Slumdog and poverty sells

If poverty sells, sell it. You have it, but you are ashamed. No way.

Even after even after 60 years of independence you are not ashamed to have poverty or the slums. You have social stratification, barriers and lots of evils which many new nations do not have. If you are not ashamed to have all this, why bother if somebody sells it. I only feel that there is good economics behind it, there is good economics after it. Secondly, Rubina and the like kids will at least feel inspired that they can end up or show up anywhere in company of anybody, even the Hollywood stars. This removes nervousness and gives confidence to people.

Its good.

Touring United States of America 10th May 2008

Today is the 10th day of May 2008. Its 7-25 pm Kolkata time now. We four are going to the United States. Me, wife Ajanta Sengupta, my in laws Kajal and Ranjit Mukherjee completed all the formalities and are waiting in the lounge to board the plain. We were a bit nervous as it would be our first step outside India. Our present destination is Dubai. We are boarding the Emirates Airline flight No EK 0549. The departure time is 20-30 Indian time.
We reached the Airport at 4-35 p.m. We were accompanied by Mouri, Laltu, Poto, and Bijoy. We started at 3-30 p.m from residence and reached RD Auddy Lane. My in-laws started from there with Mouri and Laltu. We made a convoy to reach the airport.
We went inside for check in at 5-10 p.m. Our baggage was sent through x-ray machines. We made to the Emirates counter where our luggage was weighed and sent through for direct transit to Houston via Dubai. We took boarding passes for both the flights.
Next we went to the Immigration Counters. I had to answer a few questions on my profession, destination, and our sponsors in USA.
We got our hand bags checked in and waited in the lounge with passengers cleared for boarding the plane.
Soon we heard the boarding announcements. Sick, infirm and persons traveling with babies were called first followed by passengers in groups according to their rows of sitting in the plane.
A bus took us just about hundred steps away to the stair case of flight no EK0549 and it was 15 minutes to departure at 20-30 p.m. It was an A 300-200.

Why I am here

Predictably till now my blog is seen by fewer people than I expected. May be in due course I shall be able to make it look nicer with postings more relevant to the visitors.
I mailed my blog address to all my e-friends and they are a long list. I expect comments to pour in gradually.
I was trying find out something which keeps me busy writing things. My literary adventures never took off. All my previous attempts ended up in some publications here and there. Some in my younger days showed up in annual numbers of magazines and others in some professional journals.
As food sustains the body, appreciation sustains literary efforts. I want my blog to be a place where people can appreciate each other or may be suggest some changes here and there. I hope at least the blog will give me the reason to write and exist.
About the title of my blog I say that the word ‘share’ is gradually vanishing in to-day's world. People have become impatient to admit the existence of others.I believe that impatience is not the only way to exist. There are other alternatives too. Once you are a human being your are to stay and stare and say and share. So far as I am concerned, I want to touch as many as I can before bidding good bye-.

Middle of the Forest

He stands high in the middle of the forest,
Last light of the sun fades,
On the trees and there he grows taller and taller.

All alone he listens to the
Bird song – Blue and white birds sing
On the treetops, inside the coves.

The stream also starts singing
And the young moon dances to the tune
With the white clouds.

And he grows and grows
With the breeze that blows across the ocean
Bringing along the sweet smell
From the alien land.

Come the way I like you

Many years and nights you kept me sleepless
Wish I could gift one to you.
See we walked down the highway on summer
Evenings and you nurtured
The soft fire inside your heart.

The road, the trees and the
Air still remember us
And I talk to them.
And we wait for you.

Come with your small young face which I have cherished all these years,
Come with your frail young body
Come with that soft shy smile
Come with that soft fire inside your breast.
I waited so long
Come the way I like you.
Else don’t come at all.

Part Whole Theory - Organisation vs. Individual

Indranil Sengupta

In our job situation, handling of the individuals occupies a central position. The jobs of Conciliation Officer, in particular, provide an insight into the psychology and motives of the human beings and such insight is necessary for the job itself. Skillful handling of individuals is, hence, the area where we are supposed to stand apart.

One has to run ones office, tackle the spot situation, execute the commands coming down from the top, coordinate with ones colleagues, and get the maximum output from the subordinates. These are challenging tasks. Our purpose is to highlight certain themes like Part Whole Theory and equip us better while dealing with or in individuals.

To continue with our emphasis on individuals, let us try to look at the individual as a part in an organisation and see how do they resemble and differ with the parts in a machine.

If we term a machine as a ‘whole’ then ‘parts’ are obviously mechanical parts like nut, bolts , pulleys, chains, motors, conveyor belts - so on and so forth. If we term an organisation as a ‘whole’ then ‘parts’ are human beings. We may try and draw following broad comparisons.

