Noise and Elections

 The brouhaha over elections in some Indian states is almost over. The counting is on May 4th, a big day for individual contenders and the Parties in the fray. So who will celebrate with a party on that day?

I don't have any guesses, because the Indian voter throws up surprises quite often. What now seems like a pattern, is that Southern States will vote a regional party, but I have no idea what Bengal will do.

But whoever wins, the lot of the common man seems to change very little. Jobs are probably stagnant, and so are wages at the bottom of the (large) pyramid. So what will anyone in that position gain from whoever comes to power is a moot point.

The elite usually continue to flourish, no matter who wins. The era of big ticket reforms kicked off in 1991 is almost over, and India will continue growing at 5-7 percent, due to its large population, as a whole. How that translates into the well-being of different segments is what really matters. 

Global Citizens

 My wife and I have lived in multiple places, and visited a few countries.. more than twenty, I am guessing. So some reflections about the places, though we are not particularly attached to any place.

Bangalore- great weather, great filter coffee, and many old friends.

Lucknow- good memories, professional and personal, bad weather, great kababs and biryani

Hyderabad- Great biryani, Irani chai, friends and some relatives too.

Delhi- bad weather, good metro service, bad traffic, good friends, positive attitude

Mumbai- bad traffic, efficient train service, professional workers, friends galore

Pune- Bad traffic, good bakarwadi from Chitale, great cultural scene, lots of relatives

Kolkata- Bad weather, good food, new friends who are nice, Chai addas, celebrations with gusto

USA- Some good friends, no domestic help, good National Parks, roads, no railways or autos..

Vietnam- Friendly people, no English, Ha Long Bay is world class

Cambodia- Cheap, Historic, nice buildings

Sri Lanka- Green, beautiful, good beaches, people

Greece- Chaotic, friendly, historic, Sea is amazing, islands too. Good food- Moussaka is my favourite

Amsterdam- Fun place with unique features

Rome, Venice- Good for long walks, bad traffic, Gondola ride like a Shikara in Dal Lake..

Regions of India

 I have worked in all 5 regions of India, the longest being South and Central. Hyderabad (Vignana Jyoti Institute), Harihar (KIAMS), Bangalore (PESIT, IFIM, and NMIMS apart from a company, MBA, earlier) in the South. Also IIM Kozhikode in Kerala. Probably the longest of all. 

In the West, Mumbai in the same company, MBA. Also Bhubaneswar in XIMB (East). North- Lucknow and Delhi. My first job was with an ad agency, New Horizons, in C.P. in Delhi. Appu Ghar and Modern Suitings, Alwar, were our clients, and India Today and Bombay magazines.

In Lucknow, it was the IIM. Also IMT Ghaziabad more recently.. around 10 years ago.

Centre has been a long stint, Nagpur IMT for 3 and a half years, Indore IIM for 7 and Prestige University as their first VC for around 1.5 years.

Prestige University students-above and below, Indore

RED FM RJ Shreya and I, at their studio, Indore.

I have also visited many places in most states, including Ladakh, Kanyakumari, Shillong, Dibrugarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, and Puri and Konarak. Also a few in M.P. like Jabalpur, Gwalior, Satna and Bhopal.

Though I liked something about each place, Harihar was the best in many ways. Small, with friendly people and with a Golf course in the campus (then). What more can you want in life? Many students of Harihar and Nagpur are in touch with me too. So there's something in the Oranges too, I guess.

Favourite Foods From Around India

 I am not a food blogger, but have noticed that my Facebook posts related to food produce interesting reactions. Therefore, I am making one more attempt to list a few of my favourite foods from around the country.

Amritsar- I had Makke di roti with sarson da saag once at an authentic place there. It was yummy!

Indore- street food, including corn shavings (bhutte ka kees) and dahiwada, and of course, poha.

Tamilnadu- what I like best is the vegetarian thali, served on a banana leaf. Of late, Chettinad chicken too.

