Monday, August 14, 2023

This dirt is good...

This dirt is good for it has cleansened the dirt I have accumulated physically, mentally & emotionally, 
for it has been accumulated over more than 500kms of distance covered in the lap of Southern Himalayan Ranges,
in the heavy rains, 
in the heavy fog, 
in the b'ful scenic valleys, peaks, gorges, grasslands, forest, fog 
& in the chilling temps (strangely in the middle of Aug'23 when we are all suffering from humid & hot weather, we were literally shivering in Cherapunjee - en route Nartiang & even in Meghalaya we used to have Moti Rajai in the night). 

This dirt is good for it has strengthened the bond with my cousin (may be for the first time in the life) & helped me bonding with the nature, our people, our land, our landscapes, our food, our air, our water & our temples. 

This dirt is good for it has challenged my physical limits & help building up my endurance (of my bike too ЁЯдгЁЯдг).

This dirt is good for it has rejuvenated & energized me, 
for it rattled the inertia of my body , thoughts & emotions & keeping the curious & adventurous of me alive in me. 

This dirt is good & I would love to accumulate it more, more often, again & again. 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Indian Army Agniveer Scheme

Age factor becomes worrisome for Indian Army.
This is the essence of defence planning: how to get the ideal equation of fat and fire, teeth and tail. Or how to organise military manpower to obtain the loudest bang for the taxpayer's buck.

In India the question has become a nightmare. Today, in terms of the average age of men, the army is one of the oldest in the world - with a poor teeth-to-tail ratio. In short, it has too many people who are too old to fight effectively and too many who don't fight.

Generals have a ready reckoner: divide the strength of the army with the number of fighting divisions, then subtract the average strength of a division. The remainder should roughly give the fat, or non-fighting element per division. In India's case, 11 lakh is divided by 41, the total number of divisions (taking four independent brigades as a division). The divisional slice thus arrived at is 26,829. If 18,000-the average strength of an Indian division - is subtracted from this, the fatty element comes to a shocking 8,829 for each division. For Pakistan it is 2,307, and for China just over 1,000.

In 1977, the then army chief General T.N. Raina had set up a committee under Generals K.V. Krishna Rao, K. Sundarji and M.L. Chibber to study the question. "We sorted things out till we were down to bare bones," says Lt-General Hridaya Kaul, explaining that pruning had mainly been done from supply, ordnance and medical corps and, with better technology coming in, from signals. But the fact that the army still wags such an unwieldy tail suggests more can be cut. Lard still exists in the army's static formations - sub-area headquarters and regimental centres. Says Sreedhar, an expert at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis: "There is a feeling that there is an organisational flabbiness of 60,000 to 1 lakh people." The crux of the problem is not mere numbers but also ages.

Today a large number of jawans are in their 30s and officers are getting command much later than in the past. "The age factor has become worrisome. Ideally, a commanding officer (CO) should be in his mid-30s when he is at the peak of his physical and mental fitness. 

This is no longer the case with the army," says G.C. Katoch, a former financial advisor to the Defence Ministry and now a prolific defence writer. He points out that earlier a CO, the cornerstone of the combat wing, was 35- 38 years old. Today they are closer to 45. The consequences are evident from the army's own analysis of the operations in Sri Lanka-where many older COs were found wanting.
Ageing COs leading ageing jawans into battle is not a prospect to enthuse any commander. Says Lt-General K. Balaram, a former adjutant- general: "So far we haven't come adrift. But things are not very good." He points out that smarting under the Himalayan debacle of 1962, India expanded its forces from 2 to 8.5 lakh between 1963 and 1967. Consequence: the troops were in the prime of youth when war began in 1971. Contrarily, the Pakistani Army had undergone expansion in the late '50s. If then India won with a younger force, the equation has reversed today. 

Pakistan's post-Bangladesh expansion began in the late 70s. So the greening of the Pakistani Army is now coinciding with the greying of India's.

The real problem remains the 1963-67 recruitment spree. The bulge retirement ages from seven years in the pre-1965 period to 17. As a result not only has the proportion of older jawans gone up, the number of soldiers retiring every year has suddenly shot up in the '80s, steeply increasing the pension burden.

