Business to the Buddha

Tag: Arab Spring

  • Wake up!







    Wake up, wake up, wake up

    Its a brand new day

    Ye Wake up we got everything to give today

    Wake up!

    This is a new alarm tone for me. I bought new mobile and this was the default setting. I woke up in initial few days. After a couple of days I got used to and snoozed often. A common phenomenon! Once as usual when I snoozed the sound and heard again after 10 minutes, I listened to the wordings. It was interesting.

    I heard it again and felt good – “…wake up you have got EVERYTHING to give today…”

    What made this small thing tick was – we have got EVERYTHING to give today. That’s right, whatever we can do today (any day) is what we have. I started thinking that this is true “a BRAND NEW DAY comes every day” and we always are gifted with EVERYTHING to give today.

    At the same time, I knew that the New year was just a couple of days away. We would write our new year resolution such as joining Gym and getting in shape. Gym requires a lot of determination. Some of us would diligently follow it however many would follow it for say five days and would be back to the “normal routine”, as I did with my new alarm. I have witnessed this story with many. I bet – you see Gym registration in the month of Jan every year and see what is the drop out rate, you should not be surprised! Percentage drop out rate in Jan would be far higher. Anyways that is one reality which we all are struggling with. I asked myself. Wake up!  Really I jumped out of the bed. This time around with a resolve to get up.

    That’s when I started questioning why should we wait till the new year? It is always a new day and we have everything to make it the best day. I remembered a Hindi saying – “Jab jago tab savera” that is – “whenever you wake up it is a morning.” Take an example of India or Middle East. Middle East saw uprising some time back and Indian citizen are waking up for better law and order situation, removal of corruption.

    So wake up! whether it is new year or not! You have EVERYTHING you need to make it a great day EVERY DAY!

    Wish you a Very Happy New Year 2013!

  • Welcoming’12, Seasons of ’11 and accountability







    For some new year is getting new fancy, even more exposing table calendar and flaunting that. For some it is a continuum of the life – life as usual. For some it is a time to celebrate. I think this is the occasion when we should ask ourselves what happened last year and what should be improved? In 2011 I asked myself -” would I support places such as Barasti in Dubai?” I felt that Barasti is a place which supports racism and I decided against going there.

    When it comes to the year 2012, some time back there was a rumour about the year 2012. Hollywood made a movie – 2012. That movies speaking about this year as a question of existence, right? Well, why start the year with that question. Or we can start thinking about existence and ask questions to ourselves. Look at the 2011, what we did not see? We saw Arab Spring, Summer of India/USA and Winter of Europe. Let me elaborate –

    Arab Spring – I was in middle East during the time when Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and other such uprising were in news. I wrote in 2011 about Arab uprising – Power Corrupts. Yes, it does and had been in question for Middle East in 2012.

    Summer of Europe – Have you not noticed that the production in China, industrial growth figures of India and other developing nations were not positive lately? The likely reason for that is slow or negative growth of developed nations e.g. USA and Europe. Euro zone saw a unique problem this summer of 2011 when countries were likely to default on their loan payment! I asked a question to myself Euro is it dead? and in May 2011 asked my Teacher of economics – Professor Mankad is Euro dead? We saw the turmoil of Euro for couple of months. Lately, I read on Reuters that “the Euro is not an experiment…” ECB executive said that. On a lighter note – “as if it was supposed to be an experiment until now”. Personally, I am in favor of the kind of economic zone Euro has created. However there are problems with accountability which needs very strong measure.

    Winter of India and USA – Euro zone crisis did not end and we saw another people’s movement – the Lokpal movement in India and Occupy Wall Street in USA. In brief Lokpal bill is to curb corruption and bringing high and mighty beurocrates and politicians under the ambit of LAW. Strange a democratic country India talking as if it is an autocratic country where KING/QUEEN (beurocrates – include lower and upper – and politicians) is above the law. On the other hand citizen of USA were questioning ‘the top 1% holding maximum wealth‘. Why not Investment Bankers take responsibility for not only creating toxic assets but also burning those assets which eventually ruined the economy – of the whole world.

    Well what do you make out of these seasons of 2011. If I look back and take a macro perspective – all these big events of 2011 were Questions on “accountability”. Let us begin the new year with taking responsibility of our actions and working towards a peaceful (Middle East), moral (India) and equitable (Europe and USA) world.