Thursday, January 29, 2009

Has Our Big Bang At Cannes Rocketed Us To The Global Arena?

MONOJIT LAHIRI checks-out with the Adfrat

The Toast of the Fest! The Stars of the event! The Flavour of the day! India – with an unprecedented tally of 23 metals (including the first-ever Grand Prix, Integrated Lion & Cyber Lion) swept across all categories, and re-enforced by physical presence in all major juries – scored big, both at the hustings and the mind space of the global guru’s gracing the glamorous, glitzy and hi-profile ‘Oscars’ of the ad world! Accolades came thick and fast from hot-shots like Terry Savage (“They have done extraordinarily well this year”), Craig Davis (“brilliant ideas can come from anywhere. Bravo!”), Mark Gross (“Their work is beginning to stand out because they are getting to know more about the medium, its nuances and what should be done in that medium. They will now move only upwards …”), Rodney Fitch (“India has indeed scored very high!”) and Colleen DeCourcy (“India is already thinking on the new media as well and the creative talent is being groomed to think in that direction. That is a good sign. Clearly the expectations will be more, next time.”)

Looking back today, does all this indicate ad-India’s coming of age in the global platform? Or are these early days? Or is too much being read about a hyped firang awards, which has no connection with the ground realities defining India’s market space?

Siddhartha Roy (Executive Director, RESPONSE, Kolkata) fires the first salvo. He believes that in today’s globalised world, “Cannes is important and our work being awarded there demonstrates our worth in the international arena – reason enough to celebrate!” His main reason to rejoice however is “an exciting climate of creativity, powered by the new-age client’s genuine desire to buy into fresh, cutting-edge ideas is clearly visible. This augurs well for the future.” Equus Red Cell’s Swapan Seth is not so sure. He reckons that while modest jubilation is in order, too much shouldn’t be read into this scoring. Why? “Because, barring some outstanding (produced and released) work, Cannes continues to be claimed by … Scams!”

Ujjal Sinha (CEO, Genesis, Kolkata) however refuses to be so cynical. “Globally, India today is rocking! From DAVOS to IT, its Incredible India all the way! Cannes, sort of (appropriately) seemed to fall in line.” Sinha however cautions about getting carried away and emphasises that we have a long way to go before we consistently are able to deliver world-class communication slugs.

Alyque Padamsee agrees. “Without meaning to be a kill-joy or Devil’s Advocate, I have to say that this hoo-haa shouldn’t be taken with a pinch of salt!” The revered ad-guru believes that to be actually perceived, recognised and respected as a creative powerhouse, a country has to have at least ten ad agencies consistently producing cutting-edge stuff, time and time again. UK is a classic case in point. “Otherwise you are nothing more than a hyped, glamorous, flavour-of-the-day! Brazil, Spain, Australia, Japan … all these countries, at some point or other, were huge, but where are they now? Incidentally Americans aren’t too enamoured by Cannes. They view it, as an European event. For them, ONE SHOW, D&AD, CLIO, MOBILIS .. appear hotter.” The flamboyant Dorian Grey (or is it Dev Anand?!) of Indian advertising signs off with style. “At the end of the day, while being jubilant and energised about the success is fine, we must decide whether we are looking for Sprinters … or Marathon men?” The red-hot ad-land – Bollywood star Prasoon Joshi refuses to enter the fray and strikes a benign, Buddha-like pose. “Why are we always chasing labels, arrivals and departures? Has India arrived? There must be a zillion personal takes. For me, its important to enjoy this awesome journey instead of doing a paralysis through analysis! We have definitely covered significant distance and are poised to cover lots more. Lets – individually and collectively – try and contribute as much as possible to take this forward instead of hysterically trying to play judge & jury!”

TBWA’s big daddy George John warmly congratulates all the winners and believes, “it can only act as a terrific confidence-booster to set our sights even higher. Regarding going over-board, lets not play spoil-sport and rain on their parade. Savour it…” Sushil Pandit of THE HIVES adds his own spin to it. “For quite some time now, we have been doing excellent work – both in the area of ideas and execution – that has moved our markets, consumers and brands. The trend continues. The difference is that this time, it resonated there as well! If Cannes acknowledged and rewarded our stuff … then yes, it happened this time.” Pandit is convinced that the dramatic zoom in our fortunes have occurred largely due to the fact that “we have learnt to intelligently leverage the processes of Cannes … context stuff that works with these guys.” Hence to the question of whether India has finally arrived at Cannes, the answer is: ‘yes’. To the (bigger) question whether India has (generally) arrived, the answer has to be: Long Time Back!” Dentsu’s Gulu Sen agrees. “The buzz has been around for some years now, but with this, we’ve actually struck ‘big’! It’s a lot like the Olympic gold! And the Grand Prix for the brilliant Lead India campaign was most appropriate. It was a magical combination of passion, purposes and perspective.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Next stage: Building virtual relationships! - "IIPM-News"

