Walking And Walkers In Dubai .

No one ever comes back from a walk and says “ I should not done it” . Walking  gives you far more than what you seek .And if you have the time –try to walk with a turtle –the real world literally pauses with you .You can actually slow down time !!

I am  a compulsive walker . I love walking because it makes me feel good .I think ,a walk is a divine blessing from God that sets up the  day or night for me .

I like walking alone .Sangeeta is not a walker –my sister Indu is . When I walk with Sangeeta ,she is always on her cell phone and at a hearing distance –with the result that I am forced and dragged into thinking what she is talking about .My idea of a walk is to soak in the things around me and reflect and get to know myself better .As also the fact that it keeps me fit .

The place where I stay in Dubai is a paradise for walkers .It has beautiful ,secluded ,tree lined walkways around lovely water bodies –one can often see ducks in them and the cats eyeing them for a meal !!.

There aren’t many people who walk on these walkways –unlike Hyde Park or Central Park In Jaipur ( which has millions walking and socializing).I meet a clutch of people everyday and over a period of time we have come to know each other well .

There is Kate from Scotland.A women with a easy smile and short blond hair When we started walking ,  we noticed  that she was pregnant .She used to walk with her husband and two lovely poodles .All of a sudden she dissappered –and surfaced with a lovely baby girl in a pram –Madison !! I have seen Madison grow and now she takes tender steps with Kate .I saw Kate again after my summer holiday –after nearly 2 months .I asked her whether she had  gone for a holiday to Edinburg ,her hometown and she replied in the positive .Her husband patted a small bump on her stomach and said that they were expecting their second child !!

There is  also Patty from Wales (Cardiff). She is amazing .She runs pushing a pram in which is seated her little baby .The baby is not more than 5 months old –and Patty is very  fit –you couldn’t  possibly run with a baby in the pram after just 5 months of delivering her .

Perhaps the most beautiful of the lot is Janice from Copenhagen .She is very Nordic –blue eyes ,and fair hair and stands at 5 ‘ 10” .She has absolutely striking looks .She also walks her dog .One day I talked to her and told her how fond I am of dogs .I tried to impress her by saying “ The more I see dogs ,the less I respect men” . She was quick to retort

“ Yes Samuel Johnson was absolutely right when he wrote that” . Beauty with brains !!

There is a mid 60s man –Sangeeta and me were convinced that he is a German because he normally wore Tshirts with the German colours.He does not seem to want to be friendly with me.He is a  big huge guy with a white French beard .His knees are all strapped up –and by jove ,he walks fast .Many times we tried matching his steps –but had to give up !! He is so very fit and strong  !!

There is a Indian  my good friend from Bijnor - Virender Singh !!.Everytime he meets me he says “ Kain Saheb , come over for a drink after the walk”!! Mr Singh likes his evening drink  .He worked in BHEL Haridwar and knew the Principal of DPS there .He walks his brown Labrador which he has got from Hungary .He has  been convincing me to accompany him and  a group of walkers to Kenya –to climb Mt Kilimanjaro!! I don’t trust my knees –so I always fend him off !!

If I have to walk –I might as well walk around my beautiful locality rather in Kenya  .I would have done that if I was in my 20s !!At my age ,I am wise enough not to take risks and take my body for granted !!A walk around the water bodies with swaying trees is just right for me .It entitles me to my bottle of Corona beer .

Sweet Heart -Its Beating Inside Him !! Part 2

By the time Vijay flew  into  Chennai , everything had  more or less  been put into place.He was quitessential Vijay –cool ,collected ,sharp as a needle and enquiring about everyones well being .At one point he remarked  “ The plus point of illness is that it brings the family under one roof .Like a wedding”. But he was struggling –a thin pipe  (  going straight into the heart ), was carrying Milnirone a life saving liquid ,straight to his heart via a artery on his right arm .A lot  depended on how he would handle his hopes – optimistically or pessimistically . He responded like a injured tiger .He took the fight to the enemy’s camp. As always !!

.There were two key players who were working round the clock –before Vijay  landed in Chennai .The first was my sister Kusum .It is difficult to describe her because she does not fit into any ordinary mould .I haven’t met anyone like her .She is persistent ,confrontationist , takes people and issues headlong ,is nagging  ,never gives up and magnanimous .She is the type who will give you the only chappati between the two of you and stay hungry herself .She stays  in New York ,Singapore and Kandaghat  in equal proportions through the year  .Is she the kind of person who I would like to spend my life or a evening with ?No( too dominating !!) .Is she the the kind  who I would trust my life first and last with ,when I am battling for survival ? Without a doubt yes .She  keeps gnawing away at a problem ,chipping away at it ,stripping it to its roots,murdering it !! .Never gives up .Never ,never,never.

The other key player was Varun Berry –one of corporate Indias top honchos .He is my Bhabhis only brother .I have known Varun since his days at the DAV College in Chandigarh .A brilliant man  who likes to maintain a low profile ( though the TV cameras don’t let him getaway),Varun is the Managing Director of Brittania after having worked in  very senior positions in multinationals –including Pepsi .He is fabulously networked , a brilliant strategist ,and a go getter .Put  up a problem to him and all he says is “Leave that to me”!! Anything and everything –and Varun had a solution for it .And back up plans as well .Dr Naresh Trehan would be roped in if necessary Kusum and Varun  were battling it out at ground zero .Others were praying for him  .My other sister Indu , took off to the Balaji Temple in Tirupathi to pray .I went to the Gurudwara and a mosque here in Dubai.

The big task before all of us was to identify a doctor or a hospital for the heart transplant .The classic question confronted us –should we be focusing on a hospital or the doctor.( remember the college versus the course dilemma ?).It was a call which was quickly settled – look for the best  heart transplant  doctor

We researched a lot.We googled  a lot ,youtubed a lot , asked a lot of people .We got different answers .But we debated a lot –it was a life and death situation.We needed to be very focused. We were getting a bit confused .But then  we  got a honest and decisive lead. The world  is after all very  small and childhood friends are for keeps .!!

Anirudh Raghuvanshi  is a  school mate and a dear friend  of mine .We are from the same locality –Clement Town . In 2014 he  came to  Ahmedabad  and  searched me out .He is a  IITian and a successful entrepreneur and was in Gujrat  tieing up with the government  for a project .He was, and is, still based in Nigeria .Over afternoon beer and omelletes  on a lovely monsoon day , I asked him about Ashutosh  his younger brother .It so chanced that Ashutosh was a leading  heart surgeon and the CEO of Hridayalaya Hospitals and a close confidant of Dr Devi Shetty !!

Sitting in my office  nearly two years down the line after having met him ,I decided to phone   Anirudh in Lagos .Could Ashutosh help?  He immediately got in touch with Ashutosh and told him to receive a call from a number which I gave him  . Whose number did I pass on ? Who else ? but Kusum’s . After   several  exchange of conversations  and emails –the die was cast . Ashutosh told us  that ,Dr K R Balakishanan  was the best doctor in the field of heart transplant  . Varun networked ,Kusum smelt a kill and a opening and they swooped on the celebrated Dr Bala at the Malar Fortis Hospital in Chennai  .He asked for Vijays reports .All this happened very fast .We were after all on a short fuse –there was no scope of being lazy and indecisive .

“ Get him to India immediately. He needs immediate attention.When can he come to Chennai?”

Bhabhi and Vijay ,started packing up to leave New York back for  India .On the 16^th  afternoon they landed at the  at the Chennai International Airport.Vijay was wearing a lovely Anokhi  shirt presented by my younger sister Bina!!He was looking terrific !!I had already landed in the morning .On the 17^th ,Vijay was face to face with Dr Balakrishna for the first time .

