Great Obama

Folks, this Diwali was really awesome, the President of the United States - Barack Obama visited India. With his ever charming style and magnanimity,he really won the heart of young Indians. His address to the Indian Parliament was really phenomenal, his ability to keep the crowd spell bound with his oratory skills is really amazing.

He knew and has known that India really is an important ally for the United States of America. He even touched upon the issue of India's request for a permanent sit at UNSC. He spoke greatly of the Indian hospitality and culture. With the same enthusiasm and spirit he even addressed and took question from students at St.Xavier's Mumbai in his typical town hall style meetings.

Folks, he admires our father of nation Gandhiji so much and all those who are inspired by Gandhiji's struggle and his way of living. I have read all of Obama's books, he really appreciates and shows how he has learned from all the great people in the world including Dr. Kind and Abraham Lincoln. Its time that we Indians should learn from this man, who has shown the young Americans the power of change. The same power of change and confidence can transform us into a nation that the world can identify as the world's most powerful country. We needs to be reminded of what Gandhiji has said, "Be the Change you wish to see in the World".

Back in Mumbai

Folks, I am writing after a long time but what a moment this is for me. I am back in city of dreams Mumbai, amchi Mumbai, this time with a new face, new look and great enthusiasm. Feels like home to me always – Mumbai has never changed and will never change. And yes I am looking forward a lot towards catching up with old fellas whom I missed. I guess even they would like see me in a new avata. Well I am really excited to meet all of them. This time work is also great and rewarding for me loaded with all the responsibilities and opportunuites.

All in all Mumbai is and always been and will be always be my first most loved city.

Politics of hooligans – Where is Democracy?

Folks, what has happened in the last 6 months and just yesterday in Bihar Assembly is really a shame on Indian democracy. Politicians going hooligans or rather behaving like hooligans. It’s really high time that, we the people – as we very proudly call ourselves should realize that this nation or States of this nation needs a ‘change’ – a change not only in terms of the way these States are governed but also a change in the perception of the people. We got to stop this ‘chalta he’ (let it be, the way it is) attitude and take a step towards a change in the way the ‘politics’ is understood today by a common man.

Please for the love of God, stop these hooligans from thinking of their own interest and make them realize that they had taken a vow to protect the interest of the people of their respective states and not their own interest. What is happening today or rather what has happened for quite a long time now is that the leaders at the top themselves are compromising the nation’s interest in the name of ‘party politics’ and ‘power’. To stop this, we need to rise with a collective voice of ‘change’, a ‘change’ in the way we take these politicians and their actions for granted.

Football World Cup Grand Final

Folks, What a grand finale it was, indeed remarkable. Spain has proved that it’s the world’s best football team. Those initial 90 minutes were real nerve breaking minutes, both Spain and Holland attacking each other with an equal force. The came those yellow cards, it was really a nightmarish experience for Holland to have got so many yellow cards. But then the final blow from Spain came in those extra 30 minutes, that too in the last 3 minutes of the game.

This world cup had really been full of surprises with most of world’s best teams out of the game in the initial rounds – Italy, France and Brazil. And then to top it all there was this astrologer ‘Paul the Octopus’, who had really been the centre of attraction throughout the world cup. Seven out of Seven predictions, really unbelievable. But yes all in all a really entertaining world cup.

Love Story 2010

Folks, today i am going to talk about a little love story. I will then left it to your judgment, if it was really a love story or a case of mere infatuation or attraction. Let me begin with my character, his name is Vansh, a simple, honest and a very truthful guy. Who is lively and believes in enjoying life. Vansh works for a small organization and where everybody likes him & his way of living life. In his intial 6 months at this office he remained happy go lucky types. But then suddenly in the last couple of months he felt that he has something in common with a girl working for the same organization with whom he had been interacting quite often.

