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Celebrate, for a change
10th Feb 1999 vikram @kshitij.com
Celebrate, for a change * Shekar Kapur's "Elizabeth" is nominated for the Best Movie at the Oscars * Anil Kumble is the only other person in cricketing history to bag 10 wickets in an innings * Jyotirmai Sikdar says, "Die if you have to" and goes on to get Gold in a race which she hasn't even trained for * Diana Hayden, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen are well known stories * So are Geet Sethi, Vishy Anand, Leander Paes All Indians. And home grown Indians at that. Like you and like me. Some of us, I'm sure, can even say, that "I know this guy/ girl. Was my schoolmate!" Like I can say about Saurav Ganguli. Normal people. Indians. Who are generally not supposed to be able to achieve anything, especially if they stay back here. Celebrate, Friends, the proven fact that WE are WORLD BEATERS. Celebrate by believing that you and I can do this too. In our own way, in our own field. Celebrate the success of they guy next door, of your friend by acknowledging it. In Management we learn to play up our strengths and play down our weaknesses. That's the way to greater success. If we don't love ourselves, no one will love us. We all know this truism. Apply it, Folks, to your identity as an Indian, to your country. Anyone can go out and work in Wall Street and become one among many successful Indians there. But there is only one Deepak Parekh, whom the entire financial world respects. That is success. I celebrate that. I celebrate Team Infosys. And Tata Indica. Not to say that I do not celebrate Sabir Bhatia or my friends out there who are doing good and have made it big. Only, I celebrate the home-made stories much more. By constantly reminding myself of all the stupid things I, we, our country, our leaders keep doing, I help no one. Spare me that, please. I've had enough, I want some good news. I, as an Indian, am NOT some despicable creature of the gutter and the media cannot convince me otherwise. Ever wondered why we like these Adverts....."Kuchh baat hai, hum sabhi mein, kuchh khaas hai, hum sabhi mein" and Amitabh Bachchan's BPL "Believe in Yourself, believe in the Best" series? Sorry, Friends, if I got a little long-winded today. Its just that I was feeling good and wanted you to celebrate too. - Vikram MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
12th Feb 1999
Puneet Anand @starmail.com
WAY TO GO Vikram. Very well expressed. People like you really do rekindlle faith and hope in us all ... at least in me for sure !! Thanks for your valuable insights. Keep 'em fire and spirits going. Cheers ... Puneet
12th Feb 1999
Chirag Mehta @chime.hypermart.net
Dear Inn-mates, I was really touched by the short but true letter by our friend Vikram. Thumbs up to you Vikram ! :-) Indeed, rather than be pessimistic about the things that have gone wrong, let's take a look at the brighter side and celebrate for sometime. No doubt, the wrongs cannot be ignored, they have to be corrected, but there is no reason to sit back unhappily and take a dim view of our country. Believe me, India is one of the greatest countries to be living in right now. The World Happniness survey showed that BANGLADESH (I know you will not believe it) topped the list with almost all the people saying that they are happy with their life and lifestyle. India ranked Fifth. Talking of USA ? Well, it was somewhere down below at number FORTY-SIX (!!!) Well, this goes to prove that money can buy everything except happiness. Even UK was at thirty-second position. I am proud to be an Indian. I have heard that the 'World Happiness Survey' was published in 'The Asian Age' sometime back. I imagine most my Inn-mates must have come across a copy of the 'World Happiness Survey' sometime or other. If not, I can post the short survey to the Inn-List. ------ In reply to -------- 'Ever wondered why we like these Adverts....."Kuchh baat hai, hum sabhi mein, kuchh khaas hai, hum sabhi mein" and Amitabh Bachchan's BPL "Believe in Yourself, believe in the Best" series?' --------- Reply ----------- I was impressed (and touched too...) by your views. Everybody I know likes these ads, and now I know why. It might be our subconscious or our minds or anything else, but our hearts always like the optimists... ------ In reply to -------- By constantly reminding myself of all the stupid things I, we, our country, our leaders keep doing, I help no one. Spare me that, please. I've had enough, I want some good news. I, as an Indian, am NOT some despicable creature of the gutter and the media cannot convince me otherwise. --------- Reply ----------- That's exactly how I feel. Over-exposure to media has made me kind of news-phobic. That's because whenever I pickup a newspaper, I cannot but expect to read something that makes my head go down in shame, some unforgivable deed done by a fellow countryman. Turning onto the television makes me feel worse as I can now see the live footage of the gross crime committed. Internet has become quite the same nowadays, with discussions of nothing but one low-lying deed to another. Take a hint from Bangladesh. The country remains flooded almost all the year out. And now with Global Warming, they're experiencing more and more disasters annually. Yet even the simple layman has the heart to say that he is happy. It was a surprise-cum-pleasure to see India as the fifth happiest country in the World. I just hope that we beat Bangladesh and become the happiest country before the end of this millenium. Let us face the 21st Century with the highest expectations, optimism and as the happiest nation. :-) Chirag Mehta
15th Feb 1999
SrinathSrinivasa @usa.net
Hi Chirag and others, I could not agree with you more. It was rather a rejuvinating experience when I read the survey on happiness. And would you be still having the happiness survey-- it would be a very cogent enthusiasm builder, since it is addressing a very fundamental issue on which whole countries and economies are based. We probably should be asking more questions like how do we encourage a "happy" lifestyle, rather than complicated looking ones... What do you think Vikram? Best Regards Srinath
