SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

1980 and 81 was the period when I stayed in a College Hostel at Trichy. Recently when I visited the college, I found the building to have dilapidated and deserted. Standing before the building for a while, my memory went back to the period when I stayed there along with 4 other boys in a room of barely 300 sq ft on the third floor corner.

There was no toilet in the building but only bathrooms. One has to go down to the the courtyard where toilets were separately located. The hostel was having 2 blocks juxtoposing each other in a fashion that it formed a perfect square and the other side detached from both the block, situated common toilets. A wall fitted with pipes and washing trough concealed the toilets from the frontside view.

Hostel gate was in the other end in between the two blocks. There were also bathing yard at the back of the hostel, where boys used to take bath in the open. Most of the boys prefer to take bath in the open as they had come from various villages situated on the banks of River Cauveri, mainly from Tanjore and Trichy districts.

A junior boy who came from a 'well to do' family from Chennai became a good friend of me. Later on, I came to know that his family was associated with the management of the college itself!

Having come from a 'well to do' family, he used to lament about the condition of the hostel, especially the toilets. We found a toilet attached to the office to be slightly better and used to frequent there on some pretexts. It was when that access was closed, we used to visit a Library situated about 5 km away...! Not for clearing our doubts but to clear our bowels!

He quit the college mainly for want of a good toilet. There were no "Shulab/pay Toilets" in those time, not even something like those we saw in Slumdog Millionaire!

Slumdog Millionaire showed some of the "pay" toilets which I have never seen before! I am really amused to see the little boy taking a dirty route to get an autograph from Amitabh Bacchan! I hope Amitabh Bacchan remembers having signed an autograph without dirtying his hands!

No other movie had made it so famous by showcasing filth, dirt and squalor than Slumdog Millinnaire! Even to carry the cameras and the crew to such locations would have posed a lot of challenge. In the process it highlighted the crimes committed by the Slumdog criminals abusing the children, selling 'mineral water' using some quick fix methods,and portrayed the possibility of a "call centre assistant" to become a Millionaire.

Now all 'Chaiwallahs' have a new designation: "Call Centre Assistant"! But in reality, and the way the film was shot, one can come to a conclusion that the "Call Centre Assistant" is having more freedom and life than the employees of callcentres who are very closely monitored and work in crowded & crammy offices.

Clearly the slumdog life seems to be more eventful!

The movie is well taken but should have given some more explanation as to why Jamal was hauled up by the police and how he was allowed to participate for the final question. Also the charactor of Anil Kapoor is not well defined. Why he went scotfree for delibrately feeding the wrong answer, especially when the police was satisfied about the innocence of Jamal?

In my opinion, Irfan Khan has a better presence than Anil Kapoor. Unlike Anil Kapoor, Irfan has never claimed credit!

Danny Boyle must have been ragpicking stories around the world and would have had no difficulty in choosing the 'most beautiful slum of the world' in the city of Mumbai!

There is a saying in tamil that the money received through selling fish will not smell.

Slumdog earnings will not smell too!

MANGALORE MADNESS

Mangalore is becoming very famous in the world map. Obviously for wrong reasons. When I think of Mangalore, I relate this to nearby Udupi, which is a well known name amongst the vegetarians. Udupi brings a pleasant "fulfilling" feeling to any one who has tasted their servings!

Ironically, Mangalore incident too involves a restaurant. Some young girls were chased by the "Great Ram Sena" primates in full galore of TV and news reporters who captured the event live and showcased their 'scoop' in various TV channels.

I am not able to understand what was the reason behind the attack. Why Rama Sena was driven to take direct action on these girls? Any instant provocation?

Frankly, I came to know that there is an outfit known as Rama Sena, only through this episode. I know that such a Sena was formed comprising primates by Lord Rama to construct a pathway to Sri Lanka, on his mission to secure Seetha from the clutches of Ravana.

All these senas can be usefully utilised by the government of India. I can only relate an old story of Tenali Rama!

The police force of the king(Krishna Devaraya?) arrested one Thug who killed a pilgrim staying at the roadside Inn(Restaurant?). It was learnt that the Thug killed the poor pilgrim for repeatedly coughing at night, thereby spoiling his goodnight sleep. The King ruled that the thug be hanged.