Suddenly he decides to take that girl's cell number and she gives him happily. They start exchanging SMSs and sometimes Vansh would call and even she would call him. Vansh realizes something, that may be he has feelings for her and even she has feelings for him. The way this was progressing was way too fast, Vansh realized that but somehow something struck him that no she is the one, his true love that he had been scouting for ages. Finally he decided to ask her for a date. But before taking any such bold step, he decided to consult her best friend in office. Vansh spoke to her and that girl gave a very confident answer that she is a very nice girl, you should propose to her.

On that very advise and given Vansh's observation, he decided to propose her. Went to her and told her that he likes her but then comes the girl's reply, you should have told me earlier,I am already engaged for the last two years. Vansh felt totally devastated by this answer but then could not help it either. That girls calls him up and says you yourself believe in enjoying life, so i am sorry, be happy and don't feel bad.

So, folks this is the end of the little love story. But belive me folks this guy Vansh, as I know of him,has always been through such times. He even shared this me and told me how unlucky he is in matter of love.

Sometimes i really don't understand what God has in store for us, especially when it comes to love, for Vansh i know it will be difficult to move on. Rest you guys decide what was his fault? Is falling in love with a girl, who is so cute and nice to you a wrong?

The Bhopal gas tragedy Verdict

Folks, just couple of days back, a local Court in Bhopal (MP) announced the verdict on the World’s worst industrial disaster – ‘the Bhopal Gas Leak Case’. The Verdict – it says has convicted 8 people for a mere two years imprisonment with a meager fine of INR 1 lakhs. There is a lot of hue & cry on the verdict in terms of very meager punishment accorded to some of the people manning the then UCIL.

People have compared this case with the recent oil spill that happened in the Gulf of Mexico, US, where the US President Barack Obama has announced that highest punishment be meted out to those responsible for the oil spill, that is the BP. The criticism or rather a comparison had been drawn between the two tragic incidents, as in the latter the US government has announced huge amount of compensation while in the former, way back in 1996 after the SC’s verdict a settlement amount was agreed to between the Government and the then UCC, which was to the tune of $4.7 million. This in fact prime facie seems to be a travesty of justice, especially considering that in the Bhopal case the then US government did nothing for extraditing the prime accused Anderson (chief of UCC). The defence was that US government’s hands were tied up by the existing laws. This to a certain extent was true that US laws were such that Anderson’s extradition could not have been effected.

But it’s really high time that we in India should consider enacting such laws, wherein a foreign government’s co-operation can be easily sought on such kind of disasters that are a result of the negligence of few of the man manning such foreign corporations. A good case in point here the ‘Nuclear Civil Liability Bill’, over which a heated debate has already taken place as to the capping of liability of a foreign government (the US in the Nuke deal). The road ahead in this direction is still murky & bad, we need to draw a make a clear policy decisions on this issue.

International Conference on Infrastructure Finance - 2010, IIT Khargpur

Folks, I have had an opportunity to present a paper & also to Chair a session on ‘Legal Aspects of Infrastructure Finance’ at the recently concluded International Conference on Infrastructure Finance, 2010 (ICIF, 2010). The ICIF was jointly organized by the Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM) & Ranbir & Chitra Gupta Institute of Infrastructure, Design & Management, IIT, Kharagpur. It was really an awesome experience; they have called for almost 300 odd papers in the area of Infrastructure Finance. The Conference was a 3 day long event divided into almost 9 technical sessions, each session was dedicated to a particular area of Infrastructure.

My presentation -‘Financing National Highways – A Legal Perspective’ was in the first technical session. It was appreciated by all the people present there, including all the luminaries from academia ranging from Finance, Civil Engineering etc. I also got a privilege of chairing one of the technical sessions, wherein there were almost 11 presenters. My task was to judge them on merits of their presentation and give them valuable feedback. The session was on ‘Legal Aspects of Infrastructure Finance’, the papers were a good mix of finance & legal aspects of infrastructure, particularly Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), which is the area in which I work. During the whole conference I made some really good friends from academia & professionals.

All in all it was an awesome experience for me, especially to have chaired one of the sessions at the ICIF, 2010.

