Lexophile – Word Play

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“Lexophile” is a term used to describe those who are clever with words, such as “you can tune a piano but you can’t tuna fish” , or “to write with a broken pencil is pointless.”
A competition to see who can come up with the best lexphillies is held every year in Dubuque, Iowa. The year’s winning submissions:
… A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.… When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.… The batteries were given out free of charge.… A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.… A will is a dead giveaway.… With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.… A boiled egg is hard to beat.… Police were called to the daycare centre, where a three-year-old wasresisting a rest... Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He’sall right now.… A bicycle can’t stand alone; it is two tired.… The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.… He had a photographic memory which was never developed.… When she saw her first strands of grey hair, she thought she’d dye.… Acupuncture is a job well done. That’s the point of it.

Mr. Jaitley how about Oxygen Tax & FuneralTax ?

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Look at the amount of Taxes that we are charged. At every stage of our life and for everything we are taxed. For what ? and what is it that we are getting in return.
The concept of levying Tax was mastered by the British and many of the Tax laws & rules are still based on the legacy left behind the British, actually the East India Company.
We are taxed by the Central Government, State Government and even the Municipality.
According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra – an ancient treatise on the study of economics, the art of governance and foreign policy – artha has a much wide r significance than wealth. An important part of the Arthashastra is the `science of economics’, which, inter alia, includes taxation, revenue collections, budget and accounts.
A list of taxes and dues is found in this treatise, which describes the duties of the chancellor and the officials responsible for revenue collection. The treatise also shows that taxes were collected in kind (pratikara) – grains, cattle, gold, forest p roduce, and so on.
Not only were such taxes in vogue, but even the principles behind them were laid down. Manu, the great law giver of the country, in Manusmriti, has described the policy behind taxes thus: “As the leech, the calf, and the bee take their food little by li ttle, even so must the King draw from his realm moderate annual taxes.” In Raghuvamsh, Kalidas, eulogizing King Dalip, said…“it was only for the good of his subjects that he collected taxes from them just as the sun draws moisture from the earth to g ive it back a thousand time.”
The reason why Kautilya gave so much importance to public finance and the taxation system in the Arthasastra is not far to seek. According to him, the power of the government depended upon the strength of its treasury. He states: “From the treasury come s the power of the government, and the earth, whose ornament is the treasury, is acquired by means of the treasury and army.”
However, he regarded revenue and taxes as the earning of the sovereign for the services rendered by him to the people, affording them protection and maintaining law and order. Kautilya emphasised that the King was only a trustee of the land and his duty was to protect and make it more productive so that land revenue could be collected as a principal source of income for the state. 
According to him, tax was not a compulsory contribution to be made by the subject to the state. But the relationship was based on dharma, and it was the King’s sacred duty to protect its citizens in view of the tax collected. And if the King failed in hi s duty, the subjects had a right to stop paying taxes, and even to demand refund of the taxes paid.
Its time that we arise and question the Government as to what do we get in return to paying these taxes. For the governor to refurbish his house & spend 14 lakhs to buy a TV or the MLA’s to go on foreign jaunts, to protect (Z security) for corrupt Politicians and the list goes on………

1) What r u doing?

