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Can we be Human Engineers



CAN WE BE HUMAN ENGINEERS
Hey you
There are people out there working 9-5
Working like a machine
So very mechanical
No fun, no life, so boring
What are we waiting for
Its about time,
we brought some LIFE,         to work
Bring the HUMAN,          back to work
Can we be more HUMAN than ENGINEERS  
Can we be  HUMANENGINEERS  
For
All those, out at work
Life is not all, about money
Its about, living with people
Its about, caring for each other
What are we waiting for
Its about time,
we brought some LIFE,         to work
Bring the HUMAN,          back to work
Can we be more HUMAN than ENGINEERS  
Can we be  HUMANENGINEERS  
For
Money is only, a means to an end
And not an end, by itself
We need, to control money &
Not let, money control us
What are we waiting for
Its about time,
we brought some LIFE,         to work
Bring the HUMAN,          back to work
Can we be more HUMAN than ENGINEERS  
Can we be  HUMANENGINEERS  
Work
Is only a means to an end
And not an end, by itself
We need, to realise that
There is more to life than WORK
What are we waiting for
Its about time,
we brought some LIFE,         to work
Bring the HUMAN,          back to work
Can we be more HUMAN than ENGINEERS  
Can we be  HUMANENGINEERS  
Can we beeeeeeeeeee……..Humannnnnnnnnnn     Engineerssssssssssss
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Written by Ramesh Ranjan

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An Ode to Pankaja Ram Bhat


Mrs. Pankaja Ram Bhat is a Retired Assistant Post Master and wife of Mr. Ram Bhat from Mudipu. She is born into a very respectable & a large family in Mudipu. 

Early in her life at an young age, she lost her hearing faculty after a bout of typhoid. It resulted in her not being able to hear and also difficulty in speaking. She is able to follow people talking through the lip movement. She cant hear what she speaks.

A deafening silence surrounded her life and for most people would have shattered their dreams and jeopardised their lives to a great extent.

But not for Mrs. Pankaja. She went on to complete here Masters Degree in History and work in the Indian Postal Service for 27 years and even worked as a Cashier handling difficult customers and managing cash.

After her daughters (Shwetha) marriage to my son (Anish Ranjan) in 2015, she took an early retirement and began her second innings. She started exploring her hidden talents – gardening, cooking, stitching designer blouses, clothes, craft work, origami and literature.

She started writing Poems and short stories in her native language – Kannada and used to publish them like a production assembly. Every other day she would publish Poems on her Face Book post.

She has written on various topics like relationship, marriage, devotional, social norms, society, education, selfie, live-in relationship, children, nature (Prakrithi), etc. Through her Poems she has shared her life experiences, her views, pains, frustrations, anguish, joy, gratitude and her emotions. It has created a platform for her to express, showcase her creativity and be able to reach out and influence a larger community.

She has helped us to focus our attention on the almost hidden, and the too often unnoticed incarnations of life and helped us appreciate the larger canvas of life. With her creative verses, she would draw her reader in and then do with her words what no magnet could do. With her Poems, she could thread her camel-like thoughts through the eye of a needle.

Her Poems have been published in various magazines, newspapers and local media. She has been invited to speak and also recite her Poems in Literature Festivals, programmes and honoured by many Literary Associations, media houses etc.

Till date she has written/published/posted over 200 poems and has been posted on her blog http://baalasanje.blogspot.com/.

She received much encouragement from her family, friends and well wishers including renowned literary greats. 

She shortlisted 100 of her best Poems and has published a book SAVITRI and released it on 7th July 2019. At a grand function organised at her house Shri Ganesha Kripa at Mudipu.

A galaxy of Literary greats attended the program and released the book.


1. Chair person –  Gunaje Ramachandra Bhat  – M.A. retired teacher St Aloysius College, BC Mangalore. He has published many including Munnudi to My Savitry  kavana sankalana   ,kavigalu ankanakaararu etc. He was  honoured as a best teacher and also  the member of D.K District  Chutuku  Sahitya  Parishattu. He is writer of Chutuku Havana. His articles are widely published in local Kannada media.

