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This year’s Jaipur Literature Festival was dominated by themes of war, occupation and destitution

2011-11-21T10:52:00.000+05:30

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Whose Land Is It Anyways...

Author journalist John Lee Anderson tells me one of the most jolting stories of our times; the story of Ali from Iraq. While looking for a story in the battle zone, Anderson came across the young man in Baghdad. Ali had turned into a serial killer to take vengeance for his brother who had been slaughtered by ultras of his own sect a few weeks before. Ali had taken the solemn vow on the Holy Koran that he would slaughter 10 men of that militia for each of his deceased brother’s fingers.

When Anderson bumped into him, Ali had already settled a quarter of his account. But of the 25 he killed, not all were militiamen. Quite a few of them were their innocent kin too. After every slaughter, Ali used to sever off one or the other of his victims organs – noses, ears, toes, eyeballs – and bury it near his brother’s grave. Their mother used to offer Fateha on the grave and shout out the name of the person killed to his buried son. Ali told Anderson that he was no longer afraid and felt closer to his creator. In Ali’s labyrinth of a heart, he was sure that he was following God's will.

So are you enough jolted? Well, take this. Ali, the serial killer, was clandestinely collaborating with the American soldiers too. He used to lure fighters to the firing range of the US soldiers where they were either captured or killed.

The US soldiers who were paying him didn’t have the faintest of idea as to what they were actually doing: hiring a serial killer. Needless to say, they were unaware of the after-effects too.

The story of occupation has no romanticism. Even if it has, it vanishes when the conflict becomes up, close and personal.

“Ali’s story is severe, perhaps, but is not a one-off case. Retribution is a notion that is universal, yes, the intensity might change. In fact, vengeance is one of the keys in understanding conflict itself. Once the slaughter commences, it becomes extremely tricky to stop, for each drop of blood that is shed demands one more to even the score,” laments Anderson.

Iraq, Anderson believes, will continue to gyrate in this concentric circle in the time to come. But he is not the lone man pessimistic about an occupied land. There are others too. Atiq Rahimi looks every tad the French in terms of his idea of fashion and erudition. Rahimi, as it becomes obvious, appreciates the pleasures. He is a thinker and a food-lover. And to continue with his two loves undisturbed, he also happens to carry both French and Afghan citizenship. But scratch him a bit and you will find a man lost in identity. "When I'm in Afghanistan, I become French. In France, I'm Afghan." When Rahimi laments this, one cannot help but wonder on the ways of the world.

Ask him what he thinks future holds for his homeland, Rahimi sheds off his French garb and turns a realist. “I don’t see the end in the near future. There’s a problem with the strategy itself. Protective military operations in Afghanistan will not cut much teeth."

David Finkel, the author of the much celebrated book on Iraq, The Good Soldiers, tries to focus on the men who go for war than the war itself.

Finkel, who marched to Baghdad, embedded with the 2-16 – a battalion with an average age of 19 – during the reinforcement in 2007, brings forth the private conflict of the soldiers he interviews or sees. By divulging their trepidation, self-doubt and the conflict of the soul that most of these youngsters go through when they are asked to follow orders and do some of the horrific things in a war, Finkel actually exhumes the human inside them. He lets the world see a group of soldiers that time and again dither erratically from full conviction in what they are doing to a total loss of conviction in their assignment. The romanticised picture of the American GI flying to Baghdad for his duty and “protecting the world” falls flat as it becomes obvious that these are common adolescent Americans being asked to undergo odd circumstances on an every day basis.

“Unlike other novels and reportages that have come out from the combat so far, this is the first novel to actually attempt and tell the tale of the soldiers themselves. The 2-16 is deployed not in the safe environments of the Green Zone but on the fringes of the town in one of the most treacherous areas possible. The story I tell is of the corporeal and emotional toll the conflict takes on the 2-16 and their kin back in the US. The Good Soldiers records the ordeal suffered by soldiers terrified to leave their base because of the unvarying peril of meeting unreceptive rebels or being the next casualty of an improvised explosive device, the next basis for their commanding officer to call a wife or mother with dreadful news,” he explains.

After listening to Finkel, it becomes extremely difficult to brand Iraq saga into a straight forward, black and white, good versus evil story. In fact, it is the story of the difficult choices people are often asked to make. It is the story about people trying to choose the slighter of many evils at any time feasible.

Noted Palestinian writer and poet Ahdaf Soueif tells the story of the greatest injustice of them all, the denial of the homeland to the Palestinians. She also observes that a just resolution of the conflict will lessen tensions in numerous other parts of the globe. But she too appears to be pessimistic about the peace process.

Soueif does not believe Israel is sincerely looking forward to peace with the Palestinians. "It suits Israel and the elites to have this eternal 'peace process', this pretence of seeking peace," she explains.

But she indeed is optimistic about a change in the American perspective which is connected to Israel with the umbilical cord. There is a increasing pro-Palestinian opinion among young Americans, predominantly among young East Coast and West Coast Jewish Americans. This, Soueif insists, is exclusive of the staunchly pro-Palestinian Americans. “So things are shifting. If that voice became more widespread then there is no basis why America couldn't be a sincere negotiator. AIPAC and other Zionist groups will see an eventual fall. The groups like ‘J Street’ have made a dent. However, the floodgate will take time to open,” quips Soueif.

Until then, Soueif says, people will continue to see US and Israel as Siamese twins.

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Politics: Rich are benefiting more

2011-11-18T11:50:00.000+05:30

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A weakened PMO and indisciplined coalition partners are creating problems for UPA-II

Manmohan Singh is one of the most successful politicians of our times. As the Prime Minister of India, he has been able to bring stability to the country’s politics and economy. And I am talking through experience, having seen Manmohan Singh from close quarters in the Upper House of Parliament. He is a person of impeccable personal integrity. Many people may regard Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi as more successful Prime Ministers. Nehru was functioning in a very turbulent time and amid difficult situations. He laid down the foundation of the secular Indian democracy but failed to establish a welfare state of socialist principles.

Indira Gandhi was extremely powerful as a politician but she failed to take the Opposition along with her at any point of time. P. V. Narasimha Rao, with the help from Manmohan Singh, succeeded in ushering in some fundamental changes in the Indian economic system. His undoing was his failure to bring about social stability in times of communal turmoil.

In 2004, when the UPA came to power for the first time, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi evolved a system of governance which may not exactly be called a Cabinet form of government. Here was a leader who didn’t hold the reins of the political process but was accountable to Parliament and to the nation for every act of his government. And there was a leader who held real political power without accountability to Parliament or to the nation. This system worked perfectly in the first five years of the UPA. In fact, it allowed Manmohan Singh — not very well-versed in political machinations — to focus on governance and revamping of the Indian economy. It also allowed a coalition system to evolve in a way that it did not hinder the functioning of the government. Congress president Sonia Gandhi managed the pulls and pressures of a coalition and allowed Manmohan Singh a free hand in governance.

Any new experiment has its pitfalls and limitations. The system evolved during UPA-I could work only up to a point. The problems which were brushed under the carpet during the UPA’s first term started surfacing in its second term. That is the undoing of UPA in its second term. First, the successes of the first term of UPA were attributed mainly to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The Congress party never gave any credit to Manmohan Singh nor did he ever seek any.

During the first term, the coalition partners and ministers were not very sure of themselves but the second victory gave them much confidence. So, most of Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet colleagues, whether from the Congress or from other parties, started behaving as if they were not functioning as a part of a Cabinet system but were independently controlling their own ministries. Most of them think that in all probability, Manmohan Singh would not be around the next time and so they are looking more towards Sonia Gandhi. They go directly to the UPA chairperson if they have to discuss anything important. They do not look up to Manmohan Singh for guidance any more.

Manmohan Singh was not given a free hand in choosing his Cabinet. He was held to ransom by the whims and fancies of coalition partners. It has weakened the PMO and the department today is even less powerful than it used to be under the weak leaderships of V. P. Singh or P. V. Narasimha Rao. Now there are three centres of power in the government — Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi — and sometimes waves and instructions emanating from these centres are not in sync but rather at cross. The Prime Minister has not been able to assert himself.

Rising inflation results not only from pursuing wrong economic policies, it’s because of wrong decisions taken at wrong times or in other words because of not taking some tough decisions at the right time. UPA in its first term was more successful because circumstances, both globally and nationally, were conducive. The coalition partners were not very aggressive. There were not many upheavals and hiccups.

The UPA uses the aam aadmi plank in every election. But, they are taking the aam aadmi for a ride. Apart from the launch of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and a few other similar programmes, little has been done to benefit the common man or the rural poor. And the benefits of even those few small gestures have failed to percolate down to the needy. The credit goes to corruption. The real beneficiaries of the government policies of late have been the rich. I think it’s not necessary to elaborate the term “rich” here as we all know who they are.

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CM unveils a new water treatment plant in Lucknow

2011-11-15T11:47:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Uttar pradesh infrastructure: Clean water, cleaner Gomti

Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow has a new, unusually positive, thing to boast of — Asia’s largest sewage treatment plant which can take care of 345 million litres of sewage per day. Constructed at a cost of Rs 360.99 crores on 300 acres of land, the plant has four pumping stations. In addition to treating the waste, the plant will also generate 15 kilowatt of electricity and produce 100 tonnes of fertiliser as by-products.

The city’s existing water treatment plant is capable of treating only 42 million litres, leaving the rest to flow into the Gomti, the city’s biggest source of drinking water. The new plant, dedicated to the people on Mayawati’s birthday, January 15, has been constructed keeping in mind the city’s needs by 2040. For now, it will ease the pressure off the old water treatment plant that is of much smaller capacity.

According to chief minister Mayawati, it was just one of the 53 mega infrastructure projects designed for the city. The government intends to make the state capital attractive to tourists, both desi and foreign.

This is, of course, apart from wooing urban voters to her fold. Mayawati's traditional vote bank has been in rural areas so far. “For the first time we have a majority government and are paying as much attention to urban areas as to rural ones,” says the BSP supremo. All the aforementioned projects are under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and have to be completed by 2012, the year UP would go for assembly elections.

Alok Ranjan, UP’s principal secretary for urban development points out that it is for the first time that infrastructure projects on such a large scale are being taken up in the state. “No city in Uttar Pradesh has sewer lines in more than 30 per cent of its area. Under the new projects, the sewer lines will cover upto 80 per cent of the area. In Lucknow itself, sewer lines running over 700 kilometres have been constructed.”

With the new water treatment plant already functioning, we can hope to have a cleaner Gomti now.

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Tribals go ahead with their ritual despite court embargo

2011-11-12T10:45:00.001+05:30

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Orissa Rituals: Tradition over law

Court directions and administrative orders seem to lose relevance when it comes to customs and traditions. The Sulia Yatra of Bolangir is the latest example of this. Every year, the Sulia Yatra festival is observed in Bolangir district of Orissa on the first Tuesday of Pausha month. As part of an ancient practice, tribals sacrifice animals such as goats, buffaloes, hens etc to their deities to appease them. This year it fell on January 12.

The Orissa High Court in its interim directive had asked the district administration of Bolangir to follow the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Despite the court orders, the ritual of the sacrifice of thousands of animals took place before the Sulia shrine. During the festival, the rituals are performed at three places namely Bada Khala, Sana Khala and Nua Khala which come under Khairagura and Kumuria villages.

“Although Section 144 of the CrPC was enforced at Sana Khala, Bada Khala and Nua Khala, the sacrifice of animals took place in the presence of armed police personnel and senior officials,” said Santanu Kumar Nayak, convenor, Sulia Samskar Manch. He informs that the High Court has been issuing orders to the district administration every year for the last four years to prevent animal sacrifice in the name of ritual, but every year the tribals go ahead with their practice.

Earlier, the district administration in association with Sulia Samskar Manch had launched an awareness campaign against the bloody ritual. The district administration had taken up special drive with meetings, rallies and leaflet distribution in the villages of Sualia Jatra in Deogaon and Gudvella blocks of the district. Anganwadi workers, self helf groups (SHG) and school children were also involved in the drive.

However, since the awareness campaign has been yielding no results, the district administration is planning to initiate action against the offenders. “We found carcasses of beheaded animals here. Action would be taken against the lawbreakers,” additional SP (Bolangir) Srikant Mishra said. R K Patnaik, sub-collector, Bolangir too talked of taking action against the tribals. Meanwhile, more than 40 persons including the priest of the tribals have been served notices under Sec 106 of Cr PC under which they have to sign a bond for maintaining peace for a period of three years.

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... And yet, is Kalaripayattu, the mother lode of all martial arts, struggling to defend its own survival, wonders Indira Parthasarathy

2011-11-09T17:42:00.001+05:30

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Friday afterhours in Bangalore. Most of the white collared crowd is headed for weekend tripping and clubbing, but for 28-year-old Gishnu, 26-year-old Neera and 27-year-old Anoop, the idea of playing harder after working hard is breaking into some more sweat – this time outside their cubicles. They’ve assembled at the Indian Heritage Academy for a Kalaripayattu class conducted by Parashurama Vallabhatta Kalari Academy, now 10 years into its set-up; chief instructor Krishna Prathap (with whom we had a talk earlier) is away at a neighbouring metro for a performance, but these students carry on nonetheless.

Watching the rigorous warm ups in progress on the marble floor of the large cold hall, a far cry from the traditional Kalari (arena) – a leveled mud pit, with a flower-decked seven-tiered platform (Poothara) in the south west corner – one couldn’t help but wonder if the art too found itself, willy-nilly, in new territories.

Kalaripayattu claims to be the oldest martial art in the world; the warrior sage Parashuram credited with the ‘founding’ of its indigenous state Kerala – also believed to be the preceptor of this art, or that’s what the adherents of the Vadakkan (Northern) style of Kalaripayattu will tell you. Once the means to settle disputes between warring chieftains in the 15-16th centuries, the martial lineage of Kalaripayattu is kept alive in its training progression starting from body preparation exercises, to wooden weapons, metal weapons, and finally unarmed combat. Says Sudhakaran Gurukkal (respectful address for ‘Guru’) of C.V.N Kalari, one of the
earliest Kalari establishments, “It is not a mere martial art, it’s a style of life, for maintaining good health until our death. It’s a full fledged science, and that’s how it must be approached. Just like the difference between classical music and pop music; the latter is catchy and thus popular, but the former is more rigorous and scientific.”

So are the 20-somethings here for the science of Kalaripayattu? Neera, who has tried Capoeira, the Brazilian dance-cum-martial art form in the past, was drawn to Kalaripayattu for its aggression. “Its ability to develop speed and quick reflexes is a factor. It’s a complete fitness routine that includes weight loss, cardio and yoga,” she says in between catching her breath during the session. Gishnu finds the training chronology very helpful. “When you go from the long staff to the short stick to the dagger, in a way it works to improve your concentration and focus for as the weapon gets smaller, you are wont to pay more attention to where the blows land,” he says. But considering bare hand fighting is the last in the order, does it make for an ideal street defence form? Some contend not, owing to its complicated strike movements. When Karate or Krav Maga offer formidable self defence through short linear strikes, who would put oneself through Kalari that takes a minimum of a year to get past the exercise and flexibility enhancement stage?

Krishna Prathap reminds us that a lot of Karate and other martial arts instructors in fact turn to Kalaripayattu for a more holistic grooming, though he admits that the failure to evolve into a more contemporary version of itself may spell the death of Kalaripayattu. He has helped out with choreographed dance dramas that have
borrowed generously from that visually stunning array of movements that is Kalaripayattu.

Secrecy or the hesitation of the veterans to share knowledge of the deepest nuances that include Marma vidya (attack and defence of the vital points of the body), also threatens to deplete the patron numbers. Referring to Marma vidya, Krishna Prathap says, “Only the truly well-vetted students and those who prove deserving can be trusted with the science of 107 vital points which if attacked can paralyse or kill.”

Kalaripayattu may be looking for help with a new identity to survive or even convince that it is greater than the sum of its parts, but there is no taking away the massive takeaways it offers to anyone who steps into the kalari..

Condemn’poriSe?

Rashid Ansari, internationally renowned instructor of various martial arts including Taekwondo, Judo and Jiu Jitsu for over 20 years, and equally adept at theatre and contemporary dance, extols the virtues of learning a martial art while expressing his reservations about diluting it in the name of contemporisation.

The basic origin/methodology of a martial art is that it is a martial system, that is, a system of defence and offence. On a more simplistic/practical level, all of them have a very high physical fitness, well-being, health-oriented quotient. And by and large, all of them have results/side-effects which are therapeutic as far as the body and physiology is concerned. Then of course, there is self-confidence, self-enhancement factor and in today’s time, there is the yardstick of unarmed combat; the question of being able to look after yourself, or at least the confidence that physically you can take care of yourself to whatever degree.

Contemporisation is not the only way to keep alive a martial art, but unfortunately the pressure is such that everything has to be pretty much put out there on the stage and exposed because that’s what sells. It’s all a question of how holistic is your orientation. While you have a large number of people doing these things on the bandwagon of glamour and performance, you still find some supposedly crazy stupid people who stick to the old ways and are fairly holistic about it.

When people started contemporising from mind-body disciplines, the idea was to make it available to a larger part of the population, or a larger number of people, but the problem is that it’s very difficult to keep quality control, so you start giving down a very watered version. Then you really can’t call it the martial system or the unarmed combat form; you have to then call it a martial art more geared towards performance and health orientation, but not really ‘martial’ because it has lost its
effectiveness as a martial discipline; it’s more of a performance orientation discipline. So in a way, that’s bad. I personally am not in favour of contemporising traditional disciplines because while it may become applicable and adaptive to many more orientations for a greater number of people, it definitely loses its original usage and methodology and function.

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'Sorry' is the word of 2011

2011-11-09T17:41:00.000+05:30

Bilateral relations : relevance of apology

Simple apologies can change the geopolitics of the world

The power of an apology is worth more than a billion dollars — money that otherwise is spent on wars. Unfortunately, allegations and counter-allegations are quite customary in international politics. Countries leave no stones unturned to blame their enemies or take revenge due to a bitter past. And how? By simply passing lewd remarks. With geopolitics becoming complicated, countries need simple solutions. And believe it or not, an apology can prove to be the simplest and most effective solution.

The best example of how an apology can refurbish a nation's image is Germany’s acceptance and formal apology for the Holocaust that killed about six million Jews. No one could have ever imagined the present level of normalcy and comfort between Germany and Israel. The apology (along with €45 billion which Germany paid as of 2007) has not only led to refurbishment of Germany’s image and dilution of sour feelings, but also has boosted the bilateral trade relations (Germany is Israel's second largest import partner). Similarly, Japan has apologised in the past to Burma, Australia, Korea and China on many occasions in order to restore normal relations. Naoto Kann, Japanese PM apologised on August'10, 2010, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Japan's annexation of the Korean peninsula for his nation's role during their colonial rule. He said, “For the enormous damage and suffering caused by colonisation, I would like to express once again our deep regret and sincere apology.” Recently, North Korea offered to talk with South Korea on military issues (which the South has belatedly accepted after initial refusals). What stops these two nations from exchanging their fair share of apologies and getting on with more important worldly matters? Nationalistic egos, and that's about it.

