Mr Kanhiya has gripped the nations imagination and also mine. As the actions disturb one at an extremely deep level, it is necessary that one vomits out his emotions, lest it harm you from the inside… Hence this blog…….

I have two distinct takes on the events which have unfolded. My first take is based upon what I had learnt very recently, and which allows me to interpret the events from a new light. This is primarily a recognition that there exists a difference between the nation and the state. Most of do not understand the difference, and events like Kanhiya’s speech happen. The second take is however on plan and simple dishonesty and cheating. But, first lets us talk about the first.

Very recently I had got intrigued with some classical and basic questions. How is public sector management different from corporate management, what exactly is public? These questions have been motivated by my interest in PPPs, and the strive to find if they are different and how! I attempted to explore these questions while holding a Ph.D seminar for 3 students, and decided to hold the class in a discussion format and involve a Political Science professor and an Economcis professor. The Political science expert at our institute is a JNU graduate, and later a Ph.D. from China. Over numerous classes he sought to build a political context of the business and while one of his starting points was philosophy the other was the nation state  distinction. Nation are the geographic boundaries and what we refer to as the motherland. It is the state which is the government. Mr Kanhiya, after his jail term and his numerous court hearings, has finally come to understand this. This is surprising considering the fact that he is pursuing his Ph.D. for the last 7-8 years in the same field, and has been so busy wasting his time, that he he has failed to recognize this essential difference. He was trying to question the state (the government) , but unfortunately asked questions which were questioning the nation. And, one has witnessed the way in which he fell flat on his face…

However, there is much more to the nation, state and country differences and I urge one to google the same once for oneself and form our own impressions.

The second aspect is not that ambiguous and does not talk about what one may wish away by labeling them as linguistic aberrations. Tracking the news and the numerous views, many have attempted that by labeling the JNU idiots as innocent students. The second issue is deeper. Is there an extent to which one can fall in dishonesty and out and out cheating…. How long can and to what extent can one deceive oneself and the hands which feed you …. Taking a pessimistic view on the facts presented….

Let us take one side of the views, and see what they imply :

• A meeting was not allowed by the administration, but anyway JNSU president decided to hold it …. he has decided that he will not follow any rules of the land. So why does he expect courts to listen to him or the police not to kill him violating human rights
• 2 of the 7 movie clips have been tempered — so 5 of them are original….
• Kanahiya did not shout anti-indian slogans —– but he heard them and did nothing….
• He got external people into JNU campus, and saw people at his rally with mouth covered and fighting slogans…. and he did not feel any responsibility to do anything

Yes, Mr Kanhaiya expects to be treated fairly, given independence, freedom of speech, treated with honor, given a fair trial, and  blah blah blah ! …. But what about his responsibility — has he ever reported a crime on campus, did he call out to the extremists to stop shouting any national slogans,  report unnatural things to the police, side with the administration to help clean the campus….  Our concerns are much deeper….

There are a whole lot of people in this country, and with increasing numbers, who can behave any way they like, do what they like, enjoy all kinds of liberties, tread over my head, and do what they like …. walk all over people like me and then even stand up and say it is their right! Sorry, I am not ready to give you the right to do this…. You cannot keep walking all over me…..

Actually, it is all like the cleanliness campaign….  You dirty the world and ask me to clean it…. sorry I will not clean after you, you have to do it yourself…. Mr. Kanhiya please clean up yourself, earn a part of what you have, …. May be when you will fail to live up to those levels you will go Rohit’s way … when he realized that what the world has done for him was much bigger then what he could ever return, he took the inevitable path……. May be now it is your turn …. please prove yourself, yes we want you to prove that you are worth it with actions, and not just with words…. let us see you prove yourself…

BUT, BUT, BUT, you will not heed to this …. honesty is not your asset, ethics is not something  you pride yourself with, excellence is not something you aspire for,

As I read you, you are coward, who takes center stage as soon as no one is watching, steal when the lights are off, pee in your pants, will get into shaddy deals for the quick bucks,  only cry when someone is watching… and you are not the first,

The irony is Arvind Kejriwal made a success before you, and now you earned the lime light no part of which you deserve to stand under…

 

Clap your hands, clap your hands

There will be a lot of rockstar bands

A rockstar called me on stage

And put me in a great big cage

 

I tried and tried but couldn’t get out

But then I thought of a different route

I cut the cage with a chainsaw

That was lying on the ground, near an apple that was raw

 

That’s how I went into the olden times

with bells and chimes

including Egyptian camels

and Indian mammals

 

Then I ran to the sea

Where I saw a big bumble bee

I made a boat

And put on my coat

I made an oar

And took them to the shore

 

Then I moved in the boat

And saw a big castle’s moat

Then I saw some soldiers

On great big boulders

I distracted them

With a gem

They came to me

And hit then with a cactus tree

 

That’s how I went into the olden times

with bells and chimes

including Egyptian camels

and Indian mammals

 

Then I went inside

Where it was very wide

Then I saw a knight

But it went out of sight

 

Then I saw Alexander the king

And lions that sing

Then I ran from a dinosaur

That gave out a great big roar!