Maosit Menace

Folks, i feel really sad & saddened by the way Maosit attacks are unfolding day by day. Just yesterday, there was a blast in a Mumbai bound train that started from Howrah and as a consequence of that blast, the boggies ran into other track from where a Malgadi was coming and it hit the boggies of this train, killing at least 60 people and injuring hundreds. This really is the height of internal terrorism that should be stopped now at any cost.

I have written earlier also in my blog that why can't we use armed forces to tackle this internal threat from Maoists, if they are not ready to come to the table & negotiate on what thay want? For God's sake this rampage had to stop. I strongly urge our Government to make use of armed forces to tackle this Maoist menance, it is really high time that the Government should decided on this issue otherwise more lives would be lost. The respective state governments should also co-operate with the centre on this issue and they should take all the security measures at break neck speed.

Best Paper Award - I Am a Celebrity again

Hey folks...i am a celebrity again. What an awesome trip i had to Rourkela, Orissa where at Rourkela Institute of Management Studies (RIMS)in a National Conference on Financial Risk Management, my paper has been awarded the best paper award that carried a cash prize of Rs. 10000. It was really an amazing experience, having being awarded the best paper among all the top exheleons from Management academia, where my paper really stand out as a legal paper. And believe me folks all the judges who were all Management stalwarts greatly appreciated my paper & PPT.

I was first selected as a nominee for the award in one of the technical sessions of the Conference, which was on 'Derivatives', as my paper was on 'Structured derivatives - Legal Risk Analysis'. I was nominated out of 10 people, mostly from academia. Then in the final round there were 5 people including me. It was really a very transparent process, among the five final nominees, three of them were from RIMS only. But i felt really glad by the kind of transparency shown by RIMS management.When i won the award, everyone was like, we knew it that you are going to win..I even gave a two minute speech. In my speech i thanked my academic mentors, particularly my Derivatives law professor from University of Melbourne. And i also thaked my professional mentor Mr. Bikash Jhawar from whom i have learnt my first lessons of Confidence.

Finally i thnaked all the students of RIMS for their love & gratitude and a celebrity treatment given to me by them. Everybody was eager to have a snap with me, like am a real celebrity. I also thanked RIMS management for their hospitality & accomodation arrangements. I also met lots of Professors from RIMS and they all were very supportive & impressed by me.

Finally, I was told by the conevener that I am a legal consulant who wants to pusue academics and has already beaten sleuths of academicians at RIMS.

A few lawyerly tips

Folks, there are certain qualities that a legal professional must possess, whether he/she is a practicing advocate or a legal consultant. The quality that i am talking about here is that a lawyer has to be a 'good listener' as well. No matter how strong you put forth your arguments before the Court or before your boss (in a firm) trying to convince him about your point or your reasoning on an issue, if you do not listen to him or his viewpoint and try to overpower him in terms of your views, then you are not gonna win over any argument in any case or any transactional advice that you may be involved in.

Now, the reason i am saying this is that it should work the other way as well, even your boss or your senior should at the same time had to be a good listener, he/she just can not or should not tear down your views without even listenting to what you have to say? This I agree would n't be an easy task given the kind or depth of knowledge the other person (boss) who is sitting on ther other side may have but to my mind no body in law or even forget about law even in any other field can not claim that he/she is an 'expert' in a particular area. Because everybody learns through the process, the guy who is sitting on the other side of the table, if he thinks that he is 'the best' or 'the authority' in a particular area of law, then i think he is utterly wrong in his assumption.

I am saying this particularly beacause i have had such encounters with such kind of people and folks with all due respect to such people i think they are simply killing the talent that lay behind people like me or any other such person for that matter. And they will say,'you know what Mr.X... just shut up....because i am the boss'.

Naxalite Killings

Folks, what happened on Tuesday was indeed a shcoker for the whole country, 80 police personnel got killed by Naxalites. And i am shocked, what followed after that, to add to the woes of those dead & thier families - government is divided on taking actions against Naxals? The difference of opinion comes in terms of using air strikes against the Naxals, government says we can revisit the policy in this regard. Naval chief says - its not the right time yet to use air strikes.

