Day of the Jackal...!

Today is the Day of the Jackal... not by any tradition, custom or ritual... but for my yet another attempt to understand life and reflect on it! Here are 3 stories taken from Hitopadesh, Isapniti and Jatak Katha, with different morals but a same vice, I guess!

1.

Once upon a time, a hungry lion went from one place to another in search of a prey. He was soon exhausted. He decided to hide in a jackal’s empty cave and eat him when he entered. The idea of an easy catch watered his mouth. He waited patiently for the jackal to return.

The jackal reached his cave. He was about to enter when he sensed some danger. He thought of a plan. “Hello cave, how are you?” he said. Nothing happened. He said again, “Dear cave, what is wrong with you?”, and waited. Inside, the lion thought, “May be the cave answers the jackal and if he does not get the answer, he will think there is something wrong…” The silly lion roared in reply. The jackal now knew about the presence of the lion in the cave and ran away...

Moral of the story...? Force is no match for wisdom.

2.

One day long ago, Jackal was trotting through a narrow, rocky pass in the mountain. He was sniffing the ground trying to find something juicy to eat when he saw movement ahead of him in the pass. Jackal stopped in his tracks. The mighty Lion was coming straight toward him. Realizing that there was no way to escape, Jackal became very frightened. He had played so many tricks on the king of the animals in the past, and he was sure that Lion would take this opportunity to get his revenge. Suddenly Jackal thought of a plan.

"Help! Help!" cried Jackal. He cowered down on the cliff path, looking above at the rocks. Lion stopped in surprise. "Help!" Jackal howled, "There is no time to lose! See those huge rocks above us? They are about to fall and we shall both be crushed to death! Oh, mighty Lion, please do something! Save us!" And Jackal cowered with his paws over his head. Lion looked up, most alarmed. Before he even had a chance to think, Jackal persuaded Lion to put his strong shoulder against the rock and heave.

"Oh, thank you, great King!" yelped Jackal. "I will quickly fetch that log over there to hold the rock, and we will both be saved!", and with that he bounded out of sight.

So Lion was left all alone to struggle under the weight of the rock in the hot sunshine. We will never know how long he stayed before he realized that this was another trick, but the clever Jackal had once again escaped from the mighty Lion! 

Moral of the story...? Wisdom is more powerful than strength!

3.

Once there lived a mighty lion in a cave of the Himalayas. One day, after killing and eating a buffalo, when he was on his way back to his cave, he found a jackal prostrating before him. The jackal, in fact, wanted to enjoy the leftovers of the lion.

He asked him, “Why do you lie like this, Jackal”. The jackal said, “Sir! I would like to be your servant”. The lion accepted his proposal and treated him affectionately.

Since that day the lion offered him the leftovers of the animals that he killed. Being fed on those the emaciated jackal soon bulged; and so did his pride. Further, he fostered the false idea of having equal power like that of the lion. So, one day, he said to the lion, “O lion! So far I am fed on your leftovers; but today, I shall offer you my left over as I shall kill and eat an elephant…!”

The lion advised him to refrain from any such act, as he did not belong to the species of lion-like animal to kill a strong elephant.

The haughty and foolish jackal did not listen to the lion. Feigning like a lion he moved out of the cave and uttered the cry of a jackal thrice, as if it was the cry of a mighty lion. He then looked for an elephant; and saw one at the base of the mountain. He jumped at the large animal from the top of the mountain. But instead of falling on elephant’s back he fell on his feet. The elephant without paying much notice to the existence of the jackal lifted his fore-leg and placed it on his head and mashed his skull. Thus the foolish jackal was killed instantly.

Moral of the story (Uncut, uncensored and unsolicited)...?

Surviving on leftovers of a lion doesn’t make a Jackal a Lion and cunningness is no match for bravery…!

SO WHAT…!?!

This is what Nature intends and offers…
Biodiversity, Collaboration, Dependability and Evolution!



This is what Developing Human Being imposes on its own future
And the entire ecosystem it is part of...!

