On the mission to become veterinary doctor

I met Saif when I was traveling in a bus, going to a small village of Kesalaguda from Adilabad. (Adilabad is a small town located almost at mahashtra AP boarder, in central India. )

As it turned out he was going to Karimnagar to get admissions in diploma in veterinary science. He was carrying a file along with him, which he showed it to me. The file had all his certificates. It did seem little strange to me, because I thought that it was not one of the fashionable things to do for a 20 year old guy,

“Are you interested in being an animal doctor?” I asked

“No, I have to do something to get settled na. If you get settled in life then it is so good. I will get a job in government in Adilabad if I do this course, then life is so peaceful you can really enjoy life”

"So you want to do a government job?" I asked

"Yes, government job is so peaceful, you can travel you can do everything, you get fixed income, I would get settled so early in life"

"But why do you want to get settled?"
"No it is good to get settled"

All throughout our conversation which lasted for close to one hour he just kept on insisting the importance of getting settled. He was a youngest in the family of 5 brothers and four sisters. All his elder brothers were “settled” as the way he called them, one of them an auto rickshaw guy, another one a Hawalder and so on. One of them had even got separated as he had got married. So there was no guarantee how life was going to be so it was important for him to get settled.

“Is farming not a very good option?

“No generally people give their farms for rent to private companies; private companies pay about 50 thousand a year for ten acres of farm. So that is good, If you take a government job then it is so simple, you can just go for vacations no tension”

“What are your friends doing?” I asked

“Most of my friends are trying for jobs, some are continuing their father business, some have found jobs?”

"Is there someone whom you really look up to and admire"
"I had a friend, who took up a job in private goods company and he then he started taking and in less that two years he had earned about 4-5 lakhs."

"But do you want to make money like that?"
"No", he said, "I want to live a simple life"

Do you smoke and drink?

“Sometimes I smoke, when some of my friends do, I just need thirty rupees everyday for my personal expense, most is petrol, that would make me happy. If I can spare that much I would be very happy. ”

Do you vote?

Yes I vote and I vote for congress, because congress gives reservations and then I will get the job.

Do you want to do everything for the country?

“First I want to do something, for my parents, and give them a peaceful life. Then I will think of doing something for the country. That is why I want to be settled first”

:D

Three months trip around India

Since last twenty days I am on a three months trip around India. :). I have kind of taken a break from work and have been traveling. The primary focus of the trip is to meet NGOs/organizations/people who have been doing great work in social sector.

We have a tour blog which is can be found here.

I have to post lot of stuff here, people I have met and the places I have seen. Over last twenty days I have learned so much about things, met amazing people (the best among them were one Naga Sadhu and one guy who has done PhD on the brain of honeybees).

I will write individual posts soon on various people and places I see.

Cheers.

A Kilikili Film

I guess if you are familiar with this blog, you might already be knowing about Kilikili.

Kilikili is kannada for giggles or the laughter. This initiative was started to make public spaces esp. parks more accessible to special children. Kilikili has adopted 3 parks in Bangalore with help of the local government. An amazing concept that you can easily replicate in your neighborhood.
You can read more about Kilikili here.

So one thing that has kept us busy over last few times was this film. We shot this footage almost one year back and since that time have been trying to edit it :). This is the alpha version of the film and I am putting it here, do watch it and give any kind of constructive feedback if you have any.
The final version of the film with improved sounds and crisp editing is in the pipeline.





Related Posts
Kilikili time
Change begins with me, I can be the change.
Story of Stuff (A must watch if you have not already watched it)

Back from the Slumber

I have kind of disappeared from the blogger, now that I did not have things to write, but then somehow never really got to writing anything in last one month, not for the blog, not for NGOPost and not for anything else. But there have been so many things happening, so here is what I have been up to in recent times....

1. I went to kerala to see the boat race, someday I should write a full blog on this but it is something that you should go specially if you are staying in Bangalore. The boats are so long that they enter one frame of the photo, , as many as 100 people (that was what I counted in one boat) and the atmostphere and everything about boat race is amazing. Boat race happens once a year, and there are two three that happen, and I went to one called Nehru cup.

2. These days am making a website for NGOPost, NGOPost is turning two on 1st september and we would release the website then. :), when you can see it.

