Passionate About India: As the only national party left with mass leaders,...:
The death of mass leaders in Congress started from the times of Indira Gandhi when the inner party democracy – that at one point elected Lal Bahadur Shastri as the PM – gave way to dynastic politics. Indira, at least herself, became a mass leader; but by the time Rajiv became the Prime Minister purely on sympathy, the mass leaders started finishing off. The last of the mass leaders in the Congress under Sonia – Sharad Pawar – left Congress; and YSR, the one and only mass leader left, met an unfortunate end too. So now, what the Congress is left with, from Sonia to Manmohan to Chidambaram to Rahul, are all well-planned and planted leaders from here and there instead of leaders with a mass base. The real politician – though again without a semblance of a mass base – Pranab Mukherjee, through his sheer number of years, is now in the President’s chair, and with the number of times he has been betrayed, not necessarily the Congress plant many are assuming him to be. With a mind of his own and wounds unhealed, he can turn anybody’s way when it really matters!
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/as-only-national-party-left-with-mass.html
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Typos: ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY...?
Typos: ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MY...?:
Strength, of every sort, defines a loving relationship. Yesterday, while discussing the premise of the piece, I went so far as to say that one just can’t love if one isn’t strong. It raised eyebrows and hackles, but I insisted and maintained that there could be no love without strength. Love has to have the strength to keep me from going down the wrong path. If the resolve to rectify capitulates in the face of a possibly violent or aggressive reaction, it isn’t love but opportunism that defines the relationship. So, when you want to know if what you feel is love or less, look up and look in and ask yourself, is it an eagle or a vulture that flies over your romantic skies..
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/are-you-strong-enough-to-be-my.html
Strength, of every sort, defines a loving relationship. Yesterday, while discussing the premise of the piece, I went so far as to say that one just can’t love if one isn’t strong. It raised eyebrows and hackles, but I insisted and maintained that there could be no love without strength. Love has to have the strength to keep me from going down the wrong path. If the resolve to rectify capitulates in the face of a possibly violent or aggressive reaction, it isn’t love but opportunism that defines the relationship. So, when you want to know if what you feel is love or less, look up and look in and ask yourself, is it an eagle or a vulture that flies over your romantic skies..
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/are-you-strong-enough-to-be-my.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BETWEEN THE BLACK AND THE WHITE
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BETWEEN THE BLACK AND THE WHITE:
The enduring legacy of Gaffar Market in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area is well-known to not only residents of Delhi but even to the people outside Delhi. It’s a grey market per se that stands for mobile phones, cameras, television sets, accessories and garments at a much cheaper rate than that available at the authorised shops. One should drop the notion that the products in Gaffar market are backdated; in fact, when iPhone was launched, it reached the market months before it was available at Apple’s stores! Nikon, Microsoft, Olympus, Tag Heuer – you name it – it’s all dumped in the grey markets of India at much less cost and there by attracting shopping bonanza. The electronics companies are clueless on how to beat the grey market, as it is continuously eating away their market share pushing down their sales through authorised dealers. Apart from slashing prices and rolling out value added services, the producers also trying to rope in shops in other grey markets like in Delhi’s Palika Bazaar, Mumbai’s Heera Panna or Kolkata’s Fancy Market.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/between-black-and-white.html
The enduring legacy of Gaffar Market in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area is well-known to not only residents of Delhi but even to the people outside Delhi. It’s a grey market per se that stands for mobile phones, cameras, television sets, accessories and garments at a much cheaper rate than that available at the authorised shops. One should drop the notion that the products in Gaffar market are backdated; in fact, when iPhone was launched, it reached the market months before it was available at Apple’s stores! Nikon, Microsoft, Olympus, Tag Heuer – you name it – it’s all dumped in the grey markets of India at much less cost and there by attracting shopping bonanza. The electronics companies are clueless on how to beat the grey market, as it is continuously eating away their market share pushing down their sales through authorised dealers. Apart from slashing prices and rolling out value added services, the producers also trying to rope in shops in other grey markets like in Delhi’s Palika Bazaar, Mumbai’s Heera Panna or Kolkata’s Fancy Market.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/between-black-and-white.html