The brass is worried. It is already reconsidering a proposal first made in 1985 that:was perpetuated as the Government progressively increased the jawans': 
    
 тАв recruits in the combat units would serve for seven years, roughly till the age of 25;
тАв those recruited for technical, skilled jobs would serve till 55;
тАв of the combatants who complete seven years, roughly half would be reabsorbed in semi-skilled technical grades as drivers and radio- operators.

The problem is assuring re-employment to soldiers who retire at the age of 25-26 because it would be dangerous to let loose on the streets thousands of jobless young men with military training. But that is not the only reason why the Home Ministry has opposed the scheme. Ultimately these men could only be absorbed in paramilitary forces. And North Block is not inclined to lose that avenue of patronage.

However, the current situation calls for hard decisions. For the fighting ability of an army does not depend only on the kind of weaponry it wields. Ultimately, it is the man behind the machine that counts.

How Indian president should be?


1985 рдХреА рдмрд╛рдд рд╣реИ , рдЖрд▓реВ рдХреЗ рд╡реНрдпрд╛рдкрд╛рд░ рдХреЗ рд╕рд┐рд▓рд╕рд┐рд▓реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ рдЖрдирд╛ рдЬрд╛рдирд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рдерд╛ , UP рдХреЗ рд╡рд┐рдзрд╛рдирд╕рднрд╛ рдЪреБрдирд╛рд╡ рдЪрд▓ рд░рд╣реЗ рдереЗ 
рдЬрд┐рди рдЖреЭрддрд┐рдпреЗ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рд╕ рдореИрдВ рдЬрд╛рддрд╛ рдерд╛ рд╡реЗ рднрд╛рдЬрдкрд╛рдИ рдереЗ , рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ рд╡рд┐рдзрд╛рди рд╕рднрд╛ рдХреА рдХрд╛рд░реНрдпрд╡рд╛рд╣реА рджрд┐рдЦрд╡рд╛рдИ , рдХрдИ рдордВрддреНрд░рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдХрд╛рдо рд╕реЗ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рддреЛ рдореБрдЭреЗ рднреА рд╕рдВрдЧ рд▓реЗ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рдЙрдирд╕реЗ рдкрд░рд┐рдЪрдп рдХрд░рд╡рд╛рддреЗ 
рдПрдХ рдмрд╛рд░ рд╡реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рд╕реВрд░рдд рд╕реНрдерд┐рдд рднрд╛рдИ рдХреЛ рд╕реА рдСрдл рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд░реЗрд▓рд╡реЗ рд╕реНрдЯреЗрд╢рди рдкрд░ рдЧрдП рддреЛ рдореБрдЭреЗ рднреА рдмреБрд▓рд╛ рд▓реЗ рдЧрдП 
рд░реЗрд▓рд╡реЗ рд╕реНрдЯреЗрд╢рди рдкрд░ рдЙрдирдХреЗ рдкрд░рд┐рд╡рд╛рд░ рдХреЗ рд▓рдЧрднрдЧ 25 рдкреБрд░реБрд╖ рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛рдПрдВ рдЙрдирдХреЛ рдЫреЛреЬрдиреЗ рдЖрдпреЗ рдереЗ , рд╕рдмрдХреЗ рд╕рдм рд▓рдХрджрдХ рдХрдкреЬреЗ рдкрд╣рд┐рдиреЗ рд╣реБрдП , рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдореЗрд░реЗ рдХрдкреЬреЗ рдЦрд╛рд╕реЗ рдЧрдиреНрджреЗ рд╣реЛ рд░рд╣реЗ рдереЗ 

