Even though I am no die hard fan of Michael Jackson, yet I have always been fascinated by him , as he had the guts to give himself a different look altogether , than what he had been endowed with genetically, and yet managed to raise himself to the status of a demi god in the field of entertainment.
Talent apart, what Michael had in him was a quest to win over the imagination of the world by his unconventional and implanted looks, as well as by pioneering a style in his music and performances , which became a trademark on their own.
However, despite such marvellous feats in his professional life, he also managed to stun his fans across the world in equal measure, by making a complete mess of personal life, which eventually led to his untimely and tragic demise.
According to the media reports, his overdependence upon the highly potent painkillers and other such powerful drugs, ultimately proved to be his nemesis. But on a deeper reflection, it would become apparent, that the very horse named ‘success’ on which he so merrily rode upon unchallenged, and to everyone’s envy and awe, went out of control , and ultimately ‘fell from a cliff taking its rider along with it’
One wonders, was it too much for him to announce his retirement after getting more than everything in life, and then live a long life like a commoner and devote his life to some worthy social causes like AIDS, environment etc ??
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Reforms Required in our Defense Services
The crash of the Soviet origin AN 32 of the IAF has once again highlighted the grave threats to the lives of our defense personnel, who are constantly battling a formidable enemy within, in the form of either faulty or substandard equipment, or inadequate training to take on the mighty challenges in their day to day lives, while on duty.
Yes, danger or threat to lives is an inherent part of one's duty while serving in the defense forces, but then aren’t our systems, political leadership and bureaucracy aggravating the same, by not doing what is required, to lessen such dangers to a significant extent ?
Yes, an inquiry would be ordered into this incident, and the report would sooner or later join ranks with umpteen such inquiry reports, which inquired into various crashes in the past. And then it would be life as usual for all of us.
All those who lost their lives in this crash were young and promising youth of the nation, who had ambitious dreams to serve their motherland till age permitted. But tragically enough, these dreams were cut short so abruptly, leaving their bereaved families shattered for the rest of their lives.
It is high time that some reforms were initiated in the defense sector as well. Every incident, both during peace time and war, which leads to the death of any defense personnel on duty, should necessarily be followed with an inquiry commission , which should have a specific brief to suggest measures to prevent a repeat of the same in the future, besides thoroughly analyzing the cause behind the incident. The commission should submit this time bound report to the senior defense officials concerned including the chief of the staff, as well as the senior bureaucrats in the defense ministry.
Perhaps, in order to ensure that some concrete steps are taken to prevent a repeat of the same, recommendation and request for appropriate assistance from the defense minister should be put up jointly by the defense chiefs and the senior bureaucrats of the ministry. Specific recommendations should then be elevated to the cabinet level for the necessary approvals
The cabinet should also take the necessary steps on its own, by demanding a follow up action report from the defense minister on its approvals or any other serious incident such as this crash, matter which who inturn should source the same from the relevant defense chief, and so on.
Perhaps, even the Prime Minister’s office could be proactive on such matters and seek direct intervention of the defense minister to get into the details of such incidents which can have severely demoralize not only the existing serving defense personnel who may suffer from undue fear psychosis, but also from all the brilliant and promising high school students, who may be nursing ambitions to join our defense forces but would be facing stiff opposition in their families for obvious reasons
To begin with , the Prime Minister’s Office could seek a detailed report from the defense chiefs, on the issue of availability of quality spares for the equipments and weapon systems, capabilities available to ensure appropriate maintenance of the same, and available infrastructure for ensuring state of the art training of the defense personnel. This report should then be the basis for the reforms required, in the interests of our own security and of course maintaining the morale and motivation of our defense personnel at high levels, besides of course correcting the general perceptions about a career in defense forces among many parents who discourage their wards from venturing into the same.
And last but not the least, it should be the responsibility of the Defense Minister, to ensure that the past inquiry reports are not simply gathering dust, and are put to the right use by making the recommendations a part of the Standard Operating Procedures of the defense services.
Yes, danger or threat to lives is an inherent part of one's duty while serving in the defense forces, but then aren’t our systems, political leadership and bureaucracy aggravating the same, by not doing what is required, to lessen such dangers to a significant extent ?
Yes, an inquiry would be ordered into this incident, and the report would sooner or later join ranks with umpteen such inquiry reports, which inquired into various crashes in the past. And then it would be life as usual for all of us.
