Why is India Reticent?

Why is India shying to deal in arms? It is big business world-wide. India should confidently assert itself when it has the manpower, technology and capability. It makes good business sense and also conveys a political message to other countries, specially neighbouring countries. It also gives an impetus towards self-sufficiency.

India can play a key role in global arms market. Asian giant China has entered the global arms market to sell its high tech missile systems, helicopters, drones, frigates and fighter jets. West looks at China with envy. India is another giant in the region capable of giving tough competition to China in this area of high tech weapons of defence and offence. 

We are already exporting the indigenous developed Dhru helicopters. The Defence Research & Development Organization should tap and encourage talent from the various engineering colleges. Unfortunately top scientists and engineers are quitting DR&DO for lack of innovative opportunities. This trend should be reversed as they are loosing talent and brain to private sector.

We should utilize the vast pool of scientists and engineers passing out from top colleges  and IIT’s all over India, they can bring in new ideas and latest advancement in their field to practical use and make India a major player in the global arms market.

India is already acknowledged a super power in software exports. With the modern warfare fought with high tech equipment, weapons and new generation of computers, defence software is another area with great export potential. 

If India feels, being the land of Mahatma Gandhi, it is not appropriate for the country to export arms, it can very well look into defence weapons and equipment which many countries around the globe would be interested to buy from India, giving India a leverage in world politics.  

* To be here or to communicate: aneelanike@gmail.com

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Book to read

Bharata, My Brother
- Bharata's episode in Ramayana in verse form.

 Including Ramayana: story in brief & Bharata's profile.
Written by: Anil Kumar Naik
- Foreword by Shri Asaranna Swami, Durga Parmeshwari temple,

Kateel, Karnataka.
Price: Rs 200   + P&F Rs 50

Place your order at: akn929@yahoo.com

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The dream gold tamasha!

A joke doing rounds these days – When a seer dreams of gold, the government machinery (ASI) is after the gold. And when Baba Ramdev dreams about black money, the government is after the baba!

 

Hunt for buried treasure at the temple entered the third day on Sunday, 20 Oct at the Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh temple to find hidden treasure of 1000 tonnes of gold. The team dug 70 cm on Saturday, 19 Oct, according to members of Archaeological Survey of India team.

The seer’s dream about 1000 tonnes of gold beneath, at the dilapidated fort in UP’s Unnao district prompted government to begin excavation. A 12-member team comprising archaeologists, geologists and workers are carrying out the excavation work in Duandia Kheda village, 100 km from Lucknow. Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, who was martyred during 1857 fight with British, appeared in the dream of the seer and asked him to take care of the treasure buried under a temple on the fort premises, said Swami Omji, a follower of Sarkar.

The seer now has a second dream of 2500 tonnes gold hidden in the ruins of Adampur village. The ASI has so far managed to recover pottery, tiles and bangles that date back to 1857. The officials say the work will take at least a month before they chance upon the treasure, if any. Even before the gold is found, one of the king’s descendants, Navchandi Veer Pratap Singh said, ‘If gold is really found there, we should get our share.’

What does this gold mean to the country? 1000 tonnes of gold means Rs 3 lakh crore. It is equal to loss of revenue in Coalgate and 2G scam put together. It is enough to replace all of India’s imports for a year. It is nearly 1.5 times the tax collected by the government in a year. It can fund food security bill for 2 years. It is about 15 times the gold mortgaged by India during the crisis of 1990.

 

With so much at stake, politicians can’t be far. Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch says that every artifact the ASI recovers from the temple and fort in Daudia Kheda village is as good as gold. The ever-ready N Modi first said, ‘The whole world is laughing at us over this bizarre exercise. Somebody dreamt and the government has launched an excavation.’ And as politicians do, N Modi made a quick turn-around – ‘Lakhs of people have reposed faith in seer Shabhan Sarkar over last many years. I salute his austerity and renunciation.’

Let us hope for some tangible results and find some hidden treasure, or else the whole exercise will be a big tamasha!

* To be here or to communicate: aneelanike@gmail.com

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Write a book?

Do you need professional help to write or edit the manuscript of your book – Autobiography, Biography, Memoir, Compilation, etc.

Contact: akn929@yahoo.com

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The Joy of Giving!