Our point of view for social media is very dynamic. Internet has changed the way we communicate. The role of public relations has therefore become more significant in building this trust with the consumers. Now public relations have to let-go the message in order to build trust. When you are communicating with a blogger or somebody who is running an online forum, the way of communicating becomes different in an altogether different way. The message should be authentic and believable. Internet, therefore, has fundamentally changed the way of communication. As far as India is concerned, Internet penetration is just 5.4%. This is a very miniscule penetration. But that also means there is a big opportunity waiting to be exploited. But 85% of people who are online are reading blogs and out of which 40% of these read blogs daily.

We also did a survey in Asia out of which majority of Indian people admitted that they were contact by PR agencies at various points of time through social networking sites. Thus PR people need to know these bloggers and visitors of such sites and communicate with them as they just don’t want press releases only. They want first-hand information. But this becomes difficult for companies, especially Indian companies and that is what we aim to find a solution for.

Moreover, companies like Nokia in Singapore are in the more advanced relationship building phase. That’s what we have to get into in India also. Online scrapping or social networks in India is a part-time exercise, so most people are ready to meet you after their regular work hours and that too usually in bars and informal environments. This needs to be followed by active engagement with companies. Social networking sites therefore become the integral part of a company’s communication strategy.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

An open letter to RATAN TATA - "IIPM-News"

Dear Ratan Tata,

This humble hack dares to be presumptuous enough to write with trepidation and a certain gumption that would hardly ruffle the feathers of a mighty and towering giant of an entrepreneur whose companies have been on a quest of global conquest in the last few years; albeit without the marauding violence and contempt displayed by the rampaging armies of George Bush Jr. I marvel at the vision, stamina, will power, fortitude, leadership skills and chutzpah you must have to manage a group with about 80 companies. I was an even more ardent admirer of your predecessor the late J.R.D. Tata.

Like all hacks, I was going through a bunch of newspapers the other morning when I stumbled upon this headline: “Tata Seeks Special Funds in Banks.” Like most hacks, I was curious; wondering if the mighty Ratan Tata now wants to buy up a bank or two after gobbling up Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover. After reading the story, I must admit I was puzzled; you may say even baffled and bamboozled. The question kept ringing in my humble head: the mighty Ratan Tata, the great global entrepreneur, the saviour of India Inc. and India, now going to the government with a hat in hand?

It seems you have found some time from your maddeningly busy schedule to write a letter to the humble Dr. Manmohan Singh. He must have felt elated because he was dejected when Barack Obama didn’t call him. In the letter, you have taken up the responsibility of saving the brightest jewels of India Inc. from distress and even disaster. In keeping with the Tata tradition of corporate ethics and social responsibility that was so exemplified by J.R.D. Tata, your mission is selfless and charitable. You want ‘select’ Indian banks to create a special contingency fund for ‘credit-worthy’ Indian companies. And what would that fund do? It would rescue allegedly top performing and leading ‘credit-worthy’ companies from despair, if the dollar and euro loans they have taken are recalled or have to be repaid in a hurry. That is because the global financial meltdown might compel many foreign banks and institutions desperate for liquidity to refuse to extend or roll over the loans after December 31, 2008, when they close their books of accounts. Visionary leader that you are, you have chosen to be pre-emptive and pro-active in saving the honour, the very izzat of ‘credit-worthy’ Indian companies and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs that are not considered ‘credit-worthy’ by you have no izzat anyway.


I don’t know if this humble missive will reach 10, Janpath or if Sonia Madam will even read it. But I hereby nominate you for the next Bharat Ratna for your pioneering efforts to save corporate India. Your efforts are so refreshingly different from the controversial actions of Vijay Mallya and Naresh Goyal, who have acquired a nasty habit of going hat in hand to the government. After announcing global conquests a la Vasco da Gama through Kingfisher and Jet, the duo have now hunkered down and want a series of bail outs from both the government and the consumer. (As a frequent flyer, you might have heard of how consumers are bailing out Mallya and Goyal by paying through their noses for air tickets). You are also so refreshingly different from the likes of Rahul Bajaj who claims to bat for India Inc. by allegedly asking for more protection from foreign competition.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
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IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Friday, January 23, 2009

MFs sink further into the red!