Friday, 20 July 2012
The Fascinating World of Marketing: THE OLD FOX WITH ITS NEW TRICKS
The Fascinating World of Marketing: THE OLD FOX WITH ITS NEW TRICKS:
Big budgets demand careful scrutiny of changing profile of consumer, and then devise and execute a marketing strategy accordingly. Since July 1, 2012 Channel [V] is no longer a music channel, even if earlier it was airing about three hours of Bollywood music. Why this about-turn? Well, India is the world’s second fastest growing mobile market. Indians aged 15-24 spend an average of 13.6 hours on the net, a lot of that on music videos. Digital music in fact grew by 24% in 2011 while physical form fell by 19%. Hence the channel wants to reposition itself as a youth general entertainment channel. Even MTV is concentrating on building original programing in the form of MTV Coke Studio, MTV Roadies, etc. to engage the viewers. As a matter of fact a youth channel can remain relevant only if it is present across all platforms that youth engage with
Business is Marketing: TALK TO ME
Business is Marketing: TALK TO ME:
Humans are the most social of all animals. We love to talk and interact with others. It is one activity we crave for and if are deprived of it, we could sometimes lose our sanity too. Well, advertisers are realizing this fact too; i.e., if they do not interact with their consumers, they could lose their market share to those who do so! The latest development in TV ads is helping advertisers do just this. Technology is being used to change ads from being a one-way communication process to two-way. It’s time that companies realized that not many are watching their ads. Think about it. Every time there is an ‘ad break’, we use it for a ‘loo-break’ or a ‘mobile checking break’ or a ‘what’s-on-in-other-channels- break’!!! This is making many big advertisers turn away from TV.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Typos: HE WON’T BE GONE WITH THE WIND
Typos: HE WON’T BE GONE WITH THE WIND:
But Liddell’s legend wasn’t done. The stage actor who played Liddell, Jack Lowden, went on to talk about Liddell’s life away from the track. Eric had been born in China and had promised his missionary parents, that he would get his degree and return to China after the Olympics. And true to his word, he let go of what could have been a glorious athletic career and returned, to work tirelessly for man and God; helping people wherever and however he could, whether it was teaching young people about life and the Lord through sports and games or by giving away his meager rations to someone hungrier.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/he-wont-be-gone-with-wind.html
But Liddell’s legend wasn’t done. The stage actor who played Liddell, Jack Lowden, went on to talk about Liddell’s life away from the track. Eric had been born in China and had promised his missionary parents, that he would get his degree and return to China after the Olympics. And true to his word, he let go of what could have been a glorious athletic career and returned, to work tirelessly for man and God; helping people wherever and however he could, whether it was teaching young people about life and the Lord through sports and games or by giving away his meager rations to someone hungrier.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/he-wont-be-gone-with-wind.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: ARE WE BEING TESTED, RIGHTLY?
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: ARE WE BEING TESTED, RIGHTLY?:
India is fast developing as one of the hottest destinations for clinical trials, even for medicines that has got demand anywhere in the world. It is devious to test drugs for diseases like cancer (it is understandable to test India-specific drugs like anti-malaria or anti-diarrhea) as it is as common in the West as it is here. But it is going on regardless because conducting clinical trials in India will be 80 per cent cheaper than in the West. Equally appalling is the fact that these companies themselves appoint the investigator and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act allows them to have the final say! Th at means there is no counterbalance to the obvious underreporting by the company appointed investigators in case of deaths and health hazards.
Passionate About India: Road accidents or preventable and predictable mass...