рдЧрдиреНрджреЗ рдХрдкреЬреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд╡рдЬреВрдж рдЖреЭрддрд┐рдпреЗ рднрд╛рдИ рдореЗрд░реЗ рдХрдВрдзреЗ рдкрд░ рд╣рд╛рде рд░рдЦреЗ рд░рдЦреЗ рд╣реБрдП рдереЗ , рддрдм рд╕реВрд░рдд рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рднрд╛рдИ рдХрд╛ рдзреНрдпрд╛рди рдЧрдпрд╛ рддреЛ рдореЗрд░реЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдкреВрдЫрд╛ 
рд╕рд┐рдВрдзреА рднрд╛рд╖рд╛ рдореЗрдВ рд╣реБрдИ рдмрд╛рддреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдЗрддрдирд╛ рд╕рдордЭ рдкрд╛рдпрд╛ рдХрд┐ 
"рдмрд╣реБрдд рдордЧрдЬ рдЦреЛрд░ рд▓реЬрдХрд╛ рд╣реИ ,  рдмрд╛рддрдЪреАрддреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рд╣рд░ рддрд░рд╣ рдХреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рд▓реЗрддрд╛ рджреЗрддрд╛ рд╣реИ"
рдЕрдм рд╡реЗ рд╕реВрд░рдд рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рднрд╛рдИ рд╕рд╛рд░реЗ рдХреБрдирд╡реЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЛрдВ рдХреЛ рдЫреЛреЬ рдореБрдЭрд╕реЗ рдмрд╛рдд рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдореЗрдВ рд▓рдЧ рдЧрдП
рд░рд╛рдЬрдиреАрддрд┐ , рдЪреБрдирд╛рд╡реА рд╣рд╛рд▓рдд , рднрд╛рдЬрдкрд╛ рдХрдордЬреЛрд░ рдХреНрдпреЛрдВ рд╣реИ , рд╕рдВрдШ рдХреА рдХреНрдпрд╛ рд╣рд╛рд▓рдд рд╣реИ
рдЖрджрд┐ рдЖрджрд┐ рдмрд╛рддреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рде рд╕рд╛рде рдЧреЛрдпрд▓ рдЕрдЧреНрд░рд╡рд╛рд▓ рдорд╣рд╛рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдЕрдЧреНрд░рд╕реЗрди рдкрд░ рднреА рдмрд╛рдд рдкреВрдЫреАрдВ 
рдореИрдВрдиреЗ рдбрд┐рдЯреЗрд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдмрддрд╛ рдХрд░ рдЙрдирд╕реЗ рд╕рд┐рдВрдзрд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд╕рд░рдиреЗрдо рдореЗрдВ  'рдиреА' рдХрд╛ рдорддрд▓рдм рдкреВрдЫрд╛ 
рджреЛ рджрд┐рди рдкрд╣рд▓реЗ рдЪреЗрдЯреА рдЪрдВрдж рд╣реЛ рдХрд░ рдЪреБрдХрд╛ рдерд╛ рддреЛ рд╡рд░реБрдг рджреЗрд╡ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рджрд╛рд╣рд┐рд░ рдЖрджрд┐ рд╣рд░ рддрд░рд╣ рдХреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рднреА рдПрдХ рдЕрдзреНрдпрд╛рдкрдХ рдХреА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕рдордЭрд╛рдИрдВ 

рддрднреА рд╕рд╛рдпрдВрдХрд╛рд▓реАрди рдЕрдЦрдмрд╛рд░ рдЖрдпрд╛ , рд╡реЛ рд▓рд┐рдпрд╛ рдЙрд╕рдореЗрдВ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдиреА рдЬреИрд▓рд╕рд┐рдВрд╣ рдЬреА рдХреЗ рдЕрдВрдЧреВрдард╛ рдЯреЗрдХ рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рд╕реЗ  рд╡рд┐рджреЗрд╢реА рдореЗрд╣рдорд╛рдиреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рдордиреЗ рдЙрддрдкрдиреНрди рдЕрд╕рд╣рдЬрддрд╛ рдХреЛ рд▓реЗрдХрд░ рдХреЛрдИ рд╕реНрдЯреЛрд░реА рдереА 
рддрдм рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдХреЗ рд╡реНрдпрдХреНрддрд┐рддреНрд╡ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЬреЛ рдХрд╣рд╛ рд╡реЛ рдЕрднреА рддрдХ рдпрд╛рдж рд╣реИ 

"рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рднрд╡рди рдкрд░ рд▓рд╛рдЦреЛрдВ рд░реБрдкрдпреЗ рдШрдгреНрдЯреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рдЦрд░реНрдЪрд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ , рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдЬреА рдХреЗ рдХрд░рд╡рдЯ рд▓реЗрддреЗ рд╣реА 80 рдлреЛрди рдЦреЬрдХ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ , рдЗрдирдХреА рдПрдХ рдПрдХ рд╣рд▓рдЪрд▓ рдХреЗ рдКрдкрд░ рджрд╕ рджрд╕ рдЬрдЧрд╣ рдиреЛрдЯ рд▓рд┐рдЦрд╛ рдЬрд╛рдирд╛ , рджрд╕рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рд▓рд╛рдЦ рдХреА рд╕реБрд░рдХреНрд╖рд╛ рд╡реНрдпрд╡рд╕реНрдерд╛ 
рдХрд┐рддрдирд╛ рдмреЬрд╛ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рднрд╡рди , рд╕реИрдВрдХреЬреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рд╕реНрдЯрд╛рдл , рдореБрдЧрд▓ рдЧрд╛рд░реНрдбрди , 26 рдЬрдирд╡рд░реА рдХреА рдкрд░реЗрдб рдХреЗ рджрд╕реНрддреЗ рдЖрджрд┐ рдЖрджрд┐ 
рдпреЗ рд╕рдм рдПрдХ рд╡реНрдпрдХреНрддрд┐ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╡рд░рди рдкреВрд░реЗ рджреЗрд╢ рдХреЗ рдкреНрд░рддреАрдХ рдХреЗ рдКрдкрд░ рдЦрд░реНрдЪ рдХрд┐рдпреЗ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ
рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рднрд╡рди рдХреА рдЫрд╡рд┐ рдкреВрд░реЗ рджреЗрд╢ рдХреЛ рдкреНрд░рддрд┐рдирд┐рдзрд┐рддреНрд╡ рджреЗрддреА рд╣реИ 

рддреБрдо рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдорд┐рд▓реЗ рддреБрдорд╕реЗ рдореИрдВ рдмрд╛рдд рдирд╛ рднреА рдХрд░рддрд╛ рддреЛ рдореБрдЭреЗ рд╕реВрд░рдд рдореЗрдВ рдорд┐рд▓рддреЗ рддреЛ рдкрд╣рд┐рдЪрд╛рди рд▓реЗрддрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдпреЗ рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ рд╡рд╛рд▓рд╛ рд╡реНрдпрд╛рдкрд╛рд░реА рд╣реИ , рдпреЗ рднреА рдпрд╛рдж рд░рд╣рддрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдпреЗ рдЦрдВрджреМрд▓реА рдХрд╛ рд╣реИ рдпреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдЖрдк рдореЗрдВ рдмрд╣реБрдд рдХреБрдЫ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ 
рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рддреБрдорд╕реЗ рдмрд╛рддрдЪреАрдд рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдореБрдЭреЗ рд╡реНрдпрд╛рдкрд╛рд░ рд╕реЗ рдЕрд▓рдЧ рдлрд╛рд▓рддреВ рдмрд╛рддреЗрдВ рднреА рдЬреИрд╕реЗ рддреБрдо рдХрд┐рддрдиреЗ рднрд╛рдИ рд╣реЛ , рдЧрд╛рдВрд╡ рдореЗрдВ рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реЛ , рдорд╣рд╛рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдЕрдЧреНрд░рд╕реЗрди рдХреНрд╖рддреНрд░рд┐рдп рд╕реЗ рд╡реИрд╢реНрдп рдмрдиреЗ , рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реЗ рдЧреЛрддреНрд░ , UP рдХреА рд░рд╛рдЬрдиреАрддрд┐ рдЖрджрд┐ рдЖрджрд┐ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рднреА рдкрддрд╛ рд╣реЛ рдЪреБрдХрд╛ рд╣реИ 
рддреБрдордХреЛ рднреА рдЭреВрд▓реЗрд▓рд╛рд▓ рдХрд░рд╛рдВрдЪреА рдЖрджрд┐ рд╕рд┐рдВрдзрд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреА рдХрд╛рдлреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рд╣реБрдИ  

