Why this Kolaveri, Jagan?

Kolaveri is now a household word, thanks to Dhanush's hit song. Nobody beyond Tamil Nadu knows what it exactly means, but it can be translated to a funny (lighter) equivalent of 'blood thirst' or 'urge to kill'... Jagan seems to be seeing 'Kolaveri' in every eye in the world, as he sees conspiracy theories hatched by virtually every non-YSRCP sympathiser in the world. Whether Jagan will be arrested or not, the preparatory steps taken by the CBI and the Government has ensured the spread of fear in his spine...! This is evident from the young leader's wild blabbering during the last three days.


Jagan's allegation that the Congress Government has ganged up with its arch rival in the state, Telugu Desam Party, has no takers at all... Even if it is taken at face value, the allegation extending to the involvement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Governor Mr.E.S.L. Narasimhan with the tacit support of the High Court of India. Thank God, he did not see a conspiracy by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence or Al-Qaeda, with the blessings from the United Nations Organisation (UNO) or the NATO... Going by the wildness of his allegations, people from his own party have started disbelieving their ears, for they know pretty well that the charges hold no water.


Be it VANPIC or EMAAR, Jagan or his advocates have neither responded to the charges in clear legal terms with the intention of being absolved of them, nor have they come up with tangible proof of the alleged 'harassment' by CBI or any other agency. His TV channel and newspaper have been time and again telecasting his consolation sojourn 'Odarpu Yatra' in tiny hamlets of the state to drive home the point loud and clear that Jagan is the saviour of the masses, while keeping mum on the CBI's charges.

Whither media rights?

The counter to the allegations on the nature of flow of investments into Saakshi media has also been less than satisfactory, while the mouth piece has been speaking of 'curtailment of media rights'. There has not been a single incident of attack on a Saakshi media person or their detention/prevention from discharge of duty anywhere in the state. Legal experts say that mere investigation of charges of corruption and the resultant freezing of accounts does not amount to muzzling of media freedom. In fact, it was during YS Rajasekhara Reddy's rule that several incidents of attacks on reporters were witnessed in the nook and corner of the state. Press Clubs and journalist unions had then found it tiresome to hold demonstrations every other day to protest the state-sponsored attacks. And now the scion speaks of media rights...!

In case of his imminent arrest, Jagan has asked his party men not to resort to violence, not to damage public property, not to attack rival party leaders and not to take law and order into their hands, thus telling them in no uncertain terms what (not) to do...! Even the naive can understand that Jagan is all set to indicate to the Government that the common man(?) will not remain silent if the Government continued to harass him. 

For those who have to guts to remove their tinted glasses to see the truth, Jagan's Kolaveri will be clearly visible...isn't it?

SWOT ANALYSIS ON JAGAN

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats... 

This is shortly SWOT Analysis, a management practice to assess a current
situation by analysing various factors. Here's a short SWOT analysis on Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is faced with lot many opportunities and also an equal number of threats.

Everybody knows Jagan entered politics only six months before his first election to Kadapa parliamentary seat in 2009 and before that he was a full-time serious business professional based at Bangalore, evincing little interest in state politics.

Jagan's underlying Strength is his dad and his 'populist leader' image.YSR's demise came a bit early... Early in the sense, before he could groom his son to fit in when he steps into his shoes. But, nature had its way and YSR was suddenly no more, leaving the scion Jagan with little scope to nurture himself as the political heir-apparent in Andhra Pradesh. The confidence-personified Jagan left no stone unturned and started demanding his share of the cake from the Congress high command, right from the word 'Go'. The high drama enacted before YSR's burial when senior ministers and MLAs started a signature campaign seeking Chief Ministership for Jagan did cause serious embarrassment to Jagan himself and party high command. The incident even gave the opposition TDP a whip to beat the Congress with its favourite slogan: 'Padhavulakosam Paakulaadatam Congress Naizam'. This early indication and media projection of Jagan as a power-monger came as a dampener in his pursuit and proved to be a Weakness.

It was the first blow to Jagan. Caught in the 'CATCH 22' situation, Jagan apparently had only two options. Demand for his pound of flesh immediately or be forgotten during 2014 elections. So, he opted for the first and plunged into action.

'Odarpu Yatra' was meant to be an option to keep in touch with the ground level masses. With four years in hand to go for polls, Jagan had a great Opportunity to be among his followers and the public at large. A huge chunk of populace in the Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra belt sailed with him.

