A new life

Here's an article I wrote for the Times neighbourhood of Sarjapur and HSR layout, in Bangalore. (Issue: 2nd November 2012)

You can also find it here. 

Sarfaroshi kii tamannaa...

Somehow this poem by Ram Prasad (Bismil), almost always evokes a sense of passion, and a desire to do something.

Note to self: Read this often enough to do something!

Sarfaroshi kii tamannaa - Ram Prasad (Bismil)

Sarfaroshi kii tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Dekhnaa hai zor kitnaa baazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Ek se karataa nahin kyon doosaraa kuchh baat-cheet

Dekhtaa hun main jise woh chup teri mehfil mein hai

Aye shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar
Ab teri himmat ka charchaa gair kii mehfil mein hai

Sarfaroshi kii tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai
Dekhnaa hai zor kitnaa baazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Waqt aane de bataa denge tujhe aye aasamaan
Hum abhii se kyaa bataayen kyaa hamaare dil mein hai

Kheench kar laayee hai sab ko qatl hone ki ummeed
Aashiqon ka aaj jamaghat koonch-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai
Dekhnaa hai zor kitnaa baazu-e-qaatil mein hai

Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baithaa udhar

Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apnaa idhar

Khoon se khelenge holi gar vatan muskhil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Haath jin mein ho junoon kat-te nahin talvaar se

Sar jo uth jaate hain vo jhukte nahin lalakaar se

Aur bhadakegaa jo sholaa-saa hamaare dil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Hum to nikale hii the ghar se baandhakar sar pe kafan

Jaan hatheli par liye lo barh chale hain ye qadam

Zindagi to apnii mehamaan maut ki mehfil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Yuun khadaa maqtal mein qaatil kah rahaa hai baar-baar

Kya tamannaa-e-shahaadat bhi kisee ke dil mein hai

Dil mein tuufaanon ki toli aur nason mein inqilaab

Hosh dushman ke udaa denge hamein roko na aaj

Duur rah paaye jo hamse dam kahaan manzil mein hai

Sarfaroshi kii tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Jism bhi kya jism hai jisamein na ho khoon-e-junoon

Kya wo toofaan se lade jo kashti-e-saahil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Dekhanaa hai zor kitnaa baazu-e-qaatil mein hai

My favourite Sachin Tendulkar moments!

I have been a crazy cricket fan since Sachin started playing and there are probably very few innings of his that I have not watched live (on TV, ofcourse). That said, there have been some great cricketing moments that have involved the master and here are a few from my recollection.

1992: Hero Cup semi-final vs. South Africa
The Proteas required 6 of the last over to win the game with one wicket in hand and the dependable Brian McMillan on strike. Sachin went up to the then captain, Mohammed Azharuddin to ask him for the ball since he believed he could pull it off. In the only over of the game that he bowled, he conceded only 3 runs and pulled off a miraculous victory.

1994: 2nd ODI vs. New Zealand in Auckland
Requiring to chase a modest 144 for victory, Sachin requested Azhar and Ajit Wadekar (then coach) to let him open the innings since Navjot Singh Sidhu was out with a stiff neck. He asked for only one opportunity with the self-imposed stipulation that he wouldn’t ask them again if he failed.

He scored 82 of 49 deliveries and India romped home in 23 overs.

1996: The World Cup in the subcontinent
Probably one of his best phases, Sachin scored 523 runs in 7 matches with 2 centuries and 3 fifties at an average of 87.16. He was the highest scorer in the world cup.

1998: India vs. Australia 1st Test match in Chennai
Sachin saved his best for the best team in what was his best year in international cricket. Out for 4 runs in the first innings to Shane Warne, Sachin came into bat in the second innings with India leading by 44 runs.

What followed was a master class innings of 155 not out despite Warne bowling round the wicket into the rough. India led by 347 runs at the end of Tendulkar’s assault and won the first match setting the tone for the remainder of the series.

1998: The 1st ODI vs. Australia in Kochi
Sachin got out for a paltry score but Ajay Jadeja held fort with a magnificent 104 to take India past the 300 mark. Australia was cruising at the 30-over mark when Azhar tossed the ball to Sachin. He turned his golden arm over and India won the match convincingly.

Man-of-the-match Sachin took 5 wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs of crafty leg spin that would have made Shane Warne proud.

1998: Twin centuries in the desert
The desert storm innings is now part of cricketing folklore. Chasing 284 for victory against Australia in Sharjah, Tendulkar was waging a one-man battle against the Aussies before a sand storm halted the match. After the storm subsided, India needed to score 246 to qualify for the finals against the same opponents.