Other Guests included :

2. Shri Dr.Vasanthakumara Perla  M.A.Phd  retired  Nirdheshakaru Akashavani Mangalore ,kavigalu, sahitigalu  uttama vagmigalu etc. He was a writer of kathe kavana vimarshe vyakti chitra samsodane charana etc  He has written many  books in English, Kannada and Tulu    

3. Shri V.B. Kulamarva .M.A.B Ed. Retired head master  shishana tajnaru  patyapustaka rachanaa samitiya,  adyaksharu  kathe kavana chutuku,  gamaka  kalaavidaru  etc. He was honoured Sahitya Chudaamani  Kavyshri  Karnataka, Horanaada Rathna etc. He has written and published many books and poems including shatpadhi sangatya ragale, tripadi chaupadi etc in Kannada

4. Shri Ganesha  Prasada Pandelu –  Editor  Udayavani Kannada Daily, Manipala Edition. He has written in  kavana   chutuku hanigavana gajal  etc. He has  written and  published  books  in Tulu, Kannada  etc  He was honored  Kalaasadhaka  kurunada chethana etc. He was  a former Chair Person of D.K.District Chutuku Sahitya Parishat 

5. Shri Ganapathi Bhat  Permukha  M.A.B.Ed. He is the  Kannada teacher of Bilinele  High School,  well-known in ghamakist and a good singer . Has passed his gamaka exam in  2nd rank  and  introduced  savitri kavana sankalana  by  singing some poems in his own way 

6. Shri M Subramanya Bhat  Purohita and  retired Sanskrit teacher. He is well known  in jyotishya Shastra and has written  hinnudi to my Havana sankalana savitri and made prastavika Bhashana  

9. Shri K.Narasimha  Bhat a well-known compounder of Puttur 

10. Shri Nemu Poojary IRA D K jilla chutuku sahitya Parishad adyaksharu   kavigalu

Each one of them are great Literary Pandits and are well renowned in the field of Kannada

Literature and Poetry. 

After the release of the Book, a galaxy of Poets presented their Poems and was well received and appreciated by all guests & luminaries that had gathered. 

I had the honour of being present on the occasion and was happy and proud to see the release of the Book SAVITRI by Pankaja Ram Bhat. We were very proud to hear so many literary greats speaking so high and heaping praise on her Poems and on Mrs. Pankaja. It surely is a proud achievement for her and the entire family.

This event was widely covered in the local media, press and in the local News. Abbakka TVcovered the entire event and has published the video of the event on their YouTube Channel 


Mrs. Pankaja Ram Bhat is an inspiration for many of us. Despite her limitations and serious disabilities she has managed to put her creative talent to great use.  She has showed to us that nothing is impossible in life and that with determination, courage and the right attitude we can get over any challenge and surmount even the greatest difficulties.

I guess this is the beginning and the poet has opened her entire treasure-trove of her vast creations for all of us to enjoy, pick and choose from for her creations.

She may not be able to hear but she has ensured through her Poems and her Book that she is HEARD. 

And in this journey her family and especially her husband Ram Bhat have been of tremendous encouragement, support and help.

She is challenging me and at the same time inspiring me to write a Book that I have been contemplating for long…… only time will tell….

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I have tried to write a Poem

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An Ode to Pankaja





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ALVIDHA to one of the finest batch of students…….

To the Students of

XIME, Bangalore, MBA-HR, Batch 23

 

Dear Students,

I am lucky to have such a fun loving team that made happy surrounding during the course of Teaching. I miss you Students because I know you all are the best ones I have ever met  and am very proud to say that is was one of the best batch of Students that I have taught in the last four years.

Time has gone by so fast… They say time flies when you are having fun. It was true with my experience with you .  This has been an incredible association and journey. We have grown and learned so much …

Bringing the world into our classroom has been really powerful and absolutely inspiring, not just for you, but also for me.

Watching each of you put your heart into your studies, projects and everyday work has been very encouraging and motivating for me as Teacher and has helped me realize how meaningful learning can be when connected with passionate Students. I am definitely not the same Teacher that stepped into our classroom in our first session.  I have changed and grown too. What I liked the most was that we walked through this together.

Each of you has given their best, each of you has worked really hard throughout this year. I can’t find the words to describe how proud I am of you.

I’m so thankful for all your smiles, thank you  for opening your hearts and sharing your warm feedback & kind wishes. I will treasure them for ever.

Our sweet memories will forever remain in our hearts. Days spent with you all have been very memorable. Thank you for your honesty, support, and flexibility. Thank you for being yourselves. Thank you for helping me become a better Teacher. Thank you for making me feel that my job is not a job, but a passion. Thanks to you, I love being a teacher more and more every day. Each of you has made a difference for me. I will never forget you.

There were so many days I came to school stressed about something personal, but spending time with you made me forget about it all. 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

As you leave the college, this is a turning point of your career and you are going to enter into your Careers in the Corporate World. There is a new world waiting for you with new success and goals. Hope, you can scale your new heights without much trouble . Expect that some challenges await you, which of course, I strongly believe going by your antecedents and the manner you have conducted yourselves over the year and the skills and knowledge you have acquired, you will surely overcome them.  With focus, discipline and sustained effort no matter the challenges, you will have what you need in order to becoming great HR Professionals & Leaders.