In most of the cases, an open apology can do wonders. All former USSR states would perhaps be able to normalise their bitter and sour relations with Russia if Russia comes forward once and tenders its apology for the indiscretions committed. It's the same case for US relations with Latin American nations including Cuba, which can be normalised with just an apology from any one side, especially the US. In fact, a US formal apology for war on Iraq and Afghanistan can to a large extent contribute to the normalizing process between the Muslim and 'American' world (rather than 'Christian'). We dare say even Pakistan could become a good strategic partner for Bangladesh if Pakistan accepts Bangladesh's demand for an apology for the 1971 war. And if Pakistan were to apologize officially to India for 26/11, we can bet our intellectual caps that the whole of India would be ready to forgive Pakistan once and for all. The same goes for India-China relations, where the only damning factor is a quite trivial border issue (yes, the issue exists, but blown out of proportions) when there's so much trade to gain from each other.

Of course, an apology has to be followed up by similar behaviour over the subsequent time periods; failing which, an apology simply loses its innate power. But clearly, it works.

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July 18: Admissions for Paramedical opens in colleges

2011-07-09T13:41:00.002+05:30

IGNOU launched diploma courses in Chinese

There is some good news for students considering a career in paramedical courses. This year, the academic session for paramedical courses will begin earlier than usual . The Admission committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) announced on Thursday that admissions for institutes offering medical and paramedical courses will be conducted between July 18 and 27. "For the first time , admissions for two courses will take place together . Earlier, the process for admissions for medical courses was conducted first ," said an ACPC member .

Colleges will start academic sessions from August 1. "In the past , paramedical courses often started rather late in the year , this caused problems for students ," said an ACPC member

In medical and paramedical colleges of Gujarat , there are a total of 7,500 seats for which no less than 12,700 students have applied . As compared to 2010, 1000 more forms have been filled up by applicants this year . The ACPC has cleared the way for admissions in 2,230 medical and 1,055 dental colleges . The remaining seats are for various colleges that offer courses such as ayurveda and homeopathy .

India's most popular deities

2011-06-08T10:57:00.000+05:30

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism

Godspeed for podium finish

The most vocal view during the brainstorming meeting for this current issue was: “Really, who cares about Obama?” We know you must have been fed an overdose of Obama and Indo-American relations by the time you pick up this issue and read this story. We thought you have probably been bloated on a diet of scams, political controversies, catfights and the allegedly mutual dislike between Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi. Diwali was looming. And hey presto, we thought: why don't we ask fellow Indians to rate their favourite deities (Gods and Goddesses, if you like)? The idea sounded bizarre initially but appeared more and more tantalising as we started speculating about who actually would be India's favourite deity. As we debated over the matter, it looked as if hacks like us had chosen Lord Ganesha as the unquestioned odds on favourite. Many were also convinced that it would be Hanuman who would fly away with the trophy.

So we all waited with nervous excitement for the results of the CVoter opinion poll to come in. And boy, were we surprised! As you will read in the subsequent pages, it is the God of destruction and regeneration, Shiva, who emerges as the favourite deity, Durga garners the second position and Hanuman comes third while Ganesha, the bookies' favourite, could manage just a fifth place. It should not surprise you but Jesus Christ emerged 11th in the rankings.

Frivolity apart, the exclusive TSI-CVoter opinion poll that talked to 5,312 respondents across India does reveal many interesting facets about the Indian society and Indians in general. Take this one for example: More than one per cent of Indians spend more than Rs 50,000 a year per capita on God and religious activities. Adding it all up for India as a whole, we could say that rich Indians spend more than Rs 50,000 crore a year on God – much more than the annual budget for NREGA. But don't for a moment think that it is only rich Indians who appease God to assuage their guilt. The fact is that a majority of Indians are overwhelmingly religious, a fact the followers of Marx and Mao still seem to forget. More than 95 per cent of Indians regularly pray to the deity of their choice. And about 60 per cent of Indians pray not for material benefits but for peace of mind. That most Indians still respect family values is clear from the fact that 50 per cent of them consider either their father, mother or teacher to be God-like. But the wives don't cut much ice, with just 0.5 per cent respondents putting them on a divine pedestal. And did you say blind faith? Close to 60 per cent say they are not firm believers in astrology, Vaastu and similar stuff.

Enjoy this rare and unusual religious journey in subsequent pages!!

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The upcoming parliamentary election in Egypt has already lost its legitimacy as major opposition groups call for a boycott

2011-06-04T10:52:00.000+05:30

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We tell them it is a bull, they say milk it", goes an old Egyptian proverb. The reality of the Egyptian regime under Hosni Mubarak is no different. For all practical purposes, the regime is dead. It is merely the aphrodisiacs of American interest that has made it perform till now.

The election aura though has infused a few shots of excitement in an otherwise mundane Egyptian life, but sadly it's the most it can do...nothing more! Hence, it is not surprising that observers and experts are taking November 28 parliamentary elections as merely "another incident” in its not-very-illustrious electoral history. By now it is a forgone conclusion that the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP) will easily bag two-thirds of the seats, which means that it can unilaterally come up with a bill and get it passed easily too. As far as the opposition is concerned, they are trying hard to play the second fiddle. In fact the going has only got tough for them since the last election five years ago. As you read this story, the civil society in Egypt is locked in a battle of nerve with the regime. However, privately, even they agree that they won't be successful in receiving full credentials and would at the best be allowed a limited access to the polls. As far as international observers and monitors are concerned, they have been given a cold shoulder by the Mubarak regime yet again.

And still, there is something very significant taking place in November. The Egyptian political existence is being tested as the nation draws close to the culmination of three decades of Hosni Mubarak’s presidency. President Mubarak and other higher-ranking figures in the regime and the National Democratic Party (NDP) have been thwarting both internal and external demands for overhaul of the political system. On the regime's part, the argument is that it is carrying out the reforms. The pace of the reforms is in complete harmony with Egypt's mundane pace of doing things. So, not surprisingly, the observers are finding it difficult to see any reforms!

Given these circumstances, it is difficult to say whether these polls are a real electoral progress or not. Still, there could have been some consolation if the election were freer and fairer from the 2005 polls. But as things unfold, it is becoming increasingly clear that it will not be the case.

From the regime's perspective, there are at least two developments in this election that amount to electoral reforms. The first is the establishment of an “independent” election commission and the second is the conception of a 64-seat quota for women lawmakers in the People’s Assembly.

Says Amr Hamzawy, an expert of Egyptian affairs at Carnegie Middle East Center while talking to TSI, “The election commission has replaced the clumsy method of judicial supervision but I don't see it as an improvement. In fact, far from it. The judges had integrity and were willing to call a spade a spade. The same cannot be said about the commission which has shown in the recent past that it can bend backward on any pretext.” Strong words. But evidence suggests that Hamzawy is not off the mark. If the manner in which the election commission conducted the Shura elections is taken as the yardstick, the picture is far from rosy.

The women reservation in the Assembly is indeed a welcome step. However, it is pretty evident that these nominations and elections will be manipulated to augment the ruling NDP's numbers in the house.

Let's talk about the Opposition now. In 2005, it appeared a united bunch and campaigned with all guns blazing. In 2010, many of them are boycotting the polls. The Ghad party, National Democratic Front party and the National Association for Change have decided to boycott the polls in protest of the NDP’s denial to meet their requests for measures guaranteeing the equity and transparency of the polls.

It is true that the Opposition’s past involvement has ultimately provided the regime with the accoutrement of a morganatic democracy. Participation in Egypt’s mendacious pluralism and slanted elections only secures the Opposition an inefficacious and fundamentally token existence in the government. Neither the Opposition entities nor the independent members of the Assembly have been successful in altering the legislative process. Even with the opposition’s representation in Assembly at an all-time high from 2005-2010 – it claimed over 20 per cent of the People’s Assembly seats, thanks primarily to the Muslim Brotherhood – the NDP found no hindrance in passing all of its bills and draft policies.

On the contrary, the Wafd party and the Muslim Brotherhood — the most well-conducted and surefooted opposition groups in Egypt — have decided to take part, as have Tagammu and a few smaller parties. The recent messages by the executives of the Brotherhood Guidance Bureau signal that the Brotherhood will seek to field as many as 200 candidates. The outlawed and perpetually ragged Muslim Brotherhood is inexplicably allowed to back independents who are due to contest under the shibboleth, “Islam is the Solution”, making it all clear who is behind them.

The government on its part is using every possible tool at its disposal to discourage the opposition. Just to give an example, Egypt's authorized satellite provider, Nilesat, has blocked four satellite broadcasters and 17 private channels for allegedly “transgressing standards” and another 20 channels are threatened with debarment of their permits. These channels cannot share feed from al-Jazeera which was expected to give a transparent coverage of the elections.

No discussion of Egyptian elections can be complete without mentioning the National Association for Change established by Muhammmad ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ElBaradei tried his best to change the way things are conducted in Cairo, but he got little support from outside.

“During the presidential polls in Tehran last year, Western politicians and media censured Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and portrayed the opposition figurehead, Mirhossein Mousavi, as the lone promise for democracy. It is funny how the same sources publish uncritically about the polls in Egypt, while at the same time having very little constructive to say about ElBaradei,” maintains Ali Younes, a writer and a Middle East analyst based in Washington DC, while talking to TSI. It was not for nothing that the frustrated ElBaradei decided to boycott the elections.

The rationale for this is not hard to interpret. Along with Israel, Egypt is the primary affiliate of the Western powers in the neighbourhood, while ElBaradei has been a thorn in the flesh of the US ever since evincing his resistance to the Iraq war. ElBaradei has also been unequivocal in his opposition to American-Israeli plans for a military adventure in Iran.

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A Healthcare Issue: Private hospitals' efficiency questioned

2011-05-31T10:48:00.000+05:30

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"My father was suffering from high blood pressure but the doctors at the hospital ignored it and followed a faulty drug administration procedure," Sibasish Pradhan, son of Odissi dance maestro Gangadhar Pradhan, alleged soon after his father's death at Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar. He accused the doctors of wilful negligence and has lodged a police complaint. The 62-year-old Odissi exponent was admitted in the hospital on October 2. However, Apollo’s chief executive officer, Pankaj Mankad, denied allegations of neglect. He said that the doctors had tried their best to save the guru, with a team of experts attending on him. But Pradhan's relatives and son refused to buy this argument. “My father was admitted with complaints of chest pain and headache . The doctors first conducted an angioplasty and then performed a surgery. His condition deteriorated soon after and subsequently he died,” complained Sibasish.

Subahnkar Mohanty has also lost his father due to the alleged negligence of doctors at the same hospital. His father Sarat Kumar Mohanty was a former director of Doordarshan. He was admitted to the hospital for a minor intestine operation. Soon after the operation on July 14, Mohanty complained of acute pain near the operated area. He was immediately shifted to the ICU and the doctors told the family that the pain was due to some cardiac problem. “After keeping him in the ICU for three days, the doctors told us that my father had developed some complication for which he needed a test which could only be done in Mumbai. He died the next the day before the test could be done,” said a distraught Subahnkar.

Tamasa Sethy, widow of former Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Tax Harihar Sethy, said, “Neither the hospital staff nor the doctors cooperated with us. Instead, they harassed us. The nurses did not attend to the patients properly.” Sethy died in Kalinga Hospital in Bhubaneswar while under treatment for H1N1 flu.
Private health care facilities are mushrooming in Bhubaneswar. But the number of complains regarding the sub-standard treatment and wilful negligence is also on rise at the same time. “The government should keep an eye on these high profile hospitals which charge a lot of money but do not look keen on the quality of the service. Otherwise people will be exploited in the name of 'good treatment',” said a professor at the SCB Medical College on condition of anonymity.

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Winds of change have started blowing in West Bengal

2011-05-27T10:37:00.001+05:30

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In Marxism, religion does not mix with politics. Remember the raging debate that was triggered in 2006 when the then minister for sports and CPM leader Subhash Chakraborty paid obeisance to Goddess Kali at Tarapith?

But ironically the leftist aversion to religion did not stop the CPM from using Durga Puja festivities to reach out to the people of the state. It was customary for the party to set up stalls around Puja pandals for the purpose. Over the years, the number of such stalls crossed the 100-mark in Kolkata and touched 1,000 across West Bengal. However, the picture was very different this year. In the CPM stronghold of Barasat West, the regional committee of the party put up a stall and duly inaugurated it on Saptami, the first day of Durga Puja. But it remained shut for the entire duration of the festivities. Local CPM leaders cited lack of manpower for this state of affairs.

And it wasn't just Barasat where this happened. In various other towns of
Bengal such in Durgapur, Asansol, Barrackpur and Siliguri CPM stalls selling Marxist literature were conspicuous by their absence.

They were replaced by stalls named after Jaago Bangla (Arise Bengal), the mouthpiece of the Trinamool Congress. According to Trinamool functionaries officials, “This year over 100 Jago Bangla stalls were put up in the city and many other parts of the state.” Twenty-three books written by Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee sold like hot cakes from these stalls, as did six to seven monographs on the Singur-Nandigram movements.

Mamata is losing no opportunity to appeal to the devout in Bengal. She is everywhere, demonstrating unfailing religious fervour. From offering namaaz during Eid to ribbon cutting at Durga Puja pandals, she has been in overdrive, here eyes set firmly on next year's Assembly polls.

In comparison with 12 Durga Puja inauguration requests after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections (Mamata was the single Trinamool MP in Lok Sabha back then) this year more than 300 puja organisers requested her presence in puja mandaps in different parts of Bengal.

It’s not that CPM was total casual about the winds of change. Party leaders did their utmost to grasp the meaning of the new phenomenon that is unfolding in Bengal and do something reversing the trend. From state party secretary Biman Bose to state health minister Suryakanta Misra, almost all the topmost party leaders contributed articles to the Puja specials of their party mouthpieces. But On Bijoya Dashami, in Barrackpur, revellers used green gulaal instead of the traditional red. A sign of things to come?

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Narmada movement: Non-violence is not easy

2011-05-23T11:25:00.003+05:30

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It is important for us to increase the support base of the Narmada Bachao movement

In the last two and a half decades, Narmada Bachao Andolan has been a great learning experience for me. But the aspect that has influenced me the most is my belief in the non-violent means of struggle. Non-violent struggle is not easy. It is often long drawn out and requires patience. It can never be a lone struggle. It requires the spine of an organisation and the help and support of the masses. This struggle was possible because of the love and support of the people of the Narmada Valley. Apart from that, the moral support provided by similar movements in India and world also came handy.

I am of the opinion that it is necessary for this sort of struggle to remain non-violent. In fact, we have always considered nation building and constructive approach as a part and parcel of my struggle. But my idea of building, idea of construction is different from the prevalent perceptions. It is an antidote or rather alternative to the current development model that is destructive in nature. A development that is inclusive and has respect for nature and other organisms.
Also, I believe that being non-violent does not mean being a coward. It is not about being quiet. Non-violence is about posing a challenge and keeping your dignity intact. But I don’t want a development that is at the cost of displacement and infringement of rights. In my view, development must respect and protect the rights of everybody. It should work for the benefit of the downtrodden. But the government does not want this kind of development. The government’s idea of development is based on giving goodies to corporate houses and protecting their interests. Laws are being made that are not pro-people, whether it is land acquisition laws or rehabilitation laws. All these laws have been made to suit the interests of the capitalists. But this will not continue for long. The masses will not wait till eternity. They are joining us in this struggle. We need to give them the alternative. We need to give them justice.

We are facing the challenge of globalisation threatening indigenous industries. How will we face this? In the last 25 years, Narmada Bachao Andolan has seen several ups and downs. But we have continued our struggle. We have changed a bit and have started focussing on inclusive development. But we need to formulate effective strategy. I am working on that. I am also trying to connect more and more people with this movement. We are trying to bring different sections together. We have challenged casteist forces. But we need to further increase the support base of our movement.

We have been trying to harmonise the society with the movement but it has only been partially successful. But the time has come when the society will see the benefit in joining the struggle. It is at a critical stage and people from all parts of the country are coming forward. It is because this developmental model is not merely affecting Narmada Valley people but the entire nation in some way or other. People are being displaced in Mumbai. Lands are being forcibly acquired in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Dams are being built in North-east that will displace hundreds of thousands of people. The big dams stand completely exposed today. The damage done by these dams is irreparable. The harm far outnumbers its benefits.

On the completion of 25 years of the Narmada Bachao movement, we did a series of rallies in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. People from 21 states, including Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, UP, Bihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu participated in the rallies. It reflects people are still optimistic about non-violent struggle. Also, apart from the masses, we also need to bring in more and more intellectuals.

The structure of the development models are based on laws. But laws are anti-people. This has led to continuous infringement of Human Rights Violation. It is also against the basic fundamental rights of the constitution. The conflict between constitution and law is very evident. I want to make the masses aware of this conflict. Everyone has to do his or her bit. The struggle needs better co-ordination. We need to take up newer causes too. The issue of agriculture land and industries needs to be taken up. In every part of this country, livelihood is at stake. There is a need of a consolidated movement. This movement will pose a challenge to anti-people policies. We also need to intervene in electoral politics. We had constituted a Lok Manch prior to the elections. We need to strengthen this. Only if we are able to expand the movement that we can intervene forcefully. We have carried the flag for 25 years and will continue doing so. New ideas and new strategies will infuse new lease of life to the movement. We are positive that we will win.

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The Cub Shows His Paws

2011-04-27T11:05:00.000+05:30

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The bellicose posture by Pyongyang may well be an external manifestation of legitimisation of its heir-apparent

In Sicilian Mafioso set-up, a rookie is considered a na'vet' till the time he has not 'made his bones' i.e. to prove his skills in the warfare. It appears, the family line of Kim II-Sung in North Korea has taken the leaf out of the Sicilian code.

The sinking of South Korean warship Cheonan ' which the UN fact finding committee blamed on North Korea ' at the time of the possible announcement of succession in Pyongyang has turned the attention towards the Korean peninsula.

There are several questions regarding the motivation of North behind this attack. It's at all times tricky to define North Korean motivations, principally for the reason that it's the most opaque nation in the world. The foremost explanation could be that it's an unswerving vengeance for a surface ship row between the two Koreas that took place in late 2009 in the Yellow Sea, in which a lone North Korean sailor was allegedly killed. That's a tit-for-tat rationalisation. However, sources close to The Sunday Indian maintain that it might not be the only case. The event might be a "peripheral manifestation of legitimisation" on the part of North Korean leader Kim Jong-II's preferred successor and heir-apparent, his youngest son Kim Jong-un. To put it in perspective, it can be recalled that when Kim Jong-II, the incumbent, himself became the chosen heir to his father Kim II-Sung, a similar type of legitimisation course took place in which Kim Jong-II was held to be liable for numerous of the actions in the 1980s ' the Korean Air 858 explosion in 1987 and the partial massacre of the South Korean cabinet while it was on a state visit to Burma in 1983.

'It has been witnessed several times in the past that when the successors do not have the revolutionary qualifications or radical credentials of the original leader, the successors frequently apply these tactics to legitimise themselves,' says Victor D. Cha, Senior Advisor on Korean affairs at Centre for Strategic and International Studies, while talking to TSI.

