Groupies...Rookies...

What is up with this world, seriously? I thought it can no longer surprise me, but no - here comes one more treat, after another...it's like an out-of-control bullet train or something.

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A group of friends go out on a trip, apparently enjoy themselves and then come back openly bitching about each other. Another group furiously defends its "group image" in front of others (Yo, we are a team, alrite!) and then indulges in brickbats and mental tortures in its own team huddle. Yet another group tries to "bond" itself with another group, failing which directs its energy in defaming the same group (reminds me the political tactics used in "First among Equals", but that's a story for another day). The remaining "free-radicals", which belong to no particular group, the left-outs, eventually form their own group out of no choice and are instantly branded opportunistic types, grouping together with sinister ulterior motives.

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A human mind is the most complex machine, of course. Put a couple of them together to form a group, and you exponentially increase the complexity. Put few of these groups together and whoa, it is a mayhem. You can either go into the thick and try straighten out the inter-group issues (burning your hands in the process) or just sit back and relax, maybe grab a beer or two, microwave the popcorn and enjoy the show.

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Or maybe portray an overly-intellectual image through blogs and stuff, like yours truly. Life's good.

History as we read it...

I was talking to a friend today. Her dad is into real estate business bigtime and conversation somehow turned towards it. She told me how her dad's partner has observed some really profitable real estate opportunities in J&K, but their firm can't invest in that state owing to regulations imposed under Article 370. "That article is another specimen of minority appeasement and cowardice of Indian governemnt who would never learn to walk straight when under international pressure". Of course, she was quoting her dad verbatim.

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This is not some personal opinion - the sentiment is shared by millions of other Indians (including our right wing political outfits). Why, in God's name, should J&K be given a unique status? How can one even think of recognizing LoC as the International border. What is Pakistan doing over there anyways? Isn't it our land, right back from times immemorial?

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The issue is too broad to be discussed on a blog - that's not my intention anyways. Difference of opinions would exist on such a sentimental issue, after all the two nations didn't engage into four military conflicts over it for nothing, making it perhaps the most controversial territory issue after West Bank/Gaza Strip. But, why are the citizens of these two nations totally unaware of the context of the whole situation, and form opinions based purely on emotional content (a sense of patriotism in case of Indians, and a feeling of Islamic-nationalism in case of brothers from across the border). And I am not talking about the illiterate population, this is about the educated youth.

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How many of the Indians know that J&K was not a state of India before 1948, or that it was a separate nation ruled by a Hindu king with majority of the subjects being Muslims. Or that it became a part of India only when the King didn't have any other alternative at his disposal to save himself from the Paki onslaught? Or that it was the Indian premier who approached UN first on the issue (perhaps, hoping for a Nobel Peace prize) which resulted into the ceasefire around LoC and the string of regulations in form of Article 370 to ensure "status-quo" until normalcy is restored for a plebiscite to be held. Or that there was indeed a genuine aspiration for "Independence" in Kashmiris throughout the latter half of 20th century which, badly handled by Indian government and taken full advantage by Pakistan, turned violent only in 1989. The valley was peaceful before that, but how many of us know it? Or that there might be some grain of truth in the reports of large no. of rapes and civilian murders by Indian army in J&K, published by leading human rights organizations.

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Pakistanis don't need to gloat either. They would always have this view that all muslim majority regions were to be "given" away to Pakistan under the Independence Act (when few of them have actually read it) and India cheated Paksitan in the latter's infancy stage by "holding" back Kashmir. Many suggest that Pakistan whipped Indian asses everytime the two met on the battlefield and that Indians were the first movers/aggressors in each case. Mukti Bahini was a "terrorist" organization, and "Hindus" live in "dark, small houses". They would always cry about 90,000 muslim "freedom fighters" who sacrificed their lives while fighting Indian Army, but do not know iota about the 1,00,000 Kashmiri pandits forced to flee their homeland and living life as refugees all over India. Or how miserable a failue the Two Nations theory proved to be when Bangladeshis fought for liberation. Or that wars always started when a military leader assumed power in Pakistan, as the nation's premier in a coup or through an out-of-control army.