3. Went to CharMinar and the in to the lanes around it, I have been to hyderabad number of times but never really to Charminar, in all these days. People said that it is just a four minars so what is so great to see there, but then the bazaar around that is good. Not that I have not seen that kind of bazaars, but I did not know it was such a big bazaar of bangles, bangles and bangles and bangles everywhere. There were also lot of "scent" shops, though I did not get a chance to take a look at them.

Will write more later soon, lot of things to write and say.

Change begins with me, I can make a difference

Below is experience of one guy (Shabbir) with Bangalore traffic police about how you can make a difference.

Really worth reading and inspiring.

Note: This is not a spam, have emailed shabbir and he replied back also.

"
It was Friday 5th June, at about 3 pm I drove my Ford Ikon car into 80 feet road at Indira Nagar in Bangalore, wanting to reach on time for my 3.30 pm meeting with a client.


As I entered the wide road I saw a posse of traffic constables who stopped my car on the side and asked me to produce my car documents to the Traffic Sub Inspector (SI) who was standing on the footpath. I walked upto the SI and displayed my Driving Licence. He told me to bring my Car Insurance certificate and also my Emission Certificate for the car.


I walked back to my car and realised that I had not carried either of the documents in my car and was cursing myself for such a slip. I came back to the SI and told him that I did not have my document and what was to be done. The SI had a half smile & told me that the fine for not carrying both these documents was Rs 600/- however I could pay him Rs 300/-.


I removed my wallet and told the SI that I would pay the amount and wanted a receipt. He suddenly got stern and told me that in that case the fine was Rs 1,100. I paid the fine of Rs 1,100 and took the receipt, wondering why the fine had suddenly escalated just because I wanted a receipt instead of paying the Rs 300 bribe which the SI had asked.


After my client meeting as I was driving back, I was annoyed at myself for not carrying the documents and I was angry that at an officer at an SI level was blatantly seeking a bribe. I decided that I should do something about it and as soon as I reached my Home Office, I logged on to the net and found out that the Traffic Police of Bangalore has a website, which gives details of the fines chargeable, it also provides for logging complaints and gave the email ids of the Asst Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the traffic division.


At about 7 pm that evening I wrote an email to the email id of the ACP, narrating the incident of the afternoon and lodging a formal complaint in the email. I also found out the website of Lok Ayukta of Karnataka and marked a cc of the same email to the email id's given on the Lok Ayukta's website.


By about 7.30pm I had done the needful, and I was happy with myself that what I preach in my Leadership Workshops wrt Values, I had practised to a large extent (Paying the fine instead of paying the bribe and reporting the bribe demand to the best of my ability). I thought the chapter ended there, little realising that I would be having an indeed amazing and pleasant experience in the hours and days to come.


On Saturday 7th June (the next day) at about 2 pm, I logged into my Home Office and checked my email and lo behold, I had three emails sent to me by the ACP to who I had written the complaint email the previous day. The first one, informed me that I had done the right thing by paying the fine and not the bribe, the second email asked to give my complaint in writing and fax it to the ACP, so that action can be taken on the SI and the 3rd email asked me to give the ACP a call on his office no or his cell no, so that he could accelerate the action to be taken on the erring SI.


I promptly put my complaint in a letter and sent a scanned copy through the email to the ACP.


On Sunday, 8th June in the morning I checked my email and I had an email from the ACP stating that the erring SI had been suspended from service and that I must give the ACP a call to work out the next formalities. I called the ACP (till now I did not know the name of this ACP) who answered my call on the Sunday.


During my phone conversation he introduced himself as ACP Pravin Sood, and thanked me for doing what I did wrt not paying the bribe and also escalating the matter in writing, he explained that many Bangalore citizens escalate such cases to him but then back down when asked to give the complaint in writing. He apologised to me (yes - he said "I am sorry for what you faced with this SI who harassed you, because he did not have any business stopping your to check your documents if you had not done any traffic violation") and he invited me over to rea to his office at a time convenient to me.


After I kept the phone down, I could not believe that here was a case where within 48 hours of an incident of seeking bribe, the erring office was suspended.


I decided that I must meet in person ACP Pravin Sood, speaking with who for 10 minutes had changed a few paradigms in my mind about Public Service Officers. Since I was travelling the next few days, I sought time with him on 15th June at 4.30 pm at his office. I reached ACP Sood's office a little early (at 4.10 pm) and was pleasantly surprised when I was ushered into his office at 4..15 pm, he asked me to sit as he was completing a meeting with another delegation.