Ans. : Business
Tax : PAY PROFESSIONAL TAX!
2) What r u doing in Business?
Ans. : Selling the Goods.
Tax : PAY SALES TAX!
3) From where r u getting Goods?
Ans. : From other Area / State / Abroad.
Tax : PAY CENTRAL SALES TAX, CUSTOM DUTY & OCTROI AND NOW LBT & LPT!
 4) What r u getting in Selling Goods?
Ans. : Profit
Tax : PAY INCOME TAX!
 5) How do you distribute profit ?
Ans. : By way of dividend
Tax : Pay DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION TAX!
 6) Where r u Manufacturing the Goods?
Ans. : Factory
Tax : PAY EXCISE DUTY!
 7) Do u have Office / Warehouse / Factory?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY MUNICIPAL & FIRE TAX!
8) Do you have Staff?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY STAFFS PROFESSIONAL TAX!
 9) Doing business in Millions?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY TURNOVER TAX!
Ans. : No
Tax : Then pay MINIMUM ALTERNATE TAX (MAT)
 10) R u taking out over 25,000 Cash from Bank?
Ans. : Yes, for Salary
Tax : PAY CASH HANDLING TAX!
 11) Where r u lodging your client?
Ans. : Hotel
Tax : PAY LUXURY TAX!
12) R u going Out of Station for Business?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY FRINGE BENEFIT TAX!
13) Hav u taken or given any Service/s?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY SERVICE TAX!
 14) How come u got such a Big Amount?
Ans. : Gift on Birthday
Tax : PAY GIFT TAX!
 15) Do u have any Wealth?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY WEALTH TAX!
 16) To reduce tension, for entertainment, where are you going?
Ans. : Cinema or Resort
Tax : PAY ENTERTAINMENT TAX!
 17) Hav u purchased House?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY STAMP DUTY & REGISTRATION FEE!
18) How u Travel?
Ans: Bus
Tax : PAY SURCHARGE!
Ans. : By Car, Two wheeler
Tax : Then pay ROAD TAX.
Ans. : Yes. Of course, I want to travel in good roads & faster.
Tax : Then pay TOLL FEE.
21) Any Additional Tax?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY EDUCATION CESS, SECONDARY & HIGHER EDUCATION CESS & SURCHARGE ON ALL THE CENTRAL GOVT. TAXES !!!
 22) Delayed any time Paying Any Tax?
Ans. : Yes
Tax : PAY INTEREST & PENALTY!
23) Do you want growth of India.?
Ans. : Of course, Yes
Tax : Then pay ELECTRICITY TAX, WATER TAX, ROAD TAX, ETC. ETC.
24) Where to do you stay ?
Ans. : In my home.
Tax : Then pay PROPERTY TAX.
25) The cities are congested & polluted. Do you want to breathe fresh air?
Ans. : Yes. Of course, I am feeling suffocated
Tax : Wait, we will introduce OXYGEN BARS, where you can breathe fresh air by paying OXYGEN TAX.
26) INDIAN : Can I die now?
Ans. : Oh no, you are to pay  FUNERAL TAX!…OOps…its in the legislation waiting to be passed. Pl. wait….
Ridiculous. Because we are silent, dont protest and are a meek citizen we are slapped these taxes.

Mind you no less than a former Prime Minister – Rajiv Gandhi said, that only about 15% of the money spent by the Government reaches the ultimate destination. Where does the 85% disappear – where else but fill the coffers of the political parties, politicians and the black money stashed away abroad.
In return what do we get. No education, No medical care, No housing (even legally bought houses sanctioned by government authorities are demolished), No proper roads, No 24×7 uninterrupted quality power, No water to drink (depend on water tankers), No gaurantee of security, No cops to regulate traffic (busy collecting fines & b….) and so on.
Anything left Mr. Jaitley…..Wonder is the Government here to serve or to rule………….. can you rise above politics and become the Kautilya of the 21st century.

Its Your Choice

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  • No doubt womanhood should be celebrated.
  • No doubt it’s your body, your mind, your choice.
  • No doubt, to be a size zero or size 15, is your choice.
  • No doubt, to marry or not to marry, is your choice.
  • No doubt, to love a man, or a woman, or both is again your choice.
  • But having sex before marriage or outside of marriage?!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • To carry a baby or not? Is it solely your choice? !!!!!!!!

Come to think of it, how can two genders be so different that what is considered infidelity and sexism for one, becomes “choice” and empowerment for the other? When did adultery become feminism? And if a Girl has a right to exercise her choice, why crib when Male exercise their choice…..

Its fashionable to make such statements to garner eyeballs & publicity- but do people realize the consequences of such actions / behaviors. How many mothers, how many parents will appreciate this. How many girls themselves agree with this. In the name of womanhood, diversity these self proclaimed woman activists are misleading young minds & influencing vulnerable young minds. No doubt the Divorce rate in India is zooming & very soon will be the highest rate of divorce in the world.
Take a look behind the scenes of these celebrities and the so called activists – history has shown how they lead their lives behind those glamorous looks & behind the camera’s in their real lives (private life). How many of them can truthfully say that they are leading a happy life & have no regrets for their behaviors.
If every body behaves as per his/her choice imagine what will happen to this world. 
At the same time, there is a raging debate about diversity in organisations & the society.In the name of Diversity organisations and the society is going frenzy without realizing the consequences of it.
Organisations are going overboard promoting Diversity like never before. Promoting for the sake of it and in many cases being forced to, by law in India (Mandatory to have Women Directors on the Board). On most occasions its being enforced at the cost of the other gender and at the cost of meritocracy akin to the issue of pseudo secularism being practiced by political parties – promoting one & denouncing / neglecting the other.
The issue of Diversity is a deep malaise, deep rooted in the society at large and reflects the culture of the society and is a culmination of centuries of practices & tradition. It cannot be undone overnight or by denouncing other genders. History & Research has proved that reservations or forced quota systems work on the contrary and further divides the society and defeats the very purpose of neutrality that it aims to achieve. It also demeans the achievements & esteem of successful women. 