I hope that you recognize your greatness, that you have deep self love and confidence in yourself, that you know the only person you should compete with is you.
See yourselves as good ambassadors of this college and always act with passion & integrity, live by the discipline and ethics you are learnt here and always listen to your heart before making any decision.

Be kind and good to people you meet on your way up. Think big thoughts and be optimistic in whatever you are doing. Always do right things, thing positive, stand for justice. The words by you should bring happiness to others and actions should bring hopes. 

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. Believe that, you can do what you want to do in your life.
Make new friends, but do not forget the old ones who always love you.

Our journey with you may stop here, but for you, it is the beginning of your life. Most of you are already placed in top-notch companies so do well there and share your experience with me and stay in touch. Be dedicated to your work.  

Whenever you need help, guidance or support, just feel free to reach out to me and I will be more than happy to extend my support to you.

Wish you a great journey for the future and a successful joyfull & fulfilling life.

You can reach out to me and also stay connected @

rameshranjan@humanengineers.com
follow me @
https://www.humanengineers.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameshranjan/

and offcourse on Face Book

Missing you all

Regards……Ramesh Ranjan



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Sexual Orientation is a matter of Choice

With due respect to the Apex Court, but the Supreme Court’s judgment on Section 377 of IP in 2013 which inter alia penalises homosexual relations was quite unfortunate and regressive. Section 377 of the Indian constitution is a descendant of an archaic law from the colonial British rule, which described homosexual acts as “unnatural”. It was incorporated into the IPC in 1860. The judgment discloses an intolerant mindset and which is also insensitive to the real problems of those with a different sexual orientation for which they are not to be blamed nor branded.
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community are equal citizens of this country and thus entitled to all the constitutional protections of equality, liberty, privacy, dignity and health. By setting aside the Delhi High Court ruling , the Supreme Court — the supposed protector of fundamental rights of citizens in this country, particularly the marginalized communities — has snatched away from the LGBT community all these fundamental rights.  It more or less brands them as criminals and is grossly unfair.
The right to choose must be left to an individual and cannot be forced upon. As long as it is a consensual relationship between 2 adults, no one has the right to impose their views on them. It defeats the basic principles of equality, freedom and liberty enshrined in the Constitution. Its absurd to believe that relationships must be only between a man and a women. Its a norm laid down by the society in the past. Times have changed, the world has moved on and become more liberal and tolerant to diversity. In these liberalised times, people are increasingly speaking up for the rights of deviants. Even the current Pope who represents the Catholic and who were once terribly opposed to Homosexuality and same sex marriage has openly expressed that its not a sin, which shows changing mindset by religious leaders.  India once again joins the ranks of countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is considered a criminal offence and the penalty is life imprisonment or even death.
Its heartening that this judgement has been opened up for review by the Supreme Court after a huge public debate and seen people from all walks of life expressing their disappointment and disagreement to this judgement. The politicians for once are listening to the voice of the public and are talking about taking corrective action through an amendment to the Article 377. It is against the right to life as it includes one’s freedom to choose one’s life partner. It is an inviolable right of an individual to choose his partner for life. One must have a broad outlook to analyse the emerging trends and the transformation that society is going through. 

Decriminalising sex between consenting adults will help protect the LGBTQ community from social harassment and police action. 

The hearing gives hope to the community as the bench includes Justice Chandrachud, who as part of the nine-judge bench deciding the fundamental nature of right to privacy had on January 8 said that LGBTQ community members’ sexual orientation had an inseparable relationship with their fundamental right to privacy and accepted that the SC had erred in denying them that right. 

Homosexuality is a social reality since mythological times, and it has been accepted worldwide. India cannot pretend not to see the reality….

Lets hope that the Supreme Court will heed to the same……..
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Dharma – a path to Righteousness


dharma is the religious and moral law governing individual conduct. It’s a way & principle of righteousness

Dharma is the law that maintains the cosmic order as well as the individual and social order. Dharma sustains human life in harmony with nature.

What you desire for yourself, you should desire for others. What you do not like others to do to you, you should not do to others.” (Mahãbhãrata, Shãntiparva, 258)

Bhishma says in his instructions to Yudhishthira that whatever creates conflict is Adharma, and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma. Anything that helps to unite all and develop pure divine love and universal brotherhood, is Dharma. Anything that creates discord, split and disharmony and foments hatred, is Adharma.

