I love this video – Neurobiologist Jill Bolte Taylor discovers the neurological basis for Nirvana through a stroke in her own left brain….
Understanding Nirvana
Reply
Category Archives: Knowledge
The Mediocre Indian
The Indian…”makes a shot at the right thing and he hits or misses by chances so that no one thing is quite right.”
“No Masonry is square, no railings are straight, no roads are level.…A strange and curious imperfection and falling short attends everything.”
Lockwood Kipling (Rudyard Kipling’s father) writing in 1871.
What is it about us Indians? Why do we tolerate the mediocre? If you were anywhere near Delhi this past month then you would know how consumed we are with all that makes us a mediocre, second rate nation. Things do not seem to have changed very much since Kipling’s father wrote these words as he took charge of the Architectural Sculpture Department at the JJ School of Art in Bombay over 140 years ago. Granted, he was Englishman with a predisposition for looking down at us Indians but the truth is that today we still live with an attitude of “that’ll do-ishness.” We tolerate everything mediocre. Corrupt officials, bad roads, crumbling leaky stadiums, polluted rivers, a collapsing environment, oil spills, derailed trains, destroyed towns, bronze medals, almost winning.
You could argue it is to do with our belief in Karma. I mean what’s the use of progress and making this world a beautiful place when everything is in the hands of the Gods and man can only try so hard to overcome his inevitable destiny.
Perhaps it is a post-imperial hangover of a people that were ruled by doers and builders for over 600 years. After all the Mughals and the British really knew how to build, so we just carry on as if we are waiting for the next ruler to guide us to beauty and order.
Or perhaps it is a despondency and detachment of a people obsessed with being perceived as intelligent, beautiful or right while in reality we do nothing to make ourselves really progress in a truly adventurous way.
In a world where radical solutions are needed to solve our global economic, environmental, religious and ethnic problems, we Indians are happy to just sit back and plan lavish weddings and watch Rahul beat up his new wife and gloat about how clever we were in avoiding the global recession.
We have a system that has inculcated mediocrity for over 200 years – almost as an act of civil disobedience. Why should we fix anything when no one in power is really bothering to either. The American empire was founded on a can-do attitude built upon a puritanical work ethic and a belief in the world being theirs to harvest and exploit. The Chinese have leapt ahead with an understanding of how to harness a billion people into a labour force for the world and an agnostic attitude that works with luck and morality over faith and tradition. The Europeans maintain a high ground through a well-nurtured superiority complex, reason and faith in their institutions.
So how can we Indians overcome our seemingly genetic tendency towards mediocrity?
The answer lies in being led from above and below. From above we need to see our leadership embrace the higher ground, support progressive ideas, enforce laws, punish corruption, ensure infrastructure, collect taxes, finance education and the arts and lift all Indians out of poverty within the next 20 years. From below we each need to take responsibility for our selves, our homes, our streets, our neighborhoods, our towns, our cities and then our country. We should not tolerate corruption, exploitation and mediocrity in any form anywhere. We need to build an India that rests upon the laurels of its magnificent history and traditions and once again takes ownership of the higher ground around the World today. We can teach the world about our philosophies like Yoga, Ayurveda, Dharma, Ahimsa, Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti (the truth is one, the wise call it by many names), Vasudha eva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) and so much more. We can also learn to lead in the world by encouraging our entrepreneurs, scientists, thinkers, mathematicians, sports persons and artists to unleash their potentials by thinking out of the box and to raise India to greatness once again. We need to lead from above and below.
But none of this is possible until we learn to detest mediocrity and eradicate it wherever we detect its ugly face.
©2010 Raja Choudhury, New Delhi, raja@c3cube.com
Hinduism or Talibanism: In Support of Wendy Doniger’s book “The Hindus: An Alternative History”
I am shocked to see that thousands of Hindus and Indians are gathering online in a Taliban like way to force the withdrawal of Wendy Doniger’s excellent book “The Hindus: An Alternative History” published by Penguin.
The petition for the withdrawal of the book can be read at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/dharma10/petition.html – where it describes the book as insulting and hurtful to Hindus and Indians everywhere. That is ridiculous.
In reaction to this I have launched a counter petition at http://petol.org/THAAH123 with a point by point response to their erroneous analysis and would be grateful if you could let everyone you know about this.