Sl No /Machine Parts in a Machine/ Individuals in an Organisation
1. /Components /Components
2. /Specific, replcements available and exact./Flexible, replacements not aavailable
and not always exact.
3. /Perfecftly prematched, adjustments easy. /Coordination and matching need a settling time.
4. /Maintenance easy, less expensive. /Needs continuous monitring, substantial expenditure not ruled out.
5. /Occupies a defined space. /Space occupied can not be defined exactly.
6. /Target easy to reach. /Target setting difficult, needs time.
Let us study the point no. 6 first, i.e., machine part occupies a defined space and the space occupied by an individual cannot be defined exactly.
In our perception, a machine part occupies a limited or defined space. (Pic.1)








Individual, however, cannot fit in to as defined and as limited a space, as a machine part. The reason is as simple as mentioned in points no. 2 and 3 above, i.e., machine parts are specific and their exact replacements are available. You can order a machine part from the market, or get it manufactured and the replacement fits well into the machine.
Can you get an exact replacement of an individual from the market? In no case, two individuals can be as specific as two machine parts manufactured on the same specification or sketch. Hence, the space occupied by a person in any organisation and the space occupied by his substitute can never be exactly same in quantum, magnitude, or effectiveness.
Let us try to sketch the positions.


In the above pictures, let us assume that four individuals are components of an organisation. In our hypothesis, we further assume that one individual is required to be replaced for any reason whatsoever. The individual shown in the check in picture 2 at the bottom left position is replaced by another individual in the check in picture 3. As two individuals can never be the same in terms of temperament, education, efficiency and acceptability, it may so happen that the diminutive newcomer in the organisation has to allow a long margin for as small and as insignificant a person as shown in the stripe in the above pictures. Once this margin is allowed, the person in the stripe extends his space and importance in the organisation and the resultant gain for him is at the cost of the person in the check (Pic. 4).
It can also happen the other way round. The newcomer may be a heavyweight and exert pressures squeezing others in the organisation and thereby increasing the space for him.
In point no. 5, we draw attention to the fact that machine parts need a little bit of electricity or pedaling or fuel to run, a little bit of lubricants to lessen the friction. Individuals, however, need a lot more. Point no. 4 is an elaboration of the same theme. While machines require regular and routine overhauling, human beings are required regular training and reorientation programmes for an effective and target oriented performance.
In point no. 7, we are saying that the output of a machine part as well as the aggregate output of the machine is well known beforehand. One is required to supply all the ingredients like power, raw materials to run the machine, and get the finished products. The expected output tonnage will remain more or less the same. Therefore, one can get the production according to ones target.
Can we fix the target for a group of individuals in an organisation in the same way or can the target be as precise. Here we refer to point no. 3 again. Before fixing any target for any group of individuals, records of accomplishment of the group may be considered. If there is any change in the composition of the group and if key members are replaced for any reason, the possibility of uncertainty in reaching the target cannot be ruled out.
In our analysis so far, we have more or less segregated machines entirely from individuals for an easy understanding of the situation. Such approach may lead us to a good hypothesis, but in the practical field, we see a combination of machines and individuals in almost every sphere of life. In fact, the performance of a machine also cannot be taken for granted and segregated from the performance of an individual. Human factor is so important that the performance of a machine also cannot be seen in isolation, as there is always a man behind a machine. The success of any organisation depends heavily upon individuals. One need to know the intricacies of human elements and take remedial measures for obtaining the optimum output from the man machine combinations
-----------------

Mother Earth

Just a little touch she wanted,
Her dark green hair locks hang
Precariously down and she is in pain.

She used to live in a wood house
That gutted in the forest fire
The deadly fire, choking smoke
Smell of hapless burnt fleshes.

Bar-b-queue and party go on
Spirits fly high and just a little
Touch she waited all these years for.

She sees the hallucination,
The eternal hangman
Waits in gallows.

The party goes wild
Celebrates the last forest fire before the rains.
She listens to the songs and laughter
At a distance.

Her weak feet gently tap the wall.
The rhythm gets inside her head
The beats shake her frail skeleton
She cries, she dies and her last shriek
Awakes the sleeping beasts.

The party comes to a standstill,
Hazy moon looks
Down the hill
Only for a while.