All those who lost their lives in this crash were young and promising youth of the nation, who had ambitious dreams to serve their motherland till age permitted. But tragically enough, these dreams were cut short so abruptly, leaving their bereaved families shattered for the rest of their lives.
It is high time that some reforms were initiated in the defense sector as well. Every incident, both during peace time and war, which leads to the death of any defense personnel on duty, should necessarily be followed with an inquiry commission , which should have a specific brief to suggest measures to prevent a repeat of the same in the future, besides thoroughly analyzing the cause behind the incident. The commission should submit this time bound report to the senior defense officials concerned including the chief of the staff, as well as the senior bureaucrats in the defense ministry.
Perhaps, in order to ensure that some concrete steps are taken to prevent a repeat of the same, recommendation and request for appropriate assistance from the defense minister should be put up jointly by the defense chiefs and the senior bureaucrats of the ministry. Specific recommendations should then be elevated to the cabinet level for the necessary approvals
The cabinet should also take the necessary steps on its own, by demanding a follow up action report from the defense minister on its approvals or any other serious incident such as this crash, matter which who inturn should source the same from the relevant defense chief, and so on.
Perhaps, even the Prime Minister’s office could be proactive on such matters and seek direct intervention of the defense minister to get into the details of such incidents which can have severely demoralize not only the existing serving defense personnel who may suffer from undue fear psychosis, but also from all the brilliant and promising high school students, who may be nursing ambitions to join our defense forces but would be facing stiff opposition in their families for obvious reasons
To begin with , the Prime Minister’s Office could seek a detailed report from the defense chiefs, on the issue of availability of quality spares for the equipments and weapon systems, capabilities available to ensure appropriate maintenance of the same, and available infrastructure for ensuring state of the art training of the defense personnel. This report should then be the basis for the reforms required, in the interests of our own security and of course maintaining the morale and motivation of our defense personnel at high levels, besides of course correcting the general perceptions about a career in defense forces among many parents who discourage their wards from venturing into the same.
And last but not the least, it should be the responsibility of the Defense Minister, to ensure that the past inquiry reports are not simply gathering dust, and are put to the right use by making the recommendations a part of the Standard Operating Procedures of the defense services.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Open Letter to Rahul Gandhi
Dear Rahul ji,
I am pleased to introduce myself as a forty five year old management professional based out of New Delhi. The historic mandate given to the Congress party in particular, and the UPA in general , is indeed a reflection of the kind of trust which we the people of India have vested upon the leadership abilities of Smt. Sonia ji, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji and your goodself.
At this point of time, I just can’t help but draw parallels between the overall mood of the nation in December 1984, when the Congress Party under the leadership of late Rajiv ji came to power with a highly convincing mandate, and the mood of the nation today, when we are confronted with various challenges, and have pinned up hopes upon the Congress led UPA to deliver us from the same.
There is hope, excitement, and renewed vigour, especially among the youth of the nation, about a new dawn , and a confidence to take up the challenges confronting us today.
Rahul ji, this mandate is also an indication of the kind of hope which we the people of India have placed upon the UPA government, to deliver an efficient, effective, transparent, and honest governance to the nation, without allowing anyone to exert undue pressure on the Congress party, to fulfill their selfish interests at the cost of national interests. Yes, the statesmanship skills of the Congress party would be put to test at times, as was reflected in the case of demands by the DMK, which eventually was sorted out amicably.
Going forward, the accountability of each Cabinet Minister has to be enforced in a manner similar to the one which prevails in the corporate sector. The 100 day action plan put forward by our Prime Minister, has to translate into well defined performance goals for each ministry, and the relevant Minister/s in charge , have to be held accountable for the accomplishment of the same. Anyone falling short of their respective accomplishments, need to meet the shortfalls within the next 100 days maximum , alongwith a commitment to meet new performance goals. The reasons for the shortfalls need to be investigated, and loopholes be identified and plugged permanently, to make way for the future. This could be a regular feature of the new governance practices of the present UPA government.
And yes, as our Prime Minster is committed to the effectiveness of the government, there should be zero tolerance towards constant non performers, irrespective of their overall status on the Congress party or its allies. On the other hand, those with the right attitude, and commitment to perform, should be given due encouragement by entrusting them with responsibilities, thereby grooming the leaders for tomorrow.