This petition is a counter response to the shameful demand for the withdrawal or banning of this excellent book. I support much of what the book purports and even more importantly I support Wendy Doniger’s right to write, publish and propagate her opinion without the misplaced intervention of xenophobes and Indic or Hindu arrogance. I urge Penguin not to succumb to the pressure of this group and instead encourage them to take the high road as well as the path taken by most Hindus throughout history and allow for the free exchange of ideas, discussion and dialogue. We are an inclusive faith and an ever-absorbing people and do not condone xenophobia or prejudice of this kind.
Wendy is being awarded at the National Book Critics Center Awards in New York at 6pm on Wednesday 10th March 2010 – there are planned protests in support of her book as well as one planned by USHA against the book. Please come out and support Wendy if you are in NYC.
Thank you for joining this cause. The petition is at http://petol.org/THAAH123.
Thank you all lovers of free speech and Hindu tolerance.
Raja Choudhury
New Delhi
raja@c3cube.com
+91 9871586502
Come on Hindustan Times! George Bush as Keynote….why?
The Hindustan Times wins the Award from me for Creative Blunder of the Year!!!
After a great rebranding exercise and the visionary writings of Sanghvi, Thappar, Hazra and others, who does the Hindustan Times choose as key note for their Leadership Forum: George Bush! Possibly the worst President of the United States in its turbulent 233 year history.
Talk about leadership lessons on things not to do, George “Dubya” Bush takes the cake. Don’t sign Kyoto. Don’t destroy Al Qaida. Attack Iraq. Give profits to your friends at the Oil Companies and Haliburton. Destroy American education. Lead the world into the second worst recession ever by deregulating the financial markets. Have the lowest rating of any President ever.
But in India we love him. Why, because he was “our friend” and gave us “almost” super power status by signing the 123 Nuclear Accord. And like all creative (not) Indians we bring him to our country, give him high honours and then ask him like we ask everyone we meet in our own unimitable, whining, groveling, self-effacing, insecure way “ Please sir, why is it that the World does not give us rightful recognition as a super power and a seat on the Security Council…”
And what does the great, erudite leader of the free world George Bush say in reply….”Get over it!”
Come on Sanghvi et al., let’s choose some better leaders next time round and guide India in the right direction….
C3CUBE initiates touch-screen kiosk entertainment revolution in India
Dilli DIl Se Kiosk, DT Place, Saket
During this IPL season, if you had walked into any of the major outlets of McDonald’s or Nirulas, the DT Mall Food Courts or any of 27 prime retail locations across the Delhi NCR region, you would have seen a crowd of young people engrossed in a futuristic, interactive touch-screen kiosk. This was the Dilli Dil Se Network, part of the Coca-Cola Dilli Dil Se marketing program celebrating the Delhi Daredevils and India’s first ever network of multimedia, broadband-enabled entertainment kiosks.
The Dilli Dil Se kiosk network was conceived and developed by acclaimed multimedia producer Raja Choudhury and his digital agency, C3CUBE Multimedia for Coca-Cola India as part of its integrated marketing program to leverage its sponsorship of the Delhi Daredevils during the DLF IPL 2009. This program also included a website, www.DilliDilSe.com, designed by C3CUBE.
Traditionally, touch-screen kiosks are visible in banks, at airports, stations, museums aimed at facilitating customer transactions, information or ticketing. This is the first time a kiosk network has been created solely for the purpose of promoting a sporting event and providing entertainment in a safe, fun-filled environment. And the formula worked! During the DLF IPL 2009, over 20,000 enthusiastic users between the ages of 13 and 30 logged on to the Dilli Dil Se kiosk network to cheer and celebrate the Delhi Daredevils steady climb to the top of the league table, and into the semi-finals.
The cutting-edge kiosk network integrated a large 19 inch letterbox touch-screen interface and a 32 inch LCD TV and provided dynamic content such as a promotion, games, a private social network, video mail, SMS tweets, a juke box, Bluetooth 2.0 downloads, videos, ads, team player game cards, 3D virtual tours and much more.
“This is a first-of-its-kind entertainment kiosk network” says Raja Choudhury, who has been building award-winning kiosks, websites, videos and TV programs in the US, UK and Indian markets since 1993. “We believe such a network that integrates Web 2.0, flash games, a social network, Bluetooth, video mail, SMS and music over a 2 Mbps broadband connection, has not been deployed so far. Coca-Cola India believed in our vision and we were able to make this possible during the IPL.”