In what can only be termed as savage counter attack through unbelievable cricketing shots, Tendulkar (143) smashed the Aussie bowlers all over the park to help India qualify for the final. The Aussies had been hit by the Sachin storm after the sand storm and did not recover from it even in the next match.

Sachin scored yet another clinical century (134) and helped India win the tournament on his 25th birthday.

1998: ICC quarter final vs. Australia
This match would be best remembered for the way Sachin single-handedly demolished the opposition. He scored a belligerent 141 in 128 deliveries and capped it with 4 wickets to win the match.

1999: The World Cup in England
It was during the World Cup that Sachin lost his father and flew back for the funeral. His mother goaded him to go back and play for the country, since that was what his father would have wanted.

Sachin came back and in the next match against Kenya, scored 140 of 101 deliveries despite the personal tragedy.

Notwithstanding the quality of the opposition, this innings stands out in my mind for the sheer grit and resolve he showed in managing to separate his personal tragedy from his duty towards the country.

1999: 1st Test match vs. Pakistan in Chennai
In my eyes, this probably was his greatest innings and also the most emotionally draining for him, the team and Indian spectators.

Chasing 271 for victory, India was tottering at 82 for 5. Tendulkar scored a brilliant 136 battling all odds and a severe back spasm. Shepherding Nayan Mongia, who played a good hand of 52, Sachin got out to a Saqlain Mustaq doosra, just 17 runs short of victory.

With 4 wickets in hand, India lost the plot and the game by 12 runs. Sachin was in tears and so was I.

2003: The World Cup in South Africa
By this time, it was an established fact for me that Sachin always performed at the biggest stage of international ODI cricket. The 98-run innings against Pakistan was one of his best one-day knocks and the six off Shoaib Akhtar over third man is etched in our memories. He also hit a similar shot against Sri Lanka off Dilhara Fernando.

But for me, the moment that defined the mind of this man in the mega event of cricket was a superb hook off Andrew Caddick that went for a six over midwicket. He scored 52 of 50 deliveries in that innings, of which 36 came off Caddick’s 19 deliveries.Caddick ended up with his most expensive bowling analysis and India won the match.

Sachin also scored 673 runs in the World Cup and was yet again the highest scorer at an average of 61.18.

2006: DLF Cup, 2nd ODI vs. West Indies in Kuala Lumpur
Sachin, now 33, had been criticised by many on his reflexes, his reduced flamboyance and his longevity.
Yet again, Sachin silenced his critics with an unbeaten 141 of 148 deliveries. Tendulkar scored his 40th ODI century in this comeback match after an injury layoff. He was 18 centuries ahead of the next in line – Saurav Ganguly and Sanath Jayasuriya.

2009: 5th ODI against Australia in Hyderabad
Sachin scored a chanceless 175 chasing 351 for victory before falling 19 runs short of victory. The Indian tail did not wag and we lost the match by 3 runs.

But this match stands out in my mind for landmarks achieved by Sachin – the 17,000 run mark and his 87th international hundred!

Cricket - a metaphor for life

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Over the years, a lot has been said in praise about Sachin Tendulkar and it continues till date – 20 years since he burst into the international limelight. But today I write about Sachin Tendulkar as my guru and not as the cricketer we all love.

How many of us have done something that will give us a sense of pride to last a lifetime? And how many of us did something noteworthy when we were 16? And have any of us been at the top for 20 continuous years without a single blemish?

Since 1989, I have spent each of Sachin’s and my birthdays and more, thinking about how the maestro has reached such great heights at such a young age and still kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. Single-minded devotion, discipline, hard work, passion and equanimity are some of the lessons to learn from Sachin’s life. He has made me want to achieve a lot in life and be like him in everything I do. With reams of accomplishments that he has already attained, I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years from now, ‘Sachin’ becomes an adjective!

There have been innumerable instances where I have drawn inspiration from Sachin’s on-field and off-field demeanour. Whether I have been low for not doing well in my academics or any other sphere in life or when I went out to play for my team during my gully cricket days, there was always one man who helped me get up on my own. If I felt like running away from a situation, I would ask myself: would Sachin have succeeded if he had said he didn’t want to face the fastest bowlers of his time – Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall and the likes?

I believed as a ten-year-old that I could beat the opposition in cricket despite they being twice my size or age. I knew that my friends banked on me to play well and ensure a team victory – similar to what India hoped of Sachin. Or so I’d like to believe! But that belief was something that makes me the person I am today. I attribute a large portion of the confidence I carry to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

I'm sure this is the effect Sachin has on many Indians across the country. Unknowingly he influences us to be stronger and emerge successful from every trial that we face. For twenty years, this stocky dynamo has had an effect on a billion – if this is not power, what is?