Dr Bala is a celebrity doctor .When he walks the corridors –everyone who is seated along it rises without knowing who he is .Its  the aura he exudes .Terrific looking ,he has a mop of white hair which keeps falling on his forehead .He keeps brushing  them back with long delicate and flexible fingers .So artistically crafted by God to serve humanity .These fingers cut and sew very delicate arteries of the human heart .He has deep ,dark , big and expressive eyes –eyes that help his fingers to detect where the blood vessels are .His English is perfect –very public school English .He must have cured so many hearts –but I am sure he must have broken million more !! He is so attractive .Seated alongside him was Dr Rao –a king  anaesthetist.One can die  if  anaesthesia is overdosed or underdosed during the operation .It has to be given in  exact doses .
My brothers life was in their hands .

Dr Bala ran us through the pros and cons of heart transplant . He was happy that my brothers kidneys and blood pressure was normal ( slightly low ).He was happy that my brothers lung power was good .

“ Ok .Lets wait for a donor .You will be fine Vijay .!!).And like a soft breeze on a hot summer day –he wafted  away .We watched him as he disappeared  slowly , with his head down -thinking .People were getting up from their seats s he passed them .Bala was not aware .He was on another mission .For a another operation .To save another life.
The  wait for the donor began. .
The stage was set –the actors had now to play their roles

Sweetheart -Its Beating Inside Him !!

I was among the few passengers who boarded the Air India flight from Dubai to Chennai on September 15 .Few –because it was not a weekend , it was a Wednesday . Flights tend to get crowded on weekends .At the check in  counter ,I asked for a window seat behind the exit door –it gives a lot more leg space than a normal economy class seat .Since I had flown Air India quite a few times ,it helped .The pretty  lady issuing  the  boarding pass played around with the computer ,looked at me ,smiled and said

“ Sir ,I have given you seat number 11 A .Its like a Business Class Seat.Its normally given to frequent flyers or VIPS ( why would a VIP travel Economy?).In future  continue flying with us ”.

I looked at her ,smiled wryly ,and said “ Thank You .God bless you”

It was a flight that took off at midnight .I cant sleep during flights , even after flying for so many years now .I am a bit paranoid .This time –I was certainly not going to be able to sleep .I was worried and disturbed .My mind was all the time conjuring up so many things .

At the unearthly  hour  of 1.30 am the flight crew started serving drinks .The young flight purser asked me what drink I would like to have .

“ Thank you .Just give me a bottle of water please”

“ Not even wine Sir?” he insisted

“ No thank you .I drink wine early evening ,not early morning” !! .He smiled

Food was served at 2 .30 am .Chicken biryani .Again I said “No  thank You .Could I have a cup of coffee ?”

I kept looking at the small screen  on the seat ahead of me .I flipped channels  but mostly looked at the one which showed the flight path  of the plane .After about 3 hours ,  I could see that we were nearing Chennai .I could also see the horizon brightening up a wee bit –from a mass of black space ,I could now make out hues of clouds .It was getting to be morning in Chennai . The pilots voice crackled –we were descending upon Chennai  he informed , and asked us to  fasten our seat belts .I have always admired pilots ,though strangely never wanted to be one .

At  4 55am  we touched down at Chennai .I was tired .I had not slept a wink through the night .I had spent the whole day working in office till 4 pm and then gone to shop for some stuff .I knew I was going to be a situation where lunch ,dinner or breakfast may not be available on dining tables or at fixed times .I had picked up tins of sardines ,tuna ,energy bars ,dry fruits .I was quickly off the plane ,and made my way  to the conveyer belts .I was dog tired .Not too often my age reminds me of the years – but now it did .I quickly bit into a energy bar and and  waited for my sole luggage bag –a brown colured  collapsible bag which has seen and travelled more than me –all of us take it with us whenever we travel .I have wrapped a old tie of mine on its handle so that I can identify it easily .Brown ,black and navy blue bags are very common –you need identification marks on them.

Soon it arrived .I picked it up and made my way to the exit point .A customs official  stopped me and asked  

“Do you have anything to declare Sir”

“ No nothing. I am not here as a tourist. I am not bringing any presents .” .Silence .And then he asked

“ All well Sir” ( Did he think I had come to  attend  a funeral?) “

“ No .” . I shook my head .I don’t normally lie ." I have come to help a patient at the Malar Fortis Hospital” .

 He was a sensitive man .He could perhaps sense my worry .He told me where I could get a prepaid cab .

I got into the cab and it sped away .Dawn had now broken .Chennais streets were empty .They were clean .They were wide .There were lots of trees .There were lots of birds who flitted from one tree to another . I reached Besant Nagar .My sister and brother in law were waiting for me .

“ How is Vijay” I asked .

“He is landing in about 5 hours from now”………..

As I was preparing to fly from Dubai ,in far away New York ,another Kain ( Vijay ) was checking in at the JFK Airport  .He was staring down the barrel of a gun and facing death .He had desired to  go back to his beloved India .The doctors had given up on him.He had a heart that was functioning just 18 percent .Not enough to pump enough  oxygen that his body needed  . It was failing by the day .It was a matter of days before the curtain would fall.
Thats what the doctors thought .

But  the family did not think like that .And neither  did God . A remarkable fightback was going to unfold ..

I was in Chennai to be a small part of a huge battle .Another mountain had to be climbed .I decided to look at the summit of it .We were going to climb it.It looked far away –but it could be done.
.And if it could be done –it  HAD  to be done .

Two Years In Dubai -Some Reminiscences .!!

Its been exactly  two years   since I landed in Dubai.The longest that I stayed away from India was in 1986  when I had spent two months in the Phillipines on UN assignment . At that time I had nearly broken down one night because I was feeling homesick –India sick .That was about 30 years back –I was young and I was prone to high emotions .This time –I havent felt the urge to break down !!But that does not mean that I don’t miss India .I refuse to believe that anyone born and brought up in India ,can ever get it out of ones system.Home is where your roots are .For me ,that is India .

It was wet and  humid day in Ahmedabad when I left it .My plane took off and I asked for a cup of coffee. I had travelled a lot before –but this time it was different .Life had  pitchforked  me  from a small town - Dehradun -to a gliterring fast paced city - Dubai.I could not even comprehend the reasons .I had  taught in a school as a young man whose address was “Village and Post Office Rai”.My life had been  spent in interacting with children  in places where Sangeeta and me would get up and enjoy our Green Label Lipton Tea on a balcony from where we could see Nilgais ,Peacocks ,Squirrels ,Dogs ,Buffaloes-and even people going to defacate in the fields !! .We would feed the pigeons bajra every morning and would give our dogs two biscuits each of Marie.We had struggled with amenities  such as  water and  electricity  .This had been  a ritual for years.It had never ever crossed my mind that I should move out of India .

The difference between Dubai and India is huge –both in work culture and landscape .Dubai is a international city .In the locality in which I live –my next door neighbour is a Brit and two houses away is a Srilankan  .In the evenings when I walk into Spinneys (which is the supermarket just across from where I stay ),I find mostly foreigners .In the evening ,Dubai is more gliterring than Paris which is called the city of lights .It comes alive with restaurants belting music and belle dancers .Alchohol flows freely in the hotels ,and on Thursday evenings it seems that half of Abu Dhabhi and the whole of Sharjah pack its Malls and night clubs !!.The beaches are  pristine and crowded with people of all ages –men and women in swimming trunks and bikinis absorbing the sun on their oiled and well maintained bodies .Some just sit around and watch the blue waters- occasionally pointing a finger towards a passing ship in the distance .It is a small city by Indian standards –probably no bigger than Defence Colony and South Extension combined .But because everyone has at least one car and because cars occupy more space than individuals –it appears crowded during rush hour .There are no dense foliage of trees and there are no undulating pieces of land .Its flat ,and its monotonous .

The best  view of Dubai is when you are about to land at its airport.Below you is a landscape which is brown in color –and its uninterrupted .Contrast this with when you land in Ahmedabad ,Jaipur or Delhi –its interspersed with trees ,dark clouds ,a meandering Sabarmati  and Jamuna , a number of bridges ,flat fields, surrounded by small hills .A completely different scenario .