рдЗрди рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рд╣реЛрдирд╛ рд╣рдорд╛рд░реЗ рд╡реНрдпрд╛рдкрд╛рд░ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдмрд┐рд▓реНрдХреБрд▓ рднреА рдЬрд░реВрд░реА рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реИ 
рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдореБрдЭреЗ рдпреЗ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдпрд╛рдж рд░рд╣реЗрдЧрд╛ рдХрд┐  рдХреЛрдИ рдмрд╛рдд рдЪрд▓рдиреЗ рдкрд░ рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ рд╕реНрдЯреЗрд╢рди рдкрд░ рд╡реЛ рд▓реЬрдХрд╛ рдорд┐рд▓рд╛ рдЧрд┐рд░рдзрд╛рд░реА рд╡реЛ рддреЛ рдРрд╕реЗ рдмрддрд╛ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ 

рдРрд╕реЗ рд╣реА рдпрд╣рд╛рдВ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░реНрдкрддрд┐ рдЬреА рд╕реЗ рд╡рд┐рджреЗрд╢реА рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░реЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рд╕рддреНрддрд╛ рдпрд╛ рд╡рд┐рдкрдХреНрд╖ рдХреЗ рд▓реЛрдЧ рдХреЗрд╡рд▓ рдорд┐рд▓рдиреЗ , рд╕рдореНрдорд╛рди рднреЛрдЬ рд▓реЗрдиреЗ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖрддреЗ , рд╡рд▓реНрдХрд┐ рдЙрдирдореЗрдВ рдмрд╣реБрдд рд╕реЗ рдРрд╕реЗ рднреА рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЬрд┐рдирдореЗрдВ рдмрд╛рддрдЪреАрдд рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреА рдЙрддреНрд╕реБрдХрддрд╛ рднреА рд╣реЛрддреА рд╣реИ 
рдРрд╕реЗ рдореЗрдВ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдЬреА рдХрд╛ рд╕реНрдЯрд╛рдл рднреА рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдЖрджрд┐ рд▓реЗ рджреЗ рд╕рдХрддрд╛ рд╣реИ , рд╣рд░ рддрд░рд╣ рдХреЗ рдЕрдзрд┐рдХрд╛рд░реА рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реИ рдкреВрдЫрдиреЗ рдкрд░ рдЬрдмрд╛рд╡ рджреЗрдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ 
рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдРрд╕реЗ рд╣рд╛рд▓рд╛рддреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдпрджрд┐ рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдЬреА рд╕реНрд╡рдпрдВ рдмрд╛рдд рдЪреАрдд рдХрд░реЗрдВ ,  рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд╛рд░реА рдФрд░ рд╡рд┐рдЪрд╛рд░реЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рдЖрджрд╛рди рдкреНрд░рджрд╛рди рдХрд░реЗрдВ рддреЛ рдЖрдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдХреЗ рджрд┐рдорд╛рдЧ рдореЗрдВ рднрд╛рд░рдд рдХреА рдХреБрдЫ рдФрд░ рд╣реА рдЫрд╡рд┐ рдмрдиреЗрдЧреА рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди 
рдпрд╣рд╛рдВ рддреЛ рдХреЗрд╡рд▓ рд╕рд┐рдХреНрдЦреЛрдВ рдХреЛ рд╕рд╛рдзрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЕрдВрдЧреВрдард╛ рдЫрд╛рдк рдмрд┐рдард╛ рджрд┐рдП рддреЛ рдРрд╕реА рд╢рд░реНрдорд┐рдиреНрджрдЧреАрдпрд╛рдВ рддреЛ рдЭреЗрд▓рдиреА рд╣реА рдкреЬреЗрдВрдЧреА 

