“Padharo Mhare Des” (welcome to my land) is the tagline of a film made by the Rajasthan Government to welcome the 1500 NRI delegates and other dignitaries who are converging in Rajasthan to participate in the three day mega event — the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas- 2012 in Jaipur. It is good that the Pink City of Rajasthan is extending a Red Carpet welcome to the NRI’s who are the Brand Ambassadors of India and whose contributions in strengthening India’s foreign exchange balances is invaluable. ...
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Chandran Iyer
When one speculates as to who is going to succeed Warren Buffet , the most successful American investor in the world, the name that pops up in the top of the list is of Ajit Jain. Though Buffet who is the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathway has not exactly disclosed who his successor would be, he has thrown ample hint that it could be the American Indian Ajit Jain, an IIT graduate from Kharagpur who is the President of Berkshire Hathway Reinsurance Division. ...
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The Congress leaders have a reason to dance with joy over the news of Kiran Bedi’s expense fudging allegations which has put this fire brand member of Team Anna into back-foot. Her justification that ” I used it for my NGO” is untenable. Can it be inferred that as long as one’s motive is altruistic, such actions are justified? Anna Hazare himself is running an NGO “Hind Swaraj Trust” in Ralegan Siddhi to spearhead development works in village. Does she mean that tomorrow Hazare can fudge expenses to raise capital for the development of his village and yet people would ...
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When I was a kid, I was fond of reading Superman Comics. It was interesting to know how the Dalton Comics character Clark Kent– the Superman got his strength to fly faster than the speed of a bullet, operate independently of gravity and propel himself through the air at will, look through reinforced steel doors through his X-ray vision and freeze the baddies who wanted to destroy the earth with his super cold breath. I came know from the comics that he got his superhuman strength from the planet Krypton where he was born. ...
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A four column article on the Edit page of Economic Times headlined ” Anna: From Triumph to Folly” on August 17 written by an intellectual made me realize that it is better to be perceived as a little crazy than being regarded as a drawing room intellectual. The author in his “Serendipity” column criticized Anna Hazare’s agitation questioning how long the protests can be sustained. He was also cynical about the demands and methods of the protestors. He compared Anna Hazare with the Yoga Guru Ramdev Baba and expressed the hope that Team Hazare will avert the perils of overreach ...
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Around a month ago, one of my former students from India — after having completed an MBA in media management — shifted to Dubai with a media marketing profile. He took up the Dubai assignment at the expense of his marketing communication profile with a well-known media organization in Mumbai. Let us first note what are the usual inferences attached to such a movement of a skilled Indian in various associated circles! The person in question might feel elated, thinking that the market in Dubai must be easier to manage than Mumbai, along with the quality of life and remuneration ...
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How come Krishnan becomes Chris, Ramaswami becomes Rums, Harikisan becomes Harry, Dixit becomes Dick or Mangala becomes Maggie when they join a firm in the US? Is it just to shorten their name so that their American friends can pronounce it with ease, or is it a reflection of a deep-seated sub-conscious inferiority in their own name and culture? I certainly would like to believe that it is to help their US counterparts pronounce their tongue-twisting names with ease because the perception of India in the eyes of the West has undergone a monumental change in the last few years. ...
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The connections between India and Sri Lanka are of epic proportions. Ramayan, is the link between two neighbors. But, the public memory is short. A total recall is unlikely even after seeing the satellite images of the legendary Ram Sethu that loosely connects the two countries. While scholars and believers spar over the Ram Sethu, shared cultural, economic and political ties have all along strengthened the bonds. Though Lanka was vanquished in the title clash for the cricket World Cup by the men in blue, the healthy rivalry brought to bear the inextricable link between two nations, powered by sports. ...
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“If you were prime minister now, what would you have done about the economy and this crisis that Mr. Harper has not done? This utterly simple question put to Canadian politician Stephane Dion who was in the running for the prime minister’s office in 2008 by the anchor of CTV Steve Murphy made Dion so jittery that he clammed up. Dion made the anchor repeat the question thrice, and yet he could not answer and only fumbled awkwardly. The embarrassed MP then requested CTV not to air the footage, but the channel decided against it making the Canadians gasp in ...
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In 1982, the American bestselling author and screen writer Irving Wallace wrote a thrilling book ” The Almighty” about a newspaper tycoon who was so obsessed with increasing the circulation of his newspaper that he would stop at nothing to get the most exclusive and sensational story in his paper . It was the story of a man who gets so intoxicated with power that he becomes a megalomaniac. In the novel the newspaper tycoon Edward Armstead who inherits a vast news empire, first wants to shape the news, then manipulate and control it and finally tries to create it ...
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