The people move around briskly .Everyone walks as if he/she is about to miss a flight .They are almost running all the time .There are no two wheelers in the city –neither cycles or motorcycles .Service Companies bring the housekeeping staff in small sophisticated buses at a particular time and take them away at a particular time .If you make them stay longer –you pay them extra and also pay for their taxi fare home .!!The metros are a mode of transportation for the  middle class or people who don’t have a driving licence .Everyone has a car .Its no big shakes here –I had  a Mitshubushi Lancer to start with and now have Honda Accord .But I do use the metro –because I like to see what happens in the community areas .

Two years have seen me grow .There is a sense of satisfaction of setting up another school .Its been difficult –the teething problems have been many .But ,I am proud of myself that I have never given up the fight and enthusiasm .I am aware that if that happens ,I will be like a  braindead patient ! Its been a fabulous learning experience for me .I feel richer because of that ,but poorer because my wife and my pets have gone back to India .But then ,that’s destiny .One never knows where one will be tomorrow. I did not know I wud be in Dubai two years back .!!

Emotions -Should They Be Displayed Publicly ?

I heard PM Modi yesterday with rapt attention .And when Marc Zuckenberg asked him about his mother ,the PM was first stunned into silence ,then choked up ,his voice crackled and he cried .Its not the first time that I had seen him like that .In his first speech at the Central Hall of Parliament he had broken down . I have seen very macho men weep like kids –remember Kapil Dev in a interview with Karan Thapar? 
We have all heard it before “You are too emotional! Don’t behave like a woman or a girl ” Surely you heard it at least once in your life . But, what does it mean? Is it a normal quality to have ?
Yes . emotions are necessary. Imagine a life without it. No love, no families based on that love, no compassion, no empathy, no righteous anger. What would be left? A life of relating to others as objects, like chairs or tables, their only value in utility — the function that they perform.?!!
Emotions bind us to others, plays a part in letting us know when we have been injured, allows for the possibility of good passionate relationships and a joy in living. It also creates an energy that is necessary for self-defense and for the pursuit of causes.
But, when you are called “too emotional,” the accuser usually means that you are too easily hurt. And, when you are young, especially if you are male, you are encouraged to “be a man” . If you are hurt, in other words, rub some dirt on the injury and get back into the game. Don’t complain; that is for whiners and wimps and little kids.But I don’t agree with that .Personally ,I wear my emotions on my sleeve .I show my love and I show my dislikes .If I am passionate about someone –I will make sure I will show it in private as well as in public.Because I cant and don’t want to hold back . I give them their place in things and don’t keep them all bottled-up, looking for a way to burst out of the container that I would otherwise have put them in. And, when it is required, I am prepared to seek solace from a few of those closest to me, just as I give solace to my friends and those I love.
True, being emotionally vulnerable means that you can be injured. But, don’t fool yourself, life will have its way with you whether you are deadened to feelings or not. By killing your emotions, you are probably only succeeding in limiting the fullness of your life while attempting to create an illusion of strength.
Put another way, it is only human to have emotions and best if you are comfortable with that fact almost all the time.
I loved the display of emotions by our Prime Minister .I like people who have the courage to cry and shout in public !!! .Because I am a bit like that .Ask my son ,my wife and my wonderful friends .!!

Support Modi -But Not Blindly !!

As expected ,there has been criticism of the PMs speech .Nothing unusual –and I am glad that there are opponents who keep him on his toes .We obviously need to be alert –all the more since Modi can sway the masses with his great oratorical skills .He plays to the gallery .He snaps his fingers ,he spreads his arms ,he becomes emotional , he exploits his “chai wallah” background ( how are you Mani Shankar Aiyyar ?) ,he lowers his voice to a whisper and trails off !! He wears good clothes .His effect is blinding –as one can see with the response he gets – frenzied crowds -,some crying ,others dancing ,all clapping and chanting “ Modi ,Modi”.
There is a reason for this frenzy .The previous government left everyone disappointed .Scam after after hit it ,and the PM looked so helpless .There was a National Advisory Council ( a bunch of retired bureaucrats, NGO beneficiaries and politicians ),who actually ran the government from 10 Janpath .It was pathetic .I am re reading the fabulous book “ The Last Moghul” written by William Dalrymple .The picture Dalrymple paints of Bahadur Shah Zafar , reminds of MMS .Old ,infirm ,helpless ,and allowing others to eat into his powers .

But power abhors vacuum .With the fall of Man Mohan Singh ,Modi stepped him .With the qualities I listed above .But here is the catch –we musnt let him do what Hitler did to Germany after the First World War .There was vacuum in Germany as well.The President was Hindenberg who came to power at the age of 78 .He kept catipulating to Hitlers demands and finally Hitler became what he did .Hindenberg refused to take risks and swore to the tenets of the German Constitution which was running a government which abided by the humiliating treaty of Versailles .

We must keep Modi on his toes .Oherwise he may outreach himself like Hitler was allowed to .However criticizing him for everything he does is uncalled for .I see the future of India in “Digital India”. I saw some people criticizing it saying that the poor has got nothing to do with it .And that Google and Microsoft will milk India .No –let them criticize .People laughed when Kennedy said that America would land a man on moon !! We also must think ahead .Every village must have high speed internet connectivity .Every child must have computers and through it ,access to knowledge .What else can one do when there are no schools ? We must evolve systems that evaluate a child through the internet .We can t go on with schools having boundaries and classrooms .For every child admitted ,there are 200 parents staring at a notice saying “ Sorry we are full” .Have you ever accessed the net and seen a notice saying “ Sorry ,you are in the queue” .

Therein lies the answer .Lets tap into something which is limitless and has no boundaries .Lets keep Modi on his toes and support his vision of at least a digital India .Call it theatrics ,call it hard selling himself ,call it “dramabaazi” ,call him a “pheku”. Whatever ,lets exploit his great strength and that is –he is making sure that India is being seen and heard by people who matter .!!

India ,China and Pakistan -The Power Push For Supremacy .

All Indians interested in politics watch the way how the 3 nations of Asia – India ,China and Pakistan behave and how they are received on the world scene .All of them are nuclear power so military sizes don’t really matter in case of a serious war .To that extent ,Pakistan gets a look in !! But its like looking into a slum .They are in a bad shape and don’t want to get out of the hole they have fallen into.As Hillary Clinton famously said “ They are encouraging snakes in their backyard” The snakes have started to bite –unfortunately even school girls ,schoolboys and teachers !! .Good luck to them .
China is a different ball game altogeather .I am not a foreign policy expert but have studied Chinese History from the 19th Century onwards .It is a far more dangerous threat to India than is Pakistan, and as such has to be balanced with American support .Hence when the Chinese President Mr Xi Jinping went to America ,I followed him with great interest .He is a smart man . Shrewd and clever –and never to be trusted .The Western-suited Mr Xi, with his glamorous wife in tow went about trying to create a favourable impression by talking about his bookshelves stuffed with Mark Twain and Thomas Paine.( who said Chinese only read Marx and Mao?!!!) He also tried to bring in a personal touch by recounting how he had gone to a bar in Cuba ,which was frequented by Ernest Hemingway and had a mojito !! Of course our Prime Minister is far removed from bars .He is most un American favouring Indian clothes, celibate, teetotaller, vegetarian and with a disputed political history that, a decade ago, meant he was refused an American visa.Add to it the fact that Indias economy is no where near Chinas .China is a true superpower .

But wait .!! In the contest for popularity in America our PM from a humble home in Vadnagar and who sold tea in a tea stall( if you don’t believe me ask Mani Shankar Aiyyar ), is beating Mr Xi hands down. He made full use of three big advantages. First, he is a politician who has risen through a democratic system, with all the skills getting elected requires,- street smart ,taking on his opponents ruthlessly , setting aside all the trappings of good manners taught at Doon or Mayo,and a passion which allows him to to flaunt emotions in public. He and Mr Obama greet each other with bear hugs. It is hard to imagine Mr Xi in such a clinch, or weeping as Mr Modi did when, in a public forum he told Mark Zuckerberg, about his mother. Second, Mr Modi enjoys the support of a large and influential community of Indian-Americans, enthusiastic lobbyists for India.There is no doubt that some of our finest men ,women and children are in America .Nadella ,Pichai ,Indra Nooyi and many others are powerful voices . They line up for Modi . It is almost impossible to imagine Mr Xi working similar crowds of Chinese-Americans. And lastly the more China appears a threat to American interests, the more important India appears as a counterbalance. The bigger the worries about China’s economy, the more hopes are invested in India’s.It is this grasp of reality that Modi has succeeded in tapping and highlighting .And herein lies the success story of Indias Foreign Policy under him .!!India beat China to it .