рддрднреА рдЯреНрд░реЗрди рдЖрдЧрдпреА рдФрд░ рдЪрд▓рддреЗ рдЪрд▓рддреЗ рдмреЛрд▓реЗ 
"рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рдкрддрд┐ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рд╕ рднрд▓реЗ рд╣реА рдкреЙрд╡рд░ рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реЛрддреА рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рд╡реЛ рджреЗрд╢ рдХреА рд╕рдореНрдкреВрд░реНрдг рд╕рдВрд╕реНрдХреГрддрд┐ , рд░рд╣рди рд╕рд╣рди , рдзрд░реНрдо рд╡ рдЖрд╣рд╛рд░ рд╡рд┐рдЪрд╛рд░реЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рдЪреЗрд╣рд░рд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ , рдЗрд╕ рдкрдж рдкрд░ рдЗрди рд╕рдм рдХреНрд╖реЗрддреНрд░реЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд╡рд┐рд╢реЗрд╖рдЬреНрдЮ рдХреЛ рдвреВрдВрдв рдХрд░ рдмрд┐рдард╛рдпрд╛ рдЬрд╛рдирд╛ рдЪрд╛рд╣рд┐рдП

Sunday, February 20, 2022

How my coming life will be like??

Talked to my old childhood friend and he shared: "Life kuch jyada hi hectic ho gayi hai". I could empathize with him for I know how tough & busy life the couple is living. Having a cute baby gal of 6 months (Wow! so sweet) combined with compulsion of reaching office by 10:00 am that too by travelling more than 1.5 hrs. make this recipe really difficult to cook. The lady has to leave her daughter with the cr├иche (though unwillingly) for most part of the day, while the Dad has to save his love & care for the weekend, as this is the only time he cud devote to his sweet lil princess (Sic.). 11:30 pm go to sleep, get started for office by 7:30, no time for friends, social functions (except office parties), festivals.

This all made me think: Do I want such life??
Though money can not buy everything & at the same time It's easy to cry in a Mercedes than in a hut with open roof but everybody has to make a choice. These are the two extremes shared by lunatics on fb but there could be any other way to lead a peaceful & fulfilling life & I think i have zoomed upon it.

I will not lead this kind of life, devoid of Life. I will settle in my City Sirsa. I will start an enterprise in which I will involve my life partner, thus leaving no room for her to get bored & make sure she will be with me always be it home or office. All this could be done without making life too busy. There will be parents to support us, we can share cooking, washing cloth & other daily chores between us (after all hostel ka gyan kahan kaam aayega ;)). Life will be heaven, aah. I will be using my Culinary skills, cloth washing skills, household chores management skills & money making skills too to impress my family (ha ha ha). There will be time to spend the money. In this way my life partner will also not be reducing her life to Choolah-Choka but shall make her life more fulfilling by availing the opportunity to apply her professional knowledge & skills.

I don't know, where my fantasies will stop but this dream life is definitely not a fantasy.
I mean it, I believe in it & I shall do my all out efforts to make this reality...or I will make it a reality. 

Monday, December 18, 2017

Parallels between the victory of Congress in Gujarat & defeat of our farmers in market place

This may sound very bizarre but the analogies are stark & the principles governing are interestingly same.

Congress is ecstatic about its victory (not literally) in recently held Gujarat Assembly elections (Dec.'2017) for 182 seats, in which congress under leadership of newly elected (sic.) president Mr. Rahul Gandhi has cornered 80 seats. This victory is stupendous looking at the recent rout in UP & sometimes back in a number of states. Had this Gujarat victory anything to do with the Crownship of Rahul Gandhi, then there would have been no defeat at the same time in Himachal (Congress which was in power 36/68 lost to BJP 44/68).

Now, with the aforementioned facts, we can safely conclude that the election results are not stamp of approval by the public on any leadership. If we scratch a little, the victory of Congress (Congis use to claim so) in Gujarat was not on merits of Congress rather de-merits of BJP's rule (I prefer to say Misrule since last few years). People of Gujarat have voted congress in the absence of any other viable option to BJP. We have witnessed this phenomenon playing in full glory in the past in Delhi when there was a viable option made available to the voters & they have lapped up the offer & gave the ever landslide mandate (95+%) to a newly formed, inexperienced party (AAP- Aam Aadmi Party).