Heading exactly in the opposite direction of what Mother Nature intends will surely take him to hell, no doubt and no remorse for that as it is self-imposed by his own species. The only shame is it's dragging the ecology on the verge of a catastrophe which the ecosystem neither deserves nor could protest… God Save This Planet! By the way it’s the ONLY LIVABLE planet in this cosmos as far as human knowledge is concerned; SO WHAT…!?!

Industrious Optimist…!

 Yes, we certainly can fix what is broken… In fact, it’s only us who can fix it as no other presumed element of the society would be interested in fixing something that compromises their respective interests! Way to go...

Trajectory...!

We Indians have this intrinsic trait of amplifying the image of a being much bigger than itself and call it either a Demi-God, a Living Legend or Larger than life Persona! Roots of this trait are almost ancient and could be easily tracked back to mythology and prehistoric era. This mindset of 'Worshiping the person and forgetting the cause' has made us suffer for many years on many fronts. And this is the mentality that prevented healthy and full-grown sustainable development of the concept called 'Institution' or 'Organization' in the modern age, particularly in the post-independence and post-globalization period in India. 

It was not a surprise then that majority of our workforce developed a work culture that suited the person heading that center, department or unit. It would not have affected anything unless and until the 'Leader' knew and practiced the true meaning of his or her title and understood the implications of his decisions taken intentionally or unintentionally; but alas, it was not so and many who acquired those positions were Post Tortoise(s), you know what I mean, don't you...?

Well, let's leave the Tortoise alone (on the post?) and have a look at the brighter side. Apart from political news about elections of Local Self-governance bodies all around Maharashtra and Assembly elections at Punjab. Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur; there are 3 major headlines at National and International level through which India grabbed attention of the world once again. One for a Right Decision for a Wrong Deed and Two are absolutely Proud and enormously Gratifying developments that are flashing all around the media!

Sasikala, the presumed political successor of Late Jaylalitha was all set to assume the role as Cheif of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu when the Supreme Court of India set out a verdict that put her behind the bars in an old case of 'Disproportionate Assets' and also banned her for about 6 years from active politics by virtue of this verdict. This definitely is a victory of truth and has the potential to uphold the morality of Indian people and make their belief in judicial system strong, particularly on the backdrop of wealthy people getting 'more equal' treatment for their convicted offenses. 'Justice prevails...' is much needed feeling that would provide law-abiding honest citizens to live and thrive for a democracy to achieve its true objectives!

With R. Ashwin setting a record and Indian Cricket team on a winning stroll with 19 consecutive Test Match wins, the always expressive and fearless captain Virat Kohali has put another feather in his cap with 6 consecutive Test Series Wins. Virat has become the Best Test Cricket Captain with a win-loss ratio of 7.5 beating Sir Don Bradman who had it of 5! There is a long way to go for Virat with all his zeal, passion, aggression and determination that he never conceals on the field out there... and age is on his side to make him a real cricketing wonder reaching the wall of fame and for the world to remember forever!

Finally, for the impulse, motivation and stimuli behind this post that is simply out of this world... literally! You guessed it right - almost all newspapers in every nook and corner of this country has the same headline today feeling absolutely proud about it and very rightly so - it is ISRO making the NEWS once again! It is not just unbelievably rewarding but incredibly fulfilling to achieve what ISRO has accomplished. India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its thirty ninth flight (PSLV-C37), launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation and 103 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 663 kg at lift-off into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. Read all the details here.

ISRO is such an Institution (and Organization) of India that every Indian should be proud of, not only for what it has done today but for being an entity with individual efforts towards collective objectives of common good and finding ways to make it commercially viable and economically profitable in due course. Not a easy job, neither anybody's cup of tea, particularly in a country where 'Person' becomes a leading force rather than a 'Passion' that could be a guiding drive. What ISRO has done is going to affect (in a positive way) the generations to come and still ISRO is yet to get that hike in the budgetary provision of its Grants. Will we have to sign a petition for this also...? I don't think so and if we do, we surely would cut the 'Wings of fire' that our beloved People's President has added to ISRO!