At sharp 4.30 pm he ended his previous meeting and turned to me and spent the next 20 minutes discussing with me several aspects of Traffic Policing in Bangalore and offered me a cup of tea (many corporate clients I visit, do not see me on time and do not offer me a cup of tea, so what ACP Sood was doing was indeed better than many corporate folks I have met!).


Right through the conversation, he was courteous, frank and completely articulate on his thoughts and ideas. He reiterated that there would be no repercussions on me for giving the complaint in writing, and that I may have to make one appearance in person when the internal enquiry is done, he also offered that instead of me having to come to the Police headquarters to give the statement, he could send one of his officers to my residence to take my statement if I so wish.


When I was leaving ACP Sood's office, I told him "Over the years many of my friends and cousins have urged me to migrate and settle in one of the western countries, but I have consciously chosen to stay back in India by my choice -- when I have interactions like the one I had with you ACP Sood, I am happy that I made the choice to stay back in India". It was an impromptu comment, straight from my heart to which ACP Sood just smiled and shook my hand.


When I was walking out of ACP Sood's office, I felt reassured that if we have officers like ACP Pravin Sood in our country, there is a Glimmer of Hope against corruption, provided we as citizens have the courage to say NO to bribes and have the inclination to report cases of bribe (I am no major RTI or social activist, yet I found all the info I needed on the web, sitting in my Home Office).


Change begins with me, I can make a difference!
"

I have had similar experiences but I have never gone that far to meet ACP and all, but I guess we should start doing that, at least start questioning and try to find answers.

Similar stories:
Did you see Rang De Basanti?

Look at the Horizon

"Look at the Horizon",
that is what one of the characters in one of the Paulo Coelho's book keeps telling (I dont remember which book, neither do I remember the name of the character).

He says that most of us limit our vision just to the things within two feet of our vicinity, we keep getting tensed about them, worrying about them, getting caught in them, and overlooking everything else which is beyond that boundary line. But then we so easily forget to look beyond, there are so many things in life other than the current problem at hand, so many possibilities, so many people who love us, so many opportunities which still exists.

Lot of times when I am getting late for meeting I just get caught and lost thinking about those only. I stop looking at trees, people walking on foot path, the sky, the rain, children and everything, and all the energies are spent in figuring out if I will reach five minutes late or ten, and if I have enough reasons for either of the case. But then when you think about it two days later, how stupidly inconsequential it all seems.

So I keep telling myself, "Look at the Horizon", because there are endless possibilities, opportunities and people who are waiting for you to become friends.

PS: Have been away from blogs and also on commenting on blogs, but would be back soon.

Another 10K in Bangalore

Marathon, Marathon, Marathon (Actually it was not a marathon, it was just a 10K run, but I guess marathon for most of us) another one got over in Bangalore. While running yesterday I was getting bugged about this thought about the history of marathon and here I found it on google.

According to which,

"

The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died.

"

I was just talking about marathon to my friend in office today morning and he said,

"Why would you want to run marathon? It blocks the roads and create chaos. Have you ever thought what happens to the ambulances during the marathon time?"

He had a valid point but then I guess such kind of events are very important for the city, because it kind of gives you a break from normal work, day to day life and just sometime to think. I specially loved all the people who had come down on streets to cheer the runners. Also it is so nice to see so many old people running, and so many people running for some cause that they support.

But then the ambulance points was very valid, and I tried calling some hospitals to see if there has been any problem yesterday because of marathon, but then I did not get any response, and I also thought it was not a good idea to ask because, they were more bothered to handle any emergency cases if any rather than answering some queries, which would be used to write the blog, probably some of the doctors reading the blog can comment on this.

So I guess instead of stopping these events we just have to take up steps to improve and organize these events with least amount of discomfort to other people.

Like last time around there were lot of bottles thrown everywhere,

this time an organization called Saahas made lot of effort to try different alternatives to plastic bottles and also

to put the bins at different places so that bottles are not thrown every where. Well the alternative part did not go well, but this time around they managed to put the bins, which did result in much cleaner roads. Really appreciate their effort and am sure next run we would do better to try some alternatives to plastic bottles as well.

Do run a marathon when it happens next, it is really fun, it will make you exercise your limit and you get so high when you just cross the finish line. As someone had rightly put the banner,

"Pain is temporary but the pride is permanent"