All thanks to the global meltdown, MF industry in India has witnessed value erosion of Rs.759.96 billion in equity related schemes in the first seven months of FY 2008-09. According to the AMFI data, Rs.406.08 billion of this was lost in October alone. Notably, BSE Sensex and BSE-500 also recorded their single biggest monthly fall in October. BSE Sensex plunged by 23.9%, while BSE-500 fell by 27.1% in October. AUM in equity related schemes too declined from Rs.1,890.25 billion as on March 31,2008 to Rs.1,579.13 billion as on October 31, 2008. This fall in AUM is partly due to value erosion in equities & partly due to redemptions that followed them.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
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Thursday, January 22, 2009

IS GREEN THE WAY TO GO?

When the oil shock first reverberated across the globe in the 1970s, the Detroit duo refused to change, in the fond hope that green will be the colour of envy for rival Japanese auto majors. But today, when Toyota and Honda lovingly brandish their nimbler, fuel-efficient machines at the American consumers, it’s GM and Ford that are not just going green with envy but are literally gasping for survival! To avoid falling into a similar trap, the impulse of going ‘green’ is running faster than blood in India Inc.’s veins. From IT giants to luxurious hotel chains, from automobiles to mutual funds, corporate India is moving fanatically ahead with green initiatives. But will the gamble eventually pay off? Deepak R. Patra digs in...

Gambling may be almost an indecent (well, we said almost, didn’t we!) word in civil society but the green gamble is one that companies globally and in India are almost being coerced into. Cautiously watching and gauging their every activity are not just environmentalists and governments, but also a fast-growing breed of aware consumers who are ostensibly choosing the natural colour over their made-up counterparts. But hey, do consumers, really care as much? Go talk to modern consumers; they are sensitive, they understand responsibility toward environment, are concerned about climate change and want to help protect the earth from effects of global warming. Indeed, a 2007 global McKinsey survey of 7,751 people in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States suggested that 87% of consumers surveyed worry about the environmental and social impact of the products they buy. Encouraging news for India Inc.! But, at the time of actual buying, there appears a mismatch between words and actions. As per the 4Ps B&M and ICMR survey conducted across five big Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore (see pages 70), merely 32% of consumers surveyed had actually bought/or were willing to buy only those products that are marketed as ‘green products’. Even the aforementioned McKinsey survey concluded that no more than 33% of the consumers in their survey were ready to buy green products or have already done so. And possibly then also, they may only be buying organic foods (for personal health) or energy-efficient lighting (of course, that helps them reduce their electricity bill!).

However, more than a few contrarian instances prevail. The green gamble has already paid GE’s Jeff Immelt more than billions of dollars in revenues from his Ecomagination initiative; WalMart’s 2008 report on consumer behaviour reported a 66% increase since last year in consumers’ decisions to purchase five key eco-friendly products viz. CFL bulbs, organic milk and baby food, extended-life paper products, et al. Clearly for WalMart’s 200 million consumers, environment reigns high even in their shopping baskets.

With global success stories like these to swear by, almost every marketer in India is wondering whether the green gamble will pay off this side of the Indus! And instead of losing sleep over the question, they are following the age old way – that of testing the market by soft-launching green products and services and letting consumers be judge and jury. Leading the pack without hesitation are the IT behemoths, who know that they can’t forever avoid the growing breed of environmentalists who swear by the sword to oppose them for anything that hurts the environment. If HCL Infosystems, the lone Indian-origin hardware company, introduced a complete lineup of eco-efficient consumer and business notebooks, compliant with the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) directive last year, global giant Dell plans to produce (and also market in India) laptops and desktops that will use 25% less energy by 2010. Many IT majors have even begun designing their products in consideration of its environmental impact at each stage of the product’s life cycle. While the first steps have only just been taken in India, globally technology giants have been benefitting from their green initiatives for some time now. Apple, in fact, has discovered that going green literally translates into alternative revenue streams. Apple recycled 13 million pounds of e-waste in 2006, equivalent to 9.55% of all Apple products sold seven years earlier. Watchers at Apple expect these revenues to reach 20% in 2008.