I have had the privilege of watching Sachin play in Mumbai’s stadia, and the aura of the man is something beyond belief. The reactions of the crowd when he enters the ground or even merely touches the ball can be understood only by being part of it. And I don’t need to tell you about the frenzy when he is batting majestically!

Thinking back over the last twenty years, cricket and Sachin have helped me grow as an individual, become mature and made me live by the belief that I will be able to meet any challenge that life throws at me.

Cricket, for me, has been a beautiful metaphor for life, and Sachin my inspiration!

Old wine in a new bottle

It has been long since I blogged and felt this article would be a good restart. Below is the review I wrote on Subroto Bagchi's latest book - The Professional for www.domain-b.com.

Through his latest book, Subroto Bagchi provides us with a toolkit to sharpen our edge in the 21st-century workplace. Arvind Sridhar reviews The Professional

23 October 2009

Published by: Penguin Group Price: Rs399 Classification: Non-fiction Subroto Bagchi conceived the idea of his third book, The Professional, when he realised an important ingredient was missing from his previous two books on business: Guidance! In his first book, The High-Performance Entrepreneur, the author spoke about the making of his company and in the second, Go Kiss The World, he wrote about his life-story, hoping to motivate readers to achieve what they want to. With The Professional, Mr Bagchi provides a prescription for achieving true professionalism to the young and the experienced alike; in other words, the much-needed and even more sought-after guidance missing from his previous books. In about 200 pages, he provides us with a toolkit to sharpen our edge in the 21st-century workplace. Mr Bagchi has drawn on experiences from his life to depict various facets of professional conduct under different circumstances. He has divided the book into seven chapters: integrity, self-awareness, professional qualities, managing volume, managing complexity, new world imperatives and the professional’s professional. The book is well-structured and easy to read. It won’t take you more than a couple of hours to finish, but I suggest you read it leisurely, in sequential order, internalise what the author conveys through each anecdote before you move on to the next subject. The book has a little bit in it for everyone. Mr Bagchi tackles the dilemma of firing a star performer, advises us on managing client expectations, and talks about personal issues at work: boredom, whining, personal loss, transparency, logic versus emotion, sexual harassment and other gender issues. You are sure to find yourself saying, “Hey! That's happened to me” or “Hey, that's what I wanted to know about!” The first chapter of the book leaves a lasting impact on you and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Making an important distinction between a professional and someone who is merely professionally qualified, Mr Bagchi mentions these two qualities as differentiators: “One is the ability to work unsupervised and, two, the ability to certify the completion of one’s work.”. And to illustrate this difference, he tells us the story of Mahadeva – the professional who disposed off unclaimed dead bodies and gave them a decent burial. Stark, but crystal clear! Another example that I found very enlightening was that of the recent Satyam debacle, where Ramalinga Raju, the founder and chairman of the company admitted to largescale fudging of the balance sheet for years. Mr Bagchi uses this sordid saga beautifully to stress the importance of “The Responsibility of Dissent”. He has made very discerning, analytical and thought-provoking observations, which should serve as a constant reminder to any professional, who might, in beguiling situations, be tempted to disregard his or her scruples. Mr Bagchi has made it easy to judge our actions on the yardstick of professionalism by drawing up a list of top ten markers. If you're looking for radical career solutions or fiery concepts in management, you're not going to find them here. What you will find is a practical, comprehensive handbook advising and guiding you on how to be a true professional. Like old wine in a new bottle, The Professional serves up time-tested values and truths packaged to cater to today’s world. Excerpts from The Responsibility of Dissent: “The entire board of directors that consisted of several independent directors of international standing simply agreed to a completely unrelated business acquisition with an interested party. Who were these men and women around the table who consented to one of the least transparent deal in Indian corporate history? What on their minds when they raised their hands and said, ‘Aye’?… “Eminent people all, but they individually and collectively failed the shareholders, 53,000 employees and their families, and the entire industry by their bizarre approval of the deal... “But the focus of the Satyam falsehood is not Ramalinga Raju. Your focus should be on the professionals who knew all along that the company was taking one wrong step after the other but chose to go along and earn their salaries and bonuses. These people were failing the unwritten code of conduct for any professional – the responsibility of dissent.” About the author: Subroto Bagchi is the vice chairman and co-founder of MindTree Ltd. Till 2008, Subroto was its Chief Operating Officer, a role he stepped down from to become its Gardener. His work involves co-innovating with MindTree’s customers, tending the top 100 minds in the organisation and serving its fifty communities of practice. He is also chairman of MindTree’s Innovation Council. His previous books, The High-Performance Entrepreneur and Go KissThe World were bestsellers and received critical acclaim. The Professional’s handbook: The table below ranks the top ten attributes of a professional and non-professional conduct Professional Non-professional Integrity Missing a deadline Commitment and ownership Non-escalation of issues on time Action orientation and goal seeking Non-disclosure Continuous learning Not respecting privacy of information Professional knowledge/skills Not respecting ‘need to know’ Communication Plagiarism Planning, organising and punctuality Passing on the blame Quality of work Overstating qualifications and experience A positive attitude, approachability, responsiveness Mindless job hopping Being an inspiring reference to others; thought and leadership Unsuitable appearance

