Environment and India(ns)

I have been thinking about writing this for about a month now and just did not have enough enthusiasm to write but I could feel the urge slowly increasing and now the time has come to set my laziness aside and write it. I might offend a few (if people actually read this!!, which I truly doubt) with my thoughts here and examples but so be it.

Few days back I was with one of my very close friend and was discussing why I don’t take cab back home from work if I am late. Its free (for me at least) then why not was his argument. My reason was unless it was very late 11.15 or later it takes me same time to reach home from a cab or via the tube and in using the tube I save some carbon emissions. So why not do it. His response was who the $#$$ cares about carbon emissions. I was taken aback! I have great respect for this guy but this is somewhere I think he is wrong and his offhand manner was a bit of a shock for me. Having said that, I have heard some comments like these from a lot of people, whom I come in contact with on a day to day basis. I have had a lot of discussions with people who don’t turn off their comps on the weekend and I have asked them a number of times to do the same but no changes.

What bothers me is not that they have least regard for the environment but that these are the guys who are amongst the most educated in the world and if they take such a stand what can we expect from the others. What is more regretful is the fact that most of them have roots in India. They must know how we used to worship the environment. The five elements from which the human body is made and to which it returns at the end of the journey - Each being an integral part of the environment. I know all this in today’s world seems a load of crap and you don’t have to believe in this. My guess is that the whole concept of worship of the elements, the sun, the water, the air etc was because we thought them as important and sacred. I think that there is no reason to believe that it does not hold true even today. If anything I think they have become even more important. We Indians were at the forefront of preserving the nature and we are the people who don’t care about it anymore! What has happened to us?

The answer should not come to you as a shock - I think that we were so blinded by globalization (westernization?) that we forgot our own culture. We did not think about the fact that we should only be taking the good things from the new culture we were trying to adapt to. We had mastered this art in the past. We were good at integrating with a new culture, keeping the good things and improving our culture but this time we failed and failed miserably. The price we are paying for this is huge and we need to get back to our old ways. Even if you don’t believe in Sun being a god and Air being worshipped no body can argue to the fact that they are important. Its still time for us as Indians to lead the world to a better tomorrow before it is too late and our children drown in the very water that has been the source of our progression through ages or die of the gases that we have produced so that we can have a more comfortable life. Aren’t we the country where parents do anything for their children?

It is time we paid more attention to the environment and may be to our culture

A day can do a lot in your life

From being the most revered figure in the financial industry, Dick Fuld, the ex-CEO of ex-Lehman Brothers has gone to be one of the most hated and disrespected figure. While most of the people were busy figuring out where he went wrong and what will it take to get the financial mess in the global banking sector cleared I was thinking about something else. I was thinking how important can a day be in life of a man?



It turns out a day can break you and we have enough evidence of the same. I know that I have made a blanket statement here without really giving explanation about it. I think it can be argued that fall of Lehaman was not a one day event but the decisions they had taken over the last 3-4 years. But

Good Bye

It is time to say good bye to the place which has been home for last 2 years. I will be leaving IIM Bangalore tomorrow with a heavy heart. What a turn around? I hated this place in till the end of first year but few weeks into my second year post my summer internship I was in love with this place. This place has given me all...fame, riches (definitely in the future),knowledge, confidence and above all it has given me few gems as my friends and for this reason alone I would never forget this place. This is my second time in a hostel environment and I must say I have not enjoyed any part of it more than my second year stay at IIMB. You enjoy becoz of your company and H-Mezz rocked. It was a great experience... all the batchmates were amazing... all the night outs we put together mugging, doing projects .. some just dicussing... all the time we spent dicussing on trivial(do mosquitos have eyes?? :P) and not so trivial things (how to improve the placement process). The juniors at H-Mezz were also amazing. It was great fun to intereact with you guys. Apart from it the juniors, seniors and batchmates with whom I interacted frequently were all great fun. Finally it would be amiss not to mention A^2 and Swati who made my life here much easier. The nights we spent together playing 29 or generally chatting was great fun and I would miss that too. I would miss the fact that they were always there when I needed them the most. So were Pabbo, Sahil and Patil. I could not imagine IIM Banalore without you guys. It was just great knowing you guys and I wish that all of us will one day assemble back at one place and have a great time together.

One another key reason why I liked IIM B was the fact that I was given respect here. I was an important pesonality who was looked up to be it acads or be it sports field. People always gave me respect. I was the one to whom they approached to clarify their acad doubts and it made me feel good about myself. I would also remember this place for the 5 days I was part of the placement process during our senior's final. It was one of the most gratifying feeling to be part of the process. Vikasana another entity that would remain with me forver. My first full time experience with social activity. It was great fun and great learning experience.

It was a great journey and I will miss not being here. To my juniors..please make full use of this fantastic opportunity and enjoy while you are here!!