As for Pakistan – Kishore das song sums it up aptly
“Yeh kya hua,Kaise hua,Kab hua
Ab Kya Sunaye” .

Sandhya Goes Away -The Tide Recedes !!

“The most amazing thing to me about the sea is the tide. A harbour is totally transformed in a very short space of time by the arrival or departure of the sea.”
John Dyer

Today the tide that arrived - has departed .Yes Sandhya Awasthi came to Dubai like a tide ,at a time when we were struggling with the pangs of homesickness . In those days ,the harbor looked monotonous and no matter where we would go to –malls ,restaurants ,offices – it was always a harbor far away from our home.Our boat had refused to anchor in it .The Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf reminded us that we could not catch a bus ,a taxi or walk back to our home .Our home was far away .There were lots of people here in Dubai –but we had no friends .
But Sandhya came in like the tide .She brought in the waves as if from far away India and along with it the sounds that reminded us of home .She talked the same language and she cooked the same kind of food .She loved dogs .And like us she was, typically middle class with the same value systems and aspirations .
We went out together , everywhere .We frequented restaurants and ate our favourite dishes .We shopped at Malls .We used each others cars .We stayed just 20 minutes from each others places –she in upmarket Jumeirah in a beautiful apartment and we in a equally upmarket locality of Springs .Everyday (more or less) we would meet each other –me maybe not so often because I am in the habit of writing and watching TV !!- But my wife Sangeeta – I doubt whether a day passed without them meeting each other .
When we went to India for a summer break –she moved into our house and looked after Laila and Sneezy.They became lifelong friends with her and her husband Anil who like her also became a part of the family.
She was there on the day of the inauguration of our school .She was there for our First Winter Carnival .She was there for our birthdays .She was there for our 25th wedding anniversary .We visited the temple and the gurudwara here in Dubai together several times .
Whenver she went to India ,she always came back with knickknacks .She brought a Fabindia after shave on on one occasion and ,Rajdeep Sardesais book on another . Anil brought Liptons Green Label Darjeeling tea( which i get at double the rate here) –enough to last me for 6 months . Last week when she came back to finally go back ,she presented me with Vinod Mehtas book “ Lucknow Boy”!
She must be on the plane back to India as i write. Apart from the bags she is carrying away –she is also taking away a part of our lives with her .
But life goes on .As the tide recedes –it takes along with it a lot of memories .And all of a sudden ,the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf seem foreboding and India seems very very distant .Thank you Sandhya for coming to Dubai as a part of Gods mission .As Terry Jacks sang
“We had joy, we had fun ,
We had seasons in the sun ,
But the Spring and the wine ,
Are like seasons out of time “

Thank you for the joy and fun ,and seasons in the sun .But clearly the wine that I sip today and in future and and the winter that I await are out of time !!Without you here in Dubai!!

What Makes A Great Teacher

Today is teachers day . Happy Teachers Day to all the teachers .The day is  celebrated in honour of a great scholar and teacher and a former President of India - Shri S Radhakrishanan .Its a honor well deserved -he was a great teacher .I still remember my father very copiously reading his speeches and explaining them to us .My father did not appear to be a very voracious reader because i did not see him read too many books -he was perhaps too busy treating patients and performing surgery becoz he was a much sought after doctor .So when he bent over newspapers and strained his ears to listen to the great man speak on radio -it meant something !! ( the only other books he recommended me to read were Daphne du Mauriers's .(Rebecca ,Jamaica Inn and the other classics written by the great lady).Once i read Rebecca -i was hooked on to reading .And i read lots and lots .My father in that sense was a great teacher -he inspired me and recommended me something which set forth a chain of events that ultimately set me to indulge in a activity which was priceless .!!

Most of us will go overboard today .The day is dedicated to the greatness of Radhakrishnan .Most of us are no where near him as far as teaching and scholarship is concerned .He is a benchmark .Children spoil us rotten today -they will bring cards ,cakes ,hand made drawings ,they will sing paeans about us !! And we will lap it all up .None of us should mind the praise-we all love praise dont we .Even at my age ,after getting fair amount of compliments throughout my life -i want more !! But should we believe blindly what the kids tell us ? No - false praise can be damaging to ones growth .There have been great teachers who taught me .All of them had a great passion , great personalities ,and great energy .A scholar may not not be a great teacher .Having knowledge and transferring it are different things .But energy ,personality , and passion are certainly very important trademarks of great teachers .Mr GC Gupta had great energy .Prof Randhir Singh had a great personality , great energy and passion . APJ Kalam had great energy and passion .Mr HP Sharma had great passion and energy .Forget the Bed and other degrees .They count for very little ..Do we have energy , personalities , and passion ?.
Thats a question which only a teacher can answer.If the answer is "yes" ,then you are in hallowed company and a great teacher . If the answer is "no" -keep trying because your benchmark is not a "day" but a person.
I was asked to speak in the special assembly in school yesterday .I was presented a big bouquet and a big big card on the stage .Every Principal and teacher must have got such tokens of affection in their schools .But a question kept nagging me while i spoke .Why do so few people want to come into the teaching profession ?
I ended my speech by expressing a wish -that maybe in the future ,a better gift to give teachers would be children telling them that they all wanted to be teachers !! A far better compliment than a bouquet and a card .And of course lots of samosas ,dhoklas ,gulab jamuns .
But we love praise .Let it keep coming !!And thank you very very much for the wonderful wishes that have not stopped flowing in !!

Principals Must Get Real In India .

As a Principal , I was terrible at networking through the phone .In 99 percent of the cases I got a bad press because I just did not know how to please a set of people I had no respect for . I was not too successful in pleasing the managements at most times .But yet I was a fairly successful Principal I would say .And certainly not a disaster .
I was very clear about certain things .I was certain that the only way for children to climb the socioeconomic ladder and find secure work was to take an examination. These examinations required a thorough command of knowledge, and taking them was a grueling rite .The systems I created were all geared to promote excellence in in taking exams and scoring well .Not for me –sending children to China ,Brazil ,NASA ,Singapore etc . And having 6 inter class dance and other activities per day !! All that could wait .Foreign trips don’t get you into St Stephens , Hansraj ,LSR or Shriram College !!.Marks do .
I knew that students would be under enormous, unrelenting pressure to perform. Talent is not a consideration — because the culture believes in hard work and diligence and above all, there is no excuse for failure. Children have to study year-round, both in-school and with tutors in extra classes .I believed - if you study hard enough, you can be smart enough.
I was also convinced that it’s a question of short-term unhappiness and long-term happiness.Dont fall for this “jargon” that “oh my child is very happy in school” .The chances are that he could be unhappy in life if he does not perform in a country like India . It’s not just the parents pressuring their kids. Because this culture traditionally celebrates conformity and order, pressure from other students can also heighten performance expectations. The class sizes are very large — which would be extremely undesirable for, say, an American parent. But in India , the goal is for the teacher to lead the class as a community, and for peer relationships to develop. In American preschools, the focus for teachers is on developing individual relationships with students, and intervening regularly in peer relationships.
I know that there are better and worse way to educate our children. At the same time, if I had to choose between an average US /UK , education and an average Indian education for my own kid, I would choose, very reluctantly, Indian model. The reality is, in the modern world the kid is going to have to know how to learn, how to work hard and how to persist after failure. My Indian model teaches that.And Principals who are indecisive and trying to mix and match the two models are in my favourite phrase –running with the hare and hunting with the hound !!!.

