Diamonds are for Life! De Beers Story

De Beers

Whenever you think of a diamond you think of this company. It’s maybe like a xerox in photocopy world, absolutely peerless, anyways interestingly both uses carbon in one or the other form.

Most of us think that there must be some CXO type of post which was and is being held by some Mr. De Beers. The fact of the matter is that there in no Mr. De Beers (whom I can marry off to get all the diamonds) De Beers brothers owned a kimberlite field which was later bought by Cecil Rhodes( yes the guy who went snooping around Africa discovered have of it and owned a quarter ( that’s my perception and may be highly exaggerated but its not inaccurate… you would recognize if you were half awake in your history class)  

But this hunky dory tale of diamonds dint last long with the setting in of the second world war their markets slumped drastically as no one saw the need to make a lavish buy with the world burning. But two things change the scene:

One, the war ended and there was a surge in the marriage market as people looked for reasons to celebrate in an otherwise devastated world or men out on war for long wanted to seal their wedding after seeing in death in close quarters. 

Two, DeBeers came up with brilliant marketing campaign of ‘A diamond Is Forever’ (yes that line which makes every guy and girls in the world go red – of course the former as he sees a hole in his pocket and the later with the blushing joy of a bride ).

With the booming wedding bells everyone wanted to have or give a diamond ring on their left ring finger. The market went from good to great in the famous post was baby boom era.

By the way for those still wondering who the hell was Cecil Rhodes! He was the founder of the state of Rhodesia, which was later bifurcated into two African nations Zambia and Zimbabwe.

*Almost forgot the story idea: courtesy Abhishake Diarhea 

When the Fence ate the Field

Beli edu hola meydante ( kanada) means when the fence meant to protect eats the feild whom do we run for protection? Thats the first thought that came into my head when I was reading Karnataka Chief Minister's reaction to the entire Managlore pub incident. Some of the classic perspectives given by the CM: 

• The decision that though the incidents are condemnable the need is to stop the pub culture from seeping in to Karnataka.
• Banning Shri Ram Sene is not the solution for the problem
• The Leader Promod Mutalik need not be arrested! ( When he was initially arrested it was on charges of distributing inflammatory pamphlets - which actually called for volunteers for a Hindu suicide squad! - and not instigating mindless violence in the city) 

Just in retrospection what culture is the CM trying to protect? A culture where women can be molested by goons in the middle of the street, the media watches the tamasha , records it and sell their TRP and the CM is worried about the pub culture when women are being battered in broad daylight! heavens that was some culture! He would probably arrest the famous vachana sahiti 'Akka Mahadevi' for obscenity in public!!! Today pubbing might be wrong tomorrow working, dayafter steping out of the house. The list goes on till they replace women with slaves in the society. 

Secondly, if any other religious group had gone on a rampage would this be the reaction? If Pak Taliban was not banned in Afghanistan we call it uncivilised! 

Finally if we don't arrest the unapologetic leader of a psychotic group of vandals what message are we sending out to the public?

That's how it feels when the protectors turn attackers, there is a saying in kannada which means when the fence eating the feild situation 

This just reminded me that in colleges there were these rules prohibiting girls from wearing jeans as it was provocative!!!! If a goons eve teased a girl at worst times even raped the girls  the reason given "the girl dressed provocatively!" well what a defense! Maybe that was the reason for the molesting the women in the pub... 

For how long will we be the victims to this social perversion? 

Things are to be used and people are to be loved. But in today's world people are used and things are loved...

Dutch, India aur Sensex

I always thought America the great Juggernaut of modern day capitalism was the first one to have a stock exchange or may be the great Britain, But when I got to know that it was Amsterdam which has the credit for the first stock exchange I was surprised. 

A little of jogging my head reminded me the Dutch were the super power before the Anglo Saxon domination over threw them.

Yes, coming back to the Stock Exchange it was formed in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company for dealing in printed bonds and stocks. It also has another first : It was the first to begin trading in securities. 

The oldest Building were not available but the picture is of the building which hosted the Stock Exchange before it merger in 2000

The stock exchange has changed names several times from Bourse to the Brussels Stock Exchange when it merged in 2000. Then it became the Paris Stock Exchange and it is currently merged with the Euronext.

Birthday Celebration

For the First 15 years of my life Birthday was such a red letter day in my calender. It meant all friends would be home and I would blow a candle and cut the cake, get a new dress, plus gifts and we would play endlessly. It was the planning and anticipation which was sooo much fun!

But as we grew older Birthday parties started seeing a change... it meant friends would gate crash at 12, there would he those painful birthday bums ! It would be one treat for which you would save money for like months together.... and of course if you are lucky to co incidentally have a friend with birthday around the corner it would mean pool in. But it would mean hours of logistic about where to we go out and eat and have fun.... but parties were more of a friends and family celebration held separately....

