14 December, 2011

FDI is cool. Why not try that in politics?

The Government’s arguments in favour of bringing 51% FDI in retail are compelling. FDI brings expertise, corrects inefficiencies and brings down inflation. If world experts can help India’s retail, why not bring a similar ‘reform’ in our politics. 50% FDI, anyone?

In every constituency going for polls, a number equal to the Indian political parties contesting will be earmarked for overseas counterparts. This way, the electorate has a wider choice. Maybe, after losing once, the Indian parties will pull up their socks just the way the local kiranas are expected to do in the case of retail.

The best practices of parliamentary functioning world over will also be accessible at home. Imagine a Republican from US and a Labour Representative from UK winning a couple of Lok Sabha seats as a result of opening up of the industry.

Inflation in most developed economies is 2-4%. We will also get overnight benefits, innit?

One might have questions on national security and confidentiality. Let’s build a few safe guards like Home and Defence Ministries and post of the PM remaining with Indian nationals.

This will also help politicians derisk against currency fluctuations as the guy giving kickbacks and the guy using may belong to the same country and use the same currency .

What's more it will be 'one stone two mango' approach. This initiative will both be an FDI as well as an electoral reform!

23 October, 2011

Primer to Tamil Films

You think you know Tamil movies well? Or a new fan of Kollywood? This one is the first activity for those who are getting to know Tamil films better.. and for the veterans, a tool of reassurance of domain knowledge..
Match the following:

04 August, 2011

The Raavan Durga Principle of Management

Many of us would be aware about the Hindu mythology’s star villain Raavan and icon of lady power Durga Mata.


Now, note how they are generally depicted:







The relevance of these images to  corporate organisation structures is immense.

Raavan as we all know met with his end in a battle with Lord Rama and the reason that I see is the fact that he had just one pair of hands (the actual guys in operation) being cross guided by 10 heads (the think tank/management). The second image on this page is an even better recipe for disaster where there are multiple heads and hands providing a confused cross and multiple reporting scenario(straight line, dotted line, convoluted line, etc). What's worse is each  hand thinks it is empowered but runs the risk of being overruled by any of the heads. A reverse pyramid or a connfused matrix can never ever work. At best, the hands may prefer to get severed from such confused leadership with conflicting directions.
Both go against the natural rule of unity of command and failure is guaranteed. Even with the best of intentions both at head and hands level, such a structure is dangerous.

Now, take a look at Durga Mata's image. There is one head and multiple hands which indicates clear direction for the operations team and each of the hands have a particular object in hand which ranges from a flower to a sword. A team for all seasons, one clear thinking head. Does success need anything more? Hence the respect from everyone and celebrations galore.

Okay, time for gas refill...!

20 July, 2011

A snail paced century

Hello friends! Glad to inform you that this is vaaman’s 100th post. It’s taken six years and considering that the second fifty took five of those six years, it has not just been nervous nineties but I guess it has been nervous 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Though there could be multiple reasons as to why the blog could not have crossed the milestone much earlier, I would like to focus more on what this journey has meant to me. Seriously, the journey outshines any milestone!

As I mentioned in my 50th post, this blog has helped me express my thoughts freely to a larger demographic spread and helped me win new friends. As I was refreshing my memory by reading through the earlier posts, it gave me a great insight into what were the various thoughts and ideologies that I had and how they have shaped me into whatever I am today.

Vaaman helped me discover the blog poet in me (a clan equivalent in grade with a bathroom singer). The fact that I wrote about creating wealth than laying claim to a portion of the pie way back in 2006, vindicated my jump into entrepreneurship band wagon was not after all an overnight decision.

After the initial 60 odd posts, the entries have been sporadic at best and that has reflected in the reduced eyeballs as well. Though I keep promising that I will be more regular, it pains me that I have never been able to fulfill that. And the learning is that, I don’t promise higher frequency now either, but whatever deserves a mention will surely not miss out on some bytes in vaaman. A cursory analysis of the scribbling suggests that bulk of the content are on relationships, cities, politics and movies.

Thanks for all the comments and feedback all through these years. Looking forward to hear from you in future as well.

18 July, 2011

pyaar bhari maang :)

तुझसे मिलके बड़ी खुशी हुई


बस इतना बोलके निकल जाने से

मुझे खुशी थोड़ी ना होगी

अगर बात और नहीं बड़ा पाऊँ

तो मेरे साया से भी पीछे पड जाऊँगा



तो जैसे सब लोग करते हें

मैंने भी उससे दोस्ती किया

कोफ़ी पीते थे हम साथ साथ

राज़ हम बाँटते थे एक दूसरे के साथ

धीरे धीरे बाहर की मौसम जो भी था

मन के अंदर तो सावन ने घर बसा लिया



प्यार से दुनिया भरने का भाषण सब देते हैं

फिर प्यार की बातें करना इतना मुश्किल क्यूँ हैं

अगर दोस्ती बस एक बहाना था और प्यार एक वजह

क्या इस बात पे छूटेगा अपना हाथ

पूरे डेरींग के साथ जब बोलने गया दिल की बात

बस एक ही बात बोली उसने

क्या दोस्त से नहीं तो दुश्मन से करेगा कोई प्यार?

