Terror Hits Mumbai Again!

The terrorists just cannot leave Mumbai, the sparkling business hub of India, in peace. After the 26/11 attack in 2008 the terrorists had been venting their venom inside Pakistan making blasts the order of the day in an already devastated country. Now, they have managed to hit Mumbai again.

Today at around 7pm when people return home or sip a leisurely cup of tea or shop a little, three blasts went off in a well coordinated serial attack. The first one of high intensity blasted the congested jewellery market, Jhaveri Bazaar. The second one at the diamond district of the city, Opera House. And, the third one near Dadar railway station on the western side. Fortunately the third one was of low intensity, otherwise it could have created havoc at Dadar, the busiest place in town where commuters, shoppers and vendors congregate in huge numbers particularly in the evening. Nearly twenty innocent people have died so far with about hundred injured.

Terror has come back to haunt Mumbai and possibly India again. Nobody knows where these enemies of people are hiding lurking and waiting to kill more innocents. High alert has been sounded in Mumbai and in all other major cities of India.

Let's pray for peace and help the government defeat the Enemy once and for all. Let's pray for the Mumbaikars who have again fallen prey to terror.

A Tale of Two Teams!

There are two Teams you know all about. One Team lacked its usual stalwarts and was happy to get what it achieved. Maybe a little more effort, a little more risk. But the team leader did not even come out to take charge.

The other Team had all its stalwarts, but still did want to achieve what it could have achieved. A few points would illustrate this further:

• If someone does excellent in the job assigned to him, you are very right to promote him. But after promoting him you certainly do not want to deprive him of the job itself. Maybe you want him to excel in another important job, but at the same time you must give him time to finish the first one satisfactorily. 

• If somebody is corrupt, he will be at it whatever job you assign. First you must make sure that he had given up corruption permanently. So, it does not make any logic to put him out of one job and assign another. Better put him out permanently of any job.

• If you have to bow to pressure, you must do so consistently too. In one case you punish someone for being insensitive. But in another you bow to the dictates of the culprit's mentor. Means X is provided by Y and you punish X for his wrongdoing despite Y's protests. But then you take in Z who is again proved by Y. So, you remain Y's servant.

• Yes, old members are always powerful and they always resist change. But if you basically want to change your Team you must bring in the new young elements boldly. Otherwise what do you achieve out of all your efforts? 

Well, what is common to both the Teams?  Both do not want to take risk at all. And, both want to safely maintain the status quo.  

If you want to build your team make sure first what you want!

Who Says Mumbai Is Heartless!

There were two long queues for local train tickets at Wadala railway station in Mumbai harbor railway line segment. I was in a lot of hurry, but there was never any option but to join in . Then I saw something.

A poor man (let’s not call him a beggar) was sitting on the floor in front of the counters. His little son, very pale and weak, was stretched on his lap. There were some x-rays and documents scattered around him. The man was muttering amidst tears, ‘Please help me get some treatment for my ailing son. He may or may not be saved. But please help me do something for him.’ As usual, busy as ever, Mumbaikars hardly seemed to be noticing the father and son duo. But what followed moved me in my innermost soul.

Everybody, I mean one and all, booked his/her tickets and deposited whatever change s/he got with the poor man on the ground. It was ten bucks or more for some, five bucks or less for some others. But they followed the same routine. Mumbaikars, irrespective of age or gender or any other differences, gave the change to the poor man and ran to catch their trains. I did the same when my turn came and hurried off for the platform with tender emotions filling my heart.

Yes, Mumbaikars are mechanically busy, materialistic and always struggling for competition and survival. But still, they have lot of humanity left in their hearts. That’s the good news. Memories of the incredibly humanistic scenes witnessed during the 26/7 deluge in 2005 flooded my mind causing emotional high tides that did not submerge, but calmed me overpoweringly.

Just thought I should share this with you all.