The B'day gal in her new dress 

Then I grew up further ( Wow! that's news ) and started working, birthdays became a formal social calender event with some cake cutting, formal cake smashing and nice dinners..... now with family friends and colleagues. With a visit to the temple thrown in! 

But, last Sunday we decided to bring the good old Birthday Party back home on my Roomie's Birthday. Well after months of planing which had her parents come in from Kolkata... we had all the classic bits like a B'day cap, Balloon filled with glitter which were suppose to be burst at the stroke of 12 ( but due to a malfunction kept blowing up as weird timings...) and a huge " Happy Birthday" wall hanging, cake with candles on it, Friends standing all around with gifts in hand (well it was a gifts must bring event).....

After ages it felt great to be blowing balloons and putting up decoration in the house, deciding the menu took more time then the finance minister takes to draw up a budget.....

If you are wondering whats special in all this ? No no it was not a surprise party, but still the joy of celebrating just like when we were kids was fun. After a long time we had something to look forward for with childish enthusiasm , unabashedly looking forward for gifts and goodies.... It was nice to be a child again. 

It doesn't take a lot to be Happy :) And... Happy Birthday Arpita Mukherjee...

Jai Ho! Long Live Our Dreams...

We were on a Delhi Yatra this Sunday. As kids who work away from home we were proud and eager to show out visiting parents the grandeur of Delhi.... And what better time then the Grand Republic Day celebrated at the very heart of Delhi? 

Well one Day before the Republic Day( 25th Duh!!! also a Sunday) when the patriotic fervour we decided to visit the Red Fort, when we went there we realised it was closed for visitors with disappointment oozing out of our faces we decided to stroll down the lazy streets of Chandini Chowk. Then with a never say die spirit we decided to move on to the India Gate.... But, well here we saw stretches of deserted streets.... so we moved on to what I loving call the museum of Gods or Akshardham which was of course open with a few instructions like :

• In the list of things you cant take inside with things like bullets, blades and alcohol was a another item drunkards!!! Well I like the spirit of not recognising the human status of drunkards :P

Then after braving at least a dozen frisks and checks... by the time we reached the entrance we had the done with the teertha yatra feel. And, on why I call it the museum of Gods? Well It has these magnificent looking statues of Excessively hunkish six packed Gods... no nicely displayed I forget prayers and end up gaping at the beautiful architecture. 

Ok! Back to the point... Every Republic Day and Independence Day we celebrate about out country being free, in fact on the Republic Day when we many years ago so daringly declared Independence and a day when the best of our armed forces salute to their chief in command two things hit me harder then anything else the President who was taking the salute with all due respect to her seat did not in anyway inspire any confidence in me... I did not see a commander of armed forces I saw the face of an old women wrapped as much in a saree as by the influential political powers in the back ground!

Secondly, I saw that ironically on the days preceding our display of strength people preferred staying indoors out of fear more then anything else I heard out at least a paranoid friends and relatives who advised me to stay in so sure that I would be blown up to pieces by a terror bomb otherwise. It felt weird that we had more confidence in their capacity to blow us then our capacity to hold them off.... That left me wondering if we would have ever won over the great ( sarcasm for those to didn't notice) British Empire if our Freedom fighters were to be cowed down and preferred staying in? 

In short this Republic Day I wished for an India where people stop waiting for the messiah to walk in from the skies and find independence on the streets, but that does not mean we can make do with a compromise Presidential Rubber stamp. I pray for the Wings of Fire ( with tribute to its author) that will soon provide us with the strength to fly our country high.

When will Ram get a human Sena?

Well a couple of Yuga's ago there was The Prince Ram who defeated Ravan with his army of vanars of monkeys well but I can bet my last breath on the fact that the vanar or the army of monkeys were more human then their name sakes who beat up women for ruining the Indian culture in Mangalore. In short the monkey's then seem more civilised the the humans today.... or would i rather the humans today seem more beastly then the brave vanars then... (I guess Darwin would have redone his evolution theory if he saw these incidents ). *

On a more serious note...

Every time there is an attack by the fundamentalists or so called the religious brigade it is on women be it the bar dancers or the burqa draping. I don't know if I sound like a  feminist venting out a frustrated rant but the fact that women are at the receiving end of these barbarous whims is wrong. 

But a lot of times I wonder if I see a closet satisfaction in the masses when an incident like this happens... Just a couple of days ago there was an incident where kids celebrating a birthday party got beaten and abused for spoiling the culture of the locality by none other then the hooligans in the area. 

Just think back every time there is a call for protection of the culture the barbarians who quite literally hold the cudgels are the guys who would sit on street corners whistling at girls making cat calls and lewd comments.