Principals Needed -Not Che Gueras !!!!

Being a Principal of premier schools in India (and may I add abroad as well!), has exposed me to some extraordinary human beings ,with very different mind sets than mine .Principals as a class of people are highly self opinionated. They believe that they are always right .The quicker they get out of this fantasy and dream world –the better they will be as Principals .There are some very basic things a Principal must adhere to .First and foremost is to avoid being a rebel .There are no Che Gueveras in education .Its impractical to have them .Managements and Prncipals will differ in their objectives .The management will always look at the revenues( and rightly so ) –the Principal will look at academic excellence .Thats the only thing that will save his skin in a very complicated social activity like education .In schools there are children whose parents are buruacrats .politicians ,policemen ,income tax officials ,land and liquor mafias etc.He is answerable to them .He has to manage them .The pressures on him are enormous –to conform to a system that is far removed from the idealism of the books .The Principal cannot take on the management and ignore what is a different perception altogeather .Here is where communication skills could help .If you are a good communicator ,then perhaps you can change a degree here or there about how your boss thinks .But by and large –you have to deliver .Admissions must keep happening .It brings in the money .Excellence get you the admissions ,but sometimes you have to admit some children who are not so excellent .Its a catch 22 situation .It is tightrope walking .And a excellent Principal is a trapeze artist !!
Forget about “revolutions” in schools .Thats alright when we used to sip coffee at the Indian Coffee House while we were in college . Concentrate on what you can do which does not cross anyone elses path .Do the things that only you can and are authorized to do .Make sure that there is conformity to the rules of the school.Make sure that what your expectations are from the teachers are clearly spelt out in terms of tangibles .Dont use too many adjectives –“ I want the result in English to be good .” – instead say “ I want the average aggregate of English this year to be 85 percent .Last year it was 82” .Make sure teachers are going to classes in time .Make sure that teachers are improving their skills .Motivate them -teach them .They may know more than you ,but you have more experience .Experience cant be learnt or bought -one acquires it with age .Avoid having sycophants –oh they are such a spineless and despicable lot. Make sure you are in charge of the situations .Are the school kids coming in uniform ? If yes ,they respect the rules of the school ,if no the school has a problem of non compliance .Get these kind of things in place and the chances are you will make a excellent Principal .
In short –avoid being a Arvind Kejriwal .Be a Amitabh Bacchan who respects what a Director tells him ,but does his part of acting ( which only he can do ), to perfection .Thats why he has lasted so long and made such a huge impact !! Principals who are rolling stones make the least impact .Longevity is the hall mark of a good Principal .!!

( The above views are personal .I am sure every Principal has his /her view about how a Principal should manage their schools .I respect their views ! I have at best been a very average Principal .)

CCE In Schools -Why It Needs To Be Done Away With !!

The Central Advisory Board of Education will be meeting today to discuss the following points

1.Whether the CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation ), should be scrapped in the 9^th and 10^th Classes , and whether the  Board Exams should  be reintroduced again .

2.Whether to do away with the “No DetentionPolicy”  in schools

3.Whether to extend the 25 percent reservations for the economically weaker sections to pre primary and secondary classes .

My views on the CCE have been very clear from the beginning. It’s a no nothing policy and leads to a huge amount of file work .The teacher is reduced to a clerk ,maintaining mark lists and grades of very complicated “tools” for Formative Tests as well as maintaining registers and computer records for Summative Exams .I have always felt and argued that in the education system ,teaching must form the bulk of the process –rather than the assessments.In one school which I headed ,I noticed that out of 180 teaching days -65 days were reserved for assessments !! (they had 5 exams in a year !!).I immediately reduced it to 3 ,thus giving the teachers 26 days more for teaching .The results in the board exams showed a phenenmonal increase –from a average aggregate of 75 it jumped to 82 .!!There was no magic involved –just a bit of commonsense .I just placed the horse ahead of the cart and not the other way around .

The CCE similarly bogs the teachers in a huge pile of records .Come on –let them teach .Dont convert them into babus .Apart from that ,the CCE IN THE 10^TH GRADE has spawned a culture of manipulation .Since all the assessments and evaluation  are  “inhouse” and since some tools of assessments ( for example speaking ,projects etc) ,are subjectively judged and no tangible criterion are there ,schools fall into a trap !! They aim to give lots of marks to kids and try to compete with other schools  on the basis of how many kids get a CGPA OF 10 .Sometimes out of 200 kids -180 get CGPA of 10 !!!.One Principal went on Facebook and pasted a photograph showing herself eating  a rasmalai at a legendary sweet house and commenting “ Enjoying ras malai in celebration of 90 percent of children getting a score of 10 CGPA” . Congratulations and “likes”  were splashed all over . Very good !! The tragedy struck 2 years later when the same kids were assessed by the CBSE -5 of the kids with 10 CGPA got  compartments, a nd 3 failed .Obviously they were not the 10 CGPA types but had to be allotted Science and Maths because “technically” they were brilliant!! .

This twin cancer of too much assessment and manipulation ,must be done away with .Otherwise ,we are looking down at the barrel of the gun .

I am also not a great fan of the “no detention” case .I think children have differentiated learning patterns and  even after extra  efforts if a child is not able to cope with the curriculum –he must be given the “privilege” to repeat the class .It can only do him good .

As far as extending the reservations of seats (25 percent ), I feel very strongly that that’s not the job of the private schools .The government must do its job of running the government schools much better .There is no reason why it cant –the teachers and Principals are paid better than the private school teachers and Principal ,the government has lots of avenues to raise finances (private schools can only do so by raising the fees), we pay taxes for these services –so where is the problem ? Now don’t tell me that the government compensates the private schools by giving them “ vouchers”  for the education of these 25 percent kids .I am in it , and I know how much schools get –PEANUTS !!Only monkeys can live on peanuts !!

''I Dont Want To Meet You Again '' Part 1

SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2011

''I Dont Want To Meet You Again '' Part 1

It was like any normal call on my cell phone .It was the number that was being displayed and not the name .I tend to ignore such calls most of the time .So I let it pass .But it rang again .And again .I usually don’t pick up even after 3 attempts by the caller in the hope it tires him/her out .But when I got the call for the 4^th time I received it .Anyone who was so insistent deserved to be heard .I waited for the caller to start .

‘Hello,is that 9909812663.?’It was the voice of a lady .

‘Yes,it is .Can I help you’?

‘Am I talking to Kulu Kain ,the Principal of DPS’?

‘Yes you are.Could I know who you are ?’,I asked .It was obviously someone who knew me very well to call me by my pet name .

‘I am Vinita (name changed ).Remember ,we were in the University together ?’.

My memory is good ,and Vineeta was too important a person in my University days for me to forget even if I had a failing memory .I did not want to go overboard with the excitement of a reconnect .I was talking to her for the first time in 35 years .I had to make sure I was talking to her .Strange things happen in the world these days .I hold a responsible public space –I have to aware of that .

‘Oh yes .What a pleasure talking to you .How did you come to know about the fact that I am here .?’

She laughed .From the laugh I could make out it was Vineeta .Almost childlike and  loud enough for me to have told her once at the Tibetan Monastry where we used to go out for Tibetan food ,that she was attracting stares of the people sitting there .’I like attracting people’,she had said ,and had let out a even louder laugh .!!It was the same laugh .And then she spoke .

‘You are a celebrity in the city yaar .The papers have you all over on page 3’.OK ,so she had come to know about me from the reports of the newspapers about a interview and photograph that accompanied it about me taking over as the  new principal of DPS Ahmedabad .I stuttered and said ‘No ,No ,nothing like that .And in any case who can be a celebrity in your presence’.I was now rolling back the years .And Vinita had not lost the knack of picking up the gauntlet .

‘When do we meet.?’.And then left me with no choice ‘Tommorow.At the Fortune Hotel’?

‘No Vinita ,the GM of the hotel is a parent of of a boy who studies in the school.I will be under pressure of scrutiny’,I told her. ‘Lets meet at the Marriot.Its a good hotel’..i said

‘Then you pay ,because its expensive ‘

I told her not to worry and we fixed our dinner for Saturday .