So what are the credentials of Jong-un? There is very little about him in public domain. He has studied in Switzerland and is in his late 20s. But since he is way too young to lead, sources maintain that the authority would be passed to him in combination with Kim Jong-II's sister, Kim Kyung-Hee, and her husband, Chang Song-taek. But the heir would get to keep members of the military as well as the party with him. And as far as military training is concerned, Jong-un does not have much experience behind him. But he has indeed been seen at very low political levels of the National Defence Commission. However, no one is sure if that will be enough to keep him in the good books of Army's old guards. And whatever the world thinks, Jong-II too had tough time keeping armed forces in order. There were no less than two coup attempts against Kim Jong-II's own succession. In the late 1991 or early 1992, sources claim, there was an attempted rebellion by a cluster of Soviet-trained perestroika-favouring generals. A dozen odd generals conspired to snuff out the two Kims and apply sweeping reconstruction of North Korea. However, their cover was blown and the plotters, according to one version, were burnt on the stake in front of a military audience ostensibly as a warning. Similarly, in 1995, some of the factions of the 6th Army Corps in North Hamgyong province bordering China decided to join ranks with the rogue elements of the adjoining 7th Army Corps and planned to march on Pyongyang. However, this potentially threatening conspiracy was uncovered by 6th Corps commander, Kim Yong-chun, who was promoted to be the chief of the general staff in gratitude.

Under the circumstances, the succession of Jong-un will not be smooth as well. Therefore, Pyongyang has been abuzz with the news of restructuring and possible shuffles in the party and the military order.

'Kim Jong-II wants to construct a bellicose ambience at the domestic front to push through with the succession of authority to his son,' said Cheon Seong-whun, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification while talking to TSI. 'However, to achieve this, he needs tensions and an outside foe.'

Kim Jong-II's most strenuous labours seem to be focussed at the armed forces, the vital power pedestal for his son. In good measure, he has also promoted no less than 100 senior officers in April this year. While its armed forces keep South Korea on tenterhooks by firing coastal weaponry, North Korea's power elite is all set to officiate the hitherto unofficial status of Kim Jong-un as the nation's next 'Dear Leader'. But there are official procedures to keep as theoretically North Korea is run by the Workers' Party. The Workers' Party is likely to give Jong-un and his cohort plum posts at the upcoming Central Committee meeting. Sources maintain that since July last year, Jong-un has already started taking part in the formulation of Pyongyang's internal and external domestic and international policies.

Jong-un began managing North Korea's secret police agency since last year. In fact, sources suggested that all bureaucratic reports made to Kim Jong-II has already started going through Jong-un. Therefore, Workers' Party will have to offer him a post that is worthy of his stature. In all probability, that post could be that of an Organisational Secretary of the party's Central Committee. The Committee exercises the maximum authority on the committee. As the heir-apparent, the young man also reportedly confers with a number of high-status officials or minions of his father that uphold the Kim family's sway on the nation. His uncle Chang Song-taek instructs him on the Pyongyang's finances and associations with China while Kim Yong-chun is in charge of the armed forces. Chang and Chun are two of the four vice chairmen of the National Defence Commission, nation's in effect utmost guiding appendage. North Korea's armed forces, which were formerly guarded by Kim Jong-II's direct orders, came under defence minister Kim Yong-chun's command in April 2009. While Chun controls the nation's troops for conventional combat, Kim Jong-II administers the strategic troops that deal with missiles and nuclear weapons. The latter, without question, will pass on to Jong-un.

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The silent valley

2011-04-23T10:02:00.000+05:30

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It's that time of the year when the Valley was to have been buzzing with beaming tourists; instead, all that can be heard are wails, sirens and the odd silence. Haroon Reshi treads warily around a lost paradise'

Early this year, when the Jammu & Kashmir government dubbed 2010 as the 'Visit Kashmir Year' to attract more tourists, and launched a massive advertising campaign across India and in the West, Muhammad Ashraf Dar (43), painted and decorated his shikara (houseboat) to make it more alluring to the visitors. His shikara named 'New Dar Place' is among two thousand registered shikaras in the renowned Dal Lake.

In the months of April and May, as the place started filling up, shikara owners like Ashraf anticipated a record-breaking tourist season. With about 6,10,000 domestic and foreign tourists landing in Kashmir Valley by the first week of June, state's ailing economy had much to be optimistic about. Ashraf was looking forward to at least 0.2 million rupees worth of income generation between May and October. His plans included renovation of his one storey house in the Dal Dwellers colony near the Lake. But then, as is known now, events took a nasty turn. On June 11, Tufail Mattoo, a school going teenager was killed by a teargas shell fired by security forces in downtown Srinagar. Violence erupted, and this time angry protesters resorted to stone pelting at the security forces. In the last three months, 67 people, including teenagers and under-10 boys lost their lives in confrontation with the defence forces. More than three thousand were wounded, and many of them still battling for their lives in different hospitals of the Valley. Hartals (strikes) and curfews continue to plague civil life, and government offices, business establishments, educational institutions and public transport have shut down.

Within days of the first signs of trouble, tourists were on their out and others cancelled impending trips to the Valley. The month of September ' supposed to be peak tourist season ' has only known empty hotels, guesthouses and houseboats as yet.

Mount View Hotel at Phalgam (one of the most popular destinations in the Valley, at an altitude of 2130m above sea level), was teeming with guests in the first week of June. 'Now all 55 rooms of our hotel are unoccupied and the staff is idle,' says Saleem, manager at Mount View. 'Most of the hotel owners have asked their employees to go home. Thankfully, we are still getting salaries,' he added.

A similar situation is seen at the Dal and Nigeen Lakes' houseboats. 'About 99 per cent houseboats in the lakes are unoccupied. All bookings have been cancelled. We even had to refund advance payments.' says Gulam Muhammad Pakhtoon, Vice President of the Houseboat Owners Association. 'Ye to Khuda ka kehar hai (It's the Lord's wrath),' says Pakhtoon, proprietor of two houseboats. Like the hoteliers and houseboat owners, shopkeepers are suffering a similar fate. The Shaikh brothers ' Javid Ahmad Shaikh and his younger brother Shakeel Ahmad Shaikh ' run a Kashmir Arts showroom called, 'Elegant Store' in the posh polo-view market in Srinagar. Having seen the encouraging influx of tourists in the early months of the season, they stocked in enough inventory hoping for brisk business in the coming days. They had even approached Jammu and Kashmir Bank for financial assistance to purchase Pashmina shawls, sarees, embroidered curtains, chain stitch rugs and Kashmiri hand made dresses. 'Not only have we lost business due to regular hartals and curfews, we have also to repay the bank loan with its huge interest rates. It is a grave situation for us,' says Javed, who had opened his shop for the brief period that curfew was relaxed.

The state's tourism minister Rigzen Jora told TSI that the government had expected a record-breaking 1.3 million domestic and foreign tourists in this summer for a major campaign had been implemented to draw visitors to the state where 60% of the population directly or indirectly relied on the tourist industry. Adventure tourism was promoted feverishly; for the first time, the government had thrown open more than 100 high-altitude peaks in the state to climbers. But all these attempts to boost the ailing tourism industry of this militancy hit state have failed due to civil unrest. 'As the situation is constantly worsening, I am afraid we might even lose the winter season activities. Tourism in the state will flourish only after peace is restored.' Jora said.

According to Shakeel Qalandar, President of the Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, 'The State meets with 100 crore rupees of loss each day due to strikes. Since June 11, we have lost to the tune of a thousand crores. And 1.2 million people are directly hit by this loss.' In addition, with waning trade and tourist activity in Kashmir, the corresponding scene in a neighbouring state, HP, has had a shot in the arm.

Ashraf has now dropped plans of repairing his house; he is worried about the days ahead though. He does not have enough savings to hold out the harsh winters, and he is equally worried about the needs of his three schools going kids. The Ashrafs in the Valley are waiting to get on with their lives; when will the deadlock end..?

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Babri conundrum: Human blood is precious

2011-04-19T10:58:00.002+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

The politics of appeasement by the Congress has resulted in much bloodshed in the country

Arif Mohammed Khan,
Former Union minister and senior politician

Ibn Ishaq, in his biography of the holy Prophet, reports that Abraha, the Abyssinian governor of Yemen, had built a Cathedral of immense proportions in his capital Sana, and made efforts to divert the pilgrims from Mecca to the new place of worship. Angered by these attempts, a resident of Mecca travelled to Sana, visited the Cathedral and defiled it. When Abraha came to know of this, he decided to punish the Meccans, by leading an army to attack Mecca and demolish the Ka'aba, the House of God. After reaching in the vicinity of Mecca, Abraha dispatched one of his generals to plunder the people there. The campaign was successful and a huge booty was looted, among it 200 camels belonging to Abdul Muttalib, the chief of the Quraysh and grandfather of the holy Prophet.

Subsequently, Abdul Muttalib went and petitioned Abraha to return his camels and other property looted by his army. Abraha replied, 'I am pleased to see you and hear what you have said. Do you wish to talk to me about 200 camels of yours which I have taken, and say nothing about the religion of your forefathers which I have come to destroy.' Abdul Muttalib said, 'I am the owner of the camels not the temple. The temple (Ka'aba) has an owner who will defend it.'

The rest is history, showing how the invading army was destroyed to a man by the divine intervention and the Ka'aba was saved though no defence was offered by the custodians of the Ka'aba. This event took place in the year of the birth of Prophet Mohammed, that is, 570 AD. The story is endorsed by the Holy Qur'an in chapter 105 titled 'The Elephant', giving an idea of the fate of the invading army.

The Qur'anic story is profoundly instructive for any sensitive mind. It clearly shows that places of worship, important as they are, do not have greater sanctity than that of the human blood. The holy Prophet himself is reported to have said that the sanctity of Muslim blood is more than the sanctity of Ka'aba, yet we see people fighting over these places. The number of people who lost their lives either as kar sevaks on November 19, 1990 or as innocent victims of the communal orgy unleashed after the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992, is saddening. The Ayodhya dispute has been hanging fire since 1885, when one Mahant Raghubar Das had made a plea before a sub-judge at Faizabad to allow him to build a temple on the spot just outside the Babri Masjid, where the Hindu idols were installed on a platform. The dispute took a new turn after the idols were installed inside the mosque on the night of December 23, 1949, leading to number of court cases. It is interesting to note that the litigant parties were on amicable terms and often travelled together to attend the courts.

People were generally indifferent to the court proceedings till February 1, 1986, when the District Judge passed an order for opening of the gates that were locked in 1950 by a judicial order. The District Judge passed the order only after examining the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of Faizabad district, who assured the court that they could maintain the peace and law and order even without locks. One cannot imagine that the senior officers of the district would have given their consent to open the locks without necessary instructions from the state and the central governments. The fact that the order was implemented within an hour and was widely covered by Doordarshan further establishes the fact that the government was using the Ayodhya dispute for pursuing its political agenda.

Neerja Chaudhary, writing in The Statesman on May 1, 1986, observed: 'There is an evidence of connection between the opening of the doors of the disputed Ramjanmabhumi in Ayodhya and the introduction of the Muslim Women Bill in Parliament, both of which have heightened the communal tension.' She quoted a member of the Muslim Personal Law Board as saying, 'To be honest, we were not expecting it to come so soon' and further opined that its timing indicated that it was not unconnected with the opening of the masjid doors. She concluded her piece thus: 'A policy of appeasement of both communities being pursued by the government for electoral gains is a vicious cycle which will become difficult to break.'

Indeed it became difficult to control the communal and divisive forces after the twin decisions of the government in 1986' succumbing to the pressure of the Personal Law Board to undo the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case and then counterbalance it by unlocking the gates in Ayodhya. To use an Urdu couplet: Han khabardar ke ek laghzishe paa se kabhi/Sari taarekh ki raftaar palat jaati hai (Beware, sometimes one false step leads to altering the whole course of history).

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KARNATAKA OFFICERS WITHOUT OFFICES: Sitting idle at public's expense

2011-04-15T11:56:00.001+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Officers sans jobs continue to draw government salaries

Seven officers of the rank of chief engineer in the Department of Public Works, Ports and Inland Water Transport in Karnataka are drawing their salaries sitting idle at home for the last several months. Jagannath Reddy Patil, CV Patil, Mahesh Hiremath, RP Kulkarni, Ganesh, BY Jumnal and Jayachandra are the officers who are not attending office because the government has not given them any postings. But each of them is getting full salary which is around Rs.75,000 per month. While Jagannath Reddy Patil is without charge from the last one-and-a-half years, the rest are waiting for postings for the last six months. It should be noted that none of the officers is facing any disciplinary charges.

It is not that there are no vacancies to accommodate them. Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Command Area Development Authority (CADA) together have four vacant posts. Karnataka Housing Development Corporation and Bagalkot Development Authority and Infrastructure Project each have one vacant post.

Moreover, in the Public Works Department itself the additional secretary post reserved for a chief engineer is vacant. All these vacant posts are currently being managed as additional responsibilities by other officers who are also holding their own posts. But these officers do not have the authority of taking major decisions. The extra burden and no authority are not only affecting the quality of the development work, it's also causing delays.

J Satyanarayan, Assistant Engineer in the department tells TSI, 'All the seven chief engineers are forced to sit idle at home just because of internal contradictions.' In a meeting on August 5 a resolution has been passed to fill the vacancies. The recommendations have been sent to Chief Minister YS Yeddyurappa. The authority of creating a post and deciding its power and jurisdiction rests with the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. Since this department is with the chief minister, he has to take the final call on it. Sources in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms have confirmed that the process to fill up the vacant posts has begun. But nobody knows when it will be completed.

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Peepli Live: Satire and sensibility

2011-03-21T10:29:00.000+05:30

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TSI Five-O: A gritty package of some subtle and some not so subtle satire

There are moments in 'Peepli Live' that will make you laugh hard, and the next instant you will overcome with extreme guilt as you realise what you just laughed at. The satire, though sometimes overblown, works brilliantly well with the realistic setting and finely etched characters in holding up the stark reality of rural India to our faces. The ensemble cast (mostly drawn from theatre) blends into the rustic landscape with ease and Anusha Rizvi's direction relies on handheld shots to add an extra coat of realism to the village of Peepli in Mukhya Pradesh. Peepli becomes the eye of a media storm and political frenzy when a marginal farmer Natha announces that he's committing suicide after being unable to pay back his loan. The grand posturing begins for everybody from the central government to the local politicians to every journo worth his 'breaking news' salt as they cash in on Natha's queer fate. Budhiya, the instigator of Natha's decision is played superbly by Raghubir Yadav while Omkar Das as Natha will force you to introspect.

'Peepli Live' is a film that will severely test your sensibility ' after all, it is hard to digest the fact that a serious issue is being made fun of. But that tone is what sets the film apart and also lends solidity to its decrying of the media as publicity hungry hounds insensitive to the human condition. To laugh or not to laugh is your choice, but the decision to give 'Peepli Live' a watch is a no brainer.

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Indian Automobile Industry: Automobile boom'is it sustainable?

2011-03-17T10:26:00.000+05:30

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Indian automobile industry is surely on a high! Reporting a whopping 30% growth during the first four months of this fiscal, many auto majors are convinced about their long-term success in the domestic circuit. But is this boom really sustainable?

As the 10th Auto Expo kicked off on January 5, 2010 in New Delhi, a slew of new models were showcased by the global auto giants. Be it Volkswagen, General Motors (GM), Hyundai or Maruti Suzuki, almost all the companies were busy displaying a high level of innovation to catch the fancy of the Indian consumer. While the hatchback segment, in particular, saw the competition growing by many folds, the scenario wasn't really different in the other segments as well (For the uninitiated, products like Chevrolet Beat, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Volkswagen Polo, et al, made their way into the Indian market taking the auto expo route).

In fact, as FY2009-10 approached its end, the Indian automobile industry was standing tall and smiling wide reporting a whopping 20% growth in the passenger vehicles segment with total sales standing at 1,949,776 units. Many industry watchers warned that the growth during the next year might take a beating because of the high-base effect. But, as the numbers for the April-July period (FY2010-11) flowed in they (including the players) were taken by surprise as the industry had filed a mind-boggling growth of more than 30% with total unit sales in the passenger vehicle segment standing at 7,56,659 units. 'The growth in the first four months came as a surprise to us as well as to the rest of the players. We were expecting just a 10-15 per cent rise in sales during this period,' Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer ' Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India tells TSI. In fact, it's the result of this boom that the company today has an order backlog of about 15-20 per cent of monthly sales with most of the models in its portfolio running on a waiting period. Similar is the case with other auto majors who too are trying their best to meet this sudden rise in demand for their products. While the players are celebrating their success, there are critics who are still sceptical about the sustainability of this boom. They question whether this overwhelming response from the Indian consumer can continue for the whole fiscal or is it just a short-lived phenomenon for the industry?

According to the projections made by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the car industry is expected to grow by 12-15 per cent this year. Going by the calculations made by the industry body, the passenger cars segment in India is expected to grow by around 10 per cent per month for the rest of the year. However, the industry officials are of a view that it may just be able to outshine the SIAM's projections this year. There is no denying to the fact that the whopping growth has taken many auto majors by surprise, but as they say, one should always look at both sides of the coin, there has been cases where auto manufacturers have faced the component shortage. For instance, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) recently suffered a production loss due to a shortage of components in the Indian market. 'The automotive division has faced an 8-10% production loss in last quarter due to the shortage of components in the industry,' agrees Pawan Goenka, President (Automotive and Farm Equipment), M&M. In fact, this delay in the supply of auto components has created a situation where auto majors are currently finding it very hard to meet the high demand in the market. 'Such growth was surely unprecedented in the Indian market and it has its own challenges," says Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA). Even the component makers are striving hard to match the level of pace. But it will take them some time before they reach that point.

'Though component shortage is the result of the high growth in the Indian market, it has surely disrupted the expansion plans of several auto majors,' says Arvind Saxena, Director ' Sales & Marketing, Hyundai Motors India. In fact, many industry officials are echoing this view, but they surely believe that as growth will moderate in months to come, component shortage as a problem will automatically find itself a solution. 'No doubt, several component makers are adding capacities at their end, but as the growth moderates, the problem will automatically get resolved,' agrees Vishnu Mathur, Director General, SIAM.

While the high level of growth has been a boon to many companies, it has also taken its own toll on established players. In fact, Maruti Suzuki saw its share falling below the 50% mark in its 25 year history (Currently, the market share of the company stands at 47%). Even its arch rival Hyundai Motors India filed a 2% fall in its market share and is currently holding close to 18% of the Indian passenger car market. 'In the month of July, we had a two week annual shutdown at our plant in Chennai. So, there was hardly any scope to scale up production in that particular month,' says Saxena.

However, these companies are really trying hard to regain their market share. 'We have a target to regain the 50% market share by the end of this fiscal,' Shinzo Nakanishi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India tells TSI. Notably, the company has recently launched the all new Alto K10, automatic A-Star and CNG technology in its five products (Alto, WagonR, Estilo, Eeco and SX4) to regain the 50% mark in market share. But products like Ford Figo, Chevrolet Beat, Nissan Micra and Volkswagen Polo, which are relatively new to the Indian consumer, have been an instant success in the Indian market and are giving tough competition to Maruti. In fact, Nano has also gained momentum in production at its Sanand unit and the company has so far sold close to 23,000 units in this fiscal. Tata Motors is targeting sales of close to 2.5 lakh units in FY 11. Other auto majors like GM, Ford, et al, have also been able to hit the right spot of the consumer's mind and hence are enjoying one of the best years in their Indian journey so far. 'Figo has been accepted very well by the Indian consumer. The high level of localisation in the product has empowered us to maintain a very aggressive price in its segment,' explains Michael Boneham, MD, Ford India.

However, on the other end, players like Honda SIEL, who are currently running on an ageing portfolio in domestic circuit, have not been able to cash-in on despite a high level of consumer sentiment. For the record, the company has sold close to 16,728 units in this fiscal, which is marginally down as compared to the 17,595 units sold by it in the corresponding period last year. While the City remains the flagship model of the company, other models like Jazz, Accord and Civic are having a tough time in the Indian market. 'Honda needs excitement in its portfolio at this moment. Almost all the models apart form the City are set for upgradation or replacement. Even the high price point of Jazz has emerged as a problem which has resulted in low volumes for the company,' says an automotive consultant on conditions of anonymity.