Passionate About India: Road accidents or preventable and predictable mass...:
So, that afternoon, did my brother really let my father down by taking a ride on a two-wheeler from our institute’s campus to the highway to have lunch? No. I believe every 20-year-old at times takes his own decision and thinks that this much seems quite fine a risk. We all have the right to go out on the road and come back alive. It’s India’s pathetic road safety that let him down. We are a country of road killers. The highest number of road deaths in the world happens in India. If it were America, chances are fifty times more that my brother would have been alive.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/road-accidents-or-preventable-and.html
So, that afternoon, did my brother really let my father down by taking a ride on a two-wheeler from our institute’s campus to the highway to have lunch? No. I believe every 20-year-old at times takes his own decision and thinks that this much seems quite fine a risk. We all have the right to go out on the road and come back alive. It’s India’s pathetic road safety that let him down. We are a country of road killers. The highest number of road deaths in the world happens in India. If it were America, chances are fifty times more that my brother would have been alive.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/road-accidents-or-preventable-and.html
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Passionate About India: Courts for the rich Amar Singh and Abhishek Manu S...
Passionate About India: Courts for the rich Amar Singh and Abhishek Manu S...:
It is inhuman! It is outrageous! And it is disgusting! The manner is which Pinki Pramanik, a national athlete who brought laurels for the nation at various international sporting events, is being sullied by all and sundry. Thanks to media, today she has become a household name, more infamous due to the controversy on her gender, than due to the gold medals she won at the Asian and Commonwealth Games. Pinki’s sporting achievements include a team relay gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games, another gold at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games, silver medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games, beside many other medals at national and international levels.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/courts-for-rich-amar-singh-and-abhishek.html
It is inhuman! It is outrageous! And it is disgusting! The manner is which Pinki Pramanik, a national athlete who brought laurels for the nation at various international sporting events, is being sullied by all and sundry. Thanks to media, today she has become a household name, more infamous due to the controversy on her gender, than due to the gold medals she won at the Asian and Commonwealth Games. Pinki’s sporting achievements include a team relay gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games, another gold at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games, silver medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games, beside many other medals at national and international levels.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/courts-for-rich-amar-singh-and-abhishek.html
Typos: PEDALING PHALLACIES
Typos: PEDALING PHALLACIES:
So all that saddle-bound machismo is good for is a shriveled manhood. Thank god for small mercies and smaller saddles. Anyway back to the good doctors Hippocrates and Goldstein. You see, I wasn’t too bad on a cycle not too long ago. In fact I planned to ride all the way to Ladakh and show up my neighbour who believed he was an adventurer just because he happened to have been to that moonscape in the mountains on a motorcycle. So I started training and researching for my epic journey and possible career as a cycling professional. Initially, all I would read about was how many millions these riders would earn, how the Tour de France was the third largest sporting event in the world and how Lance Armstrong became a legend and…
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/pedaling-phallacies.html
So all that saddle-bound machismo is good for is a shriveled manhood. Thank god for small mercies and smaller saddles. Anyway back to the good doctors Hippocrates and Goldstein. You see, I wasn’t too bad on a cycle not too long ago. In fact I planned to ride all the way to Ladakh and show up my neighbour who believed he was an adventurer just because he happened to have been to that moonscape in the mountains on a motorcycle. So I started training and researching for my epic journey and possible career as a cycling professional. Initially, all I would read about was how many millions these riders would earn, how the Tour de France was the third largest sporting event in the world and how Lance Armstrong became a legend and…
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/pedaling-phallacies.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BLACK BOOKS
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: BLACK BOOKS:
Similar patterns emerged from Patna as well! Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students have to move from one shop to another because of the non-availability of NCERT books. Thus, the photocopies of the text books are being sold at exorbitant prices. The problem of books scarcity is further compounded by the increased prices from this year. The textbooks for classes I to VIII are seeing a price rise by upto 50 per cent, and for classes IX to XII, it’s going to rise by 15-20 per cent for 2012-13. The total demand for NCERT books for the current academic year is approximately 3.5 crores. It’s a lose-lose situation for the students and their parents - shortage compounded by price hike. As such the parents have been shelling out more from the black market; now with increased price the books will be even more expensive from the hoarders
Read more : http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/black-books.html
Similar patterns emerged from Patna as well! Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students have to move from one shop to another because of the non-availability of NCERT books. Thus, the photocopies of the text books are being sold at exorbitant prices. The problem of books scarcity is further compounded by the increased prices from this year. The textbooks for classes I to VIII are seeing a price rise by upto 50 per cent, and for classes IX to XII, it’s going to rise by 15-20 per cent for 2012-13. The total demand for NCERT books for the current academic year is approximately 3.5 crores. It’s a lose-lose situation for the students and their parents - shortage compounded by price hike. As such the parents have been shelling out more from the black market; now with increased price the books will be even more expensive from the hoarders
Read more : http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/black-books.html
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Passionate About India: Why the CBI, like the CAG and EC, must be made an ...