The mileage achieved through Odarpu Yatra was negatived after the CBI stepped in. With the excavation of cases of money pouring into Jagan's companies and the CBI succeeding in charge-sheeting the accused, getting one or two of them arrested, including Jagan's auditor and key lieutenant in his business empire, V. Vijaysai Reddy, Jagan is clearly on the defensive. This is going to be a major Threat for him in the coming days. It is only a matter of time for the CBI to pounce upon the Accused No.1, but the UPA Government will not allow Jagan to be arrested, for, it will trigger a sympathy wave in the latter's favour, who will extract the full benefit through his mouthpiece Sakshi newspaper and television channel.

Even as the CBI is inching ahead towards its goal by arresting those closely associated with Jagan's businesses, the undaunted scion is on his perennial 'Odarpu Yatra', consoling the kin of those who died of shock after hearing YSR's demise. The list of deceased is endless and one wonders if the Yatra would continue till the 2014 elections...!

If the CBI succeeds, then it will be Odarpu time for Jagan...!

Jaya Ho Rahul, Tussi Great Ho!

For Rahul Gandhi, scion of India's first family, controversy is not new. That he spews venom on right-wing Hindu parties is also not unknown. As the rising star of the leading political party, he has a responsibility to leave no opportunity to thrash the very ideology of the rival party.

His stinging comment on Hindu fundamentalism made to a U.S. agency, which saw light through the Wikileaks, hence came as no surprise. People fuming at him for his pungent comment are only wasting their energy cursing him. He has only done what is expected of him.

His only fault was making the comment to a foreign agency that is in no way connected with India and shaping its policy. He has created a stir and now stands exposed for speaking ill of fellow Indians with an alien body, thus earning disrepute from all quarters. Now, one more facet unfolds here.

Rahul made the comment very long back, but it surfaced ahead of the crucial plenary meeting of Congress. Hence, deliberately or otherwise, the party was forced to discuss the issue at its biennial conclave, relegating to backburner the ways to disentangle from the mounds of corruption cases it was mired in. Rather, the party was forced to run to Rahul's rescue, blasted the so-called 'Hindu terrorists' and painted a larger-than-life danger posed by them. When Rahul was already in the soup, Digvijay & Co added spice and gingered up the issue!!!

The entire world acknowledges the danger posed by Jihadi terrorism and even intellectual Muslims dissociate themselves from the views of the handful of misled youth, saying they have drawn extreme inferences from the Holy Quran. But Rahul remains silent. When a couple of incidents attributed to Hindu extremists occur (they deserve to be condemned in equally strong terms), Rahul makes an issue, that too to a U.S. agency, which is viewed as humiliation by many.

Unmindful of the unrest he has created, the clairvoyant Rahul continues his tirade on "Hindu Jihadists" with ease: The ease which he exhibited while helping NREGS labourers at work, the ease he exhibited while boarding a local train in Mumbai and the eloquence he exhibited while interacting with college students!!!

Jaya Ho Rahul, Tussi Great Ho!

(JA)GUNFIRE MOVES TO COASTHANDHRA.....!

Now, there is no looking back... Jaganmohan Reddy has shed all inhibitions and niceties to launch a fusillade against his new enemy... The Congress.

Agreed, he could garner support of immeasurable proportions immediately after YSR's demise, but the adoration started to wane. When it came to a "here-or-there" warning from the high command, not many were in favour of being seen as indulging in anti-party activities. So, the cautious-treading helped many and only a handful, the likes of Ambati Rambabu, Konda Surekha and Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, were openly and vociferously expressing support to Jagan.

Instead of continuing with the status quo, the Congress high command decided to replace Rosaiah with a new incumbent Nallari Kirankumar Reddy as the Chief Minister, that almost stirred a hornet's nest. People, party leaders and activists had, by then, invariably started to accept Rosaiah as their chief minister, hardly swallowing the different names in their inner hearts. Delhi's decision was perhaps timely in view of the impending monstrous deadline of Dec 31 when the Justice B.N.Srikrishna Commission is expected to table the report on the Telangana statehood issue. But, the move appears to be ill-planned and in the hurry, the high command missed out 'the right alternative'.

Jagan is a threat. So, the high command plumped for Kiran given the latter's ability to become a match for Jagan. Yes, Kiran and Jagan share the same traits and features like young age, powerful community, the so-called 'feudalistic background' and the ability to carry on the 'YSR legacy'.

Right from the swearing-in ceremony, it has been amply proved that Kiran can no longer keep the Congress MLAs in leash. This is because the legislators were unable to digest the sudden elevation of a peer into a leader.

After creating a cyclone in Rayalaseema, Jagan is now kicking up a hurricane in Krishna. It has to be seen whether his coastal sojourn will receive similar response in other districts...!

Spirituality unleashed...!

What is spirituality?