It may easily be recalled that the Indian automobile industry got a lot of support from the last festival season and with this year's festival period kicking in soon, it is believed that the industry will be able to maintain its growth momentum. But the high base effect may come into play which is expected to result in the moderation of the growth rate. Clearly, the industry may not be able to maintain the level of growth that it has enjoyed so far, but in absolute unit terms, this fiscal will be one of the best in the history of the Indian automotive industry. In fact, a new chapter is all set to unfold in the industry in the coming years. 'This is just the beginning of the automobile boom in the Indian market and the industry will see a lot of action in the years to come,' agrees Abdul Majeed, Leader ' Automotive practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers India.

And why not? As Toyota Etios, Honda's small car, Bajaj-Renault's ultra low-cost car, Hyundai's product below the Santro and many more are expected to make their way into the domestic market, the small car segment in particular will drive the growth for the Indian industry even in the years to come. All in all, the 11th Auto Expo that is slated to happen in 2012 will definitely be worth waiting for.

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Victims of greed

2011-03-13T10:17:00.000+05:30

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As a ploy To hound them out of their land and property, women in the tribal belt of rural Gujarat are branded as witches and ostracized even as the law stands by and watches helplessly. Widows and ageing childless women are the most vulnerable

Last week, an agitated group of adivasis surrounded a police station in Chhota Udaypur, Gujarat. They were demanding that the 'witches' who had been taken into custody by the cops be brought before them. Rumours were rife that these 'witches' had turned into horses and cows and then vanished into thin air. Nothing could douse the mounting public hysteria.

In early July, a couple was murdered by village neighbours for allegedly practising witchcraft. Bardan Gurung, 50, and his wife Manshobha, 45, of Satbariya village of Dang district were killed after a local quack, Tekendra Bista, branded the woman as a witch. This was the first-ever case of murder of an alleged witch reported from the district. Every year more than 150 women are killed on suspicion of being witches across India. Every other day Indian newspapers carry headlines about a hapless woman being stripped and paraded naked after being labelled a witch by village quacks.

In industrially developed Gujarat, the principal social indices are far healthier than they are in many other Indian states. Yet, the heinous practice of targeting 'witches' and hounding them out of their homes and villages continues here, especially in the tribal areas of north and south Gujarat.

As elsewhere in India, women thus victimised in Gujarat are invariably land-owning widows or childless women who have no way of defending themselves against the allegation hurled at them. The allegation of witchcraft is levelled against them primarily as a ploy to deprive them of their land and inheritance.

Village folk in the tribal belt of Gujarat are a superstitious lot, and it is quite easy to convince them that a particular woman is a witch whose presence in the village brings ill luck to people around her. A woman can be ostracised for a variety of reasons, ranging from causing somebody's death to crop failure.

'When a woman is suspected of being a witch, villagers march in a procession to her home, accompanied by local leaders and panchayat members. Once they reach the house, a quack drops a lentil seed in water. If the pulse keeps floating on the surface, the woman is branded as a witch,' says Sejal Dand, coordinator of the NGO, Area Networking and Development Initiatives (ANANDI).

'What follows is an unending ordeal for the woman who is singled out. She is humiliated, tortured and, in some cases, chilli powder is thrown into her eyes. Sometimes, the poor woman is even killed,' adds Ms Dand.

In yet another incident, the childless Mangliben and her husband were mercilessly beaten up recently by family members who blamed them for the death of a child. They accused Mangliben of casting an evil eye on the family and its members. The couple was subsequently driven out of the village. They approached the police for help but the law, under pressure from the relatives of the hapless couple, turned a blind eye to the atrocity. The couple was hounded out of the police station as well.

'Mangliben owned an eight-acre plot of land and the family members had their eyes on it for a long time,' says Guliben Nayak of Devgarh Mahila Sangh. Every month, at least one case of a widow or childless woman being labelled a witch is reported from the tribal district of Dahod, she points out. In virtually every such case, the affected woman owns ancestral property and land. When her family and neighbours turn against her, the entire tribal society tends to believe the allegation of witchcraft and joins in socially boycotting the woman. And once she is hounded out of the village and the community, it becomes easy to transfer her inheritance to the name of her father-in-law or brother-in-law.

Ms Dand recounts the sad plight of a widow who, even 25 years after the death of her husband, continues to seek justice in vain. 'After Sukhaliben's husband, Rupsinh Nayak of Santalpur village of Dahod district, passed away, her in-laws claimed that she was involved in witchcraft and forced her to leave the village. She is not even allowed to plough her husband's land. We are trying our best to wrest back her rights through legal means. But for now, Sukhaliben is struggling to make ends meet in Dahod city,' the activist says.

Ms Dand blames severe poverty, social banishment and the absence of a law to protect vulnerable rural women for the victims' inability to fight back. She says: The state of Jharkhand, for instance, has a firm law against those who commit crimes against women by invoking the fear of witchcraft. Offences that are registered under the Jharkhand Prevention of Witch Practices Act are cognizable and non-bailable.'

In Gujarat, however, there is no separate law which can be applied in police stations when such cases are reported. Most such cases are registered under the regular provisions of the Indian Penal Code. 'The offence in this scenario is a bailable one. So culprits can get away quite easily,' says Ms Dand.

In most cases of this nature, the culprits are male relatives. They have enough clout within the community to put pressure on the police to withdraw the complaints that the victims lodge. The local authorities, too, refrain from supporting the victims. If ever the matter comes up before a court, every effort is made for an out of court settlement, which, needless to say, is usually in favour of the perpetrators of the crime.

It isn't just illiterate villagers who are behind this reprehensible practice. Even educated people are unable to take an informed stand. Mahendra Rathava, a man who possesses a Master's degree in Hindi literature, says, 'I cannot argue with my parents on this issue.' In fact, so deep-rooted is the culture of obscurantism here that many refuse to talk about the subject for the fear of being 'punished' by the dakan (witch).

Ms Dand says, 'Lack of education and adequate health facilities has aggravated the problem manifold. The government should bolster the health infrastructure and promote awareness among tribals in this area. It should also concentrate on formulating proper legislation to protect vulnerable tribal widows and childless women.' Until that happens, women like Sita Sonvane, Somuben Gamit, Sharda Asari, Mattiben, Dahali Nayak and Mangliben will continue to suffer. Some NGOs, like the one that Ms Dand represents, are trying to help them, but justice remains a distant dream.

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The inheritance of loss

2011-03-09T16:13:00.001+05:30

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First it was a mammoth dam, then an open cast coal mining project, and now the expansion of a thermal power station: the spectre of displacement has stalked the Hirakud oustees for six decades.

The bitter memories haven't deserted Boudhyan Sahu and Bidesi Pradhan. They reside in Tilia village of Orissa's Jharsuguda district. They remember their younger days when both, along with their parents, had to leave their ancestral homes under duress. The shock and trauma of eviction are still fresh in Sahu's mind although 60 years have gone by/ 'It will haunt me till I die. It was terrible. I pray to God nobody else faces such a fate,' he says as tears well up in his eyes.

Sahu goes on: 'The officials arrived under police protection and ordered us to vacate our houses. We left our homes with whatever belongings we could muster. We had no choice. Anybody who resisted was forcibly removed from the area by the police.'

The forced eviction of the villagers was done to pave the way for the construction of the Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi. This was the first major project of the post-Independence era that caused large-scale displacement. It submerged 285 villages (249 in Orissa, 36 in Chhattisgarh, then part of Madhya Pradesh), affecting 26,501 families. The project was greeted with protests from the people. So the government deployed the police to evict the population and clear the obstacles in the way of the Hirakud dam.

Worse was to follow. Not only were many of the oustees inadequately rehabilitated, the displaced families did not even receive the compensation that they were promised. The compensation is still lying with the government as there are no reliable official records about many of the displaced families.

Some of the uprooted families that were resettled in Jharsuguda district are now facing the prospect of being displaced again. The Orissa Power Generation Corporation's thermal power station in Jharsuguda is in the process of being expanded and these hapless people will have to pay the price for development.

Virtually every family in this area has members who remember the days leading up to the Hirakud dam construction. Legally, no citizen of this country can be evicted from his habitation without being given a proper rehabilitation package. But for the Hirakud oustees, this norm was thrown to the winds. Many displaced families fled in panic, leaving behind their belongings and cattle, never to return. Police excesses scared them away.

As per available reports, only Rs 340 lakh was paid to the oustees. That was only about one-third of the allocated amount ' Rs 960 lakh. Only 4744 families (21.42 per cent of the total displaced) were rehabilitated. These included some tribal and scheduled caste families.

Among the families rehabilitated, 3098 families (65.3 per cent) did not receive full compensation till as late as the 1990s. However, during the reign of the late Biju Patnaik, the Orissa government took steps to locate the displaced families and pay them the compensation. A few of these families were lucky to get their compensation, but it was too late. After Biju Patnaik, the issue was shoved into cold storage as none of the subsequent chief ministers deigned it fit to address the plight of the Hirakud dam oustees. The fate of those who settled down in Jharsuguda remained unchanged as the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd) needed land to begin coal mining in the Ib Valley in 1985. The company acquired 926.6 hectares and formulated a resettlement policy of its own and forcibly displaced people for its mines.

Five open cast mines affected 18 villages and 1353 families. The most affected villages were Kudapali, Jorabaga, Bundhia, Jamkani, Tolipali, Bandbahal, Lajkura, Lamtibahal and Lohrapara. Though the MCL authorities claim to have rehabilitated the displaced with utmost diligence, problems continue to fester here.

In 1989, the foundation stone of the Ib Valley Thermal Power Station was laid by the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The plant, once it was up and running, started functioning at Banaharpali (Jharsuguda district) under OPGC. About 329 families in three villages were affected by the power station. Of these, 146 families were fully displaced. Many still reside in the resettlement colony constructed by the company. The thermal power station has two units with a total generation of 420 MW (210X2) at present.

History is now set to repeat itself. The people of the region, particularly in the Tilia panchayat area of the district, are in danger of losing home and hearth as the government wants to acquire land for the expansion work of the thermal power station. The proposed expansion project (3rd and 4th units) would be aimed at generating 1,320 MW (660 MW each) of power at an investment of Rs 10,000 crore, besides development of captive coal mines and a rail link between the power plant and coal mines. The US power company, AES Corporation, has agreed to take up the expansion work to be started as early as the first quarter of 2011. The company shares 49 per cent of the stakes while OPGC controls the remaining 51 per cent. The company has been allotted two coal mines with a total reserve of 530 million tonnes in the Manoharpur and Deep Manoharpur areas of Sundergarh district. Though the expansion project was mooted in 2003-04, it could not start because of a dispute over power sharing between the two partners. The chief minister laid the foundation stone for the expansion project in 2004. "The OPGC will supply 50 per cent of power from its expansion project at a cost determined by the OERC (Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission) to the state, while the remaining 50 per cent can be sold in the open market," a senior official said.

For the proposed expansion, the government will acquire about 277 acres of private land belonging to residents of Tilia and two other villages. 'We have received a notice from the land acquisition office of Jharsuguda district. We have been spending sleepless nights. We live in fear that we will be evicted from our dwellings once again,' says Srinivas Pradhan, a Hirakud dam oustee and resident of Tilia panchayat area.

The locals have asked the government to give proper attention to rehabilitation of and compensation for those who surrender their land. They have organised themselves under the banner of OPGC Bistapan Surakhya Manch to demand compensation of Rs 30 lakh per acre. They have also demanded one job for each displaced family or an additional Rs 10 lakh in case one does not opt for employment. 'Apart from this provision, we have also emphatically demanded that proper drinking water, healthcare and education be made available for people in the rehabilitation colony,' the convener of the Manch, Yagya Narayan Pradhan, said.

Meanwhile, the people of Jharsuguda have expressed concern over the worsening levels of pollution in Ib valley. 'Once hailed for its natural beauty, Ib valley has turned into a polluted hell-hole owing to the coal mines and numerous industries. We demand that the government should take steps to prevent the setting up of new industries or expansion of any existing industry in the Ib valley region in the interest of the people who reside in the district,' Mohammad Rauf, head of CARE (Creative Action to Restitute Environment), an organization that works for the protection of the ecology in Jharsuguda district, told TSI.

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ORISSA ANIMAL SAFETY: Tuskers' whereabouts a mystery

2011-01-12T09:08:00.001+05:30

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They must have gone travelling when census was on: Officials

Some 44 elephants have gone missing from Chandaka-Damapada wildlife sanctuary in Orissa. The report has surfaced at a time when recent elephant population in the state has gone up to 1886 from 1862. The 2010 elephant census, made public recently, claimed that in 44 forest divisions the population of elephants has increased. But in 15 divisions, the population of elephants has decreased, while population in 8 divisions remains unchanged. The forest officials are satisfied with the census result. They acknowledge that the trend in elephant population is more or less static. The highest variation in elephant population has been recorded in Similipal Tiger Reserve. The number of big mammals has gone up here from 298 in 2007 to 331 in 2010, registering an increase of 33 elephants.

Likewise, in Satkoshia wildlife division 30 new elephants were enumerated in the census. Similarly, Dhenkanal forest division reports an increase of 25 elephants. But the situation in Chandaka (wildlife) division, which is adjacent to the Capital city Bhubaneswar, is just reverse. In 2007 census, some 67 elephants were found in Chandaka. But now their number stands at 23. The sudden drop in their population has alarmed wildlife activists and animal lovers. They have urged the authorities to take immediate action and save the giant mammals otherwise they would perish.

P. N. Padhi, chief Wildlife Warden, said: 'The variation in population in individual forest divisions does not give the actual picture. As elephant is a roaming animal, it can travel several kilometers in a single day. Elephant of one division could be found in another forest division. This could have happened in the case of Chandaka division.' But some wildlife activists are not convinced with his argument. They want the whole issue to be probed properly so that the real story is known. S.N. Patra, working president of Orissa Environmental Society, said: 'Rapid urbanization, decreasing of forest coverage, shortage of adequate food and water and mostly increasing human activities close to sanctuaries are the reasons that force elephants to move from one sanctuary to other place. They get distracted.'

During the last decade, the capital city has extended in seven different directions by engulfing the fringe villages and protected areas of the sanctuary. The government in an attempt to satisfy the ever growing demand for land has stretched the plot lands to near sanctuary limits. This has led to breaks in the elephant corridor thereby leading to greater elephant human conflicts, especially in the harvesting season. Patra added: 'Is the growth of the city so important that we can afford to sacrifice the forests and wildlife?' Chandaka forest division authority does not agree with the argument forwarded by activists.

DFO of Chandaka wild life division A.K. Pattnayak said: 'Elephants are more interested in travelling from one place to another. When the census was on, they had migrated to another place. Now they are returning and their number may be more than sixty. There is not a single instance of poaching and killing of elephant so far recorded during the last three years. So, why should we panic?'

Arindam Chaudhuri GIDF Planman Consulting Business & Economy 4Ps Business & Marketing The Sunday Indian The Human Factor The Daily Indian Kkoooljobs.com Amaze, New Delhi IIPM Old Brochure IIPM 4Ps Quiz Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Alternative Budget For IIPM Students

WEST BENGAL CORRUPTION: Another scam rattles left

2011-01-09T10:03:00.001+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

CPM forces Hooghly Zilla Parishad chief to resign

The government-run Post Graduate Medical College SSKM Hospital in West Bengal is grabbing headlines for the wrong reason ' Rs 11 crore scam. This is not a one-off incident in the Left-ruled state. Since the scam was busted many heads have been rolled. The first to go was CPM's district secretariat member. The Hooghly Zilla Parishad chief, Asit Patra, was punished for his direct involvement in the multi-crore health scam.

Two weeks before the scam surfaced in the media, he was forced to resign. Patra has been accused of allegedly siphoning off Rs 4 crore in the name of purchasing medicines in collaborations with some contractors. Official sources say Patra even used his official letterhead for this purpose. Chief Medical Officer of Health, Hooghly district, Bhusan Chakraborty, blew the whistle. Following which, Minister-in-Charge for Health Surjyakanta Mishra, who is also a CPM state secretariat member, ordered a probe and Patra was forced to resign.

The probe team found out that huge quantity of bandage and antiseptic lotions were purchased instead of medicines. A top Zilla Parishad source told TSI: 'Nothing was purchased. In fact the money has just changed hands showing old stock as newly purchased.'

Defending himself, disgraced 61-year-old Patra said: 'No corruption case has been slapped on me. The investigators found some irregularities in purchase of stuff. I tendered resignation owing moral responsibilities'. But, senior party leaders said: 'He was sacked.' Patra has been also accused of handling the funds without informing the government. Minister for Rural Development Department Anisur Rahaman admitted: 'Zilla Parishad chief is not entitled to handle funds. He can only make decision.' Shockingly, soon after Patra was forced to quit the Zilla Parishad post, the whistle blower Chakraborty was also transferred. Besides, the Accounts Officer of the health department, who is also the Accounts Officer of the Zilla Parishad, has been suspended and FIR has been lodged against him. However, Patra's name is missing from it. District Trinamool Congress president Tapan Dasgupta said: 'How was he holding both the posts? The CPM leaders and government must be aware of it.'

Demanding a CBI probe, he told TSI: 'There is a huge crisis of medicines in all hospitals at all levels. High-profile CPM leaders are wasting public money. Why is Patra name not mentioned in the FIR or arrested?'

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KARNATAKA DAIRY INDUSTRY: Surge in production

2011-01-06T14:51:00.002+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

KMF exports milk to Singapore and other Indian states

The dairy industry in Karnataka is booming. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), the second largest government-run cooperative milk federation in the country after Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, is spearheading the campaign by procuring lakhs of litres milk from in and around Karnataka on daily basis.

The boom has taken place after the price of milk was increased by Rs 3 a litre in the state. Of late KMF has witnessed growth in its production. After it increased procurement price (varies from Rs. 2.50 to 3.50 per litre in different areas) the production is upbeat. Thousands of farmers from across the state flock to pour more milk to the federation.

Last March, KMF witnessed all time low production: 31 lakh litres milk production per day. But just after three months KMF regained its momentum by producing 41,80,000 litres milk per day. According to industry experts, this is all time record compared to the last highest milk production of 40.41 lakh litres per day in June 2009. The federation has more than 22 lakh farmer members attached to 10,600 milk cooperative societies across Karnataka. Besides, it has 13 Milk Unions throughout the state that procure milk from Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) and distribute milk to the consumers in various urban and rural markets in Karnataka.

Almost every district in Karnataka has milk producing co-operatives. The milk is collected from farmers, processed and sold in the market by the brand of Nandini. Even milk giant Amul purchases some 50,000 litres per day from KMF. The federation was able to achieve the historic target because of price rise and government support. KMF managing director A.S. Premanath said: 'We are exporting milk not only to the neighbouring states but even to Singapore.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Are they armed to tackle inside corruption

2010-12-27T14:12:00.002+05:30

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With an increasing number of armed forces personnel found to be involved in cases of moral turpitude, it is being pertinently asked if the most disciplined system in the country is losing its grip over itself. Mayank Singh wonders

Usually considered to be the most incorruptible institution in the country, the Indian armed forces' reputation has seen some of its sheen waning in the recent years. Call it media activism (or rather over-activism, as Army officers love to call it) or whatever, but an increasing number of cases of corruption within the rank and file of the forces are coming to the fore. Be it the eloping of a colonel with his girlfriend, a lieutenant general accused of sexual harassment by a female colleague or high ranking officers found to be involved in land scams, the impeccable image of the forces does take a beating.

