Car Free Sundays

Car Free Sundays at Edwards Eliots beach is a wonderful move. Sponsored by leading corporate and brands, including the local brand 'The Hindu', it is catching on.

For me, a regular no.. addicted walker on these roads, it is indeed a great and welcome move.

One of the striking realisation for me, in this move, is the reclamation of spaces by public for their own purposes. It shows that we can collectively use the official machinery to get things done the way we want it done for what we consider as good.

Once the space is there, it allows building of habits and relationships around it. It provides the development of talents, teams and breaks barriers.

A welcome move indeed.

Hindu Dharma as I see it in the present world

An insightful article by Sri. Shiv Viswanathan titled 'Victims of war, apostles of peace' set me thinking as to what I identify as 'Hinduism' and why I am proud of calling myself as a 'Hindu'. Sri Shiv Viswanathan is a columnist and social thinker, whose views tend to bring new perspectives,

Yes I am theist and I believe in 'Hinduism'.

Our beloved Prime minister, has spent many days at a stretch and brought the attention of the world to India and its millions who are increasingly preparing to interact with the world's commerce and society at large. So there is increased attention on India and its unique offering of 'Hinduism' given that the platform in which he has claimed this spot is identified with 'Hinduism'. At the same time to may be distract an 'intolerance' debate is kept live and routinely stoked. Since everything touches, 'Hinduism' and what it stands for I thought I must question myself and answer it.

Hinduism is a way of life for me. One of its greatest 'virtues' is the definition of 'Dharmam'. What is 'Dhramam' for me is relevant to me and in my context. It need not be yours or anybody else's 'Dharma'. That doesn't it make it wrong.

It helps me understand and appreciate, uniqueness of every being and situation. It makes me realise that I am what I am because of this unique quality of creation and must therefore respect other's uniqueness.

So, how has this concept of 'Hindu' helped me through the years? To start with it has made me healthy. It has given me a sense of superiority as I believe that this concept helps me accept perceived defeats and explains the many games mind play on you, such as disappointments in finances, challenges in professional space, and rare snatching away of loved ones from amongst us. It has helped me more tolerant and may be turned to be more or less being docile to accept and practice 'Secularism' as I perceive it.

It has allowed me to change the way I lead my life whenever I choose to - from being a highly ritualistic person in the years, after marriage to minimising it now. It has helped me realise that I have to help others and above all in the context of what Shiv Viswanathan has said, it has made me non violent and abhor any form of violence.

Renewed thrust in Transmission & Sub Transmission

A news release from the firm I serve: BGR Energy secures Rs. 300 cr work order captures in brief the excitement we Transmission folks have been hoping for a some time now. While the previous 5 to 7 years concentrated ins significant creating of generation capacity, the issue of mis match of geographies, when looked at from generation location to high demand location centres, were not addressed. This is in spite of having policies to discover 'Congestion" charges. Two major issues, have been responsible for this revival. One is the revival of stranded capacity of gas power stations and under utilised capacities of pit head power stations due to the limitation of choice of buyers. The other is Renewables and associated distributed generation. 

As we launch on this new programmes, a much needed approach is the resolution of the 'Right of Way' through proactive policies and transparent & early dispute resolutions of the associated land parcels. 

Rains in Chennai

Chennai is seeing one of the worst flooding conditions in recent memory and as always every time we make the same noises. Bad planning, poor execution and so on so forth.

When will this be stopped or will it at all? The case in OMR is so pathetic. A new toll road constructed without proper drains and culverts. Building permission have been issued for so many multi stories buildings, with out holding them accountable for the storm water discharge from their compound to the public area. In short basic civic planning norms are never applied when engineering works are approved.

Add to that is the excess that every builder seems to have the right to commit. And this adds to the citizens woes. The productivity loss and the personal suffering which individuals go through are never under consideration.

On the other side 25 TMC ft of water has been discharged to the sea. No serious plan has ever been thought of to hold this runaway water and use it for basic needs.

My voice is one of the many which is overruled at the ballot as the local elections are so severely manipulated that this sorry state of affairs will continue for many decades to come.

VW vehicles with cheating fixes

I use Vento, a good car made by VW the German maker. The car is good and drives very well. I like the handling and the feeling in all respects including the mileage during long runs. But when I read the news about these guys having a software fix to cheat the regulator, I was upset and felt that I have been cheated.

I was waiting for an action by VW the car maker to come up with a plan to respond.

When I saw the response " Volkswagen diesel owners to get $ 1,000 in gift cards and vouchers" I was disappointed.

