Wit Wisdom and Whoop

The Closest I have come to studying abroad - World Leadership Course at WPI, Massachusetts, USA - given my childhood "dream" Harking back to my childhood for a minute, I had this uncle who I used to pester to tell me stories in the post lunch session while he wanted to sleep. So he used to start a story & then the protagonist would decide to go on a journey. I would be told that until he reached his destination the story could not continue and he would go to sleep. The bird brain I was I would be sitting next to him waiting for the story to continue. One day I noticed that his ears had been pierced but the hole was now blocked with something. Wanting to be helpful by cleaning and opening up the hole, I obtained a nail and a hammer to do the needful. Some noise and before I could do my good deed of the day he woke up. When he heard what I intended to do I got thrashed for trying to be helpful and since then he finished his story, threw me out of his bed before going to sle...

The message at the entrance of the school says it all - Discipline is the most important Emergency 1975 was the reason that kindled my interest in politics because for the first time the fear was palpable. Looking back, I realise that you could cut the atmosphere of fear with a knife. As 14/ 15 yr olds we talk without thinking and suddenly some random comment would see the 20+ yr old seniors, teachers physically shut our mouth with their hands and a – Sushhhhhh. Interest in politics was kindled and for the first time in my life attended a political rally when Morarji Desai addressed a large crowd of tens of thousands one evening in 1977. When he rose to speak – no exaggeration – there was pin drop silence. Even the traffic went silent. His opening sentence was – THIS is the kind of discipline we want, not THAT kind of discipline. The crowd went into raptures, and I spent the next many days listening to the All-India Radio news as result after result was announced and the Janata Party ...

Soon after the 1971 tour of England/ West Indies, developed interest in Cricket and this was taken in 1971/72 when I joined 7th class in Davanagere. Playing with cork balls, we needed protection !! In about a weeks’ time, I hit 60 and can now earn higher rate of interest. This seemed like a good time to just think back on some – random thoughts – as they came to me. Here they are. Do not ask me why – from a young age I was keen to study in Glasgow university. Never mind I did not even know where it was or even what University meant. I actually wrote in books my name and below that Glasgow University. The only explanation I can think of is that I likely confused it with Glaxo the popular baby food, but the university bit is still a mystery. Both grandparents, an uncle and an aunt, couple of cousins were all Doctors. Watching my maternal grandfather create concoctions in his back-room pharmacy as he ground them together in porcelain bowls was fascinating. The line of patients in the ...

In early 2001 I was on my first visit to USA and it was a roller coaster ride I share to provide the foundation to this subject. Landing in New York, the flight delayed I literally, I mean literally ran through the airport - unchallenged. Needing to board a bus, by force of habit went to the “wrong” side and sprinted back amidst traffic to get in, as driver shook his head in amusement and cop wagged his finger like to an errant child. Wanting to see Washington in a day, started off by taking the wrong exit and landed up at the Pentagon and sent back with a smile. Finding no parking, found an empty place, decided to park anyway but asked a dignified gentleman also parking his car if it were OK only to be told that we had parked in the Senators parking area but being a holiday, the cops would maybe be nice to me. Later driving in slow moving traffic, jumped off, stood in front of the White House grill, got someone to click a quick picture and jumped back into the car. Later in the evenin...

One of the challenges in one’s career is that you grow up, become a “boss” yourself and then its not easy to place a person you report to on a pedestal. The relationships grow more equal and you become an equal partner in most situations unless there is a situation that exposes ones own limitations. Yet there can be exceptions and Mr. Dev Avadhani is that for sheer attitude, energy where he could shame a 25-year-old. Dev also provided maximum “thrills” in a manner of speaking. If the reader wants a trailer, then he can read this blog of mine from 2015. Hence, this piece is also written in a light-hearted manner. A Meeting with Dev When I was appointed to the job, I was supposed to join a totally different division. Days before the joining date I was moved to the division headed by Dev. Normally anybody heading a business would throw a fit at being given a 2nd in command he had never met. But Dev simply took it in his stride like everything else. One meeting over coffee and we were frie...

As the world ushered in 2020 nobody except maybe a few knew what was in store and coming. Even those who knew what was coming may not have fully grasped the impact of their actions. Someday in the future hopefully the truth of what happened, why, how and by who will be known. Till then we just need to live with the current reality and grapple with it as best as we can. Statistics of course always tell a story and its tempting to analyse data and jump to whatever hypothesis a writer may want to present. But that would take away the human factor amidst this pandemic. I have not travelled the globe during the pandemic, seen or experienced anything to say who did what, who did better, why etc. But one does read, see even if one does not listen to the commentariat who are busy espousing their views as news. When the pandemic started the logical assumption was that advanced western countries with far greater infrastructure (number of beds and such statistics again), far better knowledge, far...

  The toughest one to write – Where do you start and how do you write about a man who travelled the world on a motorcycle 5 years before I was even born and my father was still a student, who built a Billion dollar business empire that covered 17 countries, 4 business segments and 43 manufacturing locations and ran it as Chairman and CEO, Distributed his entire ownership of the company amongst the company employees in a unique ESOP that wasn’t traded publicly and in a profit sharing scheme paid out profit share to employees on a weekly basis thanks to a daily profit and loss performance report. That man was the legendary businessman, philanthropist, collector, amazing human being, Manager par excellence and my boss as a member of the company board – Mr. Gordon Lankton. For those who wish to know more, please do read the various links I have shared below. When I first met him, it was like meeting your friendly grandfather and within seconds the chasm that I had created in my mind ab...