The flurry of media reports about officers of the Indian armed forces getting involved in acts of moral turpitude, deception and treachery has caused much consternation among the masses. What is more perturbing is that it's not just the lower rank officers whose name crop up in connection with corruption, moral or financial. It's the officers of the colonel, brigadier and lieutenant general ranks whose names come up in cases of debauchery and swindles. A.K. Nanda and Avadesh Prakash, both lieutenant generals, are the most recent and well-known examples.

The question is, if our armed forces are getting increasingly corrupt by the day or is it just that now such cases have started coming into the public domain, thanks to an aggressive and prowling media? The former conjecture can be true, so can be the second. May be both suppositions hold water. It depends on what side of the fence you are.

A senior officer in the South Block who has completed his staff tenure blames of sorts the media of 'dramatising' the things. He believes that corruption has not gone up in the armed forces. 'I appreciate that media reports things but sometimes it tends to paint everything black. It should not make generalisations. People don't let the inquiry finish and come out with the results. Officers accused of misconduct are declared guilty,' he says while talking to TSI, on the condition of anonymity.

Vice Admiral (retired) A. K. Singh is of the view that the organisation of the Indian armed forces is still as strong as it used to be, and should not be viewed as if something is wrong with them. He says, 'The system in the armed forces is very efficient and it reacts very quickly. It is a 1.3 million strong force and it may have one or two bad eggs. It gives immediate justice and does not wait for 25 years like in the Bhopal tragedy or the Tehelka case where the only people punished were the people from the forces.' He attributes the targeting of the armed forces by media on the saturation of reports on corruption by politicians and bureaucrats. He adds, 'The public consider the armed forces as the last institution in the country standing upright. It is fed up of the news about politicians and babus.' Some people opine that the armed forces draw their personnel from the general public. Every years lakhs of people vie for limited vacancies in the training institutes like the Indian Military Academy, Officer's Training Academy, Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy.

The editor of defence magazine Purple Berret, Commander Atul Bharadwaj, considers it to be over-fussiness to be so critical of the officers and men getting involved in the unexpected acts and behaviour. He says, 'Why is there so much fuss when the training and value system are strong. The armed forces never try to shield even very senior officers. Major General A. K. Lal was commanding a combat division and he was not spared.'

Armed Forces draw their men and officers from the same talent pool of society. 'In the post-globalisation world, the options have increased and the armed forces, too, are coming close to the society. The officers are leaving forces to join the corporate world. The armed forces have been traditionally kept away from society for this very reason that they do not catch the vices prevalent there,' says Bharadwaj, adding, 'Also keep in mind that there are very few senior positions in the organisation and this makes it vulnerable to all kinds of pushes and pulls and allegations.'

The forces have been at the receiving end because the cases which are filed against them are not defended or reported once they are found to be wrong. The case of Captain Poonam Kaur was found to be totally fabricated where she had alleged her senior colleagues of sexual harassment. The Shopian rape case is the most recent one where forces received an overwhelming negative publicity but when it was found wrong, it did not get any space or airtime in the newspapers and news channels. Same happened in Agartala Military Hospital where a civilian had levelled allegations of molestation against Colonel B. K. Das, which were later found to be incorrect.

The data of human rights violation, too, has a different picture to put forward. In 2006 and 2007, the number of cases reported were 21 and 27 respectively in Kashmir. Out of these 48 cases, 36 were found incorrect and some are still under investigation with three people already punished. Same picture comes up in the northeast as well. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, there were 19, 21 and 14 cases respectively reported. Of these 54 cases, 38 were found outrightly false. In the three legitimate cases, two people have been punished.

Vagaries of the changing times seem to be hitting the armed forces as well. The game of maligning fellow officers to knock them out of the reckoning for the higher posts has been happening, but the way issues of corruption and infighting are coming to the fore does talk of a decline in the discipline and the standards. These will have to be curbed before the forces totally lose their credibility as being the most ingenuous institution of the country.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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S. T. Coleridge to R. H. Brabant

2010-12-11T16:56:00.005+05:30

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Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a English lyrical poet, critic, and scholar, whose Musical Ballads, written with William Wordsworth, started the English Romantic movement. Though he's really merely famed today for his poetry, Col's contributions to the area of criticism and English language were several. For example, he not only create verbally the word 'selfless,' he brought in the word 'aesthetic' to the English language. In the following letter to his friend, Brabant, Coleridge talks about intricasies of life.

Monday Morning, march 13, 1815
Calne,

I missed the opportunity of sending the parcel on Saturday, by an Hour: and without affectation I did not think the contents of the inclosed Letter justified the expense of postage.'If you should have time to look over Dr Williams' larger work, in addition to what I have remarked in the slips of Paper, you will not fail to observe a sophism grounded on the admitted fact of the incapability to act aright in minds habitually vicious.

This, we all know, constitutes the difference between a crime and a vice: and makes the latter, even tho' comparatively trifling in each individual act, more hopeless and therefore of deeper Evil than any single Crime, however great: if only it be not such as involves as the condition of it's possibility, a prior vicious Habit.

This, I long ago observed, is the dire Curse of all habitual Immorality, that the impulses wax as the motives wane'like animals caught in the current of a Sea-vortex, (such as the Norwegian Maelstrohm) at first they rejoice in the pleasurable ease with which they are carried onward, with their consent yet without any effort of their will'as they swim, the servant gradually becomes the Tyrant, and finally they are sucked onward against their will: the more they see their danger, with the greater and more inevitable rapidity are they hurried toward and into it'.

Now from this fact Dr Williams deduces, that the inability to will good is no excuse for not doing so'in genere, and without reference to the origin of the inability'forgetting that our conscience never condemns us for what we cannot help unless this 'cannot in praesenti' is the result of a 'would not a preterity''all more Evil is either cum voluntate or de voluntate'. N.B. a voluntas causata is a contradiction, unless as causa sui.'Take Dr Williams's own instances'suppose the man stated as utterly incapable of loving God to have been created with this incapability, and you no more blame him than you blame a rattle snake for his Poison.'All Law human and divine acknowledges this distinction'as in the criminality of murder committed in drunkenness, and the impunibility of the same act committed in madness''.

Yours

S T Coleridge

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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A state of Disarray

2010-11-24T15:57:00.002+05:30

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In a part of India where nothing seems to work, the steel cities are a saving grace. By Saibal Chatterjee

A river named Subarnarekha – ‘streak of gold’ – runs through it. But even as the price of the precious yellow metal crosses the Rs 19000 per 10 grams mark, the stocks of the crisis-ridden state of Jharkhand continue to be in free fall. Is anybody surprised?

Well, you might be a touch baffled if you happen to be a denizen of the steel city of Jamshedpur, which is in more ways than one an oasis of order surrounded by a choppy sea of chaos. Its neatly numbered streets are tree-lined and perfectly carpeted, its parks are well looked after and its numerous residential colonies and markets are wrapped in an orderly feel. The upkeep of the city is done by the Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (JUSCO), a Tata Steel subsidiary. No wonder.

But drive just a few minutes away from the JUSCO-maintained part of town – into the messy suburb of Mango or the grimy industrial belt of Adityapur – and you know you are in God-forsaken Jharkhand. The private enterprise-public governance divide could not be any sharper than it is here.

In Jamshedpur, JUSCO is responsible for power and water supply, municipal solid waste management and maintenance of roads and parks. No matter what the power situation is in other pasrts of the state - it is usually very bad – the street lights of this city are always aglow from sunset to dawn.

In every civic sphere that one can think of, Jamshedpur usually runs like a well-oiled machine. Much the same is true of the other steel city of Jharkhand, Bokaro, which is a bustling industrial hub located on the banks of the Damodar. Like the rest of Jharkhand, it abounds in natural beauty.

Nature has indeed been gloriously kind to Jharkhand. Unfortunately, the politicians of the state have been anything but. As one drives from Dhanbad to Jamshedpur, Ranchi or Ghatsila, the splendour of the sylvan landscape can take your breath away on a clear day. But this is Maoist country, just a landmine away from mayhem. You cannot afford to let your guard down. Wherever possible, commuters in these parts prefer to travel in a convoy, seeking safety in numbers.

So, you retreat to the safety of Dimna lake, an artificial water body constructed by Tata Steel 13 km outside Jamshedpur, at the foothills of the lovely Dalma hills, or to the lush green Jubilee Park in the heart of the city that is lit up in many hues when the sun goes down. There is much here to commend.

A recent study commissioned by the Union urban development ministry has ranked Jharkhand among the worst states in India in terms of sanitation. However, Jamshedpur and Bokaro figure among the 50 cleanest cities of India. Of the 423 cities surveyed across the country, the former ranks 7th and the latter 48th. Ranchi, the state capital which was until 1967 the summer headquarters of Bihar, is placed a lowly 118th on the list. And therein lies a tale. Mango, which is in Jamshedpur but isn't a part of the Tata Steel command area, is 279th on the list, while Hazaribagh is 310th and Adityapur 399th. Endemic poverty, widespread squalor and an air of lawlessness are visible wherever you go, be it Ranchi, Dhanbad or Hazaribagh. Little has changed in these places since Jharkhand became India's 28th state. If anything, things have only deteriorated.

A road that emerges from the Dhanbad railway station and winds its way into the heart of town provides a classic demonstration of what is wrong with this part of the country. For three decades and more, this thoroughfare and the connecting lanes around it have remained exactly the way they were in the 1970s. Progress has bypassed this street and chaos reigns supreme on the stretch. Traffic rules in Dhanbad are followed more in the breach. People of this congested city where the coal mafia calls the shots are resigned to their fate.

When Jharkhand came into existence nearly ten years ago, a spark of hope had been ignited. But the potholed roads of Dhanbad have remained untouched by anything positive that might have happened in the rest of India. When Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in his hometown, Ranchi, he does drive around in his Hummer, but the ride in a chaotic city can be anything but a humdinger. Ranchi, once known for its salubrious climate, is now just another small town struggling to keep pace with unplanned urbanisation.

And it isn’t just the exploited tribal population that is deserting the state in search of a better life elsewhere. In the Civil Services Examinations of 2009, two girls schooled in Ranchi, Iva Sahay and Tanvi Sundriyal, ranked first and second among women candidates. But when it came to choosing their IAS cadre, they skipped their home state and instead opted for Rajasthan and Uttarakhand respectively. Political instability, a rising crime rate and rampant corruption have made Jharkhand a difficult place to work in.

Disillusionment runs deep in Jharkhand and it is difficult not to be caught in the debate surrounding the need to empower the indigenous people of the state. At the moment, the balance is loaded heavily against the marginalised tribal communities. In Ab Aur Waqt Nahin (Running Out of Time), a 2006 documentary film made by Abhijay Karlekar, an Adivasi says: “Sarkar badalne se kya hota hai? Hamari bhasha to woh samajhte hi nahin hain (So what if the government changes? They do not understand our language).”

The indigenous population of Jharkhand, which has been at the forefront of India’s industrial development strategy since Independence, has been left out of the growth curve. In the industrial units of Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Bokaro, the presence of tribals in the workforce is rare. Unskilled, they are condemned to look for odd jobs as daily wage labourers because agriculture has become an increasingly unviable option for the marginalised.

The tribes that the state was carved out for are today in grave danger of dropping off the map. If they do, will Jharkhand survive?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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KITES: From soar to sour

2010-11-15T17:44:00.003+05:30

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Pushed back release dates, pre-release hype and controversies, mega bucks marketing had all combined to raise anticipation and expectations to such high levels for “Kites” that I wouldn’t be surprised if the audience showed up with their own little checklist. Hrithik-Barbara chemistry? Check. Kickass action sequences? Check. Hrithik dancing like only he can? Yeah, baby! A crisp narrative that zips you through the two hour runtime smoothly? Uh oh. Great background score? Check. Songs to fit the mood? Erm...ouch!

Make no mistake, “Kites” is an impressive crossover attempt with its technicals very sound. From action to sound mixing to editing, it looks slick and exciting whether it is the nefarious hue of the neon lights of Vegas or the unforgiving pain of the New Mexico desert. But the story somehow contrives to become clumsy after a superb opening with J (Hrithik Roshan) falling in love with Gina (Kangana Ranaut), the daughter of casino mogul, Rob (Kabir Bedi, little screen time but suave as ever). Gina’s brother Tony (Nicholas Brown) is betrothed to Natasha (Barbara Mori) but J and Natasha fall for each other and decide to run away, leaving a vengeful Tony on their trail.

Hrithik and Barbara’s romance provides some lovely moments in the film and while Barbara is commendable, Hrithik shines bright with his earnest effortlessness. Less earnest is the rest of the cast and the script because both seem to run out of juice in the second half. Anurag Basu constructs a gritty and painful tale but at its heart it’s a simple Bollywood story with a Hollywood face lift. It’s worth a watch no doubt, but like a kite that has been cut from its thread and now lies torn among the branches of a tree, its utility is ephemeral.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Many corporates have their own CSR programmes

2010-09-21T15:42:00.003+05:30

ANURADHA MAJUMDER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SWAYAM

Many corporates have their own CSR programmes? What is it that further motivates them to invest in social sector through NGOs?
Where is corporate funding? We do not get any and neither are we interested in it. I can tell you one of our experiences. To provide relief to some of the poor women, who were subject to domestic violence and now wanted to have own source of income, we approached a corporate body of the city that was running its own CSR programme. They assured us to train and accommodate these women in some kind of jobs like room-service in hospitality sector. Keeping their requirements in mind we had send few women, but despite their eligibility the ladies were denied of the jobs. This is what you call CSR. I will not name the company. However, we were able to provide jobs to some of these girls at different petrol pumps in the city with the help of the franchisees.

There are several celebrities that can be seen associated, both directly and indirectly, with some or the other NGO? What are your views on the same?
Of course, presence of celebrities does make the task easier, as they are public figure and with them, the issue get publicised. Eminent rock singer Usha Uthup, film director Aparna Sen, drama and film critic Samik Bandyopadhyay were present in our different programme. In fact, Usha Uthup sang for two hours in a public programme and totally free of cost, just for the cause. These people have helped us to popularise our cause.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The best advice

2010-08-10T12:22:00.003+05:30

NARESH GOYAL
CHAIRMAN, JET AIRWAYS
“I try to maintain complete transparency in my principles and never compromise with them. I don’t remember precisely who gave me this advice, maybe it came from my own learnings in the corporate world.”

ARNAB GOSWAMI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TIMES NOW
”Well, largely I’ve been pretty much doing my own thing without following anyone’s advice. But I recall that at the time I was quitting NDTV a few years ago, my friend Uday Shanker (Star India CEO) advised me on the merits of flying solo. He said that ‘one’s real abilities are not tested until and unless they fly solo’. I joined Times Now and have not looked back ever since.”

AMIT BURMAN
VICE CHAIRMAN, DABUR INDIA
“My father always advised me that you should think about the welfare of Dabur first and then only cater to your personal emotional needs. I took that advice and today don’t regret passing the baton of Dabur Foods to a professional.”

M.A. MADHUSUDAN
CEO, VIRGIN MOBILE INDIA
A dear colleague of mine once told me that if you feel that something is right and it can give positive results just go ahead and do it – don’t deliberate too much. I treasure this mantra.”

ANN OLLESATD
AMBASSADOR, ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY
“I learned a lot from my daughter and one of the best advices she gave me was to be courteous to everyone, but to share your private thoughts with only a few. Also, India as a country always advises on the importance of living in harmony. ”

CHANDER M SETHI
CHAIRMAN AND MD, RECKITT BENCKISER
“Never howl on any situation, rather try to take all possible benefits from it.”

B.S. NAGESH
MANAGING DIRECTOR, SHOPPER’S STOP
“The best advice that I got was from one of my friends who advised me never to force people into anything. Consensus is better.”

ARVIND SHARMA
CHAIRMAN AND CEO, LEO BURNETT INDIA
“I got this advice in the first week of my MBA at IIM-A by Professor Balakrishnan. He said, you must define the problem correctly and chances are that you will solve the problem correctly.”

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Waiting for the dawn...

2010-06-28T15:02:00.001+05:30

Moreover, the bank has not just increased its ad volume, but it has also worked on a new branding strategy altogether. Right after the hurdle, it came across last year, the bank was quick enough to tweak its communication strategies. It moved away from its arrogant communiqué of ‘lead life on your terms’ to the ‘power of belief’. The new campaign not only echoed a soft voice of communication, but also presented the bank, which till then believed in aggressive growth alone, in a different manner altogether.

However, the biggest turning point for the bank could be its change in focus on the operations front. The bank, which once discouraged its customers from going to its branches and promoted the use of ATMs, is now persuading customers to visit its branches. Perhaps, it expects that a direct contact between the bank and the customers will not only help create a better relationship between the two, but also strengthen customers’ faith on the bank. Keeping that in mind, the bank has also reduced its huge army of direct selling agents by almost 70% with a target of zero reliance on any outsourcing for business acquisition and collections by next year. This certainly will help the bank gain some ground in the eyes of the customers, who have been irritated for the irrational behaviour of those external recovery agents.

But then, changing the way they operate alone won’t help it much. The internal workforce too has to deliver the best to the customers. Krishnan agrees, “No doubt, under Chanda Kochhar the bank is trying to regain lost grounds through advertisements and removal of external recovery system. But until and unless the bank improves its services it won’t be able to gain back the trust of its stakeholders.”

In the mean time, the bank is also working on its asset quality and capital adequacy, which actually brought them the crisis last year. As a result the asset quality of the bank has shown some signs of stabilisation. In absolute terms, the Gross NPAs of the bank have declined marginally, both on a y-o-y basis by 3% and on a sequential basis by 2%, to Rs.9,201 crore. In terms of capital adequacy too the bank is now at a stronger position. Explains Vaibhav Agrawal, VP – Research, Banking, Angel Broking, “Driven by a large net worth capital adequacy of ICICI Bank remained strong at 17.7% (Q2 FY09-10), comprising a substantial Tier-1 component of 13.3%. This puts the bank well for the imminent improvement in credit growth as the GDP outlook continues to improve.”

Moreover, as a part of its strategic change in focus and restructuring, the bank has now largely exited all its businesses outside its core competency including the small-ticket personal loans, which kept on bringing troubles every now and then for the bank. It has also reduced its non-India related exposures in international business. Though the books of the bank still do not reflect the results of such initiatives, analysts like Vaibhav believe that the bank is now well poised to grab the opportunities that would come in its way on account of the recovery. Investors too recognise the fact. As a result the share price of ICICI Bank has rallied from merely Rs.350 at the beginning of the present fiscal to over Rs.900 today.

However, the critical challenge for the bank will continue to win customers’ faith. K. J. Singh, CEO, Evolve Brands avers, “Riding on its campaigns since the beginning of the year, ICICI Bank’s image has certainly come a long way compared to the situation at the end of last year. However, service deliverance and right marketing strategies would help the bank in the long run.” Though the bank’s brand value has recovered by a fair margin as on date, critics say that it still has a long way to go. Apart from ad campaigns, the bank also needs more transparency in its operations, which perhaps has been a key reason for complaints against it in the past. By now, they’ve surely understood how even the smallest of ‘glitches’ can turn out to be an ultra-expensive ‘marketing’ proposition if customers lose faith in them?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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NO CHILD’S PLAY

2010-06-14T13:11:00.001+05:30

The success of child insurance plans actually rest on the need to secure one’s child’s future and fulfill their dreams. And this is exactly what Bharti AXA is targeting at as Mathur further adds, “Child Insurance policies are designed to keep money aside for higher education and further requirements of the child until he/she is completely self-sufficient. Hence, through our products, we aim to ensure that the dreams and future of children are safeguarded, even in the case of an unfortunate eventuality befalling the parents.”