In all probability the maniacs who attacked the girls in Mangalore were frustrated souls who were denied entry, and hence made a vengeful attack! I refuse to take a stance on does our society need dance bars... but if a set of hooligans were to attack women in them name of Ram I wonder how Ram would react.... maybe not too strongly for the man himself banished his wife heeding to words of a washerman.... Being a women I guess I would best love the Ram Rajya in a TV soap.

* But due to the immense respect and reverence I hold for the brave warrior race of vanars I extend my due apology to them for even making the comparison.... 

Bamboo, Rats and Famine

Long back in a family dinner I remember my parents telling me the when the bamboo flowers emerge it brings along destruction. The red flowers which is said to erupt together all over India at the same time brings looking more like forest set ablaze. 

The flowers are known to attract rodents which feast on these flowers and multiply at startling rates. The increased rodent population means the next to fall is the food stock bring with it wide spread famine. Its not just the famine they are suppose to bring along immense bad luck which is said to have destroyed kingdoms and countries. 

I remembered all this while reading a forwarded mail a friend sent across in which a similar belief was echoed in Mizoram.....

The mautam of Mizoram is a cyclical event that occurs once in 48 years when the Melocanna baccifera, a species of bamboo, blossoms. This attracts a particular species of rats, whose numbers increase rapidly. Last time this happened in 1959, and after having the feast, the rodents turned their attention toward the crops and granaries. This created a famine situation. This was also one of the reasons why India had to look towards west for food grains. One of the US dailies reported that Indian PM comes begging. 

Though this famine actually strengthened India and then came the revolution in food grains, known as the Green Revolution. 

While the situation in Mizoram turned other way round and saw the formation of Mizo National Famine Front which later took up arms as the separatist Mizo National Front. This resulted in separate statehood.

Though last year was the year of mautam, the Mizo National Front suffer defeat in the recent Nov-Dec 2008 elections. This time rats were also defeated thanks to better planning, tribal support and the Indian army.

Proud To Be Indian

There might be a million things wrong with my country but I know there are a two million things right.


Just got this song humming in my head....

Hum logon ko samajh sako to
Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani
Jitna bhi tum samjhoge utni hogi hairaani
Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani
Jitna bhi tum samjhoge utni hogi hairaani

Apni chhatri tumko dedein kabhi jo barse paani
Kabhi naye packet mein bechein tumko cheez puraani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani

Thode anari hain thode khiladi
Ruk rukke chalti hai apni gaadi
Thode anari hain thode khiladi
Ruk rukke chalti hai apni gaadi
Humein pyaar chahiye
Aur paise bhi
Hum aise bhi hain
Hum hain vaise bhi

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani
Ulti seedhi jaisi bhi hai apni yehi kahaani
Thodi hummein khushiyaan bhi hain
Thodi hai nadaani
Thodi hum mein sachchaai hai
Thodi beimaani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani

Aankhon mein kuchh aansoo hain kuchh sapne hain
Aansoo aur sapne donon hi apne hain
Aankhon mein kuchh aansoo hain kuchh sapne hain
Aansoo aur sapne donon hi apne hain
Dil dukha hai lekin toota to nahin hai
Umeed ka daaman chooka to nahin hai

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani
Thodi majboori hai lekin thodi hai manmaani
Thodi tu tu main main hai aur thodi kheecha taani
Hum mein kaafi baatein hain jo lagti hain deewani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani

Dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni
Phir bhi dil hai hindustani.....

Wipro and World Bank

Yesterday when the news broke that Wipro had been barred from bidding to World Bank projects for 4 years... My first instinct was the great India IT dream melting down like the Wall Street. 

May be the fear psychosis so accentuated by the Satyam fraud. 

As the dust settles you realise World Bank directive would do little to affect the company as less than US$1m cumulative revenue in last eight years was accrued from World Bank. However, the stock price declined by a good 10%.

The corporate is charged of bribery but considering the track record of the company hope the worries will soon be layed to rest. For though the Satyam fraud was a shocker, it was more of a close you eyes and wish it dint happen kind of an accident as Satyam has been creating bad vibes from a long time ( Few can forget Mr.E. Shridharan's allegations on the Hyderabad Metro project allocation to Maytas).

So time will tell if World Bank move against Wipro is as disastrous as it seemed yesterday... 

From the Drain Pipe: Forwarded Message

Of the scores of forwards I receive why did this catch my fancy? Well because when you are in the beginning of your career and a living in a magnified rat hole well... you cant help but identify with this li'l rat loony .

And well if 5 years down the line I still stick to the opinion well we might well be the lab rats in God's glorious scheme of thing [ :P ] 

And of course you don't need to send this across to anyone !

Over a Month

Its been over a month since I have written anything ..... a writers block ( in that case this was aBarrier ).... Hope to be back soon.... very soon...