Its really sad to see this kind of a governmental approach. Why can't the Government through a collective effort come with a stern policy against such Naxal attacks. Its got to be either 'this' or 'that' there should not be any 'ifs' and 'buts' in tackling such home grown terrorist activities. We can learn from the Sri Lankan's army's war on putting an end to Tamil Tigers, they had a single policy, single aim - elimination of Tamil Tigers from thier land and they did that successfully with the strong political will and army support. India as a democratic nation, if we can not take such an stern action then the only way out is a 'cease fire'.

Government should really get its policy rolling on this menace otherwise more lives can be lost at the altar of political non-action.

Udaipur Trip

Hey folks, this long weekend indeed turned out to be a an awesome weekend for me. I went to the City of Lakes - Udaipur, a beautiful city with a panaromic view of Venice in the night. I met lots of cousins there, mainly sisters & brother-in laws, all were waiting eagrely for me, as it was my maiden visit to them after a long time. Espcially thier small little kids kept me enagaged with their lovely smiles & cuteness. I love kids. All three days went on really well, spending time with each of them, playing with thier kids and partying with them. All in all a great fun.

Conference on Building Infrastructure

Folks, the other day i participated in a Conference on building Infrastructure - Challenges & opportunities. It had all that pomp & show, began with a PM's inaugral address and then followed by sleuts of presentations & keynote addresses by various ministers responsible for handling different infrastructure sectors. Everybody shared their respective visions of development in thier sector, the pitfalls and the way forward. In between these presentations and keynote addresses there were interactive discussion sessions.

What i found astonishing about these sessions particularly was the fact that people who were among the top echeleons of infrastructure industry and even the top bureaucrats of the country were literally shouting and clamouring to ask questions, despite of the moderator having said that please ask questions one by one and desapite of allocating number of questions for each sector. This was just the one side of the picture, on the other hand even our learned minister who were sitting on the stage, were trying to pass on the bucks to the other instead of directly answering the question. I was shocked when once among the participants, one of them, who was a foreign delegate was not given a chance to speak up, instead an Indian delegeate who was a bureaucrat got a chance to speak up. This goes on to indicate the kind of impression that we give to our foreign delegates, then in such scenario how can you expect them to invest in such a crucial sector like infrastructure over which one of our honourable and distinguished bureaucrat announced an investment of around 1 trillion dollars.

This is a high that our politicians & bureaucrats should understand that despite of all that pomp & show of 8% or 9% GDP, they need to improve on these ground realities that goes to the heart of any kind of investments.

Politics of Hooligans

Folks what has happened today in the Indian Politics should in my opinion be the worst day Indian polity would have ever seen. It was International Woman's Day, where a Woman's reservation Bill was about to be tabled and to be approved by the House. But to the nation's utter surprise what has unfolded in the House can simply be described as a black letter day for the Indian polity and a big blow to Woman's empowerment. The leader of the House, the Vice-President of India was insulted by throwing waste papers on him and all kind of abuses heralded in the House, these were the people who represent the people of India.

Please dear leaders, we are the world's largest democracy, is this the way we are gonna run our country. At least learn something from a guy who has been successful in keeping together his country on a collective basis, stopping the individual politics on small issues. I am talking about none other than Mr Barack Obama, the guy who through collective wisdom is successful to a great extent in bringing together the whole of America in severe crisis. Dear leaders please don't let your individual interest sway over the collective interest of Indian people. Lets get together and talk the language of collective wisdom.

A visit at my Alma mater

It was Friday 19th Feb 2010, i visited my alma mater, a place where i would say i never enjoyed in real terms of enjoying a college life. When i reached there this time, all those days started coming back like a replay of the events in my college life. Seeing students in the classroom, library & of curse roaming around the most famous (or rather infamous) college Circle, now beautified with all the trees and fountain. Of course my alma mater has grown and grown tremendpusly big in terms of Infrastructure. But one problem that still looms around it (after talking to most of the students) is the problem of good faculty.