I was exited in meeting a old friend .She was a brilliant student and I had heard that she was in the banking sector .She was supposedly a financial wizard .And she was from one of the best schools in the country .But that was in the 1970s and 1980s .A lot of water must have flowed under the bridge by now .I had asked her how she would recognize her .She had told me not to worry .She would recognize me .She told me that the last time I had met her ,I was wearing a pair of grey trousers with a white shirt and suspenders (braces/garters).Yes ,she must be correct because there was a phase when I was very fond of wearing suspenders .I had many of them –though those days we had them in plain colours which were either black or brown .I wish we had them in psychedelic colours in those days –I would never have given up wearing them .!!

But Vinita clearly had her memory intact and was as sharp as ever .Always a very potent combination to attract someone like me . I needed to be at my best –no one should go away with a impression that life had not refined me or that I had not grown into a more attractive human being .That has always been a constant endeavour of mine .Each year must add value to my being .The day it stops (value addition),then  I am on my way out of the world.!!Thats the way I look at my life –and maybe at others as well .!!

I did not know how Vinita would look .35 years is a long time ,even though we were very good friends while at the Univ and met everyday .She had the advantage of having seen my photograph and as I came to know later knew everything about me through my blogs .She had also seen my profile pictures on my blog .But as far as I was concerned ,I had no idea of how she looked .I had to draw from the deep recceses of my memories ,and that too of many years back .But I am good at that ,and I had a picture in my mind of her –with grey hair and weight that one accumulates with age .I thought that it would not be much of a problem in picking her up in a crowd .

I entered the Marriot Hotel .It was the second time I was going to it here at Ahmedabad .When I had gone the first time I had felt cold –the airconditioning was a degree lower than what it should have been .I carried a coat with me this time .Just in case .

The man at the gate greeted me with a big smile .He opened the door for me .The airconditioning was as usual colder than what it should have been .I put on my grey striped coat .There was some party that was scheduled at the hotel .There were a lot of people smartly dressed in the lobby .There was a waft of perfume in the air .I looked around for Vinita .

(To be concluded )

My Tryst With Destiny -Meeting The Great APJ Kalam !!

How many of us meet someone who is identified with a project –someone who gave birth to putting a rocket into space ?How many of us meet someone who is the ex President of India ?And how many of us meet the “Bharat Ratna”.?The answer to the above questions is –very few .And if I ask the next question which is –how many of us are invited on stage to meet him ,touch his feet and shake hands with him ,talk to him and being photographed by hundreds of cameramen ,then the answer is –only the chosen ones .!!

I had the great privilege of meeting the ex President of India Dr Abdul Kalam ,the other day at the prestigious Rajpath  Club at Ahmedabad .I was invited to be witness to the YUVA prize giving ceremony .YUVA is a NGO which is doing a fantastic job and getting into sectors which are hitherto neglected .The theme this time around was how to make your mother smile .!A fantastic theme considering the fact that in most parts  of the country ,women are  under the yoke of gender discrimination .As the Bharat Ratna put it “If a mother is happy,the family is happy .And if a family is happy ,the nation is happy”.Brilliant summarization of the health of any nation .

I am not going into the details of his message –that is available on youtube and newspapers.I am going to try and explain what the atmosphere was like when he was amongst  us .

I was not sure as to what I should wear .Its hot in Ahmedabad ,and I don’t have a summer suit .!!Should I dress up formally?Or casually ?The invitation was not specific about the dress code .I asked someone as to what I should wear .She told me to wear a suit .The hall will be airconditioned and even if it not ,you can always remove the coat ,she advised  .Hence I dressed up in a suit .I was escorted to my seat and I found that the hall was overflowing  with people.There were hundreds who were jostling for space .Others just did not leave their seats .!!The hall was wonderfully airconditioned and youth power was everywhere to be seen –after all it was a event organized by YUVA UNSTOPPABLE .!!Television crews were randomly interviewing people for their views on various issues .When one of them asked me why I was present ,I started by saying “In order of preference –Firstly to see Mr Abdul Kalam and” ……….a number of other reasons.To be very honest ,I am a great fan of his ,and like a excited schoolboy ,kept looking at the  point from where he was to enter .The moment came soon enough when the  lady  who was speaking to keep the huge crowd engrossed  was signaled to wind up because Mr Abdul Kalam was on his way to the hall .There was a huge flutter near the door ,as his security men formed a circle around him to keep off intruders .And then there was a  loud round of applause as he climbed the 4 or 5 steps on to the stage . Once on stage ,he folded his hands in a “Namaste”.He looked  just the same as we see him on television so many times .Visibly aged now ,with the craziest hairstyle one can ever see anywhere .!!Hair parted down the centre and from each half of the partition ,two locks brought  forward  to the forehead to form a small kind of a circle .For someone like me who also does not have a rational hairstyle ,Mr Kalaams hairstyle defies any logic .Why would one have a hairstyle like that ?And how must he be getting it into place ?It appears almost impossible to even style it like that .Is it natural?No-it appears very well combed and oiled .!! He wore a light brown bundgallah suit(Kalam Suit) .He sat down .His eyes darted and he picked up someone in the front row .He smiled and waved .All this ,while someone was introducing him .All of a sudden he heard her say something wrong .He corrected her “Not 40 ,but 42”!!he said with a smile .This was in reference to the number of awards he had won .Everyone enjoyed the sharpness of the ear and the mind and  his naughty smile .We all clapped .Sometimes he looked into space .Imagine how much he must have thought about space to have been called Indias “MissileMan”?.Imagine ,how much he must be knowing about space ?Imagine how different his world is as compared to ours .!Imagine how different his desires are as compared to ours ?I was not just looking at a human form –I was looking at a different human soul .

He gave away the prizes.And then my name was announced to come on stage .It was my tryst with destiny .I collected myself ,straightened my coat and walked up to the stage .And ,I was face to face with him .He was seated .As I approached him ,he got up .I gently put my hand on his shoulder and asked him to remain seated .I had touched the great man .!!But he was on his feet .I bent and touched his feet .There was a eerie feeling that went through me .It appeared so unreal .He then shook hands with me .Asked me something .The cameras clicked furiously .I was very aware of the occasion .I froze it in my mind .It will remain so till I die .!!

What happened after that (there was a dinner ),is a long story .To be told on another day .As I got back to my seat ,the two gentlemen on my left wanted to shake hands with me . “Let us shake hands with the hand that shook hands with Abdul Kalaam”.I looked at my hands.They have done so much for me throughout my life .I cant thank them enough .And least of all ,for shaking hands with Bharat Ratna ,Dr Abdul Kalam.!!

DPS Jaipur-Some Recollections of Raviji !!!

Its been a long stay for us at Jaipur .When you are about to enter your tenth year at one place ,then you realize how much of time has passed  you by .In terms of percentages its nearly 20 percent of your life away from where you came from and where you plan to go to .At some point of time this fact started to knock softly into my ears -urging me to listen to something that i could not wish away .