Will I accept it? No. I will seek alternatives. What are the alternatives I want? My wish list:

1. I want the software fix removed from my car and new Firmware installed which does not cheat.
2. I want the improved engine which would limit the emission to acceptable and agreed standards. I do not want to be driving around the car with a cheating engine. 
3. I want compensation for the time when I will not have the car - period during which the car will be attended to by VW in their workshop for rectifying the defects. 
4. I will wait for the licensing authority to decide on the fines which the corporate should bear for having mislead the citizens at large. 

If none of the above happens, I would sell my car may be in a year or so and change to a non German car and would through out my life say boldly that Germans can be Cheats.

Quitting Facebook makes one Happy

I read with interest the news item that 'Quitting Facebook makes one Happy' as I tend to agree. It is just by chance that I logged out of Facebook from all my devices a couple of days ago ~ just before the ensuing festival of Deepavali.

I felt better. And I didn't miss much.

And why I didn't I miss this. There are four main reasons:

1. I finished a novel in the two days; yes back to my old speed in finishing off a novel. 
2. I felt happy not to see Time, Washington post, The Economist and TED talks. I started feeling the normal person I am instead of what the Facebook posting was trying to turn me to. 
3. I was glad that I didn't have to see and like the cliches for Deepavali from friends, acquaintances and relatives turned Facebook friends.
4. And finally, I spent more time out of the web.

I have still not logged on to my account. Yes I do so once in a day and immediately log out. I like it this way and this is going to be the way here afterward.

Today's Readers Editor column " Journalism is more than algorithms" reinforces my belief that Facebook is increasingly assuming that it knows it all and is loosing its humility, in the chase of ever competitive advertising dollar. This approach may undo all that it is good in it. I wish more sense would prevail on them.

Arithmetics - Back to basics - Seriously

"Cast Arithmetics dis us in says BJP" screams the headline of todays "The Hindu". Seriously is the true import has been understood or they have used the message to explain away the results and move on with life as it is.

For the sake of Indian citizens, I wish they do and correct course.

What are the facts which are crying for understanding:

1. BJP led NDA has secured a little over 38% of the total votes plotted of 56%. Assuming 56% as a good sampling size, it translates to just over 20% of overall state population believes in them. There are 80% who do not believe in them, which includes some who do not care any way. 
2. BJP has also conceded that the situation was not much different at the Lok Shabha Elections of 2014; meaning they had only one fifth of the population with them when they gained power. 
3. Having gained power, if you any one had worked to add more to the tally ~ bring in more from the 80% group to their side, then this situation would not have emerged. 
4. Not only did they not act to bring from other side, they also exhibited their total lack of understanding of the electoral arithmetic and  planned to merge victorious on some whimsical grounds. This has undone them and will continue to hurt till they realise and change their overall approach.

What should be done:

• Law and order and freedom of action beliefs shall be respected and not be allowed to be politicised as they have peculiar way of impacting if you are in power. 

Sake Saath - Sabke Vikas, cannot remain as a mere sloganeering but must be seen to be translated to action. This should be seen to be done irrespective of who claims credit, for in the end once there is vikas, there are very few claimants to it and one of them is none other that our charismatic hard working PM.

BHEL Results

"Celebrating 50 years of Engineering Excellence" screams the caption over the unaudited Financial Results for the quarter ended 30th September 2015 of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

Being a power sector professional I thought I will spend some time understanding what this '50 years of engineering excellence' has brought to the majority share holder. the average Indian citizen, you and me.

Here are the highlights:

1. In a Sales of Rs. 11596 Cr, BHEL has reported a loss of Rs. 292.89 Cr.
2. Trade receivables at the end of the quarter was Rs. 25868 Cr. To put it in perspective, last year sales was Rs. 29541 Cr (net of taxes). So 87 % of last year Sales is on credit.
3. Trade payables is Rs. 7944 Cr. 6 months cost of materials is Rs. 6953 Cr.
4. Employee expenses stands marginally higher at Rs. 1481 Cr ~ 25% of sales.

My take :

• Make In India was an actionable diktat in the first 20 years of independence. Later it became a  slogan. The current effort to resuscitate this proven remedy to many of our economies ills, hope succeeds.
• Administration of contracts and honouring of contractual commitments, on the whole and in particular in power sector is so lax that utilities can arbitrarily, function.
• Poor negotiating skills of central and state utilities,  with international funding agencies, have resulted in imports of capital goods, over decades, at the cost of local 'Engineering excellence'.
• Chasing a mirage of saving on initial capital costs and artificially driving for L1 bids across equipment and services, has resulted in under performance, under recovery of costs, eroding capital of major industries. 
• No planned hand holding of development of technology or solutions is practiced with equipment majors by even central utilities, leaving the country ever dependant on import of technology.

The collective failure of the central ministries, Power and Industries put together, hence by extension, the entire union cabinet has brought this behemoth to this state. Imagine what happens to other corporates driven and state funded industries in this sector. 

The current government has its task cutout to address this issue on an urgent basis.