I would say; in Gujarat, irrespective of defeat/victory of any party, it was fundamental defeat of voters. They never wanted to vote Congress (more so after the epic interview of newly elected young (sic., 47 years young) president of grand old party, in which he found wondering when asked about his vision for development of Gujarat.(I guess, the interviewer must have been speaking Hebrew ;)).(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RqBnwSOhVg,please pay attention from 4:13)

Now compare this situation of the voters with our farmers, in the absence of customer interface they have to sell their produce to any of the prevailing trader, who irrespective of caste or any other association will skin them. We have been failed in creating a viable & competitive system parallel in its reach & capital base to the existing trader base & the farmer ultimately has to submit to the system like the voters are forced to choose between Congress & BJP.

We keep on saying, we shall root out all middleman in the supply chain of agri produce from farmer to consumer but the same logic shall address our proposition: тАЬWhy in India despite having so well intentioned, educated & resourceful persons, we have never been able to forge out a single viable alternative to congress in the first 49 years (till 1996, when BJP first time make government which lasted 13 days) of our independence & against BJP in the last 20 years of its existenceтАЭ.

The same question could be framed in context of farmers: Why despite having so resourceful organization (read Govt., NGO, funding agencies, foundation, CSR activities to name a few) & Persons (qualified, committed & professional) we have not been able to create a single viable option competing with this trader system of marketing?

It took congress more than 62 years (since founded by Mr. A O Hume on 28th-Dec.-1885) to reach to every nook & corner of this country & there were many unsung heroes, who sacrificed their lives, careers & families to reach congress to this summit. It took BJP 72 years (since inception of RSS on 27-Sept.-1925 to first government under leadership of A B Vajpayee in 1997) to first get a chance to stake claim to form government in centre. AAPтАЩs rise & fall was very steep, it took just a year of its existence to get it chance to form first government & in less than next 5 years, the party has gained sufficient notoriety on renegading their own promises, which disqualifies it to be considered a Pan India viable option.

If we look at evolution of both BJP & Congress, it was not a personтАЩs vision or efforts, the roots of these parties was in the strong multi stakeholder social uprising. It was collective vision of many visionary individuals who fostered the idea to institutionalize the democratic values in  political arena. Though AAP also started on a similar note when it rode the social movement of Anti-Corruption but it was soon reduced to Pvt. Ltd. Co. of Mr. Arvind Kejriwal.

If we look closely the evolution of poultry co-ops, they have also been build on the solid social capital earned by PRADAN, without which there future might have been in lurch.

The kind of broad based initiatives, we are speaking about to create in farmer produce marketing, are hardly fostered with a mindset of vested interests but rather more guided by the pure collective passion of many well intentioned individuals. Corporates may not find it attractive doing it unless they stand a chance to make windfall profit. 

In the current scenario, the onus to make efforts in direction of creatinjg such a system bears heavily on shoulders of social sector organizations. Multi stakeholder, social sector organizations like PRADAN has to not only spearhead the movement of creating a viable option to the current prevailing & dominant model of traders in market but also make sure that it does not become a Pvt. Ltd. Co. like AAP has become at a very early stage & Congress in the first 81 years (from inception till Indira Gandhi took the reins in her hands in 19-Jan.-1966 & a dark phase of a single family rule ensued in the politics of India).

All these social sector uprisings were chucked for some petty personal interests but are not we to be blamed for allowing to happen so? We know, that without farmer no trader will ever exist but vice versa is not true i.e. a farmer has always been existing with or without trader & will continue to exist. This makes farmer core to this whole set of activities. Rest everything is secondary & created to serve the purpose of the farmer & the consumer but we need to find where this pious idea lost & the system become exploitative to both the farmers & consumers, which were the core. We may also choose a way to reform the existing system, reminding the intermediaries why they were brought in at the very first place. 

To create such a parallel & competing structure, it demand sheer resilience, patience & continual efforts making in-roads & broadening learning base with the consolidation of learning not in the hands of individuals but in the common pool of organization. We may not be able to create something visible on the ground in short run but inability to produce a visible result on ground in short run shall not deter us in putting ever demanding hard work to create a path breaking solution for the farmers.