However, all these plans can be fruitful for the insurers only when they manage to change the orthodox attitude of the general Indian parents. As a matter of fact in India, parents are not too keen on insurance products for their child’s education. Thus, the insurers (through advertisements/ agents/ advisors) have moved to the basics and talked to them about the financial implications they are likely to face if they don’t save enough for the D-day. The simple point raised by these campaigns (Max, Bajaj, Aviva, HDFC SL, et al) in a way has awaken and reminded them of their responsibility – to ensure their child’s future. And thus it has given a boost to the insurers. Anisha Motwani, Executive VP–Marketing and CMO–New Markets SBU, Max New York Life Insurance discloses, “The Karo Zyaada Ka Iraada campaign has successfully impacted our brand metrics in terms of brand awareness & consideration scores. With the launch of the campaign in Aug’08, Max New York Life witnessed an increase in brand awareness scores from 64% (Aug’08) to 73% (Nov’08).”

A similar line of thought comes from Aviva with their “Education is Insurance” campaign, wherein cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar (brand ambassador of Aviva) says, “Mein bhi ek pita hoon, aur mein yeh samajhta hoon.” The statement by the legend vividly captures the essence of the very idea that when it comes to children even the greatest cricketer is just another concerned parent. And no doubt, the Aviva, which holds 2.5% market share in the life insurance industry, has seen some real benefits accruing from the campaign over last one year. Share of revenue from child plans has grown smartly from a paltry 3% to a respectable 15% during the period.

Talking about Bajaj Allianz’s new campaign on child plans, Head of Marketing of the company Akshay Mehrotra avers, “It targets parents with a simple and honest question, put forth to them by their children, ‘have you planned for my future?’. This direct communication aims in awakening parents to their responsibility to financially plan for their child’s future.” As per the company the campaign emanates from the thought of having a clutter breaking message on the child plans in the crowded life insurance industry. The campaigns directly point out the importance of planning for the future of one’s child. Interestingly, despite the fact that there is already a rush of child plan campaigns, this particular one from Bajaj Allianz have not gone unnoticed. As per the official sources, Bajaj Allianz has received SMS and calls from as many as 7,500 parents who wanted to plan for their child’s future within the first four days of the launch of the new campaign (the campaign was launched on October 25, 2009).

It is true that child plans are not new to the Indian insurance market and also that the plans put forward by the insurers are not very different from each other both in terms of features and deliverables. But then, the way the insurers are marketing the ‘old wine in new bottles’ and creating awareness among the Indian parents is certainly praiseworthy. However, what is more crucial for the insurers is that they have to add depth to their products by these campaigns. Because, if they fail, their brilliant effort in creating the buzz may finally end up landing them no where. After all, even good ads kill brands too. Hope they know this.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

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New, insane endorsement-economics is blitzing B-town. Does it add up to make sense?! Monojit Lahiri tries to decode this new phenomenon...

2010-05-27T15:10:00.001+05:30

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

Celeb Advertising & Brand Endorsements have always come with the territory in Adville – especially in the last decade and a half. The Big B, SRK and M. S. Dhoni have (for example) rewritten the rules game to showcase every conceivable FMCG product category, attracting fee-deals that could wake the dead … or finance a couple of five-year plans of newly, independent countries – which ever came first! Revered icons with proven track record, their insane package (swear advertisers) is in direct proportion to their astonishing connect with every section of a celeb-hungry nation and thumping brand-equity they invest in the products they endorse. Fair enough … although TAM surveys and reports continue to indicate that less than 10% of the consumer-base of these ads actually purchase the products these (or any) stars endorse. Despite this, the fever rages on…

If that is difficult to fathom for the sane and logical mind, imagine hearing about new stars nowhere near the power and glory of the older lot, with no great earth-shaking track-record, charisma or mass-appeal (‘theek-theek’ according to a young Bolly-junkie) demanding and scooping up crazy paychecks on the endorsement front. Ranbir Kapoor – with one spectacular dud and one decent hit – is said to be hitting the Rs.4 crore mark! Imran Khan, with one decent hit and two dabbas is reportedly asking Rs.3.5 crore per endorsement. (It’s another matter that no one is playing ball, as yet!) Deepika Padukone – possibly the most successful of the lot – is in the Rs.2 crore bracket with Genelia D’souza, a little behind with Rs.1.5 crore. Interestingly, all of them (except Imran) have tripled their endorsement fees in the last few months and – well – are getting takers! So, who’s lost it, guys – the Advertisers, these new kids or the celeb-hungry bozos dedicating their life and times to B-town moves?

“The Dodo Advertisers who believe that casting a celeb will instantly rock their product’s image and bottom lines!” That’s the iconoclastic Pritish Nandy, forever ready to tilt at windmills. While it is totally true that movie stars and cricketers are perceived as the nation’s most glamorous, popular and favourite role-models, Nandy believes that there are two bigger truths defining the space “both advertiser-driven. One is the desire to do a quick kill in terms of public attention without the appropriate consideration to the brand fit. Two, the hysterical anxiety to be seen with these stars to go up the social ladder among his peer group.” The best advertising (ZooZoo, HDFC, Vodafone) don’t need to pursue this track, says Nandy, and are none the poorer for it. Ogilvy’s resident dude Sumanto Chat comes in next. He believes that it has to do with the huge youth-connect that these star-kids enjoy in a space and categories that cater to youngistan. Then, of course, there is a celeb-struck nation and finally “a leg-up in image for the Advertiser and his company!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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WHEN SCIENCE MEETS POLITICS!

2010-05-07T16:56:00.003+05:30

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India

Columnist Shobhaa De feels that Brand Abdul Kalam represents simplicity, humility and wisdom. “As President, he brought a great deal of down-to-earthness at the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan,” she says, adding that Kalam’s compassion towards the underprivileged sections of society, and for children in particular, touched a billion hearts. The son of a boatman (he sold newspapers to fund his school tuition fees), who finally occupied place of pride as the Indian President (2002 and 2007) – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam continues to command immense brand value in India’s political and social sweepstakes. Hailed by many as India’s Missile Man for his work on the development of ballistic missile and space rocket technology, Kalam also played a major role in the famous Pokhran-II nuclear test of 1998. Whether you bow to his intellectual will that helped India touch the highest frontiers in science and technology or his unambiguous love for children, this brand commands a huge premium...

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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What an Impact!

2010-04-09T13:05:00.002+05:30

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

so it turns out that Walmart’s ambitious five-year long ‘Project Impact’, to redesign the overly cluttered stores and to create a shopper-friendly environment by reducing the merchandise, has resulted in declining sales of the Bentonville retail major. Reason: Less merchandise on display and losing on to millions of square feet of merchandise space has affected per square feet sales. So what should be the way forward for Walmart? Abandon the project, or continue with it? “Changes generally don’t go too well with consumers. Starbucks’ sales were impacted similarly when it underwent a transformation last year and Starbucks was forced to go back to its original positioning. Cutting down on unwanted merchandise may be impacting sales currently, but in the long run, it will help Walmart to rationalise its SKUs,” avers Beth Higgins of Euromonitor.

Savreen Gadhoke

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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AEGON RELIGARE - AGENCY: MEDIACOM

2010-03-25T13:18:00.003+05:30

Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

CHALLENGE: Being the 18th private player to enter the overtly cluttered insurance sector (which not only had similar products & services, but also much the same communication); grabbing TG’s attention toward the brand was the challenge in front of this brand.

SOLUTION: Contrary to the predictable conventional launch, the brand engaged TG by generating curiosty around the brand by a two-pronged strategy: devising communication that fosters interest in the brand and reaching out to him where he is most susceptible and responsive. Eye-catchy acronym ‘KILB’ – “Kam insurance lene ki bimari” created awareness about the need to evaluate the correct amount of insurance cover required. Phrases like ‘Kya aapko KILB hai?” created instant inquisitiveness amongst TG.

TOUCH POINTS: The brand reached out to the TG at relevant touch points – sometimes even by entering his daily routine so that KILB could gain maximum attention. New media was created and used innovatively – screensavers, ‘KILB +ve’ stickers beneath nameplates in offices, seal marks in newspapers, viral CEO mailers, financial portals, et al.

RESULT: Overall, the slickly executed campaign managed to generate over 42,000 leads for the brand agents – almost double the number usually generated by top players in the category who work with nearly 50% higher budgets.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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Many would like to forget the tyrannical dictators, but a new AIDS awareness campaign uses them to portray AIDS as a mass murderer.

2010-03-04T12:13:00.002+05:30

Sheer shock value makes this one worthwhile says Aditi Prasad

Creative Director at the Hamburg, Germany-based ad agency Das Comitee, Dirk Silz can’t believe that the one campaign, which has managed to win him global recognition may never see the light of the day. But that is precisely what may happen if AIDS associations across Europe have their way. The 45 second video campaign, created by Silz, shows a couple having sex. Towards the end the face of the man becomes that of Adolf Hitler. The closing message: ‘AIDS is a Mass Murderer.’ The campaign also includes radio spots, music videos and posters featuring Saddam Hussein and Josef Stalin. “Until now 28 million people have died of AIDS all over the world. And even today more than 5,000 people succumb daily to the deadly disease. We knew we’ll have to make a hard campaign and so zeroed in on the cruelest mass-murderers in history – Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam Hussein,” Silz told this magazine in an e-mail interview.

Designed to promote World AIDS Day in December and scheduled to run on German TV and movie theaters, the campaign (posted on YouTube till recently when it was pulled off for hurting sentiments) has expectedly set off a storm of protests from organisations representing people with AIDS across Europe. They believe that the ad, commissioned by Regenbogen (an AIDS charity in Germany) seems designed for little more than shock value and is downright offensive to HIV infected people. Even the National AIDS Trust, which coordinates World AIDS Day in Britain, has distanced itself from the commercial believing that it further stigmatises HIV positive patients.

Whether or not the campaign sees the light of the day, the sheer reach of the World Wide Web and particularly YouTube has ensured that both Silz and the campaign have already earned more than their five minutes of fame in the global advertising industry. Affirms Silz, “We thought that the campaign will polarise in Germany because of Hitler. There may be just a local discussion on whether it’s okay to make advertising with Hitler. But interestingly, we’ve got e-mails from England, France, US, Canada, Spain, Venezuela, South Korea... People from 125 counties visited our homepage to view these ads.” If the idea was merely to get everybody talking about AIDS again, this one’s sure achieved it. And Silz certainly has no regrets about giving the face of Hitler, Stalin and Saddam to perhaps the most controversial virus to hit mankind!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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You are under my umbrella!

2010-02-22T14:49:00.003+05:30

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

The insurance industry certainly seems to be the cynosure of India Inc. In fact, the industry, which posted a whopping growth to the tune of 45% (life insurance) and 16% (non-life insurance) for FY 2009, is all set to see the entry of new players. Be it Bank of Baroda, Larsen & Tourbo (L&T), Edelweiss or State Bank of India; the renewed interest in the sector certainly signals a positive future for it. While L&T plans to foray into the general insurance business by 2010, Bank of Baroda is expected to commence its life insurance business in the next seven months. Even SBI is expected to start its general insurance business by the end of this fiscal year. Moreover, what is interesting to note is the fact that while there is no clear indication of reforms flowing in from the government, the capital intensive business is attracting the interest of major groups. Perhaps, the low penetration (4% for life insurance and 0.6% for general insurance) and the regulator IRDA’s recent initiative is guiding their decisions. Agrees Debashis Sarkar, Sr. Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max New York Life Insurance, “The exclusion of mortality and morbidity charges from the cap will ensure that there is no compromise on growth in sales of valuable life cover. This is of critical importance in a country like India where 96% of the households are vulnerable. In addition, the life insurers will not have to resort to cross subsidisation across age groups to meet charge cap. The decision clearly indicates that IRDA wants life insurance to be viewed as a long-term protection product.” This clear cut long term objective from the regulator has further given a boost, not only to the domestic players, but also to the international players. Moreover, despite the current hurdles, it’s certain that the FDI norm will be eased for the sector (sooner or later), a reason why many more are mulling over the insurance business!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

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Airtel has always used strong marketing messages to get to the consumers’ hearts. Surbhi Chawla communicates the true brand within...

2010-02-16T12:51:00.001+05:30

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

Raman Roy,
MD, Quatrro, BPO solutions

“Airtel Today, is considered to be synonymous with a force that can bring about a big change in the Indian wireless industry. Today one cannot imagine life without a cellphone, as our entire life seems to be revolving around the same. A mobile phone from a luxury item, has become a utility tool and Airtel has played a very important rolE in bringing about this change. it has also in its own way, played a very important part in our lives. It is very hard to imagine that about 15 years ago, Airtel was not there as a brand or a product. but today, it is difficult to imagine the country without the brand airtel, which stands for being valuable and most innovative. It has a great width and the spread of its network is something that not many can match upto.”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

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Moving beyond the Indian Diaspora

2010-01-20T16:02:00.004+05:30

Shah Rukh Khan and his best pal Karan Johar aka KJ have just entered a joint venture with Fox tra Studios to finance and distribute one of their biggest projects so far – ‘My name is Khan’. While Fox Star Studios will distribute the movie in Asia, its subsidiaries, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, will dole it out in the US and the rest of the world. And if the grapevine is to be believed, the deal, which is pegged to be one of the biggest for an Indian film, is worth about Rs.100-120 crore. This certainly sounds extraordinary, but then, the question is – Is there really a market for an Indian film beyond desi diaspora? And when we say Indian, we mean a film about India, made by an Indian, featuring Indian stars. “After meeting with Karan and Shah Rukh, and hearing their vision for this film, I was deeply affected by this story and I feel that it will touch moviegoers around the world. With Shah Rukh’s global popularity coupled with Karan’s commercial sensibilities, ‘My Name is Khan’ will sure be a global hit,” avers Jim Gianopulos, Chairman, Fox Filmed Entertainment. No doubt, in the last couple of years, brand ‘India’ has become a global phenomena, particularly in the media & entertainment space, be it TV or movies. But then, this is the first time that an Indian movie will be launched globally at such a massive scale and that too beyond the Indian diaspora. So, is King Khan ready for the real test? “Of course he is,” his fans voice together!

Pallavi Srivastava

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
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600 down! More to go?

2010-01-15T12:39:00.000+05:30

Starbucks’ expansion has presumably backfired; so the coffee king has put in place a new plan of action. But why will this work better than before?

It’s a classic problem of plenty. If you had limited money and if you had to invest in either expanding retail outlets or maintaining/improving quality in current outlets (with each choice being mutually exclusive of the other), which one would you have chosen in the current times of economic slowdown? One line of thought would say that people don’t stop drinking coffee even when there is slowdown, so it’s better to expand. Another line of thought would say that people would surely stop drinking coffee during economic slowdown ‘if’ the coffee was a premium (relatively) high priced brand; and therefore the focus should then be on consolidating current customers, improving and maintaining quality rather than on expansion.

The $10 billion turnover Seattle based Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, went in for the former; that is, expanded. But more interestingly, in their expansion drive, they adopted a mixed positioning strategy (that is, they positioned Starbucks as a coffee for masses, yet tried to hold on to their premium positioning). The result? It was forced to shut down 600 stores across the globe – a hefty number considering that Starbucks has 16,000 plus stores globally. While the share price was at a high of close to $17 a year back on Nasdaq, it fell rapidly to the $7-8 range by the first quarter of this year.

Starbucks, because of a focus on expansion rather than delivering a quality coffee product, ended up in a situation where the brand was definitely available to a wider consumer group; but because of the premium price, it was still not affordable to everyone,” explains Elizabeth Higgins, Consumer Foodservice Industry Manager, Euromonitor International. But all was not lost; as Starbucks perchance realised the mistake and immediately started correcting the positioning back to a premium one. To that effect, the coffee king has taken in many measures. For example, Starbucks is planning to roll out coffee in small quantities and also is adding items such as wine and beer to its menu for evening visitors. Apart from this, it also plans to offer live entertainment to its customers by way of movie screenings, live music, dance, community theatre, et al. “Their recent [changed] focus on the product should help them win back consumers that were turned off previously by the quality or service,” adds Higgins.

However, the challenge that lies ahead of it is that if Starbucks wishes each one of its stores to be on the same pattern, it may have to shut down some more stores, especially those in areas where consumer segments are not interested in spending more for coffee. What has been the current result? Net revenues for the quarter gone by (Apr-Jun 09) fell 6.6% to $2.40 billion from $2.57 billion in the same quarter previous year, more because of outlets being closed down. What about profit? For the quarter in question, Starbucks got in $151.5 million as net profit. This is considerable, as last year same quarter they had a huge loss of $6.7 million. So are things looking up? Well, the share price has already crossed 52 week high barrier of $17 in Jul-Aug 2009...

Savreen Gadhoke

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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All roads lead to... !

2010-01-06T13:53:00.000+05:30

Government’s new found love for private enterprises seems to be finally taking shape in the form of PPPs. No doubt, they are the only way forward for the Indian economy towards growth at present, but then, there are areas which need immediate attention, if the government doesn’t want to hit a road block, feels Niharika Patra

What can be more surprising to a person, who is visiting India after a long time, than a host of long and shimmering roads, swanky buildings and above all, a sudden increase in the quality of basic amenities provided by the government. After all, it’s a never-seen-before India for him!

All thanks to the government’s new found love for private business houses, an impressive combination of public projects and private money is finally making India a place to be. Though, one cannot disagree that the results have been few and far, but the good thing is that the whole concept of mixed economy is finally coming up with the combination, which is certainly making the idea click.

In fact, public-private partnership (PPP) is that one thing which can make India rub its shoulders with the dragon nation, when it comes to world-class infrastructure coupled with the much needed push for the Indian economy. Agrees M. Y. Reddy, Committee Head, Infrastructure, FICCI, “Applying PPP model to the infrastructure is what can give the sector the necessary boost that it wants as of now.”

Though the idea is not new for the Indian policy makers, PPPs have been utilised to a greater extent only during the last decade or so (and that have been mostly limited to roads, airports, ports, bridges, et al). However, the recent announcements made by Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, to provide infrastructure sector the much needed push, through clearing of pending PPP projects, would surely open new doors, not only for the private sector, but will also make projects like that under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI, which requires 60 highways to be built across India with an upward investment of Rs.70,000 crore) get going once again.

Even steel, ports and the Railways have been waiting for long for some big programme implementations under PPP. In fact, a latest report by BNP Paribas shows that the Railways alone provides for an investment opportunity close to a whopping Rs.2.7 lakh crore in the next eight years. Of the whole corpus, an investment of Rs.68,000 crore is alone needed by the Dedicated Freight Corridor, which covers 2,800 kms of rail corridor across seven states of India.