Well, I began my day by meeting all my previous profs, it was lovely talking to them but something was missing, I don't know what was it? My next stop was the director, who to my surprise was more interested in talking about the college infrastriucture & how he has beautified the campus. My conversation with him lasted for about 15 minutes but no talk about how students are doing? How have we worked on faculty (if at all)? Nothing on that. Well, then came the time when i had deliver my first lecture ever at my alma mater (of which i always dreamt of, when i was a student. The topic that i chose was a bit technical but still i was overwhelmed by the response that i recieved from students and their eagerness to learn more on that topic. All in all it went well.

Next day also i chatted with lots of students, heard some good and some bad things that are happening on the campus. But the best part of my visit came in the evening, when I saw a group of final year students sitting in an under-construction building with a herd of small kids aged between 10-15 years. when I approached and asked them what they were doing? I felt really happy & proud, when i was told that they were teaching Maths, Science & English subjects to those little kids, who were from the slums near the campus. This was really something that gave me a lot of pride in feeling that i once belonged to this place. Hats off to all those students who have taken this initiative to teach these poor kids, who can not even attend school.

I finally left the campus with a note that I would love to be a part of my alma mater in any way I can, be it taking lectures for the students or even be it by way of becoming a part of those students, who have taken an initiative to teach those poor kids.

The World of look alikes

Folks, its really amazing to see when you happen to cross a person who is so look alike of person or a friend you know. Its actually true, its been said that there are at least 7 look alikes of a single person throughout the world. But believe me folks i have seen so many look alikes with in India forget about the whole world. Like today i saw a girl, who is 90 per cent look alike of a friend of mine from college. Isn't that amazing.

Well but the thing is you will never see by yourself your look alike but am sure others will come and tell you that oh, I saw you somewhere before. Actually true, even God would not been able to create so many faces around the world, that's why we see similar faces or look alikes. That's a different thing that the girl I saw today was stunningly beautiful, another reason for me to notice actually.

Hockey World Cup

Folks, I am sure that most of us are not even aware that the Hockey World Cup is coming up, it starts 28th February 2010. what a day to have a start. Anyways my point here is - if it would have been a Cricket World Cup, every single soul in India would have been aware of it. Why is that people in India have made 'Cricket' so much popular, is that beacause it has the money? Why every kid round the corner wants to become a Sachin Tendulkar of tomorrow? Why anybody does not want to become Pargat Sigh? I really fail to understand why in India we can not promote a game like Hockey or for that matter any other game? For God's sake, we are hosting the Commonwealth Games this time but do we have the atheletes or players that can bring us Gold medals or do we have that enthusiasm that we see in Cricket?

Folks, I undertsand that part of the problem lies in the burucracy that can not even pay enough or rather a good salary to the palyers of other games, then how can we also expect them to play with that spirit? The recent furore that was created by the Indian hockey team (both male & female) was perfectly justified. We really need to build good sportsmen & sportswomen and for that we not only need the support from the relevant government departments to promote these games but we also need to inculcate that spirit in the youngsters that Cricket is not the only game that India plays, we play Hockey & other games as well.

Media people, please promote the game of Hockey as you prmote Cricket and then let players say - 'Chak De India'.

What is happening in Sri Lanka

Its really hard to undersrand the way certain events unfolded in Srilanka two days ago. The guy Fonseka who was once (that too quite recently)hailed as a hero of Sri Lanks and was the force behind ending a 26 year old civil war in the country, was arrested by the government. It is quite surprising to see these turn of events in a country that has fought and won the bloodiest civil war ever in any country's history.

Whatever, be the reason for his arrest there got be a way it should have happened, afterall the guy and his entire military fought for Srilankans. I think the government of Sri lanka needs to show some respect for this guy and got to understand that even an action by the government of the day is watched by the whole world. This is particilarly relevant for the President, who won the recent elections with a thumping majority.

what's wrong with Indian politics

It is really hard to understand why in the world people fight over their region specific superiority in the name of politics. Take the example of what's happening in Mumbai, 'non-marathis' not allowed to drive cabs in Mumbai. Absolutely ridiculous, i am really amazed the kind of issues that are being raised out of these pitty things. This is considering the fact that we are already reeling under a sleuth of violence in the state of AP over the Telangana issue. I fail to understand why people want to divide our country just in the name of serving their respective political inteest.

