What a life!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Hope

We humans have many flaws. No doubt on that. Equally redeeming enough, there are many strengths - one of which I feel is hope. Fact is though, it is not limited to humans alone.

It is that one factor that leads us to perform everyday acts to miraculous activities. To lose hope is to do oneself the greatest disservice. On the other hand, it is the mere sliver of hope that often keeps us going way beyond what could be considered mortally possible.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti

And this holds true for almost all mammals. Ever so often, I see an act that showcases how amazing nature is in having created a myriad of creatures who conform to this feeling called hope.

There was a winged creature, looked like a cross between a grasshopper and a cockroach, which chanced to come into the house. As is the norm, the first objective was to shoo it away. Success for me. However, for the winged creature, it resulted in the sad loss of its ability to use its hind legs, as it attempted to escape from the demoniacal human creature trying to shoo it away. A rather common occurrence isn't it? However, something else happened that stopped me in my tracks and has led to this post.

The creature now with just its, two front legs and two middle legs, was grounded. It was able to move fast, but not at usual speed. Strangely it did not try to fly off. It was now on the ground outside the house. And lo and behold! An army of ants descended upon the creature.

Image: hinnamsaisuy

Flight or fight is the normal reaction that we all creatures have. However, this one decided that flight is better but the disability of having lost its hind legs meant it could not bring itself to speed to take off, nor could it jump long distances.

And then started the process of moving. Initially it moved pretty fast. But as it moved, the ants didn't let up. More and more of the ant army were converging, as if one of the ants had broadcast a group SMS stating that a nice juicy piece of food was waiting for all of them to come and partake in.

The poor creature tried outrunning the hordes. And in the infinite wisdom of nature, sought refuge in a plant that normally the ants avoided. However, the obstacle was to cross the roots of the plant and get itself on one of the stems so that the clamoring hordes were deprived the chance of taking its life.

And so the battle began. It attempted to cross the tangled roots. But every time it managed to move a bit, the hordes would relentlessly pull it down. The loss of the hind legs meant, it didn't have the normal ability to leap, but it tried. This battle lasted for nearly 15 minutes. Heart wrenching as it was to watch, it showed to me that hope is never lost until you are dead! And oh boy, did the fellow fight till the end.

Of course, the superior numbers of the ant army resulted in the winged creature falling down repeatedly. Yet it persisted in its attempts to get out of the situation. This was nature showcasing how beautiful yet cruel it can be. Not that nature was attempting to be beautiful and cruel. It is just what it is.

After numerous attempts, and the smart ants deciding that attacking the head of the creature will lead to its defeat, launched waves of attempts at doing just that. And succeeded. The ant army ensured that it was fed very well that day. Despite the big fat drops of water that was falling from the heavens. Despite the winds that tugged relentlessly at their tiny bodies. Eventually the horde succeeded in pinning their enemy, now turned into food, down.

Even as I write this, my eyes cloud over. Maybe if I hadn't tried to shoo it out, it may not have been in this precarious and finally deadly position. Maybe it was meant to be. I don't know, really. Maybe it was meant that I would get to silently observe this act of nature and then express it here for anyone out there who cares to read this.

What it did teach me though, is that success is a ephemeral and temporary flight of fancy, in as much as it is hope that is the harbinger of success, even if not always. In this battle, the larger creature lost, but the smaller creatures won the right to live for another day. And this is true life on earth. Everyday, is a battle. We seem oblivious to it. Our comfort zones keep us in an isolated sense of well being, but the earth and nature is never still, never silent, ever so dangerous. If we do not learn to coexist, nature will ensure that it re-balances the very scale which allows us currently to live in a realm of dreams in our minds. There is reality. And then there is the reality. Let hope be a guide, not the destination.

Saturday 18 June 2011

The expatriate

Recently, on an interesting poll on a professional networking site, that I did answer, I found it meaningful to partake in the debate of working abroad.

My comment: "Work is always a challenge as much as joy (assuming one is passionate about it). Working abroad expands the challenge in that it is truly a different environment at all levels. There is a belief amongst some people that expatriate workers are transient workers, who will 'up and run' given a good opportunity. I disagree in that all workers are transient workers where given the right choice, people will move on. Having said this, moving and working in a new and relatively unknown environment (at least until you acclimatise) is not always traumatic, based on the reasons for moving - and as this poll rightly shows, it is the basic of all necessities which is a key decision factor. A higher standard of living, combined with better monetary and work benefits as well as the connections with colleagues from different parts of the world, will always swing the vote in favor of a location and business open to recruiting external workers. I have worked in multiple countries and have on each occasion found it simply engaging and worth it."