Thenali Rama intervened and sought the pardon of the King using his special privilege.

The king was surprised. Thenali Rama nurtured the thug by giving him all facilities and luxurious living and made him grow like a ferocious monster!

Suddenly there was a crisis to the nation. A neighbouring powerful king declared war without an early indication and sent his sodiers under the charge of a provocative General.

Thenali Rama sent this thug with a closed envelope in which he had written offering truce in a submissive tone in the name of the King.

The thug delivers the envelope and the General reads the same aloud and humiliates the thug in full view of his soldiers. The thug known for his rage, takes out his sword and beheads the General. The soldiers kill the thug in return, but being headless, the army of soldiers go back without pursuing war.

Now coming back to the utility of Rama Sena, the Government can involve them for the fight against terrorists!

Jokes apart, I feel sorry for the victims. I also feel pity for the members of the Sena for becoming tools for some cheap leaders, who in the name of forming some sort of outfit to inflate their false ego, are playing with the life of a number of youths who are jobless, malleable and does not have any vision for themselves.

When the world is becoming small by technolgical advancement and development, minds of some people are becoming narrower and narrower. I am sure that any one who is having some self esteem would not do this kind of acts against fellow human beings, let alone women.

As I always believe, and written in my blog about "Terrorism- what to do?", this kind of hooliganism should also be dealt with in two distinct measures:-

1. Swift and strong action against the hooligans by treating them as enemies of the country as they are causing disturbance to the peaceful living of citizens

2. Long term measures which will involve Education, sustained campaigns for peaceful living and developing citizens code of conduct besides economic development of the underdeveloped and down trodden.(this can be incorporated in constitution)

Jai Hind!

Satyam- Where is Satyam, the truth?

A company is formed with a word that carry the meaning: "Only Truth ".

Alas,no one really knew that the promotors are not having any relation to the word 'Satyam" until today, when its Chairman's resignation letter started the rounds in the internet!

Of late, we are seeing unrealistic share price movements of almost all companies in the market. I very much doubt that this would have any relation to the inherent strength of those companies supported by sound financial principles.

It is only a matter of time that all (?) truth about this fraud would come out, if only a serious attempt to unravel this scam is made.

Satyam has proved one point, in that the company has brought to light this fraud out in open to the public, whereas there would be scores of other "Un-satyam" companies doing the covering up operations very cleverly by hoodwinking SEBI,and other bodies, including the government.

I am curious to know if the directors have already sold their shares in the market without divulging it to the MCA or SEBI. whether this could have been possible?

The resignation letter doing the rounds, if it is the original one he has presented to the board, is something sure to find in history!

I am also curious to know if the Auditing firms and other intermediaries/agencies or including public institutions were supporting the murky dealings and fraudulant non-disclosures.

Now whether the board is present in its full strength? as one lady board member resigned a few days prior to the resignation of R Raju!

Raju has not said any word about his responsibility towards the board. What is the number of shares that he is holding and what is the proportionate liability that he has to bear?

Can the resignation of the board member and chairman be accepted by the board, if there is huge undischarged liability?

Even if there is hope for salvaging the company, that is dashed by this one act of Raju resigning from the company (without having the courage to face it) and also making it public the content of the letter at this stage, as the beleagured company and the interim CEO would now be faced with numerous charges and legal actions from within and outside the country, as the company is listed in NYSE.

These and more questions, which may come from the investors/stake holders need to be answered. But only time will tell who would answer them.

If Stock Exchange is not aware of the number of shares traded in the market(with the background details of owners and buyeers) and SEBI is not getting any reports on dubious transactions, all these bodies need to be taken to task.

PriceWaterHouse now should hide them in a fishpond! where they cannot hide but only showcase their auditing skills!

I have no stake in Satyam Computer in any manner, no shares, no transactions, not even a sify net account! But I really really pity the common man who may be having some shares, and the employees who have spent their years in Satyam for the captains to commit this "barratry".

Everybody in the business community now says that this is an isolated and stray case and does not portray any malaise in indian business houses...(believe investors) comparing the Enron scam in US.

I have only one thing to say, my dear common man, do not fall for the greed to make quick money either by shares or by any means.

Who knows, the weather report predictions in India also may be forecasting the formation of Meltdown cyclone!


Satyameva jayathe!