I am reminded of US President Obama's recent speech, where he really is hell bent on uniting his country and had even shown a concern over India rising story and on the top of it who does not want US to be number two. Just contrast this to what is happening in India, where I ask our political leaders - are we heading to a downfall by dividing our beloved country? We really need to unite on various fronts and believe me, if we fought or create a furore over such small issues that has a more political interest, then we really are allowing other countries to go ahead of us in every respect. I believe that we need to change the way the Indian people think by changing the 'vlaue system'. I know that's not that easy a task but if we do it 'collectively' forgetting about our individual interest, we can change and bring that change even to Indian politics.

We need to 'beleieve' in 'us' for a change that's really wanting in Indian polity.

Obamaized

Folks, i am really Obamaized,no matter the fierce criticsim Mr Obama might be facing at home, given his oratory skills he rules the roost. The way he executed his State of the Union speech was brilliant and i know for sure that he will deliver on his agenda this year. He will bring the 'change' he promised to milions of Americans. Beacuse he 'believes' in him and he knows quite well that no matter what obstacles he face, he will succeed in achieving his goal.

I said 'Obamaized' because i am really impressed with the way this guy has changed the American thinking and i am really inspired by him. Even I have a dream to bring a 'change', a change in the way our education system both at the school & university level works. And I know exactly how i am gonna bring that change. I am eagerely waiting to turn this dream into a reality. And i know i am gonna do it because I 'believe' in me.

A word on Indians being attacked in Aussie land

Folks, today i am writing this to give you people an idea of what actally is happening or has haapened in the past in Melbourne. I am writing this as i also have lived in the city of Melbourne. A great multicultural city with all the aura of lively atmosphere. Let me begin with what is this all about? As most of the Indians, especilly who are students, they work part time to cover their living expenses and some even work there to repay back their repective loans that they had taken for their stidies in Melbourne. Most of these students take up night shifts to work in restaurants or in a store. Obviously when they return home after finishing their night shift, they beamcome the soft targets of junky Aussies, who for a cigreratte or drug try to harass them and when the Indians student did not budge, they attack him & overpower him, as Aussies are tend to be more powerful as comapred to an average Indian. To me this is what is happeining in Melbourne, i really don't see a point of these attacks being called 'racial attacks'.

Believe me, i am saying this because even i have to once give these junkies some dollars to save myself from being thrashed by them. However, this is not to say that there is no 'racism' in Aussie land at all. There did exist 'racism' but of course the same gets hidden by the very fact that the Indian students there are afraid to air their views openly or they are afraid of loosing their staying rights in Australia. Believe me this also happens.

Young blood in politics

It's high time we should realize now that the Indian politics badly needs a revamping in terms of its leaders. we do have a few youg blood in politics but the bigger issue here is how to put an end to all that redtape and corrutption that has engrained in Indian polity? The answer lies in ushering in young people in the Indian Polity, who can lead the way for young India.

What is going on currently, be it price rise issues, terrorism, criminal cases being re-opened and all that needs reforms. I believe these reforms can be put forward in a much better way by the young Indians than what has been done by the current leaders. The first thing to concetrate here is on 'Police Reforms', second on the agenda should be a complete removal of 'redtape & corruption' by bringing in an incentive based structure for all public servants. Third, 'Judicial reforms', an independent body should be developed for the appointment of judges, which should also be resposible for accountability issues. Fourth and the most important that goes a long way in bringing an end to all kinds of terrorist activities, is to initiate a 'dialogue' with all the stakeholders by bringing them to the table and this includes a dialogue with Pakistan as well. I know a lot of people from Pakistan, who have a pretty good perception on India and its youth and even they hold the view that its all about politics. Politics is ruining the whole peace proces between India & Pakistan.

It is really a high time for we Indians to realize that despite of all that jazzy talsk of 9% or 10% growth, we fail in addressing many of the political issues that haunts us big time.