In order that we fulfill our role in the divine play we must behave within our Dharma. That is, we ought to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reason. By this we attain balance.

Dharma is your purpose. 

It’s what you set out to do in life. It’s the end goal, whereas karma is what you do to get to the end goal (or what you do not do). It’s the path of righteousness and living one’s life according to the codes of conduct as described by universal spiritual teachings.

The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness.

The 10 Laws of Dharma

The ancient sage Manu prescribed 10 essential rules for observance of dharma:
  1. dhriti (Patience) – Staying secure in your own inner peace.
  2. kshama (forgiveness) – Letting go of things that don’t necessarily serve you.
  3. Dama (self control) – Knowing that the best things come to those that wait.
  4. asteya (honesty) – This is really more about non-stealing; don’t take that which does not belong to you.
  5. shauch (cleanliness/purity) – Cleanliness in mind, body, and soul.
  6. indraiya-nigrah (control of senses) – Meditation and life force control.
  7. dhi  (reason) – Guiding your life with calm reason leads to great success.
  8. vidya (knowledge/learning) – Gaining skills that significantly add to your ability to offer value is a huge step towards well-rounded success.
  9. satya (truth) -Realizing that truthfulness brings about the highest outcome for you and others.
  10. krodha (anger) – Anger poisons our ability to lead our lives in a positive and powerful way.

These are guidelines that will help you ride on the right track, and help you lead a life that is truly fulfilling.
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Shape Of Your Navel Tells A Lot About Your Personality

You may be surprised to know that the belly button—the tiny, often ignored part of our bodies is also an indicator of what we may be from within and on the outside. It is also an essential energy point or chakra and point of healing as per many orthodox as well as alternate systems of medicine. Though it has largely been a symbol of body aesthetics with an erotic appeal, it is also a part whose difference or rather uniqueness holds the key to many subtle and obvious differences that we may find between people and their personalities. It holds many interesting dimensions as per scientific and cultural contexts.
So, what do the different navels mean for different people? To find out more on this   Read on…….
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A tribute, to a Noble Soul, my Father – Late Dr. K Rajagopal

Today, 12th September, is the Birth Anniversary of my father, Late Dr.K Rajagopal and its about 20 years since he passed away.

Dr K Rajagopal


He was one of the 11 children of Late C R Krishna Rao and the illustrious Coimbatore Krishna Rao clan. 

My grandfather Late CR Krishna Rao, was a very illustrious person. A District Judge, a Philosopher and an Author. His books – Madhva and Brahma Tarka & Madhva, His Life and Doctrine on “Madhwa Philosophy” is even today regarded as an authentic rendering on Madhwacharya and his philosophy.

My father was married to Mrs. Manoranjini Rajagaopal and were popularly known as Raju Dodanna and Manna Vadhani in our family circles.

He studied his MBBS from the Kilpauk Medical College, Madras. He then did his MSc and was a Fellow of the Institute of Chemists. Though he was a doctor by qualification he never really practiced medicine. He was always interested in research. 

He was one of the few early Indians who went on a Rockefeller Scholarship to the Dunn Nutrition Laboratory at Cambridge University in Britain, in 1938. He went there to pursue his Research in Vitamins.

Listed as a Rockefeller Fellow
Here are some links to his papers that have been published

According to my late uncle Dr. CK Prahalad, an illustrious and a famous Management Guru himself,  he said that had my father continued to pursue his Research in Cambridge University, he could have probably won a Nobel Prize for his work, because the person with whom he had partnered with (AJ Martin) at Cambridge University won the Nobel Prize in 1952.



Proud Army Major in World WarII
My grandfather was not too pleased that my father had gone to Britain as he was very patriotic and being a Districts and Session Judge, he requested his son to come back to India.  As an obedient son, he gave up his lucrative work at Cambridge University and returned back to India, when the 2nd World War broke out. My father came back to India to serve the Army in the Indian Medical Core. He served during active war and served for some years in Baghdad. He rose to become a Major in the Indian Army. After the war, he found that it was not very fruitful carrying on in peace time and quit army to pursue his passion – Research and Teaching.
He had opportunities to work for the United Nations and FAO but turned down those opportunities because he felt that serving one’s own Nation was more important than serving other Nations.

He served in the Pasteur’s Institute in Conoor. He took up  Research and Teaching at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta. He later moved south to take up a teaching position in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. 

