Dubious distinctions of a Geek

Getting frustrated is vogue these days. My friends who had heartily embraced this hanky panky world of software keep whining these days. Some feel they are working day in day out and still not getting returns which they richly deserve. I can’t blame ‘em, as such feelings come most naturally to software geeks. Now Indian software engineers are always spoken in glowing terms, they are made to fell to be the best breed around.
Every now and then a foreign dignitary would visit a premier software workstation (companies are immaterial) and will say how India is ruling the roost in aah so intellectual world of software engineers. Companies keep laughing all the way to the bank and such foreign dignitaries are raking in moolah. And noble breed of software engineers are made to feel proud (Pride what is it anyway??). Well an Indian software engineer(one who resides in India, don’t count Khoslas,Bhatias and Guptas for heaven’s sake, we have this bad habit for long e.g. including both Khurana and Chandrasekhar as Indians among Nobel laureates ) is hardly an engineer in first place. Writing few lines of oft repeated codes and fixing ol’ bugs hardly helps you in qualifying as a real software geek. To put it bluntly, it’s more of a clerical job, but then who is complaining.
People are working on jotted lines and getting paid handsomely too (by Indian standards).Government is minting some hard earned dollars, so where is the need to sport a frown on your face. Let me (and my entire breed) soak up the sun as long as it shines.
Let Indian software giants make a killing and my dear buddies keep getting pats on your backs. After all you all are doing a nice job innocuously strengthening Indo-US relationship by putting hard hours behind. And any way keep getting frustrated (with a lil’ bit of pride as your bosses want to sense it) that’s the trend with trendiest (read haughtiest) celebrities screaming at the top of the world, how gloomy world affairs are and how much scorn they have for the meaningless world.
So felt Jimmy Hendrix, so did Jim Morrison, so thought Kurt Cobain. Guess what.. they all committed suicide. Long live my software brethrens, someone is flying to India to appease(swindle) you .

Political musings

This is regarding article in The Hindu (Merits of Martyrdom dated 22-05-2005). A credit should be given where it’s deserved. Nehru deserves fair bit of it as far as modernization of India was concerned. Whether it was establishing of much esteemed IIT’s ,nuclear program or unequivocal support extended to prominent industrialists such as JRD,all were is sync with aspirations of a young fledgling country .But blemishes refuse to die. China invasion and subsequent failure on India’s part in dealing with it was a big blot on Nehru’s otherwise acclaimed political career.
Political observers have always found Nehru highly opinionated. He had his set of people and he used to fall back on them, sometimes it defied rational thinking, but Nehru always got away with his ways. V.K Menon is one good example of the same. The brilliant and eloquent speaker had an irresistible charm and Nehru more often than not fell prey to it. VKM was squarely blamed for China fiasco and perhaps fairly too.

Of course we Indians are emotional people and great fans of tragedies. Bradman’s popularity would have never been the same if he had correctly read that fatal googlie
of Hollies. Nehru wasn’t a martyr, but same holds true for Patels and Azads . Patel was always considered a prime ministerial candidate, but for Gandhi’s overtures he could have well ended at Nehru’s place. We would never know what would have been the denouement of this great opera ‘India in 60’s’. But speculations can always be made and that adds charm to the beauty of History.
Sincerely yours…
Ruchir

Hunt for a nanny for men in blue

This debate is raging for a long time now. Who should take over as the coach of Indian Cricket team? Should rein be given to kangaroos (Greg or Tom) or we should repose faith in home grown dronacharyas (Jimmy). By now even street urchins are well versed in credentials of these honorable people. Manmohan Singh or L.K. Advani may never be such a hot topic for debate. Was Singh ever in LSE? Who knows but you ask of Moody, and a young boy clad in shorts would reel off facts and figures how Tom Moody has helped in reinventing Worcestershire cricket etiquettes. So the hunt for the man (whose popularity is always ephemeral) continues. The post has few bouquets and more brickbats. Want a right opinion of the same, ask Wright. The Kent coach was lured to India and did a painstaking effort in streamlining the different aspects of Indian cricketers. Won accolades for bringing out good performances on a regularly basis from temperamental Indians. But he got many brickbats as well. His last outing with Indians ended in fiasco with a tumultuous Delhi crowd throwing courtesy to winds and ensuring India lost match as well as grace (whatever they had). Wright took over when Indian cricket was in doldrums. Allegation and counter allegations over match fixing looming large over popularity of cricket as a gentlemen’s game. Wright had a good bunch of players and he earnestly tried to mould them into world beaters. Alas that didn’t happen, but then aussies were too hot to handle. Did I digress from the main topic. Chalta hai,even happens with the Indian team . Sooner than later cricket coaches will be as powerful as soccer coaches. La Ferguson a coach will be dictating terms in the middle.
Pretty alarming scene for a cricket aficionado like me. Cricket has this as beauty, skipper
Should marshal his resources well and plot opposition’s downfall. With a cricket coach donning the mantle of a soccer coach, cricket will never be the same. Jardines,Bradmans,Armstrongs and Brearlies would not have appreciated that.
But then everything is transitory, raise a toast to ever growing breed of coaches

Political-apolitical

Few days ago while going through orkut profiles of my friends, I discovered something.
Well we all knew that average Indian youth isn’t enthused by any hint of polity.
But such apathy was uncalled for. If young citizens are showing so much aversion to the very structure which helps in regulating and leading India ,democracy is going to find it self in troubled waters. A youth must have his/her opinion about such issues.
Is it vogue these days to flaunt your being apolitical? I‘ve no clues ‘bout that.
Indifference is what hurts the most. A reaction must come out from within. You can bash it, you can adore (if u want) it, but you can’t ignore it(reminds me of an old ad of Star Dust)
Just think of it 10 years down the line when such youth are almost dispensed with the wonderful gift of youth that was bestowed upon them by god, they would find themselves seated in plush couches and whimpering about polity and disgusted do they feel the way Indian polity conducts itself.

Why to wait for so long and feel helpless. No no no way all of us are suppose to resort to canvassing or no we don’t even need to take a procession to prove our lot being politically aware. We have to be aware, need to form opinions about issues under the sun. I ‘ll give a very basic example. Parliamentary proceedings are hijacked by opposition parties(BJP),what do you feel about it? Such a sham, well that’s my humble opinion. You feel otherwise, you are most welcome. If Chinese youth can be aware and think strongly about political issues (remember Tiananmen Square), why not Indians?