Unexpected Behaviour

Unexpected Behaviour

Unexpected Behaviour is a very interesting and paying field of study. This area deserves a special attention from executives in personnel, administration, and HRD departments in particular and from anybody handling human ingredients in general.
We say, Unexpected Behaviour is a departure from reciprocity in interaction between two equals or from high to low. If your boss turns down a polite appeal for an early departure to watch a football match, it is hardly an unexpected behaviour. Your boss may not equally return your exuberance, enthusiasm, or smile, because bosses are made that way. It is a time-tested way of keeping one out of the reach of subordinates. When, however your colleague does not respond to your ‘‘hello’’ or simply talks rubbish about you for no fault of your own, how do you see that. What do you do if your subordinate refuses to obey? If your friend whom you helped in getting his job, calls you arrogant or highhanded for nothing, how do you react?
In the first place, such intriguing questions can be better answered, if we say that Unexpected Behaviour is not totally unexpected. Human reactions, at the outset, are not as methodical as chemical reactions. Emphasis here is on the words ‘at the outset’. When we remove ‘at the outset’ and go deep, we see there are innumerable, unnoticed, and unfathomable variables producing an unexpected behaviour. In other words, after removing the words ‘at the outset’, we may rephrase the definition and say that human reactions are as methodical as chemical reactions.
Such variables are too many. Let us broadly divide these into two groups – (a) outside variables and (b) within variables. We admit that these two sets of variables are often very much interactive. Still, we may term external influences like financial status, social position of the individual, his family life, and the likes as outside variables. Similarly, the within variables like education and temperament of a person fall in the category of inner faculty of the individual.
If your colleague is plunged deep into a financial crisis and is, always searching for a way out, you may find his reactions erratic. Any obsession for matters like money, power, and social position brings about abrupt change in the individual and brings inconsistency in his approach. This aspect gives birth to complexes of being superior or inferior to fellow mortals. Other factors like health and family also deeply influences a person’s expressions and dealings.
. Within variables like education are very important. Education, both academic and practical, brushes away the stains of unexpected reactions largely. Education teaches the individual to be polite and practical. Workplace education largely relieves the tension of the individual. Work becomes a habit for him, and the tension for accomplishment becomes less. His interactions with others are, hence, more or less patterned and smooth.
While analysing unexpected behaviour of the individual, other within variables like temperament may be placed at the highest position of importance. Obviously enough, temperament of the individual is the culmination point of all other variables mentioned so far. The complex alchemy of temperament or human psyche is as important as it is unpredictable. One needs to know every minute details of the individual to arrive at an assessment of the person. It is a difficult and next to impossible task. A long margin of error should be allowed while dealing with individuals. Experiences about a person might help, but not always. We have seen a person braving his way very easily through the rushing cars on the city street, but fumbling and frightened at the sight of a bicycle. The childhood memory of a bicycle knocking him down might have been still alive in his mind.
A third factor also contributes well in shaping unexpected behaviour of an individual. This factor or variable remains mostly unseen and undetected. This is the role of outside-the-arena players. A and B are perfectly harmonious in their relationship with each other. C has an old score to settle with A. C influences B to start a conflict with A. Hence, the perfectly harmonious relationship turns bitter and a chain reaction of unexpected behaviours may set in.
Hence, we would say that inputs or rather feedback of unexpected behaviour should be subsumed with all humility and need not be immediately or necessarily translated into outputs. Instantaneous manifestation of reaction to your subordinate’s arrogance or colleague’s non-co-operation never brings good results, even if such unexpected behaviour takes the shape of misconduct.
There is always a reason for everything. There is always a motive behind every human action. Expectations, self-imposed images and complexes give birth to such motives. So find the reason and plan the action.
Thumb rule is know, know and know. There is nothing like knowledge.
Our purpose is to introduce a concept of flexibility while reading a person and his motives in order to get the best out of him. Here we highlight the importance of bridging the communication gap. Each and every individual in any organisation should be allowed at least some opportunity somewhere to express himself. He must be given the opportunity to explain his problems. In order to cultivate his sense of belonging together, an organisation should provide a mechanism where the individual can express his views to wards better functioning of the organisation.
Such attempts should be directed towards eliciting response from a workplace colleague who is considered to be an introvert. Any subordinate who merely works and never speaks may not be an ideal tool for a reflection of things happening around. If a person is made to express and release the pent up emotions, if a workable method of catharsis is developed, the area of Unexpected Behaviour around the person is bound to reduce.

Indranil Sengupta

Lets Go Ahead

Lets go ahead on a killing spree.
Kill someone because he is a Muslim.
Kill others because they worship idols.
Kill people who follow Jesus.
Kill the Sikhs because they have beards.
Kill the Dalits for their low caste.
Kill the Brahmins as the are in the higher strata.
Kill the Blacks as they are ugly.
Kill the Whites because they are pale.
Kill the King because he ruled.
Kill the Queen as she stood beside.
Kill the citizen for demanding food, shelter and water.
Kill the leaders as they fail to deliver the goods.
Kill the followers for supporting such leaders.
Kill the boys because they rape.
Kill the girls for they incite the boys.
Kill the beast as it tastes good.
Kill the plant for wood and food.
kill the Earth because it is too old.
Kill all.
ONLY A BIG BLACK HOLE REMAINS.
GO INSIDE AND BE HAPPY.