I felt that he was never able to live up to his potential in India. The environment, the ecosystem didn’t recognize or encourage the potential in my Father. He had many ideas, wanted to do so much, but being a very straight forward and simple person, he couldn’t survive or navigate through the political environment in the workplace and never was allowed to succeed. Sad that a person who could potentially have been another Noble Laureate from India, had he continued in Cambridge University, couldn’t succeed back in his home country, for which he returned and shunned going abroad again. A sad state of affairs in this country and no wonder there is so much of brain drain.
He finally moved to Chennai to stay next to his parents and set up a private Pathology Laboratory and also some medical practice for the poor needy. He was an epitome of a Doctor being a Noble Profession

He 

  • never used to charge for poor people (free service), 
  • never used to charge a fellow Doctor, 
  • never charge a Relative 
  • never used to charge for a Followup visit. 

If during the course of his investigation he found that some extra tests need to be done to confirm his findings, he never used to charge for the extra tests as he would say that I did it for validating my doubts. Can we ever imagine a Doctor today who lives by these values.

He went on to work till the ripe old age of 82 years and after his cataract operation he finally quit work. He donated his clinic for free to the hospital where he had set it up.

NYAC Award

He went on to live a healthy life till 90 years and passed away in 1997. 

He was recognized and  honored  for his distinguished work in the field of Science by the New York Academy of Sciences posthumously in 1998. The New York Academy of Sciences is among the oldest scientific organisations in the United States and the world and  for 200 years since 1817  brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery. What a tragedy that he wasn’t alive to receive this great honor.


He was truly a great Person, intellectual, a great conversationist – he could talk on any subject. Very well read in literature, science and philosophy. He had read the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, Vedas and could recite them from the back of his head. Though he used to follow some religious rituals, he never imposed them on me. He used to tell me that “Duty is Worship”. He could lead the life of an orthodox and as well as a liberal. In his later years he would spend hours discussing on Philosophy with his cousin Nagaraja Rao and Krishna Rao (Kittu Uncle). 

He had a wide repertoire of interests in life. He had an appetite for reading and had a rich collection of books in the library from Literature, Science, Medicine, Fiction, Philosophy, Cosmic Sciences, etc. We had hundreds of books at home in our library. He loved all forms of entertainment. He would love watching MGR/Sivaji Ganesan movies, watch Ramayana on TV, listen to MS Subbalakshmi, Abba, Michael Jackson and even Deep Purple. He would patiently sit with me to watch the Test Matches and loved watching Wimbledon Tennis matches on Television. He was widely traveled in India, Middle East, Europe, UK , Scotland ,USA and Canada.
The Book Release Program Invite
The Book

Late in their lives, my parents were fortunate to travel to USA in 1988 courtesy my late Uncle Dr. CK Prahalad and other cousins in the USA. They truly enjoyed their trip to the US and treasured the trip memories for the rest of their life. He was particularly happy to have taken his wife to Cambridge University during their visit to United Kingdom and show her the place some 50 years later.

During his trip to the US and UK, my father had maintained a tour diary and jotted down meticulously each day events. I managed to publish a book “Our Journey to the New World” recapturing their memoirs of the wonderful trip. Long after their demise, we organised an Event – Raju Remembre and had my Uncle Dr. CK Prahalad release the book. The event was very well attended and all relatives and friends paid rich tribute to my parents.



He was a connoisseur of life and lived a full life till the end. He would love petting our dogs and cats at home. Spend time in the garden and take a walk. He managed to cure his diabetic without any medication and would eat all kinds of healthy food till the end. He never believed in diet but always used to eat in moderation. He used to advise me that anything in moderation is good in life. He used to be dressed immaculately till the end and was very fashion conscious. When he went to the US he picked up almost 25 ties and a few blazers. As his brother late Dr CK Prahalad has said, he was never sloppy and was always well dressed.

He was a very determined person. Very disciplined and independent. Even in his old age he insisted that he goes to Bank, Post Offices, travel by auto-rickshaw and never once sought for any assistance or help from anyone. He never complained “I am getting Old” even in his late 80’s. He would want to live life to the hilt. He was bold encouraging and a very positive person. He was very shy, humble, forthright and gentle and above all a man of virtues and principles. In a highly materialistic, self centered world, he was a rare gem.

He was the biggest source of strength to me. Much of my life has been molded on his life and values. Whatever I am today, its because of him and my mother and I am and will be indebted for life. They have truly been an inspiration and a guiding light for me in my life and will continue to be so, as long as there is life in me …..


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The Noble Couple, My Parents


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An open challenge to Azim Premji

Stop misguiding gullible consumers


Azim Premji is widely revered all over India and also the world for his entrepreneurial spirit and the large business empire that he has built over the last few decades. Wipro is also widely known as an ethical company and his philanthropic gestures are widely publicised.