It would be a good idea to present a progress report to the nation every six months, via press releases, campaigning by the Congress party workers in their respective constituencies, and educating the electorate of such accomplishments on a periodic basis. By effectively doing so, much of your campaign strategy for the forthcoming assembly elections and the next general elections in 2014, would automatically be taken care of, and in way would also effectively blunt your opposition well in advance.
Rahul ji, there is no doubt about the fact that irrespective of the grand vision of the political leadership, its translation into an effective and efficient actionable programme, for the benefit of the intended beneficiaries, is possible only if the bureaucratic apparatus is highly motivated, professional in its outlook, and shares the vision of the political leadership. The practice of arbitrary transfers, encouragement of undue patronage by the bureaucrats of their political masters, are indeed major stumbling blocks in the effective realization of the vision of any political leadership. The mass transfers of the bureaucrats in UP just recently, from areas where the BSP had fared poorly in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, is unique manifestation of the kind of rot which is being injected in our bureaucratic apparatus by some politicians, unmindful of the consequences.
Such arbitrariness on part of our political leadership has to stop. Its also high time that we introduced the much needed administrative reforms based upon the recommendations of some well known authorities on the same. Included is also a mention of the much needed Police reforms, which have been recommended in the past.
While the bureaucratic apparatus has to be subservient to the political leadership , yet there should be reasonable restrictions on the latter to prevent a virtual free for all kind of a situation, a classic example of which has been demonstrated in UP, as mentioned above.
Rahul ji, you have rightfully and deservingly earned our hope and expectations, for the future. And hence, we look forward to some innovative and path breaking actions from your end, which could motivate everyone, especially the youth of the nation, to work for a brighter tomorrow. Apart from what I have had to suggest so far, I would like to add that messages such as :
“ We have everything but time” “ Do today what can be done tomorrow, and just now what can be done today, “ “ Araam haraam hai” “ Forget talks. Show results” etc could be beamed to the nation in regular intervals, and in as many languages as possible to create the desired impact.
While the list of desirable actions could go on, I would now confine myself to just one more suggestion.
One of the pressing needs today for the nation as a whole, is to inculcate the fear of law in the right proportions. Yes our judiciary and our law enforcing agencies are doing a good job , despite their considerable limitations, yet we need to give a serious thought about reforms in our laws, our judiciary and law enforcing agencies. More specifically, there is a pressing need to prescribe harsher punishments for crimes such as - drug peddling, forgery, corporate fraud, rape, acid attacks, betraying and compromising the national interests, espionage etc.
We also need to upgrade the equipment, procedures, and morale of the police and paramilitary forces, who have often become easy targets of the naxals, terrorists, and other anti national elements. Above all , there is also a pressing need to upgrade our judicial set up to ensure speedier and relatively easier convictions.
While danger to life is apart of the job of our security agencies, yet we have to value their lives, and do everything possible to convince them that the nation cares for their precious lives and every drop of their blood. While the circumstances were totally different, yet we need to take lessons from the gruesome mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles some months ago.
God forbid, the day the realization dawns among some personnel of our law enforcing agencies that “ Why should I lay down my life? For whom and for what? “ that day we would be confronted with a challenge of unmanageable magnitude, which would take the winds off our sails.
Rahul ji, I wish you al the very best in all your efforts and vision, for a bright future ahead for our nation.
With Warm Regards
I am pleased to introduce myself as a forty five year old management professional based out of New Delhi. The historic mandate given to the Congress party in particular, and the UPA in general , is indeed a reflection of the kind of trust which we the people of India have vested upon the leadership abilities of Smt. Sonia ji, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji and your goodself.
At this point of time, I just can’t help but draw parallels between the overall mood of the nation in December 1984, when the Congress Party under the leadership of late Rajiv ji came to power with a highly convincing mandate, and the mood of the nation today, when we are confronted with various challenges, and have pinned up hopes upon the Congress led UPA to deliver us from the same.
There is hope, excitement, and renewed vigour, especially among the youth of the nation, about a new dawn , and a confidence to take up the challenges confronting us today.
Rahul ji, this mandate is also an indication of the kind of hope which we the people of India have placed upon the UPA government, to deliver an efficient, effective, transparent, and honest governance to the nation, without allowing anyone to exert undue pressure on the Congress party, to fulfill their selfish interests at the cost of national interests. Yes, the statesmanship skills of the Congress party would be put to test at times, as was reflected in the case of demands by the DMK, which eventually was sorted out amicably.