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But why such ignorance on both sides of the border? Why do people of these two nations remain oblivious to such basic facts which are well-known to rest of the world? One peep back into my school history book, and I seem to get my answer. History text books stop at 1947, and reveal nothing what happened after. So the youth forms their own image of post-independence history - aided by a biased media, opportunistic government and a pseudo-nationalistic feeling.

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Why don't the governments try and educate people on the burning issue of kashmir? GoI would rather nuke itself than admit its blunder in Kashmir and GoP won't have any other issue to milk in the next general elections or to keep the attention of Pakistanis diverted from the real issues of military dictatorship and failure of democracy. Meanwhile, the youngsters in India and Pakistan would continue reading their school history books on how Muslim League (Congress for the latter) was adamant on partition, and how their nation has been cheated (and being cheated) on the issue of Kashmir. The Kashmiris, meanwhile, would continue getting crushed between the egos of the two governments, with all the (mis-placed) sympathy of Indian and Paki populace but little translating into action.

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I just hope for some enlightenment...

You have been shortlisted!

Under the authority vested in me by The Firm, I place you under shortlist.

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You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you during the interview. You have the right to speak to your PGP-II mentor, but cannot have him present during any questioning in the interview. If you do not have a PGP-II mentor, one will be provided to you at The Fim's expense.

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In due course, you shall be produced in front of the aforementioned interview panel and sentenced as per laws of The Firm after the panel evaluates the relevant evidence and hears the case of defense.

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P.S. You are advised to gather all documents supporting your case for imprisonment and prepare the "HR" questions well. Be ready to be grilled by the prosecution on "Case" and "Fit".

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P.P.S. Circumstantial evidence - thats all what we care about.

The ten commandments

I feel like a prophet these days...

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MBA education uses levers as class participation (CP) and relative grading (RG) for effective classroom experience. Both mediums are powerfully effective when used (by students!) in the true spirit of learning, but have quite distasteful outcomes when the same students indulge in what they call RG-giri, i.e. trying to portray each other in negative light to score some brownie points in front of the instructor; and indeed, often these brownie points do translate into grades :)

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Anyways, after one such session in a marketing course where the group presenting the case was massacered left, right and centre by an over-enthusiastic (Read: in the RG-giri mood) audience, yours truly too contributing with one question, we came out of the class laughing at ourselves...and then in the same lighter mood, postulated the Ten Commandments of CP.

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Only if Moses was alive, he would not have complained of hearing just the Voice of the Divine.

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(Some terms carry additional explanation in italics).

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1) Thou shalt not CP in the last 2 minutes of a lecture; especially if the prof himself is overshooting the class timings

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2) Thou shall not CP in XYZ course at all, the instructor already himself is a living CP specimen

(not mentioning the course to be, ah, politically correct)

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3) Thou shall not CP if thou art Rajamundry

(an over-enthusiastic chap who CPs, I guess, without any RG intention)

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4) The time between two consecutive CPs shalt atleast be 3 classes

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5) Thou shalt treat the whole class if thou CP more than once in a single day

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6) Thou shalt seek all CP-overdoer infidels and slay them in the name of God

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7) Thou shalt NEVER EVER put in a follow-up CP

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8) If thou art the last person to CP, thou get to be hooshed

(a popular physical torture over here in IIMB)

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9) All case-presenters are thy brothers and sisters, thou shalt love them

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10) Remember, thou shalt be CPed against the way thou CPed unto others

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Credits: CB, Sudhakar and yours truly

Walking down the same lane...

While reading and muggofying reams of photostated material and books for my final examinations, I couldn't help but think - would I ever apply this in practical life? Reframing the question, would I ever get a chance to apply this theory in practice? Is real life a simple intersection of the demand and supply curve, so neatly drawn with no single data point violating the elasticity slopes?

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A seemingly very good explanation (at least it seemed to work till now) given to me by a senior who, btw, I whole-heartedly admire is that tough academics is another way to measure your IQ level - after all, ain't that what the companies, which come hovering down here for recruitment, look for.

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Why don't they just take another IQ test than, and get over with? Oh, but then it again would be the same old thing - the engineering entrance exam, the MBA entrance exam - we are different, and the variety need to come out of our actions. If IQ measurement is indeed the objective, I have my previous scores, thank you very much.