Wipro chairman Azim Premji has been named the most philanthropic Indian for the third consecutive year, according to a report from Hurun Research Institute, which ranks the most generous individuals in the country.


Premji’s contribution for education through the Azim Premji Foundation more than doubled to Rs 27,514 crore in 2015, from Rs 12, 316 crore, a year earlier, the Hurun Philanthropy List 2015 said.  Source : Times of India

Though he is widely known for his success in the Information Technology, thanks to his Wipro Technologies, he has also built large business empires in other areas also.

Wipro Consumer Care (WCCLG) is today among the top FMCG companies and amongst thefastest growing FMCG companies in India.

However the marketing strategy of Wipro Consumer Care is questionable and is suspected to be misleading gullible consumers.


Santoor Beauty Talc is being sold in the market at a scheme of Buy 1 Get 1 Free. Its sold off the shelf and online amazon, groffers, bigbasket etc.

Here is a comparison of the price of popular Talcum Powder sold in the country:

Wipro Consumer Care Ltd claims that it is offering Santoor Beauty Tal as a deal – Buy 1 Get 1 Free. Which means that I pay Rs.170 for 150 gms can and get another 150 gms can free. Is it really true, that I am getting another can free?

In fact in the picture shown above they are getting exposed. A 400gm Santoor Beauty Talc is sold for Rs.201 with 2 Santoor Beauty Soaps free. Which means that the actual price of 300gm of Santoor Beauty Talc is around Rs.170/- and there fore the actual price of 150 gm of Santoor Beauty Talc is around Rs.85/- So if the are really offering 150gm Can free under the scheme Buy1 Get1 Free, they should be selling at Rs.85/- and not at Rs.170/-. 

Here is an open challenge to WIPRO and to Azim Premji.  Sell Santoor Beauty Talc as a standalone 150gm can for Rs.170 and share with us the number of units you sold in a month. At Rs.170 for 150 gm it works out Rs.1.07 per gm of Talcum Powder, when the average market price of competitors is around Rs.0.30 to a max of Rs.0.50.

Who would ever buy double the price.  Even the original Mysore Sandal Talcum powder costs Rs.0.28 per gram.
Is it that the Marketing Team at WIPRO dont know the meaning of FREE. Its about time that their Marketing team are taught what FREE means.

FREE means to get something for which you pay nothing.

It is very clear that this is a marketing gimmick and is cheating gullible consumers who really think that they are getting a Can of Powder free. In actual sense you are selling 300gms of Santoor Beauty Talc at Rs. 170 but split in 2 cans of 150gms each and just labelling Buy1 get 1 Free to attract gullible customers and make them believe that they are actually being rewarded with a free can. 

It’s a huge disappointment that a company from WIPRO group under Azim Premji who boasts of high moral values, ethics, Corporate Governance, charity and philanthrophy, is actually resorting to such cheap gimmicks just to promote their product sales.

An old lady who I knew and who was regularly using Santoor Beauty Talc told me that she was happy buying it because she was getting rewarded with a Free Can everytime she bought one. I then explained to her that she wasn’t getting anything free and was charged every penny of the grams that she received and explained the above logic. Do you know what she said “these damn CHEATS. I will never ever buy this again………….

She is right. Doesn’t this tantamount to cheating the public.

Cheating is defined as – 

act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage
to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice
cheating customers through false advertising

Its about time that such misleading advertising gimmicks are taken up in Consumer Courts and put to an end.

There are many others who resort to such cheap gimmicks and induce gullible customers to buy thinking that they are actually getting a deal and freebies, when actually they are not.

However we expect a company of WIPRO standards led by Azim Premji to desist from such unfair practices and be a leader in the market.

Its time that WIPRO and Azim Premji take up my challenge of selling 150gm Santoor Beauty Talc without any offers for Rs.170/- or put to end this cheap marketing gimmick or risk being called “Cheats”.

Whatever said and done the mask is off Azim Premji and his WIPRO…………


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It’s payback time – Mr Modi

India needs Narendra Modi as much as the BJP needs power. After a long time we have a politician / Prime Minister who is astute, bold, visionary, persuasive, delivers results and can connect with People of all sections of the society.

The Economy is the fastest growing in the world, inflation at a low, fiscal discipline at its best, good foreign relations and the image of India at its best in the world, peace in the country (except in Kashmir), optimism amongst the large section of the society and stable governments across the country and a weak opposition.