C3CUBE and Coca-Cola India were able to attract some key partners to this pioneering experiment during the DLF IPL event including McDonald’s, Nirulas, DLF DT Malls, Kwality Group, Pind Baluchis, Zenga Mobile Apps, Waves, INOX cinemas, Vikings Game Zone and Airtel Broadband.
Dilli Dil Se Kiosk, DT Mega Mall Gurgaon
Mansoor Siddiqi, Director – Integrated Marketing Communications at Coca-Cola India said that “The Dilli Dil Se kiosk network was a fresh initiative in the marketing of a brand asset. It enabled local Delhi Daredevils fans to cheer their team on, in an involving and fun manner, and achieved engagement metrics beyond our expectations.”
C3CUBE Multimedia is a two-year old agency with offices in New Delhi and New York that has already notched up major interactive successes including 2 Webby Honoree Awards in 2008 for OurWeddingDay.com and CBCWorldwide.com as well as numerous awards for JadeNYC.com and the documentary film “Spirituality in the Modern World.” The company now plans to launch a series of public multimedia projects in the Indian market, including a new tourism, information and entertainment kiosk network for Delhi called the Delhi I-Zone in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
For further information contact Kritika Singh at Kritika@c3cube.com or call +91 989984749.
And the Oscar goes to….NOT INDIA
“Slumdog” was truly the star of the Oscars, sweeping 8 awards, Slum Dog Millionaire rewrote history for the Indian film industry – Not! Indian film industry! Slumdog, Danny Boyle, Oscars. What does it all fix, how does it all fit, What Indian film industry?
It is time we Indians woke up and realized how the world around us is cashing on Incredible India. While we sit, wait and watch, the world applauding the story of ghettos to glory.
After the super success of Slum Dog Millionaire it makes me wonder why we Indians never took note of the thousand gritty looking Jamal’s running around our streets, peering into our vehicles. Never thought that any such child had an untold story behind them, and a lesson to be learnt from their story. It took a Danny Boyle to tell a story of a simple slum boy roughing it out in the big bad world.
Not only Slum dog. Take for example the original novel which captured the true soul and spirit of Mumbai in its writings. A novel of love lost, battle, rage, humanity, and compromise, all of Mumbai’s characteristics wrapped into the one and only Shantaram. Once again from a population of 1 billion Indians, it was a David Mcgregory who got to tell the story of one of India’s most populous, hardworking, soulful and dynamic cities through teh script of Slum Dog.
The list does not end there. I have more. The most accurate and gripping biographies of our legendary and colonial rulers being retold by none other than William Dalrymple and Sarah Mcdonald who tells the story of India’s over powering religious beliefs in her book, Holy Cow.
This list extends to lifestyle as well. Today the US has 15 million people practising yoga daily. While we Indians have discarded it as an ancient science left only to the mercy of the Ramdev followers.
We boast endlessly about our rich culture, heritage and ever encompassing traditions. Yet we miss out on the simplest stories, the transparent truth and the known facts.
Are we immune to sights of children begging, is it not important to tell the truth to the world even though it may be horrible and heart wrenching. Has the time not come when we look beyond aping the west in terms of lifestyle and trends and inculcate their concept of respect for new ideas, creativity and original thoughts?
Is it not time we live up to the name of our blog and truly be “The Creative Indian”.
Creative Financing – the secret to getting the Gov to back your business plan
Every SME is looking for unsecured funding to help seed, restructure or grow their business – especially in a tight economy like today. One of the true unsung heroes of the American dream story for entrepreneurs before this current recession was the role that the Small Business Administration (SBA) played in helping small businesses get funding to grow their businesses. Microsoft, HP and Nike were all early beneficiaries of SBA loans and look where they wound up. This US Federal Government Agency underwrites a loan though a bank so that 85% of the risk is covered. This allows businesses with little or no collateral and assets to secure sizable unsecured loans from a participating bank that under normal circumstances would immediately say no. The good news is that India has its own SBA – its called the CGTMSE – and for some bizarre reason it is one of the best kept secrets around.
Welcome to the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises. Small Indian businesses with feasible business plans but little collateral can get up to Rs 50 Lacs in funding without any security and with the government underwriting 75% of the risk. You will hardly find a bank promoting this actively as the scheme requires time and effort and the bank makes less money on the transaction. But entrepreneurs should know about it as the cost is cheaper and the risk is less. For a one-time fee of 2%, businesses can secure up to Rs 50 lacs with no collateral and no large deposits.