27 June, 2011

From Up there

I am nothing but a ball just hanging out there


You dearies get confused between

How I look and what I really am

I have no shine of my own,

And marred to the core

The unconditional love baffles me

For I just reflect what is thrown at me

You adore me at every stage of my rise and fall

Full, half or even stained

Even when I am completely invisible

You celebrate it as a thief’s night out!

Barring the power to alter the tides

There is hardly anything I do

Can’t imagine how I would be celebrated

If I really was the source of all the joy

Like the Sun or something

11 June, 2011

Un ninaippil en pozhudhu

En idhayam enna brindavanama


Dinamum adhil nee malargiraye!

En Manam enna solaivanama

Un mel aasai dhinam mulaikiradhe!



Sombal murikum pozhudhil

Mudhal velichamum nee

Ucchi veyilil thinarum bodhu

Saanthamana nizhalum nee

Iravil un ninaipil puralum bodhu

Ennodu vambu pesum natchathiram nee



Kodayin maalaiyil seeendum poo thenralum nee

Mazhai oindhadhum varum vaanavillum nee

Elai Udhir Kaalathil Pournami Nilavum nee

Vasantha Kaala Magizhchi yum Neeye Neeye neeye

02 June, 2011

Kadhal Vandha...(madras peta mix)

Sathyam Theatrela Padamo moonu manneram

Kanne Un nenappu iruvathi naal manneram

Roaming plan la irundha en manasa

Un heart o da hotline aakiniye

Navarathri Sundal pola freeya irundhene

Un pinnadiye eppavume sutta vittaye

Sachin Salman Surya verum posterla dhaan

Kadhal Palliyila Head Mastere Naan dhaan

Tirukuralla eppodhum ezhu vaartha

En idhayathil un peyaro ore vaartha

En Appa voda sanda potten unakaaga dhaan

En Akka enakku support panadhum unakaaga dhaan

Kanaalam Katikita varumaam porupu porupu

Nee en girl friend aana dhaale naan pista parupu

Vettiya naan selavazhichen nethu vara

Inime naan semippen last vara

04 April, 2011

Tamil Nadu: Apathy v 2011

Feed a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But if you give him a fishing rod, you feed him for a lifetime goes a Chinese proverb. While a plethora of Chinese products have found their way to our markets this proverb has missed the flight to Chennai. Quarter, Biryani and Sarees is history. Cash distributed through newspaper circulation was Gen X ways. Now Gen ‘Why’ comes with something more on the face. Making freebies a part of the manifesto seems to be every party’s strategy. Laptops, grinders, free rice. Next in line could very well be breakfast coupons at Saravana Bhavan and Murugan Idli shop. The deal clincher would be an extra helping of jigarthanda. How about a free round trip on Spicejet? With the electorate being reduced to just a perk seeking demography, the political class is laughing at the sheer helplessness of the public. After dividing the state with reservation policies in the garb of the Dravidian movement, now comes the slap of indignity on the masses. One tight slap on every voter. How can the parties assume that the people are not remotely bothered about alleviation of corruption or poverty. Feeding a mouthful of rice doesn’t serve either. Why has the voice sucked out of the people of Tamil Nadu? Have the so called politically aware electorate been relegated below the ones in Gujarat and Bihar. Have we bid farewell to political will and good governance. All that seems to resound is “Atleast that leader performs . So corruption is okay”. Is this all that is expected from the corridors of power? Why should it always be devil or the deep sea? Really wish there could be a way out, but it hurts to see that both major alliances have sought this ugly route to power. Is there a choice that is unexplored yet.. well hope so…

18 February, 2011

Aur kyaa?

A city where your voice may get lost in the noise

A city where you may lose yourself in the crowd

A city that gives a glimpse of the potential

A city where pain and gain blend harmoniously

Space for everyone, yet there is enough for none

Where livelihood is a daily battle, but smiles aplenty

Street smart, dignified and resilient

The people’s hearts is not on trade

People land here with a dream

As there is no time to dream once here,

The city that never sleeps!

March on, oh foot soldiers, for there is no one better

To solve the problems despite being part of it

It’s time to think what can be given

To this magnanimous metropolis

Than continuously plunder the resources

To satisfy each one's end.