Kerala - Fish Moily used to be my favourite while in Calicut. Seafood in general, appams and stew too.

Lucknow- the kababs, especially Tunde kababs, biryani, and chats

Delhi- Chhole bhature, and Mutton curry at Nizam's in C.P.

Nagpur- Savji food was a favourite- makes you perspire.

Andhra- Mirchi bajji is a favourite.

Rajasthan- Laal maas.

Orissa- Dahi maachh.

Kolkata- the rolls are very good, unlike any others.

Hyderabad- Irani chai and biryani, any day.

Bangalore- Simple dosa, rava dosa, idli or Bisibele bath, filter kaapi

Mumbai- depends on the company. :) Maybe pav bhaji.

Pune- Sabudana wada, Bhave supari (made in Satara)- a mouth freshener, Bakarwadi

Tamilnadu

 I am starting on a tour of Indian states. At various times, I have been to Tamilnadu, starting with Chennai when I was a teen or younger. In 1978, we went on a South India tour by train-a whole bogie to us students- and had Chennai, Erode, Rameswaram, Kanyakumari on our itinerary. The Rameswaram temple, and the bridge leading to the town are two things I remember. Also, the first sight of the Indian Ocean.

Last I went to Chennai, we visited the Kanchipuram temples, and Pulicat lake about an hour's drive from Chennai. Enjoyed both, for different reasons. A boatman took us on a short ride to where the lake meets the sea. We (Vijayakumar, Jayasimha and I) had fun roaming around and collecting sea shells. I still have a few.

In between, we drove around a few times, via Trichy, to Kodaikanal, and from Coimbatore to Ooty, Kotagiri or Coonoor. Sometimes, it was was to play Golf, and at others, just to visit friends or for sightseeing

. I once went to Tirunelveli (a university had invited me) and had the famous halwa there, and also visited Coutrallam waterfall. 

From Chennai, we visited Mahabalipuram a few times too, and Pondicherry once (from Bangalore, and then by flight, from Hyderabad another time). Nice experiences. I like the thali they serve everywhere in the state, and the filter coffee too. 

One strange thing I remember from Chennai in 1978..there were not many women venturing out on the road during the day!

Film Titles

Provocative film titles are out. You cannot single out one state and claim it's flying. Therefore, I propose that a basket of films be made simultaneously, highlighting personalities/achievements of various states, such as these-

Badalta Pradesh (With the song Badal jaaye agar mali, chaman hota nahi khali, baharen phir bhi aati hain)

Adarsh Golmaal

Achar-i Sanskruti

Baraste Megh

Neeti-yukt Praant

Gore gore mukhde pe Kala Kala Chashma

Karnatak aur Maharashtra ke Beech Mein

Chai pe charcha

Didi Tera Tewar Deewana

Balika Vadhu (for the big screen)

Lungi dance ke anokhe roop

Pragati Maidan and the Exhibition

There is something about a mela-an exhibition- that Indians can't get enough of. The turnout on Sunday, when I chose to visit the annual exhibition at Pragati Maidan, was unbelievable. I stood in a line that was really long to get in, after standing in one to buy a ticket- not cheap, 80 rupees on a weekend. But was it a sellout. They actually stop selling tickets in the afternoon, because there are too many people inside.

Once inside, it is a rainbow of colours, people, stalls, and,..you guessed it...FOOD. There is so much food inside of all types that you can't get enough of the sights and smells. Of curse, it is overpriced and not as good as some of the specialty joints in town, but there is enormous variety. But why talk of food?

There is plenty more, and some of the stalls I visited always had something on offer for everyone. Clothing of all kinds, in particular. The huge crowds on that day made it tough to savour things at a slow pace (my preferred pace) but still, it is an experience to be there. Glimpses into the arts and crafts of all our states is a great benefit of visiting this one, and that is available in plenty. One can only marvel at how much we don't know about our own country and its people. Ignorance zindabad!