Even Big Blue is keenly acquiring green hues, and is not restricting itself to merely eco-efficient notebooks. Under ‘Project Big Green’, IBM is selling green solutions to those corporate data centres where energy constraints and costs are limiting their ability to grow. The promise is that these solutions will help each data centre to cut their energy costs by half (a typical 25,000 square foot data centre spends $2.6 million in power annually). In India, the Big Blue (or should we say green!) has already executed data centre projects exceeding 2.5 lakh square feet for over 55 clients. Neeraj Sharma, Director, Infrastructure services, IBM (India) told 4Ps B&M, “Monetarily speaking, IBM saw strong signings performance of its Green Data Center services offerings that were announced in the second quarter of 2008. Nearly $220 million in new business have been signed in the 2nd quarter of 2008.”
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
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The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
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India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

XPOSE

On the green side of the fence
"Khuda ke liye", the first ever Pakistani movie to be released in India, tried restoring people''s faith in probably the most misunderstood religion across the world. Swati Hora talks to its writer-director, Shoaib Mansoor.

What led you to make the movie "Khuda Ke Liye"?

It has a lot of my personal experience, some psychological and some solid. I love music. I started my music career in the 80s with our band Vital Science. The lead singer of the band was one of my closest friends. We were together for 17 years. But suddenly he got misdirected and started thinking that music is un-Islamic. He didn’t stop at that. He started appearing in public and spoke against music. That’s when I chose to make this movie because he had no right to mislead the young.

"Khuda Ke Liye" was also aimed at reviving the Pakistani film industry. Have you observed any changes in the industry that followed the film's release?

Though one of the aims of making "Khuda Ke Liye" (KKL) was to take a step in reviving the film industry of Pakistan, I was also sure that one movie cannot possibly accomplish such a task. This is exactly what has happened. Besides, succeeding in KKL has not been able to revive cinema in Pakistan, because KKL, or any film for that matter, could not possibly alone accomplish that.

Any award received or criticism faced after the release of the movie?

Either I have been lucky or the critics in 2008, while watching my movie, were trying to catch up on all the sleep they lost in 2007! Whatever be the reason, the result has been quite good. KKL, till now, has won several international awards…in Japan, Italy, Cairo, Oman, and Singapore, besides four awards at the domestic level. Again, luckily, all the criticism that came my way was before the release of the film when many religious clerics criticised it, without watching the film, based upon its press publicity. After the release, the response of cinema goers was so tremendous that the clerics decided to leave me alone!


Do you see Lollywood becoming better in the near future? Who in the Pakistani film industry do you think is making a difference and will leave a mark?

I am positive that we don’t lack in talent, therefore, the future is by all means bright. But, unfortunately, I can’t be optimistic about the near future since conditions here are not suitable right now for the newcomers. There are no Urdu films being made; no financiers are interested; those who can make a difference, and have both talent and money, are not brave enough to take a risk. As far as I am concerned, I have decided to stick to film making and will keep trying to contribute whatever is within my capability.

"Khuda Ke Liye" was an issue-based movie that educated the world. Which are the other cultural aspects of Islam (misunderstood or otherwise), apart from music, that you feel need to be addressed?

Islam, or any religion for that matter, does not promote anything based on injustice and inequality. It is unfortunate that the followers of all religions become followers of the radical clerics and thus hatred, injustice, and inequality takes roots in the society. It is true for Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews…everyone. In countries like Pakistan, the biggest problem is that our religious clerics are not ready to differentiate between religion and culture. This can only be solved with education…whenever that will come. In my opinion, the treatment of women by men is the biggest issue in the whole of South Asia that needs to be addressed.

India is a big market plagued with similar issues and problems. Do you plan to come to Bollywood and work with the actors over here? Who are the Bollywood actors/actresses whose work you admire? Any Bollywood movie that you like?

I would only want to do one or two movies in India because my aim is to improve the industry in my own country. Even the one or two movies that I would do in India will have the objective to improve conditions in Pakistan. I am positive that making a good film in India is going to help my efforts remarkably at the local level to revive cinema. Aamir Khan is one person I appreciate the most. He is trying to break the formula of commercial film making in India. I think it is commendable. SRK has his own place that cannot be denied. The position he holds, not only in India, but in many other countries, makes him a true King. Besides these two front runners who are 'hero' material, there are several other great actors. One that I cannot avoid mentioning is Naseeruddin Shah. He has inspired me immensely, not only by his acting talent, but also by his commitment towards the right cause. I really don’t have the words to pay a tribute to him. He is an artist in the true sense of the word…highly talented and extremely sensitive.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
IIPM ranked No. 1 B-school in India- Zee Business Survey ...
IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Monday, January 19, 2009

On a note of faith - "The Sunday Indian Magazine Story"

“Not every heart is capable of finding the secret of God’s love. There are not pearls in every sea; there is not gold in every mine.”