‘Offerings are significant as they are perceived as an opportunity to move beyond the low level instinct of serving oneself. When made for the large common good, they are valued as a self-purification process.’

A few years ago a young couple approached me and offered me their own used Video Camera Recorder with video cassettes and other accessories, to be put to some useful use for the needy. I was left wondering?

I contacted a friend who travels to Ichalkaranji, in Maharastra often, as he has his business interest there. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned about a special school for poor deaf and dumb children on the outskirts of the town; who needed help. I requested him if I could donate the VCR to the school. He promised to speak to the authorities.

During one of his regular visits there, he met the school authorities and told them about the VCR. They were keen and very happy to hear about it. My friend returned and briefed me about the interaction.

He carried it all the way to Ichalkaranji and to the remote school and gifted it to the school authorities. They were overwhelmed and told my friend, they thought such things happen only in stories or films. They were keen to meet me and convey their feelings to me personally. They wondered who is this man who was willing to gift something from a faraway place in Mumbai?

They serviced the VCR and used it in the school to teach and demonstrate various study material to the handicapped children. They also proudly use it to film various celebrations and functions held in the school. It also added value to the school.

They told my friend – You don’t know what this gift has done for us? Since I couldn’t go there or meet them, they sent a letter on their letterhead, thanking me for this special gift and invited me to attend their school annual day. I was humbled.

The Joy of Giving – This is destiny!

* To be here or to communicate: aneelanike@gmail.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………..................

Write a book?

Do you need professional help to write or edit the manuscript of your book – Autobiography, Biography, Memoir, Compilation, etc.

Contact: akn929@yahoo.com

………………………………………………………………………………………….....................

Women on top!

 

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Yes, women on top! Some eyebrows are being raised. Don’t get me wrong. Yes, I am referring to Indian women - on-top of the corporate world. A woman becoming the managing director of the country’s biggest bank or occupying the top position in business is welcome and indeed long overdue. It is a small step in the right direction which paves the way for other talented women to follow.

Arundhati Bhattacharya is set to take over as SBI’s first woman Chairman. 57-year-old Arundhati Bhattacharya, who us currently Managing director and Chief financial officer is set to take over the top job for a period of three years. Sources say, finance minister P Chidambaram cleared Bhattacharya’s appointment as MD, while RBI and Central Vigilance Commission have also given green signal. The proposal now needs to be endorsed by the appointment committee of cabinet headed by PM Manmohan Singh.

Chanda Kochar

The male bastion was shattered more than a decade ago when Ranjana Kumar was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Bank and is widely credited with its turn around. Even now there are at least three women public sector bank chiefs. In private sector, we have Chanda Kochar, as ICICI Bank’s MD & CEO and her former colleague Shika Sharma heads Axis Bank.

Other women bosses who are at the top in banks and other sectors are:

Naina Lal Kidwai

Naina Lal Kidwai, Group GM & Country Head, HSBC India.

Kalpana Morparia, CEO, JP Morgan India.

Kaku Nakhate, President & Country Head (India), BOFA-ML.

Vijayalakshmi Iyer, Chairperson, Bank of India.

Shubhalakshmi Panse, Chairperson, Allahabad Bank.

Archana Bhargava, Chairperson, United Bank of India.

Wipro has appointed Ireena Vittal to its board of directors. This helps the company meet the new requirement to have at least one woman on the board. Today women make-up only 5.2% of Indian boardrooms, much lower than the global figure of 10.5%. 

Shikha Sharma

What we need is a workplace culture that is much more sensitive and friendly to the special needs of working women. Only when support of this kind are put in place and society attitudes change that recognises that educated  and skilled women are very much part of the workforce as men, can we see many more experienced and talented women at the helm of business and corporate world.

* To be here or to communicate: aneelanike@gmail.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………..................

Book to read

Bharata, My Brother
- Bharata's episode in Ramayana in verse form.

 Including Ramayana: story in brief & Bharata's profile.
Written by: Anil Kumar Naik
- Foreword by Shri Asaranna Swami, Durga Parmeshwari temple,

Kateel, Karnataka.
Price: Rs 200   + P&F Rs 50

Place your order at: akn929@yahoo.com

………………………………………………………………………………………….....................