A lot happened in these 9 years .I came here leaving behind a very comfortable township of the Aditya Birla Township at Jagdishpur ,where i was a Principal , only to find a dusty piece of land .I remember the day very well .There was a strong wind blowing across the field which was not protected by either the walls or the trees that guard it now .There were lots of workers and they were busy doing up the place for the bhoomi pujan .I was disheartened -oh my god ,i thought .Not another school to build!!.I had undertaken a similar mission in setting up a school at Bhopal ,and i knew it required endless thinking and huge physical demands to push the project through.I also remember the chairman asking me how i found the school after i returned to Delhi to debrief him .''But there is no school''i told him .''Havent you seen the model of the school?Havent you seen what you will get to manage once the buildings come up/'',he had replied .It was a lesson i learnt  from a visionary .He was looking beyond the present and into the future .That is why he was where he was -at the pinnacle of a glamorous and successful society .
Now as i look back ,i find his words prophetic .Its a school worthy to run by a king .!!Its got everything that anyone -students ,teachers ,principal-would want in a school .Except a swimming pool .It does not cost much to build a swimming pool for a school like ours .We are not strapped for finances .But ,i have always opposed swimming pools in a state in which people find water difficult to come by for drinking and bathing .And in the midst of such a scenario ,to have a pool in which a select few can splash and have fun ,just does not sound rational to me .
The school has been built brick by brick .The brand did not work as expected .In the first 4 months we had only 123 registrations (as opposed to admission-the 3 stages are form selling,then registrations,then admissions).There were only 197 admissions in our first year .So clearly ,the brand DPS was not on our side .But by the second year once the teachers work got recognized ,we had a flood of admissions.In other words ,DPS Jaipur was built on the reputation of its worth and not on the brand .Its always a better way to build the school .I have seen many schools destroyed because the brand expectations were too high and the school subsequently lost its clientele because of the mismatch .DPS Jaipur overtook all the schools -it produced the best results in every sublect,produced the best debators, dancers , volleyballers,actors who stood first at all India level,and last year produced a student (Hardik Jain)who got a staggering 97 percent in the 12th class .He was placed 3rd in India and first in West Zone .It was only our 3rd batch ,!!From 1000 the strenght grew to 2000 ,then 3000 and now stands close to 3500.We have come a long way from the days of the dusty fields which i saw when i first came to have a look at the school .

With the incomparable Ravi Jaipuria

There are always a few people who drive institutions towards excellence -not neccessarily the teachers ,students or the Principal .They are the dreamers who think big ,who take chances ,and who get the right people to implement the dream .Leading this pack is the exceptionally brilliant Ravi Jaipuria -Raviji as we fondly address him always  .I havent quite met someone like him in my life (and i have met many famous men and women ,believe me ).His grasp over issues is  amazing , he is very decisive and aggressive ,and he takes hardly any time to settle a issue .He works round the clock ,flying in and out of the country to honour his business commitments .And yet he has all the facts on his finger tips .His mind is like a computer .He will be able to calculate projections 5 years down the line by the time you are understanding the question !!He once came to Jaipur late at night when we were in the initial stages of building our blocks .He was due  to arrive at about 5 pm .But he kept getting delayed because of important meetings , and finally reached at 1 in  the wee hours of the  morning .He told me to go off to sleep ,and when i asked him whether he would inspect the site ,he replied in the affirmative ''I like to finish off my work before i go to sleep Mr Kain.Then i  can sleep in peace'' he replied .So i waited for him to arrive at the hotel. He appeared tired ,looked quizzically at me (as to why i was not asleep),and said ''So should we leave ?''.The site was 20 kms away ,he had been travelling ,and i told him that we could go after he had freshened up and had a cup of tea ''Nahi Kain saab(he called he Mr Kain or Kain saab),woh sab baad me karenge.Abhi to chalo''.So off we went .And once there ,he was at his energetic best -overseeing things ,asking the right questions ( a key to successful people by the way) ,waddling through water and debris ,meeting and greeting people etc etc etc .!!It was a lesson that everyone should learn -there are no timings for work ,that this talk of 9 to 5 is crap,and that achievers are obssessed .But then there are only a handful of Ravijis'.Wonderful man ,very close to my heart and too high for my head .I look up at him .On the same trip we discussed about the building of the hostel .I was at my defensive best -what if we dont get children ,what if we dont get a experienced hostel staff  ,do we have enough water to sustain the hostel ,will we get the requisite electricity from the Rajasthan State Electricity Board .Etc Etc Etc .He just looked at me and smiled and ''Mr Kain ,if i start thinking like you ,i would never be able to do anything''!!Oh yes -he is so different.One of my greatest regrets about leaving DPS Jaipur ,is losing a mentor like him.But i have been lucky to have had a glimpse into the mind of a truly remarkable man -generous ,broadminded and a go getter .He runs a number of successful business ventures -from Costa Coffee,Pizza Hut,KFC,Cream Bell and a host of others .And yes -he is Indias biggest Pepsi bottler and thats why we all call him ''The man with the fizz''.I simply love the man .I dream of working with him again once more before i hang up my boots .!!

Posted by kulbhushan kain at 5:01 AM  11th October 2011.

My School Days .Part 1

St Mary’s Convent in the sixties was not a very big school .But it was a very good school .I have very vivid memories of my stay in the school .I studied there till the fourth standard and later shifted to another school ,St Josesphs Academy .And the reason for that, was the fact that St Mary’s was only upto the 5^th standard .

Our house was just about 500 metres away from the school ,and my elder and younger sisters walked with me to school everyday .The Principal of the school was a tall and lovely looking Italian Nun ,Sister Amelia ,who had come on a transfer from a unknown ,village called Gurgaon!!! .She had headed a school there by the name of “Our Lady of Fatima”.She looked completely in control –very clear headed and very strict .But when she smiled ,she took your heart away .I have always felt ,that good looking Principals have a great advantage over the not so good looking Principals .At the end of the day ,the personality has a great role to play –maybe more than intelligence .Sister Amelia had both .She was blue eyed ,tall and slim .And she would take rounds and talk to us frequently .Once she asked me “What do you want to become when you grow old?A doctor ,like your Dad?”. “No sister ,I don’t like blood ,and as a doctor I will have to see it often”,I answered .As a young child ,there were innumerable occasions when people were brought home for treatment –sometimes bleeding profusely .It always put me off .  “You want to become a soldier like Surenders Dad?”,she asked ,referring to Surender Sharmas’ Dad ,who was a officer in the Army(Surender happened to be my best friend ,and continues to be one even now after nearly 50 years !!). “No sister,I don’t want to be a soldier .I don’t like blood”.Again , blood being spilled was something we saw in war movies of the sixties .And the sight of bullets piercing through a persons chest or legs was something that  put me off .And then she would look very mischieviously at me and ask “But Kulbhushan ,if young boys like you don’t want to be either doctors or soldiers ,how will India survive ?”.I still remember  the answer that I gave Sister Amelia as she stood in front of me –tall and inspiring .  “Sister ,I will become a Principal like you”.!!I must admit ,that becoming a school teacher or a a school Principal ,never crossed my mind after I spoke those words .But circumstances and destiny pushed me into a profession which I will never exchange with anything else .If I am reborn a million times ,I would like to be a school teacher and a school Principal .The words I spoke to Miss Amelia ,ring in my mind very often –especially during times when I am in ecstasy or agony .Dont know why .

There were other teachers as well .I don’t recollect the names of most of them ,but the one name I will never forget is Miss Kaura .Miss Kaura belonged to a distinguished family of Clement Town and her siblings were friends with all of us .Her two brothers went to school with me –Deepak and Ashok (Guddu),and both are IITians .Miss Kauras’, younger sister Asha ,is a great friend of the family ,and her elder sister Shiksha was also a very dedicated teacher (died of cancer in the UK).Miss Kaura (Shakuntala),was a wonderful teacher ,who told us tales from Grimm brothers and Aesop .I  imagined myself as Thumbelina flying in the air at times ,and sometimes like Jack in the tale “Jack and the beanstalk”.!!And sometimes I even imagined myself as Cinderella (I know some of you must be giggling ).Miss Kaura used to tell us wonderful fairy tales .One of the greatest contributions that any teacher can bestow on any child is the gift of imagination .Even today ,among my greatest strengths would be the power to imagine .Thank you Miss Kaura .It was you who bestowed upon me the gift to imagine  –and no one has been able to kill it .

Miss Amelia left ,and sister Beatrice took over .She was a rather strict looking lady and unfortunately the boots she stepped into were a size too big for her .However ,she was a dedicated teacher cum administrator ,but lacked the charisma .