But then, that’s not all. Poverty eradication and social reforms too are reaching ground levels and this is where the PPP model is eying for a big opportunity. In fact, Food Security Bill, which talks about providing grains to the poor at Rs.3, can do wonders coupled with a proper distribution system. For instance, the use of Smart Cards (for the distribution of food grains), the latest innovative step that allows the holder to check the status of their application and stock while facilitating easier and more transparent distribution of stocks, provides huge business opportunity to Smart Card producers, who have been eagerly waiting to tap the huge potential in the public sector. The initiative (which has already tasted success in National Health Insurance Scheme) can be seen as a win-win solution for both the government as well as private players. Avers S. Kumarswamy, Chairman, Agrochemicals Promotion Group, “Public distribution has been a problem not only for the BPL families, but also for the ingredient suppliers of fertilisers and seeds because of the rampant corruption.” Certainly, Smart Cards would to a great extent also help in removing that devastating loophole.

Education too, has seen PPPs mushrooming up. The latest plans of Education Minister Kapil Sibal to make vocational training more accessible indicate a bright future for PPP based ventures in up-gradation of ITIs. Till now 171 ITIs have already been identified by the government for upgradation under PPP basis. If implemented in a proper manner it has the potential to transform the education system in the country.

But then, PPPs don’t come without hiccups. While PPPs are proving to be a good means of turning out quality projects, there are long-term troubles attached to the model. The first and foremost is the time. While the tenders are given with a time-frame attached to them, the projects, most of the times, don’t end up on time. Raison d’être: the regulatory loopholes. Price too contributes heavily at times to such conflicts.

For instance, even with PPPs in line, power is one sector that has seen conflicts between the parties, both at the cost and price front. In fact, coming to a fair price agreement is the biggest hurdle in effective use of PPP model. “For augmenting investment, it is critically important to move from fixed rates to market determined rates,” agrees T. N. Thakur, Chairman, Power Trading Corporation.

Moreover, the number of PPPs on the social infrastructure front is also too small at present. In fact, it’s the current policy environment in the country that is discouraging private players from lending in their hands to the government for such projects. Further, wherever a PPP model exists, it’s mostly an Indian company doing the Tango with the government. The contribution from foreign players’ is almost missing.

“Decentralisation of power and quick decision making is what will make the PPP model click in India. Further, it’s important that empowered monitoring mechanisms are put in place so that all such projects are implemented in a time bound and phased manner,” Satish Bagrodia, President, PHDCCI tries to suggest a solution to the problem.

No doubt, in order to make the elephant dance, both private and public players have to dance together too. After all, it takes two to tango, they say! But then, the harmony somehow seems missing as of now and that is certainly not a good sign. If you don’t believe us, ask a dance instructor!

Niharika Patra

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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How the hand Rocked the Lotus, Elephant, Bicycle, Lantern...

2010-01-05T13:47:00.000+05:30

Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You

The revamp of the 124-year-old party and brand continues. Says Santosh Desai, CEO of Future Brands, “Congress as a party has understood that Indian elections are the largest marketing exercise in the world and that inclusive growth can be the best USP of the Congress brand.” But, inclusive growth does not mean literally going back to the villages embracing the old dogmas of socialism. The appointment of Nandan Nilekani as the head of the Unique Identification Authority with the rank of a Cabinet Minister sends out another powerful message about the new brand Congress – talent is welcome, even if it is from the private sector. If and when Nandan Nilekani succeeds in his mission, the Congress would have used a private sector entrepreneur to execute one of the most critical ‘public’ tasks. Tamper proof I cards can ensure the poor actually get the benefits from social welfare schemes. And if money meant for the poor actually manages to reach the poor, brand Congress would have nurtured a massive base of loyal consumers (Voters). There are twin benefits of this ‘private-public strategy, according to Congress insiders. Having Nandan Nilekani lead this mammoth task will be a big hit with the Gen Next that idolises successful and ‘ethical’ entrepreneurs like Nilekani and looks up to them as role models. Then again, Nilekani’s success means more than 400 million rural consumers will have a solid reason to choose Congress over other brands.

This unabashed and unapologetic ‘coupling’ of Brand Congress with the aam aadmi can be seen even in the Budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. He has simply junked the old – and insidious – habit of finance ministers of doling out largesse to corporate titans and Dalal Street while paying lip service to the poor. This Pranab budget is all about rural India, about farmers and about poor Indians everywhere. And more importantly, the Budget has not taken any step to take the Indian economy back to the bad old days of crony ‘socialism’. This aam aadmi socialism yes; but of a kind where entrepreneurs and wealth creators will have a key role to play. Senior Congressmen understand the potential power of this strategy. Says Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari, “ The Budget is a judicious mix of short term stimulus, medium term fiscal prudence and long term institutional reform.” When asked about how the market is perceiving the Budget as a marketing exercise, the politician Tiwari is quick to retort, “I don’t think the Budget can be really seen as an image building exercise or a kind of a political platform. A Budget can be evaluated in the context of circumstances.” Tiwari may be coy, but the marketing and advertising world knows that the budget is actually a huge boost for the new brand identity of Congress.

And lest you think that brand Congress is now all about doling out sops to the poor without a future vision, please re-examine what the Minister for Human resources Kapil Sibal has been saying for a while. Sibal has loudly and persistently made it clear that the private sector must play a key role in revamping India’s messy education system. Sibal and his team understand clearly that India can never reap the demographic dividend with the current education system where rent seeking and corruption is rife and rampant. Sibal is laying down a vision where the young – both rich and poor – will have more choices when it comes to education and careers. Once implemented, this strategy will create one whole generation of loyal consumers who have not yet reached the legal age of voting!

And of course, no matter what you and I say or the aam aadmi says, Brand Congress will also be closely identified and linked with Brand Gandhi. Like it or not, it is Sonia Gandhi who first gave a new lease of life to the dying Congress in 2004. In 2009, the CEO to be Rahul Gandhi is getting ready to take over from his mother, with sister Priyanka always around as a strategic advisor. Says Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, “While Sonia resonates to dignity and simplicity, Rahul implies to modernity.”

That, as rivals of Brand Congress have realised painfully, is an unbeatable identity for a brand to have!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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New-Age Ads Irresponsible Or Reality-Driven?!

2009-12-31T12:04:00.000+05:30

1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”

Leo Burnett’s Pops Sridhar agrees. He believes it’s a “generational thing” and strongly requests the kill-joy brigade not to drag morality, values and integrity into it. As Mathias pointed out, advertising hypes life to make it look sexy for the viewer – but it’s almost always rooted in fact and truth. Be it Ogilvy’s Mentos ad, or Perfetti [Papa at a party. Papa in the office. Papa at home] ad, Bates’ Virgin Mobile ad, Ogilvy’s MotoYuva ads – it’s a throw-back on the times we live in. “Relationships, codes of conduct and ways of expression have undergone a sea-change. It’s a cooler, more informal and chilling time. The old authoritarian dad-kids relationship, in urban India is a thing of the past. They are more buddies and engaged in closer, warmer bonding. Kids are cheekier and adults are cooler. That’s the truth and that’s what these ads show, say and express,” avers Pops. Mridu Manjrekar, however, is neither amused nor impressed. “These ad-wallahs are master spin-doctors, ready with glib explanations that appear both truthful and convincing, but scratch the surface and its bullcrap!” The school teacher and mother of two teenage kids, “sees this brand of advertising as insidious and dangerous.” Couched in entertainment, it hits the target spot-on and instantly – at a subliminal level – creates mischief through propagating wrong values. [Its no sin to bullshit parents; cheat girlfriends; mock teachers! Nothing is sacred, precious or non-negotiable. Nothing is a big deal. Its ‘just- chill-yaar’ time.] Scary!

At the end of the day, one thing needs to be recognised and realised in a cool and objective manner. Barring some overtly vulgar ads, most of the stuff discussed is not really offensive, either in terms of morals or values. Remember, the rigid good and bad, moral and immoral, done and not done zones don’t exist anymore. It’s an age of confluence, not conflict. To be cheeky or naughty is ‘not’ perceived as a cardinal sin, which calls for capital punishment! Humour [audacious or irreverent] is cool. As for influencing and corrupting kids, 10 is the new 15! Good, sensible parenting is the answer. Besides, don’t forget that if you give kids wings, they’ll surely develop roots…

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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3 ghosts of the future?!

2009-12-29T12:34:00.000+05:30

IIPM Admission Detail

US giants need a bailout package of $75 billion. Now!

The newly elected US President Barack Obama recently met the current president George Bush and spoke about a series of issues, including bailout packages for the US auto majors. The situation of the US auto sector is even worse than that of India, as the auto majors are begging for bailouts, with all urgency! The accused in this case are the three Detroit giants – Ford, GM and Chrysler, whose financials are getting worse, every passing month! The three automakers have asked for a $50 billion package from the US government, which will help them combat the current crisis. Interestingly, this figure doesn’t include the additional $25 billion which the government has agreed to grant to the automakers to produce energy efficient vehicles.

Well, in a situation where almost five million jobs rely on the auto sector, falling apart of the sector surely means a state of urgency! It is a situation where the stock prices of these auto giants is tumbling by the trading hour and their operating cost shows no signs of falling. Surely, for now, it’s about breathing hard, underwater for the giants. Strange though, it was the same trio that once ruled the world of automakers. Today, they have been reduced to brands that might just becomes ghosts for the American future. Obama, you there? Bailout is the word!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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SOME UNUSUAL BUSINESS

2009-10-19T15:26:00.000+05:30

The last year had not been easy for Hindustan Unilever (HUL). But India’s largest FMCG behemoth fought the blues and posted a net profit of Rs.24.96 billion for the 15-month ending March 2009.

HARISH MANWANI, CHAIRMAN, HUL

How did HUL do it? Well, in Chairman Harish Manwani’s words it was via a paradoxical strategy of “business as usual on growth and business unusual on costs.” At first, struggling with increasing prices of critical raw materials, HUL tried every known trick in the trade to balance its cost, price and profit equation. They raised prices of their shampoos, detergents and tea brands and even reduced grammage of some products. While these measures helped HUL in achieving decent sales growth, increased prices led to a simultaneous decline in volumes. But when inflation reared its ugly head, HUL was again forced to cut prices of its key brands to stay competitive.

It was then that Manwani took the decision to convert the impending crisis into an opportunity. Realising that those conventional strategies would be unable to bail HUL out of its predicament, Manwani implemented three crucial strategies to balance the company’s toplines and bottomlines. He first declared a ‘war on waste,’ wherein the company reduced its fixed cost component. Primarily, HUL began buying its raw materials (commodities) on a monthly basis instead of the previous annual cycle to take advantage of the fluctuations in the commodity market. Says Dibyajyoti Bora, FMCG Analyst, CII, “In the long term, the move will help HUL take advantage of futures contracts and save costs.” The company followed this up by ‘straddling the pyramid’ to capture uptrading opportunities. Actually with an increase in prices, HUL had started losing market share to cheaper rivals.

To counter this, they rationalised their stock keeping units (SKUs) and spread out their vast product portfolio at new price points. Tweaking their go-to-market strategy to cut flab at the front end added more push. For FY10, HUL has decided to revamp its entire product portfolio and relaunch several brands like Rexona, Breeze, Kissan Fruit Jam, et al. The bid is to enhance ad budgets for brands like Hamam and Liril. Business unusual? Naah!

Savreen Gadhoke

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Grandiose as the Taj

2009-08-28T13:50:00.000+05:30

IIPM, GURGAON

Their hospitality matches the grand name. There’s nothing left to say when its employees don’t leave their guests even during a terror attack...

When Jamshed Ji Tata created history way back in 1903 with the opening of India’s first luxury hotel, little did he know that Taj will be hitting the headlines of global media after a century. But it did, although for all the wrong reasons - a terror attack. Nevertheless, the tragic incident displayed the heroics of the employees of this prestigious hotel. Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group, gets emotional when he talks of the incident. “The heros of that evening were members of staff, many of whom lost their lives. But people used their head and saved people, and sheltered so many of the guests who were there either for dinner or otherwise, and got them out.” The incident showcased the commitment of Taj employees towards their service who refused to escape even in that situation of extreme terror. Small wonder that the Taj emerged with an even more glowing reputation after 26/11. The daily routine of a Taj employee is nothing similar to the incidents of that fateful day, but the dedication to serve its guests is almost similar.

We spoke to a 30-year-old chef at Taj on conditions of anonymity (as it’s against the company policy to allow its mid-level staff to interact with the media) to get a hang of his activities through the day. He told us that his day starts early and begins with planning the day - staff duty planning, updating staff about kebab & curry, stabilising hygienic standards of the kitchen, looking after the staff’s personal hygiene, receiving various supplies (which come on daily basis like butchery, dairy et al), co-ordatinating with managers in charges of banquet functions, setting the menus for the day... phew! And the fellow is not even complaining! In fact, he says, each of his colleagues have a similar level of commitment to serving guests at the hotel.

No wonder that the foreign tourist arrival in the Taj increased by a whopping 6% and summed up to 5.37 million tourist’s inflow in 2008 despite fears of recession looming around. Even the RevPar along with ARRs increased at a good rate. Taj has an edge over others as it has changed itself with time. They were among the first in the country to introduce 42 inch plasma TVs in all rooms along with ergonomic imported chairs worth $500 each, L-shaped work stations, steam baths in place of traditional bath tubs and more. Hospitality analyst Amol Rao avers, “What makes Taj best among the lot is its constant drive to provide customised services to its customers.” Truly, a day at one of the icon brands of India has to be as great as the name itself.

Neha Saraiya

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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If music be the food of ads, Rahman rocks!

2009-08-10T13:04:00.000+05:30

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Brand: World Space Radio
Agency: O&M

It was a music everyday-everywhere overdrive with maestro A. R. Rahman himself. And while the satellite radio is not doing too well now, within 45 days of the campaign’s launch, WorldSpace had 2,00,000 queries & awareness shot up from 40% to almost 80%.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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MANISH BHATT, SR. VP & ECD, CONTRACT

2009-07-25T14:03:00.000+05:30

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1. Fevicol’s shadow ad
2. Hutch’s ad campaign prior to its transformation to Vodafone
3. Coke’s ‘Thanda matlab Coca Cola’ campaign featuring Aamir Khan
4. Happydent’s light ad campaign
5. The Times of India’s ‘Lead India’ campaign

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Health ka funda

2009-07-21T12:36:00.000+05:30

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For years, Britannia had known only Parle as competition and that too primarily in the glucose segment. The premium cookie segment of the market was dominated by its own brands, including Good Day, 50:50, Little Hearts, Treat, et al. A few years ago, an aggressive ITC sauntered in with its Sunfeast brand and Britannia’s cookie cart showed signs of tumbling. To deal with the challenge, MD Vinita Bali launched Britannia’s new healthy positioning last April. She re-jigged Britannia’s portfolio by dividing it into ‘delight and lifestyle’ and ‘health & wellness’ and even hired two independent category directors for the same. The strategy hit bull’s eye. The cookie major has grown at an average of 21% (till December 08’) ever since and is eyeing a $1billion turnover by 2011 (see cover story)!

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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Sun Microsystems is a pale shadow of its former ‘dotcom’ self.

2009-07-06T16:15:00.000+05:30

IBM’s proposed takeover would be the last nail in its coffin, says Ratan lal Bhagat of 4Ps B&M

Dark and dense clouds are engulfing it from all directions. And the Sun of Silicon Valley does not appear to have very strong chances of making it beyond this rough weather. Moreover, a ‘big blue’ monster is just waiting to devour it.

“The economic downturn continues to weigh on our customers, especially those that contribute to our traditional high-end businesses,” said Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems while declaring Sun’s results for the quarter ending March 2009. The player has registered heart shattering successive losses of $1.677 billion and $209 million for the last two quarters. One of the primary reasons is that around 40% of Sun’s total sales are generated from companies in the financial services and telecom domain. The ongoing financial crisis has seriously crippled the funds of its present and prospective clients, thus forcing them to pull back on technology spends.

However, that is not the only reason for the dismal performance of Sun Microsystems. The Santa Clara, California-based software giant has been beset by problems galore, ranging from slowing demand leading to falling revenues, product slip-ups, growing competition and a stock that has lost three-quarters of its value in the last fiscal year alone.

It all began when this dotcom darling was unable to make its much touted hardware to software shift. Moreover, competitors took the advantage of Intel chips and Windows software to push cheaper machines into the market, a strategy ex-CEO Scott McNealy rigidly refused to deploy.

“Strategically, we continue to focus on two core areas - creating the world’s largest, and fastest growing developer communities – for whom we build the products, services and technologies on which they’ll build their products and services. And secondly, we deliver compelling commercial offers in the form of systems, software and services to those deploying applications – across a diversity of industries – through commercial subscription, services and optimised system products,” explains KP Unnikrishnan, Regional marketing director- Emerging markets(LATAM, EMMA, Greater China & India), Sun Microsystems. Surely, Sun has relentlessly poured billions of dollars into new products for a decade to overcome the dot-com fallout, but with its high-cost business model, many products are taking way too long to hit the market and revive its fortunes.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Marketing of Nimbooz and LMN

2009-06-17T12:10:00.001+05:30

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

As for Nimbooz and LMN, both offer 200ml tetra packs for Rs.10. Nimbooz also offers a 200ml RGB for Rs.10. However, while Nimbooz may gain a competitive edge on its 350ml PET bottle (Rs.15) as compared with LMN’s 500ml PET bottle for Rs.23; LMN will gain on its 110ml tetra pack, which Parle Agro intends to sell for Rs.5. Says Parle Agro’s Chauhan, “The strategic price point is developed keeping in mind the distribution opportunity for the brand LMN. Considering we are fresh and natural lemon drink, our main competitor was the product at the stalls and the home made nimbu pani. At stalls, a glass of nimbu pani is sold for Rs.6. We’ve made it possible to have packaged and hygienic nimbu pani at Rs.5. Considering it has huge opportunity to penetrate into all kinds of markets, we wanted to have price points that spanned across a wide range, allowing anyone to be able to afford our beverage.” Titus of PepsiCo too is not wary of competition as she says, “Sooner or later competition will arrive. We welcome competition as it helps to stimulate the category.” As far as reach is concerned, all four viz. PepsiCo’s Nimbooz, Coca-Cola’s Fanta Apple and Parle Agro’s LMN and Appy Fizz have up to one million outlets each through which these drinks are sold to customers across India. To ensure the success of these drinks, the honchos of respective drinks have wasted a lot of chalk at the drawing board. For instance, Fanta Apple was first launched in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in November 2008 before going for a nation-wide launch. Ask Venkatesh Kini, VP-Marketing, Coca-Cola India the strategy behind this move and pat comes the reply, “These states acted as testing grounds for our products. Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan city, which has a lot of affinity for Coca-Cola brand. In Tamil Nadu, the launch was aptly timed around Pongal so the response was good.” Titus avers, “An extensive consumer research was carried out to validate Nimbooz.” LMN, on the other hand was not test marketed but launched after an intensive study undertaken by Parle Agro’s in-house R&D team.