No doubt that Narendra Modi is in a un-assailable position much to the envy of many a politician in the country. This is evident by the number of polls his party has swept across the Nation and the various public opinion polls pointing out that he is the best suited to lead the Nation.

Added to that is the TINA factor. There is no alternative to Narendra Modi in the country, both within the NDA and the opposition parties. The opposition is largely a divided house as there is no ideology in their approach except for an anti-Modi ideology.  The more anti-Modi stance they take, the stronger Modi becomes.

However the NDA must not forget history and hope it will learn from it. Rewind and you will find that NDA and Atul B Vajpayee were in the same boat in 2004, to the extent that they coined their election campaign as “India Shining”. Economy was the fastest growing and in fact had touched double digits, good foreign relations, low inflation, peace & stability in the country.

However despite all poll predictions the UPA stumped them at the polls and captured power and hung on to it for a decade.

No doubt in politics there will be reversals and one cannot expect a Party / Leader to be ruling for ever. There is bound to be anti-incumbency sooner or later. However the large majority of the population of this country wants Narendra Modi to continue atleast for another 5 years if not longer.

If ever any one can defeat Modi it will be himself or his party. He is unassailable now but can be dethroned if he is not sensitive and careful.

He has undertaken some bold steps through Demonetization, GST and attacking Black Money. The country by and large has backed him and supported him beyond anyones imagination.  The Government has tied all loose ends and is widening the Tax Net and going after tax evaders, hoarders and black money in a big way. Sounds great. But in the cross fire, the common man is beginning to feel the pinch. 

He had promised “less government and more governance” but the action on the ground it is all but “more government and less governance”.

Every body is forced to go digital, get their Aadhar Card, link it to just about everything – PAN, Bank Accounts, Mobile Numbers, Credit Cards etc. The GST is supposed to bring in a unified Tax system and also make life easier for the Corporates, trader, the shop keeper and the citizens of this country.

The Government is on a roll and is mopping up taxes like hell. Widen tax net, better enforcement & compliance through technology. The citizens have patiently supported the Government in every move. Narendra Modi and especially Jaitely must realise that this patience will wear down sooner or later.  For the common man, nothing has changed. In fact its got worse. More procedures, more compliances, no more privacy and more importantly higher taxes, higher cost of living (despite the inflation figures showing lower figures) and the ease of doing business or quality of living is getting worse.

Despite the huge collection of taxes, especially the killing they are making on Petrol/Diesel, have the passed on any benefit to the common man? Income Tax rates have been marginally reduced (cosmetic change) and the GST rates have not been reduced. It was a wonderful opportunity for the Government to pay back to its citizens by lowering taxes through GST. Instead we have 5 slabs of GST and the highest in the world.

Every other country is having single digit GST rates and India is one of the highest with a maximum GST of 28%.

Why on earth have they kept Diesel / Petrol out of the purview of the GST. Because the maximum tax on GST is 28%

Its still not clear if all other taxes / cess will be withdrawn like Octroi, Entry Tax etc.
Don’t understand why the Government should decide what we should consume and accordingly tax these items. Rates of GST varies on where you eat – roadside, non AC restaurants, AC restaurants etc. Hotel rates vary between AC, Non AC and the bill.
So even after 70 years of Independence the Government of India wants the citizens to sweat it out and live in hot humid conditions and deny them the comfort of Airconditioners. It does not want citizens to fly because it is a luxury. Don’t buy cars because it is luxury.

Is this “Ache Din” Mr Narendra Modi.

What a waste of time & energy. The Government / Parliament wastes its time in deciding what should be the tax slab for sanitary napkins, bangles, chappals, razor blades, wheel chairs etc.

GST is supposed to be a unified Single Tax system. Why not have just adopted it in its original form and intent. The Government feared that it would lose its revenue / tax collection. They won’t have money to splurge on politician’s salaries, Z Security for these politicians, waive loans to farmers win votes and to cross subsidize & appease the lower strata of the society. Therefore continue to squeeze the Rich and the middle class.
On the other hand by adopting a unified single Tax rate system,  it would have brought most of the prices down, increased the purchasing capacity of the common man, induced higher spends & consumption and thereby boosted the Economy.

What a golden opportunity wasted.


The second chink in Modi’s armour is the religious fundamentalism being witnessed in the country. If there was one fear of electing Modi, it was about polarisation and it is fast appearing to be true.

Where is the need for Gau Rakshaks, Cow vigilantism, Beef Ban etc. Let not the Government decide what people should eat. If there is a law, implement it by the rule book and silently without making a hula bola about it and antagonizing the aggrieved. If this right wing, religious fanaticism isn’t curtailed and nipped in the bud, it will be the single biggest failure of Modi and the reason for his downfall. 