Way to go...!

Service...!

Honesty in intent, ability to lead from front, preparedness to take responsibility and thorough professional attitude are the attributes of excellence in service delivery and enhanced reputation resulting in sustainability and profitability.

Intent is what one has in mind and not what it shows or others could apparently see. The meditative posture of the stork is not motivated by a selfless alienation from the material world but it is the exact opposite; disguising as calm and quite secluded hermit and catch the oblivious fish to feed itself. Now the stork can be honest to its own intent but its disguise to achieve what it wants is neither honest nor has a pure intent, though natural.

One can be a great performer but Ability to Lead is something different. Alexander the Great has said it all when he is famously quoted as… “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion…” A Role Model is someone who inspire others. Leadership skills are collection of personal characteristics such as – Creativity, Empathy, Fortitude, Generosity, Knowledge, Passion, Persistence, Shrewdness, Vision, Wisdom and unwavering Faith in the undertaking. Leadership is not a position, it is an attitude and one who has this attitude could never settle for anything mediocre.

With due respect to learned critiques, to criticize a thing that has already happened and is readily available for analysis is ‘easier said than done’ in its truest sense and it is even easier to complain about anything instead of doing something to change it. That might count as being Practical but it is not the way to be ‘Smart’ for sure. Being Smart is being prepared to – ask questions, offer solutions, take action while Assuming Responsibility of the outcome. Experimenting with something is definitely a way of finding a solution to a situation, provided that the experimenter is prepared to accept the responsibility of the outcome of the experiment, whether positive or negative. Being Mahatma, therefore, requires to ‘Be the change you want to see in the world…!’

Professionalism has nothing to do with commercials. Like Leadership, it is also an attitude to look at anything and a delivering style of working towards predefined objectives. Professionalism is about commitment, it is about being effective and efficient in each of one’s undertakings. More importantly, professionalism is about keeping your emotions at bay while you are on a ‘work’ that you have accepted as a job on whatever terms in whichever situation; it is about applying your mind without sentiment, brain without prejudice and being without egotism, to the responsibility you committed to shoulder. It is performing beyond compliance and achieving despite incentives.

A legend has it that Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in spite of being informed about death of his son while he was in the middle of writing editorial for his newspaper, finished it before leaving for home. That is being a thorough professional! However it doesn’t necessarily imply to be a heartless or unfeeling person, it simply underlines the importance of your commitment towards your undertakings vis-à-vis your personal matters that should never take precedence over your lawful duty and larger responsibility for common good.

These 4 are the ingredients for a recipe called ‘Excellence’ and it could be prepared in the pot of 'Awareness' that would hold it all together and fire of 'Consistency' that would provide the heat required to boil a nutritious broth. Excellence is not an item on the wish-list nor is it something that could be brought; it’s a quality that is achieved with great effort and maintained with relentless practice. But once it becomes the habit; reputation, sustainability and profitability all fall in line. It is better to exercise as a daily routine than having a stressed and hectic lifestyle to earn all that money which would ultimately go to Therapies, Medicines and Tranquilizers in one form or other.

If you get the point, start NOW… Way to go!

अर्धसत्य...!

चक्रव्यूह में घुसने से पहले, कौन था मैं और कैसा था,

ये मुझे याद ही ना रहेगा चक्रव्यूह में घुसने के बाद

मेरे और चक्रव्यूह के बीच

सिर्फ़ जानलेवा निकटता थी,

इसका मुझे पता ही नहीं चलेगा

चक्रव्यूह से बाहर निकलने पर

मैं मुक्त हो जाउँ भले ही फिर भी

चक्रव्यूह की रचना में फ़र्क ही ना पड़ेगा

मरू या मारू, मारा जाऊं या जान से मार दूँ

इसका फ़ैसला कभी ना हो पायेगा

सोया हुआ आदमी जब नींद से

उठकर चलना शुरू करता है तब सपनोंका संसार उसे

फिर से दिख नहीं पायेगा उस रोशनी में, जो निर्णय की रोशनी है

सब कुछ समान होगा क्या?