Susan Boyle - epitomising inspiration!

Every once in a while, nature provides us with a massively uplifting moment that makes us realise there does exist a supernatural force that controls this world.

One such moment for me was the performance of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent 2009. I am sure many of you have already heard of her and watched the video but I nevertheless feel compelled to write something on this. (See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY)

Time and again there have been 'born-geniuses' who have had humble beginnings, some have been shunned initially; but they later gave the world ample proof of their supreme talent. Albert Einstein, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are a few who readily come to mind. Each of them was thought unfit for their profession but evenutally made it big in the same field and have had an ever-lasting impact on people's lives.

Einstein was thought to be a lunatic because of the unheard of theories that he propounded. Today, many of his theories prove to be the cornerstone for many more theories that we now believe in a jiffy. Tendulkar was thought to be tiny and weak to be a fast bowler at the MRF pace foundation. He did not make it as a fast bowler, but the world got a prodigy, who has given nightmares to bowlers across the world. Amitabh's voice was thought to be too deep and he was thus rejected from All India Radio. That very baritone voice now echoes in our ears through his hundreds of movies. SRK was intially thought to be a small time actor who wouldn't last in the industry beyond a couple of second-grade movies. He has been a prolific actor and today is one of the biggest brands in India.

47-year old Susan Boyle is well on her way to becoming another such celebrity. I was awestruck with her singing and it was truly a jaw-dropping performance. Probably flawless and could have been a one-take recording if she had sung it in a studio. And the choice of the song - I dreamed a dream, from Les Miserables - was poignant considering her background. The video shows the faces in the crowd who seem to pooh-pooh at the very sight of Ms Boyle. But at the moment she begins her mesmerising performance, those very faces turn red with embarrassment.

Imagine being in that position, where you have been written off before you can even begin to make an impression. And then imagine those very judgmental faces when they look at you with amazement of having achieved what they thought you never could. Imagine the unbelievable sense of pride that fills your heart because you gave it back in such a dignified manner! Ah, what I would give to get that feeling!

To find the world rooting for your victory after such an extraordinary performance is a feeling that is beyond words. A truly inspirational moment for me. Reminds us not to judge the book by its cover. Very pertinent today since many of us believe that ultimately it all 'Boyles' down to image.

All in all, it ain't over till the fat lady sings! (sic)

The television interview

I recently stumbled upon a story that made me think about the multifariousness of human thought. One man's meat is another man's poison; one man's loss is another man's gain; and other such idioms kept entering my head. 

These phrases tell us that every person can look at the same situation in different light. Here is a small story on the same lines. Read on:

This story is about an elderly lady in Arkansas. The state voted to increase welfare payments to the indigent. Hoping for a tearjerker story, a television interviewer went into the backhills where many welfare recipients lived.

The old woman he chose to interview lived in a one-room shack: draughty in winter; stifling in summer. Her bed was made of a few rough planks nailed together, with a pine needle mattress. A couple of thin blankets, and a fireplace, did little to protect her from the cold. Her furniture, a table and two chairs, were fashioned from the same rough wood as her bed. Some shelves held a few cans of food from the general store, a three-mile walk down the road. Several jars of preserves and a few squash completed her larder. She had no refrigerator or freezer. The fireplace provided heat for cooking. With no phone or television, her only connection with the outside world was an old radio that pulled in two or three local stations on a good day.

The old woman had one convenience: running water. A crystal clear stream gurgled a short distance behind her home. A small garden near her back door provided fresh vegetables during the summer, and some squash and turnips for the winter. A tidy flower garden brightened the front of her house.

The television crew arrived and set up their big expensive cameras. Their mobile station broadcast pictures of the woman and the place she called home. Eventually, the interviewer asked the old woman, "If the government gave you $200 more each month, what would you do with it?"

Without hesitation, the woman replied, "I'd give it to the poor."