Passionate About India: Why the CBI, like the CAG and EC, must be made an ...:
On the other hand, CBI is regularly manipulated to ease the cases filed on the government. CBI, in its charge-sheet, claimed that Jasbir Singh, who is supposed to have heard Tytler inciting a mob to kill Sikhs, could not be examined as he had settled in America and his whereabouts couldn’t be traced. The CBI’s claim got falsified when media telephonically located Jasbir Singh in no time. After the case was ordered to be re- investigated by the court, CBI reportedly submitted that Jasbir Singh’s testimony cannot be relied upon and asked the court to close the case. The entire incident happened to save Tytler, who has had close ties with the ruling government. Similarly, the CBI tried to save Sajjan Singh; he again has had close ties to UPA. Similarly and interestingly, despite the fact that the High Court or- dered CBI to probe the Rs 5,700 crore NRHM scam, nothing much was done by the CBI until just a few months before the UP polls. All charges however were suddenly dropped and all cases against Mayawati buried, aft er she lost the UP polls. CBI said that it made a “grave error” while calculating assets of Mayawati. In return, the erstwhile harassed Mayawati supported UPA in Uttarakhand and also backed UPA’s presidential nominee.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/why-cbilike-cag-and-ec-must-be-made.html
On the other hand, CBI is regularly manipulated to ease the cases filed on the government. CBI, in its charge-sheet, claimed that Jasbir Singh, who is supposed to have heard Tytler inciting a mob to kill Sikhs, could not be examined as he had settled in America and his whereabouts couldn’t be traced. The CBI’s claim got falsified when media telephonically located Jasbir Singh in no time. After the case was ordered to be re- investigated by the court, CBI reportedly submitted that Jasbir Singh’s testimony cannot be relied upon and asked the court to close the case. The entire incident happened to save Tytler, who has had close ties with the ruling government. Similarly, the CBI tried to save Sajjan Singh; he again has had close ties to UPA. Similarly and interestingly, despite the fact that the High Court or- dered CBI to probe the Rs 5,700 crore NRHM scam, nothing much was done by the CBI until just a few months before the UP polls. All charges however were suddenly dropped and all cases against Mayawati buried, aft er she lost the UP polls. CBI said that it made a “grave error” while calculating assets of Mayawati. In return, the erstwhile harassed Mayawati supported UPA in Uttarakhand and also backed UPA’s presidential nominee.
Read more: http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.in/2012/07/why-cbilike-cag-and-ec-must-be-made.html
Sutanu Guru: TONGUE IN CHEEK: HOW THE NAC CAN SAVE THE UPA IN 2...