In my opinion, if the majority of people on earth were to at least work in a different country every year for three years, our world would be a better one. Working abroad has many significant advantages and disadvantages. And which outweighs the other is of course, a matter of personal situations. For example, a family may find it tougher to move than a single person. What working abroad has done for me, is expose me to various people and situations that are different from my own country. This to me, is one of the best reasons for having worked abroad and considering to work abroad at any point in the future.

We are, one! Our world today is increasingly made by and of people, who emanate from any part of the world. Connecting with colleagues as well as developing both professional and personal relations with people from different parts of the globe ensures that one's mind is opened to different ways in which perceptions, ethics, culture, cuisine and so much more can be explored, enjoyed and inculcated. I believe that this is truly the best way to get rid of a whole lot of misconceptions and free your mind from the shadows of hypocrisy, intolerance and fear of the unknown.

In the poll, owing to limitations of the format, the author has put in only five choices. And not surprisingly, the single biggest factor is the standard of living. Fact is all of us want to have a better standard of living. Why not? Progress is the challenge and elixir of civilization ever since humans woke up to the benefits of doing more than eating, shitting and making babies in an cycle taken vigorously every generation.

Today, we are over a trillion out there. Most people, never get to see beyond the immediate vicinity of their neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, countries - in that particular order of magnitude. To me, the ability to review, renew and revive ourselves by working/living in a different environment, sometimes completely alien as a result of the inefficiencies of societies in which we were born, especially in India & China, to be soon followed by many African nations, showcases the ability of humans to aspire and change for the better. Eventually, it is crucial that we understand each other better, and the best way is to simply live and work alongside.

Thursday 16 June 2011

Work culture

"Culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses: Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture; An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning; The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

(Source: Wikipedia)

In this post, I want to focus on the last point about attitudes, values, etc. that characterizes an organization.

I was lucky to have worked in multiple countries, and sure each place has its own culture. However, the work culture while being a microcosm of the larger prevailing culture tends to have its own characteristics. These are manifested in form, type and regularity of good and bad depending usually on the people who lead from the top but sometimes exceptions do occur.

A key characteristic that differentiates a good governance organization is the transparency of information (internally and externally) as well as the respect shown to individuals within and outside the system.

It is sad when, especially younger, people are subject to the wrong sort of experiences as a result of the management's lack of desire to shoulder their responsibilities, in the right way, and practice a better quality of interaction and responsibility. Organizations who do not care to understand this, are risking their future. This is the sad truth. For no longer does the world abide by the manner in which organizations were run decades ago! However, it is a truth that is unpalatable, undesirable and incomprehensible to those irresponsible management staff who can actually make a difference to the way perceptions and experiences are shaped.

Today, the world has changed. No longer is it closed. It is open and opens further every second. Communication is instant, wide reaching and phenomenally fast! Watch out for the danger for someone, somewhere, soon is going to step up sideways and out-punch the 'averse to change' organization.

Often pursued, seldom understood

Motive - a very interesting word that supposedly describes why we humans do what we do, be what we are or attempt to be, and in general supports the inherent basic desire of civil society to logically understand human behavior.

A not so proficient blogger like me, tries to get going, the public version of a diary. Why? No clue. Come to think of it, why do we do most of the things we do? Some of it is by default. Some of it, as we have been conditioned to. Some of it, we are compelled by what a societal environment demands. Some of it on pure impulse. Yet, some of it without any reason at all.

Trying to psychoanalyze a human in my opinion is one of the toughest tasks and every expert who claims to be able to do so, is more often mistaken than otherwise. Like the iceberg, I believe that we showcase only 20% or less of our real selves to everyone out there. Sometimes, I think we are ourselves scared to see beyond a percentage within us, as we may not quite like what we see!

This is not a promise, but an attempt to get this blog going and I will certainly appreciate your comments, feedback, criticism and praise (if any), so do help me get this blog going.

Thursday 18 March 2010

Tiger! Tiger!

I received this deeply disturbing note from a friend. For security reasons I am not naming this individual. However, I decided that I will publish it as is. If, after reading you feel that this is an important issue and really want to help in any small way, do share it with all your friends and comment on what you are really willing to do. If you are in the media, do think about publicising this point of view. And if you want to get in touch with this individual on a personal level, do let me know.

------------------- A note to worry about -------------------------------------

Just saw comments on Bhandhavgarh by a great naturalist and friend - Anand. Frightening! Combined with the news that Corbett [national park] also lost a tiger recently!! The amount of comments that Corbett's tiger loss has received has really astounded me.It really is heart warming to see so many people crying aloud about our state of wildlife and also heart wrenching to know that most of these people will stop with just that.