The above couplet is said to have been a favourite of theThe renowned 12th century Sufi saint Baba Farid, the patron saint of Faridkot, the town now believed to be the home of Ajmal Amir Kasab, one of the terrorists who stormed Mumbai and was captured by the Indian police. As neighbours refuse to acknowledge him, and scores of bereaved families look to the government for justice, why not look for peace, and meaning in our lives, through the time-tested healing powers of Sufi music…

When Sufi artists sing, their art is a passionate offering to God, and with them, the listeners too rise above their troubles and their hearts begin to resonate with the music, healing in prayer and music… “Sufism is about faith in life… it’s about compassion, living in the moment, accepting life the way it comes. It heals because it has the power to take one into a trance, and closer to the higher self. That is why when listening to soulful rendition of Sufi poetry, without even realising people start crying. It is in Sufi poetry that one translates pain also very lovingly, for it is about loving God as one’s beloved, and loving one's beloved is loving life...” says Sufi singer, Rekha Bhardwaj.

Aiming to take the heart away from all else and turn it solely towards God, the Sufi musicians have often battled the school of thought that pronounces all music as haram (forbidden). Says Sufi singer Zila Khan, “The extremists might have distorted Sufism and said that it ought to be haraam because one gets too immersed in it and may forget to pray to God… that it’s an addiction, it could take you away from reality and your responsibilities. Anything that makes you forget God is banned and is wrong, so do it in moderation, then nothing is wrong. I look at everything with logic, even praying to the almighty 24x7 is forbidden in the Quran, so even music must be done taking care of our other responsibilities as humans.” “Sufism is beautiful, innocent and pure,” says Zila, and it is of little wonder that it has travelled through so many countries and its teachings have influenced people through the centuries. Even non-religious folk have felt the effect of Sufi music, as unknown to them, it has reached out to them, in concerts where Sufi poetry meets western rock/pop music (Remember Junoon crooning away Sayonee, or Baba Bulle Shah’s words echoing on the airwaves as Rabbi Shergill’s voice swept us away to another plane), or when Bollywood took a break from the usual latka-jhatka songs, and served us the soulful voice of Kailash Kher. AR Rehman has often brought in Sufi hues to his harmonies, and this technique is yet to fail him. Every time Pakistani Sufi artists have crossed the borders to bring to the Indian audiences magical evenings of music, we have all thronged to welcome them.

There are many ties between the two bickering brothers, India and Pakistan. One of them is Sufism. But while terrorists exploit the gullible state of affairs, it is for us to hold on to what is true and beautiful and to remember that at the end of it all, all that matters is for us to be true to the God within and without…


“Sufism is beautiful, innocent and pure,” says Zila, and it is of little wonder that it has travelled through so many countries and its teachings have influenced people through the centuries. Even non-religious folk have felt the effect of Sufi music, as unknown to them, it has reached out to them, in concerts where Sufi poetry meets western rock/pop music (Remember Junoon crooning away Sayonee, or Baba Bulle Shah’s words echoing on the airwaves as Rabbi Shergill’s voice swept us away to another plane), or when Bollywood took a break from the usual latka-jhatka songs, and served us the soulful voice of Kailash Kher. AR Rehman has often brought in Sufi hues to his harmonies, and this technique is yet to fail him. Every time Pakistani Sufi artists have crossed the borders to bring to the Indian audiences magical evenings of music, we have all thronged to welcome them.

There are many ties between the two bickering brothers, India and Pakistan. One of them is Sufism. But while terrorists exploit the gullible state of affairs, it is for us to hold on to what is true and beautiful and to remember that at the end of it all, all that matters is for us to be true to the God within and without…
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

On the Offensive

Assam is a case study of illegal Bangladeshi migrants on the warpath, natural when the border with an overpopulated country isn’t sealed, says TSI''s Pranab Bora

Sixty-five-year-old Lakhiram Bodo describes every moment of the past three months in the relief camp as ‘harrowing’. Despite belonging to the Bodo community – the earliest inhabitants of Assam, and the supposed ‘bhumiputras’, he and the entire Bodo population of Dalgaon Batabari were thrown out of their homes by Bangladeshi immigrants in a matter of minutes. Today, their existence at the relief camp has been brought down to this: a tin shed, four kgs of rice, 1.1 kg of dal, 250 ml mustard oil and some salt, “per person, per week”.