Day after day ,we went to school .There were many boys and girls who I befriended .Many names stand out –Surender Sharma ,Digvijay Singh ,Pradeep Sachdev,Hafizullah Khan,Margaret,Lorraine ,Vinod ,Chanda,Surajmaan Rai ,and many others .We used to play a lot on the swings and the seesaws .There were a number of children in the hostel from Thailand ,and they were later to join St Josesphs with me as well .I started taking a keen interest in cricket at a very early age –maybe 7 or 8 years of age .I distinctly remember that by 1964/65 ,I was a cricket addict .In particular ,I remember the MCC Cricket Teams tour of India under MJK Smith .It had such greats in it as Ken Barrington and Colin Cowdrey .The young and dashing MANSUR ALI PATUADI had taken over the reins as the Captain of India.And I remember Hanumant Singh scoring a brilliant century on his test debut at the Ferozshah Kotla ,Delhi .About two years back I went on a inspection of a school to Banswara ,in Rajasthan .Hanumant  was from the royalty of Banswara .I went specially to his palace –of course by that time he and his brother Suryaveer had passed away .But i still  felt a strong connect with the place and my life as a schoolboy in St Mary’s .

I was not brilliant in my studies .But I was sharp .I did not have the ability to stay focused for a long time on a text book .But I was a voracious reader .From a early age ,I had read nearly all Enid Blyton and W.E.Johns (Biggles ).I could write ,read and speak English fluently .I found it a fantastically easy subject .Not so Maths .I struggled a bit with it .Became averagely good ,but by the time I was in senior classes –very good .I did my homework regularly ,and never stole and never cheated in school.I was popular .i was fat .I was polite .I was never beaten by either a teacher or a fellow student .

But the time to change school was approaching .In anycase ,I would have had  to leave after the 5^th  standard .My father decided to shift me to another school after the 4^th .My cousins –Munish ,Mahesh ,and Anil Joshi  were shifting to a school which was about 10 kms from our house .Their father –Swarup Uncle –told my father to do the same with me “They will be together”,he said .And my father agreed .

Thus in 1965 ,I landed up in St Josesphs Academy .I stepped into one of Indias best schools (just go to Wikipedia and you will realize that I am using their terminology)Dehradun it was said consisted of children who were either in St Josesphs or not in St Josesphs .The divide was that sharp .It was in St Josesphs that my eyes and ears were exposed to a different world .It was in St Josesphs that I learnt to compete ,win and get to leadership positions .After 7 years of blood ,sweat ,and tears ,it was in St Josesphs that I was to be crowned the Headboy .It was in St Josesphs that I went through the turmoil of adoloscense ,and of the pain of death and tragedy .But it was also at St Josesphs that I would receive colours as Academy Captain,Tennis ,and Cricket .It was at St Josesphs that I confronted the mike and pumped words into it with passion and became a debator .These things created “me”,as I am today .For people like me ,St Josesphs was not just a school –it was a way of life .But more of that in my next blog .

Following The Trail Of of Alexander The Great .

The subject that i studied in College and University was History .I fell in love with it permanently.Historical movements have always made me think -why did a particular event happen ? What were its effects ? Was it good for our civilization ? Were there any similarities between events in olden times and now ? Are we really a superior civilization? Did we learn to use the data from the past  to our advantage ? .History always challenged my mind .It still does .
I was similarly fascinated by historical characters .Did they change the course of history or were they mere pawns in its unfolding ? Remember ,Marx said that there was inevitability of events and human beings can only accelerate or slow down its flow .I have my favourites historical characters .I tried to see what moved them .My favourites have nothing to do with whether they were good or bad .But it has something to do with what human beings in a lifespan can create or destroy .What are the powers  inherent in the human spirit and body?
One of my favourites is  Alexander or, as he has been popularly called –“Alexander the Great”.He has mesmerized me and I have taken two trips to Turkey in a attempt to follow his trail .My wanderings made me cross the Hellespont as he had done ,I went to Troy ,Pegamum (Bergama ),Ephesus ,Granicus (where he fought a famous battle with the Persians ),Gordion(where impatiently he cut the the knot instead of untying it ),and Ancyra (modern Ankara ).Each moment ,I felt I was in his company because I could identify the places very vividly with him

Crossing the Hellespont

Alexander was not born in Turkey .He was born in Pella which is in Macedonia (God willing i will be going to it soon  )On the day he was born ,the temple of Artemis(also known as the temple of Diana) at Ephesus was burned down,which fortune tellers predicted was a omen that the force that was to destroy Asia had entered the world .It is said that the goddess Artemis was too involved in Alexanders birth to pay attention to saving the magnificent temple (I was taken into time and space as I looked at the solitary  tower of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus .It was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world ).He had light skin,blond hair ,and melting blue eyes (Plutarch wrote this description of him .He was his biographer).A strong natural fragrance came from his body –so strong that it perfumed his clothes.Hewas born in the year 356 b.c .

At Troy inside the Trojan Horse .!!

Fame was his passion.Not wealth or pleasure .When he heard that Phillip (his father),had conqured a territory ,he would be sad rather than happy.Because it meant he had one territory less to conquer .!!

He was tutored by Aristotle.Aristotle had a profound influence on Alexander ,who said that he loved him as much as he loved his father .His father had given him life –but his teacher had taught him to use it

 Alexander  showed a robust commonsense .It is reflected in how he acquired Bucephalus  ,his magnificent horse . Bucephalus was Alexander's horse throughout most of his career.  Some horse traders had brought this magnificent animal to King Philip and offered him for sale, but no man could ride him.  The traders were taking Bucephalus away when Alexander remarked that it was a shame to lose such a fine horse just because no one knew the right way to manage him.  Philip at first ignored the boy, but Alexander persisted .   Finally Philip said: "Do you presume to criticize those who are older than you, as if you knew more, and could do better?"  Alexander boldly declared that he would ride the horse, and everyone laughed.  He bet the price of the horse, and got the chance to try.

  Alexander had noticed that Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow, so he turned the horse to face the sun and settled him down, then walked him in that direction for a while, stroking him whenever he became eager and fiery.   Suddenly, Alexander jumped on his back and drew in the bridle gently, but firmly, until all rebelliousness was gone.  Then he let Bucephalus go at full speed, urging him on with a commanding voice.

He had announced to the world who he was .!!It was a sight that would would scorch the battlegrounds of many countries -Alexander riding Bacephalus and marshalling his men around .

The sole pillar of the Temple of Artemis .

 He inherited the throne of Macedonia at the age of 20 .!!And then set out to conquer the world .It took him into Asia Minor ,Syria,Egypt ,Modern Afghanistan and then into India .He fought many a battle .Some things stood out in his campaigns .

He was generous .He distributed all his money (called talents),to his soldiers so that their families could be looked after well .When one of the Generals asked what he had kept for himself Alexander replied

“My hope”.What a magnificent response .Such a noble human thought and it reflected so much of self confidence .!!Many of us dont part with anything because we dont have confidence in our hopes .

He ate sensibly and was in command of his appetite (I love people who are like that !!).He was neither a glutton nor a gourmet .He felt that the best  stimulus to a good appetite was a long march before breakfast ,and a moderate breakfast to create a appetite for dinner .

When he had free time ,Alexander would read ,write or hunt .He loved good conversation .

He knew his mind .He knew what he had to do .Darius the great Persian king was being hounded by Alexander ,as he chipped away at his mighty empire .Darius offered peace .He offered to give one of his daughters in marriage if Alexander would be satisfied with dominion over all countries west of the river Euphrates .Alexander told his friends about the offer and asked their advice .Then Parmenio ,one of Alexanders most most trusted and sensible commanders said .

“If I were you ,I would take it gladly .”

Alexander paused for a momemt ,looked Parmenio in the eye and responded

“So would I ,if I were Parmenio,but I am Alexander .I will send Darius a different answer”.

And this is what Alexander wrote to Darius ,

“All of Asia is mine ,including all of its treasure .This money you offer is already mine .As for your daughter ,if I want to marry her ,I will do so,whether or not you approve .If there is anything you want from me ,you may come in person and ask for it .Otherwise ,I will have to go to where you are .I am coming after you”

Can anyone ever not love someone like him .He just takes my breath away everytime I read about him .

That is why I rate him as my favourite historical character .