That’s how I went into the olden times

with bells and chimes

including Egyptian camels

and Indian mammals

 

I went and met some cavemen

And SLEPT A SABER-TOOTH TIGER’S DEN

 

I ALSO MET THE PEOPLE OF ANCIENT GREECE

THAT WERE NOT LIVING in peace

All because of troy

The city that took away their joy

 

 

I also saw the World War 2

The place where many bombs blew

Suddenly, a voice said,

“Wake up you sleepy head.”

Then I woke up

Chickens were saying,

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!”

 

That’s how I went into the olden times

with bells and chimes

including Egyptian camels

and Indian mammals

Life cycle of a frog and life cycle of a bird!

March 6, 2016

Roaming On the Street

 

Once I was roaming on the street

Near the shops of eggs and meat

I was sitting on bus stop with cars and buses

Within the street dogs’ clutches

I was drinking coffee and eating food at cafés

In the bright and hot sun’s happy rays

Between the shops I saw a zoo

I went inside seeing lions, elephants and kangaroos

Shops everywhere attracted my attention

It felt like the shops had a magnetic radiation

I went and saw a patient in the hospital

It was very pathetical

A thief then snatched my money

But then police caught him in a jiffy

I then went into a circus

Where I saw a funny hippopotamus

Then I saw one of my friends at the barber

But then I got called by my father

He said, “It’s time to go home.

And take our trip to Italy whose capital is Rome!”

 

I am getting troubled by this feeling again and again! This uncanny feeling emerges whenever I read the newspaper, see the television, see a movie, or get exposed to the outside world. We have all got distinctly and recognizably Islamised, whether you like it or not. They have succeeded!

You open the newspaper and browse through it! It is rare that you would find something about the Mahabaratha, Bhagvadhagita, Vedas, Ramayana, Bible, Guru Granth Sahib or any other religious book. But yes there would be innumerable references to Koran, either by the terrorists talking about Jehhad, a mullah talking about Madarsa education,  a debate upon what Koran says or does not say. Why! The Islam religion has occupied a prominent place in our daily discourse in one way or the other, and they have managed to influence our daily discourse by capturing us first thing in the morning.

Move to the television, during the day and situation is no different. The TV news is a reflection of the news paper.  The business news reflects the impact of the crude oil and the politics of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia! We are not only directly and indirectly discussing Islam through crude prices, but also discussing who is going on Haj, and what the Saudi Sheikhs are doing in the US!. While the Indian political scene had been dominated by minority appeasement (read it Muslim appeasement) all these years, the elections are dominated by muslim and anti-muslim sentiments (if one has ever seen one). You can hardly switch a TV channel without knowing what is happening in Kashmir, and that too with an Islamic overtone! Looking far west, 8 years back Obama managed to win elections and one of the undercurrents was his Muslim ancestry. On the other hand, Donald Trump is most discussed for his anti-Islam remarks.

Come the evening, and it is movie time!. After having been blasted all day about the ideological fight of the Muslims and their appeal and strive for a conservative society, the Indian entertainment scene provides a stark contrast. Talk  of any movie theme, and the last ten Bollywood hits, and try to identify one which did not have an Islamic focus. The internal conflict becomes worse as one realizes that the burqua and head scarf, that one saw all day in the news, is nowhere visible in the evening, through the first names and surnames are common, i.e., Mohammedes, Salims, Khans, Kaifs, Mumtaz, Begums, and so on. Alcohol, tobacco, money lending, rape, butchery, nothing is a taboo any longer for the same class in the evening. What has happened! .

In Hindi long back we used to say… pack gaye hain! Han ji… Hum bhi pack gaye is Islamic Atyachar se! They have succeeded and we have lost! In this a movie like Bahubali is a pleasant change, and  I am looking forward its second version. Atleast, good or bad, fate or luck, necessary or unnecessary, evil or docile, economic or political, or whatever one may say, Islam did not exists when the movie was set!

