples are very relevant from the perspective of Knowledge Management. For instance, how often is it that people really consider which trees to plant during a tree-planting programme?

Knowledge for it’s own sake is to be pursued because without it we would have no foundation at all. Having acquired it, what makes it invaluable is when it is applied within a larger context. Managing Knowledge is not about building sites or portals and counting hits. Managing Knowledge is about using the information one has (in this case about trees) in the context of a larger need or requirement (in this context that would be town planning). Knowledge for knowledge sake is good and putting it to intelligent use is what would provide any significance. Needless to say, lack of knowledge can only be a very high price to pay as the example of the 100 uprooted trees tell us. The idea was right but the trees were wrong. Even simple ideas implemented based on proper understanding work effectively while the best idea may come to naught due to poor implementation.

Hence the need to have and manage knowledge is to enable effective decision-making and about creating a larger “Knowledge is good, Knowledge is valuable” awareness.

No more packaged dahi

I recently came back after a slightly extended stay away from India. While I enjoyed my time away would be an understatement, as always I also returned with an appreciation of what I'd like to hold on to and as silly as it may sound, one of them is home made dahi. I hugely appreciate the value of instant dahi- who hasn't agonised over dahi not set well or not set at all on a cold winter day or worse still wating to make a quick dish or entertain guests and not have dahi - the only option being a neighbourhood Dairy farm (and not very hygenic at that) if open. But the charm and taste of dahi jammaved at night , fresh in the morning or set in morning to eat at dinner is a flavour that is so fresh and so Indian and so much at variance with fast food, quick meals and a hurried culture. So while the shopping mall shelves are bedecked with packaged dahi and flavoured yoghurts, and as a harried, working, professional woman, I was a happy buyer of it all, I think I will make the effort to reject it for some more time as possible and instead stick to home-made dahi. No more packaged dahi for me.

Jai Kisan?

Why are Mumbaikars more concerned about the mid-night bans on clubs more than the farmer’s deaths in the state?

I am all for partying! What is Mumbai without it's parties? What are parties if, like Cinderella, at the stroke of midnight one has to drop one "Catwalk" or "Regal" shoe and run away.

But seriously, considering Mumbai has such a large population of educated and urbane crowd with an even larger heart, why does it not beat for the farmer in India, in Andhra and closer home in Maharashtra who commit suicide? The farmer is the one after all who is responsible for putting all that delicious food on the table for the parties !

How do we get the Mumbaikar heart to beat for Jai Kisan?

Welcome

Hello and Welcome - this is my new blog. I hope to eventually publish all my old posts too here.