“Fifty years ago, there were hardly a hundred such families here; today there are thousands of families. When they attacked us after the first skirmishes in August this year, we couldn’t resist them; our village was burnt and they killed our people…” Bodo’s voice trails off.

Dalgaon Batabari – near Rowta in lower Assam – is one of many villages that has borne the wrath of the immigrant Bangladeshi, albeit with citizenship papers available everywhere, thanks to the corrupt babus and an apathetic administration that thrives on the Bangladeshi votebank. On August 14, the Bodos brought out a procession opposing the Assam Bandh called by the Muslim Students’ Union of Assam (MUSA) that was protesting against the “harassment of genuine Indian Muslims who were being thrown out of upper Assam districts such as Dibrugarh”, as 23-year-old Badrul Islam, MUSA president, says. The total immigrant Muslim population in lower Assam is about seven million. At the time of independence, the Muslim population in Assam stood at 1.9 million. Now, the average growth rate of Muslims in Assam stands at 18 per cent; that of Hindus at 14. Six of Assam’s 27 districts now have a Muslim majority population. While in 13 districts, the growth rate of Muslims is less than 30, in seven it is less than 40. In Karbi Anglong, it is as high as 73.6 with the population going from 10,000 to 18,000 in 10 years.
Statements from two state Governors – SK Sinha and Ajai Singh – along with the Gauhati High Court in recent times now buttress what organisations like All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), that led the six-year-long anti-foreigners’ agitation beginning 1979, have said all along: that the state has been inundated by Bangladeshis who endangered the very existence of local communities. It was the detection of hundreds of Bangladeshis in the voters’ rolls in 1979 at Mangaldoi that sparked AASU’s anti-foreigners agitation.

Yet, the modus operandi of political groups who speak for the illegal migrant remains the same. MUSA’s Islam accepts that census reports show dangerous population growths in these districts, where other indigenous communities showed normal growth. Yet, every time suspected illegal migrants moving to the upper Assam are handed over to the police, the MUSA protests against the “inhuman treatment meted out to them”. The August 14 bandh call was one such protest.

The October 30 serial bomb blasts in Assam – the state is now home to a number of Islamic militant groups – that killed 90 and injured hundreds was a culmination of events. The blasts were claimed by the militant group Islamic Security Force (Indian Mujahideen). While the Congress-led government continues to blame the blasts on militant groups like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), till date nothing has come out of its so-called investigation.

Sitting in his small “Office of the Muslim Marriage, Divorce, Registration and Kazi” at Dalgaon, Qazi Md Afzal Hussain, an Assamese Muslim says: “During my father’s time, this was a place of forests where tigers have killed people.” Now, Dalgaon is dominated by immigrants, where Muslims have wiped out tribal belts. As for empowering the Bangladeshi migrant woman – most of them illiterate and some bearing up to 20 children, Hussain says he hasn’t heard of the new nikahnamah released by the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board.

The results are evident. As opposed to the sparsely populated Bodo relief camp at Rowta; the displaced immigrants lodged at camps at Dalgaon lives in squalor, the camps overpacked with unthinkable living conditions. Bashid Ali, one of the inmates, claims their village was attacked by Bodo and Bengali Hindu people, an indication that the Hindu and Muslim Bangladeshis are now at loggerheads in what, all said and done, is a war for land. The rate at which the immigrant Muslim rampages through the districts of Assam is something that local communities have found impossible to resist. At the receiving end is not just the Bodos, Karbis, Assamese or Bengalis but also the original Assamese Muslim (known as goria), a community that has broken away from the so-called Muslim ‘minority’. “Expect a Bangladeshi as Chief Minister within the next 20 years in this state,” says Nekibur Zaman, Gauhati High Court lawyer, an Assamese Muslim and founder of an organisation ‘Khilonjia Muslim Unnayan Parishad.’ “They may call themselves minorities but there are 20 Bangladeshi MLAs even now in the state Assembly.”

For the “mainstream” politician, all of it is to be shrouded in skewed, convenient statistics. Maulana Fazlul Karim Qasimi, a goria Muslim and the convenor of the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), agrees that there is a conspiracy: “For many political parties, keeping the immigrant population an uneducated, proliferating Bangladeshi lot helps their interests, as children born today will vote after 18 years.” Its victims are both the immigrants and local communities. The toll in the August-October clashes stood at over 50. Add to that the 855 students killed during the Assam agitation, followed by the thousands who have been killed during the insurgency that was an offshoot of the agitation. And as people here point out – this is what is happening to India in its northeast, thanks to the our calloys and self-thanking politicians.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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