I am following the policy and practice track. For  this I have to prepare a digital artifact and submit the same for evaluation. I have prepared once such artifact as a perzi presentation. The link is  http://prezi.com/dpyuwgs2leeq/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

On my blogging site there is a detailed report which talks about the whole concept and which can be referred to by anyone interested in the idea.

I am returning back to this blog after a good six months. And I have reasons for the same. A career change, with place change, with an environment change, is tough and keeps one oh his toes! Yes I have been on my toes all this time, and now finally I am strating to settle down and so returning back to something that has to become a lot more important to me as I go along!

To unburden my mind.. What have I been upto in the last six months–

Took voluntary retirement from Indian Railways after working there for 23 years… Lots of closures of official / routine jobs!

• Got relieved from IRIMEE, Jamalpur on 30th January’ 2015
• Completed or tried to close the loose ends that I had opened up while at IRIMEE– a lot remained back as open
• Got my pension strated from Indian Railways
• Rolled in huge cash — retirement benefits– and looked at places to park it

Moved to a new job

• Started teaching at IIM, Indore and have taken one full course so far.
• Started back on my core research work — output not yet visible
• Started writing cases — one done and anotehr five in pipeline
• Renewed contacts which would help me out with my future research
• Setup my new office — a lovely place.
• Submitted one paper to a conference, and reviewed 6.

Moved to a new place

• Moved to indore — family from Lucknow to Indore and myself from Jamalpur to Indore
• Vacated a railway house — no small job, cleared all arrears
• Setup a new house in Indore– purchased household items worth over Rs 2 lacs (3 ACs, A new couch, a new bed)
• Settling in a newly constructed flat — no small job with the kinds of unpressional work that people around us do

Purchased a new vehicle

• Yes I purchased a new vehicle – A Honda Mobilo
• Proud of the purchase

NOW FIRMLY in the saddle– time to start galloping!

An address by Mr. R.K.Pachauri (DG, TERI) our illustrious alumni…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDnt6UY7m-c

It is difficult find a Indian Railway manager who is satisfied with whats going on with Indian Railways, unless he has already turned a cynic and given up on it. Discussions often turn to the need for radical change, at all levels, concerning everything, etc,. These changes however need a bigger muscle power, be it political, bureaucratic, or even manpower, and will only come when the time is ripe, and if I(or incase YOU) reach the top and DECIDE to turn the tables. What till then…….

Working with the Indian Railways, one comes across numerous instances wherein concrete steps can be taken even now and we would make a marked difference. I am attempting to pendown what comes to my mind, and request others to do the same. Atleast, let us have a list of what is possible immediately, and is not coming through because of lack of ideas at the highest level, or their apathy to decide where to start in this all around mess.

Ofcourse, this does not come in the way of

• Need to restructure the organizations managerial caders
• Linking of passenger fares with the price index
• Build more transport capacity(DFC) on PRIORITY…… let us say 3 years.
• Start using the railway land for commercial purposes, sell it if required, buy more if required, and once and for all let the Railways land management issues precipitate with the state governments so that land does not become a liability in the way of railways progress, but is rather seen as an asset….
• Clean railwaysThe all powerful and most powerful person (if he wants to feel as one) is the General Manager, and his powers are defined by what he cannot do and not by what he can do. However, DRM’s powers are also unrestricted, but for a different reason (i.e., people do not question him). I feel between the two much can be done. Ofcourse, branch officers are also a powerful level and many a things get addressed at their level also. Let me attempt to identify and open a platform of ideas, of what we feel can be done and ofcourse HOW.

  a) Schedule of Powers: The schedule of powers define what the GM decides to delegates down.

  • As the SOP becomes the deciding mechanism of what the GM wants to do himself(personally) and what he expects people lower down from him to handle on his behalf, hence revision of SOP should be one of the personal responsibilities of the GM.
  • All powers in the SOP, should have a date of introduction. The monetary values should automatically be subject to revision every 2 years and should be sumoto issued.
  • An ambiguity in interpretation of the SOP should be immediately addressed as it leads to a lot of wastage of management energy.
  • My personal recommendation: Assign a date to every monetary value. Revise it as per WPI or CPI. If a finance officer asks what is CPI or WPI, sack him.

  b) Uniforms: In today’s age why should Railways buy and supply uniforms to its staff. If railways wants it staff to be uniform, it should give them an allowance and then leave no space for the staff not to wear their uniform on duty. Supply of uniform is the staff’s way of ensuring that the management tie up its legs in shackles and not ask the staff to wear uniform.