Some say it is undertaking a soul-search to understand the divine feel and derive the energy from the cosmic state.... blah blah blah...!

Well, a simpler answer is: "Understanding self".

That's what I concluded after taking part in the three-day International Research Workshop on "Spiritual and Ethical Foundations of Organizational Development" organised jointly by New Delhi-based Integrating Spirituality and Organisational Leadership (ISOL) Foundation and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, at Paramarth Niketan Ashram on the banks of the holy Ganges at Rishikesh from Oct 7 to 9. It was a congregation of disparate groups like management consultants, academicians, industry captains, bureaucrats, diplomats, spiritual leaders, sanyasins, religious scholars, students, research scholars and a lone journalist. Yep, that's me!

The common thread passing through all the participants was the eagerness in girding the loins to rid the society of unethical way of living. For self-cleansing of the soul, spirituality is one way. One may argue that treading the rationalist path can also lead to the same destination of ethicality, but the traditional Indian society has always relied on the time-tested and beaten track of spirituality. So did I.

Like water, mind tends to flow downhill if left for itself. Downhill here means the lower levels of morality to touch the nadir. It is spirituality that plays the role of a motor that lifts the water up to a shallow level. In the business environment, it is not just monetary unethicality that is ruling, but also 'behavioral unethicality' that needs to be curtailed. Unfortunately, immorality has become the way of business, whether one admits or not. The negative traits like lust, anger, delusion, greed, jealousy and pride have become insatiable, while good characters like truthfulness, forgiveness, courage, compassion, gratitude are on the wane. It is this anomaly in the business context that the convention sought to correct.

ISOL Foundation convener Sunita Singh Sengupta needs to be congratulated for her bold initiative in bringing the participants from diverse backgrounds under one roof, that too under the canopy of the Himalayas. She, along with IIT Roorkee professors V.K.Katiyar and Rajat Aggarwal, successfully conducted the three-day event.

Management experts like Jens Schultzer, CEO and Chairman of Oester Pennehavevej Id (Denmark), Prof. S.K.Chakraborty, Chairman, advisory committee of ISOL Foundation, J.L.Raina, Chairman, Board of Governors, ISOL Foundation, Anil Sachdev, Director (HR), BHEL, J.K.Mitra, faculty of management studies at University of Delhi, Dr.Rattan Datta, T.S.Mohanchandralal, Director, Global Centre for Information and Management Practices (Bangalore), Balwir Talwar , Addl. General Manager (Corporate Planning and Development), BHEL, Uma Jain, founder CEO and principal consultant, Catalysts for Competence in Values, Collaboration and Leadership (Ahmedabad) took part in the meet and gave their views on how spiritual thought can be translated to better the management prospects in the modern world.

Similarly, Acharya Balkrishnajee Maharaj, Secretary-General of Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, Swami Atmapriyananda, Vice-Chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission, Vivekananda University (Kolkata), Swami S.A.R.P.V. Chaturvedi, Founder of Ramanuja Mission Trust (Chennai), Shraddhalu Ranade of Sri Aurobindo Ashram (Pondicherry) narrated the basic principles of Hindu Dharma that can change the very course of human living.

Malay Mishra, High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) and former ambassador C.M.Bhandari proved their excellence by giving an overview of the influence of Indian spiritual thought on the western world by highlighting our Unique Selling Propositions (USP) such as Ayurveda and Yoga.

I had the opportunity to chair the session on 'Value-based approach in leadership and corporate governance' on the final day, which turned out to be the longest session of the three day event, lasting for 150 minutes. I explained how great qualities like courage, forgiveness and gratitude are essential in taking on the competitive contemporary management system.

The text of my speech:

It is indeed a great privilege for me to share the dais with so many intellectuals, unassuming intellectuals at that!

It will be an unforgettable occasion for me, a journalist, to imbibe the essence of the papers and speeches at this three-day meet, which are a result of churning out of some of the best academic and entrepreneurial brains drawn from across the globe. On the other hand, I believe there is not much for the august gathering to pick up from nothing more than ‘serious observations’ of a journalist.

I hail from Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, worshipped in North India as Lord Balaji, and considered the richest place of worship in the world. The place stands as a classic oxymoron, presenting a refined hypocrisy of how spiritual enlightenment is comfortably wedded to materialistic exuberance. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the state-controlled custodian of the temple, in turn spends the money towards rendering services to the poor like education, health, public works, food, sanitation etc. apart from religious purposes. This goes to show that spiritual bent of mind can indeed go hand in hand with money making, if the means and end are reasonable and justifiable. I know many shirk touching upon this dubious gray area.