We (PRADAN) have been instrumental in creating such small waves of change in the still water of trader dominated market but we have to aggregate the ripples to shake the water enough to change status quo. 

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

This person has catapulted a co-op of few thousand rupees turnover to a multi-crore enteprise with largest base in central india & that too with tribal women.

When we picture the tribal lady, the first picture comes to our mind is of a deprived ladu who is struggling to just meet her both ends.

In the said narrative, it would be hard to believe that the tribal ladies in MP & Jharkhand are owning an enterprise of Rs. 300 crore plus turnover in FY16-17.

Meet Dr. H K Deka who has made this unrealizable dream true for more than 10,000 tribal & SC women belonging to the economically most disadvantaged section of society since 2001.

Dr. Deka is a veterinary graduate from CVSc,Khanpara, Guwahati who has tiredlessely worked with his team starting from 2001 with 200 tribal women producers in Kesla block of Hoshangabad district in MP state of India.

Under his able leadership, one co-op with 200 membership has reached to a staggering 22 co-ops & more than 10000 membership exclusivelyтАЛ of women by March 2017 spreading across five states: MP, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha & Assam.

The co-ops are organized in state level federations to realise economies of scale. The state level federations in turn has given rise to a national level trust known as: NSPDT (National Small Holder Poultry Development Trust).

Today NSPDT is the largest poultry group in central India with top market share in Jharkhand & second in MP. This is one of the most professionally managed & end to end integrated group in India & ready to take on big corporate houses.
NSPDT has also got into eggs production & retail chain of fresh dressed hygenic chicken since 2017.

NSPDT is targetting Rs. 1000 crore turnover, 50 co-ops, 4 state federations by 2020.

One could contact to know more about NSPDT at: www.nspdt.org or could write to Dr. Deka at: nspdt.b@gmail.com or could speak to at: 0755-4266340

Sunday, August 6, 2017

How organizations get trumped?

Many a times it's not market or financial viability which Trump's an organization rather something very small like tussel of board with the CEO may trump the organization & that's where the role of institution comes in play.

I would like to cite example of HUL & Nirma. During late 90's Nirma was the most formidable competitor of HUL but just after 7-8 years, Nirma was nowhere to see. Even in 2007-10, many youngsters would not even knew name of Nirma. So what has happened during all those glorious years that such a formidable competitor was grounded & today no one even know the competitor. Did HUL played dirty politics or was there structural weakness in Nirma which grounded it?

I reminded of this case in context with a news item: Patanjali CEO quit over non payment of salary. This news item has hidden meaning which points towards systemic rot with in the fast paced growing organization which for me are the omen for grounding of this formidable organization, which may not be very far. 

Obsession of the founders to meddle with the executives makes the organization run out of steam very soon. It's like a Helium filled baloon which makes to the topm very quickly but could not sustain there while the organizations they are competing are like well oiled gas fired baloon which may go slowly to the sky but has got a trained driver to manoeuvre throughout the journey & make a safe landing. Who would want to get into a Helium filled ballon whose directions depend on the flow of the wind.
The statement wrt Patanjali shows how unprofessionally run our fast paced growing organizations are?

In the long run it is not the market or finance which shall steer the orga. through thick & thin, it is the management which spot & make use of opportunities, if the management is not build or make capable enough by inducting persons of high acumen, orga shall always be at the mercy of market & may perform well in the short run, shall bound to fail & pack their bags in long run.

During the fast paced growth of the organization, capacity building of the executives is ignored which in long run creates void  which become difficult to fill & result in crumbling of the whole orga.

The organizations should always remember that they may do whatever suits them with the executives during their hey days but when the wheel turns, there will be no one standing by their side to steer through the storm & it is not high time which makes an organization rather it is the ebb time which decides who shall survive.

Today (18-8-17) got to know that Vishal Sikka (CEO, Infosys) has resigned & has wrote a scathing letter to the Infosys management citing undue interference by the founder Mr. N. Murthy. One more alibi to the aforementioned subject.