• VERY SIMPLY, each railway should review the market and prescribe the rate of each uniform item, and each employees salary bill would have this amount credited to his pay account on the first of April of each year. Is there anything in the rules that prevents the GM from issuing these orders.
• Some Northern railway procedures requiring immediate redressal.
• The requirement for uniforms in 2016-2017 is required to be identified and vetted indents placed on stores in 2012-2013.
  • Why vetted? And why vetted from finance? If uniform is as per the number of staff of posted the vetting should be done by personnel of the expected number of people likely to be in service on that day, when the uniforms would come.
    • What happens when Accounts is asked to vett the requirement? Who will answer this question and how when the total implication of this is Rs 200/- in an indent of Rs 5 lacs.
    • As per IR uniform policy, sikh men will be provided turban cloth. Why does one sikh gentle man ask for 11 meters of turban cloth and why does one ask 16 meters.
    • As per IR uniform policy, lady employees are to be provided with blouse cloths. Why does a lady employee in a “C” class city ask for 120mm of cloth for her blouse and why does an employee in a “A” class city ask for 80mm of blouse cloth.
  • Why so early? And why does the pinpointing need to be done so early at the lowest level. The number of railway staff is known, so is their retirement profile. CANNOT the stores plan in advance, based on past trends or future anticipations and buy cloth in that magnitude. On the other hand, why does our stores wing need 3 years to purchase something that they neither manufacture, nor stitch, but is an off the shelf item.
  • My personal recommendation: Cash in lieu of uniforms, with specified shade and of clothes and explicit uniform specification.

  c) Cash Imperest: The cash imperest policy over Indian railways is antiquated.

  • It comes from the British era of no trust in your men. You have recruited thugs into the system who are out to rob the country and its people.
  • Nothing is available in the local market. A antiquated assumption, which is still continuing. Today it is different.
  • Departmental divisions are going deeper and deeper. Computer is a EDP/S&T item and no one can buy a computer spare, though they are readily available and everyone buys it personally using his own judgement. Why can’t a civil engineers judgement on his personal computer be honored.. and why does EDP or S&T vett his requirement.
  • My personal recommendation: Each Officer to have a cash imperest debit card for railway related expenses upto one month of his salary every month, no questions asked. Same with depot incharges and each senior supervisor who’s responsibility area can be clearly defined.

d) Bio Toilets:

e) Pay and use toilet schemes: these guys are making a favor on railways and should not be seen as a revenue source.

SOMETHINGS SHAKE YOU TO THE CORE!

The unfolding story of how Shri Mahesh Kumar lobbied for ML’s post through bribe is one overtime going to be identified either as a nail in the coffin of railways or the turning point (more probability of the earlier). This single incident is going to have very large ramifications on railway working, image of the railways and the railway men, morale of the railway men, funds made available to the railway men, and above all my career with the railways. This incident is hurting so bad that one gets shaken to the core and just looses his orientation (atleast for my self)

It is necessary for me to pen down why he feel the effects of this incident

a) Railway ministry is politically jinxed: At the political level nothing seems to be happening correct for the railways. First, for 10 years the ministry is with allied partners, secondly, when someone with courage takes over (Mr Diwedi) and tries something long required he is unceremoniously discharged, thirdly, when a supposedly main line minister comes in and with loud claims of being a clean guy, he is taken down by his ACE card of claim to position — Leadership!! There goes our wish of competent political boss.

b) Financial crisis: The biggest problem with railways is finances and we go around the government, with a begging bowl, asking for money to fund our development. We never got it till now, and now we have lost the moral right to even ask for it……. So Indian Railways wants more money for its infrastructure projects so that it can squander it away….. Development!! There goes our wish of having more money for development.

c) Honesty: We have been a relatively clean government department, and we used to be proud of it! With 15 lacs railway employees, every family in the country has a railway men in his connection. We railway men (with the exception of the Railway TTE), were seen as hard working, honest people, who kept the wheels of the rail moving 24X7X365 without regard to self or family. Mr Mahesh Kumar just given a motive to our self less service to the nation– Honesty!! There goes our wish of being recognized as an honorable Indian.

Having lost confidence in leadership, development, and honesty, there is little that the organization has to offer now!!

For me, I have no opinion about whether Rajiv Gandhi was or was not a beneficiary in the Bofors case, but this case harmed the country as none other. When I was haggling with a Rickshaw wala and cajoling him to take the correct fare from me over 20 years back, he had simply remarked that there is nothing correct, as the PM is also dishonest. Corruption that day for me had penetrated the arteries and veins of the Indian Society. On this day, corruption has entered the vein and artery of Indian Railways, or atleast each one of us will be perceived as being corrupt by the common men (truth, reality, personality, individual not withstanding).