Another vital determinant deciding the success of the products is their advertising and communication strategies. Fanta Apple has roped in Genelia D’Souza (of Jaane tu ya jaana na fame) to endorse the product. A TVC conceptualised by Ajay Gehlaut of O&M hit the small screen soon after the product launch. “The commercial for Fanta Apple gives a fresh dimension and a different expression to the message. It highlights how subtly yet intelligently youth gives it back to those who irritate them,” says Gehlaut. Furthermore, Fanta Apple will also support an integrated 360-degree marketing campaign involving BTL, POS and POP marketing, digital advertising, et al. On the other hand, PepsiCo too has launched an intensive consumer activation campaign to promote Nimbooz. Besides releasing an ad-campaign (which highlights Nimbooz’s ‘Ekdum Asli Indian’ proposition) created by BBDO India, there is also a 360-degree marketing plan including multi-city launches, road shows, comprehensive 3D activation, OOH, radio and press. As part of its BTL initiative, a Nimbooz Highway Gaddi will visit the four major Indian highways to promote the product and educate consumers. Talking about LMN’s marketing plans, Chauhan says, “LMN’s launch is being supported by a 360-degree marketing campaign comprising of TVC, print advertising; point of purchase promotions and BTL activities. Creativeland Asia has designed the complete brand communication for LMN.” A closer view of the marketing initiatives reveal that most of the marketing plans of the drinks revolve around the same lines. Activities around POS and POP will definitely be vital to the success of the products. Says Chauhan, “Retail visibility is always of key importance and host of unconventional POS will support the brand in establishing itself in this space.”

Be that as it may, the war is on in full swing. If Fanta Apple has its pricing strategy right, Appy Fizz has a first mover’s advantage. If LMN is thriving on a strong brand positioning, then Nimbooz has the strong backing of PepsiCo’s legacy. Undoubtedly, Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India score high by the virtue of the fact that they are legacy brands with a high brand recall and consumer loyalty. At this point, it becomes imperative for Parle Agro to pull up its socks as it is pitted against industry leaders. However, given the success of Parle Agro’s flagship brand, Frooti, it won’t be too difficult for it to catch up with PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. Also given that the target audience for LMN is much diverse as compared to that of Nimbooz, you never know, LMN may soon zip past Nimbooz... It’s all a matter of who isn’t addicted to Vitamin-C (Vitamin-Cola?), right? Or is it?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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It’s called the Boomerang Karma and it doesn’t need stuporous intellect to fathom

2009-05-20T16:37:00.000+05:30

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

Even the biggest listed retailer in the country, Pantaloons Retail Ltd, exited its JV with the Alpha Group Plc. to set up an airport retail venture (“We are completely out of this business now as it doesn’t fit our style of working,” said a company spokesperson). And if you’re thinking that the newly done up (and relocated) airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad, and even at Mumbai, are something to cheer about with respect to retailing, they stand simply nowhere when one compares a walk through the shopping stadiums (if one can use that usage) at Singapore’s international airport, or at Heathrow’s five terminals in London or in the Zurich or Geneva international airports in Switzerland, where most intelligently, to reach the boarding point, one has to first board a train from the shopping area (showing how expansive is the land dedicated to retailing). Anurag Mathur, Joint MD, Cushman & Wakefield deliberates, “Globally, airports derive a large portion of their income from non-aeronautical revenue. Heathrow, San Francisco, Vancouver and Brisbane, bring in as much as 50% of their revenues from retail and other non-aeronautical resources.” But currently, a passenger spends $3 on an average in an Indian airport, which stands too low as compared to the global average of $15.

However, despite the most discouraging response of private companies to airport retail tenders, market experts are still optimistic about the growth of the segment. Binit Somaia, Director, CAPA, comments, “The airport retail environment will improve significantly as the airport development projects move ahead. At non-metro airports, this trend is likely to progress more slowly and less dramatically, however we will nevertheless see changes in these locations as well.” Cushman & Wakefield estimated in a September 2008 study that India will have seven new airports by 2015, by when, even the 40 currently operating airports will need (and hopefully undergo) huge upgradation. And if that goes as per estimations, the non-aeronautical revenues will shoot up to a gargantuan 54% of gross airport receipts. But the segment will take much more time to match up to western levels of 70%.

There is no denying that airport and petrol pump (or gas station) retailing are still at a very nascent stage in the country. But keeping in mind the overall growth of the retail sector, one does wonder logically why private companies are playing doppelgangers when it comes to exploiting an available and purchase ready captive audience. Perhaps it will still take a lot of time for Indian retail companies to actually think beyond selling wafers and water bottles at airports and petrol outlets.

Perhaps a final port of call might convince private players. Forbes has rated Indian airports as being the most delayed ones in the world! Rather than looking at this negatively, imagine the possibility. A traveller who normally would’ve spend just a half hour looking around, now gets perchance beyond that! How much more ‘boomeranged’ karmic could that get?!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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THAT FLYING PHOENIX

2009-04-24T17:39:00.000+05:30

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

Air fares are being slashed left, right and centre. Low-cost air travellers are again picking up where they left off. LCCs are back in vogue. ‘Small’ fares reign, for now...

“Indian Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) would soon cease to exist!” experts had declared just a few months ago. Such presumptuous predictions were in tune with the then turbulent aviation sector, reeling under the impact of higher ATF costs (which forms 40% of the operating costs for carriers) and galloping inflation that deterred low-cost travellers from flying and prompting them to choose the services of the Railways instead. A slump in consumer sentiment fuelled the de-growth cycle for LCCs.

But proving all doomsayers wrong, the tide has now reversed and no-frills airlines are rising from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix! Falling inflation, a steep fall in ATF prices–by approximately 55% since August 2008, improving infrastructure, et al are giving wings to the once-dying ambitions of players like Indigo, SpiceJet and GoAir, KingfisherRed and JetLite. Says Aditya Ghosh, CEO, Indigo Airlines, “At IndiGo it has been our commitment to provide them with best in class affordable air travel at all times.” Changing market dynamics are encouraging no-frills aviation players to go back to their earlier ambitious expansion mode. Many have restored flights to destinantions that had gone off their route map, others are even adding new routes, and still others like (JetLite and Kingfisher Red) even adding facilities to revive the previously-declining demand. “As oil prices decline, LCCs will once again be able to offer fares that will be low enough to stimulate market growth,” explains Binit Somaia, Regional Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

What’s more, despite the ‘red’ splashed across their balance sheets, major player like SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir are planning a further 10% cut in their fares to lure more customers. “Lately, there has been a reduction in ATF prices and we want to pass that benefit to the passengers immediately in the form of this latest fare scheme,” says Ghosh. A decline in inflation levels is an added benefit for the LCCs as their target audience has enough in their pocket to come back to low fare air travel. “The recession has also given a setback, but things look positive. We promise a double-fold growth in the segment soon,” says an optimistic M. Madhavan Nambiar, Secretary, Civil Aviation. Further, as airport infrastructure improves, LCCs will also be able to improve their asset utilisation capabilities by reducing turnaround time and increasing efficiency.

But the most important demand stimulant for LCCs remains the Indian travellers facination for the skies. “Only 2% Indians fly in a year. The untapped potential therefore is huge,” adds Somaia. Moreover, in a price sensitive market such as India, with more first time flyers joining the market each year, there will always be a strong market for airlines that offer low fares. The winning 3E mantra forever remains: Exceptional Customer Service, Extreme Operational Efficiency and Effectual Price Discrimination. Who knows, what direction oil prices will take tommorrow, but for now, it’s ambition reloaded for LCCs...

Ratan Lal Bhagat

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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THAT’S HOW YOU DESCRIBE THE JOY OF THINKING ‘NANO’

2009-04-03T15:04:00.000+05:30

NO OTHER EXAMPLE CAN JUSTIFY THE MIGHT OF BRAND TATA MOTORS THAN THE MAN HIMSELF. HE HAS BEEN THERE ALL ALONG AND STILL GOING STRONG

When pundits write paeans over how entrepreneurs must dream ‘big’; this man was contrarian. He dreamt ‘small’, shared his dreams with the nation and the year 2008 saw him make aggressive efforts to realise that ‘Nano’ dream. Yes! Ratan Tata’s pet project - Nano - installed the perfect halo over brand Tata Motors in 2008. Mamta Banerjee and the Singur controversy may have taken some of that sheen away, but the subsequent acquisition of European marquee brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) brought the halo right back on the brand’s forehead. And while we could have given all credit to CEO Ravi Kant; yet it is undeniable that both Nano and the JLR initiative were personally handled by Ratan Tata himself, thereby making him our chosen brain that fuelled brand Tata Motors this year.

The Rs.1 lakh car, as it’s known, is expected to hit the market in 2009 and will undercut Maruti 800 in both pricing and practicality. Who could have thought that a truck maker would challenge the dominance of the small car maestro, Suzuki! With 62 years of truck making heritage, Tata Motors is today India’s largest and world’s seventh largest H&MCV manufacturer, holding over 65% market share. Considering that this is the company’s primary métier, Tatas are in a position to take the market pretty much anywhere they want. But this is where perception and rationale find themselves on a collision course! When the Indica compact did come in the year 1998, analysts were skeptical. They argued that a truck manufacturer will never be competent enough to fight it out in the excessively competitive small car market. Armed with modern technology and years of small car making experience, the competition was just not ruthless, it was smart! Ratan Tata was, however, convinced that his car was innovative enough to outsmart any established player irrespective of the latter’s brand. What Tata has is the unparalleled ‘brand equity’ of the group. “Tata has always been a major brand since it is present in almost all automotive segments. It started with the trucks, then entered SUVs and now cars,” says Auto Expert Murad Ali Baig.

Ratan Tata’s bag of tricks is overtly dependent on innovation and astute market reading. He knows that for an upwardly mobile customer (wanting a ‘sensible’ car), operational cost is a major influencing factor. Consumers are susceptible to oil prices volatility, which hugely impacts their buying decisions. Ratan Tata understood this and reinvented the small car marketing model, making Tata Motors an instant hit! Moreover, Tata has made the well-heeled competition rethink its strategy and with the launch of ‘new’ Indica in 2008, it has perhaps taken the game forward! And if the JLR acquisition is any thing to go by, Tata Motors has arrived on the global scene as well! But what indeed makes this automotive brand different is the legendary ‘Tata Group’ stamp and of course Ratan Tata himself, the smart old man who actually knows what really sells...

Karan Mehrishi

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
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Cricket ka Karmyudh?

2009-03-24T12:26:00.000+05:30

1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

They called it the cricketing extravaganza and ‘Manoranjan ka baap’ and it truly turned out to be just that along with a spectacular show for TRPs. The combination of Bollywood and cricket was just the thing that made viewers fall hook, line and sinker for the Indian Premier League! It all started with an audacious “bid” for cricketers, in which the who’s who of India Inc. along with savvy Bollywood stars, went up on stage and “bought off” the best bets for their respective teams. This BCCI prodigy then managed to remain in the news consistently for one reason or the other. First, it was Vijay Mallya firing team CEO Charu Sharma and taking on Dravid for his average performance. Then, the Shreeshant-Bhajji spat happened, adding more masala to the IPL dish; SRK turned up at the stadium wowing fans and Preity kissed Yuvraj, adding to the glam quotient. As the tournament reached its climax, the thrust shifted to merchandising, et al, that have kept alive IPL’s memory.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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Oil Minister, Murli Deora recently revealed

2009-02-26T15:19:00.000+05:30

IIPM Admission Detail

Allegations of cartelisation notwithstanding, aviation companies do need to come out of their ‘losses’ misery or else they will soon die a natural death. Given their miserable situation, creditors are getting jittery, including oil companies and airports that have started to pester them for clearing their outstanding dues at the earliest. On the one hand, Mumbai International Airport is demanding its due bill to be cleared at the earliest, and on the other, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) have even issued a deadline of 15 days for dues clearance.

Oil Minister, Murli Deora recently revealed that Jet had defaulted on fuel-bill payments of $53 million to IOC. And the situation is grim for the entire industry. Jet, Kingfisher and Nacil together owe nearly Rs.1,800 crore to oil companies (beyond their credit limits), out of which almost 60% needs to be paid to IOC, and the rest to HPCL and BPCL. IOC has further revealed that Jet Airways has exceeded its credit limit of Rs.600 crore by Rs.330 crore, while Kingfisher, whose credit limit is around Rs.60 crore has exceeded by around Rs.40 crore. Nacil has no credit limit, but the company owes a staggering Rs.606 crore to them.

Moreover, the real problem faced by the industry is that of fixed costs that includes salaries and other operating costs. Figures unveil that the number of employees in Jet went up from 11,088 as on March 31, 2007 to 13,163 through March 2008 because of which salaries, increments and benefits for the same period also swelled up by 28.5% from Rs.938.1 crore to Rs.1,205.2 crore. Jet alone is anticipating a quarterly loss of over $103 million and this is when overall revenues are estimated to shoot up by nearly over 50% as against the same quarter of the previous year (due to growth in its international services).

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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India and Egypt have had a strong link for centuries

2009-02-09T16:23:00.000+05:30

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

What potential does Egypt hold for Indian business houses?
If you consider India, particularly, then India and Egypt have had a strong link for thousands of years and this cultural legacy has helped Egypt to become unique for India. We offer cheap skilled labour, and the geographical richness makes Egypt one of the best place for investment.

Both India and China have adopted different strategies for Africa. Which is a better approach?
We think both the approaches by India and China are equally important for Egypt and Africa. Egypt needs both FDI in heavy industry like iron ore and at the same time buoyant entrepreneurs from India who can develop the economy. The aim should be in making a win-win situation and in such condition; both the approaches will keep on helping African economy.

Is Africa becoming the new testing ground for India Inc.’s ‘brand’ war with corporate China?
I think Mr. Manmohan Singh in the India - Africa Summit, made it very clear that India is not competing against China in Africa, rather both of them are complimentary and Africa always welcomes those countries, which work for the benefit of this continent. In Egypt, both India and China have been contributing and working on different grounds and we don’t see that there’s a ‘brand’ war.

What, according to you, are reasons behind their (India and China) renewed focus on Africa?
We don’t think that the focus is renewed but I think there are certain areas, where the focus has increased like in Iron ore, IT and textile. African Governments are facilitating the code of investment and in Egypt we have created a very strong banking system. We also organise exhibitions, last year we had 16 ministerial visits.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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“We do not see much competition from China”

2009-02-03T17:37:00.000+05:30

IIPM, GURGAON

V. VENKAT, CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , EMAMI LIMITED

Can you share your plans for the African market? Where and how much are you planning to invest in this market in the near future?

Currently we export personal and healthcare FMCG products to East and North African countries. We have distributors who buy and distribute in the respective countries. However, we have plans to look at a manufacturing facility in one of the appropriate African country. But that’s sometime in the future.

Is Africa fast becoming the testing ground for India Inc.’s ‘brand’ war with corporate China?
We feel this question is not applicable to personal and healthcare FMCG organisations at this point of time as we do not see much competition from China in the personal care space.

What, according to you, are reasons behind their (India and China) renewed focus on Africa?
For Indian personal care products Africa is certainly an attractive market place as it offers a reasonable size of market and lower entry barriers.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Carrefour, Target, Metro, Tesco and others are right on the heels of Walmart, threatening its dominance as the number one retailer in the world

2009-01-17T13:24:00.000+05:30

Circa 1988: Walton gave up his post of CEO of Walmart but remained on the board as Chairman until his death (1992). Walton created a great business out of the idea that came from a barber, Herb Gibson, “Buy it low, stack it high, and sell it cheap.”

Cut to the present: Walmart is still the number one retailer in the world and has recently undergone a brand makeover. It’s new logo has the ‘hy phen’ missing and Walmart is one word! But is this something new? Not if we tell you that Walmart has done this several times before! What is however unique here is the idea of remodelling the existent Walmart stores. During the year, the company has promised that it would remodel 350 stores in US. And if this excites you, Eduardo Castro-Wright, President & CEO of the U.S. stores division has some better news for you. “The number of remodelled stores could double to about 700 each of the following two years,” he claims. Indeed, Walmart had banked on the low-cost factor for a truly long time, and had ignored the essence of marketing and in-store experience and appeal to its consumers. Agrees Susan Rider, President, Rider & Associates, “Sam Walton was an example of a businessman that cared to provide a low cost product so that people could afford a better way to live. I believe that is still the mantra for Wal-mart but when you have thousands of managers and executives, the concept may get lost...”

However, senior officials at Walmart continue believing in the low-cost model, so much so that they have even extended their private label portfolio to combat shrinking margins. But somehow, Walmart’s image (after all the legal suits) is getting tarnished by the day, even when it comes to the quality of the cheap products it sells. “Most of this ‘cheap’ inventory comes from overseas and has tarnished Walmart’s reputation of providing quality items,” affirms Doron Levy, President, Captus Business Consulting who further recommends the importance of ‘minimum’ quality focus for Walmart’s brand longevity.

As Sam Walton notes in his autobiography Made in America, “Walmart wouldn’t be what it is today without a host of fine competition, most especially Harry Cunningham of Kmart, who really designed the first discount store, and who in my opinion, should be remembered as one of the leading retailers of all time.” But Lee Scott, current CEO of Walmart wouldn’t want to use such positively expressive words for his competitors... Why you ask? During the past few years, Target, Metro, Carrefour and Tesco have emerged as the ‘new-age’ retail giants globally. To talk about US alone, Target is the one giving nightmares to Walmart as a recent Global Markets Survey by Citigroup on the latest shopping trends illustrates that Target’s prices are only 3% higher than that of Walmart’s on an average. The report further went on to warn that the reported in-store experience of Target was far better than that of Walmart’s. As Nikki Baird, Managing Partner, RSR Research remarks, “It took competing retailers longer than it should have to realise they couldn’t compete with Walmart on price. Customer-centric strategies have emerged very much as a response to Walmart. Today the retailers say that: if I can’t beat Walmart on price, then I’m going to change the basis of competition.” Really, Walmart has to move beyond the myopia of keeping its faith tucked in the blanket of just low prices!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Ramalinga Raju has grown satyam into a billion dollar enterprise by betting on encouraging entrepreneurs within his firm...or so he says!

2009-01-07T12:24:00.000+05:30

Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!

When 4Ps B&M caught up with Rama Raju, CEO, Satyam Computer Services Ltd. and asked him about how Satyam plans to be among the Big 3 rather than the Big 4, he strongly asserted that investments in leadership will be a key differentiator for Satyam. Indeed, leadership in itself can be a very important barometer of the company. The trends with regard to CEO succession for the top IT giants in India do make for quite an interesting comparison. The Tatas seem to have an immensely unshakeable faith in S. Ramodarai, who has been CEO for over the past 12 years. The Infosys CEO baton, in contrast, has passed from Narayana Murthy to Nandan Nilekani in 2002 and then to Kris Gopalakrishnan in 2007; which has been hailed as an outcome of outstanding succession planning. As far as Wipro is concerned, the less said the better about CEOS. Azim Premji had famously quoted in 2005, “Wipro doesn’t need a CEO!” Nevertheless, the company is now following a unique joint CEO structure, with Girish S. Paranjpe and Suresh Vaswani at the helm since early 2008.

Which brings us back to Satyam, and also back to Rama Raju, who, besides being the brother of the iconic Chairman Ramalinga Raju, has been the MD of the company since 1996 and CEO since 2005 (there was no CEO designation at Satyam before that, as company officials tell us). If we go by first impression, also considering how Ramalinga Raju is the most visible face since inception; it appears that Satyam is a case where ownership and management are one.

Do note, however, that we used the word ‘appears’. On the contrary, within Satyam, a powerful entourage of leaders is being created as we speak, who, the company claims, will enable it to make the next big leap soon. Rama Raju tells us that distributed leadership and minimal bureaucracy are the key aspects that Satyam is focussing on. He says the company has “some 2000 value creating entities and 800-900 projects for a few hundred customer relationships.” Furthermore, he says that even as far as succession planning goes, he has people in mind, though he did not wish to name them, who could take up his position when he retires in another 10 years. If we look at the senior management, there are a number of knights in Raju’s army who, though they are not so well talked about, are actually quite ‘mission critical’ to Satyam’s hitherto elusive ‘Big three goal’.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...