Things I believe that many of us, (people who care for the enviironment/wildlife) forget are:

a) Most of the youngsters, interested in wildlife do not join the forest department, since it is not [apparently] a great job! Since this is the case - how in God's name are we going to save any of our species!!

b) Blaming the forest department, without even knowing the kind of issues involved does not do any of us any good. Like how many of the enthusiasts know that in most of the Indian states there is only one vet for monitoring/protecting et.c the wildlife in the [entire] state ? Some "Project elephant" reserves in this country have to wait for a months time for the reimbursement of fuel expenses!!

c) The above brings us to the question as to why dont vets or youngsters join the forest department? Try and change the system by working within it! It is a fight which might not result in any win [immediately] - but then atleast there is a start and you set the battle for change rolling!!

d) Running campaigns, creating awareness is all great, but at the grass root levels what changes occur within the machinery? Like it is a known fact that 70% of the forest department staff is made up of temporary workers (like the gaurds, anti-poaching watchers etc). While their salary is a pittance (about one evening's spend for many of us) their duty calls for risking their lives day in and day out. Jokes apart, in many states their salary is about roughly about 60-120 rupees a day, and that too paid after a three month delay.

e) These same temporary workers are the people who pit their lives day in and day out. Like you would understand and agree with me, meeting a [wild] bull or lone elephant in any of the jungles in the western ghats is the most frightening encounter. To protect and safe guard themselves, the guards (in certain conflict prone areas) have rifles with blank catridges to scare off [wild animals], when absolutely necessary. Now before someone makes a cry about [the] scaring off [tactic] and taking the above in an alltogether different context, guys, these blank catridges are for the old, purana .303 rifles which most of you would have used during your NCC training. And these catridges have to be accounted for IF used!!! And the replacement for the used catridges when will it come is a question? And these are the same weapons the guards have to use for saving our wildlife from poachers !! So it is a great feeling to having to meet a poacher armed with the most sophisticated weaponry :)

f) The forest department's funding is a very funny thing and mostly incomprehensible to sane people. To do a independent survey of an established tiger/elephant reserve, the ministry would spend in crores, but would not give funding to a particular reserve to staff it well! When the morale of the grass root level worker, who has not recieved his salary for three months is at the lowest ebb, what is the purpose of survey, green cover increase etc, when it is the same guy who has to do the job?

Another thing on the funding front, none of the anti-poaching camps are properly equipped to do their primary duties. Like the men have no torches, clothing against natural elements like rain or cold weather, no chargers available (for charging their equipment like walkie-talkies, torches if any, their gps if any etc). Solar panels and their batteries are as usual like most government stuff the cheapest you can find, thanks to corruption at various levels.

g) Questions like why are we not rewarding those men who risk their lives to protect our green wealth are unanswered? Personally I know of men (temporary workers) who have fought bare handed against poachers and have almost lost their lives, rewarded with about 10,000/- !! What a great motivation !! In a few other cases, where some of these men have been showered with awards, nothing has been done to elevate their financial conditions! They CONTINUE WORKING AS TEMPORARY WORKERS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS !!

h) The officials in the forest department are a breed altogether different. They should probably be classified as a different species. Totally corrupt and interested in getting their promotions and money, most of them have zilch interest in wildlife. And many of them are old timers who have no proper education in wildlife or training. They are more trained in social forestry and timber harvesting than wildlife. Why? that is how the entire ministry and the country have looked at forests so far! Though things are changing, it could be late !! It looks that the ministry / government are neither concerned nor interested in protecting this nations wealth.

h) As far as corporate funding for wildlife is concerned, it seems that all they are interested in is media exposure! Rather than run a media campaign about saving our wildlife/tigers, they could spend one tenth of that money and adopt a tiger reserve/wildlife sanctuary. Given the way our government works, this would be a herculean task. But if there is serious interest in really doing something constructive, i am sure they can work their way around and find a solution. After all we are talking about saving this nation, and if it means no media exposure and thereby no publicity - so be it. Again on a personal note - when I approached some of these corporates - the one question they want answered is - what does our company get in return ? Sorry - but being an ex-media person - I really don't think that I have an answer for that!! So - if a telecom giant sponsors a rehabilitation of say, a sloth bear or a leopard, should the animal in particular be wearing a sign board saying "rehabilitated by so and so"? Would love to see that if it happens!!
All put together , unless something drastic happens or a miracle, things look very bleak for India's eco-wealth.

-------- End ------------