It has to be tackled at the grass root level  and not scratching at the surface. It needs to be addressed at the society, at homes, in schools & colleges before being enforced at in organisations. Look at the way woman are portrayed in movies, tele-serials, advertisements, newspapers etc. Unless we strike at the root of the problem no amount of actions at the surface level will rid the society of this gender in-equality.
Extensive research shows that diversity alone is damaging for individuals and organizations: research links difference alone to lower revenue, performance, employee morale and wellbeing, along with slower decision making, increased conflict, absenteeism, missed opportunities and more (expensive) discrimination cases.
Diversity is not just about gender but its about diversity in thinking, geographies, gender, ethnicity, religion, age etc. It cannot be achieved at the cost of the other and requires an approach which is inclusive. But when coupled with an inclusive culture, diversity delivers higher performance, less absenteeism, more customer satisfaction and greater innovation. Inclusion requires individuals to alter their innate beliefs and behaviors, which is why it is more difficult to realize and so powerful when that happens.
Isn’t feminism about breaking even with both the genders rather than pulling one down? Isn’t it about meting out equal treatments to both the sexes than being anti-men . Yes, a certain section of men who are intolerant to women or behaving in a perverted way need to be shamed, but does feminism endorse inflicting pain on men in general to drive home the point of neutrality. Because women felt that they were oppressed / suppressed in the past, does it justify suppressing men in the present. Isn’t it tantamount to intolerant behavior – that men were accused off in the past.  Isn’t it turning out into becoming a pseudo pleasure?  
The term feminism is as much for men as it is for women because men too struggle with gender stereotypes.
There is a very fine line between freedom and absolute choice, and that absolute choice can have multiple connotations, good, bad or ugly.

We must be cautious before aping the west or falling into this frenzy trap. Off-course its your choice whether to fall into it or not ………....

RAJU REMEMBRE- ” Our Journey to the New World, a medley of Travelogue by Raju & Manna”.

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We had organised a program “RAJU REMEMBRE” in Feb 2009, in fond remembrance of my late Parents Dr. K Rajagopal and Mrs. Manoranjini Rajagopal at Bangalore and had invited all our relatives, near and dear ones. People from across the world had come to the program. We had relatives and friends recalling their fond association with Raju and Manna as they were fondly called.
We also had a reason to organise this program. My parents had visited the United States of America in 1989 courtesy the kind sponsorship of my uncle Late Dr CK Prahalad. They embarked on a 3 month trip to the US, Canada and UK. My father had jotted down his experiences on the trip in a tour diary and I stumbled upon it.


Hence I took upon the task of reconstructing it and publishing a book ” Our Journey to the New World, a medley of Travelogue by Raju & Manna”. We released the book on this occassion and had the privilege of having late Dr. CK Prahalad and my aunty Mrs. Gayatri Prahalad attending this program and agreeing to launch this book.

We also utilised this occassion to honour & felicitate Late. Dr Prahalad for being conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India – the 3rd highest civilian honour in the country.

The program was well attended and we thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and love that our near and dear ones showered on my late parents and to all of us. 


We had presented some photo shows & videos of my Parents visit to the US, pictures of my Parents and other relatives from our album and also a slide show on Dr. CK Prahalad.

Many of them spoke on the occassion viz. Sahana’s aunt Mrs. Vanmala, Mrs. CSS Rao, my late cousin Venari uncle, SK Srinivasa Rao, Mrs.Shree Seshadri, Mrs. Sharda bai, Mrs. Gayatri Prahalad, my uncles CK Madvesh, Late Mr. Vasanth Madhav Rao and the finale was the felicitation of Dr. CK Prahalad and his address.

I sincerely thank all of them for having graced this function and also for having spoken so kindly about my parents and will certainly carry fond memories of this program till eternity. 

Whatever the Ranjan’s are today, its but for the kind benevolence of this noble couple “Raju and Manna” and we are deeply indebted to them.

Here is a video that captures all the action at the program.


Copies of the book were distributed to all the attendees. A soft copy of the book is reproduced below 

Our Journey to the New World, a medley of Travelogue by Raju & Manna (The Book – Read here)