The topic for discussion now is “Leadership for Transformation: The role of forgiveness, gratitude and courage”. Among all the sessions, this topic - I personally feel - minimizes the scope for vacillation and comes in handy for one to hit the bull’s eye. The three parameters, viz., forgiveness, gratitude and courage, are the most sought after qualities for one to emerge as a leader. In fact, they are most essential for one to be reckoned a good human being, in the first place. Conversely, one who becomes known as ‘good person’ at heart, mind and soul, can easily scale high and reach the tag of a ‘good leader’.

Among the colloquial organizational terms, we more often find ‘firing an employee’, ‘cut-throat competition’, ‘prey on gullible customers’ etc. They are in common use, but ever wondered how the literal translation could mean a lot of bloodshed? It points to the ease with which the business environment gets exposed to inhumanity, at times, without one’s knowledge. Here comes the need for qualities like self-restraint, moral scruple, compassion and at last, expiation and repentance.

Forgiveness is a great trait that is seldom found in many these days. Though a noble person is revered for several of his virtues such as knowledge, piety, composure, philanthropy etc., forgiveness is considered the jewel in his crown. Even the devout surrender at the holy feet of the Lord Almighty, asking for his pardon.

Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatham, chanted everyday at Tirumala temple at the strike of dawn, ends with these lines….

‘Agnanina Mayadoshan Aseshan Vihithaan Hare… Kshamasvathvam Kshamasvathvam Seshasaila Sikhamane…’

It means…

“O Lord who gleams like a pearl on the top of Seshachala Hills: I have done several mistakes out of ignorance. Ignore my ignorance and forgive me!”

Seeking pardon is a great quality of human being, while forgiving takes a man close to being divine.

Next is gratitude. At a time when employee attrition rates are high, gratitude is the last thing that comes to the mind of an average employee. Pay packet and career elevation are the factors that precede gratitude towards the organization and loyalty towards the employer. An organization should be grateful towards all its stakeholders, viz., employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, bankers, the Government and the civil society as a whole.

In a mythological tale that comes to my mind, a person and a crane by name ‘Baka’ are good friends. The person benefits a lot from Baka. One day, he kills the crane, perhaps in a fit of rage. The gratuitous act smacks of ingratitude, but the person is unrepentant. Baka’s ‘Rakshas’ friends kill the person on coming to know of it. Refusing to eat the meat of the ungrateful person, they hand over the corpse as food to the savages, considered inferior in social status to the Rakshas i.e., demons. On coming to know of the reason, the savages too reject it, saying that an ungrateful person’s body is rotten and hence not fit for consumption.

When savages, who are considered third-rate citizens among the evil group, brand such a person’s meat unfit, then see how a mature society considers a living ungrateful person. Since ages, this is how the Hindu religious scriptures have been spreading virtues, especially gratitude.

Courage

Courage is the hallmark of present day global business environment. From the state of running their tiny shops in street corners, today’s average businessmen have dared to look beyond the country’s frontiers in a ‘come what may’ attitude, thus welcoming global opportunities with open hands. Courage makes one shed inhibitions, brace up to consider the pros and cons of a future situation, face the challenge ‘in full steam’ and give a deathblow to the opponent. To be different, to be better than your competitor and to make the society a better place, courage is essential.

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Treating a situation or competitor with ‘kid gloves’ will not work in business. Every attack should be calculated and at the same time fierce enough to let the opponent go clueless and give up. At the same time, one should not resort to hitting ‘below the belt’. Aggressive business is okay, but not destructive business. This is where the imaginary line is drawn. Having a ‘killer instinct’ in business needs a lot of courage, as there is no way out of the ‘Padmavyuha’, but ‘killing as a way of business’ is not permissible!

I hope the honourable speakers here will enrich the session by shedding more light on the above issues. Thank you.

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Dr.K.Sudhakar Reddy, Principal of Dr.AER MBA College and my companion throughout the tiresome journey felt elated and planned to host the next event i.e., for 2011 in the spiritual destination of Tirupati. We promised to the ISOL Foundation team to work towards this cause.

While leaving Rishikesh by the Dehra Dun Express, I was wondering if I had attended a meet on management or spirituality. Though I knew pretty well that the topics in question were a combination of both, I, like a swan, had mentally separated both and imbibed the essence of both, knowingly or unknowingly. And also the principles of spirituality that can be replicated in today's management world.

With this clarity of thought, I disembarked the train at my place Tirupati, pondering about how to use the rich knowledge thus gained at Rishikesh in my personal, official, professional, family and social life....!

For pictures, visit

http://picasaweb.google.com/rangarajan13/RishikeshConference#