So what do you do now – well first find a partner bank – see the list and all related information at the CGTMSE Web Site or call 022-2564 1803/4/5 – and then go see them, discuss the scheme and push them to process the application. You never know….
Being Creative: Or how to ride out the global recession
Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you would not have failed to notice that the global economy has gone into a spiral with the collapse of major financial institutions in the US, painfully high oil prices and unstable global markets all leading to a worldwide economic recession. The Indian economy too has not been spared for, yes, we do live in a “flat world” where everything is interconnected. We can expect a reduction of growth to under 7%, a dramatic drop in US and European IT imports and outsourcing, a very high interest rate, increased middle class unemployment and a drop in consumer confidence. But is it all doom and gloom or can an SME ride it out and still survive?
While most small businesses will be tempted to button down, cut costs and visit the local astrologer, it may be worth seeing this period as an opportunity instead. Here are a few ideas of how you can thrive in this slump:
Improve your relationship with your existing customers – CRM is one of the subtle arts that always gets neglected but is never more important than in a downturn. Invest carefully in ideas and systems that will help you keep your customer base connected and reassured. Look at tools like SugarCRM, Saleforce.com and HighRise and see how you can keep your customers near.
Outsourcing from larger players – as the big boys slash jobs and cut costs an opportunity is created for an SME to offer efficient lower cost services for outsourcing from back office to software development and creative services.
Finding new sales channels – while one market tumbles, many more do open up. After the Iraq war started, many Indian companies found work in large subcontracts in the Middle East and elsewhere supplying US and allied troops. While the US may slow down, Europe is still buying and so are Russia and China. Also remember, that in this recession the number of government, infrastructure, and institutional and foundational contracts available for bidding will increase considerably and so a slight repositioning may open new doors.
Improving your branding – use this time to clean up your brand and position it better in the marketplace. Add substance to your website, start a newsletter, launch a Blog, attend conferences and get out there. Now is the time to build more relationships in preparation for the inevitable upturn.
Getting lean and efficient – yes getting lean is very important now but not just by cutting costs or shedding deadwood. One should consider mapping all processes and embracing workflow efficiencies like Lean Six Sigma. Look at every single one of your processes and see how you can improve efficiency, cut out fat and improve performance.
Recruiting real talent – fortunately for you there is going to be an increase in talent available in the market through layoffs and that too at a lower price. Now is a good time to find that MBA or Six Sigma Black Belt you always wanted to hire.
Never stop learning – use this time to catch up on all your knowledge. Get your staff trained in new tools, software applications, process management systems and communications methodologies. There are tons of short courses available across the country to help you improve your own knowledgebase and capabilities.
Here’s wishing you a safe voyage as we ride the waves of this recession.
Forecasting the World in 2019
A new online multi-player game has been launched by the Future Institute in Menlo Park (Silicon Valley) called SuperStruct:
….the world’s first massively multiplayer forecasting game. By playing the game, you’ll help us chronicle the world of 2019–and imagine how we might solve the problems we’ll face. Because this is about more than just envisioning the future. It’s about making the future, inventing new ways to organize the human race and augment our collective human potential.
By getting involved in a massive social networking experiment through blogs, forums, videos, wikis and other Web 2.0 tools, the games aims to get you involved in the chronicling and shaping of the world of 2019. game starts with a doomsday premise:
The Global Extinction Awareness System, a supercomputer that accurately predicted the extinction of red squirrels several years ago, has run the numbers for our own species through the computer, and our odds of survival aren’t good. According to GEAS, Homo sapiens may go extinct by the year 2042.
According to Discover magazine this isn’t just a chance for gamers to flirt with the dark edge of disaster; they’ll also be participating in a cutting-edge experiment that tries to harness the wisdom of crowds for a higher purpose. Superstruct is what the Future institute calls the world’s first “massively multiplayer forecasting game.” The Institute for the Future doesn’t like to put it this way, but it’s essentially trying to use crowdsourcing to predict the future….visit SuperStruct.
Brewster Kahle: A digital library, free to the world
Brewster Kahle: A digital library, free to the world
This great video from TED shows Brewster Kahle, inventor and librarian, talking about his universal free library for everything ever written, filmed or recorded….yes, utopian open ideas can still exist in today’s consumerist word – thank god!