The third factor that is likely to bring his downfall is Jobless Growth. The country is witnessing a Jobless Growth. There seems to be no urgency in dealing with this situation.

It is estimated that India’s labour market has over 470 million people. However India faces the challenge of creating jobs for a predominantly young population. According to credit rating firm Crisil, around 18 million people enter the workforce every year. The number of jobs created is far lower; between 2011-12 and 2015-16, India created 3.65 million jobs a year, according to industry lobby group Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

While service sector-led growth contributed greatly to soaring GDP levels, it still employs less than 30% of the total Indian population. India is still seen largely as an Agrarian Economy – the source of most employment for Indian people still lies in the agriculture sector, which employs almost 45% of the Indian population (with a 15% contribution to GDP).

Labour-intensive manufacturing base has not quite been the engine of growth for India, as it has been in China.

IT and the BPO sectors alone employ about 4 million people today and the industry’s own estimate is upto 60% of this workforce will not be of any use with their present skill levels.

Existing government programs (including new programs like Skill India, Start-Up India, Make in India) may have marginally added few jobs to the overall demand-supply gap in selected organised sectors of employment, but none of them structurally address problems of prolonging joblessness within rural and urban areas

The situation is quite grim and there is a sense of denial  among Politicians, Industry Leaders, Trade Bodies and the HR Community. Nobody is willing to talk it out openly and are either discussing in hush-hush tones or brushing it under the carpet.

There appears a persistent lack of willingness of the Indian state to demonstrate timely introduction of labor reforms to increase wage incentives;  create a conducive investment climate, encourage Manufacturing, create incentives for employers to hire more people across sectors; and with review existing impact of acts such as the Industrial Disputes Act (which, as per a World Bank study lowered employment in organised manufacturing by 25%), add to the joblessness misery.

Time to pause & wake up


If Narendra Modi feels that there is a TINA factor and he is unassailable he is wrong.      

Being an astute politician, he must realise that public sentiments are only as good as last week. One leaked email and the voters swayed 6 basis points and elected Trump in a span of 2 weeks in the USA.

It’s a matter of time that the middle class will start baying for his blood and ask for return on investment. If GST doesn’t bring down prices, improve ease of doing business and if the Income Tax rates are not brought down, the middle class will start looking for an alternate leader. Just like Modi rose from the ashes, there might be another leader who will rise from the ashes. What a great opportunity for a politician.

He must immediately put an end to right wing fundamentalism and ensure that peace and harmony prevails in the country, without fear of what to eat, what to dress and what to speak.

He must take up on a war footing the issue of JobLess Growth and work with all stake holders to ensure that there is a favourable climate for creating more jobs.


He must ensure that he walks the talk on “less government & more governance”  and live up to his promise of  “Ache Din”. People are eagerly awaiting for it.

History will not forgive Modi for wasting such an opportunity to change the destiny of this country if he doesn’t pay heed to these 3 important chinks in his armour.


Lets hope that he is shrewd, astute and is willing to learn from history.

Secrets of good relationships…


TRUST is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to   suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity   may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call.   She answered, “Public Utilities Board.” There was silence. She   repeated, “PUB.” There was still no answer. When she was going to   cut off the line, she Heard a lady’s voice, “Oh, so this is PUB. Sorry, I got the number from my Husband’s pocket but I do not know whose number it is.”

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if   the telephone operator answered with just “hello” instead of “PUB”.

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NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, “Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?”
The father-in-law answered in a smile, “Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you.”

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves. 

If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

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CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?

A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested “I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one.” The SDU officer said, “Your requirements, please.” “Oh, good looking, polite, humorous , sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don’t go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest.” The officer listened carefully and replied, “I understand you need television.”

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband, because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

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NO OVERPOWERING 

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another, or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that “It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person’s character.”

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations..

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RIGHT SPEECH

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that “A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation.” Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other, we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted, “Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school.” On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, “Luckily you married me. Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker.” She answered,”You should appreciate that you married me. Other wise, he will be the millionaire and not you.”

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It’s like a broken egg – cannot be reversed.

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PERSONAL PERCEPTION

Different people have different perception. One man’s meat could be another man’s poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, “Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey? “Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, “The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?” Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, “How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman.”
The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, “Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you.” Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders.

It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a nar row bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future. 

Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..


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BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy’s hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, “Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck.” Then he asked, “but when are my fingers going to grow back?” The father went home & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can’t. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge. 

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever. 

“Good Life starts only when you stop wanting a better One”