एक पलड़े में नपुंसकता और दुसरे पलड़े में पौरुष्य

और ठीक तराजू के कांटे पर...

अर्धसत्य...!

No matter where his life took him and what were the circumstances that made him act, behave and say as he did in the recent past, we will always remember his Inspector Anant Welankar reciting the 'Chakravyuh' Poem by Dilip Chitre to Jyotsna Gokhale and concluding Govind Nihalani's 'ArdhaSatya' with a conviction that carved a niche into our hearts forever...

"सर, मैंने रामा शेट्टी को मार डाला...!"

Good Bye OMji, the Theatre and the Film Fraternity will have a vacant space in your name for eternity...! May your soul find that solace that you never seemed to have here!

Demonetization or Revolution...?

For those who follow cricket (including all Indian men [in blue] as India has only 3 passions Bollywood, Cricket and Devotion and one hobby – Politics over every aspect of life including these 3!) it would be a familiar fact that there are three departments, apart from sledging I mean, in cricket – Bowling, Batting and Fielding.

Then there are Umpires – 2 Field Umpires, a Third (DVR) umpire and a Fourth Umpire that you find only on Indian National Television wherein all the Cricket veterans (presumably) discuss how it could have been different and better than what they enjoyed and their envy of how cricket is glamorous nowadays than their good old times seemingly overshadows their expertise most of the time, but that’s not the point here! And above all there is the spectator ‘Audience’ of course!

Principally every element of this game has a specific anticipated job something like -

Bowler is out in the field to ‘Get the Wickets’.

Batsman is out there in the field to ‘Make as much runs as possible in the stipulated time’.

Fielders are out there in the field to ‘Restrict possibly every run and grab those catches that win matches’.

Umpires, both out in the field and on DVR are there to 'Keep it a Gentleman’s Game with fair decisions'.

Fourth Umpire is an element that, no matter what, would act as the Governor of the entire show.

And ‘Audience’ or ‘Spectators’ are supposedly the element for which everything is being put up.

Started as a ‘Gentleman’s Game’ by the British in their Colonies for self-indulgence and entertainment through ego-satisfaction, it soon became so popular and acquired such a fan-following all over the world that it has become a huge industry today with various brands and flagship products, IPL Twenty-20 being the latest block-buster.

There is something called a ‘Toss’ to start the game and the Toss winning captain chooses what his team would do first, batting or bowling. With a reducing time of Cricket matches owing to the short attention spans and lust for maximum entertainment of the audience, it is jokingly being said that the next format of Cricket game after 20-20 would be ‘T-T’ that is Toss-Toss, the captain winning the toss would be declared winner of the match without playing a single ball, but again, that’s not the point here!

Most of the time this winning captain chooses to bat first for taking advantage of the freshness of the players, pitch, atmosphere and many other factors that assumingly would support to put a huge total on the score-board that would be difficult, if not impossible, for the other team to chase.

Once the game starts, the tempo keeps building with every single ball bowled, every run scored, every catch grabbed and every boundary, over-boundary hit. If nothing of this sort happens and match gets in the sluggish mode with a ritual of a baller throwing the ball without excitement and batsman defending it to save the wicket without scoring runs, the audience starts getting bored, impatient and stops responding, some even decide to leave the unfinished game. If their team is doing well and putting up a paisa-vassol show, crowd supports it in full zeal and the energy in the stadium is something that one can literally feel.

In an otherwise situation, the audience who waited in queues to buy tickets, survived all the traffic and all the hassle to reach their seats, put up with all weather – Sun, Rain, shivering Cold and was looted by every agency they had to interact with right from parking to snacks and beverages; they start reacting vocally to the loathsome performance of their team. Few optimistic souls try to maintain calm and keep their fingers crossed for their team / player bettering the performance in short while.