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I am utterly confused - and cannot articulate it in a better (or at least comprehensible ) way. I guess it's not the case of not knowing the answer; I am yet to understand the problem.

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I gonna get back to my books.

Let's exchange...

Yesterday, I came to know about something interesting. My university has an exchange program in management discipline with LUMS (Lahore University of Managment Studies)!

These four guys were cheering the Pakistani team in their 20-20 match with India last night in the hostel mess cum TV room, and that's when the entire audience over here in the campus came to know about them, or rather, their nationality. Till that point, not many were aware of them. At least the first year students had no idea.

A little more enquiry and I came to know that none from IIM Bangalore had opted for LUMS in this exchange program while all the four seats available in IIMB were taken up by LUMS students.

So much for talks of Indians being more tolerant and broad-minded than the neighbours. Or maybe, we are not analyzing things from a proper perspective (?)

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In a league of their own...

While working on a report in one of my course assignments, I came across an interesting observation made by a celebrated personality in corporate circles. I am unable to dig out the exact words, but the gist went something like this - Almost all the successful people whom we generally hear about all the time were really subdued personalities in their early life. Majority of them received quality education no doubt (maybe apart from our revered politicians), but really few of them were regarded as the campus studs back in their student life!

Having myself had the fortunate opportunity of having studied from some of the best institutes in this country, this observation sparked an uneasy conflict in my mind.

Back from my IITD days, I can easily recall some faces who were the most popular on the campus. They were the ones you could see playing a central roles in almost every other campus activity - be it sports or performing arts or the general hostel poltu. Some of them even managed to combine all these with really decent grades and were usually the ones who walked away with the prized jobs IITs have to offer.

Here in IIMB, I am witness to a similar scenario - a handful of students, better known as the studs. Terrific academic performance with proven track record of being a winner in their pre-MBA days, be it the good old graduation time or the couple of years they spent in a firm working before they decided to oblige IIMB with their benign presence. The ones from these in their final year already have job offers from companies most of people out here might kill to work for.

And I, for the life of me, cannot imagine any of these demi-gods being overtaken by some random peer of theirs whom I have never heard of. Someone who is not placed in the same league.

Someone, who is out here in the same campus, a fellow student, with a humble personality and few past achievements to talk about, and is yet destined to surpass all of these demi-gods! The mere thought of such a creature existing in the midst of us sounds unreasonable, plainly void of any rationale and logic. And yet, data proves it to be true!

Perceptive Impressions

My fellow human beings bring a smile to my face everyday. Without them, what would I be. Every other day, I wake up, thinking this would be the day when I won't witness another unseen aspect of Homo Sapiens in its prime. And I am proved wrong, yet again..

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And I keep smiling...

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So whats funny these days? I recently indulged in a small, harmless sport: to observe people's reactions to different faces I put up to them whenever I relocate and meet new people. The results were amazing, of course on expected lines. For some, I am an adorable guy when I showed interest in their personal woes; for others, I am a horrible git for resorting to sarcastic comments on their own inadequacies (Give me a break, we are mortals); some find me really amusing, others tag me a bore. For quite a few, I can safely claim to have become the centre of their years of unvented hatred. Majority thinks I am a pushover, and yet a couple of them are still healing the wounds my verbal projectiles caused. And while reading this blog, some will carry home the image of arrogant, mean me. Amusing how people would judge me on the faces I showed them in the first place, instead of my true self which not a single one of them knows about.

As for me, I adore them all...

A learned teacher of mine once told me, they study the impact of first impression and perceptions people form on the basis of it in heavily funded research programs in the West. The world around me is my own little laboratory.

This game is now having unforseen consequences - some of my dear subjects have been (unintentionally) exposed to conflicting faces, and left utterly confused. Not long before one of them actually corners me. So I am stopping this game.

Does that mean I would reveal my true face? I think I will wear a mask resembling closest to it; exposing one's true self is not recommended in this world.

I am glad I have this choice, some of us do not know their own true face and thus, in an effort to hide it, end up exposing it.

Ah, I forgot I had decided to stop this game.