Going forward, the accountability of each Cabinet Minister has to be enforced in a manner similar to the one which prevails in the corporate sector. The 100 day action plan put forward by our Prime Minister, has to translate into well defined performance goals for each ministry, and the relevant Minister/s in charge , have to be held accountable for the accomplishment of the same. Anyone falling short of their respective accomplishments, need to meet the shortfalls within the next 100 days maximum , alongwith a commitment to meet new performance goals. The reasons for the shortfalls need to be investigated, and loopholes be identified and plugged permanently, to make way for the future. This could be a regular feature of the new governance practices of the present UPA government.
And yes, as our Prime Minster is committed to the effectiveness of the government, there should be zero tolerance towards constant non performers, irrespective of their overall status on the Congress party or its allies. On the other hand, those with the right attitude, and commitment to perform, should be given due encouragement by entrusting them with responsibilities, thereby grooming the leaders for tomorrow.
It would be a good idea to present a progress report to the nation every six months, via press releases, campaigning by the Congress party workers in their respective constituencies, and educating the electorate of such accomplishments on a periodic basis. By effectively doing so, much of your campaign strategy for the forthcoming assembly elections and the next general elections in 2014, would automatically be taken care of, and in way would also effectively blunt your opposition well in advance.
Rahul ji, there is no doubt about the fact that irrespective of the grand vision of the political leadership, its translation into an effective and efficient actionable programme, for the benefit of the intended beneficiaries, is possible only if the bureaucratic apparatus is highly motivated, professional in its outlook, and shares the vision of the political leadership. The practice of arbitrary transfers, encouragement of undue patronage by the bureaucrats of their political masters, are indeed major stumbling blocks in the effective realization of the vision of any political leadership. The mass transfers of the bureaucrats in UP just recently, from areas where the BSP had fared poorly in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, is unique manifestation of the kind of rot which is being injected in our bureaucratic apparatus by some politicians, unmindful of the consequences.
Such arbitrariness on part of our political leadership has to stop. Its also high time that we introduced the much needed administrative reforms based upon the recommendations of some well known authorities on the same. Included is also a mention of the much needed Police reforms, which have been recommended in the past.
While the bureaucratic apparatus has to be subservient to the political leadership , yet there should be reasonable restrictions on the latter to prevent a virtual free for all kind of a situation, a classic example of which has been demonstrated in UP, as mentioned above.
Rahul ji, you have rightfully and deservingly earned our hope and expectations, for the future. And hence, we look forward to some innovative and path breaking actions from your end, which could motivate everyone, especially the youth of the nation, to work for a brighter tomorrow. Apart from what I have had to suggest so far, I would like to add that messages such as :
“ We have everything but time” “ Do today what can be done tomorrow, and just now what can be done today, “ “ Araam haraam hai” “ Forget talks. Show results” etc could be beamed to the nation in regular intervals, and in as many languages as possible to create the desired impact.
While the list of desirable actions could go on, I would now confine myself to just one more suggestion.
One of the pressing needs today for the nation as a whole, is to inculcate the fear of law in the right proportions. Yes our judiciary and our law enforcing agencies are doing a good job , despite their considerable limitations, yet we need to give a serious thought about reforms in our laws, our judiciary and law enforcing agencies. More specifically, there is a pressing need to prescribe harsher punishments for crimes such as - drug peddling, forgery, corporate fraud, rape, acid attacks, betraying and compromising the national interests, espionage etc.
We also need to upgrade the equipment, procedures, and morale of the police and paramilitary forces, who have often become easy targets of the naxals, terrorists, and other anti national elements. Above all , there is also a pressing need to upgrade our judicial set up to ensure speedier and relatively easier convictions.
While danger to life is apart of the job of our security agencies, yet we have to value their lives, and do everything possible to convince them that the nation cares for their precious lives and every drop of their blood. While the circumstances were totally different, yet we need to take lessons from the gruesome mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles some months ago.
God forbid, the day the realization dawns among some personnel of our law enforcing agencies that “ Why should I lay down my life? For whom and for what? “ that day we would be confronted with a challenge of unmanageable magnitude, which would take the winds off our sails.
Rahul ji, I wish you al the very best in all your efforts and vision, for a bright future ahead for our nation.
With Warm Regards
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