With every passing (the batsman?) ball these optimists also start losing their philosophical posture and slowly turn vocal about their frustration. Sometimes the crowd gets uncontrollable and physical when it starts interfering the game by throwing plastic bottles and similar things on the field and hurting the fielders standing on the boundary. This definitely brings down everything – the spirit of the game, the moral of the players, the dignity and legacy of the Gentleman’s game. But, thankfully, this is temporary.

All the anguish, all the commotion, all the penance disappears the moment their favorite players puts a Century on the board in less than 70 balls in the next game. The name of the centurion could be heard miles from the stadium echoed in an almost melodious tone… Sachin… Sachin! Sachin himself, apart from all the records he sets or breaks and all the titles he wins for himself or his country, always longs to hear this shouting of his name as some mantra in every single match that he plays!

Now, what is right and who is wrong is not the question here, the thing is to understand the nature of this game and its integral aspect of overwhelming and expressive crowd in this part of the world. This is a culture here and people never complain their suffering unless they are pushed to their limits (of boredom?) and these are the same people who provide the loads of energy to the player by continuous loud cheering.

So what is the point I am trying to make here? Cricket is a game that has transformed into an industry alright, Sachin has retired long back we know and there is no dearth of Cricket experts in our country, in fact there would never be any short supply of experts (particularly channel experts) on any topic that you can think of in this Incredible India, so why I am taking pain to reiterate something that even a kid in India knows for sure. Well, if you remember some of my recent posts… it’s the analogy!

Now I am listing few thing below and let’s play 'Match the Pair'! Replace the original with the new matching element in the game and let’s see if we can find some insight(?), okay at least some sense, in anything above.

Assuming ‘Cricket’ as Gentleman’s game as it was considered in its glorious days, consider ‘Politics’ as ‘Social Work’ as it was in its evolving phase. ‘Toss’ is the Election in the Democracy and elected Government is the Toss-wining Captain who has the privilege to make some decisions that presumably would give him some advantage. If the Captain chooses to ‘Bat’, the other team automatically becomes the ‘Opposition’ who would do anything to get the wickets, restrict the runs and keep the score down.

Fielders are the elected representatives in opposition that support the baller and the wicket keeper to get wickets and trouble the batsman. Umpires are the President, Speaker of houses, Governors of States and all such ‘Governing’ elements who can pass the judgment but have little control over the situation. ‘Audience’ is the Spectator Common Man for whom the entire show is put up, definition of democracy says! And what we are left with are the experts in the Fourth Umpire played by the Fourth Pillar of Democracy – Media! Needless to say that it includes all the channel experts and pseudo-intellectuals.

Now, visualize a One-day match between India and Pakistan with a house full Eden Garden stadium. India has won the toss and elected to bat. Indian Captain Saurav Ganguly brings VVS Laxman with him for opening while Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag wait their turn in the pavilion. The batting line-up says that Rahul Dravid will be batting next followed by Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag will bat at no. 5. Suddenly everybody in the crowd turns a Cricket Expert who knows every aspect of cricket right from pitch condition to wind speed to slog overs and what not and starts criticizing Ganguly like anything.

Now, Ganguli knows for sure what he is doing and only time will tell what made him take such a decision and how it turns out. But meanwhile the spectators are expected to believe in their captain and support his decision no matter how impatiently they wait to shout… ‘Sachin… Sachin!’

Finally, do I need to tell you to replace ‘Ganguly’s decision to change the batting order’ with the move of ‘Exchange of old currency notes with new ones’ that is generally and wrongly referred to as Demonetization...?

If you get it… Go Cashless as far as you can and if that seems impossibly difficult, try Less Cash! I am not the person to assure you that you will get the opportunity to cheer 'Sachin... Sachin!' but who else could…?

Be an Optimist, Have Faith and Believe wholeheartedly that ‘Best is yet to come’!

Way to go…