Sutanu Guru: TONGUE IN CHEEK: HOW THE NAC CAN SAVE THE UPA IN 2...:
The Rajiv Gandhi Naani Yaad Dila Denge Act: Since the father immortalised the term “Naani Yaad Dila Denge” along with something called Bofors, it is befitting that this wonderful law be named after him. This is quite a straightforward law and will help India rebuild the great institution called the Indian family. Any Indian who even mistakenly says or writes anything critical about either India or the Family (It’s the same thing really) will be required to spend quality time with maternal grandmothers. This way, the institution called the family will be saved, the Family will not be embarrassed and secular warriors like Mani Shankar Aiyar will launch a series of television soap operas where the arch villain will be Narendra Modi and his arch henchman will be Baba Ramdev. Anna Hazare too will put in guest appearances.
Read more: http://sutanu-guru.blogspot.in/2012/07/tongue-in-cheek-how-nac-can-save-upa-in.html
The Rajiv Gandhi Naani Yaad Dila Denge Act: Since the father immortalised the term “Naani Yaad Dila Denge” along with something called Bofors, it is befitting that this wonderful law be named after him. This is quite a straightforward law and will help India rebuild the great institution called the Indian family. Any Indian who even mistakenly says or writes anything critical about either India or the Family (It’s the same thing really) will be required to spend quality time with maternal grandmothers. This way, the institution called the family will be saved, the Family will not be embarrassed and secular warriors like Mani Shankar Aiyar will launch a series of television soap operas where the arch villain will be Narendra Modi and his arch henchman will be Baba Ramdev. Anna Hazare too will put in guest appearances.
Read more: http://sutanu-guru.blogspot.in/2012/07/tongue-in-cheek-how-nac-can-save-upa-in.html
Typos: THE ROADS TO RAGE
Typos: THE ROADS TO RAGE:
I sped on ahead and forgot all about him until I saw him growing big in the side view mirror. He hadn’t liked being honked at and now, he wanted to give me a taste of my own medicine. So be it, I thought. Honk away pal, I won’t budge either. He blared away and I couldn’t care less. I stayed the course and even slowed down a little. Th at mustve really gotten his goat. He honked and swerved and tried to overtake from either flank but I had no time for games. And so I sped off. The sedan gave chase but I had a schedule to catch and I was sure the kid would tire of this game. But he screeched and swerved in dangerously close. I ignored him for as long as I could.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/roads-to-rage.html
I sped on ahead and forgot all about him until I saw him growing big in the side view mirror. He hadn’t liked being honked at and now, he wanted to give me a taste of my own medicine. So be it, I thought. Honk away pal, I won’t budge either. He blared away and I couldn’t care less. I stayed the course and even slowed down a little. Th at mustve really gotten his goat. He honked and swerved and tried to overtake from either flank but I had no time for games. And so I sped off. The sedan gave chase but I had a schedule to catch and I was sure the kid would tire of this game. But he screeched and swerved in dangerously close. I ignored him for as long as I could.
Read more: http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.in/2012/07/roads-to-rage.html
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: MURDER LEGALISED
COMMON SENSE SIMPLIFIED: MURDER LEGALISED:
The Supreme Court in 2006 gave a landmark judgment aiming at a major police reforms. Some important directives include the state police must be purged of political influence by setting up a State Security Commission, a new Police Establishment Board will look after all transfers, promotions and posting for below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police personnel and many more. Many states didn't comply with many of the directives. Moreover, these directives didn't address the plight of low ranking personnel’s living conditions, who are the main perpetrators of a culture that ignores the abuses that happens inside the police stations often culminating in custodial deaths.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/murder-legalised.html
The Supreme Court in 2006 gave a landmark judgment aiming at a major police reforms. Some important directives include the state police must be purged of political influence by setting up a State Security Commission, a new Police Establishment Board will look after all transfers, promotions and posting for below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police personnel and many more. Many states didn't comply with many of the directives. Moreover, these directives didn't address the plight of low ranking personnel’s living conditions, who are the main perpetrators of a culture that ignores the abuses that happens inside the police stations often culminating in custodial deaths.
Read more: http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.in/2012/07/murder-legalised.html
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